los angeles bus 445

[rayz]

staying at metro plaza hotel prior to cruise feb.10/07 . this is near union station in downtown LA . Does it seem like a good idea to take union station bus 445 directly to world cruise port? takes about an hour or so? any ideas?

[Bruin Steve]

staying at metro plaza hotel prior to cruise feb.10/07 . this is near union station in downtown LA . Does it seem like a good idea to take union station bus 445 directly to world cruise port? takes about an hour or so? any ideas?

 

The first question that comes to mind is...

Why on earth are you staying near Union Station in Downtown LA???

If you don't know LA, you have picked, perhaps, the WORST place inthe city to stay...

The County Jail is right near your hotel on Bauchet Street...I'd guess a good number of the guests at your hotel are there to visit inmates...

You are walking distance from Chinatown, but you will not want to walk outside at night...

 

Transportation from Airport to Hotel and hotel to pier will be long and expensive...

Trust me, you DO NOT want to take the public buses in LA...especially between Downtown and San Pedro...

 

Is it too late to change your reservation?

 

Or is there some compelling reason you have chosen to stay in this area?

[rayz]

point taken how about Wilshire Grand hotel and then take the blue line to long beach? cab to cruise port

[Splinter]

Again, why are you staying downtown? The Blue Line goes through some of the worst parts of LA. I would be afraid to ride it even during the day (and I used to ride the subway/El in Chicago at all hours of the day and night).

 

Bite the bullet and take a cab or shuttle from the train station to San Pedro and stay the night in a hotel there. There are some reasonable ones not far from the cruise ship pier. Many of them will shuttle you to the cruise ship pier for free.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I was wondering this too. Usually it's businesspeople who stay downtown (Biltmore, Bonaventure, New Otani). But not much else going on (except for Music Center, Staples, Disney, Convention Center) so many people stay elsewhere and drive in to events and basketball games. My hubby works at City Hall and when he's not working, we usually avoid that area.

[Bruin Steve]

The Wilshire Grand is a much nicer hotel...and in a nicer part of Downtown LA...BUT, it's still Downtown LA...

 

The ONLY people who stay in Downtown LA are people who have specific business in Downtown LA...or people who just don't know any better...

 

LA is NOT like any other city you've likely visited...

 

In most cities, "Downtown" is the center of everything--the most convenient location, the place closest to all there is to see and do...

 

Not so in LA...

 

Downtown has those giant office buildings...but the people who work in them largely clear out at night...they get in their cars and drive home to whatever suburb they live in...leaving most of downtown to the poor, the homeless, the street people, the undocumented immigrants, etc. (yes there is a SMALL bit of "gentrification" going on right now...but the overall picture is still pretty bad)...

 

LA is really about 100 small cities run together...and there are several "alternate downtowns"...places serving the same function which, if they were anywhere else in the country, would be considered large "Downtowns" on their own: Century City, Beverly Hills, Warner Center, Newport Beach...and lots more...These places all have areas with the same functions: Large office buildings, hotels, corporate HQs, etc. The city is spread out over an incredibly large area...

 

Public Transportation in LA has always been some sort of inside joke...Before the mid 1950s, LA had the largest and most extensive fixed rail transit system in the world--the old "Big Red Car"...It was bought out by a consortium including Standard Oil, Goodyear Tires and General Motors--who proceeded to shut it down and dismantle it...

 

Modern LA was then built on the concept of the personal automobile...all houses came with garages...then 2-car garages, then 3 car garages...I live in a house with a 4-car garage (most of the homes in my neighborhood have them)...My brother has a 6-car garage...We SoCals love our cars...

 

Anyway, the "bus system" is somewhat disjointed due to political fragmentation...many of those 100 small cities are separately incorporated and actually have competing bus lines (like Santa Monica's "Blue" buses)...

 

LA was very late in the game of bringing together a modern fixed rail or subway system and the system that exists hass limited applicability--like it doesn't go to the Airport...And, remember, the wealthy and even middle class in LA all own multiple cars...The rapid transit system is built to service the poor...The line from Downtown to the Harbor area goes through all of the worst neighborhoods in LA: South Central, Watts/Willowbrook, Compton...and makes numerous stops to pick people up and drop them off...

 

The question comes up often on these boards as to where to stay when visiting LA...I have my standard answers...which all depends on what it is you want to do when you are here and how much time you have to spend...

