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Dancing in the Friends’ Fountain!

I’ve done some pretty cool things in my life, but I must say that one of my favorite and most memorable adventures was dancing in the fountain that was used in the opening credits of Friends! Back in 2002, I attended a seminar put on by my acting school that just happened to be held on the Warner Brothers Ranch Lot. When I found out the seminar was going to be held at the Ranch I swear I almost died! I had heard sometime before that the Friends fountain was located somewhere on the Ranch and I had been trying to figure out a way to get onto the lot to see it in person. Thank you acting school!

When I drove onto the lot early the morning of the seminar, I actually went right past the famous fountain without even realizing it. Walking to the class, my eyes were one hundred percent peeled, looking in all directions for the fountain, but I couldn’t seem to find it. During class, I happened to mention to a friend that I was dying to see the fountain, but had no idea where it was, and she said “You drove right past it when you drove onto the lot!” LOL During our lunch break she led me out to the location of the fountain and we snapped a couple of pics sitting on it and dancing inside of it. Sadly, the pic of me dancing did not come out! 🙁 But we did get to eat lunch on the lawn right in front of the fountain, and I was pinching myself the whole time!

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: The Warner Brothers Ranch Lot is located at 411 North Hollywood Way in Burbank. While there are, sadly, no public tours offered of the Ranch, the fountain is completely visible through the front gates to the left of the guard shack. If you walk down Hollywood Way you can peek through the main gates and snap a quick pic. 🙂

March 9, 2008
Phil Hartman’s Former House

While in Encino stalking Scott Baio this weekend, I happened to check in my fave Hollywood Tour Book for other stalking locations in the area. That is one of the reasons I always keep my tour book in my car – you never know when you might need it! It’s like an Amex card – I don’t leave home without it! I also just got a new car with a built-in GPS system and I must say, it is the best thing that ever happened to this stalker! I used to rely on my blackberry to get me from location to location while out and about stalking – but the GPS is a million times better! It even talks to me! I highly recommend getting one for all of your stalking endeavors!

Anyway, one of the nearby Encino locations was, sad to say, Phil Hartman’s former home. This is the home he was murdered in by his wife Brynn on May 28, 1998. I can hardly believe it’s been almost ten years already. I have always been a big fan of Phil Hartman’s, especially after seeing Houseguest – one of my all time favorite movies – so I had to stalk the house.

His home wasn’t at all what I was expecting – it is a normal looking house that is very close to the road with an open wrought-iron fence that you can see right through. I was surprised that Phil, at the height of his News Radio fame, would live in such a normal home. Maybe I really shouldn’t be surprised as he did always seem like such a normal, down to earth guy. There are some very odd topiaries and garden sculptures all over the front yard – but I am guessing the new owners put them there to detract from bad memories.

If you are looking for a happier location to stalk, I would recommend stalking the Groundlings, Phil Hartman’s former improv school. The black box theatre located inside the Groundlings was named in Phil’s honor after his death. Lisa Kurdow, Kathy Griffin, PeeWee Herman, and Jennifer Coolidge are all Groundlings alums.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: Phil Hartman’s former home is located at 5065 Encino Ave. in Encino. You can also visit the Phil Hartman Theatre at the Groundlings, which is located at 7307 Melrose Avenue, in Los Angeles. I would definitely recommend catching a Groundlings show if you can – they are HILARIOUS! My fave show is the Crazy Uncle Joe long-form improv show on Wednesday nights at 8pm.

March 5, 2008
The “Brady Bunch” House

Ever since I saw the “Silver Platters” episode of The Brady Bunch about 25 years ago and watched Marcia, Greg and the gang do their “Keep On Groovin’” dance, I was absolutely hooked on the show! I still find myself getting sucked into episodes every now and then if I happen to catch them on TBS. So when I first moved to LA, I ran right out and stalked The Brady Bunch house in Studio City. This was long before my boyfriend was around, so I dragged my poor mom (not at all a Brady fan) to this location.

