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| Los Angeles Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Los Angeles Los Angeles Sibuli Los Angeles is a city of dreams, fashion, and Hollywood. It is the quintessential 21st century American city with attractions and activities that can only be found in Los Angeles. Los Angeles restaurants, Los Angeles Hotels, and all Los Angeles activities are in a class all their own. The city embraces and absorbs everything in its path - from culture to food to people – and makes it its own. It reflects and (to some) warps it back in a manner that is uniquely Los Angeles Flip through the pages of just any popular Los Angeles travel guide and the word "dream" will be appear over and over and over again. Yes, Los Angeles is America's Dream Factory and the creating of that fantasy rubs off on the citizens who actually live here. Take the base of the American spirit that anything is possible, add in the belief that life is like a movie, and add lots of sunshine – you can reinvent yourself and anything really is possible. No matter your nationality, you too can travel halfway around the world to win an Oscar, live in Beverly Hills, or come penniless from a small Austrian village and become governor of the state. The city has everything, whether you're jet setting, roughing it, or anything in between. Los Angeles is cosmopolitan, quaint, crazy, quiet, sophisticated, down-home and everything in between. There is wealth as well as poverty, sometimes only blocks away. You can have and see it all. Geographically, Los Angeles County really encompasses hundreds of suburbs and other cities. The city of Los Angeles itself encompasses the "downtown" area, much of the urban vicinity to the west and northwest, and a narrow corridor extending south of the center. However, many famous locations such as Beverly Hills and Santa Monica are actually independent cities on their own and not legally part of L.A. But of course, outside of city politics, no one really makes that distinction. So, while we’re really crossing legal boundaries, we just call most of it all Los Angeles. Los Angeles is all about the neighborhoods (some, as mentioned, are technically cities) – many are world famous – BEVERLY HILLS, HOLLYWOOD, UNIVERSAL CITY, MALIBU, SANTA MONICA, VENICE, BURBANK, SAN FERNANDO VALLEY, PASADENA, CENTURY CITY, SOUTH CENTRAL (now SOUTH LOS ANGELES), as well as MARINA DEL REY, SOUTH BAY, WESTCHESTER, & EL SEGUNDO. Also included are the equally famous streets, such as SUNSET BLVD, MELROSE AVE, OLVERA ST, RODEO DRIVE, SANTA MONICA BLVD, and MULHOLLAND DRIVE. And these are just the well known ones – there are literally hundreds of other cities, places, and streets equally interesting. The question is where to begin? BURBANK/SAN FERNANDO VALLEY The obvious place to start is with the entertainment related locales. Popular Los Angeles activities for tourists such as tapings and studio tours are plentiful in these areas. Let’s begin in the northeast and work our way south. 10 miles north of downtown is GLENDALE & BURBANK. Not as well know but that’s where the inside work of entertainment is. Glendale is home to DreamWorks Animation and Nickelodeon Animation studios (no tours) and hundreds of small production studios, special effects and prop houses. As we move to Burbank, NBC’s West Coast HQ’s & Disney’s main HQ’s are there (both on Olive St.). A block away is Disney Animation and Disney Channel’s building. The Disney HQ features the 7 dwarves “holding up” the roof – the lot also houses a small studio. It is closed to the public but you can photograph from the street. The Tonight Show is taped at the NBC studios. There is a queue out front on taping days starting by early afternoon. If you look up to the mountain range, you'll see the back part of Griffith Park, where the Griffith Observatory and the Gibson Amphitheater (an outdoor event venue) are located. A few blocks further west is the WARNER BROS. STUDIO – you can’t miss the mammoth advertising – it is also a working studio and there are tours. I believe you have to call ahead to reserve (unlike Universal Studios). As you continue along Ventura Blvd., there are other studios (mostly TV) that are discreet in appearance such as the CBS STUDIO CENTER where there are always dozens of sitcoms being taped there (Seinfeld was there). You can get free tickets – sitcoms usually tape Friday nights. At that point, you can swing south and no more than a few miles away is UNIVERSAL STUDIOS. No great detail needed here, as it’s internationally known. CENTURY CITY About 10 miles west is Century City. It used to all belong to Fox but they had to sell it – allegedly to pay off debts from the production of Cleopatra. You can see glimpses of the Fox lot (no tour) and on the AVENUE of THE STARS is the famous “Nakatomi” building from DIE HARD (now known as the Fox Plaza). AVENUE of the STARS is also the west coast headquarters for most cable companies and ABC (no tours). Nearby in Culver City is Sony & MGM (no tours and not much of a back lot). Now, you can overlay the next-level tourist destinations while you’re visiting some of the entertainment related sites. DOWNTOWN Downtown is recognizable for the tallest building on the west coast – the Library Tower, and many iconic buildings seen in countless TV shows and movies – including the round glass tower Bonaventure Hotel (TRUE LIES), the Arco Towers and the Wells Fargo Building (LA LAW). Even the streets in the area are often featured as they rise up and down on different tiers so that, for example, film chase scenes in a confined area can achieve a different look with every new shot. The Museum of Contemporary Art is here as is the new Frank Gehry Walt Disney Symphony Hall. Other architectural showpieces are the Italianate Renaissance-style Biltmore Hotel facing renewed Pershing Square, the Beaux Arts-style Central Library, and the Mission-style Union Station, which captures the heyday of train travel. You can also catch the ANGEL’S FLIGHT cable car here, although it doesn’t really travel very far. LA DOWNTOWN is slowly evolving into more residential but for a huge massive metropolitan area, it’s essentially deserted past 6 PM and on the weekends. As it’s tilted towards financially related companies, they do tend to keep banker’s hours in DOWNTOWN. There are some hidden (night) clubs and other hangouts for artists but you have to know where to look. Try the clubs and restaurants on 4th and Main- many are open until past midnight. Also the Weiland Brewery in Little Tokyo (First and Central Sts). The Original Pantry is open 24/7 (Ninth and Figueroa Sts). The bars are not hard to find. Check out 626 Reserve @ 626 S Spring; The Broadway Bar, next to the Orpheum between 8th and 9th Sts, and the Golden Gopher @ 417 West 8th St. There are also dozens of great high-end business Los Angeles hotels in the area – if you’re conventioning here, staying downtown is the most convenient with the best hotels. If you’re doing the usual LA tourist thing, there’s no particular reason to stay in a downtown Los Angeles hotel. It’s really far from most of the action, though the Metro Rail has shortened that distance somewhat. For people from other countries or cities, they usually think of downtown as the hub of the city – in LA, unless you’re at a convention or you have financial business – downtown is nearly an hour to two hours away from everything else during rush hour commute and frankly, the LA commute is easily one of the worst in the country, if not the world. DOWNTOWN SOUTH Going a few blocks is the Convention Center. While the Convention Center is nice, the blocks are VERY, VERY long around here so keep in mind once you’re at the convention center, you need a car or a cab to get out of there. Just a block or so northwest from the Convention Center is the Staples Center, one of L.A.'s premier venues for sports and concert events. The Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers of the NBA call the Staples Center their home, as well as the Los Angeles Kings hockey team. For the adventurist, you can visit the Wholesale/Latino district a few blocks east. During the day, it is teeming with life, south of the border music, and crowded with food and color. It’s an amazing contrast to the sterility of the area around the convention center or the serious suits in downtown. There are some streets you swear that you are in Mexico City or Guatemala. You are expected to speak Spanish but everyone is friendly in the shops and restaurants if you’re a gringo :- ) … this is probably not a neigborhood to wander around along at night – like any big city at night but it’s great fun and good eating during the day. The Fashion District is noteworthy as it is the second largest behind NYC. Also worth a visit are the Textile and Flower Districts. Further south is USC and the Coliseum. CHINATOWN/LITTLE TOKYO/OLVERA STREET/CIVIC CENTER Ocean Seafood in Chinatown is absolutely amazing. Yang Chow is a hang for the City Council folks. The three huge malls are chockful of bargains and all are within walking distance of the Chinatown Gold Line train station, behind the old Little Joe's restaurant. Get out of your car and walk around: Olvera Street, Union Station, Chinatown- there is much to see. Slightly east and north of downtown. To be honest, L.A. Chinatown is much better seen in the movies – in reality, it’s 4 or 5 drab looking streets with a few touristy looking Chinese gates and arches. There are very few actual Chinese people in Chinatown. They have nearly all moved east to Hacienda Heights/Rowland Heights. So, with the exception of the Dim Sum in the Empress Palace, don’t not eat here unless you think TV-dinner quality fried rice is exotic. There are some amusing trinket stores and other gewgaw stores but it’s pretty much nothing. Chinatown is really more Vietnamese than anything – so if you love Vietnamese noodles, you can’t go wrong with many choices. Japantown is not much better. L.A. offers hundreds if not thousands of excellent Japanese restaurants – some internationally famous - ironically enough, in Japantown, there’s not much to recommend. There is, however, the Japanese American National Museum, which features several exhibits on the Japanese American immigrant experience. On Olvera Street, the historic Latino/Hispanic community is probably a more worthwhile stop than Chinatown or Japantown. It is a bustling community of colorful shops, restaurants and street vendors. El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument encompasses 27 buildings of historical or architectural significance. You can also tour the 1818 Avila Adobe, the city's oldest home. The world famous CITY HALL is in this area. On the freeway