Los Angeles Real Estate Listings, Los Angeles Homes for Sale, Los Angeles Condos, California, CA

Los Angeles Real Estate Overview

The City of Los Angeles, also known simply as L.A., is the second-largest city in the United States in terms of population, as well as one of the world's most important economic, cultural, and entertainment centers. It was incorporated as a city in California on April 4, 1850, and is the county seat of Los Angeles County.

As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 3.69 million (though a July 1, 2004 estimate placed the city's population at 3.84 million, and the metropolitan area at 17,545,623 in 2005). Many residents are speaking of the greater metropolitan area when they refer to the city, as it is informally considered to be one large place rather than the combination of several smaller ones. The city is also large by geographic standards since it sprawls over more than 465 square miles (1,200 square kilometers), making it larger than either New York City or Chicago in area.

People have always been attracted to Los Angeles for its balmy weather, its vibrant lifestyle, its unique, high-velocity energy, and the opportunity to realize the "American Dream." Los Angeles is the center of the Greater Los Angeles Area.

Great restaurants of all types abound in Los Angeles, thus the city is a perfect place for exquisite dining. Many celebrity chefs are also based in the city, the most notable being Wolfgang Puck. The nightlife in Los Angeles is unmatched, with an immense array of bars, clubs, lounges, and other venues that cater to every taste imaginable. Nighttime hotspots include places such as Downtown Los Angeles, Silver Lake, Hollywood, and West Hollywood, which is the home of the world-famous Sunset Strip. Furthermore, the Los Angeles area also boasts an unrivaled shopping scene. Anything can be bought in the city; some of the best shopping areas include Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Third Street Promenade and Montana Avenue in Santa Monica, Old Town Pasadena, the Hollywood and Highland complex, the Beverly Center, the Grove, Melrose Avenue, and Robertson Boulevard.

Los Angeles Districts and Communities

Los Angeles is divided into many neighborhoods, many of which were towns that were annexed by the growing city. There are also several independent cities in and around Los Angeles, but they are popularly grouped with the city of Los Angeles by most people since they lie mostly in Los Angeles County and are thus very intertwined. Generally, the city is divided into the following areas: Downtown, East Los Angeles, South Los Angeles, the Harbor, Hollywood, Mid-City, Westside Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley, and the San Gabriel Valley. Some well-known communities of the Los Angeles region include the Downtown financial district, Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Hollywood, Hancock Park, Koreatown, and the very affluent neighborhoods and towns of the western Los Angeles metro area such as West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Century City, Westwood, Brentwood, Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, and Malibu.

Beach volleyball and windsurfing were both invented in the Los Angeles area (though predecessors of both were invented in some form by Duke Kahanamoku in Hawaii). Venice, also known as Dogtown, is credited with being the birthplace of skateboarding and the place where Rollerblading first became popular. Area beaches are popular with surfers, who have created their own subculture.

The Los Angeles area contains all kinds of topography, notably the hills and mountains rising around the metropolis (it's the only major city in the United States bisected by a mountain range); four mountain ranges extend into city boundaries. Thousands of miles of trails crisscross the city and neighboring areas, providing exercise and wilderness access on foot, bike, or horse. Across the county a great variety of outdoor activities are available, such as skiing, rock climbing, gold panning, hang gliding, and windsurfing. Numerous outdoor clubs serve these sports, including the Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club, which leads over 4,000 outings annually in the area.

Los Angeles also boasts a number of sports venues, most noticeably the Staples Center, a state-of-the-art sports and entertainment complex that also hosts concerts and awards shows such as the Grammys.

Area codes serving the Greater Los Angeles area include:

• 213 - Downtown L.A. - From 1947 to 1951 (when the 714 area code was created), the 213 area code covered all of Southern California
• 310 - The Westside (including the cities of Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, and Culver City), the South Bay cities, the Palos Verdes Peninsula, Malibu, Topanga and Santa Catalina Island (created in 1991 from 213 area code)
• 323 - donut-shaped area surrounding downtown, including greater Hollywood, Mid-Wilshire, the Eastside, northern South L.A. (created in 1998 from 213 area code)
• 424 - Contiguous with 310 (created in 2005)
• 562 - the Gateway Cities in southeast L.A. County, including Long Beach and the suburbs of Whittier, Cerritos, and Norwalk, among others (created in 1997 from 310 area code)
• 626 - San Gabriel Valley suburbs, including Pasadena (created in 1997 from 818 area code)
• 661 - Santa Clarita and the Antelope Valley suburbs, including Palmdale and Lancaster (created in 1999 from 805 area code)
• 714 - Northern Orange County suburbs (created in 1951 from 213 area code)
• 805 - Ventura County suburbs (created in 1957 from 213 area code)
• 818 - The San Fernando Valley, including Burbank and Glendale (created in 1984 from 213 area code)
• 909 - Northern Inland Empire suburbs, including San Bernardino (created in 1992 from 714 area code)
• 949 - Southern Orange County suburbs (created in 1998 from 714 area code)
• 951 - Southern Inland Empire suburbs, including Riverside (created in 2004 from 909 area code)

From HomeGain.com

Due to the city’s vast geographical size and large population, Los Angeles is divided into many diverse districts and neighborhoods. The housing options also range from lower-end apartments to upper end estates. Some homes are located near one of the gorgeous beaches such as Manhattan or Venice Beach and some homes are located in the hills with spectacular views of downtown Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles real estate links at the top of the page will help you find Los Angeles homes for sale, Los Angeles real estate agents and Los Angeles home values. Get access to Los Angeles real estate listings and Los Angeles home listings, including the Los Angeles MLS, Los Angeles REALTORS, Los Angeles new homes, Los Angeles condos, Los Angeles condominiums, Los Angeles property, Los Angeles land, Los Angeles acreage and Los Angeles foreclosures. These free real estate services feature all Los Angeles cities, Los Angeles towns, Los Angeles suburbs and Los Angeles neighborhoods. The websites linked above also contain information on Los Angeles home selling, Los Angeles home buying, Los Angeles mortgages, Los Angeles insurance, Los Angeles movers and other Los Angeles realty services for anyone looking to sell a home or buy a home in Los Angeles, California, CA.

Also: City of Los Angeles, California Official Website