HOLLYWOOD Facts and Helpful hints for Tourists from Locals

[Corpsebride]

Originally Posted by fairycat

Some how I missed this the first read CorpseBride and I am now laughing my butt off!!!

We have a old saying in our group, in Hollywood the last sign is always the one that is going to screw you!

In Hollywood especially but in some other cities when you park on the main streets or side streets you will see possibly meters and lots of poles with LOTS of signs!!! Read EVERYONE!!!! I am not kidding that little tiny one under ones about times, street cleaning and all sorts of stuff might just be "By Permit Only". The signs are clear (most of the time) but you seriously and I can't say this enough, need to read everyone! As CorpseBride said they don't kid around about ticketing and towing in the cities.

Its alway that last sign

It really is always the last sign!! And you dont get anything for it! I wish L.A. would hand out t-shirts for every ticket you get! I GOT A PARKING TICKET IN HOLLYWOOD AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS LOUSY T-SHIRT or something like that
Im a pro now but when I first moved here,I swear, I would have collected tons of t-shirts! Oh and dont bother trying to bargain with the meter maids, they are like robots, once they have got your car in the cross hairs, IM SORRY IVE ALREADY STARTED THE TICKET blah blah blah!! They'll gitcha!
But, you are going to have a great time here. I love this city and I hope you have a wonderful time. And yes! Griffith Park Observatory is just amazing! Definatly a must see!!

[fairycat]

Do you love to Shop?

I always feel bad for my tourist friends who come in because most of my favorite things to do involve shopping or eating

Sunset is a great place to cruise, see sights, famous locations, eat and shop!

Starting from Highland you go right on Sunset on that corner sits the very famous Hollywood Highschool, many celebrities have gone to school there and they have filmed there as well.

The first part of Sunset is "EH". You will see a few nice things and then one of the two very noticeable strip clubs. That is how Hollywood is, really nice stuff to old junky stuff they haven't revitalized yet. You will see many famous tattoo shops like Purple Panther. You will drive down a way and come to two of my favorite hidden treasure restaurants.

Toi- This is a VERY Hollywood Thai place. They have a funky weird atmosphere, all the servers are probably actors or in bands, but the food is good, well priced and opened really late http://www.toirockinthaifood.com/sunset/

In the same area hidden slightly behind Guitar Center is Moun of Tunis
This place is only for the adventerous. It is Morracan and Tunisan food, you sit on low booths, eat with your hands (but don't worry they bring a basin so you can wash your hands first ) and while the food sounds weird most is actually not that foriegn and its so delicious!! You also can see very talented Belly Dancers here as well. http://www.mounoftunisrestaurant.com...s/homepage.htm

You also will find a HUGE Guitar Center. The rumors I have heard are that this is a great place to chance on star sightings. Especially of course musicans. The store is very noticeable off Sunset and if you love music and instruments it might be worth a stop. Wayne's World filmed the drum scene here.

Pinkberry- This stuff is all the rage and who knows who you might see! It is a slightly sour yougurt with fun toppings. I suggest original with strawberries, raspberries and fruity pebbles its deliciously sweet and tart!

Sunset Blvd
7288 W. Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles CA 90068
Sun - Thurs 11 AM - 2 AM
http://www.pinkberry.com/html/pbmain.php

As you drive you will see the strip getting ritzier and ritzier, you will also notice some of the famous clubs!! Roxy, Whiskey a Go-Go, Key Club, Laugh Factory, and more. These are fun to see shows at or just to take a few pictures of!

You will also notice more and more restaurants including The House of Blues. I had to laugh the first time I realised just how many Indian and Sushi joints Sunset has to offer it was shocking!!

Want to get a few snacks from the Grocery store to the stars check out Bristol Farms. This is a moderate sized store specialising in high end gourmet foods and is know for its high prices. But hey stars love to over pay
http://www.bristolfarms.com/home.html

As you move into West Hollywood the shops get swankier and swankier. If you want to know how expensive, exclusive and special a shop is see how much merchandise the store has. If they have two dresses and a nude manneiquin pull out the AMEX and don't ask how much.

If you want more shopping take Gardner down to the The Grove http://www.thegrovela.com/ This place also holds the Famous American Girl Shop for your littler girls http://www.americangirl.com/stores/

Or you can take Sunset to Santa Monica Blvd. to Rodeo Drive.

