Neighborhood Highlight: Up Among the many Stars within the Hollywood Hills
By Lisa Rosen
The Hollywood Hills rise like cresting inexperienced waves, trying down majestically on town of Los Angeles to the south and the San Fernando Valley to the north. “It’s a slice of tranquility that’s nonetheless very near the hustle and bustle of the nation’s second-largest metropolis,” says Robert Kovacik, an award- successful NBC Information Los Angeles anchor-reporter who has known as the Hills dwelling since 1991.
Kovacik lives within the a part of the Hills often called Celeb Row. “It’s actually the right spot in all of Los Angeles,” he says of the enclave in Higher Nichols Canyon. “You’re minutes from town; you’re minutes from the Valley. Being on the highest of Mulholland Drive just isn’t solely picturesque, but it surely’s additionally remarkably household oriented. There’s a cause celebrities are interested in the world: Not solely are they near the studios, however they’re additionally afforded quite a lot of privateness.”
VIEW FROM THE TOP
A weekend off from work means a hike, and Kovacik’s favourite is the Trebek Open Area (2500 Nichols Canyon Rd., 323.221.9944), 62 acres of land donated to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy by the late, nice Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek. “It has the very best mountaineering trails for you, your canine, your horse, or your bike,” says Kovacik. “I do know these trails so effectively, I can learn the paper and hike on the similar time. God bless Alex Trebek; he was such a beneficiant man. On the prime of it’s the most opulent view of Los Angeles. I take everybody who comes and visits from the East Coast. It’s heaven.”
Canyon Nation Retailer. (Photograph: EUGENE POWERS/SHUTTERSTOCK)
CANYON COUNTRY
After his hike, Kovacik heads to the Canyon Nation Retailer (2108 Laurel Canyon Blvd., 323.654.8091), beloved for its hippie vibe. “Discover Lily on the espresso cart and you’ll have among the best lattes you ever had,” he advises. “Get one in every of their nice sandwiches, sit on the picnic tables with Jim Morrison’s home within the background, see your neighbors, and share the gossip of the hood. Laurel Canyon just isn’t solely steeped in music and tradition, however there’s such a inventive drive up there.”
TALKING SHOP
The Hills are residential, so most purchasing and eating requires a fast journey down the street. “On the Valley aspect, Maxwell Canine (11986 Ventura Blvd., 818.505.8411) has all of your pet wants and particular pet items, from bowls to collars to toys,” he says. Not far-off, “there’s an ideal store for ladies’s items known as Hoity Toity (4381 Tujunga Ave., 818.766.2503), which is simply the best way it sounds.” Proprietor-designer Ann Sales space Luly focuses on ornately detailed handmade clothes and baggage impressed by bygone eras.
FISH AND FIRE
Heading down the Hollywood aspect, one in every of Kovacik’s favourite spots is Connie and Ted’s (8171 Santa Monica Blvd., 323.848.2722). “It’s such as you’ve jumped right into a seafood shack on Cape Cod. Order lobster rolls. On a weekend, I’ll sit on the bar, watch the soccer video games, eat their selfmade bread and crackers with house- smoked seafood dips— every part is phenomenal.”
For splendid sounds on a summer season evening, don’t miss the Hollywood Bowl (2301 N. Highland Ave., 323.850.2000). “Make associates with the appropriate neighbors and you may hear the music coming over the hillside. You’ll see the attractive metropolis lights, and you might even see fireworks on the finish of a efficiency.”
