The Metro to Staples is the way to go. Lots around there can be at LEAST $10, up to $25...so I'd highly recommend just Metro'ing it for less than $5 for a day pass and you don't have to worry about anything but the line on the platform on the return.

The best metro station is the Universal City one, because it's got a HUGE parking lot that's totally free.

The downside of the Metro is I think it only goes until like midnight. I'd missed it once before at the end of a Kanye show at the Nokia theater and it cost like $50 to cab it back to Universal City. But for the daytime games? No problem at all. Plus there's a decent amount of stuff around Staples/Nokia to drink/eat at.

Downtown HAS improved, but big parts of it are still major shitholes. Once I got off of the subway at the wrong stop and walked 3 miles to Staples for a Clipper game (don't ask me why I didn't just...get back on the subway. I thought this was gonna be faster. This is in the era of iPhones so, I have no excuse) and walked through MANY cardboard cities. Not terribly fun.

Downtown has a few fun areas - like near 8th and Olive you've got Golden Gopher (good drinks, classic video games everywhere), Cole's for food that has a hidden bar in the background called Varnish, La Cita, etc.

I live in West Hollywood and there's a shit ton to do near me, but I'd imagine a house rental would be tough in that area - plus it's not a really fun drive downtown, and it's certainly more for nightlife.