"This ain't no disco...Ain't no country club either...This is LA!!..."Sheryl Crow All I wanna do
Los Angeles. That City of Angels…otherwise known by alternative monikers such as Tinseltown, La-La Land, or Hollyweird. Whatever you call it, definitely do not call it boring! LA is absolutely far from that! I’m a huge movie fan, so I always enjoy vacationing out in LA where they make all the different kinds of movies, from the next Jim Cameron big-budget action blockbuster, to artsy-fartsy independent films, to hardcore porn! Woo-hoo!
There’s nothing like waking up in the morning, grabbing a cup o’ Joe and reading the LA Times out on the balcony, warm morning sun beaming down, looking upon a vista of palm trees, the tall, gleaming skyscrapers of downtown, and the snow-capped San Gabriel mountains in the distance; There’s nothing like walking along Hollywood Boulevard at 10 in the morning just before all the tacky souvenir shops open and watch the whole Hollyweird atmosphere unfurl before my eyes; There’s nothing like checking out the even tackier souvenir shops along the boardwalk at Venice Beach or Santa Monica; Nothing like shopping for cool stuff on Melrose or the 3rd street Promenade…and there’s certainly nothing like the Earthquake and King Kong stops on the Universal tour! I don’t care how many times I go through them, it thrills the crap outta me every time! But they should definitely get rid of the collapsing bridge thing and the big rubber shark. Those things may have been cool when they were new, but now they’re just totally lame-o!
Yes, there are some bad things LA is known for; Earthquakes, riots, OJ Simpson…but so far, I’ve been lucky enough to avoid those. Although on this last trip, I did see an unusual number of people being arrested, either by the LAPD, LA County Sheriff’s deputies, or the CHP. I guess crime is a sad reality in all big cities, especially LA.
These pictures were taken with my crappy Canon SureShot camera. But after looking at the quality of some of the photos, I’m thinking about renaming it the Canon Poor shot! If the pictures here are too small for you, simply click on them to view the larger version. Enjoy the show!
HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD WALK OF FAME
between Wilcox and Cahuenga
The Hollywood Walk of Fame stretches for a few miles on Hollywood Boulevard and also on Vine street. These stars are made of pink stone and are emblazoned with the name of a Star in gold letters, and in the center, a symbol for the field he or she is a star in. Although I must admit, some of the names I saw were so obscure that it just made me go "Who Dat?"
SHRINE AUDITORIUM
665 West Jefferson Boulevard
(213) 749-5123
You may remember the Shrine Auditorium as the place where last year’s Academy Awards were held. This place has been the venue of the Oscars and a host of other both memorable and forgettable events. That day I was there, the Shrine was host to an Animation and Comic book Convention. It’s like a Star Trek Convention only without the people who dress up like Klingons. But there were special guests like the actor who played Dr. Zaius on "Planet of the Apes", Booth Coleman (who I might add looked kinda grouchy that day), the guy who does the voices for the "Superman" animated series, and some guy who was in an old episode of Star Trek. Oh, and let’s not forget 1995 Penthouse Pet Lisa Marie Scott! I wanted to get her autograph but some weirdo who was so proud of his Batman Comic book that he just had to show it to her and everybody else was hoggin her the whole time! What a dork!
WELLER COURT
Little Tokyo, Downtown LA
The LA skyline as seen from the heart of Little Tokyo. Ain’t it purrdy? Not as majestic or awe inspiring as the Manhattan skyline, but it works nontheless. There are lots of great restaurants and shops nearby at Little Tokyo Mall and the Japanese Village center so check ‘em out when you’re there!
MANN’S CHINESE THEATER
6925 Hollywood Boulevard
(323) 464-8111
This historic movie theater has been the site of countless movie premieres and other tinseltown related events. Situated in the heart of Hollywood, it’s unique design has served as a Hollywood landmark for more than half a century. In the main courtyard, you will find hand and footprints of famous stars like Marilyn Monroe and John Travolta immortalized in cement. This place used to be owned by a guy named Sid Graumann, but it has since been bought by the Mann theater group, thus the name change. You may also want to check out it’s lesser known but equally opulent sister theater, the newly renovated Egyptian theater just a few blocks east.
