Humbly requesting your LA expertise

[threesheets 1673]

Taking the family for a week (4 nights,  5 full days) in late June. Kids are 12 and 8.  Planning on spending two days at the beach (thinking one day in Santa Monica,  Venice the other), and doing a day at Universal. Then sightseeing/exploring the other two days.  

I'd appreciate any logistics advice (especially on the beach days, as I don't think we'll be staying on the beach), and any can't miss stuff,  places to eat,  etc. 

TIA.

[crash_davis 23113]

venice is LA's version of 6th street.  tourist trap.  for beach, I'd do hermosa or manhattan beach.  better family environment.  however, parking will be an issue.  santa monica is great, i just prefer manhattan beach better.

[smuggs 9353]

The In-N-Out Burger is on Camrose.

[elfenix 34273]

Get the fast pass for universal or you'll spend 3 hours waiting in the Harry Potter line. They do sell it in the park for the same as the gate price so you can go in and take a looksee if you want.

[Gil Bang 25962]

Eat breakfast at Nate ‘N Al. Eat lunch at Filippi’s.

 

Take the kids whale watching.

 

Maybe a day trip to Catalina?

 

Take the train down to San Diego for a day.

 

Hit a Dodger or Angels game

 

[South Austin 52518]

We did pretty much this trip the Summer of 2017, but it was a bit shorter.  Started with a night in Santa Monica to get some beach time, then stayed in North Hollywood and ventured out from there.  Spent a day at Universal Studios, and we all had a blast.  The 3D rides are badass.  The Griffith Observatory was kinda cool and the drive up there is nice. 

Before that trip I told myself I could go my whole life without ever visiting Los Angeles, but I actually liked the city and my wife and I have talked about going back without the kids.

[deadshank 24653]

Pawn your Smith Corona and go down to meet  your man down on Alvarado Street.

[Brisketexan 105154]

I've said it before, but if anyone in your family is AT ALL interested in that sort of thing, the La Brea tar pits is one of the coolest things I've ever seen.  I'd been reading about it since I was a little kid, went 5 years ago, and it did not disappoint at all.

[UTPhil2006 3807]

Dodgers game.  Awesome stadium

[Zepol87 9188]

9 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

I've said it before, but if anyone in your family is AT ALL interested in that sort of thing, the La Brea tar pits is one of the coolest things I've ever seen.  I'd been reading about it since I was a little kid, went 5 years ago, and it did not disappoint at all.

Went last year finally after being in LA many times and never going. It was cool but not sure kids would get into it as much as adults

[threesheets 1673]

38 minutes ago, elfenix said:

Get the fast pass for universal or you'll spend 3 hours waiting in the Harry Potter line. They do sell it in the park for the same as the gate price so you can go in and take a looksee if you want.

Pretty sure I'm going to get the tickets that get you to the front of the line once per each ride/attraction ($179 a piece).  I figure if we hit them all once it's a win.  They're open 9a-9p.

[elfenix 34273]

5 minutes ago, threesheets said:

Pretty sure I'm going to get the tickets that get you to the front of the line once per each ride/attraction ($179 a piece).  I figure if we hit them all once it's a win.  They're open 9a-9p.

yup that's what you want, unlimited isn't needed.  you'll spend enough time walking between rides, seeing shows and doing the tour, that riding each once kills most of the day.  when the park starts clearing out you can ride some things over and over again if you're still up for it.

[DalTxHornFan 3104]

Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles near LAX for a multi-cultural culinary experience.  Santa Monica for beach, pier, and general hanging out.  Reagan Presidential Library for some learning (plus walking through Air Force One is pretty cool).

Edited May 8, 2019 by DalTxHornFan

[elfenix 34273]

the Endeavour is housed at the california science center, right next to the rose bowl coliseum and USC's campus.  there's also a lockheed A-12 on a pylon outside. 

Edited May 9, 2019 by elfenix

[Brisketexan 105154]

1 hour ago, elfenix said:

the Endeavour is housed at the california science center, right next to the rose bowl and USC's campus.  there's also a lockheed A-12 on a pylon outside. 

Definitely a cool stop -- they have a great Imax deal on the Hubble telescope, too.  The science center is definitely worth a stop (but it's not the Rose Bowl there, it's the Coliseum).

Edited May 8, 2019 by Brisketexan

[Surly Bevo 25009]

Full disclosure, my family is doing an LA/SoCal trip end of July early August.  I've been plenty of times for work, Rose Bowls, etc so ambivalent but kids never have and so excited...

