One of my favorite locations to take a photograph in Los Angeles was in front of the hotel looking north. Across the street was the Brown Derby restaurant, which was shaped like a derby hat, and above it one could see the Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood sign on Mt. Cahuenga. Unfortunately this view is gone--blocked by a high rise that stands where the Brown Derby once stood.
My heart aches remembering those old days, the lovely times we had strolling in the area. There was also a hotel across the street from the Ambassador, a bit to the west, where the grounds covered a few acres... there were privates cottages and such. Many VIPs stayed there, even lived there for awhile, and I cannot remember the name.
There were other hotels, large and small, and elegant apartment buildings in the area, with classy restaurants on the ground floor. The Sheraton Townhouse comes to mind. There are several Christian churches in the neighborhood of cathedral quality and the Wilshire Blvd. Temple.
We had I. Magnin department store as well as the incomparable Bullock's Wilshire. Everything had an ambiance that made you want to stay awhile.
But all became shabby 2-3 decades ago, and is now worse than shabby.