Visiting LA?

Question

Im taking a trip with my dad to LA on the 27- the 31st. What are some things I could do there... im really interested in the whole celeb thing. I would love to see a show especailly the tonight show with jay leno. how do i get info on tours of celeb houses, shows,etc, or where i might be able to spot a celeb (though i doubt it)

Answer 1

For tips on the whole celebrity thing, www.seeing-stars.com is a good guide. It sets your expectaions in line with reality (low).

Starline tours is my vendor of choice when recommending such tours.

Disneyland: The Happiest Place on Earth. Half a billion visitors can’t be wrong. (Sometimes it seems all at once)

Universal Studios: A theme park that grew out of a studio tour. Check out eBay. You can find some discounted tickets there. And Universal City Walk is a fun place to hang out in the evening after your day inside the park.

Hollywood: Hollywood Boulevard is ready for its close-up, thanks to years of urban renewal and renovation. Enjoy the Walk of Fame, Entertainment Museum, Mann's Theatre and more. You can see a lot for free. I have also added the Hollywood & Highland complex to my top ten list… it has lots of shops and restaurants, and the Kodak Theater (home of the Academy Awards). I like the El Capitan theater, because it has been restored to its former glory, unlike the Chinese, which was essentially gutted and turned into a multiplex.

Rodeo Drive, 90210: Packed with exclusive shops, full of gawkers. They all came to enjoy the excess. Free, unless you intend to buy something.

Venice Beach: Los Angeles kitsch and over-the-top culture at its best.
Here you'll find Muscle Beach, street performers and tacky shops galore.
Fun, VERY interesting, but I avoid it after dark, when it gets a little TOO interesting for my taste. And it's a short bike ride from:

Santa Monica Beach and Pier: Great beach scene and a classic seaside amusement park, complete with antique carousel that has been in a lot of TV and movies. (The Sting and "Three's Company" come immediately to mind).
After visiting the pier, you can ride a bike south a couple miles to Venice Beach.

Santa Monica Third Street Promenade - Downtown Santa Monica's shopping promenade is often the scene of movie star-sightings. Just a short walk from the Santa Monica Pier.

Sunset Boulevard: Perhaps one of the world's most famous streets, it began as a route between the stars' posh neighborhoods and the Hollywood studios. It runs from downtown to the ocean, passing through the "Sunset Strip" on its way. It makes for a fun drive. Along the way, you see a lot of different neighborhoods. Hollywood, West Hollywood, Bel Air, and Pacific Palisades. When you get to the ocean, stop at Gladstone's for Fish.

Queen Mary: Once the largest ship afloat, she's been docked in Long Beach for longer than she sailed, and her elegance never fails to impress. Free to visit. You can actually stay on board, for a price.

Farmers Market and The Grove - A new shopping complex right next to a Los Angeles landmark, The Grove and Farmers Market coexist. Enjoy a movie or shopping, then take the trolley to the Farmers Market for lunch or dinner.
Farmer's Market is right next to CBS, so walk across the lot to see if they are taping "The Price is Right". You might even get in.

Griffith Park - Home of the Los Angeles Zoo, Griffith Park Observatory, Travel Town, the Greek Theatre, and Gene Autry Museum of Western Heritage.

Getty Museum - The Getty's architecture is so beautiful that it keeps me fascinated. No matter whether you like their art or architecture better (or maybe you'll just enjoy the view), the Getty is sure to please. Free.

Attend a TV taping - You can get free tickets at audiencesunlimited.com, or see the booth at Universal City walk. It's very interesting to see a show being taped. The most popular, by far, is the tonight show. Check the NBC web site for all the details there.

Places to eat:
In-N-Out Burger: Multiple locations, best burger in LA, ask anyone.
Pink’s Hot Dogs: 709 N. La Brea, just north of Melrose. Might see a celebrity.
Tommy’s Chili Burgers: Look for the shack, an LA tradition. Original location at Beverly & Rampart, a couple miles west of downtown.
Canter’s Deli: 419 N. Fairfax, between Beverly & Melrose. Near CBS, might spot a celebrity.
Phillippe’s: 1001 N. Alameda. Great roast beef sandwiches. Near Union Station, Olvera Street. Watch the mustard, it’s hot.

