III.

Places of Interest

A.

Urban Landscape

Los Angeles is an urban-suburban agglomeration built on a hilly coastal plain, with the Pacific Ocean on its western and southern boundaries. Mountain ranges are to the east and north; also in the north is the San Fernando Valley, a part of the city that contains about a third of the population but that is separated from Hollywood and the city centre by the Santa Monica Mountains and by Griffith Park, the city's major outdoor recreation area.

The sprawling city of Los Angeles, which covers 1,204 sq km (465 sq mi), is composed of diverse communities with little in common, held together by a labyrinthine network of high-speed motorways, often completely clogged with traffic. Smog from car exhausts and other sources is a constant pollution problem. An urban rail system began operating in 1993; the system links 36.5 km (22.7 mi) of underground lines with about 645 km (400 mi) of commuter rail lines. It is a city of contradictions with many homeless people and some of the highest paid people in the world. Architecturally, the city can best be described as chaos verging on anarchy. The San Fernando Valley is a series of extended housing estates characterized only by their sameness. Yet a short distance away, west Los Angeles centred on Westwood Village contains a mixture of Spanish Revival architecture, luxury boutiques, and designer novelty shops.

The explosive growth of Los Angeles in the 20th century from just over 100,000 people in 1900 to almost 3.5 million in 1990 was mostly unplanned. Residential developments spread across the area, as did shopping malls and low-rise commercial buildings. Until 1957 a local law prohibited buildings taller than 46 m (150 ft), although City Hall, which was built in 1928, rises 138 m (454 ft). The law was repealed as earthquake-proof construction became accepted as safe, and the city's once-quiet centre began to grow upwards. Today, Los Angeles has a dramatic skyline.

B.

Educational and Cultural Institutions

Los Angeles is the site of California State University at Los Angeles (1947) and at Northridge (1958); Loyola Marymount University (1911); Mount Saint Mary's College (1925); Occidental College (1887); the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA), founded in 1919; the University of Southern California (1880); Woodbury University (1884); and Yeshiva University of Los Angeles (1977).

The parks of Los Angeles contain many of the city's recreational and cultural facilities. The El Pueblo de Los Angeles State Historic Park includes the Plaza Church (1822) and the lively Mexican shops of Olvera Street. Hancock Park is the site of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the George C. Page La Brea Discoveries Museum. Griffith Park contains the Los Angeles Zoo and the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum. Exposition Park is the site of a museum of science and industry; a natural history museum; and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, home of the Los Angeles Raiders American football team. In 1997, the Getty Center opened in the city, giving Los Angeles an important artistic and cultural focus. Elysian Park, in central Los Angeles, is the location of Dodger Stadium (Chavez Ravine), home of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.

Other points of interest in Los Angeles include the Armand Hammer Museum of Art and Cultural Center; the History Center of the California Historical Society; the Southwest Museum, featuring a collection of Native American artefacts; the Museum of Contemporary Art; and the Hollywood Bowl, a natural amphitheatre. The Civic Center, a massive complex of government buildings, includes the Los Angeles City Hall and the Music Center for the Performing Arts Complex. Popular among tourists are the Farmers Market, an open-air bazaar of shops and restaurants; Chinatown; Little Tokyo; and the film studios in Hollywood and nearby Burbank and Culver City. Angeles National Forest is near the city.