Year: 2008

Ah, How the Mighty Have Fallen!

This weekend for my boyfriend’s birthday I took him on a surprise little weekend getaway to Newport Beach. He was especially excited because I wasn’t aware of any filming locations in Newport and hadn’t planned any stalking for the weekend. But fate stepped in! While in our hotel room, I happened to open up a tourist book about Orange County which had a section on – you guessed it! – filming locations! And there was one location I wasn’t leaving Newport without stalking!

While The O.C. supposedly takes place in Newport Beach, none of the show was ever actually filmed anywhere near Orange County. (You can view detailed information on every single O.C. filming location on my fave stalking site Seeing Stars.) But apparently fans of the show come to Newport in droves hoping to spot some of their favorite locales from the show. Thanks to the vast increase in tourism due directly to the show, on October 28, 2004 the mayor of Newport gave several of the cast members keys to the city and proclaimed the day “O.C. Thursday.” The cast members also had their hands immortalized in blocks of cement, for what was to be the beginning of Newport Beach’s very own Walk of Fame.

For some reason, the Walk of Fame idea never took off and the cement blocks sat in the lobby of the Newport Beach Conference Center and Visitors’ Bureau for a few years, but were eventually relocated. In an ironic twist, the handprints of the actors who depicted Newport’s most elite residents can now be found at the local Newport RV park. Yes, you read that right. After visiting the Newport Conference Center today and having no luck spotting the handprints, my boyfriend found this article which lead us to the Newport Dunes RV Resort.

The cement blocks are hanging on a display on a wall in the main office of the RV park. When we arrived the display was actually hidden behind a large sign with a map of the park. The front desk clerk let me move the sign out of the way to take pictures. I asked him how in the heck the handprints had wound up in the rarely trafficked office of an RV park and he replied, “No one else wanted them, so we took them.” lol I can’t believe no one would want the handprints!! Heck, I would have taken them and put them in my room had I known they were up for grabs! 🙂 The front desk clerk did tell us that hundreds of people come by to see the handprints each month, though. I think Newport really missed the ball on this one – how cool would it have been to have a Walk of Fame right on the beach for all of us fans to visit? This is actually one location I wouldn’t really recommend making a special trip to stalk – unfortunately, there just isn’t that much to see. 🙁 I was super excited to be there, though, nonetheless – especially since I got to put my hands in Ben McKenzie’s handprints. I love me some Ben McKenzie! 🙂

Happy Easter and until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: The O.C. handprints are located in the main office of the Newport Dunes RV Resort and Marina, which is located at 1311 Back Bay Drive in Newport Beach, just off Jamboree Road. I suggest parking on Back Bay Drive and walking into the RV park – otherwise you’ll have to pay to enter the area with your car.

March 23, 2008
You’re Going to Hollywood, Dog!

Got a challenge from Hilary last week to find the apartment building that the Top 12 American Idols just moved into. This challenge was actually a slam dunk as a good friend of mine used to live in the Idols building. So I just called him up and got the address (Thanks, DH!) The Idols live in The Marlowe apartment building in Los Angeles, and let me tell you – they are some nice digs! If I could carry a tune, I might audition for the show just for a chance to live there!

The Marlowe is a humongous upscale apartment complex, complete with outdoor pool, patio areas, fitness center, concierge service, gardens, and community barbecues. It is practically a resort! The front of the building is currently under renovation, but if it ends up looking anything like the back of the building, it’s going to be gorgeous! The Marlowe is located in a great neighborhood, right next to the Wilshire Country Club and just a few blocks from Larchmont Village, an adorable little shopping district which also happens to be the filming location of MacGuyver’s loft, but I’ll save that for a future post! 🙂

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The past three seasons of Idol contestants have all lived at the Marlowe, along with the So You Think You Can Dance kids. My friend lived in the Marlowe for about a year and a half and witnessed the comings and goings of two seasons worth of Idol and SYTYCD contestants. He used to call and taunt me everytime he saw Heidi, who I absolutely LOVED, from Season 2 of SYTYCD. Maybe it’s time I take my stalking to the next level and just move into the Marlowe, so I can stalk 24/7! 🙂

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: The Idol apartment building is located at 445 N. Rossmore in the Hancock Park area of Los Angeles. You can see even more pictures here. If you want to get an even closer view of where the Idols live, you can visit the leasing office and request a tour. I tried to take a tour, but by the time I got to the Marlowe last night, the “Leasing Lounge” was closed. Such a bummer! 🙁 After stalking the Idols, head to nearby Larchmont Village for an afternoon coffee and some shopping. Larchmont Village is located on Larchmont Boulevard between Beverly Boulevard and 3rd Street.

