Spedprof

Senior couple from the East Coast looking for recommendations of communities in LA area to spend a week or so this winter (February). Already been to Santa Monica, Pasadena, Santa Barbara. Have a car. Expect to rent a 1-bedroom place. Interested in safe area, ability walk to restaurants (not chains nor fast-food). Parks, local sites a plus, but with a car can travel. Thanks in advance.

janisj

If it was me -- I'd be looking at one of the beachy neighborhoods in San Diego. Or possibly the San Clemente/Laguna Beach area

Gardyloo

Areas to investigate:

Los Feliz district, Los Angeles
Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach, west of Sepulveda Blvd.
Naples and Belmont Shore neighborhoods, Long Beach
Seal Beach
Balboa Island and Peninsula (city of Newport Beach)
Laguna Beach and San Clemente (like Janis says)
Ocean, Pacific or Mission Beaches, San Diego

I might be tempted to look farther north, too, in particular at the Monterey Peninsula (Pacific Grove, Monterey, Carmel.)

Spedprof

Thanks, folks, Actually starting in/near San Diego first and then off to Santa Barbara after our time in LA... Don't really need a beach in February...

Gardyloo

What about Palm Springs and Joshua Tree NP? Pretty marvelous at that time of year.

mrwunrfl

Seal Beach is pretty laid back. The area to stay is called Old Town and is between the PCH and the ocean. Safe, lots of trees. There is a variety of restaurants and shops on Main Street. The local site, besides Main Street, would be the pier. No real parks but there is the beautiful beach (though they plow up the sand in the fall to create a berm to protect beachfront properties from winter storms).

mrwunrfl

Feb is a good time to visit a SoCal beach town because there are fewer tourists. You could actually find a parking spot on Main Street in SB. I think the shops might have shorter hours. Instead of bikinis and swimming trunks in summer the kids will be wearing wetsuits in winter while carrying their surfboards to the beach.

MichelleY

[QUOTE=Gardyloo;17496194]What about Palm Springs and Joshua Tree NP? Pretty marvelous at that time of year.[/QU

I was going to recommend the same. Palm Springs area.

mlgb

It seems like you are defining LA pretty widely. Good thing since short term rentals are restricted even though AirBnb may list them. Chances are listings in Los Angeles City (that includes Los Feliz) , Glendale, Pasadena, City of West Hollywood are illegal.

In the unincorporated County area, Marina del Rey is an option you might try. So is the City of Long Beach (where I live). The neighborhoods of Belmont Heights, Belmont Shore, Naples and East Long Beach and Bixby Knolls are options. Be aware that there is a significant issue with the unhoused, no matter where you look.

You also may want to try neighborhoods in Huntington Beach and Seal Beach, just make sure that any STR has a City permit. (I believe they must allow them in the Coastal Zone).

janisj

To clarify just a bit -- I wasn't recommending beach towns to be ON the beach so much (though on nice Feb days the beaches are great) but for example Laguna/San Clemente has lots of nice restaurants, shops, quite an arts scene, a mission, etc.

Spedprof

Thanks, all... we did Palm Springs last year for a few days.... The legal issue of Short term rentals concerns me, though. I don't want to rent something and find that the City closed it down just before we get there with some limit on the number of nights an owner can rent... That's not my concern nor should it be, so I will have to avoid that kind of place. . So I really appreciate the suggestions of cities that may permit Short term rentals. Last year we stayed in a unit above a garage on the owners property in Pasadena and a few years ago, we stayed in another similar unit, above a garage on owners property in Santa Monica... Also stayed in San Diego in a unit that was lower floor of owners home... maybe I was just lucky to find these as they may have been legal? Just more to research, the regulations in each locale or else look for hotels.... but we do like to have breakfast in our rooms, out for some adventure, back for a cocktail before walking for dinner, or even bringing it back to our place... we'll be away about a month so even an occasional BBQ in our rental place would be nice.

Do thanks all and I will get to work.

MoBro

A few years ago we rented a fabulous 2bdrm/2bath apartment in a gorgeous building in West Hollywood, to be near our son's home in Hollywood Hills. I guess that building may have been operating under the radar when we rented it. It's no longer available for short-term rentals. Makes sense if people need long-term apartments, I guess. Big bummer for visitors like us.

If you look at Pacifica Hotels, they have suites, and they are not terribly expensive. We have stayed at the Inn at Venice Beach, The Kinney @ Venice, and the Jamaica Bay Inn @ Marina Del Rey (probably our favorite for location at the marina).
https://www.pacificahotels.com/hotels

Jean

The homeless situation in Venice is just awful-bordering-on-unbearable. I wouldn't stay there if you paid me, esp. if there was any idea of walking the neighborhood around the rental/hotel.

I live in Manhattan Beach and agree that beach towns can be great in the winter. Look at the Sea View Inn in MB. It's a couple of blocks from the ocean, within walkable distance of many restaurants, the pier, shopping center, etc., and they offer apartments as well as different types of hotel rooms. There is local bus service that operates through El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, stops at the shopping center, a light rail station and the LAX bus depot.

https://theseaviewinn.com/rooms/

https://www.redondo.org/depts/recrea...t/line_109.asp

mlgb

Actually there may be legal STRs in Manhattan Beach as well. Although they have an ordinance banning them, I don't believe it can be enforced in the Coastal Zone due to an court ruling. You would want to be sure that they have the required license and pay the Transient Occupancy Tax.


https://easyreadernews.com/court-rul...-term-rentals/ I believe the winning resident was also awarded attorney's fees on the appeal case.

https://www.manhattanbeach.gov/depar...cation-rentals

Jean

There are legal STRs in MB in the "coastal zone" which contains some of the most expensive properties in L.A. County. STR rates are high. Some place like the Sea View Inn or the Marriott Residence Inn would make more financial sense. (Then again, the OP hasn't stated a budget.) Anything outside the zone can only be rented for 30 days or more.

macdogmom

In Santa Barbara I know that you can legally rent places for a week in certain zones they call commercial or tourist zones. They’re all down by the beach I think. I live right above downtown in an area called the riviera and our neighbor, who rents their house out for a few months of the year, has to rent it for 30 days.

aliced

I would stay in old Palm Springs, the shops and architecture are great. Palm Desert consists of numerous resorts and golf. Recommend you visit the Sunnylands Estate, former home of the Annenbergs. The short lecture is very interesting, house tour must be reserved in advance, and small but excellent museum. Avoid LA until Gavin Newsome's new plan for the city succeeds, it is looking really bad! In Laguna do stop for lunch or cocktails at Las Brisas situated at Heisler Park on the ocean, fabulous location and lovely walk. See what CA artists are featured in the museum on the corner one block north of it.

macdogmom

LA is fine and there are areas to avoid and areas to enjoy (like most big cities even in red states!) I believe they didn’t want Palm Springs or Santa Barbara because they had already stayed there. I had lunch on Sunday in Malibu and the beaches were packed and the surfers all out.

mlgb

Glad you enjoyed your day at the beach. The weather was so foggy in the morning but by 11 it was gorgeous! It looks like we may get some rain this weekend though.