Los Angeles: nice places and myths
Los Angeles condenses in one place the movie-icons that we metonymically associate with America. It competes with New York for the icons of the USA and is probably the most representative city on the West Coast.
On the wave of the enthusiasm generated by years of film culture, I couldn't wait to see the home of cinema, the icons of my beloved 1990s series and see the legendary Hollywood stars, the villas of Beverly Hills and the beaches of Santa Monica, in person.
Not everything in Los Angeles is as sparkling as it seems in the movies, and next to some truly unmissable icons, there are other disappointing realities.
HOLLYWOOD: BEHIND THE SCENES
I had got the idea to find elegant avenues paved with the famous pink Hollywood stars, among sumptuous cinemas and theatres. The landmark place in Los Angeles is actually a decadent series of partially abandoned buildings lining a dirty and unkempt boulevard.
Rough sidewalk pavements, and every now and then you run into some dusty tile containing a minor star. The streets are studded with shoddy souvenir shops, between one barred shop window and another, and the pink stars are shined only in the centre of the Walk Of Fame, where some newer buildings, mostly commercial galleries, are located. You'll find a few questionable Elwis or Marylin look-alikes on the street, but nothing more.
THE DREAM VILLAS OF BEVERLY HILLS
Only the characters of the famous namesake series are missing to crown this district, whose elegance goes beyond all expectations: elegant tree-lined avenues, sumptuous villas more or less hidden, tall palm trees towering above the elegant cars parked in the courtyards.
This neighborhood will exceed your expectations. You could waste hours driving around the tidy streets that run through it, and watching the hundreds of lux villas that will make your imagination travel, hidden behind large molded hedges and fountains gushing with marble cherubs.
THE ICONIC RODEO DRIVE
Shopping lovers could spend days here, better if with a full checkbook. Me too and my tiny budget and suitcase space, have found something to buy. It all seems a bit posh, but after all, this refined and perfect elegance is what makes Rodeo Drive the myth of shopping made in the USA.
Add a few luxury cars on the boulevards under the palm trees, some very elegant heiress with a butler carrying a stack of bowed hat boxes, elegant restaurants that will make you forget you're in the home of hamburgers, and you're done!
POP OVER TO SANTA MONICA
It is located on the outskirts of town, on the beach. The Santa Monica district is a beautiful place. There is the famous Pier, with the Ferris wheel and the confusing fair full of people, there are the baywatch turrets that follow one another on the endless beach, there are the athletes who train in skimpy clothes, all as you could imagine it. In addition, in the streets behind the beach, there are plenty of interesting shops and clubs, a niche shopping district and some good seafood restaurants.
VENICE, PRETTY BUT NOT UNMISSABLE
Yet another Venice with houses on the canals. You will find some picturesque views, and it's nice that you can walk next to the houses on the small lagoon to browse the courtyards. But beyond that there's just a few faded, decadent neighborhoods. You can drop in to satisfy your curiosity, if you are around, maybe continuing with a long walk from Santa Monica, but you can avoid an ad hoc trip.
AND THE ICONIC HOLLYWOOD SIGN?
We too, intrigued by this symbol, made a detour towards the hill on which the famous giant inscription stands. But don't expect more than a few dusty parking lots, a dirt road that is not too scenic, and the famous sign that stands out on a barren hill and pales in front of the imposing telephone and television antennas that tower over the top.
This content is NOT SPONSORED, but based on my genuine personal experience. Spontaneous opinions, positive and negative, shareable or not, that I hope will help to live better travel experiences. My advice is a guide to lead you through world explorations, but the real journey, you build it!