March 22, 2008
FBIDramas.com

Just got a shout out from Alexandra over at www.fbidramas.com. Thanks so much, Alexandra!!! Hopefully next time I’ll actually get to meet Anthony LaPaglia or the yummy Eric Close. 🙂 I’ll keep you posted!

March 22, 2008
WAT

Got a call from a family friend’s daughter last night who told me that she was called into the Principal’s office yesterday and told that not only was the TV show Without a Trace being filmed at her high school the next day, but that they would actually be filming her very locker in the scene! She is going to have a famous locker!! So this morning I got up bright and early to cruise by La Salle High School in Pasadena to do a little stalking before work.

The production location was easy to locate from the large yellow “WAT” signs posted all over North-Eastern Pasadena this morning. When TV and movie productions film on location, bright yellow signs attached to light-posts and tree trunks are used to point cast and crew members in the direction of the filming area. These signs are painted with large black abbreviations identifying the production’s title. Seeing these yellow signs posted on various lampposts is a common occurrence when you live in Los Angeles – and a great tool for any stalker. Whenever I see these signs, I pull over and do a little stalking! Film crews are generally super friendly and will not only answer any questions about the production you may have, but most will let you hang out and watch the filming. While I didn’t spot any Without a Trace stars this morning, being there reminded me of a film set I stalked a few years back.

Way back in 2000, when I first moved to LA, my mom and I happened to drive by the movie The Man Who Wasn’t There being filmed in Pasadena. I, of course, made my mom stop the car and we got out to do some stalking. The movie starred Billy Bob Thornton, who at the time was married to Angelina Jolie. Billy Bob, Angelina, and her father Jon Voight were hanging out between takes when we arrived. Angelina was fresh off her Oscar win for Girl Interrupted and, being an actress, I just had to introduce myself to her. This was long before the little home-wrecker set her sights on Brad Pitt forcing me to forever boycott Team Jolie. I must say, though, that I was completely smitten with Angelina – she could not have been more kind or friendly! I spent about ten minutes talking to her about acting and her Oscar win and she seemed genuinely interested in talking with me. Too bad she had to go and ruin it all by messing with my girl Jen! 🙂

So, next time you happen to be driving in LA and you see a yellow sign with black letters, pull over and do some stalking! You never know who you might get to meet!

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: La Salle High School is located at 3880 East Sierra Madre Blvd. in Pasadena. Look for the Without a Trace episode to air in about 6 weeks. The Crane house from The Man Who Wasn’t There is located at 850 N. Chester Avenue, in the Bungalow Heaven Landmark District of Pasadena – a small area of Pasadena chock full of beautiful, historic Craftsman style homes.

March 20, 2008
Donna Martin Graduates!

Can’t tell you how excited I am about Tori Spelling’s new book, sTORI Telling ! I absolutely can’t wait to start reading it!!! I love me some 90210 gossip! In honor of Miz Spellings new tell-all, I thought I’d do a little post about the 90210 gang’s alma mater, the fictional West Beverly High School, which I stalked way back when I first moved to LA. In reality, the school isn’t located anywhere near Beverly Hills. It’s called Torrance High School and it can be found in the 90501 zip code, about 25 miles south of Rodeo Drive.

I found this location thanks to my go-to stalking guide and I cannot tell you how excited I was to be there in the flesh. When 90210 was on the air, back when I was in high school, I wanted nothing more than to be Brenda Walsh. I loved her cowboy boots, her men’s ties, and (most of all) her boyfriend, Dylan. In high school, I actually changed my phone number to 34-LUKE-3 – I kid you not! (Needless to say, I didn’t have many friends in high school – lol) So, even though it was 7 years later when I finally got to see West Beverly High in person and 90210 was long past its prime, even though Brenda Walsh had long left the show and Donna Martin was no longer a virgin, I was still absolutely beside myself! I never dreamed I’d get to see West Beverly with my own two eyes.

Unfortunately, Torrance High School looks much better on camera than it does in person. It’s lost a bit of its luster since the 90210 days and it is pretty run down in person, but I loved being there just the same! We visited the school on a weekend and pretty much had free reign to walk around. While many different parts of the school are recognizable from various episodes, most scenes were filmed in the center courtyard known in real life as the Senior Patio. You’ll immediately recognize the center fountain, large archways, and long staircase from various episodes of 90210. The Hello Day, time capsule and senior portrait scenes were all filmed in or around the Senior Patio. You will also recognize the main entrance to the school, which was also featured in numerous scenes.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: Torrance High School is located at 2200 W. Carson Street in Torrance. The school was also featured in Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, She’s All That, Skin, Not Another Teen Movie, and Bring It On, as well as countless other productions. The Senior Patio can be found behind the main school building. I suggest visiting Torrance High on a weekend, when you will have more freedom to explore the property.

