An Eye Candy

Celebrities such as Kirk Douglas,

Mae West, Arnold Schwarzenegger,

the famous fitness guru Jack

LaLanne, and other internationally
known bodybuilders bulked up at
this longtime landmark of
bodybuilding and 'The Birthplace
of the Physical Fitness Boom of
the Twentieth Century'.

Dating back to the 1930's Santa
Monica's Muscle Beach regulars
became household names when
they brought fitness to California
and the rest of the world through
their gyms, exercise equipment,
and fitness TV shows. Founders
of this legendary fitness universe
include Harold Zinkin, Vic Tanny,
Joe Weider, Jack
LaLanne and Joe
Gold. These health-
and-fitness
personifying names
would meet on this
strip of golden beach
to workout and display
their physical prowess.

Today you can still feel
the vibes and energy
of heroes from the past,
where within view of the
marking sign Jack
LaLanne and his pals used to strut their stuff. Drenched in the Californian sun, this Body Building Walk of Fame attracts with the charms of physically fit eye-candy and die-hard fitness buffs who pursue mightily entertaining workouts, performing gymnastic feats on a set of ten rings, hanging on chains, or stretching out toward the glittering sea. A vivid body-consciousness is being generated and showed off by big guys and acrobatic talents.

This Mecca of fitness, located just south of the Santa Monica Pier, serves gymnasts, acrobats and youth with an extensive gymnastics training area: The outdoor workout equipment includes chinning bars at various heights, parallel bars, rings, a small jungle gym for children and a padded gymnastics area.



Read more:
Vanity (Af)fair

Gold's Gym

Up & Down L.A. Downtown

For a quintessential
taste of L.A.'s Historic
Core and a memorable
old-school throwback
to Los Angeles' past,
take a 50-Cent-ride on
the historic Angel's
Flight. 

Tucked away in
Downtown Los
Angeles is the world's
shortest incorporated
railway and historical landmark that provides an iconic and functional
connection between Downtown Los Angeles' Historic Core and Bunker Hill. 


Originally built in 1901, this vintage gem and piece of railway history
gives you a glimpse of what life was like with the trolley system in the city
of angels. This 100+ year-old railway spared pedestrians and prominent
Bunker Hill citizens the grueling climb and ferried them up and down
between Grand Central Market and California Plaza.   

Today, this vintage train ride entails a bumpy, rusty, rickety, and noisy
journey in orange-and-black wooden cable railway cars, during which
patrons endure jolting and loud commotions of wood and metal for
about 2 minutes while being cabled up a 298-foot incline.

With wooden benches, vertical hand rails and a bell on the front,
passengers are not only being transported up the Bunker Hill but also
thrown back to old times – you can literally feel the wheels roll along the
track beneath you. 

Getting off on Olive, right where Grand Performance is dished up on
regular basis, this breezy fountain-filled Watercourt at California Plaza
is a picture-taking hot spot and The-Place-To-Be in Downtown L.A. Dine
and shop here with a complimentary stellar view amid a stunning futuristic
architecture – an acropolis of skyscrapers.

FYI: A funicular, aka a cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable
attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down
a steep slope.

351 S Hill St. Los Angeles, CA 90013

The Final Cut

The goddess is alive in every

L.A. woman (and man). As
the sun rises over Tinseltown
on a Thursday morning, the
beginning of the weekend has
arrived and that means it's time
to party.
Discerning ladies find luxurious
togs and posh accessories with
elaborate designs at Max Azria.
Sumptuous outfits, like fluffy
dresses, fancy jackets and
glamorous evening gowns make
the ultimate L.A. party queen
ready for some Saturday night
fever on the lustrous Sunset
Strip...

New York’s Fashion
Week is where he
launched his first
runway collection
and Montreal is
home to his biggest
store worldwide: the
French fashion
tycoon of Tunisian
Jewish descend Max
Azria left his heart –
along with his family –
on the beautiful West
Coast. Thus his Max
Azria Atelier collections
are inspired by
Hollywood glamour:
Sharon Stone, Halle
Berry, Demi Moore and
Lucy Liu – the creme
de la creme have walked
his creations on the
world's the red carpets.

Located on a trendy Melrose
strip, the designer's eponymous
loft-like boutique is as pretty
arranged on the inside as it is
bizarre on the outside: the
façade's curly branchwood
represents just about the right
amount of drama and over-the-
topness as most of the clientele's
temper: Mariah Carey-types
shop here for the critically
acclaimed ready-to-wear
collections like the famous
form-fitting party-ready Herve
Leger gowns.

Amid a setting of wooden
floors, white stones, and a
perfectly composed natural
palette,  fashion lovers shop
for refined, subtle, ladylike
clothing. Suitably tailored for
the city's most sophisticated
shopper's taste  – ladies who
appreciate class rather than
flash – this noble address is
stocked with cute cardigans,
narrow pencil skirts, flattering
wrap dresses and elegant
evening gowns. Quirky leather
flats, boho-inspired jewelry
and luxurious handbags top
off every outfit while ingenious
drapes on ultra feminine
gowns look smashing on
female silhouettes.

