| Known as the City of Angels, Los Angeles, California is | | | | beach volleyball and windsurfing. Venice, a.k.a. |
| the largest city in the state and the second-largest in | | | | Dogtown, is the birthplace of skateboarding and the |
| the United States. The Los Angeles-Long | | | | place where rollerblading became popular. |
| Beach-Santa Ana metropolitan area is home to 13 | | | | L.A. hosts a number of sports venues including the |
| million people. The Greater Los Angeles Area | | | | Staples Center and a sports entertainment complex |
| encompasses 5 counties and an estimated 18 million | | | | that hosts concerts and award shows such as the |
| people. | | | | Grammy's. The Los Angeles Convention Center in |
| Los Angeles, often abbreviated to L.A., is one of the | | | | downtown L.A. hosts popular events such as the |
| world's centers of culture, science, technology, | | | | annual LA Auto Show held in December. |
| international trade and higher education. L.A.'s global | | | | The economy of Los Angeles is driven by international |
| fame and international status stem from the city's | | | | trade, entertainment (television, motion pictures, |
| production of motion pictures, television and recorded | | | | recorded music), aerospace, technology, petroleum, |
| music. | | | | fashion, apparel, and tourism. L.A. is the largest |
| Los Angeles has globally famous landmarks such as | | | | manufacturing center in the United States. The ports of |
| Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Disney Concert Hall, Kodak | | | | L.A. and Long Beach together form the most |
| Theater, Griffith Observatory, Getty Center, Los | | | | significant port in North America and one of the most |
| Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angelels County | | | | important ports in the world. These ports are vital to |
| Museum of Art, Mann's Chinese Theater, the | | | | the trade within the Pacific Rim. Other significant |
| Hollywood sign, Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles City | | | | industries include media production, finance, |
| Hall, Hollywood Bowl, Watts Towers, Staples Center | | | | telecommunications, law, health and medicine and |
| and La Placita Olvera. | | | | transportation. |
| L.A.'s night life includes hot spots such as Downtown | | | | The city is home to five major Fortune 500 companies |
| Los Angeles, Silver Lake, Hollywood and West | | | | including Northrop Grumman, Occidental Petroleum |
| Hollywood, which is the home of the world-famous | | | | Corporation, KB Home. The University of Southern |
| Sunset Strip. Some popular clubs and bars include | | | | California (USC) is the city's largest private sector |
| Fantasy Club, 2nd Street Jazz, Weiland Brewery | | | | employer. |
| Restaurant, Jones Grain Mill, Club Soho, Club Bahia Inc., | | | | Several other large companies headquartered in Los |
| La Hacienda Real, Mayan Night Club and La Zona | | | | Angeles include Twentieth Centurty Fox, Latham & |
| Rosa. | | | | Watkins, Univision, Metro Interactive, LLC, Premier |
| Shopping in Los Angeles is second to none. Some of | | | | America, CB Richard Ellis, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher |
| the most well known shopping areas are the | | | | LLP, Guess, O'Melveny & Myers LLP, Paul, Hastings, |
| Hollywood and Highland complex, the Beverly Center, | | | | Janofsky & Walker LLP, Tokyopop, The Jim Henson |
| Melrose Avenue, Robertson Boulevard, The Grove, | | | | Company, Paramount Pictures, Robinsons-May, |
| Westside Pavillion, The Promenade at Howard Hughes | | | | Sunkist, Fox Sports Net, Health Net, Inc., 21st Century |
| Center and Venice Boardwalk. | | | | Insurance, L.E.K. Consulting, and The Coffee Bean & |
| The Hollywood and Highlands Center includes stores | | | | Tea Leaf. |
| such as ALDO, American Eagle Outfitters, Ann Taylor | | | | Many companies wish to escape the city's high taxes |
| Loft, Apostrophe Cards & Stationary, Argenti Cigars & | | | | and are headquartered in the county. Some of these |
| Tobacco, Aveda, Baly's, bebe, Build-A-Bear Workshop, | | | | companies include Shakey's Pizza, Academy of |
| Claire's Boutique, Express, Fossil, Gap, Grauman's | | | | Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, City National Bank, |
| Chinese 6 Theatres Box Office, Hot Topic, Kodak | | | | Hilton Hotels, DiC Entertainment, The Walt Disney |
| Theatre Box Office, Le Cloquette Couture, Louis | | | | Company, Warner Bros., Countrywide Financial |
| Vuitton, Lucky Brand Jeans, Neighborhoodies, Nine | | | | Corporation, THQ, Belkin, Sony Pictures Entertainment, |
| West, Oakley, Origins, Polo Ralph Lauren, Rocky | | | | Computer Sciences Corporation, DirecTV, Mattel, |
| Mountain Chocolate Factory, Sephora, Swarovski, | | | | Unocal, Dream Works SKG, Sea Launch, ICANN, |
| Venetian Design, Victoria's Secret and Virgin | | | | Cunard Line, Princess Cruise, Activision, and RAND. |
| Megastore. | | | | L.A. is also home to the U.S. headquarters of all but |
