Los Angeles & Southern California - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [63]
Hollywood High School (Map; 1521 N Highland Ave, Hollywood) Brandy, Carol Burnett, Laurence Fishburne, Judy Garland and Lana Turner are alumni depicted in the big mural on Highland Ave, but there are literally hundreds more, including James Garner and Sharon Tate.
Immaculate Heart High School (Map; 5515 Franklin Ave, Hollywood) No boys are allowed at this Catholic school once attended by Tyra Banks, Natalie Cole and Mary Tyler Moore.
John Marshall High School (Map; 3939 Tracy St, Silver Lake) Leonardo DiCaprio’s alma mater doubled as Sunnydale High in the 1992 big-screen version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Notre Dame High School (Map; 13645 Riverside Dr, Sherman Oaks) Almost 100 percent of students at this co-ed Catholic school go on to college, including Rachel Bilson, Kirsten Dunst and Dave Navarro.
Polytechnic High (Map; 1600 Atlantic Ave, Long Beach) Cameron Diaz, Snoop Doggy Dog, Marilyn Horne, Spike Lee.
Santa Monica College (Map; 1900 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica) Schwarzenegger studied English, and Dustin Hoffman honed his acting chops at this community college that also counts Buzz Aldrin, James Dean and Hillary Swank as alumni.
Santa Monica High School (Map; 601 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica) Robert Downey Jr, Rob Lowe, Sean Penn and Charlie Sheen undoubtedly caused trouble at this public school near the beach.
University High School (off Map; 11800 Texas Ave, near Santa Monica) Marilyn Monroe dropped out of Uni High; Jeff Bridges, James Brolin, Bridget Fonda, Nancy Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor and Tone Loc were also taught here.
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA; Map; 405 Hilgard Ave, Westwood) Carol Burnett, James Dean, Francis Ford Coppola, Heather Locklear, Jim Morrison, Tim Robbins
University of Southern California (USC; Map; 3535 S Figueroa St, Downtown area) Neil Armstrong, Frank Gehry, Ron Howard, George Lucas, Tom Selleck, OJ Simpson, John Wayne, Robert Zemeckis
Westlake School for Girls (now Harvard-Westlake; Map; 700 N Faring Rd, Bel Air) This posh enclave got Candice Bergen, Bridget Fonda, Sally Ride (first female astronaut) and Shirley Temple started on the path of life.
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HOLLYWOOD & VINE
If you turned on the radio in the 1920s and ’30s, chances were you’d hear a broadcast ‘brought to you from Hollywood & Vine’. Before long, though, the fabled intersection went from fab to drab to pathetic, just as the rest of Hollywood. But, if all goes to plan, by 2009 a new mega-development in its southeastern corner with stores, lofts and a W hotel will once again train the world’s spotlight on this famous hub.
Meanwhile, the splendidly restored Pantages Theater (Map; 323-468-1770; www.pantages-theater.com; 6233 Hollywood Blvd) is an art deco survivor from the Golden Age and a fabulous place to catch a play or musical. Oscars were handed out here between 1949 and 1959 while Howard Hughes owned the building; his ghost reportedly still hangs around. The ubernoir Frolic Room bar next door was featured in LA Confidential.
On Vine, you’ll quickly recognize the iconic circular 1956 Capitol Records Tower (Map; 1750 N Vine St), one of LA’s great Modern Era buildings. Designed by Welton Becket, it resembles a stack of records topped by a stylus blinking out ‘Hollywood’ in Morse code. Garth Brooks and John Lennon have their stars outside here.
CROSSROADS OF THE WORLD
One of the LA’s first malls, Robert Derrah’s 1936 Streamline Moderne complex (Map; 6671 W Sunset Blvd) has an eye-catching nautical theme. The central structure is shaped like a ship, with its bow topped by a tower crowned with a rotating globe. The surrounding cottages, many in mock-Tudor style, house the offices of Taschen publishing (also Click here).
SOUTH HOLLYWOOD
Star Trek, Indiana Jones and Shrek are among the blockbusters that originated at Paramount (Map; 323-956-1777; 5555 Melrose Ave), the only movie studio still in Hollywood proper. Click here for tours.
Next to Paramount, Hollywood