Hollywood has been my dream for a very long time. I wanted to visit here for a very simple reason - to touch at least the edge of my curious nose to the amazing atmosphere of cinema. Dreams have a very pleasant property to come true, and this spring, my husband surprised me with a trip for two to the city of Hollywood. Yes, he's really impressive. Life in Hollywood boils, rages and overflows, even after sunset, yes, after sunset, it does not stop even at night. Want to know what to see in Hollywood? Then follow me! I will try to describe as discreetly as possible all the local sights that I was lucky enough to see with my own eyes, since inner delight and emotions still continue to overwhelm me.
Hollywood Alley fame. Yes, you are not mistaken, this is the very famous alley. It was scary to walk on it, realizing that all these stars were here, albeit at different times. It is located on Hollywood Boulevard and looks like a series of sidewalks that are located on both sides of this street. In total, two thousand four hundred, five-pointed stars are mounted here. Can you imagine? According to statistics, this is one of the most famous places in the world, which is visited by about ten million tourists every year. You can wander around it endlessly, because reading the inscriptions inside the stars is an incomparable pleasure. Be sure to visit the Walk of Fame in the evening, because in the evening people of the most different nationalities, colorful shows are arranged and simply because here the spirit is breathtaking from stardom. By the way, before going to Hollywood, I talked with my girlfriend and she told me that you need to be prepared for the fact that you can be in the lens of a movie camera. Well, I was naive and believed her, and all the time of our trip, I went in full make-up and constantly smiled.
Hollywood Boulevard. This is the most famous and most visited place in Hollywood and not only because the Walk of Fame is located here. Hollywood Boulevard in popularity among tourists can only be compared with the Statue of Liberty. Here are such pearls as the Egyptian and Chinese Grauman Theater, the Roosevelt Hotel, the Museum wax figures, trade Entertainment Center HollyWood & Highland Center, Capital Records Building, El Capitan Theatre, Musso & Frank Grill, the oldest restaurant in Hollywood, Kodak Theater and much more. On Hollywood Boulevard, there is even a bed, though it is very big size, which is a kind of humorous reminder of how stars get into the movies. It is always crowded here, even at night. I walked down Hollywood Boulevard with my mouth open, trying not to miss a single sign, a single little thing. Very interesting! 
Griffith Observatory. This is the most famous observatory in California, which is a must-see, after Hollywood Boulevard. It was built in 1935. Grand opening took place on May 15 of the same 1935. The name of the observatory was given in honor of the famous philanthropist and industrialist Jenkis Griffith, who at the end of the nineteenth century donated not only a large sum money for construction, but also donated a large piece of land for the building itself. In the first five days, about thirteen thousand people visited the observatory. Can you imagine? And the number of visitors has a strong growth trend. The main wish of Jenkis Griffith was that everyone could visit the observatory absolutely free of charge. Yes, admission is really free, but you still had to buy tickets to the planetarium. From the top of the observatory, a magnificent panorama opens up with an amazing view of the entire city. 
Hollywood and Highland Center shopping and entertainment complex. This is not an ordinary shopping and entertainment complex, as I compared it with small town V big city. For its size, this complex is simply huge. I managed to find out that in the three-story building, which is located in the center of the complex, seventy-five shops, many restaurants, shops, nightclubs and even several bowling centers rent premises. And yet, there are television broadcasting studios that have been broadcasting a popular talk show since 2004. Attention, get ready! On the territory of the shopping and entertainment complex Hollywood and Highland Center, there is a hotel, but under the hotel there is a subway station! I have not seen this yet, but I must tell you that such a solution is very convenient. Thus, all visitors to the city can easily get from here to any part of Hollywood. 
