Consolidated "Getting to/from _____ in the Los Angeles area" thread
#166
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: ORD, JFK, EWR, LGA
Programs: AA Lifetime Platinum, Air Canada Aeroplan, Delta Sky Miles
Posts: 213
Metro Blue Line Advice - Downtown LA to LGB
I will be in downtown L.A. next weekend, and on Saturday I'll need to go to Long Beach (downtown area). Will not have a car, so am considering what appears to be the easiest route - the Metro Blue Line. I will leave L.A. for Long Beach in the early afternoon, and return sometime early evening.
Insofar as the route travels through some scary parts of L.A., is this trip presumed to be reasonably safe? Any advice from regular riders?
Are there any other transit alternatives? If perhaps the return journey in the early evening is questionable, I presume I could do a Super Shuttle to LAX, and another one to downtown. Much more costly and cumbersome, unless anyone has any other ideas.
Any comments and suggestions will be deeply appreciated.
Insofar as the route travels through some scary parts of L.A., is this trip presumed to be reasonably safe? Any advice from regular riders?
Are there any other transit alternatives? If perhaps the return journey in the early evening is questionable, I presume I could do a Super Shuttle to LAX, and another one to downtown. Much more costly and cumbersome, unless anyone has any other ideas.
Any comments and suggestions will be deeply appreciated.
#167
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: The shape-shifting urban sprawl that is El Lay. FT member #71.
Programs: UA Gold & MM; DL & AA credit card dirt status; Hilton Diamond; Marriott Fool's Gold
Posts: 4,690
#168
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: SoCal
Programs: AA, USAir, UA
Posts: 868
While some of the MTA's bus routes through bad neighborhoods can be scary, the Metro lines are generally well patrolled by Sheriffs and have video monitoring and emergency calls for all stations. My college freshman niece regularly rides the blue line at late night *by herself* end to end. Her comment: "I had way more problems in Italian train stations..."
#169
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 138
I realize I'm just echoing others here, but you shouldn't worry about it at all. The people who have to worry are those dumb souls who drive over the tracks and get hit on rare occasion. The train itself is safe. I live in LGB and have taken it several times to go downtown without feeling unsafe once. I only wish I worked downtown so I could ride it everyday. Instead, I sit on the 405 driving all the way up to Westwood. Ugh.
#170
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Laguna Niguel, CA
Posts: 3,780
http://www.pantrycafe.com/ You can usually park for free on the street by the pantry if it is not during the business day.
#171
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: SoCal
Programs: AA, USAir, UA
Posts: 868
That's TWO subways, since you'd have to change from the purple line (Wilshire/Western) to the Blue line to get to Staples.
If I were looking for transit routing, I'd go to www.metro.net....
(...and most of their fastest routes seem to be one or two bus routes at first glance...)
#172
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Pasadena, California
Programs: UA 1K, 1MM
Posts: 10,412
But, couldn't one just walk from the red/purple line stop at 7th Street Metro Center (where one would transfer from the red or purple to the blue) to the Staples Center? I didn't think it was that far of a walk. According to metro.net, it's just ~0.15 miles.
#173
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: SoCal
Programs: AA, USAir, UA
Posts: 868
But, couldn't one just walk from the red/purple line stop at 7th Street Metro Center (where one would transfer from the red or purple to the blue) to the Staples Center? I didn't think it was that far of a walk. According to metro.net, it's just ~0.15 miles.
The nearest 7th street metro station exit is 7th and Figueroa
The Northeast corner of Staples center is 11th and Figueroa
Mapquest calls it 0.5 miles, Delome calls it 0.6 miles.
YMMV, but four LA blocks sure isn't 0.15 miles in my estimation.
(and the Original Pantry is at 9th and Figueroa)
#174
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,638
#175
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 1999
Programs: FB Silver going for Gold
Posts: 21,811
LAX to Pasadena and back on a Friday afternoon?
I'm buying something on Ebay from someone in Pasadena. I want to pick it up during a 7.5 hr layover at LAX (on a Friday afternoon). What's the realistic time to get from LAX to Pasadena and back on a Friday? We should arrive 3p, get the car (at the Radisson) by 330-345. Anyway we can get to Pasadena by 5?
#176
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: ?
Posts: 7,544
I'm buying something on Ebay from someone in Pasadena. I want to pick it up during a 7.5 hr layover at LAX (on a Friday afternoon). What's the realistic time to get from LAX to Pasadena and back on a Friday? We should arrive 3p, get the car (at the Radisson) by 330-345. Anyway we can get to Pasadena by 5?
If you're heading back for a 10:30pm flight, you should be able to have a decent dinner and have no trouble getting back (at 9:00 or so, it's 26 minutes from where I live in Pasadena to LAX, assuming no traffic abnormalities and doing 75-80 in the HOV lanes).
#177
Join Date: May 2003
Location: GEG
Programs: Motel 6 Club Avoir Le Cafard
Posts: 5,027
I'm buying something on Ebay from someone in Pasadena. I want to pick it up during a 7.5 hr layover at LAX (on a Friday afternoon). What's the realistic time to get from LAX to Pasadena and back on a Friday? We should arrive 3p, get the car (at the Radisson) by 330-345. Anyway we can get to Pasadena by 5?
30 mins for baggage. 30 mins to get the shuttle to the Radisson. 30 mins to rent the car. Now it is maybe 5 PM. 2 hours more to get to Pasadena. But you ought to be able to do it within 7.5 hrs if your seller will agree to meet you later in the evening.
#178
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: LAX, BUR
Posts: 1,559
Realistically you are not going to get to the Radisson until at least 4:15-4:30 w/out luggage, or 4:45-5:00 with luggage. Figure 1:15-1:30 to get to Pasadena from LAX at that time of day.
So you get there in the 6:30-7:00 range, pick up your item, have a nice dinner in Old Town and then get back to the LAX area around 9:00 when traffic is light. Hopefully you are not connecting international. It's a lot of driving but doable, and possibly even enjoyable. All bets are off if you are flying out international.
So you get there in the 6:30-7:00 range, pick up your item, have a nice dinner in Old Town and then get back to the LAX area around 9:00 when traffic is light. Hopefully you are not connecting international. It's a lot of driving but doable, and possibly even enjoyable. All bets are off if you are flying out international.
#179
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: San Diego
Programs: IHG Spire Amb, HH Diamond, DL Diamond and 1MM
Posts: 3,611
Re-think that Plan
I'm buying something on Ebay from someone in Pasadena. I want to pick it up during a 7.5 hr layover at LAX (on a Friday afternoon). What's the realistic time to get from LAX to Pasadena and back on a Friday? We should arrive 3p, get the car (at the Radisson) by 330-345. Anyway we can get to Pasadena by 5?
This is the best online LA traffic report. You might see what the freeway looks like at 5pm:
traffic.tann.net/lartraffic/
Alternatively, you could take direct bus and/or a bus and trolly combination from LAX to union station in downtown