Neighborhoods Hollywood Guide

Culture & Recreation

Hollywood is still the place to see stars—on the sidewalk, on the red carpet and at the dog park.

1.

Kodak Theatre

The glamorous 3,400-seat theater where the stars are crowned on Oscar night can be visited on a guided tour. The best part: Visitors don't have to endure a tap-dancing homage to the year’s biggest films.

2.

Hollywood Sign

Like the dreamers who flock to Tinseltown in search of stardom, the iconic Hollywood landmark that once labeled "Hollywoodland" has slimmed down since its birth in 1923.

3.

Grauman's Chinese Theatre

During the 1927 premiere of Cecil. B. DeMille’s The King of Kings, actress Norma Talmadge accidentally left her mark while walking through the courtyard of the legendary movie palace, cementing a tradition that carries on to this day.

4.

Runyon Canyon

Celebrity hunters looking to catch these camera-shy creatures in their natural habitat should explore this gorgeous 134-acre dog park located in the Santa Monica Mountains. Please do not feed Kate Bosworth, Jennifer Lopez or Jake Gyllenhaal.

5.

Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame

If you didn’t spot any of the paparazzi’s most dangerous game on your celebrity safari, don’t give up—the world’s most popular boulevard is covered in stars.

Dining

Would you care for a side of history with your Hilton sighting?

1.

Citizen Smith

The upscale urban bistro dedicated to comfort food moonlights as an after-hours lounge where DJs spin rock, electro and retro for hipsters and the Hilton crowd.

2.

the hungry cat

Though it has an unlikely location in the Sunset + Vine complex, this is a foodie favorite for seafood, scene and obscure wines.

3.

Grub

Co-owner Betty Fraser may not have behaved very nicely on her “Top Chef” stint, but she does make some excellent comfort food in a charming garden setting.

4.

Musso & Frank Grill

From literary legends like Fitzgerald, Hemingway and Faulkner to silver-screen stars like Chaplin, Bogart and Pacino, Tinseltown giants have been sampling the continental cooking and classic cocktails at Hollywood’s oldest restaurant since 1919.

5.

Dakota at the Roosevelt Hotel

Husband-and-wife team Tim and Lisa Goodell serve up traditional steakhouse fare with modern Hollywood flair to industry insiders and celeb-starved guests staying at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

Nightlife

Welcome to the rare city where it's possible not only to party like a rock star, but maybe even bring one home for the night.

1.

Cahuenga Corridor

From down-and-out dives to cosmo-soaked salons, The Cahuenga Corridor manages to pack all late-night needs onto a single street.

2.

LAX

The food at this airport-themed lounge is edible, the bathrooms are spacious, and the entertainment, like co-owner DJ AM, is first-class.

3.

Ivan Kane's Forty Deuce

Nightlife imagineer Ivan Kane puts the "ass" back in "class" at his intimate old-school lounge, where burlesque babes sashay across the bar to toe-tapping live jazz.

4.

Bob's Frolic Room

This bar was overlooked during Hollywood’s re-gentrification a few years back. Which is why we love it so.

5.

Boulevard3

This indoor-outdoor space with cabanas and balcony suites is the hottest club in Hollywood. For now.

Shopping

With so many options, a simple souvenir hunt can easily turn into a celebrity-sized shopping spree.

1.

Hollywood & Highland Center

Located right next to the Grauman’s Chinese Theater and the Walk of Fame, this upscale, outdoor mall—home to the Kodak Theatre and the Renaissance Hotel—is the tourist-friendly epicenter of the first-time-to-Hollywood experience.

2.

Anzevino and Florence

Minimalist clothes from a maximally talented duo.

3.

Hollywood Toy and Costume

Hundreds of kitschy and/or kinky costumes stand uncomfortably close to a toy selection that could rival the one at Neverland Ranch.

4.

Frederick's of Hollywood Lingerie Museum

The geniuses behind thong panties and the push-up bra opened up the world’s first lingerie museum atop their flagship store. Believe it or not, Tom Hanks made it into their Celebrity Lingerie Hall of Fame.

5.

Amoeba Music

With more than 500,000 new and used CDs, free live performances from around the world, and rocker-hot staff members who write their own ‘zine, Amoeba is the legit heart of the Hollywood music scene.

Hotels

After a day at Universal Studios, families just need a soft bed and a fannypack-accepting staff. After a day of throwing yogurt at assistants, megastar movie moguls need a sturdier headboard to handle their aggressive after-dark activities.

1.

Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

The Roosevelt hosted the first Academy Awards in 1929, so movie lovers looking to sleep with the stars often spend the night at this historic hotel, both for its celebrity-filled bar and because it’s supposedly haunted by Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Clift

2.

Magic Castle Hotel

This hotel is set back a bit from all the action but still walking distance to Hollywood & Highland and other spots. Plus, the staff hands out Popsicles on hot days.

3.

Renaissance Hollywood Hotel

Located within the Hollywood & Highland complex and offering views of the legendary sign, this posh, colorful homage to mid-century décor is the only hotel on the list where guests can sleep well knowing they won’t wake up next to any dead celebrities.

4.

Sofitel Los Angeles

You’ll have to head slightly west of Hollywood proper to find this luxe hotel across from the Beverly Center, but the scene in the lounge is certainly Hollywood in spirit.

5.

Beverly Laurel Motor Hotel

Save your pennies and up your cool quotient at the same time when you stay at this indie-favorite motel.