There are a number of sites around the city that you should explore during your stay. Of course, Hollywood, the Getty Center and the beaches get the attention that is to be expected, but you may be surprised at what you will find in downtown Los Angeles - if you can survive the traffic to get there. The city's Civic Center is enormous. A city this size, of course, couldn't expect to get all of its business done in a single city hall, so LA has 8 blocks of municipal buildings. Only Washington DC has more government offices in a smaller area.
You are sure to recognize some of the buildings which have served as backdrops for a number of Hollywood productions. Just southwest of the Civic Center is the Museum of Contemporary Art, which houses one of the world's most important collections of paintings, sculptures and photographs from the last 100 years. On the opposite side of the Civic Center is Little Tokyo. This once-thriving Japanese community had to rebuild itself after the paranoia and persecution of the Second World War. The Japanese American Museum is an excellent place to spend a few hours. Of course you will find sushi bars and Japanese gardens between the shops selling the latest technical gadgetry.
More Downtown Los Angeles