In the "Sunset Strip" area ,you can see a train car parked off the street (near the hill that you drive up to get to Mad Dog's mansion). This is supposed to be Carney's, the burger joint that is actually on the real Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. Additionally, earlier in the game, across the street where you meat Tenpenny (at a donut shop) for a mission, look at the wall across the street. You can see an advertisement for "Blob Music", which is a reference to Amoeba Music which can be found in Hollywood, Berkeley, and San Francisco. The design looks almost identical to that of the real business.

In the opening sequence before you start the game (with the game credits), watch the pictures that are shown. In one picture is a building in Vinewood. This is a reference to the Capitol Records building in Hollywood. The building in the game is located somewhere in Vinewood.