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555 West Temple Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: 213-680-5200
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When it opened in 2002, the Cathedral of our Lady of the Angels was greeted with its share of curiosity and controversy. Spanish architect Jose Rafael Moneno’s unconventional design and its hundred and sixty-three million dollar price tag raised more than a few eyebrows around the city. But as the years have passed, Angelenos have warmed up to this massive cathedral, and it is standing room only at some of the masses here in this largest Catholic community in the United States.
Chinatown
Around North Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90012
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Chinatown is probably the liveliest of downtown’s ethnic enclaves. In an area that used to be called Little Italy, this brassy section of the city has everything you’d expect to find. Fortune-tellers, gift shops, neon signs, pagoda gates, and shopping, shopping, shopping. Chinatown literally overflows with small merchants selling everything under the sun, and wily bargain hunters looking for sales. Didn’t get the price you were after? Forget it Jake, it’s Chinatown.
Crystal Cathedral
12141 Lewis Street
Garden Grove, CA 92840
Phone: 714-971-4000
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Famed evangelist Robert Schuller's Crystal Cathedral is a perfect marriage of design and purpose. Its 10,000 glistening panes of glass make its exterior as uplifting as the popular services inside. Three services in English and two in Spanish are open to worshippers every Sunday.
Disney Concert Hall
111 South Grand
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: 323-850-200
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The year 2003 saw the opening of downtown’s newest architectural masterpiece, the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Built over sixteen years with more than 100 million dollars in gifts from the Disney family, architect Frank Gehry’s vision is a symphony of stainless steel and curves, shimmering in the sun. It’s the jewel in the crown of the entire Music Center complex, which includes four different venues featuring first class drama and musical performances throughout the year.
South of USC Campus
Los Angeles, CA 90037
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Next to USC is Exposition Park, where some of the area’s finest museums can be found. The Natural History Museum has over three and a half million specimens. The California Science Center is full of hands-on experiences that bring the sciences to life. The Air and Space Gallery next door has full size aircraft on display, and the California African American Museum highlights art and history from Emancipation to the current day. Just behind Exposition Park is the LA Memorial Coliseum, which was host to two Olympic Games, and is now the home of the powerhouse USC football program, winners of numerous national championships.
Grauman's Chinese Theater
6925 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
Phone: 323-464-8111
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From the beginning of movie history, stars had one measure above all to tell them that they had arrived: seeing their hands and feet enshrined in the concrete outside Sid Grauman’s Chinese Theater. These days, the theater remains one of Hollywood’s biggest draws. In all, over 200 of Hollywood’s royalty have been honored at the Chinese. For eight decades, it’s been Hollywood’s quintessential movie palace.
Greystone Mansion
905 Loma Vista Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Phone: 310-550-4654
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At 46,000 square feet, this opulent mansion is the largest home ever built in Beverly Hills. This stately marriage of ego and architecture was built by oil tycoon Edward Doheny in 1928 at the cost of an extravagant four million dollars. Its grounds and garden are open for strolling and picnicking, and visitors can get an up-close peek at one of the most impressive homes on the west coast.