and one exit north is Dodger Stadium. KOREATOWN As you go further west along OLYMPIC BLVD, you will run into Koreatown, it’s not contiguous but it’s a working community – again full of people doing business, shopping and eating. If you love your kimchee and BBQ – you really can’t go wrong. There are several huge malls with many shops and giant supermarkets. Most of the signs are in Korean but that hardly matters. This region of L.A. also features several types of establishments popular with Koreans and Korean-Americans, including bars/lounges, karaoke houses, dance clubs, and trendy coffee shops. PASADENA East of Burbank is Pasadena. The world class Ritz Carlton is there, as well as the Rose Bowl and the famous Rose Bowl flea market. There's no way can you take it all in a day; but a stroll through "Old Town" on Colorado Boulevard is worth the time. Most of the restaurants in Pasadena are excellent. The Norton Simon Museum has the largest collection of Rembrandt etchings in the world; other artists with significant representation in the collection include Tiepolo, Zubaran, Degas, Van Gogh, and a magnificent collection of Southeast Asian art. The museum was completely redesigned by Frank Gehry and Associates in the late 1990's. Also notable is the New Museum of California Art. The world famous Art Center School of Design (notable for being one of the centers of cutting edge automobile design in the world) is in the hills above Pasadena. SOUTH PASADENA, SAN MARINO Really old money; fabulous neighborhoods; and home to Cal Tech (the world famous California Institute of Technology), and the HUNTINGTON LIBRARY, MUSEUM and GARDENS. Founded by Henry and Arabella Huntington, the Library has enormous holdings including a Gutenberg Bible, some of the first folios of Shakespeare, and its most famous literary exhibit, the Ellesmere Chaucer manuscript of the Canterbury Tales. The Huntington Museum has a magnificent collection of 18th Century English canvases including Gainsborough's "Blue Boy", Reynold's "Pinkie", and Reynold's portrait of "Mrs Siddons as the Tragic Muse". The extensive botanical gardens include the Japanese Gardens, Zen Garden, Tea House; Rose gardens; Cactus Gardens; Australian Gardens; Shakespeare Garden. The Huntington Tea Room also serves the best high tea in Southern California; reservations are recommended, especially in the spring when the rose gardens are in full flower. Also, the camellias in bloom in February/March are extensive, and spectacular. GLENDALE/BURBANK In Glendale, there are several huge malls including the Glendale Galleria, as well as North Brand Street, which features hundreds of shops and restaurants. There’s also a great only-known-to-local chicken eatery – ZANKOU CHICKEN in Glendale (as well as Pasadena, Van Nuys, and West L.A.). Glendale's Forest Lawn Cemetery (the original location) is here, with impressive sculpture and art installations, as well as chapels. Further north in Burbank downtown is even greater shopping – another huge Media Center Mall, Ikea and near the Burbank Airport – another massive mall with dozens of stores. On the other side of Glendale is GRIFFITH PARK (a gift to Los Angeles from Silent Movie producer and director Col. D.W. Griffith) – where you can find an oasis of green. There is a Gene Autry museum which focuses primarily on the art and the history of The West, and has recently merged with the Southwest Museum (which has one of the most comprehensive collections on the American Indian outside of the Smithsonian); some kids attractions and best of all – Griffith Park Observatory. If the skies are clear and the smog not too bad, it’s definitely worth a winding road drive to see both LA from a great vantage point and of course, the setting for countless movies (TERMINATOR, BOWFINGER, et al). Griffith Park also has miles of wonderful hillside hiking trails. SILVER LAKE, LOS FELIZ, AND ECHO PARK For those who want to explore the hidden L.A., nearby are three cities with artisan communities with hip movie stars, offbeat shopping, fun nightclubs and great restaurants. These three communities have been undergoing a sort of reinvention, resulting in rapid growth and a lift to their respective reputations. HOLLYWOOD As you continue west, you reach Hollywood. The real Hollywood is a down-on-the-luck town way past its prime, especially during the day. Other than its famous few blocks, for those that do not want to see behind the “curtain,” it’s best to stick to famous streets. Up in the hills are some still-famous restaurants and it’s a fun (if hidden) drive to the Hollywood Reservoir. At night, there are some 30-40 clubs in the area. Pick up a copy of the LA WEEKLY to get an idea of what’s going on. As you exit the freeway, the Hollywood Bowl is hidden in the hills to your right and a few blocks away is the famous CAPITOL RECORDS round building (which resembles a stack of records). At that point you are at the famous HOLLYWOOD & VINE. A few blocks to your right is the (Grauman’s) Mann’s Chinese Theater and the Hollywood WALK OF FAME. They also added a new mall and the now-famous KODAK THEATER where the Academy Awards are now held. The JIMMY KIMMEL SHOW also tapes across the street. A couple blocks south is HOLLYWOOD HIGH SCHOOL. Going south to Melrose Avenue, if you turn left, you will soon hit PARAMOUNT. The gates are instantly recognizable but no tours are available. There are also many other TV studios in the area but from the outside, they pretty much just look like office buildings. If you turn right on Melrose and then turn left on Fairfax, you can see CBS TELEVISION CENTER (more TV show tapings). The Hollywood Forever Cemetery is also here, on Santa Monica Boulevard, with the graves of such luminaries as Douglas Fairbanks, Rudolph Valentino, Tyrone Power, and Marion Davies (the pristine white marble mausoleum on the island in the lake, is dedicated to the DOURAS family, which was Davies real name); and many others. During the summers, the Cinespia film society holds outdoor film screenings, projecting cult classics onto the Davies mausoleum as filmgoers picnic on the expansive adjacent lawn. What about the Eqyptian Theater? The Pig and Whistle? Musso and Franks? Micelli's Restaurant? All within walking distance of the Hollywood/Highland subway stop? One can travel via Red and Gold lines to South Pasadena, Hollywood, Pasadena, Universal Studios, downtown, etc. HOLLYWOOD HILLS Above West Hollywood and further west, this is where the famous and rich houses in the hill start. A daytime driving activity for those so inclined. WEST HOLLYWOOD One of the first upscale gay communities, it is not really so defined now. People of all persuasion call it home – but only if you’re wealthy and stylish :- ) The famous Sunset Strip is in the area. Not surprisingly, it is full of great restaurants and star watching (Wolfgang Puck’s original Spago’s is here). MELROSE AVENUE South of West Hollywood is the segment of Melrose Avenue made famous. It really just runs from about 3rd Street to Fairfax – full of one-of-a-kind-shopping, it is less unique than it once was but still fun to check out. A few blocks south on Fairfax is the Farmer’s Market (Next to CBS TV Center noted above) along with L.A.’s latest upscale mall – the Grove. A few blocks south is the La Brea Tar Pits and the LA County Museum. There are also more 3-star/4-star restaurants in the area (not on Melrose itself) so pick up a ZAGAT guide to see what fits your bill. Again, everything from a $3 lunch to $300 lunch is in the area. LA CIENEGA (North of WILSHIRE) Another fabled LA street, the portion extending north from Wilshire Boulevard is also referred to as Restaurant Row. Here you’ll find the Beverly Center and the internationally famous sushi restaurant, Matsuhisa – along with dozens of other amazing restaurants. The Ivy is a few blocks west. Frankly, the food is not that great but if you want to eat where the movie power brokers eat … be warned – you will not get a table M-F during regular lunch hours unless you’re somebody important. There are also many 5-star hotels in the area. BEVERLY HILLS (WEST of LA CIENEGA) It’s a cliché but it’s also all-true: the streets are filled with Bentleys and Ferraris. There are drop-dead gorgeous women who are walking a French poodle wearing a diamond collar worth more than most people. It’s all fake but very real. Rodeo is only a few blocks long and perhaps not as ritzy and unique as before but still the embodiment of the leisure life. There is of course, more shopping everywhere including a Barney’s across from Rodeo. There are less discreet 5-star hotels right on Wilshire (PRETTY WOMAN) and more discreet 5-star hotels closer to the mountain range – too many to name. The Merv Griffin Beverly Hills Hilton is nearby – where the Golden Globes are held every year. Above Santa Monica Blvd are where the mansions start. Buy a star map to catch some older star homes. WESTWOOD (further West) Westwood Village is UCLA – a sprawling yet beautiful campus which houses the Anderson School of Business and the world famous UCLA Medical Center. The charming Westwood Village shopping and business district in front of the campus is full of restaurants and shopping, theatres, and the expected student friendly shops and venues. Westwood is also home to the Armand Hammer Museum of Art, which houses Armand Hammer's collection, including Rembrandt's JUNO and the works of several French Impressionists. Marilyn Monroe is entombed amongst hundreds of war veterans in the mausoleum at the Westwood Cemetery, not far from the corner of Westwood and Wilshire Boulevards. BEL AIR/HOLMBY HILLS North of Westwood is Bel Air and Holmby Hills (where the Playboy Mansion is). You can’t see much from the street, but a short drive into the maze of hills will reveal multi-million dollar mansions, several of which are gated off from the street. BRENTWOOD Brentwood sits just across the 405 Freeway from Bel Air, and is traversed by Sunset Boulevard on it's path to the beach. The most important feature is the Getty Museum complex which sits on an acropolis on the side of the Santa Monica Mountains overlooking West Los Angeles. The museum is easily accessed from Sepulveda Boulevard, either by bus, by taxi, or by car (parking is available; reservations are no longer required). The museum complex is a masterpiece of modern architecture by Richard Meier FAIA. The museums most notable holdings include one of the best collections of 18th Century French Furniture outside of Paris, Baroque masterpieces, a nice collection of Dutch Masters, a good collection of illuminated manuscripts, one of the most extensive collections of early photography in the world, as well as representational medieval altarpieces, and even one of Van