I agree with BKtuna. Del Rey is a great place to stay while you are getting familiar with the area. Most of the mongers are going to go there at some point every day so there will be plenty of people to answer questions and show you who & where the good deals are. You may like it enough to stay there every trip. The SL is also a cool place, but you might feel more comfortable staying there as a vet. I would suggest meeting a fellow CRT member at happy hour in DelRey and get them to give you a tour of the hot spots , including SL. I did this and after 1 visit ( and a couple beers) booked a room on my next trip. You'll like both places I'm sure.
