Remember the TV show The Wild, Wild West with Robert Conrad as James West? You don’t remember that show? Certainly you remember the more recent movie version starring Eddie Murphy . . . or the jazzy theme song with the above title? If you do remember these, they conjure up certain ideas of what “The West” is all about. While you won’t see shootouts in the middle of town or barroom brawls with glasses being smashed over heads nowadays in Los Angeles, the City of Angels can seem wild and “angel-less” at times.
L.A. is expensive, fast-paced, hot, crowded, sprawling . . . and did I mention expensive? It’s not like New York City where you can walk to places or get on a subway and zip-zip you’re there. But when you step off that plane and grab your bags, shake off the dull sloth of travel, and step into 70-something degrees and sunshine, you will realize the lure of colorful “Cali.” After seven years of living in L.A., I can offer a few tips for navigating this fair city.
Getting Around
If you fly into LAX and are arriving for the Classical Singer Convention at the end of this month, the Westin Hotel has a complimentary shuttle that comes every half hour. Look for the signs on the shuttle vans as you stand on the middle island at passenger pickup. If you have another destination, the FlyAway Shuttles at $7 a pop are one of the best deals to and from the airport.
Leave your cowboy hat, boots, holster, and pistol at home, but do make sure to pack comfortable walking shoes, sandals, and a sweater or light jacket for the often chilly nights and the weird midday-shade chills.
The area around LAX is not conducive to walking, like most of the sprawling city. The Westin has a complimentary shuttle that runs from the hotel to Manhattan Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches around. It has many cosmopolitan, youth-oriented bars and restaurants, and you can watch those amazing cormorant birds torpedo down into the ocean.
L.A. has a very good transportation system, but since it is sprawling and hilly, it takes a lot longer to get places. Plan at least an hour and a half to get to most places. Buses and subways cost $1.50 one way, and you must have the exact amount. Buses run less frequently and are slow. Subways are faster, but they don’t go everywhere. An airport shuttle will connect you with the Green Line Subway, or take the 720 Bus at Wilshire/Western to connect to the Red Line. Using the Westin’s Wi-Fi Internet access, you can plan and route any public transportation trip at www.metro.net, or call 323.GO.METRO.
You can always trade your “cow pony” in for a higher horsepower rental car (make sure it has a GPS or bring your computer/cell phone GPS). If you wish to save money, the operative word for your L.A. CS Adventure is “share”—this goes for cars as well as rooms, taxis, and meals. Avis rental cars outside the airport charge $94 a day, but you can also find deals for around $150 a week.
If you’re driving during rush hour and want to avoid the traffic jams (which you really can’t avoid anyway), tune in to the SigAlerts broadcast via all radio stations, television, and the Internet (cad.chp.ca.gov). California drivers don’t use their turn signals much and are always in a honkin’ hurry. Driving is usually faster in the carpool lanes (another good reason to share). If you get lost, stop and ask—most gas station clerks are friendly. Just don’t stop in Boyle Heights or Compton, gang-riddled areas best to be avoided.
Extracurricular Activities
You won’t want to miss any of the convention, but there are some great sights to see in the L.A. area either before or after. You can drive to the beach from the Westin in about 10 minutes. Highway 1 North will take you to Marina del Rey (mostly boat docks, a park, and “Mother’s Beach”), the popular and funky Venice Beach, the Santa Monica Pier (the Promenade with its elegant shops and restaurants is a few streets up), and even Malibu. If you have a couple of hours to spare, the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus #3 across the street from the Westin will take you to Marina del Rey, Venice, and Santa Monica Beaches.
Go east, young man (or woman) and take Santa Monica Blvd. away from the ocean all the way to ritzy, glitzy Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive. On the way back, check out the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (www.lacma.org) with its tar pits.
The 720 Rapid Bus will take you to downtown L.A. Get off at 7th and Grand Streets and walk uphill to see the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, home to Los Angeles Opera, with its majestic building and fountains. While the convention happens during the opera’s off-season, the L.A. Opera Education & Community Programs Department continues its free lecture series the third week of May at various area libraries (www.laopera.com/educom/talks.aspx).
From the opera, you can head down the hill of Grand Street back to 7th Street to Bottega Louie’s where fashionable young Angelinos go for dessert and coffee. If you’re driving, you can park on side streets near the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (there is free parking under the tunnel on 6th Street) or park in one of the nearby lots or in the parking structure under the Chandler Pavilion for around $12.00.
The Red Line runs to the Universal Studios theme park (www.universalstudioshollywood.com) going north or south toward Union Station to Hollywood. Or take the Red Line to Hollywood and Highland to visit the new home of the Academy Awards, the Kodak Theatre (www.kodaktheatre.com) as well as the historic landmark Grauman’s Chinese Theatre (www.manntheatres.com/chinese). While there, find your favorite star along the Hollywood Walk of Fame (www.hollywoodchamber.net), sections of which line the sidewalks in front of both theatres. Also in this area, check out the Hollywood and Highland Center mall (www.hollywoodandhighland.com) complete with lovely restaurants. (For restaurant discounts, get an “Elephant Card” at the tourists’ information stand inside the mall.)
You might want to spend a day at the Getty (www.getty.edu), a sprawling complex situated on top of a mountainous hill with a magnificent view. The campus includes an expansive garden and museum that houses paintings, sculpture, photography, and much more. Parking is $7, but the tram from the parking lot takes you up the steep hill. You can also get there by bus, a trip that will take you about two hours one way from the LAX area.
Getting Your Daily Grub
The Westin has the Daily Grill and Starbucks. Almost any kind of food can be delivered to the hotel for an extra charge. The best Mexican fast food is Baja Fresh, and you can find them everywhere in the L.A. area (including near the Westin at 8636 S. Sepulveda Blvd.). Aliki’s Greek Taverna (5862 Arbor Vitae St.) is reasonable and has received good reviews. Other nearby good eating establishments are the Coffee Company (8751 La Tijera Blvd.), Shula’s 347 (upscale steakhouse in the LAX Sheraton), and various popular chains such as Togo’s, Boston Market, Jack in the Box, Carl’s Jr., and the California icon In-N-Out for the tastiest (though greasy) fast food. Driving north on Lincoln Blvd., you will find Ralph’s grocery store, all kinds of fast food, and the excellent Jerry’s Famous Deli.
For some authentic Cuban cuisine, take the hotel’s free shuttle to Manhattan Beach and check out the Versailles Cuban restaurant (additional locations include Venice Blvd., Culver City, Encino, and downtown Los Angeles). For about $12 per entrée, you can get such mouthwatering cuisine as their famous garlic-roasted half chicken with fried plantains, black beans, and rice—and you can wash it down with a beverage like beer, homemade sangria, or the Batido de Mamey (Mamey milkshake). But save room for dessert! A reasonable $3-$4 will get you Cuban-style flan, cake, rice pudding, or fruit with cream cheese like Cascos de Guayaba (Guava shells) con Queso Crema.
Whether you choose to venture outside the hotel or just to soak up the sun by the pool after each wonderfully packed day of the convention is done, you’re sure to fall in love with Los Angeles. After a cold, hard winter, who wouldn’t?
