So you don’t feel like paying to celebrate the coming of the New Year? I cannot blame you. I would rather have fun for FREE than to pay a hundred bucks or more to party. Good for us then, that there are other options for New Year’s Eve.

How about going to Citywalk at 100 Universal City Plaza in Universal City, California on the 31st of December? They are holding what is dubbed to be the largest FREE New Year’s Eve party in Los Angeles!!! This year, they are going to outdo themselves by lining up two bands to welcome year 2009. The Cinema Plaza Stage will be featuring FAST TIMES while the Globe Fountain Stage will be featuring 80s Rewind. Having these bands will be sure to give you a great party on New Year’s Eve. Of course, there will be fireworks that night – and double the fun, too, as they will be set of at each end of the street.

How to get to Citywalk? Here are the directions from some of the closer areas:

From The Los Angeles International Airport:
Follow signs from the terminal to the 105 Freeway. Take the 105 Freeway East to the 110 Harbor Freeway North. After passing through the downtown area, get on the 101 Hollywood Freeway North. Follow the 101 Freeway to the Universal Studios Blvd. exit. Turn right on to Universal Studios Blvd. and follow the signs to Universal Studios and our parking areas.

From Santa Monica:
Take the 10 Santa Monica Freeway East to the 405 Freeway North. Exit to the 101 Ventura Freeway East/South. (Signs to Los Angeles.) Continue on the 101 Freeway and exit on Lankershim Blvd. Turn right and follow the signs to Universal Studios Hollywood.

Here is another option for a memorable New Year’s Eve for you: the Giant Maximus New Year’s Eve at Downtown Los Angeles. This event is being held for the 3rd year in a row and some say that it is the biggest New Year’s Eve party that you can go to in the whole world. Naturally, some people would argue about that tidbit but it doesn’t matter really.

If you are in the area, you might want to head on over to downtown LA and join the throngs of people that are sure to be present. This event will start at 7 in the evening and end (officially) at 4 in the morning. What is it all about?

Under 3 Climate-Controlled Big Top Arenas, the 3rd Annual GIANT MAXIMUS continues its reign as This Planet’s Largest 21+ New Year’s Eve Celebration!

Situated on a seven-acre private site in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles with the soaring skyscrapers towering above, GIANT MAXIMUS offers 3 Stages with an indoor capacity of 8,500 and a 1,500 capacity courtyard featuring the ‘Monster Midway,’ presented by Monster Energy, with High Flying Acrobatix, Psychedelic Circus Antics, Amusements, Games, Carnival Rides and, of course, the GIANT Ferris Wheel.

Nice, huh? And it is a lot cheaper than the event at Social, which I posted earlier. For general admission tickets, you only have to pay about $80 tops. If you want to be a VIP, then you have to pay double the amount. They also have super extra VIP tickets for even more but hey, if you are on a budget, the general admission looks good enough.

What have you got planned for New Year’s Eve? Don’t call me a loser but I have nothing concrete on my agenda. Let’s just say that I am playing it by ear and will see how things go and then decide when the time is right. After all, adventures can crop up anytime and any sort of planning will just go to the dogs if they do, right?

If you are the type who likes having solid plans before any event, though, here is an idea for you. Why not go to the D.A.S.K. New Year’s Eve Ball 2009? This event is actually an annual thing and is held at the Citrus at Social, 6525 Sunset Boulevard. This year’s bash is going to be held on the 31st of December, naturally, from 8 in the evening till 2 in the morning of the 1st of January.

For the price of $275 – $125 of which you pay in advance (plus tax and service charge) and $150 at the door – you can enjoy dinner appetizers, desserts, and 2 drinks of your choice. The menu that they are offering seems tempting enough (cheese puffs, Michel’s neo-chicken salad, tartine crabs robaire, tuna tartar, Michel’s chocolate bar, chocolate ganache, and more) but I am not sure if the food will be enough if you have not had dinner.

You can also enjoy music and various performances in the multiple rooms that will be open to ticket holders. It sounds like a good party is going to happen that night at the Social. So if you’re not all set for New Year’s Eve, why don’t you check it out – they still have some VIP tables open.

