STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

joy0302 · Kate Spade

Hollywood

Lilykind · Hermes

What touristy things are you planning to do? I put down Hollywood recs below, but if you're venturing outside the area, I can give more recs.

If you're planning on doing Graumann's Chinese Theater/Hollywood and Highland, the only hotel that's really nearby and not sketch is the Hollywood Roosevelt. BUT Friends of mine had a wrap party at the Roosevelt last month, stayed the night in the rooms and the window somehow broke so they had to go to the ER the next day. So I'm iffy on recommending that. The walls are supposed to be super-thin too.

One of my favorite lunch/sandwich/soup places in town is Wild Oats on Melrose across from the Paramount lot (between Gower and Van Ness). I also love Fabiolus Cafe on Sunset between Vine and Gower...yummy Italian with great service and super nice clientele. Everyone raves about Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles on Gower north of Sunset. I think it's worth it if you've never had fried chicken and waffles together and if you're in the area. Also, if you're brave, there's a great hole-in-the-wall pizza place called Stefano's: Two Brothers from Italy on Hollywood between Highland and Vine. Just don't go into the bathroom there and you'll be fine. wink

I flat out suck at the Hollywood bar scene though....too much of a shut in.

joy0302 · Kate Spade

How is the Renaissance Hotel across from the Kodak theater? Is it too far out from the main Hollywood area?

Your poor friends! I think I will be scared of that hotel now!

The last time we went to Hollywood we didn't have a ton of time so we just went on one of those tours of the stars homes and went to see Hollywood blvd and the Chinese theater. This time we really wanted to do the whole Hollywood thing and stay in a nice place, go shopping, possibly go on a tour of some of the movie studios(any suggestions on this one if you have any would be appreciated!)

Thanks for the advice on places to eat! They all sound great! And I will make sure to hold it if we go in Stefano's!LOL!

Lilykind · Hermes

Oh yeah the Renaissance! I always seem to forget that there's a hotel attached to Hollywood and Highland. I have never stayed there, but I know that all guests on Dr. Phil's show stay there so I can't imagine why it would be bad. It gets bonus points for being relatively new, though it's not really a hip, cool place. It's great locationwise for you since you're smack dab in the middle of the Hollywood tourist area.

I've been on all the lots, but I think that if you have access to a car, you should arrange for the Warner Bros. lot tour in Burbank. It's the only one IIRC that actually has a studio tour. It's the lot featured on season 3 of SATC when the girls go to LA. It's also the biggest, most impressive lot and the last time I went they dedicated a whole floor of their museum to Harry Potter!

I have to say, since you're going to be at Hollywood and Highland, the Sephora's awfully nice and large there. wink

Seriously though, what kind of shopping were you looking to do (price range...favorite places, etc.)? Hollywood and Highland has shopping, but it's mostly mall shopping you can get anywhere.

It sounds like you have a full plate, but if you could get a performance in at the Hollywood Bowl I can pretty much promise you won't be dissapointed...I

that place.

kittenheels · Coach

I'm sad to say that I've lived in LA for so long and almost never go to Hollywood - but it sounds like you have a lot of fun things to do. The sephora is the best one ever up there!

joy0302 · Kate Spade

We are going to check out the Warner Bros. tour. I had seen that one on one of the Hollywood websites and you sold me with the SATC stuff.

I want to check out some of the little boutiques that have different stuff than I could find in the mall here. I am open as far as price range goes. Do you have any suggestions! We ended up booking the Renaissance so I will surely find my way over to Sephora!

I would love to go to the Hollywood Bowl. I have always seen it on tv and it looks really cool.

Lilykind · Hermes

LA shopping has been summarized in the past in these threads.

http://stylethread.activeboard.com/index.spark?forumID=44784&p=3&topicID=7144386

http://stylethread.activeboard.com/index.spark?forumID=44784&p=3&topicID=1774809

http://stylethread.activeboard.com/index.spark?forumID=44784&p=3&topicID=4758063

Best mall is Beverly Center (home to our H&M!)...it has the best, most eclectic selection of stores in that type of surrounding. Plus it's close to West 3rd St. so you can hit up our Loehmanns (hit or miss but worth it) and all the boutiques. I also really love Century City...they just remodeled so it looks much more modern. It also has Cusp (I think of it as Neiman's Co-Op...the SAs are not snotty!) and Madewell (J. Crew's cheaper sister store)

I hate to recommend this because it's annoyingly far (at least for me) but you may want to do the touristy thing at Venice beach and go on the boardwalk, eat cheap good food and watch the freakshow. There's tons of great indie boutiques on Abbot Kinney Blvd. which is the main drag.

Also, it's definitely a hipster nontouristy neighborhood, but if you want a truly indie vibe then you may want to head down Sunset into Silverlake. There's an amazing gelato place on Sunset and Hyperion and the best coffee ever is at Casbah cafe.

travelgirl · Kate Spade

I have stayted at the Renaissance in Hollywood you mentioned and it is nice. Great location in the middle of everything "hollywood" and very clean and nice (nice in a business hotel kind of way)...