The vibe

Over the hill. That's how the rest of LA talks about the Valley, like it's some distant land you need a passport for. It's twenty minutes up the 101 when traffic cooperates. If you want things to do in North Hollywood or a good read on Studio City food, this is your Valley stoner guide, and the first thing to know is that the Valley is better than its reputation and hotter than its reputation too.

North Hollywood (NoHo to anyone who lives there) is the artsy, scrappy half, built around the NoHo Arts District with its little theaters, murals and the Metro station that anchors it all. Studio City is the leafy, slightly fancier half, strung along Ventura Blvd at the base of the hills, with the studio lots behind it and canyon roads climbing up toward Mulholland.

The Metro B Line (the old Red Line) is the hero here. It runs from North Hollywood through Universal City and under the hill to Hollywood and Downtown. Sesh at home, hop on at NoHo, and the whole city opens up without you touching a steering wheel.

North Hollywood and Studio City munchies

Carney's on Ventura Blvd in Studio City is the classic. Hot dogs and burgers served out of an old yellow railroad car. Sitting in a train car eating a chili dog a little toasted is about as Valley as it gets.

Bob's Big Boy over in Toluca Lake, on the Burbank edge, is a Googie-style coffee shop with the giant statue out front and booths made for a long, slow late meal. Mel's Drive-In has a location in Sherman Oaks for that diner-with-a-jukebox feeling. And Porto's in Burbank, just east, is the Cuban bakery with the potato balls and cheese rolls that inspire genuine devotion. Expect a line, embrace it.

The big secret of Valley munchies is Ventura Blvd sushi row. A long stretch of the boulevard through Studio City and Sherman Oaks is lined with sushi bars, many in strip malls, many run by chefs who've been at it for decades. Sit at the counter, say "omakase," and let the chef handle it. Hot take: the best sushi in LA is in a Valley strip mall, and the Westside will never admit it.

NoHo has its own spread: taco trucks along Lankershim and Magnolia, Armenian bakeries and grills, Thai spots tucked behind dry cleaners. Zankou Chicken has outposts in the Valley too, and that garlic sauce does not care what part of town you're in. Check hours before rolling out, and see the LA munchies guide and the late-night LA guide.

Things to do baked in North Hollywood and Studio City

The NoHo Arts District is a compact grid of small theaters, galleries, vintage shops and murals around Lankershim and Magnolia. Walk it after an early dinner, catch a small play, browse old records, and you'll forget you're in the Valley. Or remember, and be glad.

Tujunga Village in Studio City is a sweet little two-block stretch of shops and cafés that feels like a small town dropped into LA. Slow, shady, very wanderable. Universal CityWalk is one stop down the B Line, a loud neon promenade that's peak sensory overload when you're lifted, for better or worse.

Fryman Canyon has trails climbing up from Studio City toward Mulholland with big views back over the Valley. Go early or late in summer, because the Valley heat is real. More in things to do high in LA.

Movie and music spots

The Laemmle NoHo is the arthouse cinema right in the Arts District, with indie films and foreign stuff you won't find at the multiplex. Walk over from the Metro, catch a show, grab food after. Universal CityWalk also has a big multiplex if you need explosions and a giant screen.

The NoHo Arts District is a theater neighborhood at heart, with dozens of small stages doing plays, improv and comedy. Walk the block, read the marquees, pick one at random. Live music pops up in bars along Lankershim and Magnolia too. See the movie theaters for stoners guide for the rest of the city.

Sunset and chill spots

Mulholland Drive overlooks are the Valley's front-row seats. Pull-offs along the ridge look down over the whole grid of lights stretching to the mountains, and on the other side, the basin and the ocean. Have a sober friend drive or get a ride up; that road is twisty and no place to be anything but clear-headed behind the wheel.

Fryman Canyon trails at golden hour, when the Valley goes gold and the heat starts to break.

And on clear winter nights after the Santa Anas, the mountains rimming the Valley look sharp enough to cut. Sesh at home first, and see the where to sesh guide and chill outdoor spots in LA.

The good and the annoying

The good: The B Line makes NoHo one of the easiest places in LA to live car-light. Ventura Blvd sushi is world class and nobody outside the Valley knows it. There's space, there's parking (actual parking, sometimes even free), and the people are less precious than over the hill. The NoHo Arts District has real culture, and Studio City has the canyon trails right there.

The annoying: The heat. Valley heat in August is no joke, often ten to twenty degrees hotter than the beach, and the asphalt holds onto it all night. The 101 and the 405 through the Sepulveda Pass are a nightly punishment. The 134 and the 170 aren't much better at rush hour. The Westside acts like you live in another state. And Ventura Blvd is long, so "it's on Ventura" narrows it down to about fifteen miles.

Next door

Hollywood: a few stops south on the B Line, for the Boulevard and big old theaters.
West Hollywood: over Laurel Canyon, for the Sunset Strip and the county's licensed lounges.
Highland Park and Eagle Rock: east on the 134, for bowling, sodas and pizza.

See all LA neighborhood guides or the LA by season guide.