"People . . . are looking for a place where they can be free, where they can do things they couldn't do anywhere else." That's what Mayor Tom Bradley had to say about his city in the spring of 1980, and it is probably a pretty accurate insight. Something about Los Angeles - its culture of the individual, its garish sensibilities, its blurring of the reality and fantasy, the forced imposition of greenery and luxury on a desert landscape, and countless other nuances of this fantasy land - make the impossible seem possible. It's one of those places that leaves few people the same once they've been there because even if it doesn't actually change you, it shows you the possibilities of what you could be, if you decided to go for it. As Ronald Reagan said, "No one 'goes Hollywood' - they were that way before they came here. Hollywood just exposed it."

Los Angeles has tons of exciting, fun things to do and see, like film and TV studios, beach parties, ultra-chic boutiques and, of course, movie stars, but it's the electrifying atmosphere permeating it all that makes you feel like something extraordinary is always on the verge of happening. Best of all, you never really feel like an outsider because just about everybody who lives in Los Angeles came from somewhere else, just like you, so don't worry about standing out like a tourist. You're not in Kansas anymore, so cast off your inhibitions and get in character!