Hi, and thank you to hope skip and jump for comments on Sanata Monica ...
I don%26#39;t want to drive in LA as I%26#39;m not confident to do so ... and seem to be staying at an out-of-the-way place (Channel Road Inn in Santa Monica) ... so, if I capitalise on that instead of fight against it ... what can I do to experience a different kind of LA around that area, without a car ... is a chilled out few days in LA possible?
Should I completely change my booking, change locations and do all the usual sites ... or go with the flow I%26#39;ve started and try and access a different aspect to this place?
Advice welcome and thank you for the comments so far
Tess x
not driving and chilling out in LA
Without a car, you%26#39;re pretty much stranded at that B%26amp;B. There are wonderful restaurants along that block - some of the best in LA - but the shops are quote a walking distance. It%26#39;s a great chill out spot, but only if you%26#39;re spending all of your time on the beach - and that beach isn%26#39;t the cleanest on the coast.
If you%26#39;re a walker, then you can certainly get to shops and such very easily. I do that walk daily. Just walk up to Ocean (there are the 4th street stairs, but if you%26#39;re out of shape, they%26#39;re a killer) and along the cliffs to Wilshire - the Third Street Promenade is there. You%26#39;re also walking distance to Montana Avenue shops and cafe.
I recommend staying in Santa Monica, but perhaps changing hotels...All the others are both chill-out and have easy access to public transportation.
Look into The Huntley, or better - The Georgian. You%26#39;ll get all the charm that you get at the B%26amp;B, but it%26#39;s centrally located in downtown SM, for the same rate as Channel Road Inn.
not driving and chilling out in LA
Without a car, you%26#39;re pretty much stranded at that B%26amp;B. There are wonderful restaurants along that block - some of the best in LA - but the shops are quote a walking distance. It%26#39;s a great chill out spot, but only if you%26#39;re spending all of your time on the beach - and that beach isn%26#39;t the cleanest on the coast.
If you%26#39;re a walker, then you can certainly get to shops and such very easily. I do that walk daily. Just walk up to Ocean (there are the 4th street stairs, but if you%26#39;re out of shape, they%26#39;re a killer) and along the cliffs to Wilshire - the Third Street Promenade is there. You%26#39;re also walking distance to Montana Avenue shops and cafe.
I recommend staying in Santa Monica, but perhaps changing hotels...All the others are both chill-out and have easy access to public transportation.
Look into The Huntley, or better - The Georgian. You%26#39;ll get all the charm that you get at the B%26amp;B, but it%26#39;s centrally located in downtown SM, for the same rate as Channel Road Inn.
First of all, people are always intimidated by the idea of driving in Los Angeles, I was too when I visited for the first time before moving here. It%26#39;s really not as bad as it looks. It%26#39;s much more intimidating to be a passenger than it is to actually drive here. There is a lot of traffic, but the roads are easy to navigate and the signage is typically quite clear. So from that standpoint, I%26#39;d suggest reconsidering car rental. If you definately don%26#39;t want to drive... You will be walking distance to the Santa Monica Pier, The 3rd Street Promenade, restaurants and shopping. And of course, the beach. It is totally possible to just chill out here and Santa Monica is a great place to do it. The City of Santa Monica operates public transit called ';The Big Blue Bus'; which goes to other locations on the west side of Los Angeles. I know nothing about the routes though but I%26#39;m sure their website can give you more info.
Hi, Tess
There%26#39;s no reason to change your accommodations. There is plenty to do in and around Santa Monica.
1. Take the #9 SANTA MONICA BUS (sometimes called the BIG BLUE BUS since these buses are painted blue). from the corner of Channel Rd and PCH (adjacent to your hotel) heading EAST. This will bring you into downtown Santa Monica (75 cent fare). Get off at Wilshire Bl and 4th Street and walk one block west to the ';pedestrian-only'; 3rd Street Promenade ( a section of 3rd street blocked off from automobile traffic). Here, you will find shops, restaurants, bars and street performers of every kind. (If you walk 3 blocks west from there, you will see the ocean and beaches).
2. Or, stay on the #9 another minute and get off at Broadway %26amp; 4th Street and walk 3 blocks west to Ocean Av and out onto the Santa Monica Pier. Once at the Pier, explore the beach and pier and then either rent a bike or walk south on the pedestrian path into Venice Beach. Many of the beach communities are connected together by this path so you can walk or bike (or skate) and see quite a variety of beach activity. (Bike and skate rentals are avaiable near the pier. Your hotel also provides bikes).
Exploring Santa Monica and the neighboring communities is interesting and fun. Santa Monica, for example, is a huge modern city with high-rise apartments and hotels overlooking the ocean along with major shopping.
Neighboring Venice, however, is a low-profile (small 2 to 4-story buildings) neighborhood stuck in the 1960s with most retail in the form of small shops and street vendors.
3. I believe your hotel provides bicycles to explore the beach. Ride to the corner of PCH and channel and cross over PCH to Will Rogers State Beach -- a favorite beach area for locals. The beach is quite long so feel free to bike to an area that you like.
