(Alex Justice / For The Times)
This must be Beverly Hills
It’s hard to think of a patch of SoCal real estate — of any size — that’s as famous for luxury living as the 5.17 square miles of Beverly Hills where celebrities live, movies shoot, tourists flock and even the ZIP Code is famous. Not bad for a stretch of land that was dotted with fields of cabbage and lima beans at the turn of the 20th century.
That’s when an investment syndicate, later called Rodeo Land & Water Co., snapped up more than 3,000 acres and began carving it into lots that developers had a hard time attracting buyers for (which today is laughable to imagine) until railroad magnate Henry Huntington lured hotelier Margaret Anderson to build a posh destination in the area. That destination — you know it as the Beverly Hills Hotel — opened in 1912 and the celebrities and captains of industry the resort attracted in its early years not only helped the soon-to-be-city take off, but also defined it as a locus of wealth and power. It officially incorporated in 1914 with a name city founders borrowed from Beverly Farms, Massachusetts.
Get to know Los Angeles through the places that bring it to life. From restaurants to shops to outdoor spaces, here’s what to discover now.
The city looms large in the pop-culture psyche not just as the world capital of conspicuous consumption but as a place of sharp contrasts between the haves and the have nots, those who inhabit the world on one side of the distinctive shield-shaped signs and those living on the well-landscaped other side. That’s what made TV shows like “The Beverly Hillbillies,” and “Beverly Hills, 90210” popular as well as movies from “Down and Out in Beverly Hills” to 40 years of “Beverly Hills Cop” and its sequels. And that’s undoubtedly part of what keeps the tour buses rolling through.
Yes, exploring this storied stretch of ground and all it’s home to can be expensive — especially if luxury shopping and over-the-top dining are your thing. But here’s the secret: it doesn’t have to be. There are plenty of places to go, things to do and foodstuffs to feast on around town that won’t break the bank, and you’ll find some of our favorites here. One thing you might be surprised to find is particularly affordable here is parking; a robust number of strategically placed city-owned garages offer one- or two-hour free parking and license-plate readers make egress a breeze.
What's included in this guide
Anyone who’s lived in a major metropolis can tell you that neighborhoods are a tricky thing. They’re eternally malleable and evoke sociological questions around how we place our homes, our neighbors and our communities within a wider tapestry. In the name of neighborly generosity, we included gems that may linger outside of technical parameters. Instead of leaning into stark definitions, we hope to celebrate all of the places that make us love where we live.
Showing Places
(Alex Justice / For The Times)
Start your day in the communal breakfast nook of Nate 'n Al's
Beverly Hills Deli Jewish Cuisine
You’d be hard-pressed to find a better place to start your day than at this beloved Jewish deli that Nate Rimer and Al Mendelson opened in 1945 and is now under the stewardship of Shelli and Irving Azoff. Serving as the city’s de facto breakfast nook, any given weekday morning will find the the booths filled with comfort-food-seeking parties of one or two — but mostly one — breaking their fast.
Tuck into one of those booths, order up a steaming hot mug of coffee and what might be the most comforting of all comfort foods the matzo brie, a mixture of scrambled eggs and matzos that lands at your table on a plate the size of a Cadillac hubcap, accompanied by sidecars of applesauce, sour cream and cinnamon sugar. This eggy matzo mound serves as a canvas upon which you can Jackson Pollock drip paint your morning into sweet and savory existence.
If you’re there in the lunch hour, you can’t go wrong with some of the other classic deli fare; Times Food columnist Jenn Harris is fond of the matzo ball soup as well as a signature sandwich called the Hollywood (corned beef, coleslaw and Russian dressing), others swear by the Canon (corned beef, pastrami, Swiss cheese, Russian dressing and coleslaw) but those feel more geared toward a day already well under way. If you want to start your day off on the right foot, though, your wisest choice is that hubcap-sized equivalent of a grandmotherly hug.
Tuck into one of those booths, order up a steaming hot mug of coffee and what might be the most comforting of all comfort foods the matzo brie, a mixture of scrambled eggs and matzos that lands at your table on a plate the size of a Cadillac hubcap, accompanied by sidecars of applesauce, sour cream and cinnamon sugar. This eggy matzo mound serves as a canvas upon which you can Jackson Pollock drip paint your morning into sweet and savory existence.
If you’re there in the lunch hour, you can’t go wrong with some of the other classic deli fare; Times Food columnist Jenn Harris is fond of the matzo ball soup as well as a signature sandwich called the Hollywood (corned beef, coleslaw and Russian dressing), others swear by the Canon (corned beef, pastrami, Swiss cheese, Russian dressing and coleslaw) but those feel more geared toward a day already well under way. If you want to start your day off on the right foot, though, your wisest choice is that hubcap-sized equivalent of a grandmotherly hug.
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(Iris Schneider / Los Angeles Times)
Peer into the life of a '20s-era oil-money heir at Greystone Mansion and Gardens
Beverly Hills Historical Landmark
Also known as the Doheny Mansion, Greystone Mansion and Gardens has been a stand-in for over-the-top wealth in many movies, including “There Will Be Blood” and “The Big Lebowski.”
The grounds are open to the public daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., but the real draw is the mansion’s interior, which allows self-guided tours of the first floor and the newly restored theater the first weekend of each month.
The house has been featured occasionally in designer show houses, but no amount of Gustavian furniture, flamboyant wallpaper or Tony Duquette-inspired decor can mask the dark history that permeates the 55-room estate — namely the Feb. 16, 1929, deaths of oil heir and homeowner Ned Doheny and his secretary, Hugh Plunkett. Authorities ruled that a deranged Plunkett shot his employer and then killed himself, but the crime remains a source of speculation. Tickets for the self-guided tour ($8 for residents of Beverly Hills, $10 for nonresidents) must be purchased in advance.
The grounds are open to the public daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., but the real draw is the mansion’s interior, which allows self-guided tours of the first floor and the newly restored theater the first weekend of each month.
The house has been featured occasionally in designer show houses, but no amount of Gustavian furniture, flamboyant wallpaper or Tony Duquette-inspired decor can mask the dark history that permeates the 55-room estate — namely the Feb. 16, 1929, deaths of oil heir and homeowner Ned Doheny and his secretary, Hugh Plunkett. Authorities ruled that a deranged Plunkett shot his employer and then killed himself, but the crime remains a source of speculation. Tickets for the self-guided tour ($8 for residents of Beverly Hills, $10 for nonresidents) must be purchased in advance.
