The Hollywood Walk of Fame is one of the must visit attractions when visiting Los Angeles. Approximately 10 million tourists visit the free attraction annually.

Hollywood Boulevard is home to just over 2,700 stars that are embedded into the pavements and covers 15 blocks of the Boulevard and 3 blocks of Vine Street, a distance of 1.3 miles east to west and for a further 0.4 miles north to south from Sunset Boulevard.

The Walk of Fame is administered by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and every star has to be nominated, paid and then voted on before being accepted. The stars are maintained by the self financing Hollywood Historic Trust. The Chamber of Commerce holds the trademark rights to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The cost to apply to have a star on the Walk of Fame is a mind boggling $50,000

There are five categories that names are recognised for symbolised by their distinct emblems.

• Motion Pictures – Classic Film Camera
• Broadcast Television – Television Set
• Music/Recording – Record
• Broadcast Radio – Radio Microphone
• Theatre/Live Performance – Comedy/Tragedy Masks

The first star was unveiled in 1960 and belongs to actress Joanne Woodward who won an Oscar for ‘The Three Faces of Eve’ in 1957. 

The most stars awarded to an individual that covers the different categories is Gene Autry who has 5 along the Hollywood Boulevard. They are located at and for Recording at 6384, Radio at 6520, Motion pictures at 6644, Television at 6667 and Live theatre at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard.

Considering how close Hollywood is to the swanky Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive it isn’t as clean or glamorous as it’s reputation makes it out to be.

Los Angeles itself is a sprawling metropolis that covers approximately 470 square miles with Hollywood being one city within the city. The greater Los Angeles area spreads from the Santa Monica Mountains to the San Fernando Valley. There are over 515 miles of Freeways and Expressways with residents on average spending 42 hours per year waiting in traffic. This isn’t the worst though, the honour now belongs to traffic stuck between New York and Newark.

Distances to note when visiting Los Angeles

LAX – Hollywood – 23 Miles

Hollywood – Santa Monica 13.5 Miles

LAX – Long Beach 20 Miles

Hollywood – Anaheim (Disneyland) 32 Miles

LAX – Anaheim (Disneyland) 33 Miles

LAX – Burbank 28 Miles 

Hollywood – Beverly Hills 6 Miles

It is possible to get around the city using buses and light rail but renting a car at LAX is the best option. There are many attractions to visit but I believe that three days in the area is enough before heading North to San Francisco along the Pacific Coast Highway – 655 miles California Coast Leggett to Dana Point