Original subtitles

THERE’S NOTHING LIKE A DAY IN THE SKIES

OVER THE CITY OF ANGELS

AND DISCOVERING WHAT IT TAKES

TO KEEP THE SECOND LARGEST METROPOLIS IN AMERICA

RUNNING 24/7.

WHETHER YOU’RE PEERING DOWN ON THE MOVIE STUDIOS

AND THEME PARKS OF HOLLYWOOD...

THE LUCRATIVE OIL DERRICKS THAT ARE HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT...

OR THE DARK LAKE WHERE THOUSANDS OF ANCIENT CREATURES

MET THEIR FATE.

IN LOS ANGELES, IT’S POSSIBLE FOR ANYONE

TO FEEL LIKE THEY’RE A STAR,

ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU RIDE THE BREAKS

WHERE CALIFORNIA SURF CULTURE GOT STARTED...

WHEN YOU DROP INTO A BOWL

WHERE SKATEBOARDING BECAME AN EXTREME SPORT...

AND WHEN YOU TRAIN ON A BEACH

WHERE ONE BODYBUILDER WENT ON TO BECOME A HOLLYWOOD LEGEND.

L.A. MAY BE FAMOUS FOR ITS CELEBRITIES AND LIFESTYLE,

BUT MAKING A NAME FOR YOURSELF HERE TAKES A LOT OF WORK.

EVERY DAY, ENTERTAINERS HAVE TO TRAIN HARD TO HONE THEIR CRAFT.

SOME HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO PLEDGE THEIR ALLEGIANCE TO A CHURCH

THAT’S BEEN CALLED A SECRETIVE CULT.

AND AFTER THE SUN SETS,

L.A.’S FREEWAYS ARE OFTEN JUST AS PACKED AS THEY WERE AT DAWN.

NIGHTTIME SPECTACLES LIGHT UP ITS SHORES.

A TEAM THAT’S ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL IN THE NBA

HITS THE COURT.

AND 73 STORIES UP IN THE SKY, PARTYGOERS FLOCK

TO ONE OF THE HIGHEST OUTDOOR BARS IN THE WORLD.

ALL THIS IN JUST ONE DAY

IN THE SPRAWLING MODERN METROPOLIS OF LOS ANGELES!

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BY THE TIME THE SUN RISES OVER THE SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS

AND THE DISTINCTIVE SHAPES OF L.A.’S SKYLINE

APPEAR ON THE HORIZON,

MORE THAN 10 MILLION PEOPLE ARE JUST STARTING THEIR DAY

ALL ACROSS L.A. COUNTY.

THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE IN THIS ONE COUNTY

THAN IN 43 OF THE 50 U.S. STATES.

AND IF THERE’S ANYTHING THAT SAYS MORNING IN LOS ANGELES

TO THOSE WHO LIVE HERE, IT’S THIS!

THE DAILY RITUAL OF TRYING TO SURVIVE L.A.’S CROWDED FREEWAYS

DURING RUSH HOUR.

LOS ANGELES HAS MORE THAN 1,100 MILES OF FREEWAYS AND HIGHWAYS.

BUT IT’S STILL BEEN RANKED

AS HAVING THE WORST TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN THE WORLD.

WHEN YOU PEER DOWN ON L.A. COUNTY FROM ABOVE,

IT LOOKS LIKE IT’S COVERED WITH A WEB OF OVERLAPPING VEINS.

MOST OF THESE MAJOR FREEWAYS

LEAD TO THE HEART OF THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES.

THE REST CONNECT THE 87 OTHER CITIES

IN THIS VAST CALIFORNIA COUNTY,

WHICH STRETCHES FROM THE PACIFIC OCEAN IN THE SOUTH

TO THE MOJAVE DESERT

IN THE NORTH AND EAST.

A BIG PART OF WHAT MAKES L.A.’S MORNING COMMUTE

IMPRESSIVE FROM THE AIR

ARE THE LOOPS AND RAMPS OF ITS ENORMOUS INTERCHANGES.

IN FACT, IT WAS HERE IN LOS ANGELES

WHERE ENGINEERS BUILT THE FIRST INTERCHANGE IN THE WORLD

WITH FOUR LEVELS OF OVERLAPPING ROADWAYS.

IT LIES JUST NORTH OF DOWNTOWN

WHERE THE 101 AND 110 FREEWAYS CROSS

AND IS KNOWN AS "THE STACK."

AFTER CONSTRUCTION STARTED IN 1949,

THE LOS ANGELES TIMES CALLED IT

"THE MOST PHOTOGENIC PILE OF CEMENT IN TOWN."

ON THE SECOND AND FOURTH LEVELS ARE THE MULTILANE ROAD DECKS

OF THE 101 AND THE 110,

WHILE THE FIRST AND THIRD LEVELS ARE THE CURVED ON AND OFF-RAMPS

THAT LEAD TO AND FROM THESE TWO MAIN FREEWAYS.

ALL IN ALL, THE STACK HAS 22 LANES AND SEVEN BRIDGES.

WHEN IT OPENED, SOME DRIVERS WERE TOO SCARED TO USE IT.

BUT TODAY, THEY DON’T THINK TWICE

ABOUT CROSSING ITS BRIDGES OR NAVIGATING ITS TIGHT TURNS.

BECAUSE FREEWAYS LIKE THESE ARE STILL THE FASTEST WAY

FOR MOST PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN L.A. TO GET TO WORK.

SOME OF THOSE ARE HOPEFUL ACTORS

WHO BRAVE L.A.’S TRAFFIC THREE DAYS A WEEKS

TO GET IN LINE EARLY HERE AT CENTRAL CASTING

IN THE CITY OF BURBANK.

THEY ARE ALL HOPING TO LAND WORK AS BACKGROUND ACTORS

IN A HOLLYWOOD MOVIE.

THEY COULD END UP PLAYING CUSTOMERS AT A CAFE,

PEOPLE AT A PARTY,

OR MAYBE EVEN MEMBERS OF A CROWD IN AN HISTORICAL DRAMA.

CENTRAL CASTING HAS LONG HELPED ACTORS WHO ARE NEW TO L.A.

GET FAMILIAR WITH HOW MOVIES ARE SHOT,

LEARN THE TERMS USED ON SET,

AND SEE FOR THEMSELVES HOW HOLLYWOOD’S BEST

DO WHAT THEY DO ON SCREEN.

BRAD PITT, RENEE ZELLWEGER, AND MEGAN FOX

ARE JUST A FEW OF THE STARS

WHO GOT THEIR START WITH SMALL BACKGROUND ROLES.

SO BY LINING UP AT DAWN AT THIS FORMER WAREHOUSE BUILDING

NEXT TO THE FREEWAY,

THESE ACTORS MAY ALSO GET THEIR CHANCE TO BE NOTICED,

AND HAVE A SHOT AT MAKING HOLLYWOOD HISTORY.

BURBANK LIES IN THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY,

WHICH PEOPLE IN L.A. SIMPLY CALL THE VALLEY.

SEPARATING THE VALLEY FROM THE LOS ANGELES BASIN

ARE A SERIES OF RUGGED HILLS

AT THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS.

THIS IS THE SITE OF A VAST PUBLIC PARK

THAT COVERS MORE THAN 4,300 ACRES

AND IS FIVE TIMES LARGER THAN NEW YORK CITY’S CENTRAL PARK.

EVERY MORNING, PEOPLE HERE FILL THE TRAILS OF GRIFFITH PARK

FOR MORNING EXERCISE

AND THE CHANCE TO LOOK OUT ON THE TOWERING SKYSCRAPERS

AND SPRAWLING CITY OF LOS ANGELES.

