Long before TV's "Melrose Place" hit the TV airwaves, there was Melrose Avenue, the real Melrose Avenue - one of the unique sections of the city which help define the L.A. experience. It's a funky, New Wave, walking/shopping/dining/ people-watching area which is, in turn, both bizarre and delightful. Melrose is to the young, cutting-edge trendies of the West Side what Rodeo Drive is to their affluent elders, and what the Venice boardwalk is to LA's residual 60's counterculture: a place to shop, a place to stroll outdoors, but most of all, it's a place to see and be seen.

Melrose is one of the few genuine pedestrian neighborhoods in our City of Angels, and it is unique, with a quirky, slightly-demented personality all its own. It's a neighborhood trying desperately to be hip and outlandish, and succeeding wonderfully; a garish blur of day-glo and neon, of pierced noses and red Ferraris; row after row of eccentric, trendy little boutiques with gaudy storefronts done up in florescent colors, sporting curious names such as "A Star is Worn," "Humphrey Yogurt Cafe," "Warbabies," "Some Crust: the Bakery," "Retail Slut," and "Wacko". Melrose also offers comedy clubs, night spots, one-of-a-kind nostalgia shops, and unusual stores selling records, books, Disney memorabilia, fine art, jewelry, and antiques.Melrose is home to some of L.A.'s hottest restaurants such asChianti and Ago, as well as older establishments such as Emilio's. People-watching is half the fun here, as curious tourists mingle with the black-leather-&-mohawk crowd. Unlike Rodeo Drive, Melrose isn't afraid to poke fun at itself, yet it remains on the cutting edge of fashion, dining and even home furnishings. Saturday afternoon is the best time to people-watch, when the trendy crowds are the thickest. (On the other hand, the avenue can be relatively deserted on Sundays.)

There are those who say Melrose is changing, though. losing its rough edges and becoming too mainstream for its own good. And there's some evidence to back this up. One landmark, a fast food stand called "The Burger That Ate L.A." was recently replaced by a Starbucks. And you'll see more tourists and fewer kids with purple hair than you used to on the avenue. But the boulevard remains crowded on weekends, and still has more than enough flash to rate a visit.

To sample the Melrose experience, you may want to begin by simply driving down Melrose for a quick visual overview. You will get an eyeful.

But to truly appreciate Melrose, you have do it on foot. The crazy interiors of eccentric shops like Wacko must be seen to be appreciated.

 Here are some of the more notable establishments that you will encounter as you head west on Melrose, starting at Highland
 (except for Patina, which is east of Highland):

(Odd-numbered addresses are on the north side of Melrose; even-numbered addresses are on the south side of the street.)

• Patina (5995 Melrose, between Vine & Highland); one of the most popular restaurants for the celebrity crowd, located near Paramount Studios. (323) 467-1108.
   (See separate page.)

• L'Angelo (6602 Melrose, at the southwest corner of Melrose and Highland); formerly Emilio's, a landmark, authentic Italian restaurant whose owner liked to play his accordion. (323) 935-4922.

• Have a Nice Day (6907 Melrose, between Highland & La Brea); 70's nostalgia items. (323) 937-6070.

• Cadillac Jack's (6911 Melrose, between Highland & La Brea); offers movie cowboy nostalgia from the good old days of Roy, Gene and Tex. (323) 931-8864.
  
• The Golden Apple (7018 Melrose, between Spaulding & Genesse); superstar Michael Jackson was spotted buying comic books here. (323) 658-6047.

• Super Max (7270 Melrose, three blocks west of La Brea); offers more than 120 different kind of baseball caps, with as many different logos.

• Angeli Caffee (7274 Melrose, three blocks west of La Brea); a noisy, busy, Italian New Wave trattoria popular with those who like to wear all black. Scenes from the upcoming movie "It Came From the Sky" were filmed here. (323) 936-9086.

• The Groundling Theatre (7307 Melrose, four blocks west of La Brea); an improvisational comedy group, which gave many comics their start, including Pee Wee Herman, Phil Hartman and Elvira. (323) 934-9700.

• Tommy Tang's restaurant (7313 Melrose, between Fuller & Poinsettia); top-notch but unconventional Thai cuisine and sushi in an ultra-trendy setting noted for people-watching and paparazzi. Sean Penn proposed marriage to Madonna in the restaurant's original courtyard (which was a few blocks west, at 7473 Melrose). (323) 937-5733.