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(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Visit the ultimate celebrity stomping ground of the Beverly Hills Hotel
Beverly Hills Historic Hotel
It would be hard to find a single building that better embodies all that Beverly Hills is than the Pink Palace just off Sunset Boulevard. Built in 1912, it actually predates the city itself (which was incorporated in 1914) and has loomed large in the public imagination ever since, eventually becoming the stomping grounds for a well-known, well-heeled crowd that over the years has included, to name but a few, Charlie Chaplin, Fred Astaire, Marlene Dietrich, Marilyn Monroe, John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
Originally designed by architect Elmer Grey and given a 1940s glow-up (and an additional wing) by Paul Revere Williams, the hotel’s distinctive pink and green exterior and interior banana-leaf wallpaper are nearly as recognizable as the celebrities who have made it famous. So to, the Polo Lounge, the epitome of Hollywood see-and-be-seen culture. (One memorable Easter brunch, I watched from afar as Beyoncé and Jay-Z introduced a toddler-age Blue Ivy Carter to the Easter Bunny.) It’s to that restaurant — or the Fountain Coffee Room downstairs — you should venture for a taste of Tinseltown that won’t cost you an arm and a leg (room rates start $1,425 a night).
At the former, you can’t get more quintessential than the McCarthy salad (two types of lettuce, diced cubes of grilled chicken, cheddar cheese, bacon, beets, hard boiled eggs, tomato and avocado served with a creamy balsamic dressing), a signature dish named after a millionaire polo player. At the latter, the perfect place for an under-the-radar, feel-like-a-million-bucks breakfast, you won’t go wrong with an order of silver dollar buttermilk pancakes; a stack of nine tiny flapjacks — each the size of a canning jar lid — dotted with three perfectly round marbles of butter, garnished with a sliced strawberry and served with two tiny bottles of Vermont maple syrup.
Whatever your visit to the Pink Palace entails, you’ll stroll in and out beneath a white and green striped awning and along an honest-to-goodness red carpet, an experience that can’t help but connect you — if only momentarily — with the celebrity set that put the place on the pop-culture map.
Originally designed by architect Elmer Grey and given a 1940s glow-up (and an additional wing) by Paul Revere Williams, the hotel’s distinctive pink and green exterior and interior banana-leaf wallpaper are nearly as recognizable as the celebrities who have made it famous. So to, the Polo Lounge, the epitome of Hollywood see-and-be-seen culture. (One memorable Easter brunch, I watched from afar as Beyoncé and Jay-Z introduced a toddler-age Blue Ivy Carter to the Easter Bunny.) It’s to that restaurant — or the Fountain Coffee Room downstairs — you should venture for a taste of Tinseltown that won’t cost you an arm and a leg (room rates start $1,425 a night).
At the former, you can’t get more quintessential than the McCarthy salad (two types of lettuce, diced cubes of grilled chicken, cheddar cheese, bacon, beets, hard boiled eggs, tomato and avocado served with a creamy balsamic dressing), a signature dish named after a millionaire polo player. At the latter, the perfect place for an under-the-radar, feel-like-a-million-bucks breakfast, you won’t go wrong with an order of silver dollar buttermilk pancakes; a stack of nine tiny flapjacks — each the size of a canning jar lid — dotted with three perfectly round marbles of butter, garnished with a sliced strawberry and served with two tiny bottles of Vermont maple syrup.
Whatever your visit to the Pink Palace entails, you’ll stroll in and out beneath a white and green striped awning and along an honest-to-goodness red carpet, an experience that can’t help but connect you — if only momentarily — with the celebrity set that put the place on the pop-culture map.
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(Alex Justice / For The Times)
Find a fix-it for any problem at Pioneer Hardware
Beverly Hills Hardware store
Yes, there’s an honest-to-goodness, nearly century-old hardware store in Beverly Hills that stocks one of anything you might need — and there has been since this family-owned business took up residence on the eastern edge of the famed Golden Triangle in 1983 (as part of a city program to ensure essential services were located within walking distance of senior living apartments). Even more surprising is what’s on offer besides the basics. Need an insured handyman? They’ve got two fulltimers on tap — one of whom also offers notary public services. Want a 90210 Zip Code? Rent one of the on-premises post office boxes. Looking for some serious Beatles memorabilia? Inquire within. Collect Hot Wheels toy cars? They get the newest ones right away. Need an ethernet cord, a tiki torch or a two-pack of lightbulbs with tapered tips that curve like elf shoes? Done, done and done.
Owner Jeff Tilem describes himself as a kid at heart (hence the Hot Wheels collectibles and Beatles memorabilia) and calls the shop he’s run for the last 31 years “the Cheers of hardware stores.” And it does have a kind of everybody-knows-your-name vibe and friendly service — even if it’s your first time through the door (most likely the rear door since it opens directly into a city-owned garage that offers two-hour free parking) and you’re not as instantly recognizable as customers like Denzel Washington, Paul Stanely or Ozzy Osbourne.
What’s popular at Pioneer? “We make a lot of keys,” manager Ryan Hudson told me. “And we get a lot of calls from hotel concierges looking for travel adapters. A lot.” Also, apparently, light bulbs — several aisles worth in every socket size, shape, wattage and bulb color imaginable. But even if you’re not on the hunt for a light bulb — or picture-hanging hook, dog bowl, Igloo cooler, pool leaf skimmer, claw hammer or roll of electrical tape — a stop in here can’t help but brighten your day.
Owner Jeff Tilem describes himself as a kid at heart (hence the Hot Wheels collectibles and Beatles memorabilia) and calls the shop he’s run for the last 31 years “the Cheers of hardware stores.” And it does have a kind of everybody-knows-your-name vibe and friendly service — even if it’s your first time through the door (most likely the rear door since it opens directly into a city-owned garage that offers two-hour free parking) and you’re not as instantly recognizable as customers like Denzel Washington, Paul Stanely or Ozzy Osbourne.
What’s popular at Pioneer? “We make a lot of keys,” manager Ryan Hudson told me. “And we get a lot of calls from hotel concierges looking for travel adapters. A lot.” Also, apparently, light bulbs — several aisles worth in every socket size, shape, wattage and bulb color imaginable. But even if you’re not on the hunt for a light bulb — or picture-hanging hook, dog bowl, Igloo cooler, pool leaf skimmer, claw hammer or roll of electrical tape — a stop in here can’t help but brighten your day.
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(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Window shop your way along Rodeo Drive
Beverly Hills Street
The three blocks of Rodeo Drive from Wilshire Boulevard to South Santa Monica Boulevard is the most famous luxury shopping street on the planet — and for good reason, thanks to upscale flagship boutiques from brands far (Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Chanel, Prada, Loewe, Bottega Veneta, and Giorgio Armani) and near (Tom Ford, Ralph Lauren and hometown fashion hero Amiri). And even if you’re not in the mood to max out your credit cards, it’s worth the stroll to take in the over-the-top architecture, pieces of public art and steady stream of camera-clutching tourists making their along the high-end thoroughfare to gawk at the glitz and glamour.
