Between the cheap souvenir stands, the ever-changing array of chic-hopeful restaurants, and the hip lounges for the tats-and-wallet-chain brigade, Hollywood proper offers a number of low-watt delights. Feel the magic, eat the hot dogs, buy the panties, and so much more.
The Getty it ain't. Antebellum is a self-styled fine art fetish gallery that's also a cultural salon. Owner/artist Rick Castro hosts weekly gatherings for fringe art cognoscenti and changes exhibitions every six weeks. Past shows have included group-artist themes on Dia de Los Muertos, Modern Heretics, and the current Fools for Feet exhibit. If you like your cozy blended with kinky, look no further.
There are surplus stores, and there is the Supply Sergeant. Whether you’re browsing or buying, the Sarge has it all: From knives to camo gear to panties with “Anchor Aweigh” emblazoned on the stern, you’ll find it here. Everything but white flags, ‘cause America never surrenders!
The high-dollar steaks across the street at venerable Musso & Frank's aside, what culinary delicacy really captures the earthy, high-boiled energy of Hollywood Boulevard like a hot dog? And no one wrangles wieners like Skooby's, from the Garlic Lover's Dog to the what-a-way-to-go Cheddar Jack Fries-which can be ingested till 3 a.m., so they count as breakfast too. Bring the cash-it's the only currency they take!
How can you go wrong with a 66-year-old bar where you can bask in the 100-proof Hollywood lore as you suck down a stiff beverage? The food ain't bad either. If it was good enough for Bugsy Siegel, Jimmy Stewart, the Black Dahlia, it's good enough for you. Though the Bukowskian dive atmosphere has been gussied up in recent years, the bar still maintains a seductive darkness, an oasis of escape from all that lovely L.A. sunshine.
If you can’t be a player in H-wood, why not read about it? Edmunds claims, “The world’s largest collection of books and memorabilia on cinema and theater,” and they may not be kidding. Need original 8x10s from 1916’s The Prince of Graustark? Or a copy of The Holocaust in French Film? Larry’s got ‘em.
Sequestered among the generic T-shirt-cum-bong tourist trap emporiums is this 18-year-old import-themed shop crammed with…well, probably nothing you need but many things you want. “Antique”jewelry from Hong Kong, belly-dancing accessories from India, stuffed sea turtles from the Philippines. Copies of Playboy from the ‘50s, Vogue from the ‘70s. And a few bongs.
One of the last remaining brick-and-mortar magic shops in the country (thanks to the Internet), this establishment is a rare treat, and you don’t have to be Houdini to patronize the place. Staffed with magicians who gladly demonstrate their wares, the shop welcomes novices looking to astound bar-hound friends and pros looking for a Black and Decker to saw a lady in half. They also sell fake poop.
Add a comment