GENE BLEVINS / CORBIS ©RICHARD CUMMINS / GETTY IMAGES ©Los Angeles Elvis impersonator on Hollywood BlvdLOS ANGELES
Loony LA, land of starstruck dreams and Hollywood Tinseltown magic. You may think
you know what to expect: celebrity worship, Botoxed beach blondes, endless traffi c and
earthquakes. But it’s also California’s most ethnically diverse city, with new immigrants
arriving daily, evolving the boundary-breaking global arts, music and food scenes.Getting Around
Angelenos drive everywhere.
Freeway traffi c jams are
endless, but worst during
morning and afternoon rush
hours. Metro operates buses
and subway and light-rail
trains (fares $1.50), with
limited night and weekend
services. DASH minibuses
(single-ride 50¢) zip around
downtown; Santa Monica’s
Big Blue Bus (fares $1)
connects West LA. Taxis cost
$2.80 per mile; meters start
at $2.85.Parking
Street parking is tough.
Meters take coins,
sometimes credit cards;
central pay stations accept
coins or cards. Valet
parking is ubiquitous,
typically $5 to $10 plus tip.Overnight hotel parking
averages $25 to $40.Where to Eat
Food trucks are a local
obsession. Downtown cooks
up a worldly mix, with
Little Tokyo, Chinatown,
Thai Town, Koreatown
and Latin-fl avored East
LA nearby. Trend-setting
eateries inhabit Hollywood,
Mid-City, Santa Monica and
Venice.Where to Stay
For beach life, escape to
Santa Monica or Venice.
Long Beach is convenientto Disneyland and Orange
County. Party people
adore Hollywood; culture
vultures, Downtown LA.Useful Websites
LA Inc (http://
discoverlosangeles.com) City’s
offi cial tourism website.
LA Weekly (www.laweekly.
com) Arts, entertainment, dining
and events calendar.
Lonely Planet (www.
lonelyplanet.com/usa/
los-angeles) Travel tips, hotel
reservations and travelers’ forums.Trips Through
Los Angeles: 11 susuFor more, check out our
city and country guides.
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