Surviving the Sunset Strip: Hollywood Nightlife Dos and Don’ts

Made famous in countless films and television shows, the Sunset Strip district of Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, California, is one of the most vibrant and exclusive nightlife scenes in the world. For those who wish to see some of the best live acts when they come to Los Angeles, or just to rub elbows with the stars, the Sunset Strip is a venerable paradise.

However, the alluring dream of the Sunset Strip can turn into a nightmare of waiting in hour-long lines only to be turned away at the door of one of the hottest clubs, having your car towed or burglarized or waking up the next morning with a hangover and a maxed-out credit card.

Here are a few suggestions, for Los Angeles locals or visitors from out of town, on how to make a night out on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood one to remember, rather than one you wish you could forget.

Do your research.

Call ahead or check out the Web sites for the spots you think you might like to check out. Maybe there is a private party going on that night, a sellout crowd for a live musical act or any number of any other reasons why “civilians” should steer clear of a certain club on Sunset Boulevard for the evening.

A simple phone call early in the evening to the desk at Sky Bar could get you on the all important “list” for the night, making it much less frustrating to get your glitz and glamour fix on the Sunset Strip.

Another good idea is to make an effort to contact concert or event promoters, or the artists that will be appearing, directly on social networking sites. Many a time I have not only been assured a spot on the list to see one of my favorite acts at a crowded Hollywood club, but got in for free as well, simply by expressing interest in the music and giving an RSVP that I will be attending.

Don’t falsify relationships.

Even if you are one of the guitarist, club manager or DJs 6,000 friends on MySpace, this does not make you his or her friend. Having worked the door at a rock ‘n’ roll club, I have heard the old “I’m friends with the band!” line hundreds if not thousands of times. You will most likely just be asked again for your name, as if you were really invited by the DJ he or she would have you on the guest list.

This is particularly relevant in image-obsessed West Hollywood, where everyone thinks they are somebody of such importance. All the clubs along the Sunset Strip are huge money, and they do not survive by bending over backwards for a friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend of Bret Michaels.

As a side note, even if the vocalist performing that night is your sister, notify her beforehand you will be attending, and don’t assume the doorman will know this. There are so many things going on as the doors open for an evening at one of the clubs on Sunset Blvd. The acts for the night and club employees are far too busy to be running around looking for your “sister” to come to the door and verify your identity.

Do bring enough cash, and dress the part.

All of the clubs on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood can suck your wallet dry in a heartbeat. I don’t care who you are or how much you make, there is someone who will gladly take it all and provide you a nightlife experience tailored to suit your tastes, and arguably worth every penny.

Such luxuries as limousines and Cristal champagne are beyond most of us, but this is not to say you need to be rich or famous to have a good time in Hollywood. Taking the aforementioned steps before you go out to Sunset Blvd. will eliminate the need to grease anyone’s palm to get inside the velvet rope. It is polite to give a few dollars to the guy at the door in any case, but certainly not necessary.

Valeting your car, or parking it in a garage, though invariably expensive, still beats a parking ticket or even a tow! The parking enforcement officers will pounce on your illegally parked car in the residential neighborhoods surrounding the Sunset Strip, without fail. And worse still, stories of cars being towed requiring several hundred dollars for liberation are very common.

When dressing for a night out on the town in West Hollywood, it is important to think about what clubs you’d like to stop by, and what kind of crowd they attract. Better to dress club casual (whatever that means!) than wear ripped jeans, or a suit, as you will feel way out of place in certain situations.

Wearing Gucci and Prada is not necessary, or even a ticket to preferential treatment. If you are more of the Target income bracket than the Tiffany’s, you can still do just fine if you make an effort to look clean and composed.

Don’t bother celebrities for photos or autographs, or make a scene in general.

Remember that you are there to have a good time, maybe dance or catch a musical act, have a drink or two. If you come to the Sunset Strip seeking to meet some celebrities, or just interesting, artistic individuals, you can do just that.

If you are coming to hound for autographs, take flash photographs in people’s faces, or push your movie script you haven’t written yet, better stay home.

If you are there looking to stick out, you will do just that, and not in a positive way. The thing that makes nightlife on the Sunset Strip so interesting is that there is so much creative talent contained in such small spaces that some wonderful conversations and happenings are ripe for the taking. Don’t let the mystique of Sunset Blvd. fool you into thinking that everyone there is looking down on you.

A-listers to F-listers are just individuals who have become successful at a specific line of work. When going out in West Hollywood, they are seeking to be social and have a good time, just like you.And one more thing. Please don’t drink too much. The nightclubs on Sunset Blvd. pride themselves in having a nice subdued atmosphere, and if you start a fight or violate anyone’s personal space, you are likely to end up in the back of a Crown Victoria of the black-and-white variety.

Do forget your troubles, if just for a night, and enjoy yourself!

Too often people in Hollywood worry themselves obsessively over “being somebody,” and they forget that everyone at the club is somebody. You as an individual are there to have a good time. If you can afford $14 drinks once in a while, you can enjoy the glitz and glamor this wonderful atmosphere can create, without leaving feeling regretful of your behavior or expenditures.

Have fun!