One Day in Hollywood

[shorty20]

We'll be near L.A. at the end of August and want to go to Hollywood for the day. We've never been, so what are your must sees/dos for the area if you only had a day?

Also, what's the best way to get around? We'll be coming from about an hour away, and I know LA is notorious for it's traffic. Should we drive in, or is there some sort of metro or other option? Is traffic any better on the weekends than during the week?

Thanks!

[sallybrown]

It'd be best to go on a weekend, early. You could go during the week, but if you're coming from the east you're going to hit rush hour traffic. Same for heading back in the afternoon. That being said, driving is still probably the easiest way to get around and to see a good deal of the area in one day.

There is the Metro train, but I don't think LA is easy to navigate using mass transit. The buses are gross, and the train is pretty limited. Where would you be coming from?

Hollywood is pretty seedy and sketchy in some areas, so be aware of that. Mann's Chinese and Kodak are all pretty close, so you can do that and see the Walk of Fame in a short amount of time. I'd start there, then head west.

The top parking deck at the Grove has some of the best views in LA.

I'd then take a drive down Sunset and look at all the clubs. Heading west will drop you into the Beverly Hills / Bel Air area, where you can see beautiful homes. If celebrities are your thing, you can buy a star map but I would not waste time on a tour. You could also swing down Rodeo or Beverly or Canon - you have a better chance of seeing celebrities there than in Hollywood. There are some reasonably priced restaurants on Beverly that you can eat at....Jack and Jill's is good, but there are tons of places to eat on Beverly.

If you keep heading west, Sunset winds through Pacific Palisades and then into Santa Monica. I'd stop there, see the Pier, ride the ferris wheel and grab dinner. Then head home!

So that'd be my ideal day to see as much as I could!

[shorty20]

Thank you so much, that does help.

We'll be coming from the San Bernardino area. We're not into celebs, but it would be cool to see some of the Walk of Fame and the Mann and Kodak. We did want to go to Santa Monica too.

[starlily]

If you're coming in from San Bernardino, don't bother leaving before 10am on a weekday or you will just sit in traffic. You'd also want to either leave Hollywood to return to SB either before 3pm or after 7pm.