Visit Beverly Hills in Los Angeles: Best Things to Do and Attractions

When thinking about a vacation, there is no doubt that California is a good first choice to start planning something great, but in order to focus on just one “portion” of the state this time our attention goes to South Central California, to the Los Angeles area, which is known for its climate, beaches, sports, the culture of fitness, theme parks, Hollywood, the world of cinema, and the surrounding neighborhoods, actually cities, which are known to have a certain social “status”.

Today we will focus on one of those cities, Beverly Hills, which has about 37,000 inhabitants and is between Los Angeles, the Santa Monica Mountains, and West Hollywood, and is not far from Bel Air and Holmby Hills (which together with Beverly Hills make up the so-called Platinum Triangle).

A Short Historical Introduction

We’re talking about a place that is easily recognizable thanks to movies and TV shows like Pretty Woman, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Beverly Hills 90210, and Beverly Hills Cop, which were filmed right here. Originally, Beverly Hills was quite different from what people see today. At the time when it was founded, it was a ranch where beans were grown. Then, in 1914, investors arrived in search of oil, but found water instead of “black gold”. However, these men did not get deterred, let’s say they “adapted” to the discovery of water and decided to found a city exploiting this precious resource.

In the 20th century, Beverly Hills was one of many white communities in the Greater Los Angeles Area, and those who didn’t have the “right color” skin couldn’t own or rent property here unless they were employed by white people. Jews also used to face the same treatment.

Visit Beverly Hills Today

But what exactly is Beverly Hills like today? It’s a wealthy community in a beautiful hilly area where people live in comfort and ease among villas, luxury cars, well-maintained tree-lined streets, shops, luxury boutiques, and fine restaurants. There is no shortage of hotels, most of them have many stars, churches, parks, and the town hall, but it lacks factories, hospitals, and cemeteries. That’s why they say “no one is born and no one dies in Beverly Hills”.

Given the style, charm and money, it is not surprising that one of the cities with which it is twinned is Cannes, yes the famous Cannes on the French Riviera. However, along the streets of Beverly Hills, you don’t feel like you’re in a particularly snobbish place, because even though you will pass by stunning buildings from an architectural perspective, where limousines and cars from the high-end brands such as Ferrari, Cadillac, and Rolls Royce are sold, it’s not so ostentatious. The first impression that you will get of Beverly Hills is that it is a really pleasant place, especially because of its parks.

When we visited Beverly Hills, we realized that though we will never live in villas like this and that our standard of living cannot compare, we did not feel envious, because “not all that glitters is gold” and to tell the truth, the lives of many people who live here are not always as easy as it may seem. But beyond all that, the purpose of our trip was to see the many faces of the United States and as we visited Beverly Hills, we continued to take in our surroundings.

Shopping in Beverly Hills: The Golden Triangle

The area bordered by Santa Monica Boulevard, Wilshire Boulevard, and North Crescent Drive is a shopping area in Beverly Hills also known as the “Golden Triangle”. These streets are lined with some of the most lavish shops, restaurants, and art galleries in the world. Beverly Hills is cut in two by a world-famous artery, Rodeo Drive, the embodiment of luxury. It was one of the first Spanish settlements, but now it is the city’s most famous shopping street and one of the most renowned places in the world to shop at Italian designer boutiques, the most fashionable high-end stores, and world-class jewelry stores.

You can enter the charming loop (a short semicircular detour on Rodeo Drive) called Two Rodeo, which closely resembles a European shopping street. It took an astronomical amount of money to build Two Rodeo. You will know you have arrived when you see a particular sculpture, a shiny bust called Torso made by the artist Robert Graham. This is also the starting point of the Walk of Style where not only the names of stylists, jewelers, and fashion icons are engraved on the ground, but also names of celebrities who are symbols of style and elegance and have made history. It was in this area that the scene from Pretty Woman was shot, in which Julia Roberts walked around and did not go unnoticed in the boutiques. Those who have seen the movie will remember this scene (for more information, we suggest reading our article about Rodeo Drive).