Places to Stay:
In Hollywood, I recommend the Hollywood Celebrity Hotel and the Farmer's Daughter Hotel.
In Anaheim, I recommend the HoJo Anaheim, and the Candy Cane Inn. If you want to splurge and make this a most memorable trip, stay at Disney’s Grand Californian. You get the full Disney experience.
In Santa Monica, the Holiday Inn Santa Monica is close to the pier and reasonably priced.

Answer 2

Ticket requests for the Tonight Show should have been mailed more than a month in advance. In other words, you're already quite late for the 28th - 31st (no shows on weekends). Otherwise, you'll have to show up at NBC at 8 AM and hope to get on standby.

http://www.nbc.com/The_Tonight_Show_with_Jay_Leno/about/tickets.shtml

TV Tix has a good list of other L.A. area shows that are taping. Although again, you'll probably encounter some difficulty because these things usually need to be arranged very early:

http://www.tvtix.com/

As for the maps to celeb houses in Hollywood, they are usually either ridiculously out-of-date, phony, or inaccurate because their L.A. residence is not necessarily the primary home. Even if they are around, you won't see anything other than iron gates and a wall.

Honestly, the best place to run into (and talk to) celebs is to go to a fundraiser for one of the many Democrats who use Hollywood as an ATM machine. No, I'm not kidding, just follow Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Antonio Villaraigosa, Gavin Newsom, and company. You'll run into most of the stars eventually.

Otherwise, you can take your chances at the trendy malls, restaurants, and health food stores (yes, health food stores) of Malibu, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, West Hollywood, and West L.A.

Answer 3

Tonight Show standby tickets are available the day of the show at like 8 am at the NBC studios in Burbank where the show is taped , but I'm not exactly sure so check their website. It's not a guarantee that you'll get in the show, and also you have to wait in line for a couple hours before the show starts. I think it tapes from 4 to 5 pm.
I'm not sure if it's peak tourist season yet, but it probably is, so it makes it more difficult.

other shows are available at www.tvtickets.com

you'll probably have the best chance of seeing a celebrity if you go to a taping of a show, or if you take a studio tour. Rodeo Drive is also a place that might happen, but I'm not 100% sure.

check out
www.seeing-stars.com for more info

Answer 4

You should go on websites for the shows you are int rested in, so you can get tickets. Sometimes they are booked way in advance. Plus you have to make sure you don't mind waiting to line up, go in, wait for the taping to start, and spend a few hours during the whole process. You should be able to get around on Public Transportation, the Metro Red Line can take you to Hollywood and Universal City. Those are two very popular spots. Hope you have a great time.

Answer 5

the universal city walk ( at universal studios theme park, dont, worry the city walk is free), or the 3rd street promanade in Santa Monica. Hollywood, like the major shopping areas.

u cant really tour celebs houses, but there are a lot of celeb houses on PCH(Pacific Coast Highway) in Malibu

Answer 6

the stars an the screen dont look anything like they do in real life, i grew up in L.A. and rarely met a star, and thats because they dont want to be noticed, the few i met had no make up and no lights and infact looked like strung out crack head versions of the silver screne image, however, if there is a movie premearing on the week your there you might be able to stand in the crowd at the venue and watch them get out of there limos and sign a few autographs,

as for movie tickets if you go to manns chinese theater or even venice beach there will be 2 or three guys standing around with clip boards handing out tickets but tough to tell what shows they are offering, usually its for shows that need audience so you wont get any for the tonight show,

warrning, going to a show is an eye opening experience, you will learn that things are MUCH smaller that you immagined,
including the sets and even the actors

Answer 7

go to universal studio. then desniy land , Hollywood , this street of Santa Monica, long beach and you are going to have so much fun I miss my god this place some one please help me to move from this nasty place Canada?