WHAT'S YOUR DREAM OF LA?
When you visit Los Angeles, you’ll discover that much of the vibrant life here
seems to thrive somewhere between reality and dream. This alluring place is
where trends are born. Convertibles. Short skirts. Health food. In-line skates.
Even the Internet. Since its beginning, LA has lived on the cusp of a trend,
always re-inventing itself – from Mexican outpost to agricultural Mecca to
boomtown movie colony to high-tech aerospace hub to the new economy. LA reaches
new horizons every day.
Los Angeles first coined the word “tourist.” Because most of us arrived here
as strangers, LA makes up the richest ethnic mix in the country. Cultures from
around the world rub elbows and join hands in fusions of language, fashion and
food. Have you tried a Thai taco? We have them. This cultural celebration also
means we have more stage theaters (80+) and museums (300) than any U.S. city.
With metropolitan LA at more than twice the size of Switzerland, you can be sure
there’s plenty to explore. Browse through this section to discover the seven
unique regions of Los Angeles.
Beach Cities Where your senses meet the sand, the sun, & the surf. When
you tour the beach cities and see the taut blond surfers and the swarms of
beachgoers on blankets or roller-skates, the California cliché comes to life.
But you'll soon realize how much "the scene" changes from Malibu to
Long Beach and all along the coast.
North of LAX gives us the surf culture of Malibu, where movie stars'
estates are
tucked in the hills above the ocean. Further south, you can take in the entire
bay from atop a spiffy lighted Ferris wheel at the famed Santa Monica Pier,
which is only a couple blocks away from the Third Street Promenade, a browsers'
heaven of bookstores, boutiques and cafes. Down the road in Venice, where the
canals wind their way through a residential neighborhood connected with bridges,
the colorful Venice Boardwalk and its flea-market-cum-circus atmosphere will
amaze and astound.
South of the airport offers a vast array of different things to explore,
such as the retro glamorous Queen Mary and the new, nearby Long Beach Aquarium
of the Pacific. You might lose an afternoon watching the volleyball players in
Manhattan Beach; then head down to San Pedro and soak up its Old World charm at
a restaurant like Papadakis Taverna, where dancing waiters serve savory Greek
specialties. Or perhaps you'd like to escape on a short ferry ride to Santa
Catalina, 26 miles off the coast. But no matter where you go in the beach
cities, there's something for everyone - whether it's biking along the beach, or
letting the kids play in the sand, while you sip drinks and watch the sun set
over the California coast.
Downtown From history to high rises, from Mariachis to Mozart,
Downtown reaches out, reaches back, reaches ahead. Whoever said that people
don't walk in LA has never visited our bustling downtown area, which grew from a
mixed Spanish settlement at Olvera Street, into a center rich with culture and
opportunity. Here, you can stroll among the cafes and ethnic restaurants in
Chinatown and Little Tokyo, or take a walking tour of Bunker Hill before
checking out the Museum of Contemporary Art. If your feet get tired after that,
hop on the restored Angels Flight(tm), the world's shortest incline railway, or
ride the 25-cent DASH shuttle around the city's center, where you might
recognize our City Hall as the Daily Planet building from the 1950s Superman TV
show.
And if none of this is academic enough for you, follow a guided tour of the
University of Southern California, or get lost in the restored Art Deco-style
Los Angeles Public Library. But no matter how you pass the time here - whether
you watch a game at Dodger Stadium, or swim under the stars in the rooftop pool
of the Wyndham Checkers Hotel - be sure to pick up an exceptional souvenir.
Choose from a treasure trove of hand-made goods like Mexican silver jewelry,
Japanese garden tools, and Chinese jade carvings. Or get stylin' with a designer
dress (at half-price!) from the Fashion
Hollywood Finding stars, cars and the hippest bars. What does Hollywood mean to you?
Old movies from the Golden Age of Tinseltown? An action-filled working film set?
Or the famed white letters on a hill that loom in the distance? If you're not
sure, begin at the Hollywood Entertainment Museum where you can pilot the
Starship Enterprise from Star Trek or keep Norm's stool warm from the Cheers
set. If it's time to eat, you may want to "do lunch" at Musso &
Franks, still popular with oldtime Hollywood power brokers. And for a taste of
Hollywood today, be part of a live audience at a TV taping.
Even after your feet touch every star on the Hollywood Walk Fame, and
you've bought an autographed movie poster of your favorite film, you aren't
through with Hollywood yet. On the more rustic side, over 53 miles of trails
await exploration by foot or by horse in Griffith Park, which also houses the LA
Zoo. If you fancy yourself young and hip, shop for an ultra-trendy outfit on
Melrose before going club-hopping at places like the retro-chic Dresden Club,
featured in the film "Swingers." For a family adventure, tour
Universal Studios Hollywood and get wet on Jurassic Park The Ride. And if you're
in the mood for romance, nothing compares to a gourmet picnic together with a
symphony, under a sea of stars at the Hollywood Bowl.