You can stroll the entire 0.3 mile stretch from Tiffany & Co. and Rimowa at the southern end (just across the street from the historic Beverly Wilshire Hotel) to Ralph Lauren and Saint Laurent at the northern end in under 10 minutes (unless you veer off on to the picturesque, pedestrian-only cobblestone-topped Via Rodeo). Along the way you’ll spot Robert Graham’s 14-foot-tall aluminum and bronze sculpture “Torso” (installed at the intersection of Dayton Way), the bright yellow Ferrari convertible parked more or less permanently in front of the Bijan boutique (halfway between Brighton Way and S. Santa Monica Blvd. — look for the crowd of picture-taking people) and perhaps a temporary art installation like Richard Orlinski’s magnificent menagerie of resin-cast animals on display through the end of 2024).
Along the way you can’t help but notice that at any given time about a quarter of the tony temples of retail here are obscured by scaffolding. In some places that might signal a downturn in the economy. Here though, it’s just the opposite; part of the luxury players’ never-ending quest to outdo each other — and draw in the deep-pocketed shoppers — with bigger, more beautiful storefronts that do double duty as brand billboards for passersby.
You can stroll the entire 0.3 mile stretch from Tiffany & Co. and Rimowa at the southern end (just across the street from the historic Beverly Wilshire Hotel) to Ralph Lauren and Saint Laurent at the northern end in under 10 minutes (unless you veer off on to the picturesque, pedestrian-only cobblestone-topped Via Rodeo). Along the way you’ll spot Robert Graham’s 14-foot-tall aluminum and bronze sculpture “Torso” (installed at the intersection of Dayton Way), the bright yellow Ferrari convertible parked more or less permanently in front of the Bijan boutique (halfway between Brighton Way and S. Santa Monica Blvd. — look for the crowd of picture-taking people) and perhaps a temporary art installation like Richard Orlinski’s magnificent menagerie of resin-cast animals on display through the end of 2024).
Along the way you can’t help but notice that at any given time about a quarter of the tony temples of retail here are obscured by scaffolding. In some places that might signal a downturn in the economy. Here though, it’s just the opposite; part of the luxury players’ never-ending quest to outdo each other — and draw in the deep-pocketed shoppers — with bigger, more beautiful storefronts that do double duty as brand billboards for passersby.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Take in a fashion-forward power lunch at Gucci Osteria
Beverly Hills Italian
For fashion synergy at its tastiest, book a table at this Michelin-starred restaurant accessible via a private elevator adjacent to the Gucci boutique on Rodeo Drive. If you book an early table (lunch service starts at 12:30 p.m.) you’ll be able to watch the well-heeled trickle in, slide into the red velvet banquettes and plop their pricey handbags on dedicated stools, literally giving them a seat at the table. The entire interior is Guccified from the floral aprons and sneakers worn by the waitstaff to the wallpaper and tableware. Even the butter pats arrive at the table molded into the shape of a bee — one of the fashion house’s oft-used symbols.
Despite what the waiter suggests (they’ll tempt you with the delicious-looking but absurdly involved tasting menu and wine pairing), you’re here for two of the signature dishes. One is the Emilia burger (a blend of beef ribeye and cotechino, a type of pork sausage, served with a slather of salsa verde and balsamic mayonnaise) ushered to the table in a pink box. The other is the tortellini in Parmigiano Reggiano sauce, a recipe, your waiter will inform you chef Massimo Bottura learned from his grandmother. He will also tell you, as he coats it with a dusting of aged Parmesan using a conical grater the size of his forearm, that each of pasta is painstakingly crafted by hand every day. After your first forkful, you’ll agree it was well worth the effort.
The best approach? Grab a bestie, reserve a table for two, order two of the smaller Mini-Me versions of the burger and split the pasta, which will be whisked out to you divided into two bowls, each with a lone tortellino emblazoned at the bottom, which will only be revealed once you’ve spooned up the last of the sauce. If you’re really in the mood to celebrate the mid-day meal, throw in a creative cocktail like the Pink Shaman (a tequila drink smoked with sage enroute to the table) or the Roses on Rodeo (made with rose-infused vodka, rose Champagne and topped off with crushed rosebuds). A power lunch at its fashionable finest.
Despite what the waiter suggests (they’ll tempt you with the delicious-looking but absurdly involved tasting menu and wine pairing), you’re here for two of the signature dishes. One is the Emilia burger (a blend of beef ribeye and cotechino, a type of pork sausage, served with a slather of salsa verde and balsamic mayonnaise) ushered to the table in a pink box. The other is the tortellini in Parmigiano Reggiano sauce, a recipe, your waiter will inform you chef Massimo Bottura learned from his grandmother. He will also tell you, as he coats it with a dusting of aged Parmesan using a conical grater the size of his forearm, that each of pasta is painstakingly crafted by hand every day. After your first forkful, you’ll agree it was well worth the effort.
The best approach? Grab a bestie, reserve a table for two, order two of the smaller Mini-Me versions of the burger and split the pasta, which will be whisked out to you divided into two bowls, each with a lone tortellino emblazoned at the bottom, which will only be revealed once you’ve spooned up the last of the sauce. If you’re really in the mood to celebrate the mid-day meal, throw in a creative cocktail like the Pink Shaman (a tequila drink smoked with sage enroute to the table) or the Roses on Rodeo (made with rose-infused vodka, rose Champagne and topped off with crushed rosebuds). A power lunch at its fashionable finest.
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(Alex Justice / For The Times)
Pet an alpaca at the Beverly Hills Farmers' Market
Beverly Hills Farmers Market
While the vendors may vary from place to place, the reality is that most L.A.-area farmer’s markets suffer from a kind of sameness, a produce- and pesto-purchasing ennui that makes it easy to forget about once you’ve trotted home with your NPR tote full of Harry’s Berries, free-range chicken and organic stone fruits This one, which takes place on Sundays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the 9300 block of Civic Center Drive (adjacent to a garage that offers free two-hour parking) feels ... different.
One part runway show, one part reality show and three parts shopping competition, it’s the kind of place Alo Yoga-clad moms in Gucci slides push Bugaboo strollers jockey competitively for the chance to score sushi-grade tuna (from Dry Dock Fish Co.) across from a table selling delicate-stemmed orchids (Aroma Orchids) while vendors sling kettle corn, chicken and waffle combo plates and vegan popsicles alongside artisan cheese makers, high-end bread bakers and growers of summer flare nectarines.
