LA location for walkable restaurants and a few bars.
 

OK, long time poster and user of Fodors but need some help. Will be in LA for 4 days in October (long weekend) and looking for area to stay in. I know some areas of LA and actually looking at the Biltmore in DT but one Saturday night there is $345 and looking to maybe stay in the $200 to $260 range.

What do I want? I would love to stay in area I can take my car out during the day to explore but at night,have an area I can walk to some bars and restaurants. Don't care about celebs hangouts or places for 22 year olds. Think of me as a spry single 40 year old Just a place that is walkable or short cab ride at night to an area where some nightlife and good restaurants are located. Will be going to Staples one night so will have to decide if I drive or metro my way there. Again, I have looked at DT, thought abut Hoolywood/WestHW and even Universal City area but not really sure about any of these places. Any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Again, I have look over this site and found some talk but thought i would ask.

Santa Monica would be my first choice and second would be West Hollywood.

I lived at the Biltmore Hotel one summer. I had a car with me. Areas I'd go to walk and hang out included Fairfax/Farmers Market, Melrose Ave, Santa Monica/Venice.

Agree with Santa Monica. I used to live there and it's a nice area and is close to good restaurants and bars and the beach.

The Beverly Laurel Motor Inn might suit you, not fancy at all, great area. Has a decent diner attatched to it. It's walking distance to the Grove/Farmers Market. A good place for drinks within walking distance is the bar at Canter's, cheap drinks and live music. An older crowd before 11 p.m. which starts to thin out after that hour. There are two bars located in the Farmers market as well, with a lot of chatty regulars hanging around. Lots of restaurants in the area as well and you're very close to WeHo.

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-hotel-3971..._motor_hotel-i

Ditto on Santa Monica. If you stay out there, there is no way to metro to the Staples Center from S.M., so I would recommend just driving yourself to the Staples center (there is AMPLE parking across the street from the center). A cab ride to and from Santa Monica would be expensive ($80 - $100 depending on time of day) and I wouldn't recommend it at all. I also wouldn't recommend staying Downtown - still really sketchy - especially at night.

Ok, I'm going to say it. I take exception to referencing the age of 40 and "spry" in the same sentence! A "spry" 70 or 80 blends, but 40?!?

So, going to Staples as a spry 40, I'm going to take a stab you're going to see Neil Diamond or Tina Turner as opposed to New Kids on the Block. Are you male or female? Going alone or with someone? Like going to clubs for music, are you dining alone, and do you have any plans for daytime activities.

I ask all these probably weird sounding questions, because our responses could be better directed. Taste in music would also be helpful.

First Choice:
Santa Monica, for sure.
- Lots to see including the pier.
- 3rd Street Promenade at night.
- (Bonus: Santa Monica has the cleanest air in L.A., I think.)

(If you are gay or curious or adventurous, try West Hollywood. Lots of gay bars, shops and good restaurants.)

The drive from Santa Monica to Staples Center any Monday-Friday evening would probably end with me in the loony bin, so I hope for your sake the concert is Saturday night.

How about Pasadena? Colorado Boulevard is full of restaurants, bars and nightlife. It's possible to take the metro all the way from Pasadena to Staples, but it would require two changes (Union Station and 7th Street). I'd just drive. It's 11-12 miles and about 20 minutes.

As an alternative, consider the Hilton Checker in downtown. Easy walk to theater, bars and restaurants. A very nice Irish pub is only about two blocks away.

You could also consider downtown Long Beach. Lots of restaurants and attractions within walking distance of decent hotels and a metro blue line ride to downtown L.A. www.metro.net.

The drive north into downtown after 7 pm isn't too bad, either. (we're former LA Kings season ticket holders, so made that drive on many weeknights). The west-east commute on the 10 freeway is much worse, IMO.

I live in Long Beach, and I would rather stay in downtown LA. You don't really want to take the Blue Line (light rail) at night. It's also a pain to drive from Long Beach to typical tourist sights on the west side such as Beverly Hills.

