One of the most famous cities in the world, everyone dreams of going to Los Angeles at one time or another. A certain romance is attached to this city, the "city of angels." Even children on remote islands thousands of miles away can describe Los Angeles to a certain degree. They will tell you of glorious beaches, beautiful women, fabulous weather all year long, and how easy it is to meet real life movie stars. The incredible part is that this kind of lifestyle is true for many of the city's inhabitants. A region of tremendous size and magnitude, Los Angeles is a marvelous place to visit. The variety of activities and opportunities for diversity is practically unparalleled. Speaking in relative terms, Los Angeles is a remarkably new city, a cultural center unlike anywhere else. Los Angeles fascinates historians because its history is so exciting and easy to track, and because its growth has been so amazing. The Spanish officially founded Los Angeles in 1781. The area had been inhabited by Native American tribes prior to that, and was under Spanish rule until 1821, when they relinquished their power, and the Bear Flag Republic was then proclaimed in 1846. In 1850 California became the 31st state of this new Republic, The Santa Fe Railroad finally reached Los Angeles in 1875, and from there the expansion began. However, it wasn't until 1911 that Los Angeles really started to take off; it was at that time when the first Hollywood studio was established. Just one year later, there were already 16 motion picture companies located in Hollywood. So began the history of the movie capital of the world. Since then, Los Angeles has been the pioneering force behind everything in entertainment and film, in particular. Los Angeles is a region where you can drive to the mountains and ski in the morning, then travel to the beach and surf in the afternoon. It is truly an unbelievable city, with miles of glorious beach, gorgeous mountains, interesting cultural centers and museums, extraordinary amusement parks, and of course, plenty of movie studios. The Staples Center, just opened to the public in 1999, is a state-of-the-art sports and entertainment facility, where the Los Angeles Lakers, Clippers, and Kings play their respective professional sports games. Concerts and marvelous events are held here as well, and this is only the beginning of this diverse haven; a city that has been designed with the intent to entertain.
