The author of The Long Goodbye couldn’t wait to wave a quick ta-ta to the City of Angels, or Lost Angeles as it became known for a time, but if any US suburban sprawl has come to represent the flawed American Dream, then this is it ...
And here’s part of the reason. The most iconic sign in the western world isn’t even complete - it used to read Hollywoodland in the 1940s - but the 45ft letters promise fame, fortune and glamour, so they still get off Greyhound buses from Idaho and Kentucky with a small suitcase and big dreams ...
Here’s where the wannabe stars want their home to be. Beverly Hills has become synonymous with luxury living, and maybe you will see Eddie Murphy driving around in something expensive. You can buy a map showing where the movie stars live or take a guided tour. Just don’t expect to see Angelina hanging out the washing ...
The Walt Disney Concert Hall throws a distinctive Downtown shape. But if you want to see Mickey, Donald, Goofy and the gang, head for Anaheim, where you’ll find Disneyland as well as the Dodgers and Angels baseball teams. The Dodgers upped sticks to swap Brooklyn, NY for sun and surf in 1958, and who could blame them? Apart from their whole fan base, obviously ...
Malibu, named after the popular coconut-flavoured drink (the other way round, surely - Ed), is where a lot of the entertainment industry has decamped over the years. Charlie Sheen used to film Two And A Half Men here, The Big Lebowski was set here. The surfing is as awesome as the scenery, dude ...
Santa Monica pier is well worth a visit. It’s been there 100 years, which is some going in the States, and has appeared in countless films including Forrest Gump, The Sting and Iron Man. That last one’s not about Nigel de Jong, by the way ...
Venice Beach is where you’ll find the roller-bladers, artists, performers and frankly oddball mix that makes the Ocean front a compelling human circus some days. Having said that, these guys are just playing basketball, as it happens ...
