GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT LOS ANGELES

The “City of Angels” is a city of sharp contrasts, home to people who come from all parts of the globe and an important center of culture, business, media, and international trade. However, it’s most famous for being a major center of the world’s television, motion picture, and music industry, which forms the base of the city’s status and lures visitors for its show business history and celebrity culture. Visitors are also drawn to Los Angeles for its Mediterranean climate and numerous beaches, which gave birth to California’s famed surf culture.

Getting there

The Los Angeles metro area is served by five major commercial airports and more than a dozen private airports. Their major airport is the Los Angeles International Airport

• Los Angeles International Airport(LAX), is one of the major ports of entry for international flights to the United States as well as a major destination for domestic flights so it can be quite busy, especially around holidays. All of the major rental car agencies have a location near the airport with hundreds of cars available for rent.

Things to do and see

• Entertainment is what has earned L.A. its fame, so many come for the sights of Hollywood, where you will find such landmarks to film as Grumman’s Chinese Theaterand the Hollywood Walk of Fame or gaze up at the Hollywood Sign perched on the hill
• Many also come in the hopes of seeing living celebrities. Chances of running into one in Hollywood are rather low, however you may get lucky in the glamorous neighborhoods of Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, and Malibu; which are home to many celebrity mansions and whose fancy restaurants are sometimes frequented by movie stars.
• Griffith Parkin Northwest LA is an absolutely massive parkthat sprawls across the hills near the Hollywood Sign and is a great place for hikes or picnics, with excellent views of the city. Here you can find numerous hiking trails and tucked-away sights, as well as major draws like the Los Angeles Zoo, the Autry Museum of the American West, the iconic and historic Griffith Observatory, and plenty of recreational activities.
• The Westside is home to the most famous beaches of LA: Venice Beach, with its colourful Boardwalk and Muscle Beach, and the town of Santa Monica, with its popular pier and amusement park. Both communities share an expansive stretch of sandy beach which gets verycrowded in the summer and which have plenty of amusements and facilities available,
• And then there’s Rodeo Driveof Beverly Hills, famed for its high-end fashion stores.