How to Live Like a Celebrity in Los Angeles

Have you ever imagined what it would be like to stand on the Oscar stage and thank the Academy? Well, you actually can stand where Meryl Streep has accepted her (many) trophies. Book a tour at the Dolby Theatre and start practicing your Sally Field lines: "You like me! You really like me!" Tears encouraged, but not required.

The Loews Hollywood, which is connected to the Dolby Theatre, is a celebrity hot spot during Oscar week. Other celeb favorites include the W Hollywood, and the London West Hollywood.

If you want to maximize your chances of getting sweaty with a celebrity, try hiking Runyon Canyon, where everybody from Orlando Bloom to Miley Cyrus to Justin Beiber have been spotted, or sign up for a SoulCycle class—Khole and Kim Kardashian are fans!—at one of its three Los Angeles locations. Celebrities like Heidi Klum, Cameron Diaz and Julia Roberts love Exhale Spa’s Core Fusion class. Or, get a pass to one of the Equinox locations where you may catch Olivia Wilde, Katie Holmes, Alexander Skarsgard or one of the many other celebs who frequent the fitness club.

Book a Warner Bros. studio tour, where you could possibly walk through sets of shows like Pretty Little Liars and 2 Broke Girls. Alternatively, you could pretend you’re in a Harry Potter movie as you ride a broom in front of a green screen or take a photo on Central Perk’s couch, made famous by Friends.

Head to Bouchon Beverly Hills—Thomas Keller’s famed bistro caters the Vanity Fair Academy Awards after party— during Oscar month and enjoy a power breakfast at Bar Bouchon. Start your morning with dishes like Graydon’s Grits and Leo’s Lox and Eggs. Try scoring a seat upstairs at the corner table that’s a favorite of Jennifer Lopez and Mick Jagger. 

Being a celebrity means that you should be perfectly groomed all the time, and regular manicures and pedicures are part of the job. Go for a "Gelicure" at Bellacures Beverly Hills location, a favorite of Jessica Alba, Reese Withersppon and Jennifer Garner, or be a part of the social scene at Beverly Hills Nail Design, where you may spot one of the Kardashians.

Book yourself a relatively affordable massage at The Now, the stylish spa where a number of Hollywood it-girls— Emily Radakowski, Hailey Baldwin, Minka Kelly, Gigi Hadid and Lena Dunham—have had services. Kendall Jenner even celebrated her 20th birthday there. Other celebrity favorites include the Gendarmerie Spa, where you can book a custom facial, or Exhale Spa, where you can go for a deep detox therapy session.

Both of Clementine’s locations are celebrity magnets; that’s because this café sources ingredients from local farmer’s markets for its delicious pastries, sandwiches and smoothies. Sneak into the clandestine location at UTA’s offices and you may catch a meeting between an agent and one of their famous clients. Calvin Harris, who loves the turkey caliente, frequents the place, as does DJ Khaled.

Go on a shopping spree with celebrity stylist—you may have spotted him giving commentary on the television—Joe Katz, and he’ll take you to the myriad boutiques on Rodeo Drive. Try on diamonds at Van Cleef & Arpels and hit up Gucci, Saint Laurent, and Miu Miu, many of which have special VIP areas where you can try on the latest stuff.

You can’t go wrong at the Sunset Tower Bar or Chateau Marmont, two of Hollywood’s classic celebrity hangouts. Once you get past Sunset Tower Hotel’s Tower Bar’s famed maître d' Dimitri, you could be sipping cocktails among A-listers like Bradley Cooper, Sean Penn, and Tom Ford. Jim Morrison took up a residence there in the ‘70s and Jim Belushi died there in 1982. Most recently it played host to W magazine’s Golden Globes party, welcoming Rooney Mara, Quentin Tarantino, Helen Mirren, Cate Blanchett, and Elizabeth Banks. 

Nibble on small plates like Chili crab toast with spicy cucumber and coriander and Japanese curry arancini with kewpie mayonnaise and bonito at Hinoki & the Bird. Or, walk through the refrigerator at Good Times at Davey Wayne’s and into a dive bar that feels like a living room from the ‘70s. It offers up snow cone cocktails and quick bites like pork belly sammies. Celebrities also flock to Cecconi’s, Fig & Olive, and Sugarfish.