THE LAND FOR GRIFFITH PARK WAS DONATED TO THE CITY

BY A ONCE-PENNILESS IMMIGRANT FROM WALES

NAMED GRIFFITH J. GRIFFITH.

HE ALSO USED HIS FORTUNE FROM SILVER AND REAL ESTATE

TO FUND THE CREATION OF THE GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY.

THIS DOMED COMPLEX HOLDS ONE OF THE LARGEST PLANETARIUMS

IN THE COUNTRY, AND JUST LIKE ALMOST EVERY LANDMARK IN L.A.

IT’S PLAYED A ROLE IN MAJOR HOLLYWOOD MOVIES.

ONE OF THE BIGGEST DANCE SCENES IN THE HIT "LA LA LAND"

WAS FILMED HERE.

AND FANS OF ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER

WILL NEVER FORGET THE SCENE IN THE FIRST TERMINATOR MOVIE

WHEN HE APPEARS OUT OF THE DARKNESS, NAKED,

WALKS PAST THIS OBELISK,

AND DEMANDS THAT THREE PUNKS GIVE HIM THEIR CLOTHES.

BUT THE REAL STORY OF GRIFFITH J. GRIFFITH HIMSELF

ALSO HAS THE MAKINGS OF A GOOD HOLLYWOOD DRAMA.

IN 1903, AFTER BECOMING CONVINCED

THAT HIS WIFE AND THE POPE WERE CONSPIRING

TO STEAL HIS MONEY AND KILL HIM,

GRIFFITH PICKED UP A GUN AND SHOT HER IN THE EYE

IN A SANTA MONICA HOTEL.

WITH THE AID OF A TOP LEGAL TEAM

HE GOT OUT OF THE ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGE,

WAS CONVICTED ONLY OF ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY WEAPON,

AND SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS

AT CALIFORNIA’S NOTORIOUS SAN QUENTIN PRISON.

IT’S 9:36 A.M.,

AND OVER AT ONE OF L.A. COUNTY’S SMALLEST

AND MOST LEGENDARY NEIGHBORHOODS, CALLED VENICE,

BODYBUILDERS ARE ALREADY PUMPING IRON IN FULL PUBLIC VIEW.

THIS IS MUSCLE BEACH.

BEFORE ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER ACHIEVED HOLLYWOOD FAME,

THIS IS WHERE HE GOT HIS START IN L.A. AS A BODYBUILDER.

MUSCLE BEACH WAS ORIGINALLY CREATED

JUST UP THE COAST IN SANTA MONICA IN THE 1930s,

NOT FAR FROM THE CITY’S FAMOUS PIER.

AT THE TIME, WEIGHTLIFTING WAS A NEW FITNESS CRAZE,

AND THE BEACH STARTED DRAWING HUGE CROWDS WHO CAME TO WATCH

THE BODYBUILDERS AND DARING ACROBATS

WHO PERFORMED ON THE SAND.

BUT THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN MUSCLE BEACH

WITHOUT WARNING IN 1959.

SO, THE BODYBUILDERS MOVED DOWN THE BEACH TO VENICE.

SCHWARZENEGGER ARRIVED IN 1968 AT THE AGE OF 21.

HE WAS CONVINCED THAT BODYBUILDING WOULD BE HIS TICKET

TO FAME AND FORTUNE IN AMERICA, AND HE WAS RIGHT.

HE TRAINED HERE BEFORE WINNING THE TITLE OF MR. OLYMPIA

JUST TWO YEARS LATER.

A MURAL OF THE ACTOR AND FORMER CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR,

BY ARTIST JONAS NEVER, NOW HONORS THIS MUSCLE BEACH LEGEND.

BUT VENICE IS ALSO KNOWN FOR ITS BOARDWALK AND SKATE PARK.

WITH TWO BOWLS, A SNAKE RUN, A STREET SECTION, AND STEPS,

IT COVERS 16,000 SQUARE FEET

RIGHT HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BEACH.

MANY OF THE IDEAS FOR THE DESIGN OF THIS PARK

CAME FROM LOCAL SKATERS LIKE THESE.

AND THEY SHOULD KNOW, BECAUSE THE WEST SIDE OF L.A.

IS WHERE A GROUP KNOWN AS THE Z-BOYS TURNED SKATEBOARDING

FROM A SIMPLE HOBBY INTO AN EXTREME SPORT.

TO UNDERSTAND THE ORIGINS OF SKATEBOARDING,

YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND CALIFORNIA SURF CULTURE,

WHICH MIGHT NOT EXIST IF NOT FOR WHAT HAPPENED HERE ON THIS COAST

MORE THAN 100 YEARS AGO.

IT ALL BEGAN DURING THE EARLY YEARS OF THE 20th CENTURY,

WHEN WEALTHY TYCOONS BOUGHT UP HUGE PIECES OF BEACHFRONT HERE,

AND THEN DEVELOPED THEM INTO THE NEIGHBORHOODS WE KNOW TODAY.

IT WAS A TOBACCO FORTUNE THAT FUNDED THE CREATION OF VENICE,

A NEW COMMUNITY THAT WAS LAID OUT AROUND CANALS AND BRIDGES,

AND MARKETED AS "VENICE OF AMERICA."

NEARBY, A RAILROAD TYCOON NAMED HENRY HUNTINGTON

BUILT NEW BEACHSIDE DEVELOPMENTS OF HIS OWN.

TO CONVINCE THE PUBLIC OF THE FUN THAT COULD BE HAD

IF THEY BOUGHT ONE OF HIS PROPERTIES,

HUNTINGTON HIRED A LONGBOARD SURFER FROM HAWAII

NAMED GEORGE FREETH TO SHOW OFF HIS SKILLS.

FREETH WAS ADVERTISED AS THE HAWAIIAN WONDER,

AND FOR MANY WHO CAME TO SEE HIM,

IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THEY’D EVER SEEN ANYONE RIDING WAVES

ON A STANDING BOARD.

THAT WAS HOW CALIFORNIA’S FAMOUS SURF CULTURE GOT ITS START.

IT’S ALMOST 10:00 A.M.,

AND SURFERS AROUND THE HUNTINGTON PIER

ARE OUT IN FORCE.

MANY COME TO RIDE THESE LEGENDARY WAVES

BEFORE THEY HEAD INTO L.A. TO SPEND THE DAY AT THE OFFICE.

SINCE GEORGE FREETH’S DAYS, SURF CULTURE HAS SPREAD

UP AND DOWN CALIFORNIA’S COAST AND ALL AROUND THE WORLD,

WHEREVER THERE ARE GOOD BREAKS.

L.A. SURFERS OFTEN COME HERE TO SURFRIDER BEACH IN MALIBU.

IT’S THE FIRST WORLD SURFING RESERVE,

WHICH MEANS IT’S PROTECTED FROM DEVELOPMENT.

AND TO THE SOUTH, JUST OVER THE LINE IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY,

LONGBOARD SURFING IS STILL ALIVE AND WELL.

THE SLOW-ROLLING BREAKS HERE AT SAN ONOFRE BEACH

ARE WHAT LONGBOARDERS LIVE FOR.

IT GIVES THEM TIME TO TRY AND DO HANG TENS,

WHEN THEY WALK TO THE FRONT OF THEIR BOARD,

AND THEN TRY AND HANG ALL TEN OF THEIR TOES OUT OVER THE WAVE.

IT’S NOT EASY AND OFTEN IT ENDS UP BEING JUST A HANG FIVE!

ONE AREA OF BREAKS HERE IS KNOWN AS OLD MAN’S BEACH,

BUT YOUNG SURFERS COME HERE, TOO.

MANY LIVE OUT OF THEIR VANS AND JUST SURF ALL DAY LONG.

