Mother of Stars
She really is a beauty, she has many nicknames; La La Land, Hollywood, City of Angels, with descriptions such as these it would be easy to imagine that Los Angeles is the ideal attraction for fans of stars and glamour or seekers of fame and fortune. However, the real secret of Los Angeles is the vast culture and community beneath the spotlights that make her so incredibly embracing.
She is larger in area than New York City and approx. 100 square miles smaller than London, England, however, is home to less than half the population of these two popular giants. A population of just 4 million people live in her valleys, hills, suburbs and sea fronts.
Armed with a camera, water and two feet, a day’s walking from downtown to Hollywood and beyond shows just how much more than the silver screen there is to the city. A walk down large sidewalks and huge multi-lane roads give the impression not of chaotic city life and fast paced industry but relaxed and spacious calm.
Parts of Downtown LA, hosting skyscrapers and commerce, do not suffocate with height and density but invite the traveller to walk clean streets in warm weather and see her sights. Instantly noticeable outside of Hollywood is that at times you may be the only person you see on foot for quite some time. There are parts of Downtown plagued with the problems of all cities, homelessness, poverty those for who LA is a home and not an adventure, a true community and culture within LA, where generation after generation hold on to the heart of LA, as she presents herself to the world as the Mother of Stars.
She has something for everyone, LA, whether it is the youthful energy of beach life or the bright lights and excitement of Hollywood, she has you covered. Maybe it’s the vibrant nightlife and diversity of West Hollywood that gets your heart racing, or the tranquil views of the Hills that calm your soul, she offers them. If your path in life is to fulfil your creativity making your own clothes in the fashion district, she welcomes you, or if you want your couture labelled she will let you venture a short distance to neighbouring city Beverley Hills.
Palm trees and glass, golden sands and concrete, never did the combination calmly beckon you so attractively, waiting for you to fall in love with her, not for her stars, but for seeing beneath them.
Written by Aaron Rolfe for Client Voyage
All photography by Aitor Santomé
