LA INC.’s Website -- LA INC. recently launched a newly-redesigned website, www.discoverLosAngeles.com, where visitors can discover LA attractions, book hotels and air travel, and dine throughout the LA area. The user-friendly website is a one-stop shop where users can book hotels and airfare packages through Travelocity, and make reservations with the City's best restaurants. The new site provides an LA events calendar that lists sporting events, concerts and museum exhibits. An interactive Google mapping tool is available for users to navigate LA's attractions, hotels and venues. A new video player component gives users a preview of LA restaurants and attractions. Information from the website can be sent to friends or family via email and can be posted on social media networks such as Facebook and MySpace. Users can discover LA's many shopping areas, from Abbott Kinney Boulevard in Venice to Ventura Boulevard in Studio City. Environmentally-conscious visitors and meeting planners can find information about green-friendly hotels, restaurants and retail outlets. LA INC.'s new site even offers suggestions to travelers on what to do during a one-day, six-hour or even one-hour layover at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
Attractions
The Creature from the Black Lagoon—The Musical (Hollywood) -- The “Creature from the Black Lagoon – The Musical,” is a new stage production at Universal Studios Hollywood, featuring all-original songs and Broadway-level production values, including spectacular stage effects. The new musical, with an approximate 25-minute running time, is drawn from Universal’s crypt of classic monsters. The story has been updated to emphasize the element of romance and just a bit of comic relief. State-of-the-art stagecraft, acrobatic choreography and hilarious, toe-tapping music, and dazzling production numbers keep this musical spectacle moving at a sizzling pace. Audiences are immersed in a strange and menacing Amazon environment, enveloped within the exotic sounds and scents of the jungle. From the production’s first moments, they are thrust into an unexpectedly outrageous, bizarrely romantic, frequently melodic and often outlandishly comic adventure as a monster classic is re-imagined for the 21st Century. www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com
Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens Audio Tour (Hollywood) --The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens has started its first ever audio tour, aptly named Weird and Wonderful! The new audio tour highlights the California brown pelican, red-knobbed hornbill, Komodo dragon, double-wattled cassowary, rock hyrax, African wild dog, Chacoan peccary, white-crested turaco, Coquerel’s sifaka, fossa, Sichuan takin, mountain tapir and the Cape griffon vulture, 14 of the Zoo’s most intriguing residents. During the tour, guests hear fascinating facts about the animals as well as information on the Zoo’s conservation efforts from the Zoo’s curators and animal keepers. The tour is also available for listening and downloading on the Los Angeles Zoo’s website, www.lazoo.org, under the Fun Zone tab. Patrons can download the tour onto their MP3 players and bring it along with them to the Zoo or listen to it at home. Admission to the LA Zoo is $12 for adults and $7 for children ages 2-12. Groups of 15 or more can purchase adult tickets for $9; children's tickets are $6. www.lazoo.org
Universal Studios Hollywood Re-Opens Courthouse Square (Hollywood) -- A little over a year after a fire damaged four acres on the world’s largest working movie studio lot, Universal Studios Hollywood has re-opened Courthouse Square. This re-opening marks a milestone in the largest set construction project in Hollywood history, an ongoing project undertaken by the studio following the four-acre fire that impacted several famous film locations on the historic studio backlot. All of the other backlot locations are set to open in the spring of 2010. Courthouse Square, now fully restored, is the world's most-photographed town square, and the site of over a thousand movie and TV shoots dating back to the 1940s. The new and re-created sets will be featured on the world-famous Universal Studios Hollywood Studio Tour and will enhance visitors’ behind-the-scenes experience of a working studio environment. www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com
Starline Tours Hop-on, Hop-off Downtown & Westside Tours (Downtown)--Starline Tours is now offering a Downtown LA Hop-on, Hop-off tour and a Westside/Beaches Hop-on, Hop-off tour. The London style double-decker bus tour is narrated and has 13 stops in Downtown where guests can hop-on and hop-off for a 24- or 48-hour period from the time they begin using their tickets. Among the tour stops are Walt Disney Concert Hall, Olvera Street, the historic movie theaters along Broadway, the Los Angeles Central Library, STAPLES Center and the L.A. LIVE entertainment district. The Westside bus tour is also narrated and has 16 stops in Beverly Hills, Century City, Santa Monica, Brentwood and Westwood. Among the tour stops are the Hammer Museum, the Brentwood Country Mart and Westwood Memorial Park. Tour buses will depart from Beverly Hills. As part of the new service, and at no extra cost, Starline Tours will be able to connect all three of its Hop-on, Hop-off routes – the Santa Monica Route, Downtown and Hollywood. This will make it possible for visitors to sightsee throughout LA with only one ticket. Tour buses depart Grauman's Chinese Theatre from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily and pick up from hop-on, hop-off locations every hour. Downtown service runs until 5:30 p.m. Tickets are available at LA INC.'s Visitor Information Centers in Downtown and Hollywood. www.starlinetours.com
