Los Angeles City Guide

Los Angeles

The City of Los Angeles offers the benefit's a major metropolitan area, with the added enticement of beach living, and the excitement of Hollywood.

South and Coastal Areas

Los Angeles beach community districts bring the reality of luxury beach living to the borders of the large urban environment. The four main areas in what is termed as the beach district include: Hermosa, Long, Manhattan, and Redondo Beaches. L.A. Harbor is one of the busiest ports in the country, and also home ot the Port of Los Angeles. Districts in the section of the coastal area include: San Pedro, Terminal Island, and Wilmington.

Each beach in Los Angeles requires permits for any type of special event, and also in many circumstances to have a fire, or for night celebrations. The beach and harbor areas offer the main opportunities for recreation in the city. Pike paths, RV parks, an electrical vehicle charging station, wheel chair accessibility, and volleyball courts are staple items at all beaches. Concessions, playgrounds, skate rentals, and boat launching is also available at most coastal and harbor locations. The Venice Beach area is defined as the most colorful, and unconventional of beach areas in the state. Artists, street performers, roller skaters, and mimes, can all be found along the boardwalk at Venice Beach. Laguna Beach has also grown in popularity among young people in the past five years, with the clothing brand, Hollister, adding to the appeal for the younger set of beach combers.

While the South Central section of the city may have received some bad PR in the movies as a rough and poor area, the neighborhoods have made many strides, and improvements in recent years. Gang violence, and related crime do remain a major concern for law enforcement agencies, but the balance of community minded organizations, and family have been striking back to reclaim the area fairly successfully. Sections of the South L.A. District include: Watts, Baldwin Hills, Crenshaw, and Compton.