Wilmington, CA area...walkable?

[pcvtmom]

We're flying to the west coast from Virginia in January.  This will be our first time in California!  I have a hotel booked in the Wilmington area, between LAX and Port of Long Beach.  How "walkable" is the area around the Best Western Worldport hotel?  We want to get a bite to eat and pick up our bottles of wine for the cruise.  I would've preferred to stay IN Long Beach, but the hotel prices were either extremely high, or there was a two night minimum for our date. Thanks, in advance, for your answers. If it's not walkable, I guess we'll Uber to a restaurant and store to pick up wine.  Any and all suggestions are appreciated.

[Bruin Steve]

There are reasons hotels in this area, incuding that one, are charging relatively low prices.

It is not a great area...sort of blue collar/industrial.  There is a Denny's next door...and not much else.  You probably won't be comfortable walking anywhere from there--especially at night.  If you must stay there, consider taking an Uber back and forth to San Pedro for dinner.  Hopefuly, you are there just for the night?

[pcvtmom]

14 hours ago, Bruin Steve said:

There are reasons hotels in this area, incuding that one, are charging relatively low prices.

It is not a great area...sort of blue collar/industrial.  There is a Denny's next door...and not much else.  You probably won't be comfortable walking anywhere from there--especially at night.  If you must stay there, consider taking an Uber back and forth to San Pedro for dinner.  Hopefuly, you are there just for the night?

Correct.  We just wanted a one night stay, relatively inexpensive.  Flights from the east coast, coupled with a 14 day cruise to Hawaii, had us determined to cut costs where we could.  Looking at Google maps, I thought it was probably less than desirable to walk anywhere.  There are 4 of us, so we'll take your advice and Uber to a nicer area!  Thanks so much!

[MrsTocko]

Agree with the caution provided.  I have extended family that live in Wilmington and that best western is the only one in that area they recommend.  There really is nothing around there to walk TO.  If you can swing the extra the crown plaza is very nice and offers a Shuttle to the port. Bit more walkable for restaurants. Family also does not recommend staying anyplace that is not a major chain.  Mom and pop hotels are cheap for a reason. Stay safe.

[GTJ]

On 10/10/2022 at 1:07 PM, pcvtmom said:

How "walkable" is the area around the Best Western Worldport hotel? We want to get a bite to eat and pick up our bottles of wine for the cruise.

I am not quite sure what is meant by the term "walkable." Is it that it is legal and reasonably safe to walk, or is it that there are places to which one might want to walk? As to the first, it is legal and reasonably safe to walk, at least as to the infrastructure. The main streets, including the road outside the hotel, have good sidewalks. That said, the overall environment is very auto-centric, and as with other areas that are highly-dependent upon automobiles, many motorists are careless, and so more cautions (compared to walking in an ordinary city) should be taken when crossing streets in order to avoid being hit by motorists. As to places to go, there are not any in the immediate surroundings, and those that do exist are distant and dispersed. "There is no 'there' there." You might be in for a good hike. In sum, walking is possible, but the area was not designed or developed for walking.

[pcvtmom]

GTJ, in some places we've stayed, the infrastructure did not lend itself to walking (no sidewalks, etc.).  My question was in regards to that, as well as whether or not there were restaurants, stores (to pick up our wine), etc. within a reasonable distance. I think it sounds like we should Uber to San Pedro, or another nearby locale.

[MrsTocko]

1 hour ago, GTJ said:

I am not quite sure what is meant by the term "walkable." Is it that it is legal and reasonably safe to walk, or is it that there are places to which one might want to walk? As to the first, it is legal and reasonably safe to walk, at least as to the infrastructure. The main streets, including the road outside the hotel, have good sidewalks. That said, the overall environment is very auto-centric, and as with other areas that are highly-dependent upon automobiles, many motorists are careless, and so more cautions (compared to walking in an ordinary city) should be taken when crossing streets in order to avoid being hit by motorists. As to places to go, there are not any in the immediate surroundings, and those that do exist are distant and dispersed. "There is no 'there' there." You might be in for a good hike. In sum, walking is possible, but the area was not designed or developed for walking.

