Time For A Photo Shoot!
It’s the most photographed street in Beverly Hills, and is used for photo shoots all day and night – like this time when I captured two of them simultaneously in my rear view mirror!
Welcome To Bedford Drive!
Beverly Hills has many things to photograph: fancy shops on Rodeo Drive, a cool public park – and Bedford Drive!
This iconic street runs south from Santa Monica Boulevard north to Sunset Boulevard, and is lined with palm trees of all shapes and sizes, and hundreds of people do impromptu photo shoots with the trees as a backdrop. They’ve also been featured in a lot of fashion ads as well.
As you can see, they tower over you as you stand below them.
I tried to get “artsy” once to get a panorama of myself on the street:
Well, there was THAT.
And I have done several “rear view mirror shots” as well, because they just seem to stretch on and on…
Here’s a much better idea – I set my iPhone up strategically – and safely – so you could see what a drive up Bedford Drive reveals, especially with a groovy 60’s soundtrack:
The street runs north/south through Beverly Hills: the famous palm tree-lined part begins at Santa Monica Boulevard. Before you drive, take a moment to walk a block east and get a picture first with the Beverly Hills sign – then, back in the car to cruise north up Bedford Drive, past palm trees all around you:
Based on the time of day, the sun gives you a wide variety of shots, with and without shadows and refections, and sometimes you can even get a shot without people in the middle of the street doing their photo shoots:
The street is also famous for its wildlife!
Did you know that Beverly Hills has wild Parrots?
They make quite a racket as well – take a listen:
After the drive up the street and past the parrots, you hit Sunset Boulevard, with the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel just across the street:
But the most fascinating aspect of this street takes place at this intersection:
Welcome To Bedford Drive and Lomita Ave!
This iconic street has a lot of interesting history – like the story of this house on the corner of this intersection:
It’s the site of a Hollywood scandal: the home where Lana Turner’s daughter fatally stabbed her famous Mom’s mobster boyfriend!
As wikipedia reports:
“On the evening of April 4, 1958, 14-year-old Cheryl Crane stabbed 32-year-old Johnny Stompanato, the boyfriend of her mother, actress Lana Turner, at Turner’s rented home in Beverly Hills, California. Stompanato, an ex-Marine and affiliate of the Cohen crime family, had been in a year-long relationship with Turner which had been rocky and marked with physical abuse.
Crane and Turner alleged that the former had stabbed Stompanato in the stomach when Turner was ushering him out of her bedroom during a violent argument. Crane had heard the fighting and took a knife from the kitchen, planning to defend her mother. After Crane turned herself in to police in the early morning hours of April 5, she was interred in a juvenile hall. A coroner’s inquest was held on April 11, during which the homicide was deemed justifiable, and Crane was exonerated of any wrongdoing.”
The legend has always been that the Actress herself stabbed her boyfriend, and her daughter confessed to it to defend her. Crane has always denied that, but it remains a Hollywood legend.
You can read all about the Johnny Stompanato scandal by clicking on my story here:
There is another unique house just a few blocks south-west of this place:
The Witches House Of Beverly Hills!
With Halloween just around the corner, expect lots of tourists and locals to take pictures of this cool – and very real – house!
Click her for the story of this unique structure!
And speaking of houses with a dark side, what about this?
Yes, it’s the “Silence Of The Lambs” House!
And you can rent it?
Would you stay?
Click here for all the details!
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Let me know if you’ve done a photo shoot on Bedford Drive!
Categories: Exotic Travel, Hollywood, Memoirs, Movies, Pop Culture, Real Estate, Talent/Celebrities, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir
johnrieber 
Wild parrots? That’s cool!
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Yes, you see them flying between palm trees and they make a lot of noise too! Thanks for commenting, always great to hear from you!
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A beautiful street, John. I love the trees and parrots.
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There are impromptu photo shoots on the street all day and night! Thanks for commenting!
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Even though I have never been to America, I would know that was Beverly Hills in a heartbeat.
And I would definitely sleep over at the Silence of The Lambs house!
We could have a small party there, and you can do the cooking! 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Fascinating, John. One of my favorite posts. Thank you!
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thanks for the drive! I’ve always assumed it was Lana herself who did it, but we’ll never know
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That is the assumption among most, but you are right we will never really know…what a story, thanks for taking the drive!
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What fun! I loved riding through Beverly Hills on that marvelous boulevard under sunshine, palm trees and noisy parrots (didn’t know about those.) I was all mellow and then you gave us that jolt at the end with a murder. Well done. 😉
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Sorry about that!
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I was just kidding! It was all interesting! 🙂 🙂
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A great share – thank you!! That witches house does look good!! 😉
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It’s really cool and real – it’s there looking like a hobbit house all year long!
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🙂
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Cool post! Lots of dark stories in Beverly Hills…
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There sure are…and the Beverly Hills Hotel I reference was home to Glenn Frey and Don Henley when they wrote an album about the city – and the hotel – called you guessed it: “Hotel California!”
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Oh, cool!
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I loved learning this fact. The Eagles are one of my all-time favorite bands, and Hotel California may be the best in a long list of songs they made.
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Agree on both counts!
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