Melrose Avenue is one of L.A.’s most famous streets, featuring a of shopping, dining and entertainment destinations. Melrose runs north of Beverly Boulevard and south of Santa Monica Boulevard. Along its "west end," Melrose Avenue is all about and shopping, so bring and plenty of it. The street begins at Santa Monica Boulevard where the cities of Beverly Hills and West Hollywood meet, otherwise known as the intersection of and .

Start by east along Melrose LA’s chic design district, anchored by the vast green, red and blue buildings of the Pacific Design Center. In the complex's courtyard, you'll find MOCA Pacific Design Center, an of downtown's Museum of Contemporary Art; it's always free and usually exhibits work by local artists. If you're feeling , there's the upscale vegan at Gracias Madre, a Mexican-themed restaurant from the folks behind Cafe Gratitude.

If you'd rather have your vino at home, turn down La Cienega and pop into the cave-like Du Vin Wine & Spirits where knowledgeable staffers will help you through the well chosen selection of wines and liquors.

Continuing east, you'll hit a slew of stores on Melrose stocking everything you need to your home: antique and contemporary rugs at Woven or Mansour Fine Rugs; one-of-a-kind bathrooms and kitchen (perhaps inspired by the controls of a Victorian boiler room) at Waterworks; Eames loungers, Nelson pendant lamps and other classics of modernist furniture at Design Within Reach.