At Row DTLA, where you can find everything from vegan mushroom sandwiches at Champignon Eats to garlic noodz and truffle fries at Lobsterdamus. Critics refer to it either as a laid-back “la-la land” or, conversely, as a place reeling from earthquakes, fire, smog, gang warfare, and riots. The city’s defenders admire its mild climate and geographic variety. They claim that its major social problems are similar to those of all big cities and are perhaps even less severe there than elsewhere. In fact, some observers regard it as the most modern and quintessential American city.
Airports
The collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, or LACMA, are housed in a cluster of buildings, with a modern and contemporary-art-filled west campus that opened 2008 and a single-building redesign due to open in 2026 on the eastern half. The focal point is its grand entrance, which includes Chris Burden’s photogenic installation Urban Light. LACMA shares a park with the La Brea Tar Pits and sits just across the street from the Petersen Automotive Museum and Craft Contemporary, and next to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures (an excellent celebration of cinema from the folks who hand out the Oscars). From the Space Shuttle Endeavour at the California Science Center to a trio of T. Along a three-block stretch known as Museum Row on Wilshire Boulevard, visitors can walk to four of these cultural institutions, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. After snapping an obligatory photo standing among the Urban Light exhibit’s 202 antique street lamps, take a step back in time by checking out Ice Age fossils and still-bubbling excavation sites at La Brea Tar Pits & Museum.
- With an estimated 3.88 million residents within the city limits as of 2024update,8 it is the second-most populous city in the United States, behind New York City.
- The Blue and Gold Lines run mostly at grade, with some street-running, elevated, and underground stretches in the more densely populated areas of Los Angeles.
- The city of Los Angeles covers a total area of 502.7 square miles (1,302 km2), comprising 468.7 square miles (1,214 km2) of land and 34.0 square miles (88 km2) of water.90 The city extends for 44 miles (71 km) from north to south and for 29 miles (47 km) from east to west.
- Grab lunch at the Fig Tree before browsing the shelves at Small World Books.
- The Greater Los Angeles CSA is the third-largest economic center in the world, after Greater Tokyo and the New York-Newark-Bridgeport CSA.
- If sports are more your speed, Dodger Stadium in the hilly Echo Park neighborhood overlooks downtown, and nearby hiking trails and bike paths offer an outdoor escape in adjacent Elysian Park.
- There are many ethnicities of people living in the city, and over 18 million people in the L.A.
Other significant sectors include shipping/international trade – particularly at the adjacent Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach, together comprising the United States’ busiest seaport – logistics – the Inland Empire being the largest concentration of warehousing and intermodal facilities in the world – as well as aerospace, technology, petroleum, fashion and apparel, and tourism. The Los Angeles Metro and other regional agencies provide a comprehensive bus system that covers Los Angeles County. Los Angeles , city, seat of Los Angeles county, southern California, U.S. It is the second most populous city and metropolitan area (after New York City) in the United States. The city sprawls across a broad coastal plain situated between mountains and the Pacific Ocean; the much larger Los Angeles county, which encompasses the city, contains some 90 other incorporated cities, including Beverly Hills, Pasadena, and Long Beach. The county also encompasses two of the Channel Islands, Santa Catalina and San Clemente; Mount San Antonio, familiarly known as Mount Baldy or Old Baldy, 10,046 feet (3,062 metres) high; more than 900 square miles (2,330 square km) of desert; and 75 miles (120 km) of seacoast.
Los Angeles’ Uncomplicated Chorizo Quesadilla
Take a whole day out to explore this fabulous Pasadena-adjacent place. Make sure to check out all of the free museum days before you visit. Latin American immigrants, particularly Mexican immigrants, brought tacos, burritos, quesadillas, tortas, tamales, and enchiladas served from food trucks and stands, taquerias, and cafés. Asian restaurants, many immigrant-owned, exist throughout the city with hotspots in Chinatown,251 Koreatown,252 and Little Tokyo.253 Los Angeles also carries an outsized offering of vegan, vegetarian, and plant-based options. The architecture of Los Angeles is influenced by its Spanish, Mexican, and American roots. Popular styles in the city include Spanish Colonial Revival style, Mission Revival style, California Churrigueresque style, Mediterranean Revival style, Art Deco style, and Mid-Century Modern style, among others.
Census Bureau defines Greater Los Angeles, or officially, the Los Angeles–Long Beach Combined Statistical Area, to include both the above-mentioned areas along with the entirety of San Bernardino and Riverside counties.51 These areas are sparsely developed and are part of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts. To the north, Interstate 15 crosses desolate desert landscape after passing Barstow, linking Greater Los Angeles with Las Vegas, with Baker being the only significant outpost along the route. To the east, lie the Mojave National Preserve and Joshua Tree National Park along with the towns of Needles and Blythe on the California-Arizona border. The traditional business district and historical downtown of Greater Los Angeles is Downtown Los Angeles. However, most commercial activity is found outside downtown Los Angeles in the edge cities of Century City, Wilshire Boulevard in Koreatown, Hollywood, the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, Universal City, the Warner Center in Woodland Hills, and Sherman Oaks and Encino, notable for existing alongside extensive suburban development.