 

But, the basic areas to consider, based on time, price and other relevant factors are:

 

If you are only flying in just before the cruise and not spending a lot of time in the area:

1) San Pedro--most convenience for most of the cruise lines...not the best of areas with a lot to see, but not a bad area and the utmost in convenience for cruisers...

2) Long Beach, specifically, the Convention Center area--only 5-6 miles from the Pedro pier and right near the Carnival pier with a little nicer surroundings and a few more attractions (Aquarium, Queen Mary, etc.) and nicer restaurants than Pedro...

3) LAX...largely because you're there anyway...not as expensive as the West Side, but still a reasonable distance to visit the attractions on the West Side...

 

If you have a few days to spend here, the other areas to consider are:

The West Side:

1) Santa Monica (the area near the Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica Pier and Palisades Park)--my top recommendation...there is lots to see and do in the immediate area, great restaurant choices, shopping/walking streets, great climate and very nice area...plus, there are an assortment of hotels from moderately priced up to luxury...

2) Westwood/Beverly Hills/Century City...this is the NICE urban area of LA...the main "alternative downtown"...but in the really, really uppper class part of tge city...

 

The West side has more of the attractions tourists really want to visit...and is convenient enough for visiting Hollywood as well...

 

Depending on your "to do list", there are also the following options:

1) Anaheim--for those wanting to visit Disneyland...or take in a Angels baseball or Ducks hockey game...

2) Universal City--far from the pier, but great if you are flying in or out of Burbank and/or want to go to Universal Studios--or any of the other TV or Movie Studios...also convenient to Hollywood without being in Hollywood (which can be sort of run down and scuzzy)

3) The "South Bay"--Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach--between LAX and the pier...not that much in the way of tourist areas, but nice, beach communities...

 

Places to stay away from:

1) Downtown LA

2) South Central LA, Watts, Compton, East LA, Citty of Commerce, Bell, Huntington Park, Etc.--anything East of La Cienega and south of Olympic...until you get accross, say, the 605...of course, once you get that far East, you are generally too far from LAX or the port anyway (unless you want to be somewhere specifically--like Anaheim or Newport Beach)

3) Hollywood--Well, I'll qualify this...it's okay if you WANT to be there for a reason...just be prepared to see things you won't soon forget...

 

Some other places that are nice, but remote--worth staying there if you have reason to be that far away from the port:

1) Warner Center (Woodland Hills)--it's nice, just in the wrong direction--stay here only if you have a reason to be here

2) Newport Beach--same as above just too far out to the Southeast this time...

3) Pasadena--nice walking and restaurant area--great if you're out here for a UCLA Football game, the Rose Bowl or Rose Parade...

4) Ventura County, Santa Barbara and points north--if you are out here for an extended stay, maybe...but find a closer hotel for the night before the cruise...

 

Do NOT try to locate your hotel by using "Los Angeles" as your starting point on search engines, etc. Pick the area of town and use that--ie. SPECIFICALLY type in or request "Santa Monica" or "Long Beach" or wherever you want to be...

 

Transportationwise, if you are not renting a car, you WANT to be somewhere convenient...and you are going to want to take taxis or shuttles, NOT public transportation...

 

If you are only here for the night pre-cruise...please save yourself time, expense and aggravation and stay either in San Pedro, Long Beach or at LAX...

 

Good luck...

[rayz]

wilshire grand is 12 minutes from hollywood by red line and about 45 minutes from long beach transit mall by blue line . these lines are across the street from the hotel . seems convenient for a short tour of hollywood and then a trip to the cruiseport . inexpensive too. any ideas?

[Splinter]

Did you even bother to read the excellent and extensive response by Bruin Steve above????

 

Go ahead and use the light rail system if you want. It appears you have made up your mind to do it on the cheap regardless of the advice from locals. Just don't come back here and blame us when you find out you will be getting a "tour" (and I hope that is all) of the seedier parts of the City of Angels.

[gratefulguy]

You know, not everyone who goes on a cruise is white, or has a university degree, or has relatives/friends who live out in the suburbs, or has lots of disposible income to spend in addition to the cruise fare, or is afraid to use public transportation. Although you and I may avoid Downtown LA except for the Music Center/Disney Hall/Ahmanson, etc., the OP may not have that option or frame of mind, for what ever reason. Everyone has given an opinion on how most of us view LA, so maybe we need to let someone who has actually done what rayz wants to do try to answer the questions?

