Los angeles question

[Michael Vincenzo]

I was considering a visit to Los Angeles, since I haven't been there in a few years, and wanted some advice. If I stayed in a hotel in the Westwood area of L.A., would that be far removed?

 

In the past I have stayed in West Hollywood, but I now stay loyal to Kimpton Hotels and that is where they have a hotel in Los Angeles. According to MapQuest, the hotel I am looking at is located just over four miles from West Hollywood. Although I do remember Los Angeles as a city where you need a car, would my location in Westwood be far removed for most people?

 

Any advice would be appreciated!

[RockHard]

Four miles in L.A. is considered a stone's throw.

 

I don't know any gay man, who lives in L.A. or visits L.A., who would do without a car. Even if paid-for limo service comes with the business visit, the men I know still rent a car, me included. I once visited a super hot guy in Redondo Beach while I was staying at the Four Seasons. It was a pain to get there, with the 405 and all, but he had a lovely place with water views (I think he was a kept dude) and we had a lot of fun. If gay men really want something (or someone), they tend to do crazy things. Pre-paying is evidence of that. I would hardly call staying in Westwood crazy. Convenient parking and a safe neighborhood is always nice. But some customers don't even care about those things, if the piece they want is the piece they have to have. I love my visits to L.A. Good luck.

[Epigonos]

Michael if you are planning to limit your time in the L.A. area to in calls only then there should be little problem staying in Westwood. Most of us who hire escorts realize that we have to drive some distance to meet them. For those of us who live on the east side of L.A. (Orange County) Westwood isn't that much further than West Hollywood.

 

Now as far as down time is concerned I honestly think West Hollywood is a better choice than Westwood. A number of years ago that would not have been the case but Westwood has changed a great deal in the last few year and not for the better. Lot's of empty stores and one uninteresting national chain after another. The town is, of course, dominated by UCLA and has become something of a provision area for university students. The Getty is quite close but you would still need a car to visit it.

 

West Hollywood offers more interesting shopping especially for the gay man. It also has a number a good bars and restaurants.

 

Again if down time isn't an issue for you then Westwood will be just fine. If, however, you want something to do when not spending time with clients and you don't have a car by all means stay in West Hollywood.

[rvwnsd]

Given your affinity to Kimpton Hotels, I would stay at the Kimpton in Westwood. Gay men live all over metro LA and anyone who lives there is accustomed to traveling.

[Michael Vincenzo]

Thank you!

 

Hey guys! Thank you for all of the feedback! I have been to Los Angeles many, many times but it has been at least a good two years since my last visit and was unsure.

 

Thanks again for taking the time to help me out!

[rossthebosssf]

If you're doing incalls I suppose it would be ok, but outcalls in LA? You could eaily spend two hours in your car to get to West Hollywood depending on the time of day.

 

You might want to checkout Le Parc Suites. Very roomy, kitchenette, quite location and only a few blocks to the gay epicenter. They're also very reasonably priced.

[leigh.bess.toad]

In the past I have stayed in West Hollywood, but I now stay loyal to Kimpton Hotels and that is where they have a hotel in Los Angeles.

 

Michael -- don't know anything about LA. But I've recently discovered the Kimpton Hotels and their enormous committment to the LGBT community. If I'm in a city where they are, like you, I'm going to stay there if at all humanly possible. I think we all shoud try to if we can. That and in most cities, according to TripAdvisor their hotels consistently rate among the best hotels in whatever city they are in.

 

Strangley, your committment to Kimpton makes you even more appealing to me (and trust me, you were before). When are you headed back to DC next?

[Rod Hagen]

YES!!! We've been waiting! :-)

[body2body]

I live in West Hollywood, and even in bad traffic it should not take longer than 20-25 minutes to get into West Hollywood. If someone were coming to see later in the evening or on the weekend it is only about 15 minutes. The Location on Wilshire is pretty easy to find too. Trip Advisor gives the hotel good marks. There will not be much for you to do in that neighborhood. It is primarily residential with a corridor of High Rise Condos on Wilshire. Westwood Village has some shopping and restaurants, but it will be a healthy walk to get there.

[+ Tygerscent]

Beware of Bedbugs there... kind of out of control recently I guess~ Check the bedbug registry for citations and updates.

 

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I was considering a visit to Los Angeles, since I haven't been there in a few years, and wanted some advice. If I stayed in a hotel in the Westwood area of L.A., would that be far removed?

 

In the past I have stayed in West Hollywood, but I now stay loyal to Kimpton Hotels and that is where they have a hotel in Los Angeles. According to MapQuest, the hotel I am looking at is located just over four miles from West Hollywood. Although I do remember Los Angeles as a city where you need a car, would my location in Westwood be far removed for most people?

 

Any advice would be appreciated!

