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Santa Monica and LA

duke19_98

I'm planning a trip to the Ca Boom Convention in Santa Monica Aug 13-15. I'm looking for suggestions on cheap places to stay downtown near the beach or near the 3rd Street Promenade thing. I'm guessing that's where the night life is in the area.

Any suggestions?

Also what architecture should we go see? I'm most defiantly heading to culver city to see the mecca of Moss. I'd appreciate ya archinect.

 
Jun 16, 04 3:23 pm
el jeffe

bayside hotel is right at pico & ocean and cheap. course you get what you pay for. you can walk to cha cha chicken, main street & the promenade from there.

Jun 16, 04 4:05 pm  · 
 · 
Jeremy

but, 3rd street promenade is not where the night life is. its basically an open shopping mall with a few places to eat and some cheesy nightclubs around.

venture out to silverlake, echo park, or even sunset if you have to. best to not miss the downtown standard rooftop bar.

Jun 16, 04 4:15 pm  · 
 · 
HAL9000

the viceroy is hot, although not very cheap. it is also @ pico and ocean.
i stayed there last week. its close to the beach, and as mentioned above, cha cha chicken, and the bar there is alright if your into that sheeshy shit.

Jun 16, 04 4:22 pm  · 
 · 

Since when is cha cha chicken such hot shit? ;) it's pretty good but if you want some cheap eats in the area try Abbott Kinney Blvd in Venice - Tortilla Grill has really good tex-mex (more mex than tex) and Abbott's Pizza has addictive thin bagel-crust pizza. Abbott Kinney also has some really good restaurants if you have a little money to spend - Joe's, Axe (my favourite), etc... almost all restaurants on Abbott Kinney are good.

In Santa Monica go for a lunch at the Rose Cafe on Rose and Main for the definition of an LA westside lunch (patio). Main St. also has a bunch of other great little breakfast/lunch eateries - omellette parlor, wild flour pizza, world cafe (for happy hour), firehouse, others...

As Jeremy said, don't bother sticking around the west side at night since there's hardly anything going on except tourists and street performers. in fact, i would suggest staying in hollywood and rent a car so you can check out the beach, downtown, eastside, etc... LA is HUGE.

Jun 16, 04 4:47 pm  · 
 · 
Jeremy

Tortilla Grill rocks, but for dinner, La Cabana, at Rose and Lincoln. Not the best mexican food, but really a great place. In addition to your margaritas, sample some of their fine tequilas. Or, a lot of them. They stay open till 3am, unlike most places around.

Jun 16, 04 4:50 pm  · 
 · 

ehhhh... if we're talking shitty food and killer margs, you need to go to El Coyote on Beverly ("the office", as coined by the disco trois). b-celebrities abound.

Jun 16, 04 4:54 pm  · 
 · 
duke19_98

Ok guys thanks... so the nightlife in that area sucks.... can you be a bit more specific on where a good college crowd would be. We'll have a rental so we should be able to drive there ok...although i am dreading the famous LA traffic.

As far as Tex-Mex and Magarittas goes... We'll be flying in straight from the heart of Texas. Believe me, i'm looking forward to experiencing a little bit of everything in Cali. but I can get all the tex-mex here I want.

And what about the architecture?

Jun 16, 04 5:25 pm  · 
 · 
mdler

moneo's cathedral (downtown la)

eames house (in santa monica)

getty

Jun 16, 04 5:28 pm  · 
 · 

college crowd? go to westwood, sunset strip, and hermosa beach. architecture in LA

Jun 16, 04 5:38 pm  · 
 · 
Amandine

late dinner @ the canter's...

Jun 16, 04 5:50 pm  · 
 · 
chinoXL63

you GOTTA go to pinks hot dog stand after you party...

Jun 16, 04 6:09 pm  · 
 · 
chinoXL63

and if you dig the underground hiphop vibe...check out firecracker in chinatown...i think it goes off every other friday (at least it used to). www.firecracker.mu and the chocolate bar at gabah in hollywood...

Jun 16, 04 6:12 pm  · 
 · 
sameolddoctor

you might want to hit these 'culturally diverse' (for lack of a better word) areas:
1. koreatown
2. the old chinatown
3. some kick-ass restaurants in little saigon
4. the indian street down in artesia (near long beach)
5. some nice bakeries in little armenia, on santa monica blvd.

and of course you are going to hit the beaches, right????

Jun 16, 04 6:13 pm  · 
 · 
billy

little india - pioneer blvd between 183rd and 187th - take artesia east from the 605 or pioneer south from the 91

always worth the trip

Jun 16, 04 6:23 pm  · 
 · 
duke19_98

Hey wasn't there a hot dog stand built to look like a hot dog somewhere in LA? Ok westwood sunset stip and hermosa beach it is....

I'm also going to check out Koreatown... will it be easy to locate on a map? Me and my buddy were in the real thing almost a year ago.

http://www.arch.ttu.edu/architecture/courses/2003Fall/5301/Korea2003/

that should bring back some good memories.