IT WAS CALIFORNIA SURFERS LIKE THESE

ON THE WEST SIDE OF LOS ANGELES IN THE 1950s

WHO FIRST ATTACHED ROLLER SKATE WHEELS TO WOODEN BOARDS

AND INVENTED A NEW HOBBY: SKATEBOARDING!

ONE THING CALIFORNIA SURFERS ON THE SHORES OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY

KNOW WELL IS THAT SOME DAYS JUST AREN’T MADE FOR SURFING.

WHEN THE BREAKS DON’T COME,

YOU CAN SPEND AN ENTIRE DAY JUST PADDLING OUT ON THE WATER.

BUT IN THE 1950s, BAD SURFING DAYS

HELPED SPUR A NEW INVENTION.

SKATEBOARDS.

THEY WERE STILL SURF-LIKE BOARDS

BUT COULD BE RIDDEN ON STREETS, NO MATTER WHAT THE WEATHER.

IN 1962, THE WORLD’S FIRST SKATEBOARDING SHOP, VAL SURF,

OPENED HERE IN THE VALLEY.

IT’S STILL IN BUSINESS MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY LATER.

BUT IT WASN’T UNTIL THE 1970s

THAT SKATEBOARDING REALLY TOOK OFF.

AT THE TIME, THERE WAS A DROUGHT IN L.A.,

AND POOLS LIKE THIS ONE IN THE SANTA MONICA HILLS WERE EMPTY.

AND SO SWIMMING POOLS BECAME THE FIRST SKATE PARKS.

A GROUP OF SURFERS AND SKATERS

WHO CALLED THEMSELVES THE ZEPHYR COMPETITION TEAM

SOUGHT OUT THESE EMPTY SWIMMING POOLS TO PRACTICE IN,

AND SOON THEY WERE IMPRESSING THE WORLD

WITH THEIR AERIAL TRICKS

AND NEW LOW AND SMOOTH SKATEBOARDING STYLE.

CALLED THE Z-BOYS, THEY HUNG OUT IN A SURF SHOP

IN THIS ONE-STORY BUILDING

IN THE WEST SIDE NEIGHBORHOOD OF DOGTOWN.

THAT SURF SHOP IS NO LONGER HERE,

BUT THANKS TO THE Z-BOYS’ FAME,

THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA REFUSED A DEVELOPER’S REQUEST

TO RIP THE BUILDING DOWN, AND NOW IT’S HERE TO STAY.

PRESERVATION MAY BE ON THE MINDS OF MANY IN LOS ANGELES TODAY.

BUT OVER THE DECADES L.A. HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED

BY SOME OF THE LARGEST ENGINEERING PROJECTS

IN THE NATION.

DODGER STADIUM IS ONE OF THEM.

THIS AREA USED TO BE A MOUNTAIN AND THE HOME

OF ONE OF L.A.’S OLDEST MEXICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES,

KNOWN AS CHAVEZ RAVINE,

WHICH HAD ROOTS HERE DATING BACK TO THE 1840s.

BUT THAT COMMUNITY WAS EVICTED IN THE 1950s,

AND WHEN DODGER STADIUM WAS BUILT STARTING IN 1959,

ENGINEERS SHAVED OFF THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN

AND EXCAVATED 8 MILLION CUBIC YARDS OF EARTH

TO SCULPT THE STADIUM’S AMPHITHEATER.

JUST BUILDING THE GRANDSTAND TOOK 13 MILLION POUNDS OF STEEL

AND THE LARGEST CRANE IN AMERICA.

BUT THERE ARE ALSO MASSIVE ENGINEERING PROJECTS

THAT HAVE BEEN BUILT TO PROTECT ANGELENOS.

ONE SNAKES ACROSS THE FLOOR OF THE L.A. BASIN.

ORIGINALLY, THIS WAS THE LOS ANGELES RIVER,

BUT IN THE 1930s IT WAS TURNED INTO A MASSIVE CONCRETE CHANNEL

TO CONTROL THE FREQUENT FLOODS

THAT DEVASTATED HOMES AND BUSINESSES HERE.

TODAY, THERE’S JUST A TRICKLE OF WATER IN THE L.A. RIVER.

BUT WHEN YOU FLY OVER SOME NEIGHBORHOODS IN L.A. COUNTY,

LIKE THIS ONE, CALLED BEL AIR,

IT’S CLEAR THAT THERE’S A HUGE SOURCE OF WATER

SOMEWHERE IN L.A.

ALL AROUND THESE MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR HOMES

ARE ELABORATE PLANTINGS,

SWIMMING POOLS AND WATER FEATURES.

THIS LUSHLY LANDSCAPED 56,000-SQUARE-FOOT PRIVATE HOUSE

WAS STYLED TO LOOK LIKE A FRENCH CHATEAU.

IT WAS BUILT IN 1988 BY AARON SPELLING,

PRODUCER OF "CHARLIE’S ANGELS,"

"THE LOVE BOAT," AND "BEVERLY HILLS 90210,"

AMONG MANY OTHER HIT SERIES.

ONE MAJOR SOURCE OF THE WATER FOR HOMES LIKE THESE

AND MILLIONS OF FAUCETS ALL ACROSS L.A.

CAN BE SEEN FROM THE AIR WHEN IT ARRIVES

HERE AT THE NORTHERN END OF THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY.

THIS IS THE END POINT OF THE ENGINEERING MARVEL

THAT HELPS KEEP LOS ANGELES ALIVE.

BY THE EARLY 20th CENTURY, AS L.A.’S POPULATION RAPIDLY GREW,

THERE WERE FEARS THAT THE COUNTY COULD GO COMPLETELY DRY.

SO CITY OFFICIALS APPROVED A UNIQUE PLAN

TO MAKE SURE LOS ANGELES WOULD HAVE THE WATER IT NEEDED

TO GROW FOR DECADES TO COME.

THE CITY SECRETLY STARTED BUYING UP RANCHES

AND THE WATER RIGHTS THAT CAME WITH THEM

IN A REMOTE REGION TO THE NORTH CALLED OWENS VALLEY.

THEN L.A. CONSTRUCTED A MORE THAN 350-MILE-LONG AQUEDUCT

TO SEND THAT WATER DOWN TO L.A.

IT WAS AN ENGINEERING MARVEL OF ITS DAY AND STILL IS.

ON NOVEMBER 5, 1913,

WITH GREAT FANFARE, THAT WATER ARRIVED HERE

AT THE NORTHERN END OF THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY.

TODAY, OWENS VALLEY STILL PROVIDES

ABOUT A THIRD OF L.A.’S WATER.

AFTER IT EMERGES FROM THE AQUEDUCT,

IT GETS STORED IN THE LOS ANGELES RESERVOIR.

BUT WHEN YOU SOAR OVER

THIS MORE THAN 3.3-BILLION-GALLON RESERVOIR,

IT’S HARD TO SEE ANY ACTUAL WATER.

THAT’S BECAUSE SINCE 2015

IT’S BEEN ALMOST COMPLETELY COVERED WITH A BLANKET

MADE UP OF MORE THAN 96 MILLION BLACK PLASTIC SHADE BALLS!

AS SOON AS THE WATER ENTERS THE RESERVOIR,

HERE AT THE NORTHERN EDGE,

THOUSANDS OF THESE FOUR-INCH-DIAMETER BALLS

CLOSE IN AND KEEP IT COVERED.

THEY HELP KEEP ALGAE FROM GROWING

AND REDUCE EVAPORATION BY SHADING THE WATER.

BUT THEIR MAIN PURPOSE IS TO FIGHT A CARCINOGEN

KNOWN AS BROMATE,

WHICH IS CREATED WHEN SUNLIGHT COMES INTO CONTACT

WITH BROMIDE AND CHLORINE, TWO WATER TREATMENT CHEMICALS.

