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contrast, Beverly Hills, home to the most expensive residences in the world, and West Hollywood, a welcoming oasis to a diverse community of gays, Russians and musicians, are cities but are completely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles. Over seventy miles of beaches run along Los Angeles County's southwest border. Malibu, an exclusive seaside community, has some of the most alluring stretches of sand in the area. To the north, hikers and mountain climbers explore trails in the Santa Monica Mountains. To the east, the San Gabriel Mountains rise up to more than 10,000 feet above sea level. City & Town Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the nation at close to 4 million people, dominates the county. Writer Dorothy Parker once quipped, "Los Angeles is 72 suburbs in search of a city." Now, LA's sev- eral hundred neighborhoods form a rich cultural stew. Meander around Chinatown, Little Tokyo, the Art and Fashion Districts, the Latino enclaves around Echo Park, Hollywood's Laurel Canyon, Little Armenia, Thai Town or Melrose District where hipsters shop. When in LA, do as the celebs do. Go shopping at cool indie shops featuring local labels and fashionable imports along Venice's Abbot Kinney Boulevard. Need an outfit for an awards show? Head over to Decades on Melrose Avenue, a vintage cou- ture store where many stylists choose red-carpet gowns for their star clients. Hungry? Eat at The Griddle Cafe, a Sunset Boulevard institution known for its gigantic pancakes. Or chow down on a creatively topped hot dog (some named for celebri- ties) at Pink's famous corner stand at Melrose and La Brea avenues. Watch a Lakers or Clippers pro basketball game, or an LA Kings NHL hockey game, at the Crypto.com Arena to see stars, both on the court and in the stands. End the day sipping a cocktail at Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood, where celebrities meet their agents and studio execs. Hollywood Conceived originally as an outdoor billboard promoting a housing development called Hollywoodland in 1923, the Hollywood sign sits on the south side of Mount Lee in Grif- fith Park—long a symbol that this is a place where dreams can come true. The first movie studio, the Nestor Motion Picture Company, opened in 1911 in Hollywood on the northwest corner of Sunset Boulevard and Gower Street. It was absorbed by the Universal Film Manufac- turing Company, which later became Universal Studios. By the 1920s, 80 percent of the world's films were shot in California. Learn more about Tinsel Town's history, and experience its memorabilia at The Hol- lywood Museum. Or participate in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sci- ences events and get swept up in the pre-Oscar buzz. 82 2024-25 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA GABRIELE MALTINTI/SHUTTERSTOCK LA'S MURALS provide a keen sense of its UNDERGROUND ART SCENE as creativity covers once-blank walls through the city. LA Weekly calls Los Angeles a "city of 1,000 murals," saying its "urban sprawl creates the perfect canvas." The Weekly highlights 20 of the city's most groundbreaking murals, which range from celebrations of Latino culture to interpretations of film heroes: https://www.laweekly.com/ 20-of-l-a-s-most-iconic-murals Perhaps the best way to see some of the city's most daring murals is with LA ART TOURS: laarttours.com INSIDER'S TIP