The city of Los Angeles is the heart of the second largest metropolitan area in the U.S. While it's most famous for Hollywood, that is just one aspect of this sprawling and highly diverse city.

Even before O.J. drove the Bronco or "The Terminator" became governor, Frank Lloyd Wright said, "Tip the world over on its side and everything loose will land in Los Angeles."

The Los Angeles metro area has been a "boomtown" since the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1876, first attracting "the folks" from the Midwest with a blessedly warm and dry climate--and becoming a gateway to a remarkable diversity of immigration from throughout the Pacific Rim and Latin America.

L.A. is a sprawling megalopolis; one could start in one end of L.A. and drive for more than two hours without leaving the county's influence. The metro area includes smaller cities, such as Santa Monica, Burbank, Pasadena and Long Beach, which were founded around the end of the nineteenth century and retain distinct identities. Geographically, there is very little logic as to what is part of the city of L.A.; for example, Hollywood is not a separate city--it is part of the City of Los Angeles--but adjacent West Hollywood and Beverly Hills are not part of the city.

The city's primary newspaper is the Los Angeles Times. The free LA Weekly comes out on Thursdays and is a good source for concerts and other local information. Local areas may have their own free papers as well.

Districts

    * Downtown – once the center of LA, it fell into disrepair over the last few decades and was primarily a business center and home to the homeless... though recent years are seeing a revival, and trendy hotels, bars, shops and restaurants are making it a place to be again.

    * Eastside – a funkier area north of downtown that's rapidly being taken over by hipsters - the Brooklyn of LA, if you will

    * Harbor Area – home of the largest sea port in the States, and the launching point for trips to Catalina Island

    * Hollywood – the place where dreams are (often not) made. It's received quite a makeover in recent years, sparked by the construction of Hollywood & Highland and the return of the Academy Awards.

    * South Central – a reputation for gangs and well-known for the Rodney King riots.

    * Westside – generally more affluent area of town, many of it's inhabitants "refuse to go East of La Cienega".

    * Greater Wilshire – Wilshire Blvd didn't invent the car, but it certainly put it on the map - the first gas station in the country was at Wilshire & La Brea

Sights

    * Hollywood Boulevard. Here you can find some of the biggest tourist attractions in the city - The Walk of Fame for its stars, Grauman's Chinese Theatre for its hand and foot prints, The Wax Museum and Ripley's Believe it or Not. More info in the Hollywood article.

    * Mulholland Drive. This famous avenue is worth a drive if you have your own transport. It's the setting for endless movies and first kisses, and provides great views over the city. The easiest way to enter is to head north up Highland Ave into the Cahuenga Pass - you'll come to a turnoff to your left that is signed. Beware of speeding cars near this intersection.

Historical

    * El Pueblo. Also known as Olvera Street, this is the historic center of LA and the city derives its name from the mission established here (Mission De La Nuestra Senora La Reina de Los Angeles - the Mission of our Lady the Queen of the Angels). The oldest building in the city lies here and is open to visitors, as are a number of Mexican restaurants and shops; it is across the street from Union Station.

    * Union Station, 800 N. Alameda Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90012. A historic downtown site and the main railway hub for the city.

Ethnic

    * Chinatown
    * Little Tokyo
    * Little Armenia
    * Little Persia
    * Little Gaza
    * Thaitown
    * K-Town (Koreatown)
    * Little Ethiopia

    * Griffith Park. This is the second largest park within a city in the whole country (and in LA, where you'd least expect it!), and is a great place for hikes, picnics or hanging around with friends. The hiking trails lead up to Mulholland Drive, and provide great views of the city.

Shopping

Los Angeles has a well-known, diverse and unique shopping traditions and destinations. Strip malls and shopping malls will dominate your shopping trip as they are nearly inescapable in many of your destinations. For example, the Hollywood & Highland mall is a popular meeting point for those gazing at the Walk of Fame and Mann's Chinese Theater. Other malls you may bump into are the Grove (next to the Farmer's Market) and the Beverly Center, which is quite unlike other shopping malls as it is multilevel with a nice view of Los Angeles from its food court patio.

Lacking any significant public square, Los Angeles funnels its commercial life onto its streets. Among the most popular street is Larchmont Blvd. which caters to the wealthy elite of Hancock Park with one-of-a-kind boutiques. Melrose Avenue, especially in the West Hollywood portion, one-ups Larchmont Blvd. with celebrity presence.

Broadway in Downtown will take you out of the comforts of overly manicured shopping centers and drop you onto its chaos. With merchandise geared towards the city's millions of Latinos, twenty dollars would probably get you a new wardrobe. You will also find pirated DVD's and CD's. You can find alot of brand name merchandise at discounted prices. Broadway once was the city's premier boulevard and looking up above the gritty flea markets and you would see the opulent theaters that defined luxury in early 20th-century Los Angeles.

Celebrities

Celebrities are no different from everyone else although they do have more money to spend and would tend to avoid the masses when it comes to shopping. Fred Segal in West Hollywood and Santa Monica is a prime destination for stars. Due to its association with notorious starlets such as Lindsay Lohan, Kitson on Robertson has attracted celebrity attention.

Specialty

Downtown is the destination for some focused retail therapy. Want flowers? Why there's a Flower District in Downtown! Jewelry? Fashion? Seafood? Toys? Yep, there are entire districts in Downtown dedicated to these particular products. You can buy art in Gallery Row up and down Main Street or see artists at work in the Artist District. They are located mostly just east of the towering Financial District. Beware though as they exist along with the notorious Skid Row.

Music

As the second capital of hip-hop culture Los Angeles has hundreds of records stores scattered around the area. Also, though vinyl has disappeared from the shelfs of regular record stores, many stores still sell used an new vinyl. Amoeba Music in Hollywood is without a doubt the best in the city.

Hotels

It's hard to summarize the plethora of hotel options in L.A. From some of the most opulent (and expensive) hotels in the world to budget hostels to apartment-hotel crash pads, there's something for everyone. Deciding where to stay will have a lot to do with what areas you plan on visiting, and how you're going to get there. As usual in Southern California, a car opens up a world of options, but be sure to check the parking arrangement at your accommodations before you arrive.

Hollywood is probably the most popular option for those wanting to sight-see and chase their image of that world. Downtown has long been popular with the business crowd but is rapidly receiving a makeover with hotels like The Standard bringing a hipper crowd. Beverly Hills has some of the nicest hotels in the city, expect the prices to reflect its reputation. Sun and sand seekers can head to Santa Monica or Venice, while those just in town for a day or two might consider staying on the Westside near LAX airport. Pasadena to the northeast of LA is a peaceful and leafy city and a good alternative.