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Planning Your Los Angeles Vacation
There is certainly no shortage of things to do in Los Angeles; in fact, the sheer number of options often intimidates many people. This is why it’s a good idea to plot out your itinerary beforehand, identifying things you “have to see” and those that can be skipped. Not only will this help you consolidate your list of attractions, it will also help you maximize your time in the City of Angels.
LA is notorious for its traffic, and the last thing you want to do when you’re on vacation is sit in gridlock for hours on end. Part of your itinerary planning should include visiting locations close to each other on the same day. This will eliminate driving back and forth across the city incessantly. Before you begin, get a map and mark off everywhere you want to visit; this way, you can see what is close to what and determine the best means of transportation.
Good Bagels in LA ?
Do not let anyone tell you that Los Angeles does not have a good Bagel! Private tour guides can not only tell you where the stars live, but where they eat too! The Bagel Broker, the best in the bagel business in the heart of the Fairfax district. They have been serving 19 varieties of fresh bagels, delicious pastries, homemade salads and brewed-to-perfection coffee for over 20 years. This is the place to stop while on private tours of Los Angeles!
Open Monday – Friday from 6am to 5pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 6:30 am to 4pm.
7825 beverly blvd. los angeles, ca 90036
“Hands down, the best bagels in LA. They are chewy on the outside, soft on the inside, fresh as can be. Go for breakfast or for lunch. They deliver bagels to a lot of the area businesses” – WeHo News
1980s LA Movie Locations
1980s LA Movie Locations
American Gigolo (1980) Beverly Hills Hotel, 9641 Sunset Blvd., Beverly Hills
Raging Bull (1980) Olympic Auditorium, 1801 S. Grand Ave., Downtown LA
On Golden Pond (1981) Franklin Canyon Reservoir, Santa Monica Mountains, north of Beverly Hills
True Confessions (1981) Union Station, 800 N. Alameda St., Downtown LA
Blade Runner (1982) Bradbury Building, 304 S. Broadway, Downtown LA; Ennis-Brown House, 2655 Glendower Ave., Los Feliz
E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial (1982) (flying bicycle scene) White Oak Boulevard, Granada Hills; private home, 7121 Lonzo St., Tujunga
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) Canoga Park High School, 6850 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Canoga Park
Rocky III (1982) Millennium Biltmore Hotel, 506 S. Grand Ave., Downtown LA
Blue Thunder (1983) Westin Bonaventure Hotel, 404 S. Figueroa St., Downtown LA
So many locations can be showcased on private Los Angeles helicopter tours
Valley Girl (1983) Sherman Oaks Theater, 15052 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks
All of Me (1984) Greystone Mansion, 905 Loma Vista Drive, Beverly Hills
Body Double (1984) Farmers Market, 6333 W. Third St., LA
Ghostbusters (1984) Millennium Biltmore Hotel, 506 S. Grand Ave., Downtown LA
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) private home, 1428 Genesee Ave., Hollywood
Splash (1984) Millennium Biltmore Hotel, 506 S. Grand Ave., Downtown LA
Swing Shift (1984) Fort MacArthur, 3601 S. Gaffey St., San Pedro
The Terminator (1984) Griffith Park Observatory, Griffith Park; Second Street Tunnel, Downtown LA
Into the Night (1985) Avenue of the Stars, Century City
To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) Vincent Thomas Bridge, San Pedro
Police Academy 2 (1985) Third Street Tunnel, Downtown LA
Pretty in Pink (1985) Millennium Biltmore Hotel, 506 S. Grand Ave., Downtown LA
Star Trek IV (1986) Will Rogers State Historical Park, Pacific Palisades
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) private home, 4160 Country Club Drive, Long Beach
Back to the Beach (1987) Surfrider Beach, 23050 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu
Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, 7000 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
Born in East L.A. (1987) Whittier Boulevard and Anderson Street, East LA
Innerspace (1987) Wayfarers Chapel, 5755 Palos Verdes Drive South, Rancho Palos Verdes
