La La Land and More

chillibreeze writer — Prem Kishore

Encyclopedia Britannica defines the city of Los Angeles as ‘grotesquely shaped, like a charred scrap of paper...’ People love to say ‘the only culture in LA is in the yogurt.’ Los Angeles, the second most populated city in the US and the world’s entertainment capital has no real history. Instead the people are always defining themselves, even as they write it. And yet, mention Los Angeles and the eye lights up with a feverish excitement, a word like “superfunky'’ comes to mind and you are lured to visit the off kilter city of a thousand Hollywood legends.

Named by Spanish missionaries in 1781 as El Pueblo de Neustra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciunula (The Town of Our Lady Queen of the Angels) it was shortened to Los Angeles and and now everyone around the world refers to it by its initials - LA. Quirky, eccentric , charming, ditsy, nutty, lala and a hundred percent lovable. But first you have to accept the ugly concrete sprawl, the humdrum roads, the maddening traffic, the dull architecture, the uninspiring blocks of shops lining the road from the airport to the hub of the city. Because this is the place, where every crazy fad, fashion, style, gossip, creativity, and celebrity becomes the mantra of the moment around the world. Diversity is the keyword here. Eighty two languages are spoken in Los Angeles. Go figure the diversity of the bonds and forging across the communities from all over the world. There are even distinct neighborhoods - Thai Town, Olvera Street, Little Tokyo, Chinatown, Koreatown, Little Armenia …

What’s not to like about the weather? Perfect. Ranging from the seventies to the eighties around the clock, almost 365 days of the year. Clear sunshine, blue skies and surf’s up dude. Quit worrying if it’s going to rain, hail or snow and plan to trek down the canyon, camp in the forest, dirt ride up a mountain, swim in the Pacific or just BBQ in the backyard. Be prepared to zoom around in cars/taxis/subways/ bus ways/trains. No one walks in Los Angeles as distances between the city’s tourist spots are intimidating.

Los Angeles offers dizzying attractions. Universal Studios and Hollywood are definites on the “Must Do” agenda. Disney World is fantasy , fun, adventure and pure magic. It is entertainment honed to a fine art and non stop fun. Meet your favorite Disney characters at Disney World. Spin in a teacup, scream delightedly on the Pirates of the Carribean and Matterhorn Rides, lose yourself in Sleeping Beauty Castle, Fantasy Land, Adventure Land and Haunted house.

Universal Studios, Hollywood is a full day action packed day where you relive the greatest moments from movies and television. You will be enthralled by movie making special effects, robotic racers, virtual studio guide appearances by celebrities, learn film techniques and traverse historical backlots where filming of major movies has taken place.

Los Angeles is movie city, remember? If you are lucky you might spot Brad and Jolie shopping in kid’s upscale boutiques on a balmy afternoon or glimpse Jay Leno in the local supermarket in Malibu late at night. You may not get to shimmy with your favorite star but there are chances you can get up close and personal if you come across a shoot and production crews are always filming in every corner of the city 24/7. If you book early enough you can get to be part of the audience for a taped segment of Ellen De Generes, Tyra Banks or any of the talk shows. Check with studio listings. Or you can settle instead for a tour of working studios which also houses at times museums like the Warner Bros Studio Tour in Burbank. You can visit back lots, see costumes, maybe filming too. Rare, unusual films can be seen in a 1922 renovated landmark theatre “The Egyptian” where you can sit through a silent film while the hired organist pumps out mood music as in days of yore. Reservations recommended.

If you stroll downtown on any given day, you are certain to find a crew filming a chase or a car crash in the midst of a busy day. On Hollywood Boulevard, in the heart of the city the sight and sound experience at the Hollywood Wax museum is a must see as you travel through movie and television history . The Chinese Grauman’s Theatre is the place to compare your hand and footprints with Hollywood’s legendary stars. Starline Tours offer major attractions daily. The shuttle service takes you around Beverly Hills and Bel Air, for a glimpse of almost 40 stars’ homes screened of course by towering hedges, and this includes Britney Spears, Madonna, Nicolas Cage, and the Playboy Mansion. On Rodeo Drive, you may again spot a star as you gaze through the windows of Gucci, Prada and Bijan and even whiz past Regents Beverly Wilshire Hotel where Pretty Woman was filmed.

For the brave hearted, travel in a black hearse through the streets of Los Angeles and pay your respects to Marilyn Monroe, Dean Martin and Bob Hope. Many fans turn up with flowers and candles. There are fifty major burial places packed with famous celebrities from Hollywood Boulevard to the exceptional museums and gardens of Los Angeles.

World famous artworks and splendid landscaped gardens abound all over the city. Take your pick. The Getty Museum set on top of a hill, housing many Greek and Roman antiquities, the Huntington Library with 150 acres of gardens, the Norton Simon museum with excellent Indian and European collections, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, with noted collections from around the world, the Peterson Museum with a superb collection of vintage cars including a Rolls Royce from a Nawab’s palace in India, and the Museum of Neon Art must be on your list .

For the more energized, rush off to Six Flags Magic Mountain north of Hollywood featuring the world’s most thrilling rides, exciting shows and family adventures. Stop by at Hurricane Harbor water park to soak up more fun. If you want to study the planets, and go on a cosmic journey, the perhaps finest planetarium in the world, the Griffith Observatory is for you, offering exciting shows, telescopes, and laser digital projections.

Watch out for free events in the newspapers. On any given weekend you can go to the parks for a free, jazz, classical or avant-garde concert. A rich variety of musical and dramatic entertainment is offered every day. There are dozens of plays staged every night and comedy clubs are immensely popular. Watch professional major league teams play baseball, football, basketball and ice hockey, while free art galleries and flea markets tempt you to browse the unusual, and creative.

When it comes to food, you are spoilt for choice. Immense, generous helpings of Chinese, American, Greek, Indonesian, Indian, Mexican, Russian, Italian, Irish pub fare, British, French, Korean, Japanese, Moroccan, Vietnamese and Thai fare are everywhere. And don’t forget the fast food joints and juice bars. You can have a fabulous meal for fifteen dollars or pay more than a hundred dollars for an upscale lobster in a hip restaurant. At the Wilshire Royale Hotel, there is a restaurant with a 20 foot diameter table and seats 35 people who can sit around, communal-type, which encourages talking to strangers and mixing and mingling. How do you get to the bathroom without 15 people getting up? Not to worry. There is enough space for you to sidle out.

More than twenty beaches tempt you to soak in the sun, sand and sea. Go to Venice Beach for people watching where characters range from the charming to the bizarre. Manhattan Beach is great for walks or roller skating while the Santa Monica beach guarantees good fun with its amusement park and paths for bikers. It is easy to gush about Los Angeles. As for the claims to being ditzy and “la la land,” a recent poll came up with the astounding fact that there are more readers in Los Angeles than New York, the bastion of scholarship and erudition!

Los Angeles will be remembered for its diverse flavors, warmth, casualness and good times. Give it a go and it might just turn out to be your favorite city in the USA.

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Prem writes for Chillibreeze.

La La Land and More

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