I'm going to visit L.A. in a week, any recommendations of where to go for sightseeing and just where to go to have a good time? Would having a car be beneficial or is it like NYC where it's a burden more than anything else?
So far I'm looking to:

Visit chinatown, koreatown and tokyotown - they should be very near each other?
Hollywood boulevard
Universal studios tour

I wanna hit up Venice beach from downtown L.A. - is it possible to take a metro there or is a cab necessary, if i'm not driving?

Thanks

Maybe catch a Laker game at Staples Center. Great art museums around the area to. LACMA and Norton Simon aren't very far. Yea, Chinatown and Little Tokyo are pretty close to each other. You'll see maps around the street to tell you where stuff is.