Los Angeles has Spanish and Mexican influences due to being a former colony of Mexico and Spain. Los Angeles is a diverse city aphrodite casino with many ethnic groups such as Mexican, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Italian, Salvadoran, Iranian/Persian and Armenian. LA Metro also operates an extensive bus system with 117 routes,82 operates a microtransit service in eight zones, and funds independent transit operators throughout Los Angeles County such as Foothill Transit, Long Beach Transit, Santa Monica Big Blue Bus, and LADOT Transit. People who listed “other” as their race made up 0.5% (102,434) of the population. According to the 2009 American Community Survey, the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area had a population of 12,874,797, of which 6,402,498 (49.7% of the population) were male and 6,472,299 (50.3% of the population) were female. Shopaholics will find everything they’ve dreamed of and more in every corner of LA.
Gawk at the sights along Venice Beach
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. Located on Grand Avenue in Downtown L.A., Walt Disney Concert Hall is home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Frank Gehry, with acoustics by Yasuhisa Toyota, the magnificent venue has received worldwide praise from critics and concertgoers alike for its stunning architecture and extraordinary sound.
Best Pizza Places in Los Angeles
Los Angeles has had a rich and influential Protestant tradition. In addition to LAX, other airports, including Hollywood Burbank Airport, John Wayne Airport, Long Beach Airport, Ontario International Airport, and San Bernardino International Airport also serve the region. From Malibu to the South Bay, Los Angeles is home to some of the world’s best beaches. For a quintessential “Endless Summer” experience, a visit to the two-mile-long Santa Monica Beach is a must. Opened in 1909, the historic Santa Monica Pier is a popular destination for the entire family, home to the Pacific Park amusement park, Heal the Bay Aquarium, and a 1922 Carousel that was featured in The Sting. Don’t miss a ride on the world’s only solar-powered Ferris Wheel, where you can enjoy a spectacular aerial view of the coast.
Regional and commuter rail
- The architecture of Los Angeles is influenced by its Spanish, Mexican, and American roots.
- Visit the Griffith Observatory and see why it’s been featured in films from Rebel Without a Cause to The Terminator, La La Land and beyond.
- Mexican rule ended following the American Conquest of California, part of the larger Mexican-American War.
- Population density around the metropolitan area varies greatly—as low as one person per square mile in mountainous areas and as high as 50,000 per square mile near downtown Los Angeles.
- For baseball fans, it doesn’t get any better than catching a game at Dodger Stadium, one of the great cathedrals of Major League Baseball.
- The discovery of oil in the 1890s brought rapid growth to the city.20 The city was further expanded with the completion of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1913, which delivers water from Eastern California.
- From Malibu to the South Bay, Los Angeles is home to some of the world’s best beaches.
Southern California Gas Company serves a large majority of the Los Angeles metropolitan area except for Long Beach and southern Orange County. Since the city and the county are interwoven geographically, culturally, and economically, any consideration of Los Angeles must, to some degree, involve both entities. Population density around the metropolitan area varies greatly—as low as one person per square mile in mountainous areas and as high as 50,000 per square mile near downtown Los Angeles. Area city, 466 square miles (1,207 square km); county, 4,070 square miles (10,540 square km). (2010) 3,792,621; Los Angeles–Long Beach–Glendale Metro Division, 9,818,605; Los Angeles–Long Beach–Santa Ana Metro Area, 12,828,837; (2020) 3,898,747; Los Angeles–Long Beach–Glendale Metro Division, 10,014,009; Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim Metro Area, 13,200,998.
Hispanic or Latino origin
The Getty Center is packed full of artistic masterpieces and enjoys an awe-inspiring hilltop location with incredible views of L.A. The grounds and buildings here are so remarkable that you could never step inside a gallery and still probably walk away satisfied. But you absolutely should, particularly to see works by Rubens and Impressionists such as Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh and Cézanne—though the lovely French decorative arts galleries are our personal favorites. The museum’s predecessor, the Getty Villa, rewinds the clock a few millennia with Greek and Roman antiquities in an Italian-style estate; the palatial landmark reopened June 27 after a temporary closure due to the Palisades Fire. Catch an intimate performance on the Grammy Museum soundstage or dance the night away at The Conga Room.
- The Art Deco building itself, which turns 90 this year, is the star attraction though—and the stunning view of the city from Griffith Park makes it worthy of a visit whether you’re a space buff or not.
- 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.
- Get up-close to iconic movie props like Dorothy’s ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz and “Rosebud” from Citizen Kane.
- In addition to LAX, other airports, including Hollywood Burbank Airport, John Wayne Airport, Long Beach Airport, Ontario International Airport, and San Bernardino International Airport also serve the region.
