Choosing the best area to stay in Los Angeles is not an easy task.
Los Angeles is the largest city in the State of California, the second most populated city in the United States with almost 20 million citizens in its vast metropolitan area .
Los Angeles is a city that has a special attraction: it shares very different environments, such as arid and desert areas, mountainous areas open to leisure activities, coastal enclaves with beaches on the Pacific coast and nature to be discovered recreated in its urban parks.
Its exclusive neighborhoods, its cosmopolitan and markedly Latin culture and the footprint of the film industry make any visit a bet of discovery that always surprises .
The best areas to stay in Los Angeles
The best areas to sleep in Los Angeles for weekend stays or four or five days are Hollywood and Beverly Hills , especially because they are close to the most important attractions and are very well connected by road and public transport systems.
For longer stays, longer than a week, other interesting options are Santa Monica , to enjoy the sea and the beach, or Dowtown , in the city centre, close to everything.
If you want to enjoy the nightlife, without a doubt, the best options to stay in Los Angeles are Venice Beach and, the same, Santa Monica, to sleep in Los Angeles with tranquility, Westwood Village and Pasadena
1.Hollywood
Hollywood is the most famous district of Los Angeles and it is because it houses the old headquarters of the most famous film studios in the U.S. But also because it hosts unique sets related to this industry.
In Hollywood you have to walk along the Avenue of Fame, Sunset Boulevard and see closely the national monument of the letters that form the name of Hollywood (1923) on the side of the mountain.
To get close to the letters of the Hollywood sign , you have to go up the marked path of Mt Lee Dr.You will end up arriving at a point located above the letters. At this panoramic point, you can have a superb 360º view of Los Angeles.
If you want to see the Walk of Fame , you have to go to the Broadway Walk that starts at La Brea Gateway and goes to the W Hotel.
The also famous Chinese Theater is another of the most sought-after attractions on the avenue, and the nearby Dolby Theater is home to the Hollywood Academy Awards.This theater offers interesting film screenings throughout the year, as well as premieres and unique events that are worth coordinating with a visit to Los Angeles.
Hollywood is one of the best sleeping areas in Los Angeles.It is very safe both day and night, it is perfectly connected by public transportation with good subway connections, it has much life at all hours, its nightlife is one of the best in the city, and there is always something to do .
The downside is that hotels are expensive compared to other areas, but if your budget can afford it you will not go wrong if you stay in this area.
– Hollywood accommodation
2.West Hollywood
West Hollywood is a district of the city of Los Angeles that has its own identity and is famous for its unique one-story homes, original bars, music venues and parks and gardens.
Gardens such as the impressive Greystone Mansion , a French-style mansion that is the setting for events, or the West Hollywood Park , at 647 North San Vicente Boulevard, especially if you want to enjoy a picnic with family or friends in a green and quiet environment.
In West Hollywood, it is also worth seeing the Pacific Design Center , an art center dependent on MOCA, and the Schlinder House , a house designed by the Austrian architect of the same name and which is a reference point for the minor architecture of the 1920-1930s.
For music lovers, the Club Trobadour is an emblematic place of the 1970s.The nearby Roxy Theatre is a more ‘indie’ musical alternative.
For those who enjoy books in bookstores with a magic touch, in West Hollywood, you can find the Book Soup , a genuinely vintage book store that offers more than 60,000 titles.
The nearby West Hollywood Public Library and its program of cultural activities can be a perfect complement for book lovers who come to Los Angeles with the intention of enlivening the intellect.
West Hollywood is a safe neighborhood (always taking the right precautions), is well connected , especially with Hollywood and Santa Monica, and its hotels are something more affordable than Hollywood or Beverlyhills .
– Accommodation in West Hollywood
3.Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills is one of the most chic and exclusive areas in Los Angeles.It is famous for its Rodeo Drive Avenue , for its exclusive shops , but also for its luxurious garden mansions that are on another level, monetary and aesthetic.