L.A. HAS SPENT MORE THAN $34 MILLION

INSTALLING THESE BALLS

AND CLAIMS IT COULD LOSE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS

OF WATER FROM EVAPORATION WITHOUT THEM.

TO KEEP ITS INVESTMENT FROM SIMPLY FLYING AWAY

DURING HIGH WINDS, EACH BALL HAS BEEN INJECTED WITH WATER,

SO THAT IT’S HEAVY ENOUGH NOT TO END UP AIRBORNE.

WATER FROM THE LOS ANGELES AQUEDUCT

FLOWS TO NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS L.A.

IT ALSO ENDS UP HERE

ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY,

NOT FAR FROM BURBANK,

AT ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE PLACES IN THE COUNTY.

IT’S A TINY UNINCORPORATED AREA CALLED UNIVERSAL CITY.

IT HAS ITS OWN ZIP CODE, STREETS AND BUILDINGS,

BUT NO ONE ACTUALLY LIVES HERE,

EXCEPT FOR THE WIZARDS INSIDE THE TOWERS OF HOGWARTS CASTLE.

THIS TINY CITY IS THE HOME OF UNIVERSAL STUDIOS,

A STUDIO AND THEME PARK.

IT WAS FOUNDED IN THE EARLY 1900s ON RANCHLAND,

WHICH WAS SO FAR AWAY FROM DOWNTOWN L.A. AT THE TIME

THAT MANY THOUGHT PLACING A FILM STUDIO HERE

WAS A TERRIBLE INVESTMENT!

BUT TODAY, THIS THEME PARK

IS ONE OF L.A.’S BIGGEST TOURIST ATTRACTIONS.

JOBS AT UNIVERSAL STUDIOS ARE HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER

BY ASPIRING ACTORS.

TOUR GUIDES AND ENTERTAINERS HERE

OFTEN GET FREE ACTING CLASSES

AND THE CHANCE TO MEET TOP HOLLYWOOD CASTING DIRECTORS.

IT’S ALSO WHERE SOME ACTORS HONE THEIR CRAFT

HERE ON THE SET OF "WATERWORLD,"

AN ACTION-PACKED SHOW BASED

ON THE 1995 SCIENCE FICTION THRILLER STARRING KEVIN COSTNER.

AND NEARBY, AT UNIVERSAL STUDIOS’ BACK LOTS,

FILM CREWS AND CATERING TRUCKS

ARE PACKED INTO A SET CALLED COLONIAL STREET.

IT’S BEEN BUILT TO LOOK LIKE

IT COULD BE ANYWHERE IN SMALL TOWN AMERICA.

FANS OF "DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES" MIGHT RECOGNIZE THIS STREET

AS WISTERIA LANE.

BUT UNIVERSAL ISN’T THE ONLY STUDIO HERE

ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY.

JUST UP THE STREET IS WARNER BROTHERS.

UNDER ITS ICONIC WATER TOWER IS A BACK LOT SET

WHERE MANY SCENES FROM THE HIT SHOW "E.R." WERE FILMED.

"E.R." STAR GEORGE CLOONEY

SPENT YEARS WORKING HERE AT WARNER BROTHERS.

AND WHEN IT CAME TIME FOR HIS LUNCH BREAKS,

HE OFTEN HEADED OUT THROUGH THE STUDIO’S GATES

AND ACROSS THE STREET TO THE SMOKE HOUSE RESTAURANT.

PRODUCERS, DIRECTORS AND ACTORS

HAVE BEEN FILLING ITS PLUSH, RED BOOTHS SINCE 1946.

CLOONEY AND HIS PRODUCING PARTNER GRANT HESLOV

WERE SO FOND OF THE PLACE,

THEY DECIDED TO NAME THEIR PRODUCTION COMPANY

SMOKEHOUSE PICTURES.

BUT FOR MANY ANGELENOS WHO HEAD OUT FOR LUNCH,

THERE’S ONLY ONE PLACE TO GO:

IN-N-OUT BURGER, WHICH GOT ITS START RIGHT HERE IN L.A. COUNTY.

IN 1948 A YOUNG COUPLE NAMED HARRY AND ESTHER SNYDER

OPENED A TINY ROADSIDE BURGER JOINT

HERE IN THE L.A. SUBURB OF BALDWIN PARK.

TO STAND APART, THEY USED ONLY FRESH INGREDIENTS

AND OFFERED FAST DRIVE-THRU SERVICE,

WHICH IS WHY IN-N-OUT IS CONSIDERED

THE FIRST DRIVE-THRU RESTAURANT IN CALIFORNIA.

THIS REPLICA NOW STANDS CLOSE TO THE SITE

OF THEIR ORIGINAL BURGER SHACK.

IN HIS SPARE TIME, HARRY SNYDER ALSO CREATED A STANDING BOX

WITH A MICROPHONE AND SPEAKER

SO DRIVERS COULD ORDER BEFORE THEY PULLED UP AT THE WINDOW

TO SAVE TIME.

THAT SYSTEM WOULD SOON BE USED

AT JUST ABOUT EVERY DRIVE-THRU IN THE WORLD.

SEVEN DECADES LATER,

THE MENU AT IN-N-OUT BURGER IS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME,

AND THERE ARE NOW MORE THAN 300 LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA

AND A FEW OTHER STATES.

THE COMPANY’S CEO,

WHO IS THE GRANDDAUGHTER OF CHAIN’S FOUNDERS,

HAS BEEN CALLED AMERICA’S YOUNGEST FEMALE BILLIONAIRE.

BUT WHEN IT COMES TIME FOR MANY HOLLYWOOD ACTORS,

AGENTS AND DEALMAKERS TO HAVE THEIR LUNCHES,

THEY OFTEN HEAD TO MUCH MORE GLAMOROUS SPOTS,

INCLUDING THE POLO LOUNGE INSIDE THE BEVERLY HILLS HOTEL.

THIS HOTEL HAS PLAYED SUCH A LEADING ROLE

IN THE DAILY LIFE OF HOLLYWOOD,

THAT WRITER AND ACTOR FRAN LEBOWITZ ONCE SAID

THAT LOS ANGELES IS REALLY JUST A LARGE, CITY-LIKE AREA

SURROUNDING THE BEVERLY HILLS HOTEL.

OFTEN, AT MIDDAY, THOSE WHO TURN INTO THE LONG DRIVEWAY

THAT LEADS TO THE VALETED ENTRANCE

ARE A WHO’S WHO IN HOLLYWOOD.

AND IT’S BEEN THAT WAY SINCE 1912,

WHEN THE HOTEL OPENED FOR BUSINESS.

MARILYN MONROE STAYED IN ONE OF BUNGALOWS OUT BACK

WHILE FILMING "SOME LIKE IT HOT,"

AND ELIZABETH TAYLOR IS SAID TO HAVE SPENT

SIX OF HER EIGHT HONEYMOONS HERE.

OVER THE YEARS, JUST ABOUT EVERYONE,

FROM ORSON WELLES TO WARREN BEATTY,

JAY-Z AND BEYONCE,

HAVE EITHER STAYED HERE, SWAM IN ITS POOL,

OR HUNG OUT AT ITS LEGENDARY BAR.

BUT STARTING IN 2014,

MANY HOLLYWOOD REGULARS STOPPED COMING.

THEY DID IT AS A BOYCOTT AGAINST THE HOTEL’S OWNER,

THE BILLIONAIRE SULTAN OF BRUNEI,

AFTER HE IMPOSED HARSH NEW LAWS

IN HIS TINY SOUTHEAST ASIAN COUNTRY.

ONE LAW CALLED FOR ADULTERERS AND HOMOSEXUALS THERE

TO BE STONED TO DEATH.