In addition to Rodeo Drive, there are other places to shop in Beverly Hills, for example, the Beverly Center (8500 Beverly Blvd), the Brentwood Place Shopping Center (12019 Wilshire Blvd), or the Granville Plaza (11819 Wilshire Blvd), where you can find the best of American department stores that sell elegant and luxury products.

Beverly Hills Stars Homes and Main Streets

So far, we have discussed the luxury and well-being that distinguish Beverly Hills and we will continue with this topic and go back in time to the 20s when actors Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, an iconic couple of the cinema of the time, settled on Summit Drive Hill in a house called Pickfair. The house has become monumental as a result of a series of renovations that cost about $41 million at that time. Many other Hollywood artists followed their example and set off the trend to build their villas in Beverly Hills.

Some of the roads where stars have taken up residence are Alpine Dr, Roxbury Dr, Carolwood Dr, Bedford Dr, Hillcrest Dr, Maple Dr, Rexford Dr, Summit Dr, Tower Rd, and Benedict Canyon Rd. This last road is one of the roads that continue to Bel Air, a luxurious residential area inhabited by celebrities that is less than twenty minutes from Beverly Hills. Holmby Hills is a residential area between Bel Air and Beverly Hills that is worth mentioning because of its unique street lighting and the homes of celebrities such as Barbara Streisand, Frank Sinatra, and Walt Disney.

There are also other villas, which are not as distinguished as they used to be, that currently have functions worthy of mention for various reasons. Virginia Robinson Gardens (1008 Elden Way), the first villa in Beverly Hills, was built in 1911 and now known for its legendary parties. The gardens are divided into five sections where citrus fruits, magnolias, palm trees, roses, camellias, gardenias, azaleas, bananas, ginger, and herbs grow. To visit the gardens, you must reserve a tour ($15/adults $5/children 5-12).

The Greystone Mansion (905 Loma Vista Dr) is a 55-room residence created by an oil tycoon for his son. However, in 1965, the city of Beverly Hills bought the property and since 1971, it has been a public park open every day to the public. This is a popular location for weddings, meetings, photoshoots, and various events. We’d like to point out a few.

• Murder in the Manor is a show that takes place inside the villa. Admission to the show is $65 and it lasts about 2 hours and 45 minutes. The cast of professional actors put on a performance in the mansion’s lavish rooms that makes you feel as if you were in an episode of Columbo or Murder She Wrote among murderers, mysteries, suspects, and interrogations.
• The grand Hollywood Ball is an occasion where celebrities gather during a fashion event, while the Concours d’Elegance is an exhibition of expensive vintage cars that takes place each year in May. While this event seems similar to the one held yearly on Father’s Day in the Rodeo Drive, the Concours d’Elegance aims to raise funds to restore the Doheny Estate, a historic property. Spiderman and X-Men are just two of the movies that have been shot at the Greystone Mansion.

Harold Lloyd, who was a famous director, film producer, and silent actor in the 1920s (Chaplin and Keaton’s tenacious “rival”), built his large villa, Greenacres, at 1740 Green Acres Drive and lived there until his death in 1971. Since then the house and gardens have been used as locations for films, civic events, and charity galas.

While on the subject of houses, we would like to mention Spadena House (516 Walden Dr), a truly unique house nicknamed the Witch’s House. It starkly contrasts the elegant and luxurious mansions, but it is certainly noteworthy for its particularity and originality. The style of the house, which was designed by Hollywood art director Harry Oliver, is called storybook architecture, which was fashionable in the 20th century in the United States and England. Spadena House is characterized by a straw roof, cobblestone, strange shapes, bizarre structures, and wavy lines. It is certainly not something you see every day and it is worth visiting.