If you want to enjoy gardens at no cost, nothing better than approaching a public green area.The most recommended is the Beverly Hills Gardens The place extends over 3.5 kilometers and in the park you have to go and see the majestic Doheney fountain and the Beverly Hills Sign, a sign with the name of the place where everybody takes pictures.Every third weekend from May to October, the park hosts the Beverly Hills Art Show , a popular outdoor art exhibition.
About Rodeo Drive , which is the avenue where Julia Roberts does her shopping in the movie ‘Pretty Wooman’.
In the area, you should see Anderson Court , the only shopping centre designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright.The Spadena House, known as ‘The House of Witches’ , is a single-family home built in 1924 that looks like something out of a fairy tale.
If you are looking for an exclusive and elegant place, where security is not a problem, well located and from where you can move with public transport with relative ease this neighborhood is an excellent option to stay in Los Angeles The disadvantage: the price of their hotels.
– Accommodation in Beverly Hills
4.Downtown LA
Downtown Los Angeles is a well-kept area of the city with many options to enjoy the culture and leisure .
In the Downtown , you must not miss the Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Broad, the Bradbury Building and the Los Angeles City Hall.
The Walt Disney Concert Hall is an emblematic building very similar to the Guggenheim in Bilbao, and that is because its architect, Frank Ghery, is the father of both ensembles.
The Walt Disney Concert Hall is the headquarters of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The Broad is a museum of modern art in which the building itself is a work of art. It’s simply amazing.
The Broadbury Building is the oldest complex in downtown Los Angeles. It was built in 1893 and its interiors are a shock to the 21st century. The Los Angeles City Hall is one of the most iconic buildings in the city.It was built in 1928 and is famous for its central tower.recommendation: go up to the 27th floor and enjoy the views of the city.
And, if you want to go out of your way and find alternative options in downtown Los Angeles, you should visit Olvera Street, The Original Philippe, The Original Pantry Cafe, Rooftop Bar, Grand Market Central and, of course, the MOCA.
Olvera Street is the coolest area to enjoy Mexican American culture in Los Angeles.
The environment is very well cared for in the Mexican style, the colorful ceramics decorate the windows and the floor is tiled with bricks with a rustic touch of the south.
The Original Philippe is a classic to enjoy the flavor of authentic sandwiches.the place began selling French sandwiches in 1918 and still continues.the place is at 1001 N Alameda Street.
The Original Pantry Café is another of Los Angeles’ iconic dining institutions and has only closed once since it opened in 1924 when President Kennedy died.
The Pantry is a vintage restaurant on the corner of Figueroa and 9th Street.It serves American food in large portions and if you are going to have dinner you must have fasted before.
The Rooftop Bar is located on the rooftop of the Standard Hotel. The highlight of the restaurant is its heated pool that allows you to see the city of Los Angeles at your feet.
The Grand Central Market is near the Standard Hotel.It has more than thirty stalls inside and serves handmade beer, oysters, ramen, pupas… It is famous for its musical events. The atmosphere is incredible and you have to discover and enjoy it to understand why it is unique. The Grand Central Market is located at 317 S. de Brodway and the MOCA
The MOCA is the Los Angeles Museum of Modern Art The museum is divided into four buildings located in different parts of Los Angeles.The main complex is centrally located on MOCA Grand Avenue and has unique and amazing exhibitions and educational program events.MOCA Grand Avenue is located at 250 S Grand Avenue.
The Downtown is perfect for to stay in Los Angeles if you are looking for near the main attractions of the city and well connected .In downtown Los Angeles, the 7th Street Bus Station is located, which allows connections to subway and local and interstate bus lines (1716 E 7th Street).
It is also worth noting that accommodation is much more affordable than in other areas such as Beverly Hills or Hollywood.
