The Cinespia film screenings at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, otherwise known as "I see movies with dead people," started in 2002 with a handful of hardcore film buffs and has evolved into a several-thousand-people weekly summer pilgrimage. On Saturday and Sunday evenings through mid-September, people traipse across the cemetery lawn toting picnic baskets, pillows and low folding chairs. Classic midcentury films and cult favorites are projected onto the white-marble wall of Rudolph Valentino's tomb. His Girl Friday, Rebel Without a Cause, Ace in the Hole, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Touch of Evil ... nothing is more spookily romantic than watching these films outside on a warm summer night, sitting on a blanket, sipping from a plastic cup of wine, a cute girl snuggled next to you, with dead people underfoot. Not just any old dead people but the crème de la crème of Hollywood dead. The fact that the actors, writers, directors and crew members who made these films are interred at this cemetery is cool and creepy at the same time. Was Alfred Hitchcock's spirit looking in from the beyond at those gathered for this season's recent, packed screening of his masterpiece Rear Window? Or is old Hitch just a rotting pile of dust buried in a nearby plot, literally silent as the grave? Who's to say? One can only hope for a zombie cameo.—Gendy Alimurung
A few months back, I went to play some low-stakes poker over at Larry Flynt's Hustler Casino, and who did I bump into, right next to me at a corner table in the back of the room? Not only Flynt himself, in his gold-plated wheelchair, but sitting around him were none other than Ted Forrest, Barry Greenstein, Phil Ivey and a handful of other living poker legends and superstars. This was sort of like going to the local bar to watch a ball game on TV and finding your stool flanked by A-Rod and Greg Maddux. Until then, I had been playing regular cash games of Hold-em at the cavernous Commerce Casino and some tournaments over at the Bicycle Casino. But I quickly got hooked on Flynt's much more elegant, intimate digs, built in 2000 on the ruins of the old El Dorado club in Gardena. And so it is that at least two afternoons a week, if you take a seat at the lowly $1/2 no-limit table, Flynt and his gang will be playing 10 feet from you — for somewhat higher stakes. The buy-in to Flynt's long-running game is usually $200K per head, with an opening bet of $2K, so it's certainly a gas to be neighbors at a table with a couple of million stacked up on it. But it's not just the celebrity allure. The Hustler, even with its unfortunate name ("Honey, I'm just leaving the Hustler now and then I'll meet you at the teacher-parent conference"), is a cut above all other Los Angeles–area poker rooms. Its more than 50 poker tables sport soft new felt, hanging crystal provides soothing lighting, large plasma TVs freckle the red-brocade walls and the place, no kidding, has a totally civilized, genteel, dignified feel. As long as you keep them out of Flynt's gift shop, even your spouse and mother wouldn't cringe, and they might enjoy the very, very inexpensive food served on the gambling floor. Sometimes the wait for a table is a bit longer than at the hangarlike Commerce or the nearby Bike, but it's worth it. The Hustler spreads the most player-friendly Hold-em games in town, especially the popular $1/2 game. At both Commerce and the Bike, there's a maximum buy-in of only $40 for the $1/2 game. But Hustler allows a $100 buy-in, giving you almost three times the amount of blinds to play with and that much more margin to either strut your stuff or flub like a donkey. I have to admit, I even like the blue $1 chips better at the Hustler. They're a weightier clay than their flimsy plastic competitors across town. And as you look down at Big Slick, and see Phil Ivey right out of the corner of your eye, stacking out a dozen or 15 of them on the felt sometimes makes you feel like you're playing for a million.—Marc Cooper