Getting from one villa to another may take time. To save time and effort, you may want to choose one of the many tours to the homes of movie stars available:

Tour of the houses of the stars

Things to do in Beverly Hills: Attractions

Civic Center and City Hall

The Beverly Hills Civic Center (455 N. Rexford Dr) with its monumental Spanish Colonial-style City Hall and tiled dome is the symbol of the city and is really very beautiful. The building dates back to 1932 and is now connected to the new civic center through courtyards, balconies, corridors with arcades that echo the Spanish-Colonial style.

9/11 Memorial Garden

The 9/11 Memorial Garden (445 N. Rexford Dr), which is owned by the fire department, was inaugurated on September 11, 2011, and was built to remember the tragedy of the terrorist attacks in 2001. Here there are representations of the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and the field in Pennsylvania where the massacres took place. The purpose of this memorial is to honor those who lost their lives in the bombing, those who maintain security in the country, as well as those who still believe in equality and in the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The 9/11 Memorial Garden is open to the public daily and was created thanks to private donations of money, materials, and time; it is a special place to contemplate and remember.

Saban Theater

We now turn your attention to a completely different kind of point of interest dating back to 1930, the Saban Theater (8440 Wilshire Boulevard), formerly known as the Fox Wilshire Theater. This theater, which is built in the Art Deco style and has very beautiful interiors that can accommodate more than 1,800 spectators, was officially declared a historic building in 2012. The schedule of events is packed and diverse. Attending a show is a great experience that we recommend to those visiting Beverly Hills. Tickets can also be purchased online.

Museum of Radio and Television

It’s not often you find a Museum of Television and Radio, but here it is, at 465 N. Beverly Drive, and it’s worth visiting. Through its collection of about 80,000 television and radio programs, it tells the story of the two media. You can watch and listen to past and current shows, music, sports, and events.

Beverly Hills Parks

Beverly Gardens Park

As we pointed out, one of the things we liked about Beverly Hills is the fact that there are so many parks. At 9990 Santa Monica Boulevard, a large crescent-shaped sign (it often gets photographed by tourists) with the inscription BEVERLY HILLS above a fountain with water lilies will let you know that you have arrived at Beverly Gardens Park. Inside this park that stretches for more than 2 miles, you can walk among paths admiring cacti and roses.

Also in Beverly Gardens Park, on the corner of Santa Monica Blvd and Wilshire Blvd, there is the Electric Fountain, a unique fountain with a 20-feet high column raising up a statue of a Native American of a local tribe kneeling in prayer. The fountain, which was built in 1931, creates a very special effect at night because it is illuminated by a succession of colored lights. The Beverly Hills Art Show takes place in this park on the third weekend in May and October (see events section).

Cienega Park

Cienega Park (8400 Gregory Way) is considered the “crown jewel” of Beverly Hills. Here people can play sports, and children can have fun in the playground. There are grill stations, picnic tables, and a snack bar. Special events are held in the Community Center of the park. Nearby, at the Tennis Center (325 S. La Cienega Blvd), there is convenient 2-hour free parking.

Beverly Canon Gardens

A more recent addition to Beverly Hills is the Beverly Canon Gardens (241 N. Canon Dr). This lovely oasis is enriched with fountains, arcades, gardens, many walkways, and pleasant outdoor areas where you can eat.

Beverly Hills Main Events

There are 3 yearly events in the Rodeo Drive area that deserve to be mentioned to put the spotlight even more on this destination. Near this famous street, there is the Beverly Hills Art Show, an interesting initiative that takes place at Beverly Gardens Park (9990 St. Monica Blvd) in May and October. It is a free outdoor event featuring 240 artists from all over the country who showcase their paintings, sculptures, photography, ceramics, jewelry, prints, and drawings. During the event, you can order food and drinks at food trucks. The event is pet-friendly.

Where to Eat in Beverly Hills

Would you like to dine in Beverly Hills? Then let’s go to Wilshire Boulevard.

