the knitting factory in los angeles is a cutting edge live music club featuring two stages each with its own feel and musical style. the main stage at the knitting factory plays host to popular national touring bands and avant-garde artists while the downstairs lounge—the alterknit lounge—at this hip la nightclub features indie bands with an established la cult following or local bands making their first leap from the garage to the stage. the knitting factory has other outposts in new york and Berlin, but the los angeles edition of this live music club cuts its own swath in the fast paced hollywood club scene.

the key club fits the bill of a typical sunset strip venue, featuring nice decor that's short of fancy or opulent and a staff of headset-clad security personnel with unresolved anger issues. this is a great place to see bands, though, since the sound is excellent and the room design gives everyone a good view of the stage. if you're just there to hang out on the strip, head to the downstairs room. depending on the night, you might or might not get in, but it's a much more relaxed vibe--and there's food service if you're hungry. two groups of people end up here. one is the crowd that wants to see a specific band. the other is primarily tourists and club-hoppers trying to hit as many sunset strip clubs as possible in one night.

while most la clubgoers know this sprawling complex as home of the glamorous, superstar dj-anchored club spundae on saturdays, gay party people know it as a time-honored tuesday and friday tradition--and the two atmospheres couldn't be more different. an equally gorgeous, but more gruff-looking, b-boy-influenced male crowd gathers here to socialize and groove to a trademark blend of hip-hop, cumbia, salsa and house. each genre gets its own room in the colossal ex-warehouse space. on any night, the giant dance floors command dancing, whether to spundae's celebrity dj guests or to the gay crowd's eclectic, albeit more commercial mix. while spundae's denizens shell out a lot more money for hard beats and swank atmosphere, the vibe is much more casual and friendly on gay nights. and when it's time for a little hot dog and smoking break, the outdoor patio is prime real estate.

after more than 20 years of disrepair and outright abandonment, the former home of the los angeles stock exchange is finally ready for its close-up. outfitted with 6 bars, stained-glass windows, 40-foot ceilings, brazilian walnut-coated floors and a sound system that caters to concerts, the neon-lit space pumps hip-hop and top 40 for the cast of hip-shaking clubbers packed around the dance floor or sipping cocktails around the indoor koi pond and 60-foot glass bar. cocktail cravers head to the club's second floor to chug mojitos and people-watch along the wraparound balcony, while the top level (reached by marble staircase) is where celebrity guests and wealthy gangsters mix and mingle behind tight velvet ropes, as everyone else tries to catch a glimpse.

pool tables and televised sports equal a lot of men. but this sports bar has plenty going on, like the heated-outside patio and a vip lounge, which is not that common in most billiard halls. don't get it wrong—there are women here, and some pool playing foxes at that. so for a night of shooting the shit or a serious hustle, hollywood billiards is the spot. And for the color of money, they offer pool lessons by professional billiards player max eberle.