This farmer’s market, also has something magical in the in the mix for the younger set: an honest-to-goodness petting zoo filled with alpacas, ponies, lambs and kids (the goat kind) trucked in from Phelan-based Giddy Up Ranch for kids (the human kind) to pet inside an enclosure and feed cups of food. It will cost you $10 per child and $1 per cup of food but the result is a priceless experience like the one I saw unfold during a recent visit; a 9-year-old girl watching wide-eyed as a woolly black alpaca named Helmet nibbled food from her outstretched hand. Mid-nibble, she turned to her parents outside the enclosure and exclaimed with the kind of wonderous glee only a child can muster: “That’s my favorite animal — and I’m feeding it!”
One part runway show, one part reality show and three parts shopping competition, it’s the kind of place Alo Yoga-clad moms in Gucci slides push Bugaboo strollers jockey competitively for the chance to score sushi-grade tuna (from Dry Dock Fish Co.) across from a table selling delicate-stemmed orchids (Aroma Orchids) while vendors sling kettle corn, chicken and waffle combo plates and vegan popsicles alongside artisan cheese makers, high-end bread bakers and growers of summer flare nectarines.
This farmer’s market, also has something magical in the in the mix for the younger set: an honest-to-goodness petting zoo filled with alpacas, ponies, lambs and kids (the goat kind) trucked in from Phelan-based Giddy Up Ranch for kids (the human kind) to pet inside an enclosure and feed cups of food. It will cost you $10 per child and $1 per cup of food but the result is a priceless experience like the one I saw unfold during a recent visit; a 9-year-old girl watching wide-eyed as a woolly black alpaca named Helmet nibbled food from her outstretched hand. Mid-nibble, she turned to her parents outside the enclosure and exclaimed with the kind of wonderous glee only a child can muster: “That’s my favorite animal — and I’m feeding it!”
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(Alex Justice / For The Times)
Grab your prescription — and a tuna melt — at Mickey Fine Pharmacy & Grill
Beverly Hills Diner
There are plenty of places in Beverly Hills to pick up your curative pills, potions and ointments and even more places to grab a bite of lunch. But you’d be hard pressed to find some place where you can do both — unless you’re familiar with Mickey Fine Pharmacy & Grill. Located on the ground floor of a medical office building, it dates to 1956 when it first opened as a Schwab’s Pharmacy and has been operating under the Mickey Fine name since the early 1960s. There’s another Mickey Fine’s just a few blocks away but this one has the distinction of having an old-timey, gently curving 17-seat luncheonette counter in the back (as well as a dozen small tables) to which you can decamp for a quick cup of coffee or bite of breakfast or lunch — it’s only open until 3 p.m. — while you’re getting your prescription filled.
As you might expect from a drugstore diner, the menu skews toward comfort food — omelettes, pancakes and egg dishes dominate the breakfast menu, sandwiches, melts, burgers and salads anchor the lunch offerings. In a nod to nostalgia, in addition to a range of carbonated beverages you can also order a milk shake or a root beer float. (The menu says the spot has “the only original soda fountain in Beverly Hills” — though the machine I saw behind the counter on a recent pop-in looks like a standard-issue fountain-drink dispenser.)
Although I’ve never gotten any prescriptions filled there, I know people who have, and I’m told the customer service on the pharmacy side is top-notch. (They’ve got to be doing something — beyond tuna melts — right to be serving their third generation.) What I can attest to, is the deep bench of other things that are available on the shelves between the lunch counter and front door: bandages, boob tape, baby wipes, bejeweled dog bowls and “Bridgerton”-themed hair scrunchies to name just a few.
As you might expect from a drugstore diner, the menu skews toward comfort food — omelettes, pancakes and egg dishes dominate the breakfast menu, sandwiches, melts, burgers and salads anchor the lunch offerings. In a nod to nostalgia, in addition to a range of carbonated beverages you can also order a milk shake or a root beer float. (The menu says the spot has “the only original soda fountain in Beverly Hills” — though the machine I saw behind the counter on a recent pop-in looks like a standard-issue fountain-drink dispenser.)
Although I’ve never gotten any prescriptions filled there, I know people who have, and I’m told the customer service on the pharmacy side is top-notch. (They’ve got to be doing something — beyond tuna melts — right to be serving their third generation.) What I can attest to, is the deep bench of other things that are available on the shelves between the lunch counter and front door: bandages, boob tape, baby wipes, bejeweled dog bowls and “Bridgerton”-themed hair scrunchies to name just a few.
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(Adam Tschorn / Los Angeles Times)
Up your pickleball game at Beverly Hills Tennis
Beverly Hills Pickleball lessons
If you still haven’t gotten on board with the whole pickleball ball thing — or you’re a pickler looking to up your game or simply log some come court time — your answer is conveniently located right off busy La Cienega Boulevard and even more conveniently located right above a parking garage. If you’re just a quartet in search of a place to play, reservations for one of the eight courts can be made (up to a week in advance for Beverly Hills residents at a rate of $10 an hour, four days in advance at a rate of $14 an hour for non-residents) between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. daily directly through the city’s website.
If you’re a fledgling adult pickler just starting to brine, you can sign up for a class through the La Cienega Tennis Center’s official longtime concessionaire Beverly Hills Tennis. Offered in five-week blocks of once-a-week, one-hour classes ($175), the beginner-level class is a good way to to get a handle on the basics in a supportive environment. I say this as a wholly uncoordinated player of absolutely no sports whatsoever who emerged from the experience as a pickler with above zero aptitude. (At least that’s what our affable coach Jerry Shandrew led me to believe.) If you’re closer to the west side, classes and courts are also available through the same company at the city’s Roxbury Park location.
If you’re a fledgling adult pickler just starting to brine, you can sign up for a class through the La Cienega Tennis Center’s official longtime concessionaire Beverly Hills Tennis. Offered in five-week blocks of once-a-week, one-hour classes ($175), the beginner-level class is a good way to to get a handle on the basics in a supportive environment. I say this as a wholly uncoordinated player of absolutely no sports whatsoever who emerged from the experience as a pickler with above zero aptitude. (At least that’s what our affable coach Jerry Shandrew led me to believe.) If you’re closer to the west side, classes and courts are also available through the same company at the city’s Roxbury Park location.
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(Adam Tschorn/Los Angeles Times)
Get an old-school straight-razor shave at Gornick & Drucker's
Beverly Hills Barber
If you want to feel like a million bucks for less than a hundred, hustle over to Gornik & Drucker’s Barber Shop, a clubby, four-chair shop tucked away in the lower level of the Maybourne Beverly Hills hotel and ask the man who greets you warmly for a straight-razor shave.
