HappyStay creates a guide to LA neighborhoods

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Published on Apr. 18, 2016

Welcome to the first of a series of articles entitled “A guide to LA” brought to you by your friendly neighborhood HappyStay team.
  1. A guide to LA. Neighborhoods of Los Angeles
  2. A guide to LA. Co-working spaces in Los Angeles
  3. A guide to LA. Hotels or Airbnb apartments?
  4. A guide to LA. Transportation in Los Angeles
  5. A guide to LA Where to go out and the best nontouristy things to do in Los Angeles
  6. A guide to LA. The cost of living in Los Angeles
 
So you’ve decided to move to L.A., or you’re planning on working there for a while during a business trip?
That’s what I did a few months ago, and I bet you’ll have the same questions I did when attempting to plan my California adventure: what’s the best area to stay in? How much will it cost? Will I get my own personal palm tree?
If you found yourself asking any of the above questions, this series of posts is here to be a comprehensive guide for you. In this segment, we did our best to review the best neighborhoods in the city of Los Angeles.
We at HappyStay have helped many people find a hotel or temporary home in Los Angeles — mostly business travelers who don’t have time to find great accommodations in their busy schedules. They come to L.A. for a short period of time and need great living conditions for a reasonable price. This is where we come into the picture. Through our experiences with helping people find the best place to stay in L.A. we’ve created a handy list of the neighborhoods in the City of Angels that we usually recommend.
 
The challenge:
  • The accommodation should be relatively close to the ocean — you’re coming to the coast, you want to be close to the beach, right? (Our apologies to Pasadena.)
  • There should be shared office space close by in the neighborhood for your convenience.
  • The neighborhood and the accommodations should both be safe and clean
  • There should be supermarkets — probably super healthy and organic — malls, and restaurants close by
  • There’s a space for you to leave your car (everybody in LA has a car, right?)
  • It should be affordable, while still close to main attractions, LAX and highways
 
It’s a tall order, but we’ve got this. To narrow the results of our search, we’ll focus on west L.A. (That means excluding Pasadena, Irvine, and Newport Beach. They’re all great cities, and while it’s very comfortable to live there, but they’re a bit far from the action.)
 
During our search for the perfect places to stay, we made sure to pay attention to must-have amenities, like 24-hour check-in and good reviews from previous visitors. For business purposes, they should also be laptop friendly with good wi-fi. With all of the criteria above in mind, we’d like to think we’ve found some great options that won’t break the bank.
 

Culver city

First stop on the tour: we on the HappyStay team often recommend that our clients rent an apartment in Culver City. The main reason being that it’s one of the most perfectly located neighborhoods you could ask for — it’s close to everything, including the beach and main highways. From there, it takes only 20 minutes to get to LAX, downtown, or Santa Monica.
Besides the fact that it’s conveniently located, Culver City has a whole lot going on. Not only is it home of former MGM Studios (now Sony Pictures), but there’s a rich history to be found in the Helms Bakery District, which offers delicious eats and unique shopping opportunities you wouldn’t find anywhere else. Those who want to get off the beaten track can hit the trails on the Baldwin Hills to the overlook for breathtaking 360-degree sights and sounds of the entire city. With three-story malls, supermarkets, restos and fitness center, Culver City sets itself apart as an all-in-one paradise underneath the golden California sunshine.

Lodging in Culver city, LA

  • Airbnb private rooms — from $95 per night
  • Airbnb homes or apartments — from $150 — $180 per night
  • Motels — from $120 per night
  • 3-star hotels — from $200 per night

Co-workings in Culver city, LA

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrRNoXjd6nc autoplay:0]

Downtown

To get the real, genuine feel of Los Angeles, look no further than downtown. The racing cultural heart of the city, it has a bit of everything that you want, and some things you never knew you needed. Delicious places to nosh will delight your tastebuds, while museums, modern and street art will be an absolute feast for your eyes. Your ears will be able to sample operas and concerts at many of the city’s top-notch halls and musical venues.
Whether you prefer the Fashion district to shop ’til you drop, or the Arts District to connect an eternally youthful community of creativity, there’s no doubt that this is the place to be. Travelers in the city on business will also enjoy a vast amount of co-working spaces to choose from, close to so many attractions. It’s also very easy to get around without the use of a car, making your need for parking space null and void!

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlwkuaGTqFk autoplay:0]

Lodging in Downtown Los Angeles

  • Airbnb private rooms — from $120 per night
  • Airbnb homes or apartments — from $150 per night
  • 3 and 4-stars hotels — from $200 per night
  • (The HappyStay team would like it noted that there’s no such thing as free parking downtown, and street parking is up to $5 per hour.)

