Western Bonaventure and LA ??

[dis4me]

Has anyone stayed at the Westin Bonaventure in LA.We are attending a convention at the LA convention center and this is one of our choice. Is there anything around ther efor families to do? How far is Disneyland from there?It will be me and 3 kids alone for the day so I am looking for things that we can do while dh is in seminars. ANy advice will be greatly appreciated.Thanks

 

[KaitlinsMom]

I don't know how much I can help, but I will try -

The bonaventure is a great hotel, but really nothing around it - I would not go out walking around to explore - Although, you can walk a couple of blocks around, but not too many or you will be in a bad area -

One place that is close by is the Manns Theatre (walk of stars) and the Kodak Center - Right across the street is the Disney theatre and the name is escaping me right now -

Disneyland is about 45 minutes - but don't try to go during rush hour or you will be stuck in the dreaded LA traffic -

I believe Universal is not too far away either. But you will need a car to get anywhere - Welcome to LA!

You said the Bonaventure is one of your choices, what are your other choices? I just read your post again and your kids will be alone - Not really a kid friendly area - Bonaventure is right in the business area of LA - Just office buildings -


Karen

 

[larry_poppins]

The Western Bonaventure Hotel is a large corporate hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Your kids will enjoy riding up and down the glass elevators and looking out over downtown. There is a large food court in the hotel as well. It is near the Los ANgeles Public Library Central Library. There is a museum of contemporary art not too far away as well. THe hotel and the area is safe for downtown. Still it is not particularly a child friendly environment.

I would like to correct the previous poster: the hotel is not close to Mann's Chinese Theatre or Highand/Hollywood Center with the Kodak THeatre. They are in Hollywood. From downtown you could walk to a subway stop and take the subway to Hollywood and Highland and see the other sites as well. You could also take the subway to Universal Studios Hollywood which would be even better for you and your kids. If you have a car you can get to Disneyland, Knotts, the LA Zoo, and the beach!

If you have any other questions feel free to email me at:

felixnash@msn.com

larry poppins

 

[dis4me]

Thanks for the replies. i guess I wasn't clear- The kids are staying with me during the convention They will not be alone. They oldest is only 8. I meant that I will be alone with the three of us(without my dh I guess 4 people technically can't be alone). I was curious of things I could do with the kids. I really don't want to travel to far though.
How safe is the subway? Is it comprobable to NY? Would it be hard for me to get off and on with a stroller?

 

[KaitlinsMom]

I would like to correct the previous poster: the hotel is not close to Mann's Chinese Theatre or Highand/Hollywood Center with the Kodak THeatre. They are in Hollywood.

I just meant that it was close by, not walking distance, but close by if you had a car - 5-10 minutes - Closer than Disneyland anyways - But, I am not too familiar with the area. I only go when family is in town - So thanks Larry for helping me out!

I have never been on the LA subway, so I could not compare that for you - There is a great book that maybe you could check out -
It is called "Fun and educational places to go with kids" by Susan Peterson - It is a wonderful book regarding Southern California - She lists places, phone numbers, web-sites, hours, admission prices (if apply) and even states how long (time) you should plan on spending at each place.

Triple AAA should be able to help you out as well if you have a membership - If not, maybe a friend of yours does and will get the information for you!

Let us know if you need some more ideas!

Karen

 

[dis4me]

Thanks Karen
I never even thought to check AAA I will call there in the am.That book sounds good also/Thanks again for you help.

Holiday Inn City Center
Hyatt Regency
Marriott Downtown
Millennium Biltmore
Wilshire Grand
Westin Bonaventure Were the hotel choicesAre any more child friendly? They all seemed like business hotel.

