The Best Full-Day 1 Tours

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Previous page: All first-time visitors to L.A. should take a drive on Sunset Boulevard.

05_9780470926116-ch01.indd_9780470926116-ch01.indd 8 11/14/11/14/11 111:411:41 AM 9 The Best in eeing the country’s largest city in a single day takes prepa- Sration. It’s best to secure reservations in advance for the Warner Bros. Studios VIP tour, your first stop, as well as tickets to the Holly- wood Bowl for the day’s finale. In between, you’ll see landmarks in pop culture, experience the majestic Getty Center, and wind along a One Day couple of the city’s most scenic and historical roads. START: From Riv- erside Dr., take Avon St. south to Warner Blvd. Go left and follow the signs to VIP Tour parking.

1 ★★ Warner Bros. Studios VIP recommended and can be made Tour. Start the day early in Burbank online. @ 2–3 hr. 3400 Riverside Dr., because that’s how the ghost of stu- Burbank. y 818/972-8687. www. dio chief Jack Warner would want it. wbstudiotour.com. VIP tour $48 per Warner Bros., the third-oldest movie person. Mon–Fri continuously studio (founded in 1918), took over 8:20am–4pm (extended hours in 110 acres from First National Pic- spring & summer). tures in 1928 with the payout from Coming from Riverside Dr., head betting big on the first “talkie,” The left on Olive Ave., continue on 1 Jazz Singer. The 2 ⁄2-hour tour takes Barham Blvd., turn left at you behind the scenes of the work- Cahuenga Blvd., continue on ing lot, and with roughly 35 sound- Highland Ave., and park in the stages and outdoor sets, there’s a parking structure on your right lot of work going on. The hit televi- after you pass Franklin Ave. sion show ER was shot here, as were The Dukes of Hazzard, The 2 ★ Hollywood & Highland. West Wing, and Friends. These days After languishing for years as fly- the sets of The Mentalist, Ellen, and paper for runaways and hustlers, Two and Half Men fill the sound- Hollywood Boulevard has Times stages. But it’s the studio’s film his- Squared itself in the past decade tory that boggles the mind—My Fair and is now a polished link to Tinsel- Lady, Rebel Without a Cause, and town’s heyday. The centerpiece of Bonnie and Clyde were all made the area’s revitalization is the retail here. Children 7 and under are not and entertainment behemoth at admitted. Reservations are Hollywood & Highland, which includes the grand Kodak Theatre, Take a guided tour of the Warner Bros. the first permanent home of the lot. Academy Awards. Explore the multi- tiered Babylonian-style courtyard, inspired by D. W. Griffith’s silent film epic Intolerance, and you’ll find photo-ready views of the HOLLYWOOD sign perched atop Mount Lee in the distance. @ 30 min. 6801 Hollywood Blvd., at Highland Ave. y 323/817- 0200. www.hollywoodandhighland. com. Mon–Sat 10am–10pm; Sun 10am–7pm. You can leave your car in the Hol- lywood & Highland parking com- plex; the next stops are walkable.

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3 ★★ Grauman’s Chinese most, one for each of the five cate- Theatre. “Over the top” would be gories: film, television, music, radio, an understatement. The bronze and theater. Immortality doesn’t pagoda roof, garish columns, leer- come cheap; the honoree must fork ing gargoyles, and fiery dragons— over $25,000 (a “sponsorship fee”) for mad impresario Sid Grauman, to cover installation and mainte- these were only half the fun. nance. Be sure to poke your head Full-Day Tours According to the apocryphal story, up every once in a while as you silent-film star Norma Talmadge shuffle along, or you could miss accidentally stepped in a patch of other landmarks: the immaculate El wet cement at the theater’s opening Capitan Theatre (6838 Hollywood

