One reason some people like to live in cities is the fact that skyscrapers abound. At night, they really do make the skyline a sight to behold. If skyscrapers are a measure of a city’s aesthetics, then L.A. has another point coming its way.

Yesterday, the Los Angeles City Council approved plans for a new 23-story condominium tower. This new high rise is planned to be built at the old site of the Spaghetti Factory restaurant. The now vacant place is now going to be replaced by a new skyscraper plus two humongous billboards on its south and west sides.

However, it seems that not everything is going so smoothly for the proponents of this project. There are some critics who have been voicing out their concerns regarding the zoning and the plans. For example, zoning regulations require that the project provide 512 parking slots. However, the plans only provide for 416. Despite the objections, however, the project has been given the go signal.

On the part of the Council, their argument is that their aim is to encourage residents to use their vehicles less. Less parking means more people should walk, I suppose. I do not know if the plans can be stopped at this point. Looking at the positive side, the new high rise would provide more office and residential space, which is already at a premium. For tourists’ sake, I hope that the building would be another beautiful edifice to behold.

Photo courtesy of ZSasaki

Cemeteries may not be for everyone but some of them are quite interesting. Certainly, a cemetery where some of the most famous figures of Hollywood are interred would be interesting to a lot of people. This is exactly what the Hollywood Forever Memorial Park is all about.

Located at 6000 Santa Monica Boulevard, the Hollywood Forever Memorial Park was built in 1899. In true Hollywood fashion, the cemetery was filled with monuments and old-fashioned headstones. Indeed, some of the monuments and headstones were not the ordinary ones that you can see in the average cemetery. A few of them are of unique shapes.

The Hollywood Forever Memorial Park has two major mausoleums, both of which house some of the most famous Hollywood stars. The first mausoleum is found in the western area of the park and is called the Abbey of the Psalms. The second mausoleum is found at the south of the lake and is called the Hollywood Cathedral Mausoleum. Though I would like to give you a rundown of all the stars interred in these mausoleums, time and space do not allow it. You can visit Seeing Stars for a more detailed tour, if you wish.

More than the mausoleum, the park boasts of a lovely lake, which many say is the most beautiful part of the whole park. In the middle of the lake, you can find a large Grecian tomb, wherein William A. Clark Jr. He may not be well known to the general public but he was the one who founded the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Photo courtesy of Alan Light

The Simpsons is probably one of the greatest cartoons of all time. I am sure that countless Simpsons fans will even argue that it is THE greatest cartoons of all time. That might be debatable but the fact remains that The Simpsons draws a huge crowd all over the world.

It is thus no surprise that Universal Studios launched their newest ride in May this year. Simply dubbed The Simpsons Ride, this new attraction has satisfied countless of visitors. The Universal Studios web site describes the ride:

The Simpsons™ are visiting Krustyland, the low-budget theme park created by famed TV personality and shameless product huckster Krusty the Clown!

You are there right alongside Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie as you enter through the carnival-like midway.

Once you board your vehicle you’re in for one surprise after another as you embark on a wild, over-the-top ride through the park… flying, floating, and more or less crashing your way through Krustyland’s kiddie attractions, stunt shows, and thrill rides.

Though I have not had the chance to try out this ride myself, it seems that people who have tried it are raving about it. Eye candy, visually stunning, and fun are just some of the descriptions that I have heard.

So how much is a ride going to set you back? You’d have to pay for at least a 1-day pass for the whole park, the cheapest starting at $54 (for children under 48”). If you are over this height, you have to pay $64.

Hollywood is definitely one for setting trends, which is why it’s a great thing for our environment that West Hollywood is setting an example by going green. The City of West Hollywood has in fact won the “Innovation in Green Building Award” for its environtmental-friendlt new program called the “WeHo Green Building Program.”

The Green Building Program is actually not an idea that grew overnight. It started out with a public vision exercise five years ago that showed the interest of those in West Hollywood (not just their planners!) to help the environment by making green building a priority. To show the city government’s dedication to the “green vision” they required all public buildings to adhere to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System and as proof get LEED certifications. It is also developing a new system for urban infill developments to be more environmental friendly.

The Grauman Chinese Theatre is one of the most popular attractions in Hollywood. The great thing about this theatre is that its popularity is not only due to its “star record” but also because of its architecture. In fact the theatre is has been a historic-cultural landmark since 1968. Thanks to this status the theatre has been kept well preserved undergoing several facelifts and much needed earthquake retrofits to ensure that future generations will still have a Grauman’s Chinese Theatre to visit and enjoy when going to Hollywood.

The Grauman’s Chinese Theatre was first opened in May 18, 1927 with Cecil B. DeMille’s “The King of Kings” premiering that night. From the opening the theatre has already been popular and been making history as attested to by the thousands of fans, that turned out to see both the celebrities and the theatre, and then went ahead and rioted.

As mentioned earlier the theatre is also very special due to the architecture and the interior design. Quite obviously the theatre is of Chinese architecture, but what makes it really special is its legendary forecourt better known as the “Forecourt of the Stars”. The intricate artistry, from the fountains to the statues, displayed in the forecourt is actually the work of real Chinese artisans. Lots of the other artifacts that dot the theatre, such as the giant Heaven Dogs guarding the entrance of the theatre, are genuine Chinese artifacts imported from China. Of course, to the fans the emphasis goes to the stars part of the “Forecourt of the STARS” since it is there where you’ll find the hand and footprints of more than 200 celebrities. The very first hand and footprints belong to Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks in April 30, 1927 with more and more stars adding to the A-List each year.

The theatre, though a tourist attraction, is also still very much a real theatre serving as the venue for premieres of the best shows in Hollywood.