This qualifies as not walkable in all senses of the word.  This particular Best Western, is right off the freeway, there is a denny's next door.  That is all the walkable you get.  The immediately surrounding area is residential. Really is nothing to walk TO.  So you would have to walk under the overpass, to get to some of the little convenience stores right there.  This is not a nicer part of town.  this is an older part of town, and it shows. It is also a BUSY frontage road with heavy traffic (and LARGE trucks), as it is within 3 miles of one of the largest, and busiest ports in the US and definately on the West Coast.  I would suggest that you google map the hotel, use satelite view.  Then drag the little person to enter street view.  Start looking around, and then start "walking" around.

 

I do this when ever I am making hotel reservations in an unfamiliar area.  It helps me to decide if it is worth it to me to stay in a different area, that may be higher priced, but will I feel safe walking around at night.  What is around to eat at, or get snacks or explore.  Is there a HOHO stop close by, is there a HOHO to begin with.  If I dont have a car, how am I getting to where I am going or want to go.  entering street view shows me a lot of information, and I get a sense of the area.  Satelite view shows stores and restaurants.  Places I may be interested in going to.  Gives me an idea of "ok this street for 4 blocks, then left for 2 more..."

 

My husband is a "just right there" kinda guy, which is why we got lost in London, with dying cell phones, at 9pm, after exploring all day, and didnt want to take the tube, because the hotel was right there...you get the picture?

 

When I was recently there, for the extra $30 a night (midweek stay) over BW I stayed at the Crown  Plaza.  Lots of stores and restaurants in walking distance. Had a GREAT breakfast at Happy Diner, a block away.  

 

I love Google Maps for ANYTHING that relates to me being curious about an area...including downtown of my home port, if staying there for convenience pre-cruise.  I know where I do and dont want to stay, but that doesnt mean I know what is around the area.

Edited October 18, 2022 by MrsTocko

[GTJ]

9 hours ago, MrsTocko said:

This qualifies as not walkable in all senses of the word.

I get your sense of what "walkable" in a binary sense, yet at the same time this part of Wilmington is not as unwalkable as other places. In particular I have in mind a series of Marriott brand hotels at the airport in Newark, New Jersey. Surrounded on one side by the turnpike (no pedestrians), the other side by U.S. highways 1 and 9 (pedestrians allowed by law on what are effectively unwalkable expressways), and on the ends on-ramps and off-ramps, all without any access to public transportation. (See Google aerial view here: https://goo.gl/maps/4jmYDHMr2v1nn49FA) In comparison, Wilmington is walkable, even if only because sidewalks were built. But with few easily walkable destinations--as well as one particular complaint of mine: motorists going past red traffic signals without stopping (on the basis of turning right), many times cutting off or intimidating pedestrians traveling straight along the perpendicular sidewalk and facing a green traffic signal--it is not the most pleasant environment in which to walk. Walk Score gives this hotel a score of 59 ("somewhat walkable"), which I think is probably about right, or slightly too high. (It gets a transit score of 53, "good transit," but being served only by bus routes 205 and 232, both half-hourly and neither going to terribly useful places generally, and the J-Silver express route, which has some utility, the transit score is also slightly too high.) In short, as I see it, the hotel is not very conveniently located, especially for persons on foot, and I would not be happy there. It is not the worst location, and it is not inaccessible on foot, and for those reasons I would consider it only if the price was good and if I was not to be based there for long (preferably not more than one short night). All else being equal, I would rather be in the heart of downtown Long Beach . . . but all is not equal, and the prices there are typically much higher.

Edited October 19, 2022 by GTJ

[GTJ]

10 hours ago, pcvtmom said:

[I]n some places we've stayed, the infrastructure did not lend itself to walking (no sidewalks, etc.).  My question was in regards to that, as well as whether or not there were restaurants, stores (to pick up our wine), etc. within a reasonable distance. I think it sounds like we should Uber to San Pedro, or another nearby locale.

I think I hit both of your concerns in my response: there is infrastructure, but not many places to go. I would consider this hotel if the price was much better than elsewhere, and I would not be expecting to do much other than sleep there for the night. There's a Denny's restaurant right next door, so I would be good for dinner; and I don't drink at all, so I would have no need to shop for wine (nor anything else). If I were to go someplace, I would go using public transportation, in part because the fare for using a taxi or Uber could well erase the price advantage of staying at a remote hotel like this.

[pcvtmom]

Thanks, Mrs Tocko, for your response. Before my initial post, I actually did exactly what you recommended with Google maps. I saw several Hispanic and Asian restaurants in the area,  but was still unsure of the infrastructure and safety issues. I've decided to Uber to a more favorable area for our meals and wine shopping. The hotel had an extremely good price, and decent reviews.  We only need a place to lay our heads the night before our cruise.  Everyone who has responded has been very helpful in answering my concerns. This is why I love cruise critic!

