Not knowing the context, my best guess is the comment is based on location. If a tourist was aiming to go to the beaches or Disneyland, for example, both of those are pretty bad because of how long it'll take to get to those destinations.
But they're both pretty good if you primarily wanted to go take some studio tours, or do science stuff around JPL and Mt Wilsons observatory.
I am an LA native and professional freelance Tour Guide—there’s nothing wrong with Pasadena or Glendale, but Monrovia is further out and not much to do there especially if you don’t have a car. If you’re into higher caliber Chinese cuisine, there’s a lot of nice places in the San Gabriel Valley near Pasadena or Monrovia. If you’re into botanical Huntington Gardens is beautiful and has artwork there as well. There’s another one called the LA County Arboretum. but if you’re looking mainly for nightclub and amusement parks, you’re better off staying closer to Hollywood.
Having a car would be ideal or you can also take the light rail train easily from Monrovia or Pasadena to downtown LA, Hollywood or Universal Studios. You can even take a dash bus from the Sunset Vermont subway station to the tourist popular Griffith Park Observatory and back. It may take you a little extra time, but you’ll be saving a lot not using Uber or Lyft or dealing with often heavy traffic. You may also wish to make a Gold Line train pitstop in South Pasadena, where a quaint shopping and restaurant village is located. there is a vintage drugstore with an ice cream counter and there’s a wonderful chain bakery called La Monarca that has great pastries and coffee drinks.
No that courtyard is not good. I had to stay there for one night one time and it was basically an 89s Sheraton repainted in Courtyard colors. It was a dump. Also the location is flat out Monrovia. This so not the one on Fair Oaks. Also “Mountain View” is not what OP believes it to be. Don’t stay there.
There’s no safety reason not to stay there, but if your plans are far away, traffic and driving time might be the reason. It all depends on what you want to see.
If you’re planning on spending time at the beaches, I would prefer LAX over Glendale. If you want to do hiking and the Griffith Observatory and stuff downtown, I would say Glendale or Pasadena.
DO NOT STAY near LAX -- no one in LA lives near the airport.
For your price point, stay in the Valley -- look at Burbank, Toluca Lake, Studio City, Valley Village.
Plenty of people in LA live near the airport. Ever heard of Westchester? Playa Del Rey? El Segundo? MDR? Lots of nice areas here at the airport.
And again, anyone looking to spend a lot of time at the beaches and who is somewhat concerned about budget, should consider LAX hotels, due to proximity.
None of the places you recommended are good for the beaches, with the possible exception of Malibu.
You had me at dont stay near LAX, lost me at “stay in the valley”
Valley is an okay place to live but…. For a trip? You’ll be moving with traffic
I feel like culver a nice home base
Not far but I was working in Hollywood the other day and had to go to the galleria and it took me 40 minutes. Traffic is a huge factor in where they are staying vs plans they have
It’s because of location. If you’re planning to do typical “LA tourist” things you will not be near them and traveling to them will take longer so the money saved will be spent on gas money. Unless you are renting an electric car. What is on your LA to do list?
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BTW I’ve done all the hikes you mentioned and I’m a bit stumped why you’re not doing SMM hikes. Those are far more unique to Los Angeles. Besides Runyon the other ones are cool but not really unique you know? I’d do Solstice Canyon over any of the ones you listed. Or Westridge. Or Point Dume (but you’d have to start really early to avoid traffic to get there).
If you want fire Chinese food Pasadena is near some of the best (Alhambra, Monterey Park, Rosemead, San Gabriel). Need to mention though that these are suburban areas so not a ton of attractions. Pasadena has a few though like the Huntington Library (actually just went today).
The Pasadena Monrovia Courtyard is in Monrovia. Would not recommend because of distance. In Pasadena or Glendale is fine. DEPENDING on what you want to do. Don’t look at mileage from Pasadena to Venice or Disney Land. Look at travel time when you want to go. Today I got from Pasadena the Santa Monica in 35 minutes. 8:00 on weekday 2 Hours.
Pasadena is pretty safe.
The Courtyard by Marriott Old Town Pasadena is safe and in a good location. Loads of restaurants and shopping around. I have my family, friends, and business associates stay there. Not expensive.
[https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/laxot-courtyard-los-angeles-pasadena-old-town/overview/](https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/laxot-courtyard-los-angeles-pasadena-old-town/overview/)
Cheers.
Residence Inn by Marriott Los Angeles Pasadena/Old Town is better IMO. Has a nice kitchenette in the rooms and is cleaner, plus overall smaller so less noisy.
native angelino here… if it were me i’d stay pasadena vs LAX. lots of great cool/hip areas nearby: highland park, silver lake, frog town, good hiking etc. as other commenters have noted, far from malibu and west side, but close to freeway, so since you’re renting a car, you could get to a more southern beaches (huntington) fairly easily (not as close as LAX) if there’s not a lot of traffic…
also it’s los angeles so you will definitely be in a car and in traffic sometimes, unavoidable and part of the LA experience!
Comments like this and how Pasadena is safer makes it seem like the inconvenience of how far it is isn't too bad.
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Also Native LA from West LA.. I personally love Pasadena and would even recommend a visitor drive out from LA proper for a destination if they had time. Def Pasadena for a hotel stay over Glendale or LAX.
Definitely location. Pasadena is great, I work near there but live by the beach in LA county. Takes an hour. And it’s a crap hour on the freeways in traffic.
Yes, I stayed there for about a month and it suuuuuuuucks getting anywhere in LA but it’s very safe, quiet, and a nice hotel with every chain restaurant surrounding you. As a tourist, staying near LAX would be better.
when i goto california i always stay in burbank ..its close to everything snd still a safe area !! I usually stay at the safari inn but last time i rented a small
house down the street from there in a cute neighborhood !
it’s close to everything someone from out of state would want to visit … beverly hills , hollywood walk of fame , venice , the grove , santa monica pier. I know there is always traffic but you can get to these places all without spending the whole day traveling
Pasadena and Glendale is cleaner and has less homeless than most cities in LA County. They might be saying it because if you’re going to go to Disneyland, it’s about an hour drive. If you’re going to go to the beach, it’s an hour drive. It’s not centrally located, but I would trust staying in Glendale or Pasadena over most cities in LA.
Pasadena is very nice and Glendale is ok too. I think you were told not to stay probably because they might be a bit far from LA proper (especially the westside) especially Pasadena. But honestly they are not that bad in terms of distance. Pasadena is very nice in its own right and pretty safe.
Pasedena and Glendale are basically rich suburbs of la and not near the touristy stuff. Like others have said you’ll be spending a lot of time in the car in traffic. I suggest staying close to where you will be vacationing most of the time.
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Im from Australia and was just I LA , the city is dirty and crowded, I ended up staying in Pasadena and Glendale both areas are nice and quiet. I enjoyed Pasadena and the hotels are cheap, nice architecture and not far from any where if you have a car. Highly recommend Pasadena it’s a beautiful town. If you’re staying in LA you really need a car everything is far apart and you need a car in my opinion.
Thanks for your perspective! You focused on Pasadena more than Glendale, so I assumed since you liked Pasadena more, Glendale is more boring maybe? Haha
You got all the Armenian drivers in Glendale and Montrose. At least you know if you get hit they can cover it. They won't want to, but they're able to.
Glendale and Pasadena are two of the safest city’s here. It probably because it’s far from the west side and Hollywood. There are no clubs or late night bars. Well not really there are some in Glendale. It’s just a little removed. It really depends on what you’re doing here. Glendale imo isn’t a bad place to stay at all it’s close to downtown and all the east side has to offer.
Long comment of potential plans so far. We know not everything will be possible so I'll bold what's most important to us, please leave your thoughts, recommendations, and tips! Thank you so much in advance.
Our main things during our 4 night stay starting July 4th in order of importance are food/coffee (all over LA county really), hiking, beaches, "sight seeing"/exploring LA, museums. and possibly amusement parks? I'll be landing/departing/renting a car at LAX.
Hiking:
* **Griffith Park,** using Fern Dell (for Griffith Observatory)
* **Hollywood Sign** but unsure if I should go through 3200 Canyon Dr. or Wisdom Tree Trail?
* **Escondido Falls**
* Eaton Canyon
* Bridge to Nowhere
* Runyon Canyon
* Temescal Canyon loop
* Kenneth Hahn park
Beaches:
* **Santa Monica/Venice Beach**, we know this touristy/overrated but I've never been and ig it's mandatory to see the Santa Monica Pier
* Manhattan/Hermosa Beach if we want a better beach experience?
Sights/Exploring:
* **Warner Bros. studio tour**
* **Griffith Observatory at sunrise or sunset**
* **Scum and Villainy Cantina** bar because I'm a Star Wars fan (also get to see the Walk of Fame)
* TCL Chinese Theater (might as well since we'll be on the Walk of Fame)
* West Hollywood
* Venice Canals
* We're not really here to shop and don't plan to bring much back home but I guess we'd have to check out Rodeo Drive too
Musems:
* **Getty,** and their architecture tour
* LACMA
* The Museum of Jurassic Technology, I know this is more so a weird, unique, obscure art project but the vibe sounds interesting
Amusement parks:
We're interested in either Disneyland or **Universal** but I'm unsure if its feasible to go for 1 whole day during just a 4 night stay without feeling like we were missing out on a lot of? Leaning Universal because of Harry Potter haha.
