Los Angeles Overview

La-La Land...every nickname for LA describes a place where fantasy becomes reality. Schmooze with celebrities, shop Rodeo Drive or simply catch the sun at the beach. There's never a shortage of places to go or wishes to be granted in the City of Angels.

Districts

Los Angeles is a bright and eclectic patchwork of neighborhoods and lifestyles. Made up of dozens of communities, the City of Angels will forever be many things to many people.

Downtown
While not exactly in the center of town geographically, downtown is still a major center of activity. But while the focus is mostly on business, downtown also features many shops, restaurants, bars, and even a few museums.

Hollywood
The big sign just about says it all. The center of things is, without a doubt, Hollywood Boulevard, location of world-famous tourist spots including Mann's Chinese Theater, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and countless souvenir shops.

In the Miracle Mile/Hancock Park area, a small but peaceful oasis in the center of hectic urban activity, you will find Wilshire Boulevard's Museum Row, while Ritzy West Hollywood is home to the famous Sunset Strip.

Beverly Hills and the West Side
This world-famous neighborhood, with its world-famous zip code, is synonymous with wealth, status, and celebrity and is complimented by Rodeo Drive, which offers some of the finest (and most expensive) shopping in the world.

Santa Monica and Bay Cities
Back in the heyday of Route 66, this was the end of the line. Today, this beachfront community offers the best in shopping, dining, and entertainment.

The motto of the coastal community of Malibu is “27 miles of scenic beauty.” The drive along the Pacific Coast Highway takes you past beach after beach on one side of the road and million-dollar hilltop estates on the other.

Venice, just south of Santa Monica, is a small, artsy beach town that offers one of the greatest collections of cafes, bars, galleries, antiques, and one-of-a-kind shops around.

Long Beach and the South Bay
Long Beach is a fairly large city in its own right, with a plethora of shopping and dining options, while the South Bay is made up of smaller beach towns and quiet.

Orange County ("The OC")
As you drive south of L.A., Orange County is a collection of beautifully manicured suburbs and picturesque beach communities.

Pasadena and Points East
Old Town Pasadena provides one of the greatest clusters of bars, shops, cafes, and restaurants in the entire L.A. area.
East L.A forms the eastern edge of the city and is home to a large part of L.A.'s Latino population. Perhaps nowhere else in the city is L.A.'s cultural diversity better represented than here.

Entertainment

As the entertainment capital of the world, Los Angeles has a variety of options for every taste.

Theaters
The creative activity in the theaters of Los Angeles proves that L.A. does indeed have culture. The Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County complex in downtown Los Angeles houses many of the city's major theater venues.

Museums
Los Angeles surprises many visitors with its fine art resources. The Getty Center is a breathtaking architectural work before you even see the collections inside. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art has impressive permanent collections as well as top-billed shows. The California Science Center is a hands-on educational facility that takes science to the extreme, while the Natural History Museum has 35 galleries of environmental science displays to explore. The Los Angeles Museum of Tolerance is a stop for the humanitarian-minded tourist.

Film
Mann's Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard, with its famous feet and hands imprinted on the sidewalk outside, stands out as one of the most famous cinema houses ever built. Across the street, the Egyptian Theater stands in flashing Vegas-style glory.

Comedy
With countless small theaters and clubs in Los Angeles, open "mic" nights for struggling comedians are everywhere.

Music
When they are not out partying on the Sunset Strip, rock and roll musicians can be found performing at several Los Angeles venues. The El Rey Theater and the Palladium each house small acts. The Forum, the Universal Amphitheater, and the Staples Center are the locations of choice for larger rock shows. Classical and jazz concerts are usually found at the Hollywood Bowl and The Greek Theater.

Sporting Events
L.A. sports fans have plenty to keep them busy with the Los Angeles Lakers, the Clippers, the WNBA's Sparks, the Dodgers, and the Kings.

Amusement and Theme Parks
Known the world over for Disneyland, Los Angeles and its surrounding areas are home to many world-famous and exciting amusement parks.

Dining and Drinking

When it comes to dining and drinking, anything can be found in Los Angeles. Celebrity-only seating on the West Side is countered by family-style seating in Silverlake, and cuisines from Ethiopian to Polish are all here.

Beach-front Santa Monica, Venice, and Malibu offer the full range of dining options from earthy-hippie cuisine in Venice to star-studded glamour in Malibu. A small step away from the big money and high profile dining of Beverly Hills are Hollywood and Melrose, which offer a warmer and hipper version of the same scene.

The Sunset Strip has served as the nightly play space for celebrities ranging from Grace Kelly to Motley Crue, and remains the hottest place for drinking in Los Angeles

Where To Stay

Downtown Los Angeles contains the heart of the financial and business districts of the city, and it is perfect for corporate travelers.

For those looking for a high-class, luxurious choice with only the best amenities and service, there is simply no other place to stay in town other than Beverly Hills.
Considering Hollywood's status as a tourist mecca, it should come as no surprise that it offers many places to lodge, especially for those on a budget.

For those who long to be in the center of L.A.'s wild nightlife, you can't get much closer than a hotel room in West Hollywood, within walking distance of the hottest clubs.

Nestled at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, Pasadena draws those with an eye towards skiing, snowboarding, and hiking.

If the sound of ocean waves helps you sleep easier, and you want to be near both shopping and recreation, Santa Monica is the way to go.

Westwood not only boasts UCLA but also offers many bars, restaurants, and entertainment options.

Los Angeles by the Numbers

Elevation: 256 feet / 78 meters
Average Annual Rainfall: 14 inches / 36 centimeters
Average January Temperature:57 degrees F / 14 degrees C
Average July Temperature: 72 degrees F / 22 degrees C

Time Zone: GMT-8
Area Codes: 213, 310, 323, 626, 818 (1 and the area code must be dialed, even for local calls)

Population: 3,694,820
Ethnic Mix: 47% Caucasian, 46.5% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% African American, 10% Asian
Major Industries: tourism, entertainment, communications, shipping, manufacturing, finance

Did You Know?

Los Angeles allows visitors to glimpse millions of years of geologic history. At the La Brea Tar Pits you can see residue of the days when dinosaurs walked the Earth, and the tar is still oozing in some places.

Orientation/Geography

Los Angeles is the largest city in California and is located in the southern part of the state on the Pacific Ocean. Las Vegas lies 231 miles/372 kilometers to the east, Phoenix is 366 miles/589 kilometers southeast, and San Diego is 116 miles/187 kilometers south.


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