Vintage vacation: Spend a weekend discovering the golden age of Los Angeles

The first thing we think about when anyone mentions the city of Los Angeles is the iconic Hollywood Sign, which is turning 100 years old this year.

That means, for over a century, the City of Stars has been gracing us with its glow through the silver screen, and with that comes a lot of history.

To help you celebrate the centennial, we visited Los Angeles for a vintage-themed week of fun, and have rounded up all the must-try activities for anyone who loves movies, good food, fun, and history.

Stay in the city with style

Right on top of the Walk of Fame, Hollywood Hotel Roosevelt is the ideal location if you want to be able to explore Hollywood Boulevard on foot.

Both classic and modern, the chic interior feels like a warm hug from a humid city where I can feel its heart pulsing.

There are multiple ghost stories involving The Roosevelt, including sightings of Marilyn Monroe’s ghost. I didn’t know that I apparently stayed in one of the most haunted rooms there! I did hope I would’ve been visited by the ghost of Errol Flynn but I had no luck.

The hotel itself has plenty of things to do if you’re too tired from all the travelling to leave the grounds. Amenities include a pool and a gym (that I made sure to use, thank you very much). From a burger joint to an upscale restaurant, you won’t go hungry staying here.

Hotel Figueroa — or the Fig as it’s called by friends (like me) — is a cute boutique hotel located in Downtown LA. It has been standing for almost as long as the Hollywood Sign, opening its doors in 1926.

The Spanish Mediterranean architecture won my heart over and over again. Everywhere I looked was a breathtaking view. I had to text my friends about the gorgeous washrooms!

Fun fact: Hotel Figueroa was the largest commercial building funded by women for women when it opened in 1926 by the YWCA as a safe haven for solo female travellers, who were prohibited from checking into most hotels without a male chaperone. Progressive since the very beginning.

They also have the coolest coffin-shaped pool and some great places to grab a bite from breakfast to dinner.

Walk the star-studded streets for photo ops

Hollywood Boulevard itself could fill your entire day just from taking pictures with your favourite artist’s names on the Walk of Fame.

I like being a tourist to the max, and had to stop a few times while walking down the street — one of them to take a photo of Pitbull’s star. I couldn’t help it!

There are also plenty of pop culture-dedicated experiences you can visit along the strip. The TLC Chinese Theatre is another classic photo op — it’s where you can find a bunch of celebrities’ hand and footprints. You can also feel as vintage as the sign by shopping for some old Hollywood glamour pieces at Iguana Vintage — or just a really good pair of jeans.

Hike up to the Hollywood Sign

An awesome beginner-friendly hike to the Hollywood Sign should be on your priority list because it’s the real star of the show. You can totally do it by yourself but navigating the neighbourhood becomes way more pleasurable with a local.

Having a Bikes & Hikes LA tour guide made it a whole different experience. He knew the history of the place, the best spots to stop and admire the sign, the ghost stories (look up the story of Peg Entwistle), and the perfect way to get a picture.

Take a tour of the city

As a lover of art history, architecture, and walking, the Downtown LA walking tour was one of my favourite activities. The beauty of the Beaux-Arts buildings and their Greek and Roman-inspired structures was unmatched.

The LA Conservancy tour guide was extremely knowledgeable about the timeline of Downtown LA, when, where, how, why… there is no question she couldn’t answer — from the height restrictions of the buildings to how to identify the different architectural styles.

Of course, we had to stop at a couple of filming locations around downtown like the Biltmore Hotel that’s appeared in movies such as Oppenheimer and Pretty Woman. LA is full of iconic movie locations, so you have to take advantage!

The Los Angeles Central Library stop was one of my highlights — where I learned about a huge fire in the ’80s where the locals came to the books’ rescue. They went in to save as many books as possible before the fire could be put out by the fire department.

The walking tour ends when the group takes the Angels Flight to the lower side of downtown, and we end up at the Grand Central Market — where I had one of the best carnitas tacos of my life. Some of the shops are as old as the market itself, and it would take you a long time to visit them all.

Historic Valley tour

The Historic Valley tour starts at the super cool Valley Relics Museum, which is a place that screams American pop culture — cars, movie memorabilia, fast food merch, and old arcade games. So many cool things to see and interact with (see the DDR machine in the photo above).

From there, we went on a bus ride with Jared Cowan from My Valley Pass. He was a Valley expert and we made some really cool stops at some famous filming locations (including the studio where the Star Wars franchise’s first episodes were filmed).

A silver-screen tour at Warner Bros Studio

The Warner Bros tours are always super fun, and this is a new Classics Tour that is going to be available to the public later this year — focusing on classic movies.

Our guide, Dan, was the bubbliest human on earth and made the whole thing so entertaining and light. He knew all the sound stages and (fake) streets like the palm of his hand. It was extremely educational for film buffs and newbies alike.

The tour ends at Stage 48, where you can see old costumes and props. So take advantage of the photo op!

Indulge in delicious food

A brunch at Clark Street Diner is as American as it gets. This spot has that ’70s look, great food, and amazingly big portions. Shout-out to the iced latte with vanilla syrup at this place — it was recommended to me by our lovely waitress and it was delicious.

Fun fact: this diner was featured in one of Megan Thee Stallion’s music videos.

A delicious lunch option featured in the film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Casa Vega is an authentic Mexican restaurant that stole my heart. The tableside guacamole was so fresh I could eat it every day.

The margaritas were also so tasty, and the restaurant itself is very cute and feels so intimate.

One of the reasons to never leave the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel is the Shirley Brasserie, which was one of the premiere dinner spots in the city. With impeccable customer service from the hostess to the wait staff, the flavours all through the menu were classy and classic.

Even if you’re not staying at the hotel, visiting the Shirley should be on your list to enjoy some old Hollywood glamour.

Speaking of old Hollywood glamour, the 104-year-old Musso and Frank is probably one of the most famous restaurants on the Boulevard. When I posted I was there, I had so many replies from my friends telling me how much they loved it.

My ultimate recommendation here would be getting the Fettuccine Alfredo and a martini — their specialty.

Hotel Figueroa’s Sparrow Italia is also the spot to indulge in some Italian food.

A charming little restaurant in the hotel, there were so many options that our table decided to get a bunch of different plates to share and, truly, that was the way to go.

Spend a night in the City of Angels

If you are a sucker for Broadway productions but don’t want the much longer flight to New York City, give the Pantages a chance — right on Hollywood Boulevard.

I got to witness Aladdin, the musical, in this opulent space that had gorgeous ceilings and perfect acoustics. It was a jaw-dropping venue and made for a fun night at the theatre in LA.

I mean, can you even say you’ve been to the US if you don’t reserve an evening to enjoy America’s favourite pastime?

Right before the game, we had the opportunity to take a tour and learn the story of how the Dodgers moved from New York to Los Angeles. The Club Level of the stadium has many artifacts that help show the trajectory of how the team came to be so big and successful. And let’s not forget the huge hot dogs! 

The author of this article was hosted by LA Tourism