Southern Districts, Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Convention Center is one of the largest convention and exhibition facilities in the world, totaling 870,000 square feet, 64 meeting rooms, spacious lobbies, restaurants and food courts. James Ingo Freed (with artists Alexis Smith and Matt Mullican) designed the floors of the twin lobby spaces, plus the soaring light-filled entrance space. The first lobby features Pacific Rim, a map in multicolored terrazzo tile with bronze medallions marking different cultures. The second lobby has the blue Constellations.

The Home Depot Center features a state-of-the-art stadium and facilities for soccer, tennis, track & field, cycling, volleyball, baseball, softball, basketball and other sports. It is used as a training facility for Olympic, amateur and professional athletes.

Grand Hope Park, designed by Lawrence Halprin, sits behind the Fashion Institute and features a children's playground with fountains, walls and benches designed by Raul Guerrero. There's also a poet's walk, life-size bronze coyotes, and hawks and snakes which grace pergolas. Clock tower plays contemporary music.

The Spanish Kitchen Studios is a multidisciplinary gallery that accommodates as many collaborative proposals in art, design, film and video, theater, poetry and music as possible. There are regular screenings and weekend performances by Wolfskill Theater.

The St Vincent de Paul Church in Los Angeles is an example of Churrigueresque architecture. Completed in 1925, the Doheny family, contributors to the church, requested that it face Figueroa Street at a 45-degree angle so other buildings did not block it.

Wilmington is a neighborhood of Los Angeles. Originally named New San Pedro when it was founded in 1858, the name was changed to honor the founder's hometown in 1863. Wilmington is home to the site of Drum Barracks, the only major American Civil War landmark in California.

Downey (pop. 91,444) is located southeast of Los Angeles. It is a center for aircraft and chemical plants. Downey is the site of the oldest McDonalds and Taco Bell restaurants.

Torrance is the sixth largest city in Los Angeles County. The Torrance Historical Society has a number of landmarks to visit such as the Pacific Electric Railway Station, built in 1912, and the Methodist Episcopal Church built in 1923.

Torrance Cultural Arts Center is home to meeting and banquet rooms, a visual and performing arts studio, a Japanese garden, a 502 seat theatre and two outdoor plazas.

The Palos Verdes Peninsula juts out into the Pacific Ocean and is located to the south of Los Angeles.

The Federal Reserve Bank offers hands-on computer exhibits that allow visitors to participate in managing the nation's money supply and setting fiscal policy.

The Normandie has the Million Dollar Showroom with regular comedy and musical performances.

The Lomita Railroad Museum is housed in a replica Victorian railway depot built in 1966.

St John's Episcopal Church in Los Angeles is located on West Adams Avenue and is a replica of an Italian church.

St Sophia is a Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Los Angeles featuring fine stained glass and Byzantine influences.

The Norris Center houses performances of theatre, music and dance.