However hard it tries, North Hollywood will never be Hollywood. I read an article about the city on the LA Times site, where the author talks about the city being “named in hopes of catching a whiff of the glamour conjured by Hollywood to the south”. It’s a rather depressing thought, but fortunately the city is constantly changing and taking small steps to secure their place in the eyes of the young and hip, and at the same time maintaining their loyalty to an older and mature audience. Much of the city may seem very foreign to most LA-kids, but where Magnolia Blvd. meets Lankershim Blvd., it’s anything but.

There’s not much that catches one’s eye on Lankershim, spare the gigantic beast of a welcome sign to the new “NoHo Arts District”, but there are little gems still to find on this street. This area is known for it’s thriving theatre scene, and more recently, it’s outrageous parking meter rates, making it almost impossible to grab dinner and a show. (But wait! You can take the METRO! Lankershim/Chandler stop.) Pretty much every blocks offers some kind of live performance space where you can settle on a regular, classic play, or try something a little different and possibly more interesting, like a show at DeafWest. I’ll admit, I have only been here once, but it was really cool. All of the plays are created for a deaf audience and to give acting opportunities to LA’s deaf population. Whether you are deaf, hard of hearing, or neither, anyone can enjoy a show here. Seeing a show here is a very unique experience and something everyone should do. Right now, they’re putting on the play, Children of a Lesser God.

If you’re going to the theatre, you’ll definitely need some food and/or drinks. Thankfully, Lankershim offers plenty of options like, Eclectic Wine Bar & Grill, Vicious Dogs, Pitfire Pizza, Skinny’s Lounge, and my absolute favorite, Tokyo Delve’s. If you haven’t been to Tokyo Delve’s, where the hell have you been? This is probably the number one draw for most people to North Hollywood unless they’re buying a car. You may know it as that “sushi place with the dancing waiters“. There you go, now you remember. Yes, the waiters dance, they lip-sync, the chefs have choreographed routines, everyone gets drunk, there are games, prizes, and oh, did I forget to mention the food? That’s because the food is pretty terrible. It is like, Ralph’s sushi, and old edamame… but honestly, you won’t care or notice because you’ll be too busy ordering the interactive sake bombs and other cocktails they offer table side. When I say interactive, I mean when one person orders a sake bomb, EVERYONE participates in the SAKE BOMB chant. This is a great place for a birthday, bachelor/bachelorette party, or just a night out with friends. But get ready to dance, spend about $30+ for food and drinks (& entertainment) and get wasted.

I’m going to try to make this one a little shorter than my last few and end it with Millenium Dance Complex. Yeah, I know Debbie Reynolds is up the street too, but it’s kinda wayyy up the street and I’m trying to keep the area I’m writing about walkable, get it? (There’s such a rivalry between the two, I love it.) ANYWAY– this is definitely a place where the professionals hang out, but if you’re in the mood to try something new, and laugh your ass off at yourself and your friends, you should check out one of the master classes open to the public. The biggest names in the industry rehearse and teach here– remember N*Sync? Their choreographer, Wade Robson is like, the house mom. But ok, he’s sooo 1998. But really, Britney Spears and the rest of the pop sensations of the 90’s made this place what it is. Whatever, I think you get it. You walk into this class, get stared down by all these (mostly wannabe) professionals dressed in their hip-ass garb, and you say fuck it and just dance. Listen to Lady GaGa, just dance. I shut up now. But before I do, check out their website for more class info because they offer a ton of classes, not just intense scary hip-hop.

This may not be at the top of your list, but if you check it out, you’ll see that it isn’t so bad, Lankershim Blvd. a pretty sweet street.

Want to suggest a sweet street? E-mail us!

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