Sunset Strip

Sunset Strip Review

For 60 years the Hollywood's night owls have headed for the 1¾-mi stretch of Sunset Boulevard between Crescent Heights Boulevard on the east and Doheny Drive on the west, known as the Sunset Strip. In the 1930s and '40s, stars such as Tyrone Power, Errol Flynn, Norma Shearer, and Rita Hayworth came for wild evenings of dancing and drinking at nightclubs like Trocadero, Ciro's, and Mocambo. By the '60s and '70s, the Strip had become the center of rock and roll for acts like Johnny Rivers, the Byrds, and the Doors. The '80s punk riot gave way to hair metal lead by Mötley Crüe and Guns N' Roses on the stages of the Whisky A Go-Go (8901 Sunset Blvd. 310/652-4202 www.whiskyagogo.com) and The Roxy (9009 Sunset Blvd. 310/276-2222 www.theroxyonsunset.com). Nowadays it's the Viper Room (8852 Sunset Blvd. 310/358-1880 wwww.viperroom.com), the House of Blues (8430 Sunset Blvd. 323/848-5100 www.hob.com), and the Key Club (9039 Sunset Blvd. 310/274-5800 www.keyclub.com), where you'll find on-the-cusp actors, rock stars, club-hopping regulars, and out-of-towners all mingling over drinks and live music. Parking and traffic around the Strip can be tough on weekends, expect to pay around $10-$25 to park, which can take a bite out of your partying budget, but the time and money may be worth it if you plan to make the rounds—most clubs are within walking distance of each other.