EVEN THE BEVERLY HILLS CITY COUNCIL PASSED A RESOLUTION

TO TRY AND GET THE SULTAN TO SELL THE PROPERTY,

BUT IT WASN’T SUCCESSFUL.

PART OF THE CHARM OF THE BEVERLY HILLS HOTEL

HAS LONG BEEN THE PALM TREES THAT SURROUND IT.

IT WOULD BE HARD TO IMAGINE LOS ANGELES WITHOUT THESE TREES

THAT LINE MANY OF ITS STREETS.

BUT THIS TYPE OF PALM WAS IMPORTED TO L.A.

AND PLANTED FOR VISUAL EFFECT.

IT’S NOT A NATIVE L.A. PLANT.

THE FIRST KNOWN ROW OF PALM TREES IN LOS ANGELES

WAS CREATED BY A MAN NAMED CHARLES A. LONGSTREET

SOMETIME AROUND 1869.

AFTER LINING HIS NEW DRIVEWAY WITH ROWS OF THE TREES,

IT APPEARED ON MAPS AS PALM DRIVE.

TODAY, AMAZINGLY, LONGSTREET’S ORIGINAL PALMS

ARE STILL STANDING AFTER MORE THAN A CENTURY

RIGHT HERE NEXT TO THE 110 FREEWAY.

PARTS OF LOS ANGELES MAY LOOK LIKE

THEY COULD BE IN THE TROPICS,

BUT L.A. IS CLASSIFIED AS HAVING A MEDITERRANEAN-STYLE CLIMATE.

BECAUSE OF ITS ANNUAL RAINFALL LEVELS,

IT’S NOT ACTUALLY A DESERT.

BUT THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT MICROCLIMATES IN L.A. COUNTY,

AND THAT’S HELPED CREATE A WIDE RANGE OF POSSIBILITIES

FOR L.A. LOCATION SCOUTS AND DIRECTORS

ON THE SEARCH FOR FILMING LOCATIONS CLOSE TO HOME.

NOT FAR FROM THE VALLEY IS THE VELUZAT MOVIE RANCH,

WHICH HAS SERVED AS A DUSTY WESTERN BACKDROP

IN HUNDREDS OF MOVIES AND TELEVISION SHOWS.

AND TO THE WEST,

THE HILLS BEHIND THE SEASIDE CITY OF MALIBU

SERVED AS A STAND-IN FOR SOUTH KOREA

IN ONE OF THE LONGEST-RUNNING SERIES ON TELEVISION.

THIS IS MALIBU CREEK STATE PARK.

IT WAS HERE THAT THE TITLE SEQUENCE

OF THE TELEVISION SERIES "M.A.S.H." WAS FILMED.

AS THE UNFORGETTABLE "M.A.S.H." THEME SONG PLAYS,

U.S. ARMY HELICOPTERS LAND AT A MOBILE ARMY HOSPITAL,

AND THE M.A.S.H TEAM RACES OUT TO TRIAGE THEIR NEW PATIENTS.

ALL THOSE SHOTS WERE FILMED RIGHT HERE IN THIS VALLEY.

THE AMBULANCE IN THAT SEQUENCE STILL STANDS HERE.

BUT THIS AREA ALSO OFFERS A CHANCE TO IMAGINE

WHAT L.A. WAS LIKE BEFORE SPANISH SETTLERS ARRIVED.

A NATIVE AMERICAN PEOPLE CALLED THE CHUMASH

ONCE LIVED IN THESE COASTAL HILLS,

IN SMALL TOWNS THAT ARE NO LONGER STANDING.

IT’S BEEN ESTIMATED THAT ANYWHERE FROM 8,000 TO 22,000

CHUMASH ONCE INHABITED THIS PART OF CALIFORNIA.

AND DOWN IN THE LOS ANGELES BASIN

ANOTHER SITE HAS REVEALED FASCINATING EVIDENCE

OF THE ANCIENT CREATURES THAT ONCE THRIVED IN L.A. COUNTY

BEFORE THERE WERE HUMANS HERE

AND THE STRANGE SUBSTANCE

THAT CAUSED THOUSANDS OF THEM TO PERISH.

IT’S ALMOST NOON, AND A GIANT BOULDER

OUTSIDE THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART, OR LACMA,

IS BATHED WITH MIDDAY SUN.

BUT THIS 340-TON ROCK WASN’T PLACED HERE

BY A CALIFORNIA EARTHQUAKE, MUDSLIDE OR VOLCANIC ERUPTION.

IT WAS CARRIED TO LACMA FROM A QUARRY 105 MILES AWAY

BY A GIANT TRACTOR TRAILER.

IN 2012, AS THIS ENORMOUS ROCK

ROLLED THROUGH THE STREETS OF LOS ANGELES

THOUSANDS CAME OUT ALONG ITS ROUTE

TO CHEER ON THE BOULDER AND THE TEAM MOVING IT.

IT’S PART OF A PERMANENT OUTDOOR INSTALLATION

BY ARTIST MICHAEL HEIZER.

HE NAMED THIS WORK "LEVITATED MASS"

AND INSTALLED THE BOULDER SO IT SPANS A SLOPED TRENCH,

WHICH ALLOWS VISITORS TO PASS UNDER IT AS IT LEVITATES ABOVE.

BUT THIS MODERN WORK OF ART HAPPENS TO STAND ON LAND

THAT’S LONG HELD EVIDENCE OF THE ANCIENT CREATURES

THAT ONCE ROAMED THE HILLS AND VALLEYS OF LOS ANGELES.

IF YOU’D BEEN ABLE TO FLY OVER THIS PART OF L.A.

30,000 YEARS AGO,

THIS IS WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN ON THE GROUND BELOW.

A FAMILY OF AMERICAN MASTODONS

GATHERED AROUND THE BANK OF A VERY DARK LAKE.

YOU MIGHT ALSO HAVE HEARD THEIR AGONIZED CRIES FOR HELP.

THIS IS NOT A LAKE OF WATER;

IT’S ONE OF L.A.’S FAMOUS LA BREA TAR PITS.

AND THESE MASTODONS ARE PART OF A DISPLAY

TO SHOW HOW THOUSANDS OF ANCIENT CREATURES

BECAME TRAPPED IN PITS OF ASPHALT

AND DIED SLOWLY AS THEY STRUGGLED TO GET OUT.

MORE THAN ONE MILLION BONES HAVE BEEN RECOVERED SO FAR,

FROM SABER-TOOTHED CATS, SLOTHS, WOLVES, AND EVEN ANCIENT CAMELS.

JUST A FEW OF THE CREATURES THAT MET THEIR FATE HERE

BETWEEN 11,000 AND 50,000 YEARS AGO.

ANCIENT HUMAN REMAINS HAVE ALSO BEEN DISCOVERED HERE.

THE SKULL OF YOUNG WOMAN WAS FOUND

NEXT TO THE BONES OF A DOG,

AND SOME RESEARCHERS BELIEVE

SHE MAY HAVE BEEN THROWN INTO THE TAR, AND MURDERED,

ROUGHLY 9,000 YEARS AGO.

CALLED THE LA BREA WOMAN,

SHE’S ONE OF THE OLDEST KNOWN CALIFORNIANS.

THE ASPHALT FROM PITS LIKE THESE

WAS USED BY NATIVE AMERICANS HERE TO WATERPROOF THEIR BOATS.

BUT IN 1892, A MAN NAMED EDWARD DOHENY

CAME ACROSS ONE OF THESE TARRY SEEPS,

DUG A WELL, STRUCK OIL,

AND KICKED OFF L.A.’S FIRST BIG ECONOMIC BOOM.