– Downtown Accommodation
5.Westwood
Westwood Village is a residential and commercial area located west of Los Angeles and between Santa Monica and downtown.Westwood is known for hosting the University of Los Angeles (UCLA)
Places to recommend in the area, for example, Hammer Museum , houses the art collections that belonged to industrialist Armand Hammer and are now owned by the University of Los Angeles.
There are also charming green areas, such as the Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden It is an open-air exhibition of works of art by artists such as Miró, Matisse or Rodin.70
Another green place in the area is the Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden It is located in the southeast corner of the same campus.
A more recommendable park is Pierce Brothers Westwood Memorial Park where famous people like Truman Capote, Marilyn Monroe, Roy Orbison or Jack Lemmon are buried.
For lovers of good music, we also recommend the nearby Royce Hall A historic theater in Westwood Village that was famous in the 1930s for hosting bands of the time as those of George Gershwin or Jimmy Dorsey.
The Fox Village Theatre , an art deco building from the 1930s, is the setting for many movie premieres. The tower that tops the building’s façade, seen in the late afternoon, has some light and glitter effects that must be seen.
6.Santa Monica
Santa Monica is a coastal district of Los Angeles and actually a city on the Pacific coast that has its own identity and a very different leisure offer from downtown Los Angeles.It is also one of many people’s favorites for to stay in Los Angeles.
For nature lovers, the Palisades Park offers seaside walks with the Santa Monica Mountains on the other side.For those who like to swim at the beach, of course we recommend to take a dip at the Santa Monica State Beach , it usually has a festive atmosphere and its summers are ideal for a vacation by the sea.There is also an aquarium, a carousel at the old Loof Hippodrome and places to watch movies at special events.
The sunsets over the sea from the pier are part of the iconographic heritage of this place. Original Muscle Beach is on the avenue. An area where professional and amateur gymnasts exercise outdoors and for the enjoyment of a spontaneously gathered public.
For a stroll between shops and options to enjoy themed restaurants, the best thing to do is to drop by the Third Street Promenade A walk that goes from Wilshire Boulevard to Colorado Avenue, ideal for summer evenings.
Santa Monica Place is a shopping center that is at one end of this promenade and can be an alternative for lunch, snacks or dinner. to enjoy something more authentic and the land, nothing better than approaching the Santa Monica Farmers Market.
And, if you are looking for some exercise, in the area you can find the famous Santa Monica Stairs , which form 199 steps of cement and other 170 of wood.The Expo Line connects Santa Monica with Metro Center Station by light rail and from there, the entire city is accessible by subway.
If you are looking for a more beach oriented vacation and at the same time be at a reasonable distance from the tourist attractions Santa Monica is a very good option to sleep in Los Angeles.
– Lodging in Santa Monica
7.LAX
LAX is the acronym of the Los Angeles International Airport .The airport itself is a city in itself with its nine terminals.
And as incredible as it may seem, the airport has original places to visit that are ideal for long waits between transatlantic flights.for example, there is the Flight Path Museum & Learning Center where you can see models of historic planes and pieces related to aviation magnate and lover Howard Hughes.
The Space Exploration Gallery details the milestones of space exploration and is a free museum. Another museum in the area is the Automobile Driving Museum , an impressive collection of 130 classic cars.
A picturesque place within the airport facilities is the Inn-N-Out Hamburger .An outdoor fast food restaurant where you have a first hand view of the aircraft movements on the airport runways.
Los Angeles Airport is connected to the rest of the city by the Metro Green Line.
– Accommodation in LAX
If you are interested in this article about the best neighbourhoods to stay in Los Angeles you will probably be interested in these others: Where to stay in New York, where to stay in Miami, where to stay in San Francisco
8.Chinatown
Chinatown is a historic Los Angeles neighborhood in the same downtown area.
The neighborhood, which today is called Union Station, occupies an area of 24 blocks, and to begin to see the area, you have to start with its center, the Central Plaza of Chinatown.
