Studio City
Studio City is an area in the San Fernando Valley, just to the west of Universal City and about 12 miles NW of Downtown LA. As its name implies, Studio City arose to support the motion picture studios with affordable housing for their employees. Some of the studio's biggest stars, such as Gene Autry, lived in the hills of Studio City (more recently, George Clooney). Studio City flourished in the 1950s and early 1960s and has become a trendy, upscale neighborhood with great restaurants and shopping. Radford Studios and nearby Universal City Studios are still major centers of film and TV production. Ventura Boulevard's "sushi alley" is home to perhaps the largest concentration of sushi restaurants in the Los Angeles area.
Get in
U.S. Route 101 connects Studio City to Hollywood and Downtown LA, as well as to Interstate 405, which is the primary route to West Los Angeles and LAX Airport. Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Coldwater Canyon Boulevard traverse the Santa Monica Mountains and connect Studio City to West Hollywood and Beverly Hills, respectively.
Studio City is also accessible via the Metro Red Line subway (Studio City/Universal City Station), which connects Studio City to Downtown Los Angeles and Hollywood, as well as North Hollywood, where you can transfer to the Metro Orange Line, which travels to Warner Center in the West San Fernando Valley. Ventura Boulevard is served by Metro bus routes #150, #240, and the (weekday only) Metro Rapid #750, which travel from the Studio City/Universal City Station to the West San Fernando Valley.
Get around
Ventura Boulevard is the main thoroughfare through Studio City. The most pedestrian-friendly stretch is located between Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Whitsett Avenue. A landscaped walking trail follows the south bank of the Los Angeles River (just north of Ventura Boulevard), from Whitsett Avenue to Radford Avenue.
See
- 1 Brady Residence (Brady Bunch House), 11222 Dilling St (Dilling St and Klump Ave in a residential neighborhood). (Private residence, streetside viewing only. Please respect the privacy of occupants). The historic house was built in 1959 and was used for the exterior shots of the famous Brady Bunch Residence in the 1970s TV sitcom. The inside and the backyard scenes took place on sound stage #5 at Paramount Studios in Hollywood. This is said to be the country's most visited house after the White House in Washington, D.C., and it can only be viewed from the public street, as it has always been a private residence. In 2018 the house went on the market for the first time in decades, for $1.88 million, and was sold to HGTV for $3.5 million. Since then, HGTV has added an additional 2,000 ft² (190 m2) to the back (for the bedrooms) and renovated the inside to match what was on the set. It was the filming location for a Very Brady Renovation (2019) showing the renovation process and the reunion of the people who played the Brady kids from back then. The Brady Bunch set at Paramount Studios was also used once in Mission Impossible and twice on Mannix while the Brady Bunch was still in production. By the 1990s the set was reconstructed for the filming of Sunshine Days an episode of the "X Files" television series. The house is up for sale, once again, for $5.5 million as of May 25, 2023.
- 2 CBS Studio Center, 4024 Radford Ave, ☏ +1 818 655-5000. Was founded as Mack Sennett Studios, home of the Keystone Kops and Charlie Chaplin's earliest American films. It later became the Republic Pictures lot, and more recently it has been home to such sitcoms as Seinfeld and That '70s Show. Unfortunately, the studio is not open to the public for tours, but many television shows are still produced here and with careful planning you can attend the taping of a show; tvtickets.com is one resource to look into.
- 3 Wilacre Park, 3431 Fryman Rd. Offers panoramic views of the San Fernando Valley. The Betty B. Dearing Trail starts at the main parking lot and, after a short steep climb, levels off and begins a gentle descent before ending at a residential street. A walk up the trail and back to the parking lot through residential streets takes about an hour to complete. Parking is $1.
Do
- 1 Pinz, 12655 Ventura Blvd (Between Whitsett and Coldwater), ☏ +1 818-769-7600. 9AM - 2AM. Probably the best bowling alley in Los Angeles. Features excellent lanes, glow-in-the-dark bowling at night, arcade, and more. $7/game.
Buy
- 1 Studio City Farmer's Market, Ventura Pl (between Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Radford Avenue). Held every Sunday 8AM-2PM. Offers locally produced meat and vegetables for sale as well as a petting zoo and face painting for kids.
- 2 Decor Art Galleries, 12149 Ventura Blvd, ☏ +1 818 755-0755. Historic black-and-white photos of old Hollywood, classic L.A., and various famous faces.
Eat
The majority of the restaurants in Studio City are located along Ventura Boulevard. The stretch of Ventura closest to the border with Universal City is LA's "sushi alley", with literally dozens of sushi restaurants. Those who aren't fans of raw fish will also find offerings to their liking in this area, as well as in other locations throughout the city.
- 1 Studio Sushi, 4037 Radford Ave, ☏ +1 818-760-0313, fax: +1 818-760-0326. Located just off Ventura Blvd along Studio City's "sushi alley", this small restaurant offers up amazing fresh fish at reasonable prices. Be sure to share a cup of warm saki with Jay, the friendly owner. Dinner for two, including sake, will cost between $40 and $60.
- 2 Carney's, 12601 Ventura Blvd. Unofficially endorsed by Jay Leno, Carney's operates from a bright yellow rail car, serving what it calls "Probably the best hot dogs and hamburgers in the world". The chilidogs and chili chesseburgers are probably worthy contenders-- and the whole experience, with indoor and outdoor seating, is good, clean, cheap fun. A second location is on the Sunset Strip.
- 3 Katsu-Ya, 11680 Ventura Blvd, ☏ +1 818-985-6976. Another of the "sushi alley" restaurants, Katsu-Ya offers really good sushi at reasonable prices. The baked crab roll is a specialty and should not be missed. Parking is tough to find so plan on using the valet for $3.50. Waits can be long, so call for reservations. Dinner for two will cost between $40 and $60 with sake.
- 4 Vivian's, 10968 Ventura Blvd, ☏ +1 818-762-8710. A tasty and reasonably-priced casual dining spot, offering standard breakfast fare (try the banana pancakes) and simple lunch and dinner entrees. The outdoor patio is a neat spot to dine amongst trees and flowers. Expect to pay $5 - $8 per person for breakfast, slightly more for lunch and dinner.
Drink
- 1 Laurel Tavern, 11938 Ventura Blvd, ☏ +1 818 506-0777. Daily noon-2AM. An upscale gastropub with several Californian craft beers (Old Rasputin, Arrogant Bastard, etc.) on tap as well as a full bar, and gourmet burgers.
Sleep
- 1 El Patio Inn, 11466 Ventura Blvd. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM. Simple and cheap hotel.
- 2 Sportsmen's Lodge Hotel, 12825 Ventura Blvd, ☏ +1 818 806-2279. Famous hotel over 100 years old, featuring large green space and swan-filled lake.
Go next
- Sherman Oaks - This neighboring city is home to stores, theaters, restaurants, and more attractions designed to tempt the shopaholic.
- Universal City - Studio City's neighbor to the east is home to Universal Studios.
- North Hollywood - Not to be confused with Hollywood, North Hollywood is a mostly-residential city that borders Studio City to the north.
| Routes through Studio City |
| Santa Barbara ← Sherman Oaks ← | N  S |
→ Universal City → Downtown L.A. |
Merges onto  ← |
W  E |
→ North Hollywood → Pasadena |
| North Valley ← North Hollywood ← | N  S |
→ Merges onto |
| END ← North Hollywood ← | N   S |
→ Hollywood → Downtown L.A. |