Los Angeles
United States
“the City of Angels”
LOS ANGELES
ften known by its initials, “L.A.” and nicknamed “the City of Angels”, Los Angeles is the largest city in California, the leading entertainment industry of the world, and a global center for business, media, science, sports and technology.
Warm and sunny most days of the year, L.A. boasts a vast array of iconic landmarks, movie studios, celebrities, museums, ethnical and cultural diversity and the largest high-speed road networks in the world with over twelve million cars on a daily basis, with a sprawling metropolitan area including Santa Monica, Burbank, Pasadena, Long Beach, Anaheim, and Riverside.
Hotels
Experiences
Highlights
Useful Info
PLACES TO VISIT
nown for its architecture, gardens, and views overlooking Los Angeles, The Getty Center is a $1.3 billion campus for the J. Paul Getty Trust and one of two locations of the J. Paul Getty Museum. This branch of the museum specializes in “pre-20th-century European paintings, drawings, illuminated manuscripts, sculpture, and decorative arts; and 19th- and 20th-century American and European photographs”.
The Staples Center, a multi-purpose 950,000 square feet sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles, home to the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
The Main Street district offers an eclectic mix of clothing, restaurants, and other specialty retail. Another popular beachfront neighborhood, Venice Beach is known for its canals, beaches and circus-like Ocean Front Walk, a two-and-a-half-mile pedestrian-only promenade that features performers, fortune-tellers, artists, and vendors.
Home to executives and Hollywood celebrities, the beachfront city of Santa Monica features several shopping districts, each with its own unique feel and personality.
ontana Avenue is a stretch of luxury boutique stores, restaurants, and small offices that generally features more upscale shopping.
Claes Oldenburg Binoculars at the Frank Gehry’s Binoculars Building – Venice
Disneyland Park, located in Anaheim, owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts division. Construction began in 1954, and since its opening, Disneyland has undergone a number of expansions and renovations, including the addition of New Orleans Square in 1966, Bear Country (now Critter Country) in 1972, and Mickey’s Toontown in 1993.
Last but not least, Stargazing is one of many attractions in L.A., where celebrities pop up everywhere, especially in restaurants, a popular recreation among Hollywood’s elite. Almost guaranteed sights are places like Dan Tana’s, Mr. Chow, Nobu, the Ivy, Il Sole, Koi, Osteria Mozza, Cut, the Polo Lounge, the Grill on the Alley and Spago Beverly Hills.
POPULATION
3,792,621 (the second most populous city in the United States after New York City)
TIME
Los Angeles is in the Pacific Standard Time zone (8 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time and 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time).
WHAT TO WEAR
You can expect warm and sunny days year round. Typical high temperatures are 85 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer, 75 in the fall, 70 in the winter and 75 in the spring. The city averages over 320 days of sunshine per year, so you don’t have to worry about having your beach vacation rained out. Occasionally, summers can be stifling with daytime temperatures reaching sometimes 90-100F (45 C), mostly exacerbated by vehicles pollution.
SHOPPING
The Los Angeles shopping experience begins in the sprawling LA Fashion District in Downtown LA, and from there it’s choosing from top shopping centers like The Grove, Beverly Center, Hollywood & Highland, The Americana at Brand, Third Street Promenade or Santa Monica Place. Luxury items can be found on Rodeo Drive and Robertson Blvd.
NO SMOKING PLEASE
Smoking regulations in public areas are becoming stricter than ever. Smoking is illegal in public buildings, sports arenas, elevators, theaters, banks, lobbies, restaurants, offices, stores, most hotel lobbies, and bars.
TIPS
Suggested tipping in hotels are $1-2 per bag for porterage and $2 per day for the housemaid. Taxi drivers and restaurant staff receive an average of 15% gratuity.
DRINKING LAWS
The legal age for purchase and consumption of alcoholic beverages is 21; proof of age is required