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Los Angeles |OT| GAF's Guide to the Greatest City in the Universe

J

JEKKI

Member
my best ramen list:

Yamadaya - if you like Tonkotsu style, they're the best!!

Santouka - best Sapporo Miso style!

Kitakata Ban Nai - best place for something different! (only place for something different?? every ramen place in CA is just trying to do the same thing...)

nowhere - best Tori Paitan... coz aint nobody in socal doing a freakin tori paitan... like what the hell?!?!?! they got one in Chicago...

I'm in OC, I've eaten lots of LA places but not enough to definitively say certain places are better than others, let alone feel comfortable putting a good spot on my list, but I have eaten Daikokuya and Shin Sen Gumi enough times to be like nah, they're just OK.

Tsujita Annex however is very good, may probably get on my list if I eat there a few more times.
 
E

Esiquio

Member
On the cusp of deciding to move to either LA, San Diego or somewhere else on the West Coast that is close to a major airport (job requirement). I'm gonna miss the ATL, I really love that place. I've lived in California my whole life, but never LA proper (San Diego and Orange County) - so what is comparable in LA. Also, I'm looking to buy a place eventually, and rent it out when I move again, inevitably.
 
broz0rs

broz0rs

Member
Esiquio said:
On the cusp of deciding to move to either LA, San Diego or somewhere else on the West Coast that is close to a major airport (job requirement). I'm gonna miss the ATL, I really love that place. I've lived in California my whole life, but never LA proper (San Diego and Orange County) - so what is comparable in LA. Also, I'm looking to buy a place eventually, and rent it out when I move again, inevitably.
Click to expand...

I've spent some time in the South before, and I don't think it's that much of a choice if you're lookout for something comparable. San Diego will be wonderful city for you.
 
M

Mercury Fred

Banned
LA-GAF, my partner and I are considering moving downtown from Santa Monica where we are now. A little background: I was in NYC for 14 years, he has lived in NYC and Seattle in Capitol Hill. I really needed a break from the city when we moved here but after a year and a half on the west side, I'm feeling a little too remote. I LOVE being near the beach and being able to bike and walk lots of spots and there's plenty of great food here. But I miss the arts, nightlife and more diversity and edginess. We thought about the east side (he's lived there before) but I am missing city density too. I like Santa Monica but it's a little... vanilla. A friend and I caught a band playing last weekend at a venue in the Arts District and it felt so much like home. Cut to a long convo with the BF and we're talking about DTLA.

Here are my questions: We need to be near and Expo Line stop (or a not too far transfer from another line) so that he can take the train to work. Are there any downtown neighborhoods people like? There are a TON of apartments, and we don't mind spending a little as our rent is already high here in SM. We've been looking at new construction and some newly rehabbed lofts, etc. Is anyone familiar with any particular buildings they'd recommend? And finally, is this a horrible idea? :p
 
S

Spikematic

Member
Hey guys! So my company agreed to let me cover E3 again this year (woohoo!) instead of our LA reporter. The compromise I had to make was that I have to spring for my own accommodation (since he could've just covered it without costing the company a dime). So now I'm looking for a decent place to stay that isn't too long of an Uber drive from the convention center. Anyone have any hotel recommendations? Most of them seem quite expensive so if I opt for Airbnb what location should I aim for? I'll be there from June 10 to June 16, so need a place for 6 nights total. Thanks!

Oh, and if any fellow GAFFers going to E3 (or not going even) wanna meet up or anything that'd be super cool. I don't really know anyone in LA... :(
 
J

jstevenson

Sailor Stevenson
Spikematic said:
Hey guys! So my company agreed to let me cover E3 again this year (woohoo!) instead of our LA reporter. The compromise I had to make was that I have to spring for my own accommodation (since he could've just covered it without costing the company a dime). So now I'm looking for a decent place to stay that isn't too long of an Uber drive from the convention center. Anyone have any hotel recommendations? Most of them seem quite expensive so if I opt for Airbnb what location should I aim for? I'll be there from June 10 to June 16, so need a place for 6 nights total. Thanks!

