wombtang

chut, definitely take the lonely planet guide. the restaurant section is fairly on-point. Brothers Cafe near Lenin Park has a ridiculously opulent lunch buffet in an old converted buddhist temple.

the shopping district right next to the lake is fun but not the best for actually buying stuff. tons of bootleg everything, but like a particular shoe will only come in one or two sizes. the streets around St. Joseph's Cathedral are where the nice stuff is-- lots of hip, local designers and good eats. some great hotels around there, too (but beware the "sister hotels").

if you're near it, go to the Tamarind Cafe on Pho Ma May in the Old Quarter. the girls at the tour booking desk were unbelievably cool and could totally hook up with fun places to go at night. if you have time, book a trip to Ha Long Bay with them. Unreal boat trips. Highly recommended. You won't have time for Sapa, unfortunately, because it takes too long to train there. Next time!

absolutely do not miss out on bia hoi (beer brewed daily!). there are tons of places to find it, and they are guaranteed fun.

lastly, make sure to visit some touristy stuff. hanoi has a fascinating history. temple of literature (there is also a great fair-trade shop near here), "hanoi hilton", opera house, ho chi minh mausoleum, etc etc. rent a scooter or hop on someone else's and do as much as you can. man, i could go on for days. i wish i was going with you. you will love Viet Nam.

i just got back from vietnam, and it seems that you'll see all kinds of weather there no matter when you go. depends more on where you go. you're going to love it. weather won't even matter. definitely go to hoi an and sapa if you can. and get ready to eat and drink a lot and lose weight.

Sorry, also, for <$1000, maaaybe Echo Park, but probably Koreatown. There are some decent areas there, and maybe Mid-Wilshire. Those prices are definitely hard to find elsewhere. Also, try to find an area with rent control and be patient.

And thus, we have the LA dichotomy, West v. East. I live in Silver Lake and wouldn't necessarily characterize it as a shithole. Venice felt basically the same as here when I lived there. In fact, Venice is the oceanfront mirror of Silver Lake/Los Feliz, so it all depends on how you feel about the ocean. You won't have a problem finding something nice in your price range in either, so I would recommend extensive searching when you get here. Don't rely wholly on craigslist because many of the best units are found by walking around and doing some investigating. On the East side, if you're really looking for a bargain, check Echo Park. It is further toward d'town than Silver Lake and not as overvalued. Art, tattoo, gay scenes are strong in all of the above, but Silver Lake is historically a gay enclave. Playa and Marina Del Ray are on the luxury side and not as involved in art/tattoo. I cosign Little Tokyo as being pretty cool. MOCA and the Chinatown galleries super close, but I'm not sure about the housing situation. Lots of newer "lofts" and such. Anyway, welcome and good luck.

first post ever... saw some court shoes while travelling through hanoi and can't find them anywhere on the internets. i didn't buy them there because they were bootleg (and didn't fit). i did find these in my research, which have the same logo...

http://chinanozumi.en.alibaba.com/offerdetail/51150030/Sell_Soccer_Sport_Shoe/showimg.html

anybody who can ID the legit brand, you're the champ. thanks.