Guidebook for Los Angeles
Parks & Nature
This is the real Batcave, the one from TV where Adam West lived with the Boy Wonder, not the one where Christian Bale gets all solemn and dreary in The Dark Knight Trilogy. It’s a short walk from the end of Canyon Drive in Griffith Park and you’ll instantly recognize it as the Batcave entrance where the Batmobile comes out.
Bronson Canyon is a beautiful hike, especially if you have a dog. Go through the cave to get a cool view of the Hollywood sign. And to get even closer to it, there’s a six-mile walk from the parking lot to the top of Mount Lee.
118 recommandé par les habitants
Bronson Canyon Playground
3200 Canyon DrThis is the real Batcave, the one from TV where Adam West lived with the Boy Wonder, not the one where Christian Bale gets all solemn and dreary in The Dark Knight Trilogy. It’s a short walk from the end of Canyon Drive in Griffith Park and you’ll instantly recognize it as the Batcave entrance where the Batmobile comes out.
Bronson Canyon is a beautiful hike, especially if you have a dog. Go through the cave to get a cool view of the Hollywood sign. And to get even closer to it, there’s a six-mile walk from the parking lot to the top of Mount Lee.
LA put its shoulder into restoring this park and there are lotus flowers, paddle boats, and tons of deja vu moments because an awful lot was shot here. There's the OK Go video End Love. Nosy Jake Gittes photographing Hollis Mulwray in Chinatown. My favorite is Gilligan's Island: Some "uncharted island" exteriors are actually the lake's tiny island.
Walking distance away is Brite Spot, a great diner that's open late for tofu hash and soyrizo scramble. It’s served as a backdrop for The Neon Demon, Netflix's Love, Stand-Up Guys with Christopher Walken and Al Pacino, and the FX romantic comedy You're The Worst.
563 recommandé par les habitants
Echo Park Lake
LA put its shoulder into restoring this park and there are lotus flowers, paddle boats, and tons of deja vu moments because an awful lot was shot here. There's the OK Go video End Love. Nosy Jake Gittes photographing Hollis Mulwray in Chinatown. My favorite is Gilligan's Island: Some "uncharted island" exteriors are actually the lake's tiny island.
Walking distance away is Brite Spot, a great diner that's open late for tofu hash and soyrizo scramble. It’s served as a backdrop for The Neon Demon, Netflix's Love, Stand-Up Guys with Christopher Walken and Al Pacino, and the FX romantic comedy You're The Worst.
Food Scene
This was the location for the opening scene in Reservoir Dogs. It’s a real-deal diner that has somehow remained unchanged in the gentrifying Eagle Rock neighborhood. There's a Reservoir Dogs poster on the wall now, but that's the extent of their fuss.
This was a favorite breakfast spot when I lived in the area. Great biscuits and an excellent chili verde omelette.
10 recommandé par les habitants
Pat & Lorraines Coffee Shop
4720 Eagle Rock BlvdThis was the location for the opening scene in Reservoir Dogs. It’s a real-deal diner that has somehow remained unchanged in the gentrifying Eagle Rock neighborhood. There's a Reservoir Dogs poster on the wall now, but that's the extent of their fuss.
This was a favorite breakfast spot when I lived in the area. Great biscuits and an excellent chili verde omelette.
There are many iconic LA locations in Doug Liman's Swingers but I love this one in Hollywood. Near the end of the movie, Mike and Trent are talking in a booth here and realize that only one of them is moving on and growing up. It’s my favorite scene, and it was apparently added at the last second.
Go here for breakfast, it's legit. It's also where you're probably most likely to see the Mikes and Trents of Hollywood, divided between those who will be at Sundance in a few years and those who will still be at the 101, talking about how they're gonna go to Sundance.
98 recommandé par les habitants
101 Coffee Shop
6145 Franklin AveThere are many iconic LA locations in Doug Liman's Swingers but I love this one in Hollywood. Near the end of the movie, Mike and Trent are talking in a booth here and realize that only one of them is moving on and growing up. It’s my favorite scene, and it was apparently added at the last second.
Go here for breakfast, it's legit. It's also where you're probably most likely to see the Mikes and Trents of Hollywood, divided between those who will be at Sundance in a few years and those who will still be at the 101, talking about how they're gonna go to Sundance.
Sightseeing
The Observatory has been justly famous for decades as the location from Rebel Without A Cause. And a little less so for Steve Martin’s Bowfinger. With the release of La La Land, which has a whole musical number here, this location will be rediscovered by a whole new generation of movie lovers.
