rtsyrtsy wrote:I'll be in L.A. for a week beginning Halloween.
What are the must go to places for:
-Audiophiles (especially software and good used tube stuff)
-Foodies (I prefer cheerful locals' favorites over Michelin 5 star places)
-Shutterbugs (reliable used Nikkors, and of course shooting travel photos)
-Tech Geeks (I'm still in the market for a Core2Duo laptop w/ dedicated graphics, a GPS device would be nice too)
-Dads (my wife gave me a long list of stuff to get from Gap / Old Nay outlets)
-Re: Gap / Old Navy, yes, Ttommy, the stuff I picked up in NYC for them weren't enough! BTW, I'll be flying through NYC...but I'm still arranging to spend at least a day there, snowball's chance in hell but soup dumplings and pulled pig are worth all the effort!
Cheers!
Audiophiles - Amoeba along Sunset Blvd. in North Holywood (two blocks after Sunset and Vine St.) . For a Mom and Pop type, try Atomic Records in Burbank along Magnolia St.
Tubes - Nothing there! The closest will be Upscale Audio in Upland, CA. About 1 1/2 hours from downtown L.A. if traffic permits
Food - Long Beach Board Walk (surf or surf and turf foods), Santa Monica Board Walk. When you are in L.A. it would not be a problem finding good restaurants.
Tech Geeks - Ask your concierge if you are staying in a hotel about Fry's Electronics. The branches close to you should be in Burbank, Woodland Hills, and Manhattan Beach. If you decide to hit the store around Sunday or Monday, buy the local paper on Sunday(LA Times). At the back of the Sports Section are advertised specials and coupons in the store. You will save a lot with this depending on what you need.
My suggestion, when you are in the store is to buy a TomTom (Mobile GPS ) and use it for several days if you are only staying for a short time. You can return it before 30 days as long as you have the receipt, no question ask. It will make it easier for you to navigate the city. If you want a particular restaurant (any kind) just type the kind of food you are craving for and it will give you a list of what is accessible to you as well as how to get there from where you're at of course.
Gap/Old Navy - Not a problem! Most malls have them. Inquire to the receptionist in the hotel lobby. Just ask for a mall, they are everywhere! But of course there's always Rodeo Drive!
If you want an outlet where there's a lot of nice shops (Gap, Banana Republic, Lucky, Lacoste, Polo, Versace, Coach, etc.) at real outlet price, you have to drive a bit to Camarillo. This is about an an hour/hour and a half away from Burbank taking 101 North all the way until you pass the City of Thousand Oaks. After you finished descending the mountains, it is on your left side about five miles away. You will not miss it.
Hope this helps you a bit.....
Oops...forgot to add, since you have your laptop with you, you can easily look up the numbers for the stores and such...