Out and About: Hollywood Edition

This edition of Out and About is really a no brainer. What would the city of L.A. be without it’s star-studded history and sites? And while there are the obvious tourist options, there are also quite a few hidden gems. So spend a day the L.A. way out in Hollywood!

To start your day…

While it may seem cliche, hiking Runyon Canyon is truly one of the better ways to start your morning whether it be a Hollywood outing or a weekly routine. The trail is pet friendly and offers stunning views of the city as well as a fun workout.

If thats not enough fresh air, we recommend venturing to Lake Hollywood Park for a slight stroll as you gaze up at the Hollywood Sign.

Once you’re finished there, if you haven’t grabbed a morning bite, Jane Q is the ideal pitstop for a dose of AM energy. Tucked in the Kimpton Everly Hotel, the restaurant offers a chic cafe feel with gourmet dining options.

By the afternoon “bell”…

If your inner tourist is up for the crowd a stroll down the Walk of Fame is always an enjoyable outing if not just for the characters along the way. From famed handprints at the TCL Theatre to a bounty of hop on hop off tours, you’ll have no shortage of options.

If you feel like splurging, Hollywood and Highland Center is just down the street with choices that are wallet friendly. For more unique digs, Scout offers a plethora of vintage finds.

After you’ve had you fill on the boulevard, why not take part in a tour of one of Hollywoods most famed studios?

Paramount Studios is the only studio still actually residing in Hollywood and it’s tour provides you a captivating glimpse of the silver screen both old and new. Whether you partake in the adventure is on your own accord, but surely afterwards you’ll need an afternoon reprieve.

APL Hole in the Wall is the perfect place to refuel before the rest of your day continues. Offering gourmet take-away dishes like the Serious Sandwich- pit-cooked shaved prime New York strip with pickle salad, sweet onions, and freshly grated horseradish. Delicious!

Before the evening sets…

Ai Weiwei Exhibit at Jeffrey Deitch Gallery-Hollywood

A visit to the Jeffrey Deitch Gallery should be next on your list for a necessary dose of arts and culture. Peruse the selection of fine art but leave room for a different style of entertainment. Depending on your general mood, dinner and a show is always the perfect evening with family, friends, or that significant other.

UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT — FYC @ UCB Event at Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre Sunset, Los Angeles

For those with a funny bone, Upright Citizens Brigade will provide the laughs you so seek having famed comedians grace their stage both past and present. But for a more quintessential Hollywood experience, enjoy a showing at the theatre where most of the city’s blockbusters are premiered.

El Capitan has rolled out it’s red carpet for a bounty of feature films and still serves as a taste of Old Hollywood glamour. While their show offerings are limited, the time spent there is well worth it.

Aladdin the Musical at The Pantages Theatre

For something more lively, The Pantages offers a season full of broadway hits, with past shows like Aladdin and current productions of Wicked.

Curtis Stone and his team at his famed Hollywood restaurant Gwen.

With your inner tourist pleased and likely tired, our last recommendation is for a night that ends enjoying the culinary wonder of Curtis Stones’ Gwen. The restaurant is one of the famed chefs notable ventures into luxury dining and it does not disappointment. Known for their selection of gourmet meat, it is both a taste experience as it is an evening highlight.

No matter how you chose to spend your day Out and About, we hope you enjoy each moment in the city of stars!!

January 3, 2019January 24, 2019

Weekend Events: January 4-6, 2019

It’s a new year, it’s a new you. Whether or not you followed through on your resolutions so far in 2019, you deserve to treat yourself to a weekend of fun in LA. In the city of stars there is no shortage of thrills. We rounded-up the best “Angeleno” approved events to spruce up your first weekend of the year!

Read below for events happening in and round LA January 4-6.

Discover your inner Angeleno!

Friday, January 4th

First-Time Fridays at LACMA

You haven’t been to LACMA you say? Well luckily for you, LA’s Contemporary Museum of Modern Art accepts this and offers First Time Fridays. This monthly event invites guest to explore the museum from 3:00pm-8:00pm for LA residents. If you let the ticket office know it is your first visit to LACMA, you will receive a free poster and discounts at the LACMA store, LACMA Cafe and C+M.

Click here for more details.

Abbot Kinney First Fridays

AK’s neighborhood block party returns this Friday on the “coolest block in America”. Whatever your craving, you’ll be sure to find something with new and old food trucks joining the event and merchant discounts plus late hours.

Click here for more details.

LA Lakers vs. New York Knicks

NBA tickets to see the Los Angeles Lakers play the New York Knicks are sure to be selling quickly! Fans from both sides of the nation won’t want to miss this exciting regular season game! If you want to be there to catch all of the action you’d better act now. Secure your seats so you can cheer on your favorite team!

