Avoid downtown.
Skip Hollywood - it’s dirty and full of scumbags, there’s nothing really left of the “sights” anyway.
Go north past Malibu if you want to go to the beach, or down to Orange County. LA beaches are likewise infested with homeless/gangbangers.
Park in well-lit lots, near the entrance. Do not, under any circumstances, leave anything in your car.
Be prepared for long lines everywhere, trash-lined streets, rude and dangerous drivers, and heavy traffic at all times of the day/night. If you expect it, it’s not so much of a shock when you get it over and over.
If you stay in the burbs, you’ll be just fine. But keep your head on a swivel and don’t stay out past midnight.
That doesn’t sound like the LA I lived in back in the early 50s when I was a wee tot.