Expert: Steve Summers - 6/18/2006

Question
Hi, I am a 26yo woman from Melbourne, Australia, and at the end of September I am going to LA with my mum on a much deserved holiday.

Neither of us have ever been to the US so we are very excited, but also feel we don't know enough about this famous city to really plan a good trip.

I was hoping you could help.

One: where to stay? We don't care terribly about a luxurious hotel, as long as we get our own clean room. But we definitely want to be in the centre of everything (restaurants, nightlife etc). What do you think about Motel 6 in North Whitley Avenue, Hollywood? Or the Celebrity Hotel? We are willing to spend about $1000 for 8 nights, any ideas?

Two: getting about. We would definitely prefer not to rent a car. Is that possible in LA? We'd like to get to places like shopping malls, and the famous boulevards on foot, and maybe occasionally catch a bus or subway or something (are taxis expensive?). Is this realistic? We wouldn't mind renting a car for a day or two to go somewhere further, but we don't want to spend our holiday in traffic jams. What do you think?

Three: studio tours & celebrity homes. Which ones are “unmissable”? Which ones are the best and most fun? What exactly do they include? Can you get discounted tickets if you get packages instead of individual tickets? Are they all the same or are some better than others?

Four: free stuff! We know lots of the attractions we want to see are going to cost a lot, but what fun things can we do in LA that are free?

Five: food. Where can we go to eat that is famous, but where you don’t need to be on a $500k per year income to afford? We don’t mind spending a bit more than usual on our holiday, but don’t want to be embarrassed after we sit down and look at the menu and have to walk out without ordering because an entrée costs $50.

Six: tipping! I hear its absolutely mandatory in the US (here it’s not really common, you do it only if you receive an exceptional service). Who do I have to tip, when, where, and how much? And how do I do it without feeling awkward and uncomfortable? That’s the part I dread the most.

Seven: any other suggestions you can make? I have seen from your previous answers that you think Santa Monica & Venice beach are worthy visiting, so we will definitely do that. What else is important? Don’t want to miss something great and unique  just because I wasn’t aware it was there.

That’s all I can think of at the moment. I know it’s a lot, but I hope you can answer most of my questions. Luckily the trip is still far enough away for us to have lots of time to plan.

Thank you so much in advance, Ania.


Answer
Hi Ania,

That’s quite a question: a two-pager! This actually took me a coupld days, but I'm happy to help. Although I will make every attempt to answer your questions in order, I reserve the right to jump around a bit.

One: Where to stay. Ah yes, that’s probably the trickiest part. Any hotel in the “centre of everything” (have to practise my international English spelling here) is going to be more expensive as a rule. I don’t need to stay at the expensive hotels either (we usually stay in a moderately priced hotel ourselves). As for the Motel 6 on Whitley, I am familiar with the area, and I don’t think that it’s a great place for you and your mother. Safe enough by day, but a different story at night. The reviews at http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g32655-d240151-Reviews-Motel_6_Los_Angel... speak for themselves, but I think the one that did it for me was this: “125 rooms, but only 20 parking spaces.” It seems to me that they don’t really cater to tourists, but to the local folks who just need a bed for a couple hours or so, if you get my meaning. On the other hand, The Hollywood Celebrity Hotel you mentioned seems MUCH better. There were so many positive reviews on this hotel that I thought they must be fake, but the more I read, the more convinced I became. I like the fact that it is very close to the sights of Hollywood, but it is on a nice cul-de-sac, so you won’t get as much traffic. Excellent proximity to the Hollywood & Highland complex, Walk of Fame, Chinese Theater, etc. I would say that you could spend some time here.

If you are thinking of spending some time in “the OC” (local slang for Orange County), specifically Disneyland, you may want to look into spending a few days in Anaheim. There are a lot of hotels competing for your dollars around the Disneyland Resort, so you might want to try staying there for several days, especially if you want to visit Disneyland, do some shopping in Orange County, or visit some of the nicer beaches. My favorite hotels in the area are the Howard Johnson (www.hojoanaheim.com) and the Fairfield Inn. You can have a very good time at the Downtown Disney area, where you can dine and shop for days if you like.

Two: LA is SO huge, it really is impractical to go without renting a car. You can get by for several days without a car, but eventually will have to rent. LA is just too big. LA proper goes from the northern San Fernando Valley all the way to the ocean at San Pedro, a distance of about 50 miles. It is nearly as wide, as well. And many desirable attractions which are not in the city limits are still quite a ways off. So, if you stay at the Hollywood Celebrity, you can use the subway to get to some attractions, but there are so many areas where the subway does not go. Buses are slow and impractical, you might as well be driving a rental car. From your hotel, you can easily take the subway to Universal Studios and downtown LA. You can walk to many sights in Hollywood, including the Chinese Theater and the tour busses. Any other places, you should plan on renting a car.

