Hey guys,

Was just wondering some stuff: Firstly has anyone been over to the USA WITHOUT parents/guardians? If so where did people stay? Are Hostels are ok in the USA?

I am looking to go over to San Diego/LA next year and should be with someone else but potentially on my own... was looking to go for 2 weeks so would be looking for cheap accommodation, are hostels just like hostels over here?

AND as i am not 21 until the end of 2010 would i not be able to drink anywhere?

Would be looking to go out mainly for ComicCON but tbh i just want to go out to the USA, but am obv worried about going out so far potentially either on my own or with someone else but it is so far to go!

Again another option would be to get an internship out in the usa at some type of magazine or newspaper but then again i wouldnt even know how to go about doing that!

Anyway - any ideas/impressions, etc would be awesome!

Hey dude, I'm actually in the USA right now, but not in California. I did go to LA for about 2 months when I was about your age though (I guess, I wasn't quite 21 yet either). I stayed in Venice beach, LA because that was where skateboarding kind of started of properly. They do have hostels, but you have to be prepared for them to mostly contain drugged-up nutjobs and deluded maniacs. If you can roll with that though you'll have fun haha! Otherwise you could stay at a hotel or something. The hostel I stayed at was the Venice beach cotel ($20 a night), and for a little while at hotel cadillac ($more). It sort of depends on how old you look and how dodgy the area youre staying is as to whether or not you can buy a drink. Bars are generally out of the question but liquor stores and supermarkets could be a possibility, or you could try and get someone to buy it for you.

I'm currently in Cajun Hell in Walker, Louisiana, and it's a 'dry town', meaning no bars at all. Its fucking boring as hell! All it has is every fast food chain under the sun and a walmart! Also being in the USA without a car IS bogus, as everyone drives everywhere here. They even have drive-thru banks. However, USA is a big country and one state can be very different to the next. From what Ive seen California and Nevada are nicer than Louisiana. Im just hoping Ill at least get to see a cool storm.

Good luck!

A drive-thru bank? You can not be serious lol

Hmm i am not sure that i really want to stay with drugged up nut-jobs but then again that would probs be better then spending stupid amounts of cash to stay in a hotel. I think it would be keeping my stuff safe somewhere that would be the main concern!

Hmm maybe I will just go out for a week or something next year, get a taste for it and then when I can drink go out for an extended break. While I don't want to get off-my-tits in a country i dont know, I wouldnt have minded a few bevys while watching some bands at the Whisky-g0-go or (if they are still playing when i eventually go) go and see Steel Panther at the Key Club, would be awesome!

Thanks for the advice man! appreciate it, Cajun hell sounds awesome - well have fun! If i have any more questions that i could think of i shall post em in here!

I really want to check out america again.

Went to L.A once but was too young to appreciate it.

Been to Vegas about 4 times, but again.. too young to appreciate it!

I've been about 10 times and pretty much go every May - July , luckly I know people on the West and East coast so I can stop with them which of course saves me a whole bunch of cash and I have a good local guide for food and shit.

Where about are you thinking of going,and when? Maybe I could help you out. Comicon is aweome I go with my buddies from Portland all the time.

Hostels are'nt to bad, I just see them as a place I can dump my bags and go explore you will find places like NYC have single room hostels pretty cheap

Povey wrote:Where about are you thinking of going,and when? Maybe I could help you out. Comicon is aweome I go with my buddies from Portland all the time.

Well I am looking to either go across for ComiCon or failing that potentially PAX (penny arcade expo) which is in September in Seattle or as of 1010 they are going to attempt the show on the east coast for the first time ever - I think it might be Boston?- and that is in march but i would imagine that is a bit soon!

What is Comicon like dude? In my mind it is a place where I can go and pick up all the back issues of comics i am missing and just spend hours browsing through comics and spending loads of money!? As said above i want to go see some bands on the sunset strip as well (if i can get in under 21 of course !!)

