Although it's only five square miles, Beverly Hills looms large in pop culture as a posh and picturesque locale that boasts more mansions than any other area of L.A. County, not to mention the world's most notorious ZIP code. Rodeo Drive, perhaps the world's most famous shopping street, offers virtually every label worth its logo. Celebrities such as Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes retreat to their tucked-away gated manses here. Bel-Air is known for its sprawling estates, and Century City for business and shopping. Westwood, populated mostly by UCLA students, has a youthful vibe. Quaint Culver City is experiencing a cultural and culinary renaissance.

Rodeo Drive
Valentino, Chanel, Dior, to name a few: With its all-star roster of high-fashion designers, it's no wonder this retail mecca makes so many well-heeled shoppers swoon.

King of red-carpet baubles Harry Winston holds court in a three-story flagship location; Cartier and De Beers are among the other high-end jewelers that have set up shop on this swanky street. Miuccia Prada's Miu Miu and an impressive Rem Koolhaas-designed Prada boutique are steps from each other; Michael Kors is across the street. Missoni's flagship, an architectural standout with its textural exterior, is the latest addition.

Marked by an Italianate cobblestone rode, Two Rodeo features shops such as Versace and Tiffany & Co.; the patio at 208 Rodeo makes for prime people watching, and Urasawa turns out exquisite sushi, hailed as the best in town. To the north is the Rodeo Collection; retailers include Italian lingerie label La Perla and Herve Leger. Rodeo Drive Walk of Style inductees include Salvatore Ferragamo, Manolo Blahnik, Armani and fashion photographer Mario Testino and his colleague Herb Ritts.

Golden Triangle
Rodeo Drive is but one street in a retail area known as the Golden Triangle, bordered
by Crescent Drive and Wilshire and Little Santa Monica boulevards. The city offers nine designated parking areas with an hour of free parking ($3 flat fee after 6 pm).

An assortment of cafes, salons, spas, shops and galleries abound in this three-sided district. Wolfgang Puck's star-studded flagship Spago is here, as is celeb stylist José Eber. Sprinkles Cupcakes (9635 S. Santa Monica Blvd.), the place for designer morsels, has a perpetual line of sweet-toothed customers out the door. The Richard Meier–designed Paley Center for Media (formerly Museum of Television & Radio) lures aficionados of architecture as well as media.

Wilshire Boulevard
Here reign retail's grande dames: Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Barneys New York. Wilshire Boulevard is home to Escada, Mikimoto and Southern California–based St. John Knits. Pretty Woman was filmed at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, built in 1928 at Wilshire Boulevard and Rodeo Drive. The Beverly Hilton, at Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards, hosts the Golden Globe Awards. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences features changing exhibits in two galleries.

The Mansions
Beyond the Golden Triangle, north of Santa Monica Boulevard, are the stunning mansions and manicured grounds of the tree-lined residential neighborhoods. The largest homes are north of Sunset Boulevard; adjacent Bel-Air and Holmby Hills feature some of the most magnificent estates in the world. The Beverly Hills Trolley Tour offers tours of public art and significant architecture on Saturdays. The sprawling 1927 Greystone Mansion and Park has been the setting for scenes of more than 20 films, including The Big Lebowski and The Witches of Eastwick. The hillside grounds boast sweeping city views.

Century City
A playground for the finance and entertainment execs who work in its high-rise towers, Century City is home to Westfield Century City, an elegant, open-air retail center anchored by Bloomingdale's with upscale shops, a 15-screen cinema and first-rate food court. Across the street, deal making and hobnobbing happen at hip X Bar at the Century Plaza Hotel. 20th Century Fox Studios is based in Century City, as are fine-dining draws including Tom Colicchio's Craft. The Annenberg Space for Photography is an impressive gallery with digital and print exhibit areas. The Museum of Tolerance, just east of Century City, pays particular attention to the Jewish massacre in the Holocaust, but promotes tolerance for all in exhibits such as Finding Our Families, Finding Ourselves.

Culver City
Motor Avenue runs from 20th Century Fox south to Sony Pictures Studios. Downtown Culver City, though it encompasses only a handful of blocks, has become a destination for the arts, food and culture. Theaters include the Actors' Gang at the Ivy Substation and Kirk Douglas Theatre. Restaurant highlights include the organically minded Akasha, macrobiotic cafe M Café de Chaya and Fraîche with its Cal-Med fare. Rush Street bar draws the most revelers when the sun goes down. The quirky Museum of Jurassic Technology is nearby.

At Helms Avenue and Venice Boulevard, the historic Helms Bakery complex houses design stores including H.D. Buttercup and Room & Board, pan-Asian eatery Beacon and gastropub Father's Office 2. The contemporary art galleries at Washington and La Cienega boulevards make up the Culver City Art District and are among the most cutting-edge in L.A. Downtown Culver City has wireless Internet access in its public spaces.

Westwood Village
Bordered by the UCLA campus, Westwood Village is rife with historic buildings and cultural offerings—and it very well may be the movie premiere capital of the world.

The Hammer Museum houses works by Degas, Rembrandt and van Gogh; changing exhibits feature contemporary works and installations. Marilyn Monroe and other stars are buried at the nearby Westwood Village Memorial Park. The Geffen Playhouse, where the stars go to headline plays between film projects, is in a renovated 1929 landmark theater. On campus, UCLA Live hosts performing arts; famous authors pop in to preview new works, too. Access UCLA's Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden at Hilgard and Le Conte avenues; the Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden showcases Rodin's The Walking Man and 80 other works. The UCLA Fowler Museum offers exhibits about peoples and religions.

South of Westwood Village, straddling Westwood Boulevard, is Westside Pavilion, a trilevel retail center anchored by Nordstrom and with several kid-friendly shops such as Build-a-Bear Workshop and Scribble Press. The mall features a top-notch Landmark cinema, dedicated to indie films and with a chic wine-and-beer bar. Westside Tavern restaurant is below the movie theater, ideal for a pre- or post-film repaste or cocktail.

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