The Beverly Center
Also known as "The Mall of the Stars", the Beverly Center is a monolithic structure of eight stories and 160 trend-setting stores located at the edge of West Hollywood and Beverly Hills. It was originally opened in 1982 and sits on top of the Salt Lake Oil Field; in fact, there is a cluster of currently operating wells on the western wing of the property, which are managed by the company Plains Exploration & Production. Out of the mall's eight stories, shopping stores only occupy the upper three levels, with the bottom five dedicated to parking areas.
The Beverly Center attracts approximately 13 million visitors each year, with a third being out of town travelers. The high number of international and domestic shoppers was the primary reason for the city to open the California Welcome Center at the mall, an information center dedicated to inform tourists about attractions they can visit in California. The mall consists of an interesting mix of American retail stores and high-end boutiques, with names like Banana Republic and Forever 21 right next to Dolce & Gabbana, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Prada.
One of the mall's main features is the Level 8 rooftop terrace, an outdoor patio available for private events that features great views of the Hollywood sign and Downtown LA skyline. This segment was added as part of a major renovation of the mall back in 2000, which also included the construction of Macy's and Bloomingdale's.
Because of its location, Beverly Center is considered the place where the stars shop. On its official list of famous visitors, you can find names like Ben Affleck, Britney Spears, Cameron Diaz, Claudia Schiffer, Drew Barrymore, Halle Berry, Jennifer Aniston, Jerry Seinfeld, Leonardo DiCaprio, Madonna, Michael Jordan, Paul McCartney, Sharon Stone, Tom Cruise, and Will Smith, among others. So keep an eye out next time you visit Beverly Center, you may find a celebrity shopping!