Los Angeles Encounter

Welcome to sunny Los Angeles, a shiny city of reinvention where small talk always starts with a question: Where are you from? This query reveals whats driving the citys energetic buzz a perpetual in-flow of dreamers, go-getters and hustlers primed with unabashed optimism.

Where else could an English acrobat named Archibald Leach become debonair Cary Grant? Or an Austrian bodybuilder lift his way from Muscle Beach to the governors mansion? Even the waters from someplace else, imported almost a century ago after DWP chief William Mulholland opened the gates of his 233-mile aqueduct and millions of gallons rushed into the city. His words to the crowd? There it is. Take it.

The crowd took, and the hustle hasnt stopped since. Screenwriters pitch in the shadows of the Hollywood sign. Surfers squint for the choicest Malibu wave. Then there are the true dream-chasers, the eternal optimists who join the line at Pinks willing to wait hours for a bite of the perfect chili dog.

Dont care for hot dogs? A few steps away are the healthy macrobiotic delights of M Caf de Chaya, where a hot dog would be met with gasps of Juicy Coutured horror. But thats LA a bustling mash-up of culture, community and cuisine, where clubs-du-jour lurk beside old-school delis, ramshackle markets wobble near gleaming malls, palm trees sway over car-carrying rivers, and renowned museums preen beside bubbling tar pits.

As for the city portrayed in Oscar-winning Crash, LAs not quite so angry everybodys too busy chattering on cells, checking Blackberries or downward dogging to worry about the next guy. Unless its a casting agent, of course. Yes, the city runs a little thick on superficiality, self-absorption and sunshine, but cmon, isnt that the point? Have fun. Reinvent. Shop. Hike. Surf. Party. LA is yours to grab. To paraphrase Mulholland: There it is. Go for it.

Glamour and gloss in the Hollwyood Museum
DAVID PEEVERS/LONELY PLANET IMAGES

Gryffindor? Hufflepuff? Which Hogwarts house is meant for you? At Warner Bros memorabilia museum, fans of JK Rowling suffer their fate under the talking Sorting Hat, the primo attraction at the studios top-notch Harry Potter exhibit. Goblets of Fire, giant spiders and gargantuan costumes not to mention The Cupboard Under the Stairs pack the museums 2nd floor, usually the last stop on the 2-hour VIP tour that winds past sound stages, sitcom sets and historical sights on the studios sprawling Burbank lot.

Overshadowed by the flashy behemoth down the road (more commonly known as ), Warner Bros offers low-key, more personal wows. Instead of rides, explosions and giant rubber sharks, youll get an up-close look at the sets and stages currently used for TV dramas and sitcoms. Guides encourage questions and provide specific answers. Did you know it takes a week to shoot a one-hour drama? That ceilings arent shown on most shows because the space is filled with lights and lamps? Sets where youll learn these behind-the-scenes secrets include The Mentalist,Cold Case,Two and a Half Men and The New Adventures of Old Christine. Availability depends on shooting schedules.

Trams wind through the 110-acre lot, meandering through faux suburban neighborhoods, a town square and urban row houses yep, thats the ladder where an upside-down Spidey kissed Mary Jane. Everyone unloads at the Transportation Garage for Bruce Waynes tricked-out Batmobile from Batman Begins and Scoobys psychedelic Mystery Machine. Nearby, the Friends coffee shop, Central Perk, is forever preserved for your picture-taking, couch- sitting pleasure.

Though not guaranteed, celebrity-spotting potential is better than average. As the tram continues past massive sound stages, its not uncommon to see a recognizable face heading to his or her trailer. However, fall, winter and early spring may be best for star-spotting, since most shows shut down in May for hiatus. But be warned, jumping off the tram for a celebrity hug is strongly discouraged (although stars Tom Cruise for one have popped onto trams for impromptu fan-lovin).

Back at the museum, youve got 20 minutes to snoop from Serena van der Woodsons prep-school uniform to the Casablanca piano to handwritten notes on the Training Da y script there are movie and TV costumes, scripts and props galore. And as for the Sorting Hat, if Slytherins your house, dont worry, youre allowed a second take..

If you dont have anything nice to say, well, youre probably talking about . Love it or hate it, this cornerside patch of excess opened in 2001 was a pivotal first step in Hollywoods long-overdue makeover. More Botox injection than subtle tuck, however, the towering complex is considered by some to be a bloated five-story mishmash of megashopping, movie-themed kitsch, meandering humanity and garish excess. But then again, isnt that the point? The place does bring in the masses, and revenues are reportedly rising.

So how to find the romance of Hollywood? Those in the know do it the old-fashioned way with dinner and a movie. Tasty dining options abound: southern-style breakfasts at ), which will whisk you to the theater of your choice or somewhere very close by.

The state-of-the-art , the ornate grand dame of Hollywood movie palaces. Those approaching her dragon-draped doors must first elbow past the yawping hordes marveling over footprints left by yesterdays stars in the concrete courtyard (Ill admit, Judy Garlands are ridiculously small). Inside, spend a moment in the powder room or mens lounge imagining the hundreds of stars and moviegoers who have preened at the very same mirror.

A word of caution the celebrity impersonators on the sidewalk outside Graumans Chinese Theatre are independent operators hoping to get cash for photos. Chewbacca was recently arrested for head-butting an intrusive tour guide. The perps alleged last words? Nobody tells this wookiee what to do!

Romantic couple outside cinema, Hollywood
DAVID PEEVERS/LONELY PLANET IMAGES

Billowing sail? Blooming rose? No one knows exactly what architect Frank Gehry had in mind and hes not telling when he designed the Walt Disney Concert Hall, now preening like a silver ribbon atop downtowns Bunker Hill. Completed in 2003, the structure of stainless-steel panels 6664 to be precise was an instant iconic addition to the downtown landscape.