The Best (the 1927 premiere of Cecil B. DeMi- Blvd.), which premiered Citizen Kane lle’s The King of Kings) and the great in 1941; the Hollywood Roosevelt imprinting tradition was born. A less (7000 Hollywood Blvd.), where the dramatic version says Grauman got first Academy Awards were held; the idea when he observed his chief and another Sid Grauman inspira- mason signing his work (look for tion, the Egyptian Theatre (6712 “J.W.K.”). Today, the Forecourt of Hollywood Blvd.), now home to the the Stars is cemented in history, American Cinematheque. @ 30 crammed with the handprints and min.; best times are weekday morn- footprints of more than 200 movie ings. Hollywood Blvd. from La Brea legends. @ 45 min. 6925 Hollywood Ave. to Gower St. & down Vine St. Blvd. y 323/464-8111. www.mann from Yucca St. to Sunset Blvd. theatres.com. Free admission to forecourt. Daily 24 hr. 5 Pig ’n Whistle. Food options 4 ★ Walk of Fame. On 18 blocks abound at the Hollywood & High- of pink terrazzo stars, you can find land Center, but if you’re looking for more than 2,000 names—some old-school ambience, try the slightly unforgettable, some already forgot- upscale pub fare at this renovated ten, and others perhaps less than landmark. In the Forties, customers deserving (sorry, I just don’t think like Shirley Temple and Judy Garland Godzilla is much of an actor). Joanne downed ice-cream sodas. 6714 Hol- Woodward received the first star in lywood Blvd. y 323/463-0000. Soups, 1960, and Gene Autry received the salads, sandwiches $7–$15.

John Travolta’s star on the Walk of Fame.

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The gardens at the Getty Center are as impressive as the architecture.

Back in your car: From Hollywood the Sunset Tower (no. 8358), the & Highland, head east to Vine St. Viper Room (no. 8852), and Whisky and take a right. At Sunset Blvd., a Go Go (no. 8901), to name just a take another right. few. By the time you reach the pink palace of the Beverly Hills Hotel (no. 6 ★★ Sunset Boulevard. If you 9641), you’re loving the lushness of have to choose only one road by Beverly Hills. Continue on past the which to see the city of Los Angeles, gates of Bel Air and the UCLA cam- this is the one. Beginning near El pus until you reach Sepulveda Bou- Pueblo, the historic core of down- levard. @ 45 min. town, and stretching nearly 25 miles west to the Pacific Ocean, Sunset Head west on Sunset Blvd., take a links working-class ethnic communi- right at Sepulveda Blvd., and fol- ties (Hispanic, Armenian, Thai), low the signs for the Getty Center. bohemian Silver Lake, historic Holly- 7 ★★★ = Getty Center. wood, the rockin’ Sunset Strip, Money can’t buy happiness, but J. exclusive Beverly Hills and Bel Air, Paul Getty’s $1.2 billion bought UCLA, and the Pacific Palisades. For plenty of world-class art (works by an abbreviated tour, start in Holly- van Gogh, Monet, and Man Ray, wood at Sunset and Vine and head among others) and an architectural west. You can’t miss the Cinerama marvel in which to display it—that Dome (6360 Sunset Blvd.), which makes you a little happy, right? anchors the ArcLight Cinemas com- Ascend the acropolis and admire plex, where serious cineastes get the way Richard Meier ballasts his their fix. When you hit Crescent modern, airy design with textured Heights, you’re officially on the travertine blocks. But don’t forget world-famous Sunset Strip. Keep about the art on the inside. Grab a your eyes peeled—the names are GettyGuide ($5), your own personal going to jump out at you hard and digital docent, and go. fast: Chateau Marmont (no. 8221),

05_9780470926116-ch01.indd_9780470926116-ch01.indd 1111 11/14/11/14/11 111:411:41 AM 12 The Getty Center NN. Sepulveda Blvd. . S e p u