Or if you want to do a long cruise take Sunset Blvd all the way down to the coast. This trek will take you through some very ritzy and famous areas and drop you right off at the famous Gladstone's in Malibu. Even if you don't want to take Sunset from Hollywood to the Coast. I suggest getting off the 405 at Sunset and taking this route to the coast. The sights are nice and I love this drive up and down the mountains and the traffic tends to be decent when the freeways are packed.

[fairycat]

Originally Posted by Corpsebride

It really is always the last sign!! And you dont get anything for it! I wish L.A. would hand out t-shirts for every ticket you get! I GOT A PARKING TICKET IN HOLLYWOOD AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS LOUSY T-SHIRT or something like that
Im a pro now but when I first moved here,I swear, I would have collected tons of t-shirts! Oh and dont bother trying to bargain with the meter maids, they are like robots, once they have got your car in the cross hairs, IM SORRY IVE ALREADY STARTED THE TICKET blah blah blah!! They'll gitcha!
But, you are going to have a great time here. I love this city and I hope you have a wonderful time. And yes! Griffith Park Observatory is just amazing! Definatly a must see!!

It's funny cause its true

Even funnier since we were just moving cars and making this joke on Saturday in West Hollywood. "Sure you can park here till 7pm, but at 7:01pm the Terminator Meter Maids will get you!!!"

I am lucky I learned early, but man I remember my friends North Hollywood place that I used to have to race out and move my car at Noon on Street Cleaning Days in order to move it to the other side of the street so I wouldn't get a ticket. Those Street Cleaners and their meter maids don't play games!!!

[fairycat]

I still owe you guys Melrose but decided to post a few hidden treasures found just outside of Hollywood.

As I mentioned in my Sunset post, I love to skip the freeways and take Sunset Blvd. off the 405 down to the ocean (even better if you rent a convertible!). This will drop you right into Malibu and near Gladstone's.

If you love seafood you must eat here, but save this meal for sunset because a better coastal sunset view is really hard to find. The restaurant is right on the beach and you can take a romantic walk before or after your meal (hey don't worry the sand and waves will amuse the kids while you stroll hand in hand)
http://www.gladstones.com/

If you like Gardens, and a little tranquality then check out the Lake Shrine, this garden surrounds a stunning koi pond (kids will love feeding the fish, they offer fish food), the gardens represent all the different world religions and climates. The place is snuggled into the hills and almost hard to find but worth a stop
http://www.yogananda-srf.org/temples/lakeshrine/

Ok if you even like musuems make this your musuem!! The Getty Villa!
http://www.seeing-stars.com/Museums/GettyMuseum.shtml
http://www.getty.edu/visit/hours/faq.html

The second link also offers information for the Los Angeles Getty Center. The first Getty musuem was the Villa, a stunning piece of archeticture, that showed the artwork in such a unique and beautiful way. But over time it became too small for the large collection and they built the large moutain top Getty Center. As that one opened they closed the Villa in Malibu and began a large restoration of the old property. Not to long ago they reopened this ocean front gem and I couldn't be more thrilled.

If you want to do this make reservations, it is free to visit but they have limited spots parking spots and no area parking. They have food offered on site and a beautiful view of the ocean from the upper gardens.

Also for you Disney Lovers (When the Disney animators were looking for inspiration for the settings in "Beauty & the Beast," they took a tour of the 18th Century decorative arts here at the Getty.)

The nice thing is the Getty villa is a short Drive to Santa Monica. Where you will find, the pier, 3rd Street Promande and more!

[michelle1]

Thanks to all for so much helpful info!!

[LoveThatMouse!]

Thanks so much FairyCat for starting this thread! And congratulations on getting a Sticky!!!

Okay, this is SUCH a touristy question that I'm almost afraid to ask...BUT

Where is the famous In and Out Burger that the stars always go to? Which Starbucks is their favorite? and Which one is the location that celebrity gossip reporter 'Perez Hilton' hangs out? Okay, I did it... but I'm sooooooo embarassed.

[num1tigerfan]

Thanks for all of the info. We are going to Hollywood in mid-May and this thread helps a lot.
We are staying in a budget hotel a ways down on Hollywood BLVD. We are traveling in a group of 7. On day 2 we wanted to head over to Universal but have an elderly couple with us whom do not want to go with us. Is there a way to get to Griffith without a car or is there something that would entertain them for the day while we are out? I thought they might like the Autry museum or the Observatory but am not sure if they are close or not since Griffith Park is a large park. Universal does close at 6 the day we are going, but I feel bad for leaving them. (they decided to join us after plans were made)
I thought about having my Uncle drop us off at Universal then they could sight see, but he is in his mid seventies and I am not real sure if he would feel comfortable about driving.

