Post: #1

I am going to LA on Monday or Tuesday.

I have been there before and thought that the place sucked for the following reasons :

1. Not a city built for people. You need a car to get ANYWHERE.

2. Everything is spread out and there is no real nightlife zone.

3. Because you have to drive to get anywhere you cannot even drink unless you have somebody giving you a lift or you take a really expensive taxi.

4. People seem artificial and fake and wont give you the time if day unless you can help them in their movie / music career.

Can anyone convince me otherwise? What is good about LA?

Post: #2

skip LA and drive up to santa barbara

Post: #3

(03-20-2010 12:34 PM)Lumiere Wrote:  I am going to LA on Monday or Tuesday.

1. Not a city built for people. You need a car to get ANYWHERE.

2. Everything is spread out and there is no real nightlife zone.

3. Because you have to drive to get anywhere you cannot even drink unless you have somebody giving you a lift or you take a really expensive taxi.

4. People seem artificial and fake and wont give you the time if day unless you can help them in their movie / music career.

Can anyone convince me otherwise? What is good about LA?

1. Yes, if you're a tourist and looking to go long distances here and there, you need a car. If you live here or are focusing on only one area, there are certainly walkable neighborhoods: http://www.walkscore.com/rankings/Los_Angeles . The Green areas are pedestrian friendly.

2. Things are spread out, true but you can focus on one area and find plenty to do. And once you are there, you don't have to go to far. Like you can make Hollywood your focus, or Long Beach, or Santa Monica and once you're there, you have plenty of options since these are pretty much cities in their own right. People that wonder why everything in L.A. is spread out, well it's because all these areas are pretty much independent cities that eventually spread out until they overlapped. Pasadena, Long Beach and downtown L.A. used to be independent entities separated by orange fields a hundred years ago. Now it's just one big megalopolis. That's why it's so dispersed. As for night life zone, there are many night life ZONES. E. Hollywood near Hollywood blvd and Cahuenga, West Hollywood along the sunset strip. If you're gay, there's the whole damn Santa Monica blvd strip, there's Hermosa Beach, Los Feliz, Santa Monica main street, downtown L.A., downtown Long Beach, Westwood Village, Beverly Hills. Silverlake, Ecco Park, Koreatown. Pasadena, Glendale, Abbot Kinney area in Venice. All these places got their own nightlife going on. It's kind of ridiculous for people to say there's no nightlife zone here. There's a bunch of zones.

3) It's a problem, but there are ways around it. Pick a hotel in the green area on the map above to, and then stick to the nightlife of that zone. We do have a limited subway. The red line is most useful for those running between downtown L.A. and Hollywood. So if you are staying downtown, you can catch the train up there and party in HW. From downtown, you can also catch the purple line to party Koreatown/mid-Wilshire. There's another train that goes down to Long Beach but it's above ground, and ditto for Pasadena. Only thing that sucks is the train stops running kinda early. That really blows.

4) That's a stereotype and an exaggeration, and it depends on who you're rubbing elbows with. There are as many cool people here as anywhere. You might find more of that attitude in the posh clubs with velvet ropes out front. But that's not the majority of venues. You certainly won't find that Hollywood attitude in one of the hipster areas like Los Feliz, Silver Lake or Ecco Park. And certainly not in Venice which has a bohemian vibe.

Post: #4

A lot of truth to these generalizations, but...

2. Everything is spread out and there is no real nightlife zone.

Try to stay near an area you like and focus on that. For instance Abbot Kinney in Venice. Each area can have it's own nightlife. Or you can stay in an area that is kind of central, like the zone between Hollywood/West Hollywood/Bev Hills. In a way that area is a no man's land but I like it b/c it's an easy drive to the westside, eastside, and if you want, clubs in Hollywood. You can also walk to lots of restaurants around there.

4. People seem artificial and fake and wont give you the time if day unless you can help them in their movie / music career.

Millions of people live and work in LA who have nothing to do with the entertainment business. So yes, if you hang out at paparazzi/celeb spotting types of places, you will be miserable. But it's easy to stay clear of that scene, and meet "regular" people.

Post: #5

LA sucks

Post: #6

Lumiere,

I was just in LA.

Day Game, Day Game, Day Game.

After 20 years, I have come to the realization West Coast nightlife mostly blows in comparatively to other parts of the world:

No Smoking
1:30 - 2 am last call
Minimal pedestrian vibe (save SF)

These three things are beyond ridiculous.

Also, they always ask you for your goddam ID anytime you try to buy cigarettes or go to a bar in CA. Can really wear on you.