| Melrose Avenue has glamorous shopping at | | | | two of the major Asian automobile manufacturers. |
| trendsetting stores such as Betsey Johnson, Cynthia | | | | Virtually all the world's automakers have design and/or |
| Rowley, Jonathan Adler, Miu Miu, Soolip Paperie and | | | | tech centers in the Los Angeles region. |
| Press, Soolip Bungalow and Fred Segal Melrose. | | | | Los Angeles is home to one of the largest freeway |
| Hardly a day goes by without seeing the faces of | | | | systems in the world with 27 intertwining freeways. |
| A-list celebrities walking through the doors to buy the | | | | Journeying a daily collective migration of about 100 |
| latest fashion. | | | | million miles, commuters make Los Angeles the most |
| Popular stores such as Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Robeks, | | | | car-populated metropolis in the world with 1 registered |
| Firefly, Popkiller Second, Dish Factory, Suss Design | | | | automobile for every 1.8 people. |
| Retail, Guess?, Art Cruz Retail, B Dalton Bookseller, | | | | The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation |
| Valley Book & Bible Stores, Clutch, Wolford Boutique | | | | Authority and other agencies operate an extensive |
| and more. | | | | system of bus lines, subways and light rail lines. L.A.'s |
| Los Angeles is a social center to the country and has | | | | mass transit system does not have high rider ship, with |
| some of the country's finest dining including Asia de | | | | 10.5% of commuters using public transit, compared with |
| Cuba, Ammo, Yamashiro, Valentino, Sam's by the | | | | 53% in New York and 30% in Chicago. |
| Beach, Lucques, Violet, Fleming's Steakhouse, Just | | | | The metropolitan area of L.A. is served by more |
| Desserts, Eaturna, Fogo De Chao, Il Fornaio, Olivia, | | | | airports than any major city in the world. Los Angeles |
| Organic To Go, Porterhouse Bistro, Sor Tino | | | | International Airport (LAX) is the fifth busiest |
| Restaurant, La Botte Ristorante, Osteria Latini, Napa | | | | commercial airport in the world with over 61 million |
| Rose, Chat Noir, 555 East Restaurant, L'Opera, | | | | passengers and 2 million tons of cargo in 2006. |
| Café Del Rey, Traxx, South Street Cheesesteak | | | | Los Angeles is a focal point of higher education across |
| and more. | | | | the world. There are three public universities in the city: |
| American favorites such as In-N-Out, Carl's Jr, | | | | University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), California |
| Hardee's, Jack, KFC, Wendy's, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, | | | | State University, Northridge (CSUN) and California |
| Burger King and McDonald's are sprinkled throughout | | | | State University, Los Angeles (SCULA). |
| the city. Subway, Hoagies & Wings, Big MO Sub Shop, | | | | Private schools in the city include the University of |
| Ruby's Diner, Astro Burger, El Pollo Locco, Chipotle | | | | Southern California (USC), Antioch University's Los |
| Mexican Grill, Hungry Pocket Falafel House, The Stand | | | | Angeles campus, Loyola Marymount University (LMU), |
| Fuddruckers, Lucky Boy Drive-In Restaurant, Mako | | | | Mount St. Mary's College, Occidental College ("Oxy"), |
| Bowl and Fosters Freeze are a some other popular | | | | Otis College of Art and Design (Otis), American |
| eateries. | | | | InterContinental University, Alliant International University, |
| Sports fans from across the globe can find | | | | California Institute of Technology (Caltech), |
| entertainment from one of them any professional | | | | Southwestern University School of Law, American Film |
| sports teams that call L.A. home. The Los Angeles | | | | Institute Conservatory, Charles R. Drew University, |
| Dodgers of Major League Baseball, the Los Angeles | | | | Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), |
| Angels of Anaheim (MLB), the Los Angeles Kings of | | | | Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising's Los |
| the National Hockey League, the Los Angeles Clippers | | | | Angeles campus (FIDM), Woodbury University, Los |
| and Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball | | | | Angeles Film School, and Loyola Law School. |
| Association, the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA, | | | | The community college system consists of nine |
| the Los Angeles Galaxy and Club Deportivo Chivas | | | | campuses: Los Angeles City College (LACC), Los |
| USA of Major League Soccer, the Los Angeles | | | | Angeles Harbor College (LAVC), Los Angeles Pierce |
| Riptide of Major League Lacrosse and the Los | | | | College, Los Angeles Valley College (LAVC), Los |
| Angeles Avengers of the Arena Football League all | | | | Angeles Mission College, East Los Angeles College |
| reside within the city and spark team spirit from their | | | | (ELAC), West Los Angeles College, Los Angeles |
| fans. | | | | Southwest College, and Los Angeles Trade Technical |
| Los Angeles has also been credited for inventing | | | | College. |