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Text and photos detailing the hottest nightclubs, bars, celebrithy spots lounges and casual bars.
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Hollywood Nightlife and Tourist
Guide!
It is home to celebrities, fancy lounges with exclusive VIP areas and velvet ropes. But do the hip really hang in Hollywood? Oh yeah! Hollywood is the home to the mega dance clubs of L.A. The famous Hollywood club scene is thriving. Hollywood is home to L.A.'s mega dance clubs – if you want to dance in this town, Hollywoos is the place to do it – but also many long-standing little haunts located in the back alleys of main streets with no names on the door. Hollywood bars are happening almost all nights of the week, though they peak Thursdays thru Sundays. One of the best things about Hollywood is that its resurgence has created a cluster of bars, so walking from one to another makes it more like New York than car-dependent L.A.
About Hollywood From a tourist standpoint, there's the Walk of Fame, the footprints at Mann's Chinese Theater and a beautiful shopping and entertainment complex known as Hollywood and Highland. Located at the intersection of those two streets, Hollywood and Highland is also home of the Kodak Theater. which is venue for the Academy Awards ceremony. That event, the "Biggest Night in Hollywood," is Sunday. And yes, it's possible to "attend" the Oscars as an outside spectator. .It just takes a while if one wants to be in the grandstands for the arrival of the starts on the red carpet. Here's our Viewing Guide. to the Academy Awards. The weather for the Red Carpet may be a bit cool, but it's sunny and clear on Oscars Sunday.
And for more on Hollywood's attractions, click here, for this article focuses on the area's vibrant nightlife.Places like Hollywood and Highland have helped create a resurgence in Hollwood nightlife and, unlike many places in L.A., it's possible to walk from one venue to another. It's those velvet ropes that present the biggest challenge to mobility. But not every place requires a certain "look" (or a quck-draw wallet). There are some fun lounges and bars in Hollywood and we'll start with those before moving to the clubs. Pubs/Lounges [MAP for Hollywood & Highland]
There are bars, and then there are b-a-r-s. This section is a taste of old L.A., places that have been around for years and won't be gone in a month when the trendy crowd moves to the next hip location. Locals, celebrities, movie executives and everyday people come here for good music, live bands or just to have a few drinks. The Room houses some of L.A.'s best music. The long, narrow,
dark bar features up-and-coming deejays playing to an all-everything
crowd, which includes up-and-coming actors and models. If you like music,
this is a good place to find it. On Tuesdays, it's THE place to be in
Hollywood. Like many great bars, The Room is difficult to find. It's
on Cahuenga between Selma and Hollywood behind a blue building with
an orange awning; go around the back and look for the doorman. It's across the street from The Burgundy Room, another good bar,
cool music with a cool crowd (cash only). A close walk away is Opium
Den, a rock bar for young alterna-rockers. The tiny stage area gets
packed and Mondays are especially cranking with local radio station KROQ's
"Zeke's Backyard" night. Goldfingers, one of L.A.'s most interesting haunts, is unfortunately
gone, replaced by a red, posh "new Hollywood" place called the
Red Buddah Lounge. We'll see. Looking for a good bartender? Daddy's has among the best in
town. They are friendly and know how to mix the prefect drink. Daddy's
has a strong reputation as a pick-up bar. The Frolic Room (Hollywood and Vine) is a very local bar that
gets going late, after 11, after the Pantages Theater next door show
is over. Frolic's main architectural feature is a wallpaper mural of
old-time Hollywood stars. On a different scale, the Pig 'N Whistle is a restaurant that
turns into a bar at night. It has different themes on different nights
and is operated by the owners of the celebrity-favorite Sunset Room. For
example, it turns into the Nubar some nights, a cool martini bar
with a mostly younger crowd. Not to be confused with the Pig 'N Whistle
is the Cat 'N Fiddle, reputed to be a Rolling Stones fav. Any surprise
it's a British pub? It has a dart room, a dining room and a patio. Laid-back
locals love the place. To drink, try the Snake Bite. Not a lot of femms
go there, though. Merix (located in nearby West Hollywood, on Santa Monica east
of La Ciegena) is mostly gay, but has a wide variety of fruit margaritas
(kiwi, mango, etc.). It's absolutely impossible to get into on Sundays
after the noon hour, a tribute to its tasty frozen concoctions If it's Monday, check out Les Deuz Cafe, a French bistro which
has a bit of a scene that night. It's also reputed to be a hideaway
for Hollywood stars (Sharon Stone, Jerry Seinfield, Cameron Diaz, Lenny
Kravitz...). Bars Want to see a celebrity? Or at least mingle where they mingle? Hollywood is home to several upscale bars that attract celebrities,directors and producers, movers and shakers, and more "ordinary" folks who like a good drink and a good time. Most mix dancing with comfortable bar seating. One of the best bars in Hollywood for the "average" person
is Lucky Strike Lanes. It's not a chore to get in and people
actually talk to someone who's not in their own crowd. It's a beautiful
bowling alley and bar – this is becoming big in L.A. – in
the Hollywood & Highland complex. An upscale choice of the past, the Sunset Room, is being remodeled and
will reopen at Caabana Club. Forty Deuce. At the latter it's tease
without the sleeze, not a strip show but a show. One trend seems to be naming places after the street address. Thus,
welcome to town 1650. This classy dance club and bar is one of
THE places to be in town. Formerly known as Vinyl, it's new and hip.
