los angeles,
california
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This city of angels, bright lights, fancy cars and dreams is far from ordinary.
Los Angeles – what you’ve always imagined can be a reality. Come and find the ultimate escape.
Who can resist Disneyland and the many other Southern California theme parks? Why not indulge your stylish side the way celebrities do, with exclusive shopping, maybe even see a famous face or two? What’s better than surfing, strolling or sun tanning at the beaches rimming the Pacific Ocean? Where else can you watch live tapings of well known TV shows? SoCal has a whole lot to choose from and Los Angeles is the hub of all of these things and more.
It’s your chance to live life the way you see it in the movies. Walk in the footsteps of legends and icons on a journey to a place familiar from the big (and small!) screen or find delight in well kept secrets. Get a glimpse of the lifestyles of the rich and famous. The sun almost always shines in Southern California; take in fabulous attractions throughout the year. Dust off your Spanish, Japanese or Chinese in some LA neighbourhoods; enjoy the ethnic flavour in multicultural restaurants and shops.
Los Angeles – where life is like a movie and the incredible becomes a reality. Immerse yourself in the glamour while you soak up the California sunshine!
Kids of all ages will find something in any or all of these parks:
- Nearby Anaheim is home to Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure;
- Knott’s Berry Farm and Soak City Water Park in Buena Park just north of Anaheim;
- Six Flags Magic Mountain and Hurricane Harbor in Valencia are a short drive north of downtown Los Angeles.
Los Angeles is home to Hollywood – but it isn’t just a neighbourhood, it’s a way of life. To get a sense of Hollywood, many studios offer tours which give visitors a glimpse of how movies and TV shows are made.
- In Burbank you will find Disney’s Headquarters, Warner Bros., and CBS Studio Center,
- See a live taping of “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” at NBC Studios, also in Burbank. Be sure to arrive early if you plan to pick up tickets from the studio, especially in the summer months or when a very popular celebrity guest is scheduled to appear,
- UNIVERSAL Studios is a few miles away, and has a world renowned theme park on site,
- Fox and the AVENUE of the STARS which houses the ABC Studios are 10 miles west in Century City,
- Sony and MGM Studios are nearby in Culver City.
Hollywood is the place where dreams are made. Come soak up the cool vibes and hip sensations and you too can feel like a star!
- Restaurants and cafés are popular places to hang out and possibly spot celebrities,
- Walk among the stars on the celebrated Walk of Fame, or visit the world famous (Grauman’s) Mann’s Chinese Theatre,
- Sunset Boulevard is a long, meandering street with many well-known Hollywood attractions located along it’s 20 miles, such as The Hollywood Palladium, Hollywood High School, and the Beverly Hills Hotel,
- check out The Kodak Theatre where the Academy Awards are held,
- take in a show at The Hollywood Bowl which hosts pops, jazz, opera and ballet performances.
Los Angeles is legendary for fabulous shopping. You have to get to:
- Melrose Avenue, where you’ll find one-of-a-kind shopping including a Farmer’s Market;
- Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills which has an ample collection of exclusive stores as well as the Beverly Centre mall;
- Glendale Galleria which is a huge mall with a wide variety of retailers including department stores and national chains.
Miles of beaches make up most of Los Angeles’ western shores. Spend some time relaxing in the vibrant California sunshine.
- Don’t miss Santa Monica Beach, it’s known as one of the finest beaches and has a beautiful pier,
- Bike, rollerblade or walk the scenic boardwalk from Santa Monica to Manhattan Beach, passing through Venice Beach, best known for its street performers and entertainers, small shops and eateries,
- Marina del Rey is a picturesque location with an assortment of hotels and restaurants as well as fun activities such as whale watching and fishing,
- Pacific Palisades and Malibu, both north of Santa Monica are seaside communities with superb beaches and luxury coastal residences. Here you will find the entrance to Will Rogers State Park,
- Long Beach and Newport Beach south of Los Angeles are excellent starting points for a harbour cruise, and offer a selection of elegant stores and stylish dining. Newport Beach is only a 14 mile hop from Disneyland too.
From a convention or business standpoint, downtown LA and the surrounding area have a lot to offer.
- A short cab ride from downtown is The Los Angeles Convention Center,
- award winning as one of the most technologically advanced meeting venues in the world,
- Choose from many high-end hotels in the downtown area,
- Anaheim and Long Beach counties also have outstanding convention centers and meeting facilities.
Most business travellers will agree, that the boardroom isn’t the only place to close a deal – what better way to entertain clients than in one of the sports venues near downtown and the convention center!
- The Staples Center is home to the NBA’s LA Lakers and Clippers,
- Also the LA Kings of the NHL play at home in the Staples Center,
- Just north of downtown Los Angeles is beautiful Dodger Stadium, home of Major League Baseball’s LA Dodgers,
- Minutes away from Anaheim’s convention centre you can catch a hockey game at The Honda Center, home to the Anaheim Ducks of the NHL.
Have you ever pictured getting married with the Pacific Ocean for a backdrop? Check out the many hotels, beach houses and restaurants in Los Angeles where your special day can be all that you imagine. Ever wished for a wedding straight out of a fairytale? The promise of enchanted ceremonies, whimsical menus and dreamy floral arrangements are possible for your wedding at Disneyland! Contact one of Disneyland’s own “fairy godplanners” for more information.
Los Angeles was founded by Spain in 1781 and remained under Spanish control until Mexico gained independence from them in 1821; it then became a part of the United States in 1848 at the end of the Mexican-American War. The municipality of Los Angeles was incorporated in April of 1850; California formally became a state five months later.
Los Angeles is the largest city in the state of California and the city with the second highest population in the United States. The Los Angeles–Long Beach–Santa Ana metropolitan area has nearly 13 million inhabitants.
English is the spoken language in Los Angeles; however about 41 % of the residents speak Spanish. In Los Angeles you may find people from more than 140 countries speaking 224 different languages. Pockets of the city contain distinctively ethnic districts like Chinatown, Historic Filipinotown, Koreatown, Little Armenia, Little Ethiopia, Little Persia, Little India, Little Tokyo, and Thai Town which all add to Los Angeles’ multicultural character.
Los Angeles is considered to the world leader in producing popular entertainment, such as motion picture, television, and recorded music; in addition to being a center of culture, technology, and international trade.
The official currency of Los Angeles is the American dollar.
Greater L.A. is a sprawling city of freeways and highways. It's fairly easy to get around L.A. without too much expense, though, if you prefer not to rent a car.
Check out the DASH shuttle buses or the L.A. Metro bus and light rail system; you may find them to be the most convenient and useful means to get from point to point. Be sure to pick up a really good guidebook and wear comfortable walking shoes, because you’ll do a lot of walking while you are here.
WestJet flies non-stop to Los Angeles daily from Calgary, where flights connect from other amazing WestJet cities each day.
As with any flight entering in the United States, visitors require a valid passport to travel to Los Angeles, CA. |
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