<p>How long does it take to get to the coast with LA traffic? For example, if I wanted to visit people in Santa Monica or go to Venice or Muscle Beach? Is there any reliable public transit from Claremont, or is it vital to have a car? We used to live in Marina Del Rey and I fell in love with the area, and we have a lot of friends fo the family down there. Just curious :)</p>
<p>My S goes into LA a lot. Santa Monica can be a 45 min drive unless you hit rush hour then you could do 3 hrs. Most of the time you learn how to sidestep traffic. Everyone gets very close at Pomona so you will have friends with cars to head into San Diego or LA beaches. There are lots of organized trips put on as well for extremely reasonable prices. The traditional ski/beach day was something like $30, included transportation, ski lifts and equipment, plus food, and ended with a bonfire cookout at the beach. If you can have a car it is a plus but my S always fills his car up with students when he goes so it is not neccessary to have your own</p>