I know the answers were an attempt to be helpful (and to help avoid a potentially dangerous plan), but the OP has continued to ask for info that most of us may not really have--I never went on the Metro in LA (in 10 years of living there), and even avoided the Century Freeway when possible.

So, rayz, good luck--hope you enjoy your time in LA, and have a great cruise!

[Bruin Steve]

You know, not everyone who goes on a cruise is white, or has a university degree, or has relatives/friends who live out in the suburbs, or has lots of disposible income to spend in addition to the cruise fare, or is afraid to use public transportation. Although you and I may avoid Downtown LA except for the Music Center/Disney Hall/Ahmanson, etc., the OP may not have that option or frame of mind, for what ever reason. Everyone has given an opinion on how most of us view LA, so maybe we need to let someone who has actually done what rayz wants to do try to answer the questions?

I know the answers were an attempt to be helpful (and to help avoid a potentially dangerous plan), but the OP has continued to ask for info that most of us may not really have--I never went on the Metro in LA (in 10 years of living there), and even avoided the Century Freeway when possible.

So, rayz, good luck--hope you enjoy your time in LA, and have a great cruise!

Wow! I said nothing about being white, having a university degree or having relatives/friends who live in the suburbs...

You don't have to fit that description to want to avoid long public bus rides through bad neighborhoods...

I now plenty of minorities who I would give the exact same advice to...

I am well aware that thereare all different sorts of people who cruise...or who visit these boards...

 

But, there are also a good many people who really don't know the first thing about LA...

 

They may live in cities where the public transportation systems are marvelous...or where THE place to stay is in the heart of Downtown...

 

(I've used public transportation in Washington DC, London, Paris and other cities...When I visit San Francisco, I often use the BART--which is wonderful)...It is very possible that a person unfamiliar with LA thinks the public transportation system here will be similar...and similarly utilized as in those cities...

 

And someon completely unfamiliar with LA may see a map...or check out the rapid transit system routes and decide Downtown LA is CONVENIENT...What rayz asks appears to be very consistent with that misguided mindset...

 

Not for one minute do I think he genuinely desires to stay in Downtown because he knows exactly what he's looking at...

 

And, yes, I gather that he is trying to save money on transportation...

Yes, maybe I can afford cabs and limos (of course, I haven't all my life), but I am not unsympathetic to the need to conserve money...BUT, there is a logic to when one does not try to save every last sense...One should draw that line at safety, inconvenience and comfort...

 

What were trying to get rayz to understand is not only are there better and nicer places to stay...there are also some that will actually save him TIME, convenience, comfort AND money...

 

What good is saving money on bus or train rides to Hollywood by staying Downtown only to have that savings eaten up by an expensive cab or shuttle ride to get to Downtown in the first place? (There is NO train line from LAX to Downtown LA)...

 

It would actually be CHEAPER and more convenient to stay in the LAX area,take a Gray Line City Tour to Hollywood...and a single shuttle ride to the pier the next morning (assuming Hollywood is what Ray wants to see)...and NOT deal with public transportation...

 

I would give that same advice whether Ray was White, African-American, Asian, Hispanic or whateve...I would give it whether Ray was a university graduate or a high school drop-out...I would give it whether Ray had ample extra money or was cruising on a shoestring...

[Cruisin' Chick]

I strongly agree with Steve on his recommendations. I lived 50-1/2 out of my 52 years in Los Angeles county (mostly the Valley, but also Mar Vista and Los Angeles near the Beverly Center). I have also worked in downtown, Hollywood (we would often watch the hookers walk by during the day while hanging out in the front room of the house our company rented for our production unit), West LA (often drug addicts and escapees from the VA hospital would be wandering about...just a couple of blocks away from the police station).

 

I understand only too well that there are areas to visit and areas to stay well away from. And often, these areas abut each other. Los Angeles is physically a large area. If you are new to LA and plan to use the bus system, why not stay in safer areas. There would be nothing to really see in downtown LA. Unless you're going to a convention. If I'm going to the convention center here for ShowBiz West or whatever else, I even park at the center, rather than saving a few bucks and using a public lot. I just don't understand why you would even consider staying there.

 

If you're driving, map out the route you're taking ahead of time and don't deviate. Check with the hotel concierge or counterperson. There have been people who have accidentally driven into gang-infested areas. That's not good.

 

Please take Steve's advice seriously. We want you to be safe.

