Esotouric invites you to sleuth out noir landmarks in the heart of Hollywood, on a walking tour featuring iconic filming locations and some of the real life crimes, scandals and uniquely L.A. characters that inspired the directors and screenwriters, in the fascinating mixed use neighborhood around Hollywood and Western.

On this tour, packed with seedy tales and cinema classics spanning the 1940s-1990s, you’ll thrill to the true crime and movie industry Easter eggs that Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler hid in “Double Indemnity,” admire cafeteria king Clifford Clinton’s lovely Spanish Colonial Revival home and hear how it was bombed by dirty cops working for City Hall racketeers, peep into Black Dahlia murder victim Beth Short’s lonely crash pad life and discover how with a little clever set dressing, a historic bank in Thai Town stood in for a mid-century Hollywood premiere in “L.A. Confidential.”

Plus tales of cinema censors and the sly screenwriters who outsmarted them, the sleazy XXX porno district, SRO hotels, teenage runaways, poets, assassins, dreamers and schemers who left their sometimes greasy marks on the Hollywood Noir district.

This walking tour is illustrated with rare images you can view on your smartphone.

MEETING INSTRUCTIONS:

Tour begins at 10:30am sharp, with check-in time 10am on Western Ave just outside the main entrance to Lazy Acres Market, 1841 N Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027. Please arrive on time to get signed in and logged in to the smartphone slideshow. Scroll down for tour rules and recommendations.

Parking & Public Transit:

The nearest Metro station is the Hollywood/Western station on the B Line (5450 Hollywood Boulevard) .

Arriving by car? You can pay to park in a lot, or look for street parking in the neighborhood. Scroll down for details.

Paid parking lot option: Target at Sunset and Western (5500 West Sunset Boulevard), which is half a mile from the tour meeting spot, in front of Lazy Acres Market at 1841 N Western Avenue. Here is a map to walk from Target to Lazy Acres. Important: the Lazy Acres lot is only for customers, so do not park there for the tour.

Instructions for parking at Target: You need a cell phone to pay. After parking, look for a sign with a barcode. Scan it to start the payment process. You’ll enter your license plate number, credit card info, cell phone number and how long you want to park. (The tour runs for about three hours and ends near Target, and check-in begins 30 minutes before we start walking.) You’ll get a reminder text when you’ve got 30 minutes left, with an option to extend your time if you wish.

Prefer street parking? The green streets on the map below usually have some street parking. Please give yourself time to find a spot, and be sure to read all posted signs if parking on the street.

TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS:

BE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting approximately 3 hours, over a mix of level ground and occasional hills moving at a casual pace. Wear comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen and a hat. Bring your smartphone so you can view the tour slide show. We will have a cooler with cold water, and you’re encouraged to bring a full water bottle. A restroom will be available at the start, and at the end of the tour. If you need more information about what to expect, please email us.

COVID SAFETY: At this time, we no longer require that masks be worn on walking tours, but you are welcome
to bring one.

CAMERA POLICY: No video- or audio-taping unless it has been pre-cleared with us, please. Still cameras and sketchbooks are fine.

CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:

If you’re sick, please do not attend the tour. Get some rest, and let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure, we can refund or reschedule your booking. As long as you contact us before the tour begins, we are happy to move your reservation to a future tour date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name, email address and phone number to make this switch.

CONTACTING US ON OR BEFORE TOUR DAY:

Emailing is the best way to communicate with us, but after 8am on tour day you can call or text Richard on his mobile phone, 213-915-8687.