Frederick's of Hollywood Lingerie Museum
God bless Frederick Mellinger, inventor of the push-up bra (originally known as the Rising Star). Frederick's of Hollywood opened this world-famous purple-and-pink Art Deco panty shop in 1947 and dutifully installed a small exhibition saluting all the stars of stage, screen, and television who glamorized lingerie. The collection now includes Madonna's pointy-breasted black-and-gold bustier, the bra Tony Curtis wore in his famous cross-dressing performance in Some Like It Hot, Phyllis Diller's training bra (marked "This Side Up!"), the Boxer shorts worn by Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump, and a Cher-autographed underwire bra (size 32B). Some exhibits were lost during the 1992 L.A. riots, when looters ransacked the place. Mercifully, the bra worn by Milton Berle on his 1950s TV show was saved.

Museum of Contemporary Art/Geffen Contemporary at MOCA
MOCA is Los Angeles's only institution devoted to art from 1940 to the present. Displaying works in a variety of media, it's strong in works by Cy Twombly, Jasper Johns, and Mark Rothko, and shows are often superb. For many experts, MOCA's collections are too spotty to be considered world class, and the conservative museum board blushes when offered controversial shows (they passed on a Whitney exhibit that included photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe). Nevertheless, I've seen some excellent exhibitions here.MOCA is housed in three buildings: The Grand Avenue main building (250 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles) is a contemporary red sandstone structure by renowned Japanese architect Arata Isozaki. The museum restaurant, Patinette (Mon, Wed, Fri 11am-5pm; Thurs 11am-8pm; Sat-Sun 11am-6pm; tel. 213/626-1178), located here, is the casual-dining creation of celebrity chef Joachim Splichal (see Patina). The museum's second space, on Central Avenue in Little Tokyo (152 North Central Ave., Los Angeles), was the "temporary" Contemporary while the Grand structure was being built and now houses a superior permanent collection in a warehouse-type space that's been renamed for entertainment mogul and art collector David Geffen. An added feature is a detailed timeline corresponding to the progression of works. Unless there's a visiting exhibit of great interest at the main museum, I recommend that you start at the Geffen building, where it's also easier to park. The third gallery, which opened in January 2001, is at the Pacific Design Center (8687 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood) -- it's the compact building next to the Pacific Design Center. Unlike the other two, admission to this galley is only $3, and emphasis is on contemporary architecture and design, as well as new work by emerging and established artists.

Watts Towers & Art Center
Watts became notorious as the site of riots in the summer of 1965, during which 34 people were killed and more than 1,000 were injured. Today, a visit to Watts is a lesson in inner-city life. It's a high-density land of gray strip malls, well-guarded check-cashing shops, and fast-food restaurants; but it's also a neighborhood of hardworking families struggling to survive in the midst of gangland. Although there's not much for the casual tourist here, the Watts Towers are truly a unique attraction, and the adjoining art gallery illustrates the fierce determination of area residents to maintain cultural integrity.The Towers -- the largest piece of folk art created by a single person -- are colorful, 99-foot-tall cement and steel sculptures ornamented with mosaics of bottles, seashells, cups, plates, pottery, and ceramic tiles. They were completed in 1955 by folk artist Simon Rodia, an immigrant Italian tile-setter who worked on them for 33 years in his spare time. True fans of decorative ceramics will enjoy the fact that Rodia's day job was at the legendary Malibu Potteries (are those fragments of valuable Malibu tile encrusting the Towers?). Closed since 1994 due to earthquake damage, the towers were triumphantly reopened in 2001 and now attract 20,000 visitors annually. Tours are offered every half-hour on a first-come, first-served basis.Note: Next to these designated Cultural Landmarks is the Art Center, which has an interesting collection of ethnic musical instruments as well as several visiting art exhibits throughout the year.

Residence Inn by Marriott Beverly Hills
Residence Inn by Marriott is designed to make you feel at home for a day, a week, a month or more. Our suites give you fifty percent more space than most traditional hotel rooms. The Residence Inn Beverly Hills is located one mile from the exclusive shops of Rodeo Drive, two miles from Twentieth Century Fox studios and twelve miles from downtown Los Angeles. Parking is USD 18 per night valet service only with discounted rates available for stays of five nights or more. Pets thirty-five ...

Sofitel Los Angeles
Sofitel LA completed a 40+ million dollar renovation in 2006, the hotel is so different, so LA. Explore SIMON LA by Chef Kerry Simon, Stone Rose Lounge by Rande Gerber, Le Spa at Sofitel, and SO Fit, all at Sofitel LA. Sofitel LA is so close to everything that defines Los Angeles. Across the street from the Beverly Center, close to Rodeo Drive, Melrose Avenue and Sunset Boulevard, the best in shopping and entertainment is all around you. European elegance meets Hollywood glamour in ...

La Quinta Inn & Suites LAX
Conveniently located less than a mile from one of the world's busiest airports and within five miles of Manhattan Beach, the La Quinta Inn & Suites LAX is a welcoming oasis for travel weary guests. Just off the 405 Freeway, this full-service hotel features an onsite restaurant, free 24-hour airport shuttle service, an outdoor pool with sundeck, fitness center, and meeting/banquet facilities for up to 300 guests. Wireless high-speed Internet access is available throughout the hotel as ...