Los Angeles (LAX)

My wife booked a motel for us (3 rooms) in Inglewood on Century Boulevard just East of LAX, for us to stay in after a late night flight. She booked it on-line and didn't correctly decipher the code words on their web-site. The chain-link fencing with razor wire around the parking lot should have told us something. There were arguments and fighting on the balconies, gunshots in the distance, police sirens and activity in front of the motel, and when we wanted to get a late night dinner, the desk clerk told us not to walk to the restaurant a block away. We arrived at the restaurant, that was open, but the inside doors were locked, and they needed to approve of us before opening the inside doors. They watched us leave to make sure that we got to our car safely. It was an interesting evening, and the kids won't let mom book any hotel/motel rooms for us again.

I'm sure that there are reasonable areas near LAX, but Inglewood may not be one of them. Good luck.