Romantic/Quiet place near LAX

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mkosbie
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Romantic/Quiet place near LAX

Post by mkosbie » Tue May 26, 2009 7:29 am

Hey all you Los Angelites, wanted some advice. I'm going to be visiting the US next week, landing at LAX 7:00 (assuming everything goes smoothly). My girlfriend is picking me up at the airport and I wanted to surprise her by taking her to a nice place for a quiet walk while the sun sets (followed by dinner and what not if you're curious).

Sunset that day starts at about 7:40 and ends about 8:00, so I don't have a very big time window to work with here. I'll already be clear of customs (I have a stopoff in Chicago), so if all goes well, I should be able to get out of the airport doors 30 minutes after the plane touches down. That still only gives me 30 minutes to make it somewhere for sunset, an hour to get there before its dark.

So who knows of a good place to go within 30 min/1 hr of LAX?
It's 5:00... do you know where your ancestors came from?

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Re: Romantic/Quiet place near LAX

Post by Hostrauser » Tue May 26, 2009 9:20 am

Hah! If you're flying into LAX, you'll likely be taking the 405 to get out of there. So in 30 minutes you should be able to go one, maybe two exits. :wink:

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Re: Romantic/Quiet place near LAX

Post by formermarcher » Tue May 26, 2009 9:33 am

You know, there's a Denny's right there on the corner of Aviation that looks pretty nice when the sun is hitting it...

:lol:
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Re: Romantic/Quiet place near LAX

Post by Jsaxm » Tue May 26, 2009 10:03 am

Man, you guys are cold, haha!!
You just can't encourage stupidity

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Re: Romantic/Quiet place near LAX

Post by mkosbie » Tue May 26, 2009 12:27 pm

Thanks fm and Hostrauser. Every time I forget why I visit this forum, you guys kindly remind me: its for the amazing camaraderie!

Seriously, I know the timing very not nice. Maybe you could recommend a place that's nice to walk in the early evening (ie just after nightfall)? How bright is the moon in LA (and what not)? June 4 is just 3 days before the full moon...
It's 5:00... do you know where your ancestors came from?

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Re: Romantic/Quiet place near LAX

Post by formermarcher » Tue May 26, 2009 12:49 pm

I don't think you can see anything sky-wards in LA due to this wonderful smog that we've all grown used to.

If you get lucky with the timing, you can always drive down the 101 to the Getty Center. Its on top of a hill, so you should be able to get some nice views. The thing is, its going to take you probably 20 mins to get there, so you'd have to have your flight get in early, as well as a bit of luck.

Only thing I can think of right now that'd give you a place to walk in the sunset.
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Re: Romantic/Quiet place near LAX

Post by Hostrauser » Tue May 26, 2009 12:53 pm

Well, LAX is kind of the borderlands. Everything south and east of the airport aren't exactly good neighborhoods. To the northwest are Playa del Rey, Marina del Rey, and Venice, all pretty nice neighborhoods (that I'm wholly unfamiliar with).

Your best bet is to take the Pacific Coast Highway (Route 1) north, and go to Venice Beach or the north part of Playa del Rey. Remember that beach parking can be a pain. Anything in the "del Reys" is going to be expensive (thinking dinner). After sunset, your best bet for dinner would be to continue north into Santa Monica.

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Re: Romantic/Quiet place near LAX

Post by Chapagne » Tue May 26, 2009 6:51 pm

No, no, no. The South Bay is wondeful for stuff like this! Take your LA generalisms and go back to wherever they are applicable. There's no smog at the beach, folks! Don't take the 405 and going north on PCH will take longer to reach the beach.

South of the beach is El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach. All are VERY nice for walking and, with the exception of El Segundo which has no beach access, wonderful for sunsets.

After you drive out of the airport, go south on Sepulveda Blvd. and stay to the right through the tunnel. Then turn right (west) on Imperial Hwy., just after the tunnel. After a couple miles, Imperial Hwy. ends at the beach, turn left on Vista Del Mar. Vista Del Mar turns into Highland Ave. once you reach housing, which is Manhattan Beach.

Turn down 36th St. to get to a long pay to park lot that goes all the way back to 45th. You'll be right on the beach, but there's not many restaurants around there. Manhattan Beach Blvd. has a pier at the end of it. It's a major hub and there are plenty of restaurants around and up it. If you turn left on Manhattan Beach Blvd. and left again at the first street, there's a parking structure that used to have meters. Not sure how it works now. Metered parking is all over the place down there.

It's been too long for me to recommend anyplace specific. You may pass many places on your way down to MB Blvd. You're just a couple of blocks from the beach, so if you see one you like and a place to park, I'd jump on it.
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Re: Romantic/Quiet place near LAX

Post by Hostrauser » Tue May 26, 2009 7:32 pm

These are not "LA generalisms." My wife spent four years at USC and I have family and friends in Rancho Palos Verdes and Inglewood. We've spent plenty of time in LA.

We just flew into/out of LAX earlier this month and had dinner in Inglewood. I was thankful the car still had tires when we came out of the restaurant. And I would not get out of my car in El Segundo if it was on fire.

Your mileage may vary.

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Re: Romantic/Quiet place near LAX

Post by Hostrauser » Tue May 26, 2009 7:38 pm

Chapagne wrote:There's no smog at the beach, folks!
Addendum: the smoggiest day I've ever experienced in my life was in Long Beach, CA, visiting the Spruce Goose and Queen Mary. As long as there's onshore flow there's no smog at the beach.

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Re: Romantic/Quiet place near LAX

Post by Chapagne » Wed May 27, 2009 6:53 am

Hostrauser wrote:I would not get out of my car in El Segundo if it was on fire.
Really? What part of El Segundo have you been to? We used to call it Mayberry because it was so harmless. Sure, if you're over on Aviation or something it's hedgy, but not on Main Street or the entire part with houses. If you're out at night, your biggest trouble will come from cops stopping you to see what you're up to.
As long as there's onshore flow there's no smog at the beach.
And there won't be on Saturday. The only problem might be June Gloom is setting in and the marine layer will probably block any sunset action. In my 20 years living in that area, I don't ever remember a Stage 1 smog alert, and that was before catalytic converters.
We just flew into/out of LAX earlier this month and had dinner in Inglewood.
Notice I didn't tell him to go to Inglewood? Stick near the beach, it's all at least pretty nice.
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Re: Romantic/Quiet place near LAX

Post by mkosbie » Wed May 27, 2009 8:53 am

Thanks for all the ideas, but this sounds much more complicated than I was hoping for. As for food, I'm already planning to go to the Baron Herzog Winery in Oxnard, so don't worry about that part.

I'm actually thinking about switching onto an earlier flight to fix the timing issue. If I do, I was thinking of going up to Grant Park in Ventura (its close to where I want to do dinner) for the sunset walk. The pictures make the view look awesome. Anyone been who can tell me if its worth it? Do they have the same "June Gloom" issues in Ventura they do in LA?
It's 5:00... do you know where your ancestors came from?

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