If you were to guess the company that would be the top employer in Hollywood I’m pretty sure that the first companies that would come to mind would be all related to the entertainment industry. If you take a look at the official list of the top employers in Hollywood you wouldn’t be that wrong since a huge percentage on the top 20 list do belong in the entertainment industry. You’ll be surprised though to find out that the number one spot actual belongs to the health care industry. Other industries that seem to be thriving in Hollywood include the tourism industry (hotels) and retail companies (Home Depot and Farmers Market).

So if you do want to move to Tinseltown but are pretty reluctant since you do not have any aspirations to be a part of the entertainment industry, whether as a writer or actor, you can brush your fears away as long as you have career aspirations related to health care and tourist industry. Oh, this also applies to you if you are business savvy.

Top 5 Employers in Hollywood

Kaiser Permanente Hospital
4747 Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90027
5,530 employees

Paramount Pictures
5555 Melrose Ave.
Hollywood, CA 90027
5,000 employees

Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles
4650 Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90027
3,800 employees

Universal Studios, Inc.
100 Universal City
Plaza Universal City, CA 91608
3,800 employees

Sunset Gower Studios
1430 N. Gower, Box 21
Hollywood, CA 90028
3,000

Anyone who claims to know anything about Hollywood should be able to tell you that one of the most important person in Hollywood city is not an actor but it’s honorary mayor - Johnny Grant.

Johnny Grant’s work in Tinseltown has earned him the honorary status having enthusiastically contributed to the Hollywood community and industry for over half a century. He is not important just because he’s Hollywood’s most recognized spokesmans but also because he’s served in various committees such as the Walk of Fame Selection Committee and the Hollywood Historic Trust. he’s penchant for turning the ordinary and the waning into something new and dynamic has also helped form and revitalize important Hollywood events such as the “Welcome Home Desert Storm” parade, where he is the creator and producer, the Hollywood Christmas Parade, formerly known as the dying Santa CLaus Lane Parade, and of course the Hollywood Centennial Celebration.

Prior to being the organizing legend and big wig that he has become he was a game show host, commentator, daytime host, news correspondent, and producer. He also has a very long list of honors and awards bestowed upon him including the following:

• Special Walk of Fame star complete with the Hollywood seal - 2000. This was placed at the entrance to the Kodak Theatre
• A hand-and-footprint ceremony in the forecourt of Mann’s Chinese Theatre - 1997
  Hollywood Walk of Fame star - 1980
• Los Angeles Area Governor’s Award - Academy of Television Arts & Sciences 1988
• The Order of California - State of California 1982
• Legion of Merit - 2000
• Legends of News Award - Los Angeles Press Club 1987
• Wrangler Award - Cowboy Hall of Fame 1982
• Bob Hope Combat Entertainer Award - International Korean War Veterans Association
• Combat Entertainer’s Badge (CEB) - 25th Infantry Division in Vietnam

Hollywood is known worldwide for theatre arts but what many do not realise is its commitment to arts as a whole. In fact, Hollywood is home to one of the most unique theme park in the world - and Arts Park.

The Arts Park, located at the Young Circle, is meant to be designed in such a way that each section of the park will not only be tastefully artful but functional in the sense that it will fit the activity meant to happen in that area of the partk. Though the park’s plan was first conceived back in 2003 till now it is still a work in progress. So far though visitors to the park will already find a good variety of things to enjoy including the:

• historic pavilion - historic building built using an indigenous material (oolitic limestone)
• grove - lawn built for more sedate activities such picnics, reading, and simply lounging around
• the meadow - built for the more active visitors who want to toss a frisbee around or play some board games
• “ancient” baobab trees - five baobab tree to marvel at
• millennium springs - artwork designed by Ritsuko Taho it has 3 major components: the water sculpture (water fountain and the baobab tree sound art), the dream wave patterned walkway, and an E-sculpture
• plaza - used for special events and festivals
• children’s play area - A place where children of all ages will certainly love to explore. Features an interactive fountain, entrance sculptures, and innovative playground equipment.
• visual arts pavilion
• performing arts pavilion (not yet constructed)

Oscar winner Holly Hunter is now a star not just in name but also on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The multi-awarded actress who is best known for her work in the 1993 film “The Piano” was awarded the 2,363rd star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Holly Hunter shared the special moment with important people like Steven Spielberg, Ed Harris, Kate Capshaw, Billie Jean King and the two most important little people in her life - her cute twin sons.

Holly Hunter is definitely worthy of a star having won awards from everything from the New York Film Critics Circle to Berlin International Film Festival, and of course, the Academy Awards. Most of the awards she won is for two of the best films she’s done - Broadcast News (1987) and The Piano (1993).

Holly Hunter was definitely thrilled by the award calling saying that it is “an unbelievable honor.”

After the crippling writer’s strike Hollywood surely must have learned their lesson and must be (should be!) doing all they can to ensure that the issues with the actors’ guild are cleared up before the June 30 deadline.

So far the deal with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artist (AFTRA) is going smoothly with a tentative agreement already reached last May 7. The agreement will be reviewed on June 6 and 7 by the national union board.

On the other hand the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) is feeling the pressure of closing a deal and not causing the same problems with unresolved issues that happened with writers. Sag is still not satisfied and negotiations are reportedly on shaky ground mainly due to differences in opinion regarding royalties for DVDs and internet clips.

Aside from problems with negotiations with producers SAG also seems to have a bit of tension with AFTRA since they are after all holding negotiations with producers separately for the first time in three decades.

As for how the negotiations go and as to whether we’ll be seeing another strike, this time by actors, in the near future we can’t really tell and must simply wait for SAG to make their move. Hopefully though the strike doesn’t realise and new films start rolling into production again…