Page 113 - 2015 Travel Guide to California

see annual events such as Halloween Car-
naval, when nearly 500,000 people celebrate
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 LA
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
renowned eateries such as Akira Back’s Yel-
lowtail or modern-American Church Key.
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
Stella McCartney. 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 Café. 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 Whisky a Go Go, 1 Oak and The
Roxy. Or, if still energized for more nightlife,
go south to Santa Monica Boulevard to the
popular gay clubs like Flaming Saddles, The
Abbey Food & Bar and Here Lounge.
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 London
West Hollywood, known for its impeccable
service, Michelin-starred restaurant and
rooftop bar.
»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
yellowtailsunset.com
thechurchkeyla.com
westhollywood
designdistrict.com
pacificdesigncenter.com
mendocinofarms.com
cafedetoile.net
mocafela.com
booksoup.com
Nightlife
thesunsetstrip.com
theroxy.com
troubadour.com
whiskyagogo.com
1oakla.com
flamingsaddles.com
abbeyfoodandbar.com
herelounge.com
sunsettowerhotel.com
thelondonwesthollywood.com
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