Hollywood

Many daytime attractions can be found on foot around the recently relocated home of the Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre, part of the Hollywood & Highland entertainment complex. The adjacent Grauman's Chinese Theatre delivers silver screen magic with its cinematic facade and ornate interiors from a bygone era. A shining example of a successful Hollywood revival can be seen and experienced just across Hollywood Boulevard at the 1926 El Capitan Theater, which offers live stage shows and a Wurlitzer organ before selected movie engagements.

Walk the renowned Hollywood Walk of Stars to find your favorite celebrities and you can encounter derelict diversions literally screaming for your attention (and dollar), numerous panhandlers, and an occasional costumed superhero not sanctified by Marvel comics. At Sunset and Vine, a developer-interpreted revival with sushi, stars, and swank condos promises to continue the sporadic renovations of the area. In summer, visit the crown jewel of Hollywood, the Hollywood Bowl, which features shows by the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

The San Fernando Valley gets a bad rap. Mocked in the infamous Frank Zappa song and Nicolas Cage film, both of the same name, "Valley Girl," this area of suburban bliss is located just over the hill of the notably "more cool" areas of Downtown, Hollywood, and the Westside. There are even some Angelenos who swear, with a sneer, that they will never set foot in "the Valley." But despite all the snickering, the Valley is home to many of the sets and artists that have made Los Angeles famous: Disney, Warner Bros., Universal Studios, NBC.