Hawaiian Radiance: Hollywood

By Saint Greg

December 26, 2025

I am in my Uber from Long Beach to Hollywood. I did the wait and save option on Uber for $52. Lyft was starting at $80.

Apparently this is a driverless car alternative to Uber and Lyft around here.

I checked in for my flight tomorrow. For some reason someone booked the seat right next to me with all of the other front seats open so I just moved to the front row window on the other side. Odds are someone will still end up next to me but at least there’s a chance now.

This is the view from my Loew’s Hollywood hotel room. For a full tour please check out Loews Hollywood Hotel. I’m heading out to my Warner Bros. Studio tour.

This hotel is in the same building as the Dolby Theater and across the street from El Capitan.

It was a $17 Uber to Warner Bros.

For full coverage of the tour please check out Warner Bros. Studio Tour.

After my studio tour, I took a $19 Uber back hotel to redeem my hop on hop off tour ticket that came with my hotel room.

I got back just after 4pm which is plenty of time for the 4:30pm bus. We’re doing the red route. I did this route once before but it was at the beginning of COVID and we got held on the ship for an extra day. So I didn’t get to make any stops. I want to get hot dogs at Pink’s, then I’ll take an Uber back to the hotel.

Don’t pose for pictures with these guys. They want money and I don’t think they tell you what they want until afterwards. I watched this couple go back and forth with him. Finally they gave him enough to leave them alone.

Dolby Theatre

Chinese Theater

When this was a food place Brad Pitt used to dress up like a chicken to attract customers.

Guns N Roses used to buy a wine called Night Train Express here.

Guitar Center

The Rock Wall

Laugh Factory–Seinfeld and others performed there.

Carney’s is in Superman 2.

This building was in The Italian job and Get Shorty.

Another big comedy place is The Comedy Store.

Mel’s is the same place that is in American Graffiti but that was the San Francisco location.

The Doors used to be the house band at Whisky a go go. This is also where the term go go dancer came from.

Boy’s Town–Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

We are now entering Beverly Hills.

City Hall was used as the Police Department in Beverly Hills Cop.

This is the real Beverly Hills Police Department.

The Four Seasons

This used to be Bristol Fare which was Ronald Reagan’s favorite restaurant.

Beverly shopping center

Peterson Automotive Museum

Academy of Motion Pictures museum

Farmers market

CBS studios

Fairfax High School

Melrose trading post is at Fairfax High today.

A lot of comedic actors get their start at The Groundlings.

Paramount studios Also has tours but theirs is a lot is smaller. Universal and Warner Bros. are in Burbank where the land was cheaper.

Palladium

Capital Records

I only took a picture of one star on this trip and this is the one. This was four months before he passed away.

For dinner I went to Pinks. I could’ve saved a $10 Uber had I gotten off of the bus there. It was close to the end of the tour. But I was upstairs and our driver was quick on the gas.