An American Dream Filming Locations

Southern California is famed for its sunny weather and dramatic Pacific coastline. San Diego, just north of the Mexican border, is known for surfing spots and massive Balboa Park, with its world-renowned zoo and museums. Across the bay lies resort city Coronado. Up the coast is Los Angeles, home to Hollywood studios, fine art in the Getty Center, Griffith Park and the high-end shops of Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.

Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the most populous county in the United States, with 9,861,224 residents estimated in 2022. Its population is greater than that of 40 individual U.S. states.

Downtown, comprising diverse smaller areas such as Chinatown, Little Tokyo and the Arts District, offers renowned art museums, cutting-edge restaurants & hip bars. Modern high-rises mix with architectural landmarks, such as El Pueblo de Los Angeles, the city’s 1781 birthplace. Anchoring the Music Center performing arts complex is Walt Disney Concert Hall, with striking steel architecture designed by Frank Gehry.

West Hollywood is a trendy area known for its high-energy nightlife. The fabled Sunset Strip features the Chateau Marmont, a swanky celebrity hideaway, plus comedy clubs and live music venues like the legendary Whiskey a Go Go. Santa Monica Boulevard, awash in rainbow flags, is home to a number of gay bars, dance clubs and shops. WeHo also offers some of the city’s most buzzworthy restaurants.

Los Angeles is a sprawling Southern California city and the center of the nation’s film and television industry. Near its iconic Hollywood sign, studios such as Paramount Pictures, Universal and Warner Brothers offer behind-the-scenes tours. On Hollywood Boulevard, TCL Chinese Theatre displays celebrities’ hand- and footprints, the Walk of Fame honors thousands of luminaries and vendors sell maps to stars’ homes.