Rodeo Drive Shopping:
The stretch of shops and boutiques on Rodeo Drive is only three blocks long. It begins at Wilshire Boulevard on the south, and runs north to Santa Monica Boulevard, where the commercial section of the street gives way to an affluent residential neighborhood. But those three short blocks constitute the most famous shopping district in America, and probably the most expensive three blocks of shops in the world.
It is here that the rich & famous do their shopping, and where tourists window-shop while trying to spot movie stars on the fabled street.
The most celebrated clothing designers in the world have boutiques here: Armani, Gucci, Christian Dior, Coco Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Valentino... The jewelry stores boast names like Cartier and Tiffany. Other nearby stores include I. Magnin, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Yves Saint Laurent, & Pierre Deux.
In fact, Rodeo Drive is home to the single most expensive store in the world: Bijan (at 420 Rodeo Drive). You must make an appointment in advance just to shop at Bijan (which was named after its Iranian owner). On a typical visit, Bijan's average customer spends in the neighborhood of $100,000 on men's fashions, which range from a $50 pair of socks to $15,000 suits.
The most handsome - and ostentatious - part of Rodeo Drive (and the portion that most resembles what tourists expect to find here) is actually the newest addition to the famed boulevard. If you listen closely to a scene in the movie "Pretty Woman," you will hear a line that says: "Via Rodeo is the first new street built in Beverly Hills in 75 years."
Located at the northeast corner of Wilshire & Rodeo, the "Two Rodeo" center creates the illusion of two small, parallel streets, cleverly designed so that they both appear to be at ground level. Built at a cost of over $200 million, Two Rodeo attempts to re-create a romantic version of an old European avenue. In practice, though, this gleaming new addition most resembles a movie set, or perhaps a Disneyland pastiche such as New Orleans Square.
But it's still a winner in its own right. The short, curving street is paved with Old World cobblestones, and features two & three story facades, with a unique blend of classic architectural styles. There are romantic archways, bubbling fountains, an Italianate piazza, and charming balconies. The faux street is lined with black, wrought-iron street lamps and polished brass fixtures; ornate planters are filled with colorful flowers & trees.
Essentially a small outdoor mall, "Two Rodeo" manages to create the illusion of freestanding storefronts, variously faced with brick, stone and marble. There is a sidewalk café, two pricey restaurants, and tenants such as Tiffany, Cartier, Charles Jourdan, Valentino, Christian Dior, and Jose Eber. The center even offers free, two-hour valet parking in its posh underground garage. And it is here now, next to the Spanish steps and sparkling fountains of "Two Rodeo," that most tourists pose for the pictures of Rodeo Drive that they will take home to show their friends.
But it's not just tourists. Hollywood.com reports spotting a happy Leonardo DiCaprio shopping there last Christmas, wearing a baseball cap, sunglasses, goatee, longer hair and carrying a large Tiffany & Co. shopping bag. Other stars they spotted in the same season included Britney Spears, Calista Flockhart, Warren Beatty, Val Kilmer, Danny DeVito, Don Johnson, Rod Stewart and Gregory Peck.