That said let's be crystal clear on one thing

Your anus better be lubed extremely well for traffic.

[ztejas 43467]

4 nights and 5 full days? Are you flying the redeye there and back? 

[threesheets 1673]

We get there super early in the morning and fly out later in the evening.

55 minutes ago, Surly Bevo said:

Full disclosure, my family is doing an LA/SoCal trip end of July early August.  I've been plenty of times for work, Rose Bowls, etc so ambivalent but kids never have and so excited...

That said let's be crystal clear on one thing

Your anus better be lubed extremely well for traffic.

I've been messing with Google maps and checking travel times to different places throughout the day.  Seems like if you're staying the the right spot you can get most places in 35-40 minutes.  According to maps anyway.  But yeah, I'm a realist and actually pretty terrified for my traffic anus. 

[mdmost 43004]

We’ve done the Will Rogers State Beach in Santa Monica. It was good. Not too far from the Pier. Only issue is possible tar balls on the beach. The one we preferred better was Huntington Beach but that’s way south and made sense when we were doing a beach day while on a Disneyland vacation. 

Highly recommend renting bikes and riding towards the Pier all the way to Venice Beach. I wouldn’t go to Venice to go to the beach there. I’d go a little north to Malibu. Take them up to Pepperdine. I love that view. @mdleastneeds to chime in. 

Edited May 9, 2019 by mdmost

[Neonmoon 38129]

Los Angeles is full of vapid whores. And that’s a compliment 

[elfenix 34273]

1 hour ago, Brisketexan said:

Definitely a cool stop -- they have a great Imax deal on the Hubble telescope, too.  The science center is definitely worth a stop (but it's not the Rose Bowl there, it's the Coliseum).

oops, my bad.  rose bowl is also a cool stop. 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19103]

First, where are you staying?  If you have not booked that yet, might try and get close to the beach so you can walk.  If not, parking is a massive pain in the ass.  

[Carl Spackler 3485]

4 hours ago, Gil Bang said:

Eat lunch at Filippi’s.

 

Are you referring to Philippe's -- the french dip place in Chinatown?

[Gen. Applewhite 226]

I say it every time the LA question comes up: Bay Cities Italian Deli in Santa Monica.

 

[Carl Spackler 3485]

First, it would help if we knew where you're going to be staying, what the kiddos like to do, etc.

Agree with the poster above that Manhattan or Hermosa beaches have better quality sand and water than Santa Monica or Venice.  I wouldn't recommend doing beach time at Venice unless you really want to see the freak show there there.  Venice can be kinda shady too, and I'm not talking about the respite created by the palm trees from the sun.  Santa Monica beach is okay, but not as clean as Manhattan or Hermosa.  However, SM does have the Third Street Promenade is nearby and the pier has some attractions, including a ferris wheel that the kids might like to ride.  Manhattan and Hermosa are cool beach communities with plenty of restaurants and bars, but not as close to some other attractions (e.g., Hollywood, La Brea Tar Pits, museums, etc.) as Santa Monica is. 

Someone above mentioned biking the Strand from SM down to Venice, and that's a fine idea.  You can actually bike the Strand all the way down to Redondo Beach if you want, but part of the time you have to cut inland in the Marina del Rey area.  Given that you'll have kids in tow, a ride down to Venice and back to SM should be enough.

If you're in SM, you'll be close to the Getty Museum, but the kiddos may not be up for that.  If they are, it's a major museum with terrific views on clear days.  

I don't believe Griffith Observatory has been mentioned yet.  Great views and hiking, but it can get crowded.  Hell, it's L.A. -- *everything* can be crowded.

If you make it up to the Pasadena area, you can tour the Rose Bowl, tour the Gamble House (if you're into Craftsman-style architecture), hit the Norton Simon Museum, go to the Kidspace Museum for the kids, walk around Huntington Gardens, and hit Old Town for shopping, food and bars.  

Parking in and around the beach areas is going to be a PITA unless you're going on weekdays.  And even then it could be a problem.  But if you drive around long enough in an area, you'll usually find a meter or a parking lot.  

When I did it a million years ago, the Warner Bros. movie studio tour was actually a lot of fun.  Saw a bunch of back lot stuff, movie props, wardrobe stuff, etc.  Saw Steven Seagal acting like an ass.  They even let us hang out in a recording studio where some no-name actor was dubbing lines on a pilot -- and fucking them up pretty consistently.  It was all pretty interesting.  But that was a long time ago, so I can't vouch for the quality of the tour now.

