Whether you’re visiting for a week or a weekend or if you’ve lived here your whole life, explore L.A.! From the beach to the mountains to the desert, from Hollywood to the Valley, Venice to Malibu, winter, summer, day or night, the possibilities are endless. See the stars – beneath your feet along the Hollywood Walk of Fame, above your head at the Griffith Observatory, or standing next to you in line for a cappucino. Shop, eat, see – explore!
Hooray for Hollywood
First stop: Hollywood! Stroll down the Hollywood Walk of Fame, starting at the Hollywood La Brea Gateway, a shining, thirty-foot art deco gazebo anchored by four pioneering ladies of the silver screen, all the way down to that famous intersection, Hollywood and Vine. Along the way compare shoe size with Marilyn Monroe, Darth Vader, and Harry Potter in the Forecourt of Stars Footprints in front of historic Grauman’s Chinese Theater.
One of the best movie theaters in L.A., the Chinese is also one of the most beautiful, adorned with genuine Chinese artifacts and artisan-crafted sculptures. Copper turrets, iron masks, and bronze roofs loom over giant statues and elegant fountains. Even the bathrooms are glamorous, fronted by spacious, ornately decorated lobbies. Don’t be shy – you don’t need a ticket to explore the forecourt, it’s free to the public, and it’s only $5 for a 30-minute guided tour of the interior. Even better, see a show! Make sure it’s playing in the main theater, though; there’s not a bad seat in the house, and you don’t want to miss out on the lush red velvet walls and seats, golden pillars, and massive Chinese zodiac sculpture sprawled across the ceiling.
Lavish theaters became a Hollywood trademark in the early 1920s with the construction of the Chinese as well as the Egyptian and El Capitan Theaters, all of which underwent major renovations in the mid- to late-90s, now restored to their former glory. The Egyptian Theater, aptly named for its distinct architectural style, is now a decadent art house; the El Capitan, site of the world premiere of Citizen Kane, now debuts every Disney animated feature, accompanied by a live themed stage show. If you want a distinct movie-going experience, these are the places to go. Ticket prices are generally the same as any other bland, thin-walled multiplex (although often include fun extras for extra), and the experience is incomparable. Another great theater is the Cinerama Dome, just a few blocks away near Sunset and Vine. The Dome itself is now part of a multiplex, but the original structure remains intact, seating 800 people in a circular auditorium, an 86-foot screen curving along the wall. The ceiling is the arching dome itself, divided into hundreds of hexagon shapes. Grab a seat dead center in the first row of the low mezzanine and become absorbed – the screen’s so wide, it fills your peripheral vision!
Cool World
Back on Hollywood Boulevard, the scene is always interesting, given the number of impersonators and “entertainers” – if being dressed in silver with a painted face to match while doing The Robot counts as entertainment. Even the museums in Hollywood are outrageous, from the impossible at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum, to the unbelievable at the Guinness World Records Museum, to the incandescent at the Hollywood Wax Museum. Admire Oscar’s new home, the Kodak Theater, right across the street. Get tickets to a concert or better yet, elbow your way to a bleacher seat along the red carpet during Oscar season! Oscar’s old home is open for business, too – the Pantages Theatre. Originally a stop on the Vaudeville circuit, the Pantages was home to the Oscars from 1949 to 1959 and is now a venue for legitimate theater, housing many long-running Broadway productions over the years. Right next door is the equally historic Frolic Room, once a hip Hollywood club, now a low-key Hollywood dive bar. Grab a $3 Bud draft, pick some tunes on the jukebox, and act like a local. Avoid the crush before and after show time, though – that theater crowd is thirsty!
This brings us to that famous intersection, Hollywood and Vine, which is teeming with…well, not that much. It is the site of the uniquely shaped Capitol Records Building, the world’s first circular building. Since its construction in 1956, the blinking light on the tip of its spire has spelled out “Hollywood” in Morse code. Head north or south on Vine or continue east on Hollywood to Gower to see the rest of the Walk of Fame. Hang a right on Gower toward Sunset and make sure to stop in at Roscoe’s Chicken’N Waffles, a soul food restaurant featuring – you guessed it – chicken and waffles, served on the same plate. Think about it: Fried chicken – good! Waffles – good! Chicken and waffles – twice as good! It’s a no brainer – though it might be an artery clogger.
Another L.A.-sized superblock south to Santa Monica Boulevard brings us to one of L.A.’s most unique sites: the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, “resting place of Hollywood’s immortals”. Founded in 1899, restored in 1998, and still operational as a cemetery and funeral home, it houses the remains of ordinary citizens and movie legends alike, from silent star Rudolph Valentino to famed director Cecille B. DeMille to iconic voice legend Mel “What’s up Doc?” Blanc. Unusual and elaborate memorials are commonplace and include tombstones shaped like a rocket ship and a five-foot tall pair of bookends, a reflecting pool stretched out before a marble crypt, and a life-size sculpture of Johnny Ramone rocking out on his guitar. It might be a cemetery, but it’s still Hollywood – a wall divides the property from its neighbor, Paramount Studios; the Hollywood sign is visible in the distance; and in the summer they have outdoor moviscreenings!
