Couple questions for LA people

[Sukhoi]

On New Years Eve I am going to be at Disneyland. The next morning I need to be in Pasadena for the Rose Bowl parade and game. After the game I need to drive back to the Bay Area ASAP. I am planning on taking the Gold Metro line to Pasadena rather than deal with the traffic hell that town will be on Jan 1. I cannot decide which way to try to take the Gold Line to Pasadena.

Option 1 is to stay NYE near the intersection of 57 and 210. Then I would park at the Sierra Madre Villa station and take the train west to the Rose Bowl. Problem is after the game I would need to drive 210 right back through Pasadena and I am worried even though I am going out of town (and most traffic shouldn't be) that 210 will be a parking lot.

Option 2 is to stay near Dodger Stadium and take the Gold Line from the Lincoln Heights/Cypress Park station. But where would I park here? I don't think the station has any parking. Advantages of a hotel near Dodger Statium is it will be easier to get to from Disneyland the night before, and I have a feeling trying to take the 5 north straight out of town will be faster than trying to take 210 through Pasadena after the game.

Suggestions? Also where in general are the ghettos? Are any of the areas I have mentioned bad places? I am clueless on LA!

 

[mrkun]

Well, just in general, the ghetto is on the South and East sides of LA (like most cities I suppose).

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: mrkun
Well, just in general, the ghetto is on the South and East sides of LA (like most cities I suppose).

You forget about Boyle Heights. That's a classy place lol

 

[mrkun]

Originally posted by: zerocool84

Originally posted by: mrkun
Well, just in general, the ghetto is on the South and East sides of LA (like most cities I suppose).

You forget about Boyle Heights. That's a classy place lol

Boyle Heights is east of downtown.

Edit: Btw, the the best Mexican restaurant in SoCal is in Boyle Heights. You should try it out if you have the opportunity.

 

[Sukhoi]

I just gave in and got a room at the Courtyard @ Monrovia.

 

[dudeman007]

Originally posted by: Sukhoi
I just gave in and got a room at the Courtyard @ Monrovia.

In that case you can pick me up in Arcadia and give me my complementary ticket

 

[abaez]

There are no hotels really around dodger stadium, it's all Echo Park/Silverlake and houses. Not a great area but not that bad either. The areas around the gold line aren't bad but aren't great either. It gets a little ghetto going east out of downtown over the l.a. river and 101 (but some great places to eat).

If you are up for going to Pasadena from Union Station, there are a couple of hotels in downtown. The holiday inn near staples is about 5 blocks south from the 7th/wilshire red line station which you can take to union and hop on the gold line. The Standard is another one and probably your best bet. It's about 2 blocks north of 7th/wilshire station and probably can provide parking. There is also the hilton and the biltmore a little bit north around 4th/flower.

If you can do it, it's probably best to take the gold line from downtown and then when you get back you have two options, the 101 north or 5 north and you can check/listen to the traffic before you go to see which one is better. You could probably also find parking at union station as well if you'd like to skip taking the red line (it's only two stops).

Edit: Be aware that it'd take a bit to get out of the game and back to the gold line. It travels near colorado I think but not near the Rose Bowl.

 

[Sukhoi]

Originally posted by: dudeman007

Originally posted by: Sukhoi
I just gave in and got a room at the Courtyard @ Monrovia.

In that case you can pick me up in Arcadia and give me my complementary ticket

Heh it was hard enough to get my own pair of tickets!

abaez, yeah I know the Gold Line station isn't real close to the Rose Bowl itself. But we're both in good shape so walking doesn't scare us. We're going to park at the end of the Gold Line. There is a 1000 spot garage and maybe it won't be full by 7:15 AM. I'm hoping it will be faster and easier to take the train back that way after the game than to try to park in Pasadena and deal with all the city street level traffic.

 

[abaez]

Just found this:

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) advises motorists planning to travel on the Golden State Freeway (Interstate 5) in north Los Angeles County to plan ahead, leave early to avoid holiday-related heavy traffic -- due to an ongoing lane closure on northbound I-5 at Templin Highway, (approximately five miles north of Castaic). The lane closure is due to ongoing storm-related slope stabilization and roadway repairs.

Heavy traffic is expected from Friday, December 21 through Tuesday, January 2, 2008.

Three northbound lanes and all (4) southbound lanes remain open to motorists. [via press release]

 

[shopbruin]

Originally posted by: abaez
Just found this:

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) advises motorists planning to travel on the Golden State Freeway (Interstate 5) in north Los Angeles County to plan ahead, leave early to avoid holiday-related heavy traffic -- due to an ongoing lane closure on northbound I-5 at Templin Highway, (approximately five miles north of Castaic). The lane closure is due to ongoing storm-related slope stabilization and roadway repairs.

Heavy traffic is expected from Friday, December 21 through Tuesday, January 2, 2008.

Three northbound lanes and all (4) southbound lanes remain open to motorists. [via press release]

they've had that stupid lane closed for nearly 2 years now. if you leave early enough in the morning you'll avoid the traffic.

 

[Sukhoi]

Originally posted by: freesia39

Originally posted by: abaez
Just found this:

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) advises motorists planning to travel on the Golden State Freeway (Interstate 5) in north Los Angeles County to plan ahead, leave early to avoid holiday-related heavy traffic -- due to an ongoing lane closure on northbound I-5 at Templin Highway, (approximately five miles north of Castaic). The lane closure is due to ongoing storm-related slope stabilization and roadway repairs.

Heavy traffic is expected from Friday, December 21 through Tuesday, January 2, 2008.

Three northbound lanes and all (4) southbound lanes remain open to motorists. [via press release]

they've had that stupid lane closed for nearly 2 years now. if you leave early enough in the morning you'll avoid the traffic.

Gaaaaaaaaa! I'll be going north through there somewhere around 8 PM on Jan 1. Fun. :|

 

[uclaLabrat]

There's lots of freeways...can you find a detour?

 

[mrkun]

Originally posted by: uclaLabrat
There's lots of freeways...can you find a detour?

The only other way to get the Bay Area is via the 101 which will probably take even longer.

Edit: Oh, I suppose there's also PCH. lol

 

[uclaLabrat]

101 should only add 45 min or so to the drive....5 is faster, and screw PCH. I'm trying to remember if there's any connector up by santa barbara from the 101 to the 5...but I think it'd be counter productive.

 

[mrkun]

Originally posted by: uclaLabrat
101 should only add 45 min or so to the drive....5 is faster, and screw PCH. I'm trying to remember if there's any connector up by santa barbara from the 101 to the 5...but I think it'd be counter productive.

There are, but you're right that the fastest way is to just stick it out on the 5.