The Day Game however is good.

Post: #7

(03-21-2010 08:10 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  The Day Game however is good.

where are the good day game spots

Post: #8

"where are the good day game spots "

I am sure Speakeasy will be able to weigh in heavy here.

I was just in Beverly Hills this weekend and its pretty good for high end girls. Right before I left, I met a really attractive older woman that lives in Ibiza. I may have to take her up on her offer to visit her.

Melrose, Rodeo are real solid, as any shopping districts in LA.

Fred Segal is real solid.

Santa Monica is good too, as most the beaches are.

When I was younger I used to roll around LA a lot and hit on waitress and retail girls.

I am sure around UCLA is good, although I don't think I have been there in a long time.

I really think the move in LA is to roll around day side meet girls then meet up with them at night.

Going into a night cold in LA can be frustrating at times especially with the clock running on you and last call so early.

I really cannot stand early last calls.

Post: #9

(03-21-2010 09:00 PM)Lumiere Wrote:  where are the good day game spots

The beach is a good spot. Around Hermosa and Santa Monica Piers, there's tons of girls hanging out. It's not hard to just walk up and join some girls in a game of volleyball. Just look and see what games look short on people and say, "Hey you guys look like you're one person short of a complete team". Can't imagine them turning you away. That's an excellent way to meet chics at the beach and endless opportunities to tease and neg when they dive for the ball and end up with sand in their face. It's hard to approach girls if they're just laying down and tanning. Guys do it, but I think it's easier to join them for a game because you know they're already in an active and social mood at that point.

Other places...the gym if you know how to work gym game. I haven't cracked that nut though, so I can't help you. I made a post about it in the girl forum. If you're visiting, just go get a trial pass at your nearest 24 hour fitness or Spectrum Club. Hit it during the day to workout. L.A. gyms are packed with hotties, though sometimes it can be hit or miss admittedly. Go to one on the west side for your best odds, somewhere like Pacific Palisades, Beverly Hills or Santa Monica. The later in the year the better as all the porkers with new year's resolutions will have dropped out.

Venice beach is great for day game. The attitude there is very non-pretentious, though there may be too many dread-locked bohemian girls for some guy's tastes.

3rd street Promenade in Santa Monica should be good so long as you look like you're there for a purpose and not just standing on the street curb yelling "wussup girl" at every chic that walks by like you're still in high school.

UCLA/Westwood is a great place to be during the day. So is Melrose Blvd in Hollywood, near the Fairfax district. Should be plenty of stuff walking around the Kodak Theatre complex as there's all kinds of stuff there.

I don't get down to Beverly Hills too often even though it's just over the hill from me, but I'm sure we can take the G's word on that.

Check the LA Weekly paper or Metromix.com and see if there's any daytime cultural festivals going on at a park or some street intersection. These sort of things happen all the time. We recently had some big foodie event in downtown L.A. where all these different types of cuisine were there. I heard it was dope but I didn't make it. But yeah, stuff like that will always have chics walking around looking for cool experiences.

Post: #10

Btw, where is Kona's trip report???

Post: #11

So I am in LA now.

Anyone else in town who wants to hang out?

Also, anyone have any contacts in the adult industry here? Might be able to get a decent interview / article out of it. You contact could be a guy or a girl. Anyone with an "in" (no pun intended) on the adult scene.

PM me.

Post: #12

Lumiere and Kona,

How did LA go for you guys? Shoot some feedback our way. I am going to be up there AGAIN this weekend.

And how did San Diego go?

Post: #13

Tonight is my last night in LA

I fly to Hawaii tomorrow

I am staying downtown and I found some good places.

There is a bar on 7th and Grand called "Seven Grand" which is a really cool lounge bar with pool tables. It's on the first floor of a building.

Upscale and pool tables dont usually mix but this place really pulls it off.

Also they have tables that are quite cubby holed and low lit. My second night in town I took a chick there who is quite shy but had no problem hooking up with her because she felt the lighting and the tables gave us enough seclusion (would not kiss me in some other bars because we were in "public")

Outside this bar and over the road is the best taco stand I found in LA. Seriously good ! And perfect after a night out in town. Try the carnitas, the asado and the chorizo tacos. They are $1.25 each and tasty as hell.

One block from there on 8th and Olive there is another sweet bar called the Golden Gopher. Again, chill lounge bar with good music and nice secluded low lit tables. Some nights they have a DJ and they make the best White Russian I have ever tasted. Good selection of whiskies too and vintage arcade game tables that are fun to fool around on.