The Beauty Bar is a hair salon converted into a bar. It's quirky,which
is fitting, because so is the crowd. It's more of a novelty, less than
great for mingling with strangers. Clubs
The heartbeat of Hollywood's nightlife are its dance clubs. There are more here than there are stars on the Walk of Fame (or so it seems). And even more are on the way. Vanguard brings it with cool DJs, go-go girls on a catwalk and
enough dance floor space to fit in the relaxed but energetic crowd, which
ranges mainly from 25s-early 30s. There's an outdoor tropical-style patio
in the back for VIP service, but this place is really just a pure dance
club with few distractions. In the heartbeat of Hollywood Blvd., are two so-called "hotspots," Mood and Geisha House. Mood's mood is Indonesian has go-go dancers in panties and t-shirts and theme nights put on my various promotors. A-list parties are on Wednesdays, Asians are attracted to Thursdays, Top 40 on Fridays,, celeb and VIP-seeking Saturadys and R&B on Sundays. (6623 Hollywood Blvd,, 323- 464-6663)
Geisha House is a sushi-and-more restaurant with a lively bar scene. It has two bars surrounded by a cool dining atmosphere. Go upstairs to that bar, which often features PubClub friend Jennifer mixing up some master house drinks. (6633 Hollywood Blvd, 323-460-6300).
The Ivar is a restaurant/bar/club with an industrial look and
feel and a hot-looking crowd. Most of the peo;e are standing outside
but o get in, get there by 9 or at least 9:30. If you get stuck, the
pizza place next door has pretty good social action. CineSpace is an upscale restaurant, bar and screening
room showing movie classics. The front bar is for the scene, the screening
room for couples and diners. Movies – think dinner and a flick –
start at 7:30 with the DJ coming on at about 10. CineSpace is located
upstairs in the same building as Ivar.
Those curious about the "get down and dirty" Crush Bar – a
local legend with 70s and 80s music – will be disappointed to learn
it is closed. In its place now is White Lotus, an Asian-themed
bar and restaurant brought to Hollywood by the Sunset Room and Pig 'N
Whistle owner.It has two dance floors, a patio and VIP area (of course).
In grand Hollywood tradition, it opened to celebrity-filled fanfare.Like
many places here, go for dinner to avoid the huge lines that form later. Celebrities are flying into LAX, an airplane-themed club with three bars and two outdoor smoking patios. It hosts many private events for celebrities an on "regular" nights, it's advisable to go early. (1714 N Las Palmas, 323-464-017). The Palace has re-opened as Avalon and is open for now
only on Fridays for a New York-style disco (starts 10 p.m.).It's huge
buildingis full of history for theater, TV shows (Jerry Lewis, Merv Griffin
among others) and bands. On the top of Avalon is Spider Club, which
has a smokin' good-looking crowd. It's almost twin VIP rooms, each with
a DJ and dance floor and bar; one is more intimate and the other is larger. For the trendy-seeking, Xes (sex spelled backward and pronounced
"excess") has go-go dancers on poles and shows videos of girls
in bikinis smashing bugs and such which, for some reason we're not quite
capable of comprehending, is all the rage for some folks. Tuesdays are
hosted by an adult film company, Wednesdays are 80s, Thursdays are Top
40 dance and weekends are for it all (call ahead).
Club Circus and the Arena is a gay and bisexual club
with three dance floors, heavy on Latin music and features guest DJs.
Actually they are two clubs located right next to each other. On Fridays,
though, a promotion called Red at Arena draws in a huge mostly
Asian straight crowd of post-rave progressive house and trance featuring
local DJs. Cover is $20, or $10 before 10 p.m. (323) 692-3533. Club One Seven is an Under-21 dance club at Hollywood & Highland, open only on weekends, $20 cover. 6801 Hollywood Blvd. (323) 462-4172. Take a walk on the wild side: Cinematic is an S&M club in
West Hollywood. Located two blocks West of Fairfax on Santa Monica Blvd.,
the building rotates themes each night. Saturday is S&M night which,
for those not eager to participate, makes for great people-watching.
Or, you can check out Deep where sex is definitely in the air.
In fact, the owner was quoted in a local publication as saying his club
"pushes the envelope in terms of sexuality, decadence, voyeurism."
Male and female dancers perform R-rated shows to encourage the sexuality,
decadence and voyeurism of the patrons. After Hours For those who would rather schmooze than lose another bar opportunity,
At the Factory has after-hours activity on Saturdays. It's a
mix of people – straight, gays, black, white, Asians, you name
it – who dance to high-energy house music. It goes from 2:30 until
8 in the morning. Cover is $15-20.
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Garden
of Eden (LaBrea and Hollywood) is one of the trendy dance clubs. Owned
by the Mood creator, has a very picky doorman; girls will usually get
in within 15-20 minutes while it guys can wait more than hour. If they
are admitted at all. Wear black and be patient! Once inside, it's a young
crowd, mainly 21-25, each of whom paid $15-25 for entrance. 
The
Highlands is a fairly new club that gained immediate success. Located
on the fourth and fifth floor of Hollywood & Highland, it has four
decks and has hosted movie premier parties and other VIP events. 
On
the edge of town is a dance club with a Latin flair, the Rhumba Room.
Wade your way through the high schoolers at Universal's City Walk
on a Friday night to this packed and fun bar. Start with dinner and drinks
at TuTu Tango Cafe.