The Westside Fashion, Film, & Fine Art. For many, Los Angeles conjures up images of
fame and fortune. A tour of the Westside will bring you to the heart of all this
glamour - from the hills of Bel Air, filled with lavish homes, or Rodeo drive
where you could blow your life savings in a day. Here, the "beautiful
people" live, shop, and party, at places like Dan Aykroyd's House of Blues
on the famous Sunset Strip. Wander around for a day - even at a shopping mall
like the Beverly Center - and you just might catch a glimpse of some of the
Westside's notable inhabitants.
The beauty of LA's Westside is not limited to its people, however. With
over 300 museums, it's a great place to get an "art attack." Museum
Row on Wilshire's Miracle Mile is the perfect starting point to see everything
from Picasso at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, to the largest collection
of Miniatures at the Carole & Barry Kaye Museum of Miniatures, to cars of
every lineage at the Petersen Automotive Museum. Head a little further south to
Leimert Park for an excursion through the exotic art galleries and shops that
reflect African American Culture. And don't forget to visit the newest, the
Getty Center, which sits high on a hill in ivory splendor, waiting to give you a
feast for the eyes with timeless art and one of the most beautiful vistas in
California.
San Fernando Valley VALLEY OF THE STARS -- Where Dream Makers Live Their Dreams. Along the crest
of the Santa Monica Mountains, the serpentine Mulholland Drive bisects Los
Angeles from the sprawling San Fernando Valley below. Here, the hypernormal
Brady Bunch "lived" in the original bedroom community filled with
classic Middle America homes you may recognize from other TV shows and movies.
In fact, so much of Middle American culture sprouted in what's known simply as
"The Valley" - things like the modern mini-mall, drive-in movies, the
double burger, and of course, just about every teen trend that's ever swept
across the country.
Despite its quintessential suburban atmosphere, The
Valley has plenty of unique qualities worth exploring. Stroll along The Valley's
backbone, Ventura Boulevard, which displays a colorful melange of new stores and
vintage boutiques. Or check out a play in one of the small theatres in the new
arts community of North Hollywood, known as NoHo for short. And we can't forget
the studios, where TV and movie making is still going strong at places like Bugs
Bunny's home, Warner Bros. Studios, or at NBC, where you can see Jay Leno host
the Tonight Show. Even journey to the northern edge of The Valley, where Six
Flags Magic Mountain dares you to ride the tallest, fastest roller-coaster in
the world, Superman the Escape. Nearby, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
houses a piece of the Berlin Wall, and the 1797 Mission San Fernando Rey De
Espana shows you where it all began.
The San Gabriel Valley Gracious Gardens, Grand Houses, Great Art Museums. As home of the Rose Bowl
and its annual Rose Parade, this valley is lush with more than just flowers.
(But if you enjoy flora and fauna, don't miss the Los Angeles County Arboretum,
or Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge, where the largest camellia garden
in the world grows, or especially the acres of gardens studded with classical
sculpture at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens.)
Populated by wealthy Midwesterners in the 1880s, San Gabriel Valley towns, such
as Old Pasadena, paved with wide streets, and dotted with classic city halls and
churches, look like a slice of Americana.
Hardly sleeping in the past though, this area is truly
on the cutting edge, with institutes like Caltech and the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, leading the nation into the future. And it's easy to get swept up in
the fast-paced energy at the Santa Anita racetrack in Arcadia, which is set
picturesquely against the San Gabriel Mountains. If you need to cool off from
the excitement of winning (or losing), go to Raging Waters in San Dimas.
Complete your exploration of the San Gabriel Valley area with a hike into the
raw wilderness of the Angeles National Forest.
The Neighboring Regions Fantasy and A World of Shopping. LA is a natural base for day-tripping.
Amusement parks, desert communities and great shopping are all a relatively
short drive away. Disneyland has created a force field of the future that
seemingly draws your car south toward the newly renovated Tomorrowland. Once
there, jump on board the Astro Orbitor, and pilot your own spaceship. The Rocket
Rods is the fastest and longest ride Disneyland has ever offered.
For a plate of old-fashioned fried chicken and all the
fixin's, try Knott's Berry Farm. It's the oldest theme park in America. Check
out Mystery Lodge, a special-effects theatrical attraction with a Native
American theme. If you want something a little wilder, the Boomerang ride flips
you
upside down six times in a minute. At the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and
Birthplace in Yorba Linda, you can see the childhood home of the first president
to visit China and Russia. And if your only thought of tomorrow is where to shop
next, you'll have a lot of choices in neighboring regions. Ontario Mills, east
of Los Angeles, is the largest factory outlet in the country.
tucked in the hills above the ocean. Further south, you can take in the entire
bay from atop a spiffy lighted Ferris wheel at the famed Santa Monica Pier,
which is only a couple blocks away from the Third Street Promenade, a browsers'
heaven of bookstores, boutiques and cafes. Down the road in Venice, where the
canals wind their way through a residential neighborhood connected with bridges,
the colorful Venice Boardwalk and its flea-market-cum-circus atmosphere will
amaze and astound.
