The area most tourist-friendly has been dubbed the Vinyl District, a nod to the neighbourhood’s past as a centre for music recording. And now, with the opening of a handful of new hotels, and with them rooftop bars and headline-grabbing restaurants, tourists are catching on. HandoutĬafés and restaurants followed, complementing the long-running weekly Hollywood Farmers’ Market, to serve a live-work crowd. The Godfrey has one of the city’s largest rooftops and stellar views of the Hollywood Hills. Eliminating cross-city commutes for meetings in the notoriously traffic-heavy city gave employees time back and increased productivity. It was as much about the bottom line as it was about quality of life for employees. The area’s revitalization – one initially intended for Angelenos – started about five years ago, with companies like Netflix, Buzzfeed and Viacom moving their offices to the area. It’s also home to people in superhero costumes looking to get their photos taken for a quick buck, street performers trying to sell CDs and tacky souvenir shops, and has a reputation for being gritty despite the glam associated with the name.īut there’s a blossoming neighbourhood to explore once you step off the main strip. Hollywood Boulevard is home to the Walk of Fame, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Dolby Theatre and the Capitol Records building.
Suggest to someone visiting Los Angeles that they make a point to spend time in Hollywood and you’re likely to receive a puzzled reaction. You may be surprised the hear that the neighbourhood I was in was Hollywood. After, I peeked in to some record shops and a clothing boutique, taking note of a couple restaurants – one with a beautiful hidden patio – to check out later.
I strolled past some art galleries and street art, then found a café with a buzzy patio and sat in the sun while sipping an iced tea.
Recently, during a weekend away, I walked from my hotel to a quiet park and ate a packed lunch.