[travelin.sisters]

I didn't actually realize that that was Wilmington! The boundaries in this area are sometimes difficult to determine. I would feel comfortable staying in that area & would not expect problems walking during the day. There are actually few places I would walk in Pedro, Wilmington, LB alone after dark. 

 

The Denny's next to it is fine but tends to have very slow service & is no longer an inexpensive meal. Circle K at almost a mile away is about the only thing you could walk to but don't imagine that would be where one gets wine for a cruise. There is a Trader Joes about 4 miles away & an Albertsons closer than that. Depending on what you are thinking about eating (nice, seafood, ethnic, something fast & easy, it is possible that you would want to make 2 trips). You are quite close to the Jr College so there should be decent bus service within walking distance for a daytime shopping run & then Uber for food or you get delivery. 

 

Are you cruising from the Port of LA or LB? 

[pcvtmom]

Travelin.sisters, we're cruising from Long Beach.  Thanks for your input!

[KeepCalmBearOn]

On 10/11/2022 at 8:03 AM, pcvtmom said:

Correct.  We just wanted a one night stay, relatively inexpensive.

 

Are you getting two rooms? One room?

 

What price range do you consider "relatively inexpensive"?

 

On 10/18/2022 at 10:23 AM, GTJ said:

I am not quite sure what is meant by the term "walkable."

 

I always take "walkable" to mean, 1) is it safe to walk in the area? 2) is there any place to walk to? (restaurants, stores or sights) and 3) #3 and last, is there infrastructure to walk on. I don't think many people mean #3 when asking about walkability.

 

Personally, I'd never stay in Wilmington. I would certainly never recommend anyone on their first time ever trip CA to stay in Wilmington. Spend the extra $40-60 for the Best Western Plus Hotel At The Convention Center. That is very walkable.

 

By the time you add in the extra cost to Uber from the BW Wilmington to get to a decent restaurant, store to buy wine and the extra distance to the cruise port, you will have eaten up any savings from the nightly rate.

[pcvtmom]

#3 was high on my list for "walkability".  We recently stayed at a Ft. Lauderdale hotel, and couldn't tell by the Google maps, but the infrastructure was a huge problem. It was basically safe to walk to a Wendy's and a Starbucks, due to construction in the area.  Not what we had in mind when booking.

 

We've reserved 2 rooms (2 couples). We'll just deal with it, rather than change hotels at this late date. We fly in relatively early, so we may just Uber over to spend the day in the San Pedro or Long Beach area, after dropping our luggage at the hotel to store until check-in. It will be an adventure, for sure.  Thanks, all!

[GTJ]

2 hours ago, scottca075 said:

I always take "walkable" to mean, 1) is it safe to walk in the area? 2) is there any place to walk to? (restaurants, stores or sights) and 3) #3 and last, is there infrastructure to walk on.

I generally treat (1) and (3) as the same. In determining whether it is safe or not, I worry about whether a motorist hit me, if I will while walking, if there are streetlights at night so I can see where I am going. Things that are largely controlled by the infrastructure. (I recall one time several years ago, walking in Montauk, New York, from the ferry terminal to the railroad station at night: no sidewalk, no shoulder, no street lights, and motorists driving with blinding headlights making it impossible for me to see . . . I did not feel safe walking because of the lack of infrastructure.)

[KeepCalmBearOn]

2 hours ago, GTJ said:

I generally treat (1) and (3) as the same

 

When I say "safe", it has nothing to do with infrastructure. It has to do with the area/neighborhood. I don't consider the area around the BW in Wilmington a safe area.

[GTJ]

14 hours ago, scottca075 said:

When I say "safe", it has nothing to do with infrastructure. It has to do with the area/neighborhood. I don't consider the area around the BW in Wilmington a safe area.

I am not understanding. One good definition of safety is: "Safety is a state in which hazards and conditions leading to physical, psychological or material harm are controlled in order to preserve the health and well-being of individuals and the community." Generally, I view the infrastructure of a particular area or neighborhood (typically its roads, sidewalks, and public transportation system) has having the greatest source of hazards and conditions that could lead to injury. I just don't see anything that stands out in this particular area or neighborhood of Wilmington, but perhaps I am overlooking some sort of particular hazards here?

