I have an 8 hour layover in LA tommorow: What should I do?

[Knalus]

I was able to get to the Santa Monica pier and back to the airport with only a 4 hour stopover. Take the blue bus. It really is a great way to spend your time on a stopover. If you are planning on going to Hollywood boulevard, take the subway - a taxi is overpriced and traffic is horrible, but Angelinos usually don't take the train, so it should be easier. I've done both Santa Monica, and Hollywood (11 hour stopover, with 3-4 hours of waiting still at the airport), and I'd say Santa Monica is better. Getting from Santa Monica to Hollywood, you're pretty much stuck with taking a cab.

[Jimmy Stang]

Due to a scheduling mistake, I had 9 hours in Toronto once on my way back from the East coast. For kicks, I spent the time trying to get on an earlier flight. The first answer was a definite "no", and I kept asking different people nicely until a nice lady found me a seat on a much sooner flight. Figured I had nothing to lose.... except my bag. It did arrive at my house on a van later that night (I assume that it came on my original flight), but I was home and happy, so the inconvenience was minor.

But, since you're connecting in LA with a big layover, you are probably going somewhere where they don't have a whole schwack of daily flights. Crossing the Pacific?

[Cowperson]

I love LA. . . . . .

Venice Beach isn't that far away time-wise from the airport, although probably an expensive cab ride. Rent a bike and go on a tour of the seedy underbelly of Wackadoodleland, the Venice Beach boardwalk and an easy ride up to Santa Monica pier/boardwalk.

A freak show hustler outside the Freak Show on Venice Beach a few months ago. Five dollars to get in!!! The Freak Show that is.



Manhattan Beach might be close too but not that interesting. Or not as interesting as Venice.

Cowperson

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Misterpants

Have your spirits been properly crushed yet?

If they haven't been yet they will be after he sits 8 hours in LAX. That is one run down, depressing airport.

[Ozy_Flame]

Spend quality time in Inglewood. If it's dark out, withdraw money by yourself from an outdoor ATM while hauling around your suitcases advertising your a tourist. Watch hilarity ensue.

[VANFLAMESFAN]

Go see Inception.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

In-N-Out Burger‎
9149 South Sepulveda Boulevard

EDIT: You can also bus it to Santa Monica Pier -- take the "Big Blue Bus" from LAX (I think its the number 3 line).

Gorilla style.

[Bertuzzied]

Visit Sean Avery's old house.

[Coys1882]

Sign Kovalchuk

[metallicat]

http://games2010.crossfit.com/

[blankall]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Gorilla style.

animal style?

[Huntingwhale]

Hide in the washroom and make love to your hand.

[Flabbibulin]

2 chicks at the same time.

[troutman]

Metro (Green Line) can get you from LAX to Rendondo Beach station (not sure how far station is from the actual beach):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_L..._Angeles_Metro)

[4X4]

Originally Posted by Muta

The Compton suggestions are hilarious, mainly because I had a layover in Los Angeles a couple years ago, and visited the neighbourhood like some are suggesting... without knowing it.

How was the culture? Better than Calgary, I assume?

[shermanator]

According to Katy Perry the girls are pretty nice. I suggest one of them...

[Bownesian]

Originally Posted by troutman

Metro (Green Line) can get you from LAX to Rendondo Beach station (not sure how far station is from the actual beach):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Line_(Los_Angeles_Metro)

Along a similar vein, Mrs. Bownesian and I took the train to Hollywood to see the sights and do some shopping on a similar layover. It wasn't a bad way to spend an afternoon and you get to see some interesting people along the way.

[awildermode]

Originally Posted by troutman

Metro (Green Line) can get you from LAX to Rendondo Beach station (not sure how far station is from the actual beach):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Line_(Los_Angeles_Metro)

Redondo Beach station is about 2-3 miles from beach. may be easier to take a cab from the airport to the beach. but there is an airport tax for cabs.

if you stop at El Segundo station...the King's practice rink is literally right underneath the station (at 555 Nash). the Lakers have a practive court there, too, though not open to the public...not that it matters.

http://www.toyotasportscenter.com/

then, you can stop by the Automobile Driving Museum, which is around the corner.

http://www.automobiledrivingmuseum.org/

oh, and In n' Out is way over rated. people think it is better than most fast food chains, but still is a fast food chain.

other than the beach, there is not much around the area that is 'different' from most metro areas. and given the time you have, there is not much you can do.

getting in and out of LAX is a female dog. it can easy eat up 20-30 minutes, each way. you need to be about 2 hours early to your next flight...which leaves you with about 6 hours of 'fun in the sun'.

[Bill Bumface]

Shoot yourself in the face.

LAX is just as big of a dump as the city.

Inglewood is way closer than Compton, so if you're looking for a quick scare just take a cruise through there.

I once was stuck in LAX for 9 hours because our plane (Delta) started on fire on the runway. They gave us food vouchers and the only thing open in our section of the airport was a bagel place. We ended up buying mugs and travel cups from the bagel place with our food vouchers just so Delta would be out the cash. The rest of the time was spent sleeping on the floor while clutching our belongings so the homeless kids campaigning for fake charities wouldn't steal our stuff.

[Ice]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

Shoot yourself in the face.

LAX is just as big of a dump as the city.

Inglewood is way closer than Compton, so if you're looking for a quick scare just take a cruise through there.

I once was stuck in LAX for 9 hours because our plane (Delta) started on fire on the runway. They gave us food vouchers and the only thing open in our section of the airport was a bagel place. We ended up buying mugs and travel cups from the bagel place with our food vouchers just so Delta would be out the cash. The rest of the time was spent sleeping on the floor while clutching our belongings so the homeless kids campaigning for fake charities wouldn't steal our stuff.

LA is a huge place, to say LA is a dump is a pretty uninformed statement.

LAX is basically in Inglewood, and that is a dump, but on either side of LAX is El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach Redondo Beach (my preferences) to the other side is Marina Del Rey, Santa Monica, Venice. Venice is kind of a dump but the rest of those places are certainly not. You're close to West LA, but with traffic you probably don't want to chance getting to and from the Getty Museum, which is near Westwood, Bel Aire, Beverly Hills and Beverly Glen, also parts of LA that are not dumps. There are a lot of beautiful places in LA, and there are lots of places I wouldn't be caught dead in. But to label an entire city a dump because you've only been around the airport just isn't legitimate. Obviously living by the airport would not be desireable so the neighborhoods surrounding it are lower income, higher crime areas.

BTW, by car, it takes me about 20 minutes to get from LAX to Manhattan Village (shopping center) and maybe ten minutes from there to the pier so if you had transportation you probably have plenty of time to take in beach time. Its hotter than hell here right now, so I would avoid the more inland parts of LA.