People who have never been to Los Angeles often have some pre-conceived notions about Los Angeles that are more based on Hollywood fiction than reality. Here are some of the most common misconceptions people have about the City of Angels.

1. It’s always sunny.
In Los Angeles, winter is both the rainy season and the sunny season. Between the occasional rain days or rain weeks, the sky is a clear blue, even in the morning. The layer of marine clouds that are known as June Gloom actually hang around throughout the summer, making most mornings overcast until at least noon, especially at the beach.

2. It’s hot at the beach.
The average temperature at LA area beaches is about 70 degrees, all year long. This can be about 20 degrees different than inland temperatures. In winter, the thermometer hits 70 for a few minutes then bounces back down. In summer the mercury lingers longer before declining. There are usually a few weeks of summer where heat waves bring beach temperatures into the upper 80s or 90s, but it could equally well be 70 in July and August.

3. Nobody walks in LA
It may be true that distances in LA often preclude walking from where you are to where you want to be. However, there are lots of walkable shopping and beach areas in Hollywood, Downtown LA, Venice Beach, Santa Monica, Pasadena, Long Beach and down the coast. Guided walking tours or walking maps are available at local Visitors Centers. There are also great hikes in and around Los Angeles, including Runyan Canyon, just a few short blocks from the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

4. Everyone works in the entertainment industry.
The number one industry in Los Angeles is actually manufacturing. Los Angeles is the largest manufacturing center in the United States.

5. Everyone is beautiful.
There are lots of beautiful people in Los Angeles – highly concentrated in upscale nightclubs and shopping areas. There are also lots of ordinary people that make the effort to look their best. That leaves the majority of the population just as overweight and ordinary as the rest of the country.

6. The beaches are full of blond bombshells.
The majority of blonds can more likely be found on southern Orange County beaches. Los Angeles beaches are more populated by ethnic families with kids and tourists. The population of Los Angeles County is about 70 percent non-white, with Hispanic being the largest group at 44 percent.

7. It’s all concrete.
Visitors to Los Angeles are often surprised by LA’s tree-lined streets and frequent parks and green patches. Griffith Park is over 4000 acres of green within the city limits. The Hollywood Hills and Santa Monica Mountains provide a green backdrop for the city all the way to the beach. Even the inner city in Los Angeles is made up of sprawling neighborhoods of single family homes and small apartment buildings with little patch lawns and trees.

8. It’s hard to drive in LA.
Driving in Los Angeles is usually pretty straightforward. Most streets are laid out in a grid with a few notable curves and angles. Few areas have one-way streets. Downtown areas are the exception. Freeways are reasonably well marked, but follow the freeway numbers, not the names, since names change, depending where you are. Freeway signs usually include the name of a city direction, but that doesn’t help if you don’t know which way Santa Ana or San Pedro is from where you are.

9. Los Angeles is a dangerous place to visit; everyone is in a gang.
Most tourist areas in LA are at least as safe as other big cities. There are parts of LA that are dangerous, especially at night. Make sure you have good directions when driving in LA. Normal precautions should be taken, such as locking cars and keeping track of your personal belongings.

10. People dress formally to go out.
LA is the center of the U.S. fashion and clothing industry, and yet LA fashion is casual and individualistic. Despite the best efforts of nightclub bouncers, nice jeans and flip flops go just about anywhere. Some people do dress up for the opera, ballet or symphony – and, of course, the major entertainment award ceremonies.
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