August 3, 2005 See Red L.A. drivers love their Thomas Bros. Guides. There's just no substitute. But there is a supplement. A handy resource that's yours for the picking at a few higher-end tourist spots around town. Red Maps are fold-out city guides with labels on the points of interest. Clearly aimed at tourists, these maps also prove surprisingly handy for locals in need of a quick overview. The L.A. version is a hip little number which goes beyond highlighting the usual suspects — your museums, your stadiums — to call out some real points of interest: Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, for instance. Cobra Lily on Wilshire. An Urban Outfitters on the Promenade. Even the introductory blurb has an edge, naming a few hot spots and advising you to, "Redo your Neutra with originals from the home stores of Beverly Blvd. They're loaded with Alto, Knoll and Mies." The map takes a few hits in the accuracy category (Unless we somehow missed that second Roosevelt Hotel on Hollywood Blvd.) but makes up for it in searchable categories: Hotels, theaters, restaurants, shopping. But there's one missing category we'd like to see: Bars. Who needs a star map, when you could have a bar map? Red Maps are available at museum gift stores around town and also Virgin Megastore.