Los Angeles California

The nation's second most-populous city (after New York), Los Angeles is a great place to do business or take a vacation. Its marvelous restaurants, Hollywood history, terrific nightlife, expansive green spaces, bustling beaches, diverse ethnic populations, eclectic cultural offerings, amusement parks and easygoing casual vibe converge in a vast Southern California landscape flooded with sunshine, filled with traffic and lined with palm trees.

Still the entertainment capital of the world, television shows and movies are filmed on the city's streets every day and star sightings are commonplace. Beyond the La La Land glamour, there are dozens of museums, sports facilities, shops for every budget, food trucks, world-class concerts, tranquil gardens and parks, ample venues for staying active and myriad experiences waiting to be discovered in the patchwork quilt of communities that make up greater LA.

Visitors should see Los Angeles at least once, though a single visit will hardly be enough to appreciate such a large area jam-packed with attractions and unique characters.

Top Things to Do in Los Angeles

Sights

Back lots and soundstage tours at Warner Bros., Sony Pictures and Universal Studios; the mansions of Beverly Hills and Bel Air; people-watching on Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade and the Hollywood and Highland complex; luxury shops on Rodeo Drive and Robertson Boulevard; Griffith Park and the observatory; the Hollywood Sign; the gardens and art collection at the Huntington Library.

Museums

Paintings, sculpture, photography and architecture at the Getty Center or antiquities at the Getty Villa; Asian, European and American art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; modern art and contemporary exhibits at the Museum of Contemporary Art (including the Geffen Contemporary); contemporary art at The Broad museum; the Degas ballet sculptures at the Norton Simon Museum; exhibits on the art, history and culture of the American West at the Autry; famous and historic cars at the Petersen Automotive Museum; television and radio archives at The Paley Center for Media.

Memorable Meals

French-Californian cuisine at Patina before a performance at the Walt Disney Concert Hall; Smorgasburg on Sunday; modern Italian at Osteria Mozza or Bestia; food truck fare; wine and power lunches on the A.O.C. patio; pastries and brunch at Republique; a burger from Father's Office; tableside smoked short ribs at David Chang's Majordomo; the tasting menu at Wolfgang Puck's flagship Spago; mix-and-match meals at one of the many food halls including downtown's Grand Central Market.

Late Night

Comedy and rock clubs on the Sunset Strip; live Cuban music and salsa dancing at El Floridita; drinks by the pool at the Roosevelt Hotel's Tropicana Bar; cocktails at rooftop bars around town including The Standard downtown and Spire 73; karaoke in Koreatown; riding the world's only solar-powered Ferris wheel at Pacific Park.

Walks

Los Angeles Conservancy walking tours of downtown; hiking in Runyon Canyon Park, Franklin Canyon Park or up to the old zoo in Griffith Park; a stroll through Descanso Gardens or around the Lake Hollywood Reservoir; meandering along the Venice Beach boardwalk and the South Bay Strand; watching surfers and wildlife along the sandy shores of Zuma Beach, El Matador or Surfrider; seeing the stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the foot- and handprints in the TCL Chinese Theatre forecourt.

Especially for Kids

Disneyland; Six Flags Magic Mountain and Hurricane Harbor (for older kids); rides at Universal Studios and shopping in neighboring Universal CityWalk; the reptile house LAIR at the Los Angeles Zoo; seasonal exhibits at the Natural History Museum; the Space Shuttle Endeavour at the California Science Center; the all-glass Skyslide at OUE Skyspace; historic carousels at the Santa Monica Pier and Griffith Park; shark petting at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.