See Hollywood and Enjoy the Many Hot Spots of Los Angeles, California
by Paul H. Green
Los Angeles, California lives and breathes Hollywood from every corner. But that's not all there is for vacationers. While in Los Angeles, you can enjoy any number of attractions, sites, and activities. It's a place where families and individuals can find plenty to do. From museums and shopping to nature walks and theme parks, Los Angeles has it all!
Los Angeles History and Facts
In 1777, the new California Governor recommended the site named “El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de Los Angeles del Rio de Porciuncula,” or “the Town of our Lady the Queen of the Angels on the River Porciuncula.”
Los Angeles is the largest city in California, and the second largest in population in the United States. It is an alpha world city with a population of approximately four million people (called Angelenos). Los Angeles was founded in 1781 by Spanish Captain Rivera y Moncada. It was part of Mexico after gaining independence to Spain in 1821 until 1848 when Mexico ceded California to the United States. Los Angeles was incorporated as a municipality on April 4, 1850, five months before California statehood.
Los Angeles is a world center for culture, technology, science, international trade, and higher education. It is home to world-renowned institutions in cultural and professional fields. Los Angeles also is a world leader in popular entertainment productions such as television, motion pictures, and music recording for the basis of international fame and global status.
The economy is based on international trade, television, motion pictures, music recording, aerospace, technology, petroleum, fashion, media production, finance, apparel, tourism, telecommunications, manufacturing, law, health, medicine, and transportation. The climate in Los Angeles is typically wet winters and warm to hot and mildly humid summers. The Los Angeles and Long Beach Ports comprise the most significant port in North America and the number one importer in the world. These ports are vital to trade with the Pacific Rim.
Los Angeles Neighborhoods
Los Angeles is divided into many neighborhoods, which include Downtown Los Angeles, East Los Angeles, South Los Angeles, the Harbor Area, the San Fernando Valley, the Crescenta Valley, Hollywood, Wilshire, and Westside. Well-known communities are Venice Beach, the Downtown Financial District, Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Hollywood, Hancock Park, Koreatown, Bel Air, Hollywood Hills, Pacific Palisades, and Brentwood.
Well- known hot-spots for locals and tourists are in Downtown Los Angeles, Silver Lake, Hollywood, West Hollywood, and the famous Sunset Strip.
Sports in Los Angeles
Los Angeles is home to many major league sports teams including the Los Angeles Dodgers (Major League Baseball), the Los Angeles Kings (the National Hockey League), and the Los Angeles Clippers. For basketball, there are the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Sparks. The Los Angeles Avengers are part of the Arena Football League. The Los Angeles Galaxy and Club Deportivo Chivas USA are part of Major League Soccer. For Major League LaCrosse, there's the Los Angeles Riptide team.
College teams include the Southern California Trojans with the University of Southern California and the Los Angeles Bruins with the University of California. Los Angeles also hosted the Olympic Games in 1932 and 1984, and has the Los Angeles Marathon.
Shopping in Los Angeles
Many visitors enjoy shopping in areas such as Hollywood, the Highland Complex, the Beverly Center, Melrose Avenue, Robertson Boulevard, the Grove, the Westside Pavillion, the Promenade at Howard Hughes Center, and the Venice Boardwalk.
Sight-Seeing
Los Angeles offers many interesting sites including the Los Angeles Coliseum, Mann's Chinese Theater, and the famous “Hollywood” sign. There are also Hollywood Boulevard, La Placita Olvera, the Griffith Observatory, the Getty Center, Los Angeles City Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and the Staples Center.
The Staples Center www.staplescenter.com is a sports and entertainment complex hosting concerts and awards shows like the Grammy Awards, and it is the arena for the Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Sparks, and the Los Angeles Kings.
Enjoy the Scenery in Los Angeles
Los Angeles www.lacity.org has a varied topography with beautiful beaches, hills, and mountains. Los Angeles is the only United States city bisected by mountain ranges. Four different mountain ranges extend to the city limits. With thousands of miles of trails, you can enjoy walking, biking, and horseback riding with the wilderness access. There's also skiing, rock climbing, gold panning, hang gliding, and windsurfing. For a day of relaxation, take one of the Princess cruises.
Other places of interest are the Twentieth Century Fox Studios, the Jim Henson Company, Paramount Pictures, Walt Disney Company, Warner Brothers, and Columbia Pictures. The Los Angeles Convention Center hosts popular events if you want to check the schedule while vacationing.
Fun for the Kids and Family
Los Angeles theme parks include the Universal Studios of Hollywood, Wild Rivers Water Park, and Legoland California. For culture, visit the California Science Center, the Music Center, the Aquarium of the Pacific, the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, the Queen Mary, and the Pacific Park on Santa Monica Pier.
Local Tours
If you enjoy tours during your vacations to learn exciting things about the area, try touring the Kodak Theatre or take the Starline Hollywood Trolley. Other great tours include Sony Pictures Studios Tour, Spirit Cruises Harbor Tour Long Beach and San Pedro, the Redline Tours Legendary Walking Tour, or the Los Angeles City Tour. You can see where the stars live and play while taking a “Movie Stars Homes” tour. The Universal Studios Hollywood Tour is sure to amaze you and the entire family. Also for a change of scenery, there's the Temecula Wine Country Tour with Grapeline Tours.
Learn about History in Culture at Los Angeles Museums
Appreciate history and art through the multitude of museums in Los Angeles such as the Autry National Center Museum of the American West, the Hollywood Museum of the historic Max Factor Building, the California Heritage museum, and the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA.
See astonishing feats and the people who accomplished them at the Guinness World Records Museum. Take the kids along to the Kidspace Children's Museum, Zimmer Children's Museum, the Bowers Kidseum, or the Discovery Science Center www.californiasciencecenter.org . See movie stars captured in life-like wax figures at the World Famous Hollywood Wax Museum. If you're an art fan, you're sure to love the Museum of Contemporary Art Grand Avenue. If cars are your thing, check out the Peterson Automotive Museum.
Other popular museums include the Hammer Museum, the Heritage Square Museum, the Japanese-American National Museum, the Museum of Tolerance A Simon Wiesenthal Center Museum, the Santa Monica Historical Society Museum, and the Skirball Cultural Center.
Whatever your personal choice for vacation or business, Los Angeles is a great place to visit!