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A 5-minute [ tram ride trans- Impressionist gems by Claude ports you from the parking area Monet (1840–1926): Wheat- up the hill to the museum and stacks, Snow Effect, Morning, and provides the first of many excel- The Portal of Rouen Cathedral in lent views; for now, just pity Morning Light. Screaming at you those poor saps on the 405 free- from the next wall is the room’s way. Head across the courtyard rock star, Irises by Vincent van to the West Pavilion, where the Gogh (1853–1890), who created ] Fran and Ray Stark Sculpture the painting in a Saint-Rémy asy- Terrace presents modern out- lum the year before he died. If door sculptures by some of the your creative juices are flowing, greatest sculptors of the Twenti- make for the % sketching gallery eth Century, such as Henry in the upper level of the East Moore and Alexander Calder. Pavilion. Afterward, take a stroll Inside the West Pavilion, the through the delightful and ever- \ Center for Photographs traces evolving , Central Garden, cre- the history of the medium and ated by artist Robert Irwin. Then includes many prints by Walker relax at the . Garden Terrace Evans (1903–1975), and Man Ray Café. @ 2 hr. 1200 Getty Center (1890–1976), including his Dr. y 310/440-7300. www.getty. famous Tears. Take the elevator edu. Free admission. Tues–Fri & two floors to the upper level to Sun 10am–5:30pm; Sat 10am– ; paintings (after 1800). On 9pm. Closed major holidays. your right are a couple of Parking $15.

05_9780470926116-ch01.indd_9780470926116-ch01.indd 1212 11/14/11/14/11 111:411:41 AM 13 The Best in Head north on the 405, exit at a bottle of wine. @ 2–3 hr. 2301 N. Mulholland Dr., and head east. Highland Ave. y 323/850-2000. 8 ★ Mulholland Drive. Rolling www.hollywoodbowl.com. Tickets east along the ridge of the Santa $1–$105. June–Sept. Monica Mountains and away from One Day the setting sun, you can watch the 0 ★★ Musso and Frank Grill. canyons pooling with diffuse golden Need a nightcap? The town’s oldest light. It can be hard to keep your restaurant (established in 1919) was eyes on the road, so pull off into once a workday watering hole for one of the many overlooks to take in such writers as F. Scott Fitzgerald, vistas of the Los Angeles basin to William Faulkner, Dorothy Parker, the south and the San Fernando Val- and Raymond Chandler, whom they ley to the north. Repeat as neces- say wrote The Big Sleep while booz- sary, because an overload of these ing in a red-leather booth in the curves (or worse, tailgating cars) back. Plop onto a seat at the coun- can be as disorienting as watching ter, order one of their mean marti- David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive. nis, and let yourself slowly drift back @ 45 min. in time. When you start calling the bartender “doll face,” he’ll let you From Mulholland Dr., take a right know it’s time to go. 6667 Holly- at Cahuenga Blvd., and continue wood Blvd. y 323/467-7788. Marti- on Highland Ave. nis start at $8.50. 9 ★★★ Hollywood Bowl. Fantas- tic music, a cool summer evening, a lush green hillside, and an arresting A stiff drink at the Musso and Frank Grill venue steeped in entertainment his- will do you right. tory—a night at the Hollywood Bowl is a consummate Los Angeles expe- rience. The Bowl derives its name not from its famous backdrop of concentric arches, but from the way Mother Nature cups her hands into a 60-acre canyon once known as Daisy Dell. One of the world’s larg- est natural amphitheaters, the Bowl was built in 1922 and holds nearly 18,000 people. The bleachers can be a blast, but if you decide to splurge on box seats, you won’t regret it. You can even have a multi- course meal brought right to your box (buy tickets well in advance and order your dinner the day before by 4pm). A diverse schedule—from classical concerts with the L.A. Phil- harmonic, to jazz and world music festivals, to Tom Petty—makes it easy to pick the right night for you. Be sure to come early to check out the Bowl Museum, take a self- guided Bowl Walk, or just relax with

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The Best in Two Days

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05_9780470926116-ch01.indd_9780470926116-ch01.indd 1414 11/14/11/14/11 111:411:41 AM 15 The Best in f you made it through Day 1, you’ve earned a few hours at the

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U C B I I F L Houses run alongside the canals in Venice Beach. I A C M A P U B I L A s a c M s n n a o r y T / n a a C m u Z