Hollywood Bowl Theater. This amphitheater is the largest in Hollywood and it is simply impossible not to see it with your own eyes. Eighteen thousand spectators can enjoy a magnificent performance in the open air at the same time. The opening of the theater took place in 1922 and he immediately received the status of the most Bolshoi Theater in America. It is located at the foot beautiful mountain Santa Monica, which is not far from Hollywood Boulevard. For more than seventy years now, rock concerts, opera concerts, concerts have been held in the arena of the amphitheater. symphonic music and other significant and solemn occasions, such as presidential speeches. Why, in this theatre? The question tormented me, because there are plenty of places in Hollywood that are worthy of a speech by the president. And do you know what the secret is? It turns out that only here, the most best acoustics and favorable atmosphere. In the daytime, the amphitheater looks simple and is unlikely to impress. 
In the evening, the situation changes dramatically, as the space of the amphitheater is filled with spectators and magic music, creating an incredible atmosphere of solemn unreality. 
The largest number of concerts takes place here, of course, in summer time, and sometimes during the next concert performance, fireworks are arranged. I am very sorry that I did not see the fireworks, they are probably just grandiose. Admission ticket costs from one to one hundred dollars, but you can watch the rehearsal absolutely free.
Los Angeles and Hollywood are two interconnected things, since it is simply impossible to imagine a tour of the "city of angels" without visiting its most popular area. Hollywood is better known as the world's entertainment industry, the film industry and the agglomeration of world stars.
Hollywood landmarks
The history of modern Hollywood begins in 1947, when the first commercial television station in the West began its work. In 1956, the Capitol Records building was built on Vine Street, which houses many offices and recording studios.
Walking around Hollywood is better on foot, as you can simply not notice its main attractions, or get an autograph from a star. Among the top places to visit are:
Sunset Boulevard, which is known for its expensive nightclubs and vibrant nightlife;
Melrose Avenue Boulevard;
Hollywood Boulevard: commercial and entertainment center;
Rodeo Drive boulevard: trendy boutiques, cozy cafes, expensive restaurants;
Hollywood Museum of Entertainment;
the Kodak Theatre: Oscar venue;
the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel;
Hollywood Reservoir, better known as Lake Hollywood. From the side of the reservoir you can observe the main sign - Hollywood.
The center of attention is the Walk of Fame: a sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street, in which about 2,700 five-pointed stars are embedded with the names of actors, musicians who have made a great contribution to the development of the entertainment industry: cinema, theater, radio, television, music. The Hollywood Walk of Fame was founded in 1958 and the first star belongs to actress Joan Woodward, who made her mark in 1960. A photograph against the background of one of the stars is the main souvenir from Hollywood.
Take a break from all the hustle and soak up the sun on the beaches of Santa Monica and Zuma. An unforgettable excursion to the steep slopes of the Santa Monica Mountains, which offer a beautiful view of the waters of the Pacific Ocean.
Walking through the streets of Hollywood, breathing in the atmosphere that reigns there, a person feels like some kind of star. After all, to meet in any other city, area such a cluster of famous faces that we watch with curiosity from the TV screen: Leonardo DiCaprio, Britney Spears, or participants in the 6th season of the show American Top Model, is simply unrealistic. Well, isn't it a dream: to take a picture with your favorite idol.
Administrative structure of Hollywood
The bulk of the Hollywood neighborhood, including Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard, falls within the 13th district of the city of Los Angeles. About 200 thousand people live here. Surprisingly, this area is the oldest center of the Armenian diaspora in the world. The first Armenians settled here in the 1880s. Today, several tens of thousands of Armenian-Americans live in Hollywood. East Hollywood even has a neighborhood named Little Armenia.
World famous thanks to the American film industry, the Los Angeles area in California - Hollywood located in the northwest of the city. A visit to Hollywood is definitely one of the top travel destinations in Los Angeles. Below is a list of the top places to visit, as well as some of the things you can't miss in Hollywood.
Top attractions in Hollywood
By far the most recognizable Hollywood monument is the famous HOLLYWOOD memorial in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. The commemorative sign was installed at an altitude of 491 meters above sea level, on the slope of Mount Lee in Griffith Park in 1923 as an advertisement, and subsequently became widely known, becoming the main symbol of the US film industry. The height of each letter is 9 meters, the width is 15 meters, in addition, each of the letters contains about 4,000 light bulbs. It was originally planned that the sign would stand for about a year and a half, but with the development of the American film industry, it was decided to keep the sign. The sign has undergone several restorations and the letters are now 1.5 meters shorter than they were in the original version.