[rayz]

flyaway bus to downtown seems relatively quick and then red line to hotel it is even recommended on wilshire grand website Is the blue line really that unsafe? seems to be different opinions about this point on other websites the plan I have alows me to see hollywood, a liitle bit of downtown LA and then hopefully get to long beach/cruiseport without hassle and costs of shuttles or long cab rides I think the flyaway bus is a quick way of getting to downtown maybe 25-30 minutes on a friday night

[Bruin Steve]

flyaway bus to downtown seems relatively quick and then red line to hotel it is even recommended on wilshire grand website Is the blue line really that unsafe? seems to be different opinions about this point on other websites the plan I have alows me to see hollywood, a liitle bit of downtown LA and then hopefully get to long beach/cruiseport without hassle and costs of shuttles or long cab rides I think the flyaway bus is a quick way of getting to downtown maybe 25-30 minutes on a friday night

 

I give up...

I tried...

 

You are apparently flying in to LAX on a Friday night before a Saturday cruise from San Pedro...

 

You are taking a bus from LAX to Downtown on a Friday night...Yes, the "Flyaway" bus will take you nonstop from LAX to Union Station...They say on their website that it leaves LAX every half-hour and takes "less than 45 minutes" even in rush hour...don't count on that on a Friday evening...unless you are really late arriving...

 

So, from when your plane arrives, figure at least a half an hour to retrieve your luggage, a half an hour to wait for the bus and an hour to get to Union Station...You will then need transportation from Union Station to your hotel...which you will get to somewhere around 2+ hours after your plane arrives...hopefully...

 

On Friday night, you will likely not want to leave your hotel in Downtown LA...It should likely be dinner at the hotel restaurant...

 

The following morning, you are trying to tour Hollywood...

 

The Red Line leaves approximately every 15 minutes and takes 21 minutes to get to Hollywood/Highland (The stop near Grauman's Chinese Theater)...Figure on 36 minutes of wait/travel time in each direction...about an hour and a quarter total...

 

The Metro bus from Downtown to San Pedro will take well over an hour...

The Blue Line train leaves every 15 minutes and will take 51 minutes to get to LONG BEACH...From Long Beach, you will need to get a cab or try to figure out local bus systems to get you to the Pier in San Pedro...You had better leave yourself at least 2 hours, maybe more, to figure out that trip...

 

So, if your ship leaves Pedro at 5:00 pm...and you need to be onboard by 4:00 pm at the latest, you had better be back from Hollyweird, checked out of your hotel and over to the Metro Station, I'd say by 1:00 pm...and trust me, that will be a nervous ride to the ship...

Depending on what time you will be getting out on a Saturday morning after a long trip from wherever, you really won't have a lot of time to spend in Hollywood...

 

I guess what I am telling you is that you have planned out a stressful and difficult short stay in Los Angeles...

 

IMHO, you would be best served, when getting in on a Friday night, to skip Downtown (nothing there worth seeing), skip Hollywood (not much you're going to see in such a short visit), save yourself the hassle and anxiety...Book a hotel in San Pedro...I believe a shared van from one of the shuttle companies should be about $40 for two...Have a nice dinner locally in Pedro...maybe at Acapulco right on the waterfront, have breakfast at the hotel, then have the hotel free shuttle take you to the ship in the morning...get on the ship and relax...

 

Save visiting LA for when you have more time in town...

 

But, if you really want to go ahead with your plan (and you seem intent on it), don't say we didn't warn you...

[Cruisin' Chick]

You may want to look at this:

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g32655-d84258-Reviews-Wilshire_Grand_Hotel_and_Centre-Los_Angeles_California.html

 

Now granted some reviews you have to take with a grain of salt -- as we all know from reading cruise critic reviews. But usually if there are several really bad reviews on tripadvisor (like with this hotel), I would have reservations about booking such a hotel. Especially when it's in a very bad neighborhood.

[Cruisin' Chick]

BTW, if you're getting on a city bus with luggage, good luck. They're often standing room only, especially during rush hour. People who are planning on taking a cruise generally stay by the coast and use a taxi, shuttle service or rent a car. For the amount of money you're probably spending on your room at the Wilshire Grand, you can get a decent room at a decent LAX hotel.

[rayz]

75.00 at wilshire grand . directly across from subway to hollywood and train to long beach. I hear lax hotels are not generally that great and are not in a good area and also not good for transferring to hollywood or long beach. is this true?