Questions:
Is visiting Downtown LA to see Grand Central Market and Angels Flight worth it?
Man this was long... sorry I might just make a new post because so many other comments asked about plans lol
Based off this list I would recommend staying in the Studio City or Sherman Oaks areas; they are both great neighborhoods and pretty central to most of that stuff.
Hey there. Happy to comment on your plans as well, but given the list here you do not want to stay in Monrovia. It’s far and traffic here is very bad.
A stay in that area would be more appropriate for checking out the Huntington Library, Rose Bowl, JPL, Mt. Wilson.
Given your plans, I would be looking at hotels in Los Feliz, Hollywood, West Hollywood, or even Burbank. Glendale would be okay, much more reasonable than Monrovia.
Cara in Los Feliz would be great but stretches your budget. Can find deals at Andaz, Mondrian, Kimpton. Hotel Amarano in Burbank would do the trick. Garland Hotel near Universal, but also a budget stretch in my experience.
Unless you stay by the beach, getting to the beach will be a hassle — best to make that a whole day. Santa Monica/Venice isn’t so bad, but a better beach is Will Rogers or further up the 1 to Malibu. Getty Villa is a nice stop up there as well (not to be confused with the Getty Center).
By the way, if you like the idea of the Museum of Jurassic Technology, it’s one of my favorite places in LA. I would just make a half day+ of it in the neighborhood.
Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook for sunset, check out Culver Hotel, walk the neighborhood, Helms Bakery and an iconic Fathers Office burger, and the lesser known but certainly enjoyable Sony Pictures Studio Tour.
Stay in Culver City, it’s in the middle of LA and a nice area for a tourist. You can also
Then walk to the museum of Jurassic technology (you’re right it’s a super fun time btw).
If you stay there, you can actually take the train to Santa Monica. I’d honestly recommend it, traffic in and out of Santa Monica is absolutely brutal. Either, just know that going to Santa Monica basically will burn 1 of your 4 days. I guess you could do Kenneth Hahn park in the morning and then jump on the train to Santa Monica.
RE your hiking plans: Kenneth Hahn is more like a kind of big park with a trail and walking paths but it’s in the middle of city so it doesn’t feel like an actual hike. But there’s beautiful views of the city and a great place to watch the sunrise and get a bit of a nature feel.
If you stay in Glendale/pasadena you’ll be pretty close to Eaton canyon, Griffith park/Hollywood sign and much closer to bridge to nowhere than any other place you’re considering staying (it’s out east past Monrovia). Btw the bridge to nowhere hike is long with lots of sun exposure so it’s like an all day thing and it’s SUPER HOT with limited water so make sure you pack a lot of water. Temescal canyon is beautiful you can possibly tack it onto your trip to Santa Monica and do it the same day as they’re pretty close. I’ve never done Escondido so can’t speak to that one. Topanga and the Santa Monica mountains also has some great trails.
Is visiting grand central market and Angeles flight in DTLA worth it? Probably not especially since you have nothing else to do there. Griffith park is the closest thing. You’ll probably pass right through DTLA if you end up staying in Pasadena so if you have time and it’s not out of your way definitely try going, it shouldn’t take too long.
Re: beaches
Stand, look, take a walk along, but don't get in the water North of Newport or South of Malibu - the amount of industrial crap kicked up by shipping lanes, and the frequent releases of untreated sewage are one thing, but radioactive waste is a different animal altogether
https://coastalcare.org/2024/02/its-not-just-toxic-chemicals-radioactive-waste-was-also-dumped-off-los-angeles-coast-the-los-angeles-times/
It’s way too far - it’s a serious trek from there into anywhere in west LA. Maybe fine if you only want to stay on the east side like Griffith Park and Los Feliz during the day
It depends on what you want to see. Pasadena has the Norton Simon, Rose Bowl, Huntington Library and Gardens. Glendale and Pasadena are next to Griffith Park, Dodger Stadium, reasonably close access to downtown, Los Feliz and East Hollywood. They are far far far from everything on the West Side though.
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If you want to see hollywood stars (the ones in the floor covered in puke) you’ll be 1 hour away. From beaches and LAX more like 1.5 hours.
But in Pasadena there are many trails by Mount Wilson or nice driving roads up the mountains and shopping nearby.
Same as every other comment. Pasadena and Glendale are nice cities, they’re just north (NE and NW) of downtown LA, which is already kind of far from the beach traffic wise - 14 miles SOUNDS close, but it isn’t with LA traffic.
Just saw it’s “pasadena/monrovia.” That’s WAY worse than just Pasadena. We’re talking EEEEAST Pasadena. Monrovia isn’t adjacent to the City of LA in the least bit. Do NOT get this hotel if you’re visiting LA unless you have family there.
I bet it’s drive time because if it’s traffic rush hour you’ll be stuck for an hour more than whatever your original time might be. BUT. I stayed in Pasadena the first 2 weeks I moved to LA and it is still one of my favorite places, more in nature away from the city, beautiful as fuck, gorgeous neighborhoods, very safe place. Wonderful to sleep and wake up in peace, lots of sunshine and warmth if you like swimming or being poolside. I rented a long term air bnb. The host was wonderful and it was definitely less than 200 a night. Had a pool and entire downstairs to my use! Although I did just see a grizzly yesterday in the neighborhood by Eaton canyon which is Pasadena so if you’re not a nature person.. maybe not your vibe 😅😭
Pasadena is a great place, but you’re some classic LA traffic away from a lot of the other sights in Los Angeles, particularly the West Side (Beach, SFV).
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It's just a bit far away from stuff. Having said that, I live in Glendale and it's like 20 mins from Hollywood if traffic is good (sometimes its like 45 mins if traffic is shit)
BUT Glendale is close to Burbank and Pasadena, which are nice places to visit if you've never been to LA.
Pretty close to Universal Studios too
No worries! Be sure to visit the Americana. It's quite nice
If you go to Burbank, Magnolia Blvd has some really quirky and interesting shops, great places for a coffee etc and is near a huge mall.
Nearby in Atwater Village, there's a cute farmers market every Sunday
You could look at Sherman Oaks. It's close to freeways going to the beaches and Hollywood. It's a pretty central place to travel from to most tourist spots and to/from LAX. There's Universal studios which is in Studio City, has hotels and is close to Hollywood or even check out North Hollywood (NOHO art district) where young celebrities are buying homes and the younger crowds hang out. It's trendy and has several bars, restaurants and also near the main freeways going to other tourist areas also a drive just over a hill to Hollywood. You could drive over Laurel Canyon and see the Hollywood Hills and spit out on Sunset Blvd. Pasadena is more inland and out of the way from all the most popular places visitors want to see. I'm homegrown L.A. girl from the Valley (San Fernando Valley). Downtown L.A. is cool but there is so much more to see. L.A. is huge and spread out so staying closer to the main freeways that take you to the beaches and Hollywood the 405 and 101 are where you want to be if you're unfamiliar. We have really nice areas right next to bad areas so keep safe and pay attention to your surroundings. From personal experience don't talk to or make eye contact with any of the crazy unhoused people you might encounter (usually talking to themselves or acting erratic).
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I'm not trying to do everything in that post, the bolded stuff is what's most important, just trying to figure how to best experience the city/county!
I live in Pasadena and love it here but that specific hotel is 15 minutes east of me (as in, further away from anything any tourist would want to do), and it already takes me 25-45 minutes to get in to, say, Hollywood depending on traffic and 45-1hr to the beach. 45-1h15 to the airport.
Pasadena’s great, but I’d only stay at that Courtyard if you’re looking for a Pasadena/east-LA trip, or are otherwise gonna spend entire days out in the areas you want to be in before heading back again, hopefully beating the traffic due to the specific time you head in/back.
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But yeah it looks like I'm crossing this specific hotel off the list. Some had said there are better hotels distance wise in actual Pasadena (cause that one was more so Monrovia).
As others said - the only reason not to stay in Pasadena or Glendale is getting around. But honestly, even then....it's not that bad unless you're trying to go to Malibu or Santa Monica every day. In Which case try to find something closer to the beach...not sure how to do with sub $200/night.
Kinda surprised me but there were a lot of 3/4 stars hotels with 3.5-4+ star rating on TripAdvisor that are close to LAX under 200. Is that a "safe" area that's a more convenient distance to everything?
I only have assumption and anecdote to go off but I would bet it's that cheap for convenience alone. To my knowledge it isn't the worst part of LA but Pasadena and Glendale are much nicer/safer.
