Beverly Hills

STARS, 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 possesses 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 offer on-trend shopping and dining, frequented by 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 moviestar mansion-building in the hills north of Sunset Boulevard. The triumvirate of Beverly Hills, Holmby Hills, and BelAir 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 such as TAGS in the

Golden Triangle, which consists of Rodeo Drive (the crown jewel of the shopping district) bounded by Santa Monica and Wilshire boulevards and Canon Drive. Ascend the cobblestone street of Two Rodeo to visit parfumerie Henry Jacques and Winn Slavin Fine Art

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 in the area, which makes it easy to rub shoulders with power lunchers and their famous clients dining at nearby Spago, Wolfgang Puck’s legendary restaurant. Enjoy cultural offerings at The Wallis

Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, an entertainment venue in what formerly was the Beverly Hills Post Office.

Century City

West on Santa Monica Boulevard is modern acropolis Century City, home to talent agencies

ICM and Creative Artists Agency as well as 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 Eataly. Nearby on Constellation Boulevard, epicures are drawn to Hinoki & the Bird, Tom Colicchio’s Craft, and Lumiere at the Fairmont Century Plaza. Across the street, Clementine, a popular spot during lunch, serves farm fresh salads and sandwiches.

Culver City

Culver City has a thriving downtown with trendy bars and restaurants. Near the intersection of Washington and National boulevards—a handy stop on the Metro Expo Line—is the hip Platform lifestyle and shopping complex. 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, where classics such as Singin’ in the Rain and The Wizard of Oz were filmed. Today it is home to Sony Pictures Studios, where Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! are taped. Experience Culver City’s screen heritage on a Sony Pictures Studio Tour.

Santa Monica

THE COASTAL CITY THAT NEIGHBORS MALIBU, VENICE, PACIFIC PALISADES, AND BRENTWOOD

In the 1800s, orator Tom Fitch called Santa Monica “the Zenith City by the Sunset Sea.” The 21st-century version of Santa Monica fulfills its early promise with a bustling downtown and beach that attract millions of visitors each year. Pacific Coast Highway connects SaMo with elite coastal draws Malibu and Pacific Palisades. Venice and its main drag Abbot Kinney Boulevard attracts an eclectic crowd; upscale Brentwood is home to the Getty Center and numerous A-listers.

Santa Monica

Third Street Promenade, three pedestrian-only blocks on 3rd Street between Broadway and Wilshire Boulevard, teems with visitors browsing dozens of shops, including H&M and Anthropologie, and gawking at the myriad street artists.

The Promenade is lined with all manner of eateries, as do the surrounding streets, with versatile dining experiences such as cozy pub Ye Olde King’s Head as well as Michelin-starred siblings Rustic Canyon for small plates and Cassia for Asian fusion.

Anchoring the Promenade at Broadway is Santa Monica Place, an open-air shopping center with Nordstrom, 80 boutiques, and a top-level Dining Deck. Steps away is the western terminus of the Metro Expo Line, which connects Santa Monica by light rail to downtown Los Angeles.

Santa Monica Pier, built in 1909, is at the end of Colorado Avenue and features Pacific Park, a mini amusement park with food stands and rides. Take a ride on the Pacific Wheel, a solar-powered and LED-lit Ferris wheel.

Malibu

A few miles north of Santa Monica along Pacific Coast Highway is Malibu. Many of the city’s best destinations are visible from PCH, including renowned restaurants with ocean views, notably the casual Malibu Seafood and the upscale Nobu

Malibu. Celebrity-frequented Malibu Country Mart serves as the area’s town square; its Lucky’s steakhouse is new. Adjacent Malibu Village and Malibu Lumber Yard offer plenty more shops and restaurants.

Pacific Palisades

There’s more than what initially meets the eye in seemingly sleepy Pacific Palisades. Palisades Village—from the developer of The Grove and the Americana at Brand—has more than 40 boutiques. The Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine on Sunset Boulevard is a 10-acre oasis with a koiand swan-filled lake. The area’s crown jewel is the Getty Villa, inspired by a Julius Caesar–era villa and dedicated to the study of the art and cultures of ancient Greece and Rome.

Venice

In the early 1900s, Abbot Kinney developed Venice as an American version of the Italian city; the canals in his version are now lined with multimillion-dollar residences. His namesake Abbot Kinney Boulevard is Venice’s coolest street, with restaurants such as Gjelina and distinctive boutiques that make for an altogether entertaining stroll. Ocean Front Walk is often populated by street performers, vendors, and Muscle Beach bodybuilders.

Brentwood

Marilyn Monroe once called this affluent enclave northeast of Santa Monica home; it remains a favorite celebrity stomping ground. San Vicente Boulevard functions as the neighborhood’s main street, with independent shops, bakeries, cafés, and restaurants. The Brentwood Country Mart, an open-air shopping center, offers upscale retail. The architecturally stunning Getty Center is a hilltop museum worth a visit.