Frommer's Irreverent Guide to Los Angeles (Irreverent Guides)

258 Pages·2005·25.52 MB·English

by  Jeff Spurrier

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s
e
e l
g u i d e t o A n g

s
o
L
4 t h E d i t i o n
By
Jeff Spurrier
with
Charchi Stinson
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s
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g u i d e t o A n g

s
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s
e
e l
g u i d e t o A n g

s
o
L
4 t h E d i t i o n
By
Jeff Spurrier
with
Charchi Stinson
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other titles in the
IRREVERENT GUIDE
series
Irreverent Amsterdam
Irreverent Boston
Irreverent Chicago
Irreverent Las Vegas
Irreverent London
Irreverent Manhattan
Irreverent New Orleans
Irreverent Paris
Irreverent Rome
Irreverent San Francisco
Irreverent Seattle & Portland
Irreverent Vancouver
Irreverent Walt Disney World®
Irreverent Washington, D.C.
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About the Authors
Jeff Spurrieris based in LA and lives part of the year in Mexico.He has written for the
Atlantic Monthly,Men’s Journal,and Outside Magazine.An avid biker,Jeff rides Griffith
Park’s Garbage Hill with the East Side Posse every Thursday and,in June,takes the
600-mile AIDS LifeCycle bike ride from San Francisco to L.A.
Charchi Stinsonis a fine-arts photographer who has lived in L.A.for 2 decades,half of
that time in Silver Lake.She prefers Bronson Canyon over Runyon Canyon and for a
late-night pick-me-up frequents the taco truck that parks on Sunset Boulevard between
Stadium Way and Figueroa Street.
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ISBN-13:978-0-7645-9885-2
ISBN-10:0-7645-9885-6
Interior design contributed to by Marie Kristine Parial-Leonardo
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A Disclaimer
Prices fluctuate in the course of time,and travel information changes under the impact of
the varied and volatile factors that influence the travel industry.We therefore suggest
that you write or call ahead for confirmation when making your travel plans.Every effort
has been made to ensure the accuracy of information throughout this book and the
contents of this publication are believed correct at the time of printing.Nevertheless,the
publishers cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions or for changes in details
given in this guide or for the consequences of any reliance on the information provided
by the same.Assessments of attractions and so forth are based upon the author’s own
experience and therefore,descriptions given in this guide necessarily contain an element
of opinion,which may not reflect the publisher’s opinion or dictate a reader’s own experi-
ence on another occasion.Readers are invited to write to the publisher with ideas,com-
ments,and suggestions for future editions.
Your safety is important to us,however,so we encourage you to stay alert and be
aware of your surroundings.Keep a close eye on cameras,purses,and wallets,all favorite
targets of thieves and pickpockets.
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C O N T E N T S
INTRODUCTION 1
Maps
Map 1 Los Angeles Neighborhoods 2
YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW 8
Where to find the best views ofthe city (8) • How to drive the
drive (9) • How to pass the parking test (10) • Where to smoke (10)
• How to stay out oftrouble (11) • Female trouble (11) • How to see a
whole bunch ofunion guys standing around shooting the s—t with
therent-a-cops while a movie/TV program/commercial isn’t being
made(11) • Why we give our cars names (12) • How to get around
without a car (12)
1 ACCOMMODATIONS 14
Basic Stuff 18
Winning the Reservations Game 18
Is There a Right Address? 18
The Lowdown 19
Wrong side ofthe freeway,right side ofthe wallet (19) • Sunset Strip
joints for the hipeoisie (19) • Convention-al choices with unconventional
style (20) • For Health Nuts (21)• Bunking on Bunker Hill (21) •
Boardwalk daze (21) • The international hostel experience (22) •
Upscale homes near the homeless (23) • Beach bums and beauties (23) •
The royal treatment (24) • And the “Dorian Gray Slept Here Award”
goes to (25) • And in second place (25) • Escape to Catalina Island (25)
• B&Bs in Pasadena (26) • Hotels for finishing your screenplay (27) •
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Icons ofBeverly Hills (27) • Slums ofBeverly Hills (28)• Gay gay gay
(28) • East beats West (29) • Miracle miler (29) • Smells like roach
spray,tastes like Marilyn (30) • Trèssnotty (30) • Anti-trèssnotty
(31) • Another midcentury marvel (31) • Classic views (32) • The price
is right...isn’t it? Please? (32)
Maps
Map 2 Los Angeles Accommodations Orientation 16
Map 3 Hollywood Accommodations 33
Map 4 Downtown Accommodations 34
Map 5 L.A.’s Westside & Beverly Hills Accommodations 35
The Index 36
An A to Z ofplaces to stay,with vital statistics
2 DINING 46
Basic Stuff 50
How to Dress 51
Getting the Right Table 51
The Lowdown 51
Eastside essentials (51) • L.A.icons:safe for eating (52) • L.A.icons:
for drinking only (no eating) (54) • More Italian than ChefBoyardee
(54) • Burgers and dogs (55) • A side order ofbelly dancers (56) •
Tongue-Thai-ed (56) • Living treasures ofLittle Tokyo (57) • Eat it
raw (58) • French connection (59) • Forget it,Jake—it’s Chinatown
(60) • Late-night bites (60) • Where to write your screenplay (61) •
Planet Carnivore (62) • Planet Vegan (62) • Organic orgasms (63) •
Bend it like Bollywood (64) • Attitude a la carte (65) • Breakfast with
bohos (65) • Sex food (66) • Escape from LAX:Airport Dining (66)•
Tired hangouts for the hipeoise (67) • Queer food (67) • Damn the
Merlot! Fill ’er Up (68)• You can’t go wrong (68) • Tacos,pupusas,
tortillas (69) • Cheap eats (70) • What is it about fire stations that gets
people salivating? (70) • Good evening,Vietnam! (71) • Location,
location,location (71)
Maps
Map 6 Los Angeles Dining Orientation 48
Map 7 Hollywood Dining 73
Map 8 Downtown Dining 74
Map 9 L.A.’s Westside & Beverly Hills Dining 75
The Index 76
An A to Z list ofplaces to dine,with vital statistics