Shortest route LGB-Hollywood?

February 9, 2006 10:54 AM

I'm trying to figure out the fastest route from Long Beach airport to Hollywood. I don't trust the answers that MapQuest and friends come up with.

Specifically, I'm trying to get from LGB to the El Rey on Wilshire, leaving the airport a little after 5:00 PM on a Saturday. All the mapping tools try to take me through downtown, which seems like a very bad idea unless that area has gotten a lot easier to drive through since I lived in LA. But the only alternative I've come up with is to take the 405 to the 10, and the 405 north of LAX didn't used to exactly be a treat that time of day either. Is there a better way?

posted by bac to travel & transportation (11 comments total)

Hollywood is just north of downtown, so you can't avoid it. I405 gets blocked up around LAX at high traffic times, so it is often faster to take I5 through the middle of LA.
posted by b1tr0t at 11:37 AM on February 9, 2006

I take the 710 towards Pasadena, to the I5 towards LA, to the 101 Hollywood Fwy. It's super fast for me, and avoids traffic around the 110 and 405 areas.
posted by thesiameseffect at 11:46 AM on February 9, 2006

YahooMap beats mapQuest for accuracy every time
posted by growabrain at 12:32 PM on February 9, 2006

I've found Google to be a good mapping source. Just type your destination in the search bar.
posted by SoftSummerBreeze at 12:38 PM on February 9, 2006

P.S. Far better than MapQuest, also.
posted by SoftSummerBreeze at 12:39 PM on February 9, 2006

I live right by the El Rey.
Take the 405 North to the 110 North to the 10 West. Take the La Brea exit, right on La Brea, Left on Washington (2nd? light, top of the hill). Go about 7 blks on Washington to Cochran (small street, no light). Turn right up the hill, then go all the way to Wilshire, then left two blocks to the El Rey. Cochran is a fast cut through to bypass slow Fairfax or LaBrea.
If you miss the turn on Cochran, keep going to Hauser (a light), same thing but you'll turn right on Wilshire and go two blocks. Hauser may actually be faster.
posted by johngumbo at 1:05 PM on February 9, 2006

absolutely - take the 405 to LAX and exit La Cienega, which'll take you all the way to Wilshire and then you can just jog over to the El Rey. Taking the 405 north from LAX to the 10 will indeed be hell at that time, and La Cienega is the surface street par excellence - just north of the airport it splits into 3 lanes and traffic moves *fast*. I live at the end of La Cienega where it hits Sunset and use this route the whole time to get to the airport and avoid traffic.
posted by forallmankind at 1:05 PM on February 9, 2006

I agree with La Cienega, but you might consider taking the new-ish Century Freeway (I-105) west from the 710, to get to the LAX neighborhood, and completely avoid the 405, which will be rude even on a Saturday.

And b1tr0t, Hollywood's North-West of downtown, according to my compass.
posted by Rash at 1:24 PM on February 9, 2006

I live in the area of the El Rey, and go back and forth to Long Beach all the time. So far johngumbo and forallmankind have the best routes, altho forallmankind's is my favorite.
posted by samh23 at 1:31 PM on February 9, 2006

One note: will you have a passenger? If so, you may want to consider johngumbo's route as it has the most carpool lane access.
posted by samh23 at 1:59 PM on February 9, 2006

Thanks to all for the assistance and advice. I'll be thinking of you at the Ben Harper show!
posted by bac at 8:01 PM on February 9, 2006