There is nightlife in downtown LA. Little Tokyo is usually active, Chinatown has galleries, and there are scattered places like Casey's (the Irish place), Hanks Bar, Pete's Cafe, Weiland Brewery, the happy hours at Nick & Stefs or the bar at McCormick and Schmick, (lots of downtown happy hours for the workers in fact), rooftop at the Standard Hotel (might be a good place to stay downtown IF you can get a room).

For more info on downtown events, check online or pickup a copy of the Downtown News (downtownnews.com)

Thanks

Surfer Girl

When I meant spry 40+ year old is although I am a professional, and in my mid 40s, butI dont mind sitting in a bar watching a band or hitting multiple bars. Maybe a spry was not the right word. I just meant I "get around" more than the average 45 year suburbanite. Basic Decription: 46 year old Ex-Punk with an MBA.

Staples was meant with nothing "spry". I am going to see the LA Kings.

No Tina Turner Neil Diamond. More of a fan of "The Hold Steady".

I am a male (straight), going alone and eating alone, prefer music or bars, and not clubs.

Is one ever really an ex punk? I like to think the punk is still there, lurking in the background. :-)

I second the Checkers Hotel recommendation, and I'm guessing a few downtown hotels (Sheraton, Biltmore) have piano bars. (Do ex punks do piano bars?)

Ex punk? Now you're talking my language!

Dates, I need dates. My bet is you're going to see the Caroline Hurricanes? If so, you're in on 10/17 for that.

My personal vote then would be, stay at the Standard (across the street from the Biltmore) and go the following night to the Orpheum downtown and see the venerable PATTI SMITH. Man, she ages better than wine!


Alternative suggestion would be stay at the Sunset Plaza or the Standard on the Sunset Strip and catch either Streetlight Manifesto at the Key Club or Street Dogs et al at the House of Blues. Both venues have excellent food (I mean, really surprisingly great food, especially if you book the foundation room at HOB), good bar scene, people younger and older (i.e. my age, older than you) than you, and good vibes. Both bands are excellent post-punk music.

Too bad you're not around on 10/9 for Killing Joke or 10/26 for Wall of Voodoo's hero, Stan Ridgway, both playing Sunset HOB.

Now, if you stay in WeHo, I'm going to make some weird recs that have never let down my over the pond friends. Down the street from the Key Club and the HOB (actually, in between the 2) is the Rainbow, which is next door to the Roxy. They have a good nightlife, really, really good pizza and some of the weirdest patrons around! On the weekends, you'll see "Fig", the patron saint of the "Fegen Suite" doing his magic tricks. Owners Mario or Elmer. Mario is a part owner of the Whisky a Go Go (his g.daughter manages) and the Roxy (formerly owned by Lou Adler and I think it was David Geffen). Leftover metal dudes (groan), but always the fun place to just kick back and watch the scene.

My 2 cents.

I would recommend The Orlando, on 3rd street near the Beverly Center. 3rd street has lots of walkable bars and restaurants. If you want something fancier, you aren't that far (short cab or long walk) from all the restaurants on La Cienega. Also, it would be just a short cab ride to restaurants in Hollywood, The Grove, and so on.

Based on the new description, the Standard does sound like a better choice. It's pretty trendy, but the rooftop bar is really nice and has a great view of the city. Downtown has also developed some in the last few years, though I wouldn't have recommended it until I found out the poster was a male. I really like the bars down there (http://losangeles.metromix.com/bars-...123485/content), but I still rarely go alone as a female.

Biltmore is boring... very non-punk. Santa Monica is also pretty sedate (though I like it) and VERY far from downtown.

WeHo (i.e. Sunset Blvd.) might also be nice, but you'll have to drive to the Staples Center.

The Renaissance at Hollywood & Highland is kind of touristy, but it's steps away from some good restaurants and decent bars on Hollywood Blvd. (The Bowery, Pig & Whistle, Lucky Strike, etc.). The big plus: there's a metro redline right next to it which you can take to downtown to see the game. No driving!

And also the Cat & Fiddle, across the street (practically) from Club Lingerie!

I've been biting my tongue rather than suggest the Hollywood and Highlands locale also. I know it gets a bad rap for being so touristy, but it really suits everything you say.

The very trendy Bar Marmont which is next to the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.

Bar Nineteen 12 at the Beverly Hills Hotel offers great people watching and patio seating with views of the LA skyline.