Page 120 - 2019 Travel Guide to California

The Nation’s Largest County
As the most populous county in the nation,
with more than 10 million residents, Los
Angeles County comprises 88 cities with
more than 100 languages spoken within its
4,084 square miles. Geographically, the
county is larger than the states of Rhode
Island and Delaware—combined.
The entertainment industry is an integral
part of the local economy, annually con-
tributing $47 billion to the region. For
decades, the name Hollywood has been syn-
INSIDER’S
»
TIP
LA’S MURALS provide a keen sense
of its UNDERGROUND ART SCENE as
creativity bursts off to cover once-
blank walls through the city. LA
Weekly calls Los Angeles a “city of
1,000 murals,” saying its “urban
sprawl creates the perfect canvas.”
The Weekly highlights 20 of the
city’s most groundbreaking murals,
which range from celebrations of
Latino culture to interpretations of
film heroes: laweekly.com/arts/20-of-
las-most-iconic-murals-7927290.
For a comprehensive view of the
cities murals:
muralconservancy.org/murals.
Perhaps the best way to see some of
the city’s most daring murals is
with LA ART TOURS:
laarttours.com/graffititour.
118 2019 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA
onymous with the movie business, but today
most studios have moved into neighboring
suburbs such as Burbank and Culver City.
Some of the better-known areas in LA
County aren’t even cities but rather districts
or neighborhoods within Los Angeles, such
as Hollywood, Silver Lake and Venice. In
contrast, Beverly Hills, home to the most
expensive residences in the world, and
West Hollywood, a welcoming oasis to a
diverse community of gays, Russians and
musicians, are cities but completely sur-
rounded by the city of Los Angeles.
Seventy miles of beaches run along Los
Angeles County’s southwest border.
Malibu, an exclusive seaside community,
has some of the most alluring stretches of
sand in the area. To the north, hikers and
mountain climbers explore trails in the
Santa Monica Mountains. To the east, the
San Gabriel Mountains rise up to more
than 10,000 feet above sea level.
City & Town
Los Angeles, the second most populous
city in the nation at nearly 4 million
people, dominates the county. Writer
Dorothy Parker once quipped, “Los
Angeles is 72 suburbs in search of a city.”
Now, LA’s more than 100 neighborhoods
form a rich cultural stew. Meander around
Chinatown, Little Tokyo, the Art and
Fashion Districts, the Latino enclaves
around Echo Park, Hollywood’s Laurel
Canyon, Little Armenia, Thai Town, or
Melrose District where hipsters shop.
When in LA, do as the celebs do and
VENICE BEACH AND SKATE PARK, left.
start the day by stretching at Bryan Kest’s
Power Yoga studio in Santa Monica. Go
shopping at cool indie shops featuring
local labels and fashionable imports along
Venice’s Abbot Kinney Boulevard. Need an
outfit for an awards show? Head over to
Decades on Melrose Avenue, a couture
vintage store where many stylists choose
red-carpet gowns for their star clients.
Hungry? Eat at The Griddle Cafe, a
Sunset Boulevard institution known for its
gigantic pancakes and the steady flow of
celebrities lunching there. Or chow down
on a chili dog at Pink’s famous corner stand
at Melrose and La Brea avenues. Watch a
Lakers or Clippers pro basketball game at
the Staples Center to see stars, both on the
court and in the stands. End the day sip-
ping a cocktail at Chateau Marmont in
West Hollywood, where celebrities meet
their agents and studio execs.
Hollywood
Conceived originally as an outdoor bill-
board promoting a housing development
called Hollywoodland in 1923, the Holly-
wood sign sits on the south side of Mount
Lee in Griffith Park—long a symbol that
this is a place where dreams can come true.
The first movie studio, the Nestor
Motion Picture Company, opened in 1911
in Hollywood on the northwest corner of
Sunset Boulevard and Gower Street. It was
absorbed by the Universal Film Manufac-
turing Company, which later became
Universal Studios. By the 1920s, 80 per-
cent of the world’s films were shot in
California.
Learn more about Tinsel Town’s his-
tory, and experience its memorabilia at
The Hollywood Museum. Or participate in
the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences events and get swept up in the
pre-Oscar buzz.
GABRIELE MALTINTI/SHUTTERSTOCK; SEAN PAVONE/SHUTTERSTOCK. O