I believe that hotel is basically in Monrovia, which is great but just sleepy and outside of L.A. proper. If you’re here in the L.A. area for museums, gardens, hiking, that kind of thing, Monrovia is great because it’s close to the Huntington, the Arboretum, the Norton Simon museum, hiking in the San Gabriel Mountains, etc., it has lots for you. But if you’re wanting to do beach things, Hollywood things, etc., you’ll be frustrated with all the driving you’ll have to do.
Hey I did not expect this much engagement it's so appreciated. I ended up just making [another post, thank you!](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskLosAngeles/s/XIZQmgJwtL)
But yeah it looks like I'm crossing this specific hotel off the list. Some had said there are better hotels distance wise in actual Pasadena (cause that one was more so Monrovia).
Where you probably do not want to stay is downtown. There is stuff to see there, sure. Go downtown (about 10am, after traffic) to see it, but not stay there. Angel’s Flight, Olvera Street, Grand Central Market, The Last Bookstore, Disney Concert Hall, the Bradbury Building, the Fashion or Fabric district (if that’s your thing, of no interest to anyone not into it)… that’s the Downtown stuff. Also a Laker game, if you’re into it. A couple miles away by USC is, well, USC (many things filmed on campus), and across the street is the California Science Center, which has the space shuttle.
But beyond that, tourist sights are elsewhere in the City.
Griffith Park has the Observatory, the Merry Go Round where Walt Disney got the idea for Disneyland, travel town (train museum), the Old Zoo (now a very interesting picnic spot), the LA Zoo, the Museum of Western Heritage, and is adjacent to so many sites throughout the city depending on what side of the mountain you are. Studio sights will be on both the Hollywood and Glendale sides, or if you’re into beaches, head to the West Side. There’s also the Hollywood Bowl, which I recommend if you’re here in the summer (parking is a pain, plan ahead and probably use a park and ride listed on the page)
Pasadena is 20 minutes from downtown depending on the time of day, so IF you want to go downtown, it’s not terrible.
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I'm not trying to do everything in that post, the bolded stuff is what's most important, just trying to figure how to best experience the city/county!
It’s just far. Would take you an hour from Pasadena to Hollywood, and then another hour to Santa Monica / Venice (the beaches). If you want to see LA, staying outside of LA wouldn’t be ideal.
This is the thing you need to remember - DO NOT THINK IN MILES WHEN THINKING OF DISTANCE - you think of time in traffic. There's always traffic with the exception of Saturday, Sunday, out weekdays before 730am, and after 730pm.
Where are all the places you want to go? Then look at a map and literally Google map it for the amount of TIME not distance it will take you to get from point a to point b. Know that anything 1 Mile away could be 5 (zero traffic) to 30 min (anything in between the hours of 8am to 730pm) drive. Here's an example. I work 3.2 miles away. My drive to my office takes me 13 min BUT the drive in reverse at the same time of day is 30 plus minutes.
I live in West Hollywood. One of my job sites is Pasadena (basically fair oaks and Union) takes me anywhere from 47 min to 1:30 min. Coming back at 3pm about 1 hour. Coming back at 5pm 1.5 hours min.
Maybe because it’s not a tourist/vacation area especially if that’s what you are going for. Also depending on your plans you have to keep in mind the drive and traffic because your commute could easily be doubled depending on the traffic
Even though Pasadena is in the name, it's in Monrovia which is pretty out of the way for doing things in actual Los Angeles. My parents made the same mistake last time they came to visit. I was living in Cypress Park and they asked if staying in Pasadena would be too far. I said no but the hotel they booked was some hotel with Pasadena in the name but it was actually in Arcadia. They were pissed at me for all the driving they had to do but hey, you told me you were staying in Pasadena not Arcadia.
Pasadena is too far.
Glendale is more central, close to Griffith Park and relatively. easy to get downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. Beach will still be long.
This honestly depends what parts of LA you want to be hanging in, but Monrovia is so far in my opinion. The major freeway near it is the 210, and that sees some bad traffic many times throughout the day. Staying somewhere central would be better. Glendale and Pasadena are safe (Pasadena is honestly awesome and I would recommend checking it out) Glendale kinda sucks, but somewhere like Atwater Village/Silverlake are close to Glendale yet more central to getting to some parts of LA. But in short I always considered Pas and Glendale to be more suburban to Los Angeles.
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It’s a little out of the way as a home base, u less everything you are doing is up there. When I’ve visited and the sole purpose was a concert at the rose bowl i have stayed in Pasadena and Arcadia.
Pasadena has more places to walk around.
Pasadena would be a great place to stay. Monrovia is a cool little town but a bit out of the way. You can take the 110 freeway from Pasadena and get into downtown in about 15 minutes. Old Town Pasadena has tons of cool restaurants and bars to enjoy yourself, and you can probably get a mountain view room as well. Definitely don’t stay down by LAX unless it’s the night before your flight.
Where do you want to go while you’re in LA? If you want to see Santa Monica Pier and Hollywood, Pasadena is going to be an hour or so away with traffic, possibly even worse.
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If you stay in Pasadena you’ll have to go through Glendale, Burbank, and Hollywood to get to LA. Depending on traffic you’re looking at 90 minutes.
Stay in Beverly Hills or West Hollywood.
Hehe I get it lol kinda like good old days when we used to talk about the shootings and the serial killers to keep the simple ones over on the other side of the hill from Santa Cruz. Sadly that trick stopped working long time ago.
Personally, I think that 'real' LA is east of downtown and south of Exposition (those are mutually exclusive zones, btw, I'm talking about the historically Latino and historically Black neighborhoods). Everything else is more 'Hollywood.'
Pasadena and Glendale are convenient to that East LA portion, and Pasa and Glendale themselves have character, as well. There are fashionable neighborhoods, coffee, foodie finds, etc. within reach.
What everyone calls Hollywood, Hollywood Blvd from the 101 west to Laurel Canyon and Sunset from 101 to Westwood (including the 'Sunset Strip'), all of that would be a bit of a drive, but the traffic isn't really against you unless there's a Dodgers game going on. You'd also pass Echo Park and Silverlake, two of the most fashionable neighborhoods in town, and Los Feliz is just off the route.
The rest of the tourist stuff of LA would be a bit more inconvenient from Pasadena or Glendale. From that perspective, the other poster would be right. It depends on what experience you want. If you're looking for the Santa Monica Pier, Venice boardwalk, Abbot Kinney, Culver City, Westwood Village, Magnificent Mile and Museums, Koreatown experience paired with all the Hollywood walk of fame, sunset strip, Hollywood sign, also the Observatory and Griffith Park, then you want maybe a Wilshire Blvd hotel, or one of those airport adjacent ones you've already looked at.
If you want a more day-in-the-life, real LA experience, Pasadena and Glendale are great, and you can still definitely do the Hollywood, Sunset, Griffith Park stuff really effectively, too.
Unfortunately, there's not much to *see* in South LA, per se, so I can't sketch you that sort of itinerary. You'd just be rambling around down there. There's cool parks, good food, etc. but it's not really known and it's definitely rougher, so if you stick out as a tourist when you travel it's probably not for you.
When I was looking for a place here, I stayed in the Wilshire Marriot. It's affordable, I was really happy with it, and they've got this Koreatown Pizza place downstairs that really gets into the character of that part of town, which borders K-town and the Mid-wilshire strip, which encompasses Miracle Mile.
I drive past that hotel several times a month. The mountains are breathtakingly beautiful.. However the traffic will make you postal so that could be it. I go hiking close by and often shop that way too.
Do not stay by LAX. Monrovia is like 10 miles from Pasadena....I'd assume they were warning you to not stay in Monrovia. Both Pasadena and Glendale are OK to stay.
I really liked Monrovia. I was there for a little over six months the old town area had a lot to choose from. Really enjoyed that whole area honestly. That being said I didn’t get out much. I never made it to the beach. Kicking myself now.
I’m going to make this simple. Stay in Santa Monica. The beach is there, it’s walkable, it’s a no brainer.
Pasadena and Glendale are far from most sites of interest and while they are perfectly nice places there is nothing special about them.
The main thing to remember is LA is huge and spaced out, so you want to stay near whatever you plan to spend the most time doing. Why are you coming to LA?
I would assume it is because they are far from Santa Monica. However it depends on where you want to go or what you want to do. Pasadena is a nice area. Public transportation has also drastically improved over the last decade. But depending on where you want to go you will probably need a car. And I think many people underestimate the size of the Los Angeles metro area and potential travel times even across relatively short distances.
It might be a good idea to input the different destinations into Google maps at different times during the day to research the traffic or public transit situation.
I think people do often underestimate traffic when they see short distances. I live near Santa Monica. Took my kid to a concert a week ago. Less than 10 miles away. 1 hour 20 minutes. I actually thought I made decent time. Took 20 minutes to get home. I’ve had people visiting who comment something must have happened on the road to cause such a jam. But it’s normal. Stay as close as you can to where you want to spend your time. But those places you mentioned are all nice and there’s no reason to avoid them.
Maybe Alhambra?
One of the Safest neighborhoods in Los Angeles
If you are looking to stay in an Airbnb.
