Is Koreatown a good place to stay in Los Angeles?

Koreatown is a good base if you want to eat well, stay out late and keep your hotel bill down. It sits on Wilshire Boulevard between Downtown and Hollywood, and the Metro D Line stops at Wilshire/Vermont, Wilshire/Normandie and Wilshire/Western. From Wilshire/Vermont the B Line also runs up to Hollywood and Universal Studios.

The neighbourhood is busy, dense and full of neon. Wilshire Boulevard is lined with office towers and grand old buildings like the Art Deco Wiltern theatre, while the side streets and strip malls around Western Avenue are packed with Korean barbecue restaurants, karaoke bars, bakeries and cafés. Korean spas and late-night restaurants keep it lively long after other parts of LA have gone quiet.

The downside is that Koreatown isn't a sightseeing area. Apart from the Wiltern there is little to see on foot, the streets are noisy and crowded with traffic, and some blocks feel gritty, especially late at night. The beaches are a long ride away.

What makes Koreatown special is its food and energy. Few places in Los Angeles have so many good restaurants packed so closely together, and with the Metro on the doorstep and hotels that cost less than the Westside, it's a practical and fun base for people who care more about eating out than about views.