Hollywood & Highland
Thursday, December 17th, 2009
6801 Hollywood Blvd (map)
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 817-0220
This tornado of classic Hollywood distraction is the prime target for most tourists. Located at Hollywood blvd and Highland Ave, it is more or less the epicenter of what people think of when they imagine Hollywood. This is where you see role-playing actors milling about in costumes to amuse the crowds. This is where you see street musicians parked on the curb, pounding on bucket drums or playing the saxophone. This is where you see the handprints in the cement, and the biggest names on the walk of fame. This is where red carpet events take place, bringing traffic to a halt for blocks in every direction. This is where street vendors, street performers and other Hollywood characters mesh together forming a bright, colorful mess of human oddity. It’s also a hive of stores, snack shops, restaurants and entertainment, including two theaters (one of which is the famous historic Grauman’s Chinese Theatre), two nightclubs, a bowling alley, occasional live concerts, and the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel & Spa for guests who want to stay in the middle of it. Street parking can be hectic, and the lots are expensive and fill up fast. But the metro is right there, and taxis make a point of trolling by slowly and often. For travelers looking for the big, splashy Hollywood experience, this is the place to go. Just be sure to tip the actors – especially Jack Sparrow. (Yeah, he even hassles us.)
The haiku version:
Observe Spider-Man
Crouching on a garbage can
Welcome to L.A.
Favorites:
- Aldo
- Chinese Theatres
- Hot Topic
- Lucky Strike Lanes
- Sephora
- The Highlands Nightclub
- Victoria’s Secret
- Virgin Megastore
- XXI Forever
- California Pizza Kitchen
- Cold Stone Creamery
- Great Steak & Potato Co.
- Hollywood Mongolian Grill
- Johnny Rockets
3rd St. and Broadway (
Los Angeles’ restaurant selection ranges from the obscure Hollywood hole in the wall to the high-traffic Rodeo Drive sidewalk cafe. Here you can find some of the more locally frequented Los Angeles restaurants, including dinner spots, lunch cafes, and maybe a few places for late night face stuffing. More will be added in the coming months, but for now, browse through some of our favorites and see what grabs your attention.
You’re 2 hours from a Thanksgiving deadline on the day of, your friends (or worse, relatives) are already on their way over, and you still don’t have everything done. Sound like you?
Every city has its highest-rated restaurants, arranged in every category according to things like atmosphere, creativity and “panache,” whatever that is. But unless you’re part of the jet-set crowd, none of that really matters when it’s Saturday morning (or afternoon) and you’re waking up with a screaming, aching void in the pit of your stomach. You want breakfast. No frills, no linen tablecloths, no white-gloved servers. Just eggs, pancakes, fried potatoes, bacon, something with avocado, or maybe some kind of burrito creation. And you want it with ketchup and maple syrup.
In the days after Halloween, everyone is asking everyone, “what did you do?” Regardless of what shenanigans you got yourself into in your sexy nurse/kissing booth costume this year, you might want to mark your calendar to spend next year in the place where class meets crass – the culture-laden party town of 
Sushi is to LA as the poolside margarita is to Vegas. Or as the buffalo was to the plains Indian. Ok, maybe it’s not that dramatic, but it’s definitely not wise to stand between a Los Angeleno and yellowtail sashimi.
