Immortalized in film (David Lynch’s trippy Mulholland Drive), song (Tom Petty’s “Free Falling” and R.E.M.’s “Electrolite,” to name a few), and tragic history (James Dean’s car crash), Mulholland Drive has developed a romantic and almost melancholy reputation. Besides offering some of the best views of the city, and the Hollywood Sign in particular, it balances atop the Santa Monica mountains and essentially splits Santa Monica and Hollywood from “the Valley” (Burbank, Sherman Oaks, Van Nuys, and Studio City). The road is, or was, once home to stars like Madonna, Jack Nicholson, Roman Polanski, Faye Dunaway, John Lennon, Marlon Brando, and Mary Tyler Moore. Quick history lesson: The scenic highway was named after William Mulholland, Los Angeles ditch-digger turned aqueduct engineer who is credited with (and blamed for) bringing water from Owens River to the San Fernando Valley. The circumstances surrounding his actions formed the fictionalized story for the classic movie Chinatown starring the above-referenced Mr. Nicholson. Though still reviled in some circles, William Mulholland is typically credited with making modern Los Angeles what it is today. For tourist purposes, enter Mulholland Drive from Barham Boulevard on the cusp of Burbank near the 101, and make a left up the hill. Drive slowly, and enjoy the view.