Click here for more details

Saturday, January 5th

Watson Adventures’ Thrilla at the Getty Villa

Roam for Romans on a unique scavenger hunt that transports you to ancient Greece and Rome via the Getty Villa. You’ll follow a trail of clues and answer fun, tricky questions. Discover facts you never knew about the odd aspects of gods, goddesses, and the inventors of the toga party.

Click here for more details

Golden Globes Foreign Language Nominee Symposium

Discover the best foreign language films of 2018. This year’s five nominees include Capernaum from Lebanon, Girl from Belgium, Never Look Away from Germany, Roma from Mexico, and Shoplifters from Japan. The symposium will also include a free roundtable with the Directors for each of the nominated films. The panel will be moderated by Mike Goodridge, former HFPA member and VP turned festival director and programmer. Advance sale tickers are available until 5:00pm January 4 but will still be available for standby the day of.

Click here for more details

Bricks LA 2019

Come share your love of Lego and discover hundreds of fan created models at the Pasadena Convention Center ! Enjoy their vendor area with new, used, and unique brick accessories as well as building techniques and panel discussions. It will be a weekend of fun for all ages.

Click here for more details

Sunday, January 6

Annual Carroll Shelby Cruise-In

Come see some of the fastest, rarest and most beloved Shelby’s of all time. The Petersen will celebrate Carroll Shelby’s birthday by having a cruise-in on the third floor parking structure of the museum. All car enthusiasts are invited to participate in the car show and contest. Coffee and snacks will be provided.

Click here for more details

A Faery Hunt Magical Adventure

Named by Nickelodeon the “Best Children’s Theater” in Los Angeles, A Faery Hunt delights as a magical adventure. Auntie Angelica leads the audience on a gentle journey to help the Faery royalty! With the help of the audience and the Faeries, it’s a musical filled afternoon with fun, laughs and surprises.

Click here for more details

LA Kings Holiday ICE at L.A. Live Final Day

Just because the holidays are over, doesn’t mean the fun has to be. Don’t miss out on the last day of the LA Kings Holiday Ice at L.A. Live. Skate your way through the weekend as a family fun activity or date night.

Click here fore more details

October 13, 2018October 23, 2018

This Week at Rodeo Realty: Westside Newsletter Oct. 8th-14th

Click the image below to view our Westside Rodeo Realty weekly

newsletter Oct. 8th-14th, 2018!!

October 5, 2018October 5, 2018

Out and About: Santa Monica Edition

By: Samira Murphy

Every so often, at some point in your busy week, it happens–you get to play tourist for the day. Whether its hopping in the car for a scenic drive down the coast or popping into Fred Segal’s for an afternoon nosh, “me time” is so crucial.

Once a week, we will cut the clutter and provide you with hidden gems in the city of stars and beyond. From Beverly Hills to the San Fernando Valley, take time to explore your neck of the woods!

There is nothing more quintessential california than a day spent seaside in Santa Monica. From the famous Pier to splurge Santa Monica Place, SaMo is more than a beachfront city. It’s a way of life. Aside from sounding like an Equinox ad, we wanted to send you off into the weekend with ways to spend your day between rush hour and happy hour.

For stunning Ocean views and classic imagery of LA’s coastline, Palisades Park is the perfect way to start your day with a brisk walk through the bluffs. Start at the Pacific Palisades Adjacent end, keeping between the stately concert sculpture at Wilshire and the colorful totem pole at San Vicente. No this isn’t a scavenger hunt, just your quick route to take in the scenes and skip the tourist march.

If your spending the day with your family or just feel like kicking back like your childhood days, the Santa Monica Pier is always a great choice! Filled with the classic fairground games of yesteryears along a few adrenaline inducing rides, whats not to love? The centre and focal point of Santa Monica Beach, is also home to a range of outdoor events. If you just so happen to feel intrigued, check out our events of the week for Oct.5-7th, featuring not one but two Santa Monica thrills taking place over the weekend.

Before departing away from the sand, make sure to step inside the iconic Camera Obscura! The perfect spot for peace, quite, and a uniquely peculiar view of the oceanfront. The historic optical contraption is the offbeat place to catch your breath and Instagram shot. Hidden inside an oceanfront senior recreation center, Camera Obscura is a great way to fill your time between sites.

Alright, so you’ve had your thrills and your fun. Your probably looking for the perfect afternoon pick me up before making your way to the shops. We’ve got that covered too! For the perfect seaside brunch, head towards the coastline for your pick of perfect california cuisine. Between Ivy by the Shore, Del Frisco’s, and Elephante–-you’ll be strategizing how you can tackle all three. No stress! From the cuisine to the ambience you can’t go wrong between the lot, they’re a food-lovers paradise along the sea.

