Hemispheres Magazine

DAY THREE / Begin the day at Barney Greengrass, Beverly Hills’ hottest power-breakfast spot, though it’s little-known to most Angelenos. It’s in the chic Barneys department store; enter through the valet parking entrance in the rear before the store opens to shoppers.

Take the elevator to the dining room, which is populated by more “wannabe,” “used to be,” and “currently are” industry players than the Cannes Film Festival. The lox is renowned; it’s flown in daily from New York.

After your nosh, stroll three blocks along Rodeo Drive between Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards. The road is lined with the usual suspects of conspicuous consumption, but the real star is Prada. The shop has banished the term “boutique” and instead refers to its avant-garde space, designed by renowned architect Rem Koolhaus, as an “epicenter,” a laboratory where fashion, retail, art, and architecture collide.

Back at the hotel, begin your Estates of Beverly Hills Driving Tour by heading up North Canon Drive into the residential neighborhoods. Enjoy the entertaining riot of architectural styles—Tudor, Italianate, French country, Spanish, and contemporary—applied to super-size mansions, all jostling for prominence. On Lexington Road, the Alice-in-Wonderland effect begins. But don’t worry: You’re not shrinking; the houses are becoming even bigger. After a few blocks, turn right on Alpine Drive and right again at Sunset Boulevard.

Nearby is The Beverly Hills Hotel, where “valet ballet” is performed with prestige automobiles at the busy entrance. Lunch is at the hotel’s Fountain Coffee Room, Beverly Hills’ version of a local diner. The hamburgers and milk shakes have remained a favorite for generations of Beverly Hillsians.

After lunch, continue westward along Sunset Boulevard to “the city’s most beautiful garden-that’s-adjacent-to-a-museum.” That’s how many Angelenos describe the Getty Center. Any slight disappointment with the very good (but shy of great) art collection melts away as you explore its central gardens, designed by artist Robert Irwin, and look out over the city, the surrounding hills, and the ocean from the Getty’s terraces.

After lingering for a breathtaking sunset at the Getty, it’s time for dinner at the Hotel Bel-Air. It’s difficult to imagine a more romantic setting than the hotel’s 1920s hacienda-style architecture, 12 acres of gardens, and picturesque pond. The food, like the sedate dining room and terrace, is exquisite.

The romance needn’t end. Ask the concierge for the route to Mulholland Drive, a two-lane road winding along the mountaintop separating LA from the San Fernando Valley. Stop at an overlook and gaze out over the millions of lights twinkling in every direction— a perfect last look at the city of the stars.

Charles Lockwood is a longtime Angeleno who writes often about architecture, “green” and otherwise.

Los Angeles Weather

The idyllic climate of LA can be divided into a May-to-October dry season and a November-to-April wet season. During the wet season, storms and cold fronts sweep periodically across Southern California. But rainy days average only six a month from January through March. Subtropical moisture, enhanced by the warmer waters of the El Niño years, can produce heavy rainfall. The city typically gets
14.77 inches of rain a year, but the strong El Niño of 1998 produced 13.68 inches in February alone. With a moderate El Niño developing this winter, take an umbrella just in case.

The Weather Channel

Weather information is provided by The Weather Channel. For more Los Angeles climatological details, visit weather.com.

Getting Around

Most air travelers arrive at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), 18 miles from downtown LA and 12 miles from Beverly Hills. The trip from LAX to the Beverly Wilshire Hotel can take a half-hour to an hour or longer. If you are returning to LAX during rush hour, allow plenty of time. Getting around LA requires a car rental. Consider a convertible for the true LA experience. Bring some CDs in case you get caught in one of the city’s world-class traffic jams. (Think of the traffic not as an annoyance, but as one of the tourist experiences.) Taxis are expensive, and buses are slow. The subway and light-rail lines are clean and fast but too incomplete for most destinations.

LA for Kids

A Page Museum / La Brea Tar Pits (tarpits.org) Fossils, demonstrations, and more
B Universal Studios Hollywood (Tel: 800-864-8377) Rides, shows, and moviemaking firsthand
C Los Angeles Zoo (lazoo. org) More than 1,200 animals from around the world
D Santa Monica State Beach (parks.ca.gov/?page_id=624) Two miles long, with a picnic area, shops, and a pier

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