A visual cacophony of billboards, giant ad banners and neon signs, the sinuous stretch of Sunset Blvd running between Laurel Canyon and Doheny Dr has been nightlife central since the 1920s.

Mobster Bugsy Siegel and his posse hung out at clubs such as Ciro’s (now the Comedy Store), while Marilyn Monroe had her first date with Joe DiMaggio at the Rainbow Bar and Grill, which later became the preferred late-night hub of Guns N’ Roses. The Whisky-a-Go-Go gave birth to both the Doors and go-go dancing, and Led Zeppelin raced motorcycles in the Andaz hotel, formerly the Hyatt House, and henceforth known as the ‘Riot House.' In the late '90s, the strip recaptured the limelight with the House of Blues (HOB), the ultraposh Sky Bar at the Mondrian hotel and the sexy Standard Hollywood.

These days, though, it seems to be coasting on its fabled legacy. The young, hip and fickle have moved west to Abbot Kinney in Venice and east to Silver Lake, Echo Park and Downtown, leaving the Strip to the buttoned-down, cashed-up suburbanites, though midweek and during awards season, the celebs still appear.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Schindler House

0.58 MILES

The former home and studio of Vienna-born architect Rudolph Schindler (1887–1953) offers a fine primer on the modernist elements that so greatly…

2. MOCA Pacific Design Center

0.79 MILES

Standing a bit forlorn amid the glassy behemoths is the small satellite branch of Downtown’s Museum of Contemporary Art. Exhibits usually have an…

3. Pacific Design Center

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4. Heritage Classics

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5. Greystone Mansion & Park

1.37 MILES

Known for inducing bouts of real-estate envy, this Tudor Revival mansion dates back to 1927. Hoover Dam architect Gordon Bernie Kaufmann designed the…

6. CBS Television City

1.64 MILES

North of the Farmers Market is CBS, where game shows, talk shows, soap operas and other programs are taped, often before a live audience, including the…

7. Original Farmers Market

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Long before the city was flooded with farmers markets, there was the farmers market. Fresh produce, roasted nuts, doughnuts, cheeses, blini – you’ll find…

8. Grove

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Next door to the Original Farmers Market is a faux-European and rather corporate, yet attractive, shopping mall built around a central plaza with a…

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