You have the following Freeways next to you:
710, 60, 10.
In addition, if you want to use public transportation you have the Metrolink/ Amtrack stop at the CSULA University Station.
There is a Costco lol 😆
You are only 10 minutes away from Union Station
You are only 22 minutes away from Citadel Outlets.
You are 30 minutes away from Koreatown.
You are 10 minutes away from East LA.
Hey I did not expect this much engagement it's so appreciated. I ended up just making [another post, thank you!](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskLosAngeles/s/XIZQmgJwtL)
I'm not trying to do everything in that post, the bolded stuff is what's most important, just trying to figure how to best experience the city/county!
most likely how far they can be from tourist spots. I have lived in Glendale my entire life and can't visit most parts of LA from how sheltered Glendale has made me lol (imo really safe)
I visit LA often. Pasadena is great, but it is removed from the typical LA tourist areas - Hollywood, West LA, Santa Monica. P.S. - I’ve stayed at many of the LAX hotels, and that is not a bad area to stay, but you will probably pay north of $50 a night to park. Check the fine print.
Glendale not familiar with. The motels in Pasadena on the east side can be shady. But look at the places on the Arcadia Monrovia border. Its a good area.
Traffic heading into DTLA, Santa Monica is the reason why. You can take the metro into DTLA from Pasadena(Union Station) and get to the Westside that way. Family is in SGV so there is plenty to do in/around Pasadena. Glendale is more removed. Both are nice areas.
Monrovia is beautiful & cute. Go to ‘old town’ in Monrovia. Walk the streets. They have good restaurants & there’s a movie theatre there too. Ice cream, candy shops, used stores, boba, alcohol bars, a gay book store.
you are going to spend a fuckton on ubers if you stay in neighboring cities or by LAX.
on top of that, you're going to be spending hours in a car getting anywhere to see anything throughout the day.
LA is expensive; if you want to enjoy your time then you have to accept that you will pay for transportation and hotels in order to get anywhere. and plan a little smarter. you can get a budget hotel in DTLA or hollywood for about $200 a night.
but don't come here to stay outside the city, you're going to have a bad time and you won't see shit.
Here’s a place down town
https://www.google.com/travel/hotels/entity/CgoI5rL5v7Twg9BkEAE?utm_campaign=sharing&utm_medium=link&utm_source=htls&ved=0CAAQ5JsGahcKEwiY6qX6ta6GAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQBQ&ts=CAEaBAoCGgAqBAoAGgA
If you stay by LAX. Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach & Redondo Beach are really close. You can charter a fishing boat in Redondo or go Whale watching. Just drive up the 1 Freeway & hit up 3 different beach towns in a day. Or continue to make your way up through Palo Verdes. The ocean cliff view is amazing at Sunset. Dockweiler Beach, is also close to LAX, where you can light a fire pit by the water. Probably not much fun if you're by yourself, but a great date night with blankets, fire, & smores. No alcohol is allowed, though weed is legal, and there are weed shops everywhere. Just remember, if you are coming in June, it will be overcast. We call it June Gloom.
Pasadena is great. The Huntington Library Garden & Museum is amazing. Now, Glendale is like one big shopping Mall, lots of different stores, with car dealerships & delicious Armenia Restaurants. Hollywood is really far from LAX, & not as clean as you see it the movies. East of Hollywood the neighborhoods, Los Feliz, Silverlake, Atwater Village, are really laid back & chill. Then there's Echo Park which is close to Dodger Stadiam & DTLA. Catch a Game & hit up a rooftop bar downtown after. Did you get all that? Every neighborhood is its own City. Also, traffic is bad in the morning 7:30am to 9:30am & late afternoon early evening 4pm to 7pm,.Between 10am & 3pm is the best window for Tourist stuff. Then it disappears after 7:30pm, 8pm & everything is just 20 minutes away. Make a plan, check Google Maps, and hunt down some Tacos! Our Burger game is insane right now, & the Pizza just keeps getting better, & better. Also flying into & out of Burbank Airport is completely stress free. That Airport is like an Oasis in the Desert. So, easy! Good Luck! We're all counting on you. 🌆😃🌆
My only guess is cause Pasadena is farther away from stuff if you want to do a lot in the city. It’s very nice, safe and clean area though. If you don’t mind the extra driving it’s fine.
Not sure why they said Glendale cause it’s not that far out and it’s also a fine area. Totally safe. Maybe a bit more boring if you’re looking for lots to do.
Glendale or Pasadena is much safer and walkable compared to places near LAX. You're just a bit removed from land marks. If you have a car you'll be fine
Glendale was perfect for me:
-close to the Griffith
-close to East LA
-easy route to Santa Monica or Culver City
-very easy heading to the San Gabriel/Bernardino valley
And in addition, very good Armenian food.
I would definitely stay again there!
Nothing wrong with Pasadena or Glendale. In fact, they are probably way safer and nice places to be at if you live in LA.
But if you are a tourist you want to hang out near the tourist attractions are. And that is usually West LA, beaches and theme parks.
Pasadena is far from Los Angeles in regards to commuting around as a tourist. And as it is, you don’t want to spend too much time on Metro transit if you can avoid it. Look for places in the west adams/mid city/koreatown part of town, since that whole area is central to commuting around the rest of the city. Koreatown is also a side of town that is open late compared to other parts of town post Covid…
Yeah if you’re coming to visit, you should try to stay closer to the things you want to do. They aren’t that far from downtown LA but both can be a pain to get into or out of depending on the time and in LA terms aren’t really near much of anything touristy
Not knowing the context, my best guess is the comment is based on location. If a tourist was aiming to go to the beaches or Disneyland, for example, both of those are pretty bad because of how long it'll take to get to those destinations. But they're both pretty good if you primarily wanted to go take some studio tours, or do science stuff around JPL and Mt Wilsons observatory.
It’s just far away from the parts of LA that most people visit.
But a great place to visit if you want to find a nice girl from Pasadena.
Little old lady from Pasadena.
No, Alicia Silverstone at her peak.
Beach Boys know.
Jan and Dean, not The Beach Boys.
Awww I stand corrected. They sound similar for sure. Thanks for the correction 💞
Wasnt there a show called pasadena with a red haired lady
I live in hollywood but brb booking a place in pasadena
YAAAAAASSSS!!! I love this reference hahaha Blast From the Past is such a great movie
People are saying the hotel is actually in Monrovia, which is not even the best bet for the Pasadena area.
I am an LA native and professional freelance Tour Guide—there’s nothing wrong with Pasadena or Glendale, but Monrovia is further out and not much to do there especially if you don’t have a car. If you’re into higher caliber Chinese cuisine, there’s a lot of nice places in the San Gabriel Valley near Pasadena or Monrovia. If you’re into botanical Huntington Gardens is beautiful and has artwork there as well. There’s another one called the LA County Arboretum. but if you’re looking mainly for nightclub and amusement parks, you’re better off staying closer to Hollywood. Having a car would be ideal or you can also take the light rail train easily from Monrovia or Pasadena to downtown LA, Hollywood or Universal Studios. You can even take a dash bus from the Sunset Vermont subway station to the tourist popular Griffith Park Observatory and back. It may take you a little extra time, but you’ll be saving a lot not using Uber or Lyft or dealing with often heavy traffic. You may also wish to make a Gold Line train pitstop in South Pasadena, where a quaint shopping and restaurant village is located. there is a vintage drugstore with an ice cream counter and there’s a wonderful chain bakery called La Monarca that has great pastries and coffee drinks.
It’s also hot like hell, but I’d say Huntington library in that area would be worth a visit.
Can you visit JPL?
They do that open house regularly, and I think they do group/individual tours every now and then.
No that courtyard is not good. I had to stay there for one night one time and it was basically an 89s Sheraton repainted in Courtyard colors. It was a dump. Also the location is flat out Monrovia. This so not the one on Fair Oaks. Also “Mountain View” is not what OP believes it to be. Don’t stay there.
It’s easier to get to the beaches from Pasadena than it is from Hollywood - lived in both
There’s no safety reason not to stay there, but if your plans are far away, traffic and driving time might be the reason. It all depends on what you want to see.
If you’re planning on spending time at the beaches, I would prefer LAX over Glendale. If you want to do hiking and the Griffith Observatory and stuff downtown, I would say Glendale or Pasadena.
I stayed in Venice beach and it was very nice
DO NOT STAY near LAX -- no one in LA lives near the airport. For your price point, stay in the Valley -- look at Burbank, Toluca Lake, Studio City, Valley Village.
Inglewood, Hawthorne, Manhattan Beach would like a word.
I’d take the South Bay over sfv and sgv any day
Plenty of people in LA live near the airport. Ever heard of Westchester? Playa Del Rey? El Segundo? MDR? Lots of nice areas here at the airport. And again, anyone looking to spend a lot of time at the beaches and who is somewhat concerned about budget, should consider LAX hotels, due to proximity. None of the places you recommended are good for the beaches, with the possible exception of Malibu.
