Travel Postcard: 48 hours in Hollywood

LOS ANGELES - It's been half a century since Hollywood's Golden Age and once again, Tinseltown is aiming to recapture its former glamour and magic.

It's been half a century since Hollywood's Golden Age and once again, Tinseltown is aiming to recapture its former glamour and magic.

Tattoo parlors, trashy souvenir shops and bleary-eyed lost souls still line Hollywood Boulevard. But with the Oscars now firmly entrenched in the district that is in the midst of a $1 billion, 30-year redevelopment, many locals are hoping its heading back to its former glory days.

Reuters correspondents with local knowledge provide hints to make the make the most of 48 hours in Hollywood in the lead up to the Oscars on Sunday.

FRIDAY

7 p.m. - Kick off your stay with a cocktail at the kitschy, cool Beauty Bar that stands out on Cahuenga Boulevard, where small new clubs with velvet ropes are popping up all the time.

9 p.m. - Splash out at the new, chic Asian-fusion cuisine hotspot East Restaurant and Lounge owned by Hollywood nightlife impresario David Judaken on Hollywood Boulevard. Make sure to grab one of the "confession" booths and order the 'Drunken Tofu.'

11 p.m. - Head down to Vine Street to walk the red carpet staircase at the brand new $350 million W Hotel that is banking on Hollywood's revival as an entertainment hub.

Check out the hotel's hot new club, Drai's Hollywood, on the hotel's rooftop, with an open air bar and pool deck. Head inside to dance or lounge in the banquettes.

Star-studded red carpet of Oscar Awards
If there had been a longer red carpet and about a hundred more photographers, you could have mistaken the Chanel pre-Oscar dinner for the awards themselves. Stars arrives at the 82nd Academy Awards in Hollywood, March 7, 2010.

Star-studded red carpet of Oscar Awards

If there had been a longer red carpet and about a hundred more photographers, you could have mistaken the Chanel pre-Oscar dinner for the awards themselves. Stars arrives at the 82nd Academy Awards in Hollywood, March 7, 2010. Full story >>

Bocelli gets Hollywood star

Andrea Bocelli is the fifth tenor to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The famed Italian singer, who has sold over 70 million albums worldwide, was cheered on by fans and a young choir at the ceremony along Hollywood Boulevard on Tuesday.Full story >>

 

Bruce Lee wax unveiled in Hollywood

Martial arts movie star Bruce Lee has been immortalized in wax. Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in Hollywood went public with a replica of the star on Thursday just ahead of the Chinese New Year. Full story >>