Barbara's place is as advertised. 1 block from the Venice beach. 1 Block from the main drag with all sorts of restaurants and coffee shops. It was my first time in L.A. and as single traveler, I felt very safe in this area and slept very well! I would highly recommend. It is clean, excellent location, and Barbara was also fantastic at giving all sorts of helpful tidbits. Though others found parking difficult, I found it a breeze and was there over the weekend. Overall, excellent experience.