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San Pedro from a San Pedran


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Talked to DH. We are looking at the Crowne Plaza - since it's so close to the port. We're cruising on Princess.

 

About how much would a shuttle be from LAX to the Crowne Plaza?

 

For a shared shuttle, $16 per person plus tip (per SuperShuttle)...

$62 for a non-shared town car through Execucar...

UberX would be about $26-34 depending on variables (subject to adjustment for traffic, time of day, possible surge pricing)

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Arriving on a Princess cruise next year ending at San Pedro. We have done all the tours one can do in LA. Now we are thinking of outlet shopping before we catch a late flight home from LAX. What about Westfield Culver Shopping and it does not sound too far from LAX.

 

We recently returned home from London where they had self check in kiosks with baggage drop in counters (we checked in 9 hours before flight) - does this happen at LAX?

 

If so, we could check in then go to a close outlet to waste some time. I believe Macys gives discounts to shoppers from overseas who show their passports.

 

Any info on close outlets would also be good. Would appreciate any input.

 

Rosie

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Arriving on a Princess cruise next year ending at San Pedro. We have done all the tours one can do in LA. Now we are thinking of outlet shopping before we catch a late flight home from LAX. What about Westfield Culver Shopping and it does not sound too far from LAX.

 

We recently returned home from London where they had self check in kiosks with baggage drop in counters (we checked in 9 hours before flight) - does this happen at LAX?

 

If so, we could check in then go to a close outlet to waste some time. I believe Macys gives discounts to shoppers from overseas who show their passports.

 

Any info on close outlets would also be good. Would appreciate any input.

 

Rosie

Rosie,

First off, the Westfield Culver City is not an "outlet" mall..."Outlet" malls are a specific sort of shopping center--containing factory-owned stores that discount merchandise for particular brands. In the Los Angeles area, most of the Outlet Malls are on the outskirts of the city--due to negotiated restrictions designed to keep them from competing with the standard stores. Outlet malls are largely in places like Camarillo, Castaic, Cabazon, Barstow, Lake Elsinore and Cabazon--all nowhere near the port or LAX.

Westfield Culver City is just your "run-of-the mill" shopping mall...of course, that may be what you are actually looking for. It is fairly close to LAX, but not the best or largest mall around...many locals actually avoid it for various reasons (though I, personally, have no issues with it). Manhattan Village is also very close to LAX , also has a Macy's and is a little more upscale:

 

https://www.shopmanhattanvillage.com/

 

Del Amo Fashion Square is in between the port and LAX and is much larger than either of the above two:

 

http://www.simon.com/mall/del-amo-fashion-center

 

But, the main issue you will have is that the airlines at LAX will not allow you to check your luggage prior to about three hours before your flight, allegedly for security reasons. So, you will either have to keep your luggage with you (rent a car and keep it in the trunk, perhaps) or find some place that will store your luggage for you. Good luck...

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Arriving on a Princess cruise next year ending at San Pedro. We have done all the tours one can do in LA. Now we are thinking of outlet shopping before we catch a late flight home from LAX. What about Westfield Culver Shopping and it does not sound too far from LAX.

 

We recently returned home from London where they had self check in kiosks with baggage drop in counters (we checked in 9 hours before flight) - does this happen at LAX?

 

If so, we could check in then go to a close outlet to waste some time. I believe Macys gives discounts to shoppers from overseas who show their passports.

 

Any info on close outlets would also be good. Would appreciate any input.

 

Rosie

 

Just as there are places in London that you would not send an unwary tourist,

there are, of course, some in LA and several are near LAX. :o

 

Also, compared to London, public transport simply doesn't exist.

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I guess it is time that I must step in here and defend Culver City. I am going to guess that our friend, Haboob, doesn't visit there much and hasn't lately.

 

I guess I have a little more personal stake here--I have a sister who has lived in Culver City for over 30 years. And, my late mother, who, after my dad passed away, purchased a house in Culver City where she lived her last few years. When she passed away about four years ago, we sold her modest 1,900 square foot one-story three bedroom house for over $1.2 million. We listed it for ONE DAY and received SIX above asking price offers, most all cash and non-contingent. Not exactly an undesirable area, I guess.

