Hollywood: Where to stay and eat, what to see and do

WHERE TO STAY

Magic Castle Hotel, 7025 Franklin Ave., Los Angeles 90028; (323) 851-0800, https://www.magiccastlehotel.com. Thirty units, most of them one- and two-bedroom suites, 500-800 square feet, with full kitchens. Pool, free WiFi. Doubles from $194. Also receives guests for its sibling, the Hollywood Hills Hotel, same address; (323) 874-5089, https://www.hollywoodhillshotel.com, just up the hill. Ten rooms, pagoda-adjacent pool, free WiFi. Rates $134-$164.The rates are low for Hollywood, the Trip Advisor ratings for service are sky high, and the only real drawback is a complicated parking situation for the Hollywood Hills Hotel.

Redbury Hotel, 1717 Vine St., Los Angeles 90028; (323) 962-1717, https://www.theredbury.com. First built as apartments, its 57 rooms are all 750 square feet or more. Hotel opened late 2010. Doubles from $250.

Best Western Plus Hollywood Hills, 6141 Franklin Ave., Los Angeles 90028; (323) 464-5181; https://www.bestwestern.com/hollywoodhillshotel. Pool, 86 rooms. Largely redone in 2011. Doubles from $99. Free WiFi. Parking $15 a day. Ask for a room facing the hills, not Franklin Avenue.

Renaissance Hollywood Hotel, 1755 N. Highland Ave., Los Angeles 90028; (323) 856-1200, https://www.renaissancehollywood.com. Open since 2001, with 632 rooms. Doubles from $259. (Doubles with breakfast from $289).

W Hotel, 6250 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles 90028; (323) 798-1300, https://www.whotels.com/LAHollywood. Here’s where the party people stay. Opened early 2010 with 305 rooms, a pool and upscale nightclub on the roof (beneath the big red W) and a Metro subway station underneath (below the smaller black M). Doubles (about 400 square feet) from $259.

Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, 7000 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles 90028; (323) 466-7000, https://www.thompsonhotels.com/TheRoosevelt. Built in the 1920s, the Roosevelt has 300 rooms, a big pool. Doubles from $189.

WHERE TO EAT

Musso & Frank Grill, 6667 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles 90028; (323) 467-7788, https://www.mussoandfrank.com. Old-school service, old-school menu, old-school setting. Lunch and dinner, main dishes, $15-$44. Closed Sundays and Mondays.

Larchmont Bungalow, 107 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles 90004; (323) 461-1528, https://www.larchmontbungalow.com. Opened late 2009. Many vegan menu items. Breakfast all day. Lunch and dinner main dishes, $12.95-$24.95.

Palm’s Thai Restaurant, 5900 Hollywood Blvd., Suite B, Los Angeles 90028; (323) 462-5073, https://www.palmsthai.com. Dinner main dishes (including crispy fish maw salad and deep-fried frog, sautéed with chile and garlic) up to $20.99. Live music usually comes in half-hour bursts, with sets at 7:30, 9 and 10 p.m.

101 Coffee Shop, 6145 Franklin Ave., Los Angeles 90028; (323) 467-1175, https://www.the101coffeeshop.com. Comfort food in classic ‘60s coffee-shop style. Open 7- 3 a.m. daily. Most breakfast combos $6.95-$10.95. Lunch and dinner up to $14.95.

Victor’s, 1917 N. Bronson Ave., Los Angeles 90068; (323) 464-0276, https://www.victorssquare.com. Breakfast combos mostly $6.50-$15, lunch and dinner main dishes usually up to $18.

Oaks Gourmet Market, 1915 N. Bronson Ave., Los Angeles 90068; (323) 871-8894, https://www.theoaksgourmet.com. Opened in 2009, with salads, sandwiches and pizzas mostly $9-$12, and big wine and cheese selections. Only place to sit: one big, family-style table. Also Hollywood Bowl picnic baskets, $40 (for two) to $110 (for three). Open 7 a.m.-midnight daily.

Stout, 1544 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Los Angeles 90028; (323) 469-3801, https://www.stoutburgersandbeers.com. Burgers and beer. Beef, chicken and veggie burgers all $10. Opened late 2009, more than 20 beers on tap. Open until 4 a.m.

Yamashiro, 1999 N. Sycamore Ave., Los Angeles 90028; (323) 466-5125, https://www.yamashirorestaurant.com. An Asian-fusion restaurant and bar with a 600-year-old Japanese pagoda and wide, twinkling views of the city. Dinner main dishes, $25-$69; cocktails, $12.

Aroma Café, 7373 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles 90046; (323) 850-8120, https://www.aromabakery.com. Breakfast, lunch and dinner in a big dining room with glass walls and a big patio. Dinner main dishes, $9.95-$32.95.

Magic Castle, 7001 Franklin Ave., Los Angeles 90028; (323) 851-3313, https://www.magiccastle.com. A 30-day membership ($100) buys free admission (but not dinner) for two. Guests at the Magic Castle Hotel pay $10 Castle admission on Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, $15 on Fridays and Saturdays. (Those prices will increase to $20 and $25 when the facility fully reopens.). The current dinner buffet costs $32 per adult, as do the weekend brunches. (Ordinarily, main dishes cost $20-$50.) Evening shows are strictly age 21 and older; children permitted at brunch. Dress code, $8 mandatory valet.

