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Living in LA

by carolinetam — last modified September 23, 2008 04:56 PM

With a population of 10.2 million, Los Angeles is the largest county in the U.S. and Westwood home to one of the most diverse populations in the world. Vibrant neighborhoods are found throughout Los Angeles, where over 200 hundred languages can be heard on the streets of Little Armenia to Thai Town. The inhabitants of Los Angeles live in a truly cosmopolitan center full of educational and cultural resources.

Located in Westwood Village, near Bel Air, UCLA is surrounded by shops, eateries, and museums. On campus, the Fowler Museum displays rich ethnographic objects and is free to the public. In the Village, the Hammer Museum—a unique, cutting-edge arts institution that connects the classics and the contemporary through its sunset&beverly.jpg varied collections, wide-ranging exhibitions, and programs—is open to the public and free to students. Just three miles from campus, the Getty Center presents Getty’s collection of Western art from the Middle Age to the present and houses the Getty Conservation Institute and Getty Research Institute.

Other prime attractions in Los Angeles and neighboring cities include the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Getty Villa in Malibu, Norton Simon Museum of Art and Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Garden.

Mountains and deserts are each about an hour’s drive from UCLA; beaches are only a 20-minute drive. Los Angeles is known for its year-round balmy weather—average temperatures range from 59° F (15° C) in December to 75° F (24° C) in August.

While driving is the easiest way to navigate this sprawling urban area, Los Angeles has an extensive public transportation system. For information on housing, transportation and cultural life, please visit the links below:

Housing

Campus Living
UCLA Graduate Student Housing

Off-Campus Living
Westside Rentals
Craig’s List

Getting Around

For information about UCLA and Los Angeles County transportation, visit:
UCLA Transportation

Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT)

Los Angeles County Bus and Rail Information

Big Blue Bus

Culver City Bus

Los Angeles County Metro (Bus and Rail)

Cultural Life On and Off Campus

Fowler Museum at UCLA

Hammer Museum

Bowers Museum

Getty Center & Villa

Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Los Angeles Zoo

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

Page Museum – La Brea Tar Pits

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