Goghs paintings of Irises. The Getty institute houses the largest art history library in the world, and is available to researchers upon approval of credentials, and security clearance. SANTA MONICA West of the 405 Freeway is Santa Monica, a huge sprawling city itself of immense economic diversity with its own neighborhoods. For teens and tourists, the mall, the famous Santa Monica Pier and the boardwalk are big draws – for other LA natives – not so much. But natives will tolerate the 3rd Street Promenade, an outdoor mall, as it’s one of the few areas of Santa Monica with nice restaurants, shopping, movies and free parking. For shopping, Santa Monica has little hidden pockets like Montana Avenue and others for those who are willing to venture off the beaten path. Santa Monica has some world class resorts, spas and hotels near the beach. VENICE BEACH South of Santa Monica is Venice Beach/Muscle Beach. It’s not so much a cliché but people who live and hang there are there to play their part in the LA movie of life. It’s something everyone, at some point, should experience. Parking is difficult. Venice also has a nice Farmer’s Market on the weekends with great breakfasts. You can also drive around the canal area to see some excellent Post-Modern homes as well as Frank Gehry’s house – along with his fun design of the ad agency Chiat/Day Mojo on Main Street. On the weekdays Venice is frequented by one-man shows of all types. You have rappers, musicians and street-magicians all along the boardwalk performing for tips. (You can generally see some of the same acts on the 3rd street promenade in Santa Monica on the weekends.) The boardwalk sports shops as well, sunglasses, convenience stores, tatoo parlors and eateries of many different stripes. There's even a bar, The Venice Bistro, just south of Rose on the boardwalk. There's a nice ambience there where you can watch the passers-by while knocking back a couple of cold ones. (They also have excellent cheese fries.) MARINA DEL REY Just south of Venice is the waterfront jewel of Marina del Rey, home to the largest man-made, small boat harbor on the west coast. Nowhere else in L.A. can you stay closer to the water, dine at some of the finest reaturants, find parks and fitness paths and still be able to take full advantage of the water's proximity. Tuesdays through Sunday there are public harbor tours; weekends offer harbor dining and dancing cruises. Take in serenic sunset views; enjoy community sailboat races and the romance that the harbor has to offer. Summer months offer free open-air concerts on Tuesdays (Classical) and Saturdays (POP). PACIFIC PALISADES North of Santa Monica is the luxury coastal residential area called Pacific Palisades. Though mostly made up of million dollar plus homes there are a few attractions for out of towners. Will Rogers State Historic Park. In the early 1930s, Will Rogers was the most popular and highest paid actor in Hollywood. From his start in vaudeville theater with a trick roping act, he rose to world-wide fame as a columnist, philosopher, radio personality, and movie star. During the 1920s, he bought land in Santa Monica, where he developed a ranch. Eventually, the Rogers’ owned more than 300 acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean, in what is now known as Pacific Palisades. The ranch became the place where Will Rogers could relax with his family and friends, pursuing his favorite pastimes of riding and roping. At his untimely death in a plane crash in 1935, Will Rogers’ ranch consisted of a 31-room ranch house, a stable, corrals, riding ring, roping arena, polo field, golf course, and hiking trails. When his widow, Betty, died in 1944, the ranch became a state park. The Getty Villa Museum has now re-opened, just north of Sunset Boullevard in Malibu on Pacific Coast Highway. Parking is still limited but you do need to call well in advance for parking reservations, however if you go to the website at 9:am the day you wish to visit you may be lucky enough to find a reservation available. The Getty Villa houses the Getty's ancient Greek and Roman Collections; and is a re-creation of the Villa de Papyri in Herculaneum, including the gardens. There’s even a bus line there – it’s definitely a half-day event and almost a full day (if your museum visit is brief) but the view on a sunny day is worth it. MALIBU Way north of Santa Monica. The beaches are excellent and if you have a convertible, fun to drive through the canyons to hook up with the 101 in Las Virgenes, just West of the San Fernando Valley, but most of the community is hidden from view and it’s mostly residential so if seeing expensive homes is your thing – then pay a visit to Malibu – otherwise, it’s a quaint seaside community with not much to do or really see. EL SEGUNDO/HAWTHORNE/TORRANCE (South Bay) LAX is next to El Segundo and if you enjoy an oil refinery on the beach, here’s your chance to be reminded of what LA needs to put its 10 million cars on the road. Hawthorne is also the new location of the hip Japantown – though it’s not all that touristy and it’s not all in one contiguous clumping, you’ll find great Japanese/Asian shopping and restaurants scattered throughout the area. You can continue along Highway 1, which goes back towards the coast to check out some of the upscale beach communities of MANHATTAN BEACH/HERMOSA BEACH & REDONDO BEACH. If you continue south, you’ll soon enter another very upscale beach town of PALO VERDES and the even more exclusive PALOS VERDES ESTATES – multi million dollar on cliffs overlooking the Pacific. Further south is LONG BEACH – home to the LONG BEACH Grand Prix. BEACHES While the movies and TV shows show you differently, once you’re pass the age of high school and definitely college – most people in LA do NOT go to the beaches. During the summer, the only people who tend to go to the beaches (besides boys and girls being boys and girls) are people without pools. Yes, people will jog along the beach in the morning in Malibu but once the sun comes out, the best beaches are pretty sparse. ORANGE COUNTY To the locals, ORANGE COUNTY people do not think of themselves as ANGELINOS and vice versa. But of course, to the visitor, it’s just all just one mass of humanity connected in a geographic basin. ORANGE COUNTY cities (for the most part) are bedroom suburban communities and the upscale communities out number the poor ones probably 10 to 1. Of course, the most famous city in Orange County is undoubtedly Anaheim with a little tourist destination called DISNEYLAND. There’s not much more that needs to be said about Disneyland except just a few tourist hints. Presuming you have a car, your best bet is to stay at a Disney hotel property – you get extra privileges though their Anaheim hotels are older. If you’re not staying at a Disney hotel – there is NO NEED to stay in Anaheim. Get a map and look around. Disneyland is smack-dab in the middle of a city with grids as streets – you will have zero trouble driving there in the morning as long as you don’t need to get on the freeway so it’s fine to stay in a neighboring city where the same rate might you get a much better hotel. Do NOT think you have to stay in a motel nearby. DISNEYLAND is nothing like DISNEY WORLD in terms of distance. There are also thousands of restaurants in Anaheim and the cities around there – no need to eat at the park for every meal. DESERT And for those with much more time, in wintertime, there is the resort community of PALM SPRINGS (also outlet shopping). In spring or fall, there’s JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL FOREST and YOSEMITE (summer also) and of course for those who have the urge to drive 4 hours (at top speeds :- ), there’s LAS VEGAS (of course, not really California). TRANSPORTATION If you’re here for more than a day, you will need a car. Unless you are seasoned Angelino (as local residents are known) visitor, or have a savvy travel agent, there are very, very few parts of the towns I listed above that you walk to. The only taxis are at the airport and at hotels. If you need a taxi, you must call for one. And it can be very expensive since the city is vast. There is a metro system in LA, called the METRO RAIL, which does take you from downtown to parts of Hollywood and up to the Valley. It’s pretty limited but acceptable if you’re downtown and you’re only in town for a day or two. There is some LIGHT RAIL and many buses but unless you’re savvy, you will save so much more time having your own car. Not so. You can travel from the airport via the FLYAWAY bus ($3) to Union Station, where you can catch a Gold Line train to Pasadena, or just stay downtown and use the subway to get around. You don't need to be a savvy Angelino to go without a car for a days at a time. Driving means you miss the quaint Mission District in So Pas (train stop), and are forced to endure the parking madness in Old Town Pasadena (two train stops to choose from). Because LA drivers are used to having thousands of cars at their sides everyday, they are actually pretty good drivers (unless it’s raining). They realize that people sometimes need to merge three lanes because that’s the only exit to the next freeway. Keep in mind that all the freeways essentially merge back up together so don’t panic and yes, there are certain parts you do not want to exit at night – true of almost all big cities. Just carefully map out where you want to go. Keep in mind that commute hours M-F start at about 5:30 AM and end around 10:30 AM and start back up at 2:30 PM to 7:30/8:00 PM. So plan carefully what you want to do and where you want to go. In almost all cases, there’s really no such thing as a “reverse commute” anymore but in some spots, you’re okay. Hint: You can get just about anywhere from the Valley to Orange County on LA's surface streets. And, you get a true sense of the city. It is highly recommended by this Angeleno! DRIVING With the above in mind you might want to know that Los Angeles is the ultimate car city. There are a few sayings out there describing how Angelinos and southern Californians in general, are obsessed with the automobile. They say in L.A. there are only two methods of transportation: car and ambulance. Well, we can say that there are a few others as well but we can establish with certainty that Los Angeles is the home to the biggest amount of cars ever imagined a 100 years ago when the car was to be a toy-for-show for the very wealthy. L.A. is made up of freeways; they cover the entire sprawling mess of a metropolis. On a normal business day, about 12 million cars move around the L.A. metro area- no other urban area in the world matches this phenomenon which contributes to a variety of things from excess pollution to beautiful sunsets. But