Travel Tips for Los Angeles

By Bonnie Glassman

Travel Tips for Los Angeles

No related posts.

This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.
  1. Profile photo of Bonnie Glassman
    Bonnie Glassman said

    Los AngelesIn the city of Los Angeles (LA) it might seem like cruising down the road with a seaside view is a commonplace leisurely activity in the metropolitan area. Locals will chuckle to themselves if you think it will be a pleasant drive down the highway going faster than 10 mph on average — and that’s assuming traffic isn’t backed up. While it isn’t that congested all the time and there are plenty of ways to easily get around in Los Angeles, do yourself a favor before visiting the city of angels and familiarize yourself with the area, the traffic, and the culture.

    Los Angeles Traffic

    If you haven’t heard of Sigalert.com or Google Traffic, one or both will become your best friends before you venture onto an LA freeway. While rush hour is the most congested time period, other traffic issues can mean traffic backups to popular destinations such as downtown or the beach. To avoid these rush hours times, avoid driving between 8:30am and 10:00am or 3pm and 5:30pm.
     

    Tourist-Friendly vs. Dangerous Areas in Los Angeles

    Los Angeles has a diverse layout of areas that are geared toward tourists vs. areas where you should not venture, especially at night. The West side of Los Angeles is teeming with tourist destinations, such as the Santa Monica Pier, Farmer’s Market at the Grove, the Sunset strip, and the 3rd Street Promenade. These areas include great food, live performances, celebrity sightings, and the usual glitterati associated with Hollywood.
     
    Some of the areas you want to avoid include areas such as South Central, which has a higher crime rate and can be an especially dangerous area at night. Any areas that are not well-lit and lack a lot of people are also not a good place to wander aimlessly, but the beach is an exception.
     
    If you enjoy the beach, make sure you visit when it has been bright and sunny for at least 24 hours. The problem with pollution in Los Angeles means that after a rainy day the ocean becomes pungent and greasy with filth from storm drains. You want to give the water time to recede before venturing into the water.

    Los Angeles Culture

    The city is known for the entertainment industry, especially live theatre. Los Angeles neighbors Anaheim, which is home to the Disney Symphony that includes live musical performances from critically acclaimed conductors and orchestras.
     
    Every year live theatre and musicals are available in Los Angeles, including local college theatre, which offers more affordable tickets for popular productions such as Damn Yankees and Shakespeare.
     
    Los Angelinos are generally friendly about helping tourists, but more often than not you’ll run into people who are not from the area either. Even if you live in Los Angeles, the area is so vast that unless you grew up in the area, it can be difficult to know the best haunts. Shopkeepers sometimes will carry maps or other helpful resources to learn more about Los Angeles and what there is to see.

Leave a Reply