Los Angeles – The city of Angels! English Course in Los Angeles
You have no idea for a holiday trip? we invite you to English Course in Los Angeles
If you want to combine your English course abroad with a fun summer holiday at the beach, this is our suggestion: LA! Los Angeles is located in the State of California, right at the Pacific Ocean of the United States of America. With its nearly 4 million inhabitants it is the second biggest city in the whole country. It is not only famous for its movie and music industry. It also offers a big nature und cultural life! One thing is for sure: You will never forget that stay.
History
The first European in the area of Los Angeles was the Spanish explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, who passed through there in 1542 but without founding a settlement. In 1771, Spanish monks of the Franciscan Order founded the mission of “San Gabriel” from where the later settlement of the region took place. Shortly after, the Spanish governor Felipe de Neve sent 11 families to the region in order to cultivate the fields. Shortly after, the community of “El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Ángeles” was founded.
In 1821, Los Angeles became part of Mexico which had succesfully achieved its independence after a long war. In 1846, William Ide proclaimed the independence of California. But during the Mexican-American-War, Upper California and Los Angeles were occupied by American troops and became part of the territory of the United States again. That was also the time when gold was found close to Los Angeles, and the city benefitted of the goldrush, selling meat, fruits and vegetables to the “diggers”.
From 1870 until 1910, the population grew from about 6.000 perople to 319.000 people. This was due to new railway connections, a big immigration of people from the middle west and the incorporation of some neighbouring communities such as Wilmington, San Pedro and Hollywood. Whereas before the agricultural sector had a big importance in the region, coal mining and the production of oil became more and more important in the end of the 19th century.
From 1910 onwards, the film industry discovered Los Angeles as ideal for its film projects and moved from Chicago and New York over to Hollywood. This industry became one of the most important economical branches of the United States. During the Second World War, the aeronautic industry became an important economic branch as well. In that time, lots of German speaking artists and intelectuals, such as Berthold Brecht, Marlene Dietrich and Thomas Mann, took refuge in LA. But also artists from other nations found a new home in LA and turnt the city into a centre of European culture which it still is.
District
The city of Los Angeles is divided into 19 districts: Atwater Village, Brentwood, Dogtown, Encino, Harbor City, Hollywood, Laurel Canyon, Little Armenia, Little Ethiopia, Little Persia, Little Tokyo, Pacific Palisades, Picfair Village, Van Nuys, Venice, Virgil Village, Watts, Westwood and Woodland Hills.
Means of transport
In LA you will easily get from one place to the other. You find a vast net of busses and 5 subway-lines which connect the city with suburbs like Hollywood etc.
For the exact schedule and prices, visit: www.metro.net
And if you want to visit other American and especially Californian cities, there are great overland bus connections with Greyhound Lines.
www.greyhound.com
Another possibility is going by train starting from the big train station “Union station”. There are direct connections to famous destinations such as Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago or New Orleans.
www.amtrak.com
The greater area of LA offers lots of airports. The biggest one is the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in the west of the city.
www.lawa.org
Climate
The city of Los Angees enjoys a subtropical climate. The yearly average temperature is 18 °C, with July and August being the warmest months with an average temperature of 22,8°C and January being the coldest month with an average temperature of 13,2 °C. The wettest months are from November till March. Between May and October the weather is mostly dry.
Must-Dos
The list of things to see and do in Los Angeles is virtually endless. The most popular attractions among our students are:
The Beaches: The most famous beach in the city of Los Angeles is Venice beach.
Close by are the beaches of Santa Monica and Malibu, the latter famous due to the TV programme “Baywatch” and home of many famous people.
Hollywood: A name that says it all. The district houses some of the most visited places in the United States: the Kodak Theatre, Hollywood Boulevard and the Walk of Fame.
Beverly Hills: Known for hosting the mansions of the rich and famous. Furthermore, it houses the most famous shopping street: the Rodeo Drive.
Universal Studios: The Movie studios provide a theme park which will take you on adventures just like the heroes of your favorite movies.
Disneyland: Not only the children enjoy being reunited with the characters from the world of Disney.
Natural areas: Los Angeles is surrounded by mountainous areas and natural parks. These offer a multitude of possibilities to go fishing or camping, hiking, mountain biking and so on.
Furthermore, LA has the most museums per capita in the whole world! Per 3000 inhabitants one museum.
Conclusion
The city of Los Angeles is an amazing place. It is close to the beach, mountains, deserts and world-renowned theme parks such as Disneyland and Universal Studios. Whatever your taste and interest, here you will find many possibilities to have fun.
English Course in Los Angeles has everything you need.
We also recomend English Course in London.