Be prepared for sticker shock.  Gas is around/over $4 gallon out here.  You wanna park your car for the day?  Be prepared to take out a second on the house.  Pretty much everything (booze, food, drugs, hookers) is going to be more expensive than you're accustomed to.

In the past, I have avoided (and have told others to avoid) Hollywood, but it's no longer the cesspool it was several years.  It's only a partial cesspool now.  There's a shopping center at Hollywood and Highland that attracts a lot of people.  There's the Wax Museum and shit like that if you're into it.

You can always try to get tix to Jimmy Kimmel, etc., but (again) that's not something your kids may enjoy.   

Restaurant and bar recs will depend largely on where you're going to be.  I'm not going to recommend anything downtown unless you think you'll be there, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

[Gil Bang 25962]

57 minutes ago, Carl Spackler said:

Are you referring to Philippe's -- the french dip place in Chinatown?

across from Union Station, yes. 

[Redneck Mutha 7993]

I've been to LA once.  We arrived at 1PM on January 4th, 2006 and departed at 9AM the next morning.  I may never go back, as I'll never have a better time there.

Ah yes, how sweet the wine.

[gsoda3 3262]

if you can, go to the beach on a weekday.  monday or tuesdays are the best.  i love the vibes of redondo/huntington but santa monica on a weekday will be your most pain free.  the annenberg community beach house is awesome for families, as they have clean bathrooms, it's free to get in to, and they have a small parking lot (you have to pay) that we've had luck finding parking at before. and as someone mentioned you have the pier and the strand.  there are some pretty good restaurants right around there and there's also parking (paid, garage on the strand and metered street or parking lot on the beach) but it's better than having to find parking at other places.  

 

the getty is a must see.  your kids are old enough to appreciate what they have to offer.  there's something for everyone from pretty much kinder on up.  go at night.  

 

if you go to the rose bowl you can make an afternoon of it.  there's a driving range at the public golf course that's not ridiculously expensive, there's a jogging path that goes around the rose bowl, and there's a decent hiking path that goes up into the hills around it if you're in to that kinda thing.  we're not.  old town pasadena is kinda overrated imo.  

 

i loved the la brea tar pits.  your kids might like it.  there are some great taco places within that 3 mile radius so that's a bonus.  

 

everytime we go to LA Din Tai Fung is a non-negotiable.  

 

if you want more suggestions i can think of more.  gotta run for now.

[Brew 3049]

Took our kids (13/10 girls) last fall. We spent 3 nights in a house in the Hollywood Hills and 3 nights in a house near Disney. From the HH house we did Malibu all the way up to Pepperdine and stopped at several different beaches along the way. We also walked Hollywood Blvd, went to the Griffith Obs, took them down Rodeo, and I don’t remember what else. From the other house we did Disney, drive out to Santa Monica Pier, went to the aquarium (worth a trip and not mentioned), and a few other things. We never had an issue with traffic by just avoiding rush hours.

[closetojumping 62741]

15 hours ago, Zepol87 said:

Went last year finally after being in LA many times and never going. It was cool but not sure kids would get into it as much as adults

I took a bunch of little ones last year and we all thought the tar pits were really cool. Good for all ages. 

[closetojumping 62741]

We go every other spring break, although I go for work more often. When we go for SB, it’s with kids younger than the OP and we have a blast. We stay in Santa Monica, usually at The Shore Hotel. People out there seem to take the pier rides for granted, but it is a great little uncrowded amusement park on weekdays. It’s walking distance from hotels on the beach. The beach is fun and fine. We rode the bikes down to Venice and back once and that was awesome but for having to push two little ones in one of those Dutch hauler types uphill and in the sand. We have to do Disney/California Adventure but I would avoid it with kids your ages. CA is better than DL for older kids. Universal with the fast pass is not overrated. Love it. Tar pits are worth it. I’d avoid day trips if this is your first trip with just 4 nights. There’s plenty of shit to do out there before you’d get bored enough to have to hike it to San Diego or elsewhere. That said, I’d avoid things like the walk of stars or the famous Chinese theatre in Hollywood, as there’s little payoff and it’s very crowded. 

[Zepol87 9188]

12 hours ago, Carl Spackler said:

Are you referring to Philippe's -- the french dip place in Chinatown?

That place bangs

[High Plains Drifter 11050]

13 hours ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

First, where are you staying?  If you have not booked that yet, might try and get close to the beach so you can walk.  If not, parking is a massive pain in the ass.  