What other places are cool to see some local metal/thrash in LA? On top of that I really really hope to god that I can go out to the USA when Van Halen are playing, They are touring next year ive heard and would love to see them in the states !!

LA is a huuuuuuuge place and very expensive since you dont have a car it would be difficult to get around. I would however recommend SF/Oakland there are always decent shows going on the the public transport system (BART) is awesome kinda like the Tube in London,plus you could do tourist stuff like visit Alcatraz/Golden Gate Bridge etc.

I would recommend Portland (my home away from home) to its like 2hrs drive away from Seattle but has a awesome music scene there and gigs are ALWAYS going on to, they have killer mom and pop comic bookshops/ old school arcade's plus most importantly its the homebrew capital of the USA

Comicon was awesome I stopped at the actual hotel and shared a room with 7 other people, I went a few years back and met the chick from Saw (Shawnee Smith) and asked her what it was like working with Ted Danson (the guy from Becker) which made her laugh, but nerd wise it was like an aladdins cave of everything you could imagine.

Does LA not have like an underground system....or the subway (whatever it is called). Id only wanna go to a beach and to Sunset Strip in LA this time around.

Portland would cool and I def want to go to Seattle, what is the music scene like out in the usa these days? Would i be likely to find some thrash out on the bay areas or some grunge in Seattle?

Oh and Povey - i was arguing with a friend about this, but i am sure you will know, How long do you have to be out in the US before you require a Visa? Do you only need one if you are doing any working out there or is it required if you plan on staying for an extended amount of time.

How do you mange to go over so often?

Seattle is a cool seaside town, but music wise its a hipster place. The bay area does have gigs but its more a mixture then what you would expect of 'bay area thrash'

Visa wise you would need one if you were to work over there/ to stay over a extended period of time other then that you get a green card visa which is valid for 3 months then you have to go home or 'disappear' but you cant get work on this.

How do I go so often, I work 50 hr shifts a week and of course I get to roadie for certain bands.

LA has a tube but its rubbish and doesnt go anywhere, coz of earthquakes n stuff they cant build

I went to LA and walked most places, yeah its huge but so what, dont be lazy, get exploring

my longest walk was Silverlake to Beverly Hills, good milage on foot, basically walked the whole of Hollywood Blvd and Sunset, coz everone drives the pavements are empty!

going for christmas, the mrs is a yankee so free bed!!

In San Diego I stayed in a hostel called USA Hostels, they have them all over America and it was pretty darn good. Learn to drive and sleep in your car, you will probably have the worst nights sleep of your life worrying about getting killed but it's free.

Also, I would recommend Ventura, that place is fucking awesome, loads of cool hobos, a free 24 hour car park, wicked place. But that's only really good if you can drive I guess, learn to drive, lol.

I actually found LA kinda boring, I wasn't there for long but there doesn't seem to be a whole lot to do there other than see the Hollywood sign. There's loads of gigs on there though I guess.

San Fransisco is amazing too, I would definatel recommend going there if you can.

Brugh, I hate typing.

I moved to the U.S. when I was 25 in 1991 and have lived in Chicago for the last 18 years. If you're under 21, the likelihood of you finding anywhere to drink is close to zero, as places over here are very careful about ID'ing people. If they're caught serving underage drinkers they get huge fines and license suspensions. San Diego's a nice place, though - great weather and beaches.
Hotels are cheap over here, so it might almost be as cheap to stay at them as hostels. And as someone mentioned, you're OK over here for 3 months before your visa runs out. If you stay longer than that, when you eventually leave you may well be prevented from returning again as sometimes they stick you on a blacklist.
Every major city has tons of gigs pretty much every week. And the Bay Area isn't the hotbed of thrash it was, unless you luck out and happen to be there when one of the local bands decides to play a low-key gig.
And as far as getting murdered goes, I've always felt safer over here at nights than I did in Blackburn.