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Los Angeles California
Los Angeles is the largest city in California and the second largest city in the USA. It is located on the southern coast of California about 75 miles (120km) north of the Mexican border and 400 miles (600km) south of San Francisco. The original name of the city was "El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles" or "The Village of Our Lady the Queen of Angels", but the name was shortened for obvious reasons.
The city is spread across a coastal plainLos Angeles is situated on an irregularly shaped coastal plain about 30 to 60 miles across. It is bounded on the west by nearly 60 miles of Pacific Coast beaches and ocean cliffs. The San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains form a 2500-meter high wall to the east. The Santa Monica Mountains define its northern limit and the Santa Anna Mountains define the southern. Los Angeles natives inhabit the entire plain and all the local hills plus the sides of the mountain ranges and into all of the connecting valleys. The city now covers over 1000 square-miles in dozens of interconnected communities. High-rise buildings only exist in a few isolated clusters. From nearly every vantage point, you can gaze across miles of low rooftops with palm trees towering above.
It is composed of many interconnected communitiesIn order to commute between these widely dispersed neighborhoods, Los Angeles has constructed a remarkably efficient system of broad streets and avenues including the10-14 lane wide freeways. These enable you to quickly navigate across the vast metropolitan complex most times. Try to avoid the freeways between 7 to 9 AM and 4 to 6 PM. when millions of cars commuting to and from work clog the roads. Air pollution from these millions of cars combines with the moist air from the Pacific Ocean to form a dirty gray haze known as Los Angeles Smog. Unlike most cities, Los Angeles does not have a distinct urban center. It is a collection of individual communities tied together by a complex network of roads and freeways. Each community offers a uniquely different character. Together, they make up this huge metropolitan complex called Los Angeles.
Hollywood, Beverly Hills and the BeachesAlong the Pacific shore, Malibu, Santa Monica, Marina Del Rey and Palos Verde are high-class residential beach communities. Venice Beach, on the other hand, is known for bikini clad roller bladers, muscle-bound weight lifters and an odd assortment of slightly off-beat characters. Long Beach is a thriving seaport with a vibrant commercial district and oil wells. Laguna Beach houses a large artist's community. Hollywood is the historic home of the old movie studios, and Beverly Hills is still the home of the movie stars. Here you can drive along the western terminus of historic route 66 on Santa Monica Boulevard. You can stroll along famous Hollywood Boulevard and the Sunset Strip. In nearby Burbank, you can visit many modern movie and television studios. In Anaheim, you can see the original Disney Land and Knott's Berry Farm. Downtown is certainly a commercial district, but it is no more the urban center of the city than many other neighborhoods. Near the downtown area are ethnic neighborhoods with large Asian populations called, Korea Town, China Town and Japan Town. Nearby are several predominately Afro-American neighborhoods and many predominately Hispanic-American neighborhoods.
Served by four major airportsLos Angeles has four major airports; Los Angeles International, Burbank-Glendale Airport, John Wayne Airport and Ontario International Airport. In addition, the Orange County Airport is less than one hour from the city and San Diego Airport is within a two-hour drive. Visit our LA Attractions for information about the best sights in and around LA! If you are interested in shopping, click this link to visit our LA Shopping page with insider tips on the best places to shop in Los Angeles. Written by: Mike Leco |
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Los Angeles LinksThe Hollywood Sign Trust is an organization responsible for the preservation and improvement of the Hollywood Sign. Their site features a virtual tour, live webcams and the history of the sign. www.hollywoodsign.org StubHub.com is the place to find all Concert Tickets, Dodger Tickets, Angels Tickets, Lakers Tickets and Clippers Tickets. Buy or Sell your Tickets today. Go Los Angeles Card: Your All-Inclusive Ticket to LA's Best Attractions and Tours Six Flags Magic Mountain has 17 world-class roller coasters, great rides, and Bugs Bunny World a six-acre interactive wonderland for kids and adults. Buy a one-day admission ticket online and save off the front gate price! The University of Southern California offers a virtual walking tour of the Los Angeles area. Their site has maps, photos and information on sites to see. http://www.usc.edu/dept/geography/losangeles/lawalk/index.html A live webcamera showing downtown LA skyline: http://electricearl.com/ or showing Venice Beach: http://members.aol.com/cali41/venice.html. Visit the Weather Channel for a current forcast. http://www.weather.com/weather/local/USCA0638 Streets of Los Angeles has a virtual tour, screensavers, desktop photos and more. http://www.skylightweb.com/losangeles/index.html eDreams is a travel guide to L.A. attractions. http://losangeles.edreams.com/ LAAvenue has local information for tourists. www.laavenue.com LA Photos is a site with great photos of attractions all over the Los Angeles area! www.laphotos.com Save on 3, 4, 5 and 7 Day Carnival cruises Westin Get the Guaranteed Best Rates at Westin hotels.Book now! |
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Save time and money on the best attractions with the Go Los Angeles Card. Unlimited free admission for Hollywood Trolley Tour by Starline Tours, Aquarium of the Pacific, Kodak Theatre guided tour, Los Angeles Music Center tours, daily bike rentals, Hollywood Park Racetrack with clubhouse seating, Grapeline Wine Country Tour, Legoland?, Wild Rivers Waterpark and much more! 