[+ azdr0710]

I presume you're talking about the Palomar on Wilshire....I stayed there a few weeks ago and it was entirely fine....mandatory valet parking or street parking in the surrounding blocks....no keycard or security check to get to the rooms....convenient to 405 and very walkable over to the shops and stuff along Westwood toward UCLA (don't know if that's called Westwood Village as body2body mentioned)....in a busy area along Wilshire with lots of high-rises around (as b2b also mentioned)....I think this place was called something else fairly recently and it now is trying to be a hip, artsy-fartsy place, but the staff is friendly and not stuffy...very small and tight pool area out back.....if you can, get a room facing south on a high floor for a great view of the city and the LDS (Mormon) Temple!!....rooms on the north side face a high-rise right across Wilshire....

[Guest]

If you're doing incalls I suppose it would be ok, but outcalls in LA? You could eaily spend two hours in your car to get to West Hollywood depending on the time of day.

 

You might want to checkout Le Parc Suites. Very roomy, kitchenette, quite location and only a few blocks to the gay epicenter. They're also very reasonably priced.

 

There is absolutely no way it could every take anywhere near 2 hours to drive from Westwood to WeHo. You could easily walk the distance in 90 minutes (not that you'd want to--there's bus service for the desperate!). Assuming you have a car, it's easy to get to WeHo, and Westwood is a pleasant neighborhood. The Armand Hammer Museum, albeit one of the smaller museums in the county, has some surprisingly nice works of art--don't miss it.

[+ Charlie]

Re: Rockhard's comment.

 

Raulgmanzo will gladly talk your ear off about why it is unnecessary to have a car to get around in Los Angeles.

 

And why assume that all gay activity in the area takes place only in WeHo?

[Steven_Draker]

There is absolutely no way it could every take anywhere near 2 hours to drive from Westwood to WeHo.

 

It could take 2 hours or up if you run out of gas and push the car ...

[raulgmanzo]

There is absolutely no way it could every take anywhere near 2 hours to drive from Westwood to WeHo. You could easily walk the distance in 90 minutes (not that you'd want to--there's bus service for the desperate!). Assuming you have a car, it's easy to get to WeHo, and Westwood is a pleasant neighborhood. The Armand Hammer Museum, albeit one of the smaller museums in the county, has some surprisingly nice works of art--don't miss it.

 

Sometimes the bus is FASTER than driving thanks to the bus only lanes. Wilshire has 24 hour service and two levels of express buses one of which overrides some street lights and has information signs at stops as to the arrival time of the next bus. The fastest express bus makes like only 4 stops between downtown and Beverly Hills.

Los Angeles has the nations third largest transit system (after NYC and Chicago).

 

Once I took an express bus from Vermont Ave to a trendy bar in West Hollywood, when I got to the bar and someone asked how I got there they were like "ooo, yuck, you took the bus?" Then the owner of the bar (and another one of L.A.s trendiest bars) came over and said hi. He and I had met on that bus. I never asked why he slums it on the bus I just assumed like many folks in big cities that he would rather concentrate on something else than traffic. I found it ironic that these bars were filled with guys who wouldn't dream of taking a bus and yet the succesful man who created and owns the bars wasn't above taking whatever transportation worked.

 

But yeah I would rather stay in West Hollywood than Westwood and would rather stay in Hollywood than West Hollywood. Hollywood is more central, easier to get a cab,

has subway service and a couple of 24 hour bus routes not too mention lots of places to walk to for everything imaginable.

 

Having said that, Westwood is not the worst place, there is 24 hour bus service and you would be surprised how many normally carbound well off people DO take the bus during rush hour anyway. And if you happen to be a zip car member there are zipcars available in and around UCLA so you can rent a car by the hour. Also there is flyaway bus service available from LAX to Westwood.

 

Epigonos is correct of course that the Getty is not that far, but of course you don't need a car to get there. Take the Sepulveda bus. Though frankly a bicycle is more fun, sure its a long uphill ride but coming back is absolutely wonderful, downhill for miles! A fun loop is up Runyon Canyon (try and do it without standing up!), along Mullholland to Sepulveda.

 

Now I admit that much of the region is tough or even impractical without a car, even most of the L.A. area will be easier with a car. But because of the transitways, HOV and bus only lanes, and because of the Metro and Metrolink, there ARE some trips in the area that are easier WITHOUT a car. But the idea that you NEED a car is FALSE.

 

Nearly all of my L.A. appts have been outcalls but mostly in Downtown, Silverlake, MidWilshire, Hollywood, and WestHollywood. All of those areas are served by transit 24 hours a day and getting a taxi is not unreasonable.

[raulgmanzo]

And why assume that all gay activity in the area takes place only in WeHo?

 

Some of the most fun "gay" activity is in Silverlake though I know the area seems to frighten some WeHo folks.