05_9780470926116-ch01.indd_9780470926116-ch01.indd 1515 11/14/11/14/11 111:411:41 AM 16 wooden carousel at Coney Island. radio—it’s little moments like this Today the pier’s gorgeous Looff Hip- that keep Angelenos addicted to podrome Carousel building, which their cars. @ 30 min. Pacific Coast houses a vintage 1922-built merry- Hwy. go-round, is a National Historic 5 ★★ = The Getty Villa. Little Landmark (and not just for its plum (but older) sibling of the Getty Cen- roles in film and television, such as ter, the Getty Villa is entirely dedi- Full-Day Tours The Sting or the opening credits of cated to ancient Greek, Roman, and Three’s Company). For a great pan- Etruscan art. In 1974, when J. Paul orama of the entire Santa Monica Getty’s art collection overran his Bay, head to the far end of the pier Malibu ranch home (don’t you hate

The Best or, even better, climb nine stories it when that happens?), he had a above the water on the world’s first museum built next door and mod- solar-powered Ferris wheel, one of eled it after the Roman Villa dei the many rides at the Pacific Park Papiri in Herculaneum. The collec- amusement park. On Thursday eve- tion grew and, in 1997, nings during summer, the moved into bigger digs: the Pier hosts wine tastings celebrated Getty Center a and free music concerts few miles away in Brent- (check website for sched- wood. Reopened ule). @ 30 min. Colorado in 2006 after a 9-year, Ave. at Ocean Ave., Santa $275-million makeover, Monica. y 310/458-8900. the Villa displays roughly www.santamonicapier.org. 1,200 artifacts from 6500 From the pier, turn right B.C. to A.D. 400 (from a total (south) on Ocean Ave., then collection of 44,000 items). turn right on the Hwy. Admire the Statue of the 1/PCH ramp. Go north Greek, Roman, and Victorious Youth, one of Etruscan artifacts are on the Pacific Coast only a few extant life-size on display at the Hwy. (PCH). Getty Villa. Greek bronzes. Wander the lavish grounds, 4 ★ The Pacific Coast including the sun- Highway (PCH). If you haven’t drenched formal gardens of the dropped the top of your convertible, Outer Peristyle, where you can soak now might be a good time. The PCH in the magnificent Pacific views. To hugs the dramatic California coast- maximize your visit, grab a $5 Getty- line all the way to the San Francisco Guide, a portable multimedia player Bay area and beyond. But you don’t that illuminates the museum’s high- need to go that far to get the picture. lights. @ 1 hr. 17985 Pacific Coast The ocean shimmers to the west, the Hwy. (1 mile north of Sunset Blvd.), warm wind whips your hair, and you Malibu. y 310/440-7300. www.getty. finally find a song you dig on the edu. Advance, timed tickets required The entrance to the Santa Monica Pier. for admission. Free admission. Wed– Mon 10am–5pm. Parking $15.

6 ★ Cafe at the Getty Villa. The Mediterranean-inspired lunch fare is simple, but it’s made tastier by an outdoor patio with a killer view. Lunch entrees $7–$14.

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Designer stores line famed Rodeo Drive.

