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Los Angeles City Information Guide |
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Los Angeles Hotels | Los Angeles Information |
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Travel
Tips
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| Here are some
important things to know for your visit to Los Angeles. For further information
not covered here, please call our 24-hour multilingual hotline at (213).689.8822 Services for the Physically Challenged The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority operates buses equipped with automatic wheelchair lifts. For information, call 213.626.4455. Hearing-impaired persons with a TDD/TTY machine may call 800.252.9040. The Los Angeles County Commission on Disabilities provides telephone referrals and information for the disabled, 213.974.1053. TDD users may call 213.974.1707. The California Relay Service for the Hearing Impaired may be reached at 800.735.2922 (voice), or TDD/TTY at (800).735.2929 What to Pack LA is a sophisticated playground with a sense of style. When planning what to pack, remember that "smart casual" dress is now the norm. You can still pack T-shirts (one black and one white) and jeans, but also bring a light jacket to wear over them. And pack lots of black. "Black is the basic color of fashion in LA," says Sandy Potter of Design Directions West. For beaches and theme parks, almost anything goes. Tipping A gratuity charge is not automatically included in the bill at restaurants and other establishments, unless it is noted on the check. Tipping is voluntary, but adding 15% to 20% for restaurant and taxi service is customary. Smoking and Drinking Smoking is not allowed in most public buildings, including restaurants. A growing number of restaurants have set up outdoor seating areas, and some of those accommodate smokers. The minimum age for purchasing alcohol is 21. Proof of age is often required. Liquor may not be purchased, served or consumed in public establishments between 2 am and 6 am. For International Travelers Electrical Current The electrical current in the US is 110 volts A/C (the plugs are flat). It is recommended that you buy a converter before entering the country. Legal Holidays Most government offices and many businesses will be closed on the following Holidays; NewYear's Day, January 1; Martin Luther King Jr.; Lincoln's Birthday; Washington's Birthday, third Monday in February; Memorial Day Observed, last Monday in May; Independence Day, July 4; Labor Day, first Monday in September; Columbus Day Observed, second Monday in October; Veteran's Day, November 11; Thanksgiving Day, fourth Thursday of November; Christmas Day, December25. Postal Rates Standard domestic postage is 33 cents for a first-class letter and 20 cents for a postcard. The rate for an international standard air mail letter weighing up to one ounce is 52 cents to Canada 46 cents to Mexico and 90 cents to all other countries. Postcards to Canada are 45 cents and to Mexico are 40 cents. Postcards to all other countries are 55 cents. Telephones When calling from one area code to another, dial 1, followed the area code and 7-digit telephone number. There are two types of public telephones: coin-operated and credit card. International and collect calls may be made from any telephone. A local telephone call generally costs 35 cents. If you are calling outside the local area, you will be instructed on how much to deposit after dialing the number. Check your local distance calling card or directions posted on the telephone for instructions on billing calls to your long distance account. Toll-free numbers connect the caller free of charge to a company's reservation information centers. US Measures 1 foot = .3 meter 1 mile = 1.6 kilometers 1 pound = .45 kilograms 1 gallon = 3.784 liters |
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| A major travel
hub for the Pacific Rim region, Los Angeles International Airport - usually
called by its three-letter code, LAX - is the third busiest airport in
the world. It's about 20mi (30km) southwest of downtown LA. If you can,
try to avoid LAX gridlock by flying into one of the region's domestic
airports: Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport (BUR) is about 15mi (25km)
northwest of downtown, Long Beach Airport is about 25mi (40km) south,
John Wayne Airport/Orange County (SNA) is about 40mi (65km) southeast
in Santa Ana, and Ontario International Airport (ONT) is about 40mi (65km)
east. With all these options, finding a flight or connection to just about
anywhere on the continent is never a problem. Greyhound bus lines serve Los Angeles from cities all over North America. The main LA depot is in a seedy district east of downtown, south of Little Tokyo. The area is rough, but the station itself is safe inside. Other LA-area stations are found in Hollywood, Santa Monica and Anaheim. The alternative to Greyhound for West Coast travelers harks back to the 'Magic Bus' of the 1960s: Green Tortoise Adventure Travel. Weekly Tortoise trips cruise up and down the West Coast, and there are summer jaunts to Alaska and the East Coast, winter tours to Mexico and Baja California and a Mardi Gras road trip between LA and New Orleans. Buses stop at several LA-area destinations. Amtrak, the national rail system, operates up and down the California coast. In Los Angeles, trains arrive and depart from Union Station, an impressive Art Deco depot one block from El Pueblo in downtown LA. From Seattle and San Francisco, the Coast Starlight operates several times weekly in each direction, running inland as far as San Luis Obispo, where it follows US 101 down the coast. There is also regular service from Los Angeles to Phoenix, New Orleans and points beyond, as well as several trains daily to and from San Diego. The LA area is a web of highways and byways, so if you have your own wheels, there are always several routes to choose from. From the San Francisco Bay Area, Interstate 5 runs south through the scenic void of the San Joaquin Valley. A somewhat curvier and far more picturesque alternative, US 101 follows the coast much of the way down and joins I-5 in the LA city center. For travelers with time to kill, the prettiest choice is the Pacific Coast Hwy (PCH), or Hwy 1, which clings to the cliffs in the Big Sur area and follows the coast down to San Luis Obispo, where it joins US 101. While the views are spectacular, curvy PCH is subject to fog, landslides and other potential delays. From San Francisco, plan on six hours to drive I-5, 8 hours via US 101 and at least 12 hours via Hwy 1. Driving from San Diego and Mexico, I-5 is the obvious choice. At Irvine, I-405 (San Diego Fwy) branches off I-5 and heads west to Long Beach and Santa Monica, avoiding downtown LA entirely and rejoining I-5 near San Fernando. If you're coming from Las Vegas or the Grand Canyon, take I-15, which veers south at Riverside and continues on to San Diego; it hits I-10 near Ontario, which connects to downtown LA and Santa Monica. Freeway speed limits are normally 55mph (90kph) in greater LA, 65mph (105kph) on the open road. Most drivers push their speed 10mph (15kph) higher than the posted limits; more than that, they can expect to be pulled over by the ever-vigilant officers of the California Highway Patrol (CHP). As in the rest of the US, driving is done on the right. |
