The Ford

The Ford is an open-air amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills, off Cahuenga Boulevard East and just across the 101 from the Hollywood Bowl. It was built in 1920, got a full renovation in 2017, and the LA Phil now presents its season. The stage backs onto a slope of trees and brush, so the scenery does a lot of the work on a summer evening.

It's small next to its famous neighbor. There are just under 1,200 seats, and nobody sits more than 96 feet from the stage, which makes even the back rows feel close. Summer is the main season, and the calendar ranges widely, from concerts to dance and shows aimed at families.

Pack dinner if you like. You can picnic in the garden, on the terrace or right in your seat, and you're allowed to bring beer and wine, though not hard liquor. If you'd rather not carry it up, the Terrace Café and a Grab & Go market sell food. Gates open 90 minutes before the show. Dress is casual, but bare feet aren't allowed, and a sweater helps once the sun drops behind the hill. Smoking is banned everywhere on the grounds, the parking lot included, because of brush fire risk.

Getting in and out is where people get caught. The on-site lot is small and stacked, so once you're parked you stay until the show is over, and when it fills you get sent to an off-site lot with a shuttle. Taking the Metro B Line to Universal City/Studio City and riding the shuttle from there is often easier. The shuttle doesn't run during the show, so meet it at the front gates once the encore ends. Rideshare drivers drop off near the lot entrance at Cahuenga Blvd East and Pilgrimage Bridge.