The NME guide to San Fernando Valley, home of Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘Licorice Pizza’

The Baked Potato jazz club

This small but prominent jazz club, featured in Liquorice pizza and is mentioned in La La Land, has been entertaining the cool cats of the San Fernando Valley since 1970. Metal lovers will also know it, sadly, as the place where Megadeth’s Nick Menza collapsed and died while playing with his band Ohm in 2016.

7121 Lonzo Drive, Tujunga

This modest suburban home, backed by the dramatic San Gabriel Mountains, will be familiar to millions as the home where ET lands in Steven Spielberg’s beloved film. The flying bicycle scenes were filmed in the nearby hills of Granada.

NoHo Arts District

NoHo stands for North of Hollywood, and if the Arts District is conjuring up images of art galleries, dance studios and organic food venues, vintage shops and tiki bars staffed by aspiring actors, then you’re good to go. The area is home to the El Portal theater, a performing arts venue that can be seen in Liquorice pizza.

FreakBeat Records

Valley box diggers head to this local institution in Sherman Oaks. It’s one of those record stores you dream of, with brown boxes of used vinyl that promise endless discoveries.

Northridge Skateland

For big Liquorice pizza Sit back, dive into the heyday of 1970s entertainment, and strut your stuff at this throwback skating rink, which has been a hangout since 1958 and remains charmingly retro.