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Hollywood
The Tinseltown mythology of Los Angeles was born in Hollywood. But reputation aside, it's a workaday neighborhood without the glitz and glamour of places like Beverly Hills. Still, like Downtown, Hollywood is undergoing an extreme makeover designed to lure hipsters and big money back into the fold. New sleek clubs and restaurants seem to pop up every month drawing in celebrities, scenesters, and starry-eyed newcomers to create a colorful nighttime landscape (and some parking headaches).
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.
Hollywood at a Glance
Sights
- Arclight/Cinerama Dome
- Barnsdall Park/Hollyhock House
- Bob's Big Boy
- Capitol Records Tower
- Chemosphere House
- Dakota at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel
- Disney Studios
- Egyptian Theatre
- Grauman's Chinese Theatre
- Griffith Observatory
- Guinness World of Records
- Guitar Center and Hollywood RockWalk
- Hollywood & Highland
- Hollywood and Vine
- Hollywood Bowl
- Hollywood Forever Cemetery
- Hollywood Heritage Museum
- Hollywood High School
- Hollywood Museum
- Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel
- Hollywood Sign
- Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Hollywood Wax Museum
- Kodak Theatre
- Los Angeles Zoo
- Musso & Frank Grill
- NBC Television Studios
- Paramount Pictures
- Pig 'n Whistle
- Ripley's Believe It or Not
- Snow White Cafe
- Universal Studios Hollywood
- Warner Bros. Studios
Shopping
Entertainment
- 4100
- Acme Comedy Theater
- Akbar
- Avalon
- Baked Potato
- Beauty Bar
- Big Foot Lodge
- Boardner's
- Burgundy Room
- Cabana Club
- California Institute of Abnormal Arts
- Cat & Fiddle Pub
- Catalina
- Cha Cha Lounge
- Circus Disco and Arena
- Club Empire
- Dragonfly
- Dresden Room
- The Echo
- El Floridita
- El Prado
- Florentine Gardens
- Genghis Cohen Cantina
- Good Luck Bar
- Green Door
- Groundling Theatre
- iO West Theater
- Ivar
- King King
- Largo
- Las Palmas (at Los Angeles County Airport)
- MJ's
- Musso & Frank Grill
- My House
- Playhouse
- The Room
- The Ruby
- Short Stop
- Silver Lake Lounge
- Smog Cutter
- Spaceland
- Three Clubs
- Tiki-Ti
- Tropicana Bar
- Upright Citizens Brigade
- Yamashiro
Restaurants
Elsewhere in Los Angeles
See Also
Travel Deals in Los Angeles
- California Flight Sale (R/T incl. Tax) CheapOair
- Los Angeles Boutique Hotel w/$40 Credit & Parking Hotel Angeleno
- Palm Springs Resort w/$75 Credit & Upgrade, 50% Off TripAlertz.com
- Car Rentals in Los Angeles CarRentals.com