GALAXY THEATER AND THE HOLLYWOOD ENTERTAINMENT MUSEUM
Hollywood Boulevard
This new movie theater situated a block west of the Chinese theater serves as the newest symbol of the ever changing face of Hollywood. Walk downstairs to the Hollywood entertainment museum, and you will find an exact replica of the bridge from "Star Trek" and the bar from "Cheers". Very Hollywood indeed!
HOLLYWOOD AND VINE
Hollywood
Here I am at probably the most famous street corner in the world, the corner of Hollywood and Vine! Back in the golden age of Hollywood, it was commonplace to see big stars like Clark Gable, and Cary Grant dining or having fun at some of the ritzy establishments in this area. Today, alas, it is not so glamorous anymore. There are rundown office buildings and apartments on a couple of corners, and a closed-up cookie shop on another. That large circular building in the background is the world famous Capitol Records building which was designed to look like a stack of records. But to me the building just looks like a round building though. You’ll also notice that the crosswalks look like huge film strips. This is Hollywood you know! You may also want to walk half a block east to check out the world famous Pantages theater.
NBC STUDIOS
Burbank
Here I am at the corner of West Alameda and Olive in Burbank, otherwise known as the NBC building. The Tonight show with Jay Leno is taped here and in fact, there were already people at the door waiting to be in the front row of the studio when we arrived there. As we were leaving, we were fortunate enough to bump into a celebrity! Well sorta. We bumped into the fat guy who’s always in his underwear on the show. We ran into him as he was walking his bike across Olive street. Not exactly De Niro, but hey, beggars can’t be choosers!
MELROSE AVENUE
east of Genesee street
This shopper’s mecca is home to some of the finest retail shops, cafes, and restaurants in Los Angeles. Don’t be surprised to see a celebrity or two frequenting the many fine outdoor cafes on Melrose. People in expensive clothes, driving expensive cars; these are commonplace round these here parts! So as you may imagine, I stood out like a sore thumb!
GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY
Griffith Park, Hollywood
Nestled in Griffith Park in the middle of the Hollywood Hills, the Griffith Park observatory has been the setting for countless motion pictures such as "Rebel without a cause", "The Rocketeer", and TV’s "Star Trek: Voyager". Inside you will find exhibits related to space travel and exploration, and seismic monitorization (is that a word?). There is also a great view of the Hollywood sign from the terrace up front, and in the back area of the observatory, a breathtaking view of downtown LA and Century city. That is if the air isn’t covered in that infamous LA smog or other pollutants.
VIPER ROOM
West Hollywood
This ultra hip club on the Sunset Strip is owned by actor Johnny Depp and is frequented by some of the biggest stars in Hollywood including Charlie Sheen and Pamela Anderson Lee. In fact, to just gain entry into here, you almost have to have some kind of connection to, or actually be a big star! It’s the name of the game here in Hollywood! Morbid curiosity seekers will know this as the place where actor River Phoenix died of a drug overdose in October 1993.
WESTIN BONAVENTURE HOTEL
Flower and Figueroa, Downtown LA
One of the most recognizable landmarks in LA, this huge glass and steel structure serves as a gleaming symbol of LA’s upward mobility history. This was also where they shot part of the Arnold Schwarzenegger film "True Lies" in 1993. I had a chance to walk around inside and noticed that there are lots of quiet little corners in this circular structure one can find some private time with to meditate and reflect. I also rode the external elevators which, I must admit, was quite a thrill!
JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM
Little Tokyo
Nestled in the middle of Japantown, this new museum showcases the rich heritage of the Japanese in the United States. There are lots of great restaurants and shops nearby so drop by when you get the chance!
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