Top 10 Places to Spot Celebrities in L.A.

When I first moved to L.A. a few years ago, my goal was the same as every other newbie's goal: to spot a celebrity! I made the mistake of going to cliche places like Rodeo Drive, etc. - the places that I suspect celebrities actually avoid because they know that tourists go there with the specific purpose of celebrity sighting.

What I actually found was that celebrities are often found in places you wouldn't expect. Or if they do happen to visit a well-known celebrity hangout, don't expect it to be on a weekend night. Weeknights are probably your best bet.

So, if you're traveling to Los Angeles in the near future and hoping to see a celeb, then keep reading...

(Disclaimer: This information may be subject to change within the next 6 months, as Hollywood trends tend to change as much as celebrity marriages.)

The problem with L.A. is that the hot spots keep changing, depending on whatever club is newest. Last year, the hot spot was Drais, the new nightclub atop the W Hotel in Hollywood. Now, that's phased out, and the new celebrity spot is The Beverly.

The Beverly is located at 8713 Beverly Blvd in West Hollywood. http://www.thebeverlynightclub.net/. It opens around 11pm, and it's best to get there early if you want to get in. I showed up at midnight and my friend (who is a club promoter) had to come out and tell the door guy to let me cut the line. Yeah, it's one of those places.

The Beverly is owned by Brent Bolthouse who owns Bolthouse Productions (Remember the guy who hired Heidi Montag to work for him on the early seasons of "The Hills?" That guy.) And speaking of "The Hills," when I was inside the Beverly, Kristin Cavallari was hanging out at my table. She was just as beautiful in person, and also very, very wasted.

Personally, I don't find these clubs fun at all, because they're always extremely packed, people are all pushing into each other, and you can actually smoke inside. But hey, if you want to spot a celeb, this is the place!

The Rainbow is and always will be a celebrity hot spot, but unfortunately these may not be the type of celebs you're looking to see. Every time I am there, Ron Jeremy is there, and he's always wearing the same pair of purple crocs. I've also hung out with members of Cypress Hill, Kiss, and the ever-so-famous wrestler, Chyna.

Again, not exactly A-list type celebs, but they're there if you want 'em.

You can find the Rainbow at 9015 Sunset Blvd in West Hollywood. www.rainbowbarandgrill.com/. It's decked out with red leather couches and rock star posters on the walls. And the pizza is to die for.

Bar Marmont is located at the Chateau Marmont Hotel at 8221 Sunset Blvd in Hollywood, www.chateaumarmont.com. The first time I went to Bar Marmont I hung out with Russell Brand and his entire English posse. It was also a Tuesday night. As I mentioned above, don't expect celebs to be at the hot-spots on weekend nights. That's when you'll find them at the exclusive, hard-to-get-into clubs such as The Beverly.

The House of Blues is also located on the Sunset Strip at 8430 Sunset Blvd in West Hollywood http://www.houseofblues.com/venues/clubvenues/losangeles/.

The first time I went to the HOB, it was to see a band called Pygmy Love Circus that featured Danny Carey, the drummer from Tool. The HOB is a great place to spot rock stars supporting other rock stars. Among the audience was Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters and Morrissey from The Smiths.

Many people who are unfamiliar with Los Angeles believe that movies are filmed in Hollywood. They are not. They are typically filmed in Studio City (hence the name), Universal City or Burbank (where the Warner Bros studio lots are located).

Since many actors and actresses work in Studio City, they typically take their lunch break on Ventura Blvd, or "Sushi Row" as it's referred to by the locals. Sushi row is a strip of sushi restaurants that are located from 11000-13000 Ventura Blvd. My friends have seen George Clooney frequenting Katsuyah at 11680 Ventura. Many actors also hit the bars on Ventura after work, and I've spotted Denzel Washington at the Firefly Lounge at 11720 Ventura, and Khloe Kardashian at Casa Vega at 13301 Ventura (technically this end of Ventura is in Sherman Oaks.)

Every Sunday night is Jazz night at the W Hotel in Hollywood! The band always has special guest appearances every week. Last week was Stevie Wonder, the week before was Florence and the Machine. And the Jonas Brothers were spotted there last week, too. It's a fun time.

6250 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, CA

www.whotels.com/LAHollywood

I love this little hidden gem. The Laurel Canyon Country Store is right in front of Jim Morrison's old wooden house, and has an outdoor patio where you can get coffee, muffins or breakfast sandwiches and dine outside, and it also has an indoor market. My friend spotted Steven Tyler dining there a few months ago, and I've heard that celebs such as Jessica Biel and Pam Anderson who live near Laurel Canyon frequent it also.

2108 Laurel Canyon Blvd, LA.

When famous rock stars are in town, many of them stay at the Sunset Marquis Hotel at 1200 Alta Loma Rd (right off Sunset) www.sunsetmarquis.com. And they are also frequent the bar inside the hotel, Bar 1200, which is lined with autographed musician portraits, black leather couches and dim lighting. A very cute spot for celeb sighting.

If you're looking to spot more up-scale celebs like Jennifer Aniston and Megan Fox, Malibu is the place. Nobu Malibu is frequented by many A-list celebs who are located away from the Hollywood scene.

3835 Cross Creek Rd, Malibu. www.noburestaurants.com/malibu/