Hollywood- Hurray for Hollywood?
Written: Mar 14 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Walk of Stars, Mann's Chinese Theater Hand and Footprints
Cons: Too dirty, cluttered, and commercialized
The Bottom Line: I recommend Hollywood for the Walk of Stars and Handprints, but that's about it, everything else is cluttered and a waste.
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| ImAmes's Full Review: Hollywood |
Two weeks ago, I embarked on my first trip to CA ever. I told my Tour Guide/Friend, you can choose which one she was because she acted like both at times, that I would like to see what all the fuss was about in Hollywood. I expected to see glitz and glamour around every turn and corner, with exotic shops and maybe even a celebrity or two. What I found was NOT what I expected....
We arrived in Hollywood around 9 a.m., with the weather overcast and drizzling. As we grabbed the umbrellas and parkas, we headed first to the Griffith Observatory. Here you can see the Hollywood sign closer, and closer yet by using any of the coin operated binoculars. Inside you will learn about stars in the sky, and NOT the ones who are a size 0 and drive BMW's. It's free to get in, and I am sure on a sunny day it is a great place to see Hollywood from above.
Next it was time to hit Hollywood Boulevard. I was so excited that I constantly was making pit stops along the way until we got there. We parked in a very crummy looking lot, which made me nervous as to how it would look like at night! We were now 15 steps away from my first glimpse of the Walk of Stars. And then, right in front of me, there they were, my camera snapped away- even got my camcorder out! Yes, I was "such the tourist"- well, that's what I was!! I was proud to be a tourist, I wanted to taste and feel Hollywood in every sense, and I didn't even come close.
My friend decided that we should take one of the Hollywood bus Tours- yes, so incredibly cheesy, but I didn't have anything to lose except my precious $10. The tour was conducted on a small trolley and it took us by the firescape from Pretty Woman, the Sister Act Church, the Hollywood High School, the Celebrity Cemetary, Paramount Pictures, Raliegh Studios (Where Whose Line Is It Anyways is taped), the neighborhood where Leonardo DiCaprio grew up, the Junior High School where Judy Garland attended, Capitol Records Building, Sunset Blvd, and Hollywood and Vine. Oh, and I got to see lots of Psychics, Tattoo Parlors, and every T-Shirt shop you can think of. The tour was something to experience once, and stuff I learned that I didn't know, but all in all, you could have walked to everything we saw and more.
The highlight of my Hollywood experience would be the hand and footprints in front of Manns Chinese Theater. It was still drizzling, but I could have cared less-because in the distance, beyond several names and prints, I saw the one I came to see. I bent down, almost falling over from the weight of my backpack full of stuff, and placed my hand in the wet, cold cement hand of my Hero. I was touching Judy Garland's hands, and I was overcome with joy and rapture. I tried to imagine what it was like for her to put her hands and feet in there, how young and vibrant she was. I was Dorothy in our High School Wizard of Oz play, and this was my moment, to meet the greatest Dorothy that ever lived. I could have sat with my hands there for ever! After that, I placed my feet in Tom Hanks and Robin Williams- they both have big feet! I saw so many names and prints, that I must have spent a good hour staring at them all. The Theater itself is now a Movie Theater- which I guessed I was bummed about because I thought it was still something of a Broadway Show Type Theater- that's what time and money will do I guess. The prints and walk of stars were the only things that I couldn't find in my own back yard!
What Do I Mean? The famous Hollywood Blvd, to me, looked like the Wisconsin Dells! By that I mean that there is your Wax Museum, Ripley's Believe Or Not Place, tons of crappy stores, and the infamous McDonalds smack dab in the center of it all!
Hollywood looks dirty, cluttered, and so commercialized. The music and lights that I thought I would feel, see, was shoved aside due to too many Starbucks and Street Vendors. The Walk of Stars were so neat, but honestly, it's hard to see most of them because people are walking all over them, and when it rains, they are covered by mud and such that makes them unable to read at all.
If you are wanting to come out to Hollywood, I suggest not to bring your expectations with you. It's something neat to see once, and even Rodeo Drive is worth a walk to see all the expensive items that noone in their RIGHT mind could afford, but other than that, save your money and catch your own Wax Museum and McDonalds in your city.
Recommended:
No
Best Suited For: Singles
Best Time to Travel Here: Jun - Aug
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Epinions.com ID:
ImAmes
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 - Top 500 |
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Member: Amy Joy
Location: Midwest
Reviews written: 174
Trusted by: 215 members
About Me:
Love cures people- both the ones who give it and those who recieve it.
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