We hope you have enjoyed our post on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter as well as the Top Things to do at Universal Studios …
Tips to Save Time at Universal Studios Hollywood!
hollywood
Top 5 Things to do at Universal Studios Hollywood!
Among the tier 1 amusement parks in the world, Universal Studios Hollywood definitely ranks high up in the list. Not only does it feature new …
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Universal Studios Hollywood!
After the opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter @ Universal Studios Orlando, Universal Studios decided that it’s time to open one in the …
Things to do, Places of Interest and Attractions in Los Angeles California
There are so many things to do and attractions in Los Angeles California! Let’s find out what are the things to do right here in LA! If you have been following our posts, we did mention that we sneaked a short tour out of Las Vegas to visit Los Angeles California!
For a Singaporean, it is not common to see deserts or mountain ranges. So it was really a different experience as we rode across the desert terrain…
The distance from Las Vegas to Los Angeles was about 400km and it took us about 3 hours or so to reach there. Hmm, just a thought…wonder how long it would take for people to shift stuff from your house from Vegas to LA and vice versa…
Santa Monica
Our first stop in California is Santa Monica! Kate and I (well…mostly Kate) wanted very much to visit Santa Monica because of the many many times this venue has been featured in movies and partly because of the Savage Garden song of the same name. The following should be some familiar views of the Santa Monica Pier…
There, we had a romantic walk down the beach and of course along the Santa Monica Pier and to see the iconic ferris wheel. To end the day, we enjoyed the sunset along with corn dogs (excellent creation btw) and drinks…
Hollywood Sign
The following day, we set out to see the famous Hollywood Sign. We did some research on our own and found out that great views could be seen from Mulholland Drive.
From this picture, it seems a little small. This is mainly due to our not so professional camera (any sponsors out there?) However, with the naked eye, the view was breath-taking. There was also excellent views of the LA city skyline…
Hollywood Boulevard
Since we were at Hollywood, the most famous street there has got to be Hollywood Boulevard. There we visited the famous Kodak Theatre where we had a good view of the Hollywood sign as well. The Kodak Theatre is also home to the Oscars as well as the American Idol…
The nearby Grauman’s Chinese Theatre is also a famous tourist attraction not only because it is a prime venue for Hollywood movie premieres but also of its tradition of imprinting the hands and feets of celebrities at its fore court.
We also managed to catch a glimpse of some B list celebrities (Basically those whom you know are celebrities as you have seen them in movies but cant really pin point there names because they just played that odd role in the movie you’ve watched. ) at the movie premiere of Going the Distance (starring Justin Long and Drew Barrymore). Nope, we did not see either of the stars but we did see many limousines picking up well dressed people (directors, producers and rich people we reckon) and of course screaming fans.
Walking along the Hollywood Walk of Fame, we managed to also identify familiar stars of our favourite celebrities. Here we found out that celebrities were classified according to the 5 categories namely; Movies,TV,Radio,Theatre and Music
There are also other sights that you ought to catch when you’re here in Hollywood…
Where the rich and famous live. This district was made famous by a TV series of the same name Beverly Hills 90210
A great hangout place to just chill and enjoy the sunset.
Luxury brands can be found here. Though many shopping belts like Oxford Street, Champs Elysees and even Orchard Road carry these luxury brand names, Rodeo Drive offers a classy feel and even a hope of a glimpse of celebrities!
Los Angeles California
Kate then planned a walking tour of Los Angeles city. I just told her that we have got to visit the Staples Centre, the rest was up to her.
First, we visited Chinatown
Passing by a cantonese dim sum shop, we dropped by to have some egg tarts and char siew bao. They tasted nice, but in a different way.
A short walk away was the famous Philippe Original French Dipped Sandwich which we saw from Man vs Food on Travel Channel. We had to try it not only because it was recommended on MVF, but also because we had tried another version at Di Nic’s @ Reading Terminal Philadelphia.
After the food tasting, we pronounced Di Nic’s the winner. The sandwich from Philippe was quite tough even after the dip. The roast was also not as tasty as that of Di Nic’s as well.
Next begun our city tour!
We also armed ourselves with Starbucks coffee which tasted really good at an affordable price as well (slightly less than 3 bucks a cuppa)
We then arrived at the Staples Center…
We were at the home of the LA Lakers! (think Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson).
At the souvenir shop, we realised that the Staples Center was home to 4 teams – the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers, the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks!
We also popped by the Grand Central Market
and Little Tokyo…
When you see this tower, you know that you are at Little Tokyo. Here, you’ve got to try some Japanese food. We had a salad, the Char Su Ramen (Extra Large at 9.7USD) as well as the Pork Curry Rice at 8.20USD. The servings were huge and the taste was great! The Char Su was full of flavour and had a succulent texture to it! Yum!