Head west along the PCH. 8 ★★ Rodeo Drive. If the beach doesn’t have the cure for what ails 7 ★★★ Malibu Beaches. Mal- you, perhaps some serious retail ibu has several great beach options therapy is in order. In the “Golden depending on what floats your boat. Triangle” of Beverly Hills (Santa Mon- The most popular and most accessi- ica Blvd., Wilshire Blvd., and Crescent ble choice is Zuma Beach, a wide, Dr.), the doctor is in, though his rates family-friendly stretch with plenty of are sky-high. No street says “beauti- activities, snack shacks, and rest- ful-things-I-can’t-afford” quite like rooms. Just south is my favorite fabled Rodeo Drive. Gucci, Versace, beach, Point Dume, which lacks Cartier, and Tiffany—all the biggest the Zuma amenities, but also its names in fashion and jewelry design crowds. The Robert H. Meyer are here. The most popular spot for Memorial State Beach is a few “look, I was there” snapshots is the miles north and is actually three “Spanish Steps” that descend from minibeaches: El Matador, La Pie- the pedestrian-only cobblestone dra, and El Pescador. Each of path, Via Rodeo, to Wilshire Boule- these rocky coves has little parking vard. Directly across the street and no facilities, and can be reached stands the Beverly Wilshire, where only by trails and tricky stairways. the Pretty Woman was swept off her Set against the Malibu cliffs, these feet. @ 30 min. 200–500 Rodeo Dr. beaches are both cozy and rugged. (at Wilshire Blvd.), Beverly Hills. Choose among splashing in the www.rodeodrive-bh.com. Most waves, climbing the rocks, or shops Mon–Sat 10am–6pm; Sun exploring the tide pools. @ 2 hr. noon–5pm. Several public parking Point Dume: 7103 Westward Rd., lots free for 2 hr. Malibu. Zuma Beach: 30000 Pacific Coast Hwy., Malibu. Robert H. Meyer 9 ★★ CUT. If you haven’t blown Memorial State Beach: 32900, 32700 your nest egg shopping along & 32350 Pacific Coast Hwy. Daily Rodeo Drive, splurge on dinner at sunrise–sunset. Wolfgang Puck’s sleek steakhouse, a favorite among celebrities and Head back (east) on the PCH to power-players, and one of the best Sunset Blvd. Head east to Rodeo dining experiences in Los Angeles. Dr., and then take a right. See p 103.

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05_9780470926116-ch01.indd_9780470926116-ch01.indd 1818 11/14/11/14/11 111:411:41 AM 19 The Best in fter 2 jampacked days, it’s time to stop and smell the hydro- Agen sulfide (bubbling up from the La Brea Tar Pits). Then you’ll ve. . sample the city’s most extensive collection of art at the Los Angeles o A e S ug v an rd A Ve e F County Museum of Art, have lunch at the Farmers Market, and . v e W li rn O a

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05_9780470926116-ch01.indd_9780470926116-ch01.indd 1919 11/14/11/14/11 111:411:41 AM 20 ride the Disney-like trolley a few hundred feet to your next stop, the Grove, an elaborate outdoor mall that’s been hugely popular since its debut in 2002. With its faux-Euro- pean architecture and water foun- tain that mesmerizes kids, the

Full-Day Tours experience is equal parts fab and prefab. @ 1 hr. Farmers Market, 6333 W. Third St. y 323/933-9211. www.farmersmarketla.com. Mon–Fri

The Best 9am–9pm; Sat 9am–8pm; Sun 10am–7pm. The Grove, 189 The Grove Dr. y 323/900-8080. www. thegrovela.com. Mon–Thurs 10am– 9pm; Fri–Sat 10am–10pm; Sun 11am–8pm. The Grove, an outdoor shopping mall. Exit on Fairfax Ave. and head north. Take a right on Melrose Studio. The offerings are too diverse Ave. and head east to Gower St. to simply follow your nose—grab a and take a left. Head north and guide and make a game plan. @ 1–2 take a right on Santa Monica Blvd. hr. See p 42. 4 ★★ Hollywood Forever From LACMA, head west on Cemetery. This cemetery, the old- Wilshire Blvd. and take a right on est in Los Angeles, was established Fairfax Ave. in 1899, and by the 1930s, it was 3 ★ = Farmers Market/The the hot resting spot for Hollywood’s Grove. In 1934 during the Great movers and shakers. In 1926 when Depression, on a dirt parking lot at Rudolph Valentino’s casket was car- the corner of Third Street and Fair- ried into the mausoleum, 80,000 fax Avenue, local farmers began fans jammed the grounds to get a selling their fresh produce out of the An adoring fan visits the memorial of backs of their trucks. Folks poured Johnny Ramone at the Hollywood Forever in and, before long, a maze of Cemetery. wooden stalls sprung up, with butcher shops, bakeries, and restau- rants adding to the mix. Surpris- ingly, the market today manages to retain its folksy charms (as well as its clock tower from 1941). Sure, there are plenty of tourists, but there are even more locals—power players on a lunch break, Russian retirees playing chess, mommies pushing strollers, and solitary artsy types contemplating big ideas. Favorite eateries include the Gumbo Pot for (you guessed it) Cajun-style gumbo, Loteria! Grill for authentic Mexican food, and since 1938 Du- Par’s Restaurant & Bakery. You can