for those who are adventurous enough and have the time and want to see more of LA, there is nothing better than driving through large parts of it to get a flavor of the city. MULHOLLAND A street that runs on the top of the LA mountain range – on one side – LA, the other side, the San Fernando Valley. You can drive it during the day and later at night to see the sky (if it’s clear) and the bright lights of both “cities” below. It’s best to travel in a westerly direction. As you past West Hollywood, it starts to become almost rural – drive that part during the day, as it can be treacherous at night. MELROSE or SUNSET BLVD For those who want to genuflect on the city that is LA. Start in the “poor” part of town in the SILVER LAKE (currently experiencing a resurgence) area and go west on either street and watch as the city and the street becomes richer and richer. Melrose is the shorter drive. If you keep going on Sunset, eventually you wind up near Malibu. HIGHWAY 1 Both daytime drives - The best drive is to either go south from Newport to San Diego or north from Santa Monica to Highway 23 which can then take you through the LA mountains (you’ll be amazed this FOREST is only 15 minutes away from 20 million people) until it reaches the 101 and you can loop back east towards “civilization.” AIRPORTS Los Angeles & Orange County (OC) are served by five airports: LAX, Burbank, Orange County (John Wayne Airport), Ontario, and Long Beach. www.lawa.org, http://www.ocair.com LAX is the international airport and gets the most domestic long distance flights so you may not be able to avoid it. It’s like every other major US airport. Lots of carriers but also lots of people and maze to get a rental car and exit the airport. If you’re here in the US and your preferred destination is LA, if you can – Burbank is a great airport and much easier to get in and out of than LAX. It’s really only about 15 minutes from downtown (most people forget that). SOUTHWEST AIRLINES has a lot of Burbank flights. LONG BEACH & ORANGE COUNTY because of sound restrictions have much more limited flights and tend to cost more. Long Beach airport is only about 15 miles south of LAX & 20 miles north of OC Airport (John Wayne Airport). So it’s not a bad way to go if Disneyland/OC is where you’re headed. Don’t dismiss it straight away. OC Airport is a mini LAX. With sound restrictions, not a lot of flights so it tends to cost more to fly directly to OC Airport plus there are lot of corporations near the airport so fares are more business oriented. Geographically, I think Long Beach airport is actually closer to Disneyland than the OC airport though people naturally presume you should land in the same county where you are going. So, don’t feel you have to fly to OC Airport. Ontario is only a good choice if a) you intend to stay in the “Inland Empire” area or b) you’re landing and leaving on a weekend. Traffic to and from Ontario during M-F is a nightmare in hell on a hot day. It’s really only about 40 miles from downtown LA but it can be a 2-3 hour drive during commute times. So, if you must land on a weekday, land and be out of the airport after 10:30 AM and your flight must leave in the morning or at the latest 2:00 PM … unless you enjoy a 3-hour 40-mile drive. LA (and OC) is the great American city of the 21st century. It’s is built on dreams and the dream factory. In some places, it is miles wide and only an inch deep, but sometimes, a little fantasy is a good thing. Have fun! WEATHER LA tends to confuse people because it can get up to 80-85 degrees in the middle of winter so people presume summers must be blazing - strangely enough, it's not that much hotter during the summer. Maybe up to 80 on average and up to 95 degrees on average during most heat waves - in fact, during most years, I'll bet New York gets more 100+ days than Los Angeles ... and rarely is it ever humid. It's not that smoggy anymore ... okay, most of it is blown and settles in RIVERSIDE COUNTY (east of LA) but in LA, it's quite nice now. The beaches tend to be a few degrees cooler and with a breeze but not a huge difference, unlike SF. About the only way to really tell is that it cools down much faster at night during winter so between November and March 1, bring a sweatshirt if you're near the beaches - otherwise, you can pretty much see why people move to LA and never leave. Part or or all of this text stems from the original article at: www.visitmarina.com ______________ Sights Edit This bonaventure hotel bonaventure hotel mike thomas What can't you find in L.A.? This huge city is one of the most impressive examples of a "melting pot" society, with influences from all over the world. As such, many of the immigrant populations have established strong communities throughout the city, and these areas are major draws for anyone wishing to broaden their cultural horizons. Some examples are Koreatown, Little Tokyo, Olvera Street, Chinatown, and Little Ethiopia, among others, and each area features Los Angeles restaurants, shops, and many other establishments that highlight their respective cultures as well as hundreds of Los Angeles activities, Los Angeles hotels, and more. But this is only a small part of what Los Angeles has to offer. There are also museums galore, legendary venues for music and theater, all the glitz and glamour of Hollywood and the film industry, top notch eateries, trendy boutiques, and more tourist attractions than you can point a digicam at. There are so many Los Angeles activities, Los Angeles restaurants, and even Los Angeles hotels that you won't find in a Los Angeles travel guide that it's easy to miss a good portion of Los Angeles' most unique activities, accommodations, and attractions. One could spend a month here and still not see a sufficient sampling of all that L.A. has to offer. Indeed, many longtime residents of the city will likely confess that there is much of L.A. they have yet to explore. So whether you'd like to tour a blockbuster movie set, attend a spoken word poetry slam, shop Rodeo or Melrose, learn about the Holocaust in dramatic fashion, eat brunch next to Jennifer Aniston, or see The Police perform at the Wiltern, Los Angeles is sure to have plenty to keep you occupied. Contributors March 18, 2004 new by giorgio (1 point) March 01, 2007 change by rfujitani May 20, 2008 change by mcburton Display all or display just: Graves and Cemeteries Hotspots Landmarks Streets general Show best rated on top | Show in alphabetical order [Add Sight] Melrose Avenue Edit This Melrose Avenue between La Brea and Fairfax is the place to be for those wanting to see the latest fashion. Unlike the rest of Melrose and Rodeo drive, this strip of Melrose is for the younger crowd. The designs at these stores are reasonably priced and straight from LA's downtown design studios. There are also many trendy eateries, coffee shops, music stores, and tattoo parlors, and each shop demonstrates a decidedly unique flair. The people who frequent Melrose Avenue are often just as funky and eclectic as the establishments, so people-watching here is more.. type: Hotspots World66 rating: [rate it] La Cienega Edit This Beverly Center Beverly Center photo by: Anon Another fabled LA street. Here you’ll find the Beverly Center and the internationally famous sushi restaurant, Matsuhisa – along with dozens of excellent to amazing restaurants. The Ivy is a few blocks west. Frankly, the foods not that great but if you want to eat where the movie power brokers eat … be warned – you will not get a table M-F during regular lunch hours unless you’re somebody. There are also many 5-star hotels in the area type: Hotspots World66 rating: [rate it] Downtown Edit This bonaventure hotel bonaventure hotel photo by: mike thomas Downtown is recognizable for the tallest building on the west coast – the Library Tower and many iconic buildings seen in countless TV shows and movies – including the round glass tower Bonaventure Hotel (TRUE LIES), the Arco Towers and the Wells Fargo Building (LA LAW). Even the streets in the area are often featured as they rise up and down on different tiers so a) the chase scene in a confined area can look different with every new shot and b) Downtown is pretty much deserted on the weekends. The Museum of Contemporary Art is here as is the new Frank Gehry Disney Symphony more.. type: general World66 rating: [rate it] Koreatown Edit This Olympic Boulevard is the centre of Koreatown. It’s not contiguous, stretching for several blocks in every direction from the intersection of Western Avenue and Olympic Boulevard, but it’s a working community, full of people doing business, shopping and eating. If you love your kimchee and BBQ, you really can’t go wrong here. There are several huge malls with many shops and giant supermarkets, and most of the signs are in Korean. K-Town, as the locals call it, is also home to several establishments popular with the Korean-American and immigrant crowd, including more.. type: Hotspots World66 rating: [rate it] Olvera Street Edit This Olvera Street, the historic Latino/Hispanic community is a worthwhile stop however. It is a bustling community of colorful shops, restaurants and street vendors. El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument encompasses 27 buildings of historical or architectural significance. You can also tour the 1818 Avila Adobe, the city's oldest home. type: general World66 rating: [rate it] Chinatown Edit This i Chinatown is slightly east and north of downtown and near Dodger Stadium. It is on Broadway Avenue. To be honest, L.A. Chinatown is much better seen in the movies – in reality, it’s 4 or 5 drab looking deserted streets at dusk with a few touristy looking Chinese gates and arches and hard-to-find parking (especially on weekends). There are very few actual Chinese people in Chinatown. There tend to be more white and Latino people strolling around Chinatown. New first-generation Chinese immigrants have nearly all moved east to the "suburban Chinatowns" in the San more.. type: general World66 rating: [rate it] Compton Edit This Made famous by rappers Dr. Dre, MC Ren, and Eazy-E of NWA, Compton (located in South Los Angeles) is located in an urban area of the City of Angels. While not the safest area in Los Angeles county, Compton boasts an unparalleled history in the West Coast hip-hop community. While lacking in famous outdoor attractions, hip-hop fans should pay homage to Compton when visiting Los Angeles, but should visit during the daytime hours if unfamiliar with the area. The nearby Los Angeles Forum, former home to the Los Angeles Lakers is worth seeing, but it is the more.. type: Hotspots World66 rating: [rate it] The Grove Edit This Created by retail development superstar Rick Caruso, The