Be sure to check out the bust of James Dean on the west side of the lawn outside the observatory. Also, for real star sightings: Go inside for the planetarium.
4367 recommandé par les habitants
Griffith Observatory
2800 E Observatory RdThe Observatory has been justly famous for decades as the location from Rebel Without A Cause. And a little less so for Steve Martin’s Bowfinger. With the release of La La Land, which has a whole musical number here, this location will be rediscovered by a whole new generation of movie lovers.
Be sure to check out the bust of James Dean on the west side of the lawn outside the observatory. Also, for real star sightings: Go inside for the planetarium.
This is the LA movie location that makes the most ardent film geeks giddy. It's been home to Blade Runner, Chinatown, and 500 Days of Summer. It's like downtown's version of the Hollywood sign. From the first floor, you look up and see the structure, and that's what’s familiar—the beautiful marble stairs. It's just gorgeous.
Downtown is totally on fire right now. You can go to the Grand Central Market across the street to eat and boom, your day is done. Head to Wexler’s Deli for their house-cured pastrami.
164 recommandé par les habitants
bradbury building
304 South BroadwayThis is the LA movie location that makes the most ardent film geeks giddy. It's been home to Blade Runner, Chinatown, and 500 Days of Summer. It's like downtown's version of the Hollywood sign. From the first floor, you look up and see the structure, and that's what’s familiar—the beautiful marble stairs. It's just gorgeous.
Downtown is totally on fire right now. You can go to the Grand Central Market across the street to eat and boom, your day is done. Head to Wexler’s Deli for their house-cured pastrami.
This viaduct was the backdrop for countless movies, TV shows, and music videos shot in the LA River beneath it. Some of the most famous are Repo Man, Terminator 2, and Grease. Unfortunately, the bridge is currently being demolished out of safety concerns, but you can see the concrete riverbed just as well from the bridges on 4th and 7th Streets.
The LA River goes on for miles and miles all through the city, and there are bike paths along it that provide a cool way to see the different parts of LA.
6th Street Viaduct
600 S Santa Fe AveThis viaduct was the backdrop for countless movies, TV shows, and music videos shot in the LA River beneath it. Some of the most famous are Repo Man, Terminator 2, and Grease. Unfortunately, the bridge is currently being demolished out of safety concerns, but you can see the concrete riverbed just as well from the bridges on 4th and 7th Streets.
The LA River goes on for miles and miles all through the city, and there are bike paths along it that provide a cool way to see the different parts of LA.
These are the stairs in Silver Lake where Laurel and Hardy filmed the 1932 short film The Music Box, about moving a piano. It’s world famous—it's commemorated by a plaque and a Music Box Steps Day (October 18), which you can’t say for most of these sites around the city.
Walking the steps gives you a reason to explore an LA neighborhood, and to me neighborhoods are what make the city great. Its unrivaled variety, beauty, and downright weirdness can mostly be found in the details of daily life, maybe a flowering bird of paradise plant or a squawking Quaker parrot.
23 recommandé par les habitants
Music Box Steps
Music Box StepsThese are the stairs in Silver Lake where Laurel and Hardy filmed the 1932 short film The Music Box, about moving a piano. It’s world famous—it's commemorated by a plaque and a Music Box Steps Day (October 18), which you can’t say for most of these sites around the city.
Walking the steps gives you a reason to explore an LA neighborhood, and to me neighborhoods are what make the city great. Its unrivaled variety, beauty, and downright weirdness can mostly be found in the details of daily life, maybe a flowering bird of paradise plant or a squawking Quaker parrot.
The station is a popular location. It has been featured as Bane’s courthouse in The Dark Knight Rises, the police station in Blade Runner, and a bank in Catch Me If You Can. What's really amazing to see is the massive waiting room with its polished wooden seating and terra-cotta floors accented with travertine marble strips.
Down the street, the deli Philippe the Original has been in operation since 1908, which makes it even older than the station. They make the world's finest French dip sandwiches.
341 recommandé par les habitants
Union Station
800 N Alameda StThe station is a popular location. It has been featured as Bane’s courthouse in The Dark Knight Rises, the police station in Blade Runner, and a bank in Catch Me If You Can. What's really amazing to see is the massive waiting room with its polished wooden seating and terra-cotta floors accented with travertine marble strips.
Down the street, the deli Philippe the Original has been in operation since 1908, which makes it even older than the station. They make the world's finest French dip sandwiches.
Walk Windward from here toward the sea to see the arcade sidewalks from the famous three-minute opening shot of Touch of Evil, which used the hell out of Venice as a Tijuana stand-in. Much of what defined the area in 1951 has been seriously altered or no longer exists, but enough is left to give you that shiver of recognition.