A Night at the Roxbury
One of the most iconic thoroughfares in America, the 1.5 mile section of Sunset Boulevard known as the Sunset Strip is best experienced at night. Made famous by classic rock acts of the 60s and 70s, the Strip continues to feature live music and crowded club atmosphere at places like the Whisky a Go Go, where the house band was once The Doors; the Roxy Theatre, where a little-known comedian named Paul Reubens debuted his larger-than-life alter ego, Pee Wee Herman; and The Viper Room, unfortunate site of – and every Halloween, still a shrine to – River Phoenix’s untimely demise.
Looking for something a little more low key? Try the Dresden Room – featured in the movie Swingers – a nice bar and restaurant where Marty and Elayne continue to entertain six nights a week. Or try the Formosa Café, featured in L.A. Confidential. Formerly a trolley car, the vibrant red venue has served as hang out spot to Elvis, Sinatra, and Marilyn, as well as Paris, Britney, and Bono.
The Great Outdoors
Griffith Park is perhaps Hollywood’s largest landmark. Enjoy hiking trails, horseback riding, and camping in the Santa Monica Mountains, an open-air concert at the Greek Theater outdoor amphitheater, a tour of the L.A. Zoo, and unobstructed views of the Hollywood sign from the newly renovated Griffith Observatory. Peer through the original 12 inch Zeiss telescope, still in use after the observatory’s opening in 1935, explore the cosmos in a state-of-the-art planetarium, and play with electricity at the Tesla exhibit. Follow in the footsteps of America’s most famous rebel, James Dean – even better, sit right where he sat on the East Observation Terrace while filming Rebel Without a Cause! Sprawl out at the feet of Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, and Newton, each a part of the lovely Astronomers Monument on the lawn, erected in 1934 as a Public Works of Art Project sponsored by the New Deal program during the Depression. Views at sunset are awe-inspiring, but the fun doesn’t end with the daylight: one Saturday a month the observatory hosts a Public Star Party! The all-day event is free and includes the services of volunteer amateur astronomers to help you pick out your favorite constellations and planets.
Younger than the cosmos but ancient in their own right, the La Brea Tar Pits are something to see. Just south of Hollywood in Hancock Park, the pits have been excavated continuously since the early 20th century. Tar has been seeping through the ground for tens of thousands of years, acting as a natural trap for animals of all sizes, from mammoths to saber-toothed cats (California’s state fossil) to a 9,000 year old woman. Watch your step – although the pits are fenced off, tar still seeps through the grass! Hundreds of thousands of fossils have been recovered from over 100 pits, the oldest dated at 38,000 years. The adjacent George C. Page Museum archives everything pulled out of the pits, resulting in long rows of narrow shelves filled with matching bones – each bin housing one bone type for one species of each animal. The aisles of bins appear endless, row after row after row, like the secret government storehouse at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark. The museum offers free admission the first Tuesday of every month; the guided tour is a must, and if visiting in the summer or early fall, observe paleontology in action as excavation continues in Pit 91.
If you enjoy a more hands-off approach to the outdoors, then the Hollywood Bowl beckons. Built into the bowl-shaped Hollywood hillside, the Bowl has over 17,000 seats. Home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, it has also hosted Monty Python and the Beatles. Bring a picnic dinner and a nice bottle of wine and enjoy music under the stars – or maybe even next to one!
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
Choosing a restaurant in L.A. can be daunting, given the endless eating options available. Make your decision a little easier by making character your key criteria. Grab a slice – of pie, at House of Pies on Vermont and Franklin. Up late? Walk up to Pink’s on La Brea and Melrose, L.A.’s most famous hot dog stand, open ‘til 2:00am Sunday through Thursday and ‘til 3:00am every Friday and Saturday. Or there’s always L.A.’s most famous deli, Canter’s, open 24 hours a day since the late 1940s. If you like to multi-task, combine your eating and shopping experience at the Farmer’s Market. Located on the corner of 3rd and Fairfax since 1934, it features an extensive array of fresh produce, plants and flowers, and local crafts, as well as shops and restaurants.
That’s Entertainment
Whether you’re interested in shopping on Melrose – where high-end designers cohabitate with funky boutiques – or the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright – designer of many homes in L.A., including the Hollyhock House in Little Armenia – or art – the gift shop at MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) is a worthy destination in its own right – Hollywood truly has something for everyone, regardless of your budget. So stand out like a tourist or blend in like a local and have a blast exploring L.A.!