Grove is a 575,000-square-foot European-style extension added on to the historic Los Angeles Farmers Market. The shopping mall contains more than 60 stores and restaurants, along with a first-class movie theater in the heart of the mall. The Grove is also home to a unique fountain that is not only choreographed to music, but is only the second of its kind in the world, with only Las Vegas' Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas beating The Grove to the punch. Boasting a family- and pet-friendly more.. type: Hotspots World66 rating: [rate it] tel: (323) 900-8080 openingHours: Mon–Thurs 10am–9pm, Fri–Sat 10am–10pm, Sun 11am–8pm url: www.thegrovela.com address: 189 The Grove Drive Los Angeles Rodeo Drive Edit This Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills is home to one of the world's best known upscale shopping areas. Filled with designer name stores, boutiques, and celebrity sightings, Rodeo Drive is worth visiting for first time visitors to Los Angeles. In addition to the stores, the cars that line Rodeo's upscale, well paved streets resemble a parking lot outside an opera or an overpriced concert. Often featured in shows like "The Apprentice: Los Angeles" and MTV's "The Hills," Rodeo Drive provides an upscale shopping utopia with plenty of eye-candy for all visitors, even those lacking the deep more.. type: Hotspots World66 rating: [rate it] Marina del Rey's Fisherman's Village Edit This Fisherman's Village Fisherman's Village photo by: travelgourmet Marina del Rey's Fisherman's Village Visiting Marina del Rey's Fisherman's Village is like a visit to a New England fishing town. You'll find an assortment of companies to rent boats -- both motor and sail, kayaks, charter fishing trips, book public dinner cruises and more. Stroll along cobblestone paths to enjoy views of the Marina. Shop for souvenirs, rent a bike to bike along the 22-mile Beach Bike Path or enjoy a delicious meal at any of the waterfront restaurants or quick-service cafes. Free weekend concerts more.. type: Landmarks World66 rating: [rate it] accessibility: yes tel: 310/822-6866 url: www.visitmarina.com address: 13755 Fiji Way, Marina del Rey Angels Flight Railway Edit This Considered the shortest railway in the world, Angels Flight Railway is a turn-of-the-20th-century funicular that operated from 1901 to 1969, until it was dismantled. Roughly 27 years later, Angels Flight returned with its two original cable cars, which carried people up a 298-foot incline from downtown’s Hill Street up to the Watercourt at California Plaza. In 2001, a fatal accident occurred so the railway is currently closed. For now, visitors can still view the site. At night, the railway is illuminated with old-fashioned bulbs at both ends making for a spectacular sight. more.. type: Hotspots World66 rating: [rate it] openingHours: Daily 6:30 a.m. -10:00 p.m. url: www.lacity.org address: 351 South Hill Street, between Third and Fourth Streets L.A. Flower Mart and Flower District Edit This L.A. Flower Mart and Flower District is the largest flower market in the country and it features virtually every type and variety of cut flower, potted plant, and exotic flower on the market today. The market consists of two vast warehouses, 100 individual stalls, a design school, and a cozy French bakery and cafe. The Flower District provides flowers for just about every flower shop and garden on the west coast and beyond, and it unites growers, shippers, wholesalers, distributors, floral designers, and retail florists from all backgrounds. Locals come here in droves for the more.. type: Streets World66 rating: [rate it] tel: 213-627-3696 openingHours: 6 a.m. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday and 8 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, closes 2 p.m. url: www.laflowerdistrict.com address: 766 Wall Street, Los Angeles email: info@laflowerdistrict.com J. Paul Getty Center Edit This The J. Paul Getty Center (or just “Getty Center”) features spectacular grounds, unique gardens, and excellent views of the city. The Getty Center houses an outstanding collection of European paintings, drawings, sculptures, and illuminated manuscripts, as well as decorative arts, and European and American photographs. On January 28, 2006, the Getty Center unveiled the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa in Malibu. The Malibu center location houses 44,000 works of art from the Museums collection of Etruscan, Greek, and Roman antiquities. 1,200 works are currently on more.. type: Hotspots World66 rating: [rate it] accessibility: Totally Wheelchair Accessible tel: 310-440-7300 openingHours: Tuesday-Thursday, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., Friday-Saturday 10:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m., Sunday 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. url: www.getty.edu address: 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles email: visitorservices@getty.edu Hollywood Forever Cemetery Edit This Some of the most famous people on the planet are at rest at this historic Hollywood cemetery. The facility features LifeStory Theaters, web-wired funeral chapels, historic celebrity memorials, gardens, monuments, mausoleums, and more. Walking tours are available on weekends and private tours are avaiable by reservation during the week. During the tour, expect to see the final resting places of Jayne Mansfield, Rudolph Valentino, John Huston, and many more. type: Graves and Cemeteries World66 rating: [rate it] accessibility: Wheelchair Accessible tel: 323-469-1181 openingHours: Call for schedules url: www.hollywoodforever.com address: 6000 Santa Monica Boulevard email: webmaster@forevernetwork.com La Brea Tar Pits Edit This Want to learn about what Los Angeles was like, say, 10,000 or even 40,000 years ago? Then take a trip to one of the world's most famous fossil locations -- Rancho La Brea and the Rancho La Brea Tar Pits. Here, you will find the largest and most diverse collection of extinct Ice Age plants and animals on the planet. Also on site is the Page Museum where visitors can watch fossils being cleaned and repaired, as well as Hancock Park where visitors can examine life-size replicas of several extinct mammals. type: Hotspots World66 rating: [rate it] accessibility: Wheelchair Accessible tel: 323-934-PAGE openingHours: Monday-Friday 9:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. and Saturday, Sunday, and Holidays 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. url: www.tarpits.org address: 5801 Wilshire Boulevard (Miracle Mile), Los Angeles email: info@tarpits.org _________Getting Around Edit This Metrolink Commuter Rail Metrolink Commuter Rail As of 2006, taking public transportation straight from LAX ( www.lawa.org) to your Los Angeles hotel got a whole lot faster. Just read the Los Angeles travel guide below to find out how! To downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood, Koreatown, MacArthur Park, Los Feliz, Thai Town, Pasadena, the Valley, Inland Empire, Ventura County, Santa Barbara, Lancaster, Palmdale, and Santa Clarita: There is now an express bus called the "Union Station FlyAway" for $3 one-way between LAX and LA's Union Station. The best part about this is that you can connect via light rail to Hollywood, Koreatown, North Hollywood, and Los Feliz via the Redline, Pasadena via the Goldline or a number of surrounding counties and communities via Metrolink commuter trains or Amtrak. The trains can take you to just about any Los Angeles activity or area and the buses run 24 hours. Every 30 minutes between 5:30am-11:30pm. You catch it at any terminal under the Green "FlyAway, Buses and Long-Distance Vans" signs. http://www.lawa.org/flyaway/ To Santa Monica, Venice, Malibu, UCLA: Take the express bus called the "Big Blue Bus Rapid 3." You can catch it at the Lot C LAX Transit Center. These buses can get you to a couple of Youth Hostels near the beach (including one on 2nd Street in Santa Monica). To Long Beach, Norwalk, Watts, South Central: Take the G Lot Shuttle to the Green Line's Aviation stop (light rail). Going west there's not much to see. Even though it says "Redondo Beach," NIMBYism actually put the end of the line in the middle of an industrial area miles from the beach. Going east you can connect to the Blue Line, which gets you to Long Beach, Norwalk, and one of LA's hidden gems, the Watts Towers. If you're not the public transport type, private shuttle buses will drop you at your hotel door. Super Shuttle is more reliable. Primetime Shuttle can be hit or miss and sometimes slower than public transportation. You can also try one of the many car rental agencies at the airport where rates are the most competitive in town. Taxis are convenient but expensive. Shuttles limos and taxis serve the area's other airports. In addition the Burbank Airport has Metro and Amtrak connections. You can find several major car rental agencies at all the region's airports. Although LA is definitely built for cars, it is possible to get around on public transportation. There are four light rail lines (Red, Gold, Blue, Green, www.mta.net) as well as a commuter system (Metrolink, www.metrolinktrains.com) and Amtrak. Los Angeles County runs the main bus system, Metro, but smaller cities like Santa Monica (Big Blue Bus), Culver City, Torrance, Long Beach and Montebello have their own systems as well. There's also a system run by the City of Los Angeles called DASH, which operates within neighborhoods for just 25 cents. Whether or not you should rent a car depends on where you are staying and where you want to go. If everything is along a light rail line, it's a quick, efficient and cheap alternative. Be warned that the lines DON'T run between 12:30am-5am. If you aren't staying near a light rail station, the city of LA sprawls over such a huge area that you're going to want to spend some time behind the wheel of your own car. Despite the sheer volume of traffic the city isn't hard to navigate if you stick as much as possible to the major arterials. If you want to get down to the nitty-gritty LA streets grab a copy of the Thomas Guides map books. Contributors May 20, 2008 change by mcburton [Add Local transport mode] Metro (MTA) Edit This Blue Line Light Rail Blue Line Light Rail This is LA's main public transporation system including the light rail/subway lines, Union Station Flyaway and a number of buses. World66 rating: [rate it] tel: 800-COMMUTE url: www.mta.net Metrolink Edit This Metrolink Commuter Rail Metrolink Commuter Rail This is the commuter rail system for Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Most trains begin at LA's Union Station. World66 rating: [rate it] tel: 800-371-LINK(5465) url: www.metrolinktrains.com ___________Getting