Sunset Strip
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Sunset Strip has been a haven of hedonism since Prohibition days. Wedged between Hollywood and Beverly Hills, this 1.7 miles (2.7 km) of the Sunset Boulevard is crammed with hot nightclubs, hip rock venues, and fashionable boutiques. During Hollywood’s Glamour Age (1930–50), the stars trysted at the Chateau Marmont, partied at Trocadero, and talked shop at Schwab’s Pharmacy. Today’s hot spots rub shoulders with some historical landmarks.
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1. Site of Schwab’s Pharmacy
1. Site of Schwab’s PharmacyIn the 1930s and 1940s, Schwab’s Pharmacy was a hip hangout – Charlie Chaplin played pinball and James Dean sipped his coffee here. Torn down in 1988, the site is now occupied by a huge Virgin Megastore.
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2. Giant Billboards
A testimony to the Strip’s unabashed commercialism, these mega-sized billboards promote movies, records, products, and individual stars, which is why they’re also called “vanity boards”.
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3. Sunset Strip Tattoo
Julia Roberts got a Japanese symbol and Nicolas Cage a stingray at this tattoo studio to the stars that has also inked Ben Affleck and Pamela Anderson.
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4. Chateau Marmont
4. Chateau MarmontModeled on a French palace, this 1927 hotel has hosted celebrities such as Humphrey Bogart and Mick Jagger. Howard Hughes ogled at girls by the pool, and an overdosed John Belushi made his final dramatic exit in 1982.
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5. The Argyle hotel
5. The Argyle hotelThis Art Deco gem The Argyle began life as the Sunset Tower in 1931 and has been the home of yesteryear stars. John Wayne allegedly kept a cow in the penthouse. Its bar is a hot address today.
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6. Sunset Plaza
6. Sunset PlazaThis two-block commercial stretch is lined with designer shops and Euro-style restaurants teeming with a hip crowd. Its appeal with celebrities such as Nicole Kidman and Cindy Crawford make it prime territory for star-searching.
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7. Viper Room
Actor River Phoenix died outside this Johnny Depp-owned club in 1993 after a drug cocktail. Few remember its earlier incarnation as the Melody Room, a favorite with Bugsy Siegel and his mobster pals.
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8. Whisky a Go-Go
A Strip fixture since 1963, the Whisky gave the world go-go dancing and the Doors, its house band in 1966. Other legends such as Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin also played here regularly. Today, new bands still get launched on occasion.
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9. Hyatt West Hollywood
Nicknamed the “Riot Hyatt,” this hotel tower is part of rock’n’roll history as party central for British bands in the 1960s and 1970s. Led Zeppelin cruised down the halls on motorcycles and Keith Richards mooned his fans.
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10. Rainbow Bar & Grill
This rock’n’roll boîte fills with long-haired rockers and their hangers-on every night. When it was still the Villa Nova restaurant, Marilyn Monroe met Joe DiMaggio on a blind date, and John Belushi ate his final meal before overdosing on drugs.
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