GFmotherfuckingT.

 

Also the Getty is cool. Great views of LA from the hill its on. You can really see the smog!

Venice Beach is a little shady, as someone mentioned. But its fun to watch the freakshow (skaters, muscle heads, pot heads, etc). Rent bicycles in Venice and you can bike north all way to the Santa Monica pier along the sea-side side walk or whatever its called. Good way to view the freaks (from the top of the bike).

[Longhornfan1024 1707]

Definitely need more info regarding what you're looking to do and where you'll be staying.  You won't need two days in SM/Venice.  They are essentially right next to each other and there isn't enough to do at each that you'll need two days unless you just want to spend a bunch of time lounging on the beach while looking at water you probably won't want to spend too much time in (it's fucking cold).  The bike suggestions are good.  You can rent them on the beach and ride between SM and Venice to see the sights.  SM has a ton of shopping your wife might appreciate and some good food (I think Father's Office opened a location in SM and they have a fucking legit burger). 

The Getty is a great suggestion as is the tar pits.  The par pits are actually right near LACMA, so you could do both of those in the same day.  But keep in mind that area is a clusterfuck for parking and traffic so make sure no one is hungry or needs to pee cause you might end up killing each other while trying to get to LACMA if you get in bitchy moods.  Breathing Light is a pretty awesome experience for the art fans: https://www.lacma.org/art/exhibition/james-turrell-breathing-light.  

Someone above mentioned Din Tai Fung.  It's a must if you like Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings).  They are far superior to anything you can find in Texas.   I also suggest Sugarfish and KazuNori if you like sushi/handrolls.  Howlin' Ray's has an insanely good Nashville hot chicken sandwhich, but the wait can be awhile.  Fortunately, it's in Chinatown, so part of your group can walk around a bit while the other part waits in line.

[Johnny Sack 8397]

I am following this.  Wife and I are taking kids for a long vacation in late July early August.  Going to spend several nights in LA at the Shore Hotel, then a night in Santa Barbara, then several nights in Carmel, before meeting the rest of my entire family (30+) for a week in Lake Tahoe.

I want the LA portion to be very kid centric as the middle part in Santa Barbara and Big Sur will probably not be as fun for them.  I have been told to avoid Disney Land this summer due to the Star Wars part opening it is supposed to be a shit show.

[Longhornfan1024 1707]

I checked and Father's Office does have a location in Santa Monica and they have Pliny the Elder on tap.  If you don't go there for the burger and a Pliny, you may as well just turn in your man card and permanently store your balls in your wife's purse.

[Mach 1 1677]

We take all visitors here, never fails

http://www.paradisecovemalibu.com/

* fat guy in the lounge chair best bit of advertising I've seen in awhile

 

[Brisketexan 105154]

A second/third mention for Din Tai Fung.  If you like soup dumplings and spicy wontons...seriously, it's one of our favorite restaurants on the planet.

And man, I need to hit up Father's Office sometime.....that sounds glorious.

[gsoda3 3262]

11 hours ago, gsoda3 said:

 

the getty is a must see.  your kids are old enough to appreciate what they have to offer.  there's something for everyone from pretty much kinder on up.  go at night.  

meant to say griffith observatory here.  

 

re: father's office-  it's good but for us we only go if we don't have anywhere else we want to go.  we're lucky to live in texas.

[luke duke 6413]

Go to Caine’s Arcade*

https://www.wired.com/2012/04/flash-mob-brings-fame-to-kids-homemade-arcade/

 

*It probably doesn’t exist anymore.

 

[Longhornfan1024 1707]

7 minutes ago, gsoda3 said:

meant to say griffith observatory here.  

 

re: father's office-  it's good but for us we only go if we don't have anywhere else we want to go.  we're lucky to live in texas.

Both the Griffith Observatory and the Getty are great.  I tend to lean towards the Getty because there's more to do on the property, but both are worth visits--the observatory for the view alone.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19103]

1 hour ago, Longhornfan1024 said:

I checked and Father's Office does have a location in Santa Monica and they have Pliny the Elder on tap.  If you don't go there for the burger and a Pliny, you may as well just turn in your man card and permanently store your balls in your wife's purse.

I believe that is the original Father's Office, and it is glorious.  When I lived on the West Coast, a friend or two lived in Santa Monica/Brentwood, and Father's Office was a hang out of ours.  

Once I know more about where you are staying, I can give you the lay of the land.  My aunt lives in the avenues in Redondo, so I spend a lot of time in the South Bay.  