There Edit This AIRPORTS Los Angeles and Orange County (OC) are served by five airports: LAX, Burbank, Orange County (John Wayne Airport), Ontario, and Long Beach. www.lawa.org, http://www.ocair.com LAX is the international airport and gets the most domestic long distance flights so you may not be able to avoid it. The good news is, LAX is convenient to most Los Angeles hotels in any direction. LAX is just like every other major US airport. Lots of carriers but also lots of people and maze to get a rental car and exit the airport. If you’re here in the US and your preferred destination is LA, if you can – Burbank is a great airport and much easier to get in and out of than LAX. It’s really only about 15 minutes from downtown (most people forget that). SOUTHWEST AIRLINES has a lot of Burbank flights. LONG BEACH & ORANGE COUNTY because of sound restrictions have much more limited flights and tend to cost more. Long Beach airport is only about 15 miles south of LAX & 20 miles north of OC Airport (John Wayne Airport). So it’s not a bad way to go if Disneyland/OC is where you’re headed. Don’t dismiss it straight away. OC Airport is a mini LAX. With sound restrictions, not a lot of flights so it tends to cost more to fly directly to OC Airport plus there are lot of corporations near the airport so fares are more business oriented. Geographically, I think Long Beach airport is actually closer to Disneyland than the OC airport though people naturally presume you should land in the same county where you are going. So, don’t feel you have to fly to OC Airport. Ontario is only a good choice if a) you intend to stay in the “Inland Empire” area or b) you’re landing and leaving on a weekend. Traffic to and from Ontario during M-F is a nightmare in hell on a hot day. It’s really only about 40 miles from downtown LA but it can be a 2-3 hour drive during commute times. So, if you must land on a weekday, land and be out of the airport after 10:30 AM and your flight must leave in the morning or at the latest 2:00 PM … unless you enjoy a 3-hour 40-mile drive. LA (and OC) is the great American city of the 21st century. It’s is built on dreams and the dream factory. In some places, it is miles wide and only an inch deep, but sometimes, a little fantasy is a good thing. Have fun! _______Museums Edit This ANNES DOLLS [Add Museum] Museum of Jurassic Technology Edit This Is it a museum? Is it art? Is it an elaborate joke? Only by examining the collection carefully will one discover that the answer is all of the above. It is a place of marvels and wonders, as if a museum from some other dimension shifted into our own universe. Sly parodies of the museum curator's art sit alongside genuine masterpieces that rub elbows with the completely inexplicable. type: general World66 rating: [rate it] email: mjt@mjt.org url: www.mjt.org tel: (310) 836-6131 address: 9341 Venice Boulevard STAR ECO Station Edit This photo_1 STAR ECO Station is a non-profit environmental education museum and exotic wildlife rescue center dedicated to a mission of Preservation Through Education. The 18,000 square-foot sanctuary is a last chance for over 100 species of endangered, at-risk and abandoned exotic animals, including tropical birds, reptiles, wildcats and sea life. Admission: $ 6.00 kids, $7.00 seniors, $8.00 adults World66 rating: [rate it] tel: 310-842-8060 openingHours: weekends 10 am - 4 pm. Open weekdays 1pm-4pm during summer months (thru Sept 2). Open to school and group tours weekdays 10 am -4 pm by appointment only. url: www.ecostation.org address: 10101 Jefferson Blvd, Culver City Ca 90232 email: ecostation@starinc.org Autry Museum of Western Heritage Edit This The Autry Museum pays homage to the American West - from its Gold Rush days and the romantic notions created by Hollywood. Recently merged with the Southwest Museum, whose American Indian collections are second only to the Smithsonian's Museum of the American Indian. The Autry has expanded with marvelous galleries devoted to the American Indians of different regions, including NorthEast, Great Lakes, Plains, and Northwest. Ther are also galleries dedicated to the Fur Trade; the Wagon Trains, the Frontier Towns, and the Gold Rush. There more.. type: general World66 rating: [rate it] Museum of Tolerance Edit This The Museum of Tolerance was established to help visitors understand and experience discrimination. The museum is a high-tech interactive look at hate tolerance, and one's own biases. Free parking. 9786 W. Pico Blvd. 90035 310/553-8403 Fax: 310/553-4521 www.wiesenthal.com E-mail: webmaster@wiesenthal.com Wheelchair Access type: general World66 rating: [rate it] The Getty Center Edit This photo Extraordinary! It takes more than one day to see this, so either choose only the sites that you want to see, or plan to come back to see the rest. BEST Museum restaurants in the world. The truly excellent cafeteria is on the lower level, with marvelous views, and delicious fare, and menus which are seasonal, and change daily. The Restaurant at Getty Center (on the plaza level) requires reservations, but is truly the best restaurant in any museum in the world. Also seasonal fare, and menus change daily. The collections are based on J. Paul more.. type: general World66 rating: [rate it] tel: 310/440-7300 url: www.getty.edu address: 1200 Getty Center Dr. 90049-1687 email: mrowka207@excite.com Japanese-American National Museum Edit This 369 E. 1st St. 90012 213/625-0414 type: general World66 rating: [rate it] Los Angeles County Museum of Art Edit This i photo by: Andrea "Most Comprehensive Encyclopedic museum West of the Mississippi" according to one of the curators, over lunch, whatever that means. The museum also recently de-accessioned a number of French Impressionists recently, which were among the only pieces worth viewing. So, what does that tell you? And as a regional museum it's practically worthless having only a handful of California Impressionists, far better to go to the Irvine Museum in Irvine (Orange County). The Getty Museum and the Norton Simon Museum offer a much richer, much more more.. type: general World66 rating: [rate it] address: 5905 Wilshire Blvd. 90036 323/857-6000 Los Angeles Children's Museum Edit This 310 N. Main St. 90012 213/687-8800 type: general World66 rating: [rate it] Museum of Neon Art Edit This 501 W. Olympic Blvd. 90015 213/489-9918 type: general World66 rating: [rate it] Heritage Square Museum Edit This 3800 Homer St. 90031 323/225-2700 type: general World66 rating: [rate it] Craft & Folk Art Museum Edit This 5814 Wilshire Blvd. 90036 323/937-4230 type: general World66 rating: [rate it] Museum of Contemporary Art Edit This 250 S. Grand Ave. 90012 213/626-6222 type: general World66 rating: [rate it] UCLA/Armand Hammer Museum of Art & Cultural Center Edit This 10899 Wilshire Blvd. 90024 310/443-7000 type: general World66 rating: [rate it] The Page Museum at The La Brea Tar Pits Edit This Watch paleontologists at work and see saber-toothed cats, mammoths, and other Ice Age fossils that are still excavated from the world-famous La Brea Tar Pits. 5801 Wilshire Blvd. 90036 323/934-7243 Fax: 213/783-4843 www.tarpits.org Wheelchair Access type: general World66 rating: [rate it] Southwest Museum Edit This 234 Museum Dr. 90065 323/221-2164 type: general World66 rating: [rate it] Wells Fargo History Museum Edit This 333 S. Grand Ave. 90071 213/253-7166 type: general World66 rating: [rate it] ____________Day Trips Edit This The City of Los Angeles is so full of surprises that you may not want to leave too soon. But with any luck, your trip will last more than a week which will give you plenty of time to enjoy a good number of Los Angeles activities and take a break for an exciting day trip to a nearby city or attraction. If you want to enjoy your day trip to the fullest plan on setting out from your Los Angeles hotel early in the morning. Before you go, grab a quick breakfast or "breakfast-on-the-go" from a Los Angeles restaurant, don't forget your Los Angeles travel guide which typically lists the most popular day trips, and head to any number of beach towns, amusement parks, or historic places surrounding the City of Los Angeles. Wherever you go, you can count on having an experience you won't soon forget. Continue reading through the listings below for some excellent Los Angeles day trip ideas. Contributors May 20, 2008 change by mcburton [Add Day Trip] Santa Monica Beach & Venice Beach Edit This Santa Monica Beach and Venice Beach are two of the most scenic public beaches in the world. The millions of visitors to Santa Monica and Venice Beach each year will find a wide variety of notable landmarks and plenty of famous boardwalks to explore. One excellent Santa Monica sight is the Santa Monica Pier. The 9-½ -acre Santa Monica Pier was built in 1906 and it is the city’s number one landmark. This popular pier has starred in The Sting, Ruthless People, The Net, Cellular, and Fat Albert, as well as the world famous TV show Baywatch. A more.. World66 rating: [rate it] tel: 310-458-8900 url: www.santamonicapier.org; http: address: 200 Santa Monica Pier email: info@santamonicapier.org Catalina Island Edit This Catalina Island’s "Airport-In-The-Sky" is approximately 37 miles SSW of Los Angeles International Airport. You can also drive to Newport Beach, which is roughly 50 miles south of Los Angeles and catch one of several boats or ferries that make the trip to Catalina Island daily. If you have money to spare, you can even spring for a helicopter ride to Catalina from Long Beach or San Pedro. Area activities include animal watching, birding, fishing, golfing, scuba diving, rafting, snorkeling, parasailing, kayaking, camping, hiking, eco-tours, and more. If you find that you just more.. World66 rating: [rate it] tel: 310-510-1520 url: www.catalina.com address: Catalina Island, California email: info@visitcatalina.org Laguna Beach Edit This Breathtaking Laguna Beach literally sits on the edge of the ocean. This stunning seaside town features dozens of fascinating art galleries and delicious restaurants, and so many festivals and events you'll lose count. Art fairs, concerts, wine tastings, and dance festivals are just a few of the fun activities on the menu in Laguna Beach. Golfing, swimming, surfing, hiking, and animal watching are also popular past times here. To get to Laguna Beach, all you have to do is hop on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) and enjoy the spectacular scenery along the way – a side trip in more.. World66 rating: [rate it] tel: 949-497-9229; 800-877-1115 url: www.lagunabeachinfo.org address: Laguna Beach Visitors Center, 252 Broadway, Laguna Beach email: lbvb@lagunabeachinfo.com ________Nightlife and Entertainment Edit This Some of the top areas for Los Angeles nightlife activities are West Hollywood and Hollywood. The Sunset Strip and Santa Monica Boulevard are packed with comedy clubs, nightclubs, lounges, and movie theaters. You can choose to from watch a movie at the Kodak Theater ( www.kodaktheater.com) or Archlight (www.arclightcinemas.com) movie palace -- where you can reserve premium seats or you can dance the night away at DJ AM’s coveted LAX Nightclub. No matter what you decide to do, L.A. has you covered. Before you leave your Los Angeles hotel in search of the perfect place to hang for the night, there are a few things you should know about the L.A. nightlife scene. Los Angeles is a no-smoking city and even though you can smoke on the streets, you will still feel like you shouldn't. Keep in mind that there is even a $200 penalty for smoking in many hotel rooms. Next, Los Angeles is not a 4 a.m.