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 That year, the city government repealed a law that prevented the construction of buildings higher than 150 feet (46 meters), or about 13 stories.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.

The City

Los Angeles can be divided into eight main sections:
- Downtown Los Angeles
- South-Central Los Angeles
- Central Los Angeles
- The San Fernando Valley
- West Los Angeles
- South Bay
- The Port of Los Angeles
- East Los Angeles

Metropolitan Area

By 2000, it had about 9 1/2 million people and ranked as the nation's largest single metropolitan area.

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The ocean and the mountains help give Los Angeles a mild climate the year around.

The People

More than half the people of Los Angeles County moved there from other parts of the United States or from other countries.

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Geography and climate

Los Angeles lies on the Pacific coast in southern California. It is about 350 miles (563 kilometers) southeast of San Francisco and about 130 miles (209 kilometers) northwest of San Diego and the Mexican border.