It is an environment that recreates the style of traditional Chinese houses, with its typical decoration and colorful .
The nearby Chunking Street, , which was once full of shops and small stores, is now a space set up for art galleries and rooms, where you can clearly see the hippie and alternative taste so Californian.
Thien Hau Temple It is a religious building that is dedicated to Mazu, the goddess of the Chinese sea.And if you want to understand the traditions of the Chinese living in Chinatown throughout history, nothing better than going to the Chinese American Museum, located at 425 N at the intersection with Arcadia Street.
It is easily recognizable, is a red brick building with two floors. Los Angeles Union Station is the main train station in the city and is in the area.
– Accommodation in China Town
9.Venice Beach
Another option to stay in Los Angeles is Venice Beach is a residential area located west of the city on the coast and 28 kilometers from downtown and south of Santa Monica.Ocean Front Walk is the name of its long and famous four kilometer long promenade.
Venice Beach has its origins in the creation of a resort town off the coast of Los Angeles. It was in 1905, when tobacco entrepreneur Abbot Kinney founded in the area what he called the ‘Venice of America.
The district is surrounded by a series of navigable canals, the Venice Canals , which are in themselves a tourist attraction.Another charming place to enjoy outdoor activities is the Venice Boardwalk , a walk that comes from the southern end of Santa Monica Beach and has along its way areas enclosed for the transit of bicycles, space where to skate and courts where to play volleyball or basketball.
An attraction that cannot be classified in the area is the Tile House (Mosaic Tile House), a house that belongs to two artists and that is a real aesthetic sensation.
And finally, an area to shop in, in one of the most expensive spaces in Venice Beach, is Abbot Kinney Boulevard The best boutiques, bars, restaurants and art galleries in Venice Beach
– Accommodation in Venice Beach
10.Pasadena
Pasadena is a district located northeast of downtown Los Angeles and 10 miles from Downtown Pasadena is a commercial and residential location in the San Gabriel Valley and at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains.
Any tour of Pasadena should start at Old Pasadena , the old town area, and visit Colorado Boulevard , the One Colorado, a courtyard house where movies are shown regularly on a calendar of events, and a great place to have a drink or dinner outdoors on summer nights.
Another Pasadena attraction is the monumental Pasadena City Hall , built in 1927, with its impressive Neo-Renaissance-style central section rising 65 metres in height.
The Pasadena Playhouse is a small theatre with a colonial courtyard that seats 675 and has its own calendar of events.
A huge green setting for enjoying in the shade is the Broadside Park which occupies an area of 250,000 square meters Pasadena is home to some of the leading technology institutions and companies in the U.S. This is the case of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory or the California Institute of Technology .
And if you want to enjoy some glamour, in Pasadena you can see local samples for that level of charm, there are the Castle Green , a hotel from the 1930s with a very peculiar architectural style, or the Gamble House , which has an exhibition of glass objects.The woodwork of the house is equally peculiar, halfway between a wooden house on a ranch and the cabins of an antique wooden boat.
– Lodging in Pasadena
Best area to stay in Los Angeles
Los Angeles is a huge city and getting it right where to stay is a very important point to consider.Best Location Hotels considers that the area of Hollywood Boulevard is the best area where to stay in Los Angeles , because from here you can enjoy the atmosphere of the Walk of Fame, as well as make the obligatory visit to the Dolby Theatre – formerly known as Kodak Theatre -, famous for hosting every year the most popular stars of Hollywood during the Oscar awards.
Entertainment does not rest in this area, whether by day or by night the visitor will find something to do.The neighborhood is perfectly connected to other areas of the city, as it has three stops on Hollywood Boulevard: on Western, Vine Street and Highland Avenue. 1 metro stop away is Universal Studios , and relatively close are Beverly Hills and West Hollywood .
Another excellent option to stay are the Santa Monica beaches If you want to be next to the beach visit our page about where to stay in Santa Monica.
