California – Los Angeles
Los Angeles is located on the Pacific Ocean and the Los Angeles River and is located in the state of California. The city’s full name is actually El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río de Porciúncula. Colloquially, the abbreviation “L.A.” is generally used. Los Angeles is the capital of Los Angeles County and, with 3.9 million inhabitants in the city proper, it is the second largest city in the USA after New York. With a population of 17.5 million in the catchment area, the city is one of the largest metropolitan regions in the world.
The downtown core and suburbs of Los Angeles are located in a hilly coastal area at an average of 32 meters above sea level. Downtown Los Angeles, as is usual for American cities, is a business center with a skyline of glass and concrete. To the west and south, the city borders the Pacific Ocean. In the east and north it is surrounded by mountain ranges. To the north of the city is the San Fernando Valley, where about a third of the residents live mostly in single-family homes.
The valley is cut off from Hollywood and downtown by Griffith Park and the Santa Monica Mountains. Los Angeles is the car city par excellence. And although the motorways run through the city in ten to twelve lanes, often over four-storey intersections, these are usually hopelessly congested at rush hour. There is no longer any space for further expansion of the road network.
Smog and particulate matter pollution from car and industrial exhaust fumes has become an acute environmental problem. The city is very spacious, which is why it is also called horizontal city. For sightseeing, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays are therefore preferable. Diverting to other roads off the freeways is very time-consuming for longer distances, even on the wide-developed and rarely congested main traffic boulevards due to countless traffic lights.
The most famous neighborhoods are Hollywood, home to the movie studios, and Beverly Hills, the residential area where the stars live. Hollywood is not just a suburb of Los Angeles, but a monument to the American film industry. In 1911, the first film studio was opened here. It is now a museum and houses a collection of interesting memorabilia from the silent film era. The southern neighborhoods, known as the California Surfing Spots, are Santa Monica Beach, Venice Beach, and Redondo Beach on the western edge of the city, and the original Disney Land can be found in the community of Anaheim.
On the eastern edge of the metropolitan region runs the San Andreas Fault. Since 1800, Los Angeles has been rocked by nine major earthquakes with an intensity of six and higher on the Richter scale and thousands of smaller quakes. The climate in LA is changeable. Daytime temperatures in summer are in the range between 23° C and 28°C. Provided that there is no smog, clouds or sea fog over the city. Clear weather prevails mainly between August and November, rain is mainly reserved for the winter months.
Outside the city is the Hollywood Bowl, a natural amphitheater. The Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra are based here. Famous artists such as the Beatles, Frank Sinatra have performed here. Even today, various concerts take place here in the summer months – admission free of charge.
There are numerous museums in the city, including the History Center of the California Historical Society, the Armand Hammer Museum of Art and Cultural Center, and the Southwest Museum, which has an important collection of Native American exhibits. In addition, a visit to the “Santa Monica Museum of Art” located in Santa Monica on Michigan Ave. (contemporary art) is also recommended. Don’t forget the Getty Center in Brentwood in the Santa Monica Mountains.
Film enthusiasts are recommended to visit Universal Studios in Universal City, Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank and CBS Television City in Hollywood. The Hollywood sign is located in the north of the city and can be seen nicely from the Griffith Observatory. Other sights include the famous Westin Bonaventure Hotel and the Library Tower, the tallest building in the USA west of the Mississippi River at 310 meters high. If you’re traveling Down Town, you should also visit the Staples Center, City Hall, and Watts Towers. The Capitol Records Building and Grauman’s Chinese Theater are both located in Hollywood.
Some of the most famous hotels in Los Angeles are the Beverly Willshire Hotel, The Beverly Hilton, the Chateau Marmont and the Mondrian. Also right in the center of Los Angeles is Echo Park, which served as a backdrop in the hit movie Chinatown. Los Angeles’ parks are home to numerous recreational and cultural facilities. In El Pueblo de Los Angeles State Historic Park is the Plaza Church, built in 1822.
One of the most popular beaches on the Pacific coast of Los Angeles is Venice Beach. This is also where the wide promenade called Ocean Front Walk is located. On weekends (daily in summer) numerous musicians, painters and artists work here for entertainment. Venice Beach is a dangerous place at night because of the street gangs and numerous dealers. After sunset, visiting the beach is prohibited.
The beach colony of Malibu is also famous because many celebrities live here. Palm-fringed beaches and hillsides over the Pacific Ocean can be found in Santa Monica, north of Venice. Santa Monica is the largest and best-known seaside resort in the metropolis. Many writers, rock stars and well-known personalities live here.