WHEN LOS ANGELES WAS FOUNDED IN 1781,

THIS PLAZA, JUST NORTH OF WHAT’S NOW DOWNTOWN,

WAS THE HEART OF THIS SMALL NEW SETTLEMENT.

STANDING ON THIS TOWN SQUARE

IS THE CHURCH OF OUR LADY QUEEN OF ANGELS,

WHICH WAS COMPLETED IN 1814.

IT WAS DEDICATED TO THE 11 SPANISH FAMILIES

WHO FIRST JOURNEYED HERE FROM NEW SPAIN, OR WHAT’S NOW MEXICO.

LOS ANGELES BECAME PART OF THE UNITED STATES IN 1848

WHEN THE U.S. WON THE U.S.-MEXICAN WAR

AND GAINED CONTROL OF THE LAND THAT’S NOW CALIFORNIA.

NOT MUCH HAPPENED HERE IN THE YEARS THAT FOLLOWED,

AND BY 1870 THE POPULATION OF THE CITY WAS LESS THAN 6,000.

BUT WITHIN JUST THREE DECADES,

THERE WERE MORE THAN 100,000 PEOPLE IN L.A.

AND THE CITY WAS BOOMING, THANKS TO TRAINS AND OIL.

IN THE LATE 1800s, RAILROADS MADE TRAVEL TO LOS ANGELES

FROM THE EAST POSSIBLE FOR THE FIRST TIME.

THOUSANDS FLOODED IN.

AND SEVEN YEARS LATER, IN 1892,

SOON-TO-BE OIL TYCOON EDWARD DOHENY

NOTICED AN OILY PATCH OF GROUND

IN THE HILLS CLOSE TO WHERE DODGER STADIUM NOW STANDS.

AS SOON AS HE DRILLED HIS FIRST WELL HERE,

THE OIL STARTED FLOWING,

AND IT WASN’T LONG BEFORE HE HAD HUNDREDS OF WELLS

AND HAD MADE A FORTUNE.

HIS STORY INSPIRED THE OSCAR-WINNING FILM

"THERE WILL BE BLOOD," STARRING DANIEL DAY LEWIS.

BY THE LATE 19th CENTURY, MANY AREAS IN AND AROUND LOS ANGELES

WERE COVERED WITH FORESTS OF OIL DERRICKS.

AND OIL IS STILL PART OF DAILY LIFE FOR MANY ANGELENOS.

WHEN DRIVERS LINE UP AT THIS McDONALD’S DRIVE-THRU

IN LONG BEACH, THEY PASS RIGHT BY AN ACTIVE OIL WELL.

AND THESE NEW CONDOS NEARBY

WERE BUILT AROUND WORKING PUMPJACKS.

BUT ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS IN L.A.

HAVE ALSO GOTTEN VERY GOOD AT DISGUISING WELLS

SO PEOPLE DON’T EVEN KNOW THEY’RE THERE.

JUST OFF THE SHORES OF LONG BEACH,

THESE WELLS HAVE BEEN LANDSCAPED TO LOOK LIKE TROPICAL RESORTS,

WITH PALM TREES AND STRUCTURES

THAT LOOK LIKE HOTELS FROM A DISTANCE.

AND HERE, NOT FAR FROM BEVERLY HILLS,

THIS BUILDING WAS DESIGNED TO LOOK LIKE

THE TOWER OF A SYNAGOGUE.

IF YOU PASS BY ON THE STREET,

YOU MIGHT NEVER REALIZE THAT IT’S NOT.

BUT INSIDE CARDIFF TOWER IS A WORKING OIL DERRICK.

WHEN IT WAS COMPLETED IN 1966,

THE MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES CALLED THIS STRUCTURE

"AN OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO CIVIC BEAUTY."

BUT NOT EVERYONE LIKES HAVING OIL WELLS

SO CLOSE TO WHERE THEY LIVE AND WORK.

RIGHT NEXT TO THE FOOTBALL FIELD OF BEVERLY HILLS HIGH SCHOOL

IS A TALL WOODEN STRUCTURE, PAINTED WITH COLORFUL DESIGNS,

THAT LONG DISGUISED A ONCE VERY LUCRATIVE WELL.

NICOLAS CAGE, LENNY KRAVITZ AND ANGELINA JOLIE

ARE JUST A FEW OF THE FAMOUS NAMES

WHO ATTENDED THIS HIGH SCHOOL.

BUT IT’S ALSO KNOW FOR THE 18 OIL WELLS

THAT LIE ON BEVERLY HILLS SCHOOL DISTRICT PROPERTY.

OVER THE YEARS, THEY’VE GENERATED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS

IN LEASING ROYALTIES FOR THE CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS.

BUT THEY’VE ALSO BEEN THE SOURCE OF A PROTRACTED LAWSUIT,

FILED BY ALUMNI AND TEACHERS.

THEY CLAIM THAT TOXINS FROM THE WELLS HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE

OF AN UNUSUALLY HIGH RATE OF CANCER

AMONG EMPLOYEES AND STUDENTS AT BEVERLY HILLS HIGH.

AT THE END OF 2016,

THIS WELL WAS SHUT DOWN WHEN THE LEASE RAN OUT.

BUT SINCE THE OIL COMPANY THAT OWNED IT WENT BANKRUPT,

IT’S NOW UP TO THE CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS

TO CAP AND SEAL EACH WELL-HEAD, WHICH WILL LIKELY COST MILLIONS.

MOST OF THE DOZENS OF INDIVIDUAL OIL WELLS THAT WERE DRILLED

ACROSS BEVERLY HILLS HAVE NOW BEEN CLOSED AND CAPPED.

BUT TRAVEL JUST SIX MILES SOUTH

AND YOU ARRIVE AT A MASSIVE CLUSTER OF WELLS.

THIS IS THE INGLEWOOD OIL FIELD.

IT’S THE LARGEST URBAN OIL FIELD IN THE NATION.

INGLEWOOD WAS DEVELOPED IN 1924,

AND WELLS HERE HAVE PRODUCED

400 MILLION BARRELS OF OIL SINCE.

THERE’S STILL A LOT OF OIL UNDER INGLEWOOD,

AT LEAST 30 MILLION BARRELS’ WORTH.

SO THESE NEIGHBORS CLOSE TO THE WELLS WILL LIKELY BE LIVING

NEXT TO A MASSIVE OIL FIELD FOR YEARS TO COME.

BUT WHILE OIL COMPANIES HAVE LONG TRIED

TO KEEP THEIR OIL DERRICKS OUT OF PUBLIC SIGHT,

ONE CHURCH IN L.A. HAS MADE SURE EVERYONE KNOWS IT’S THERE.

IN 1977, THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY

BOUGHT THIS OLD HOSPITAL BUILDING TO USE

AS THEIR NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS.

THE SCIENTOLOGY SIGN ON TOP IS ALMOST AS HARD TO MISS

AS THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN IN THE HILLS BEHIND IT.

MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH CALL THIS FACILITY

PACIFIC AREA COMMAND BASE.

BUT MANY ON THE OUTSIDE HAVE CALLED IT

A MIND-CONTROLLING CULT.

EVERY DAY, A STEADY STREAM OF WORKERS CAN BE SEEN ENTERING

THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY’S BUILDINGS.

VERY FEW PEOPLE KNOW WHAT ACTUALLY GOES ON INSIDE.

MOST OF THE WINDOWS OF THE CHURCH ARE COVERED WITH SHADES.

JUST DOWN THE STREET ON FRANKLIN AVENUE

IS THE CELEBRITY CENTER.

IT’S HERE WHERE THE CHURCH RUNS SPECIAL SESSIONS

FOR ACTORS, MUSICIANS, AND OTHER BIG L.A. NAMES.