La Bamba (1987) The Wiltern theater, 3790 Wilshire Blvd., LA
Witches of Eastwick (1987) Greystone Mansion, 905 Loma Vista Drive, Beverly Hills
Miracle Mile (1988) La Brea Tar Pits, 5801 Wilshire Blvd., LA; Johnie’s coffee shop, 6101 Wilshire Blvd., LA
Rainman (1988) Westin Bonaventure Hotel, 404 S. Figueroa St., Downtown LA
Back to the Future (1989) Gamble House driveway, 4 Westmoreland Place, Pasadena
Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death (1989) Hollyhock House, 4800 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989) Union Station, 800 N. Alameda St., Downtown LA; Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, 7000 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
Ghostbusters II (1989) Greystone Mansion, 905 Loma Vista Drive, Beverly Hills
Police Academy 6 (1989) Fourth Street Viaduct, Downtown LA; Highland Park Police Station, 6045 York Blvd., Highland Park
1960s LA Movie Locations
1960s LA Movie Locations
The Hustler (1961) Union Station, 800 N. Alameda St., Downtown LA
The Manchurian Candidate (1962) Olympic Auditorium, 1801 S. Grand Ave., Downtown LA
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) private home, 172 N. McCadden Place, Hancock Park
Bye Bye Birdie (1963) Greek Theatre, Griffith Park
The Disorderly Orderly (1964) Greystone Mansion, 905 Loma Vista Drive, Beverly Hills
Inside Daisy Clover (1965) Santa Monica Pier
Doctor Doolittle (1967) Malibu Creek State Park, 1925 Las Virgines Road, Calabasas
The Graduate (1967) Doheny Library and Von KleinSmid Center, USC
Planet of the Apes (1968) Malibu Creek State Park, 1925 Las Virgines Road, Calabasas
So, Tour Los Angeles with a private guide to showcase countless locations!
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (1969) Santa Monica Pier
1970s LA Movie Locations
1970s LA Movie Locations
Patton (1970) Bob Hope Patriotic Hall, 1816 S. Figueroa St., Downtown LA
The Sting (1973) Millennium Biltmore Hotel, 506 S. Grand Ave., Downtown LA; Santa Monica Pier
The Way We Were (1973) Union Station, 800 N. Alameda St., Downtown LA
Blazing Saddles (1974) Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, 6925 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
Chinatown (1974) Bradbury Building, 304 S. Broadway, Downtown LA; Echo Park Lake, 1632 Bellevue Ave., Echo Park
Day of the Locust (1975) Ennis-Brown House, 2655 Glendower Ave., Los Feliz
Shampoo (1975) Beverly Hills Hotel, 9641 Sunset Blvd., Beverly Hills
Bad News Bears (1976) Mason Park, 10500 Mason Ave., Chatsworth
King Kong (1976) Millennium Biltmore Hotel, 506 S. Grand Ave., Downtown LA
Midway (1976) Huntington Library, Art Galleries and Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino
Rocky (1976) Olympic Auditorium, 1801 S. Grand Ave., Downtown LA
A Star Is Born (1976) Millennium Biltmore Hotel, 506 S. Grand Ave., Downtown LA
Annie Hall (1977) restaurant at 8301 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood
New York, New York (1977) Millennium Biltmore Hotel, 506 S. Grand Ave., Downtown LA
Pumping Iron (1977) Gold’s Gym, 360 Hampton Drive, Venice
The Buddy Holly Story (1978) Millennium Biltmore Hotel, 506 S. Grand Ave., Downtown LA
Grease (1978) Venice High School, 13000 Venice Blvd., Venice
Halloween (1978) private home, 1537 Orange Grove Ave., Hollywood
10 (1979) All Saints Episcopal Church, 504 N. Camden Drive, Beverly Hills
So many of these locations can be showcased on private LA helicopter tours
Airport (1979) Millennium Biltmore Hotel, 506 S. Grand Ave., Downtown LA
The Crenshaw Farmers’ Market
The Crenshaw Farmers’ Market, formerly the Leimert Park Village Farmers’ Market, features 12 farmers and 7 food vendors who bring a diverse selection of fresh fruits and vegetables as well as spices, sprouts, breads, nuts, sweets and flowers each week. The market also hosts monthly events including cooking demonstrations, tastings, contests, children’s activities and live entertainment.
The Crenshaw Farmers’ Market is open year round and serves the communities of Angeles Mesa, Baldwin Hills, Crenshaw, Hyde Park, Leimert Park and View Park. A bit off the beaten path of Los Angeles tours, but worth the trip. The market is located at Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza at 3650 Martin Luther King Jr. blvd, at Stocker St.
