The big, brash and sprawling southern Californian city of Los Angeles is an international city that is about so much more than just Hollywood. It is a city of entertainers, dreamers and productive creatives working in fashion, art and media.
The city includes beaches, iconic shopping boulevards, museums and nearby, ski mountains. Its west coast location makes it relatively accessible from Europe and Asia and it welcomes around 44 million tourists each year.
Prime property options range from inland suburbs to beautiful beachfront plots. Own a detached house in spacious grounds in elegant and expensive Bel Air or neighbouring Beverley Hills with its idyllically manicured gardens and your neighbour could quite possibly be a household name. If you want to live on the beach, then head to family-focused Manhattan Beach or Palos Verdes Estates.
Venice, next to Santa Monica, combines beach access with a good arts vibe. It is not best placed for swift access to Hollywood but its pretty canals and strong sense of community are highly desirable.
The city is in effect a series of linked towns with most residents still heavily reliant on their cars. Traffic congestion is legendary so choosing where to live is crucial to make the most of the city.
Los Angeles is finally shaking off its love of low-level suburban living to embrace more typical urban choices. Downtown LA is becoming a vibrant arts area and also more of a pedestrian zone with new luxury condo buildings attracting people back into city life. Century City, the Wilshire Corridor east of Westwood Village and Marina del Rey all feature here.
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