Old Staples vs New Crypto - coming back after 16 years

KingThomas

KingThomas

Mot
Hey all. Haven't been to a Kings game in LA since 2008! I'll be at the Islanders game 3/11 with my teen and tween sons!!

Born and raised in Torrance and Long Beach, but moved to Texas about a decade ago and haven't been to a game in LA since my oldest kid was born in'08.
I had seasons seats in '02 and various forms of ticket packages over the Potvin, Pallfy. Deadmarsh years, so Staples was very familiar to me.

Any big changes I should expect?
Things to look out for?
Best parking?
Anything worth doing at LA Live?
et al...

I'll be downtown Mon and Tues. Appreciate any recommendations (bonus points for a good taco spot)
 
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it's still pretty much the same. The taco truck on Georgia & Olympic (across from the Regal Cinemas) is the best! I park at Shamrock Parking on Blaine & 11th streeet - $10 cash on a weeknight, $20 on a Saturday (cash only) There is also a "pay by text" lot on that corner which is $16 - the cash lot entrance is off of Blaine St. Yard House is always good at LA Live. I'm not sure what else is there now - a lot of the restaurants closed or changed this past year.
If you have any ladies coming with you, purses must be 5"x9"x1" (although I see these limits get stretched every game).
Oh, and the sink water for hand washing in the bathrooms upstairs is warm now! The downstairs ones still feels like the water is coming directly from the ice.
 
KingThomas said:
Hey all. Haven't been to a Kings game in LA since 2008! I'll be at the Islanders game 3/11 with my teen and tween sons!!

Born and raised in Torrance and Long Beach, but moved to Texas about a decade ago and haven't been to a game in LA since my oldest kid was born in'08.
I had seasons seats in '02 and various forms of ticket packages over the Potvin, Pallfy. Deadmarsh years, so Staples was very familiar to me.

Any big changes I should expect?
Things to look out for?
Best parking?
Anything worth doing at LA Live?
et al...

I'll be downtown Mon and Tues. Appreciate any recommendations (bonus points for a good taco spot)
Click to expand...

More dining options in LA Live. I love Craft by Smoke and Fire (BBQ) which is new this year and Lazy Dog. El Cholo Mexican on Flower and 11th is good as well. I loathe Tom's Urban unless you are just getting a beer, just terrible service.

Our go to parking is 11th and Grand ($15)_or 11th and Hope ($20). Both are a very short walk.

In the arena, there are a few new places like Ludo Bird, Salt & Char and Blaze Pizza. Nothing really good unless you are sitting in the PR seats. I generally just stick with a simple dog or pretzel. Beer is expensive as you might expect.

Born and raised in Torrance as well (Torrance High class of 85) but now live in Corona. Go to about 25 games a season.
 
kingsjohn said:
I am going to check that place out, TY
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There is one closer to us in downtown Anaheim and it's very good. Their brisket queso fundido and birria short rib quesadilla are the bomb. Some friends had the brisket tacos and they raved about them.

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KingThomas said:
Hey all. Haven't been to a Kings game in LA since 2008! I'll be at the Islanders game 3/11 with my teen and tween sons!!

Born and raised in Torrance and Long Beach, but moved to Texas about a decade ago and haven't been to a game in LA since my oldest kid was born in'08.
I had seasons seats in '02 and various forms of ticket packages over the Potvin, Pallfy. Deadmarsh years, so Staples was very familiar to me.

Any big changes I should expect?
Things to look out for?
Best parking?
Anything worth doing at LA Live?
et al...

I'll be downtown Mon and Tues. Appreciate any recommendations (bonus points for a good taco spot)
Click to expand...
I’m an expat also, residing in the DFW area since 2009. There are a few of us….

We had a nice watch party in game five in 2014!
 
Game was fun. Parking was easy. Crowd was decent for a Monday. Entry and Concessions moved along pretty nicely. Overall, my kids had a great time and that made me enjoy being back that much more. The sound, lights, and screens are all way better than they were during the Stapler days!

Maybe next time I head up to Dallas for a Kings game we organize a LGK meetup!! That 3 hour drive from Austin is a lot easier than the 20 hour trek. 😛

Los Angeles as a whole sure is different. I expected it to be after so long, but...some good, some...well...I think I saw two people who were dead or almost dying on 7th earlier in the day...people just walking over em 🫣🙈
Definitely a lot more graffiti.