Universal Studios Hollywood Trams Upgrade to HD (Hollywood) -- Universal Studios Hollywood has converted its fleet of trams into mobile movie theaters as The Entertainment Capital of L.A. upgrades its signature, behind-the-scenes ride with state-of-the-art, flat-screen, Hi-Definition monitors and digital playback systems. The new Hi-Def monitors will feature commentary from filmmakers, including Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard and Stephen Sommers, along with insight from such personalities as Al Roker, Nancy O’Dell, Billy Bush and Whoopi Goldberg. Clips from numerous movie and television productions, all corresponding to the sites visited along the Tour route, will add a new dimension to the tour of the back lot sets and facades. www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com
Pompeii and the Roman Villa at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) (Westside) -- A new exhibition, Pompeii and the Roman Villa: Art and Culture around the Bay of Naples, is currently at LACMA through Oct. 4, 2009. The exhibition focuses on the breadth and richness of cultural and artistic life in this region and includes works of art from the imperial villa at Oplontis and from aristocratic villas such as the Villa San Marco at Stabiae and the Villa dei Papiri at Herculaneum, as well as works from the opulent houses of the urban elite in Pompeii, whose very name conjures up ancient Rome and other towns along the bay of Naples. The objects proposed for this exhibition are a carefully selected group of approximately one hundred-twenty works of sculpture, painting, mosaic and luxury arts, some of them long-familiar works, others generally unknown to the public. Recent discoveries from around the Bay of Naples that have never before been exhibited in the United States will complement more familiar finds from earlier excavations. In particular, the exhibition focuses on the influence of Classical Greek culture around the Bay of Naples, where wealthy Romans displayed impressive art collections in sumptuous homes. www.lacma.org
The Jon Lovitz Comedy Club at Universal CityWalk (Hollywood) -- Comedian, actor and writer Jon Lovitz has added a new role to his list of credits as he becomes proprietor of The Jon Lovitz Comedy Club, a gala new comedy showcase with some innovative twists, which opened at Universal CityWalk on May 28, 2009. The former "Saturday Night Live" star, who has appeared in over 30 movies and dozens of television series and specials, performs regularly at the new approximately 400-seat club and plays a leading role in booking a performance line-up that blends veteran stars with comedy’s top newcomers. The Jon Lovitz Comedy Club features a variety of dinner and snack choices from Mulberry Street Pizza, Jerry’s Famous Deli and gourmet food from The Perfect Bite. Drinks from a full bar are available. www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com
Virginia Steele Scott Galleries of American Art at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens (San Gabriel Valley) -- The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens opened its newly expanded Virginia Steele Scott Galleries of American Art on May 30. With 16,379 square feet of reconfigured and redesigned galleries, the new area—comprising the Virginia Steele Scott Gallery, the previous home of The Huntington’s American art collection; and the Lois and Robert F. Erburu Gallery, which previously displayed European works— is one of the largest presentations in Southern California of American art from the colonial period through the mid-20th-century. www.huntington.org
Pacific Park (Westside) -- Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier, Los Angeles’ only admission free amusement park, recently opened five new family-sharing kids’ rides. Inkie’s Air Lift features the combined movements of a Tea Cup ride and a hot-air balloon race. Sig Alert EV (electric vehicles) are “bumper cars” that spin 360 degrees and feature a dual joystick lever control allowing for full turns right, left, front and back for easy maneuvering. Families will be flying high together in the all-new Sea Planes as they control the height and speed of ascent of the plane while flying above the pier decking. In the all-new Rockin’ Tub, riders experience an exciting combination of rocking and whirling motions simulating a sea-like adventure. On Santa Monica Pier Patrol, the family-styled vehicles are poised to patrol the Santa Monica Pier as they ride along a track through beach scenes complete with palm trees, sand and a lifeguard chair. www.pacpark.com
The Annenberg Space for Photography (Westside) -- The Annenberg Space for Photography, which opened in March 2009, is a 10,000 square-foot facility featuring a state-of-the-art digital projection gallery along with a traditional print exhibit area. The combination of these galleries enables the Annenberg Space for Photography to show an unprecedented number of images to the general public in a dynamic environment. The Annenberg Space for Photography’s opening exhibit is a group show of eight Los Angeles-based photographers in the genres of fine art, architecture, documentary, fashion, photojournalism and celebrity portraits. General admission to the Annenberg Space for Photography is free. www.annenbergfoundation.org
L.A. LIVE’s Grammy Museum (Downtown) -- The $30 million, 30,000-square foot, four-story Grammy Museum is now open at L.A. LIVE, Downtown’s sports and entertainment district. Entering the building on the fourth floor, guests walk through a tunnel featuring life-sized figures ranging from Usher to Faith Hill to Frank Sinatra. A sound-sensory experience leads visitors to an 18-foot table where they can explore 130 forms of music and how their histories connect. Exhibits also feature a behind-the-scenes look at the art and technology of the recording process as well as the Grammy legacy. The museum also features interactive exhibits and an intimate 200-seat theater that will screen films, host lectures and present live performances and interviews. www.grammymusuem.org
