Los Angeles is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States. The Los Angeles area, which includes the city itself and its suburbs, has a population of 13.6 million.
Los Angeles's nicknames are LA and the City of Angels. Some people also call it 'La-La Land' because they think the city is full of strange and crazy people.
The inhabitants of Los Angeles are called Angelenos.
Los Angeles is often called 'the entertain¬ment capital of the world.' The largest and most famous entertainment industries in LA are television and film production, so the city is full of celebrities and wannabe actors who come here hoping to attract attention of some Hollywood big shot.
The city was born as a Spanish pueblo in 1781 and it's still very Spanish in character. You hear people speaking the language wher¬ever you go. Many signs are in English and Spanish and there are many Spanish street names.
Los Angeles is a multicultural city. About 100 languages can be heard on its streets! It has the largest number of Mexicans outside Mexico, Koreans outside Seoul, and Iranians
Venice Beach is the best place to see many Angelenos at once. You won't see any stars here - it's too crowded - but you'll see lots of bronzed bodybuilders, rollerskaters, street performers, belly dancers, and people just walking up and down in their swim suits waiting for you to notice their beautiful bod¬ies. Angelenos like to be looked at.
One striking thing about LA is that it doesn't seem to have a city at all. It keeps growing and spreading in all directions, even out into the desert!
It seems that nobody walks in Los Angeles; there are a lot of beautiful cars driven by beautiful people. But with so many cars, LA has the dirtiest air in the US. All too often the sunshine is hidden by the smog.
The famous Mann's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood is where many of the big movies are first shown. And just outside, on Hollywood Boulevard, is where all the stars leave their handprints and footprints.
Universal Studios in Hollywood is one of the most amazing places on earth. Not only does it have a theme park, but it's also a working studio. A tram tour takes you past film sets where movies are being filmed and you can also see a lot of Hollywood history, including Alfred Hitchcock's old studio offices, and the set where they filmed part of Jaws and the Jurassic Park. You can even bump into Steven Spielberg or Johnny Depp on their way to work... or to lunch (contrary to what their agents say, the stars are human, they have to eat). Many famous movie stars live in or near Hollywood, especially in Beverly Hills and Malibu.
LA is an exciting city, but it's also a dangerous place to live in. There are over 1,300 street gangs in LA with over 160,000 members. Most gangs exist in poor, rundown areas (however, not everyone who is poor joins a gang, and not every gang member is poor) and most gang members are young people. Teenagers join gangs because they want to have money and because there's nothing else to do where they live. Joining a gang gives them a sense of belonging and being a part of something important. Gangs are responsible for such crimes as theft, vandalism, drug smuggling and even murder. The biggest gang in LA and the whole US is the 18th Street Gang.
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