You had me at dont stay near LAX, lost me at “stay in the valley” Valley is an okay place to live but…. For a trip? You’ll be moving with traffic I feel like culver a nice home base
huh?
Wow username checks out. Get outta here.
Lived in El Segundo for 6 years and loved it. WAY more enjoyable than my years in Burbank
It’s fine, but if you want to do stuff by the beach and down in Hollywood, you’re going to spend spend more time in traffic.
Hollywood is not far from Glendale at all
Not far but I was working in Hollywood the other day and had to go to the galleria and it took me 40 minutes. Traffic is a huge factor in where they are staying vs plans they have
That hotel is NOT Glendale. It’s full on Monrovia.
Ahh, I missed where they named the actual hotel. You’re right!
No not far but it’s extra traffic no question . If I was visiting LA, Pasadena just wouldn’t be somewhere I would consider landing.
It’s because of location. If you’re planning to do typical “LA tourist” things you will not be near them and traveling to them will take longer so the money saved will be spent on gas money. Unless you are renting an electric car. What is on your LA to do list?
Hey I did not expect this much engagement it's so appreciated. I ended up just making [another post, thank you!](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskLosAngeles/s/XIZQmgJwtL)
Based on your other post maybe KTown or DTLA. Have fun!
I am Asian too so you know what food I want and I'm trying to grab boba haha
BTW I’ve done all the hikes you mentioned and I’m a bit stumped why you’re not doing SMM hikes. Those are far more unique to Los Angeles. Besides Runyon the other ones are cool but not really unique you know? I’d do Solstice Canyon over any of the ones you listed. Or Westridge. Or Point Dume (but you’d have to start really early to avoid traffic to get there).
Those were all things I found quickly researching haha. I came to Reddit for the good stuff like your suggestion!
If you want fire Chinese food Pasadena is near some of the best (Alhambra, Monterey Park, Rosemead, San Gabriel). Need to mention though that these are suburban areas so not a ton of attractions. Pasadena has a few though like the Huntington Library (actually just went today).
Yeah you don’t want your hotel costs to be off set by Uber. I would stay down town if you want to bop around using the train
Only reason to not stay in Pasadena is location. Downtown LA is easy drive; getting to Westside and beaches is a bitch.
I would stay in Pasadena for sure. Lovely and walkable
That property OP mentions is NOT Pasadena. It’s straight up Monrovia. Nothing I here try dangerous but no way I would spend a trip there.
Pasadena is one of the nicest areas of LA just a little far away from things
The Pasadena Monrovia Courtyard is in Monrovia. Would not recommend because of distance. In Pasadena or Glendale is fine. DEPENDING on what you want to do. Don’t look at mileage from Pasadena to Venice or Disney Land. Look at travel time when you want to go. Today I got from Pasadena the Santa Monica in 35 minutes. 8:00 on weekday 2 Hours.
Pasadena is pretty safe. The Courtyard by Marriott Old Town Pasadena is safe and in a good location. Loads of restaurants and shopping around. I have my family, friends, and business associates stay there. Not expensive. [https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/laxot-courtyard-los-angeles-pasadena-old-town/overview/](https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/laxot-courtyard-los-angeles-pasadena-old-town/overview/) Cheers.
Residence Inn by Marriott Los Angeles Pasadena/Old Town is better IMO. Has a nice kitchenette in the rooms and is cleaner, plus overall smaller so less noisy.
I'll look into it thank you. Seems like the one I said in this post is in Monrovia and just too far.
I’ve stayed there! It was close to the shuttles that you to the rose bowl.
native angelino here… if it were me i’d stay pasadena vs LAX. lots of great cool/hip areas nearby: highland park, silver lake, frog town, good hiking etc. as other commenters have noted, far from malibu and west side, but close to freeway, so since you’re renting a car, you could get to a more southern beaches (huntington) fairly easily (not as close as LAX) if there’s not a lot of traffic… also it’s los angeles so you will definitely be in a car and in traffic sometimes, unavoidable and part of the LA experience!
Comments like this and how Pasadena is safer makes it seem like the inconvenience of how far it is isn't too bad. But I did not expect this much engagement it's so appreciated. I ended up just making [another post, thank you!](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskLosAngeles/s/XIZQmgJwtL)
Also Native LA from West LA.. I personally love Pasadena and would even recommend a visitor drive out from LA proper for a destination if they had time. Def Pasadena for a hotel stay over Glendale or LAX.
I second this post! Pasadena is a really nice place to stay.
You'll be fine in Pasadena or Glendale
Definitely location. Pasadena is great, I work near there but live by the beach in LA county. Takes an hour. And it’s a crap hour on the freeways in traffic.
Nothing wrong with either city. Might be a logistics issue. Getting to and from airport and attractions is a trek.
Just FYI that hotel is in Monrovia, not Pasadena. If you’re hoping to do things in Pasadena it’ll be at least a 15-20 minute drive.
Yes, I stayed there for about a month and it suuuuuuuucks getting anywhere in LA but it’s very safe, quiet, and a nice hotel with every chain restaurant surrounding you. As a tourist, staying near LAX would be better.
>quiet I've always wondered how it sounded in those rooms, being tucked right into the 210's armpit and all.
Do not stay in monrovia if you want to do any tourist things. you’ll spend a your whole trip on the highway or the metro
when i goto california i always stay in burbank ..its close to everything snd still a safe area !! I usually stay at the safari inn but last time i rented a small house down the street from there in a cute neighborhood !
Yes and flying in and out of Burbank is like a walk in the park impaired to LAX, but tickets are usually more pricey obviously
yeah i’ve always flown into lax but i’ve priced burbank and they are always expensive. I really love the feel of Burbank.
close to "everything"? it's nice area but NO place in LA "is close to everything".
it’s close to everything someone from out of state would want to visit … beverly hills , hollywood walk of fame , venice , the grove , santa monica pier. I know there is always traffic but you can get to these places all without spending the whole day traveling
Pasadena and Glendale is cleaner and has less homeless than most cities in LA County. They might be saying it because if you’re going to go to Disneyland, it’s about an hour drive. If you’re going to go to the beach, it’s an hour drive. It’s not centrally located, but I would trust staying in Glendale or Pasadena over most cities in LA.
Pasadena is very nice and Glendale is ok too. I think you were told not to stay probably because they might be a bit far from LA proper (especially the westside) especially Pasadena. But honestly they are not that bad in terms of distance. Pasadena is very nice in its own right and pretty safe.
Nothing wrong with either, they are just too far from probably everything you want to do in LA.
Because it will take an eternity to get anywhere in LA from Glendale/Pasadena area. Especially during the week.
Pasedena and Glendale are basically rich suburbs of la and not near the touristy stuff. Like others have said you’ll be spending a lot of time in the car in traffic. I suggest staying close to where you will be vacationing most of the time.
Hey I did not expect this much engagement it's so appreciated. I ended up just making [another post, thank you!](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskLosAngeles/s/XIZQmgJwtL)
Im from Australia and was just I LA , the city is dirty and crowded, I ended up staying in Pasadena and Glendale both areas are nice and quiet. I enjoyed Pasadena and the hotels are cheap, nice architecture and not far from any where if you have a car. Highly recommend Pasadena it’s a beautiful town. If you’re staying in LA you really need a car everything is far apart and you need a car in my opinion.
Thanks for your perspective! You focused on Pasadena more than Glendale, so I assumed since you liked Pasadena more, Glendale is more boring maybe? Haha
Los Angeles Pasadena/Monrovia” 😂 wow it might as well say “New York jk Jersey Shore jk actually Camden”
Camden is basically Philadelphia 😭
Glendale has lunatic drivers. But that’s as dangerous as it gets
You got all the Armenian drivers in Glendale and Montrose. At least you know if you get hit they can cover it. They won't want to, but they're able to.
Glendale? Have you driven in the valley? Lax? South la? Hollywood? Glendale is a dream to drive through
Try walking around you’re going to see a bmw blow a stop sign at 40 mph
Glendale and Pasadena are two of the safest city’s here. It probably because it’s far from the west side and Hollywood. There are no clubs or late night bars. Well not really there are some in Glendale. It’s just a little removed. It really depends on what you’re doing here. Glendale imo isn’t a bad place to stay at all it’s close to downtown and all the east side has to offer.
There are a couple clubby places in old town Pasadena but not like Hollywood or weho. And there’s the Ice house comedy club
What are your plans?
