Greater Los Angeles, situated on the southern West Coast of the United States, is formed of extremes from subtropical desert, 75 miles of coastline, offshore islands and mountain peaks.

Locals simply call Los Angeles LA but the city has been called all kinds of things like the City of Angels, New Eden, Babylon, Lotus Land and La La Land. From its humble beginnings, LA has gone from cowtown to tinsel town.

Spread over 465 square miles, with a population of 3.5 million, the City of Angels gives new meaning to sprawling metropolis. Los Angeles, the second most populated city in the United States, also includes 80 incorporated cities thrown into the mix. Los Angeles neighborhoods include Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Westwood, Century City, Downtown, Pasadena, Chinatown, Santa Monica, San Fernando Valley, Malibu, Venice, Marina del Rey, South Bay.

When you think about getting around the City you think time, not miles. Another thing to remember, car is king here. The City has instituted many programs to get its citizens to buddy up with car pools, different transit programs, and the like but nothing has worked. The City is just too large, covers too many miles, and the real reason it doesn't work: the citizens continue to have a love affair with their cars.

The freeway system is alive and well in Los Angeles and works effectively a good percentage of the time. You might want to re-think driving the freeways during rush hour unless you like sitting in bumper to bumper traffic moving about as fast as you could get out of your car and walk.