Three: The “Must-do” studio is Universal. If you only had one studio to see, this would be it. I would take the subway, arrive early, and try to get on the first tour tram out of the station. Then you have the rest of the day to see the other shows and entertainment. You can also enjoy yourself at Universal City Walk, where there is a multitude of shops, restaurants, and even a movie theater complex to round out your day and leave you tired. See www.universalstudioshollywood.com for online info. While you are planning your time here, try going to www.audiencesunlimed.com and www.tvtix.com to see if you can get into a TV show taping. It’s a very interesting process, not all the glam you might expect. The big thing to see is the taping of the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, so check out http://www.nbc.com/nbc/The_Tonight_Show_with_Jay_Leno/tickets.shtml to see if you can get some. With these show tapings, you must remember that seating is not guaranteed—they give away more tickets than seats, so arrive early. Finally, if you want to take a bus tour, you should stick with Starline Tours. You can find them online at www.starlinetours.com. They do tours of the biggest attractions in LA. My recommendation is the Grand Tour of LA, but feel free to choose your own, based on what you really want to see. I thought that this would give you a taste of LA, and you could then spend a day or more going back to get more of what your really enjoyed. As for movie star’s homes, I have to admit that I am biased against them. I call those tours the “Driveways of the Rich and Famous” tour, and I think that it’s a rip-off and a waste of money. Most of the time, you are looking at the former home of a celebrity, who either moved long ago or has been dead for years. The really rich celebs have several homes, and the chances of seeing a celeb are close to nil. I’ve met my share of celebs over the years, and they are far less impressive when they aren’t dressed up walking down a red carpet. If you must take one of these tours, go with starline since it’s their bread and butter business. But my advice is that there are better ways to spend your money.

Four: Freebies. Since you already know about Santa Monica Pier and Venice Beach (free for the price of parking), I’ll throw in a couple of things that are cheap or free. BTW, you might want to rent a bike at Santa Monica Pier and ride it down to Venice… it’s a lot of fun. Griffith Observatory is free, and offers a very nice view of Los Angeles at night, as well as a decent view of the Hollywood Sign. Also part of some tours. Olvera Street: The birthplace of Los Angeles, part of some tours. Getty Museum: Free admission, parking is five dollars. There are excellent collections of art here. Hollywood Bowl tours: A short walk up the hill from your hotel, so it’s free, free, free. A list of SoCal landmarks is also available at http://www.laokay.com/Landmarks.htm Some are very close to your hotel, others a short drive. I would avoid Watts Towers unless you are going with a tour. Not the sort of neighborhood you want to get lost in.

Five: Fortunately, there are lots of “famous” places that won’t cost you an arm and a leg. If you want the so-called celebrity restaurants, you can go to Spago in Beverly Hills and spend $50 per entrée. Good food, to be sure, but I don’t have that much money to spend. There are also a number of Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant right there in the Hollywood and Highland complex, so there’s no need to travel far if you want fine cuisine. Expect to spend $18-$28 per entrée, so a meal for two could easily approach $100 if you have a couple drinks and an appetizer. My tastes are a little more simple, so I’ll share some of my favorite places that are well-known and even famous:

Canter’s Deli: Located at 419 N. Fairfax Avenue, this is a legend. It has been in this location for over 50 years, and you have as good a chance as anywhere to spot a celeb. It’s a couple blocks from CBS Television City, and a number of celebrities are regulars here.

Pink’s: Very casual. You stand in line to order your hot dog, then try to find a table so that you can sit down and eat. They are famous for their hot dogs, so that’s what I recommend. My favorite is the chili dog.

Tommy’s: Famous for its chili burgers, there is one in Los Angeles, on the corner of Beverly Blvd and Rampart. You don’t even get to sit down here, you eat standing up.

In-N-Out Burger: Californians are crazy about hamburgers, can you tell? Get the Double-Double, you won’t be sorry. French fries are never frozen, so they have a different taste and texture than other places. I believe that there is one on Hollywood Blvd or on Sunset Blvd.

Mexican food: Los Angeles is a great place to get Mexican food. Try someplace like El Torito or Acapulco, for the rather tame variety of Mexican food. If you are feeling adventurous, just ask at your hotel for a good local Mexican food place. They’re everywhere, but be careful! Sometimes the food can be muy caliente (very spicy).

Claim Jumper: This is about as American as it gets. You get HUGE portions, so you either need to share a plate or be prepared to take some food home with you. I really enjoy the ribs.

Six: Tipping isn’t that complicated; I just use a rule of thumb—If someone has served me well, I tip them. Here are some guidelines for tipping: Starting at the airport: If a skycap or shuttle driver loads your luggage, I tip $1 per bag. I’ve only taken a taxi once or twice in my life, so I’ve tipped 10% of the fare. In a sit-down restaurant, if you have a server who takes your order and brings your meal, it’s 15% for standard service, and a little more if it was excellent service. Here’s a tip about tipping: Sales tax in LA is 8.25%, and 7.75% in Orange County. If you don’t want to figure out 15%, just double the tax! That’s at least 15%, and you can always round up or add a little more if you like. If you go to a place where you order at the cash register and someone brings you your food, I usually just leave a dollar or two. For fast food places and coffee bars (like Starbucks), no need to tip. Some places have a little tip jar, but you can ignore it without guilt. Everybody has them now. I fix computers for a living, maybe I should put out a tip cup.

Seven: Have you thought of a spending some time in Orange County? There are many great shopping/entertainment complexes there, including the Block at Orange, Downtown Disney, and the South Coast Plaza, to name a few. Huntington Beach and Newport Beach are also excellent places to hang out: Plenty of action, a little safer than some beaches in LA. Also, Laguna Beach is nice, a little artsy sort of town.

Have you thought of visiting Las Vegas? You could fly or drive there, but Starline and Gray Line also offer 1-day tours. It’s a prime example of American excess. It’s almost a little too much to take in.

Have a wonderful time, I hope I was able to help.

Steve