Before we came to LA, my friend and I were debating between staying in downtown LA or Hollywood. We decided to stay in Hollywood because it would be friendlier to tourists and because it would be more convenient to get to the places we wanted to go. We were glad we chose Hollywood, and that we decided to stay with Mary!
Mary's place is small, but it's really in an incredible location. It's right next to the Walk of Fame and the Chinese Theatre, maybe 15 minutes from Griffith Observatory and Universal by car, and 30-45 minutes from the airport. My friend and I chose to Uber everywhere (on average $10-15 to each destination), but Mary's place is also a five minute walk to the subway. Staying at Mary's was a little like staying in a hostel (with a kitchen, shared bathrooms, etc.), but we had a lot of privacy, everything was very clean, and we rarely ran into any of the other guests. It could also be a little loud outside at nights, especially on the weekends (but that's Hollywood!) Mary was a kind host and always quick to get back to us about any of our questions or concerns. My friend and I are college students, and overall we had a great time staying here, not only for its location but also for its value.