- Hispanic or Latinos, who may be of any race, are by far the largest group; Hispanics or Latinos make up 46.3% of the population.
- 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.
Start the day with local icons like The Donut Man and Eggslut; stop by GCM classics China Cafe and Roast to Go; take a trip to Naples at Olio Wood-Fired Pizzeria; and enjoy Salvadoran cuisine at Sarita’s Pupuseria. These are just a few of the beloved vendors of this historic DTLA emporium, where the atmosphere is lively and deliciousness awaits. Los Angeles is the entertainment capital of the world, and for film fans the ultimate experience is a behind-the-scenes tour of a working studio. The Studio Tour is perhaps the most legendary attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood, but you can also relive favorite movie scenes on rides like The Secret Life of Pets and Jurassic World; experience SUPER NINTENDO WORLD™; and enter The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™. A movie at Universal Cinema AMC Hollywood and strolling the shops at Universal CityWalk make it a full day of fun. Los Angeles offers endless options for memorable experiences for visitors and locals alike.
The current charter was adopted on June 8, 1999, and has been amended many times.282 The elected government consists of the Los Angeles City Council and the mayor of Los Angeles, which operate under a mayor–council government, as well as the city attorney (not to be confused with the district attorney, a county office) and controller. The mayor is Karen Bass.283 There are 15 city council districts. The performing arts play a major role in Los Angeles’s cultural identity.
Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news, events, offers and partner promotions. Residents of Los Angeles elect supervisors for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th supervisorial districts. The charter of the City of Los Angeles, ratified by voters in 1999, created a system of advisory neighborhood councils that would represent the diversity of stakeholders, defined as those who live, work, or own property in the neighborhood.
Both subway lines use an electrified third rail to provide power to the trains, rendering these lines unusable on the other three. 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 Green Line is entirely grade separated, running in the median of I-105 and then turning southward along an elevated route. There are nine electric utility power companies in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Southern California Edison serves a large majority of the Los Angeles metropolitan area except for Los Angeles city limits, Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Azusa, Vernon, Anaheim, and southern Orange County. Southern Orange County is part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area and it is served by San Diego Gas & Electric.
There’s the popular Hall of the Sky and Hall of the Eye, a pair of complementary displays that examine the interplay between people and space. The Art Deco building itself, which turns 90 this year, is the star attraction though—and the stunning view of the city from Griffith Park makes it worthy of a visit whether you’re a space buff or not. Los Angeles Unified School District serves almost all of the city of Los Angeles, as well as several surrounding communities, with a student population of around 800,000.337 After Proposition 13 was approved in 1978, urban school districts had considerable trouble with funding. LAUSD has become known for its underfunded, overcrowded, and poorly maintained campuses, although its 162 Magnet schools help compete with local private schools. There are numerous additional colleges and universities outside the city limits in the Greater Los Angeles area, including the Claremont Colleges consortium, which includes the most selective liberal arts colleges in the U.S., and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), one of the top STEM-focused research institutions in the world.
The Los Angeles Unified School District serves the city of L.A., and other school districts serve the surrounding areas. Below is a list of many ethnic enclaves present in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Hispanic or Latinos, who may be of any race, are by far the largest group; Hispanics or Latinos make up 46.3% of the population.
It is very rare for temperatures to go below freezing near the coast but can occur further inland. The city receives about 15 inches (380 mm) of rain each year, although the amount can change a lot from year to year. Snow is very rare except on the mountain tops where some occasional light snow might fall. Metrolink provides service to numerous places within Southern California, including all counties in the region. Metrolink operates to 67 stations on eight lines within Southern California which mostly (except for the Inland Empire–Orange County Line and Arrow) radiate from Los Angeles Union Station. The Los Angeles metropolitan area has the third-largest metropolitan economy in the world, behind the Greater Tokyo Area and the New York metropolitan area.
Since opening its gates in 1962, the storied ballpark has hosted 11 World Series and the Dodgers have won eight World Championships. Visit the Griffith Observatory and see why it’s been featured in films from Rebel Without a Cause to The Terminator, La La Land and beyond. Perched atop Mount Hollywood, the Observatory offers exhibits, the Samuel Oschin Planetarium and free public telescopes that are as fascinating as the surrounding 4,310 acres of Griffith Park. Hiking from the Ferndell Nature Museum up to the Observatory rewards viewers with several clear shots of The Hollywood Sign along the way. From the Observatory, hiking through the Berlin Forest to the Charlie Turner Trailhead gets you a bird’s-eye view of the city that’s even closer to the famous sign.