Every blue moon Redondo Beach beckons: There's the bike ride along the Pacific to Venice for lunch and back. And then there are the mai tais at Old Tony's Bar on the Redondo Beach Pier. For more than 50 years, Old Tony's has been serving up these beauties — extremely potent yet delightfully fruity, they're shaken and stirred by a couple of grizzled old bartenders who look like they invented the punch back in the '50s. They're part of Tony's charm, and so is the free glass the mai tai comes in. It helps that the old buzzards quickly fill up your dish of free salty snacks whenever you have a hankering for some more — which is often when you're on your third mai tai. The view is a keeper — lending a spectacular 360-degree panorama of the pier, the crowds and, most importantly, the ocean. Sit back, enjoy a cocktail and try to figure out if the weekend musician is pulling an Ashlee Simpson by lip-synching old rock & roll medleys, or if he is truly serenading the mix of locals and tourists. But then, after two or three of Tony's best, does it really matter?--Christine Pelisek
So, you just picked someone up or dropped someone off at LAX and are now faced with rush hour on the freeway. Here's an idea: Sit out the 405 parking lot and slip into the poolside Hopscotch Lounge. Located a few strip malls away from LAX, the chic establishment is tucked into the blocky-looking Custom Hotel. Park at the nearby Ralphs and head upstairs to find cool respite from the hot and sticky confines of your car. Inside is a mix of cosmopolites, stylish LMU coeds and in-the-know Westsiders kicking back with mojitos. Sink into the dark couches that are as comfy as they are swank and let the friendly bartenders tend to your thirst. Evenings welcome romance with the soft glow of illuminated trees and blazing fire pits, while late nights can get kinky in the candlelit cabanas. Forget your sweater; there are enough heat lamps fired up near the bar to make taking a dip in the pool a real consideration. During weekends, DJs drown out the sound of jets overhead, and club kids groove and splash alongside hotel guests until sunset. Be sure to take a stroll through the Custom Hotel's whimsical lobby with its fake sheep and mod décor. If time allows, grab a bite at the equally cool Bistrotek restaurant, which puts the standard airport meal to shame. --Sophia Kercher
Real Food Daily's been L.A.'s go-to vegan spot for more than a decade. Its carob-mint cookie remains a rock-solid sweet-tooth-sating standby. It's kind of dry but sweet and substantial, and it totally hits the spot when you're on the go, having a low-blood-sugar moment, and really, really itching for something baked and bready. —Dani Katz
Real Food Daily's been L.A.'s go-to vegan spot for more than a decade. Its carob-mint cookie remains a rock-solid sweet-tooth-sating standby. It's kind of dry but sweet and substantial, and it totally hits the spot when you're on the go, having a low-blood-sugar moment, and really, really itching for something baked and bready. —Dani Katz
M Café's wheat-free blueberry pancakes top the list, and not just because I have a blueberry fetish, but also because they're crispy on the outside and warm and comforting on my insides, especially drenched in fake vegan butter and maple syrup. Plus, they're served into afternoon hours on the weekends, which means I get to sleep in and eat pretend junk food. Lucky, lucky me. —Dani Katz
In the heart of Silver Lake, on the other end of the hipster spectrum from the Golden Bridge's spiritual village, is Flore, which boasts cute, grungy, rock & roll waiters and an eclectic array of vegan dishes. My favorite: the Tempeh Tu-No Melt, a food-combining train wreck of tempeh salad and cashew cheese on toasted seeded bread. It's hot, it's messy, it's sweet, it's savory — it's a perfectly orgasmic combination of texture and taste, and I'm salivating just thinking about it. —Dani Katz
Just off Coldwater Canyon at Mulholland is a secluded nature retreat millions of mental miles away from the clamor of rush-hour traffic. You may recognize the duck pond, woodland setting and three-acre lake from their starring role as the background on The Andy Griffith Show reruns. With its amphitheater and nature museum, Franklin Canyon Park is a nice day's ideal rural retreat, perfect for bringing the kids.—Molly Lambert
Find everything you're looking for in your city
Find the best happy hour deals in your city
Get today's exclusive deals at savings of anywhere from 50-90%
Check out the hottest list of places and things to do around your city
Activity
Photos