 

[betty2379]

Because the Westin is located right in the center of LA, it is central to many of the tourist sites. It is on the MTA bus routes and you can easily access public transportation and the freeways. The Metro is wonderful. Clean, fast and the best way to get to Universal Studio from downtown LA. You can access route information on http://mta.net. You can also drive to Universal Studios (about 20 miles west on the 101 fwy). Disneyland is on the 5 freeway, which is the continuation of the 101 east, about 40 minutes away. Legoland is about an hour and a half away. Japanese town is nearby, you can visit the Japanese American Cultural Center and Museums. Chinatown is just a few miles north, as is the historic Pueblo de Los Angeles. Your kids will love the current Disney offering at the El Capitan in Hollywood (a block from the Highland station on the Metro Red Line). There are a lot of good restaurants located in the area where you are staying. An excellent sandwich shop in the building where the Westin is located. The area is absolutely deserted on Sundays and not safe for wandering at night.

 

[betty2379]

Oops, I forgot to comment on the hotels. All of them are large business hotels located in the same area. The Biltmore is a historic hotel, very beautifully restored. The Westin is very nice, but more generic (as are the rest of the ones you mentioned).

 

[dis4me]

Thanks Betty

 

[c&m]

We were in the same situation you are in 2 years ago. I had a conference to attend at the L.A. convention center, and DH had our 2 DDs during the day.

In your list of hotels, you mentioned the Hyatt. Well we chose the Hyatt Regency Downtown. It was not child friendly. The hotel restaurant was way too fancy, so finding a meal for the kids was difficult.

Why did I pick this hotel? I have no clue. Nothing was there in close proximity for my DH and DDs to go to. There wasn't even a pool in the hotel for the children to play in.

In hindsight, it sounds like the Westin Bonaventure is a better hotel. Afterall, you are close to the library where they can probably hang out for a few hours. If there's a pool in the hotel, even better.

Good luck making your choice!

 

[dis4me]

Thanks C&M That is my worse fear. I chose this hotel because the website said food court and 20 restaraunts in close proximity.My kids are pretty well behaved in restaraunts but you always get the feeling they are not wanted no matter how good they are in some places.I hope we find some child friendly places. What did you dh and dd do all week? Did they venture out in LA?

 

[c&m]

Dis4me: Yeah, I know what you mean. My kids are very well-behaved in restaurants. However, the Hyatt's restaurant was wayyyy too upscale for the kids, in terms of menu and ambiance. Even I felt a little uncomfortable in all that finery!

This is what my DH and DDs did to fill up 2 days: woke up late in the morning, dwindled over breakfast, spent some time walking around the downtown area (absolutely not much there), and then walked back to the hotel in the afternoon to let the DDs nap. They were very careful to return to the hotel early on. There were so many transients around. There was a small little mall attached to the hotel with only Macy's as the anchor store. DH would take the DDs there to stretch their legs for a little while. I'd be back from the conference by 3:30 or 4pm. We'd hang out then have an early dinner. [You can see now that having a pool at the hotel would have helped!]

I was told that there is a Farmer's Market downtown and something called the La Brea Tarpits. Some locals may be able to tell you something about those places and their distance from your hotel.

Mind you, my kids were very patient and good in L.A., because they knew the next stop was...DISNEYLAND!

 

[dis4me]

Unfortunately for me We are doing DL first so I have nothing to hold over them LOL. We have six plag passes so I may venture out there.Not usre how far away it is. The website says The Westin has an outdoor pool I hope this is true. As you said My dh should be back around 3-4pm so at least we can do dinner together. I should bring lots of hotel activities(board games and coloring books) I guess.Thanks for the info and I will stay clear of the hyatt.

 

[hayesmama]

Dis4me:

I live near six flags magic mtn. It takes me about 45 mins to get there from downtown with light traffic. I would not head out this way before 9am or between 430 and 6 due to the traffic Mon-Fri. It is pretty easy to find and there is a Hamburger Hamlet, Marie Callender's, Red Lobster and a Wendy's just before the entrance drive to the park.
I agree with the previous posters--downtown is pretty abandoned and not safe at night. The Farmer's Market is a kinda near Hollywood so it's not very close by--the tarpits are kind of interesting (that was my elementary/girl scout field trip a few times when I was a kid). Boy do they smell!
If you come across any literature that talks about the Children's Museum downtown, it is closed for an extended period of time.
The LA zoo is about 20 mins or so away up the 5 towards Burbank(I am bad at mileage) in an area called Griffith Park. There is also a travel town there with trains (was open the last time I checked but call first). Griffith Park is a very very large park type area. You need a car to drive around it. There are signs on the freeway telling you where to exit. There is a western museum(Gene Autry) across from the zoo. The Observatory is closed for renovation. We enjoy the things to do(zoo, travel town) at the park during the day but shy away from the picnic/no people areas that are not in public view(never have had a problem there myself). See if you can find a map.
Hope this helps a little. Have a good trip! Let me know if I can help at all.