Of course, the monument is not available in terms of a regular tour, but you can choose several convenient places from which to open best review to the famous inscription. The most convenient places to view the sign are Hollywood Reservoir, Mulholland Drive, Franklin Avenue in Gower, Hollywood at Highland, .
2. Hollywood Walk of Fame
One of the main attractions of Hollywood, the famous "Walk of Fame", is a chain of sidewalks located on both sides of the street with 15 blocks on Hollywood Boulevard and 3 blocks on Vine Street. About 10 million people visit the alley every year. The alley consists of about 2,400 five-pointed brass stars embedded in a six-foot terrazzo floor. Each of the stars celebrates the achievements of a certain real and fictional "star" in the music, film or television industry. The Walk of Fame was opened in 1958.
On the site in front of the "Walk of Fame", you can see one of the most popular attractions in Hollywood - the famous Grauman's Chinese Theater. Located on the cinema was built in 1927 by the famous Hollywood impresario Sid Grauman. The cinema is one of the main monuments of the "golden era" of Hollywood and one of the most popular places for film premieres. It is worth noting that the choice of the stars who leave prints of their hands and feet in the cement on the "Walk of Fame" is made by the owners of the cinema. In front of the cinema, you can see the prints of many celebrities, including Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, Jack Nicholson, Marilyn Monroe, Clint Eastwood. Since 2007, the cinema has been owned by CIM Group. The cinema is open 24/7. You can buy a ticket for a tour of the cinema or just buy a ticket for one of the sessions.
Hollywood Attractions for Movie and Spectacle Lovers
4. Excursions in the film studio
No better way to find out what is happening behind the camera lens than to take part in a tour of a Hollywood studio. Most of these tours invite tourists to visit real, working studios. But, unfortunately, this means that the tour can only be taken on a weekday, when the studios are open.
5. Visiting the filming of the show
With a little planning for your time, you can be part of the studio's audience while filming a comedy, reality show, or game show. What's even nicer? It's free - and you get the opportunity to express yourself.
6. Hollywood Christmas Parade
If you are lucky enough to be in Los Angeles for the Thanksgiving holiday, then you should not miss one of the most colorful annual parades in the world - the Hollywood Christmas Parade. The parade has been celebrated annually for the past eighty years, and has long been one of the main cultural news stories on American television. A number of celebrities take part in the parade every year. The parade was first held in 1928 and was originally called the Santa Claus Lane Parade. In 1978, the event changed its name to the Hollywood Christmas Parade. The parade takes place every year on the third Thursday of November along a 3.5-kilometer route along Sunset Boulevard.
One of the best outdoor concert halls in Hollywood, the Hollywood Bowl Amphitheater was built in 1922. The hall can accommodate about 18,000 spectators. The concert season at the Hollywood Bowl runs from late June to mid-September. However, in addition to this, a number of unscheduled events take place in the hall, such as the Playboy Jazz Festival.
Hollywood Attractions for Shopping Lovers
8.
Visiting numerous shops and restaurants is certainly not the most important, but not the last place on a trip to Hollywood. Located on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland, the three-story modern shopping and entertainment complex Hollywood and Highland is one of the most visited centers in Los Angeles. In addition to shops and restaurants, the complex is a great starting point for a walking tour, as it is located directly next to the Walk of Fame, the Kodak Theater (the site of the American Academy Awards), and one of the most famous cinemas in Hollywood, Grauman's Chinese Theater.
9. Los Angeles Farmers Market
Farmers Market is one of the most popular and most visited attractions in Hollywood and Los Angeles. The mall is located on the site of a historic farmer's market that has existed since 1934. In 2002, the territory of the market was turned into a huge shopping center, which retained part historical buildings. About 3 million visitors visit Farmers Market every year. The center is located on the corner of Third and Fairfax and is open 24/7.