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Amazing Hollywood Sign Photos + Story
For many many years I have been photographing the Hollywood sign on private tours with people from all of the world; showcasing it from a plethora of angles and even from above by helicopter. Tuesday April 20th 2010 was a magnificent day due to the manner that the Hollywood sign revealed itself to one particular family that I was with from Australia.
I rarely boast about my “instinct” in any capacity, because it rarely serves me in a manner that I can report on. In this case, we were at a point on this tour where I should have been able to see the Hollywood sign from miles away, while approaching the very special place we take people to be photographed beneath it. Logic alone told me not to waste any further time trying to get any closer to the sign, because it was engulfed in fog from a rainy day and completely out of sight. Yet, my instinct kicked it and I persuaded this incredible family to allow me to follow it into the hills.
So, we trek to this location, and within 15 minutes we are standing beneath a tree and I am assuring this family that The Hollywood Sign is “up there” as I point to a hill that is completely covered in fog. At this point my instinct was telling me that they simply did not believe me and I certainly did not blame them. So, I did what any good tour guide would do……I ran to the vehicle to grab a book so I could show them a picture that would associate the surrounding land, and at least show them with good faith, that those giant letters standing 45 feet tall and 30 feet wide individually, were up there………and that they were just perhaps the unluckiest family of 2010 with regard to seeing it on Holiday!
But then……..the fog literally cleared letter by letter before our eyes! It was so cool……….I almost felt that I cued it! If only there were a symphony orchestra behind us that played prior to me shouting, “Action.” Ok, I am dreaming a little bit, but it was almost that awesome. For a moment I was a hero, and then I realized that I better get this family positioned for a photo because it looked like the sign was going to disappear again into the fog. In fact it did for a minute, but then there was a period of about 5 minutes that we were able to see the Hollywood Sign, doused in fog and surrounded by white clouds and blue sky! So, very very cool! I am happy to share theses images with you!!!
Westwood Farmers Market
At the Westwood Farmers Market, at the Vet’s Garden at the VA, the emphasis is on real farmers and on gourmet, hard to find foods. The market features more than thirty farmers and food vendors in a beautiful garden setting, plus plenty of shade, and lots of free parking! The market will serve farmers and consumers, and also the Vets Garden, which helps veterans with rehabilitation, training, and employment programs. While enjoy private tour vans Los Angeles, make this part of your day! Come to the garden to enjoy lunch or dinner, listen to music, and bring home your fruits and vegetables.
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Century City CFM on Thursday’s
CFM is short for Certified Farmer’s Market. Certified Farmers’ Markets are places where farmers sell their crops directly to the public. Consumers can find a wide array of fresh and locally grown, seasonal fruits and vegetables. Some markets have other vendors outside of the certified section to complement the farmers’ produce, selling bread, meats and fish, dairy products, prepared food, and local crafts.
Certified farmers’ markets are approved market sites by the County Agricultural Commissioner and the Health Department. They are part of a statewide program meant to increase the sustainability of small farmers by connecting the consumer and the farmer. All farmers selling at a Certified Farmers’ market must have a Certified Producers Certificate from their local Agricultural Commissioner verifying that they grow the items that they sell. Farmers, nonprofit organizations or the local government usually operate these markets, which have developed into vital resources for communities that might otherwise lack a viable source of fresh fruits and vegetables. Not too far off the beaten path of private Hollywood tours, is the Century City CFM on Thursdays. We always encourage visitors to enjoy the local flair as much as the glitz and glamor, in order to have a whole experience. Certified Farmers’ Markets also play an important role in enlivening communities, creating street life and increasing economic opportunities.
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Gigi’s Farmer’s Market on Saturday’s
The Americana at Brand in Glendale is the younger sister to The Grove of LA; both children of Mr. Rick Carusso! The Americana by itself it an attraction, a dining experience, and shopping extravaganza rolled into one…….but on Saturday’s it is even more fun with Gigi’s Farmer’s market; an atmosphere that conjures the spirit of European marketplaces. Not too far off the beaten path of private tours of Los Angeles, and well worth the stop; fresh produce. delicious prepared foods, and live music.
Gigi’s Farmers Market This Saturday
Title: Gigi’s Farmers Market
Location: The Americana at Brand
Description: Gigi’s Farmers Market every Saturday from 10am – 2pm
Start Time: 10:00am
Date: Every Saturday
End Time: 2:00pm