 

[dis4me]

Thanks Hayesmama
My biggest concern is getting around withthe baby. He will be 14 months when we are there. The girls I know I could get on a bus or subway or whatever but with him( he is huge) I need a stroller diaper bag etc.I will have a car. Griffith Park sounds good to vosot. Are there areas there with a playground type thing? I would like to keep the girls occupied so that they are not wild at night.LOL They are 8 and 7 so they pretty much like to do anything.
Thanks again eveeryone for the replies

 

[dis4me]

Does anyone know of any beaches that aren't too far(driving distance) and are child friendly?

 

[betty2379]

Santa Monica Beach is about 20 minutes away by freeway. There is an amusement park with an antique carousel and rides for smaller children. You can also walk down the boardwalk (easily done with stroller since it is wide and paved) to muscle beach and watch the weight lifters work out. There is also a lot of street entertainment down there in Venice. Downtown is not kid friendly. There is a restaurant, I believe called Station 54, which is located in an old fire station. It is upscale, but friendly. Travel town in Griffith Park is in the process of being closed or relocated, but is still open. The zoo in Griffith Park is a great place to bring little kids, so if you go in the next few months, you may be able to do both in a day. Have fun.

 

[hayesmama]

Hello Again-

Found this site for you. Has some great info!http://www.ci.la.ca.us/RAP/grifmet/griffith.htm

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

<font color=navy>I live about 20 mins or so from Downtown LA.

I recommend going to the La Brea Tarpits. It is easy to get there - you take 7th street west and it turns into Wilshire Blvd (you should still get a map to pinpoint these places & how to get there). The La Brea Tarpits is on the right hand side, and just two blocks further you'll reach Rodeo Drive (if you're interested in seeing that). The Tarpits are in a big park, and behind them is a museum where they've recreated the animals from the bones escavated from the pits - The wooly mammoth is huge. They also have sloths, saber toothed lions, etc. If you go a few blocks north of the tarpits you'll hit Farmers Market, and across the street from that is a nice mall, etc. I figure that driving there from Downtown will take you anywhere from 15 mins to a half hour.

Taking the 110 freeway south, in about 10-15 minutes, you'll reach the Coliseum (where they held the 32 & 84 Olympics), the USC campus, and two museums that the kids might like -- the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum - the Science Museum is free and has hands-on exhibits that the kids can do. There is also an IMAX theater there (& I believe the Lion King is playing there) and you can see a film. There is also a rose garden - nice for a picnic, etc.

Taking the 110 north will lead you to the 5 north and eventually to the LA Zoo. It's not far at all. You can also go to Descanso Gardens (for a fee), which is a HUGE garden in the foothills, with all kinds of plants, flowers, Japanese tea garden, koi pond, etc., where your kids can run as much as they want, and you could probably get some good pictures of them.

Close by, you can visit Olvera Street (birthplace of El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora, la Reina de Los Angeles de Porciancula (I can see why they shortened the name )

If you take the 110 south to the 10 west, you'll end up in Santa Monica & can go to the beach there. Give it about a half hour.

If you take the 110 south to where it ends in San Pedro, you can visit Ports O Call, and near that is the Cabrillo Beach Marine Museum, with a protected beach nearby and even a little park. If I remember correctly, they have a tidepool area where the kids can touch the sea animals. And speaking of tidepools, in that same general area, you can visit the tidepools, which is interesting at low tide.

 

[dis4me]

Wow You guys are great.I love this site.I am just printing the whole thread.
PS Mary Jo Are you the same Mary Jo I just eamiled about disney dinner reservations?
Thanks for all the ideas everyone.I am starting to feel much better about this part of the trip now.