As long as you lock up your wallet, you can have some inexpensive fun touring the famous Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. The shopping district on Rodeo Drive lies between Santa Monica Blvd. and Wilshire Blvd. You'll see a number of famous shops. Some, you can see in other upscale retail facilities--such as the Hollywood and Highland Center in Hollywood, or at the South Coast Plaza Mall in Costa Mesa (Orange County.) Others include one-of-a-kind art galleries and boutiques. Some of the stores with familiar names are Cartier, Tiffany, Van Cleef and Arpels, Giorgio, Chanel, Hermes, Ralph Lauren, Dior, Armani, Gucci and Giani Versace. My advice for enjoying Rodeo Drive is this--just have fun enjoying the street and knowing that you're in a famous place. Don't set your hopes on seeing movie stars shopping, because it's probably not going to happen. True, Beverly Hills is home to some movie stars, but it's also home to an even greater number of un-famous businessmen, doctors and other professionals--and THOSE are the people you're most likely to see here.
While on Rodeo Drive, you can't help but notice the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, which was used extensively in the film, "Pretty Woman." In fact, Rodeo Drive ends in front of the hotel, so you can't miss it! But Beverly Hills is a beautiful city with more things to see than the shopping district. I like to drive around the residential areas and marvel at the "miracle" that has happened here--which is the fact that this neighborhood was developed in the 1930s and '40s, yet it's still in super condition. Everything else in LA that's this old is either torn down or now a "disadvantaged neighborhood." Yet Beverly Hills remains elegant. It proves that with good architecture, good building materials, good landscaping, and a commitment to maintenance. Neighborhoods DON'T have to be "disposable" like clothing or cars, going out of style when the fashions change!
Another thing about Rodeo Drive--in the adjacent residential section (between Santa Monica Blvd. and Sunset Blvd.), Rodeo Drive and its sister streets are all tree-lined, but each is lined with a different type of tree! Especially in the spring, you can drive down one street covered in purple Jacaranda blooms, and the next street will be sporting white magnolias, and the next street further on, lined with tall palms. It's a plant-lover's paradise! While you're in the neighborhood of Rodeo Drive, there's a darling little cottage to see nearby, commonly called "The Witch's House" at 516 N. Walden Drive. Somebody actually lives there--and yet, it looks like it came right out of a fairy tale. Well, actually, it wasn't built to be a residence. It was built on a movie set in 1921 and later transported to the area. It's just plain fun to see this wacky structure!