[MrsTocko]

6 hours ago, GTJ said:

I am not understanding. One good definition of safety is: "Safety is a state in which hazards and conditions leading to physical, psychological or material harm are controlled in order to preserve the health and well-being of individuals and the community." Generally, I view the infrastructure of a particular area or neighborhood (typically its roads, sidewalks, and public transportation system) has having the greatest source of hazards and conditions that could lead to injury. I just don't see anything that stands out in this particular area or neighborhood of Wilmington, but perhaps I am overlooking some sort of particular hazards here?

I think it has more to do with knowledge of the area.  Yes, it may look good on screen, but that doesn’t mean the area is safe.  I’m sure that you have areas near you that yes it looks like it would be fine, but you also know that you wouldn’t go there yourself.  OP asked about walkability. This particular area of Wilmington, is a heavy traffic area, with large heavy trucks.  It is a main frontage road thoroughfare to and from the Port of Los Angeles. I don’t want to use derogatory or stereotype terms, but this is an older looking and feeling neighborhood. The residents are hard working, but this is not a “rich” area. And it shows.  I think it is often overlooked in favor of San Pedro and Long Beach in terms of infrastructure maintenance, and investment in attracting visitors,  it is also largely residential and not catering to tourists.

 

The terms that were conveyed to me by residents of the area, that I trust, were if we were going to stay in Wilmington only stay at the BW, the mom and pop hotels have a lot of “hourly” clientele.  This attracts an unsafe feel.  This is also something that can’t be seen on a google map. 

I think OP plan of taking Uber into San Pedro for the day, shopping, eating, and then Uber it back to the hotel is sound.  When I go there, it is to visit family, or for a single night before a cruise. I need a bed and a meal (or 2 - dinner and lite breakfast).  Don’t need anything else. I tend to be overly cautious and try not to put myself and family, in a wrong place, wrong time POSSIBLE scenarios.  Yes, anything can happen anywhere. Example - first time in Seattle, we walked from Queen Ann area hotel to pikes place, took the rail to mariners game, all over the place.  Decided we didn’t know the area well enough to feel safe walking through the park surrounding the needle after dark. So we adjusted our exploring accordingly. Plenty of nice infrastructure. But being there and seeing it is different.

 

I have lived in places that I wouldn’t drive through now unless I made sure my windows were up, doors locked and no eye contact.  And it was that bad when I lived there.  I am not at all saying that Wilmington is on the same level, just that areas similar to it lends itself to attracting certain situations.  Being overly cautious is not a bad thing

[KeepCalmBearOn]

10 hours ago, GTJ said:

I am not understanding.

 

Obviously.

 

10 hours ago, GTJ said:

I just don't see anything that stands out in this particular area or neighborhood of Wilmington

 

You don't live in So Cal.

[Northern Aurora]

On 10/18/2022 at 9:23 AM, GTJ said:

I am not quite sure what is meant by the term "walkable." .........

 

After reading all of "GTJ's" responses I just have to ask -- has "GTJ" actually ever been to Wilmington?

[GTJ]

16 hours ago, MrsTocko said:

I think it has more to do with knowledge of the area.  Yes, it may look good on screen, but that doesn’t mean the area is safe.  I’m sure that you have areas near you that yes it looks like it would be fine, but you also know that you wouldn’t go there yourself.  OP asked about walkability. This particular area of Wilmington, is a heavy traffic area, with large heavy trucks.  It is a main frontage road thoroughfare to and from the Port of Los Angeles. I don’t want to use derogatory or stereotype terms, but this is an older looking and feeling neighborhood. The residents are hard working, but this is not a “rich” area. And it shows.  I think it is often overlooked in favor of San Pedro and Long Beach in terms of infrastructure maintenance, and investment in attracting visitors,  it is also largely residential and not catering to tourists. * * *

Heavy truck traffic can indeed be a peril to safety. I don't perceive the area being particularly inundated with such traffic, and I have not observed as much, notwithstanding oil refineries in the surrounding area. I would receptive to traffic studies showing that being the case, and If true, it would indeed detract from the safety of the area.