Oh, and if any fellow GAFFers going to E3 (or not going even) wanna meet up or anything that'd be super cool. I don't really know anyone in LA... :(
Click to expand...

if you can Airbnb off one of the train lines into downtown you might find that to be most economical
 
J

jstevenson

Sailor Stevenson
Spikematic said:
Good idea. Are there any areas you recommend that are near those lines?
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I don't know myself, but I mean, there are multiple lines in different directions, from Pasadena, to Hollywood (even into the Valley), to more towards the beach, to even heading south (which might put you on the line that stops at Staples/Convention Center on the way in
 
D

Dr. Feel Good

Banned
Mercury Fred said:
LA-GAF, my partner and I are considering moving downtown from Santa Monica where we are now. A little background: I was in NYC for 14 years, he has lived in NYC and Seattle in Capitol Hill. I really needed a break from the city when we moved here but after a year and a half on the west side, I'm feeling a little too remote. I LOVE being near the beach and being able to bike and walk lots of spots and there's plenty of great food here. But I miss the arts, nightlife and more diversity and edginess. We thought about the east side (he's lived there before) but I am missing city density too. I like Santa Monica but it's a little... vanilla. A friend and I caught a band playing last weekend at a venue in the Arts District and it felt so much like home. Cut to a long convo with the BF and we're talking about DTLA.

Here are my questions: We need to be near and Expo Line stop (or a not too far transfer from another line) so that he can take the train to work. Are there any downtown neighborhoods people like? There are a TON of apartments, and we don't mind spending a little as our rent is already high here in SM. We've been looking at new construction and some newly rehabbed lofts, etc. Is anyone familiar with any particular buildings they'd recommend? And finally, is this a horrible idea? :p
Click to expand...

Have you spent significant time in Downtown? I mean agreed it's a totally different vibe than Santa Monica but it's not like NYC. It still has a long ways to go before it becomes a bar, food, shopping mecha. It's still heavy financial/commercial and parts of it can be dead at nights. Additionally the homeless is by far the worst in the city. With that said the area near 7th/Metro, Arts District and maybe north towards Walt Disney Concert Hall (does that area have a name?) are your best bets. But it's still spotty of things to do to run down shit and bums all over. What is your rent target? We looked to move downtown a year and a half ago and opted against it to stay in Hollywood.
 
M

Mercury Fred

Banned
Stumpokapow said:
Any reason you wouldn't split the difference and look at West Hollywood or Hollywood? Closer commute, and a little nicer than most of downtown imho.
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The main reasons were the ability for my partner to commute via public transit (his office is in Santa Monica right off the Expo Line) without having to deal with driving in rush hour traffic) and walkability, nightlife, culture and art.

Dr. Feel Good said:
Have you spent significant time in Downtown? I mean agreed it's a totally different vibe than Santa Monica but it's not like NYC. It still has a long ways to go before it becomes a bar, food, shopping mecha. It's still heavy financial/commercial and parts of it can be dead at nights. Additionally the homeless is by far the worst in the city. With that said the area near 7th/Metro, Arts District and maybe north towards Walt Disney Concert Hall (does that area have a name?) are your best bets. But it's still spotty of things to do to run down shit and bums all over. What is your rent target? We looked to move downtown a year and a half ago and opted against it to stay in Hollywood.
Click to expand...

We've spent some time downtown and checked out both day and evening. I don't have any expectation that it'll be a clone of NYC but we were both really missing the feeling of urbanity that's not so present in most of LA due to how it's laid out.

Since I first posted, we put in an application on an amazing unit in new construction above the Whole Foods at 8th & Grand-- rooftop pool, a second pool, huge 24 hour gym, amenities out the wazoo, etc. We're both excited about it not only as a new spot to explore but as a much easier pivot to different areas of LA than Santa Monica is. It's a block from the 7th Metro and there's a decent amount walkable from there. I also loved using bike share in NYC and plan to bike downtown quite a bit... although I'm wondering if there's a route from DTLA to the Arts District without going through Skid Row. Man, that's rough.
 
D

Dr. Feel Good

Banned
Mercury Fred said:
We've spent some time downtown and checked out both day and evening. I don't have any expectation that it'll be a clone of NYC but we were both really missing the feeling of urbanity that's not so present in most of LA due to how it's laid out.

