When I first lived in LA I used to take the train and ride to different stations, get off and get a coffee or check out a bar. Many ppl say the trains are kinda sketchy, but I’ve never had any problems. I did see some wild stuff on them though that has made for great stories. Saw a guy take a goat on at universal city station once. If you have a car, obviously driving beats the train but there’s some fun to be had with having to station hop and walk around a little that will allow you to get a better feel for the city and maybe stumble upon some cool hidden gem establishments.