[Bruin Steve]

Ray seems pretty intent on staying Downtown and using public transportation...and trying to squeeze in a visit to Hollywood in the small window he has Saturday morning before the cruise...and it doesn't seem that anything we say is going to phase him in the least...

 

All I can say at this point is GOOD LUCK, Ray...

 

After the cruise, please come back here and tell us all how it all went...

[Splinter]

IF he gets to his cruise ship in time before they leave the dock....

 

I agree with Steve. You won't have time to do any sightseeing, no matter how close you are to Hollywood unless you come in a day sooner than you have planned. My parents live only 20 minutes from the San Pedro port, and we never plan on doing anything the morning that we are leaving on a cruise other than pack up the car and get to the port by 1PM.

 

There are many fine hotels near LAX, and you can find them for less than $100/night if you search. There are several fine hotels or motels in either Long Beach or San Pedro, in nicer neighborhoods than downtown where you can actually walk at night to get a bite to eat without taking your life in your hands.

 

You can take a shuttle (http://www.supershuttle.com for example) from any LAX hotel to the San Pedro port for less than $35/person. You can also take a cab (about $50). Find someone on your roll-call to share a cab with if you don't want to pay for it by yourself (I am sure you won't be the only one on your ship staying near either LAX or in Long Beach).

 

From Long Beach you would still have to take a cab to get to the ship in San Pedro...figure at least $20 for that.

 

No matter what we say, it looks like you have made up your mind. I wonder why you even bothered to post here???? I also wonder if you will be brave enough to come back after your trip and describe what happened to you when you tried to do it this cheap way, and how it nearly ruined your vacation.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I told my hubby about this thread. He was laughing and shaking his head as he works downtown at City Hall in a 24/7 operation. He has men reporting to him that take Metrolink to work from the Valley but only when they're working the day shift. But they know the area. They know that it's not safe.

 

Anyway, my hubby reminded me of a few years ago when we were planning our Alaskan cruise out of Seattle. He told me to find a hotel that wasn't old (which eliminates at least half of the hotels there), but he also didn't want to pay an arm and a leg. While researching, I discovered a hotel in West Seattle. Figured out that W. S. was a residential area so I figured this place would be okay. Contacted an old bf who works for one of the TV stations and asked he wasn't familiar with the hotel, and wasn't sure why we wanted to stay there. Turned out the area was okay but the hotel was on the seedy side. We were just there for two nights, but spent some of our pre-cruise looking around for a better choice for a post-cruise hotel. Fortunately we were happy with that choice (HI Express by the Needle). So, we should had listened to my friend and stay in town. Next time, we'll listen to advice.

[Cruisin' Chick]

75.00 at wilshire grand . directly across from subway to hollywood and train to long beach. I hear lax hotels are not generally that great and are not in a good area and also not good for transferring to hollywood or long beach. is this true?

 

We stayed at the Airport Marriott right after we got married (had an early flight to Hawaii the next day). It was a nice place.

[rayz]

do you mean that walking across the street from the metro stop to the wilshire grand is unsafe? seems like this is only a 40 or 50 yard walk at best. are you saying that the downtown area is really that bad. many posters say that the airport area is dangerous especially the inglewood area. others do not like hollywood although there are many attactions there. I am beginning to get the feeling that most of LA is unsafe other than santa monica and beverly hills where hotels cost more than 200-300 Is LA really that bad or is this an exageration?

[Bruin Steve]

do you mean that walking across the street from the metro stop to the wilshire grand is unsafe? seems like this is only a 40 or 50 yard walk at best. are you saying that the downtown area is really that bad. many posters say that the airport area is dangerous especially the inglewood area. others do not like hollywood although there are many attactions there. I am beginning to get the feeling that most of LA is unsafe other than santa monica and beverly hills where hotels cost more than 200-300 Is LA really that bad or is this an exageration?

 

Ray,

I'm beginning to think you're pulling our collective legs...

 

"LA" is not unsafe...

It is a very big city...parts are very nice, other parts aren't...

Parts you would happily walk around in at night, parts you wouldn't...like every other big city...

 

There are lots of parts of tow I would tel you to stay in and feel very, very safe...aside from Beverly Hills and Santa Monica...If you just needed "safe" or "nice", you could easily stay out where I live (in Calabasas) or in Warner Center/Woodland Hills...you could stay in Encino/Sherman Oaks ..or Studio City or Universal City...Or Pasadena...or Arcadia...or Newport Beach...or Laguna Beach...or Santa Clarita...or Yorba Linda/Anaheim Hills...or dozens of other parts of Greater Los Angeles...BUT they wouldn't be convenient to the Airport and the Cruise Port...