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| Los Angeles
is a bright and eclectic patchwork of neighborhoods and lifestyles. Made
up of dozens of communities, there is no one unifying experience that
sums up the life and the heartbeat of this city among cities. From the
eternal sunshine and Hollywood glitz to the traffic and smog, this City
of Angels will forever be many things to many people. Downtown While not exactly in the center of town geographically, downtown is still a major center of activity. But while the focus is mostly on business, downtown also features many shops, restaurants, bars and even a few museums. Hollywood The big sign just about says it all. The center of things is, without a doubt, Hollywood Boulevard, location of world-famous tourist spots that include Mann's Chinese Theater, the Hollywood Walk of Fame and countless souvenir shops. The Miracle Mile/Hancock Park area is another of L.A.'s historical neighborhoods. Here you will find Wilshire Boulevard's Museum Row. The museums are contained within Hancock Park, a small but peaceful oasis in the center of hectic urban activity. Ritzy West Hollywood is home to one of the city's most famous (or infamous) attractions: the Sunset Strip. Here you'll find most of the city's hippest and hottest clubs, as well as some of the city's finest shopping and hotels. West Hollywood is also the center of the city's gay and lesbian community, and it puts on one of the bawdiest and most exhilarating annual Beverly Hills and the Westside This world-famous city with the world-famous zip code is synonymous with wealth, status and celebrity. The understated elegance and grace of the residential neighborhoods is balanced out by Rodeo Drive, which offers some of the finest (and most expensive) shopping on the entire planet. Santa Monica and Bay Cities Back in the heyday of Route 66, this was the end of the line. Today, this beachfront community offers the best in shopping, dining and entertainment. The motto of the coastal community of Malibu is "27 miles of scenic beauty," and that about describes it best. The main attraction here is the drive along the Pacific Coast Highway, which takes you past beach after beach on one side of the road and million-dollar hilltop estates on the other. Make sure you have plenty of film and sunscreen. Even at night, the stars just seem brighter. Venice, just south of Santa Monica, is the city's home to all things eclectic-and many things downright bizarre. This small, artsy beach town offers one of the greatest collections of cafes, bars, galleries, antiques and one-of-a-kind shops around. Weekend afternoons on the boardwalk are definitely a memorable experience for any visitor to the city. San Fernando Valley On the other side of the Hollywood Hills sits "The Valley," as it is known to locals. It features a seemingly endless sea of suburban culs-de-sac, strip malls, funky shops and restaurants. Hollywood makes its presence known in the cities of Burbank and Universal City, which are home to Warner Bros. Studio and Universal Studios, respectively. There are two things you can always count on in the Valley: the earthquakes always feel stronger, and the temperature is always 10 degrees hotter. South Central and Compton Although the South Central neighborhood of Crenshaw gained worldwide publicity as the center of the infamous 1992 riots, this area remains one of the city's best-kept secrets. Home to a great number of African-Americans, South Central communities such as Crenshaw and Leimert Park offer wonderful shopping, dining, recreation and live music clubs. It has also long been a place of culture and diversity, as evidenced by the African American Cultural Center and the Museum In Black. Long Beach and the South Bay Long Beach is a fairly large city in its own right. Aside from a plethora of shopping and dining options, this beach community is perhaps best known for the Queen Mary, a Titanic-esque ocean liner now permanently docked here and open for tours. The South Bay is made up of smaller beach towns and quiet neighborhoods such as Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach and Palos Verdes Estates. Orange County As you drive south of L.A., the pastures seem to get greener-quite literally. Orange County is a collection of beautifully manicured suburbs and picturesque beach communities. Some great spots include Anaheim (home of Disneyland), Laguna Beach, Newport Beach and Dana Point. Pasadena and Points East Pasadena is one of the most prominent communities in the entire state of California. Old Town Pasadena provides one of the greatest clusters of bars, shops, cafes and restaurants in the entire L.A. area. And every New Years' Day, this not-so-sleepy town becomes the focus of the entire world for the annual Tournament of Roses Parade. East L.A., as evidenced by its name, forms the eastern edge of the city and is home to a large part of L.A.'s Latino population. Perhaps nowhere else in the city is L.A.'s cultural diversity better represented than here. LAX and Inglewood LAX is the third largest airport in the United States, when it comes to the sheer number of people passing through its hallways. The airport is the main feature of the otherwise-sleepy, suburban neighborhood of Westchester. This pocket of quiet, tree-lined streets and neighborhood schools and churches is a refreshing oasis in an often-frenetic city. Inglewood, home to many of L.A.'s African-American population, features a wide variety of restaurants, music and sports venues. Here you will find Hollywood Park Racetrack and the Great Western Forum sports arena, home to the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks. Inglewood also hosts the annual Hollywood Black Film Festival, which pays homage to African-American filmmakers--past, present and future. |
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