Santa Monica, California
 

My husband will be going on a business trip to Santa Monica during my spring break week and I will get the chance to join him. We will be staying in Le Merigot.
Is it possible to get into LA using public transportation? I would especially be interested in getting to the Getty Center and possibly exploring the downtown area.
Also, one of his clients is Pepperdine University in Malibu. Would it be possible to spend an entire day in Malibu if I went with him? I love to hike, walk around the town, window shop...
Thanks in advance!

The Getty Center would be two bus trips but easy ones, the Blue Bus into Westwood and then the 561 City Rapid bus to the entrance of the Getty. In between, Westwood has some window shopping or you could walk around the UCLA campus which is very nice.
It's about 15 min bus ride from SM to Westwood, and 10 minutes then to Getty.

Rent a car and save yourself the headaches of trying to negotiate how to get to the areas you desire.

My husband will have a car, but I will not be able to drive it because he will rent it on a corporate account. I don't mind using public transportation.
I am glad that I can take the bus to the Getty Center. I heard that it is an interesting place!

Can LA on public transporation be done? Yes.

Is it enjoyable and convenient? No

Unlike places like Chicago or New York, where the city was built around public transporation, or more recently places like Portland or Minneapolis where there is a concerted effort to retrofit mass transit, LA isn't a transit friendly place.

You can take buses to get to places, but I would encourage you to research your routing and then ask the concierge about what parts of town it will take you through. Some connections could put you in an awfully bad part of town, especially if you are trying to explore southward toward Orange County (OC is fine, it is in-between that is bad).

But yes, as someone already posted, getting from Santa Monica to the Getty is like going from rich to richer. And yes, if you enjoy hiking and just "taking it all in", I think you could easily spend a day in Malibu. Pepperdine's campus by itself is worth a nice walk. Views are great.

I don't know if you could spend a day in Malibu without a car. It's not really a place where you can walk to everything.

And a word to the wise, be very careful when driving Hwy 1. Our friend's father in law was killed on the 1. It's twisty and turny, and people don't always drive smart on it (too fast). Just be cautious!

L

There really isn't a place to window shop in Malibu. There are a couple of clothing stores in a small mall area near the Starbucks, or across the highway there is a grocery store and a few stores but from what I recall they are stores that cater more to local residents like a maybe a UPS shipping store etc.

Pepperdine is one of my clients as well. The campus is beautiful and the views are really nice if it is a clear day. Depending on how long your husbnd will be at the campus, you may want to just wander around there or get a good book and find a place to read while waiting.

They do have a nice gift shop with School related clothing.

You may also want to look up the Grayline tours in Los Angeles. I think they have a tour to the Getty Center.

Hogwash about the bus system in L.A. being tedious! That's what everyone who NEVER takes public transportation always says. Well guess what, sitting in traffic in your big SUV is no picnic either. A bus ride up to the front entrance of the Getty Center is actually a pleasant little tour through some interesting neighborhoods. Make sure you have a window seat!

I concur with cargillman, the public transportation system in L.A. is NOT like NYC or Chicago. For instance, if you want to spend the day in Malibu, how are you going to get from Gladstones to the Cross Creek Shopping Center? How about Santa Monica to the Getty shuttle? If you're on a bus, you still have to be in traffic. Joesorce gave good information about getting to the Getty by bus, if you must. I would hate the transfer business and the waste of time...just my opinion.

I don't mean to be presumptuous about your pocketbook but is it possible to rent a small compact? You're staying at the Le Merigot so I assume you can afford at least a little car. It's really not easy to get around L.A. without a car. You really do need one for what you're doing.

By the way, Santa Monica has the Promenade with some really fun shopping and site seeing. The beach is lots of fun and so is the boardwalk.

I was just on my way to the Asia board when I noticed your post. I live in Santa Monica and agree with the people who said to rent a car. However my kids use public buses all the time and if you stick to SM's user-friendly Big Blue Bus (www.bigbluebus.com), you should be fine. You can even take the "Freeway Express" to Disney Hall (a must-see) in downtown LA. (Having said that, I probably would never take a bus to downtown LA, but people do it everyday.)

As far as your car-less day in Malibu, when your husband goes to Pepperdine he can drop you off at the Malibu Country Mart (at Cross Creek) for Malibu's best shopping and people watching. Then you can take a taxi back down the coast to the Getty Villa and your husband can pick you up on his way back to SM.

For window shopping and hiking though, you're probably better off staying in Santa Monica. You can easily spend a whole day on the promenade and Main Street, then walk back to the Merigot along the beach. Or for a nice longer walk and some eclectic upscale shopping, head north from your hotel along Ocean Avenue to Montana Ave. then east on Montana to 15th Street.

You can also rent a bicycle or roller blades, check out Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice (for more avant garde shops), or ask the concierge about hiking in Pacific Palisades - the Big Blue Bus goes to Temescal Canyon for a scenic 4-mile loop to a (small) waterfall.

WOW!! Thanks for all of this advice!
As for the car, I don't feel like it would be worth it to have 2 cars (my husband's company will pay for his car as well as the parking).
I love the idea of going to the Pacific Palisades- I had never heard of it! The Getty Villa idea is intriguing also- is that different than the Getty center?

oops - sorry I posted twice. The Getty Villa and the The Getty Center are different structure in different location. The GC is on a hill in Brentwood and the GV is on the PCH at the south end of Malibu. The Villa is a newly renovated 1920's faux Roman structure in a gorgeous oceanfront setting housing all of the Getty collection's antiquities. Right now the Villa is in the center of a controversy because the Greek and Italian governments have started an international legal battle to prove that some the many of the important artifacts in the collection are stolen items. In fact the Getty now has to give some of the antiquities back.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...home-headlines

The Getty Center is totally different - very contemporary. Its art collection is unfocussed and all over the place, but the architecture, setting and the gardens are spectacular. The Getty Villa also has incredible gardens. If you decide to go, you will need a reservation, which your hotel can arrange.

sorry about typos

Crosscheck, that is the shopping area I was thinking about, just couldn't remember the name. IT s a good place to people watch. I have run into several celebrities while eating at Marmalades. I am not impressed with the shopping there, but if you have a couple of hours to just hang out, there are places to browse.

Yes, you will see celebs. And the shopping is fine if money is no object. There is Madison, Planet Blue, James Perse and Ron Herman - a microcosm of what can be found in other upscale LA shopping areas, also a few cool home decor shops and places to pick up beachy accessories and beauty products. There are cafes and some other reasonably priced spots to eat, including Marmalade, which is excellent for breakfast, salads or sandwhiches. (Kerry, there is also a Marmalade on Montana in Santa Monica). I wouldn't normally go to Malibu just to shop, but if you happen to be there, the Country Mart is the place.