All About Los Angeles, California

By Jesus Sanchez, FrontDoor.com | Published: 11/24/2008

USDA Hardiness Zone: 9-10

Major Airports: Los Angeles International Airport, Bob Hope Airport, Long Beach Airport

Companies With a Major Presence: Bank of America, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Boeing, Home Depot, Kaiser Permanente, Kroger, Northrop Grumman, Target, Vons, Walt Disney, Paramount Pictures

Los Angeles was founded in 1781 by a small group of settlers from Mexico who named the settlement El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula. No wonder most people now just call it L.A. The area lacked many of the natural resources as well as a navigable river and deep harbor that were crucial in the establishment of many other major American cities. But a warm, temperate climate with little rainfall proved to be a major draw for residents as well as businesses. Many of its top industries -- entertainment, tourism, aerospace and real estate -- thrived here in part because of the sunshine and dry weather.

The nation's second-largest city sits near the center of a mass of more than 80 suburbs, pushed against the Pacific Ocean on the west and south and the San Gabriel and Santa Monica mountains on the north and east. The shallow bowl of the Los Angeles Basin that spreads along the coast is home to most of the area's residents. A few miles inland from the coast, separated from the basin by ranges of steep hills, wide valleys shelter millions more people and thousands of employers. A relatively small section of the city that sweeps west from downtown Los Angeles includes perhaps the most important features that define the L.A. image: the beaches of Santa Monica Bay, the mansions of Beverly Hills and the glamour of Hollywood. Linking all these pieces together is a network of more than 600 miles of freeway.

Angelenos endure some common, as well as unique, challenges facing the residents of any major metropolis. Living and housing costs rank among the highest in the nation and congested freeways and low-performing public schools remain a constant worry. The presence of a large immigrant population is both a source of economic and cultural vitality as well as social tension and political friction. And, of course, the occasional earthquake and the more frequent brush fire and freeway chase add some unexpected drama. But a reputation for social and economic mobility, nearly year-round sunshine, a casual lifestyle and a shot at Hollywood fame continue to draw residents from around the nation and the world to Los Angeles.

Read More About Los Angeles, CA:

• Search Homes for Sale in Los Angeles
• Slide Show: 10 Great Neighborhoods in Los Angeles
• Los Angeles Essentials
• Local Life and Lore in Los Angeles
• Los Angeles: Like No Place Else
• Beyond Hollywood: Behind the Scenes of L.A.'s Movie Industry
• Slide Show: Get to Know Los Angeles

Visit HGTV's United States of Design to discover Los Angeles' distinctive architecture and home design

Explore more cities in FrontDoor's City Guides

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