DK Travel : Los Angeles : Hollywood

Hollywood is at once a town , an industry, and an illusion, and you’ll experience all of these as you stroll along the famed Hollywood Boulevard. Its history encompasses the birth of the movies, the Golden Age of film premieres, and a crushing decline as the studios moved elsewhere. But recent years have seen a renaissance along the boulevard – the Hollywood and Highland complex is a major development, and many of the grand movie palaces once again host glamorous film openings. At its core, Hollywood is a museum – the huge sign in the hills, movie stars “at your feet” on the Walk of Fame, the bars that hosted greats such as Ernest Hemingway – this is still the place to rekindle childhood dreams about the “stars.”

For more information on Hollywood, call up the Hollywood Visitors’ Information Center at 213-689-8822 For a peek into the history of the Hollywood Bowl visit the Bowl Museum; entry is free For live taping information and reservations at Paramount Studios call 323-956-1777

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A Day With the Stars

Morning

Begin at La Brea Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard, heading east to the Hollywood Entertainment Museum for a high-tech look at movie-making, then step into the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel (see Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel ">), home of the first Academy Awards. In Mann’s Chinese Theatre you can stand on the footprints of your favorite stars. An escalator will whisk you into the vast Hollywood & Highland complex with great shopping and views of the Hollywood Sign and the dazzling El Capitan (see El Capitan Theatre). A two-block detour south on Highland Avenue takes you to Hollywood High School, alma mater of Lawrence Fishburne. Lana Turner was discovered at the Top Hat Malt Shop which once stood at the corner of Sunset and Highland. Backtrack north on Highland Avenue for a delicious retro lunch at Mel’s Drive-in .

Afternoon

Back on Hollywood Boulevard, you’ll come across the exotic Egyptian Theatre (see The Egyptian Theatre, The Egyptian Theatre) and, at No. 6667, Musso & Frank’s (see Mel’s Drive-in), Hollywood’s oldest restaurant, once the haunt of Chaplin, Hemingway, and other famous people. At Frederick’s of Hollywood (see Frederick’s of Hollywood Lingerie Museum), take a peek at the stars’ underwear in a special exhibition. Wrap up the day with drinks and sunset views at Yamashiro ’s, followed by a grand gourmet meal at the popular Patina (see Places to Eat).
Ammo

Simple California comfort food is served from morning to night at this tiny but cosy minimalist café.
Beauty Bar

Get your nails done while sipping a “Blue Rinse” cocktail at this unique retro bar styled like a 1950s beauty parlor.
Café Stella

This romantic, French-style eatery offers mostly outdoor seating in a lovely courtyard with hanging amber lights and olive and lavender plants.
Cat & Fiddle Pub

Homesick Brits mingle with midriff-baring LA scenesters. Quaff your libation on the all-Californian patio or beneath the Union Jacks and dart boards inside. Full menu.
Cinerama Dome

A Hollywood landmark and site of many a movie premiere, this white dome of interlocked triangles is LA’s most unusual movie theater. The world’s only concrete geodesic dome was built by Welton Beckett in 1963 to show Cinerama movies, a revolutionary wide-screen technique requiring three 35 mm projectors. Today, it is part of a brand new complex that also includes the ArcLight movie theaters (see ArcLight Cinemas & Cinerama Dome).
Cinespace

Watch a movie, munch on contemporary American cuisine, and on weekends, listen to a DJ spin house music.
Crossroads of the World

The centerpiece of this unique architectural metaphor is a shiplike Art Deco building that “sails” into a courtyard flanked by cottages in styles ranging from Spanish Colonial to German gingerbread. A quiet office complex, it was built in 1936 by Robert Derrah, who designed downtown’s Coca-Cola Bottling Plant.
Deep

This sexy club has a glass enclosed dance floor, writhing barely-clad performers, and videomonitor- equipped VIP rooms.
Formosa Café

Humphrey Bogart and Marilyn Monroe once hung out at this watering hole. Enjoy the signature mai tais and tasty California-Asian treats.

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Restaurant price categories

Price categories include a three-course meal for one, a glass of house wine, and all unavoidable extra charges including tax.
- under $25
- $25–$50
- $50–$80
- over $80