Page 84 - 2025-2026 Travel Guide to California

The film industry is an integral part of
the local economy, annually contributing
$100 billion to the region. For decades, the
name Hollywood has been synonymous
with the movie business, but today most
studios have moved into neighboring sub-
urbs 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 con-
trast, 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 are completely surrounded by
the city of Los Angeles.
Over 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 can explore trails in the
Santa Monica Mountains, but check for
updates on potential trail closures. Down-
load the Santa Monica Mountains National
Recreation Area app. To the east, the San
Gabriel Mountains rise up to more than
10,000 feet above sea level.
82 2025-26 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA
City & Town
Los Angeles, the second most populated
city in the nation at close to 4 million
people, dominates the county. Writer
Dorothy Parker once quipped, “Los Angeles
is 72 suburbs in search of a city.” Now, LA’s
several hundred 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. 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 vintage cou-
ture 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. Or chow down on a creatively
topped hot dog (some named for celebri-
ties) at Pink’s famous corner stand at
Melrose and La Brea avenues. Watch a
Lakers pro basketball game, or an LA Kings
NHL hockey game, at the Crypto.com
INSIDER’S TIP
LA’S MURALS provide a keen sense
of its UNDERGROUND ART SCENE
as creativity covers 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: www.laweekly.com/
20-of-l-a-s-most-iconic-murals
Perhaps the best way to see some of
the city’s most daring murals is with
LA ART TOURS: laarttours.com
Arena to see stars, both on the court
and in the stands. End the day sipping
a cocktail at Chateau Marmont in West
Hollywood, where celebrities meet their
agents and studio execs.
Hollywood
Conceived originally as an outdoor billboard
promoting a housing development called
Hollywoodland in 1923, the Hollywood sign
sits on the south side of Mount Lee in Grif-
fith 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 percent
of the world’s films were shot in California.
Learn more about Tinsel Town’s history,
and experience its memorabilia at The Hol-
lywood Museum. Or participate in the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sci-
ences events and get swept up in the
pre-Oscar buzz.
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