 

Culver City WAS developed, originally, largely back in the post-WWII era as a "blue-collar" area of tract homes on smaller lots largely for employees of Hughes Aircraft and MGM Studios--both of which were headquartered there...but, in recent years, as most of the other areas in LA's "West Side" became unattainable to most (home prices in the multiple millions), Culver City became a bit "gentrified"--attracting a lot of younger professionals with jobs in Beverly Hills, Century City and Santa Monica who, despite jobs as lawyers, accountants, bankers and such, couldn't afford to buy homes in those towns.

 

In recent years, Culver City has become increasingly trendy...The "Downtown" area of Culver City is home to many very fashionable eateries and has a vibrant nightlife. Culver City also has a few landmarks--the Sony Pictures (formerly MGM) Studio, for one...but also some interesting sites--the "house" that was used as "Tara Plantation" for the filming of the outdoor scenes for "Gone With the Wind"...the hotel that famously housed all of the "munchkins" during the filming of "Wizard of Oz"...and more...

 

As to the Westfield Culver City mall: It tends to get a bad rap because there were a couple of "gang-related" crime incidents there several years back now. The mall used to be known as the "Fox Hills Mall" prior to its acquisition by Westfield and was poorly managed by prior ownership. The location is actually in a very nice area...but the problem is that Slauson Blvd., which runs by the mall and over the hills, brings you to a clearly "less desirable" area--and, for people from those areas, unfortunately, this is the most convenient indoor mall for them to get to as well...so, a certain "gang element" used to head over to Fox Hills to hang out there....About ten years ago or so, Westfield started pouring a lot of money into renovating the mall...and into increased security..."Incident" reports are way down, but, of course, they will never disappear entirely. About a year and a half ago, there was a "brawl" that broke out in the mall--and, mainly, in the parking lot. You cannot prevent people from visiting a shopping center due to race, age or appearance. Everyone has the right to visit. Kids--of all sorts--gravitate to malls...and this one is conveniently located for a wide area. If there's a more important issue, it's that if your interest is nicer shopping, the tenant mix is not great. One of the original department stores closed down and was replaced by a "Target"...there are fewer upscale small stores than many other malls. There is, though, a Macy's and a "Nordstrom Rack" (the discount outlet for the very upscale Nordstrom department stores--where they sell things like last season's styles at discounted prices). But, as I mentioned, Manhattan Village, for example, is much more upscale. Del Amo has a much greater selection of stores if you've got a lot of time to spend...

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I guess it is time that I must step in here and defend Culver City. I am going to guess that our friend, Haboob, doesn't visit there much and hasn't lately.

 

I guess I have a little more personal stake here--I have a sister who has lived in Culver City for over 30 years. And, my late mother, who, after my dad passed away, purchased a house in Culver City where she lived her last few years. When she passed away about four years ago, we sold her modest 1,900 square foot one-story three bedroom house for over $1.2 million. We listed it for ONE DAY and received SIX above asking price offers, most all cash and non-contingent. Not exactly an undesirable area, I guess.

 

Culver City WAS developed, originally, largely back in the post-WWII era as a "blue-collar" area of tract homes on smaller lots largely for employees of Hughes Aircraft and MGM Studios--both of which were headquartered there...but, in recent years, as most of the other areas in LA's "West Side" became unattainable to most (home prices in the multiple millions), Culver City became a bit "gentrified"--attracting a lot of younger professionals with jobs in Beverly Hills, Century City and Santa Monica who, despite jobs as lawyers, accountants, bankers and such, couldn't afford to buy homes in those towns.

 

In recent years, Culver City has become increasingly trendy...The "Downtown" area of Culver City is home to many very fashionable eateries and has a vibrant nightlife. Culver City also has a few landmarks--the Sony Pictures (formerly MGM) Studio, for one...but also some interesting sites--the "house" that was used as "Tara Plantation" for the filming of the outdoor scenes for "Gone With the Wind"...the hotel that famously housed all of the "munchkins" during the filming of "Wizard of Oz"...and more...