Wilshire Boulevard

• At Caulfield’s Bar & Dining Room (9360 Wilshire Blvd) at the Sixty Hotel, contemporary American cuisine blends with European influences at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There is a vintage bar and a rooftop bar.
• Since 1985, customers have enjoyed authentic North Indian cuisine at Bombay Palace (8690 Wilshire Blvd). The restaurant’s style is a mix of modern and Indian interior design, and there are two large windows overlooking the street.
• Persian and Mediterranean cuisine can be enjoyed at Ruby Room (8560 Wilshire Blvd), an informal place where customers also have the option to eat on the patio. The restaurant also offers take-out and delivery service.
• Shanghai Grill (9383 Wilshire Blvd) serves good Chinese cuisine and interprets classic dishes in a modern way. This restaurant also offers take-out and delivery service.
• Also along Wilshire Boulevard, you will find a Subway (9673 Wilshire Blvd) where, as usual, everyone can personalize and create their own sandwich starting from the bread, continuing with the fillings, and finally the sauces.

Cienega Boulevard

North of Wilshire Boulevard, Cienega Boulevard is known as “Restaurant Row” due to the presence of several restaurants. We recommend four restaurants that serve ethnic cuisine and could make it worth it to take a detour here.

• The Fogo de Chao Restaurant (133 N. La Cienega Blvd), which serves traditional South Brazilian churrasco, has been described by Zagat (a restaurant guide in the United States) as the best restaurant in Los Angeles for South American cuisine. Here you can eat all the meat you want, and the bar serves small dishes, wine, and cocktails. The first restaurant of this chain was opened in Porto Alegre in Brazil while its first location in the United States was opened in Dallas.
• We recommend the Korean cuisine at Genwa Restaurant (1700 La Cienega Blvd / 5115 Wilshire Blvd), where you can enjoy rice dishes, soups, noodles, vegetables, and fish. The special feature of this restaurant is the flame-free grill located at every table where customers can cook their meat.
• Spices are the protagonists at Spice Affair (50 N.La Cienega Blvd), which offers contemporary California and traditional Indian dishes with a spicy touch. The menu also includes dishes that vegans, vegetarians, and celiacs can enjoy. Customers will certainly have fun at the Happy Hour at the bar & lounge from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. In the award-winning restaurant, which has won prizes for its cuisine, VIPs have been spotted, something that the owners are certainly happy about. The restaurant is located in front of a fountain, so it’s impossible to miss it.
• The oriental cuisine at Newport Seafood (50 N.La Cienega Blvd), a restaurant chain in California, serves Southeast Asian food from China, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand. The restaurant, which blends Asian and modern influences, is renowned for its lobster dishes.

Where to Stay in Beverly Hills

Staying overnight in Beverly Hills at an affordable price is not an impossible feat, thanks in part to the search engines where you can look at all the options. We will recommend some accommodations according to the various needs and occasions, excluding those in the Rodeo Drive area that you will find in the in-depth guide to Rodeo Drive.

For a luxury hotel, we suggest the Mayboune Beverly Hills (225 N. Canon Dr), which is the number 1 hotel in the Los Angeles area according to readers of Conde Nast Traveler. As soon as you enter the large garden facing the entrance, you will notice a beautiful fountain. The hotel has a spa and a restaurant with a rooftop pool. The rooms and suites are very refined and elegant.

The Beverly Hills Hotels (9641 Sunset Blvd), nicknamed Pink Palace for the rosy color of its walls, is a hotel frequented by Hollywood stars. The luxurious rooms, suites, and cottages are surrounded by four hectares of beautiful gardens and exotic flowers. The accommodations feature a patio with a private garden, kitchen, fireplace, and balcony overlooking Beverly Hills and palm-lined streets.

Guests can access the spa and a special swimming pool with music playing movie melodies in the background underwater. The Cabana Cafe, located by the pool, serves fast food from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm in a casual-chic atmosphere, while at the Polo Lounge, guests will be entertained by piano music during lunch and dinner. In summer, guests can listen to jazz on the patio.

