Love it or hate it, one thing you can’t do about L.A. is ignore it. Thanks to Hollywood in all its many guises (movies, television, the music industry), the city is always in the headlines. Without falling too deeply under the spell of its hyperbole-fueled image-making machinery, it’s safe to say that L.A. definitely has something for everyone. In keeping with its car-centered culture, however, our suggested tour ignores the many individual attractions and focuses instead on a pair of quintessential LA drives.
Winding along the crest of the Hollywood Hills, Mulholland Drive is the classic L.A. cruise. Starting in the east within sight of the Hollywood Sign and the Hollywood Bowl, this ribbon of two-lane blacktop passes by the city’s most valuable real estate, giving great views on both sides, both by day and after dark, ending up eventually at the north end of Malibu on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH).
Another classic L.A. cruise, running from the scruffy fringes of downtown all the way west to the coast, Sunset Boulevard gives glimpses into almost every conceivable aspect of Los Angeles life. Starting downtown, the historic core of colonial Los Angeles and now a showcase of contemporary architecture thanks to a stunning new cathedral and concert hall, Sunset Boulevard’s 27-mile course then winds west past Echo Park and Hollywood to West Hollywood, where it becomes the “Sunset Strip,” still the liveliest nightclub district in town. Continuing west, Sunset winds through Beverly Hills, Brentwood, and Bel-Air, lined by the largest mansions you’re likely to see, before ending up at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.
