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History & Evolution
The Los Angeles initially was inhabited by the Tongva (or Gabrielenos), Chumash and earlier Native American nations for thousands of years. The first Europeans known to have arrived in the city was Portuguese explorer Juan Cabrillo in 1542 who claimed the area for the Spanish Empire but did not stay for longer.

The next contact came 227 years later when a Spanish governor of California, Gaspar de Portola, together with Franciscan padre Juan Crespi, reached the present site of LA in 1769. In 1771, a mission named San Gabriel Arcangel was built near Whittier Narrows. In 1781, a group of 52 settlers from New Spain, which were predominantly of African decent, set out from this mission and established a settlement along the banks of the Porciuncula River (now Los Angeles River).

This site was then developed into a Pueblo Town in 1777 with the recommendation of new governor of California, Felipe de Neve. This area was hence named ‘El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles del Rio de Porciuncula’(The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels on the River Porciuncula).

Even after the independence of New Spain from Spanish Empire in 182, the pueblo continued as a part of Mexico. However, Mexican rule soon ended during the Mexican-American War, when Americans took control from the Californians after a series of battles including the Battle of Rio San Gabriel in 1847.

After this several Treaties like the Treaty of Cahuenga (1847) and The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848), were signed to end hostilities in California. The Europeans and Americans solidified their control over the city after they immigrated into California during the California Gold Rush and secured the subsequent admission of California into the United States in 1850.

After the establishment of Railroads and discovery of Oil in 19th century, soon the motion picture and aviation industries came to Los Angeles in 1920s and helped to further develop the city.

The World War II brought new growth and prosperity to the city, although many of its Japanese-American residents were transported to internment camps but only for the duration of war. The postwar years saw even much greater boom as urban sprawl expanded into the San Fernando Valley.

In 1969, the city became one of two "birthplaces" of the Internet, as the first ARPANET transmission was sent from UCLA to SRI in Menlo Park. Urban redevelopment and gentrification have been taking place in various parts of the city, most notably Downtown.

Site-Seeing
LA is a melting pot society with influences from all over the world as many of the immigrant populations have established strong communities throughout the city therefore, making the city a major draw for anyone wishing to broaden their cultural horizons. But this is only a small part of what Los Angeles has to offer.

The city is flowing with museums, legendary venues for music and theater, all the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, top-notch eateries and trendy boutiques.

Hence, Los Angeles is sure to have plenty to keep you occupied.

Hollywood:
The name 'Hollywood' is the embodiment of glamour, success and money and this is what the film and entertainment capital of the world, Los Angeles is all about. It is the place where all the Hollywood films are made, television shows are recorded and stars take up residence.

The enduring symbol of the movie industry, the 50ft (15m) high Hollywood sign on the hills above the city which can be seen from miles away, has become the identity of Los Angeles itself.

The area is housing many interesting attractions, all related to the Hollywood. The Hollywood Boulevard is the historic heart of the movie industry where one can see many landmark attractions and museums. There is also this impressive theater named Mann's (Grauman's) Chinese Theatre, which is famous for its courtyard where over 200 Hollywood stars have set their signatures and hand or feet imprints in cement.

Passing in front of this theatre is the mile-long ‘Walk of Fame’, the world-famous sidewalk embedded with the names of more than 2,500 legendary television, film, radio, theatre and recording celebrities engraved within pink granite stars. A yet another attraction of the place is the cylindrical Capitol Records Tower resembles a 12-storey stack of records with a needle on top that blinks out 'h-o-l-l-y-w-o-o-d' in Morse code.

Some other attractions include the Kodak Theatre designed to host the Academy Awards, Hollywood Entertainment Museum, Hollywood Guinness World Records Museum, Hollywood Wax Museum and Ripley's 'Believe It or Not!' Museum.

Location: Hollywood

El Pueblo de Los Angeles:
Located in the heart of downtown, ‘El Pueblo de Los Angeles’ serves as a historical monument to the mission era of California. Built in 1818 and the birthplace of Los Angeles, this modest monument remains the city's oldest structure providing tourists with the perfect reason to visit downtown.

The monument itself is home to 27 historic adobe buildings paying tribute to the city's Spanish heritage. Each building has an exciting story to tell about the people of different ethnic groups who settled here, as does the colorful Mexican marketplace on Olvera Street. The Olvera Street is the heart of the district as it is laden with strolling mariachi bands, stalls selling Mexican handicrafts and good Mexican restaurants, some still run by the original families.

Location: North Alameda & Spring Streets

Warner Bros Studios:
Warner Bros Studios provide an informative two-hour tour offering a comprehensive behind-the-scenes look at an authentic working studio. The visitors apprised with the sets, prop construction, wardrobe and sound department, as well as are taken to active film and television sets where it is sometimes possible to watch actors in the midst of filming. This provides more of a technical slant than the Universal Studios tour, focussing on the authentic filmmaking procedure.

There is also an introductory film and museum depicting the studio’s film history.

Location: Warner Boulevard, Burbank

Venice Beach:
Venice is a district in west Los Angeles, which is world famous for its canals and beaches since 1950. Venice Beach is the most famous beach including the ‘Ocean Front Walk’ (the boardwalk), the Muscle Beach, tennis courts, Skate Dancing plaza, numerous beach volleyball courts, the bike trail as well as businesses and residences that have their addresses on Ocean Front Walk.

Along the southern portion of the beach lies the Venice Fishing Pier which is a 1,310ft long concrete structure, while the shoreline entertain its visitors with its numerous street artists and funky performers. Therefore, this lively seaside is a great magnet for tourists, even from other parts of Los Angeles, and is well known for its assorted counter-culture atmosphere.

Location: Washington Boulevards, Venice

Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA):
Showcasing the work of leading modern artists, MOCA is a striking red sandstone building designed by Japanese architect. Founded in 1979, this celebrated museum is the only museum in Los Angeles devoted exclusively to contemporary art. It is thus committed to the collection, presentation and interpretation of work produced since 1940 only.

The permanent collections of the museum include works of Piet Mondrian and Mark Rothko, while temporary exhibitions highlight contemporary themes and artists of international renown.

Thus, this steadily growing cultural resource provides extensive opportunities for education and enjoyment to thousands of national and international visitors together with its three unique facilities named MOCA Grand Avenue, The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA and MOCA Pacific Design Center.

Location: California Plaza, South Grand Avenue