TOM CRUISE AND JOHN TRAVOLTA

MAY BE THE MOST FAMOUS SCIENTOLOGISTS,

BUT OVER THE YEARS OTHER ACTORS AND MUSICIANS

HAVE IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES AS MEMBERS, TOO.

SOME FORMER MEMBERS HAVE DESCRIBED ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR

BEHIND ITS WALLS.

ONE OF THOSE IS ACTOR LEAH REMINI,

STAR OF THE SITCOM "KING OF QUEENS."

REMINI EVEN WENT ON TO CREATE A TELEVISION SERIES

THAT EXPLORES THE CLAIMS AND EXPERIENCES

OF EX-SCIENTOLOGISTS.

THE MOST DISTURBING ABUSES WERE REPORTED TO HAVE HAPPENED HERE

AT A PLACE SCIENTOLOGISTS CALL GOLD BASE,

75 MILES SOUTHEAST OF L.A.

THIS HIGHLY SECURED CAMPUS COVERS MORE THAN 500 ACRES

ON THE SITE OF A FORMER HOT SPRINGS RESORT.

THIS HOUSE IS WHERE THE CHURCH’S LEADER DAVID MISCAVIGE

IS SAID TO LIVE

WHILE DOZENS OF OTHER SCIENTOLOGISTS STAY NEARBY

IN BUILDINGS THAT LOOK MORE LIKE CONDOS.

A HOUSE, STYLED AFTER THOSE IN THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS,

STANDS AT THE CENTER.

CALLED BONNIE VIEW, IT’S BEEN REPORTED THAT IT WAS BUILT

FOR THE CHURCH’S LATE FOUNDER, L. RON HUBBARD.

IT’S SAID THAT IT’S METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED

SO IT’S READY FOR HUBBARD

WHEN HE RETURNS TO EARTH IN ANOTHER BODY.

HUBBARD’S OLD BLUE BIRD MOTORHOME

STANDS PERFECTLY PRESERVED IN HIS GARAGE.

DOWN IN THE VALLEY IS A FULLY EQUIPPED FILM PRODUCTION STUDIO,

STYLED AFTER A SCOTTISH CASTLE.

FORMER CHURCH MEMBERS HAVE MADE DISTURBING CLAIMS

ABOUT WHAT THEY HAVE WITNESSED HERE,

INCLUDING MEMBERS BEING IMPRISONED FOR BAD BEHAVIOR

IN A BUILDING KNOWN AS "THE HOLE,"

FORCED TO DO UNPAID LABOR

AND THREATENED WITH PHYSICAL ABUSE,

ALL OF WHICH THE CHURCH STRONGLY DENIES.

BUT WHAT IS CLEAR IS THAT SECURITY PERSONNEL HERE

KEEP A CAREFUL EYE ON WHO COMES AND WHO LEAVES.

ON THE HILLSIDE, JUST ABOVE THE TALL CHAIN-LINK FENCE

THAT SURROUNDS GOLD BASE, IS A WELL-HIDDEN BUNKER.

IT’S COVERED WITH MILITARY-STYLE CAMO NETTING

TO MAKE IT BLEND IN WITH THESE ARID HILLS.

AND RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE BUNKER

ARE DISGUISED SECURITY CAMERAS.

ONE SWIVELS AND CAN BE USED BY THE SECURITY TEAM

TO KEEP THEIR EYES ON CHURCH MEMBERS AND POTENTIAL INTRUDERS,

ON THE GROUND, AND EVEN IN THE SKIES.

AND WHEN THEY LOSE SIGHT OF WHAT THEY’RE FOLLOWING,

THEY QUICKLY SEARCH TO TRY AND FIND THEIR TARGET AGAIN.

BUT WHILE SOME CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY MEMBERS FROM L.A.

ARE BELIEVED TO SPEND DAYS AND EVEN WEEKS HERE AT GOLD BASE,

OTHER ANGELENOS ARE HEADING OUT AND UP INTO THE WILD.

L.A. MAY BE KNOWN FOR ITS RELATIVELY FLAT BASIN,

BUT TO THE NORTH ARE IMPRESSIVE CALIFORNIA PEAKS

KNOWN AS THE SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS.

THEY LIE INSIDE A GIANT SWATH OF PROTECTED LAND

IN THE CENTER OF L.A. COUNTY

CALLED THE ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST.

AND NO PEAK IN THE SAN GABRIELS LURES MORE PEOPLE FROM L.A.

THAN THE 10,064-FOOT-HIGH MOUNT SAN ANTONIO,

WHICH LIES RIGHT ON THE EASTERN BORDER OF THE COUNTY

JUST NORTH OF THE TINY MOUNTAIN VILLAGE OF MOUNT BALDY.

GETTING TO THE TOP TAKES A 10-MILE HIKE.

AN EARLY CALIFORNIA RANCHER NAMED THIS PEAK

AFTER A PORTUGUESE SAINT NAMED SAN ANTONIO,

AND THAT’S STILL ITS OFFICIAL NAME.

BUT MOST PEOPLE IN L.A. KNOW IT AS MOUNT BALDY,

A NAME INSPIRED BY

THE MOUNTAIN’S TREELESS WESTERN FLANKS.

IT’S COVERED BY SNOW FOR MUCH OF THE YEAR,

BUT DURING THE SUMMER AND FALL

ITS TRAILS ARE OFTEN CROWDED WITH HIKERS,

EAGER TO REACH THE SUMMIT

OF THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY.

BUT NOT EVERYONE COMES TO THE SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS TO HIKE.

SOME COME TO LEAP OFF THE BRIDGE TO NOWHERE.

THIS BRIDGE WAS PART OF AN ATTEMPT IN THE 1930s

TO BUILD A NEW ROAD FROM L.A. THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS.

BUT FLOODWATERS WASHED THE ROAD OUT,

AND THIS BRIDGE HAS BEEN A BRIDGE TO NOWHERE EVER SINCE.

AND THAT’S WHAT MAKES IT A PERFECT SPOT

FOR WEEKEND THRILL-SEEKERS LIKE THESE.

IN 1994, SINGER AND SONGWRITER LEONARD COHEN

LEFT HIS HOME IN LOS ANGELES

AND CAME TO THE SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS

TO LIVE AS A MONK HERE AT THE MOUNT BALDY ZEN CENTER.

HE SPENT THE NEXT FIVE YEARS IN SECLUSION

IN ONE OF THE MONASTERY’S CABINS,

LIVING SIMPLY WITH THE OTHER MONKS

AND STUDYING TO BECOME A ZEN MASTER.

ONE REASON HE CAME HERE

WAS TO TRY AND TREAT HIS OWN ACUTE CLINICAL DEPRESSION,

SOMETHING HE SAID THAT WINE, WOMEN AND SONG

HAD NEVER BEEN ABLE TO DO.

BUT HE ALSO CAME TO SERVE AS THE PERSONAL ASSISTANT

TO THE MONASTERY’S AGING FOUNDER,

A LEGENDARY ZEN TEACHER FROM JAPAN.

EVENTUALLY, COHEN ALSO FOUND TIME

TO WORK ON SONGS AND MELODIES FOR A NEW ALBUM,

WHICH HE RELEASED AFTER LEAVING MOUNT BALDY

AND RETURNING TO L.A. IN 1999.

BY THE TIME HIKERS AND OTHERS LEAVE THE SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS

JUST BEFORE DARK,

WORK AT THE PORT OF LOS ANGELES

CAN SEEM LIKE IT’S JUST GETTING STARTED.

THIS VAST FACILITY SPRAWLS ACROSS 7,500 ACRES

ALONG THE COAST, SOUTH OF DOWNTOWN L.A.

IT’S THE BUSIEST PORT IN THE NATION.

