Rodeo Drive

Pros: a weekend you'll never forget
Cons: some tourist factor

So you’ve got two days in a weekend and you want to spend all 48 hours of it with your darling sweetie. Not only that but you want it to be special, you want them staggering into work on Monday glowing and announcing grandly "You’ll never...

Pros: Lots of bars, less drinking, more camaraderie
Cons: not recommended for children

Got a big group of friends, need to entertain them all, cater to everyone's tastes and not spend too much money? Try a good old fashioned pub crawl. Instead of meeting at the same old watering hole, find a decent area with a number of great bars and...

Pros: Fun late night eats
Cons: What could be con about that?

Nightclubs close early in Los Angeles. We’re decadent but we’ve got an early bedtime. Maybe it’s to keep the aspiring starlets from ruining their skin too young, maybe club owners are lazy. I don’t know why, I only know that 1:45 is too early...

Pros: Window shop the latest international fashion trends in three blocks.
Cons: Average price not available, with prices that begin above average and escalate.

RODEO DRIVE – THE STREET AND THE SHOPSRodeo Drive is probably the most internationally acclaimed street in Beverly Hills and one of the most famous in the world.  Having reached icon status like the Champs Elysées in ...

Pros: Amazing selection of stores, people-watching
Cons: Represents the excessively image-conscious nature of stereotypical Angelenos

Sleek black sunglasses, a perfectly made-up face (with the hottest new lipstick color), hair tousled "just so," and, of course, the clingy yet tasteful outfit with the expensive little clutch purse and matching strappy slides--all checked, so...

Pros: A guaranteed star studded event
Cons: Watch were you step :)

Where would be the last place you would go to see LA's most famous? If you said animal hospital, you your wrong! I lived in LA for thirteen years, five of which I worked in a West, LA animal hospital. Never have I seen so many celebrities. At any given...

Pros: Some of the most beautiful real estate in the world
Cons: Some of the ugliest real estate in the world

To see the beauty that is Los Angeles is simple. Go west on the 10 freeway until it turns into Pacific Coast Highway. Take Pacific Coast highway up the coast, as the sun is setting and the golden light reflects against the waves. When you get to Los...

Pros: Celebrities abound!
Cons: Celebrities abound!

Okay... here it is... the tried and true hot spots where the rich and famous wine and dine. These places are favorites of the people we love to watch. You may have a hard time getting a reservation, but chances are you will see someone who will make...

Pros: You can tell all the folks in Osh Kosh that you are a big shot!
Cons: Cheese, cheese and more cheese.

You are in LA... you want to feel like you are in the know, one of the hip, on the guest list, etc. These are places owned by celebrities, so tourists can go there and say "I went to Johnny (Depp)'s place" when they get back home. The locals...

Pros: lovely setting and stuff
Cons: the beds are sorry.

The Universal Sheraton Hotel in Universal City California just provided me a lovely stay.. for the MOST part.

The staff couldn't have been more charming, lovely and helpful. Cabs came quickly, questions answered in detailed, helpful ways and...

Pros: Fancy, gorgeous hotels with a clientele to match!
Cons: Big-time pricey!

If you are staying in LA and want that movie-star treatment, these are the places to hang your hat!

A few tips...

First, tip well! You will quickly get a reputation as a high roller and a savvy traveller if you slip your bellhop a...

Pros: Beautiful, movie-star fun!
Cons: Can be hard to get in...

Anyone who loved the movie Swingers comes to Los Angeles with a different appreciation of the city of glitz and glamour. You can ignore the filth and slime and focus on the old world charm of some of the city's older (in appearance, at least) style...

Pros: Great place to spend the afternoon by shopping, eating and people watching.
Cons: Stores are nice inside, but don't have an elegant upscale appearance from the outside.

If you love to shop and money is no object, then Rodeo Drive is the place for you. I found there to be a variety of shops but a limited selection of merchandise. I enjoyed browsing around several stores but felt very uneasy in several places, where you could tell the employees were not happy with all the tourists. I was on Rodeo Drive recently when all of the construction was going on and found this to be very hectic. There are several great places to eat while you shop and this is where the people watching comes into the picture. I found people watching to be really enjoyable. Rodeo Drive is one of those very expensive places you can be entertained without spending much money.