With a bustling downtown area, close by posh neighborhoods, one-of-a-kind shopping venues, and the beach being just a few miles away, Los Angeles offers its residents and visitors the opportunity to experience a vast array of activities and attractions. Los Angeles is synonymous with Hollywood glamour, the movie and television industries, and the celebrities that we all read about in magazines. As such, there are many places within L.A. that host tours of the neighborhoods in which the celebrities live. On the tours, the visitors gawk at the stars’ homes, all while sitting outside with paparazzi photographers and waiting to catch a glimpse of their favorite celebrities. Some companies, like the Beverly Hills Trolley Tour and the Dearly Departed Tour, run tours regularly throughout the Los Angeles area, bringing the tourists to prestigious residences and sharing entertaining tales along the way. Another major attraction within L.A. is an area called “Hollywood and Vine.” The area acquired its name because it’s situated right where Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street intersect. It is an area that became famous in the 1920s because of its focus on radio and motion-picture production, and since then, has become a world-famous hot spot for locals and tourists alike. The infamous Hollywood Walk of Fame is centered at this intersection; it is a showcase of entertainment achievement that honors well-known actors, musicians, directors, and others involved in the industry by assigning each of them a sidewalk-embedded star. Each of the 2,400 stars that make up this “Walk of Fame” are assigned and maintained by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. The popularity of this area is marked with over ten million visitors visiting each year. After sight seeing throughout the city, it is nice to escape to nearby Venice Beach, which is in West Los Angeles on the Santa Monica Bay. Frequently pictured in motion pictures and on television, this is a spot that offers a lot more than the standard sun, sand, and waves. The sidewalks are filled with different types of vendors, artists, performers, palm-readers, and belly dancers, in addition to people zooming by on bicycles and roller blades. There is also a spot on Venice Beach called Muscle Beach that the current governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, made very popular. It’s an outdoor gym to which visitors can buy a one-day pass and take in the sights of the beach, all while pumping iron and getting in shape. In general, most people associate this city with the entertainment industry and visit with the intention of exposing themselves to a glimmer of that spotlight for a short time. The restaurants, activities, and landmarks throughout Los Angeles always encourage visitors to return because the eccentric environments of all these places remind them of what an intriguing place this really is!