LA. Los Angeles. City of Angels. LaLa Land.
Or El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora Reina de los Angeles sobre el Rio Porciuncula. The last one rolls of the tongue, doesn’t it? That was Los Angeles’ original name when the city was founded. It’s no wonder this sprawling city started off with a big name since everything seems to be big there. If Los Angeles were its own country, its economy would be bigger than Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and Sweden’s!
There are 80 neighborhoods in LA. The downtown alone is divided into 16 districts! One of the more famous neighborhoods, Beverly Hills, is known for it’s posh stores, the tv show Beverly Hills 90210, and Pretty Woman. But before all of that, it was a ranch for little green lima beans. I guess we all have to start somewhere, eh?
Los Angeles has so many things to do and see. Did you know there are at least 11 miles of hidden tunnels under the city? While you’re exploring, be sure to check out Hollywood Boulevard, Universal Stuidos, DTLA, Getty Museum Griffith Park, Disney Concert Hall, Santa Monica Pier, the Los Angeles Zoo and The Grove. Just remember that here in the City of Angels, people are outnumbered by cars so you might be sitting in traffic for some of your adventures.
LA is also home to many stars so be sure to have your camera ready as you may run into one of your favorites! Oh, and whatever you do, don’t lick a toad in LA; it’s illegal!
Olvera Street
Established as a way to preserve the oldest structure in Los Angeles and surrounding historic buildings, El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument (or more commonly referred to as Olvera Street) was founded in 1933 as a one-block pedestrian zone and boasts a traditional Mexican Marketplace in addition to the 20+ historic buildings and art in the area.