Los Angeles is a sort of anti-city: It doesn’t seem to want anyone to know where all the cool kids hang out. So L.A.’s chic, edgy, celebrity-glam underside is often hidden behind mundane storefront facades and strip malls — the soul-crushing sameness that leaves the uninitiated or unobservant wondering, “This is Hollywood?”

The truth is, L.A. is a city that thrives in the shadows. If it’s not some A-List party hidden in the Bel- Air hills, it’s a new bar with no sign hidden behind a secret door of some Jewish deli. L.A. takes its time revealing itself to you, but once you learn its secrets, it becomes apparent why its reputation precedes it. So the next time you’re at a Wendy’s in Hollywood and you see an “Out of Order” sign on the janitor’s closet, peek inside – you might just find the coolest nightclub in the world hiding behind the door.

Here are some of L.A.’s great hidden gems.