La La Land: The Singing Map of Los Angeles
La La Land It is one of those stories that awaken a strong desire to visit The Angels and it is that the feature film Damian Chapelle, which has just swept the Golden Globes, presents a perfect postcard of the Californian city, a tribute to the cradle of cinema that in a few months has turned some of the locations chosen for the film into new tourist destinations for those who visit the capital . The mayor of L.A. himself, Eric Garcetti , stated at the film's premiere that “There can't be a better tourist brochure than this film. Up to 60 locations stand out. And it shows that L.A. It's not just made of movie stars but of romance ”.
A TOUR TO THE HEART OF LA LA LAND IN TEN STEPS
Change in Highway 105/110
One of the daily breads in Los Angeles is the traffic . The intricate network of roads that surrounds and bypasses the center is the starting point of the film, which puts us in situation from the high California Freeway.
The opening scene from the California Freeway
Warner Bros studios.
Although the coffee shop where he works Mine (Emma Stone) in the movie is not real, it is true that many actors who dream of a role in Hollywood they have similar jobs in the service sector. What is real about this scenario is its location, directly in front of a window used in the classic White House . Next to the street where Warner Bros. is located we find the smoke house restaurant , whose interior was used to represent the place where Sebastián despairs playing Christmas pieces.
Smoke House
Griffith Park
A mere five minute drive from Sunset Boulevard, a visit to Griffith Park , the mountain with the mythical observatory represented in many other feature films and from whose location there are privileged views of the city. The visit is worth both during the day and at night, being able to choose between the view of the hollywood sign or the bubbling city in the late afternoon. The corner where Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) and Mia do a tap dance number is 'Cathy's Corner.
Cathy's Corner, the perfect place for a dance
from the planetarium
Ferndell Trail
In one of his quotes, Sebastian and Mia stroll through one of Griffith Park's best kept secrets , this promenade that borders a stream with tropical plants under the shade of American sycamore trees. It is a route of less than half a kilometer through the west canyon of the park, which is accessed through a different entrance to the main one. In the Trails Cafe you can take a break and enjoy the extraordinary views, or extend the walk with a full loop with more elevation, and even climb up to the observatory itself, at the top of the hill.
From Los Angeles to Heaven at Griffith Observatory
The mural 'You are the star'
This Hollywood 'Walk of Fame', with stars such as Charles Chaplin, James Dean, Marylin Monroe, Humphrey Bogard or Lauren Bacall sitting in the cinema, was used to represent the exterior of the restaurant where Sebastian is fired. It's in the intersection between Wilcox Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard.
Beautiful Pier Beach
Hermosa Pier and the Lighthouse Café
The beach of beautiful beach it is the place where Sebastián comes to take a melancholic walk at sunset. The pier on which he walks lost in the melodies of Justin Hurwitz bears the same name as the coastal town that hosts it, and only a few meters away is the authentic Lighthouse Cafe , a surviving Jazz club that is presented exactly the same as in the movie. A true gem that has been standing since 1949 and still offers live music.
Lighthouse Cafe
Rialto Room
The scene of Mia and Sebastián's first date, where they both hold hands watching Rebel Without a Cause is a real movie theater, built in 1925 and registered as a historic place, the Rialto Theatre. To see it (outside), walk the streets Pasadena Fair Oaks , from there the exterior of the Theater draws attention as an abandoned old glory (it closed in 2007).
Colorado Street Bridge
There is a bridge that seems to transport the protagonists of La La Land to a European stage, almost Parisian. This is the historic Colorado Street Bridge in Pasadena, built in 'Beaux Arts' style in 1913 and situated 453 meters from the Arroyo Seco over which it crosses, with the San Gabriel Mountains on one side. It is not the first time that the bridge has appeared on television or on the big screen, although it is also sadly known as the 'suicide bridge'.
The Ferndell Trail Walk
Angels Flight Railway
The Angels Flight short train, a funicular railway that took passengers up to the popular and central neighborhood of Bunker Hill, is a historic site that was open from 1901 to 1969. It was closed until 1996, when it was renovated but closed again in 2013 due to security reasons. It is one of the spaces that many residents of Los Angeles want to recover, and there is an organization that sends petitions to the City Council to put it back into use.
Angel's Flight
The King Theater
The theater where Ryan Gosling plays the piano with John Legend is an original building located in the heart of the Art Deco district of Los Angeles, the Miracle Mile . Built in 1926, it served as a movie theater for 50 years, becoming a live music venue in 1994. The monument, with magnificent steps, is registered for its historical-cultural interest.
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'La La Land' or how to fall in love with Los Angeles