hollywood blvd vs. sunset strip: ghetto vs. fabulous?

Jessica Alba vs. Paris Hilton. In & Out Burger vs. Mc Donald’s. Good vs. Evil. In Denver, one rivalry is simple to understand; Lodo vs. Ballpark. Two different neighborhoods.  Two different worlds.

Lodo; upscale, chic, more fashion conscious.  An area with the Bentley’s parked at the curb and the models parked on the barstools.  A bit of an older crowd (well, as ‘older’ as ‘mid-twenties and up’ is) with the maturity and quasi-sophistication that follows.  Venues include  some of UM’s favorite haunts; 5 Degrees.  Monarck.  Mynt.

Ballpark; think sports bar casual- where your little brother went to slam kamakazi’s on his 21st birthday before puking on the curb. Location of the Real World Denver house (nuff said).  Venues include some of UM’s least favorite spots; Sports Column, Public House, Giggling Grizzly.

A similar rivalry is emerging in Los Angeles, and I want our club-savvy UM readers to set the record straight.

According to an article in the Los Angeles times; the famed Sunset Strip, once home to both the hottest young scenesters and legendary lothario launchpad ‘Project Hollywood’ is being eclipsed by West Hollywood for the a-list and wannabes alike.

“There’s nothing to distinguish the Sunset Strip now,” Wanamaker said during a recent stroll down the street. “There’s nothing unusual going on that will make history. There’s a whole new type of crowd. I wouldn’t call them yuppies. I don’t know what they are. The people who go to the Standard who have money, tattoos and fancy cars. The music? It’s like hip corporate. Whatever hip means.”

The older, more ‘refined’ patrons of Sunset seem to be a polar opposite to the youth oriented vibrancy of Hollywood Blvd.

The scene on a recent night at the club was definitely a departure from the Standard — hundreds of young adults sported styles that evoked rock, punk, hip-hop, new wave, techno and glam. No one looked much older than 21. On a sticky dance floor, DJ Aoki — the son of the Benihana restaurant chain founder — was rinsing out a song by British rapper Lady Sovereign when a brawl erupted and twisted its way around, knocking over drinks and felling several people.

Alot of the divergence seems to revolve around Hollywood Blvd’s reliance on hip hop & rap to fill dancefloors.

Conversely, the Sunset Strip seems to be maturing, playlist wise.

On a recent Saturday night, a group of friends enjoying a $320 “bottle service” at the Boa lounge in the Grafton Hotel were blunt about why they chose the Strip over Hollywood for their night-clubbing.

“Hollywood is ghetto,” said Ryan Decamillis, a 25-year-old financial analyst.

His friend, Richard McGuire, concurred.

“When we walked in here, Stevie Wonder was playing. You never hear that,” said McGuire, a 40-year-old attorney from Riverside.

“Hollywood is all rap,” Decamillis said.

So how about it, California dwellers, or visitors?  Which scene is more Urban Monarch worthy?

Let us know in the comments.

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