Los Angeles is the perfect backdrop for turning your dreams into reality. As the larger campus of Otis College, the city boasts world-class museums and galleries, natural wonders, diverse neighborhoods, and access to top industry internships. Explore some of our favorite perks of living in the City of Stars and get yourself acquainted with the local blogs we check regularly.
Los Angeles is an arts and culture destination unlike any other. In addition to the countless theaters, galleries, gardens, and architectural treasures, the city is home to over 100 museums. Offering a wide range of topics and areas of expertise, many of the area's museums also offer "free days" making their collections as accessible as possible. SoCal Museums offers a listing of participating institutions and a map for planning.
The weather. Ask any L.A. resident about why they love living here and this will be part of their answer. Beyond a simple love of sunshine, the true perk of the perfect climate is that it allows you to enjoy Southern California's incredible landscape. Mountains, desert, and 75-miles of coastline offer plenty of activity year-round, check out Discover Los Angeles for ideas on where to hike, surf, and more.
Los Angeles is the creative capital of the world, and we're not just saying that. The city supports independent, diverse makers, and with a solid manufacturing industry within city limits, it's a no-brainer for creative entrepreneurs. Hear the stories from the makers themselves at LA Original, a pilot program of the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles to promote locally designed and made goods.
Every week offers a different adventure. From concerts to cons to flea markets and chili cook-offs, you will never run out of things to do here. To keep up with it all we regularly check out the We Like L.A. events calendar. The duo behind the local blog also put out a "things to do" round-up every day, week, weekend, and month. Yeah, they have you covered.
We would be remiss if we didn't mention the absolute smorgasbord that is the L.A. food scene. The best way to experience the city is probably to eat your way through it, but as a teaser check out Los Angeles Times Food on Instagram. There you can feast your eyes on all the possibilities and get insider tips from resident foodie Jonathan Gold, the first food critic to win the Pulitzer Prize.
Location, location, location. The sprawling metropolis that we call home can be a bit intimidating in its size. It can be hard to know where to start, but it's good to remember that Los Angeles is essentially a bunch of neighborhoods and smaller cities that grew into each other. Each offers something unique and instead of traversing the city via freeway it might be better to start your exploration block-by-block. Luckily TimeOut Los Angeles has created a number of neighborhood guides that can give you the lowdown.