We also had a nice stroll through the Mexican Market at Olvera Street where you would see mexican souvenirs, small guitars and traditional costumes. The walk through was shaded and had some lanes that you can visit and explore as well…
Nearby was the Union Station
Verdict
There are so many things to do, places of interest as well as attractions in California. The city of Los Angeles can provide nice walking tours while Hollywood exudes a different class of its own.
Be it the beach, the high life or the city, Los Angeles certainly makes a great visit for tourists and locals alike!
P.S. Did you know that Los Angeles means “The Angels” which is why the city has also a nickname of “The city of Angels”
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Footprints, Handprints and Signatures at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre Hollywood!
The Grauman’s Chinese Theatre was built in 1927 and resides along Hollywood Boulevard. It is actually a movie theatre and today still holds premiere for many of Hollywood’s most anticipated movies!
The Grauman’s Chinese Theatre was built by none other than Sid Grauman. He is also credited with the building of the Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre just further down the road.
The reason why the Chinese Theatre is alot of more famous and popular than its Egyptian counterpart is not only because of its uniquely classy traditional Chinese structure, but also because its fore court is home to the various handprints, footprints and signatures of artistes and celebrities.
Famous characters such as Donald Duck also got their chance to leave their mark at the fore court of the Chinese Theatre. This means that now, not only real life celebrities get to imprint their mark on the fore court of the Chinese Theatre, as long as your’re famous, you might have the chance to do so! *The Kind of Pop, Michael Jackson will also be immortalised on 26 Jan 2012.
At the fore court of the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, there is usually a HUGE crowd gathered there. Most are trying to take a photo with the imprints of their favourite celebrities while others are on tours of the Chinese Theatre, listening intently to the stories of their tour guides.
There are several stories as to how this tradition of immortalising handprints/footprints/signatures of celebrities/famous people started. The more common one often refer to a female celebrity who happened to step on the cement of the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre during construction. Sid Grauman thought that this was a good idea for famous people to leave their mark, then started this tradition.
The other version says that Sid himself made the mark and started the tradition. Whatever the story, today, it is a well loved tourist attractions for fans and tourists alike to get “close” to their beloved celebrities.
The huge crowd also presented a problem for Kate as she went about to take the photos. People were everywhere! Hence, this Harry Potter imprint had other avid potter fans in it as well…
Besides trying to haunt and hound your favourite celebrities in Hollywood, you might like to try catching them at the movie premieres at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. An easy way to do so is to look up the dates of upcoming premieres at the Chinese Theatre’s website and be there really early to get a good spot. Premieres are usually star studded events and fans will not be disappointed.
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Kodak Theatre Hollywood : Home of the Oscars and American Idol
The Kodak Theatre is one of the largest live theatre in the USA. The theatre was designed by David Rockwell and since 2002 has been home to the Academy Awards aka the Oscars.
The Kodak Theatre is also home to the American Idol due to its ability to function at the highest level for live shows.
There are only a few things that we would like to point out about the Kodak Theatre, in addition to the fact that it is a venue for shows as well as a shopping mall.
1. The Kodak Theatre Elephant
The Kodak Theatre elephant is synonymous with the Kodak Theatre. The pair of elephants are so huge and tall that you simply cannot miss it as you see them stand guard over the fountains within…
2. Pillars inscribed with Best Pictures at the Academy Awards
Within the Kodak Theatre are pillars that are inscribed with the names of the Best Picture at the Oscars each year.
Notable winners (translates to films that we’ve watched and enjoyed) in recent times include Million Dollar Baby, Slumdog Millionaire as well as the King’s Speech.
3. Hollywood Walk of Fame
From the Highland Center as well as the Kodak Theatre, you can see the Hollywood Walk of Fame right beside it. There will be able to see “STARS” belonging to your favourite artiste and celebrities.
You’ll just have to take time to spot them…
So take time to enjoy this world famous destination, who knows, you might just bump into a celebrity or 2…
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Where is the best spot to see the Hollywood Sign – Mulholland Drive!
Ah…California…what does it remind you of?
The sun? The beach? The people? Or just the image of chilling with a drink while taking it slow?
Well…for many people, California is the state of the movie capital of the world! Hollywood! (Hollywood, California – Rings a bell right?)
And when you think about Hollywood, you would want to see the famous HOLLYWOOD sign!
Today, we are going to share with our readers, the best spot to see the Hollywood sign and that is Mulholland Drive!
Do a quick search on google and you will be able to find Mulholland Drive scenic point. Not only does this lookout point provide splendid views of the Hollywood sign, it also gives breath taking views of Downtown LA!
From Mulholland Drive, you can also have a clear and unobstructed view of the Hollywood Bowl…
The Hollywood Bowl is the largest natural amphitheater in the United States of America!
However, if you are one who just wants to have “been there done that”, the Kodak theatre also provides a good view of the Hollywood sign…
Other than that, the Griffith Park Observatory also has an excellent view from the right side of the Hollywood sign.
However, the recommendation from 2bearbear.com is that if you are able to, make a trip to Mulholland Drive and enjoy the scenic, breath taking view that Hollywood has to offer!
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