Edited May 9, 2019 by PenelopeWitherspoon

[conVINCEd 21469]

+1 on Fathers Office.  Go.  I enjoyed the Getty.  Kiddos will probably like the tram ride up to the museum more than the actual museum. 

[Sbbruin 21858]

1 hour ago, Mach 1 said:

We take all visitors here, never fails

http://www.paradisecovemalibu.com/

* fat guy in the lounge chair best bit of advertising I've seen in awhile

 

This is a good call.  Do lunch there.  Don't do Santa Monica AND Venice.  Basically the same thing, and Venice is lame, imo.  Be prepared though, that late June could mean overcast skies at the beach until the afternoon.  And the water will still be pretty frigid.  Catalina is a good call, but I wouldn't try to squeeze it into a day trip, because you'll spend half your time ferrying back and forth, including parking and arriving early time sucks, so maybe if 4 nights is all you have, I would skip Catalina.  If you are into movie-making, the Warner Bros Studio Tour is pretty interesting.  Avoid Hollywood.  DTLA is really coming alive, and would be a good launching spot to multiple destinations.  

[wood 11226]

20 hours ago, crash_davis said:

venice is LA's version of 6th street.  tourist trap.  for beach, I'd do hermosa or manhattan beach.  better family environment.  however, parking will be an issue.  santa monica is great, i just prefer manhattan beach better.

This. Hermosa's my preference, but Manhattan is also very nice. We're doing Hermosa in July for the AVP tournament.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19103]

The Getty building is much more impressive than its collection, but it is worth a trip out.  If you like art, I like the collection at LACMA.  

Spent a day at the tar pits, but I am a dinosaur/history geek, so I found that fascinating.

I have also spent a day at Paramount Studios (Hollywood) and at Warner Brother Studios (Burbank).  They are very, very interesting, especially the Paramount tour as it is the last working studio in Hollywood proper.  

For Restaurants, Rosaline, Trois Mec, and Republique are on my list as places to go next time I visit my aunt.

Places I have been and can recommend are as follows:

SugarFish (Marina del Rey) - love their sushi.

Matsuhisa - do the omakase

Mastro's in Beverly Hills - Bone in filet with the mastro's mashed potatoes.  You are welcome.

Jit La Da - in thai town - terrible service but great food

Crustacean - in BH - reopened in 2019 - get the cracked crab and garlic noodles - expensive, but worth it

Pink's - Love their dogs

Bottle Inn -Hermosa Beach - local place near the beach

HT Grill - Redondo - We go there, sit by the fire pit and drink.  Food isn't too bad.

[gsoda3 3262]

 if smokey (from the grill) all you can eat korean bbq sounds like something you'd enjoy, you need to do it in LA.

[threesheets 1673]

4 minutes ago, Sbbruin said:

This is a good call.  Do lunch there.  Don't do Santa Monica AND Venice.  Basically the same thing, and Venice is lame, imo.  Be prepared though, that late June could mean overcast skies at the beach until the afternoon.  And the water will still be pretty frigid.  Catalina is a good call, but I wouldn't try to squeeze it into a day trip, because you'll spend half your time ferrying back and forth, including parking and arriving early time sucks, so maybe if 4 nights is all you have, I would skip Catalina.  If you are into movie-making, the Warner Bros Studio Tour is pretty interesting.  Avoid Hollywood.  DTLA is really coming alive, and would be a good launching spot to multiple destinations.  

I was kinda thinking the same as far as "home base" goes.  Either downtown or West Hollywood just to avoid switching hotels mid-trip.  Good idea?

I was interested in Venice specifically for the freakshow, but y'all are starting to talk me out of it.

So if we get there early Tuesday morning, it sounds like we should hit the beach that day to take advantage of the thinner crowds during the early part of the week.  I wonder if we should go to Universal on Wednesday instead of Thursday for that same reason.

Kids are pretty easy.  Adventurous eaters.  Definitely into more lively stuff, not really into the museum thing (my son would be more than my daughter).

Really appreciate all the info.  I'll rep later.  Keep it coming. 

[South Austin 52518]

5 minutes ago, threesheets said:

I'll rep later. 

[Mach 1 1677]

25 minutes ago, threesheets said:

I was kinda thinking the same as far as "home base" goes.  Either downtown or West Hollywood just to avoid switching hotels mid-trip.  Good idea?

Yes.  Multiple routes to get to the beach, depending on traffic, and I have a local street route through the Hills that dumps right into Universal.  I'll PM it to you before you go just remind me.