An Afternoon Around Melrose Hill
Melrose is a unique and diverse neighborhood, and its arts scene reflects that. You’ll find everything from traditional fine art to street murals and graffiti. The local galleries showcase work from both established and up-and-coming artists, making it a great place to discover new talent. And if you’re in the mood for a live performance, the neighborhood’s theaters and music venues offer a wide range of options, from theater and dance to concerts and comedy shows. No matter what your interests are, you’re sure to find something that speaks to you in Melrose. So come and explore the local arts scene with us—you won’t be disappointed!
The LODGE
1024 N. Western Ave
Los Angeles CA 90029
The Lodge is a contemporary art gallery based in East Hollywood, Los Angeles. Since opening in early 2015, the gallery has brought a singular, vibrant perspective to the city’s rapidly growing cultural landscape. The gallery possesses an inclusive roster that spans modalities and viewpoints. More jewel than big box, The Lodge encourages intimacy, interaction and a sense of wonder that is in the tradition of iconic Angeleno galleries like Walter Hopps’ Ferus’. Here, the gallery is a physical experience designed to celebrate play, theatre and improvisation.
C L E A R I N G
530 N Western Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90004
C L E A R I N G is a contemporary art gallery based in New York, Los Angeles, and Brussels. The gallery was founded in 2011, with a focus on showing emerging art. It now represents over 20 living artists, providing many of them—such as Harold Ancart, Korakrit Arunanondchai, Calvin Marcus, and Marguerite Humeau—with their first gallery exhibitions. The gallery also represents the estates of Eduardo Paolozzi, Bruno Gironcoli, and René Heyvaert. C L E A R I N G supports its artists by producing works, exhibitions, and books, as well as working closely with public and private institutions.
Morán Morán
641 N. Western Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Established in 2008, Morán Morán focuses on exhibitions of contemporary art, representing emerging and mid-career artists as well as presenting historical material. Since its early years, the gallery has supported exploration and collaboration, inviting curators and artists to conceive exhibitions, performances, and happenings to expand programming beyond the traditional gallery model. These endeavors imprinted a freeform and experimental identity early on, as well as establishing a history of discovery, which serves as the gallery’s foundation.
Makeroom
5119 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038
Established in 2018, Make Room is a contemporary art gallery owned and directed by Emilia Yin. The newly relocated 2,500 square-foot gallery is situated at the heart of Hollywood, made up of two exhibition spaces with an outdoor courtyard and garden.
With its dynamic program—which includes on-site solo and group exhibitions as well as ambitious off-site projects with international collaborators—and a particular focus championing female and emerging artists and artists of color, Make Room has positioned itself as a cutting-edge incubator for emerging artists engaging with cultural identity, conceptual practices, and global perspectives. Not limited to a physical gallery, Make Room works to generate new possibilities and support its artists’ visionary projects and the development of new bodies of work.
Tlayuda L.A. Restaurant
5450 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90029
Family-owned Mexican eatery offering Oaxacan dishes, including namesake tlayudas, in cozy surroundings. From the site: "We serve home-style cooking inspired by Oaxacan cuisine. Our ingredients are fresh and cooked to order. Feel free to visit our restaurant or order online. We would love to share with you our cuisine and provide the best experience from southern Mexico."
Kuya Lord
5003 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038
“Kuya Lord’s Filipino feast is food of power, finesse and delight” —Bill Addison, LA Times
Kuya Lord is an elevated fast casual restaurant concept by Chef Lord Maynard Llera featuring regional Filipino dishes that he grew up eating in Lucena City, Quezon Province, Philippines. While the food harkens back to his childhood, Chef Maynard applies his classical techniques in enhancing and reinventing traditional Filipino dishes.
The monicker Kuya Lord is derived from the Tagalog word for “older brother” combined with the chef’s name “Lord Maynard.” This was also the name of the garage pop-up which developed quite a substantial following, prompting the chef to use the same brand for this Los Angeles Koreatown location.
A few seats for sit-down dining are available, but mostly they are accepting take-out and advance order catering. Kuya Lord does not have a phone. Please message them on Instagram.
Osteria La Buca
5210 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038
Farm-to-table Italian food, with all-natural ingredients, made in-house daily. From the site: "In the vein of a traditional Italian osteria as a casual, local gathering place for food, friends, and wine, our menu reflects a less complicated classic grassroots approach to Italian country food inspired by our backyard here in southern California.
"Our core belief: great food need not be elaborate or overwrought, but rather fresh, uncomplicated, and well-executed in order to get out of the way of the ingredients and find the joy in their innate flavors and qualities.
"The joy of eating seasonally, simply, and well among good company is one shared by all at Osteria La Buca. It is with this simple thought in mind that we invite you to join us to celebrate and have a seat at our table."
Sweet Corner Coffee and Cake
5174 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038

Located right next door to the Hollywood Historic Hotel, Sweet Corner offers the perfect treat for those visiting Los Angeles as well as for friends and neighbors. Give your LA morning a sweet start with one of the neighborhood's newest bakeries. You can sit out front and watch the world go by. If you don't have time to linger, just order in.
Sweet Corner proudly serves La Colombe coffee, as well as desserts, cakes, and other breakfast items.
Hollywood Forever Cemetary
6000 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90038
Since 2002, Hollywood Forever has teamed up with film organization Cinespia to produce outdoor classic film screenings each summer (May through September). Thousands of people gather on Fairbanks Lawn after sunset to watch classic Hollywood movies projected onto the side of a mausoleum. Attendees bring picnic baskets along with blankets and chairs to enjoy a truly unique evening. Outdoor screenings also feature pre-show DJs, themed photo booths, and sometimes a visit by the film’s stars, directors, or filmmakers.
Paramount Pictures Studio Tour
5515 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038

As the longest operating and only remaining major studio in Hollywood, Paramount Pictures has been on the ground floor of every major development in filmfrom the advent of motion pictures, to the emergence of television, through the digital revolution. During our 100-year history, we have served as the production site for thousands of notable movies and TV shows.