The Sunset Strip is perhaps the most famous mile-and-a-half in America. Located in the heart of West Hollywood, it's where Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe had their first date and where John Belushi had his last meal. But, contrary to the belief of thousands of tourists, Sunset Boulevard doesn't end there in those famous four blocks.
Less than 10 miles east, a whole new "strip" of Sunset cool is evolving, heavier on personality than celebrity and with a unique history. It begins at an intersection known as the "Sunset Junction" in the Los Angeles neighbourhood of Silver Lake. You're unlikely to spot Paris Hilton there but you will see something shocking in this car-obsessed metropolis - pedestrians. "Fifteen years ago if you were walking down the street you'd look like an alien," says local estate agent and resident Sonya Coke. "Now people here are discovering that yes, you have legs, and you can walk places." This traffic-heavy shopping district has grown enormously over the past two decades. Loyal patrons now crowd the sidewalk cafés sporting the standard neighbourhood uniform of vintage T-shirts and artfully mussed hair.
