Hollywood is a district of Los Angeles that is best known as the as the self-declared entertainment capital of the world.

Understand

A business and residential district in the city of Los Angeles, the core of Hollywood for a tourist are its three fascinating boulevards: Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood Boulevard, and Melrose Avenue. All three are worth seeing. Hollywood Blvd. for its entertainment history; Sunset Blvd. for its clubs and nightlife; Melrose Ave. for its shopping, nightlife, and eclecticism.

Hollywood has done a fantastic job marketing itself as synonymous with the film industry. In reality, only one of the major studios is in Hollywood (Paramount). The largest concentration of studios are northeast in the Universal City-Burbank corridor (Universal, Warner Brothers, Disney, NBC). Most of the rest are to the west-- Century City (Fox), the Fairfax District (CBS), and Culver City (Sony).

If you want to see where films are shot, take a tour at one of major studios. Universal "bundles" a full amusement park with its tour. Several other offer smaller, but interesting tours.

If you want to see celebrities, the experience is less convenient (for you and them). The chances of bumping into a celebrity are very low-- unless you're willing to do a lot of "hanging out" at expensive restaurants in Beverly Hills, on Sunset Plaza, or in Malibu. You can easily see where they live, however, by taking a tour or following a star map (remember Drew Barrymore in the Bad News Bears?).

Get in

Hollywood is within driving distance of both Los Angeles International Airport and Bob Hope Airport in Burbank. Bob Hope Airport is closer to Hollywood than Los Angeles International.

See

• Grauman's Chinese Theatre, 6925 Hollywood Boulevard, [1]. The most famous movie theatre in the world, Grauman's Chinese Theatre opened in 1927 and is home to the cement footprints, handprints, and (in some cases) otherprints of many of history's most famous movie stars. The theatre is also a former home of the Oscars, and today hosts many movie premieres. The forecourt that showcases the star's prints is free to all visitors. Movies are shown for $10, and half-hour walking tours are available for $5.
• Walk of Fame, (along Hollywood Boulevard and also Vine Street), [2]. The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of a series of stars embedded in the sidewalk to commemorate famous movie, radio, theatre, and TV personalities. Since 1960 over two thousand stars have been immortalized; the schedule for upcoming star ceremonies is listed on the Walk of Fame's website.

Do

• Cemetery Movie Screenings, Hollywood Forever Cemetery, 6000 Santa Monica Blvd, info@cinespia.org, [3]. Cinespia screens creepy older movies (recent showings include The Shining and Invasion of the Body Snatchers) every Saturday during the summer in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, with most proceeds going toward cemetery restoration. Crowds can be huge, so arrive prior to gates opening if you want a good vantage point. Most people bring a picnic dinner, blanket and jacket, and a DJ plays music prior to the showing to create a fun outdoors atmosphere. Parking is free within the cemetary, but a $10 donation is required for each person.

Buy

• Amoeba Music, 6400 Sunset Blvd., (323) 245-6400, [4]. The country's largest independent music store, Amoeba has three locations including Hollywood, Berkeley and San Francisco. Prices are slightly higher than at the discount stores, but the selection is enormous and just about any obscure record you could imagine is to be found somewhere on the shelves.

Eat

• Cinespace, 6356 Hollywood Blvd (2nd level), Ph: (323) 817-3456, [5]. Offering dinner in front of a large movie screen showing everything from recent movies to classics (movie shown Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 8:00 PM). The food is reasonably good California cuisine, and the movie is included with the dinner price. With drinks expect to spend between $25 and $40 per person. Reservations are required and should be made several days in advance. The restaurant becomes a club after movie showings.

• Pink's Hot Dogs, 709 N. La Brea Blvd, Ph: (323) 931-4223, [6]. Serving the most famous hot dogs in Los Angeles since 1939, their chili dog will set you back just $2.50. Open every day from 9:30 AM to 2 AM or later.

Drink

• Cat & Fiddle, 6530 Sunset Blvd., (323) 468-9045, [7]. A large and reasonably authentic British pub, the Cat & Fiddle always has a fun crowd, a good selection of beers and British pub food, and darts in the back room. The outdoor area is extraordinarily nice but fills early, while the inside of the bar is spacious but gets crowded in the evenings. Prices are reasonable given the location and decor, with beers from $5 per pint and food starting around $8.

Sleep

• Beverly Garland Holiday Inn and Conference Center, 4222 Vineland Ave, North Hollywood CA 91602, Ph: (800) BEVERLY (238-3759), Fax: (818) 766-0112, [8]. A 255-room resort style hotel and conference center located within 1 mile of Universal Studios, Hollywood.
• Best Western Hollywood Hills, 6141 Franklin Avenue, (323) 464-5181, Toll-free: (800) 287-1700, Fax: (323) 962-0536, [9].
• USA Hostels Hollywood, 1623 Schrader Blvd., Ph: (323) 462-3777, [10]. Right off the Walk of Fame. Dorm bes start around $20/night, privates around $50. All rooms have their own bathroom.
• Best Western Hollywood Hotel Plaza Inn, 2011 North Highland Avenue, Ph: (323) 851-1800, [11]. Just minutes from Universal Studios, two blocks from the Chinese Mann Theatre, Walk of Fame, Ripley's and Wax Museum and Hollywood Bowl. Beverly Hills, the Farmers' Market, NBC Studios, downtown Los Angeles, the Convention Centre, Dodger Stadium, the Los Angeles Zoo and the Griffith Park/Observatory are among the various other tourist attractions.
• Holiday Inn, 2005 N. Highland Ave, (323) 876-8600, [12].
• Holiday Inn Express, 1520 N. La Brea Ave., (323) 464-3243, [13].
• Motel 6 Los Angeles - Hollywood, 1738 North Whitley Avenue, (323) 464-6006, Fax: (323) 464-4645, [14].
• Renaissance Hollywood Hotel, 1755 North Highland Avenue, (323) 856-1200, Fax: (323) 856-1205, [15].
• Summerfield Suites by Wyndham West Hollywood Hotel, 1000 Westmount Drive, [16]. A two-block walk from Santa Monica and Sunset Boulevards.
• Wyndham Bel Age West Hollywood Hotel, 1020 North San Vincente Blvd, [17]. Just minutes away from L.A.'s hottest spots - including exclusive Beverly Hills and trendy downtown.

Contact

Get out