Hi Team,

I am travelling with my partner (we are 23 years old) and wondering whether it is best to stay in the Hollywood area or Santa Monica? We will be in LA for 3 nights and plan to see the standard tourist attractions as it is our first time (Hollywood Walk of Fame, Rodeo Drive, Staples Center, Venice Beach, Santa Monica Pier and others based on 'must-see places' on forums). We plan to spend a day at Universal Studios so that considerably cuts our available sightseeing time. With a spread of sights in Hollywood and Santa Monica, we can't decide where we should stay? I have sorted out accommodation within our budget for both areas but don't know which one to cancel! We won't be hiring a car so will be relying on public transport or maybe even a HOHO bus for 48 hours

Any help would be appreciated

Thank you!

Santa Monica is a great hub for exploring the entire area... plenty of restaurant, shopping, and beach options and the Hop on/Hop off busses stop at the Pier nearby...

if you are doing the Tourist things, the HOHO bus is a great option for those without a car... at night when the HOHO ends, you will be safely back in Santa Monica with plenty of options...

Of the two, Santa Monica is definitely a more pleasant area to be.

Agree on Santa Monica. What lodgings did you find there?

Although I'm not a fan of Hollywood, for visitors without a car I think it makes a better base than Santa Monica. You can ride the Red Metro Line from Hollywood to Universal/CityWalk and to downtown L.A. The HOHO bus would take you to Rodeo Drive, but if you're relying on public trans or taxis Hollywood is closer to Beverly Hills than Santa Monica is.

Are you attending a game or concert at Staples or a concert at Nokia Theater? If you're music fans, see the Grammy Museum in the same complex.

If you add other things to your sightseeing list, my thoughts on Hollywood v. Santa Monica might change.

There's really no comparison because Santa Monica is a beautiful area with lots of stuff to do. Hollywood by comparison is not a nice area.

I agree. I'd opt for Santa Monica, because it's nice to be there at night and in the morning. Not so much Hollywood.

I'd take the Staples Center off your list. And add the Getty Center or Getty Villa.

When is this trip?

Thank you so much for your replies! I will be in the LA area at the end of October this year.

Looks like Santa Monica at this stage. This is my first forum post so it is fantastic to see so many people willing to help I have no doubt you will see me pop up a bit before my trip!

Yes we have reconsidered Universal Studios and may instead opt for Warner Brothers (still unsure of this. We will be doing Disneyland separately and so think the rides won't be a necessary part and a working studio may be best. Thoughts of Universal vs. Warner Brothers? We also considered Universal would be a whole day rather than a couple of hours for Warner Brothers)

Will definitely take into account comments regarding Staples Center. We have no plans to see anything and is more a way of keeping my boyfriend happy while I fall into the typical LA tourist traps for the other few days

I had heard Hollywood was quite dead at night time (we won't be doing the clubbing scene) and so a nice stroll around Santa Monica to some restaurants may be the way to go!

I have also heard a private car is cheaper to venture into the Hollywood area than taxis, but this is something I can look at closer to the time.

Tabernash2- Bayside Hotel

Bayside Hotel looks cute and in a fantastic location! Please let us know how you like it. With a place like that reserved, I'd definitely stay there over Hollywood.

Have you investigated getting free tickets to a show's taping? Like Jimmy Kimmel? He has an outdoor stage set up for the bands, and they usually perform after the show. DS went once and somehow ended up staying for a pig roast with Kimmel. He wasn't even sure why he and his friends were allowed into the private party area, but he was eating and joking around with Kimmel. Said he was a really nice guy.

We saw Johnny Carson years ago, and Jay Leno once when his guest was Jimmy Fallon. That show is now taped in NYC, though.

http://www.latourist.com/?page=tv-show-tickets

If SM is your final choice, start researching the public transportation to your sightseeing. The routes to some things (Warner Bros., for example) may be just too convoluted. Public trans options may end up determining what ends up on your sightseeing list.

SM has a good, independent bus system, but it's geared more to workers/commuters than tourists.

http://bigbluebus.com/

L.A. Metro transportation system:

http://www.metro.net/

Yesterday around 9am I was driving past the HI Hostel on 2nd Steet in Santa Monica and there was a bunch of Tour Busses filling up with people so that is clearly the area to check for tours.

I forgot to mention that there is now airport bus service between LAX and Santa Monica, and the SM stop is very near your hotel.

http://www.lawa.org/welcome_lax.aspx?id=10086

I think if you stay in Santa Monica and don't want to rent a car, a tour is your best bet. It doesn't have the best public transit connection to the rest of the area. Eg, it could take you 1.5 hours just to get from Santa Monica to Hollywood and Highland. That's why most of us with some familiarity with public transit recommend Hollywood as a better hub for visitors without a car.

If you make it to Hollywood it's easy to take the Red Line/Blue Line metro to Staples Center (about 30 minutes).

A good way to plot out transit directions is by using Google Maps and click on the tram icon.

You guys are fantastic-thank you!

I have just done a quick search and there are options for places of interest from SM (for example, a Warner Brothers VIP tour has an option of hotel pick-up in Santa Monica-we would just walk to a participating hotel and bus back to experience greater LA).

As I vetoed Miami because we didn't have enough time, I think we will stay in SM to give my partner the beach vibe à la Miami.

Tabernash2- yes, booked there for the location rather than quality of the rooms - hopefully it will be fine! I like the idea of seeing Jimmy Kimmel too!

Jean-sounds perfect! This is why I post on these forums, because people are willing to help and share their information. That airport option is perfect.

Thanks again guys

Bayside Hotel is owned and run by the company that owns the high end Casa Del Mar Hotel which is right next door, so I think you'll be very happy with your choice.

I work in downtown Santa Monica and drive by the Bayside every weekday. The location is pretty great: A very short walk to the beach, a quick jaunt to Casa del Mar (which isn't quite next door, but very nearby), catty-corner from the Viceroy Hotel (which is still working hard to become a part of the Westside See-and-Be-Seen scene), steps from some cool eateries and clubs on Main Street and maybe a 10-minute brisk walk up to the heart of downtown SM and the Third Street Promenade, tourist Ground Zero.

Kudos for settling on Santa Monica, which is much nicer than Hollywood for out-of-towners. I actually don't mind Hollywood all that much, despite the grittiness that never seems to get scrubbed away. The live theatre scene there is outstanding, and there are good clubs around there, if you know where to look. I have been out of circulation for several years now since getting married (and settling in suburban Long Beach), but it can be fun there.

I've worked in Santa Monica now for over a quarter-century, and its charms are a bit faded for me. But visitors just love it here, so enjoy!

Oh yeah-- the Bayside has a great reputation, so you chose well.

The tour companies run their van and bus tours from multiple SM hotels, as well as that HI hostel on Second Street (between Santa Monica Blvd and Broadway). The closest major chain-affiliated hotels to you are a Starwood/Le Méridien property (LM Delfina Santa Monica), a Loews and a JW Marriott (Le Mérigot); there's a Best Western a couple of blocks north of those too. I've seen (and been stuck behind) those buses and vans all over the city, so you'll be able to traverse a great deal of territory (and bear in mind that the greater LA area is larger than many countries).

Best of luck and enjoy yourselves!