Welcome to UncoverLA's neighborhood guide of Los Angeles County, your cheat sheet to the L.A. neighborhoods worth a visit and the restaurants, stores, and attractions they're comprised of.
Up first: the Hollywood Media District. Home to more than 350 businesses, the Media District was founded in 2002 but the history of the area in which it sits goes as far back as 1828 (read about it here). This is not a comprehensive list of the best places in the Media District – rather a roundup of a few of our go-to spots for food, shopping, and entertainment well worth your time and patronage.
The Complex Hollywood
On Hollywood's Theatre Row, The Complex Hollywood spans half a block with five theaters and five rehearsal studios. The performing arts theater has held court in the same location for an impressive 22 years and offers performance, rehearsal, class, and audition space for rent as well as accommodations for screenings, shoots, showcases, and staged readings. To prevent the iconic space from shuttering due to the pandemic, management started a GoFundMe that's raised a little over $17,000 so far. Opening February 11 at The Flight Theater is a new play called Over The F#(%!ing Rainbow, Somewhere that will run until March 6.
Location: 6476 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A., 90038
Deluscious Cookies & Milk
For the past 17 years, Deluscious Cookies & Milk has been serving up freshly baked cookies made from scratch. Founded by self-taught baker Lydia Shayne, Deluscious carries classic cookies like chocolate chip, cinnamon brûlée, and oatmeal raisin, as well as inventive treats including a gooey butter cookie and red velvet white chocolate brownie. Plenty of vegan and gluten-free options are available. Satisfy your sweet tooth IRL or get a half-dozen or dozen shipped straight to your door. The bakery has catering and corporate event options too.
Hours: Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: 829 North Highland Ave., L.A., 90038
Eat This Cafe
On any given weekday, if you're thirsty for bottomless mimosas head straight to Eat This Cafe. The Media District's casual counter-service cafe offers them seven days a week. Its brunch menu, available Friday until Sunday, promises a hearty breakfast burrito and IG-worthy buttermilk pancakes while the spot's everyday options include a vegan burger, classic reuben, and six salad options. More vegetarian and vegan options are available. Reserve a table ahead of time online here.
Hours: Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Location: 6547 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A., 90038
Gigi's
When your tastebuds demand French classics with a Cali twist for dinner, get a table at Gigi's, in the Sycamore Ave. corridor of the Media District. The French bistro was opened in November 2020 by New York City restaurateur Alex Wilmot, actress Samantha Ressler, and executive chef Matt Bollinger – former chef de cuisine at Trois Familia and Winsome. Appetizers include steak tartare, escargot, and deviled eggs with fried oysters. Parisian gnocchi, a cheeseburger, and halibut are just a few of the main courses. Expect a comprehensive raw bar, wine list, and specialty cocktails too. Gigi's serves its full menu at the bar and offers patio seating. Whatever you do, don't call the restaurant – it doesn't have a phone.
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Location: 904 North Sycamore Ave., L.A., 90038
Harlow
Tucked away in the middle of Sunset Las Palmas Studios is Harlow, a four-story, 128 square-foot workspace building. The space includes everything a creative needs to get work done without feeling the cramped office vibe: greenhouse-inspired architecture for lots of natural light; a double-story mezzanine on the fourth floor; on-site bike storage, lockers, and showers, and abundant parking connected by a dedicated crosswalk. It's within walking distance from Blu Jam Cafe, Pink's Hot Dogs, Tatsu Ramen, Osteria Mozza, and more so no need to spend an arm and a leg on delivery. Take a look here.
Hours: Tuesday and Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., Thursday from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., Sunday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Location: 7321 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, 90046
Hudson Theatre
At the gateway to Theatre Row Hollywood, you'll find the historic Hudson Theatre. In addition to hosting plays, musicals, and movie screenings, the live stage venue is home to legendary actor and teacher, Rob Brownstein. Brownstein, who's been giving acting classes there for more than 10 years, has starred in shows and movies including Breaking Bad, Straight Outta Compton, Argo, Mad Men, Castle, and Grey's Anatomy. If you're attending a show, there's valet parking available on Hudson Ave. During non-performance times, there's street parking only. To see what's playing there now and coming up, click here.
Location: 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A., 90038
Pause WeHo
When your mind and body could use some TLC, unwind at Pause, a modern wellness studio that combines the power of nature and alternative therapies to treat the body as one whole system. Looking to boost mental focus, restore key vitamins, and lower cortisol levels? Just a few of the services on Pause's menu include flotation therapy ($69 for a single one-hour session), infrared sauna ($68 for a single one-hour session), cryotherapy ($40 for a single session), and vitamin IV drip ($139 for a single drip). It doesn't hurt that the center's interior is visually stunning. Pause has an app on the Apple and Google store, which makes booking appointments easy. The center has a location in Venice too.
Hours: daily from 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Location: 937 North Sycamore Ave., L.A., 90038
Ralph Pucci
In 2017, renowned contemporary furniture designer Ralph Pucci transplanted his eponymous gallery from the Pacific Design Center to a 1920s building in the Hollywood Media District. Pucci, widely esteemed for his innovative approach to the mannequin, has used the exterior walls of the 12,500 square feet space to host several of the store's designers in tandem with its exhibitions — an extension of Pucci's longtime tradition where different artists paint the gallery's entry wall for each show. To kick off the new year, the showroom is spotlighting Dana Barnes, whose large-scale wall and floor sculptures made with raw materials like felted wool, alpaca, yak hemp, and bamboo are on display.
Hours: Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: 1025 North McCadden Pl., L.A., 90038
Regen Projects
Muse on art for a bit at Regen Projects. The contemporary international art gallery has nurtured the careers of local and international artists, many of which have shaped the course of art history and culture today. The gallery was founded in 1989 and moved to its current location in 2012. Check out the 36 artists it represents including current exhibitions here. If you prefer perusing from your couch, enter your name and email to access Regen Project's online viewing room.
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Location: 6750 Santa Monica Blvd., L.A., 90038
Supervinyl
For the traditional music fans, there's Supervinyl, a hyper curated record store founded by Lucky Brand jeans co-founder Barry Perlman. The shop stocks classic and rare albums in addition to turntables, speakers, and audio equipment. Supervinyl is open in-store but tunes can be shipped to you via its site and Postmates. You can snag the outfit to match your music mood too, as Supervinyl sells custom hand-painted leather moto jackets ($2,800), sweatshirts ($120-$180), and more apparel made in L.A.
Hours: daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: 900 North Sycamore Ave., L.A., 90038
Sightglass Coffee
Sightglass Coffee is another more recent addition to the Hollywood Media District. The L.A. cafe, roastery, and restaurant opened in the spring of 2020. It offers curated seasonal produce sourced directly from local farms, pantry essentials, prepared goods, and pastries and bread made fresh in-house daily. Wine, beer, and freshly roasted coffee are also on the menu.
Hours: Sunday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Location: 7051 Willoughby Ave., L.A., 90038
Tartine Sycamore
At Tartine, a slice of quiche is a thing of beauty. The full-service cafe and bakery is one of four L.A. locations from Tartine owners Chad Robertson and Elisabeth Prueitt. Other mouthwatering items there include a country sourdough loaf, chocolate croissant, a salmon tartine (tartine is French for "a slice of bread with a sweet or savory topping"), and seasonal jam, to name a few. For those still perfecting their at-home sourdough recipes, check out Roberston's recently published Bread Book ($40). Tartine has additional locations in the Bay Area and Seoul.
Hours: daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Location: 911 North Sycamore Ave., L.A., 90038
