Page 103 - 2014 Travel Guide to California

Russian community in the U.S. outside of
New York. And the city hosts a number of
must-see annual events such as Halloween
Carnaval, when nearly 500,000 people cel-
ebrate in the streets; Sunset Strip Music
Festival, a three-day rock music club crawl
and street fest in late summer, covering
metal, punk, indie, pop and hip-hop; and in
June, the CSW Pride Festival, one of the
largest gay pride celebrations in the country.
Get Pampered, Shop,
Eat & Rock Out
To prepare yourself for a packed day in
West Hollywood, visit a first-class spa like
The Gendarmerie or Voda. Then enjoy the
finest culinary creations at one of the Top
Chef-owned eateries such as Michael Volt-
aggio’s “new American-eclectic” Ink or Elia
Aboumrad’s Gorge, a charcuterie house
and wine bar.
Now fortified, walk around the West
Hollywood Design District, bounded by
Melrose Avenue, Robertson Boulevard and
Beverly Boulevard. Anchored by the Pacific
Design Center, this area is a shopping
mecca for interiors and top fashions such
as Balenciaga, Christian Louboutin and
Rag & Bone. Next, head over to Santa
Monica Boulevard and see where locals eat
and shop. Grab a sandwich at Mendocino
Farms, sangria at Café D’Étoile or coffee at
Mo Cafe. Don’t miss walking across the
rainbow-colored crosswalks at the inter-
section of San Vicente and Santa Monica
Boulevard, a reflection of West Holly-
wood’s inclusiveness.
Next, head over to Sunset Boulevard and
visit Book Soup, an independent and
beloved local bookstore known for its
celebrity readings and teetering towers of
books on music, art and film.
As the evening progresses, enjoy the
pulse-pounding nightlife of the Strip and
stir it up at House of Blues, the Viper Room
or The Roxy. Or, if still energized for more
nightlife, go south to Santa Monica Boule-
vard to the popular gay clubs like Revolver,
Fiesta Cantina and Micky’s.
Finally, rest your feet and lounge at one
of the many A-list hotels such as the Sunset
Tower, an elegant Art Deco building known
for its city views and famous former resi-
dents including Howard Hughes, Elizabeth
Taylor and Frank Sinatra; or the Mondrian
known for its Skybar—an open-air and
ivy-covered pavilion, seemingly perched
above the city.
»LIVE IT UP!
Tourism Websites
weho.org
visitwesthollywood.com
facebook.com/
artbeatwesthollywood
Events
visitwesthollywood.com/
halloween-carnaval
sunsetstripmusicfestival.com
weho.org/pride
lapride.org
Spa, Food & Fashion
thegendarmerie.com
vodaspa.com
mvink.com
gorgela.com
westhollywood
designdistrict.com
pacificdesigncenter.com
mendocinofarms.com
cafedetoile.net
mocafela.com
booksoup.com
Nightlife
thesunsetstrip.com
theroxy.com
troubadour.com
whiskyagogo.com
houseofblues.com/venues/
clubvenues/losangeles
viperroom.com
revolverweho.com
fiestacantina.net
mickys.com
sunsettowerhotel.com
morganshotelgroup.com/
mondrian/mondrian-
los-angeles/eat-drink/
skybar
2014 T R AV E L G U I D E T O C A L I F O R N I A 101