[fairycat]

Originally Posted by LoveThatMouse!

Thanks so much FairyCat for starting this thread! And congratulations on getting a Sticky!!!

Okay, this is SUCH a touristy question that I'm almost afraid to ask...BUT

Where is the famous In and Out Burger that the stars always go to? Which Starbucks is their favorite? and Which one is the location that celebrity gossip reporter 'Perez Hilton' hangs out? Okay, I did it... but I'm sooooooo embarassed.

To be honest I have no idea, I am not a big celebrity watcher, but maybe some one else will know. I do know that Corpsebride mention one of the coffee shops that serves the stars.

I also think with the amount of Peets, Starbucks and Coffee Beans in Hollywood and the surrounding areas it might be hard to use them as a base to see stars.

To be honest most of the star sighting I have had were at events, amusement parks, concerts or 3rd Street Promande. I also rarely reconized the people.

[fairycat]

Originally Posted by num1tigerfan

Thanks for all of the info. We are going to Hollywood in mid-May and this thread helps a lot.
We are staying in a budget hotel a ways down on Hollywood BLVD. We are traveling in a group of 7. On day 2 we wanted to head over to Universal but have an elderly couple with us whom do not want to go with us. Is there a way to get to Griffith without a car or is there something that would entertain them for the day while we are out? I thought they might like the Autry museum or the Observatory but am not sure if they are close or not since Griffith Park is a large park. Universal does close at 6 the day we are going, but I feel bad for leaving them. (they decided to join us after plans were made)
I thought about having my Uncle drop us off at Universal then they could sight see, but he is in his mid seventies and I am not real sure if he would feel comfortable about driving.

I would look into a livery car or something if they don't want to drive, because though you guys can take the train to US, there is nothing like that to take you to Griffith. A taxi is another option but it will be expensive.

The only plus is that most of the driving from Hollywood to Griffith is that it is almost all city streets so he shouldn't have to deal with the freeways.

I did a little searching and did come up with another plan for them. Maybe they can take the Metro Red Line to Union Station. It is a beautiful old train station, from there they can go see Olvera Street which is across the street and china town is up one block. I see that Olvera offers free Docent tours too. This area of LA is pretty nice and pretty safe though I would not travel much further into LA and would skip some of the districts, which get near to Skid Row. It might be a nice day to see some of the local offerings.

The best part is they can take the Redline back to meet you at US, even if they chose to stay in Hollywood for the day. The redline I have heard is very nice (possibly since not too many locals use it ) I have heard it is also very convienent.

[num1tigerfan]

Originally Posted by fairycat

I would look into a livery car or something if they don't want to drive, because though you guys can take the train to US, there is nothing like that to take you to Griffith. A taxi is another option but it will be expensive.

The only plus is that most of the driving from Hollywood to Griffith is that it is almost all city streets so he shouldn't have to deal with the freeways.

I did a little searching and did come up with another plan for them. Maybe they can take the Metro Red Line to Union Station. It is a beautiful old train station, from there they can go see Olvera Street which is across the street and china town is up one block. I see that Olvera offers free Docent tours too. This area of LA is pretty nice and pretty safe though I would not travel much further into LA and would skip some of the districts, which get near to Skid Row. It might be a nice day to see some of the local offerings.

The best part is they can take the Redline back to meet you at US, even if they chose to stay in Hollywood for the day. The redline I have heard is very nice (possibly since not too many locals use it ) I have heard it is also very convienent.

Thanks for the advice on the red line. I thought about looking up somethings they can get to look that but didn't know where to start. I don't want to sound silly, but could you explain what a livery car is. I am from the midwest and have never heard of that term.

Thanks for all of the other advice!

[fairycat]

Originally Posted by num1tigerfan

Thanks for the advice on the red line. I thought about looking up somethings they can get to look that but didn't know where to start. I don't want to sound silly, but could you explain what a livery car is. I am from the midwest and have never heard of that term.

Thanks for all of the other advice!

Livery Car is like a Limo service but with cheaper Town Cars. Basically you get a driver but with out the extra fancy car

[LoveThatMouse!]

Originally Posted by fairycat

To be honest I have no idea, I am not a big celebrity watcher, but maybe some one else will know. I do know that Corpsebride mention one of the coffee shops that serves the stars.

