Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA

Hollywood is without a doubt the beating heart of LA’s nightlife scene, where a diverse crowd from all over the city – whether chic or grungy, urbane or alternative – comes out to dance and party hard every night of the week.

Though a steady influx of posh condos and retail chains keeps the neighborhood in a constant state of gentrification, it still retains a fairly prominent seedy element. Along the gritty, bustling sidewalks of Hollywood Boulevard, glitz and grime come face to face, with many of the city’s most exclusive nightclubs and trendy restaurants sandwiched between dark lounges, down-and-dirty dives, and souvenir shops.

During the day, the area around the Hollywood & Highland shopping and entertainment complex is gridlocked with tourists, on foot or in tour buses, who show up to photograph iconic Tinseltown sites like Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, the Walk of Fame, the Hollywood sign, and the circular Capitol Records building. Meanwhile, outdoorsy locals and dog owners can burn carbs by hiking up the scenic Runyon Canyon.

By night the streets heat up as celebs, paparazzi, girls in micro-skirts, and guys in fedoras all jostle for position around the myriad velvet ropes; in fact, many of the high-end spots are nearly impossible to get into without being on a list, having starred in a TV show or movie, or being wealthy enough to shell out for bottle service.

But not to worry – Hollywood is nothing if not diverse, and people of every stripe and with every type of budget will find something to do in LA’s hottest nightlife neighborhood.