Roscoe’s House of Chicken ‘n Waffles, 1514 N. Gower St., Los Angeles 90028. (323) 466-7453, https://www.roscoeschickenandwaffles.com. Now in five locations, Roscoe’s does soul food, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Main dishes up to $16.30. Open at 8:30 a.m. most mornings, 8 on Sundays. Closes at midnight most nights, but 4 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO

Sunset Ranch, 3400 N. Beachwood Drive, Los Angeles 90068; (323) 469-5450, https://www.sunsetranchhollywood.com. One-hour guided trail rides, $30 per person; two hours, $45-$70. On the third Saturday of every month, there’s a sunset ride with barbecue dinner and music at the stables for $95 each.

Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles 90028; (323) 468-1770, https://www.broadwayla.org. Traveling shows such as “Wicked” (through Jan. 29), and stand-up acts including Kathy Griffin and Jerry Seinfeld.

Paramount Pictures Studio Tours, 5555 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles 90038; (323) 956-1777, https://www.paramountstudios.com/special-events/tours.html. Two-hour guided tour of the Paramount lot, by foot and golf cart, $45 per person. 10 and 11 a.m. and 1 and 2 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. Reservations required.

Kodak Theatre, 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles 90028; (323) 308-6300 or (877) 943-4747, https://www.kodaktheare.com. The 3,332-seat venue, unveiled in 2001, is where the Oscars are held yearly and it’s home to Cirque du Soleil’s “Iris” production, Tickets run $43-$253 (plus $13 each in added fees). The live show, heavy on gymnastics, dancing and cinematic effects, is recommended by the producers for ages 5 and older. Dark on Mondays. (The theater website also has info on tours of the venue.)

El Capitan Theatre, 6838 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles 90028; (818) 845-3110, elcapitan.go.com. Built in 1926 with 1,000 seats, reborn after a Disney rejuvenation in 1991. General admission adult, $15; children/seniors, $12. VIP tickets also available.

Monastery of the Angels, 1977 Carmen Ave., Los Angeles 90068; (323) 466-2186, https://themonasteryoftheangelslosangeles.com/. Gift shop open Mondays-Saturdays, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., with pumpkin bread ($10 a loaf), hand-dipped chocolates and peanut brittle.

The Daily Planet, 5931 1/2 Franklin Ave., Los Angeles 90028; (323) 957-0061, https://www.thedailyplanetbookstore.com. Newsstand, gifts and books.

Counterpoint Records & Books, 5911 Franklin Ave., Los Angeles 90028; (323) 957-7965, https://www.counterpointrecordsandbooks.com. Used books and music, bought and sold.

Hollywood & Highland Center, 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles 90028; (323) 467-6412, https://www.hollywoodandhighland.com. It’s a mall wrapped around the Kodak Theatre and decorated with cinematic flourishes, including a set of concrete elephants.

Grauman’s Chinese Theater, 6925 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles 90028; (323) 461-3331, https://www.chinesetheatres.com. Tours available, $13.50 for adults, $6.50 for children; call (323) 463-9576. Movies, $13.75 for adults and $10.75 for children.

Larry Edmunds Bookshop, 6644 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles 90028; (323) 463-3273, https://www.larryedmunds.com.

Starline Tours, 6925 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles 90028; (323) 463-3333, https://www.starlinetours.com. This bus tour company, born in 1935, does tours of Hollywood, stars’ homes and many other locales. Tickets $18-$133, depending on the tour.

Hollywood Forever cemetery, 6000 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles 90038; (323) 469-1181, https://www.hollywoodforever.com. Sixty-four acres of graves and crypts, including some stars, eagerly presented to visitors via celebrity grave maps, Dia de los Muertos parties and more.

Guitar Center & Rock Walk, 7425 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles 90046; (323) 874-1060, stores.guitarcenter.com/Hollywood and https://www.rockwalk.com. In the sidewalk fronting this massive music store, more than 400 rock stars have left handprints. This was the Guitar Center chain’s first store.

Amoeba Music, 6400 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles 90028; (323) 245-6400, https://www.amoeba.com. New and used music, videos and posters, with occasional free in-store concerts.

Space 15 Twenty, 1520 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Los Angeles 90028; https://www.space15twenty.com. A mini-mall with indie spirit, offering art books, Umami burgers, Urban Outfitters, etc.

Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave., Los Angeles 90078; (323) 850-2000, https://www.hollywoodbowl.com. The 2012 summer season runs June 22-Sept. 22.

Greek Theatre, 2700 Vermont Ave., Los Angeles 90027; (323) 665-5857, https://www.greektheatrela.com. The 2012 season runs late April through late October.

Theatre Row Hollywood, https://www.theaterrowhollywood.com. More than a dozen live theater spaces stand on or near Santa Monica Boulevard between La Brea Avenue and El Centro Street. (6400-7400), most with 99 seats or fewer. Some venues, like the Hudson Theatres at 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., have multiple performance spaces. Expect prices around $25.

Jumbo’s Clown Room, 5153 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles 90027; (323) 666-1187, https://www.jumbos.com. Semi-ironic bikini burlesque. Two-drink minimum, no cover. Valet parking, $5.

The Writer’s Room, 6685 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles 90028. This is a hidden little watering hole with a vintage feel and $14 cocktails. Enter from the rear, next to Musso & Frank’s. Open Tuesdays-Saturdays. Casual and jazzy, 6 -9 p.m., then the music turns to rock, the scene gets trendier and the admission often depends on a doorman’s consultation of the guest list.