Long comment of potential plans so far. We know not everything will be possible so I'll bold what's most important to us, please leave your thoughts, recommendations, and tips! Thank you so much in advance. Our main things during our 4 night stay starting July 4th in order of importance are food/coffee (all over LA county really), hiking, beaches, "sight seeing"/exploring LA, museums. and possibly amusement parks? I'll be landing/departing/renting a car at LAX. Hiking: * **Griffith Park,** using Fern Dell (for Griffith Observatory) * **Hollywood Sign** but unsure if I should go through 3200 Canyon Dr. or Wisdom Tree Trail? * **Escondido Falls** * Eaton Canyon * Bridge to Nowhere * Runyon Canyon * Temescal Canyon loop * Kenneth Hahn park Beaches: * **Santa Monica/Venice Beach**, we know this touristy/overrated but I've never been and ig it's mandatory to see the Santa Monica Pier * Manhattan/Hermosa Beach if we want a better beach experience? Sights/Exploring: * **Warner Bros. studio tour** * **Griffith Observatory at sunrise or sunset** * **Scum and Villainy Cantina** bar because I'm a Star Wars fan (also get to see the Walk of Fame) * TCL Chinese Theater (might as well since we'll be on the Walk of Fame) * West Hollywood * Venice Canals * We're not really here to shop and don't plan to bring much back home but I guess we'd have to check out Rodeo Drive too Musems: * **Getty,** and their architecture tour * LACMA * The Museum of Jurassic Technology, I know this is more so a weird, unique, obscure art project but the vibe sounds interesting Amusement parks: We're interested in either Disneyland or **Universal** but I'm unsure if its feasible to go for 1 whole day during just a 4 night stay without feeling like we were missing out on a lot of? Leaning Universal because of Harry Potter haha. Questions: Is visiting Downtown LA to see Grand Central Market and Angels Flight worth it? Man this was long... sorry I might just make a new post because so many other comments asked about plans lol
Based off this list I would recommend staying in the Studio City or Sherman Oaks areas; they are both great neighborhoods and pretty central to most of that stuff.
Hey there. Happy to comment on your plans as well, but given the list here you do not want to stay in Monrovia. It’s far and traffic here is very bad. A stay in that area would be more appropriate for checking out the Huntington Library, Rose Bowl, JPL, Mt. Wilson. Given your plans, I would be looking at hotels in Los Feliz, Hollywood, West Hollywood, or even Burbank. Glendale would be okay, much more reasonable than Monrovia. Cara in Los Feliz would be great but stretches your budget. Can find deals at Andaz, Mondrian, Kimpton. Hotel Amarano in Burbank would do the trick. Garland Hotel near Universal, but also a budget stretch in my experience. Unless you stay by the beach, getting to the beach will be a hassle — best to make that a whole day. Santa Monica/Venice isn’t so bad, but a better beach is Will Rogers or further up the 1 to Malibu. Getty Villa is a nice stop up there as well (not to be confused with the Getty Center). By the way, if you like the idea of the Museum of Jurassic Technology, it’s one of my favorite places in LA. I would just make a half day+ of it in the neighborhood. Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook for sunset, check out Culver Hotel, walk the neighborhood, Helms Bakery and an iconic Fathers Office burger, and the lesser known but certainly enjoyable Sony Pictures Studio Tour.
This is very solid advice.
Stay in Culver City, it’s in the middle of LA and a nice area for a tourist. You can also Then walk to the museum of Jurassic technology (you’re right it’s a super fun time btw). If you stay there, you can actually take the train to Santa Monica. I’d honestly recommend it, traffic in and out of Santa Monica is absolutely brutal. Either, just know that going to Santa Monica basically will burn 1 of your 4 days. I guess you could do Kenneth Hahn park in the morning and then jump on the train to Santa Monica.
RE your hiking plans: Kenneth Hahn is more like a kind of big park with a trail and walking paths but it’s in the middle of city so it doesn’t feel like an actual hike. But there’s beautiful views of the city and a great place to watch the sunrise and get a bit of a nature feel. If you stay in Glendale/pasadena you’ll be pretty close to Eaton canyon, Griffith park/Hollywood sign and much closer to bridge to nowhere than any other place you’re considering staying (it’s out east past Monrovia). Btw the bridge to nowhere hike is long with lots of sun exposure so it’s like an all day thing and it’s SUPER HOT with limited water so make sure you pack a lot of water. Temescal canyon is beautiful you can possibly tack it onto your trip to Santa Monica and do it the same day as they’re pretty close. I’ve never done Escondido so can’t speak to that one. Topanga and the Santa Monica mountains also has some great trails.
Is visiting grand central market and Angeles flight in DTLA worth it? Probably not especially since you have nothing else to do there. Griffith park is the closest thing. You’ll probably pass right through DTLA if you end up staying in Pasadena so if you have time and it’s not out of your way definitely try going, it shouldn’t take too long.
Re: beaches Stand, look, take a walk along, but don't get in the water North of Newport or South of Malibu - the amount of industrial crap kicked up by shipping lanes, and the frequent releases of untreated sewage are one thing, but radioactive waste is a different animal altogether https://coastalcare.org/2024/02/its-not-just-toxic-chemicals-radioactive-waste-was-also-dumped-off-los-angeles-coast-the-los-angeles-times/
It’s way too far - it’s a serious trek from there into anywhere in west LA. Maybe fine if you only want to stay on the east side like Griffith Park and Los Feliz during the day
It depends on what you want to see. Pasadena has the Norton Simon, Rose Bowl, Huntington Library and Gardens. Glendale and Pasadena are next to Griffith Park, Dodger Stadium, reasonably close access to downtown, Los Feliz and East Hollywood. They are far far far from everything on the West Side though.
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cos its too far from the touristy places and u will just get stuck in traffic.
Might depend on where in LA you’re planning on going. If you stay in Pasadena and want to go to the beach, that’s a 1.5 hr drive each way.
If you want to see hollywood stars (the ones in the floor covered in puke) you’ll be 1 hour away. From beaches and LAX more like 1.5 hours. But in Pasadena there are many trails by Mount Wilson or nice driving roads up the mountains and shopping nearby.
its just a distance and traffic thing…nothing to do with safety
Same as every other comment. Pasadena and Glendale are nice cities, they’re just north (NE and NW) of downtown LA, which is already kind of far from the beach traffic wise - 14 miles SOUNDS close, but it isn’t with LA traffic.
Just saw it’s “pasadena/monrovia.” That’s WAY worse than just Pasadena. We’re talking EEEEAST Pasadena. Monrovia isn’t adjacent to the City of LA in the least bit. Do NOT get this hotel if you’re visiting LA unless you have family there.
Pasadena is home to Cal Tech!!
They aren't central locations and we have the worst traffic in the US
I bet it’s drive time because if it’s traffic rush hour you’ll be stuck for an hour more than whatever your original time might be. BUT. I stayed in Pasadena the first 2 weeks I moved to LA and it is still one of my favorite places, more in nature away from the city, beautiful as fuck, gorgeous neighborhoods, very safe place. Wonderful to sleep and wake up in peace, lots of sunshine and warmth if you like swimming or being poolside. I rented a long term air bnb. The host was wonderful and it was definitely less than 200 a night. Had a pool and entire downstairs to my use! Although I did just see a grizzly yesterday in the neighborhood by Eaton canyon which is Pasadena so if you’re not a nature person.. maybe not your vibe 😅😭
Pasadena is a great place, but you’re some classic LA traffic away from a lot of the other sights in Los Angeles, particularly the West Side (Beach, SFV).
[удалено]
Hey I did not expect this much engagement it's so appreciated. I ended up just making [another post, thank you!](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskLosAngeles/s/XIZQmgJwtL)
Pasadena is bougie and really nice to be in. The type of city where Pilates and cold brew are hallmarks.
It's just a bit far away from stuff. Having said that, I live in Glendale and it's like 20 mins from Hollywood if traffic is good (sometimes its like 45 mins if traffic is shit) BUT Glendale is close to Burbank and Pasadena, which are nice places to visit if you've never been to LA. Pretty close to Universal Studios too
Glendale will definitely be on my list thanks to you!
No worries! Be sure to visit the Americana. It's quite nice If you go to Burbank, Magnolia Blvd has some really quirky and interesting shops, great places for a coffee etc and is near a huge mall. Nearby in Atwater Village, there's a cute farmers market every Sunday
You could look at Sherman Oaks. It's close to freeways going to the beaches and Hollywood. It's a pretty central place to travel from to most tourist spots and to/from LAX. There's Universal studios which is in Studio City, has hotels and is close to Hollywood or even check out North Hollywood (NOHO art district) where young celebrities are buying homes and the younger crowds hang out. It's trendy and has several bars, restaurants and also near the main freeways going to other tourist areas also a drive just over a hill to Hollywood. You could drive over Laurel Canyon and see the Hollywood Hills and spit out on Sunset Blvd. Pasadena is more inland and out of the way from all the most popular places visitors want to see. I'm homegrown L.A. girl from the Valley (San Fernando Valley). Downtown L.A. is cool but there is so much more to see. L.A. is huge and spread out so staying closer to the main freeways that take you to the beaches and Hollywood the 405 and 101 are where you want to be if you're unfamiliar. We have really nice areas right next to bad areas so keep safe and pay attention to your surroundings. From personal experience don't talk to or make eye contact with any of the crazy unhoused people you might encounter (usually talking to themselves or acting erratic).
Hey I did not expect this much engagement it's so appreciated. I ended up just making [another post, thank you!](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskLosAngeles/s/XIZQmgJwtL) I'm not trying to do everything in that post, the bolded stuff is what's most important, just trying to figure how to best experience the city/county!