Gladstone’s 4 Fish at LAX (Westside) -- In January, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) and HMSHost Corporation celebrated the opening of Gladstone's 4 Fish seafood restaurant -- a Southern California culinary landmark in Malibu -- at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Gladstone's first airport site is located in Terminal 3 after passenger security screening. The LAX opening of Gladstone's is part of the ongoing effort of LAWA and HMSHost to bring the flavor of LA to LAX. Gladstone's at LAX offers menu favorites including "The Chowder That Made Us Famous," "Blue Wave Salmon Salad" and the "Down Home Lobster Roll" sandwich. Desserts, premium spirits, wines and beer on tap and by the bottle round out the menu options. www.lawa.org
L.A. LIVE Sports and Entertainment District (Downtown) -- New restaurants, Club NOKIA, ESPN Zone, the legendary Conga Room and Lucky Strike Lanes are all open at L.A. LIVE. Club NOKIA, a 59,000-square-foot venue, is projected to host up to 150 events with a capacity of 2,300 guests. The legendary Conga Room has relocated to L.A. LIVE and Lucky Strike Lanes is open with 18 lanes, plus billiards, darts and private function rooms. L.A. LIVE is Downtown's 27-acre entertainment, sports and residential district, anchored by the NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE, STAPLES Center and the Los Angeles Convention Center. www.lalive.com
Science Exhibit at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens (San Gabriel Valley) -- The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens opened a new permanent exhibition titled, “Beautiful Science: Ideas that Changed the World.” The exhibit showcases some of science’s greatest achievements, from Ptolemy to Copernicus and Newton to Einstein. The 2,800-square-foot Dibner Hall of the History of Science comes as a result of the marriage of The Huntington’s history of science materials with the Burndy Library, a 67,000-volume collection of rare books and manuscripts donated to The Huntington in 2006 by the Dibner family of Connecticut. A gallery on astronomy, natural history, medicine and light focuses on the changing role of science over time, particularly the astonishing leaps in imagination made by scientists over the years and the importance of written works in communicating those ideas. www.huntington.org
Mark Taper Forum (Downtown) -- The Mark Taper Forum re-opened its doors in September 2008 after a $30 million renovation. Improvements include renovations to the lobby, the theatre and the backstage. The lobby has become more spacious with decorative terrazzo flooring and a new lobby bar. Inside the theatre, upgrades include more comfortable seating and elegant railings along the aisles, as well as improved acoustics for better sound quality. To increase accessibility for patrons with disabilities, an elevator has been installed and seating was increased by 37 percent. The backstage has undergone numerous changes to allow for new technology and space for cast and crew. www.centertheatregroup.org/theatres/mtf/
Neiman Marcus/Westfield Shoppingtown Topanga (San Fernando Valley) -- In September 2008, Dallas-based Neiman Marcus, an upscale fashion specialty retailer, opened its 120,000 square-foot, two-level store at Westfield Shoppingtown Topanga in Canoga Park. For nearly a century, Neiman Marcus has set the standard for superior quality, exclusive items and outstanding customer service. The new Neiman Marcus store is part of a $500 million mall renovation that includes more than 100 new retail shops, restaurants and other amenities. Westfield is also investing $700 million to create The Village, a 31-acre site which will be an outdoor shopping, dining, living, working, entertainment and community district. The Village will connect Westfield Topanga to the north and Westfield Promenade to the south. With more than 500,000 square feet of new retail shops, 75,000 square feet of new restaurants and cafés, boutique office space, two office towers and a 300-room hotel, The Village is on track to become the largest mall in Southern California. www.westfield.com/topanga
Solair Residential / Retail Complex (Downtown) -- At the intersection of Wilshire and Western, Solair is a 22-story high rise with 186 residences, combined with a two-story, 40,000 square foot, retail plaza offering specialty retail brands, dining and services. The property sits atop a Metro Purple Line subway station, making a trip to Downtown, Pasadena, Universal City, Hollywood or Long Beach a simple rail ride away. Steps from the lobby, the retail plaza features HSBC bank, Verizon, Haagen Dazs, Aveda, Aroma Café as well as an optician, beauty salon, dry cleaner, noodle house, shabu-shabu restaurant and wine bar among others. Developed by KOAR Wilshire Western, LLC, Solair represents marquee work from architectural firm Archeon, interior design by Super Potato and construction by Bovis Lend Lease. www.SolairWilshire.com
The Broad Stage (Westside) -- The $45-million Broad Stage at Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center opened in September 2008. This intimate 499-seat, state-of-the-art theater presents renowned artists and world-class operas, symphonies, musicals, dance companies, film and theater, under the leadership of artistic director Dale Franzen. The Broad Stage and The Edye Second Space are part of the school's tradition of community service, providing programming, master classes and special events for the public as well as for the K-12 and college levels. www.thebroadstage.com
Magic Castle Offers New Afternoon Tours (Hollywood) -- Lights, Camera, Abracadabra! The Academy of Magical Arts, Inc. and Hollywood Entertainment Museum have united to offer exclusive tours through the world famous Magic Castle in Hollywood. Led by Hollywood historian Karie Bible, who knows all the secrets of the historic mansion, the tours include VIP admittance, a private magic show by a world-class magician, a walk-through of the Houdini Séance Room, and more. Built in 1908 as the private residence of an LA banker and real estate mogul, the Magic Castle was founded by brothers Milt and Bill Larsen in 1961. It has since been a private club for magicians and hosts nightly performances of the world’s finest magicians. The two-hour tour price is $100 for adults and $50 for students and children. Group discounts are available. www.magiccastle.com