He’ll motion you to sit in a vintage Kochs barber chair, tilt you back and begin a 45-minute grooming-meets-pampering ritual that includes two rounds of hot towels, a warm lather of Geo. F. Trumper shaving cream, a meticulous pruning of your facial forest that involves at least two passes with a straight razor (one with and one against the grain), a vibrating face massage, a spritz of bay rum aftershave and a finish that involves the snap of a cool towel inches from a face that’s as smooth as polished marble.
Gornik & Drucker’s (which also has an outpost in the Palisades) isn’t the only place in town to get a straight-razor shave, but it is the only place that dates to 1936 — and has catered to the tonsorial needs of Ronald Reagan, Frank Sinatra, Orson Welles and gangster Bugsy Siegel — the last of whom supposedly stopped in the day he was gunned down in 1947.
Book your $85 appointment in advance online (each barber sees between eight and 10 heads a day, said Carlitos Dosouto, the 21-year veteran of the barbering trade who took my face from grizzled to baby-butt smooth on a recent Tuesday morning), and park for two hours free in the city garage just north of the Maybourne (a door leads from the garage almost directly to the barber shop). Or, if you’re feeling extra fancy, roll into the hotel’s $20 valet and get validated — which will shave $15 off the fee. (Put it toward the tip — because, hey, it’s always a good idea to tip the person who lays a straight razor against your neck.)
Either way, you’ll be leaving with your best face forward.
He’ll motion you to sit in a vintage Kochs barber chair, tilt you back and begin a 45-minute grooming-meets-pampering ritual that includes two rounds of hot towels, a warm lather of Geo. F. Trumper shaving cream, a meticulous pruning of your facial forest that involves at least two passes with a straight razor (one with and one against the grain), a vibrating face massage, a spritz of bay rum aftershave and a finish that involves the snap of a cool towel inches from a face that’s as smooth as polished marble.
Gornik & Drucker’s (which also has an outpost in the Palisades) isn’t the only place in town to get a straight-razor shave, but it is the only place that dates to 1936 — and has catered to the tonsorial needs of Ronald Reagan, Frank Sinatra, Orson Welles and gangster Bugsy Siegel — the last of whom supposedly stopped in the day he was gunned down in 1947.
Book your $85 appointment in advance online (each barber sees between eight and 10 heads a day, said Carlitos Dosouto, the 21-year veteran of the barbering trade who took my face from grizzled to baby-butt smooth on a recent Tuesday morning), and park for two hours free in the city garage just north of the Maybourne (a door leads from the garage almost directly to the barber shop). Or, if you’re feeling extra fancy, roll into the hotel’s $20 valet and get validated — which will shave $15 off the fee. (Put it toward the tip — because, hey, it’s always a good idea to tip the person who lays a straight razor against your neck.)
Either way, you’ll be leaving with your best face forward.
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(Alex Justice/ For The Times)
Take an eye-opening tour of Wallis Annenberg Center for the Arts
Beverly Hills Entertainment Venue
For a glimpse into the glory days of mail delivery — the physical, in-envelope kind — take one of the free tours on offer at this historic post office turned performing arts complex wedged in between Santa Monica Boulevard and Burton Way. Offered at 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and noon Mondays through Fridays (no reservation required), the roughly half-hour tour, conducted by a Beverly Hills park ranger (the 2.5 acre site is owned by the city) provides a wealth of details about the history and architecture of the space — and how it was painstakingly converted from one use to the other.
The tour starts in the marble-clad Grand Lobby of the 1933 building, what were once teller windows now serve as ticket counters, windows and the original clock still ticks away the time. Your guide will explain how Will Rogers helped cajole the federal government into providing the $300,000 necessary to build it, and point out that the country was in the throes of the Great Depression when artist Charles Kassler completed his eight WPA-funded lunette murals in the high-ceiling space. To of them will be pointed out as depicting the history and future of mail delivery at the time (the Pony Express and airmail respectively) and six will be pointed out as paying homage to the WPA program itself (my favorite is the wholly meta fresco depicting artists working on WPA programs).
You’ll learn how the original postmaster’s spacious office was preserved — and at the same time converted into two ground-floor rooms (including an intimate lounge area/sitting room and a ladies restroom) — how the original mail-sorting room was repurposed into an intimate 150-seat black box theater space and how a building with an additional 500-seat theater was seamlessly added next door, complete with a sunken sculpture garden.
The tour starts in the marble-clad Grand Lobby of the 1933 building, what were once teller windows now serve as ticket counters, windows and the original clock still ticks away the time. Your guide will explain how Will Rogers helped cajole the federal government into providing the $300,000 necessary to build it, and point out that the country was in the throes of the Great Depression when artist Charles Kassler completed his eight WPA-funded lunette murals in the high-ceiling space. To of them will be pointed out as depicting the history and future of mail delivery at the time (the Pony Express and airmail respectively) and six will be pointed out as paying homage to the WPA program itself (my favorite is the wholly meta fresco depicting artists working on WPA programs).
You’ll learn how the original postmaster’s spacious office was preserved — and at the same time converted into two ground-floor rooms (including an intimate lounge area/sitting room and a ladies restroom) — how the original mail-sorting room was repurposed into an intimate 150-seat black box theater space and how a building with an additional 500-seat theater was seamlessly added next door, complete with a sunken sculpture garden.
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(Alex Justice / For The Times)
Snap into a smoked salmon pizza solo at Spago
Beverly Hills Italian American
Wolfgang Puck’s smoked salmon pizza is the stuff of legend, created the story goes, when actress Joan Collins was dining at early Spago (back when it was just a single restaurant tucked away on a West Hollywood hillside across from Tower Records) and ordered smoked salmon and brioche. Finding himself without bread, Puck improvised by using a pizza crust instead. The rest is history and the dish, which layers cured salmon atop dill-infused crème fraîche atop the fresh-from-the-oven crust and finished with a dollop of caviar is such a famous crowd-pleaser it’s passed at Hollywood awards-show after parties catered by the Puck empire and shipped nationwide via Goldbelly.
The best part is, you don’t need to part of a crowd to enjoy it. Should you find yourself an after-party of one, just head over to Spago, grab a seat at the bar. Even though you won’t see it mentioned anywhere on the menu, place your order with confidence. (“Oh, it’s always available,” the bartender assured me on a recent visit.) Since you’re sitting at the bar, you’d look out of place without a drink in your hand so why not throw in a glass of Champagne? Or perhaps pluck a playful cocktail off the innovative (and loosely decade-themed) menu? That’s how I find myself tucking into a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster, a drink inspiredf by one described in Douglas Adams’ book “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” that contained a bewitching blend of rye, green tea, genever, Cointreau and clarified coconut milk and served with a trompe l’oeil olive balanced on a bent teaspoon.