• Off the Wall (7325 Melrose, four blocks west of La Brea); they carry big ticket nostalgia items, dating from the turn-of-the-century through World War II, from vending machines to furniture. (323) 930-1185.
  
• Red Balls (7365 Melrose); You can't miss the flashy exterior of Red Balls, marked by dozens of chrome spheres, acting like fisheye lenses as they reflect the passing traffic. (Oh yes, they sell trenddy clothes inside.) (323) 655-3409 .

• The Wound & Wound Toy Company (7374 Melrose, between Fuller & Martel Avenue); a universe of crazy wind-up toys and music boxes. (323) 653-6703.

• Joys & Toys (7375 Melrose, between Fuller & Martel); toys and games for all ages. (323) 655-7277.
  
• Atomic Garage (7379 Melrose, between Fuller & Martel); snowboards, skateboards, ski equipment and other grownup action toys. . (323) 651-3487.

• Chianti Restorante and Cucina (7383 Melrose, between Fuller & Martel); a dark, romantic Italian restaurant, long a favorite on Melrose, despite its high prices. (323) 653-8333 

• Time After Time (7425 Melrose, between Martel Ave and Vista); antique wedding gowns and vintage dresses in a Victorian garden setting. (323) 653-8463.

• Wasteland (7428 Melrose, between Martel Ave and Vista); vintage (often camp) clothing from 1940's to the present. (323) 653-3028.

• Audience Associates/TV Tickets (7471 Melrose, between Martel & Gardener Street). Free tickets to the tapings of live TV shows. (See separate page.)

• The original Johnny Rockets burger joint (7507 Melrose, between Gardner & Sierra Bonita) sits at the northwest corner of Garner and Melrose. (323) 651-3361.

• Leathers & Treasures (7511 Melrose, , between Gardner & Sierra Bonita); leather wear and Western duds.

• Hollywood Neon (7553 Melrose, between Sierra Bonita & Curson Avenue); custom made neon signs and artwork.

• Gelati Per Tutti (7653 Melrose, between Stanley & Curson); great Italian ices.

• Wilder Place (7975 Melrose, one block west of Fairfax); fascinating decorating accessories and knickknacks.

• Fantasies Come True (8012 Melrose, two blocks west of Fairfax); top-notch Walt Disney memorabilia for the fan or collector. (323) 655-2636.

• Fred Segal (8100 Melrose, at Crescent Heights, four blocks west of Fairfax); a collection of trendy shops which take up an entire block, selling everything from sportswear to great toll house cookies. Celebrity customers More stars than you can shake a stick at. (323) 651-1935. (See separate page.)

• Faire La Cuisine (8112 Melrose, four blocks west of Fairfax); a wide array of cooking gadgets and gourmet foods, as well as a flower-filled patio restaurant in the rear.

• The Improv (8162 Melrose, at Kilkea Drive, five blocks west of Fairfax); the Improv, a major comedy club. (323) 651-2583. (See separate page.)

• Sweet Lady Jane (8360 Melrose, at King's Road, three blocks east of La Cienega); desserts and coffee. A favorite, they recently prepared the wedding cake for TV's "Hercules," Kevin Sorbo. (323) 653-7145.

• Ago (8478 Melrose, one half block east of La Cienega); Ago restaurant, which includes Robert De Niro as an investor, was the scene of an infamous encounter on Oct. 22, 1997 between "Pulp Fiction" director Quentin Tarantino and producer Don Murphy ("Natural Born Killers"). According to news reports, Tarantino, angered at criticism about him in the book, "Killer Instinct" (which was written by Murphy's producing partner), attacked Murphy in the restaurant. The police were called and Tarantino spent some time in the back of a squad car before a truce was negotiated and he was released. Murphy later sued Tarantino for the assault. The case is still pending. (323) 655-6333. (See separate page.)
  
  [Up until 1997, 8478 Melrose was the site of Cicada, a country-French restaurant owned by Elton John's lyricist, Bernie Taupin (the man who wrote the words to hits such as "Candle in the Wind" and "Goodbye Yellowbrick Road"), and his wife, maitre'd Stephanie Haymes (daughter of actor Dick Haymes). Cicada has moved to the old Rex site at 617 S. Olive St., downtown Los Angeles.]