The Hollywood Palladium (Hollywood) -- The newly renovated Hollywood Palladium re-opened in October 2008. The improvements include a new dance floor, new façade emulating the original architecture, expanded concessions, upgraded restrooms and improved interior lighting. Major infrastructure upgrades allow the venue to accommodate larger, modern productions or special events, and revamped acoustics give fans a memorable concert experience. A legendary venue from the start, the Palladium has hosted performers ranging from the Rolling Stones to James Brown. www.livenation.com
Universal Studios Hollywood (Hollywood) -- Universal Studios Hollywood has added animated fun and excitement to its roster. A new, highly-anticipated theme park ride based on the blockbuster hit series, The Simpsons, is now open. Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson – stars of TV’s longest running series – ride along with guests in this new mega-attraction. Guests are rocketed along with the Simpson family and experience a side of Springfield previously unexplored. The experience includes thrill rides, dark rides and “live” shows that make up a new fantasy amusement park dreamed up by the show’s irritable Krusty the Clown. Universal’s award-winning creative team collaborated with The Simpsons’ creator and executive producers to design the ride. The ride features the show’s classic humor and many of its instantly recognizable characters - all voiced by the original actors. Currently the longest-running sitcom on television, the critically acclaimed series features characters that take traditional family life and turn it upside down. Exploding into a cultural phenomenon in 1990, The Simpsons has remained one of the most visible and marketable series domestically and internationally. www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com
Huntington Art Gallery (San Gabriel Valley) -- After a $20 million renovation, the Huntington Art Gallery, located on the grounds of the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, re-opened in May 2008. The refurbished mansion, which originally opened in 1928, is the first public art gallery in Southern California to offer visitors an enhanced experience with one of the finest collections of European art in the nation, as well as a more accurate sense of the lifestyle of one of the most prominent millionaires of the early 20th century. In addition to a thoroughly updated infrastructure, the Gallery includes 5,300 additional square feet of public space, new interpretive components and new gallery presentations of approximately 1,200 objects of European art from the 15th to the early 20th century. www.huntington.org
Chinese Garden at the Huntington (San Gabriel Valley) -- The "Garden of Flowing Fragrance," a three-acre Chinese summer garden, opened in February 2008 at the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. This is the first of nine gardens - four seasonal and five special collection gardens - that will encompass the Huntington's new 12-acre Chinese Garden. The Chinese Garden features a 1.5-acre lake, a complex of pavilions, a tea house and tea shop, and five stone bridges, set against a wooded backdrop of mature oaks and pines. www.huntington.org
Six Flags Magic Mountain (Santa Clarita Valley) -- The thriller roller coaster X, which closed last year for transformation to become X²: Xtreme to the Second Power, is now open. With a $10 million investment, the ride now features completely redesigned, sleeker trains and all-new, innovative state-of-the-art visual, audio and sensory effects. With its 360° rotating seats and head-first, face down drops, X² sends riders screaming around its 3,600-foot maze of steel track aboard massive wing-shaped trains where the seats extend off of the track to the sides of the vehicle, allowing them to independently rotate. X² launches the extreme thrills of X into a new dimension with the addition of a light experience that changes with every ride. www.sixflags.com
Museum of Neon Art (Downtown) -- The Museum of Neon Art (MONA) has reopened between Spring and Main streets at 136 West 4th Street in Downtown Los Angeles. MONA features a permanent collection of over 50 vintage neon signs. The museum also changes exhibitions of contemporary neon art and kinetic art every 6 months. MONA was founded to exhibit fine art in electric and kinetic media; to document, preserve, restore and collect outstanding examples of neon signs; and to educate the public about the cultural, historical, aesthetic and technical aspects of electric art. www.neonmona.org
The Americana at Brand (San Gabriel Valley) -- The $400 million Americana at Brand features a vibrant blend of shopping, dining and entertainment with creative residential living in a beautiful park-like setting in downtown Glendale. The project occupies 15.5 acres and approximately 900,000-square feet of retail/commercial space, including 475,000-square feet of contemporary retail, restaurants, and an 18-screen Pacific Theatres Cinema; Excelsior, 100 premier, luxury condominiums; and The Residences, luxury living in 238 apartments. At its heart, The Americana at Brand features a grand, two-acre park complemented by fountains, public art and generous open space. Promenades, meandering walkways and open-air plazas invite guests to shop, stroll, dine outdoors and just enjoy the beauty of the setting with family and friends. www.americanaatbrand.com
