Get to know Los Angeles like a local when you’re studying abroad

Explore the City of Angels as a student studying at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). Los Angeles is a melting pot of cultures, with a strong creative streak running through its core. LA’s famous entertainment industry, the year-round sunshine, gorgeous beaches, and youthful energy gives the city a dynamic edge and real sense of fun. Here are some of the cultural highlights of this exciting mega city.

Tinseltown

This is the nickname for Hollywood, and it does have a certain Tinseltown glamor. It’s home to the famous Hollywood Bowl, which is a stunning setting for a live concert in the summer. Walk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street and look down at the Hollywood Walk of Fame stars embedded in the sidewalk.

After a movie at TCL Chinese Theatre, which has hosted many glamorous premiers, check out the Forecourt to the Stars, the celebrity handprints and autographs in front of this cinema palace.

For the magnificent Hollywood sign, put your hiking boots on and head up the Griffith Park hiking trails for the best views of the icon.

Beaches

UCLA is close to some of the best beaches in LA. So whether you’re up for a swim, surf, walk along the promenade, or sunset meal on the pier, Los Angeles has plenty of beach life. The closest beach to campus is Santa Monica Beach, which is a long expanse of clean beach. Here you have surf waves, a bike trail, and Santa Monica Pier and famous amusement park to hang out at its restaurants and bars.

Venice Beach is filled with quirky stores, street performers, and skateboarders along the sandy boardwalk. Muscle Beach is here too. If you’re a volleyball fan, go to Manhattan Beach, and Baywatch was filmed on Will Rogers State Beach, which is also a great swimming spot.

Music

The city has long been a center for the music industry where bands come to record albums, live venues launch rock careers, and festivals bring stars to the stage. Get a taste of LA’s eclectic music legacy, from the Beach Boys and The Doors to N. W. A and Snoop Dogg, at Amoeba Music in Hollywood.

Visit the GRAMMY Museum to learn about famous Grammy winners and the creative process of making records. For live music, head to the iconic Sunset Strip and follow in the footsteps of rock gods and hang out at Whisky a Go Go, The Roxy, the Viper Room, and the Troubadour – all super famous.

Sports and Recreation

With year-round sunshine, you can jump into every sport and recreational activity imaginable. It’s not surprising LA is a city full of avid sports fans. You can watch the Dodgers, the Lakers, the Rams, or the Ducks play at a stadium, or find courts, nets, fields, and pitches all across the city.

Ride the Sullivan Ridge mountain bike trail, go surfing at the beach, skate the bowls at Venice Beach Skate Park, or roll a bowling ball at a vintage LA ten-pin bowling alley, like Highland Park Bowl. In LA, there’s always something sporty happening.