The Beverly Terrace (469 N. Doheny Dr) is a boutique hotel located in a vibrant neighborhood near Sunset Boulevard and Rodeo Drive. The 39 rooms are located around the garden. The property features classic mid-century style in a cozy and relaxed European setting. If you are looking for a hotel in the heart of Beverly Hills, we recommend The Crescent (403 N. Crescent Dr). The rooms have modern furniture and each has its own style. Prices vary depending on the room. You can taste the California cuisine in the restaurant with a rooftop bar.

Near Beverly Hills, we have a couple of totally different types of accommodations to recommend. If you are looking for an alternative to the classic hotel, depending on your needs, you may find this option interesting.

Orange Drive Hostel (1764 N. Orange Dr – Hollywood) has excellent ratings compared to other hostels in the area. It is located in a residence built in 1790 near the Chinese Theatre and the Walk of Fame and displays the style of historic Hollywood. It has free wi-fi, a laundry room, a shared bathroom, and a fully equipped kitchen. There are different room options, and the cost of the rooms ranges between $42 and $108. Parking costs $10 per night.

All accommodations on Booking.com

The Beverly Hills Conference and Visitor Bureau (239 S. Beverly Dr) is a good resource where visitors can find more information about the city.

Beverly Hills Directions: Getting Around the City

Beverly Hills can be reached via the Los Angeles International Airport, 1 World Way. Once you arrive in Beverly Hills, you can look into going on a trolley tour. Excluding Mondays and public holidays, the service is free and operates between the Civic Center (at the corner of the Civic Center on 3rd Street every hour starting at 11:00 am and the last departure is at 5:00 pm) and Rodeo Drive (the trolley stops at the corner of Rodeo Dr. and Dayton Way, adjacent to Two Rodeo, every half hour starting at 11:30 am and the last departure is at 5:30 pm). On Sundays, the trolley departs from the courthouse (9355 Burton Way), since the street where the Civic Center is located is closed.

Those who want to opt for a narrated tour can find more details on this website, but you can also choose a bike tour, which you may enjoy if you are athletic. The bikes are solid, heavy, very reliable, and are an unmistakable green, in order to be in harmony with the majority of the environment. For more information, take a look here.

Parking Tips

Those with a car can take advantage of the 2-hour free parking at the Beverly Hills Parking Facility (461 N. Bedford Dr) and Beverly South Public Parking (216 S. Beverly Blvd.).

What to do near Beverly Hills

About 30 minutes from Beverly Hills, along U.S. 101 West, you can take a walk in Woodland Hills, a residential area of Los Angeles County in the Santa Monica Mountains. Mulholland Drive cuts through Woodland Hills and on this street you can enjoy spectacular views of the San Fernando Valley, the famous “Hollywood” Sign on the hill, and a panoramic view of Los Angeles. Weather permitting, this is the perfect place to take great pictures.

Since we are here in Beverly Hills, why not also take the opportunity to visit Holmby Hills and Bel Air to complete the Platinum Triangle? It might seem a bit trivial to go on the classic tour to the villas of movie stars, pop stars, and sports stars. We recommend it not so much to find out the names of the owners of the residences, but to enjoy a pleasant drive through the hills. We especially liked admiring the beauty of the area while riding in the car… and listening to some gossip. If you want to know more about this tour, take a look at our guide on visiting Bel Air.

If you want to know more details about the properties, stories, and various anecdotes, you can buy a “map of the villas” and move around independently or you can rely on tour agencies, for example, Starline Tours (6925 Hollywood Blvd).

In the Los Angeles area, the residents of Beverly Hills can have a certain standard of living while staying close to their activities and also have a place to retreat to away from the chaos and frenzy of the city. And many do. After visiting Beverly Hills, we now know something more than the so-called “golden world” of America.