Life in L.A.
Los Angeles and Los Angeles County is a vibrant and multicultural metropolitan city with abundant opportunities for community engagement and research. Information, referrals, and suggestions when it comes to traveling, living, and exploring the area surrounding our UCLA NCSP hub are listed below.
Here are a few reasons to explore Los Angeles, CA:
- Los Angeles, CA is a dynamic city home to a diverse array of individuals from variety of cultural backgrounds, great for producing generalizable research.
- LA has a huge food scene with all sorts of cuisine.
- Los Angeles’ warm, sunny weather typically ranges between 55 – 90 degrees Fahrenheit, delivering beautiful weather in spring and summer, perfect for hiking and other outdoor activities!
- Los Angeles has a surplus of locations involving arts and culture, our Westwood Village office is located next to the UCLA Hammer Museum and has several nearby institutions including the Geffen Playhouse, UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance, The Fowler Museum at UCLA, the Getty Center and Getty Villa just to name a few.
- For more information and ideas on what LA has to offer, please visit: https://www.discoverlosangeles.com/
UCLA NCSP HQ
Virtual Tour of our Office and the LA Community
Hotels
Visitors requiring accommodations near our central office and the UCLA campus may visit (some offer special rates and services for UCLA visitors):
- UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center
- Hotel Angeleno
- Kimpton Hotel Palomar Los Angeles Beverly Hills
- W Los Angeles – West Beverly Hills – Marriot International
- Beverly Hills Plaza Hotel and Spa
Housing
Popular, nearby locations where our scholars typically live within Los Angeles (While housing costs and values vary east-west, north to south, scholars should consider traffic patterns, navigation routes, and commuting times—Los Angeles is a city that measures distance by minutes, not miles!):
- Westwood, Los Angeles, CA
- West Los Angeles/Brentwood, Los Angeles, CA
- Santa Monica, CA
- Culver City, Los Angeles, CA
- San Fernando Valley (“The Valley”) locations closest to campus (e.g., Sherman Oaks, Van Nuys and Burbank).
Los Angeles Airports
Listed below are all of the Airports in order of proximity to our Westwood location:
- Los Angeles International Airport
- Hollywood Burbank Airport, formerly Bob Hope Airport (BUR)
- Long Beach Airport (LGB)
Transportation
UCLA/Westwood Village is a transportation hub served by several agencies with many transportation options connecting all of Los Angeles and the surrounding communities:
Buses
- Los Angeles County Metro
Rapid 720 bus and Expo light rail line connect Downtown LA with the westside. - Santa Monica Big Blue Bus
Lines 1, 2, 3M, 8 and Rapid 12 bring you to campus, or transfer from other lines. - Culver City Bus
Line 6 and the Rapid 6 bring you directly to campus, or transfer from Lines 1-5 or 7.
Biking
- Surprisingly, several scholars elect to bike to the office, utilizing safe practices including helmets and high visibility/reflective vests. Our building also has indoor bike racks which can be accessed via the security desk in our lobby.
Misc.
- Ride share (Uber, Lyft, etc.)
- The same rideshare companies offer e-scooters, bike sharing, etc.
Parking
Visitor parking for 1100 Glendon Ave. is available at UCLA lots 18, 32, 36. UCLA’s map provides further information on how to navigate to each parking location. Note that UCLA charges a monthly fee for parking permits and this fee is not covered by the program.
Please refer to the UCLA Transportation and Parking website for detailed information.