Beverly Hills

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Beverly Hills

STARS AND STELLAR SHOPPING AND DINING HAPPENING IN CULVER CITY AND CENTURY CITY

It’s only 5 square miles, but Beverly Hills looms large in pop culture. The posh locale is home to some of the priciest properties in L.A. County and boasts the country’s most recognizable ZIP code. Rodeo Drive, perhaps the world’s most famous shopping street, offers virtually every luxury fashion brand. Nearby Century City and Culver City boast on-trend shopping and dining and entertainment industry heavy hitters.

THE MANSIONS

Beverly Hills’ glamorous reputation dates back to the early 20th century, when the opening of the Beverly Hills Hotel ushered in a frenzy of movie-star mansionbuilding in the hills north of Sunset Boulevard. The triumvirate of Beverly Hills, Holmby Hills and Bel-Air still attracts famous and fabulously wealthy residents. Hop on the Beverly Hills Trolley Tour or book with Starline Tours to see notable homes in the area and other local landmarks.

RODEO DRIVE + GOLDEN TRIANGLE

Find Louis Vuitton, Gearys, and other highend designer boutiques in the Golden Triangle. Rodeo Drive is the crown jewel of the shopping district bounded by Santa Monica and Wilshire boulevards and Canon Drive. Ascend a cobblestone street to parfumerie Henry Jacques and fine-art Galerie Michael at Two Rodeo.

THE INDUSTRY + THE ARTS

Beverly Hills isn’t all shopping and gated estates: Talent agencies William Morris Endeavor and United Talent Agency are just two of its entertainment businesses; rub shoulders with the power-lunchers at Wolfgang Puck’s legendary Spago. Enjoy cultural offerings at The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts which transformed the Beverly Hills Post Office into an entertainment venue.

CENTURY CITY

West on Santa Monica Boulevard is modern acropolis Century City, home to ICM Partners, Creative Artists Agency and Fox Studios. Past Avenue of the Stars is Westfield Century City, an upscale open-air center with more than 175 stores including Tiffany & Co., Nordstrom, and Rodd & Gunn for men as well as an AMC multiplex, Din Tai Fung restaurant and Italian marketplace Eataly. Nearby on Constellation Boulevard, epicures are also drawn to Hinoki & the Bird, Tom Colicchio’s Craft, and Lumiere at Fairmont Century Plaza. Across the street, Clementine serves artisanal salads, sandwiches, and freshly-baked pastries —perfect for a casual lunch date.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Dish at Vespertine; Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts; House of Bijan on Rodeo Drive. OPPOSITE: Via Rodeo

CULVER CITY

Culver City boasts a thriving downtown with trendy bars and restaurants. Near the intersection of Washington and National boulevards is the hip Platform lifestyle complex, plus a handy stop on the Metro Expo Line. To the east, the Hayden Tract boasts chef Jordan Kahn’s acclaimed “gastronomical experiment” Vespertine.

Culver City’s city seal proclaims it “the Heart of Screenland.” In 1915, Ince/Triangle Studios opened on Washington Boulevard; in 1924, the site became MGM Studios. Classics including Singin’ in the Rain and The Wizard of Oz would be filmed on its movie lots. Today, it is home to Sony Pictures Studios, where such hits as Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! are taped. Experience Culver City’s screen heritage on a Sony Pictures Studio Tour.