About Art and Design in Los Angeles
Though the undisputed entertainment capitol of the world, LA is always thought to have little cultural or artistic heft. That may have been true 20 years ago, but like most of it's constituents LA's art scene has undergone massive reconstructive surgery. Adding the Getty Center, the Getty Villa, Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Contemporary Museum of art, the Kodak theatre, expanding the LACMA, the historic Pantages, the Paladium and the Griffith Observatory Planetarium, LA has doubled down on it's artsy side.
The street art scene on Melrose has blossomed into to a who's who of world artists. Pedestrian enclaves like Hollywood, Venice and now downtown are starting to make the city feel like well, a city. And soon the Gold line will connect the city to the beach via subway which could change the vibe of the city forever and make LA, dare we say it ... walkable.
Local Customs
The suit and tie is largely optional, anything goes. Never underestimate the woman wearing yoga clothes, she probably is running the show. Lunching outdoors is a sort of religion here as is frozen yogurt.
History
Los Angeles was officially founded in 1781 when 44 settlers known as the pobladores were assigned by Governor Felipe de Neve to colonize the new town. After Mexico's independence from Spain, the population of Los Angeles had already tripled in size while agriculture and ranching became the main industry. By the 1900s, Angelenos set their sights on challenging San Francisco as a major city by building railways, banks, factories and ports. At this time, LA quickly overtook New York to become the center of motion picture production which continues to this day.
Politics & Economy
Angelenos are mostly liberal, much like San Francisco, and is incredibly diverse. At this time, the Hispanic population of Los Angeles is almost 50% which points to the current fight in California over immigration reform. The economy is most famous for its film industry but Los Angeles is also full of international trade, fashion and tourism, also boasting the largest manufacturing industry in the Western US.
Famous People
This could take awhile.
Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Will Smith, Kanye West, the Kardashians, Ben Affleck, Charlize Theron, Jennifer Aniston, Christina Hendricks, Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Lohan, Justin Bieber to name a few.
Events
Academy Awards, the Emmy's, Golden Globes, LA Marathon
Best Museums
The Getty, The Getty Villa, LACMA, MOCA
Holidays & Festivals
Coachella, Chinese New Year, Halloween Carnival in WeHo
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