Touring Art MOCA and LACMA in 2 days
 

We're planning a short trip--flying down to LA in a couple of weeks and debating best places to stay. We'll be heading downtown on Friday morning, March 21st to see the Lucian Freud exhibit at MOCA and then we've got tickets on Saturday at 11 AM to see the Sargeant show. We'll be renting a car, so transportation shouldn't be a big problem. You can get good weekend deals on the downtown hotels, which would be convenient to MOCA, but on the other hand, I've found some decent rates at the Hotel Sofitel and the Park Hyatt, which are closer to LACMA. How difficult is it to walk from the Sofitel to LACMA? It seems like this could be a neat area to walk around in before the show at 11AM and then again after the show, before we have to catch the flight back home. How will the traffic be on a Friday night if we are traveling from downtown over to Century City? Would we be better off just to stay downtown?

Downtown LA is dead at night on the weekends. I wouldn't want to stay down there. Sofitel is a lovely hotel close to shops and restaurants. I wouldn't walk to LACMA. It's a bit far. Friday night traffic around rush hour is a little busy, but other than that, you should be fine. I wouldn't say there's much to do in the area on LACMA. Good luck.

After you go to LACMA, why not check out The Grove, an addition to the original Farmers Market. There is a multiplex that shows good movies, shops and restaurants in a wide range of prices and cuisines. The Grove is at<BR>Fairfax and Beverly, LACMA is near Fairfax and Wilshire.

Would you say that the Farmers Market and the Grove are within walking distance from LACMA? Is this an area where walking is possible or is it too busy--traffic and freeways--for that? I guess we'll be driving from the hotel to LACMA, but I'd like to have the freedom of walking once we're there. Aren't the LaBrea Tarpits nearby? I guess I don't have a real sense of this area. There are shops and restaurants around the Sofitel, right? What's Beverly Center like?

No you can't walk from LACMA to The Grove. The Beverly Center is a big mall that also has restaurants. There are also lots of restaurants near the Sofitel on Third Street and Beverly Boulevard.

Sorry, no suggestions, just a comment that I have tickets to see the Sargent exhibit at 10 am on the same day. Also flying down for the weekend to see it and go to the Getty. Saw the Lucian Freud exhibit in NYC.

SAB--The Getty is great, if for nothing other than the architecture and the gardens. I went first with my girlfriends and liked it so much I made my husband go back with me. Try and get a reservation for lunch at the restaurant there. We didn't know we needed them and were disappointed. The view is terrific.

Thanks for the tip jem -- it has been my experience that a lot of museums have lovely restaurants.