Deciding on the best neighborhood to stay in Los Angeles during a trip can be challenging due to the city's vast and varied options. Los Angeles boasts many exceptional neighborhoods that cater to both travelers and residents alike.
However, it's important to note that while many areas are fantastic, some are less desirable or even unsafe. After extensive research on the neighborhoods of Los Angeles, a list has been compiled of some of the top neighborhoods to consider for accommodation while visiting Los Angeles.
The selection of a neighborhood should align with the visitor's itinerary in Los Angeles, aiming to stay near the desired sightseeing spots. Here are the top neighborhoods recommended for travelers:
- Beverly Hills
- Los Feliz
- Arts District
- West Hollywood
- Venice
- Koreatown
The following sections cover each recommended neighborhood, highlighting its attributes, advantages, and disadvantages. Information regarding local attractions, safety concerns, parking availability, and more will be provided to assist in making an informed decision.
Continue reading to discover all the necessary details for a pleasant stay in Los Angeles.
Factors to Consider When Selecting a Neighborhood in Los Angeles
Los Angeles stands out globally for its iconic film industry, stunning beaches, palm tree-lined streets, and renowned neighborhoods like Beverly Hills. These are typically the highlights that draw people's minds to the City of Angels.
Before delving into specific neighborhood recommendations, it's crucial to address the factors influencing these selections. These considerations are vital, regardless of whether the final accommodation choice aligns with the suggested neighborhoods or elsewhere.
Traffic and Parking Considerations
Los Angeles spans an immense area, making it the second-largest metropolitan area in the United States. Its vastness encompasses five counties and various municipalities.
Notably, locations often referred to as neighborhoods, such as Beverly Hills or West Hollywood, are actually independent cities.
The city of Los Angeles itself extends over 469 square miles (1,210 square kilometers). While this is substantial, it pales in comparison to the greater Los Angeles area's expanse of 33,954 square miles, highlighting the enormous scale of the region commonly referred to as Los Angeles.
Implications for Travelers in Los Angeles
For travelers, this extensive geography of Los Angeles holds two crucial implications. Firstly, selecting the right accommodation is paramount.
A hotel's claim of being "in Los Angeles" does not guarantee proximity to desired destinations. It's essential to verify the location's convenience relative to your travel plans.
Secondly, expect to travel considerable distances to explore the city's attractions. There's no single location in LA that offers walkable access to Universal Studios, Santa Monica, Hollywood, and Disneyland unless one is prepared for extensive hiking.
Traffic congestion is a known challenge in Los Angeles, particularly during peak hours. It's vital to anticipate this and plan your day accordingly.
The best approach is to finalize your itinerary before deciding on where to stay, ensuring your accommodation aligns with your plans for an efficient and enjoyable visit.
Perceptions of Safety in Los Angeles
Contrary to Hollywood's frequent depictions of high-speed car chases through Los Angeles streets, visitors often find the city's daily life to be surprisingly ordinary.
The majority of Los Angeles, including areas surrounding key tourist destinations, is generally safe for walking, both during the day and at night. However, caution is advised in certain neighborhoods, notably Skid Row and Compton, which are not recommended for tourists.
Regardless of the chosen neighborhood for accommodation, practicing common-sense safety measures is essential.
Avoid parking in poorly lit or secluded areas, never leave valuables visible in your car, and refrain from openly displaying cash or expensive items. Being a prudent traveler ensures a safe and enjoyable visit to Los Angeles.
Evaluating the Atmosphere and Vibe
The ambiance and overall vibe of a neighborhood significantly influence the travel experience. For instance, opting for accommodation in the Garden area might promise safety and a central location, yet it might fall short in terms of vibrancy and atmosphere.
This guide prioritizes neighborhoods known for their dynamic and engaging environments, enhancing the stay with lively surroundings. With an emphasis on areas that offer a memorable and immersive experience, the following recommendations are made with vibrancy in mind.
Staying In Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills stands as a global emblem of opulence, featuring luxury residences, high-end automobiles, and upscale shopping. Its quintessence of fashion is epitomized by the iconic Rodeo Drive, surrounded by chic cafés, lush palm trees, and exquisite sculpture gardens.
This neighborhood is synonymous with the lavish lifestyle, often drawing visitors to embark on bus tours in hopes of catching a glimpse of celebrities.
