I am hoping to get some help with ideas about California. My husband and I are travelling to Los Angeles in the Spring. We will be there for one week and we are hoping to stay in a good location and a good neighborhood. I know, what do we want to see and do? We have never been to the west coast and I am so excited about going that I want to try and see all the major attractions in Los Angeles. For instance we want to see Disneyland, Hollywoood, Universal Studios, Televsion studios, Melrose Place etc...
So here is what we need help with! Finding a place to stay. It does not have to be a large hotel, even a B&B would be nice but we also do not want to spend a fortune. We ahve read that staying in either Santa Monica, Westwood or West Hollywood would be nice but we are not sure. We do not want to be doing a lot of driving on our vaction so we want to be somewhere that is easily accesible to everyting. I know we are asking for a miracle but any information, large or small will not go unread. Thanks a lot.

Mara,
I almost hate to say this but you say you are coming to LA for a week, yet you don't want to do a lot of driving. This is very much an oxymoron. Driving IS LA. Los Angeles is built out - way, way out. And the public transportation is almost non-existant for the average tourist. So, first of all, I would expect to do a fair amount of driving while here.

My advice, however: get a really good map of Los Angeles. Try to locate the attractions you and your husband want to see. Chances are, you will find that what you want to see will be in "clusters". Depending on where those "clusters" are might determine where you might look to stay.

You really can't go wrong with anything on the west side of Los Angeles - Santa Monica, West LA, Westwood. Hollywood is dicey - it REALLY depends on the hotel and where it's located. I would avoid the downtown area completely. Remember that Disneyland is NOT in Los Angeles. It's located in Orange County, directly south of LA, approximately 40-50 miles, depending on where you are coming from. Even in "good" traffic (another oxymoron in LA), count on the drive taking at least an hour from west LA - that's bare minimum and ignoring speed limits most of the way. You might want to check to see if there are any other attractions in Orange County you wish to see, and think of spending a night or 2 there. (Now that Disney has 2 theme parks right across the street, and Knott's Berry Farm is "just up the road", it may be more conceivable to spend a night there)

I hope I don't take the edge off of your excitement, as there is lots to do in LA, and it can be a pretty exciting city. But a reality check is sometimes needed: LA is a "driving city" - just be prepared to drive everywhere you wish to visit. I really do hope that you and your husband have a great time!

Michele

Mara:

Why don't you post once and stick with it? You already have a lot of good feedback from your five (!) other almost identical posts. It's time to fly on your own. Use the numerous good suggestions of the responders to further your research and make some decisions.

BTW, Melrose Place does not exist. It is a TV show. But you could check out Melrose Avenue.

Sorry to disagree but there is in fact a Melrose Place, it's a tiny side street off of Melrose... (look in a Thomas Guide)...Not that Heather Locklear hangs out there or anything, mostly I think it goes to a back alley and some retail outlet garbage bins.

Thanks for the advice but i did not realize that the same people always respond to the same ads. I posted my questions more then once because i still have yet to find the answer i am looking for. What i meant by not driving a lot was that I did not want to spend the whole day in the car. I was not asking anone to disect my post i was just asking for help.
Thanks anyway.

Well, Mara...what answer are you looking for?

Mara, the suggestions about W. Hollywood and Santa Monica, near the beach, are right-on. Venicd would be good too. I am going to LA the end of March, and I went through the same process as you. Stay in the western area, close to the beach, and plan to use a car ... don't even give that a moment's concern ... LA = car. Just like Venice, Italy = water and boats (just aprt of the scene). I finally settled on Malibu, on the beach near their pier. Have a good time, and look at a Frommers for LA. Yes, Frommers. Blasphemy, I know, on the Fodor's site.

I get around O.K. in Los Angeles without a car, but I know the bus system really well. Los Angeles MTA buses are filthy and extremely overcrowded. Santa Monica has much better buses, including one that goes to Westwood and another one that goes the Los Angeles International Airport (well near it; you have to transfer to the airport shuttle bus). The subway is great, but it only goes to a few places, such as Downtown, Hollywood and Universal Studios, but not the beach. Disneyland could take hours to get to from Los Angeles if you used public transit.