2 minute read
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.