Daedalus

Big Oak Drive is a one-block street ending in a tight cul-de-sac that might be missed if not for the gigantic iconic hand at the Big Hand Car Wash half a block from its entrance. Big Oak Drive might be small and seemingly innocuous but it has a thriving little community of its very own - so much so that the local residents have their own neighborhood council that has put up signs reminding and cautioning outsiders that non-residential parking is strongly prohibited and enforced. This is probably to discourage all the valets from local restaurants from using this as what would otherwise be a perfect parking lot.

The backyards the run up along the hillsides provide a nice rural feeling to the area, and the steep sidewalk up to the cul-de-sac makes a solid and pleasant hiking detour.

Franklin Avenue, starting at the top of Sierra Bonita and running east through Beachwood Canyon into the Griffith Park / Los Feliz neighborhoods is for the most part residential - lined by apartment buildings and infrequent corner shops.

It can become very congested between La Brea and Highland Ave. when there are concerts at the Hollywood Bowl, and should be avoided during those times. For this reason, any of those six blocks between La Brea and Highland are not as pretty as the rest of Franklin.

At Highland Ave, Franklin twists and turns a little bit and then continues east into Beachwood Canyon country. There are some very interesting old historic buildings to be seen along this ride. Where Franklin meets Vine, one can see the famous Capitol Records building where everyone from the Beatles to Elvis to Frank Sinatra recorded.

At Western Avenue, Franklin turns into a more affluent neighborhood where huge houses sit atrop sprawling lawns on both sides of the street until it crosses into Los Feliz - one of the most popular communities for musicians, bohemians and artists in Los Angeles.

Depending on your lifestyle and income, there is a neighborhood suitable for you somewhere along this historic and fascinating avenue.

Running parallel and in between Sunset and Santa Monica Boulevards, Fountain in fact constitutes a major artery through Hollywood ending to the west at La Cienega Boulevard, and running east until the freeway.

Fountain is a combination of small homes and retail shops, the latter made up primarily of grocery stores like Ralph's, Von's and towards the east the Arclight Cinema and several strip malls that international cuisine and automotive repair shops.

Although frequently busy with traffic, and thus not the quietest street front for living, Fountain is always a good alternative to Sunset Blvd. on a busy weekend night or the ever-gridlocked Santa Monica Boulevard. It is a colorful and interesting cruise through the heart of the real Hollywood neighborhoods.

As the ever quotable Mae West confided: "When in doubt, take Fountain."