- The City of Los Angeles is the second largest city in the United States, second to only New York City. It is composed of almost 500 square miles, which also contains 29 square miles of water. The mountains of San Gabriel and San Bernardino on the east and the Pacific Ocean on the west envelop the city, providing a variety of year-round outdoor activities within a short drive.
- Though a variety of jobs exist within Los Angeles, the city contains a few industries that dominate the landscape. The entertainment industry is one of them, as the city is home to not only a majority of America's movie, television and recording studios, but also a significant portion of the entertainment industry's employment base. It also has a strong aviation and aerospace presence, along with numerous financial companies, including banks and real estate firms.
- According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the City of Los Angeles had nearly 3.9 million residents in 2006. This number does not account for undocumented citizens. The city's population is fairly evenly split between males and females, with more than a quarter of the population being under the age of 18. Caucasians and people of Hispanic or Latino origin made up the largest percentage of the population, with nearly 47 percent of all census participants noting their race as white, and 46.5 percent noting their race as Hispanic or Latino.
- Because the City of Los Angeles is so expansive, it is divided up into neighborhoods. Downtown Los Angeles and West Los Angeles are known mostly as bustling commerce centers that contain many dining and entertainment options. The San Fernando Valley is an area in northern Los Angeles that is characterized by cheaper housing, hotter temperatures, and is home to numerous entertainment studios and companies. The Hollywood and mid-Wilshire areas of Los Angeles are large tourist destinations, as they offer numerous shopping opportunities, star sightings and museums. Many people do not realize that many areas surrounding Los Angeles are not actually cities, but rather communities within the City of Los Angeles. These include Los Feliz, Hollywood, Bel Air, Brentwood, Silver Lake, Westwood, Venice, Watts and Baldwin Hills.
- Los Angeles offers many attractions to tourists, business travelers and residents alike. Aside from the year-round warm weather, tourists who visit Los Angeles can visit museums, music venues, nightspots and shopping destinations. Popular museums include the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Natural History Museum, the Autry Museum of Western Heritage, the Museum of Tolerance, the California Science Center, the George C. Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Petersen Automotive Museum and the Getty Center. Popular music venues include the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, the Pantages Theatre, the Gibson Amphitheatre, the El Rey, the Roxy, House of Blues, the Knitting Factory and the Greek Theatre. Popular nightspots include Crown Bar, Les Deux, LAX, the Standard, the Roosevelt Hotel, Cat & the Fiddle and Saddle Ranch. Popular shopping destinations include Downtown's fashion district, Melrose Avenue, Robertson Boulevard, the Grove, the Beverly Center and the Farmer's Market.
