JANES HOUSE HOLLYWOOD

You might have noticed the odd jumble of wood-shingled Victorian buildings on the corner of Hollywood and Hudson. You might even have wandered into one particularly historical-looking house set off the boulevard when it was formerly the upscale southern restaurant called Memphis.

For the past two years, though, this Hollywood landmark has been vacant and dark, waiting for a new incarnation to take root. Finally, one has, in the form of Janes House Hollywood, the brainchild of co-owners Kimoon Kim and Katie Mathews.

The home of Janes House Hollywood was originally built in 1903 (when Hollywood Boulevard was still called Prospect Avenue), and was used as a family-run school for the children of film industry moguls like Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, Cecil B. DeMille and the Chandlers. The name Janes House is a nod to the three Janes sisters who ran the school all those years ago. Some of Hollywood's biggest names have partied inside this exclusive house. If only the walls could talk!

Janes House Hollywood is already attracting the moguls of today thanks to its central location that still manages to feel tucked away from the bustle of the boulevard and the flashbulbs of paparazzi, especially thanks to a secret entrance in the back that leads to a private room upstairs where you can spirit your celebrity friends. Non-celebrities like you and I will just have to settle for the large enclosed patio that is lined with booths and has seating throughout to facilitate a circular, house-party ambiance sort of flow.

Inside, you can admire some of the house's original architecture and design elements as you sip drinks in the downstairs bar, where the shelves are jumbled with liquor bottles and library volumes. Also be sure to check out the Monkey Room, with jungle-inspired wallpaper and a kitsch chandelier. Upstairs you will find a large room that is perfectly sized for private events, as well as a few smaller private areas for canoodling, and a soon-to-open bar that resembles your grandmother's china cabinet.

All in all, Janes House Hollywood has the homey feel of an eccentric great aunt whose house is full of secret corners, hidden treasures, and packed with all one's nearest and dearest.

Like most Hollywood certified Hotspots, there's a strict guest list, so make sure to find a promoter willing to accommodate you.