Meanwhile, the local scene thrives with individuals dining in lavish eateries, further cementing Beverly Hills' reputation as a hub of sophistication and glamour.
Accommodation in Beverly Hills
The Montage Beverly Hills stands out with its spacious and opulent rooms alongside a premium spa. It boasts a heated rooftop pool offering panoramic views over the verdant heart of Beverly Hills.
Notably, the Montage Beverly Hills has earned a distinguished 5-star Hotel rating in Los Angeles for consecutive years, emphasizing its luxury status. Given its location in Beverly Hills, it's understood that this hotel caters to those seeking high-end accommodations rather than budget options.
For visitors looking for more affordable stays, other neighborhoods around Los Angeles offer various lodging choices.
Safety in Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills ranks among the safest areas in Los Angeles, with its affluent neighborhoods generally experiencing lower crime rates.
Parking Options
For parking, the area under Santa Monica Blvd next to home decor stores offers substantial space. Street parking with meters is available, but be mindful of the time to avoid fines.
Some department stores offer validation for parking if you make a purchase. Many hotels provide parking, which may come with an additional charge.
Dining and Relaxation Spots
Adjacent to South Beverly Grill, you'll find Honor Bar, which serves an impressive selection of refreshments and provides a relaxed yet stylish setting.
This place offers a unique menu featuring classic and contemporary refreshments, including a variety of beverages and light snacks like sandwiches, burgers, and more.
Culinary Experiences
Spago stands out as a culinary icon in Beverly Hills, known for its fresh, top-quality offerings. As a favored choice in the area, Spago represents one of Wolfgang Puck's premier dining establishments, showcasing the finest in California cuisine.
Staying In Los Feliz
Los Feliz offers travelers a cozy tree-lined hillside and beautiful scenery. The eateries and shops that are between Vermont and Hillhurst Avenues have a casual vibe compared to Hollywood. However, it lacks the trendy vibe that exists in its Silver Park and Echo Lake.
Metro’s Red Line goes all the way to the southern edge of Los Feliz. You could also ride on a DASH bus to the Los Angeles Observatory. Also, the Egyptian-style Vista Theatre is a great place to watch classic and indie movies.
Skylight Books includes carefully selected staff picks. Go through the fabulous pop culture at Soap Plant Wacko. Take a break and stop by the art gallery La Luz de Jesus. It includes work from the Custom Kuston, Lowbrow Art Movement, and pop surrealism.
Barnsdall Art Park offers a self-guided tour of the Mayan-inflected Hollyhock House, 1921, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s original construction in California.
Accommodation Options
Above the Bar Covell, you will find Hotel Covell. It is a five-room boutique hotel. Each room includes a distinct phase in a well-traveled traveler’s life.
There is a typical Midwestern-style bedroom, a lovely Parisian room, and a ’50-style New York room. There is no gym or pool. However, there is an intimate rooftop deck, an attentive concierge, and a stunning soundproof room.
Safety and Convenience
Los Feliz is recognized for its safety, attracting celebrities and upscale residents. Free customer-only parking is widely available, including lots like Von's. Parking rates are reasonable.
Dining and Socializing
The Alcove is famed for its meticulously designed patios and diverse cocktail selection, though its popularity can lead to crowded conditions. Big Bar offers a serene courtyard setting perfect for enjoying their inventively mixed cocktails.
For dining, Messhall Kitchen stands at the heart of Los Feliz with daily specials and fresh oysters. Meanwhile, Ricky’s Fish Tacos serves up Los Angeles's finest Ensenada-style battered fish tacos from a food truck on Riverside Drive.
Kismet introduces a blend of Mediterranean and Turkish delights, including broccoli toast, shakshuka, and a variety of dips with flaky bread.
Staying In The Arts District
The Arts District is found near downtown. This neighborhood is fairly laid back, with sidewalk seating and beautiful murals.
This neighborhood was originally a popular place for local artists. However, it has now become a place that is filled with fancy boutiques, awesome coffee shops, great bars, and fine dining.
There is also the International art gallery Hauser & Wirth, which is home to an incredible collection of modern and contemporary art. The art gallery is inside a former flour mill.
Accommodation Options
Booking an Airbnb stay in a deluxe loft is a great decision since there are few to no hotels in this area. If you want a hotel, then consider Doubletree, which is right next to Little Tokyo.
Safety and Convenience
The arts district is safe. However, the closer you get to downtown Los Angeles, the less secure you will be.