The house still looks straight out of 1960 and I half expected to see Alice waving from the doorway when I drove up! The only real differences between the Studio City house and the house seen in TV Land are a fence that has been built around the perimiter and the obvious lack of a second story window. The fence, according to my fave Hollywood tour book, was built to change the appearance of the home and deter stalkers. Even 35 plus years later fans and tour buses still stalk the house daily! The missing second story window never actually existed on the real house – it was installed by producers to make the split level home appear to have two stories. Apparently, location scouts chose to use the Studio City house long after the sets – which depicted a two story home – had already been built. The producers propped up a fake window on the real house and, voila! – The Brady Bunch house was born. Major Brady fans might be interested in this article which tells the complete history of the home.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: The Brady house is located at 11222 Dilling Street in Studio City. Just a couple of blocks away, at 11604 Dilling, is the former home of Robert Blake. This is the home he lived in with Bonnie Lee Bakley. The restaurant the two dined at the night of her murder, Vitello’s, is also in the same neighborhood, at 4349 Tujunga. And, if you haven’t yet, I really must recommend reading Growing Up Brady: I Was a Teenage Greg – it is FABULOUS! : )

March 4, 2008
Scott Baio is 46 . . . and Stalked!

All this stalking must be rubbing off on my boyfriend, because he called me Tuesday night, all excited, saying, “I found a street sign and an address in the background of Scott Baio is 46 . . . and Pregnant – we can go stalk his house this weekend!” LOL I think my boyfriend is definitely a keeper! 🙂 It looks as if he’s still got a few tricks to learn, though, ’cause after doing a bit of research I found an article suggesting that the Baios don’t really live in the McMansion on Strawberry Drive shown on the reality show, but are instead still living at Scott’s bachelor pad, which was featured in Scott Baio is 45 . . . and Single. Something on a reality TV show is fake?!?! NO – I just don’t believe it!

Fake or not fake, of course I rushed right out to stalk both houses this weekend! First I hit up Scott’s bachelor pad – I found the address on this website, which might just be a new favorite! 🙂 The house on Royal Oak Road definitely looks occupied, and I am pretty sure the Baio’s are still calling it home. The house is very stalker friendly, you can see almost all of it from the road and you will definitely recognize the 70’s style home from Scott’s reality show.

The house from Scott Baio is 46 . . . and Pregnant is a stark contrast to his bachelor pad. It is absolutely gargantuan and a total eyesore! And Real Estalker was indeed correct – the house is currently vacant and up for sale. I really don’t think the Baios ever lived in it, I think it was pretty much just used as a set for the show. You can view the house’s inside hideousness on it’s real estate website here. I am actually surprised they are not marketing it as the house from Scott Baio is 46 . . . and Pregnant. It would be the house’s only selling point – at least from my point of view. 🙂

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: Scott Baio’s “fake” house is located at 17100 W. Strawberrry Drive in Encino. His bachelor pad is also in Encino, just a couple of miles away, at 15901 Royal Oak Road. He lives in a really beautiful neighborhood with some gorgeous homes. I definitely recommend driving around the neighborhood, if you have the time.

March 3, 2008
The Huxtable’s House

I must be in a New York state of mind this week, because here I am yet again with another NYC filming location. 🙂 One of my very favorite blocks in all of Manhattan is called Saint Luke’s Place and it just happens to be the location of a famous brownstone from TV – the Huxtable Family’s house from The Cosby Show. St. Luke’s Place consists of a one block section of Leroy Street in Greenwich Village that runs between Hudson Street and 7th Ave. Most of the gorgeous row houses on the block were built in 1852.

I found this location in my go-to New York stalking book, which describes picturesque St. Luke’s Place as one of the most photographed blocks in Manhattan. Once you visit St. Luke’s for yourself, you’ll understand why! It is gorgeous, quaint, and evokes memories of old New York. Even the antique mayoral lampposts flanking the former home of New York Mayor Jimmy Walker are still in use. St. Luke’s Place has been used as a filming location for countless photo shoots, television commercials, TV shows and movies. Many famous celebrities and artists have also called St. Luke’s their home at one time or another.