Now that you’ve fueled up, theres no better way to end the day then with a little retail therapy. Depending on your style or actual shopping needs, SaMo is full of some of the Westside’s most charming boutiques and storefronts. Peruse along the Third Street Promenade for a mix of notable and trendy retailers. If your a weekday browser, Wednesdays feature the city’s famed Farmer’s Market! The four block pedestrianized stretch of cobblestone will gove you all the Small Town-Main Street feels.

Needing something more on the High-End? Santa Monica Place is located at the southern end of the Promenade. The outdoor retail space features a revamped shopping center packed with upscale department stores and designer boutiques. From Barnerys of New York to Louis Vuitton, take in the open air and throw away your receipt.

So you’ve seen, you’ve sipped, you’ve shopped. The sun is setting and your wondering where you parked your car. Stay to catch the views of day slipping into night and skip the rush hour beat. Stop by 1 Pico for evening fare set in a cape cod style decor. The cuisine is as remarkable as the views at this oceanside spot in SaMo’s Shutters on the Beach.

Whether you tackled all our recommendations at once or spread it out through the week, there is no better way to experience L.A. then to venture out and try something new. Get outside your zip code, turn on the “Eagles” and call it a day well spent!

August 27, 2018

The Perfect Los Angeles Day For Every Adventurer

The ideal itinerary in Los Angeles looks different for everyone — and that’s why exploring this place is so mind-blowing. The entire city is a vivid mosaic of beautiful people, places, and things in one place. Where else in the world can you horseback up an arid mountain, grub on burritos on the beach, catch an outdoor movie in a Hollywood cemetery, and top it off with jazz at a Prohibition-era speakeasy… all in 24 hours? Welcome to the laid-back, diverse LA lifestyle — it’s whatever you want to make of it.

FOR THE OUTDOOR-OBSESSED

With over 420 parks and 50 pristine beaches, LA loves itself some nature. Whether you’re an amateur surfer, avid hiker, or pro beach chiller, leaving city limits isn’t necessary.

Paddleboard the Malibu Pier
The secret to experiencing the Malibu Pier without enduring traffic? Get to the ‘bu before 10am. With plenty of SUP board rental shops, paddle out along the pier for morning entertainment while waving hello to world-class surfers and sometimes, even dolphins. Top off with a bite at Malibu Farm Cafe (hello, fried egg sandwich with crispy bacon).

Trot through Will Rogers State Historic Park
Get a dose of 1930s Hollywood at Will Rogers State Historic Park. Home to movie star and legitimate cowboy Will Rogers, the 186-acre park has miles of trails, so do as Rogers would by heading up to Inspiration Point via guided horseback for 360-degree views of the Pacific. You’ll never take a path here you didn’t like.

Hike The Hollywood Sign
For a walkabout you’ll talk about forever, challenge yourself by hiking behind The Hollywood Sign. Take the 6.5 mile Canyon Drive Trail in Griffith Park for a sighting of the actual Bat Cave entrance featured in the ’60s TV series, all leading up to a close-up of the 45-foot-tall letters. Yeah, it’s a touristy thing to do, but that doesn’t discount this as a piece of LA’s soul.

Skate The Strand
Crashing waves. Palm trees. Ice cream shops. Skate parks. The West Side’s 22-mile beach boardwalk, The Strand, is the good kind of sensory overload, so let pure Los Angeles subsume your exercise. Beginning in Malibu and ending at Torrance Beach, it’s totally bikeable, but hit the boardwalk on roller skates for the most LA kind of workout.

Enjoy a campfire at Dockweiler Beach
This gem in Playa Del Rey is illuminated at dusk. Over 40 fire pits dot one of the few beaches in the city that allows such things. Not to mention, grills are permitted, so a post-beach day BBQ is on the menu. Just be sure to get there early — fire pits are on a first-come, first-served basis.

FOR THE FOODIE

LA’s urban sprawl has allowed neighborhoods to evolve into mini cultural hubs — and hybrids. The result? LA cuisine is a foodie community that thrives on authenticity and is a total blessing to taste your way through.

Grand Central Market
With over 25 food vendors, the hard part about ordering at Grand Central Market is narrowing it down among Jewish delis, Mexican candy shops, and breakfast sandwiches. Open since 1917, you’ll feel the history as you eat and drink counter-side at spots like the sustainable Oyster Gourmet and rightfully cultish EggSlut.

The Apple Pan
There’s a reason Apple Pan hasn’t changed recipes like the Hickory Burger since the ’40s. Head here for the most all-American burger and apple pie combo you’ll try outside the midwest. Located on Pico Boulevard for the past 70 years, it’s even got kitschy decor and swivel bar stools that make it that much cooler.

Tacos Baja
Everyone in LA has a go-to Mexican spot they claim is “the best,” but there are certainly unassailable classics around town. Enter: Tacos Baja. The spot is pretty bare bones, but the fish and shrimp tacos at this east LA dive bring in crowds of taco-obsessed people from all over — especially on $1 Wednesdays.

