Page 82 - 2024/2025 Travel Guide to CALIFORNIA

LOS ANGELES COUNTY
A place for big dreams, art and reinvention
TOP CITIES
Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Burbank, Santa Monica, Malibu, Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Venice, Redondo Beach, Marina del Rey, Lancaster
INTERNATIONAL GATEWAY
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), 19 miles (31 km) from downtown LA
DOMESTIC GATEWAYS
Long Beach Airport (LGB), 24 miles (38 km) from downtown LA; Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), 16 miles (26 km) from downtown LA
TOURISM WEBSITES
discoverlosangeles.com visitwesthollywood.com lovebeverlyhills.com downtownla.com visitpasadena.com redondochamber.org visitmdr.com santamonica.com destinationlancasterca.org
BY JACQUELINE YAU
“Тhere is something to be said for having even unrealistic dreams,” says celebrated Whiplash and La La Land writer/director Damien Chazelle. “Even if the dreams don’t
come true—that to me is what’s beautiful about Los Angeles. It’s full of these people who have moved there to chase these dreams. A lot of those people are told by people around them that they’re crazy, or that they’re living in la la land.”
The City of Angels is the land of reinvention. Los Angeles County attracts seekers, dreamers, hustlers and wannabe actors/screenwriters/ directors. Most come from somewhere else and are looking for a better life. Persistent optimism and self-expressiveness permeate the air.
Thanks to the Beach Boys harmonizing about California girls, beach party movies of the ’60s and TV shows like Baywatch, many people think of Los Angeles as palm trees swaying in warm breezes, endless beaches and bikini-clad women. But LA is far more complex. It’s a mix of old and new, from cuisine to culture to ideas. The creativity and diversity of the region are reflected in some 100 museums focused on the odd to the divine, the vibrant global street art and the constant evo- lution of the food scene.
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 around 200 languages spoken within its 4,751 square miles. Geographically, the county is larger than the states of Rhode Island and Delaware combined.
POPULATION
10,070,000
LOS ANGELES COUNTY
80 2024-25 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA
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