Sculptor and painter Theodore Roszak lived at 1 St. Luke’s Place, number 4 was used as Audrey Hepburn’s home in Wait Until Dark, and Mayor Jimmy Walker lived at number 6 until 1932, when he was forced to resign his position due to corruption and scandal within his administration. He eventually fled to Europe. Winesburg, Ohio author Sherwood Anderson lived at number 12, Poet Marianne Moore resided at number 14, and An American Tragedy author Theodore Drieser called number 16 home. For a short time, Will Smith lived at 13 Leroy St., just past where St. Luke’s Place ends.

Across the street from the row houses on St. Luke’s Place, you will find Walker Park, a small park frequented by Edgar Allen Poe in the 1830’s. It was also used as a filming location in the movie Raging Bull.

I highly recommend taking a stroll down St. Luke’s Place while in New York, even if you are not a stalker. The architecture and history should be compelling to stalkers and non-stalkers alike!

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: St. Luke’s Place is a block-long section of Leroy St. in Greenwich Village. It is bordered by Hudson Street to the north and 7th Avenue/Bedford Street to the south. The Huxtable’s brownstone can be found at 10 St. Luke’s Place.

March 1, 2008
The Lethal Weapon 2 House

Since I am constantly dragging my boyfriend on my stalking adventures every single weekend, I decided to finally stalk a place he would enjoy – the house on stilts from Lethal Weapon 2. This is the same house that Mel Gibson attaches to his pick-up truck via cables, drives away, and pulls right down the hill. In real life, the producers built a replica house on a studio lot for Mel to pull down and the real house is still standing on Mulholland Drive in Beverly Hills.

The Lethal Weapon 2 house was designed by John Lautner – the famous architect who also designed Courtney Cox’s House.

Stalk It: The Garcia House is located at 7436 Mulholland Drive in Hollywood Hills West. If would like to spend the night in a John Lautner home, the Elrod/Lautner home in Palm Springs – which was immortalized in the James Bond movie Diamonds are Forever – is available for rentals. You can learn more about it here.

February 28, 2008
The Poise Magazine Office from “13 Going On 30”

First, let me just say how happy I am that Britney apparently survived Starbucks three hour closure today! It’s truly a minor miracle!!

Anyway, on with the post . . .

This past December while on vacation in New York, I happened to walk by a building that I immediately recognized as the “Poise” offices from 13 Going On 30. I am not sure if it was the gold-framed revolving door that gave it away, or just the fact that I have seen 13 Going On 30 way too many times, but nevertheless I knew the building was used as Jenna Rink’s office the moment I spotted it. The “Poise” office building was actually built in 1931 and used to house Newsweek Magazine. It is now home to New York Magazine.

The store where Jenna shops in the movie and forgets her credit card is Henri Bendel and it is located just a few blocks away at 712 Fifth Avenue.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: The “Poise” offices are located at 444 Madison Avenue in New York City, between 49th and 50th Streets. Just a half a block down from the office building is the New York Palace Hotel, where much of the TV show Gossip Girl is filmed. On the show, Serena lives at the Palace with her parents and often hangs out in the Gilt bar, which can be found just off the hotel’s courtyard.

February 26, 2008
Someone Else Had Good Luck This Weekend! 🙂

While Oscar 2008 was almost a complete bust for me, I am happy to report that Hilarry from the blog “Think Pink” had a ton of luck stalking this weekend in LA – much better luck than I had!!! Many props to her! 🙂 You can read her Oscar post here.

Thanks, Hilarry, for the comment! 🙂 Glad you had so much fun! 🙂

Happy Stalking! 🙂

February 25, 2008
The Bel Air Hotel

In honor of the eagerly anticipated issue of New York Magazine that hits newsstands tomorrow, in which Lindsay Lohan recreates Marilyn Monroe’s very last photo shoot, I thought I’d blog about the Hotel Bel-Air. Photographer Bert Stern held both the 1962 Marilyn Monroe photo shoot and the recent Lindsay Lohan shoot at the Hotel Bel-Air. Although you don’t see the hotel in any of the pictures of the LLo or Marilyn shoot (not that you’d notice even if the hotel was pictured in the background!!) the Bel Air is absolutely gorgeous and is definitely a Los Angeles Must See!