Head south to the canals that tobacco mogul Abbot Kinney built in 1905 as a tourist resort modeled on Venice, Italy. You can walk the waterways and peek at the multimillion-dollar houses. And at Lighthouse Street and Pacific Avenue, you can see the bridge where the film’s final scene was shot.
61 recommandé par les habitants
Venice Sign
1501 Main StreetWalk Windward from here toward the sea to see the arcade sidewalks from the famous three-minute opening shot of Touch of Evil, which used the hell out of Venice as a Tijuana stand-in. Much of what defined the area in 1951 has been seriously altered or no longer exists, but enough is left to give you that shiver of recognition.
Head south to the canals that tobacco mogul Abbot Kinney built in 1905 as a tourist resort modeled on Venice, Italy. You can walk the waterways and peek at the multimillion-dollar houses. And at Lighthouse Street and Pacific Avenue, you can see the bridge where the film’s final scene was shot.
Drinks & Nightlife
This is a down-and-dirty, hole-in-the-hole-in-the-wall Hollywood bar where David Lynch is said to have written much of Blue Velvet and when you see it you can totally believe it. It's a strip club—Courtney Love was a stripper here—but it's pretty innocent as those go; the women don't go any further than bras and panties.
The lines on the weekends are crazy. And if you sit by the railing, you'd better be ready to tip. Not only do the women deserve it, they'll also call you out if you don't. Loudly.
56 recommandé par les habitants
Jumbo's Clown Room
5153 Hollywood BlvdThis is a down-and-dirty, hole-in-the-hole-in-the-wall Hollywood bar where David Lynch is said to have written much of Blue Velvet and when you see it you can totally believe it. It's a strip club—Courtney Love was a stripper here—but it's pretty innocent as those go; the women don't go any further than bras and panties.
The lines on the weekends are crazy. And if you sit by the railing, you'd better be ready to tip. Not only do the women deserve it, they'll also call you out if you don't. Loudly.
Everything Else
This beaux arts beauty has bragging rights to the haunted hotel scenes in Ghostbusters and the banana in the tailpipe incident in Beverly Hills Cop. It also hosted the earliest editions of the Academy Awards ceremonies. Built in 1923, it was the hotel of Los Angeles. While it no longer holds that distinction, it still has charm for days.
If you're feeling retro, stop at the hotel's Gallery Bar and Cognac Room and order The Black Dahlia, a cocktail named for actress Elizabeth Short. The hotel was the last place she was seen alive before her 1947 murder. You can skip the movie of the same name; it wasn't shot at the hotel.
15 recommandé par les habitants
Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles
506 S Grand AveThis beaux arts beauty has bragging rights to the haunted hotel scenes in Ghostbusters and the banana in the tailpipe incident in Beverly Hills Cop. It also hosted the earliest editions of the Academy Awards ceremonies. Built in 1923, it was the hotel of Los Angeles. While it no longer holds that distinction, it still has charm for days.
If you're feeling retro, stop at the hotel's Gallery Bar and Cognac Room and order The Black Dahlia, a cocktail named for actress Elizabeth Short. The hotel was the last place she was seen alive before her 1947 murder. You can skip the movie of the same name; it wasn't shot at the hotel.
Arts & Culture
This is where Steve Martin roller-skates through an art gallery in LA Story. Also, art! They produce great shows and everyone loves Chris Burden’s outdoor street lamp installation and Jesús Rafael Soto’s Penetrable, thin yellow hoses hanging from a steel grid like spaghetti. Selfies with either is kind of a local cliche, but convention be damned.
This being LA, you might ask someone if they've seen the museum and they'll reply, “No, but I've been to the restaurant.” The indoor-outdoor seating at Ray’s and Stark Bar takes full advantage of the climate. Try to nab a red Arne Jacobsen egg chair in the bar: They’re super comfy and make you feel like a supervillain.
3162 recommandé par les habitants
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
5905 Wilshire BlvdThis is where Steve Martin roller-skates through an art gallery in LA Story. Also, art! They produce great shows and everyone loves Chris Burden’s outdoor street lamp installation and Jesús Rafael Soto’s Penetrable, thin yellow hoses hanging from a steel grid like spaghetti. Selfies with either is kind of a local cliche, but convention be damned.
This being LA, you might ask someone if they've seen the museum and they'll reply, “No, but I've been to the restaurant.” The indoor-outdoor seating at Ray’s and Stark Bar takes full advantage of the climate. Try to nab a red Arne Jacobsen egg chair in the bar: They’re super comfy and make you feel like a supervillain.