Fueled by pie–in–the–sky optimism, scores of wannabe stars flock to Los Angeles to act out their life stories, chasing their own version of the American Dream. Because LA is a city where anything can happen – and where almost everything does, from the sublime to the ridiculous to the tragic. Part movie and entertainment capital, part social experiment, LA is a vast megalopolis where all types of lifestyles and cultures converge in a kaleidoscope of head–spinning contrasts. From cutting–edge architecture to low and high–brow art, from fantastic food to warm, sandy beaches, LA delivers in spades.

Comprehensive, fully updated and filled with revised maps, sidebars and points of interest, let this 12th edition of ACCESS Los Angeles help you sample this city of many happy surprises, where almost anything can happen