Jun 16, 04 6:39 pm  · 
 · 
billy


Tail o' the Pup

329 N. San Vicente Blvd. · Los Angeles, CA

Jun 16, 04 6:47 pm  · 
 · 
billy

k-town
nexus is olympic and western - extending nearly to crenshaw (west) and vermont (east), and north to 6th or so (block north of wilshire - but actually continues in pockets all the way to melrose)

Jun 16, 04 6:53 pm  · 
 · 
Jeremy_Grant

if you wanna go old school:

breakfast: The Pantry
lunch: Phillipe's
dinner: Mel's Diner

Jun 16, 04 7:36 pm  · 
 · 
billy

more old than olde school, and totally dating myself, but....
any remember when 'mel's' was 'ben franks'?

bizarre memories of a booth comprising ron jeremy, courtney love, and a bored/comatose kurt cobain...

whilst i enjoyed a perfect patty melt at the booth adjoining - - the place came to life at 2 am and was the perfect pre-hangover cure.

Jun 16, 04 7:56 pm  · 
 · 
toolate

try to make it to:

Roscoes chicken and waffle (hollywood)
Tommy' Hamburgers
Bounty (Gaylord Motel) awsome drinks & cheap
Little Tokyo get some (shabu shabu)

and if you can, try the metrorail it's not that bad...

Jun 16, 04 8:12 pm  · 
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jas

What's up chinoXL63!

you're right you have to go to Pink's after you party...or Tommy's. But don't forget about stops to Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles and Versailles.

Jun 16, 04 8:39 pm  · 
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rak1os

el cholo, nuff said!

Jun 16, 04 8:42 pm  · 
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CIIW

Rose Bakery has a really good fish sandwich.

Jun 16, 04 9:57 pm  · 
 · 
chinoXL63

jas...whasshappenin...

man, do i miss the sauteed oxtail and roast pork/chicken combo at versailles...

and bamboo down the street on venice is great brazilian carribean grubbin as well...the bbq salad is the bomb!!

temple bar in santa monica is a dope spot for live underground music...

Jun 17, 04 7:54 am  · 
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PostDepot

galliegos, the mexican deli. on venice blvd just west of centinella.
the best mexican food in westside.

Jun 17, 04 10:34 am  · 
 · 
desmondo

well, it seems like things are pretty well covered but if you want to stay on the east side or midtown then you should hit little tokyo for sushi-- i recommend sushi gen, or get some shabu shabu on 2nd street.

then i would try and catch a show at spaceland on silverlake blvd or the fold on sunset & silverlake. If you want the full LA experience get a drink at Yamashiro above the magic castle in hollywood. dont eat there though. and heck you could even get in a show at the bowl.... or a dodger game- my preference for a friday night!

Jun 17, 04 12:30 pm  · 
 · 
abracadabra

langer's deli on & th. and alvarado. the best corn beef on rye.
good quality fake green cards and california driver licences available at the vicinity.

Jun 19, 04 10:16 pm  · 
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abracadabra

langer's deli on 7 th. and alvarado. the best corn beef on rye.
good quality fake green cards and california driver licences available at the vicinity.

Jun 19, 04 10:16 pm  · 
 · 
geezer

Props to Paul:
I've seen Natalie Schafer ("Lovie" from Gilligan's Island), Sissy Spacek, Emilio Estevez and millions of heavy metal bands of the moment (best moments: Hanoi Rocks and Twisted Sister!) at El Coyote. Ah yeah. Good times... DON"T EAT THE FOOD.

Two doubles on the rocks and you be flyin'.

John O'Groats for a nice bourgeouis westside breakfast.

Damn I'm hungry.

Jun 19, 04 10:51 pm  · 
 · 
tman

SUNSET BLVD

Rosco's chicken 'n waffles (located off of sunset)

Amoeba Records (large indie used and new record store. Also has DVDs, posters, and rare memorabilia. Located on Sunset Blvd.)

The Troubadour, The Roxy, etc.

The Standard (trendy bar)

ArcLight Theater



DOWNTOWN LA

The Pantry (diner)

The Getty

MOCA by Arata Isozaki (near Disney Hall)

Cathedral of Our Lady of the angels

Disney Hall



LITTLE TOKYO

MOCA Geffen

Japanese History Museum

Sci Arc

Japanese Food (although everyone else likes the food around there, I have yet to have anything that great.)



ETC

Tommy's Chili Burgers

Rodeo Drive

Pink's Hot Dogs

The Stinking Rose (if you like garlic you'll like this place)

Jun 20, 04 12:30 am  · 
 · 
R.A. Rudolph

If you're flying in through LAX, check out the 'Encounter' bar in the wacky 60's building outside the terminals in the middle of the parking lots. I haven't been for a while, so i don't even know if it's still open, but it's about as surreal and LA of an experience as you can get, mostly at night when they change the colored lights shining on the cast concrete arches in a slow progression from pink to green to purple - you get the idea.

Jun 21, 04 1:38 am  · 
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rothko67

Friends of mine have stayed at the Sea Shore Motel on Main St. (near Ocean Park), and have said it's a good deal. It's close enough to walk to the Convention Center, and it's only 2 blocks from the beach.
http://www.seashoremotel.com

Jun 21, 04 2:19 am  · 
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who thinks the getty is in downtown los angeles

Jun 25, 04 1:51 pm  · 
 · 
Jeremy_Grant

DONT YOU KNOW?

Jun 25, 04 6:39 pm  · 
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