05_9780470926116-ch01.indd_9780470926116-ch01.indd 2020 11/14/11/14/11 111:411:41 AM 21 The Best in Three Days

For unbeatable views of the city, head to the Griffith Observatory.

glimpse of the fallen idol. Other resi- million’s worth, finally completed in dents include Douglas Fairbanks, 2006. Architectural details were Sr.; Cecil B. DeMille; Benjamin spit-shined to their original 1930s “Bugsy” Siegel; Jayne Mansfield; grandeur; a 40,000-square-foot “Alfalfa” and “Darla” from The Little expansion added slick, but accessi- Rascals; and Mel Blanc, whose ble, exhibits like the Edge of Space, famous epitaph reads “That’s all, which displays Martian and lunar folks.” My favorite memorial is the meteorites, and the 200-seat Leon- larger-than-life bronze statue of ard Nimoy Event Horizon multime- Johnny Ramone rocking out. @ 45 dia theater for presentations, films, min. 6000 Santa Monica Blvd., at and lectures; the Samuel Oschin Gower St. y 323/469-1181. www. Planetarium underwent a massive hollywoodforever.com. Daily overhaul (sorry, no more Pink Floyd 7am–7pm. laser shows). One of the most popu- lar features, and part of the original Heading back (west) on Santa building in 1935, is the Foucault Monica Blvd., take a right on Pendulum, a 240-pound brass ball Gower St. Take a right on Franklin that hangs in the Central Rotunda Ave., a left on Western Ave., then and demonstrates Earth’s rotation. a left on Vermont Ave. Follow the Entrance to the observatory is free; signs to the observatory. planetarium tickets are available on- 5 ★★ = Griffith Observatory. site and often sell out. Before you Like so many iconic beauties in Los step inside, circle the grounds and Angeles, the Griffith Observatory admire the building’s beautiful Art had a teensy amount of work Deco architecture and the stellar done—about 4 years’ and $93 views of the city stretched out

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Treat yourself to America’s favorite pastime with an outing to Dodger Stadium. See below.

below. Parking is very limited at the the third-oldest stadium in the top of the hill in front of the obser- league. Kick back with a Dodger Dog vatory; you may have to park along in cushy box seats, or whoop it up the road and then walk uphill. with the die-hards in the bleachers. @ 1–2 hr. 2800 E. Observatory Rd. If it’s not baseball season, check out y 213/473-0800. www.griffith what’s scheduled at the Walt Disney observatory.org. Free admission. Concert Hall (p 126). 1000 Elysian Planetarium tickets $7 adults, $5 Park Ave. y 866/DODGERS (363- seniors & students, $3 kids 5–11. 4377). www.dodgers.com. Tickets Tues–Fri noon–10pm; Sat–Sun $10–$225. Most night games 10am–10pm. 7:10pm; most day games 1:10pm. Check the schedule on the website for specific dates & times. 6 Café at the End of the Uni- verse. The views may trump the Head south on I-110. Exit Sixth St. menu, but you can’t go wrong snack- toward downtown. Head east on ing it up on this sunny terrace Sixth St. catered by Wolfgang Puck. In the Griffith Observatory. Entrees $7–$12. 8 ★ The Varnish. The speak- easy vibe may strike some sour- Head east on Los Feliz Blvd., then pusses as a load of flimflam, but no south on Riverside Dr., and bear one can argue with the artistry of right on Stadium Way. these cocktails. Tipple while a jazz pianist fills the room with a jaunty ★★ = 7 Dodger Stadium. ragtime tune. Look for the unmarked Don’t underestimate the simple door in the back of Cole’s. 118 E. pleasure of taking in a baseball Sixth St. (at Main St.). y 213/622- game in Southern California on a 9999. www.thevarnishbar.com. Cock- spring or summer evening. Since tails $12–$15. 1962 Angelenos have rooted on the • Dodgers at classic Dodger Stadium,

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