 

As to the Westfield Culver City mall: It tends to get a bad rap because there were a couple of "gang-related" crime incidents there several years back now. The mall used to be known as the "Fox Hills Mall" prior to its acquisition by Westfield and was poorly managed by prior ownership. The location is actually in a very nice area...but the problem is that Slauson Blvd., which runs by the mall and over the hills, brings you to a clearly "less desirable" area--and, for people from those areas, unfortunately, this is the most convenient indoor mall for them to get to as well...so, a certain "gang element" used to head over to Fox Hills to hang out there....About ten years ago or so, Westfield started pouring a lot of money into renovating the mall...and into increased security..."Incident" reports are way down, but, of course, they will never disappear entirely. About a year and a half ago, there was a "brawl" that broke out in the mall--and, mainly, in the parking lot. You cannot prevent people from visiting a shopping center due to race, age or appearance. Everyone has the right to visit. Kids--of all sorts--gravitate to malls...and this one is conveniently located for a wide area. If there's a more important issue, it's that if your interest is nicer shopping, the tenant mix is not great. One of the original department stores closed down and was replaced by a "Target"...there are fewer upscale small stores than many other malls. There is, though, a Macy's and a "Nordstrom Rack" (the discount outlet for the very upscale Nordstrom department stores--where they sell things like last season's styles at discounted prices). But, as I mentioned, Manhattan Village, for example, is much more upscale. Del Amo has a much greater selection of stores if you've got a lot of time to spend...

 

All true, but it's violent crime rate remains 3x even Inglewood's, no? :o

 

...and "London" makes me think of the Tube and busses, not "helicoptering" rental cars.

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All true, but it's violent crime rate remains 3x even Inglewood's, no? :o

Actually, wrong...

Just looked it up on "neighborhoodscout.com"...

Inglewood's violent crime rate last year was 7.58 per 1,000 residents, Culver City's was 5.29...

"Property Crime" rate was higher in Culver City--likely because Inglewood has a lot less to burglarize and vandalism there just goes unreported... :)

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Actually, wrong...

Just looked it up on "neighborhoodscout.com"...

Inglewood's violent crime rate last year was 7.58 per 1,000 residents, Culver City's was 5.29...

"Property Crime" rate was higher in Culver City--likely because Inglewood has a lot less to burglarize and vandalism there just goes unreported... :)

 

The point is that neither Culver or Inglewood is a place for a tourist to ride a bus, no?

 

--

"My two favorite teams are UCLA and whoever's playing USC" ;p

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Is staying in Long Beach ideal? We saw that the Queen Mary is a hotel. That would be interesting to stay on - prior to a cruise.

 

Opinions?

 

IF you're sailing on Carnival. Sometimes another Carnival Brand (HAL, Princess, etc) will dock

there, but Carnival has first dibs and keeps the one Long Beach dock busy 5 days a week.

 

Otherwise, you're over in San Pedro.

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When I first looked at the prices for the Queen Mary hotel they looked good. Until I put my dates in, then the prices went UP. So, we won't be staying there. Thought it would be interesting.

Thankfully we have time to make a final decision.

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Is staying in Long Beach ideal? We saw that the Queen Mary is a hotel. That would be interesting to stay on - prior to a cruise.

Opinions?

Kelley,

Long Beach--specifically the Downtown/Convention Center area of Long Beach (Long Beach is a big city with a population of over half a million and has both good and bad areas) is a nice place to stay pre-cruise...ideal IF you were cruising on Carnival--which has it's cruise terminal on that side of the harbor (That facility is used ONLY for embarkation on Carnival cruises--the rare exceptions are other Carnival-owned lines--Cunard or Princess--but, in those cases for port stops--not for embarkation/disembarkation...though that may change in the future if Carnival follows through with plans to build a second berth there) ...The World Cruise Center in San Pedro is 6-8 miles away on the other side of the harbor...so, no, if you are cruising with someone else, it's not ideal if you are only there for, say, one night prior to a cruise out of Pedro.,

 

If you were staying multiple days--so you had a little time to sightsee...and if you had no desire to sightsee in Los Angeles proper...then Long Beach may make some sense as there is a little more to do there than in San Pedro.