 

So, we're limited in suggesting what makes sense for a very short one-night pre-cruise stay...and THAT means limited areas...and, yes, Los Angeles is an expensive town...To stay in a NICE hotel in a good part of town and in a convenient location...well...THAT costs some money...at least in THIS town...

 

IF you are willing to stay in a BAD hotel or an inconvenient location or in a BAD part of town, you can get that for your $75...

 

But you can find a very good deal on a number of well located hotels in nice areas for somewhere in the $100 to $200 range...which in LA is a BARGAIN...Hotel prices are linked to Real Estat prices...and, remember, this is one of the most expensive real estate markets in the world...

 

Now, for your information, the area around LAX is NOT bad...But, when we say LAX, we are NOT talking about Inglewood...We are talking about the area immediately adjacent to the airport along Century Boulevard...

 

And Hollywood IS somewhat sleazy and decrepit...and your chance at landing in one of those sleazier parts increases with your lack of knowledge of the area...West Hollywood IS nice...the Universal City area NORTH of Hollywood IS nice...the area around Hollywood and Vine isn't...WE know that, we live here...

 

DOWNTOWN Los Angeles would be most of our LAST CHOICE...

 

Is walking 50 yards outside your hotel at night dangerous? Sure...it could be...And most of us like to be able to venture out of our hotels to go to dinner somewhere nearby...Of course, you could get a cabto go to dinner in Beverly Hills or Universal City...but we got the idea you'd try to save money and use the public bus to get there...which is something none of us would advise you to do...

 

Problem is, Ray, either you are putting us on...or...you just think you know better than all of us who live here...

 

I really can't understand why you keep posting here...Obviously, you don't want any advice...You've convinced yourself that YOU know exactly what you're doing...You're going to fly in Friday night, take a BUS downtown to stay at a cheap hotel, you're going to get up in the morning and take the mass transit train to Hollywood...where you're going to do the world's shortest and most rapid fire Hollywood tour, then head back tothe hotel, check out and take another mass transit train to Long Beach...and then, I guess, a public bus to the pier...

 

It's a plan NONE of us locals will endorse...but, of course, YOU know better...

You have it all figured out...

 

So..all I can say is...

 

Good luck...

[snoopy]

I've been following this thread with great interest, as I also posted a question earlier about public transportation. I'm so impressed with the amount of information and patience shown by those of you who live near LA. I don't know about rayz, but I'm learning a lot. I'll not be using the bus or rail system on this trip, even though it seemed like a good idea at the start. I'll either rent a car or pick one place and take a taxi. I feel better about staying near the airport (Sheraton Gateway- $83/night on Hotwire) too. I realize now that LA is very different from the other port cities I've visited.

[rayz]

We are relatively young people who like to experience the real atmosphere of the places that we visit. We just do not want to go to a hotel and then just go to sleep and have breakfast the next morning after sleeping in before taking a cab to the port. I think a 3-4 hour morning visit to Hollywood is very possible even including a 1 hour trolley tour and then a one and one-half hour trip to the port via blue line and cab. We might be a little tired but we then have 8 days on a cruise ship to relax. Doing nothing much before this cruise would be boring. Let us experience what LA has to offer in this short but possibly very exciting time period. Bet ya we'll have a blast.

[Cruisin' Chick]

We are relatively young people who like to experience the real atmosphere of the places that we visit. We just do not want to go to a hotel and then just go to sleep and have breakfast the next morning after sleeping in before taking a cab to the port. I think a 3-4 hour morning visit to Hollywood is very possible even including a 1 hour trolley tour and then a one and one-half hour trip to the port via blue line and cab. We might be a little tired but we then have 8 days on a cruise ship to relax. Doing nothing much before this cruise would be boring. Let us experience what LA has to offer in this short but possibly very exciting time period. Bet ya we'll have a blast.

 

If you want atmosphere, then check out Santa Monica or even Venice. Go on a Hollywood tour. Take advantage of the native Angelenos who are advising you that downtown LA is not a touristy area. The only atmosphere you will find there is the smelly type (Steve and the others will be nodding at this). In the meantime, feel free to check out the LA Times online and do a search on "gangs." If you want real excitement....:rolleyes: :eek: