City Information
Airport
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is 24 km south-west of Downtown. Flight time from London is 12 hrs direct. Burbank Airport, in the San Fernando Valley and 21 km from Downtown, handles international, internal and private flights.
Airport to City Centre
Boka flygstol - Biljett - Resebyrå
Queensway
Travel
Taxis wait on ranks outside the main terminals. The fare into Downtown is $27. Rates to Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and Hollywood generally cost upwards of $30. The Mass Transit Authority bus service into Downtown is inefficient and best avoided. Better are the privately-run shuttle companies like Super Shuttle Ground Transportation, which connects to the major hotels and can be summoned on the courtesy telephones in baggage claim. A one-way trip to most parts of the city costs $19-40 and seats should be reserved in advance.
Orientation
The greater Los Angeles area is a vast suburban sprawl, comprising the Westside, Downtown, San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Valley and the Coast and South Bay regions. Getting around can be tricky to start with but once the freeway system has been studied it is actually fairly straightforward. Public transport is available but most people use cars. Unless you are able to draw on the services of a chauffeur, it is best to hire a car at the airport. Don't forget to buy a good road map.
The 405 (San Diego Freeway) bisects the city north-south, with 'exits' virtually every km or so into the Fernando Valley, Westside and Orange County. The 10 (or Santa Monica Freeway) links the coast, Downtown and Pasadena. On the Westside (Beverly Hills, Hollywood, La Brea, West Hollywood, Brentwood, Westwood, Century City) the roads are laid to a grid system. When noting an address, always ask for its intersection - streets such as Sunset Blvd are 32 km long! Downtown is east of Hollywood and served by both the 101 (Hollywood Freeway) and the 10. For most people, the Westside is the place to be, although outlying areas like Redondo Beach, Malibu, Burbank and Pasadena also have their attractions. Downtown is a thriving area of offices and banks in the day, but deserted at night and worth avoiding other than for a trip to the Music Center.
Getting Around
Taxis are very reasonable considering the long distances one often has to travel. Expect to pay about $10 for the shortest hop and up to $40 for, say, a journey from Santa Monica into the Valley. Among the best firms on the Westside are United Independent Taxi (Tel: 310 821 1000) and Beverly Hills Cab
which operate between Downtown, West LA and LAX. Cabs cannot usually be flagged in the street, so you should telephone order in advance. If you must use public transport, check out the Express Lines that run through Downtown and midtown on major roads. Line 320, for instance, follows the entire length of Wilshire Blvd. In a bid to resolve the city's poor public transport system, several subway routes have recently been completed, and offer a safe and speedy alternative to above ground congestion. Metro Rail's Red Line connects Downtown to North Hollywood with stops at Universal City and Hollywood; the Blue Line offers transportation to the Los Angeles Convention Center, Staples Center and Long Beach. Train services, via Amtrak, may be taken up and down the coast. Few people seem to use the service, although it is actually very efficient. Amtrak's new Pacific Surfliner traverses the route from San Diego to San Luis Obispo in style and includes wide reclining seats, electrical outlets for laptops, digital information display, and seating and restrooms for the disabled. Amtrak recently launched a California Rail Pass, offering 'Eurail' style travel in the Golden State. For information, call Amtrak at Union Station.
What to see
Universal Studios Hollywood: A behind-the-scenes look at the world's busiest film and television studio. The tour includes a tram ride through front and back lots to view the backdrops of some of the world's greatest movies. Special effects demonstrations, stunt shows and exhibits of TV and movie memorabilia add to the variety of things to see. Newest attractions include the interactive The Mummy Returns: Chamber of Doom, a re-creation of ancient Egypt, and Nickelodeon Blast Zone, a 30,000 sq ft adventure play area bringing popular animated TV programmes to life. The popular Terminator 2: 3D, a virtual adventure, unites spectacular live action and cinematic effects. Favourite rides include the newly enhanced Jurassic Park - The Ride; WaterWorld - A Live Sea War Spectacular; Back To The Future - The Ride and the ET Adventure. Visitors can also experience Earthquake - The Big One, a visit with King Kong and the fiery Backdraft. Universal's adjacent CityWalk has expanded to offer more than 60 entertainment venues, including NASCAR Silicon virtual racing experience, an IMAX 3-D movie theatre and a multimedia rock 'n' roll bowling alley.
Getty Center: Designed by Richard Meier, the castle-like structure, situated on a 110-acre campus, looms majestically atop the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains, uniting the J. Paul Getty Museum, and Getty's institutes and grant programmes. Located just off the 405 freeway in West Los Angeles, between the upscale neighbourhoods of Bel Air and Brentwood, the Getty attracts visitors from around the globe. A tram transports visitors up the hill and into another world. On a clear day, a spectacular panorama of Catalina Island, the skyscrapers of Downtown Los Angeles and the sometimes snowcapped Mt Baldy make outside views as impressive as the interior collection. The centre includes a museum and research facilities, splendid gardens and courtyards, theatre, and restaurants. The museum focuses on Greek and Roman antiquities. Admission is free, though parking reservations are necessary during weekdays. On Sat, Sun and after 1600 on weekdays, parking reservations are unnecessary, though admittance is based on availability of parking.
Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific: Visitors walk through Plexiglas viewing tunnels filled with sharks and other exotic aquatic life. More than 10,000 marine specimens representing over 550 species native to the Pacific Ocean dart in and out of the world's largest coral reef exhibit.
Norton Simon Museum: Although not the Musée D'Orsay, the Norton Simon collection of Impressionist artworks commands acknowledgement among the USA's finest art museums. Rodin's Burghers of Calais greets visitors at the entrance. Inside, the works of Degas, Lautrec, van Gogh, Manet and Renoir fill the galleries. Seven centuries of European art, from the Renaissance to the 20th century, include works by Raphael, Botticelli, Rubens, Rembrandt and Goya. Paintings and drawing by 20c masters include those of Picasso, Matisse and the German Expressionists. South Asian works of art dominate the lower level. The recently installed sculpture garden features 20th-century statues, and visitors may also enjoy refreshments.
Museum of Television and Radio: Situated in the centre of Beverly Hills, this sleek, Richard Meier creation houses a computerised collection of more than 109,000 television and radio programmes. Covering more than 70 years of broadcasting, programmes range from news, public affairs and documentaries to drama, advertising, sports and comedy. The museum's state-of-the-art library features private consoles where visitors can privately screen selections chosen from the museum's database.
Museum of Tolerance and Simon Wiesenthal Center: A unique 165,000 sq ft, hi-tech, interactive museum focusing on personal prejudice, racism, group intolerance, the struggle for civil rights in America and 20c genocides, culminating with a major exhibition on the Holocaust. Newly installed Globalhate.com is based on the ongoing investigation of hate on the Internet. The museum is said to be a 'symbol of society's quest to live peacefully together and a resource for information and counsel on how to reach that goal'. The museum houses a large archive library and a multi-media learning centre designed for individual research on World War II, the Holocaust and anti-Semitism.
Hollywood and Highland: With its gala opening in November 2001, this 640,000 sq ft entertainment and retail complex breathes new life into what was once the glamour capital of the world, but subsequently became one of the seedier areas of the city. At the entrance, a giant arch, in the Babylon Court, frames the Hollywood sign in the distance. The complex's state-of-the-art 3,500 seat Kodak Theatre is to be the future home of the Academy Awards ceremonies. A 1,600 seat multiplex cinema, television studio, boutiques and restaurants, plus the new Renaissance Hollywood Hotel, complete this new entertainment mecca.
Mann's Chinese Theatre: Stars of the silver screen have left their marks, literally and indelibly, in the famous courtyard. Since the 1920s, handprints and footprints of actors and actresses from Gloria Swanson and Cary Grant to Marilyn Monroe and Anthony Hopkins have been immortalised in cement. The cinema itself resembles a Chinese pavilion, a magnificent monument to Hollywood's glamorous past where current films are shown.
Hollywood Wax Museum: A few blocks away from Mann's is LA's very own Madame Tussaud's, where all the big names are cast forever in wax. There is also an Academy Award Film Library, a Chamber of Horrors and a bizarre re-creation of the Last Supper - welcome to LA folks! 6767 Hollywood Blvd.
Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills: Rub shoulders with the rich and surgically-stacked in what is generally considered to be America's most expensive shopping street (between Wilshire and Santa Monica Blvds). All the designer labels are here. Go armed to the teeth with credit cards.
The Huntington: A cultural and education centre features fine art collections of 18c and 19c oil paintings, a library and magnificent botanical gardens, with unusual flora spreading over 130 acres. Make reservations at the charming tearoom for an afternoon respite.
Autry Museum of Western Heritage: One of the most comprehensive repositories of Western history in the world includes paintings, sculptures, historic firearms, tools, conveyances, equipment, clothing and furnishings of both famous and lesser known people of the Western landscape.
Shopping
Affärsresor - Affärsresabyrå - lågprisflyg
Queensway
Travel
Quite simply, get across to Rodeo Drive in the heart of Beverly Hills, flex the credit card and splurge. One of the most exclusive shopping streets in the world more than lives up to its lofty reputation, enticing more fur coats and coiffeured poodles per square metre than anywhere else. That's not all. For the sheer pleasure of watching high maintenance 'babes' splashing around their (or someone else's) cash and bejewelled grande dames tottering around on the arms of men half their age, pop into Number Two Rodeo. This exclusive mall of top boutiques and chic bistros fronts an Italianate cobblestone walkway. Further along, on Rodeo Drive itself, between Wilshire and Santa Monica Blvds, breeze into Gucci, Chanel, Cartier, Ralph Lauren, Charles Jourdan, Armani, Zegna or Tiffany for clothes, shoes and jewels. All streets in the commercial district of Beverly Hills are lined with fine shops. Wilshire Blvd is home to the very upscale Saks Fifth Avene, Neiman Marcus and Barney's department stores. At the other end of the retail spectrum, the 88 blocks of Downtown's Fashion District offer everything from casual T-shirts to designer wear at hugely discounted prices. The Beverly Center on Beverly and La Cienega Blvds is a massive, enclosed shopping complex that includes Macy's, Bloomingdale, a 13-screen cinema and the ubiquitous Hard Rock Café. At Century City, the eponymous Shopping Center and Marketplace comprises a sprawling open-air complex of boutiques, cinemas and canteens, and is flanked by Bloomingdale and Macy's department stores. The aforementioned Montana Avenue, 3rd Street Promenade and Pasadena's Old Town all feature a variety of shops.
Where to walk
Despite its reputation to the contrary, LA boasts many delightful areas for walking. Some consider Santa Monica to be the most pleasant, with the shops of Main St, Montana Ave and 3rd St Promenade all popular with locals and visitors. The Pier is a favourite hang out, or head a bit further south to the Venice boardwalk (but only during daylight hours) to enjoy the city's funky side. Oceanfront Walk follows the coast for several miles and goes right past the famous Muscle Beach, where greased-up hunks pump their pecs and shoot baskets. Near the basketball courts and workout zones are stalls selling everything from sunglasses and incense sticks to CDs at bargain prices. Just south of Venice is Marina del Rey, a millionaire's playground of yachts, set around a picturesque harbour. Cruises can be booked, or stay on land and explore Fisherman's Village. This quaint New England-style seaside community features shops, cafés and boardwalks.
Universal CityWalk, alive with neon lights, fountains, shops, restaurants, movie theatres and a variety of entertainment venues, is adjacent to Universal Studios Hollywood and pulsates day and night. Pasadena's historic Old Town district is one of the city's most charming areas and, while being very much alive, is not given to huge crowds and street entertainment. The 20-block area showcases 200 beautifully restored buildings dating back to the late 19c. Westwood Village, a popular pedestrian area and movie theatre capital of Los Angeles, is also home to UCLA. A predominantly gay area, Santa Monica Blvd in West Hollywood features colourful cafés and outrageous people, many of whom speed down the sidewalks on skates. In Hollywood proper, stroll down Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame with the names of 2,181 stars implanted in the sidewalk. Each year 15-20 new stars are added. A new, well-marked, self-guided tour of the nationally registered Hollywood Boulevard Historic Commercial and Entertainment District includes some of the best examples of 1920s and 1930s architecture in the country.
A saunter down Rodeo Drive is a must. Finish up with a drink in the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel or at the bar of the Regent Beverly Wilshire, where Pretty Woman was filmed. For the young-at-heart, a trip down Melrose Ave affords a prime view of the city's trend capital, a bustling area of wacky fashions and svelte models hanging out in coffee shops. To escape the madness, take a picnic and walking shoes to Santa Monica Mountains Park off Topanga Canyon, where many Angelenos go hiking on weekends. A ride above the city along Mulholland Drive offers spectacular views of Hollywood, San Fernando Valley and Santa Monica Mountains. Griffith Park, LA's largest park, features the Los Angeles Zoo, Autry Museum of Western Heritage, open-air Greek Theatre and an equestrian centre and trails.
Tinsel Town Trivia
LA is on the leading edge of growth industries, its metropolitan area's Digital Coast filling more multimedia jobs than Silicon Valley and New York City combined. It has also overtaken Chicago as the nation's largest manufacturing centre and recently surpassed New York's fashion district workforce.
LA is the No 1 import/export port in the USA; there is $146 billion of trading activity in the LA customs district. Major exports include integrated circuits, aeroplanes and spacecraft, computers, aeroplane parts and parts for office machines. Major imports are computers, passenger vehicles, integrated circuits, office machine parts and reception apparatus.
LA's diverse multi-ethnic population today distinguishes the city as the cultural hub of the Pacific Rim. People from nearly 140 countries, speaking approximately 86 different languages, currently call the area home.
LA County is home to 158 colleges and universities. The city of Los Angeles has several, including such prestigious institutions as UCLA, The University of Southern California and Occidental.
LA assumed the role of movie capital of the world when pioneer filmmaker Col William Selig completed the first full-length film in 1908. Today the city boasts the largest concentration of sound stage space in the USA with an estimated 375 venues collectively spanning more than 4.2 million sq ft.
The Hollywood sign stretches four storeys high and 450 feet long across the top of the Hollywood Hills. Although it is illegal to hike to the sign, its letters have been altered, with and without permission, several times over the years to reflect local or world events, including HOLLYWEED, noting a loosening of state marijuana law in 1976.
Pasadena's Rose Bowl has played host to championship events including five Super Bowl football games, the 1999 Women's World Cup Soccer, the annual Tournament of Roses Parade and Rose Bowl Game. Today, the Rose Bowl is home to the Los Angeles Galaxy soccer team and UCLA Bruins football team.
Hollywood's beautifully restored Egyptian Theatre features Forever Hollywood, a film celebrating the history of Hollywood, four times daily, Tues-Sun. Built in 1922, the Egyptian was home to the very first Hollywood premiere, Robin Hood, starring Douglas Fairbanks.
