Los Angeles

When the outside world pictures Los Angeles, it often defaults to well-lit images of Beverly Hills: palm trees, 23 broad avenues, nice cars, snappy rich folk. Shopping Rodeo Drive is high-stakes fun, but locals avoid it. To store the best BH memories, visit during the holidays, when the decorations above Wilshire Boulevard beam their glitzy charm. And there’s one mental-health practitioner per 100 residents! If you’re just visiting, enjoy the town’s only freebie: two hours gratis in a public parking lot.

Landmarks

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences •
8949 Wilshire Blvd
310-247-3000
Brake for red carpets and klieg lights! Many premieres are held here.

• Beverly Hills Civic Center •
Santa Monica Blvd & N Rexford Dr
310-285-1000
Infrastructure for the rich and famous.

• The Beverly Hills Hotel • 9641 W Sunset Blvd
310-276-2251
Legends have stayed at the Pink Palace.

• Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire • 9500 Wilshire Blvd
310-275-5200
Pretty Woman stayed here.

• Greystone Mansion • 905 Loma Vista Dr
310-285-6830
Formerly the Doheny Mansion, now part of a lovely public park.

• Greystone Park • 905 Loma Vista Dr
310-285-6830
Amazing views of Beverly Hills at this public mansion estate. Luke and Laura got married here, and you can too.

• Paley Center for Media • 465 N Beverly Dr
310-786-1091
Where reruns of old sitcoms are considered art.

• Prada • 469 N Rodeo Dr
310-385-5959
Architect Rem Koolhaas gives BH something else to look at.

• The Witch’s House • 516 Walden Dr
Fairytale haunt straight out of Hansel and Gretel.

Nightlife

• Bar Noir • 140 S Lasky Dr
310-281-4000
Très petit hotel bar serves mondo martinis.

• Livello Lounge • 9291 Burton Way
310-278-3344
Sophisticated and elegant, the perfect spot for an intimate redezvous.

• Oliverio • 9400 W Olympic Blvd
310-407-7791
Mid-century modern poolside cocktails.

• Trader Vic’s • 9876 Wilshire Blvd
310-276-6345
Polynesian institution. Recently relocated.

Restaurants

• The Belvedere • 9882 Little Santa Monica Blvd
310-975-2736 • $$$$
Upscale hotel dining.

• The Blvd • 9500 Wilshire Blvd
310-275-5200 • $$$$
Pretty Woman in us all.

• Boa • 9200 W Sunset Blvd
310-278-2050 • $$$$
Steaks on the Sunset Strip.

• Bouchon Bistro • 235 N Canon Dr
310-271-9910 • $$$$$
Bev Hills stereotypes eating French classics.

• Brighton Coffee Shop • 9600 Brighton Way
310-276-7732 • $$
Comfort food.

• Café Talesai • 9198 W Olympic Blvd
310-271-9345 • $
Thai specialties with a twist.

• Crustacean • 9646 Little Santa Monica Blvd
310-205-8990 • $$$$
High-end Vietnamese.

• Da Pasquale • 9749 Little Santa Monica Blvd
310-859-3884 • $$$
Neighborhood Italian.

• The Farm of Beverly Hills • 439 N Beverly Dr
310-273-5578 • $$$
Yeehaw darlings! Farm-fresh salads and entrees.

• The Grill on the Alley • 9560 Dayton Way
310-276-0615 • $$$$
Hollywood power lunch spot.

• Le Pain Quotidien • 9630 S Santa Monica Blvd
310-859-1100 • $$
Classy French sandwich shop.

• Mastro’s Steakhouse • 246 N Canon Dr
310-888-8782 • $$$$$
Great steaks; don’t miss the upstairs piano bar.

• Mulberry Street Pizzeria • 240 S Beverly Dr
310-247-8100 • $$
Thin-crust pizza.

• Mulberry Street Pizzeria • 347 N Canon Dr
310-247-8998 • $$
Thin-crust pizza.

• Nate ‘n Al’s • 414 N Beverly Dr
310-274-0101 • $$
New York-style deli.

• Nic’s • 453 N Canon Dr
310-550-5707 • $$$$$
Oysters and martinis—need we say more?

• Oliverio • 9400 W Olympic Blvd
310-277-5221 • $$$$
Poolside cocktails . . . very LA.

• The Polo Lounge • 9641 W Sunset Blvd
310-887-2777 • $$$$$
The Grande Dame of hotel dining.

• Sprinkles Cupcakes • 9635 S Santa Monica Blvd
310-274-8765 • $
LA’s version of Magnolia bakery.

• Trader Vic’s • 9876 Wilshire Blvd
310-276-6345 • $$$$
Old-school Polynesian-themed restaurant; fruity drinks and fried appetizers.

• Xi’an • 362 N Canon Dr
310-275-3345 • $$$
Healthy and delicious Chinese in a BH atmosphere.

Rodeo Drive is a theme park, complete with sky-high price tags, throngs of tourists, and annoying parking. Rodeo is surprisingly not always a reliable place to gawk at the beau monde—you’re better off trying a restaurant like Bouchon. To get closer to earth, try Beverly Drive south of Wilshire—get lunch at The Farm and browse art books at Taschen.

Shopping

• Anthropologie • 211 S Beverly Dr
310-385-7390
Unique, super-feminine clothes and accessories. Goldmine clearance.

• Barney’s New York • 9570 Wilshire Blvd
310-276-4400
Upscale department store. It’s not shopping—it’s investing.

• The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills • 419 N Beverly Dr
310-278-2855
High-quality cheese, even better olives. Also wine counseling.

• Fritelli’s Doughnuts & Coffee • 350 N Canon Dr
310-276-1408
Fancy donuts in fancier digs.

• Gearys • 351 N Beverly Dr
310-273-4741
The place for wedding gifts and now wedding rings.

• Gucci • 347 N Rodeo Dr
310-278-3451
Ignore the imitations; this is the original.

• Mrs. Beasley’s • 255 S Beverly Dr
310-276-6516
How most Hollywood assistants’ holiday weight is gained.

• Neiman Marcus • 9700 Wilshire Blvd
310-550-5900
High-end department store.

• Prada Epicenter • 337 N Rodeo Dr
310-278-8661
The conceptual Rem Koolhaas-designed store.

• Ron Herman • 325 N Beverly Dr
310-550-0910
Home of the “Citizens of Humanity” jeans.

• Saks Fifth Avenue • 9600 Wilshire Blvd
310-275-4211
Chi-chi department store.

• Sprinkles Cupcakes • 9635 S Santa Monica Blvd
310-274-8765
Cupcakes with intimidating pedigree.

• TASCHEN • 354 N Beverly Dr
310-274-4300
For all your art and fetish needs.