Parking and Transportation
Parking is cheap in the Arts District. The Arts District remains a low-key area. Metro’s Gold Line is in the very western part of the city. Parking tends to be dense on weekends.
Dining and Socializing
Everson Royce Bar offers a lively atmosphere with its cozy patio, perfect for enjoying expertly crafted cocktails and gourmet burgers.
The district is also home to a growing number of craft breweries, such as Arts District Brewing Co., Angel City Brewery, and Iron Triangle Brewing.
For dining, Inko Nito delights with its exceptional Japanese cuisine, claiming some of the best sushi in Los Angeles. Bestia, always bustling, requires reservations well in advance to savor its extraordinary pasta dishes, featuring ingredients like sea urchin, lobster, and lamb ragu with saffron.
For a diverse culinary experience, Smorgasburg, LA, and the ROW DTLA market provide an impressive array of food and retail vendors.
For dessert enthusiasts, the original Pie Hole location offers delectable slices of Earl Grey and Mexican chocolate pies. Manuela, a Southern-inspired restaurant, is another must-visit for those seeking a memorable dining experience.
Staying In West Hollywood
The iconic palm tree-lined streets, fancy shopping plazas, and glamorous high-rises of West Hollywood, or WeHo, are some of the first things that come to mind when thinking of Los Angeles.
West Hollywood is a progressive, fancy place that has some of the most vibrant nightlife scenes in the entire world. The flashy gay bars in Santa Monica and the world-renowned clubs on Sunset Boulevard are incredibly popular all year long.
The Troubadour is an awesome place where you can share the stage with up-and-coming singer-songwriters. The Pacific Design Center is an architecture and design outpost of MOCA that is totally free. The MAK Center for Art & Architecture originated in the beautiful Schindler House.
Laugh your butt off at the world-renowned Comedy Store. It is a dimly lit comedy club where you are almost guaranteed to see stand-up legends as well as sitcom stars on any given night.
For an energizing beginning to your morning, go to the hills of Runyon Canyon before your brunch at one of the finest eateries in Weho.
Where To Stay
This beautiful Jeremy Hotel has incredible architecture. It includes some of the best skyline views in the city. The location is convenient since it allows you to have incredibly easy access to the shops on Sunset Boulevard, Melrose Avenue, and the multiple hiking trails in the Hollywood Hills.
The Hollywood Hotel, which is a part of the Standard Hotel chain, is the coolest hotel chain in town. Its very first location is right in the center of the Sunset Strip. The very first investors in the Hollywood hotel were Cameron Diaz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio del Toro, D'arcy Wretzky, and James Iha. The Downtown favorite Alma is currently in charge of the culinary program. It features a mid-century-style diner that is open twenty-four hours a day.
Safety
West Hollywood is one of the safest areas for a woman traveling alone. Most gay men either live in West Hollywood or visit for fun. They will not bother a female.
Plus, the streets are very crowded until at least 2 A.M. every night of the week. This reduces the risk of crimes between people.
Parking
Permit parking is popular in West Hollywood. Also, West Hollywood has an infamous Parking Enforcement Division. The city receives a higher share of its budget from parking tickets than any other city in California.
This means travelers should consider options such as parking garages. There are three main parking garages in West Hollywood. There are parking garages next to the Pacific Design Center, West Hollywood Library, and King's Road & Santa Monica Blvd. The King's Road garage allows one hour of free parking.
Bars
Go to The Surly Goat on the weekend, and it will be crowded since it is so popular. WeHo brewers have created an amazing selection of craft beers on tap. There are classic arcade games, a stuffed goat’s head, and banquettes that line the walls.
Melrose Umbrella Co. has incredibly crafted cocktails made to celebrate the end of Prohibition. Now Boarding takes an air travel-themed bar that will feel like a blast from the past.
It will remind you of the golden age of air travel. Enjoy a can of Squirt (tequila) under softly glowing 1920s-style chandeliers.
Food
Cecconi's Dumbo has a happy hour with low prices, considering the quality of their food. Cecconi’s Dumbo is a modern-day but still classic Italian restaurant that is open for lunch, brunch, Cicchetti, and dinner.
Peruvian food haven Rosaliné has amazing table-sized pans of paella, delightful ceviches, and excellently cooked steaks that are cooked in a flame-filled kitchen.