 

The greater matter, however, is that I sense a concern not so much with safety as possibly concerns with security. That, too, is a reasonable concern, but distinct from concerns over safety. In assessing security, it is useful to look at geographic statistics relating to crimes that are typically violent and random and for which transient visitors tend to be most susceptible. For much of Los Angeles such data are available at CrimeMapping.com; Long Beach reports separately on its own city website. The area around the hotel site at issue here does not stand out as a hotbed of this type of criminal activity. Crime is certainly more prevalent than in, say, Rancho Paolos Verdes, But much less than in places such as South Central and Anaheim. Perhaps most revealingly, there is more reported crime in San Pedto and central Long Beach . . . not to say that either port community is insecure, but rather that the crime level there are comparable though slightly higher.In short, from statistics, there is little concern over the presence of an inordinate amount of crime in the area surrounding the hotel at issue. Nonetheless, many perceptions of security are not formed objectively but instead rely on prejudices. For example, some people may view neighborhoods that appear older to be less secure, as well as neighborhoods whose populations are less affluent and/or dominated by racial and/or ethnic minorities. Even so, some of these characteristics are not even well-observed by many. While San Pedro and Long Beach are both quite old in their urban development, the area surrounding the hotel at issue here is much younger, and aerial photographs of the area show undeveloped land here in the latter part of the 20th century. Nor is the area particularly poor. Demographic maps at Rich Blocks Poor Blocks show this area to be very much middle income, with some high income areas surrounding it. Race and ethnicity is illustrated with maps at the website Best Neighborhood, and it shows that the area surrounding the hotel is predominantly Hispanic (about 85 percent of the area's population). In sum, the original inquiry here asked about safety, not about security. But even if security was a matter of interest, there should be no great concern here. It may not be the most secure area, but objectively not much different from San Pedro and Long Beach.

 

(To alleviate other speculation: I lived in California for several years, engaging in urban and transportation planning. Those of engaged in transportation planning gather and report both safety and security data, and tend to be sensitive to the distinctions and analyses thereof. I disliked living in California greatly, and for that and other reasons I now reside elsewhere. The dislike I have of California generally may affect my perceptions, but I believe I have been mostly objective here . . . even if characterizing the particular area as being "no there there.")

[ruready]

Wow... all this commentary over lil ole Wilmington neighborhood.  LOL.  I think the original poster got the answer he was seeking. 

[KeepCalmBearOn]

4 hours ago, GTJ said:

Heavy truck traffic... blah blah blah, CrimeMapping.... blah blah blah, I lived in California.... blah blah blah

 

How much time have you actually spent in Wilmington?

[GTJ]

18 hours ago, ruready said:

Wow... all this commentary over lil ole Wilmington neighborhood.  LOL.  I think the original poster got the answer he was seeking. 

Yes indeed. My initial answer provided a response that, in effect, this part of Wilmington is very plain vanilla, nothing out of the ordinary, but also nothing very interesting, and is reasonably safe (meaning, being protected from accidents, injuries, and exposure to hazardous conditions). It seems that others became excited about discussing the security of the area, even though no question had been asked about security, and even though there are no substantial concerns about the area's security. There was even a concern expressed about heavy truck traffic making the area unsafe. I had noted in an earlier that "I do not understand," meaning that I did not understand what more could be a concern about the area, its walkability and safety. I see that I am not alone not understanding the expansive discussion on things I think are not particularly relevant to the original question, and which question I believe was well-answered initially.

[MrsTocko]

 

On 10/22/2022 at 12:13 PM, GTJ said:

Demographic maps at Rich Blocks Poor Blocks show this area to be very much middle income, with some high income areas surrounding it. Race and ethnicity is illustrated with maps at the website Best Neighborhood, and it shows that the area surrounding the hotel is predominantly Hispanic (about 85 percent of the area's population). In sum, the original inquiry here asked about safety, not about security. But even if security was a matter of interest, there should be no great concern here. It may not be the most secure area, but objectively not much different from San Pedro and Long Beach.

 

I looked at the best neighborhood site that you referenced here and I just cant agree with it.  I looked at San Diego County, where I live, and some of the high value and average value areas, are in fact,  very low income areas, and high gang areas.  we know that by LIVING here.  And seeing the day to day news reports.  some of those areas we dont care to drive through during the day, much less live there.  But a study says this is the new upcoming place. yes there are worse areas, but these are definately misleading.

 

OP had the right idea to ask the question and received answers from people that KNOW, have first hand knowledge. Have driven the streets, and looked at the people in the eye.  have had the residents that live there, tell you where NOT to go.

 

Hopefully we have all helped more than hindered.