Poke-Poke
Poke-Poke is beloved by both locals and tourists who happen to stumble upon it on The Venice Boardwalk. Their OG poke bowl is a hit for a reason, but order the veggie poke bowl with kale and brown rice and top it with wasabi poke with avocado. Then proceed to walk ten feet to the beach and eat it next to a palm tree. Welcome to heaven.

Cole’s
Late-night grub tastes better when there’s a speakeasy nearby. This is the case at Cole’s, downtown’s historic (110 years strong!) saloon beloved for its massive French dip sandwiches, spicy garlic tots, and bourbon pecan pie. Totally up to you whether to sip drinks in between bites at the counter or enjoy a few post-meal behind the restaurant at Varnish, a Prohibition-era bar.

FOR THE CULTURE ADDICT

It’s no surprise a city that has Hollywood offers world-class art, film, design, and entertainment. That’s why creatives flock to LA — and why you shouldn’t totally write off the Hollywood scene.

The Broad
One of the hottest museum tickets in town (and a free ticket, might I add) is The Broad. With over 2,000 works of art, including interactive exhibits like Yayoi Kusama’s Instagram-famous infinity mirror rooms, even the 120,000-square-foot building itself is a masterpiece. Needless to say, reserve tickets in advance.

LA Galaxy Game
The hometown love is deep for all of our teams, but the Galaxy has a particularly devoted fanbase. With games usually kicking off around dusk, die-hard LA Galaxy fans make an event out of it by tailgating. Plus, prolific goal scorer Zlatan Ibrahmoic has helped the Galaxy remain in the top 5 of their conference — so get ready to celebrate a win.

The Getty Villa
Exploring a replica of a 64-acre Roman country house steps away from the Pacific isn’t the worst way to spend an afternoon. The Getty Villa features more than 44,000 ancient Greek, Roman, and Etruscan artifacts. There are also four gardens with over 300 types of Mediterranean fauna to leisurely peruse. Time to start living molto bene.

Barnsdall Art Park
The four-acre park above the Hills has a gallery, theater, art center, and the home that defined SoCal architecture. It’s true, a tour through Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House will make you appreciate good design, but so will what happens after the tour’s done: wine tastings held every Friday on its manicured front lawn.

Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Any film fanatic should close out an evening with an outdoor movie at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Morphing into a giant picnic under the stars, it’s a surreal way to watch classics like The Outsiders, considering some of entertainment’s greatest, like Johnny Ramone and Jayne Mansfield, rest here.

FOR THE NIGHTLIFE LOVER IN THE DAYLIGHT HOURS

LA may not stay open into the wee hours of the night like NYC and Miami, but that’s just because the city does everything its own way. Work a few of these nightlife activities into any day or night out, and it won’t matter that closing time is 2am.

Highland Park Bowl
Highland Park Bowl’s wood-lined alleys are very much part of its vintage allure, but it’s also the live music that’s turned this refurbished space from 1927 into something one-of-a-kind. And with a menu offering a dozen types of Neapolitan-style pizzas, it’s both a solid brunch spot and post-dinner hangout.

Broken Shaker
A day in LA isn’t complete without a rooftop excursion. Head to the top of the Freehand Hotel for its rooftop bar, Broken Shaker, to check this off the list. Before chilling next to the pool, head to the award-winning bar for a downtown-inspired menu with plates like crispy shrimp, potato tacos, and yuzo fried chicken.

Breakroom 86
This ’80s-inspired karaoke joint is actually a secret bar with a hidden loading dock for an entrance. The strange journey there is worth it — think classic arcade games, singing booths decked out with thrift shop finds, and a wall made out of cassette tapes waiting for you on the other side.

FOR THE PHOTOGRAPHER

It’s easy to photograph every part of the city, but for those with a desire to experience a unique walking tour in LA, a handful of sights will inspire any creator by foot.

See red at El Matador Beach
Welcome to one of the most visually pleasing beaches in SoCal. Not only do the dramatic sea rocks, cliffs, and vista points of El Matador Beach feel like a scene six hours north in Big Sur, morning sunrises while the fog rolls in could very well be a scene from Avatar.

Find depth in the Venice Canals
Whether it’s the beachside skatepark, the murals, or surfers at sunset — Venice is a photographer’s dream. This includes the tropical gardens, pastel rowboats, and old-school bungalows that inhabit The Venice Canal District. It’s the most relaxed walking tour on the west side — and a refreshing break from the same beach photos everyone else is taking.

Preserve a thousand words at The Last Bookstore
Both a bookstore and a record store, it’s selection of books live in an airy loft with dark-wooden staircases, archways made out of cascading novels, and 3D art made out of more books. Secret tunnels and passageways are also made with… more books. It’s just as magical as it sounds.

Article by Thrillist.