The vibe in Hollywood
Hollywood Blvd is a costume party that never ends. Spider-Man wants a tip, the stars on the sidewalk are covered in gum, and the tourists are trying to find a celebrity in a crowd of other tourists. Locals pretend to hate it. Locals also secretly love it. The real things to do in Hollywood sit just off the main drag, and when you widen the lens to Los Feliz and Thai Town, this becomes one of the best stoned zones in the city.
Three parts. Hollywood proper is old movie palaces, rock history and neon. Los Feliz, up the hill, is leafy and bookish, with a single-screen theater and a park that leads up to the Observatory. Thai Town and East Hollywood, along Hollywood Blvd east of the 101, is the best Thai food outside Thailand, and that's not an exaggeration.
The move: sesh at home, then take the Metro B Line (it stops at Hollywood/Highland and Hollywood/Vine, and runs to Vermont) or a ride. Drive here and you will spend the night looking for parking.
Hollywood munchies
Hollywood late night food is solid, and Thai Town takes it over the top.
Thai Town
- Jitlada is Southern Thai and brutally, beautifully spicy. Order with respect. Order with water. If you're toasted and say "Thai hot", that's on you.
- Ruen Pair is the late-night Thai Town favorite, the place cooks and night owls end up. Simple, fast, comforting.
- Sapp Coffee Shop for boat noodles and jade noodles. Little room, big flavor.
- Pa Ord Noodle for more boat noodles, rich and dark and deeply satisfying.
Thai Town LA is a short strip of Hollywood Blvd, and you can hit two spots in one walk. Hot take: Thai Town is the best food neighborhood in the city per square block.
Hollywood proper
- Pink's Hot Dogs on La Brea, chili dogs with a line.
- Mel's Drive-In on Sunset, the classic diner with booths and milkshakes, historically a late spot.
- Joe's Pizza for a New York slice to eat on the walk.
- Musso & Frank is the oldest restaurant in Hollywood, with old red booths, white-jacketed waiters and martinis. Not a munchies spot. A grown-up night.
More in the LA munchies guide and the late-night LA guide.
Things to do baked in Hollywood, Los Feliz and Thai Town
Griffith Observatory. Free to walk in, with public telescopes on clear nights and planetarium shows that will melt your brain. Get a ride up (parking near the top is a war), then walk the grounds as the city lights come on below.
Griffith Park. Fern Dell is a shady fern-lined trail that feels like another country. Bronson Caves is the original Batcave. The old zoo ruins are strange and fun to explore. The Mount Hollywood trail climbs to a big view.
Barnsdall Art Park. The hill in East Hollywood with the Frank Lloyd Wright Hollyhock House on top and a big lawn facing west. Quiet, green, perfect.
Lake Hollywood Park. The best close-up view of the Hollywood Sign. Lie on the grass and look up at it.
Amoeba Music. The giant record store. You'll go in for one thing and walk out with six.
Skylight Books in Los Feliz is the neighborhood bookshop, warm and well-picked.
Runyon Canyon? It's a gym with a view, not a hike. More picks in things to do high in LA.
Movie and music spots in Hollywood
This is movie heaven. The Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Blvd, restored and run by the American Cinematheque with Netflix, shows classics and premieres in a room built for the silent era. TCL Chinese Theatre does IMAX with the handprints out front. El Capitan is Disney's palace, with an organ and the whole show. Up in Los Feliz, the Vista Theatre is a restored single-screen and the Los Feliz 3 is a little three-screen on Vermont. And Hollywood Forever cemetery hosts outdoor screenings on the lawn in summer: blankets, picnics, and a cemetery. Full guide in movie theaters for stoners.
For music, the Hollywood Bowl in summer is a bucket-list night. Bring a picnic and take the shuttle.
Sunset and chill spots in Hollywood
Griffith Observatory at golden hour. The sun goes down over the ocean, the city lights blink on, and the Hollywood Sign glows on the hill next door. Everyone's there, and it's still worth it.
Barnsdall Art Park. The lawn on top faces west, and the sunset over Hollywood is gorgeous and a lot less crowded than the Observatory.
Lake Hollywood Park at dusk, with the sign catching the last light. More in the chill outdoors guide.
The good and the annoying
The good: Thai Town alone is worth the trip. The Metro B Line goes right through, so you can skip the car entirely. The movie palaces are some of the best in the world. Griffith Park is massive and free. Los Feliz is the calm, cozy counterweight to the Blvd.
The annoying: Hollywood Blvd itself is a tourist trap, full of costumed characters who want money and guys pushing comedy tickets. The 101 through Hollywood is jammed at every hour. Parking near the Observatory or the Bowl is a nightmare. The Santa Anas in fall make the hills hot and smoky. And it's loud. Always loud.
Next door
- West Hollywood is just west for the licensed lounges and the Sunset Strip.
- Silver Lake and Echo Park is just east for the reservoir, Echo Park Lake and Cafe Tropical.
- Koreatown is south for Korean BBQ, soondubu and karaoke rooms.
- North Hollywood and Studio City is over the Cahuenga Pass for the Valley.
- Mid-City and Fairfax is south for Canter's and the New Beverly.
Check where to sesh in LA before you light up, or browse every neighborhood.
