Any LA recommendations?

[NameOchangeO1]

I am planning to be in LA this summer with my teenagers for 5 nights.
We are going to do the usual touristy things eg celebrity-spotting tour bus, Universal studios, Venice Beach, plus a couple of art museums.

Please can I have your recommendations for where to stay (am wondering if somewhere near Beverly Hills is best, or out at the beach), things to do, and where to eat? We will have a car (will have driven down from San Fran) although I guess while we are in LA we may not use it much.

Also are there any areas that are rough/ to be avoided?

Many thanks!

Bump

@NameOchangeO1
Ssnta Monica. Really pleasant. Venice Beach as you want to go there anyway.

Celebrity spotting bus tour? Do they see any?

The car is king in LA. You won’t get far without it! I would go out to Malibu snd the Getty Villa. The Getty Centre is stunning. In the summer the traffic will be awful but a car is the only way. LA is vast. Nothing is near anything else!

Its yukky where the stars are in the pavement. We mostly ate in SM but neighbourhood type places. I have forgotten the names. However any decent guide book such a Lonely Planet will nudge you in the right direction. Local web guides help too.

There’s a good Facebook group called “Disney and California for brits” where you’ll get lots of good advice

Love LA. West Hollywood is amazing. We stayed in an Airbnb near Beverly grove. Next time stayed in the Ramada West Hollywood. So many great things to do - tours around the area, Universal Studios, Hollywood Bowl for concerts, beaches nearby, tacky Hollywood and celeb spotting etc.

Pump restaurant was good. We are fans of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Saw Lisa Vanderpump when there. Next door was The Abbey. A gay bar which was so much fun. We also did cecconis but wouldn't recommend that.

We stayed at the Beverley Garland - it is old fashioned and glamorous great for teens.

We stayed at the Beverly Hilton which is in walking distance of the nice shops, if only for a window shop,

I enjoyed Los Angeles zoo and visited Marina Del Ray.

A car is essential

Thanks - some fab recommendations and I have spent a lot of today reading the book on FB. Super jealous of the LVP sighting. That would absolutely make our trip perfect!

*info, not the book!

I’d split the time and do three nights at The Garland or close by (it’s very convenient for Universal, Hollywood etc) and then two nights in Santa Monica.

I adore Santa Monica and there’s lots to explore on foot there. You can rent a bike or walk down to Venice Beach too

You’ll need the car. Last time we we there we stayed in Burbank, super close to Universal. We stayed at the Safari inn, a great motel with free shuttle to Universal. Then we moved to Santa Monica. If you want to stay near Beverly Hills, I’d add a night at the Beverly Hilton; one of the few places you can actually walk to Rodeo Drive from (though no one walks and you might just use the hotel shuttle service).

Another time we stayed at the W in Westwood; we found this was pretty central for getting around to most places.

The Beverley Wilshire is virtually on Rodeo Drive.