What Do You Know About... Los Angeles?

LA, home to movie stars and smog, right?

Los Angeles was once a part of Mexico. It was founded in 1781 by the Spanish governor Felipe de Neve. In 1848 it became part of the United States. California became state in 1850.

It is about 1224 miles from Minneapolis to Los Angeles, or it would take about 3-1/2 hours to fly from Minneapolis to LA. The time in L.A. is three hours earlier than Minneapolis time, so if it's 4:45 in Minneapolis, it's 1:45 in LA.

                                       A night view of LAX


LAX: The largest airport in LA
LAX is in southwestern Los Angeles. It is the 6th busiest airport in the world, with 4 parallel runways, 8 terminals, and 101 gates.

With a population of close to 4 million people, Los Angeles is the 2nd largest city in the United States, while New York City is the largest. LA covers 503 square miles. It has 80 districts and neighborhoods, including Hollywood, Watts, Bel Air, and Brentwood.

The San Andreas Fault runs through Los Angeles. This is an area prone to earthquakes.

                                         Aerial view, San Andreas Fault

Learn more about the fault at: http://geology.com/articles/san-andreas-fault.shtml

Did you know there are mountains on the outskirts of LA? These are the San Gabriel Mountains.

The average annual temperature in Los Angeles is 66 degrees Fahrenheit or 19 degrees Celsius. In January it can be from 59 to 73 degrees, in August from 79 to 90 degrees. There is still an air-quality problem in LA, and although it is better than in the past, the American Lung Association says LA had the worst smog in the nation as of 2013.

Major employers in the LA area include Occidental, Health Net, Reliance Steel, 20th Century Fox, the Cheesecake Factory, Farmers Insurance, Fox Entertainment, and Viking Cruises.
Los Angeles is known as a center for the motion picture industry. Studios in the LA area include Paramount, Sony, Universal, and Warner Brothers.

The colleges in the area reflect a high interest in the entertainment industry, including the American Film Institute Conservatory, American Musical and Dramatic Academy, and the Fashion Institute of Design. There are three public universities in Los Angeles: California State, UCLA, and Northridge, as well as a number of private colleges, and 9 community colleges.

Los Angeles County has 841 museums and art galleries. Other sights to see include:

Walt Disney Concert Hall, home of the LA Philharmonic Orchestra

 

 

Kodak Theatre

 

 

Griffith Observatory

Want to look at real stars? Visit the Griffith. Here is their website: http://www.griffithobservatory.org/


Hollywood sign

                                 Did you know it was originally "Hollywoodland"?



Hollywood Bowl

Named for its shape, this is an outdoor concert venue. Over 17,000 people can be accommodated.


Staples Center

Sunset Bridge

Vincent Thomas Bridge