-5 a.m. kind of city as far as nightlife venues go. Most L.A. establishments close at midnight or shortly after. So, just plan on arriving at your destination early if you want to enjoy the club for several hours or so. Also, arriving early is also a good idea if you’re planning to visit a high-profile establishment. If it's early enough, getting in is a lot easier. And, finally, a word about drinking and driving. Don't do it. Not even if you had one beer. The potential to get into a car accident is higher in Los Angeles than anywhere else in the on the map. Best bet is to call a taxi. Los Angeles has nine taxi services ( www.taxicabsla.org), so there's plenty to choose from. Before entering a cab, however, be sure to check for the official City of Los Angeles Taxicab Seal. If you don’t see the seal, don’t get in! Contributors May 20, 2008 change by mcburton [Add Entertainment place] SkyBar Edit This The Skybar, an open air, ivy-covered pavilion perched above the Pool and Outdoor Living Room , has been one of Los Angeles' hottest nightspots from the day it opened. type: Pubs World66 rating: [rate it] tel: 323 650 8999 url: www.mondrianhotel.com address: 8440 Sunset Blvd. SeaBar Edit This For those opting for a casual communal dining experience, Seabar serves innovative sushi, sake and specialty drinks nightly, offering 32 ringside seats. Located in the Mondrian's lobby, the dramatic 35-foot long Philippe Starck illuminated alabaster table is the ideal spot for a quick, informal bite, a casual drink, and non-stop people-watching. Seabar is also available for private functions. type: Pubs World66 rating: [rate it] tel: 323 650 8999 url: www.mondrianhotel.com address: 8440 Sunset Blvd. Hard Rock Cafe Edit This The original "Smithsonian of rock 'n' roll"... Hard Rock Cafe Los Angeles: the very first Hard Rock to set foot on U.S. soil! What else could be cooler? Well, besides anywhere outside of the USA. 8600 Beverly Blvd. 90048 310/276-7605 Fax: 310/652-7341 Wheelchair Access type: general World66 rating: [rate it] LAX Nightclub Edit This DJ AM's LAX Nightclub serves up sexy cocktails in a sleek environment that attracts a the typical LA crowd of pretty people and hipsters. LAX is located at 1714 N. Las Palmas in the heart of Hollywood. type: Clubs and dancing World66 rating: [rate it] tel: 323-464-0171 url: www.laxhollywood.com address: 1714 N. Las Palmas Improv Olympic West Edit This Improv Olympic West (iO West) is the L.A. branch of the Improv Olympic West in Chicago. iO West presents improv and sketch comedy nightly and it also has improv training classes. Improv Olympic West is located in Hollywood at 6366 Hollywood Boulevard. type: Concerts World66 rating: [rate it] tel: 323-962-7560 url: west.ioimprov.com address: 6366 Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood Bowl Edit This Hollywood Bowl has been an L.A. institution since 1922 and only the world's greatest musicians perform here. The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Sting, and Janis Joplin have all performed here. In addition to concerts of all kinds, Hollywood bowl also features the "Hollywood Bowl Museum" which offers a peek inside the fascinating history of the Bowl. type: Concerts World66 rating: [rate it] tel: 323-850-2058 url: www.hollywoodbowl.com address: 2301 Highland Avenue, Los Angeles email: museum@laphil.org Bar Marmont Edit This The exclusive Bar Marmont, adjacent to the world famous Chateau Marmont is a must-see before you leave L.A. Stellar service, a sophisticated, yet hip environment, and some of the most magnificent signature cocktails in town are just a few of the things that will make you fall in love with Bar Marmont over and over again. type: Wine bars World66 rating: [rate it] ClosingTime: Open seven days a week from 6:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m. tel: 323-650-0575 url: www.chateaumarmont.com address: 8171 West Sunset Boulevard email: agrandinetti@chateaumarmont.com |
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GNU Free Documentation License Esso utilizza materiale tratto da http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles Estratto da "http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles" Cronologia: http://it.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Los_Angeles&action=history Los AngelesDa Wikipedia, l'enciclopedia libera.
Los Angeles (nome originario: Ciudad de la Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles sobra la Porziuncola de Asìs), è la più grande città della California e la seconda di tutti gli Stati Uniti d'America. Insieme a New York e Chicago è una delle tre metropoli più importanti del paese ed è un centro economico, culturale e scientifico di rilevanza mondiale. Diventata città il 4 aprile 1850 (cinque mesi prima che la California diventasse il trentunesimo stato dell'Unione), è il capoluogo dell'omonima contea. Al censimento del 2000, furono contati 3.694.820 abitanti. Nel 2004, venne stimata una popolazione di 3.845.541 persone. Los Angeles, con una superficie di oltre 1.200 chilometri quadrati, supera l'estensione di altre città, come New York o Chicago. Il suo centro si trova alle coordinate 34°03′00″N, 118°16′00″W a circa 270,5 miglia a sud-ovest da Las Vegas. Il sindaco è Antonio Villaraigosa, primo ispanico a rivestire tale carica dal 1872.
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Geografia
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Una metropoli immensaSecondo l'United States Census Bureau, la città si estende su un'area totale di 1.290.6 km². La massima estensione da nord a sud è di 71 km, quella da ovest ad est di 47 km. I confini cittadini misurano, nel complesso, 550 km. L'estensione territoriale cittadina è la nona degli Stati Uniti. Il punto più alto di Los Angeles è il Sister Elsie Peak, che fa parte del monte Lukens, all'estremità nordorientale della San Fernando Valley. Il Los Angeles River è un piccolo corso d'acqua, prevalentemente stagionale, che dalle sorgenti nella San Fernando Valley scorre attraverso la città, in un alveo quasi interamente artificiale, costruito in cemento. L'enorme estensione urbana di Los Angeles. Nella zona raffigurata nella fotografia vivono circa 18 milioni di persone Se si considera l'intera area metropolitana (la grande Los Angeles) con le città della contea incorporate (come Long Beach, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Pasadena, Beverly Hills, Malibu per limitarci alle più note) e le contee di Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside e Ventura confinanti, si ha uno sterminato agglomerato urbano che occupa quasi 88.000km2 (come Lombardia, Piemonte, Veneto ed Emilia Romagna assieme) dove vivono non meno di 17 milioni di abitanti. Non a caso Los Angeles è considerata una città a misura di automobile, attraversata in lungo ed in largo dalle celebri freeways a sei corsie.
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ClimaClimaticamente Los Angeles ha un clima desertico con una piovosità minima e
più di 300 giorni di sole all'anno. Lungo le coste il clima è mitigato dalle
correnti oceaniche molto fredde, ma verso l'interno la temperatura estiva
diurna supera facilmente i 35 gradi. Grazie ad una poderosa rete di canali che
sottraggono acqua al fiume Colorado, LA è paradossalmente una città con una
ricchissima vegetazione dove abbonda ogni tipo di pianta tropicale.
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StoriaL'area costiera dove sarebbe sorta Los Angeles venne abitata per millenni da popolazioni native, come i Tongva (o Gabrieleños), i Chumash e altri gruppi etnici, anche più antichi. Gli spagnoli arrivarono nel 1542, quando Juan Cabrillo esplorò la zona. Nel 1769, Gaspar de Portola guidò una spedizione nella California meridionale assieme ai francescani Junipero Serra e Juan Crespi. Portola chiamò un fiume che avevano scoperto "El Río de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de Porciúncula". Lungo il fiume, fratel Crespi aveva notato un luogo adatto per costruire una missione, ma nel 1771 fratel Serra ne fondò una a Whittier Narrows. Dopo un'inondazione nel 1776, la missione fu trasferita a San Gabriel. Il 4 settembre 1781, 44 coloni messicani uscirono dalla missione di San Gabriel per fondare un nuovo insediamento nel sito vicino al fiume che era stato individuato da fratel Crespi. La città, chiamata El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles sobre El Río Porciuncula, rimase un piccolo centro agricolo per decenni. Oggi i caratteri generali del Pueblo sono conservati in un piccolo quartiere storico, denominato anche Olvera Street. L'indipendenza del Messico dalla Spagna fu raggiunta nel 1821, ma un cambiamento ben maggiore avvenne nel 1847, quando, dopo la Battaglia del Rio San Gabriel nell'odierna Montebello ed il conseguente Trattato di Cahuenga (13 gennaio 1847), la California cadde sotto il controllo statunitense. Los Angeles si costituì come municipalità nel 1850, quando la sua popolazione era di appena 1.610 persone. La ferrovia raggiunse Los Angeles nel 1876, per opera della Southern Pacific. Fino agli inizi del XX secolo, Los Angeles rimase una città relativamente piccola. Il primo volano per lo sviluppo fu il petrolio. Venne scoperto nel 1892 e, entro pochi decenni, l'industria degli idrocarburi ebbe un enorme incremento. Nel 1923, la zona di Los Angeles forniva un quarto del petrolio consumato al mondo. Ancora più importante per lo sviluppo cittadino fu l'acqua. Nel 1913, William Mulholland completò l'acquedotto, che assicurò le esigenze idriche della città. A partire dal 1915, molti piccoli centri vicini, privi di un rifornimento idrico autonomo, entrarono a far parte della municipalità di Los Angeles. A partire dagli anni '20 del secolo scorso, lo sviluppo di Los Angeles ricevette un ulteriore impulso dalla nascita di due nuove industrie: il cinema e l'aviazione.