10. Sunset Strip
One of the largest shopping centers and nightlife Los Angeles Sunset Strip, located on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood. The Sunset Strip is a 1.5-kilometer stretch between Doheny Drive and N. Crescent Heights Blvd. Sunset Strip is quite rich in terms of attractions. Highlights include the statue of Rocky and Bullwinkle, the luxurious Sunset Tower Hotel, the popular comedy club Comedy Store, the Plaza chain of stores and restaurants, the legendary Whiskey A GoGo bar in the 1960s, where celebrities such as Jimi Hendrix began their careers, bands The Doors, The Byrds, Led Zeppelin.
Hollywood is perhaps the most famous attraction in Los Angeles. The name has become synonymous with American cinema in general. In fact, this is an urban area with boring architecture and a colorful history.
IN mid-nineteenth century, nothing foretold future glory here: there was an adobe hut, fields and groves all around. Versions of the origin of the name say different things. Many are reminiscent of local vegetation (holly translates as "holly"). The most common version says that the name was invented by the real estate developer Hobart Johnston Wheatley during honeymoon with wife Margaret Virginia. Dealer of rare energy, Whitley, later called the "Father of Hollywood", built here the first hotel on the corner of present-day Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, the first bank, the first residential area.
In 1903, a municipality appeared in Hollywood. The town adopted local laws: it was forbidden to drink alcohol, it was impossible to drive herds of cattle with more than two hundred heads through the streets. But in 1910, Hollywood residents, hoping to connect to Los Angeles' water and sewer systems, voted to join the neighboring city. Hollywood has become a Los Angeles area.
In the same year, a film crew came here - director David Griffith and several actors, including the famous Mary Pickford. I liked the place, Griffith shot the melodrama “In Old California” here - the first Hollywood movie. Film culture followed: in contrast to the rainy east coast, in this sunny area you could shoot 300 days a year. The first film studio appeared here in 1911 in an abandoned roadside diner. In 1927, the first local sound film, The Jazz Singer, shocked Americans who had grown up on silent films. The golden age of Hollywood broke out, which became the heart of the powerful American film industry.
The region also developed rapidly. By the beginning of the fifties, a motorway with a four-level interchange ran through it. In 1956, the remarkable building of the record company Capitol Records grew up on Vine Street - it is built in the form of a stack of vinyl records. In 1958, the famous Walk of Fame was founded: over fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street, more than 2,500 stars with the names of celebrities are mounted on the sidewalks.
There are no special architectural beauties in Hollywood. All tourists flock to Hollywood Boulevard. In addition to the Walk of Fame, it is full of specific sights: the local Dolby Theater hosts the Oscars every year, Madame Tussauds has 115 celebrity figures, concrete slabs in the courtyard of the Chinese Theater store prints and autographs of about 200 theater and film stars.
Writers William Faulkner, Scott Fitzgerald, poet Carl Sandburg lived and worked in Hollywood. Alfred Hitchcock, Walt Disney, Howard Hughes filmed their films here. And today, nearby, on the Hollywood hills lying just to the north, there are luxurious villas of movie stars: artists, directors, producers.
Hollywood from A to Z: map, hotels, attractions, restaurants, entertainment. Shopping, shops. Photos, videos and reviews about Hollywood.
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In Hollywood, a district of Los Angeles, there is a record number of movie and show business stars per square meter. After all, it is here that the epicenter of the global film industry is located. Life is in full swing in this part of the City of Angels around the clock, here you can hear speech in many languages of the world. What attracts tourists to Hollywood? Of course, the opportunity to touch the secret of filmmaking, and in the literal sense, because nominal stars on the pavement of Hollywood Boulevard are laid in the presence of idols. It is here, in the famous concert hall Kodak, the most significant ceremonies, presentations of musical novelties of the star Olympus are held, and film premieres are held at Grauman's Chinese Theater.
How to get there
You can fly from Moscow to Los Angeles on a direct flight (Aeroflot), the flight duration is 13 hours. There are also flights with transfers in Europe or Asia.
