Hi, I live in Los Angeles. If it is the "tourist" type sites that you are wanting to see such as, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Venice Beach, Santa Monica, Downtown LA, etc., then your best bet is to stay in a hotel either near downtown LA, Hollywood or Santa Monica. Driving here can be very frustrating (and you do need a car). To just get from the East side (Pasadena, etc) to the West Side (Santa Monica) can take as long as 2 hours sometimes. It is a fun place to explore, including Griffith Park, The Griffith Park Observatory, etc. Wow, there is so much to see that I don't think you can get it all in 3 or 4 days so you should pick whatever you decide is a "must see" for you and then find a hotel close to that area. We do love our city and enjoy taking our out of town guests around, but there never seems to be enough time to show them all they want to see. Good luck in planning your trip.