If you are interested in knowing where to stay in Los Angeles , you may also be interested in knowing where to stay in San Francisco, where to stay in San Diego, where to stay in Santa Barbara and where to stay in Hawaii.
Hollywood Boulevard, the best area to stay in Los Angeles
The “entertainment capital” Hollywood Boulevard starts at Sunset Boulevard in the east and runs northwest to Vermont Avenue.No matter what time of day it’s a lively neighborhood, it’s certainly worth walking around to see the more than 2,000 stars that have been honored by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, some of the most photographed being Marilyn Monroe, Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny and Marlon Brando.
The Hollywood area also offers the best accommodation in Los Angeles, surpassing the Downtown area. In addition to the hotels, there is a wide range of apartments, hostels and motels for all budgets.
In addition, some of the main attractions of the city are located here, such as the famous theatres like Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Capitan Theatre or Pantages Theatre.There are also museums such as the Hollywood Wax Museum and Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!
Hollywood Boulevard is the starting point for celebrity tours to the homes of celebrities. Some of the stars who live in Los Angeles are Halle Berry, Christina Aguilera, Cameron Diaz, Paris Hilton, Al Pacino, James Franco and Michael Bublé.
It is also just one station away from Universal City, the entertainment center that houses the movie studio and the Universal Studios amusement park.’, ‘
Another studio that lets visitors discover the magic behind Hollywood is Warner Brothers. The studio is located just 10 minutes from Universal City and offers VIP tours where you can visit the sets of the current fashion series produced by this studio or some classics such as the famous Friends café.
For nightlife is also a good option, in Universal City we find options ranging from the Hard Rock Cafe to the Infusion Lounge, a club in the style of Las Vegas.But on Hollywood Boulevard itself, there are options such as the Deep at Club Vanguard, where some of the best DJs from around the world perform.
Hollywood Boulevard is a 15-minute drive from Union Station, the main station in Los Angeles, and from where you can take the train to Disneyland amusement park in an hour.
Other good places to stay: Beverly Hills and Sunset Strip
Beverly Hills
Located in Los Angeles County and surrounded by the city of the same name, Beverly Hills is synonymous with luxury and opulence.Many of the areas are private, but still have much to offer the tourist, such as the famous Rodeo Drive – with the most exclusive assortment of luxury items – or the “golden triangle”, formed by the intersection of three boulevards: Wiltshire, Crescent drive and Santa Monica.
Not only are there shops in Beverly Hills, there’s also the Broadcast Museum, which seeks to preserve the heritage of American broadcasting, and the Beverly Hills Civic Center, which stands out for its elegant eight-story tower and Spanish baroque style.There are also beautiful green spaces, such as the Virginia Robinson Gardens and Greystone Park.
Nor can you overlook the famous Beverly Hills Hotel, which has been a haven for wealthy visitors to the city for more than 100 years.Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe and Liz Taylor all stayed here, and today it continues to attract celebrities like Jay Leno and Ellen DeGeneres.
As you would expect, Beverly Hills is dominated by five-star hotels for a luxury stay in the area, and it’s almost impossible to find any affordable accommodation.
Sunset Strip
If you are looking for trendy clubs and pubs, Sunset Strip is the right area, they are open every day and are of high quality, even some are frequented by Hollywood stars, it is located on the outskirts of the city limits of Los Angeles and are the 2 ? kilometers from the eastern end of West Hollywood with Hollywood on Marmont Lane, to the western end with Beverly Hills on Phyllis Street.
The city’s most famous nightclubs include The Viper Room, popular with celebrities, The Roxy Theatre, a must-see for rockers, Gazzarri’s, where The Doors and Van Halen played before they became famous, and The Troubadour, where Elton John, Rod Stewart and Liza Minnelli performed.
The few hotels on the Sunset Strip itself are very expensive so if we want to find cheaper accommodation we have to move a bit further into the West Hollywood area.