LACMA Transformation Update (Westside) -- The Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM) is a $56-million, three-story museum and the first new art museum in LA since the Getty Center opened in 1997. With 60,000 square feet of exhibition space, BCAM is one of the largest column-free art spaces in the U.S. The opening of BCAM marks the completion of LACMA's first phase of a multi-year transformation to expand, upgrade and unify its six-building, 20-acre campus. Budgeted at $156 million, the first phase also features the completion of a 15,375 square-foot, glass-enclosed BP Grand Entrance Pavilion, a covered concourse linking the western and eastern sections of the one-third mile long campus and public artworks designed by internationally acclaimed artists. With this opening LACMA now leads the field in devoting a greater share of its space and programming to contemporary art. Phase II of LACMA’s transformation will complete the unification of the campus through the renovation of LACMA West (the art deco, former May Company building) and construction of a single story, 60,000 square foot exhibition pavilion, designed by Renzo Piano and adjacent to BCAM. www.lacma.org
Gorilla Exhibit Opens at the LA Zoo (Hollywood) -- The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens' new $19 million habitat for six African lowland gorillas is now open. Campo Gorilla Reserve, as it is formally known, provides the gorillas with an environment that closely resembles their native West African homeland. Visitors share the African experience as they journey along a misty, forested pathway for close-up views of the gorillas living in two separate habitats: one for a family troop of gorillas, led by a silverback male; and a separate habitat for two bachelors. Glassed viewing areas and planted moats are all that separate Zoo guests from the largest primate in the world. Gorillas are endangered species, and the opening of Campo Gorilla Reserve allows the LA Zoo to participate in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) species survival program for gorillas. Admission to the LA Zoo is $12 for adults and $7 for children ages 2-12. Groups of 15 or more can purchase adult tickets for $9; children's tickets are $6. www.lazoo.org
iFLY Hollywood at Universal CityWalk Hollywood (Hollywood) -- Universal CityWalk Hollywood takes extreme to new heights with the opening of iFLY Hollywood, LA’s first ever indoor skydiving wind tunnel. Housed in the world's tallest and most technologically advanced indoor wind tunnel, thrill-seekers enjoy a close approximation of a true skydiving experience as they are suspended in mid-air at heights of up to 30 feet and wind speeds of more than 125 miles-per-hour, with 360-degree views of CityWalk's pedestrian promenade. The experience replicates skydiving by using two colossal electric fans (the equivalent of more than 800 horse-power), to give guests of all ages an authentic and intense free-fall sensation. Certified skydiving instructors provide individualized training prior to each skydiving adventure and guests don authentic skydiving gear. Guests receive a Certificate of Completion following their flight. Single flight packages cost $39.95. Group rates are available. www.iflyhollywood.com, www.citywalkhollywood.com
Encounter Restaurant (Westside) -- Encounter Restaurant, located in the heart of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), remains open to the public with the scaffolding in place while exterior renovations continue. Renovations are scheduled to be completed in September, 2009. Operator Delaware North Travel and Hospitality Services has refurbished the restaurant's interior with new carpeting, repaired its iconic lava lamps and updated other fixtures. With 135-foot high parabolic arches and a futuristic design, the Theme Building has become one of the most recognizable buildings in the U.S. It was designed by architect Paul R. Williams in 1961 at a cost of $2.2 million and it was complemented by Encounter Restaurant in 1997. The restaurant offers "California Fresh" cuisine prepared under the direction of Chef Michel Audeon. Valet parking is conveniently available to accommodate diners and airport operated parking structures are located directly across the street. The restaurant is not within a screened security area of LAX, so travelers may keep their luggage at their table. Encounter Restaurant is open for lunch daily from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and dinner on Friday and Saturday from 4 to 9:30 p.m. www.encounterlax.com. www.lawa.org/lax
NOKIA Theatre Los Angeles (Downtown) -- NOKIA Theatre Los Angeles is home of the Primetime Emmy® Awards. The 7,100-seat, 210,000-square-foot NOKIA Theatre Los Angeles has become the official premier mid-sized live performance/award show/special event/music venue for Los Angeles. The state-of-the-art facility has the capability of accommodating such major award shows as the EMMY®s, Latin GRAMMY®s, ESPYS, MTV Music Awards, BET Awards and others. It also can host live music concerts, comedy shows, family shows, short-run Broadway and community theater productions along with corporate conventions and seminars. NOKIA Theatre Los Angeles was the initial development completed at the massive L.A. LIVE project that promotes a 24-hour LA experience. www.lalive.com
Colburn School of Performing Arts Expansion (Downtown) -- A new building opened at the Colburn School of Performing Arts in fall 2007. Adjacent to the Colburn School and across the street from Walt Disney Concert Hall, the new 326,000-square-foot building includes a performance lab, rehearsal hall, teaching studios, practice rooms and housing for up to 145 students. There is also a new outdoor plaza which serves as a venue for campus and public events. In addition, a new café provides meals for residential and non-residential students, as well as for visitors to the area. www.colburnschool.edu
Museum of Latin American Art Expands (Coastal) -- The Museum of Latin American Art (MoLAA) in Long Beach underwent a significant expansion that more than doubled its original size. The museum now features expanded exhibit and art education areas, a new research library on Latin American art, a new film screening area and a new sculpture garden. www.molaa.org
Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum (Westside) -- The Hammer Museum and the UCLA Film & Television Archive opened the new Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum in 2007; a truly unique nexus of film, art and cultural dialogue. Designed by Michael Maltzan Architecture, the state-of-the-art, 295-seat theater is the new home of the archive’s renowned cinematheque as well as the Hammer’s engaging and provocative public programs. www.hammer.ucla.edu/support_5.htm