Since I first posted, we put in an application on an amazing unit in new construction above the Whole Foods at 8th & Grand-- rooftop pool, a second pool, huge 24 hour gym, amenities out the wazoo, etc. We're both excited about it not only as a new spot to explore but as a much easier pivot to different areas of LA than Santa Monica is. It's a block from the 7th Metro and there's a decent amount walkable from there. I also loved using bike share in NYC and plan to bike downtown quite a bit... although I'm wondering if there's a route from DTLA to the Arts District without going through Skid Row. Man, that's rough.
Click to expand...

In one of those nice high rises you'll have a great time downtown. Access to the train is great and you can explore Hollywood/North Hollywood , Koreatown and NE suburbs with ease where you're located at. Biking I hear is still a nightmare downtown with traffic so just be careful.
 
M

Mercury Fred

Banned
richardhawk said:
Skid row is a part of downtown. Please don't be one of those people that complain about having to look at homeless people.
Click to expand...

Excuse me?

How about if you don't put words in my mouth. I'm referring to different parts of downtown. Also, I lived in NYC for 14 years, including some really sketchy parts. And I also spent a lot of time in the inner city of Detroit in some particularly rough places so please think before you speak to other people. I'm not "complaining about having to look at homeless people." I'm talking about safety-- the times I've driven through Skid Row had people walking in the middle of the (busy car lanes) street, some folks rushing to cars, etc. If you want to interpret my not wanting to bike through Skid Row as "complaining about having to look at homeless people"... I don't know what to tell you.

Dr. Feel Good said:
In one of those nice high rises you'll have a great time downtown. Access to the train is great and you can explore Hollywood/North Hollywood , Koreatown and NE suburbs with ease where you're located at. Biking I hear is still a nightmare downtown with traffic so just be careful.
Click to expand...

Thanks man, looking forward to using the train to explore those neighborhoods (I drive, but I don't love driving). Definitely going to at least try biking. I have noticed that LA drivers are less aware of bikers and I don't want to end up as roadkill :p
 
R

richardhawk

Member
Mercury Fred said:
Excuse me?

How about if you don't put words in my mouth.
Click to expand...

Wasn't a personal attack. However, working in downtown the amount of "ew someone go tell that man to move" I hear is awful. The homeless are treated like stray dogs instead of people. If you aren't one of these people then props to you.
 
M

Mercury Fred

Banned
richardhawk said:
Wasn't a personal attack. However, working in downtown the amount of "ew someone go tell that man to move" I hear is awful. The homeless are treated like stray dogs instead of people. If you aren't one of these people then props to you.
Click to expand...

Those are your issues, not mine. Please don't take them out on me. I can understand your frustration with people who hold those (gross) opinions but please check yourself before assuming you know someone's attitude and jump to a conclusion about them.
 
D

Dr. Feel Good

Banned
Does anyone actually own property in this city? I'm getting sick of renting as we have roommates and are planning on living with them for awhile so I'd rather us throw cash at something we own. It's just so daunting given the prices... Would prefer to stay Central LA (i.e WeHo, Hollywood, Silverlake, etc.)
 
B

Bluemongoose

Neo Member
Will be in LA from June 27- July 2nd. Can anyone recommend the best areas to get an AirBnb or hostel? I'm looking at West Hollywood area but considering Venice Beach.
 
B

Bluemongoose

Neo Member
Stumpokapow said:
It totally depends where you plan to go while you're in the city. West Hollywood is better if you're going to Burbank, Griffith Park, Silverlake, Downtown; Venice is better if you're going to Venice, Santa Monica, Long Beach, Malibu, etc. What kind of things do you like to do?
Click to expand...

I don't really care for fancy shops. Actually trying to be reasonably frugal in 5 days. I do want to check out good, local, hidden (or not) shops and hit a few restaurants. I definitely want to go to Venice beach at least once and Disneyland. I am leaning more towards West Hollywood. I can always take a bus to Venice. I will not do ANY driving. I get enough jitters driving here in NYC.
 
B

Bluemongoose

Neo Member
Stumpokapow said:
If you are not planning on renting a car, it is probably not feasible for you to do Disneyland. The metro out and back takes several hours and stops running pretty early and you'd be looking at a $50-75 Uber from town and back each way. If you hit surge, you'll be looking at well over $100 each way.

If you are planning to do the bus, I would definitely recommend trying to make a list of 5-10 things you want to do (there are a bunch of tourist guides over the last few pages of this thread) and figure out how you are going to get around.
Click to expand...

