Los Angeles

The question in Los Angeles is never what to do, but where to begin. The county is home to many famous attractions in a relatively concentrated space.

Your choices include amusement parks, architectural landmarks, art museums and galleries, beaches, parks, hiking and shopping, to name a few. After the sun goes down, you’ll find there’s an abundance of nightlife options, including movies (of course!), as well as live music and comedy provided by performers both legendary and yet-to-be-discovered.

About the Region

Los Angeles County ranks among the world’s largest metropolitan areas, a land mass encompassing more than 10,360 square kilometres. The region stretches from the Pacific Ocean in the west to the desert lands on the east. With ten major shopping districts, an incredible variety of dance, music, theatre, theme parks, professional sporting events, television and motion picture production, L.A. is the undisputed ‘Entertainment Capital of the World’.

The downtown Music Centre for the Performing Arts features three theatres and a year-round schedule of opera, symphony, drama and musical productions. Nearby Hollywood Bowl, the world’s largest amphitheatre, offers a diverse, summer-long concert season. Los Angeles’ latest cultural offering is the $1 billion Getty Centre, a 110-acre arts and cultural centre which features a fabulous new J. Paul Getty Art Museum.

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The Los Angeles County Museum of Art features monumental exhibits and works of the world’s greatest artists. Next door is the Rancho La Brea Tar Pits, where the largest concentration of prehistoric animals ever found were trapped in tar: the artefacts are on display at George C. Page Museum. The celebrated Natural History Museum has fourteen million specimens and artefacts. One of the largest facilities in the U.S. dedicated to Western History is the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum in Griffith Park. It features 16,000 artefacts, paintings, and a large firearms collection. Also located in Griffith Park, the largest publicly owned city park in the United States, is the internationally known Los Angeles Zoo, which features a new three-acre Great Ape Forest.

A short drive away is the popular and trendy shopping districts of West Los Angeles and the elegance and glamour of nearby Beverly Hills. Stroll along Rodeo Drive, the most exclusive shopping boulevard in the United States with more than 95 boutiques, designer shops, art galleries and restaurants. Many of the world’s most famous celebrities make Beverly Hills their home. You can glimpse their glittering lifestyles on individual or group tours of the area.

While Los Angeles is noted for entertainment and sports of all kinds, Hollywood is the core of the world’s television and motion picture industry. Walk in the footsteps of the stars along Hollywood Boulevard to Mann’s Chinese Theatre, where movie legends have left their imprints in the courtyard of this famed motion picture palace. Visit the new Hollywood Entertainment Museum. Step behind the scenes of major television network productions at NBC Studio Tour in nearby Burbank. The entertainment world comes alive at Universal Studios Hollywood, the world’s biggest and busiest motion picture and television studio. Tour the famous backlot with sets and locations from many famous movies. Then participate in live action extravaganzas and rides, and marvel at the magic of special effects and the latest technical achievements.

Shoppers will enjoy the discount prices in downtown L.A. Garment District; bustling Chinatown, filled with restaurants and shops; Little Tokyo and the Japan Village Plaza; and Olvera Street, Los Angeles’ first city street now lined with shops and stalls offering Mexican handicrafts and foods.

The essence of the famed California lifestyle can be found in the beach communities such as Venice and Santa Monica, fringed with palm trees and sandy beaches. Here people of all ages roller-skate and bicycle. Surf, sun and stroll along magnificent beaches which stretch from Malibu to the north, past Marina del Rey (the largest man-made yacht harbour in the world) to Manhattan, Hermosa and Redondo Beaches to the south.

In Long Beach, hail a 40-foot-long water taxi to take you to all of the city’s major attractions, including the fabulous $100 million Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific, part of a $650 million Queensway Bay project to renovate Long Beach waterfront; The Queen Mary, once a luxury passenger ship, is today permanently anchored in the Long Beach Harbour; Shoreline Village for shopping and dining; and the Catalina Express terminal for off-shore excursions.

Catalina Island, just twenty-two miles offshore, is a pleasant boat cruise or helicopter ride from Long Beach, San Pedro or Newport Beach. Most of this huge island remains undeveloped, accessible only by bicycling and hiking. Avalon, Catalina’s Island charming port and only town, offers picturesque hotels, beachside resorts, shops, galleries and restaurants.

If you want even more action, drive north to Valencia to Six Flags Magic Mountain, a state-of-the-art amusement park that offers some of the most thrilling rides in the world.

Activities

	Los Angeles is truly an outstanding city when it comes to art and culture. You could fill weeks exploring the world-famous museums, architectural landmarks, movie theaters and live music venues. The city has been a hotbed for American arts since the 1950s. Today, with the ever growing influence of Hollywood — what other town fuels pop culture more?
	L.A. is famous for its beaches. Surely you’ve heard of Malibu, Santa Monica, Venice (aka Muscle Beach) and Long Beach. From the star-studded to the secluded, each beach attracts a different crowd in this diverse metropolis. Lifeguards staff both L.A. county and state beaches during daylight hours.
	Like actors, the Los Angeles golf scene comes in many different forms. First you have your A-List Courses (world famous layouts) — they are luxurious, visually appealing, and popular with golfers all over the globe. Next you have your Supporting Actors (modern daily fee courses) — these venues are well crafted, well groomed, and take pride in their performance, not their notoriety. Finally, you have your Extras (municipal courses) – you can find them everywhere in the L.A. region, they are reasonably priced, but can be a little shabby around the edges. Still fun to play.
	There’s certainly no shortage of places to go after the sun sets in this city. Whether you’re looking for the next big comedian or alternative rock band, an undercover celebrity hangout, hip dance club, martini bar, or low-key lounge, you’ll likely find it here.
	L.A.’s 20-plus beaches are a major draw for visitors and residents alike for surfing, fishing, or a cooling dip on a summer day. There are also plenty of idyllic locations, such as the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, for hiking, trail running and mountain biking throughout the city limits. You can even camp in Malibu Creek State Park, just up the coast.
	L.A. has a reputation for being all about looks, so naturally the shopping is stellar! Whatever your preference, outdoor malls, department stores and boutiques that specialize in everything you can imagine — and some things you just can’t – thrive in this city.
	Angelinos love their spas, and it shows in the sheer number of them here. Whether you’re looking for a deep-tissue massage, sea-salt scrub, or rice-bran bath, you’ll find it here. Opportunities also abound for yoga, Pilates, and meditation to complete your total relaxation.
	The cradle of America’s entertainment industry has no shortage of parks to thrill, from Universal Studios’ behind-the-scenes blockbuster action to record-breaking roller coasters at Magic Mountain to the recently refurbished historic Santa Monica Pier.
	L.A.’s dining scene is as diverse as its people, making it possible to indulge just about any fancy here. Ethnic cuisine abounds, from Afghan to Vietnamese, and L.A. foodies keep a combination of the trendy and the traditional alive. Local wines, fresh produce, meats, seafood, and artisanal breads and cheeses all feature prominently in a uniquely California way.

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