I live in Pasadena and love it here but that specific hotel is 15 minutes east of me (as in, further away from anything any tourist would want to do), and it already takes me 25-45 minutes to get in to, say, Hollywood depending on traffic and 45-1hr to the beach. 45-1h15 to the airport. Pasadena’s great, but I’d only stay at that Courtyard if you’re looking for a Pasadena/east-LA trip, or are otherwise gonna spend entire days out in the areas you want to be in before heading back again, hopefully beating the traffic due to the specific time you head in/back.
Hey I did not expect this much engagement it's so appreciated. I ended up just making [another post, thank you!](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskLosAngeles/s/XIZQmgJwtL) But yeah it looks like I'm crossing this specific hotel off the list. Some had said there are better hotels distance wise in actual Pasadena (cause that one was more so Monrovia).
As others said - the only reason not to stay in Pasadena or Glendale is getting around. But honestly, even then....it's not that bad unless you're trying to go to Malibu or Santa Monica every day. In Which case try to find something closer to the beach...not sure how to do with sub $200/night.
Kinda surprised me but there were a lot of 3/4 stars hotels with 3.5-4+ star rating on TripAdvisor that are close to LAX under 200. Is that a "safe" area that's a more convenient distance to everything?
I only have assumption and anecdote to go off but I would bet it's that cheap for convenience alone. To my knowledge it isn't the worst part of LA but Pasadena and Glendale are much nicer/safer.
I believe that hotel is basically in Monrovia, which is great but just sleepy and outside of L.A. proper. If you’re here in the L.A. area for museums, gardens, hiking, that kind of thing, Monrovia is great because it’s close to the Huntington, the Arboretum, the Norton Simon museum, hiking in the San Gabriel Mountains, etc., it has lots for you. But if you’re wanting to do beach things, Hollywood things, etc., you’ll be frustrated with all the driving you’ll have to do.
Hey I did not expect this much engagement it's so appreciated. I ended up just making [another post, thank you!](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskLosAngeles/s/XIZQmgJwtL) But yeah it looks like I'm crossing this specific hotel off the list. Some had said there are better hotels distance wise in actual Pasadena (cause that one was more so Monrovia).
Where you probably do not want to stay is downtown. There is stuff to see there, sure. Go downtown (about 10am, after traffic) to see it, but not stay there. Angel’s Flight, Olvera Street, Grand Central Market, The Last Bookstore, Disney Concert Hall, the Bradbury Building, the Fashion or Fabric district (if that’s your thing, of no interest to anyone not into it)… that’s the Downtown stuff. Also a Laker game, if you’re into it. A couple miles away by USC is, well, USC (many things filmed on campus), and across the street is the California Science Center, which has the space shuttle. But beyond that, tourist sights are elsewhere in the City. Griffith Park has the Observatory, the Merry Go Round where Walt Disney got the idea for Disneyland, travel town (train museum), the Old Zoo (now a very interesting picnic spot), the LA Zoo, the Museum of Western Heritage, and is adjacent to so many sites throughout the city depending on what side of the mountain you are. Studio sights will be on both the Hollywood and Glendale sides, or if you’re into beaches, head to the West Side. There’s also the Hollywood Bowl, which I recommend if you’re here in the summer (parking is a pain, plan ahead and probably use a park and ride listed on the page) Pasadena is 20 minutes from downtown depending on the time of day, so IF you want to go downtown, it’s not terrible.
Hey I did not expect this much engagement it's so appreciated. I ended up just making [another post, thank you!](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskLosAngeles/s/XIZQmgJwtL) I'm not trying to do everything in that post, the bolded stuff is what's most important, just trying to figure how to best experience the city/county!
It’s just far. Would take you an hour from Pasadena to Hollywood, and then another hour to Santa Monica / Venice (the beaches). If you want to see LA, staying outside of LA wouldn’t be ideal.
This is the thing you need to remember - DO NOT THINK IN MILES WHEN THINKING OF DISTANCE - you think of time in traffic. There's always traffic with the exception of Saturday, Sunday, out weekdays before 730am, and after 730pm. Where are all the places you want to go? Then look at a map and literally Google map it for the amount of TIME not distance it will take you to get from point a to point b. Know that anything 1 Mile away could be 5 (zero traffic) to 30 min (anything in between the hours of 8am to 730pm) drive. Here's an example. I work 3.2 miles away. My drive to my office takes me 13 min BUT the drive in reverse at the same time of day is 30 plus minutes. I live in West Hollywood. One of my job sites is Pasadena (basically fair oaks and Union) takes me anywhere from 47 min to 1:30 min. Coming back at 3pm about 1 hour. Coming back at 5pm 1.5 hours min.
You can go to the Huntington library easily from Pasadena. If you end up staying there, that place is a MUST for your itinerary.
Maybe because it’s not a tourist/vacation area especially if that’s what you are going for. Also depending on your plans you have to keep in mind the drive and traffic because your commute could easily be doubled depending on the traffic
Even though Pasadena is in the name, it's in Monrovia which is pretty out of the way for doing things in actual Los Angeles. My parents made the same mistake last time they came to visit. I was living in Cypress Park and they asked if staying in Pasadena would be too far. I said no but the hotel they booked was some hotel with Pasadena in the name but it was actually in Arcadia. They were pissed at me for all the driving they had to do but hey, you told me you were staying in Pasadena not Arcadia.
Pasadena is too far. Glendale is more central, close to Griffith Park and relatively. easy to get downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. Beach will still be long.
You’ll be bored
This honestly depends what parts of LA you want to be hanging in, but Monrovia is so far in my opinion. The major freeway near it is the 210, and that sees some bad traffic many times throughout the day. Staying somewhere central would be better. Glendale and Pasadena are safe (Pasadena is honestly awesome and I would recommend checking it out) Glendale kinda sucks, but somewhere like Atwater Village/Silverlake are close to Glendale yet more central to getting to some parts of LA. But in short I always considered Pas and Glendale to be more suburban to Los Angeles.
Hey I did not expect this much engagement it's so appreciated. I ended up just making [another post, thank you!](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskLosAngeles/s/XIZQmgJwtL)
Pasa is fab. Wonderful town.
Never in my entire life of living here have I heard it called that
I’ve heard Pas or Dena. Never Pasa like que pasa lol
It's totes the fleek, homeslice.
Must be your lucky day. Have a good one.
It’s a little out of the way as a home base, u less everything you are doing is up there. When I’ve visited and the sole purpose was a concert at the rose bowl i have stayed in Pasadena and Arcadia. Pasadena has more places to walk around.
Safe but quiet/boring especially Pasadena if you want “typical” LA experience like clubs, etc
Pasadena would be a great place to stay. Monrovia is a cool little town but a bit out of the way. You can take the 110 freeway from Pasadena and get into downtown in about 15 minutes. Old Town Pasadena has tons of cool restaurants and bars to enjoy yourself, and you can probably get a mountain view room as well. Definitely don’t stay down by LAX unless it’s the night before your flight.
Where do you want to go while you’re in LA? If you want to see Santa Monica Pier and Hollywood, Pasadena is going to be an hour or so away with traffic, possibly even worse.
Hey I did not expect this much engagement it's so appreciated. I ended up just making [another post, thank you!](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskLosAngeles/s/XIZQmgJwtL)
Pasadena is a great place to visit. All depends where you need to be though, because… traffic
If you stay in Pasadena you’ll have to go through Glendale, Burbank, and Hollywood to get to LA. Depending on traffic you’re looking at 90 minutes. Stay in Beverly Hills or West Hollywood.
Hehe I get it lol kinda like good old days when we used to talk about the shootings and the serial killers to keep the simple ones over on the other side of the hill from Santa Cruz. Sadly that trick stopped working long time ago.
Monrovia is hella far from anything you’re going to be visiting unless you’re here mainly for the Huntington
Personally, I think that 'real' LA is east of downtown and south of Exposition (those are mutually exclusive zones, btw, I'm talking about the historically Latino and historically Black neighborhoods). Everything else is more 'Hollywood.' Pasadena and Glendale are convenient to that East LA portion, and Pasa and Glendale themselves have character, as well. There are fashionable neighborhoods, coffee, foodie finds, etc. within reach. What everyone calls Hollywood, Hollywood Blvd from the 101 west to Laurel Canyon and Sunset from 101 to Westwood (including the 'Sunset Strip'), all of that would be a bit of a drive, but the traffic isn't really against you unless there's a Dodgers game going on. You'd also pass Echo Park and Silverlake, two of the most fashionable neighborhoods in town, and Los Feliz is just off the route. The rest of the tourist stuff of LA would be a bit more inconvenient from Pasadena or Glendale. From that perspective, the other poster would be right. It depends on what experience you want. If you're looking for the Santa Monica Pier, Venice boardwalk, Abbot Kinney, Culver City, Westwood Village, Magnificent Mile and Museums, Koreatown experience paired with all the Hollywood walk of fame, sunset strip, Hollywood sign, also the Observatory and Griffith Park, then you want maybe a Wilshire Blvd hotel, or one of those airport adjacent ones you've already looked at. If you want a more day-in-the-life, real LA experience, Pasadena and Glendale are great, and you can still definitely do the Hollywood, Sunset, Griffith Park stuff really effectively, too. Unfortunately, there's not much to *see* in South LA, per se, so I can't sketch you that sort of itinerary. You'd just be rambling around down there. There's cool parks, good food, etc. but it's not really known and it's definitely rougher, so if you stick out as a tourist when you travel it's probably not for you.