I can definitely make a short list and I plan to stay in a hostel so I can join in on tours. Otherwise, I'd have a nice AirBnB all to myself. You wrote out a sweet checklist for me a while back (http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=231034539&postcount=4828) and I'm going to print it out. I really appreciate it.
 
H

hateradio

The Most Dangerous Yes Man
Bluemongoose said:
I will not do ANY driving. I get enough jitters driving here in NYC.
Click to expand...
Driving for most people is essential in LA. Yes, there is a metro in some areas, but it's not enough to get to Disneyland from Venice in any decent amount of time. You're going to be spending a lot on car services if you really don't plan out your public transport routes. (Can't speak to this since I've never used public transport, and I've never used a hostel.)

The 27th to the 2nd is also tricky since that means you'll be hitting weekday traffic, which will suck if you are traveling from one point to another, eg Venice to Disney.

If you do decide to go to Disneyland, I would definitely suggest you go on a weekday, since there will be fewer people. I think their site has a "surge" tracker, or something like that.


I would probably suggest you stick to the North West and Downtown parts of LA (which are mostly all listed in that Stumpokapow post), unless you really have to venture south.


---

If I had to do a trip like Stumps though*, I would rent a car and book different abnb spots, so that I could drive to the rooms at night (no traffic, making sure they have late check-in), and be really close to my destinations in the morning.

*And didn't want to stay with family. :p
 
C

CosmicQueso

Member
On a weekday to Disneyland from SM/Venice it would be faster to metro to union station, Amtrak to Anaheim and cab/lyft from station to Disneyland.
 
beat

beat

Member
killertofu said:
What Internet provider is best over there? I'm moving there in a month and have Comcast at my place right now
Click to expand...

Most places, your options are DSL (slow) or Spectrum (formerly Time Warner Cable, and expensive).

Some places have fiber but it's AT&T and their prices are ... quite high ($80/month with a "$30/month unlimited data surcharge waived" -- I suspect it won't be waived after the first twelve months?) By comparison, Sonic Fiber in SF charges $50/month, $40/month as promotional pricing.
 
B

Beach

Member
Septimus Prime said:
I wanted to wait, but I couldn't take that long to get back to the office, so I ended up just getting Popeyes. Good enough, I guess.
Click to expand...
Go on a weekend and arrive at 9:50. You will get your food by 11:30 but it's probably the shortest wait ratio and it's so damn good.
 
Z

Zyzyxxz

Member
Bluemongoose said:
I don't really care for fancy shops. Actually trying to be reasonably frugal in 5 days. I do want to check out good, local, hidden (or not) shops and hit a few restaurants. I definitely want to go to Venice beach at least once and Disneyland. I am leaning more towards West Hollywood. I can always take a bus to Venice. I will not do ANY driving. I get enough jitters driving here in NYC.
Click to expand...

LOL Good luck.

To put it into perspective its like saying I plan to stay in Jersey but I wanna visit Manhattan but I may make a detour to Long Island. Oh and its going to be on horseback.
 
juliushandle

juliushandle

Member
Is there a Fitness GAF within LA GAF that would wanna meet up to workout? Go to places like the stairs in Santa Monica off San Vicente, stairs in Culver City, hikes, etc.
 
D

Dr. Feel Good

Banned
Well closed on a condo in Hollywood. Feels good. Expensive as fuck. Still have to have roommates. But somehow managed to own a piece of property in this god forsaken town.
 
J

jviggy43

Member
Dr. Feel Good said:
Well closed on a condo in Hollywood. Feels good. Expensive as fuck. Still have to have roommates. But somehow managed to own a piece of property in this god forsaken town.
Click to expand...

Thats awesome, congrats!. Ive been looking myself because I'm paying twice the amount for rent I would be for a mortgage right now.
 
D

Dr. Feel Good

Banned
jviggy43 said:
Thats awesome, congrats!. Ive been looking myself because I'm paying twice the amount for rent I would be for a mortgage right now.
Click to expand...

Well at the very least I can say we are not going to be one of the NIMBY's who rejects all city progress to preserve short term value. Hollywood needs to grow and develop which I hope happens exponentially over the next few years.
 
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