I recently wrote a post on how Hollywood is going green and how significant this is. Well, here is more news on this topic. The first ever all solar powered community in Metro LA is being constructed. Dubbed The Gatsby Hollywood, this all-green urban community is being constructed on corner of Wilcox Avenue and Fountain Avenue. What is to be expected from this trendsetting community? Marketwatch ran a feature on this and describes it as:

A first for the area, the all-new, single-family-home community offers premier sun-powered features and a Certified California Green Builder stamp of approval. This collection of 34 detached homes will reduce each resident’s carbon footprint, while lowering monthly utility bills by as much as 60%.

The Gatsby Hollywood is planned and developed by MasterCraft Homes. Energy-saving features include solar roof panels that generate clean energy from the sun. The solar panels collect sunlight, which is channeled to an inverter and converted to electricity for household use. Any unused electricity is fed back into the energy grid and the local utility company may give credit for the unused energy. The captured solar energy actually turns the home’s electric meter backwards. This reliable power generation also comes with an included warranty and free internet-based solar panel monitoring for 10 years.

Even if you are not that into conserving energy and helping the environment (BUT why shouldn’t you???), the price tag that comes with the utility bills should be enough to convince you that this project is a very good idea. The only setback – and a big one at that – is the initial cost, which is surely astronomical.

Universal Studios is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Hollywood. Every tourist who has plans of visiting this part of the world makes it a point to visit the studios. Not only does a tour offer real movie making experiences but they also have loads of other attractions such as rides and theme park features. More so, the people behind Universal Studios are always finding ways to improve their facilities and give people reasons to keep coming back.

Just recently, they launched the Simpsons Ride. In a few more years, they are coming out with one of the biggest rides ever. Dubbed the Transformers Ride, the new attraction is set to be launched in 2011. It will have 3D high definition footage and special effects and robotics. There is a lot of expectation riding on this attraction and the rumor is that it will be exceeding the $40 million budget for the Simpsons Ride.

The work on the Transformers Ride is set to start in 2009 and will hopefully be completed by 2011. True, the time frame seems to be a bit too long but if you think about the work that they will be doing, it should be a reasonable time. More so, the Transformers Ride will not be limited to the main Universal Studios site. In fact, an identical attraction will also be built in the Singapore facility of Universal Studios. This means that people from the other side of the world will also be able to enjoy this cutting edge ride.

I don’t know about you but I can’t wait till they get this done!

We can find museums of all sorts these days. They are not limited to natural history and things like that anymore. In fact, one of the more interesting kinds of museums that is set to make waves is the Gay Museum that is set to open in West Hollywood. Dubbed the ONE Archives Gallery and Museum, this establishment is located in a small office. Small as the physical location may be, the ONE Archives Gallery and Museum is full of information and other items on display.

The LA Times has this write up:

The museum — really a micro-museum at 600 square feet — has set a macro goal for itself: to bring little-known aspects of gay history out of the library closet and into the public sphere. The museum is an offshoot of the ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives, which is affiliated with USC. The old magazine covers dedicated to gay marriage come from ONE magazine, the first gay publication in the country.

Hawkins, a professor of anthropology and gender studies at USC, serves as curator of the museum. Because the archives are a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, the museum by extension cannot directly support political causes, including the effort to defeat Proposition 8. “Let’s just say we have to be extremely careful,” Hawkins said.

I am not gay but I do have a lot of friends who are and I am sure that they will be delighted to visit this museum.

If you do, then you are among countless people yearning to live at The Broadway Hollywood, a condominium complex that gives a new twist to the classic loft style of living. The Broadway Hollywood is located at Hollywood and Vine and is housed in a 1927 department store building. The builders of this condominium complex took the original New York loft style and added their own brand of creativity.

Taking a step away from the industrialized loft style, The Broadway Hollywood has all the perks that are needed for style and comfort. It has a fitness center, the view is fantastic, it has a rooftop pool with cabanas for lounging, and more. The units themselves are designed for the most discerning tastes. Think Hollywood big names such as Charlize Theron, Dave Navarro, and Danny Masterson – they all have units in this building.

The Broadway Hollywood has more to offer than the condo units. With its strategic location, there are so many conveniences to be had. There is the Katsuya sushi joint downstairs and The Geisha House is within walking distance. This is not to mention the other numerous shops that you can visit within minutes.