BCBG Max Azria Final Cut //
8026 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046

 

L.A.'s Fashion Nirvana

Holding court on the buzzing
corner of Fairfax and Oakwood
since 2002, in the heart of hipster
streetpunkville, is this minuscule
vintage fashion fortress and de
luxe archive of haute couture's
most significant milestones:
Iconic trophies of timeless chic
peek out behind glossy windows
of this vintage gem of a boutique
that was founded by veteran
stylist and costume designer
Renee Johnston and music
video commissioner/producer
Michelle Webb. The two vintage
proprietors curate their
collections with a shrewd and
savvy eye while offering their
clients knowledgeable advice.
Shophawks, stylists, designers,
editors and vintage aficionados
are required to ring the door
bell before being admitted
to catch a glimpse inside
this fashion Nirvana. A
vibe of high-end vintage
glamour will beguile a
fashionista's senses
while -- on a second
glance -- sublime
inspirations and classic
accents boldly proclaim
some of the most
illustrious names of the
fashion world. A unique
mix of designer and
era vintage makes this
de luxe boîte a
heavyweight among
L.A.'s vintage boutiques.

Michelle Webb and Renee
Johnston stock their fashion oasis
with signature historical pieces
such as '70s Gucci riding boots
or a silver-dipped lace Christian
Dior necklace. Shelves and racks
are neatly plastered with grandiose
Pucci, YSL and Chanel duds. Find
an impressive collection of Gucci,
Hermes and Chanel eyewear -- a
must-have shield in the sun-(and-
air-and-graces) drenched
microcosm of LaLa Land.
Yves St. Laurent and Manolo
Blahnik pumps, classic Chanel
flats and two-toned platforms
highlight an awe-inspiring shoe
assortment. Brocade Moschino
coats, Dior party frocks, Prada
handbags and much more glory
can be discovered on the store's
neat, color-coordinated racks.

459 N Fairfax Ave  Los Angeles,
CA 90036

Vintage Vibes @ Formosa Café

Step out of this faded
eastern part of WeHo
and hop inside a blast
from the past:Tucked
away behind a massive
crimson red brick
frontage with white and
black striped awnings,
near the corner where
Santa Monica liaises
with La Brea Blvd., this
former trolley car-
turned-lounge evokes
a golden period when
Duesenbergs were
depositing fur-swathed
movie stars on the red
carpeted entryway.
Entering Formosa is
entering a time warp:
an authentic slice of L.A.
history, embodying the
(vintage-) stuff that
Tinseltown's folklore
is made of.

Opened in 1939 by
Jimmy Bernstein, the
Formosa Café has
been entertaining
celebrities and
Hollywood's
aristocracy in the '40s
and '50s. Today, the
sexy vintage vibes
still linger in the air,
although the clientele
definitely lacks the
cachet of its heyday.
Still highly atmospheric,
the aura of this time-
honored movie-star
hangout with venerable
Hollywood décor is
abuzz with pockets full
of memoirs and
nostalgia of a glorious
era: Its awe-inspiring,
dimly-lit film noir-esque
interiors are famed for
their iconic deep red
leather booths where
once Marilyn, Elvis,
Bogart and the likes
used to dig into chicken
chow mein, while Gable
and Sinatra rubbed
elbows at the long bar
sipping potent Martinis
into the wee.

Particularly eye-catching are
the 250 autographed black-
and-whites  – virtually the
Who is Who of Hollywood
– that hark back to Formosa
Café’s legendary past as a
supposed clandestine spot
for some precarious
Hollywood affairs: Legend
has it that Frank Sinatra
spent a good many nights
pining over Ava Gardner.
This must-visit destination
still bills itself as a celebrity
hangout and you may even
be lucky enough to spot Bono
or Beck in a booth.

Equally, civilian booze buddies,
in-the-know-hardcore-regulars,
history buffs, and dive bar busters
have a jolly love affair with this local
favorite, frequently popping in to
raise a glass – pre-dinner or after-
hours drinks – and ogle the view
from the rooftop patio that is open
Thursdays to Saturdays. While the
studio next door is still active in
both TV and movie production, the
Café serves as a popular industry
watering hole, dishing out mediocre
Chinese, American and seafood
dishes. While it started out as a
Chinese eatery, it has expanded
the menu in recent years to include
some Thai, Japanese, and Korean
dishes. Faithful patrons claim that
their Lobster Mac 'n Cheese is
addictive.
After dark Formosa's mixologists
work wonders, hand-crafting mean
concoctions that hit the spot. The
Whiskey Sour is going to rock your
world with egg whites, sugar syrup
and lemon juice.
Step into this vintage microcosm
of past Hollywood glamour and
chink flutes against a rarefied
backdrop of red and black hues
... like straight out of a Raymond
Chandler paperback.