Los Angeles is the second largest metropolitan area in the country, with a population of more than 16 million people. Getting a feel for such a huge area is a challenge: Hollywood legends, Malibu surfing, rush hour traffic, CalTech, graffiti and Valley Girls all compete to be part of L.A.'s identity. The key is to realize that there is no Los Angeles-except as a title for the hundreds of cities and neighborhoods that have been lumped together here on the Pacific coast.
Though it is surrounded by suburbs both famous and infamous, downtown Los Angeles proper is suspiciously normal. Rows of unassuming skyscrapers and ordinary residents going about their business don't make for a great tourist attraction, but do serve as a reminder that there's a real city here, after all. Compact residential neighborhoods, including a Little Tokyo and a Chinatown, form the core of the L.A. area.
Leaving this eye of the storm, visitors will find the extremes that L.A. is better known for. To the west is the wealth and glamour of Hollywood and Beverly Hills, where movie stars and photo-snapping tourists shop and dine along palm-lined boulevards. The upscale homes of Brentwood and Bel Air give way to the quirky, youth-dominated vibe of Melrose Avenue. On the north are Glendale, Burbank, and Pasadena, where athletes and scholars pursue their endeavors at the feet of the San Gabriel Mountains. The Inland Empire continues to the east, stretching to the city of Ontario and beyond. There's even skiing at places like Bear Mountain, Mountain High, Snow Summit, and Ski Sunrise.
Los Angeles is located in southwest California about 60 miles north of San Diego. Go-California also offers separate coverage of Coastal Los Angeles and the Orange County area.