 

I, personally, don't really like the Queen Mary as a hotel. I've stayed there once--for three nights many years ago--but that was enough to turn me off entirely. Its value is as a curiosity, a bit of history, a novelty...and, if one is cruising on Carnival, you can't stay any closer to the Carnival terminal. But, as a hotel, it is lacking. There are several much nicer hotels in the area.

 

I have a "Short List" for Long Beach...Here is my standard advice that I've given many times on this board here before:

"A" List: The BEST places to stay are the Hyatt, Westin, Renaissance and Hyatt Centric (also known as Hyatt at the Pike) …These put you right in the heart of the tourist area with very convenient walks to restaurants, shops and attractions and easy access to the free "Passport" shuttle...and those ARE the nicest hotels in town. Doesn't necessarily mean they are higher priced, though...and you can often get a real deal via Priceline...

 

https://longbeach.regency.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html

http://www.westinlongbeachhotel.com/

http://thepikelongbeach.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/lgbrn-renaissance-long-beach-hotel/

 

"B" List: Slightly further away, but still in decent walking distance, is the Hilton. Just across the bridge (on the same side of the channel as the Carnival Pier) are the Marriott Residence Inn Downtown and the Maya Doubletree...

 

http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/california/hilton-long-beach-LGBLHHF/index.html

http://doubletree3.hilton.com/en/hotels/california/hotel-maya-a-doubletree-by-hilton-LGBMYDT/index.html

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/lgbri-residence-inn-long-beach-downtown/

 

"C" List: Slightly outside the prime area and/or not necessarily the nicest hotels for one reason or another, but options if all else fails are the Marriott Courtyard and the Best Western Long Beach Convention Center...The Queen Mary is across the bridge ...and right next to the Carnival Terminal...however, I am not a big fan of the Queen Mary--unless you are on there for nostalgia's sake...It's not exactly a first class hotel by today's standards--the rooms are small, condition questionable, etc.

 

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/lgbcy-courtyard-long-beach-downtown/

https://www.bestwestern.com/content/best-western/en_US/booking-path/hotel-details.05642.html?propertyCode=05642&arrivalMonthYear=&arrivalDay=&departureMonthYear=&departureDay=&sob=C05&disablenav=false

http://www.queenmary.com/stay-aboard/stay-aboard/

 

Getting to ANY of these hotels from LAX, you'd either have to take a taxi, car service or a shuttle...Try Super Shuttle or Prime Time Shuttle or Super Shuttle's Execucar...From hotel to pier, some of these hotels may have free shuttles, but policies change time to time, so I would check individually with the hotel...All would be a very short taxi ride from the Carnival Pier...From the Maya Doubletree, Residence Inn Downtown or Queen Mary, one could even walk...LAX is 20 miles from the San Pedro World Cruise Center, 23 miles from the Carnival Terminal in Long Beach…could take anywhere from a half an hour to an hour depending on day, time and traffic…

 

One word of warning: Do NOT go looking for bargains outside of this short list of hotels...Long Beach is a BIG city...there are lots of different areas, some better, some worse...some not so close to the port or the tourist areas...That bargain hotel MAY tell you it's near the Convention Center or near the port...but it may not be...it may be in an undesirable area or location. You want to have a pleasant stay--stick to this list.

 

This area of Long Beach means you will have a large choice of restaurants nearby, you will have nice shops and picturesque scenery and places to walk and enjoy...You will be close to sites like the Aquarium and the Queen Mary if you want to have a little sightseeing... One word of warning: Do NOT go looking for bargains outside of this short list of hotels...Long Beach is a BIG city...there are lots of different areas, some better, some worse...some not so close to the port or the tourist areas...That bargain hotel MAY tell you it's near the Convention Center or near the port...but it may not be...it may be in an undesirable area or location. You want to have a pleasant stay--stick to this list.