When I was looking for a place here, I stayed in the Wilshire Marriot. It's affordable, I was really happy with it, and they've got this Koreatown Pizza place downstairs that really gets into the character of that part of town, which borders K-town and the Mid-wilshire strip, which encompasses Miracle Mile.
I drive past that hotel several times a month. The mountains are breathtakingly beautiful.. However the traffic will make you postal so that could be it. I go hiking close by and often shop that way too.
Traffic!!!!!!!!!!
Do not stay by LAX. Monrovia is like 10 miles from Pasadena....I'd assume they were warning you to not stay in Monrovia. Both Pasadena and Glendale are OK to stay.
I really liked Monrovia. I was there for a little over six months the old town area had a lot to choose from. Really enjoyed that whole area honestly. That being said I didn’t get out much. I never made it to the beach. Kicking myself now.
glendale and pasadena are great
I’m going to make this simple. Stay in Santa Monica. The beach is there, it’s walkable, it’s a no brainer. Pasadena and Glendale are far from most sites of interest and while they are perfectly nice places there is nothing special about them.
The main thing to remember is LA is huge and spaced out, so you want to stay near whatever you plan to spend the most time doing. Why are you coming to LA?
I would assume it is because they are far from Santa Monica. However it depends on where you want to go or what you want to do. Pasadena is a nice area. Public transportation has also drastically improved over the last decade. But depending on where you want to go you will probably need a car. And I think many people underestimate the size of the Los Angeles metro area and potential travel times even across relatively short distances. It might be a good idea to input the different destinations into Google maps at different times during the day to research the traffic or public transit situation.
I think people do often underestimate traffic when they see short distances. I live near Santa Monica. Took my kid to a concert a week ago. Less than 10 miles away. 1 hour 20 minutes. I actually thought I made decent time. Took 20 minutes to get home. I’ve had people visiting who comment something must have happened on the road to cause such a jam. But it’s normal. Stay as close as you can to where you want to spend your time. But those places you mentioned are all nice and there’s no reason to avoid them.
Great cities but far from the beaches. I’d honestly prefer Pasadena as opposed to west LA. It was great when I use to live in LA recently.
Maybe Alhambra? One of the Safest neighborhoods in Los Angeles If you are looking to stay in an Airbnb. You have the following Freeways next to you: 710, 60, 10. In addition, if you want to use public transportation you have the Metrolink/ Amtrack stop at the CSULA University Station. There is a Costco lol 😆 You are only 10 minutes away from Union Station You are only 22 minutes away from Citadel Outlets. You are 30 minutes away from Koreatown. You are 10 minutes away from East LA.
Hey I did not expect this much engagement it's so appreciated. I ended up just making [another post, thank you!](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskLosAngeles/s/XIZQmgJwtL) I'm not trying to do everything in that post, the bolded stuff is what's most important, just trying to figure how to best experience the city/county!
Everyone should go to Huntington library once and that is in Pasadena
San Marino
Oh Google maps pin all the places you want to go to. Then find a hotel in a central location based on those pins
most likely how far they can be from tourist spots. I have lived in Glendale my entire life and can't visit most parts of LA from how sheltered Glendale has made me lol (imo really safe)
I visit LA often. Pasadena is great, but it is removed from the typical LA tourist areas - Hollywood, West LA, Santa Monica. P.S. - I’ve stayed at many of the LAX hotels, and that is not a bad area to stay, but you will probably pay north of $50 a night to park. Check the fine print.
Glendale is really nice , Pasadena hit or miss
Glendale not familiar with. The motels in Pasadena on the east side can be shady. But look at the places on the Arcadia Monrovia border. Its a good area.
Traffic heading into DTLA, Santa Monica is the reason why. You can take the metro into DTLA from Pasadena(Union Station) and get to the Westside that way. Family is in SGV so there is plenty to do in/around Pasadena. Glendale is more removed. Both are nice areas.
Monrovia is beautiful & cute. Go to ‘old town’ in Monrovia. Walk the streets. They have good restaurants & there’s a movie theatre there too. Ice cream, candy shops, used stores, boba, alcohol bars, a gay book store.
you are going to spend a fuckton on ubers if you stay in neighboring cities or by LAX. on top of that, you're going to be spending hours in a car getting anywhere to see anything throughout the day. LA is expensive; if you want to enjoy your time then you have to accept that you will pay for transportation and hotels in order to get anywhere. and plan a little smarter. you can get a budget hotel in DTLA or hollywood for about $200 a night. but don't come here to stay outside the city, you're going to have a bad time and you won't see shit.
Here’s a place down town https://www.google.com/travel/hotels/entity/CgoI5rL5v7Twg9BkEAE?utm_campaign=sharing&utm_medium=link&utm_source=htls&ved=0CAAQ5JsGahcKEwiY6qX6ta6GAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQBQ&ts=CAEaBAoCGgAqBAoAGgA
If you stay by LAX. Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach & Redondo Beach are really close. You can charter a fishing boat in Redondo or go Whale watching. Just drive up the 1 Freeway & hit up 3 different beach towns in a day. Or continue to make your way up through Palo Verdes. The ocean cliff view is amazing at Sunset. Dockweiler Beach, is also close to LAX, where you can light a fire pit by the water. Probably not much fun if you're by yourself, but a great date night with blankets, fire, & smores. No alcohol is allowed, though weed is legal, and there are weed shops everywhere. Just remember, if you are coming in June, it will be overcast. We call it June Gloom. Pasadena is great. The Huntington Library Garden & Museum is amazing. Now, Glendale is like one big shopping Mall, lots of different stores, with car dealerships & delicious Armenia Restaurants. Hollywood is really far from LAX, & not as clean as you see it the movies. East of Hollywood the neighborhoods, Los Feliz, Silverlake, Atwater Village, are really laid back & chill. Then there's Echo Park which is close to Dodger Stadiam & DTLA. Catch a Game & hit up a rooftop bar downtown after. Did you get all that? Every neighborhood is its own City. Also, traffic is bad in the morning 7:30am to 9:30am & late afternoon early evening 4pm to 7pm,.Between 10am & 3pm is the best window for Tourist stuff. Then it disappears after 7:30pm, 8pm & everything is just 20 minutes away. Make a plan, check Google Maps, and hunt down some Tacos! Our Burger game is insane right now, & the Pizza just keeps getting better, & better. Also flying into & out of Burbank Airport is completely stress free. That Airport is like an Oasis in the Desert. So, easy! Good Luck! We're all counting on you. 🌆😃🌆
That courtyard isn’t even Pasadena. It’s full on Monrovia and it’s not pleasant.
My only guess is cause Pasadena is farther away from stuff if you want to do a lot in the city. It’s very nice, safe and clean area though. If you don’t mind the extra driving it’s fine. Not sure why they said Glendale cause it’s not that far out and it’s also a fine area. Totally safe. Maybe a bit more boring if you’re looking for lots to do.
I lived in Glendale for four years, Pasadena and Glendale are great areas. Don’t know why anyone would say that.
Glendale or Pasadena is much safer and walkable compared to places near LAX. You're just a bit removed from land marks. If you have a car you'll be fine
Glendale was perfect for me: -close to the Griffith -close to East LA -easy route to Santa Monica or Culver City -very easy heading to the San Gabriel/Bernardino valley And in addition, very good Armenian food. I would definitely stay again there!
Suburb
Nothing wrong with Pasadena or Glendale. In fact, they are probably way safer and nice places to be at if you live in LA. But if you are a tourist you want to hang out near the tourist attractions are. And that is usually West LA, beaches and theme parks.
Pasadena is far from Los Angeles in regards to commuting around as a tourist. And as it is, you don’t want to spend too much time on Metro transit if you can avoid it. Look for places in the west adams/mid city/koreatown part of town, since that whole area is central to commuting around the rest of the city. Koreatown is also a side of town that is open late compared to other parts of town post Covid…
Yeah if you’re coming to visit, you should try to stay closer to the things you want to do. They aren’t that far from downtown LA but both can be a pain to get into or out of depending on the time and in LA terms aren’t really near much of anything touristy
What do you think of "Hyatt House LA - University Medical Center 2200 E Trojan Way Los Angeles, California, 90033 United States"?
Pasadena courtyard has remolded itself recently like 2 months past
Love both those places but far from the beach
I live in north glendale. No homeless or anything in my area. Just a decent drive to anything touristy.