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Amministrazione cittadinaIl municipio di Los Angeles La città è amministrata da sindaco e consiglio comunale. Dal 2005, il sindaco è Antonio Villaraigosa. Ai fini dell'elezione del consiglio, il territorio municipale è diviso in 15 distretti. Altre cariche elettive sono quelle di procuratore cittadino (city attorney: attualmente è Rocky Delgadillo) e quella di city controller (ora è Laura Chick). Il procuratore cittadino persegue i reati minori (misdemeanors) compiuti all'interno dei confini della municipalità. Il procuratore distrettuale, che è eletto a livello di contea, persegue le stesse violazioni minori nel territorio della contea non provvisto di amministrazione cittadina (unincorporated areas) ed in 78 delle 88 municipalità della contea. I reati più gravi (felonies) sono comunque competenza del procuratore distrettuale. Il corpo di polizia della città di Los Angeles è il Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), reso celebre da tanti film e da innumerevoli serie televisive. Il Dipartimento dello sceriffo provvede al servizio di polizia per le unincorporated areas e per alcune municipalità della contea (come Calabasas, Temple City, West Hollywood e Compton) che, prive di un dipartimento di polizia cittadino, hanno stipulato un'apposita convenzione con l'ufficio dello sceriffo. Il LAPD, il sistema delle librerie pubbliche e il distretto scolastico sono tra le maggiori organizzazioni del loro genere negli Stati Uniti. Il Los Angeles Department of Water and Power effettua le forniture di acqua ed elettricità alle persone e alle aziende. In certe zone della città, il governo municipale è sentito come inefficiente. L'amministrazione cittadina darebbe, in altre parole, la priorità ai problemi delle aree più densamente popolate, come Mid-City e Downtown, a discapito dei sobborghi. Ciò ha provocato, nel 2002, la nascita di un movimento per la scessione della San Fernando Valley e di Hollywood, che non ha avuto effetti.
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Sistema legaleLa Los Angeles County Superior Court ha giurisdizione su tutte le cause regolate dal diritto statale, mentre la U.S. District Court for the Central District of California si occupa delle materie di competenza federale. Entrambe le corti si trovano in un grande complesso di edifici pubblici nel Civic Center. Diversamente dalla città più grande del paese, New York, Los Angeles e gran parte dei suoi sobborghi più importanti si trovano tutti all'interno dei confini di una sola contea. Di conseguenza, tanto la corte di contea quanto la corte distrettuale federale sono ai vertici delle classifiche nazionali per i carichi giudiziari. I processi di competenza statale sono impugnabili davanti alla Corte d'appello per il secondo distretto, che si trova sempre nel Civic Center e, in ultimo grado, alla Corte suprema della California, che ha sede a San Francisco, ma tiene udienza anche a Los Angeles (sempre nel Civic Center). Le cause federali sono appellate alla Corte d'appello del nono circuito, che li discute a Pasadena. Ultimo grado di giudizio del sistema federale è Corte Suprema che si trova, come noto, a Washington
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EconomiaL'economia di Los Angeles ha i suoi maggiori punti di forza nel commercio internazionale, nell'industria dell'audiovisivo (film, produzioni televisive, musica), nei settori aeronautico e aerospaziale, nell'agricoltura, nel turismo e nell'industria petrolifera. Los Angeles è anche uno dei maggiori centri statunitensi dell'industria manifatturiera. Considerati insieme, i porti di Los Angeles e Long Beach costituiscono il maggiore scalo marittimo del Nord America e uno dei maggiori del mondo. In genere tutti i settori economici sono ben rappresentati, inclusi quelli inerenti alle telecomunicazioni, ai servizi bancari, finanziari e legali, alla sanità e ai trasporti. In città hanno sede tre delle società incluse nell'elenco Fortune 500: la Northrop Grumman, operante nell'aerospaziale, la compagnia energetica Occidental Petroleum Corporation e la KB Home, grande costruttrice di abitazioni. Altre società di Los Angeles sono la Twentieth Century Fox, la Herbalife, la Univision, la Metro Interactive LLC, la Premier America, la CB Richard Ellis, la Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, la Guess, la O'Melveny & Myers LLP, la Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP, la TOKYOPOP, la The Jim Henson Company, la Paramount Pictures, la Robinsons-May, la Sunkist, Fox Sports Net, la Health Net Inc., la 21st Century Insurance e la The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. L'area metropolitana ospita le sedi di ulteriori grosse società, molte delle quali si sono installate fuori dai confini cittadini per evitare lo svantaggioso sistema di tassazione applicato dall'amministrazione di Los Angeles. Ad esempio, Los Angeles impone una tassa sui ricavi complessivi basata su una percentuale del fatturato, mentre gran parte delle municipalità vicine richiede solo una piccola quota fissa. Queste società beneficiano così della vicinanza a Los Angeles, evitando nel contempo tasse troppo elevate ed altri problemi. Alcune grosse compagnie con sede in altri centri della Contea di Los Angeles sono la Shakey's Pizza (ad Alhambra), l'Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (a Beverly Hills), la City National Bank (a Beverly Hills), la Hilton Hotels (a Beverly Hills), la DiC Entertainment (a Burbank), La Walt Disney Company (altra società dell'elenco Fortune 500 - a Burbank), la Warner Brothers (sempre Burbank), la Countrywide Financial Corporation (nell'elenco Fortune 500 -a Calabasas), la THQ (a Calabasas), la Belkin (a Compton), la National Public Radio West (a Culver City), la Sony Pictures Entertainment (società madre della Columbia Pictures, a Culver City), la Computer Sciences Corporation (nell'elenco Fortune 500 - a El Segundo), la DirecTV (a El Segundo), la Mattel (nell'elenco Fortune 500 - a El Segundo), la Unocal (nell'elenco Fortune 500 - a El Segundo), la DreamWorks SKG (a Glendale), la Sea Launch (a Long Beach), la ICANN (a Marina Del Rey), la Cunard Line (a Santa Clarita), la Princess Cruises (a Santa Clarita), la Activision (a Santa Monica) e la RAND (sempre a Santa Monica).
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PopolazionePanorama notturno di Downtown Gli abitanti di Los Angeles sono noti anche come Angelenos. La città ha una delle popolazioni più diversificate etnicamente del mondo. Negli Stati Uniti, solo Miami ha una maggiore percentuale di abitanti nati all'estero. L'Aeroporto internazionale di Los Angeles (LAX) è la maggior porta d'ingresso nel paese per gli immigrati. La popolazione di origine ispanica (soprattutto messicana) aumenta in misura considerevole di anno in anno, al punto che ormai il 46,53 % è di origine latina e la città è praticamente bilingue. La popolazione asiatica è la maggiore degli Stati Uniti (nella Contea di Los Angeles vivono circa 1.400.000 di asiatici). Los Angeles ospita le più grosse comunità mondiali di armeni, filippini, guatemaltechi, ungheresi, israeliani, coreani, messicani, salvadoregni e thailandesi al di fuori dei rispettivi paesi. A Los Angeles si trovano anche le maggiori comunità statunitensi di iraniani e giapponesi. Anche la popolazione di origine nativa è consistente. A Los Angeles si trovano consistenti comunità etniche originarie da oltre 140 paesi, e si parlano almeno 224 lingue diverse. Enclaves etniche come Chinatown, Historic Filipinotown, Koreatown, Little Armenia, Little Ethiopia, Little Persia, Little Tokyo, Thai Town, testimoniano il carattere variegato della città. Rispetto a New York, Chicago o San Francisco la comunità italiana è molto ridotta. Lo stesso vale per gli afro-americani. Le forti disparità economiche presenti tra le varie comunità sono state nel tempo all'origine di vere e proprie rivolte popolari (come quella del 1992).
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Distretti cittadiniSunset Strip Los Angeles è divisa in diversi distretti, molti dei quali erano comunità autonome, entrate nel tempo a far parte della città. All'interno e sui confini di Los Angeles si trovano molte municipalità autonome (come Long Beach, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Pasadena, Beverly Hills, Malibu), che il pubblico comunque associa alla metropoli, in quanto fanno parte dell'agglomerato urbano e sono incluse nella Los Angeles County. Generalmente, la città propriamente detta si divide nelle seguenti aree aree: Downtown, Eastside, South Los Angeles, South Bay/Harbor, Hollywood, Mid-City, Westside, San Fernando Valley e San Gabriel Valley. Diverse zone molto note della città sono Venice Beach, il Downtown financial district, Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Hollywood, Hancock Park, Koreatown ed i distretti (caratterizzati da un reddito particolarmente elevato) di Bel-Air, Westwood e Brentwood.
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Cultura
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La città del cinemaProbabilmente il simbolo di LA è la celeberrima scritta sulle colline di Hollywood che sovrasta la città e che ricorda l'importanza avuta dall'industria cinematografica nella sua storia. Oggi Hollywood è una meta turistica, ma le più importanti case cinematografiche si sono da tempo trasferite altrove (principalmente nella San Fernando Valley, al di là delle montagne) e quel che rimane degli anni d'oro sono le stelle con i nomi dei divi sui marciapiedi e i locali alla moda lungo il Sunset Boulevard. Durante la notte, è poco raccomandabile frequentare la zona di Hollywood Boulevard come, del resto, anche la zona di Downtown.
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UniversitàA Los Angeles - o nelle immediate vicinanze - hanno sede numerose università. Tra le università pubbliche, sono da annoverare:
Università private degne di nota sono:
Il sistema dei community college in città comprende il Los Angeles City College (LACC), il Los Angeles Pierce College, il Los Angeles Valley College ed il Los Angeles Mission College.
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AttrazioniLe più note sono il quartiere di Hollywood, i negozi di Rodeo Drive e le ville dei divi dello spettacolo a Beverly Hills e i parchi tematici di Disneyland (che in realtà si trova nella città di Anaheim nella contea confinante di Orange) e degli Universal Studios. Ma probabilmente il modo più originale di fare il turista a Los Angeles è quello di riconoscere sparse per la città le location di tutti i più celebri film e telefilm americani.
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SportLos Angeles è priva di una squadra di football americano cittadina, ma è rappresentata nelle principali altre leghe sportive:
LA ha ospitato due volte i Giochi Olimpici (X e XXIII Olimpiade) e la finale dei Mondiali di calcio degli Stati Uniti del 1994 (allo stadio Rose Bowl di Pasadena).
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Curiosità
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Città gemellate
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Collegamenti esterni
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