 

This area of Long Beach means you will have a large choice of restaurants nearby, you will have nice shops and picturesque scenery and places to walk and enjoy...You will be close to sites like the Aquarium and the Queen Mary if you want to have a little sightseeing...Long Beach runs a free shuttle service called the "Passport" which will take you all over the Downtown area:

 

http://www.lbtransit.com/services/passport.aspx

 

But getting back to my general advice: If you are arriving only the day before a cruise, you should place the utmost importance on CONVENIENCE. LA is a BIG area with lots of traffic...and it is worth something to have a stress-free embarkation day--not having to deal with time concerns and traffic the morning of the cruise. This means spending that one night in San Pedro if you are sailing out of there or Long Beach if you are cruising on Carnival.

 

The second important issue is safety/experience. There are a lot of unsafe areas and a lot of substandard hotels around.

 

DON'T look too hard for bargains--you will be giving up one of these points if not both. It is well worth paying a few dollars more to be in a nice hotel in a safe area and convenient to the port and restaurants and other conveniences. If saving a few dollars means you spend those dollars in added transportation costs...or, worse, if it means you don't feel safe or have a bad hotel experience, it will definitely NOT be worth the savings. You are spending a lot of money on a cruise, don't ruin your experience by having a bad first night.

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Bruin Steve - we likely will be staying at Hyatt Centric (thanks to your advice) and want to attend Catholic Mass on Sunday. Are you aware of any Catholic churches nearby that you feel we could safely walk to? I checked Mass Times, but it is not clear to me as I do not know the area.

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Bruin Steve - we likely will be staying at Hyatt Centric (thanks to your advice) and want to attend Catholic Mass on Sunday. Are you aware of any Catholic churches nearby that you feel we could safely walk to? I checked Mass Times, but it is not clear to me as I do not know the area.

I'm not Catholic, so I am certainly no expert on Mass and Catholic Churches...but...

The closest one to the Hyatt Centric is St. Anthony at 6th and Olive...which is about a 1.3 mile walk...or you could take a bus from First St. just east of Pine to the church...

 

https://stanthonylb.org/church-hours-2/mass-and-confession-schedule/

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I'm not Catholic, so I am certainly no expert on Mass and Catholic Churches...but...

The closest one to the Hyatt Centric is St. Anthony at 6th and Olive...which is about a 1.3 mile walk...or you could take a bus from First St. just east of Pine to the church...

 

https://stanthonylb.org/church-hours-2/mass-and-confession-schedule/

 

Thnaks! I assume the area to/from there is fairly safe?

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If a person is staying in the san pedro port and wants to buy some wine to take on the ship is there a place close to purchase it?

 

If I stay at Crowne Plaza, I get my soda at Numero Uno (5th & Pacific). Pretty sure they have wine, too.

 

Haven't had occasion yet to stay at DoubleTree (with their longer Park & Sail time limit).

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If a person is staying in the san pedro port and wants to buy some wine to take on the ship is there a place close to purchase it?

In California, supermarkets, drug stores, Walmarts and Targets all sell wine and liquor...Depending on where you are staying, there is a CVS on 7th and Gaffey, a Rite Aid at 5th and Gaffey and a Vons supermarket at 12th and Gaffey as well as the aforementioned Numero Uno (a latino-themed market)...There are also a few liquor stores, including one on Harbor Blvd. right across from the cruise terminal.

 

But, if you want a very good selection of high quality wines, go to Off the Vine Wines--a wine specialty shop--at 491 W 6th St #103...about two blocks up 6th Street from the Crowne Plaza on the same side of the street.

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If a person is staying in the san pedro port and wants to buy some wine to take on the ship is there a place close to purchase it?

 

It depends on where you are staying and how far you are willing to walk (or Uber) and what quality you want. There is a Von's (Safeway chain), CVS, Rite Aid and the aforementioned Numero Uno Market all in the area and more choices further out.

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