Joan Collins, eat your heart out.
The best part is, you don’t need to part of a crowd to enjoy it. Should you find yourself an after-party of one, just head over to Spago, grab a seat at the bar. Even though you won’t see it mentioned anywhere on the menu, place your order with confidence. (“Oh, it’s always available,” the bartender assured me on a recent visit.) Since you’re sitting at the bar, you’d look out of place without a drink in your hand so why not throw in a glass of Champagne? Or perhaps pluck a playful cocktail off the innovative (and loosely decade-themed) menu? That’s how I find myself tucking into a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster, a drink inspiredf by one described in Douglas Adams’ book “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” that contained a bewitching blend of rye, green tea, genever, Cointreau and clarified coconut milk and served with a trompe l’oeil olive balanced on a bent teaspoon.
Joan Collins, eat your heart out.
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(Alex Justice / For The Times)
Get your celebrity sugar fix at Edelweiss Chocolates
Beverly Hills Chocolatier
It would be hard to find a chocolate maker as steeped in Hollywood lore as this jewel box of a space that’s been crafting sweet treats for famous folks — and the rest of us — since it first opened (as Candy Round-Up) in 1942. The shop, which makes its chocolates onsite, isn’t shy about leaning into its well-known clientele; the display case includes the names of a handful of famous folks next to their favorite indulgences. Frank Sinatra, it turns out, had as thing for the maple creams, Elizabeth Taylor favored the French truffles and Katherine Hepburn liked the dark chocolate turtles so much she gave them a shoutout in her autobiography “Me”).
Perhaps the coolest Hollywood connection, though, comes by way of Lucille Ball, who, having taken notice of the shop’s chocolate-enrobing machine, used it as inspiration for the famed gobbling-chocolates-off-the-assembly-line 1952 “Job Switching” episode of “I Love Lucy” (a black and white still from the episode can be seen hanging in the back room of the shop).
You can either buy pre-packaged assortments off the shelf (each in a signature red Edelweiss box with gold lettering) or mix and match your own (both options are $72.95 per pound). if you do the latter, make sure to build a box that includes include some of their popular chocolate-covered marshmallows (varieties to choose from include rose-water flavored marshmallows covered in dark chocolate and a dark-chocolate-dipped, caramel-covered marshmallow that Stan Lee had a soft spot for), chocolate-covered pretzels, a few hand-dipped, chocolate-covered Oreos (Oprah’s go-to) and some almond bark (Steven Spielberg). Take it all home and channel your inner Lucy like nobody’s watching.
Perhaps the coolest Hollywood connection, though, comes by way of Lucille Ball, who, having taken notice of the shop’s chocolate-enrobing machine, used it as inspiration for the famed gobbling-chocolates-off-the-assembly-line 1952 “Job Switching” episode of “I Love Lucy” (a black and white still from the episode can be seen hanging in the back room of the shop).
You can either buy pre-packaged assortments off the shelf (each in a signature red Edelweiss box with gold lettering) or mix and match your own (both options are $72.95 per pound). if you do the latter, make sure to build a box that includes include some of their popular chocolate-covered marshmallows (varieties to choose from include rose-water flavored marshmallows covered in dark chocolate and a dark-chocolate-dipped, caramel-covered marshmallow that Stan Lee had a soft spot for), chocolate-covered pretzels, a few hand-dipped, chocolate-covered Oreos (Oprah’s go-to) and some almond bark (Steven Spielberg). Take it all home and channel your inner Lucy like nobody’s watching.
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(Adam Markovitz)
Stop and smell the roses at the Virginia Robinson Gardens
Beverly Hills Public garden
If you want a whiff of Old Hollywood glamour, make a beeline for the roses at the Virginia Robinson Gardens. This lavish 1911 estate was built by department store magnates Harry and Virginia Robinson and boasts Italianate architecture, lush botanical gardens and views that stretch as far as Catalina Island on a clear day. Opulence is the unofficial theme here, and the rose gardens are no exception: You’ll find no fewer than 500 blooming plants spread across two separate collections, one for display and one for cutting.
The display garden, just across from a tennis court where Hollywood stars like Charlie Chaplin used to play, is still maintained according to Virginia’s original design, with an emphasis on her favorite color. See if you can guess what it was as you browse the 34 different rose varieties, including blushing Mon Cheris, pastel Sweet Surrenders and Virginia’s personal preference, a Barbie-bright hybrid tea rose called Eiffel Tower.
High up on the house’s outer wall, you can even spot a historic climbing rose that was planted during Virginia’s lifetime and still explodes in yellow and white blooms every year. On the other side of the tennis court (which has a few more historic rose plants clinging to its borders), the sloped cutting garden spills down a hillside of blossoms.
In 1977 the estate was handed over to L.A. County, which now runs reservation-only tours along with a number of on-site classes and programs. (Events are posted about a month out and tend to fill up quickly, so it helps to check the official website regularly for new dates.) If you want especially Instagrammable lighting, try a Golden Hour tour, which showcases the gardens at sunset. Wellness classes — including sound baths and meditative walks — offer a chance for even more mindfulness on the grounds. And for a hands-on experience with the roses themselves, look out for the annual pruning class in January, when master gardeners give lessons in the cutting garden. Docent-led tours start at $15 and take place Monday through Friday by reservation only.
The display garden, just across from a tennis court where Hollywood stars like Charlie Chaplin used to play, is still maintained according to Virginia’s original design, with an emphasis on her favorite color. See if you can guess what it was as you browse the 34 different rose varieties, including blushing Mon Cheris, pastel Sweet Surrenders and Virginia’s personal preference, a Barbie-bright hybrid tea rose called Eiffel Tower.
High up on the house’s outer wall, you can even spot a historic climbing rose that was planted during Virginia’s lifetime and still explodes in yellow and white blooms every year. On the other side of the tennis court (which has a few more historic rose plants clinging to its borders), the sloped cutting garden spills down a hillside of blossoms.
In 1977 the estate was handed over to L.A. County, which now runs reservation-only tours along with a number of on-site classes and programs. (Events are posted about a month out and tend to fill up quickly, so it helps to check the official website regularly for new dates.) If you want especially Instagrammable lighting, try a Golden Hour tour, which showcases the gardens at sunset. Wellness classes — including sound baths and meditative walks — offer a chance for even more mindfulness on the grounds. And for a hands-on experience with the roses themselves, look out for the annual pruning class in January, when master gardeners give lessons in the cutting garden. Docent-led tours start at $15 and take place Monday through Friday by reservation only.
