Hollywood & Highland

Hollywood & Highland Review

Bringing some glitz, foot traffic and commerce back to Hollywood, the hotel-retail-entertainment complex here has become a huge tourist magnet. The design pays tribute to the city's film legacy with a grand staircase leading up to a pair of white stucco 33-foot-high elephants, a nod to the 1916 movie Intolerance. (Something tells us that the reference is lost on most visitors.) Pause at the entrance arch, Babylon Court, which frames the "Hollywood" sign in the hills above for a picture-perfect view.

There are plenty of clothing stores and eateries, and you may find yourself ducking into these for a respite from the crowds and street artists. In the summer and during Christmas vacation—when the complex is at its busiest—special music programs and free entertainment keep strollers entertained.

A Metro Red Line station provides easy access to and from other parts of the city, and there's plenty of underground parking accessible from Highland Avenue.