By day, Century City bustles with corporate life. By night, it becomes a ghost town, unless you’re at the movie theater at Century City Mall. By contrast, with the exception of the Westwood Memorial Cemetery (final resting place for Marilyn Monroe and Natalie Wood), nearby Westwood is always humming with UCLA students, moviegoers, and Bruins fanatics. Consequently, street parking will test your patience and parallel parking abilities. For book enthusiasts, come to the LA Times Festival of Books at UCLA during April.

Landmarks

• Federal Building • Wilshire Blvd & S Sepulveda Blvd
Picketers of any and all causes seem magnetically drawn to this building.

• Fox Plaza • 2121 Avenue of the Stars
310-282-0047
Known to locals as “the Die Hard Building.” Surely we don’t have to explain.

• Hammer Museum • 10899 Wilshire Blvd
310-443-7000
Cutting-edge art museum with largely contemporary exhibits.

• Mormon Temple • 10777 Santa Monica Blvd
310-474-1549
Always one of the more festively-lit buildings at Christmastime.

• Playboy Mansion • 10236 Charing Cross Rd
We’d tell you all about it if only Hef would send us an invitation.

• Wadsworth Theater • 11000 Wilshire Blvd
310-479-3003
They offer free jazz concerts on the first Sunday of every month.

• Westwood Memorial Cemetery • 1218 Glendon Ave
310-272-2484
Marilyn Monroe and Natalie Wood are among the famous residents.

Nightlife

• The Cellar • 1880 Century Park E
310-277-1584
Some call it a dive; some call it Century City respite.

• Habibi Cafe • 923 Broxton Ave
310-824-2277
End your night disgusted and ripped-off at this notorious hookah spot.

• O’Hara’s • 1000 Gayley Ave
310-208-1942
Known by locals as “Maloney’s”; where the “blind grind” was conceived.

• Westwood Brew Co. • 1097 Glendon Ave
310-824-0820
Microbrewery with comedy upstairs.

• Whiskey Blue • 930 Hilgard Ave
310-443-8232
Modern, trendy hotel bar.

Restaurants

• 800 Degrees • 10889 Lindbrook Dr
310-443-1911 • $$
Made-to-order pizzas, and a burrata bar.

• Attari Sandwich Shop • 1388 Westwood Blvd
310-441-5488 • $
Persian-style sandwiches, plus kebab plates.

• The Bigg Chill • 10850 W Olympic Blvd
310-475-1070 • $
Best frozen yogurt in LA!

• Bread Bar • 10250 Santa Monica Blvd
310-277-3770 • $$
Excellent, fresh-baked breads, with a tasty assortment of sandwiches, soups and salads.

• Carvel Ice Cream • 11037 Santa Monica Blvd
310-444-0011 • $
East Coast ice cream institution.

• Chalet Edelweiss • 8740 S Sepulveda Blvd
310-645-8740 • $$
Our version of exotic: meat and potatoes.

• Clementine • 1751 Ensley Ave
310-552-1080 • $$
True American cuisine with a modern flair.

• Diddy Riese Cookies • 926 Broxton Ave
310-208-0448 • $
25¢ cookies and ice cream sandwiches.

• Elysee Bakery & Cafe • 1099 Gayley Ave
310-208-6505 • $$
Decent cafe with bonus points for outside seating.

• Falafel King • 1059 Broxton Ave
310-208-4444 • $
Fast-food Middle Eastern.

• Feast from the East • 1949 Westwood Blvd
310-475-0400 • $
Cheap, fast, and tasty.

• fundamental LA • 1303 Westwood Blvd
310-444-7581 • $$
Farm-to-table, but thoroughly refined.

• Hoboken • 2323 Westwood Blvd
310-474-1109 • $$
Southern Italian fare with a Jersey flair?

• In-N-Out Burger • 922 Gayley Ave
800-786-1000 • $
Top California burger joint.

• Johnnie’s NY Pizzeria • 10251 Santa Monica Blvd
310-553-1188 • $$
New York-style pizza.

• La Bruschetta • 1621 Westwood Blvd
310-477-1052 • $$$$
Classic Italian. Their bruschetta is delicious.

• Lamonicas • 1066 Gayley Ave
310-208-8671 • $
Excellent thin crust pizza by the slice. Boasts dough imported from NY!

• Matteo’s Restaurant • 2321 Westwood Blvd
310-475-4521 • $$$
Where Sinatra would get pasta in LA.

• Mr. Noodle • 936 Broxton Ave
310-208-7808 • $
The Baja Fresh of Thai noodles.

• Napa Valley Grille • 1100 Glendon Ave
310-824-3322 • $$$$
Upscale dining.

• Ramayani • 1777 Westwood Blvd
310-477-3315 • $
Incredibly slow service for incredibly delicious Indonesian food.

• Stan’s Donuts • 10948 Weyburn Ave
310-208-8660 • $
Try a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup donut.

• Tommy Taco • 970 Gayley Ave
310-824-4114 • $
”Buck Fifties,” great taco stand, even if you’re not drunk.

Not a college town but a reasonable facsimile thereof, Westwood’s student population feeds on the cheap, undeniably delicious In N’ Out, Diddy Riese Cookies (fresh from the oven), and Falafel King (extra baba ganoush, please). For the classic Westwood experience, see a movie here on opening night—people get psyched.

Shopping

• Bristol Farms • 1515 Westwood Blvd
310-481-0100
Upscale grocery. Newest and biggest of its kind.

• Cost Plus World Market • 10860 Santa Monica Blvd
310-441-5115
An “everything” superstore.

• Paris Bakery • 1448 Westwood Blvd
310-474-8888
Great French pastries, breads, and croissants.

• Writer’s Store • 3510 W Magnolia Blvd
310-441-5151
Seminars, books, and computer software for writing.