One of the cool side benefits of being a stalker is all the cool places I discover while I am out and about stalking. My first visit to the Hotel Bel Air was for a stalking outing, but it has quickly become one of my favorite places to have a weekend drink. Hotel Bel Air has long been a haven for the rich and famous, and it’s not very hard to see why. The grounds are absolutely incredible – with huge swan-filled ponds, outdoor fireplaces, large sprawling lawns and tree covered terraces. I can’t think of a more relaxing retreat in Los Angeles – or a better place for stalking! 🙂

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: The Hotel Bel Air is located at 701 Stone Canyon Road in Bel Air. You can visit the hotel’s website, and reserve a room, here. The Champagne Bar inside the hotel is a fab spot for celeb stalking, and – with its overstuffed chairs, roaring fireplace and dark wood walls – it’s the perfect place to share a romantic evening. Disregard the sign on the door saying there is a dress-code – they did away with the jacket and tie rule years ago.

February 25, 2008
Rain, Rain, Go Away!!

I am sad to say that I had a lot more luck last year stalking the 79th Annual Academy Awards than I did this year at the 80th Annual Academy Awards. 🙁 We did have some fun, though! Yesterday morning, bright and early, my boyfriend and I headed to the Kodak Theatre at the Hollywood and Highland Center to check out the preparation for tonight’s big ceremony. The red carpet was as beautiful and awe-inspiring as ever, albeit covered in a huge see-through tarp to keep the rain at bay.

While stalking the red carpet, we saw Regis Philbin shooting some pre-Oscar footage. Reg was tiny in person – I am guessing about 5’4″ – and extremely tan! He seemed very friendly, though, chatting and goofing off with the Oscar crew members. After he finished filming a few Oscar segments, Regis walked right through the crowds on Hollywood Boulevard to check out his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 🙂 If you’re curious, Regis’ star is located almost directly in front of Disney’s Soda Fountain and Studio Store.

More red carpet pics:

The rain tarp!

Soaking up the rain from the red carpet!

Oscar’s humble beginnings!

After Hollywood and Highland, we headed to the Sunset Strip to scope out the many hotels favored by celebs during Oscar weekend. I don’t know if it was the rain, or just some bad luck, but it seemed like no celebs were out and about in Hollywood yesterday. 🙁 We did run into Spike Lee (again!) in the gift shop of the Mondrian Hotel buying some newspapers. Apparently the Mondrian is Spike’s home away from home while he is on the West Coast. As always, the Mondrian Hotel’s staff was extremely friendly and welcoming! I so love that place! We didn’t have any luck at any of the other Strip hotels, though.

The biggest bummer of all came when we arrived at the Beverly Hills Hotel and were informed that they were not allowing anyone without a reservation into the hotel! Due to the rain, the “Night Before” party had to be moved inside, at which point they shut down the hotel to non-guests and non-reservation holders! 🙁 New 2008 Oscar Tip: Make dinner reservations at the Polo Lounge before arriving!! Anyway, a good stalker cannot be deterred – so after being turned away at the BH Hotel, we instead headed to Santa Monica, site of the Independent Spirit Awards. We were way too late to witness the Spirit Awards “blue” carpet, but I had read that the after party was being held at Shutters on the Beach Hotel, so (in the pouring rain) we headed there for a drink. Let me just say, they are called “independent” films for a reason – I had no idea who anyone was! lol We did see Juno director Jason Reitman walking around, but that was about it. There were a few people holding Spirit awards mingling in the hotel, but I had no idea who they were. 🙁 Perhaps I need to brush up on my indy films!!

Even though I didn’t have the greatest of luck at the Academy Awards of 2008, there’s always next year! I am already looking forward to the 2009 awards season! 🙂

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: The Spirit Awards are held on the beach in Santa Monica each year. Shutters On The Beach Hotel is located at 1 Pico Blvd. in Santa Monica and is a great place to sit and have a drink and appetizers. Shutters is a beautiful beachfront hotel, and if you are planning a trip to LA, I would definitely recommend staying there. Their rooms run about $475 a night and up, though, so it’s definitely going to cost ya to stay there. Shutters’ Restaurant, One Pico, is supposed to be amazing and Jen Aniston just happens to be a regular. 🙂

February 24, 2008