Page 96 - 2022-2023 Travel Guide to California

contrast, Beverly Hills, home to the most
expensive residences in the world, and West
Hollywood, a welcoming oasis to a diverse
community of gays, Russians and musicians,
are cities but completely surrounded by the
city of Los Angeles.
Seventy miles of beaches run along Los
Angeles County’s southwest border. Malibu,
an exclusive seaside community, has some
of the most alluring stretches of sand in the
area. To the north, hikers and mountain
climbers explore trails in the Santa Monica
Mountains. To the east, the San Gabriel
Mountains rise up to more than 10,000 feet
above sea level.
City & Town
Los Angeles, the second most populous city
in the nation at 4 million people, dom-
inates the county. Writer Dorothy Parker
once quipped, “Los Angeles is 72 suburbs in
search of a city.” Now, LA’s more than 110
neighborhoods form a rich cultural stew.
Meander around Chinatown, Little Tokyo,
the Art and Fashion Districts, the Latino
enclaves around Echo Park, Hollywood’s
Laurel Canyon, Little Armenia, Thai Town,
or Melrose District where hipsters shop.
When in LA, do as the celebs do. Go
shopping at cool indie shops featuring local
labels and fashionable imports along
Venice’s Abbot Kinney Boulevard. Need an
outfit for an awards show? Head over to
Decades on Melrose Avenue, a vintage cou-
ture store where many stylists choose
red-carpet gowns for their star clients.
Hungry? Eat at The Griddle Cafe, a Sunset
Boulevard institution known for its gigantic
pancakes. Or chow down on a chili dog at
Pink’s famous corner stand at Melrose and
La Brea avenues. Watch a Lakers or Clippers
pro basketball game at the Crypto.com Arena
INSIDER’S TIP
LA’S MURALS provide a keen sense
of its UNDERGROUND ART SCENE as
creativity bursts off to cover once-
blank walls through the city. LA
Weekly calls Los Angeles a “city of
1,000 murals,” saying its “urban
sprawl creates the perfect canvas.”
The Weekly highlights 20 of the
city’s most groundbreaking murals,
which range from celebrations of
Latino culture to interpretations of
film heroes: https://www.laweekly.com/
20-of-l-a-s-most-iconic-murals
Perhaps the best way to see some of
the city’s most daring murals is
with LA ART TOURS: laarttours.com
to see stars, both on the court and in the
stands. End the day sipping a cocktail at
Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood, where
celebrities meet their agents and studio execs.
Hollywood
Conceived originally as an outdoor billboard
promoting a housing development called
Hollywoodland in 1923, the Hollywood sign
sits on the south side of Mount Lee in Grif-
fith Park—long a symbol that this is a place
where dreams can come true.
The first movie studio, the Nestor
Motion Picture Company, opened in 1911 in
Hollywood on the northwest corner of
Sunset Boulevard and Gower Street. It was
absorbed by the Universal Film Manufac-
turing Company, which later became
Universal Studios. By the 1920s, 80 percent
of the world’s films were shot in California.
Learn more about Tinsel Town’s history,
and experience its memorabilia at The Hol-
lywood Museum. Or participate in the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sci-
ences events and get swept up in the
pre-Oscar buzz.
94 2022-23 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA