We are doing a touring holiday we are ending our route in the LA area and are flying home from LAX. We would like to stay somewhere half an hour to an hour away from LAX airport. Ideally on the coast with a few areas of interest and somewhere with some nice bars/restaurants.
Thanks
Malibu, Mailbu, Malibu. Stunning coastal town with lots of shopping and dining and of course the BEACH! Try Moonshadows Malibu restaurant or Duke's Malibu Duke's is less expensive (but remember this is where a lot of celebs live $$$). Great street tacos and shopping at the Malibu Country Mart. I worked in Malibu for three years and loved it. Everybody is happy and friendly there, a STARK difference from a lot of the rest of Los Angeles. Enjoy in whatever you choose! I love to travel :)
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Manhattan BeachManhattan Beach. Great restaurant: Fishing With Dynamite
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We went to Huntington Beach from LAX and loved it. Lovely pier and happened to have the US Surf Open that day, seems to always be lots going on in the area. Great taco places!
All of the beach cities are very appealing. Santa Monica and Venice Beach are both very busy and touristy so I agree Manhattan Beach or Redondo Beach are probably more relaxing. Between Booking.com and airbnb you should be able to find something you like. It can be expensive to stay at the beach.
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You might try San Pedro, CA or Long Beach
Basically anything on the LA Coast is an hour or less from Los Angeles International Airport. You can do Manhattan Beach, Santa Monica, Venice Beach, even El Segundo(10 minutes from LAX). If you want the "LA Experience, I'd recommend Santa Monica. It can be pricey - still if you are only here one nightr that is the place to be.
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If you want convenience to the airport, the Inn at Playa del Rey the single hotel in Playa Del Rey, is a quick few minutes drive on surface streets to the entrance to Los Angeles International Airport
It's fine for a night as the beach and several good restaurants like The Tripel Playa Provisions and Bacari PDR are within walking distance of the hotel.
Like others recommended- Manhattan Beach for a quick stay and if you have more time, then Venice near Abbot Kinney.
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Given the insane traffic. I would recommend the Venice Beacharea. Stay in Marina Del Rey, you can easily walk to Venice beach. For a quiet stay- marina del Rey hotel. For a closer to Venice stay, the JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE is quiet a scene that you shouldn't miss. Walk the boardwalk for plenty of bars and restaurants. You can get to lax pretty quick on the side streets and avoid the 405.
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Definitely Santa Monica or Venice Beach. I love Manhattan Beach as many people have suggested...it's beautiful and very close to the airport, but not exactly a tourist destination. Santa Monica and Venice have much more to see and do, amazing cuisine and shopping. The other beach destinations around LAX have largely pubs and mediocre food. You can also find some really cool boutique hotels so you're not spending a ton of money in either city, but more specifically Venice. Try The Kinney in Venice...it's right by Abbott Kinney which is exactly where I send all my East Coast friends visiting LA for good restaurants and shopping!
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Redondo Beach. It's similar to Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach, but it's a bit more cut off from the rest of the metropolitan area, and it has more of a small-town feel and fewer chain restaurants and big-box stores. The Portofino Hotel & Marina is a great non-branded hotel. Jus' Poke is a hole in the wall with great food, and the Redondo Beach Pier is great for sunbathing, people watching and fishing and has some good restaurants and shopping.
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You might try San Pedro which is the port for LA
Totally agree with the other responses. Manhattan Beach would be my first pick. Hermosa Beach is terrific too. You could go a bit further, but still within easy reach, to Venice Beach and Santa MonicaVenice . Look up all 4 destinations to see what kind of experience you'd like. For example, Venice is so quintessential LA (you've seen it in every movie), Hermosa & Santa Monica, as well as Venice, are great for the family. But if it's just you two, I'd go with Manhattan Beach. A bit more upscale and adult.
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Manhattan Beach is good. Recommend restaurant - Fishing With Dynamite
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Jack Hamlett is right, Manhattan Beach is a good place to stay. I would also recommend Santa Monica , which can be pricey. Long Beach is also a great place to stay, and it's the second largest city in L.A. County. Belmont Pier has an excellent restaurant for seaside dining.
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Hi! I highly recommend Hermosa Beach. Right on the beach, plenty of bars/pubs, restaurants, pier and more. Just 30 min or so from Los Angeles International Airport
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Just south of airport in Manhattan Beach nice food ,nice pier to go on, great people ,lots of small self owned shops with very neat things to buy. Great food ,if I didn't already say that .
Manhattan Beach15 minutes away to El Porto 20 minutes to downtown by the pier. Hopefully you'll be there for sunset. Enjoy!
My top vote would absolutely be Manhattan Beach although, if you want to see the rest of the city, you're going to be a little far south. Venice Beach or Santa Monica will put you just that much closer to the rest of the city. It just depends what else you want to see while you're here.
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Try a stay in the South Bay, specifically Hermosa Beach/Redondo Beach. There are lovely beachfront rentals. From there the world is yours, bike ride up the strand, eating at one of many fabulous restaurants, and a village feeling you don't get in any of the beach cities from Malibu to Rancho Palos Verdes, RB is my favorite beach town.
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Nancy
Steph
