From the noir tones of Chinatown and LA Confidential to rom-com dreaminess in LA Story and LaLa Land, Hollywood has “played itself” for as long as there has been a film industry. After all, what other city shouts its name in bold white letters on the side of a mountain top? There are so many tourist attractions (and genuine traps) that you’d go dizzy trying to catch them all at once. But if you’re close to Sunset Strip, you’re pretty much in the heart of the action.
There’s an almost dizzying array of guided tours to take (Legends of Hollywood, A-List Hollywood, and Ultimate Hollywood are but three); yet there’s something to be said for heading out with an old-fashioned paper map (er… app) and discovering both Hollywood, if not Hollyweird, for yourself.
For a city as car-centric as LA, it’s somewhat ironic that the highest pedestrian density is clustered around La Brea, Hollywood, Vine, and Sunset. Attractions range from the Walk of Fame, the Chinese Theater, the glamorous Hollywood Roosevelt hotel, and, of course, the Hollywood sign. But there’s more eclectic ways to spend your time, marveling at Modern architecture (the Stahl House, known to building buffs as Case House 22), the Hollyhock House (a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece in Barnsdall Park) and of course, the circular and wonderfully futuristic Capitol Records building.