If you choose to travel independently when you arrive at the Los Angeles airport, be on the lookout: you will immediately be attacked by a lot of screaming African Americans and Mexicans, hungry for your as yet unspent savings. Your task is to resist, get to the nearest stop (they are located right next to the airport) and take the shuttle (a small fixed-route taxi, more often of blue color) heading in the direction you want to arrive safely at the hotel porch. A shuttle ride costs 21-27 USD per person. You can get there by taxi, but it will cost twice as much - 70-80 USD.
Prices on the page are for September 2018.
Find flights to Los Angeles (nearest airport to Hollywood)
Transport
To move around the city, you can use land transport: in Los Angeles there is an extensive network of bus routes (ticket price is 2 USD), fixed-route taxis also run regularly (from 2 USD). Another option is the metro, by the way, there is no access control system familiar to Russians at the entrance.
The cost of 1 trip is 1.75 USD, while to transfer to another line you will have to purchase a new ticket, so it is better to take a day pass worth 7 USD, with which you can travel on the subway an unlimited number of times within 24 hours.
The Avenue of Stars is located at the West Hollywood station, leaving at which you will find yourself in the very center of the Sunset Strip, a bustling 2.5 km long boulevard where you can meet the most unexpected and comical characters.
Another option is a taxi, which can be recognized by the specific yellow color and checkers on the roofs. Most often, taxis operate on a meter; you can catch a car anywhere in the city.
Weather in Hollywood
Cuisine and restaurants
Where can you eat? Everywhere. Having walked a lot, you will surely want to try real American food. All sorts of restaurants, pubs, snack bars, sandwich shops, fast foods will come to your aid. True, most often an American dinner is a huge plate of french fries, a weighty hamburger, a pile of fried onion rings, abundantly poured with ketchup and mayonnaise. From drinks - Coca-Cola, iced coffee or a milkshake.
A synthesis of American and Mexican cuisine will be offered to you at the Artichoke’s Heart restaurant (West Hollywood area) - tequila flows like water here, service is at the level, and the food is fresh, hearty and appetizing. If classic American food is hard for you, you can choose a Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, Indian or even Russian restaurant. Check out Miceli's on the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Las Palmas Avenue, the oldest Italian restaurant in Hollywood.
In general, the most expensive cuisine here is European, a good beef steak will cost from 50 USD, the most budget lunch is in an eatery with Chinese noodles and chicken curry (from 5-7 USD). And if you plan to try alcohol, take a document certifying that you are an adult.
Popular hotels in Hollywood
Shopping and shops
In numerous stores and malls in Hollywood, you can find both little-known American firms and global brands. At the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland, you will find the Hollywood & Highland Center - a hotel and shopping and entertainment center that is open until late at night. Also, with the onset of darkness, boutiques with outrageous, theatrical costumes, accessories, cinematic antiques and other curious gizmos begin to work actively.
You can easily become a member of the next blockbuster, as various filming is constantly taking place on the streets of Los Angeles, so smile more often, suddenly you are lucky!
Guides in Hollywood
Entertainment and attractions in Hollywood
Firstly, this is the Avenue of Stars, which already has about 2,500 stars, not counting the hand and footprints of celebrities. Don't miss the Guinness World Records Museum, home to the most amazing facts and exhibits of the world. The heroes of the Hollywood Wax Museum will amaze you with their believability, where copies of all popular actors and musical performers several generations. The entrance ticket will cost 20 USD, but if you buy an “all-terrain vehicle” that gives you the right to visit three museums at once (Hollywood Wax Museum + Guinness World Records Museum + Ripley’s Believe It or Not), you will pay only 29.99 USD. Museums are open from 12:00 to 0:00 and are located in the center of Hollywood Boulevard, so it's hard to pass by.
Second, check out the TCL Chinese Theater which is opposite legendary theater Kodak. Many exhibits from China are exhibited here - this is real symbol Chinese culture in Hollywood. On one of the platforms in front of the theater, the footprints and hands of Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Jack Nicholson and other celestials flaunt. The cost of visiting the theater is from 18 to 100 USD, it all depends on the significance of the event you want to witness.
Nightlife will unfold in all its diversity in the bars and clubs on Sunset Boulevard, where establishments are open until the last client. For example, the Palms club is very popular among the stars, who can often be found here at the bar.