Is Los Angeles safe? Yes, in the areas visitors go to, with a few city rules that Angelenos follow without thinking about them. The city's reputation comes from films and from the eighties; today its visitor districts are as safe as any big American city's. What actually reaches visitors is property crime, and most of it is avoidable with one habit about cars. Here is the real guide, neighbourhood by neighbourhood.
Safe areas#
Santa Monica and the Westside. The pier, the Promenade, the beach path, Brentwood, Culver City. Busy, policed, fine at night on the main streets. Venice is the exception after dark.
West Hollywood and Beverly Hills. Walkable, lit, well patrolled; the Sunset Strip is busy until two.
Hollywood, a few blocks off the Boulevard. Los Feliz, Franklin Village and the streets south of Sunset are residential and fine. The Boulevard itself is another matter below.
Silver Lake, Echo Park, Los Feliz. The Eastside's residential neighbourhoods: bars, cafés, people on the street at night. Fine.
Koreatown. Dense, busy until the early hours, and safe on the main avenues; the side streets are quieter but ordinary.
Pasadena. A calm, family city with its own police and a quiet downtown.
Most of downtown. The Arts District, Little Tokyo, the Financial District, Grand Central Market, the Broad and the Disney Hall, the stadium area. Fine by day and busy at night.
Where to be careful#
Skid Row and its edge. East of Main Street between about 3rd and 7th, downtown: the largest homeless encampment in the country, and the blocks around it are not for walking. Some cheap hotels sit on that edge without saying so. Check the exact address on a map before booking anything downtown under 150 dollars.
Hollywood Boulevard late. Not dangerous, but the Walk of Fame after midnight is where the phone theft, the aggressive costumed characters and the hustles are. See it by day and leave it to the crowds at night.
Venice Beach after dark. The boardwalk empties and changes; sleep a few blocks in and go to Abbot Kinney for the evening.
MacArthur Park at night, west of downtown, and the residential districts of South LA and parts of the Valley, which have no visitor reason to be there.
What actually happens#
Car break-ins. The most common crime that reaches visitors by far, at trailheads, beach car parks, Hollywood and downtown. The rule Angelenos follow without thinking: nothing visible in the car, ever. Not a bag, not a cable, not a jacket. Luggage goes in the boot before you arrive at the car park, not in it. Rental cars are targeted because they are easy to spot.
Phone theft in crowds. Hollywood Boulevard, Venice, the Metro doors, big events. Front pocket, not in the hand on a crowded pavement.
The cheap hotel on the wrong block. Downtown and Hollywood both have good blocks and bad ones a street apart. Where to stay in Los Angeles names them.
Hustles. The CD or mixtape pushed into your hand on the Boulevard, the costumed character who demands a tip after the photo, the "parking attendant" at a beach lot who is not one. A no and keep walking.
Homelessness#
Los Angeles has more people living on the street than any American city, and visitors see it: tents under freeways, on downtown pavements, in Venice and Hollywood. It is a crisis, not usually a danger; people in it are far more at risk than you are. Give space, do not photograph, and leave the blocks that are mostly encampment to the people who live there.
The Metro at night#
By day the Metro is the best way between Santa Monica, Hollywood, Koreatown and downtown, and it is fine. At night it is quieter than New York's subway and carries more people in crisis; ride near other passengers, keep the phone away, and after about 10pm consider a rideshare for the last mile, especially from downtown stations. The E line to Santa Monica and the B to Hollywood are the ones visitors use.
The roads, which are the real risk#
More visitors are hurt on LA's roads than by anything else on this page. Drivers run red lights, pedestrians cross freeways, and the city is built for cars. Cross with the lights, at the crossing, and never assume a turning car has seen you. If you rent, learn the freeway merge before rush hour, and do not drink and drive: the rideshare is a few dollars and the penalties are not.
Earthquakes and fires#
Los Angeles is seismic and the big one is overdue; small quakes are common and harmless. Know your hotel's stairs. In autumn the Santa Ana winds bring fire season to the hills: check the news before a hike in October and November and follow closures.
Is it safe for solo and female travellers?#
Yes in the areas above, with the city rules. Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Silver Lake and Koreatown are comfortable alone at night on the main streets; rideshare after dark for anything else; drink in sight in the clubs of the Strip and downtown. Street attention is mild. The car rule matters as much alone as in a group.
What Angelenos actually do#
- Nothing visible in the car, ever.
- Phone in the front pocket on the Boulevard and in Venice.
- Rideshare after the bars, never a drive.
- Avoid the wrong blocks of downtown without making a thing of it.
- Cross with the lights.
- Hike with water and before noon, and tell someone the trail.
With someone who lives here#
Safety here is block by block and hour by hour: which part of downtown is fine for your hotel, whether that trailhead car park gets broken into, which bar on the Strip to skip. A few Angelenos are listed on Roavi as local guides by the hour (Roavi calls them Local Friends), with a photo, their languages (half the city speaks Spanish), what they like to show and an hourly rate they set. You message them directly and Roavi takes no commission. Their profiles are above.
Is my hotel's block fine?
Ask the local guides in Los AngelesOr ask the city#
Where to sleep with that in mind: where to stay in Los Angeles. Then the days: things to do in Los Angeles. The other coast: is New York safe. En español: ¿es seguro Los Ángeles?.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Los Angeles safe for tourists?
Yes, in the areas visitors go: Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Silver Lake, Los Feliz, Koreatown, Culver City and most of downtown are as safe as any big American city's visitor districts. Violent crime against tourists is rare. What reaches visitors is property crime: car break-ins, phone theft in the crowds of Hollywood Boulevard and Venice, and a cheap hotel on the wrong block of downtown.Which areas of Los Angeles should tourists avoid?
Skid Row and its edge, east of Main Street between about 3rd and 7th downtown, where some cheap hotels sit; Hollywood Boulevard late at night, which is not dangerous but is where the phone theft and the aggressive characters are; Venice Beach after dark; and the residential districts of South LA, Watts (the towers are fine by day on a visit) and parts of the Valley, which have no visitor reason to be there. MacArthur Park at night is another one.Is downtown Los Angeles safe?
Block by block. The Arts District, Little Tokyo, the Financial District, Grand Central Market, the Broad and the Disney Hall, and the stadium area are fine by day and busy at night. Skid Row, east of Main between 3rd and 7th, is the largest homeless encampment in the country and the blocks around it are not for walking; check the exact address of a cheap downtown hotel before booking.Is it safe to leave things in a rental car in Los Angeles?
No. Car break-ins are the most common crime that reaches visitors, at trailheads, beach car parks, Hollywood and downtown. The rule Angelenos follow without thinking: nothing visible in the car, ever, not a bag, not a charging cable, not a jacket; put luggage in the boot before you arrive, not in the car park. Rental cars are targeted because they are easy to spot.Is the Metro safe at night in Los Angeles?
By day, yes, and it is the best way between Santa Monica, Hollywood, Koreatown and downtown. At night it is quieter than New York's and carries more people in crisis; ride near other passengers, keep the phone away, and after about 10pm consider a rideshare for the last mile, especially from downtown stations. The E line to Santa Monica and the B to Hollywood are the ones visitors use.Are there local guides in Los Angeles?
A few Angelenos are listed on Roavi as local guides by the hour (Roavi calls them Local Friends), with a photo, their languages (half the city speaks Spanish), what they like to show and an hourly rate they set. Safety here is block by block and hour by hour, and that is what someone who lives here answers in a message; you message them directly and Roavi takes no commission.