Noah’s Ark (Westside) -- Lions and tigers and bears – in pairs! The new Noah’s Ark attraction, which opened in 2007 at the Skirball Cultural Center, delights, entertains and educates kids of all ages as they embark on an innovative and interactive journey that parallels the ancient story of Noah’s Ark. Inside the new attraction, visitors marvel at artfully crafted life-size animals, experience a simulated flood and learn about the beauty of diversity, community and new beginnings. A stunning, man-made actual rainbow signals the end of the journey and the bright new world to come. The opening of Noah’s Ark now makes the Skirball Cultural Center the largest Jewish cultural institution in North America, with 500,000 square feet of building space on 15 acres. www.skirball.org
Griffith Observatory (Hollywood) -- LA’s landmark Griffith Observatory features 60 stellar exhibits that bring the wonders of outer space down to earth. Visitors thrill to “The Big Picture,” a mural depicting the world’s largest astronomical image of the night sky; a dramatic display of the planets – including Pluto; and arguably the most stunning views of LA seen from the Observatory’s hilltop plazas. The 200-seat Leonard Nimoy Theater, the Wolfgang Puck “Café at the End of the Universe” and a state-of-the-art Zeiss projector in the Samuel Oschin Planetarium are more exciting features. Originally opened in 1935, Griffith Observatory underwent a glorious $93 million renovation and expansion in 2006. Visitors may drive directly to Griffith Observatory and park in its parking lot or on the adjacent roads. As always, there is no admission charge to enter the Observatory building and no reservation is required to visit. The Observatory is open Tuesday through Friday, noon to 10 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. www.GriffithObservatory.org
The Getty Villa (Coastal) -- The former J. Paul Getty Museum in Malibu reopened as the Getty Villa, following extensive renovations. It houses Greek, Roman and Etruscan antiquities and is a center for the study of classical antiquities, archaeology and comparative ancient cultures. The décor remains classical in inspiration, with patterned mosaic and terrazzo floors, coffered ceilings, colorful plaster walls and wood and bronze details. The Getty Villa is a companion institution to the Getty Center in Brentwood, which opened in 1997. www.getty.edu/museum/villa.html
The Galen Center at USC (Downtown) -- The new 255,000 square-foot, $147 million Galen Center at USC features 12,258 seats, a 45,000 square-foot pavilion, three practice courts, offices and the Athletic Department Hall of Fame. The arena is home to USC men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball. It is also utilized to host concerts, commencement ceremonies, community events, lectures, meetings, shows and pageants. www.usc.edu
Urban Garden Tour at the Music Center (Downtown) -- A new 45-minute tour explores the nearly one-acre community garden at the Walt Disney Concert Hall with its 45 blooming trees and 15-ton, Delftware, rose-shaped fountain. The tour explains how the garden was constructed 35 feet above the ground and is available at 12:45 p.m. on select days; tickets are $15 each. Guided group tours and evening event tours are available by reservation for groups of 15 or more. www.musiccenter.org
Vibiana Place (Downtown) -- The former St. Vibiana’s Cathedral, the Los Angeles Archdiocese’s former headquarters and main church, has reopened as Vibiana Place, following a major restoration. Now a venue for community performances, Vibiana Place also is available for public and private events.
www.vibiana.com
Citadel Outlet Mall Expansion (Downtown) -- One of the nation’s first outlet malls, the Citadel Outlet Mall in Commerce recently expanded its 147,000 square-foot retail space to 272,000 square feet. New stores include Guess, Anne Klein, Nautica and Puma. Another expansion to the outlet mall is in the planning stages. www.citadeloutlets.com.
Hollyhock House Rehabilitation (Hollywood) -- Frank Lloyd Wright's first house in Los Angeles, Hollyhock House, underwent a $20 million restoration and tours are now available from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. Originally built for oil heiress Aline Barnsdall, the house sits in the middle of the 11-acre Barnsdall Park in Hollywood. More than $2 million was devoted to repairing earthquake damage to the house; the rest was used to implement phase I of the master plan for the park, which included replanting 1,000 olive trees along the hillside on Hollywood Boulevard. www.hollyhockhouse.net
Air Force One Lands at Reagan Library (San Fernando Valley) -- Late President Ronald Reagan’s Air Force One, a Boeing 707, is now permanently parked at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. The plane is housed in a 90,000 square-foot pavilion, along with Marine One (President Lyndon Johnson’s helicopter), Reagan’s presidential motorcade, a gift shop and a pub from Ireland that bears his name. Visitors can tour the inside of Air Force One. www.reaganlibrary.com
Hollywood Walk of Fame CityPass (Hollywood) -- The Hollywood Walk of Fame CityPass focuses on the two-block area that honors more than 2,300 celebrities with sidewalk stars. The new CityPass booklet includes tickets to: the Kodak Theatre Guided Tour, Starline Tours (tour of movie stars’ homes), the Hollywood Museum in the historic Max Factor Building and Red Line Tours’ “Behind-the-Scenes” Hollywood tour. The booklet also includes a book of Hollywood & Highland Center discount coupons. The Hollywood Walk of Fame CityPass is priced at $49 for adults and $39 for children ages 4-12, and is valid for 30 days from the date of first use. www.citypass.com
