Los Angeles

The USA's second largest city (metropolitan population 14 million) sprawls across a vast coastal plain bordered by mountains. LA, as it is known, is as culturally diverse as anywhere in the nation: Korean markets bump up to Thai restaurants; black neighborhoods abut Latino barrios. There's a Chinatown, and Japantown, too. The movie industry flickered into being in 1902, defining the city thereafter. In many folks' eyes, LA is synonymous with Beverly Hills, where Hollywood's most glamorous live. No visit here is complete without shopping on Rodeo Drive. And the nearby Hollywood Walk of Fame — which bears the prints of famous actors — is not ...

The USA's second largest city (metropolitan population 14 million) sprawls across a vast coastal plain bordered by mountains. LA, as it is known, is as culturally diverse as anywhere in the nation: Korean markets bump up to Thai restaurants; black neighborhoods abut Latino barrios. There's a Chinatown, and Japantown, too. The movie industry flickered into being in 1902, defining the city thereafter. In many folks' eyes, LA is synonymous with Beverly Hills, where Hollywood's most glamorous live. No visit here is complete without shopping on Rodeo Drive. And the nearby Hollywood Walk of Fame — which bears the prints of famous actors — is not to be missed. At Universal Studios, visitors see behind-the-scenes on the sets. The city of glitz is more cultured than many imagine, with world-class museums and symphonies. The Getty Center and Museum of Contemporary Art enthrall art lovers. And Griffith Park can fill a day: it hosts the Los Angeles Zoo, Griffith Observatory and Planetarium, and Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum. Sunning on Santa Monica beach is a fine way to spend a day. By night the stars come out. Barfly, on Sunset Boulevard, is a sizzling good place to spot them.

About the Expert

Christopher P. Baker has authored guidebooks to Costa Rica, California, and various Caribbean islands for Frommer's, Lonely Planet, and National Geographic, among others.