Hooray for Hollywood
If you haven’t seen a concert at the Hollywood Bowl, put it on your bucket list. The historic outdoor music venue, set in a huge natural amphitheater nestling in the hills above Hollywood Boulevard, is nothing short of spectacular. Significant investment in recent years has resulted in state of the art sound amplification and video projection systems, renewed seating throughout the bowl, a renovated box office plaza and fantastic restaurant concessions. Every Labor Day weekend we make the trip for a weekend of shows and take in a few other local attractions too.
Dream
The last year or two has seen a number of new hotel openings in Hollywood, including the Dream Hollywood Hotel and the Kimpton Everly. But our new favorite Hollywood hotel is the historic Hollywood Roosevelt.
This Spanish Colonial style hotel hosted the very first Oscar ceremony back in 1929 and is situated at the heart of Hollywood Boulevard, near the Kodak Theater and Grauman’s Chinese Theater. We stayed in a Tower Room, beautifully renovated in 2016 by an award-winning design team. Another notable feature of the hotel is the palm tree encircled Tropicana Pool, with its recently restored iconic “million-dollar” pool mural by David Hockney.
Alternatively, the Loews Hollywood Hotel, set across the street from the Roosevelt at the Hollywood and Highland Center is also a good option. Many rooms come with awesome views of the Hollywood Hills and the world-famous Hollywood sign.
Both hotels are conveniently situated for the short, 20-minute walk up the hill to the Hollywood Bowl.
Even closer is the Hollywood/Highland metro station with direct access to Downtown Los Angeles and Universal Studios. And by transferring to the newly opened Expo Line, you can ride all the way to Downtown Santa Monica. That’s one way to beat the LA traffic.
Recently, we’ve been staying at hotels in West Hollywood for a change in scenery. The Pendry has been our new favorite which is a short Uber ride to many local attractions and great dining options.
Roosevelt Hotel
Dine
In order to get an early start in the morning, we usually grab a quick breakfast in the hotel restaurant, or take a walk downstairs to Starbucks in the Hollywood and Highland Center.
As an alternative, one of our favorite brunch spots is Sqirl LA, in East Hollywood, which is just a 10 minute Uber ride away. Serving breakfast until 4pm, be prepared for a line out the door, but with a menu stacked full of toasts and bowls, this place is worth the wait.
On show nights, we eat dinner at The Hollywood Bowl. There are a number of high-quality catering options inside the turnstiles, and they easily rank amongst the best you will find at any outdoor venue or event.
You can opt for a gourmet picnic from Kitchen 22, to be enjoyed in one of the Bowl’s many picnic areas or in your seats. Or you can make a reservation at one of the two full-service restaurants; the Backyard which serves grilled options cooked on the restaurant’s two large wood-burning grills, or delicious small plates at our favorite, the very comfortable Wine Bar by a.o.c.
On non-show nights our first choice is Jon & Vinny’s Italian, Fairfax. This extremely popular, casual restaurant serves incredibly delicious pasta, pizzas, salads and desserts. Booking ahead is essential because this place is small and gets very busy.
Other options which are not too far away include:
Republique: Casual bistro with extensive menu highlighting California cuisine with a French twist in a timeless and unique building.
Roosevelt Hotel: Amazing lunch menu and perfect for people-watching.
Terroni: Classic Italian dishes and a variety of gourmet pizzas. And behind its blue bookcase is a library of wine housing over 1,000 Italian varietals.
Pizzeria Mozza: Mario Batali’s casual Italian eatery.
Tao Los Angeles: Hollywood now has its own outpost of America's busiest restaurant, the clubby pan-asian Tao, set next to the new Dream Hotel on Selma Avenue. The stunning, cavernous dining room is modeled after the Downtown NYC location.
Mother Wolf: From the owner of Felix in Venice this Hollywood location brings the same Italian fare with a larger than life atmosphere.
Sycamore Kitchen: Our go-to for healthy lunch options. Sandwiches and salads highlighting the best ingredients that California offers.
Chinese Theater
Do
Besides the typical nearby tourist attractions, here are a few of our favorite things to do; and you may see a celebrity or two.
Hike Runyon Canyon: great hiking, with various degrees of difficulty depending upon the chosen route. The steep upward climbs are rewarded with glorious views of Hollywood, and Downtown LA in the distance.
Hike up into the Hollywood Hills towards the Hollywood Sign and walk around the Hollywood Reservoir.
Visit the Griffith Observatory in Griffith Park.
Take in a show at the Greek Theater, also in Griffith Park.
Metro to Downtown LA - See DWTN LA guide.
nearby destinations