March 19, 2008
Les Baux de Palm Springs

Thanks to the Real Estalker’s recent post about the sale of Suzanne Somers’ Palm Springs abode, I was able to stalk it this past weekend while I was in the area. In 1977, Suzanne and her husband, Alan Hamel, bought their cherished desert home, which they named Les Baux de Palm Springs after the Les Baux village in France. This leads me to wonder – how does one go about naming their home? Do they actually go down to the local courthouse and file a home naming petition? Is that just a rich person/movie star thing? Because now I am seriously considering naming my house Casa del Cazadora. 🙂

Stalking the house was highly disappointing as not much of Les Baux is visable from the road. The house is located behind a tall gate, up a long driveway, on a private road. All of us stalkers will just have to resort to cyber-stalking the house here. Les Baux, which sits on over 65 acres, is being listed for a whopping $35 million!! That’s one heck of a lot of Thigh-Masters!! The couple is apparently downsizing and building a new home on a lot measuring a measly 15 acres.

One item stalkers can view from the road is Suzanne’s decaying mailbox. Now, I’m no real estate agent, but I am pretty sure that if I was listing Suzanne’s house, I’d demand she install a new mailbox. Heck, for that commission I’d even spring for one myself! I mean, come on, Suzanne – didn’t anyone teach you about a little thing called curb appeal?? 🙂

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: Les Baux de Palm Springs is located at 385 Alta Vista Road. For the best views of the house, drive past the gated driveway (and dilapidated mailbox) on Alta Vista Road until it turns into Ridge Road. You will see Les Baux on the right hand side. Apparently, Mr. Barry Manilow lives right next door to Les Baux! Looks like I am going to have to stalk him next time I am in the neighborhood.

March 18, 2008
Vacation Homes of the Stars

Since the early 1930’s, Palm Springs has been a favorite desert oasis for the Hollywood elite. With its perfect winter and springtime weather, fabulous shopping, and beautiful desert ambiance, it’s not very hard to see why. While visiting the desert this weekend, I dragged my boyfriend on my very own little stalking tour of Downtown Palm Springs. Much to my boyfriend’s delight, the Palm Springs Visitors’ Center was kind enough to provide a free Map of the Stars’ Homes to act as our guide. 🙂

Our first stop was the home of Oscar winner, best-selling author, and Hollywood producer Sidney Sheldon. Sheldon was a top television and movie producer back in the 1960’s, creating such hits as I Dream of Jeannie, The Patty Duke Show and The Bachelor and The Bobby-Soxer. His home looks like it is straight out of the 60’s and is very reminiscent of the Brady Bunch home in Studio City. Unfortunately, the house appears to be in serious disrepair and needs a little TLC.

The next home we hit up was Kirk Douglas’ 1960’s style beauty just down the road from Sidney Sheldon’s house. Before selling this house in 1999, Kirk spent many a weekend here with his wife. My boyfriend absolutely fell in love with this house and all of its mid-century splendor. The house definitely has a Palm Springs/Old Hollywood feel to it and has been perfectly maintained. I am actually surprised the house hasn’t been used as a filming location, as it has a definite “Rat Pack” vibe to it.

Down the road from Kirk and Sidney, is the home Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn used to vacation at. I was shocked at the normalcy of this house – especially the lack of a gate or foliage to hide the property from stalkers and prying eyes. I am guessing they owned this home long before Kate Hudson became a household name and paparazzi favorite.

Just a few blocks away is Marilyn Monroe’s former desert home. I absolutely love this house! It looks as if it hasn’t been touched since Marilyn lived there in the 1950’s. The home, like most on the Palm Springs movie star tour, is very stalker-friendly, with no gate or wall hiding it from view.

Last, but not least, we stalked two former Elvis Presley homes. The first is the honeymoon home of Elvis and Priscilla – they lived here from May of 1967 to early 1968. It was while living in this house that the two fell in love with Palm Springs and decided to purchase another home located in the Little Tuscany section of Palm Springs. While I am not a huge fan of 1960’s architecture, I must admit that this house is definitely not short on charm. It is just so “Elvis”! 🙂 I think it is extremely cool that the owners have chosen not to remodel or change the exterior of the home and have left it looking almost exactly as it did in Elvis’ day.