If you enjoy vegan food, then go to Gracias Madre. It is a mix of Mexican cuisine and West Coast cuisine with a vibrant atmosphere.
Staying In Venice (The one in Los Angeles!)
The beachfront neighborhood of Venice has seen some major changes in the last decade. The tech-industry titans and farmers' markets have slowly taken over many popular areas of Venice.
Take a short walk on the Venice Canals and enjoy the Italian-inspired canal. There are charming beach houses, beautifully crafted pedestrian bridges, and boat rentals.
The Ocean Front Walk is commonly referred to as the Venice Boardwalk. You will find elegant fashion boutiques on Abbot Kinney Boulevard.
Rose Avenue includes a decent dining scene that is just a couple of blocks inland. There is no public train service in this area. However, L.A. Metro does offer a convenient bike share system.
Where To Stay
The Venice Beach House is a historic inn that dates back to 1911. This ivy-covered inn includes rooms that are individually and beautifully decorated. There are extravagant suites that have private entrances that overlook the ocean and include a plethora of luxuries. There is a wide range of prices and options at this inn.
Safety
Many locals agree that Venice Beach is safe during the day, but it is unpredictable at night. Panhandlers who congregate at Venice Beach are mostly harmless.
Parking
There are few free parking spots in Venice. There are three main parking lots: the North City Parking Lot, the South City Parking Lot, and the Washington Blvd Lot.
Bars
The Lincoln is a cool industrial patio bar with a beautifully crafted cocktail list. This bar includes a Model-T and auto books.
Relax while watching an L.A. sunset with a fantastic drink at Hotel Erwin’s High Rooftop Lounge. There is a beautifully constructed patio that overlooks the Pacific Ocean.
Food
There are great restaurants such as the Poke-Poke. It is a Hawaiian seafood restaurant right next to the beach. Gjusta is a bakery that is well-known for folding fresh fruit slices and turning them into sugar-glazed dough. They have top-notch, handmade pasta.
Koreatown
This town has an interesting and balanced Art Deco history with a 21st-century building boom that has turned Koreatown into one of L.A.'s most vibrant neighborhoods.
There are many Korean BBQ joints and awesome karaoke bars. You should definitely visit all of Koreatown’s best spots. They are spread out across the town. However, if you go along Wilshire Boulevard between Western Avenues and Vermont, you will find the most going on.
6th Street has an awesome stretch of restaurants and bars. The area includes Metro’s Purple Line. This will allow you to skip the struggle of street parking. Keep in mind that this town is packed tightly and consists of a city center that is open all day long.
The massive, 24-hour Wi Spa is the largest Koreatown sauna. It includes treatment rooms, hot tubs, dry and steam saunas, sleeping rooms, and a restaurant.
Where To Stay
The Line Hotel includes floor-to-ceiling windows that will allow you to view the city from an incredible angle. Roy Choi offers culinary excellence at this hotel. Plus, there is a karaoke bar created by the Houston Brothers.
Safety
Koreatown is considered less safe than Beverly Hills and Los Feliz, but it is safer than downtown Los Angeles. Ensure you lock up your bike properly if you bring it to Koreatown.
Parking
Koreatown does not have very many free parking spots, and parking on the street is difficult since this neighborhood is so compact. The K3 parking garage and the Wilshire parking garage are your best bet.
Bars
The Walker Inn has a creative plethora of cocktails that are available by the drink or through omakase-style ordering. Take a gander through the secret black door of the Normandie Club, and you will find a massive list of drinks created by experts in mixology.
Food
Guelaguetza is Koreatown’s most well-known restaurant, even though it is a Mexican restaurant. This place serves awesome Oaxacan food. I recommend the tasty black mole-topped tamales. Also, the pizza-like corn cakes are fantastic.
Your mouth will water when in the presence of Kobe-style beef at Park’s BBQ. It is Koreatown’s undisputed KBBQ restaurant.
Final Words
If this is your first time traveling to the de-facto capital of California, things can get confusing - and overwhelming, too! We hope this post helped you find a neighborhood to stay in while visiting Los Angeles.
There are other options out there, but these neighborhoods all offer a great mix of points of interest, safety, and a vibrant atmosphere.
How about you? Have you stayed in LA, or are you a local? We'd love to get your feedback on the information here and get your recommendations for the best places to stay in Los Angeles.
Do you want more information on travel to Los Angeles? Read more here:
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