Los Angeles
Los Angeles, also known as ‘LA’ or ‘La La Land,’ is a huge city that spreads between the Pacific Ocean and the San Gabriel Mountains in a flat urban expanse that is punctuated by freeway overpasses known as spaghetti junctions.
Famous for smog and disasters like earthquakes and landslides, it’s not the easiest city to get to know although everyone knows it’s the home of the Hollywood Sign and Beverly Hills.
At the other end of the economic spectrum are Watts and Compton, some of the poorest slum areas in the USA and where the race riots erupted in 1992.
LA is home to more Koreans, Chinese, Druids and Mexicans outside of their native countries than any other city on earth and its ethnic makeup heralds the profound changes affecting American demographics.
Getting Around LA
It’s a little known fact that the car companies themselves are the reason why public transportation is so dismal in the USA, and LA is the best example of a city that is addicted to the automobile. After years of buying bus companies and dismantling them, the freeway has become such a part of life in Los Angeles that LA is not just a stranger to mass transit, it is in fact, a public transport nighmare. People in this town take driving not as a priveledge, but as a right. It can be an unnerving place to visit as every one is in a car.
While there is a small light rail system operating in downtown Los Angeles, this is more designed for commuters, not tourists. A local bus system exists, but isn’t safe, easy to navigate or convenient and goes to few places. The freeway has conquered the city like no other and to see the sights (often scattered dozens of miles apart) you will need a rental car, a good map (with all the freeways clearly marked) and nerves of steel, especially at rush hour! If you’re staying a while, it’s worth bearing in mind that you can travel in a quicker freeway lane if there are more than one people travelling in a vehicle. As traffic jams on the 405, 101 and other freeways are so common, don’t be surprised if you spend a few hours as other Angelinos do stuck in traffic, listening to the radio for traffic reports and dodging backups through an intricate series of shortcuts and back alleys.
Petrol stations are everywhere so its not hard to find a place to fill up though carrying a cell phone is recommended if a break down occurs; though most freeways have callboxes for stranded drivers. Parking can be a nightmare too, especially on weekends and in the height of summer so be prepared to circle the block a few times looking for a space; after a week in LA you may come to appreciate why the road rage phenomenon is such a problem here.
Top Sights
As a land of of contrasts LA has lots of interesting neighbourhoods and sights and you should spend at least three days here to do the minimum. It’s a very popular domestic tourist destination so along with the huge foreign tour groups expect to get a heavy dose of middle america at the same time. If you don’t have time to visit the square states in the middle of the country now’s your chance to meet some authentic Oklahomans, Texans and Kansans as they too take in what LA has to offer.
The most famous suburb is, of course, Beverly Hills.What with the popularity of tinted windows and tall security gates these days seeing any actual stars in Beverly Hills is pretty remote though you may look out when window shopping (or actual shopping, if you’re loaded) on Rodeo Drive. Numerous star maps are on sale throughout the area and you can drive by your favorite stars house though be warned with such intense security old cars are often stopped for questioning.
The place to go to star search is actually Westwood, a suburb next to UCLA. Though most of the stars here are from TV and may be unrecognizalbe without makeup, Tom Cruise Brad Pitt and even Madonna have been spotted here grabbing a latte, going jogging or just walking their dog. Always respect these peoples privacy because you’ll notice locals practically ignoring them as they go about their lives.
Manns Chinese Theater is probably where you’ll see more stars, their foot and handprints to be exact. The sidewalk outside is full of celebrity paw prints and it’s a popular place to take photos of your favorites.
Doing the studio tour thing is best experienced at Universal Studios, whose recent expansion has turned practically every new movie into a ride of some sort. Watch how they ‘burn’ houses, make the Red Sea part create Jaws and simulate an earthquake here all the while keeping a sharp lookout for stars as you never know who will be walking to their trailer as you drive by, though they wo’nt stop for autographs they don’t mind a quick photo or two.
Most of what you watch in theaters and on TV is produced somewhere in LA and huge movie lots can be found inStudio City and Burbank. If you plan in advance you can often get free tickets to watch programs being taped at these studios .The wait is long but it is worth it because after the show the stars themselves sometimes hang around for autographs and for a chat with fans.
LA is also home to a serious beach culture, best experienced in Santa Monica and Venice Beach, two coastal communities located north of the LAX airport. From dawn to dusk Venice is a popular rollerblading, bicycling, running and bodybuilding area and has tatoo parlors, t-shirt vendors and other businesses calling it home. It’s a place to see and be seen though its not that safe after dark. With such stable weather Venice Beach is a year round carnival where the people themsleves are the sights. Santa Monica is more upmarket with a pier that has rides and trendy restaurants serving seafood and ‘California Fusion’ food.
Day Trips from LA
San Diego
A two hour drive south of Los Angeles, San Diego has undergone a transformation in the last decade that has made it one of the fastest growing cities in America. Home to a large Navy base San Diego is famous for its beautiful Spanish Mission churches and upper class neighbourhoods of La Jolla. Its urban beaches are some of the State’s best although pollution from nearby Tijuana often causes beach closures.
Palm Springs
Located east of Los Angeles Palm Springs has been a popular retreat for Hollywood’s elite for more than 50 years. It’s also been developed into a retirement area where ‘Gucci Grannies’ are catered for by stylists, manicurists and plastic surgeons. Its also a popular gay retirement destination .Its warm temperatures in the winter are the opposite of those in the summer when it can soar to 120F. With almost one hundred golf courses Palm Springs uses one million gallons of water per day and many visitors find the place as artificial as plastic grass.
Santa Barbara
Located two hours north of OA , this was of the earliest Spanish settlements in California in the 18th century . The city celebrates its Spanish heritage with an annual “Old Spanish Days” Fiesta . Spanish era architecture is showcased at the Santa Barbara Mission and the Old Govenment complex in the centre of town known as the Presidio
Explore the history of Los Angeles in our two part Empire Builders series HERE
Destination – California
