The very name, Hollywood Boulevard is enough to send shivers down the spine of any movie fan who ever sat in a cinema and watched their idol suffer then triumph through some terrible disaster. It's the stuff that the legend of movies was built on. So it's no wonder then that actually standing on Hollywood Boulevard and observing what the reality actually is, can be something of a disappointment to tourists.

Hollywood is synonymous with glamour, but there's very little glamour evident outside on the Boulevard itself. What people tend to forget is that the stars don't live in this area, this is the place they go to work. This is the place for costume, make-up, and scenery. It's not the place for designer clothes and parties which are more likely to be found in Beverly Hills. In fact, you could well be standing next to one of the hottest celebrities in Los Angeles and not even know it because in their "day clothes" they look nothing like their magazine image!

Although the Boulevard area was allowed to go into a semi-decay status, there has been a change in recent years and now the area is being developed so that there are plenty of things to do for the many tourists who walk its famous path every day. It may be that just being able to locate the star of your all-time movie legend is enough (you may need to buy a map to find it if you're short on time!) but if you want to spend a little more time here on this famous strip of American movie history, then a visit to the El Capitan Theatre (with adjacent Disney Store) might fit the bill, or take a trip around the Hollywood Entertainment Museum where you will find sets from shows such as Cheers and the X-Files. For those who enjoy a little satin and silk, Fredericks of Hollywood have their own Lingerie Museum - where you can find exhibits of underclothing worn through history, including some worn by the stars themselves!

No trip to Hollywood Boulevard would be complete without a visit to the Kodak Theatre. Get there early to ensure you get a ticket for a tour inside this beautiful building. No cinema is ever going to feel quite the same once you have experienced what this one has to offer - the Kodak Theatre, home to the Academy Awards, is what Hollywood is all about, "Glamour"!

Related Links: Visiting Los Angeles, First Visit to LA