One block away from there, there is a decent priced hotel where I took the girl I hooked up with (my first Chinese flag - yay!). You go one block north from the Golden Gopher onto Grand and take a left and its on that block. 74 dollars for a double room. Plan to end your night at this bar if you are with a girl and walk her to the hotel after Gophers to get a room if you need one. The hotel also has a decent bar inside with a rock music bar kinda feel to it. Cool place.

Also, check out rooftop bar at the Standard Hotel. That's walking distance too. It's on 570 Flower St at the corner of sixth. Get there early enough and you will get a pod water bed to lie on. I took another chick there and it was fun fooling around on one of those things. Bar is pricey though. 8 dollars for a bottle of beer. Great view and upscale crowd.

Also worth a mention is Eddie Bar on 5th and Los Angeles. If you like dive bars, this is probably the best dive bar downtown. Also walking distance from all the places I mentioned.

I will check out Edison club tonight I think if it is open.

Post: #14

Nice. I've been to the Seven Grand. Dope little spot. Since it's your last night, check out the Broadway Bar too if you haven't. If you liked Seven Grand, you'll like Broadway too: http://www.broadwaybar.la/

Feel free to write up a field report on the girls you met.

Post: #15

Broadway is closed on Monday so I wont get to check it out.

Not too much to report on the girls. Basically I hooked up with a chinese chick on my second night and I have been hanging with her.

My first night I arrived late and was too tired to go out.

Have not really met too many American chicks on this trip. The chick I took to the standard rooftop bar was Korean American. Sweet girl but she had to leave at 11 because she gets up a 7am.

Post: #16

Lumiere, where are you from, btw? Are you doing a long-term trip or something?

Post: #17

England.

Yeah I am on a round the world trip

Post: #18

Are you convinced that La does not suck?

Post: #19

Not yet but i am enjoying it more this time

Post: #20

(03-29-2010 03:37 PM)Lumiere Wrote:  I am staying downtown and I found some good places.

I've been told not to stay Downtown - not as much of a party scene. Been recommended to stay in West Hollywood.

Anyone want to compare the two neighbourhoods from a girls/party perspective? Want to stay in one neighbourhood, and walk to everything from my hotel - day and night.

I prefer Hispanic chicks over plastic blonde barbies, so keep this in mind...

Post: #21

(04-14-2010 09:53 PM)Weapons Wrote:  

(03-29-2010 03:37 PM)Lumiere Wrote:  I am staying downtown and I found some good places.

I've been told not to stay Downtown - not as much of a party scene. Been recommended to stay in West Hollywood.

Anyone want to compare the two neighbourhoods from a girls/party perspective? Want to stay in one neighbourhood, and walk to everything from my hotel - day and night.

I prefer Hispanic chicks over plastic blonde barbies, so keep this in mind...

Stay in Hollywood.

Post: #22

It's kinda funny how when you're young the image of L.A. & Hollywood being the greatest places in the world are pushed upon you through movies, etc. and when I was 20+started to make my mind up where to travel and read about LA all I heard was "it's shit".

I havent been there, yet, and am sure there probably are some nice spots if you look for them, but still kind of interesting that so many people say it sucks

Post: #23

(04-16-2010 03:57 PM)GermanDude Wrote:  It's kinda funny how when you're young the image of L.A. & Hollywood being the greatest places in the world are pushed upon you through movies, etc. and when I was 20+started to make my mind up where to travel and read about LA all I heard was "it's shit".

I havent been there, yet, and am sure there probably are some nice spots if you look for them, but still kind of interesting that so many people say it sucks

I don't think it sucks at all. Just have to kind of plan things because it's spread out here and not so easy to get around without a car. There's plenty to do here, good beaches, best climate on earth and the girls are some of the most attractive in the world. Only thing is that if someone was planning to come here from abroad, I think it would be a pity to ONLY visit L.A. and not see the rest of the state. California is like a country unto itself with some great cities and great national parks and coastline. You need about a month here at least to do California right working your way up from the Mexican border to Napa Valley wine country and maybe the famous redwood forests of the north coast if you're really into outdoors things.

Post: #24

interesting, thx for the advice. My guess would still be that its overrated, though :-) (b/c of TV).

reminds me of how many folks i know that..when they travel to the US or Australia, they need to travel to any place thats remotedly close to their destination...........but have been living all of their lives in the middle of Europe not realizing a simple 1-2 hour plane trip can get them to just as diverse locations!

Post: #25

Yes, it sucks. Avoid like plague.