Wi-Fi Lets People Power Up at Pershing Square (Downtown) -- Wi-Fi Internet access has come to Downtown’s Pershing Square, courtesy of the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles and the City’s Recreation and Parks Department. The service is available to park visitors with laptop computers, PDAs with wireless connections and next-generation cell phones. Basic broadband Internet connections are free to individuals for a certain number of hours daily. In addition, a Web portal page offers space for city and neighborhood information. www.experiencela.com
San Pedro Waterfront Promenade (Coastal) -- Visitors to San Pedro now will be able to experience additional attractions to the recently opened, pedestrian-friendly, waterfront parkway in San Pedro. The Fanfare Fountain of Gateway Plaza, located at one end of the parkway, is a spectacular waterfront fountain with water shows synchronized to music and lights. Comprising the largest water feature in California, the fountains pump 400,000 gallons of recycled water through 58 jets. Visitors can also explore San Pedro on the Port of Los Angeles Waterfront Red Car Line which loops around 1.5 miles with a stop at Ports O’Call Village, an eclectic collection of shops and restaurants along the waterfront. www.sanpedrowaterfront.com
Hollywood & Highland: Better Than Ever (Hollywood) -- Luxury retailer Louis Vuitton is expanding its presence at Hollywood & Highland Center -- the heart of the new Hollywood -- with a new boutique that opened in 2007. More new additions include Guess, XXI Forever, Vino 100, Orange and the center’s exclusive boutique spa, Spa Luce, which opened in May 2008. This follows Hollywood & Highland’s $10 million facelift from its new owners, CIM Group, which included new elevators connecting Hollywood Boulevard with the top of the four-level center, making it easy to get from the street to the shops, restaurants and clubs. The Hollywood Visitor Information Center is also located here and is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays, 323.467.4612. www.hollywoodandhighland.com
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium (Coastal) -- San Pedro’s Cabrillo Marine Aquarium recently underwent a $10-million renovation. The aquarium’s new Exploration Center allows children to explore the habitats and organisms of the Cabrillo Beach Coastal Park through hands-on interactive exhibits and activities. The Aquatic Nursery, a new major exhibit, raises young sea animals like grunion, garibaldi — California’s state fish — and white sea bass. A new research facility, the Virginia Reid Moore Library, features an extensive collection of works on Southern California ocean life. www.cabrilloaq.org
Point Fermin Lighthouse (Coastal) -- One of Los Angeles’ most historic landmarks, the original San Pedro wooden lighthouse at the Port of Los Angeles, has been restored and is now open to the public. Built in 1874, the Point Fermin Lighthouse guided ships safely into San Pedro Harbor (now known as the Los Angeles Harbor) for decades. In addition to a brush with LA history, visitors to the Point Fermin Lighthouse enjoy scenic views of Angel’s Gate, Catalina Island, Point Fermin Park and the vast LA coastline. www.pointferminlighthouse.org
Outdoors
The Links at Terranea (Coastal) -- The Links at Terranea, which opened July 18, offers a dramatic nine-hole, par-three oceanfront golf course, with stunning views of the Pacific and Catalina Island. Designed by Todd Eckenrode of Origins Golf Design, The Links is a walking course. From the back tees, the nine-hole golf course totals approximately 1,239 yards, with a par of 27. The Links, which is open to the public, is part of the $500-million, 102-acre oceanfront Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes. www.terranea.com
Project 23 at the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits (Westside) -- During recent construction in the parkland area near the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits, 16 asphaltic deposits were recovered from the construction site. Twenty- three enormous intact blocks were lifted out of the earth and crated with wooden planks into "tree" boxes, which range in size from 5x5x5 feet (weighing 3 tons) to 12x15x10 feet (weighing 56 tons). The name “Project 23: New Discoveries at Rancho La Brea” is a reference to the twenty-three extracted crates. Over 700 measured specimens have already been uncovered, including a large pre-historic American Lion skull, lion bones, dire wolves, saber-toothed cats, juvenile horse and bison, teratorn, coyotes, lynx, and ground sloths. Most rare of all is a well-preserved male Columbian mammoth fossil, about 80% complete, with 10-feet long intact tusks found in an ancient river bed near the other discoveries. This latter fossil is the first complete individual mammoth to have been found in Rancho La Brea. The Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits is famous as one of the world’s largest and most diverse collections of Late Pleistocene fossils—objects so important that the last 300,000 years of the Pleistocene is known to scientists as the Rancholabrean Land Mammal Age. Paleontologists at the Page Museum now estimate that “Project 23” could double the collection by three to four million specimens. These finds may inform decades of new research on subjects including global warming, geological change, biodiversity and life cycles. www.tarpits.org/education/guide/index.html
TreePeople Center for Community Forestry (Westside) -- In October 2008, the TreePeople Center for Community Forestry at LA’s Coldwater Canyon Park opened to the public. The four-acre, $10 million campus, where Coldwater Canyon Avenue, Franklin Canyon Drive and Mulholland Drive meet, is a public education facility and meeting place for local, regional and national youth and community groups, schools and agency leaders. Through exhibits, design features, educational programming, tools, and volunteer opportunities, the Center supports the creation of “Functioning Community Forests” in every neighborhood of greater L.A. It is expected to attract 70,000 visitors each year, including 10,000 school children and 6,000 volunteers involved in TreePeople’s programs. www.treepeople.org
