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Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles, the main business and shopping center, lies near the eastern edge of the city. Los Angeles residents do not depend on their downtown section so much as do the people of other cities. Los Angeles has many commercial and shopping districts because it spreads over a large area.
Los Angeles's downtown area has changed greatly since 1957. That year, the city government repealed a law that prevented the construction of buildings higher than 150 feet (46 meters), or about 13 stories. The law was originally passed because of the threat of earthquakes. But by 1957, new engineering and construction methods made it possible to construct taller buildings designed to withstand earthquakes. Today, numerous 40- and 50-story buildings rise in the downtown area. The city's tallest building-the Library Tower-rises 73 stories, or 1,017 feet (310 meters), downtown.
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