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(GEARYS )
Take your tablescape to the next level at Gearys
Beverly Hills Home Decor
This multi-generational, family-owned business dates to 1930 when it first opened its doors as an art supply and gift store. In the almost century since, it’s grown the way many family retail businesses have; organically adding new categories and expanding offerings to both serve their existing customers and attract new ones. That’s why today the Gearys Beverly Hills footprint includes two dedicated luxury watch boutiques — one selling Rolex watches and the other Patek Philippe timepieces — as well as the flagship store on Beverly Drive that, in addition to a selection of high-end wrist candy, serves up all manner of table-top bling, shiny home-decor extravagance and sparkly giftable. (It’s reportedly a gifting go-to for Madame Vice President whose purchases here have included a wedding present for stepson Cole Emhoff).
On a recent visit, I watched as a sales associate thoughtfully helped a customer lay out —plate by plate, glass by glass — place settings for a 16-person bridal dinner in shades of muted silver. A few feet away, two women answered the gift-registry phones with the enthusiasm of stock traders. All around them, shoppers quietly browsed displays of loud luxury tableware, flatware and barware that dream dinners are made of; colorful Hermès dinner plates, gleaming Christofle wine buckets, serving trays and butter dishes and Baccarat crystal stemware that catches the light just so.
There’s no shortage of statement gift options to be had either; think a $325 bedazzled turkey tabletopper; a $1,700 oyster-shaped, sterling silver salt cellars and a limited-edition, sculpted crystal Arabian horse head ($32,060). There are even swanky toys for the kids (just behind the staircase) including Danish-designed Maileg plush toys, zippy Playforever toy racecars and French play tea sets. With any luck, the young ones will grow up to appreciate an eye-catching tablescape.
On a recent visit, I watched as a sales associate thoughtfully helped a customer lay out —plate by plate, glass by glass — place settings for a 16-person bridal dinner in shades of muted silver. A few feet away, two women answered the gift-registry phones with the enthusiasm of stock traders. All around them, shoppers quietly browsed displays of loud luxury tableware, flatware and barware that dream dinners are made of; colorful Hermès dinner plates, gleaming Christofle wine buckets, serving trays and butter dishes and Baccarat crystal stemware that catches the light just so.
There’s no shortage of statement gift options to be had either; think a $325 bedazzled turkey tabletopper; a $1,700 oyster-shaped, sterling silver salt cellars and a limited-edition, sculpted crystal Arabian horse head ($32,060). There are even swanky toys for the kids (just behind the staircase) including Danish-designed Maileg plush toys, zippy Playforever toy racecars and French play tea sets. With any luck, the young ones will grow up to appreciate an eye-catching tablescape.
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(Alex Justice / For the Times)
Grab a chunk of "Larry David cheese" at the Cheese Store of Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills Cheese Shop Sandwich Shop
This emporium of almighty cheeses pays serious homage to the fromage, with more than 600 imported varieties of the delectable dairy product on hand at any given time. Its counter is stacked with immense wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano, half moons of Manchego, pucks of creamy camembert, rounds of Swiss raclette and pale yellow sample slivers of Dalmatinac (a sheep’s milk cheese from Pag Island, Croatia) that stretch newly the length of the tiny shop. The cheesemongers here know their way around curds and then some; the shop first opened its doors (at a different location) in 1967 and they’ve been helping customers find the just the right cheese for their wine pairing/charcuterie board/fondue recipe ever since.
One of the things that gets asked for on a not-infrequent basis? “The Larry David cheese,” a manager told me during a recent visit, referring to a plot-point chunk of cheese Larry picks up at the shop (which, until 2023 was located a few blocks away on Beverly Drive) in the final season of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” On “Curb,” David refers to it as Vonderdonk — which you might not be surprised to find out is a totally made-up name. The actual cheese wedge wrapped in the shop’s distinctive logo-emblazoned paper for the episode was Chällerhocker — a cave-aged, brine-washed Swiss cheese with a nutty flavor.
If a Milky Way galaxy’s worth of milk byproducts — and a bonafide celebrity cheese — aren’t enough to get you in the door, the shop also does a brisk business in fresh pastas, jars of red sauce and trays of heat-and-eat turkey meatballs (under the Dominic’s nameplate) and made-to-order sandwiches (I heartily endorse La Macellaia (the female butcher), a crusty roll layered with prosciutto cotto, coppa, salami and finocchiona and dressed with shredded lettuce, olive oil and vinegar). It’s enough to make a vegan weep.
One of the things that gets asked for on a not-infrequent basis? “The Larry David cheese,” a manager told me during a recent visit, referring to a plot-point chunk of cheese Larry picks up at the shop (which, until 2023 was located a few blocks away on Beverly Drive) in the final season of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” On “Curb,” David refers to it as Vonderdonk — which you might not be surprised to find out is a totally made-up name. The actual cheese wedge wrapped in the shop’s distinctive logo-emblazoned paper for the episode was Chällerhocker — a cave-aged, brine-washed Swiss cheese with a nutty flavor.
If a Milky Way galaxy’s worth of milk byproducts — and a bonafide celebrity cheese — aren’t enough to get you in the door, the shop also does a brisk business in fresh pastas, jars of red sauce and trays of heat-and-eat turkey meatballs (under the Dominic’s nameplate) and made-to-order sandwiches (I heartily endorse La Macellaia (the female butcher), a crusty roll layered with prosciutto cotto, coppa, salami and finocchiona and dressed with shredded lettuce, olive oil and vinegar). It’s enough to make a vegan weep.
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(Alex Justice / For The Times)
Savor a sweet secret at Beverly Hills Cookies
Beverly Hills Bakery
Is it a bold move to name your business after the city of Beverly Hills? Absolutely. And to render your sign in a logo similar to the Beverly Hills Hotel’s? Even more so. But this just-over-a-year-old, south-of-Wilshire cookie shop backs that boldness with a serious assortment of its namesake sweet treats that range from the classic flavors like chocolate chunk (the top-seller made with hunks of Belgian chocolate) , snickerdoodle (the second-most popular) and s’mores (number three) to intriguing ones that include duck egg (a super-rich, yolk-yellow cookie made with actual duck eggs and white chocolate), the aptly named secret cookie (“I can tell you that it has walnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans and chocolate chunks,” owner Barry Axelrod told me, “but there’s also an ingredient that only the baker knows”) and one simply labeled “Ask us what it is!”