I also think with the amount of Peets, Starbucks and Coffee Beans in Hollywood and the surrounding areas it might be hard to use them as a base to see stars.

To be honest most of the star sighting I have had were at events, amusement parks, concerts or 3rd Street Promande. I also rarely reconized the people.

Actually, I didn't really care about 'seeing' the celebrities either .
I just thought that my daughters would get a kick out of having a burger and a coffee at the same 'hang outs' as the rich and famous.

[fairycat]

Originally Posted by LoveThatMouse!

Actually, I didn't really care about 'seeing' the celebrities either .
I just thought that my daughters would get a kick out of having a burger and a coffee at the same 'hang outs' as the rich and famous.

I totally get that haha!!

Then try Corpsebrides suggestion

The coffee bean and tea leaf ON SUNSET. You may see some famous faces here too!

More coffee try Peet's on Sunset

The In-n-Out you probably are talking about is also on Sunset
http://www.in-n-out.com/location_details.asp?id=102
I won't lie I thik everyone should try In-n-Out even if you don't like it, you have to apreciate how fresh there stuff is.

Like I mentioned before try Pinkberry!! There is one on Sunset and one on Melroses near Pink's Hot Dogs.

Want to go where the stars go try Pink's Hot Dogs and then go around the corner for Pinkberry yogurt for dessert!

Hope this helps!
Sorry on the Starbucks, there are so many I say pick one on Sunset or Melrose and stars probably visit there. But many of the cool people prefer Peet's or Coffee Bean. But I am biased cause I also love Peet's

[fairycat]

ok I can ignore it no more

Melrose Avenue!

A street located off Highland avene it was made famous obviously by Melrose Place but this street has been well known way before Heather lived in her fab flat. It still has a little of its funky counterculture flair but mixed in with trendy clothing shops.

Ok Guys or those who blush easily might want to skip this next section

First this area is known for two famous Lingere Shops the first though not on Melrose (its on La Cinenega right off Melrose) is Trashy Lingerie the other is Retail Sl*t (site includes NSFW language) these two stores are known for their celebrity clientel, have been featured on TV and have interesting offerings. Including costumes. Trashy is not opened to the public without a membership ($5 a year). But worth it since you never know who might also be shopping.

Ok now everyone back?

Melrose besides shopping, which there is lots to do of that! There are also famous food places to eat.

My personal favorite

Johnny Rocket's a burger joint with a 50's style. They have good food and my favorite part is that the Melrose shop has a patio where you can sit right on Melrose and do some great people watching.

As I mentioned before just off Melrose (I mean RIGHT off) on La Brea is Pink's Hot Dogs this place has been featured in Movies, on the Food Network and more. The stars eat here, normal people eat here, and some travel just to eat here. It can have long lines but I hear many say its worth it even if just for the experience. (Note: as a long time veggy I have never eaten here, but I know lots who have).

Around the corner is the second Hollywood location of Pinkberry again I mention this because this is a very Hollywood place, and its something you will only find in LA and NY. It's yummy frozen yogurt and a great dessert to your hot dogs.

Drive down the street and stop and see the sights as you like. The only hint, as Corpsebride and I joked READ THE STREET SIGNS!! Sometimes you will find meter parking on the street, most of the time you will find more parking on side streets. These sides streets have the most signs. Before 6pm you should be fine, after that watch out for permit only, you will get a ticket!

You also can find fun CA architecture on these streets, with all the classic 20's bugaloos, that are famous part of the history of hollywood. Many of these homes have been little changed since they were built all those years ago when it was still "Hollywoodland"

[Danauk]

Originally Posted by fairycat

As to Universal Personally if I am staying near H&H I would take the train. Otherwise do not take the freeway at Highland! If you get on the 101 there at Highland you will end up in the far left lane and it will be very tough to cross over in two exits. I would suggest using these directions so you can enter on the right side of the freeway or you might have a hard time.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

It shouldn't take you too long from H&H to get to USH.

Hope that helps and if you have any more questions feel free to ask!

Note: I use Googlemaps a lot cause on average it is not as terrible as MapQuest. I have only had Google be wrong on me once, and we will not discuss how many times Mapquest has screwed me.

Thanks for the info, it was very useful. The links though just take me to the main Google maps page. Could you possible just explain how to get to the right hand side entering freeway part?
Thanks so much.