Gamal in and around Los Angeles
City of the Angels
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Shopping in Rodeo Flying into LAX over I-405 Wide area LA photographed from Gem Inc satellites Los Angeles - to the Brits it's one large city, to LAers it's a mish mash of many cities. This is a view from Griffith Park The very hispanic Grand Central Market. Santa Monica Pier before the summer influx. What does that oddly placed sign in the background say? Do you remember the film Greese and that car race? 200 miles away in Death Valley......looking onto the lowest point in the USA below sea level ....jumping at the dried up old lake salt bed.....this photo almost looks unreal! ....everything looks so near and easy to reach like this. LA on video Click for the Los Angeles forecast
Press on each of the photos to enlarge it.
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The first photograph shows Rodeo Drive taken on a warm September afternoon.  A little different to Bond Street or Monte Carlo, just.  Caroline managed to spot a Tiffany's in this photo.

The next is taken just before landing at LAX airport crossing over the I-405.  This sight will be familiar to many people arriving into Los Angeles after flying the 40 miles or so over the city.

The 3rd grey looking photo is a high resolution satellite photograph.  On it I have attempted to highlight places within LA and give you a feel of the size of the city!

But LA is just so varied, with the sea, mountains, beaches, Disneyland, Universal Picture Studios, affluent Bel Air and less affluent South Central all in a hot melting pot and fused.  Maybe also confused!

Last but by no means least is a useful map of the city.  Caroline is off to Norwalk, how lucky she is, and recently I noticed that there are still some drive in movie theatres (cinemas) operating in Riverside.

Wouldn't it be cool to say we saw a film from my SUV, or pick-up, at the night time drive in.  How very 1970s.
That's Grease Lightening!

Below are some of the things you must do in LA to appreciate life from a resident's point of view.  But beware the city is rather vast and it can easily take an hour to drive from Downtown to the beaches.

One could easily spend all day around Hollywood seeing the famous sign, Chinese Manns theatre, stars on the "sidewalk" , taking a Starline tour etc.  But  it is a very varied and interesting city.

The top ten things to do include:

  1. Visit the Grand Central Market - delicious fresh ethnic hot & cold food
  2. Drive the Freeways - blend in with the locals and swerve lanes quickly if thet try and shoot at you
  3. Head to Venice Beach - and pretend that you stroll here all the time
  4. See a movie at a drive in - and re live the 1970s and 80s
  5. Check out Beverly Hills / Bel Air - admire the tranqulity and houses of the famous
  6. Walk onto Santa Monica pier - enjoying the good weather
  7. Visit Universal or Disney - 1 of them at least is a bit of a must
  8. Downtown after 9pm and South Central - bandit country
  9. Rodeo Dr / Wilshire Blvd / Museums - nice to window shop and stroll on foot
  10. Hollywood - how could I almost forget Avenue of the Stars etc etc.
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Checked July 2008