Hollywood Guide
Like a glamorous starlet, Hollywood has made a major comeback and is living like a newly discovered ingénue everybody is talking about. It is home to clubs frequented by celebrities, shopping that defines the city’s eclectic style and restaurants that critics rave about. Famous locations and attractions reside around every corner. Exploring the area is like wandering through a living museum of film history. Hollywood is one destination that is a must for any visit to LA.
Hollywood Overview
Where to Eat: Hollywood Dining
Where to Shop: Glamour and Glitz
What to See: Places You’ll Remember
Where To Stay: Hollywood Dreamland
Hollywood Overview
Hollywood has evolved from its historic roots as the birthplace of the film industry into one of LA’s hippest spots to shop, dine and be entertained. At the center of it all is Hollywood & Highland Center with its trendy stores, hot restaurants, hip nightclubs, cool entertainment (including Lucky Strike Lanes) and the Kodak Theatre (home of the Academy Awards®).
Along Hollywood Boulevard, you’ll find the historic Pantages Theatre, which presents among the best theatrical and musical productions. Pantages is currently hosting the smash hit Wicked for an open-ended engagement.
Nearby, the Hollywood Bowl and Ford Amphitheatre feature concerts under the stars throughout the summer. And moviegoers can see the latest films in classic cinema settings at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. Remember to wander outside Grauman’s to see the famous imprints that celebrities have left in the cement over the years — Denzel Washington, Jim Carrey, Bruce Willis or the prints of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's boots (size 12).
And don’t forget to glance north toward the Hollywood Hills to see the Hollywood Sign, clearly visible in the distance.
Where to Eat: Hollywood Dining
Anything from retro-glamour to classic comfort food is served up in Hollywood. Try to make the old-school waiters laugh at Musso & Frank Grill, an old-fashioned, white-linen restaurant where Hollywood movers and shakers have dined for nearly 90 years. Or have dinner in bed at the Pig’n Whistle, a 1920s landmark that was recently restored to cater to a new generation of stars. For a menu to wake up your palate, try Roscoe's House of Chicken ’n Waffles (your plate comes with both), which serves this curious combination all night long.
For more contemporary dining, Hollywood & Highland Center is perched atop Hollywood Boulevard and offers several options. The Grill on Hollywood (also in Hollywood & Highland Center) is the place to go for such comfort-food standbys as chicken potpie and meatloaf. Nearby, the posh Katsuya has stirred up quite the buzz for its sushi and modern takes on Japanese specialties.
Atop the Hollywood Hills, Yamashiro’s romantic “CalAsian” restaurant resides in a replica Japanese “mountain palace” with an unforgettable view of the city below. Just a few miles down the hill is Universal CityWalk Hollywood, next to Universal Studios Hollywood, where you’ll find tons of restaurants, shops and entertainment. Try Café Tu Tu Tango, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Camacho’s Cantina and Hard Rock Café Hollywood.
Where to Shop: Glamour and Glitz
Hollywood Boulevard is packed with souvenir shops and eclectic clothing stores. In the middle of the action is the bustling Hollywood & Highland Center, where stores run the gamut from favorites such as Gap and Victoria’s Secret to the chic luxury of Coach and Louis Vuitton. To make sure you get everything on your shopping list, head to Virgin Megastore to update your music and movie collection, Build-A-Bear Workshop if you have kids in tow, or Aveda, Origins or Sephora for all your essential beauty needs.
Mugs, T-shirts and stuffed animals in movie themes burst out of shops at Universal CityWalk Hollywood, where the décor of the stores — designed to reflect the best of LA and Hollywood — is as interesting as the merchandise. The list of stores ranges from Skechers and Hollywood Harley Davidson to Fossil and Quiksilver Boardrider's Club. And the all-new CityWalk Hollywood Cinemas delivers the ultimate movie experience with spacious, stadium-style seating, wall-to-wall screens and 360-degree digital surround sound.
What to See: Places You'll Remember
Starting with a little history will whet your appetite for all things Hollywood. The Hollywood Museum has five floors of historical photo archives, exhibitions about different Hollywood eras and costumes worn by Mae West, Elizabeth Taylor and others from Tinseltown’s heyday. At the Hollywood Wax Museum, you can mingle with Johnny Depp, Halle Berry and even Luke Skywalker.
The Kodak Theatre, home of the Academy Awards®, offers insightful “behind-the-red-carpet” tours seven days a week. These 30-minute guided tours take visitors for an inside look at Hollywood’s biggest night with the opportunity to see a real Oscar statuette and a sneak peek at the theater’s VIP room.
But Hollywood isn’t just about movie stars — it also has a rich musical legacy. The Hollywood Bowl has hosted such legendary acts as Nat “King” Cole, Patsy Cline and The Beatles. Its new band shell and location in the heart of the city make it one of LA’s best outdoor concert venues. The Hollywood Bowl Museum, which is free and open year-round, has changing exhibits and hundreds of photos and audio and visual samples to help visitors relive the Bowl’s more memorable events.
Hollywood is also home to several iconic landmarks and instantly recognizable architecture. While you’re here, check out the recently restored Hollyhock House, Frank Lloyd Wright’s first house in Los Angeles. After five years and $20 million in renovations, the house and the 11-acre park surrounding it, are open for tours once more.
And if you’re in the mood for a little kitsch, stop by the Hollywood Guinness Book of World Records Museum. See the improbable but possible, with hands-on exhibits and displays that give visitors a glimpse of the records that make the book wildly popular.
Where To Stay: Hollywood Dreamland
Hollywood has several magical hotels, including the 1920s-era Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, A Thompson Hotel. Once the playground for the likes of Clark Gable, Carole Lombard and Marilyn Monroe and the original home of the Academy Awards, the Roosevelt has been remodeled for a new generation of stars and stargazers alike.
Two blocks away, located inside Hollywood & Highland Center, the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel provides sweeping views of Los Angeles and unparalleled access to the premier shopping, dining and entertainment right outside its rooms.
For a double dose of luxury and celebrity, check out The London West Hollywood, a glamorous new hotel steps away from the Sunset Strip. This ultra-swank boutique hotel features luxurious suites, high-end amenities and cuisine by internationally acclaimed celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay.
When it comes to funky, you can’t beat the Farmer’s Daughter Hotel, located within walking distance of CBS Television City, the Farmers Market and Museum Row. Its hip, farmhouse (yes, it can be both) décor makes this hotel a rare find.
