The City of Angels - Los Angeles

Welcome to the second largest city in the U.S.! I'm giving you an overview here on a classical tour in the City of Angels. I'd been visiting the city several times, I must say, there is always something new to discover.

Griffith Observatory

Every time I visit a place, I'm looking for high points, where I can enjoy a nice view. In LA the best place to observe the city and the Hollywood sign is the Griffith Observatory. It's a lovely drive and parking is cheap. The exhibition itself is really educational, it's like a trip to the space. Catch the sunset and take in the sights! To me it was really peaceful and pretty amazing.

Hollywood sign: The symbol of entertainment all over the world It's been a place for long where magic is possible. The sign was erected in 1923 and originally read "HOLLYWOODLAND." Its purpose was to advertise the name of a new segregated housing development in the hills above the Hollywood district of Los Angeles. Believe it or not, even Hungarians played an important role in the film industry, let's just think of Adolf Zukor, who established Paramount Pictures in 1916. He had Hungarian origins, being born and raised on the Hungarian countryside. Another recognized person was William Fox, who was born in Tolcsva in the Tokaj region of Hungary. He founded Fox Film Cooperation in 1915.

Hollywood Boulevard

The Golden Age of Hollywood is stretching from the 30's till the late 50's, it settled down the roots of classical Hollywood cinema, some of the greatest movies were made at that time, and it was a period of such great actors and actresses like Great Garbo, Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, James Dean, Fred Astaire, Clark Gable.

Source: www.blog.hu

Source: www.shape.com

While walking on Hollywood Boulevard, expect crowds and lots of gift shops. Dolby Theater is located here, which used to be called Kodak and this is the scene of Oscar gala every year.

On the boulevard you will find the stars on the path, Walk of Fame: stars inlaid on the sidewalk and the Madame Tussaud's as well. One of the most popular guided tours are the tours or movie star homes. Starline Tours of Hollywood offers a two-hour Movie Stars Homes Tour that takes you to the stars' homes, like Jennifer Aniston, Tom Cruise, Madonna, Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. The tour includes a drive to the rich-and-famous places, such as Rodeo Drive, Bel Air, Beverly Hills.

Today

The Boulevard in 1954
Source: www.uncanny.net

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If you are really into movies, you can visit the Universal Studios, they take you behind the scenes into the world of movie making. It's only 10 minutes away from the Boulevard, but you can also take the Metro Red line.

Santa Monica

The beach

The crashing waves of the Pacific are incredible, it's a long beach with fun activities, it features a muscle beach part, where people work out. Coastal cities are always exciting to me, I love the ocean and the sun. All in all it's well-maintained, clean beach. I managed to get few nice shots by sunset.

The Pier

It's fun to walk on this iconic, timber board pier, it's also the end of Route 66. There are several nice bars and restaurants along with amusement park rides. We loved the Mexican Restaurant Mariasol (http://www.mariasol.com/home). The food is delicious, everybody is really kind.

Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive

Beverly Hills is a must see in Los Angeles County, posh and chic place with the worldwide famous Rodeo Drive, where you will find the most prestigious brands. The stores are impressive and you might even see luxury cars cruising the street. Go there even just for window shopping, it's a different world you should experience in L.A.

L.A. Downtown

It's the central business district of Los Angeles. Discover the historic sites, museums and restaurants!