The first thing to say is that Los Angeles or La la land —as immortalized in the Oscar-nominated musical— is a metropolis in every sense of the word, a stage city that has been portrayed by hundreds of films and series that have made it famous throughout the world. It is the mecca of world cinema and it is becoming more and more Latin. Like the thousands of actors, who from inside and outside the United States came to try their luck in the film industry, a large Latin American immigration also chose Los Angeles as a destination to pursue the American dream.
Census data from the last 2020 census reveal that 46.9% of the population of Los Angeles is Latino, exactly 1,829,991 people, of which 925,144 are Mexican. The second largest Hispanic community is Salvadoran, followed by Peruvian, Guatemalan and Colombian. The diversity of Los Angeles is one of its greatest attractions. People from more than 140 countries live there. Latinos mix with dozens of communities from Europe, the Middle East and Asia, in a city that has cosmopolitanism in its DNA.
First impressions of Los Angeles
It is well known that Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States (the five counties that make it up add up to more than 17 million people), is also one with the worst traffic in the world, crisscrossed by a complex network of routes and highways. . It is the living example of the automobile empire, with an insufficient metro and bus network. The transfers are long, and a golden rule is to avoid rush hour. In fact, when people are looking for a partner, the first thing they ask is how far away the other person lives to know if the relationship has a future.
The city is the epicenter of a conglomerate of suburbs and 120 kilometers (almost 75 miles) of coastline, which includes must-see attractions such as Santa Monica, Venice Beach, Malibu, Beverly Hills, the downtown and, of course, Hollywood and West Hollywood. The latter is, without a doubt, one of the best neighborhoods in the city, with an air of a European town where everyone greets each other, the bars and restaurants always have tables on the street and where sexual diversity has its maximum expression.
Another of the most valuable aspects of Los Angeles is its mix of nature and concrete jungle. The city is full of trails ideal for sports and recreation. It is also the city where people meet more to exercise than to go out for drinks (there is a cult of the body and healthy living), and where the news of the sighting of a mountain lion in the hills goes viral.
The city is also full of locations where some of the most famous series of all time were filmed, but the Walk of Fame may be one of the most overrated attractions. Beyond the surroundings of the Chinese Theater, the area is not as interesting or attractive. Regarding the 2028 Olympic Games, they have promised a well-deserved and necessary urban renewal that will give it a second life.
The Latin neighborhoods of Los Angeles
Many streets in this city look, smell, sound and taste like Latin America. Spanish is a common language, although not as strong as in Miami. In this sense, in El Pueblo de Los Ángeles you can learn about the colonial past and the Mexican imprint of the city of Los Angeles. Some of its main attractions are Olvera Street, which was once the center of agricultural and community life of the Mexican migration and now hosts a colorful market; the historic La Placita church, which has the mural Tropical America by David Alfaro Siqueiros from 1932; and the Piñata district, where you can buy piñatas for all tastes.
Also famous are the city’s Salvadoran (District 15) and Oaxacan corridors, driven by Latin merchants. Mexican food can be found almost everywhere, but the Madre taqueria in West Hollywood (801 North Fairfax Street, location 101) has become one of the locals’ favorite places. Toca Madera (8450 West 3rd Street, West Hollywood) or Mercado are also very good options.
Los Angeles museums, Walt Disney Concert hall, Hollywood Bowl and Griffith Observatory
In the last decade, Los Angeles has become the capital of the visual arts in North America. Numerous artists from all over the world populated the downtown to enrich the Los Angeles art scene, which includes several of the best museums in the country: the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Getty Center, The Broad, Hammer Museum, and the Academy Museum, which opened two years ago. of Cinema, with the history of the seventh art in North America and the world.
For classical music lovers, the Walt Disney Concert Hall is a gem. The building, designed by starchitect Frank Gehry, is the headquarters of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, directed by Venezuelan Gustavo Dudamel. The Hollywood Bowl is another of the city’s most special concert venues, which lives in splendor every summer. Precisely, on August 30, Dudamel and the philharmonic will present the show Marvel Studios Infinity Saga. Concert Experiencea musical journey through the universe of the superhero saga, and on September 6 and 7 they will do a tandem with the award-winning Mexican singer-songwriter Natalia Lafourcade.
Finally, the Griffith Observatory is one of the most beautiful and romantic places in Los Angeles, with a movie-like view.
Santa Monica, Venice Beach and Abbot Kinney Boulevard
No visit to Los Angeles will be complete without visiting Santa Monica Beach and nearby Venice Beach. Both have a vibe of freedom and fun in the environment. The former’s pier is one of the most photographed places in the United States, while the latter’s boardwalk is the ideal space to soak up the Californian essence: sun, surf and skate.
Another must-do is walking along the nearby Abbot Kinney Boulevard, with pop-up designer shops, vegan restaurants and the coolest people. cool from the city. To close the trip, go up to the roof of the Mama Shelter hotel (6500 Selma Avenue) to see the sunset with the Hollywood sign in the background and take the obligatory photo. As you will see, Los Angeles will always be more than what they can tell you.
