Welcome to Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles, an ethnically diverse city and the center activity in southern California, is located Near the Pacific Coast at 34.11 degrees north of the equator and 118.41 degrees west. The elevation averages 330 feet above sea level and ranges between 275 to 5,080 (Elsie Peak) feet above sea level with 214 square miles of the city being comprised of mountains and hills.

The Los Angeles area is the eleventh largest economy in the world. in addition to a diverse and robust economy and the city of Los Angeles has the second largest population in the United States, with an estimated population exceeding 3.8 million in 1998.

The cost of living in Los Angeles is lower than in other major U.S. cities, including San Francisco, Boston, New York, Washington, D.C. and Chicago. Los Angeles had population around 3,722,500 as of 1998.

Downtown Los Angeles

Downtown Los Angeles is the safest area of the city, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Los Angeles' is one of the world's most dynamic cities. Residential development is booming, cultural institutions are multiplying and retail and entertainment opportunities are increasing in downtown L.A. faster than ever. L.A.'s downtown offers a number of thriving markets, such as the: Jewelry Mart, Flower Mart, Wholesale Market, Toy District, Grand Central Market, Fashion District and Bunker Hill's investment center complexes. Many ethnic neighborhoods are part of downtown Los Angeles, including: Chinatown, Olvera Street and Little Tokyo.

Housing

The Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency contributed to building and rehabilitating over 25,000 lower to moderate income housing units, creating or retaining over 100,000 jobs by redevelopment actions, and has channeled over $8 billion worth of private investment for redevelopment.

 In 1999, The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced $10.4 million in loan guarantees to the City of Los Angeles to assist in financing a shopping center and two industrial projects that will create about 400 jobs. The loan guarantees will be used for the revitalization of an area including the Goodyear Industrial Tract, located in the Los Angeles Empowerment Zone, the California State Enterprise Zone and the City of Los Angeles Tax Free Zone. The loan guarantees will also help finance a new neighborhood retail center that will include a computer training program lab.

Business

Los Angeles, the biggest international trade center in the United States, with nearly $200 billion in imports/exports coming through the Los Angeles Customs District in 1998 is also the top apparel manufacturing center employing over 130,000 people. The fashion industry in L. A. employs more people than any other in the private sector. The greater Los Angeles area includes around 30,000 manufacturers with exports of over $55.8 billion per year and high tech industries with an increasing demand for products world wide. Nearly 40% of small companies in Los Angeles County are owned by minorities. Aerospace industry is also big in the area as well as producing centers, the entertainment industry and broadcasting.

Transportation

The Alameda Transportation Corridor, a single 20-mile, high-capacity, high-speed rail line, links the San Pedro Bay ports with transcontinental rail yards near downtown offering improved railroad and highway access to the ports. The Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is the second largest in terms of cargo traffic in the United States and the third busiest in the world for both cargo and passenger traffic.

Entertainment

The Los Angeles area has many great things for homeowners to do including:

Autry Museum of Western Heritage
4700 Western Heritage Way - Griffith Park - Los Angeles, CA
Phone: 213-667-2000
This museum pays homage to the American West from prehistoric times until the present. There is also a special museum just for kids. Don't miss this attraction.

Los Angeles County Museum of Art
5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA - Phone: (213) 857-6000

Natural History Museum
900 Exposition Blvd. Los Angeles, CA - Phone: (213) 744-3466
See a complete skeleton of a T-Rex and a Triceratops. Dinosaur Hall offers many other fantastic exhibits the dueling dinosaurs, .

The La Brea Tar Pits
5801 Wilshire Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90036 - Phone: 323-934-page
All kinds of creatures met their death in the tar at La Brea Tar Pits in prehistoric times.

The Great Western Forum
3900 West Manchester Boulevard, Inglewood, CA 90301
info: 310-419-3100 info: 310-673-1300

Staples Center
1111 S. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90015 - Phone: 213-742-7100
Located at the corner of 11th Street and Figueroa next to the LA Convention Center. Home of the Lakers, Clippers, Sparks, Kings, and Avengers

The L.A. Memorial Coliseum & Sports Arena
3939 S. Figueroa Street Los Angeles, CA 90037 Phone: 213-748-6136
Located about 3 miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles and next to the University of Southern California campus.

Dodger Stadium
1750 Stadium Way Los Angeles, CA Tickets (213) 224-1400
This stadium opened in 1962 at Chaves ravine!

Universal Studios
Hollywood Freeway (I-101) at Lankershim Blvd. Los Angeles, CA
Phone: (818) 508-9600

Paramount Pictures Corporation
834 S Plymouth Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90005-373 - Phone (213) 956-5000

Los Angeles Zoo
5333 Zoo Drive Los Angeles, California 90027-1498 - in Griffith Park
Phone: 323-644-6400
The Los Angeles Zoo houses to 1,200 animals representing 350 species. The Zoo is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day of the year except December 25

Wells Fargo History Museum
333 South Grand Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90071 Phone: 213-253-7166

Museum of Chinese American History

El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument
125 Paseo de la Plaza #400 Los Angeles, CA 90012

The Museum of Tolerance
9786 West Pico Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90035 Phone: 310-553-8403
At the Simon Wiesenthal Center
Walk through this center and see: The Tolerancenter, Artifacts and Documents of the Holocaust, Multimedia Learning Center, The Holocaust Section, Special Exhibits and various programs at the museum.

The Getty Center
1200 Getty Center Drive Los Angeles, CA 90049-1681
Phone: 310-440-7300 - TDD: 310-440-7305
Admission to the center is free. Parking is $5.00 per car and reservations are required. See Getty Education Institute for the Arts, Getty Conservation Institute, Getty Research Institute for History of Art and the Humanities, J. Paul Getty Museum, Getty information Institute and the Getty Grant Program.

Los Angeles Zip Codes

Climate

The climate for Los Angeles is generally dry, balmy and moderate. The average annual rainfall in Los Angeles is 14.68 inches per year with an average annual temperature of 64.4 degrees F.

History

Historic Olvera Street started originally called Wine Street was extended in 1877 the street and renamed Olvera Street in honor of Agustin Olvera,  Los Angeles' first county judge, who's home was located at the end of the street across from the Plaza. He was.

Los Angeles founded on 4 September 1781, when California State Governor at the time, Don Felipe de Neve, came to this site he named it El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora La Reina de Los Angeles de Porciuncula, which means, The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels of Pordiuncula in Spanish. The name later shortened to Los Angeles. In 1846, when the US claimed California and people began to settle in the area, Los Angeles grew. The city was incorporated on April 4, 1850. The gold rush brought a greater influx  of migrants from the east and the lawlessness was so rampant that Los Angeles was referred to by some as Los Diablos or the Devils. In the 1860's more settlers came to the area when water was channeled in from the Owens Valley, along with the railroads and the discovery of oil in the area, doubling the population. The war years brought more manufacturing and industry and more people.

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