Of course, you have to pay a considerable sum to enjoy all of this. Guess how much a unit will set you back? I could not find prices for the average lofts but a two-floor penthouse unit with a living area of 2,000 square feet was recently listed at $1.8 million!

Hollywood isn’t just all about glitz, glamour, and drama. Indeed, much like other entertainment capitals in other countries, Hollywood has its share of humor. One of the most famous comedy bars in this part of the world is The Laugh Factory.

The Laugh Factory is located right smack on Sunset Strip and has been there since 1979. Founded by Jamie Masada, this comedy club has been a big hit since its opening. Jamie Masada is no stranger to comedy. According to him, it was actually love at first sight – and his first sighting of a comedy show was when he was 6 years old. And what was it that made him fell in love? An episode of The Three Stooges. Enough said.

The Laugh Factory has welcomed and featured comedians of note. The honorable list includes names such as Dante, Michael Richards, Bob Saget, Carlos Mencia, Richard Pryor, Robin Williams, Rodney Dangerfield, Jeff Dunham, Jerry Seinfeld, Derrick Cameron, Brad Williams, Jim Carrey, Damon Wayans, Paul Rodriguez, Dave Chappelle, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Chris Tucker, Louis CK, Kathy Griffin, Dane Cook, Nick Cannon, Sunda Croonquist, Troy Thirdgill, Max Dolcelli, and Roseanne Barr.

I don’t know about you but if I were to visit Hollywood, I wouldn’t miss this comedy bar for the world. Think about it, walking up and down the streets of Tinsel Town will tire you out eventually. Shopping in the glitzy areas just might drain your pockets. Riding tour buses can be exhausting. What better way to end your day by spending several hours just sitting around with your favorite drink and listening to other people try to make you laugh and forget all your worries?

Knots Berry Farm is a well known brand all over the world. Situated not far from Hollywood, Knotts Berry Farm is the perfect destination for tourists, especially for those with families. There are various agencies operating in and around Hollywood which offer tours to the Farm.

One example is prominent Hollywood Tours. Here is something from their web site:

The Knotts Berry Farm Excursion from Hollywood (Day and Evening) includes admission and unlimited use of all rides and attractions, with hotel pick-up before 9:00 am and return from the park at 9:30 pm.

Pick-up from Hollywood, San Fernando Valley, the Valley, Mid-Wilshire, Pasadena, Glendale, and Burbank area hotels.

Enjoy 165 wild rides, live shows and attractions including an action-packed Old West Ghost Town, six-acre Camp Snoopy for kids, and all-new Jaguar!, the Streaking Big Cat of Roller Coasters!

Of course, I am sure that you want to know how much a tour would set you back. For adults, they charge $106.95. If you book from their web site, you get a discount and pay only $101.95. Prices for children are cheaper at $77.95.

If you are planning on taking the Knotts Berry Farm tour, you should be ready to spend about 14 hours. Basically, you have to set aside a whole day for the tour, with perhaps some time to relax in the evening upon your return.

Do horses and Hollywood make a happy couple? Off the top of my head, I would probably say not really but I am sure that the people at Sunset Ranch Stables – and the countless tourists that have gone there – would strongly disagree. Sunset Ranch Stables is the only horse ranch in the greater Los Angeles area and has long established its name as a tourist attraction. Located just under the world famous Hollywood sign, Sunset Ranch Stables offer horse rides day and night as well as majestic scenery.

The ranch has been in its current location since 1954 and more than the horse rides, it is also famous for the Sunset Dinner. The original owner of the ranch is Jute Smith but it is now Stephen Smith, Jr., his grandson who is running the place.

They have various offerings with regard to the rides. Perhaps the most sought after package is the Sunset Dinner Ride, which lasts 90 minutes long. This ride starts out at the main area, goes through Griffith Park, then to Burbank, and then reaches the highlight – dinner at the Viva Fresh Mexican Restaurant. I think that the package price does not include the dinner, which can cost anywhere from $6 to $12 per person.

If you are interested in joining a ride, you have to make reservations unless it is a Friday. More so, you have to be at least 16 years old to participate. Public rides cost $60 per person while private rides will, naturally, cost more.