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After being on a three month hiatus, I decided to follow up on my promise and update you on whether or not I actually made it to L.A. this time. On our first night in Hollywood we went to the Roosevelt Hotel and lounged by the Tropicana pool (the same place where Lauren from The Hill’s says she goes every Sunday).

As much as I dislike annoying tourists who stroll down the Manhattan streets when everyone else is rushing to get somewhere, I have to admit I took a double decker bus around Hollywood! But we acted as locals when we had our hair done on Wilshire Blvd and ate at Dolce’s (Ashton Kutcher’s restaurant) that same evening. My original plans were to attempt to get into Area or Hyde with my girlfriend after a delightful dinner, yet when a friend from New York who just moved to L.A. said she was coming to dinner I knew that our chances for getting into the high-end clubs were even slimmer for the following reasons: a) We weren’t on a guest list; b) It was going to be too many of us, and c) I didn’t want to spend big money on a bottle. I wasn’t in New York so no one would care who I was or that I know so and so. We had the options of going to several other places where I managed to get my name on the list weeks prior to my trip, but instead we went to Club LAX.

And regarding the obstacles I mentioned in the July post: Good news is, I partied like a true rock star. Bad news: I didn’t make it to either Hyde Lounge or Billionaire’s Beach. Instead of driving to three beaches in one day (we had planned on going to Venice, Santa Monica and Malibu) we fell in love with our first stop and stayed in Venice. *mercedes sanchez

HOLLYWOOD HERE I COME

So I’m getting ready for my first trip Los Angeles- not to mention my first trip to the West Coast period. (I know, isn’t it sad?) After two years of saying that “this is THE year I’m really going to L.A.” and never making it, I finally decided to spontaneously book my flight one afternoon and stick to my plans. I knew my girlfriend (who’s also my cousin) would be up for the trip and she too booked it as soon as I called her.

Never had I made such a detailed itinerary for a five-day trip. In previous vacations where I spent a month or so in the Caribbean, I would decide the schedule of the day only that very morning- or the night before. Yet, when I only have a few days and so much to do and see- not to mention get into exclusive clubs and dine at Dolce and II Sole- it’s imperative to plan ahead.

So far I have worked my magic and gotten our names at some exclusive rooftop bars, clubs along Hollywood and Sunset Blvds and made reservations at high-end restaurants on Melrose Avenue. Yet there are two things on my must-do list that are a little far-fetched, but that doesn’t mean they’ll stop me from partying like a true rock star. And they are:
a) Get into AREA
b) Tan and swim at Carbon Beach aka “Billionare’s Beach” in Malibu

People that might hinder my goal:
a) Snotty SBE receptionists who rep the invitation-only HYDE and celeb-fave AREA who via phone (perhaps I spoke with The Hill’s Heidi) who bluntly told me “Well, you have to know the promoters. That’s the only way you’ll get in and I can’t give you their contact info.” I appreciated her honesty. Being in the industry and partying at exclusive spots over the years in Manhattan I already know how it works. Yet, I never heard of a company admitting it to a potential customer. That goes to show you one way L.A. and NYC differ.
b) Another obstacle we might face are the County sheriffs on the border of the public and private beaches in Malibu.

Log on to BeChicMag.com next week to find out if I made it to Area and Billionare’s Beach, plus see some photos of my trip to the City of Angels. *mercedes sanchez

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN GIRLFRIENDS GET AWAY

Girls sure know how to have fun, especially when put in a hot red vehicle for a two hour drive to Philadephia from Manhattan. So what exactly do women talk about when congested in a car full of estrogen? Anything and everything!

From their careers to men, family, money, traveling, shoes and as much as they try to avoid gossip (or not), these were the top conversation topics discussed between four women in their early twenties during in a recent road trip. With work and bills getting the best of most people daily, it’s imperative to take a break from the real word (if only for a day) and act a fool. Read the rest of this entry »