In addition to serving up their 25 varieties of cookies as is, the folks behind the counter can fashion them into gelato sandwiches or crumble them into made-on-the-spot milkshakes. There are also vegan and keto-friendly options on offer — as well as a bone-shaped dog biscuit (made with organic peanut butter and pumpkin puree) — so there’s something for just about every kind of sweet tooth that’s out there.
In addition to serving up their 25 varieties of cookies as is, the folks behind the counter can fashion them into gelato sandwiches or crumble them into made-on-the-spot milkshakes. There are also vegan and keto-friendly options on offer — as well as a bone-shaped dog biscuit (made with organic peanut butter and pumpkin puree) — so there’s something for just about every kind of sweet tooth that’s out there.
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(Alex Justice / For the Times)
Stroll beneath a stately century-old tree in Beverly Gardens Park
Beverly Hills Park
This swath of well-manicured green space actually stretches 23 blocks along the north side of Santa Monica Boulevard from Wilshire Boulevard to Carmelita Avenue, but it’s the three blocks between Crescent and Rodeo drives — developed as the original park in 1907 — that serve as the sparkly grill in the smile of the city, greeting daily commuters and tour buses alike. It’s high-traffic location and proximity to City Hall make it a prime spot for protests, pickets and demonstrations of every stripe, and the instantly recognizable 40-foot-wide arched Beverly Hills monument sign fronted by a lily pond. This is one of the most popular selfie spots for visitors and it’s not uncommon to see a line of tourists patiently queued up, camera in hand, waiting their turn to memorialize the moment.
But the park, which serves as a buffer between the residential and commercial districts of what was once known as “the garden city of the world” (I found that on one of informational plaques installed along the walking path) is worth popping by to explore even if you don’t have a message to send or a photo to take. Wander along the path and check out sculptures like Barry Flanangan’s “The Drummer” (a lanky, percussion-playing rabbit), a stainless steel and tinfoil piece depicting a figure balancing takeout food containers on its head (Tom Friedman’s “Takeaway”) or “Peace and Love,” the 8-foot-tall, polished steel hand-flashing-a-peace-sign sculpture donated by Ringo Starr. (Not far away is a very convenient — and very clean — public restroom.) There is also an example of Mother Nature’s exquisite handiwork to gawk at as well — a century-old Moretown Bay Fig tree whose majestic canopy shades nearly half a city block. Located at the corner of Park Way and Beverly Drive, the fixture ficus was planted sometime between 1910 and 1914 by the long-defunct Rodeo Land and Water Company.
But the park, which serves as a buffer between the residential and commercial districts of what was once known as “the garden city of the world” (I found that on one of informational plaques installed along the walking path) is worth popping by to explore even if you don’t have a message to send or a photo to take. Wander along the path and check out sculptures like Barry Flanangan’s “The Drummer” (a lanky, percussion-playing rabbit), a stainless steel and tinfoil piece depicting a figure balancing takeout food containers on its head (Tom Friedman’s “Takeaway”) or “Peace and Love,” the 8-foot-tall, polished steel hand-flashing-a-peace-sign sculpture donated by Ringo Starr. (Not far away is a very convenient — and very clean — public restroom.) There is also an example of Mother Nature’s exquisite handiwork to gawk at as well — a century-old Moretown Bay Fig tree whose majestic canopy shades nearly half a city block. Located at the corner of Park Way and Beverly Drive, the fixture ficus was planted sometime between 1910 and 1914 by the long-defunct Rodeo Land and Water Company.
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(PATRICK T. FALLON / AFP via Getty Images)
Get your mind blown at Mr. Brainwash Art Museum
Beverly Hills Art Museum
Take the giant Gumby and Pokey sculptures beckoning to you from behind glass at the corner of South Santa Monica and Beverly Drive as a sign to buy a ticket and take a rollercoaster ride through the world of Mr. Brainwash, a French-born, L.A.-based Banksy protege (he was the subject of the Banksy-directed documentary “Exit Through the Gift Shop”) who has filled — and I mean filled — the former home of the Paley Center for the Media with all manner of his slice-and-dice, mix-and-match work that leans heavily into the juxtaposition of pop-culture and high art. A towering portrait of Kobe Bryant depicted as a knight in shining Laker armor, Grant Wood’s “American Gothic” tagged with “Home Sweet Home” graffiti and gilt-framed mash-ups of 19th-century pastoral paintings and Star Wars characters. (Yoda standing in a field next to two grazing cows is the visual you didn’t know you needed.)
There’s so much of it spread over two floors (and the roof — home to a trompe-l’oeil David Hockney pool and a backdrop that allows you to recreate the Beatles “Abbey Road” cover) it’s hard to take it all in. Or know how to take it all. A Tyrannosaurus rex made completely out of old books? “Whistler’s Mother” with an Apple laptop? A version of Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” with the distinctive Beverly Hills shield sign in the background? They’re all here. So are human-size spray paint cans that look like Campbell’s soup cans, a bathroom hallway that resembles a New york subway station and a set piece that allows you to literally enter Van Gogh’s “Bedroom in Arles.”
If you want to get a better handle on all things Mr. Brainwash, there is a docent-led tour daily at 3 p.m. ($40). Otherwise, plunk down $20 ($10 for seniors and students) and wander the wonderment at your leisure. Children under 5 get in free and even though the little ones won’t necessarily get the humor of a Batman/Picasso portrait mash-up or a 19th-century Rubenesque lass lolling on a divan in a pair of Juicy Couture sweats, there enough colorful characters (a Bozo here, a lifesize Matchbox car there, a Snoopy in the corner) they’ll enjoy the wild ride as much as you do.
There’s so much of it spread over two floors (and the roof — home to a trompe-l’oeil David Hockney pool and a backdrop that allows you to recreate the Beatles “Abbey Road” cover) it’s hard to take it all in. Or know how to take it all. A Tyrannosaurus rex made completely out of old books? “Whistler’s Mother” with an Apple laptop? A version of Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” with the distinctive Beverly Hills shield sign in the background? They’re all here. So are human-size spray paint cans that look like Campbell’s soup cans, a bathroom hallway that resembles a New york subway station and a set piece that allows you to literally enter Van Gogh’s “Bedroom in Arles.”
If you want to get a better handle on all things Mr. Brainwash, there is a docent-led tour daily at 3 p.m. ($40). Otherwise, plunk down $20 ($10 for seniors and students) and wander the wonderment at your leisure. Children under 5 get in free and even though the little ones won’t necessarily get the humor of a Batman/Picasso portrait mash-up or a 19th-century Rubenesque lass lolling on a divan in a pair of Juicy Couture sweats, there enough colorful characters (a Bozo here, a lifesize Matchbox car there, a Snoopy in the corner) they’ll enjoy the wild ride as much as you do.
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