Malibu Pier (Coastal) -- The fabled Malibu Pier, a historic landmark located in the heart of California’s surf culture, has re-opened with the newly refurbished Beachcomber Cafe and the Malibu Pier Club. Built in 1905, the pier has been the scene of TV and movie filming and celebrity sport fishing. Surfers from around the world come to Surfrider Beach adjacent to Malibu Pier, known for its three-point break that offers rides of 300 yards or more. The pier restoration and construction costs were approximately $10 million. www.malibupier.com
Ahmanson Ranch (San Fernando Valley) -- Ahmanson Ranch now features 15 miles of trails for hikers, bikers, equestrians and dog walkers. Nature enthusiasts are welcome to enjoy the Los Angeles park, open from sunrise to sunset and located just north of Calabasas. The unspoiled landscapes are home to several rare and endangered species. The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy purchased the 2,983-acre park for $150 million, saving it from housing development. It is the largest parkland purchase ever (in both acreage and dollar amount) in the Los Angeles and Ventura county regions. www.ahmanson.org
Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles (Coastal) -- The Trump National Golf Club opened in Rancho Palos Verdes in 2006. Perched on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the course is open to the public and provides a spectacular view from every hole. Originally designed by Pete Dye as the Ocean Trails Golf Course, the property was purchased by developer Donald Trump, who spent more than $250 million to redesign it with lakes and waterfalls. Located on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, 30 minutes south of Downtown Los Angeles, the course also offers a 45,000 square-foot clubhouse with locker rooms, a pro shop, three dining options, conference rooms and a grand ballroom. www.trumpgolf.com/trumplosangeles/index.asp
Transportation
Mariner of the Seas (Beaches) -- The Mariner of the Seas is one of the most exciting cruise ships ever built and departs weekly from the Port of Los Angeles to take guests on a 7-day cruise of the Mexican Riviera. With a total length of 1,020 feet, a weight of 138,000 tons and a capacity to hold 3,114 passengers, Mariner of the Seas has something for everyone. Part of the Voyager class of cruise ships, which represents the highest public space-per-guest ratio in the cruise market, this spectacular ship was designed with enhanced staterooms, expanded dining options and state-of-the-art recreational facilities like a rock-climbing wall, ice-skating rink and basketball court. www.royalcaribbean.com
First Public Access Lounge Opens at LAX (Coastal) -- reLAX Lounge, the first pay-to-use public access lounge at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), is now open at the Tom Bradley International Terminal. Located before passenger security screening on the mezzanine level next to the Daily Grill, travelers can enjoy comfort and service in this relaxing waiting area. Travelers pay $10 for one hour, $25 for three hours and $35 for five hours of use, which includes complimentary snacks and beverages and use of the lounge's business center, which offers wireless Internet access, faxing, photocopying and printing. The reLAX Lounge is open from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily for all travelers 21 years and older. Passengers with flights at other terminals also are welcome to use the reLAX lounge. www.relaxlounge.com
Metro Rapid Continues to Grow (Citywide) -- In June 2008, Metro introduced six new Metro Rapid Bus lines to its growing list of successful rapid service and created a new line operating between Sun Valley and Hollywood as part of bus service enhancements. With the implementation of the six Metro Rapid Lines, a total of 26 Rapid Bus Lines are in operation throughout the county. In the next year, an additional three Metro Rapid Bus Lines operated by Torrance Transit, Culver City Transit and Santa Monica Big Blue Bus are planned to be implemented. Metro Rapid delivers passengers to destinations up to 25 percent faster than standard bus service. Unlike an everyday bus, Rapid buses make fewer stops and are equipped with transponders that cause traffic signals to favor the bus. Also, last year, Metro introduced the Rapid Express Lines - buses that shave off an additional 12-15 minutes of travel times and only make a handful of stops. www.metro.net
New Airline Lounges at LAX (Coastal) -- In early 2008, Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) announced the completion of all four of its state-of-the-art airline lounges. Designed to incorporate the airline alliance concept, the STAR Alliance, oneworld Alliance, SkyTeam Alliance and a fourth, non-affiliated, independent lounge, replaced the terminal's outdated 16 lounges and expanded lounge space at TBIT by 72 percent to 47,000 square feet. Participating airlines have invested more than $20 million to provide business and first-class passengers deluxe service. The new lounges offer Wi-Fi access, individual work stations, showers, food service with local and ethnic favorites, reading material and VIP areas. www.lawa.org
Metro Orange Line Simplifies Travel Through the San Fernando Valley (San Fernando Valley) -- The relatively new Metro Orange Line connects Warner Center in the West San Fernando Valley with the North Hollywood Metro Red Line subway station. The first of its kind in California, the Orange Line consists of sleek, 60-foot buses that travel along a dedicated transitway. A path for bicycling, jogging and skating runs alongside much of the transitway. The high-tech buses stop at 13 stations, including the NoHo Arts District, LA Valley College, the Van Nuys Government Center, the 80-acre Beilenson Park (formerly Balboa Park), LA Pierce College and Westfield Topanga. The stations feature original art as well as lighting, seating, security cameras, public telephones, bicycle racks and ticket-vending machines. www.metro.net
