Live on the Sunset Strip

I drove to the Sunset Strip looking for some exciting nightlife. In a scenario that has become all-too-familiar, it took a while for me to find a parking spot ... but, afterward, I walked around admiring the sights and sounds. Among the renowned venues I spotted were the Whisky a Go-Go, the Viper Room, The Roxy, and Rainbow. I asked a man on the street if there were any clubs in the area that played hip-hop or Top 40 music, and he said I was in the wrong neighborhood. Armed with that knowledge, I departed for Hollywood Boulevard.

Its party scene was more elitist than what I'm used to in New York. (I didn't think such a thing was possible ... but what do I know?!) I stood outside one hot spot for nearly a half-hour before heading elsewhere, and another club I briefly patronized was as lively as a morgue. (They say you get what you pay for ... and I didn't pay anything.) As if that wasn't bad enough, a doorman at yet another discotheque wanted to charge me $20 for entry -- even though it was closing in 20 minutes. I spent more time walking the streets like a prostitute than I did shaking my groove thing on the dance floor. Chalking the night up as a loss, I returned to the hostel after 2 a.m.