Hollywood Walk of Fame — Attraction in Los Angeles

The Hollywood Walk of Fame is as you’d expect, on Hollywood Boulevard and when in Los Angeles, you’ve just gotta go here quite simply, just to say you’ve been.

We arrived at The Walk of Fame late afternoon after dashing across the City in a cab from Rodeo Drive. It was our last day of a very long road trip so we tried to max out our final few hours.

We got out of the cab outside Madame Tussauds and set out exploring The Walk of Fame. It was hot, busy and bustling with people, street sellers, noise and oh….. sidewalks littered with stars embedded into the pavement on both sides of the road that just went on and on and on.

Oddly enough, there’s something rather captivating and intriguing about this street despite the fact that all you are primarily doing is walking along a sidewalk looking down at the ground observing paving stones all the time.

Along Hollywood Boulevard there is plenty shops and other sources of entertainment but we had simply gone for the Walk of Fame and a spot of ‘star gazing’.

Walking one side of the boulevard then crossing over to the next it’s a case of eyes down to see who you can spot. Star after star the famous names from past and present keep popping up and honestly, it felt quite special seeing them all.

The starting point with the 4 ladies statues was quite interesting as only two stars had pride of place on this little island at the junction of this busy road….. Elvis and The Beatles had prime position on this historical and world famous Walk of Fame.

The Hollywood Walk of Fame was slightly mad and even possibly a little crass but when in LA…. It would be criminal not to go.

Head to The Walk of Fame and have a little fun spotting...

It's disappointing that great artists are honored with this. After reading some reviews, my expectations weren't high, but the reality was worse than I had imagined. I went to there as the first thing I was going to do in LA, and what an awful first impression.

It all starts with trying to find a place to park. Some places were charging $40 just for parking, so I kept circling around until I found a spot on the street. Unfortunately, almost all of the parking meters had no instructions, as the labels were torn off. This is terrible for someone who is not from the US. Eventually, I found a meter with a QR code which led to an app that is not available in my Google’s account country. Nice move! Geo-locking an app that is probably going to be used by tourists.

After finally exchanging some quarters to pay for the parking meter, which I'm still not sure if I paid correctly, I heard an angry homeless person approaching and shouting in the street. I quickly locked up the car and started walking away.

While walking through some blocks, I constantly felt the smell of urine. Many of the stars were dirty, with gum and tire marks from bicycles. Some stars were blocked by tents and people trying to sell stuff. Locals may become impatient with tourists who stop to take pictures.

If you are a fan of cinema and want to visit, thinking this is a way to honor these artists, better think again. It should be called the...

One of the city’s free attractions in LA, posing with a Hollywood “star” along Hollywood Blvd. is practically a rite of passage. After 30 years, I’ve returned with my partner to finally walk on the famous sidewalks on both sides of Hollywood Boulevard from Gower to La Brea and both sides of Vine Street from Yucca to Sunset, which is definitely nothing like we expected. Since 1960, this has been the place to honor celebrities in motion pictures, television, radio, live theater, and recording. We came here after visiting the Griffith Observatory one Saturday around noontime. We parked at the Ovation Mall for a flat rate of $20 and exited through the Dolby Theatre, where the Oscars are hosted, to Hollywood Blvd. It was crowded mostly because the wide sidewalk was taken up by street vendors. There were also merchants hawking “Hollywood tours” and people in costumes who would take a photo of you for a few dollars. Sadly, the whole area has suffered from degradation and is even more dangerous when it gets dark. The only highlight was Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, where the signatures and handprints in cement were worth taking time to explore. It’s worth a visit if you're a film buff or a fan of celebrity culture, but don't set your expectations too high. The real magic of Hollywood might be found in unexpected places beyond the...