4. A mile north on PCH from Channel Road is Sunset Blvd. This intersection (PCH %26amp; Sunset) is the closest stop for the #534 Metro Bus that runs north and south on PCH as well as going to other places. Take the #534 Metro bus NORTH to explore the Getty Villa -- an amazing art museum overlooking the Pacific -- as well as the city of Malibu and its beaches. Fare is $1.25 per ride or $3 for a DAY PASS. You may be able to ride your bike from the hotel to the bus stop and then put the bike on the ';bike rack'; on the front of the bus and take it to the museum. (Most METRO buses have this feature. You are responible for putting the bike onto the rack and taking it off. When you get to your hotel, either check with the metro bus agency at 1-800-commute or simply look at the #534 buses that run up and down PCH to see if there is a bike rack on the front of the bus (below the front windows of the bus). This will allow you to avoid the 1-mile walk to the bus stop from your hotel.
Here is some info you might find helpful.
First of all, there are 2 websites that provide bus info:
1. MTA..NET (which provides info on ALL buses and metro rail trains including the Santa Monica BLUE buses).
2. BigBlueBus.COM (which provides info on ONLY the Santa Monica buses -- which are painted blue)
Here is a map of the #9 bus (which picks up near your hotel at the corner of Channel Road and PCH (at the southeast corner going eastbound)):
bigbluebus.com/busroutes/Map/index.asp鈥?/a>
The bus picks up at the point marked ';C'; on this map and drops you off in the ';A: area downtown.
Here is bus map of the downtown area:
bigbluebus.com/systemmap/downtownsm.asp
The #9 enters downtown (from your hotel) in the upper left corner. (See the purple line with the purple ';9'; on it?). It turns on Wilshire Bl (the first intersection) and then turn agains on 4th Street and continues in a southeasterly direction through the blue area (which is downtown). To the immediate left of the bus route is the 3rd Street Promenade. In the lower left corner of the map is the Santa Monica Pier and the beaches.
The #9 runs about every 30 minutes until 7 pm and then every hour with the last bus leaving downtown just before 10. Bus schedules are on the BigBlueBus website.
BTW, another way to go to the Getty without having to bike or walk a mile to PCH and Sunset is to pick up the bus in downtown Santa Monica. The bus to take is the same Metro #534 but you get it at the corner of Ocean Av and Broadway. The ride to the museum is 14 minutes. The schedule for the #534 is on MTA.NET website but, in general, it runs every 15 to 30 minutes.
LASTLY, here%26#39;s a transit map of the western and central areas of GREATER L.A.:
http://mta.net/images/wcla.pdf
Don%26#39;t be scared when you open this map. You should be able to zoom in to see the bus routes more clearly. Concentrate on the left-most part of the map. Zoom in and move the map so that you can see the ocean (in blue) and the words SANTA MONICA. positioned on the center of your screen. Then look for the Pacific Coast Highway (in green), running along the ocean. The green line is the route of the #534 Bus (you%26#39;ll see the route number above the line). At the point where you see the words WILL ROGERS STATE BEACH, there are two roads crossing one another that meet PCH. Those roads are Chataqua (which is labeled as such) and Channel Road (unmarked). Your hotel is on Channel, just before PCH. If you look along side Chataqua and Channel, you%26#39;ll see: ';SM9'; That%26#39;s the bus route of the SANTA MONICA #9 bus which will take you into downtown Santa Monica.
BTW, if you want to venture inland, one of the prettiest (and curviest) routes is to take Sunset Bl. We%26#39;ve talked about going north on PCH to catch the #534 bus at Sunset %26amp; PCH but you can also pick up the #2 (local bus) or #302 (express bus -- recommended!) at the same corner. Look for the heavy red and green lines (on the map) for their routes. These 2 buses go through some of the most expensive neighborhoods in L.A.: Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, . Holmby Hills, and Beverly Hills and continue into West Hollywood. When you enter West Hollywood, the scenery changes from expensive homes to hard-core retail/commerical: office buildings, restaurants. clubs, shops, etc. This is the SUNSET STRIP. This is a great place to get off and walk around. If you walk the Sunset Strip to its conclusion at the corner of Sunset Bl and Crescent Hts Bl (abot a mile) , you can pick up another bus that will take you to Hollywood (the Walk of Fame, Chinese Theatre, etc). Simply walk 3 blocks past Crescent Hts Bl to the corner of Fairfax Av and Sunset Bl and pick up ANY BUS going north (a left turn from Sunset) on Fairfax. Take it 10 minutes to the corner of Hollywood Bl %26amp; Highland Av and you%26#39;re in the center of Hollywood!
Let us know if you need anything else.
Have a great vacation.
I have just had chance to log on again - THANK YOU!!! really - thanks for all the kind in-depth replies - I am really awestruck by how helpful you all are and the details given. I%26#39;m sure I%26#39;ll have a great time and now a friend of a friend has offered to drive me around a bit too.
Cheers,
Tess
or use shoppershuttle as your personal transport. We%26#39;re in LA in two weeks time and as using shoppershuttle to take us from hollywood to all over LA, includ Santa Monica. Rates are cheap compared to cab fares and they can hook you up with a phone so they can call you during the day and you can call them if you want to change your plans and stay longer, leaver earler etc. shoppershuttle.com