The Oscar Goes to the Academy Museum
The stainless-steel landmark is part of The Music Center campus, one of the largest performing arts centers in the United States. Weekend excursions revisit L.A.’s storied past at landmarks such as the Bradbury Building and Angels Flight railway, both featured on the TV show Bosch, among others. If sports are more your speed, Dodger Stadium in the hilly Echo Park neighborhood overlooks aphrodite casino downtown, and nearby hiking trails and bike paths offer an outdoor escape in adjacent Elysian Park.
Subregions in the Inland Empire
Whether it’s visiting a quiet museum, or attending a boisterous ball game, there are always things to do, interesting attractions and exciting events and places to go in LA. Read on for ten iconic “must see” places in Los Angeles. If you’re in SoCal to take in as much culture as possible, you’ll be spoiled for choice at San Marino’s three-in-one attraction, the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens. A truly one-of-a-kind destination, it’s home to an impressive art gallery, a substantially stocked library (with a Gutenberg Bible) and elaborately themed botanical gardens. The hilly Japanese garden, beautifully designed Chinese garden and cacti-filled desert garden are among our favorites.
The adobe, along with other historic buildings in the district such as the Plaza Firehouse, has been restored and is open for public tours. For those meals when you can’t decide, Grand Central Market downtown has a little bit of everything. The city’s largest and oldest public market is home to some of its trendiest eats, like breakfast sandos at Eggslut and Korean lunch boxes at the mom-and-pop Shiku.
Anchored by the Japanese American National Museum, the Little Tokyo neighborhood is the largest of the three official Japantowns in the U.S. (the other two are in San Francsico and San Jose). For those arriving by train, Olvera Street is just steps from Union Station’s front doors. The marketplace is an essential part of the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument—the birthplace of Los Angeles and home to the city’s oldest building, the Avila Adobe.
- Master-planned cities soon began developing, and the county became increasingly urbanized.
- The city’s largest and oldest public market is home to some of its trendiest eats, like breakfast sandos at Eggslut and Korean lunch boxes at the mom-and-pop Shiku.
- A decade in now and the arrival of the Broad still feels like a game-changer, thanks to the museum’s distinctive design, free admission and post-war art collection.
- Whether it’s popular shopping centers like Westfield Century City and The Grove; Hollywood hand-me-downs from your film or TV crush; or bargains galore at the Citadel Outlets, something is sure to catch your eye.
- In 2022, the combined statistical area of Greater Los Angeles (which includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the Inland Empire, and Ventura County) had a $1.528 trillion economy.
- Other significant sectors include shipping/international trade – particularly at the adjacent Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach, together comprising the United States’ busiest seaport – logistics – the Inland Empire being the largest concentration of warehousing and intermodal facilities in the world – as well as aerospace, technology, petroleum, fashion and apparel, and tourism.
Nearby, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is a must for learning about the artists who bring stories to life on the big screen. Sprawling across 32 acres downtown, the aforementioned Row DTLA is a century-old industrial warehouse complex turned creative mecca. Browse a collection of boutiques packed with home goods, under-the-radar apparel brands, and vintage treasures. For big-name designers, The Grove’s open-air shopping plaza offers clothing and beauty wares from Aritzia, Sandro, Charlotte Tilbury, Lululemon, and more. Take a free trolley ride on the 1950s-era streetcar to The Original Farmers Market, where there are more than 100 gourmet grocers, souvenir stands, bookstores, jewelry shops, and other businesses open seven days a week.
Los Angeles is filled with world-famous landmarks and attractions but for an off-the-beaten path treat, visit legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s creation, designed for client Aline Barnsdall in his self-described “California Romanza” style. The Hollyhock House has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site – only the third such site in the entire state of California – and the grounds offer an art gallery, free studio classes for kids, and lush gardens sprinkled with its namesake flower. Opened in September 2021, the spectacular Academy Museum of Motion Pictures houses more than 13 million objects in a 300,000 square-foot campus designed by Pritzker Prize winning architect Renzo Piano. Get up-close to iconic movie props like Dorothy’s ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz and “Rosebud” from Citizen Kane. The museum’s immersive Oscars Experience transports you to the Dolby Theatre stage – after the standing ovation, you give your “thank you” speech with an Academy Award in hand. Be sure to stop by the Academy Museum Store for exclusive merch and local collabs.
Free Things to Do in Los Angeles
The Los Angeles River also runs through the city some 51 miles (82 km). Los Angeles moves about one-quarter of an inch (6.3 millimeters) to the east every year.25 It is caused by the city’s tectonic plates and rough ground geography and since Los Angeles is at a close distance with the San Andreas Fault. This brings Los Angeles and San Francisco 2.5 inches (64 mm) closer together each year. Downtown L.A.’s museums have collections so stunning it makes skipping a beach day a no-brainer. Yayoi Kusama’s immersive Infinity Mirrored Room installation at The Broad should top any contemporary art buff’s to-do list (and it’s free!). Down the street, the Frank Gehry–designed Walt Disney Concert Hall is home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic during the orchestra’s regular season, October through June.
Los Angeles has a diverse economy with a broad range of industries. Despite a steep exodus of film and television production since the COVID-19 pandemic,21 Los Angeles is still one of the largest hubs of American film production,2223 the world’s largest by revenue; the city is an important site in the history of film. Los Angeles hosted the Summer Olympics in 1932 and 1984, and will also host in 2028.