The last home we stalked was the Little Tuscany abode Elvis and Priscilla purchased in the late 1960’s. At the time of his death, this home, along with Graceland, were the only two properties owned by The King. While Elvis’ honeymoon home is charmingly reminiscent of Old Palm Springs, this Little Tuscany house is absolutely hiddy and a total eyesore! The perimeter of the home is actually surrounded by large rocks painted white, resembling snow. It’s pretty atrocious!!

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: The city of Palm Springs is located 110 miles east of Los Angeles. You can stop by the Palm Springs Visitors’ Center, located at 2901 N. Palm Canyon Drive, for your very own free Map of the Stars’ Vacation Homes. Via Lola Street is chock full of stars’ homes, including the former homes of Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell at 550 Via Lola, Kirk Douglas at 515, and Sidney Sheldon at 425. Marilyn Monroe’s former house is located just a few blocks away at 1326 Rose Avenue. Nat King Cole lived for a time at number 1258. 1350 Ladera Circle is the home Elvis and Priscilla Presley lived in when they first got married. 845 Chino Canyon is the Little Tuscany home Elvis owned at the time of his death.

March 18, 2008
Seeing Stars!!!

Oh my stars! Just got a shout out from my stalking hero over at www.seeing-stars.com! Thanks, Seeing Stars! You’ve so just made my night! 🙂

March 17, 2008
Stalking Palm Springs Style

This weekend my boyfriend and I took a little road trip to Palm Springs for a relaxing weekend getaway – but there’s no resting for this stalker! Of course, I just had to do a little stalking while I was there! 🙂 Once again, the stalking gods were watching out for me, because we stayed at Desert Springs, A JW Marriot Resort and Spa in Palm Desert. Little did I know that the Desert Springs resort was an oft used filming location for Hollywood productions. While I did remember that Newport Harbor: The Real OC was filmed in the hotel a couple of years ago, I didn’t realize that The Real Housewives of Orange County, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and Saved by the Bell were also all filmed at the resort.

Chrissy and the gang stayed at the Desert Springs Marriott in the pilot episode of the Laguna Beach spin-off Newport Harbor: The Real OC. Producers used the front entrance, the lobby and the pool area for filming. You might also remember the scene in the hallway outside of Chrissy’s hotel room when she gets into big trouble with her “daddy” for being in her room with Clay alone. You can watch the full episode of Newport Harbor at mtv.com.

The Desert Springs Marriott was also used in the episode of Saved by the Bell when Jessie Spano’s father gets married. As soon as the front desk clerk told me that episode had been filmed at the hotel many, many years ago, I immediately remembered it. The resort is surrounded by a huge lagoon complete with a fleet of boats to transport guests from one end of the hotel to the other. A pivotal scene in the episode (if anything from SBTB could ever be considered pivotal) takes place between Zack and Jessie at the boat launch in the lobby of the hotel. Unfortunately, the lobby just underwent a major renovation, so it looks very different than it did in the SBTB days, but you should recognize it all the same.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: Desert Springs, A JW Marriot Resort and Spa is located at 74855 Country Club Drive in Palm Desert. You can make reservations here. While the hotel is beautiful with amazing grounds and landscaping, I wouldn’t exactly recommend it as a place to go to relax. The hotel definitely has a party vibe, complete with an in-house nightclub named Costas. It is a great place to grab a drink or dinner, though. My boyfriend and I have been long time fans of the Sea Grille restaurant inside the hotel.

March 16, 2008
"Welcome to Malibu, Bitch!"

Thanks to the ultimate OC stalking guide, I was able to stalk the ginormous mansion used as the home of Marissa Cooper on the second season of The O.C. In real life, the house is owned by NFL star Brian Bosworth and it isn’t located anywhere near the O.C. The mansion can actually be found on a gated road just off Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu and it is every bit as beautiful (and huge!) as it looks on TV.

Even though Marissa’s mansion is located on a private road with no public access, you can still get a pretty good view of it from Pacific Coast Highway and I would definitely recommend driving by. Even for non O.C. fans (do any actually exist?), the house is definitely a site to behold! For an up close view of the house, you can always check into Promises Treatment Center, the rehab du jour for troubled celebs including BritBrit, which is located just down the road on the same gated street. 🙂

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: Marissa Cooper’s home is located on a private road at 6375 Meadows Court in Malibu. For the best views of the home, simply drive along Pacific Coast Highway to just south of where it meets Meadows Court and look east. Although PCH is a very busy road, in that area it is fairly easy to pull over and snap a few pics of the home.

March 13, 2008