morgiane

Hi all,

I am going to LA on business next week. I will have the 2 evenings free, and it turns out I will actually also have a full afternoon free as well. Any recommendations?

I'm going with my fiance, we are staying in Universal City? (the hilton universal), and the afternoon I have free will be starting from North Hollywood.

I'd love to find out a few things:
- some ideas for the evenings - good restaurants (we love food, are not picky but also are not high rollers ), maybe some good blues music if there is any out there?

- ideas for the afternoon...is it very far from Santa Monica? Is it still nice enough for a walk along the beach or anything like that? I actually have NO idea what to do this afternoon so any ideas are welcome!

- my fiance is a guitarist, and I think he is planning on passing the time while i'm in meetings at various guitar shops, especially vintage. So if you know of any, please let me know.

Thank you so much!

morgiane

escargot

if your fiance likes music, you might want to check out what is happening at the Getty Museum - they have concerts and various musical performances there at night and there might be something unique you would both enjoy and the museum itself is fabulous. www.getty.edu/museum and events are listed on the calendar.

tracys2cents

Are you getting a car or were you asking about Santa Monica via public transport or taxi?

morgiane

thanks escargot - i will check out the site!

tracys2cents - we will definitely have a rental car. i've heard horror stories about LA's public transportation

thanks!

suze

Since you have a car, going out to Santa Monica & Venice is a fine idea. It's not far nor a difficult drive.

mlgb

You will definitely experience the horror of LA traffic if you are driving to Santa Monica during the late afternoon to dinner period. Good luck.

In contrast, the Metro Red Line will get you from North Hollywood to the Civic Center Station in Downtown Los Angeles in 26 minutes. To each his own.

mlgb

Travel time from NoHo (North Hollywood) to Hollywood and Vine is 10 minutes, if downtown isn't your cup of tea. Oh the horror.

Be sure to check the return trip as it doesn't run all night long, at :

www.mta.net

Lex1

Drive around Mulholland Drive at night, if you do not suffer from vertigo. The lights are other worldly magnificant.

tracys2cents

Yes it'll probably be nice enough for the beach, some days have been 90 recently, beach more like 70. If the weather on your free day isn't so hot, head for the Getty.

I think there is a BBKings blues club right up there at Universal.

There's a Wolfgang Puck restaurant called Vert that is in the Hollywood and Highland complex. You can subway back and forth to the Hollywood Walk of fame from Universal, it's easy. The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel has quite a history, and the gourmet burger joint in there is amazing.

morgiane

thanks everybody, this is really helpful.

mlgb - touche. believe me, i have also heard the horror of LA traffic, and have experienced it first-hand years ago. I have nothing against public transportation (i live in NY, it's my lifeline!) but I have definitely heard that the infrastructure is not really in place for it to be an effective full replacement for a car in LA. Maybe I am spoiled by huge amount of public transport here in NY. Didn't mean to make anybody angry.

tracys2cents

don't drive in L.A. if you don't wanna make anyone angry! Gotta get your foot off the brake just BEFORE the light turns green and GET MOVIN', or you'll have 6 angry SUVs on your ass.
And make sure you learn how to make those left-turns-on-red.

mlgb

I haven't taken any offence. Just pointing out that if you are in NoHo then sometimes the Red Line is a better option. And unless you are driving between 10-2 or after 8 I don't recommend trying to get to Santa Monica on a weekday am or afternoon/evening. I have attempted it many times and it is a whole new level of frustration.

For blues venues, check www.laweekly.com

There is also House of Blues but I assume you are looking for the smaller places.

Surfergirl

Do try to get to Santa Monica.

Now, let's talk guitars (I just returned from a road trip to Oregon and stopped off in Bend to visit the Breedlove guitar factory and pick out some wood for a custom made guitar).

There is the Guitar Centre chain (I've been to the one in Hollywood on Sunset numerous times and the one on Ventura in the Valley once). The one in Hollywood carried used and vintage guitars in their back room. If he sees something he likes, remember, whatever guitar store he goes to, it is always negotiation. The price on the guitar is NEVER their best or only price.

Next, is McCabe's on Pico in Santa Monica. It has been around since the 60's, primarily acoustic and they know guitars. They often have certain models on sale if they are overstocked, and you can talk them down from there. They have some exceptional Martins and Taylors, as well as some other interesting stringlike or guitar-like instruments. The staff have been there forever, and they do have very small shows there in the evenings.

There is also Fred Walecki's Westwood Music on Westwood Blvd. in Westwood (just south of UCLA) is another place that sells vintage guitars along with some rather unique guitars. Joni Mitchell used to go there a lot before she hung up her guitar, and there are quite a few other famous guitarists that spend time there and at McCabe's.

Hope that helps.

morgiane

thanks surfergirl!! that is GREAT information for Jay. He will be psyched to have some places to check out.

and thank you to everyone else as well for all your help!