Gonna take a trip down to Manhattan, Hermosa, Redondo area tomorrow. Snag up a torpedo sandwich from Giuliano's in Gardena on the way and maybe stop at Mickey's Deli in Hermosa for a sauce sandwich.

Thanks again y'all
 
KingThomas said:
Game was fun. Parking was easy. Crowd was decent for a Monday. Entry and Concessions moved along pretty nicely. Overall, my kids had a great time and that made me enjoy being back that much more. The sound, lights, and screens are all way better than they were during the Stapler days!

Maybe next time I head up to Dallas for a Kings game we organize a LGK meetup!! That 3 hour drive from Austin is a lot easier than the 20 hour trek. 😛

Los Angeles as a whole sure is different. I expected it to be after so long, but...some good, some...well...I think I saw two people who were dead or almost dying on 7th earlier in the day...people just walking over em 🫣🙈
Definitely a lot more graffiti.

Gonna take a trip down to Manhattan, Hermosa, Redondo area tomorrow. Snag up a torpedo sandwich from Giuliano's in Gardena on the way and maybe stop at Mickey's Deli in Hermosa for a sauce sandwich.

Thanks again y'all
Click to expand...
My wife and I are trying to visit new places in LA before Saturday day games and tried a bar called The Escondite. It's a Chicago bear, lots of Hawks, Cubs and Bears references. Food was pretty good, very divey overall but would go back. The fun part is that it's between 3rd and 4th bordering San Pedro Street...just south of Japan Town and very much in skid row. The waitress said they never have issues though you do have to get used to the bonfires on the street just outside the bar. In our drives to the arena this year, google maps often takes us off 101 and into LA via 4th or 7th street...talk about an adventure. Always through skid row and then parts of the fashion or flower districts. Was very eye opening for my daughters to see. I've seen some pretty sad things driving through skid row as you would expect.

Happy to hear you had a good time and got to see a Kings win.
 
KingThomas said:
Game was fun. Parking was easy. Crowd was decent for a Monday. Entry and Concessions moved along pretty nicely. Overall, my kids had a great time and that made me enjoy being back that much more. The sound, lights, and screens are all way better than they were during the Stapler days!

Maybe next time I head up to Dallas for a Kings game we organize a LGK meetup!! That 3 hour drive from Austin is a lot easier than the 20 hour trek. 😛

Los Angeles as a whole sure is different. I expected it to be after so long, but...some good, some...well...I think I saw two people who were dead or almost dying on 7th earlier in the day...people just walking over em 🫣🙈
Definitely a lot more graffiti.

Gonna take a trip down to Manhattan, Hermosa, Redondo area tomorrow. Snag up a torpedo sandwich from Giuliano's in Gardena on the way and maybe stop at Mickey's Deli in Hermosa for a sauce sandwich.

Thanks again y'all
Click to expand...
glad you had a great time and got to see a great game
 
LAKingSteve said:
My wife and I are trying to visit new places in LA before Saturday day games and tried a bar called The Escondite. It's a Chicago bear, lots of Hawks, Cubs and Bears references. Food was pretty good, very divey overall but would go back. The fun part is that it's between 3rd and 4th bordering San Pedro Street...just south of Japan Town and very much in skid row. The waitress said they never have issues though you do have to get used to the bonfires on the street just outside the bar. In our drives to the arena this year, google maps often takes us off 101 and into LA via 4th or 7th street...talk about an adventure. Always through skid row and then parts of the fashion or flower districts. Was very eye opening for my daughters to see. I've seen some pretty sad things driving through skid row as you would expect.

Happy to hear you had a good time and got to see a Kings win.
Click to expand...
whenever we are driving around the 8th/Olympic - 11th/to the arena area I often say to my daughter "this should make you appreciate the childhood you had" (definitely makes me appreciate the childhood I had!! - not in CA). The "apartment" on the sidewalk under the 101 that we have to circumnavigate going from/to our parking lot is always a "fun" time, too.
 
Nyssa42 said:
whenever we are driving around the 8th/Olympic - 11th/to the arena area I often say to my daughter "this should make you appreciate the childhood you had" (definitely makes me appreciate the childhood I had!! - not in CA). The "apartment" on the sidewalk under the 101 that we have to circumnavigate going from/to our parking lot is always a "fun" time, too.
Click to expand...
Exactly what I said to my daughters.
 
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