Co-workings in Downtown LA

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFGe0tPat9s autoplay:0]

Silicon beach — Santa Monica, Venice and Playa del Rey

Close to the ocean and LAX, these locations have it all (even free parking, if you’re willing to walk for awhile). Silicon Beach is the place where big IT companies and newly funded startups rent — it’s the hub of innovation. (Google, Snapchat and Dollar Shave Club are all have offices here, just to name a few.) Why’s this important? Well, half of people who come to HappyStay for hotel recommendations work for tech companies, so it’s not surprising that they want to find a temporary home in one of the largest technology cradles in the world.
Santa Monica was named one of the Top 10 Beach Cities in the World by National Geographic, and for good reason. It’s one of the L.A. attractions that draws both tourists and locals to its beautiful shores and iconic pier. There’s something for everyone here, with shopping and incredible nightlife, an amusement park which features a historic carousel, and plenty of restaurants to delight every palate. The laid back all-fun all the time atmosphere of Santa Monica is not to be missed.
Venice Beach is the epitome of the California experience — it’s literally what you see in the movies. From greased up Gold’s Gym bodybuilders to unique street performers and beach enthusiasts, people from all around the world come here to soak it all in. Abbot Kinney, “the coolest block in America” is located here, as are the historic Venice Canals, a hidden gem in the midst of a party that hosts people from all walks of life.
 
 

Lodging in Silicon beach

  • Airbnb private rooms in Santa Monica, Venice, Playa del Rey — from $80 per night
  • Airbnb homes or apartments — from $150 per night
  • 3-star hotels — from $150 per night
  • 4-stars hotels — from $220 per night

Co-workrings in Santa Monica, Venice and Playa del Rey

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_ZKmxCElPs autoplay:0]

Echo park and Silver lake

 
 
You’re guaranteed to fall in love with Echo Park and Silver Lake from day one. If you want to live like a local, in some of the most affordable housing options available, these neighborhoods are a good place to make your home. Quiet and cozy streets are full of the lush rustle of palm trees, L.A.’s iconic craftsman houses, and incredibly friendly neighbors.
Silver Lake has one of L.A.’s most exciting and diverse populations, with a mostly Latino populous and tons of creative and artists settling there. Sunset Junction, the center of the neighborhood, has tons of ways to spend an incredible trip without ever venturing further than your own backyard. With hip coffee houses, famous nightlife venues, and dozens of multicultural eateries, Silver Lake will impress and enchant you — you’ll never want to leave. 
 
 Echo Park is the neighborhood where you’ll find the famous Dodgers Stadium and Echo Park Lake, where paddle-boating in the sunshine is a great way to spend an afternoon. Tucked into the excitement and surrounded by the Elysian Park and Valley, Silver Lake, and Chinatown, it’s filled with diverse, quirky shops, top music clubs, and some of the best views in the city for those who brave the Baxter Street Stairs.
 

Lodging in Silver Lake and Echo Park

  • Airbnb private rooms — from $80 per night
  • Airbnb entire homes or apartments — $110 per night
  • **Hotels not available, but there is plenty of free parking!

Coworkings near Echo park and Silver lake

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_j4WfXKxAWw autoplay:0]

LAX Gateway

Los Angeles international airport is one of the best places on the Earth to watch planes landing
 
If you’re looking for modern hotels — including every major hotel brand you can probably think of — the LAX Gateway has got you covered. Nestled in between Marina Del Rey and Manhattan Beach, it’s a great layover location, or a temporary stay from which to head out into the world on further travels. As a bonus, it’s also close to Venice Beach and Santa Monica. Here you can find as much luxury as you like, or choose to stay in more simplistic, quiet comfort. Whatever kind of accommodation you choose, you can always hop on the Ocean Express, a private shuttle carrying its passengers to the beaches close by, as well as shopping and dining.

Lodging in LAX Gateway

  • Airbnb private room — from $70 per night
  • Airbnb home or apartment — from $10 per night
  • 3-star hotels — $150 per day

Co-workings in LAX Gateway

Here’s the thing, we didn’t actually find any coworking spaces right next to LAX, but there are many of them in Marina Del Rey, which is only about a 15-minute drive.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAwPZ34RJIA autoplay:0]

Hollywood and West Hollywood

Those who are interested in looking at the stars (and we’re not talking about the kind you need to see with a telescope) might consider staying in Hollywood and West Hollywood, where the city’s elite make their homes. This world-famous, LGBT-friendly neighborhood has some of the best nightlife around, in a locale famous for rooftop pools and celebrities galore. Those who are looking to shop or dine here will have no difficult spotting famous brands and fabulous finds — just like they’ll have no trouble spotting the rich and famous who come around here on the regular.

Lodging in Hollywood and West Hollywood

  • Airbnb private room — from $60 per night
  • Airbnb home or apartment — $75 per night
  • 3-star hotel — from $180 per night
  • Double Bed Private Room in hostel — from $54 per night

Co-working spaces in Hollywood and West Hollywood

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuromTIVqEs autoplay:0]

Beverly Hills

Beverly Hills

If there’s one place on earth that might be synonymous with the high life, it’s Beverly Hills. Unparalleled in luxuries, those who wish for a taste of pure luxury ought to have a closer look here. This world-famous neighborhood is home to exclusive designer boutiques, 5-star restaurants, elegant theaters, as well as parks and the kind of nightlife that makes you wish the party would go on and on… It should be noted that the co-workings here are scant, so you’ll need a car to get around, but there’s lots of free parking, and it’s a pretty glamorous trade-off.

Lodging in Beverly Hills

  • Airbnb private room — from $75 per night
  • Airbnb homes or apartments — from $120 per night
  • 3-star hotel — from $180 per night
  • 4-star hotel — from $220 per night

Co-working spaces in Beverly Hills

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XXszQqSg8k autoplay:0]

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