Sunset, After Sunset: L.A.'s Sunset Strip

8440 W Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069 (map)

Spend on dinner what you would for a night at this uber-sleek hotel's trendy, spendy and splendidly offbeat restaurant. The views alone are worth the tip.

9015 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90069 (map)

Relive the days before Axl went rogue with botox and braids at this rock-and-roll landmark that's got more secrets than GN'R has comebacks.

8440 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069 (map)

And they said it wouldn't last: After a recent makeover, the Mondrian's famed rooftop bar is still the Sunset Strip's reigning velvet-rope institution. (Because some things never change.)

8590 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069 (map)

Sure, the food can be hit-and-miss at this young-Hollywood staple, but it's the red-hot scene and open-air views that keep the kids coming back for more.

8264 W Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90046 (map)

Rock and rolls are the name of the game at this long-awaited redux of a Sunset Strip classic. (Yes, that's an "Unskinny Bop"in our hand.)

8730 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069 (map)

This ain't your average Strip club, baby: The bar scene rages until 2am at this sexy lounge that lures scenesters and celebs with its Vegas-style sensibility and New American small plates.

8401 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069 (map)

A legendary piece of the Sunset Strip grows up with this market-to-table dining house inside the Andaz Hotel.

8654 W Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069 (map)

Where old-school Hollywood types, out-of-town Euroflash, guys trying to impress their dates and Ferrari-driving showoffs converge by night.

8585 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90069 (map)

This all-night diner is the quintessential Hollywood combo of faux reality and nostalgia. Expect waitresses named Flo and milkshakes that even the most lactose intolerant folk can't resist.

9039 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069 (map)

Blinded by the light: With its larger-than-life jumbo screens overlooking the Strip, this club/rock venue on the drag's westernmost point is where to start or end a night of club crawling and cruising.

8433 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90069 (map)

Despite its name, you never really know what's in store at this crazy, creepy, cavernous pitch-black club. The biggest names in the comedy biz have cut their teeth here--and many still stop by for some impromptu humor.

8001 Sunset Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90046 (map)

Seems like there's always a line outside this crazy castle no matter what night it is. Expect white-hot TV comics along with hungry young upstarts who want to be the next Chris Rock.

8430 W Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069 (map)

It's always Mardi Gras at the Strip's most famous shanty. Hosting everything from pop acts to hard rock (not to mention Sunday gospel brunch), this eclectic music box has Southern hospitality on lock.

9009 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069 (map)

The acts that play this legendary venue are far too wild to keep things quiet--especially not with one of the best sound systems on the Sunset Strip.

8901 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069 (map)

Known the world over as the club that spawned The Doors (Jim Morrison's poetry is still scrawled on the bathroom walls), this legendary music house is where to experience music's past, present and future all at once.

8852 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069 (map)

With a haunted past and celebrity following, this notorious Sunset spot is where up-and-comers play, DJs spin and folks like Tom Petty and Iggy Pop decide to stop by and jam.