EVERY DAY, THE EQUIVALENT OF ALMOST 25,000 20-FOOT CONTAINERS

GET LOADED AND OFFLOADED ON THE DOCKS HERE.

AND RIGHT NEXT DOOR LIES AMERICA’S SECOND BUSIEST PORT:

THE PORT OF LONG BEACH.

IT’S 5:00 P.M. AND A FUTURISTIC EXPERIMENT IS UNDER WAY

THAT COULD SOON REVOLUTIONIZE SHIPPING AROUND THE WORLD.

WHEN THE PORT OF LONG BEACH WAS FOUNDED IN 1911,

THE DOCKS HERE WERE DIRTY, CHAOTIC, AND CROWDED

WITH LONGSHOREMEN WHO RACED TO LOAD AND UNLOAD SHIPS

MOSTLY BY HAND.

NOW, MORE THAN A CENTURY LATER, THE WORK AT ONE TERMINAL HERE

IS DONE ALMOST ENTIRELY BY COMPUTERS AND ROBOTS!

AFTER BEING OFFLOADED FROM TRAINS, CONTAINERS ARE STACKED

BY ROBOTIC LIFTERS AS THEY WAIT TO BE LOADED ONTO SHIPS.

SOFTWARE AND ALGORITHMS TRACK EVERY CONTAINER.

THEY DECIDE HOW THESE HUNDREDS OF STEEL BOXES GET STACKED

SO EACH ONE CAN BE LOADED ON THE RIGHT SHIP AT THE RIGHT TIME.

AS SOON AS IT IS A CONTAINER’S TIME,

A LIFTER SEEKS OUT THAT ONE BOX AND PLUCKS IT FROM THE STACK,

THEN DROPS IT ONTO A ROBOTIC CARRIER

THAT WILL DELIVER IT TO THE SHIP.

A MAGNETIC GRID EMBEDDED IN THE PAVEMENT

OF THIS HIGH-TECH TERMINAL

HELPS THESE CARRIERS KNOW WHERE THEY ARE,

AND HOW TO GET TO WHERE THEY NEED TO GO AT ALL TIMES,

SINCE THERE’S NO HUMAN DRIVER ON BOARD.

PEER DOWN ON THIS TERMINAL FROM ABOVE,

AND THIS COULD BE THE FUTURE OF GLOBAL CARGO.

UNLIKE LONGSHOREMEN,

THESE ROBOTS DON’T WORK IN SHIFTS OR GET UNION BREAKS.

THEY’LL LOAD AND UNLOAD 24/7 IF THEY ARE PROGRAMMED TO.

THEY JUST HAVE TO MAKE SURE THEY DON’T RUN INTO EACH OTHER

WHEN THEY MAKE THEIR COMPUTERIZED TURNS.

ONCE A CONTAINER IS DELIVERED TO THE DOCK,

A ROBOTIC CRANE ARRIVES AND LIFTS IT UP ONTO A WAITING AREA.

UNTIL NOW, EVERYTHING HAS BEEN DONE BY ROBOT.

BUT HUMANS DO THE FINAL AND MOST DELICATE WORK:

POSITIONING EACH CONTAINER CORRECTLY

ON THE DECK OF THE SHIP WITHOUT HITTING THE OTHERS.

THIS GIANT GAME OF TETRIS REQUIRES SPEED,

EXPERIENCE AND PRECISION THAT ONLY HUMANS CAN PROVIDE,

AT LEAST FOR NOW.

BUT ONE DAY SOON, A ROBOT MIGHT BE DOING THIS JOB, TOO.

THERE’S NO BETTER PLACE TO WITNESS

THE STUNNING TRANSFORMATION OF DAY TO NIGHT IN LOS ANGELES

THAN HERE, THE TIP OF THE SANTA MONICA PIER.

ON CLEAR EVENINGS LIKE THIS ONE,

HUNDREDS COME HERE FOR A CHANCE TO PEER OUT,

WITH ALMOST NOTHING SEPARATING THEM FROM THE SETTING SUN

BUT WATER AND SKY.

OVER THE DECADES, A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PIERS OF ALL SIZES

HAVE STRETCHED OUT FROM SANTA MONICA INTO THE PACIFIC.

THEY’VE CONTAINED BALLROOMS, SKATING RINKS,

AND A WIDE RANGE OF OTHER AMUSEMENTS.

BUT CHANGING TIMES, FIRES AND WEATHER TOOK THEIR TOLL.

THE PIER THAT STANDS HERE TODAY

WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED IN THE 1980s BY STORMS.

A NON-PROFIT EVENTUALLY RAISED THE MONEY NEEDED TO REBUILD IT.

TODAY, WITH ITS FERRIS WHEEL AND RESTAURANTS,

IT’S THE LIFE OF SANTA MONICA, DAY AND NIGHT.

AFTER THE SUN FINALLY FADES TO THE WEST,

HUMAN LIGHT SHOWS BECOME L.A.’S MAIN ATTRACTION.

SINCE LOS ANGELES AND NEW YORK

ARE THE TWO MOST POPULATED CITIES IN THE U.S.,

THEY ARE OFTEN COMPARED,

AND SOMETIMES WITH SURPRISING RESULTS.

NEW YORK CITY’S NICKNAME MAY BE THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS,

BUT STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT PEOPLE IN NEW YORK

GET A FEW MINUTES MORE SLEEP ON AVERAGE, EVERY NIGHT,

THAN PEOPLE IN L.A.

THAT’S EASY TO BELIEVE

WHEN YOU PEER DOWN ON L.A.’S FREEWAYS AFTER DARK

AND SEE WHAT IT TAKES JUST TO GET HOME.

WRITER JOAN DIDION ONCE DESCRIBED

THE L.A. FREEWAY EXPERIENCE LIKE THIS:

"ANYONE CAN DRIVE ON THE FREEWAY," SHE WROTE,

"BUT ACTUAL PARTICIPATION REQUIRES TOTAL SURRENDER,

A CONCENTRATION SO INTENSE AS TO SEEM A KIND OF NARCOSIS,

A RAPTURE OF THE FREEWAY.

THE MIND GOES CLEAN. THE RHYTHM TAKES OVER."

TONIGHT, SOME DRIVERS ON THE 110 AREN’T HEADING HOME,

THEY’RE ON THEIR WAY TO DOWNTOWN L.A.

THE LAKERS ARE PLAYING AGAINST THE HOUSTON ROCKETS,

HERE ON THEIR HOME COURT AT THE STAPLES CENTER.

FOR CLOSE TO FIVE DECADES, STARTING IN THE EARLY 1900s,

THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES INTRODUCED

STRICT HEIGHT LIMITATIONS ON THE BUILDINGS

THAT COULD BE BUILT DOWNTOWN.

NO STRUCTURE TALLER THAN 150 FEET WAS ALLOWED.

CITY OFFICIALS WERE FEARFUL

THAT SKYSCRAPERS WOULD TURN DOWNTOWN L.A.

INTO A SERIES OF DARK, WIND-FILLED CANYONS.

BY THE LATE 1950s, RESIDENTS OF L.A.

HAD VOTED TO REPEAL THE HEIGHT RESTRICTION,

AND BUILDINGS IN THE CITY OF ANGELS

WERE SOON SOARING HIGHER THAN EVER BEFORE.

TODAY, L.A. IS HOME TO THE TALLEST BUILDING

WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI,

THANKS TO THIS NEW GLASS-COVERED SKYSCRAPER, THE WILSHIRE GRAND.

REACHING 73 STORIES INTO THE SKY,

IT WAS DESIGNED TO CELEBRATE CALIFORNIA’S LANDSCAPE.

THE GLASS CROWN WAS SHAPED AFTER A ROCK FORMATION

IN YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK CALLED HALF DOME,

WHILE ITS GLASS FACADE IS SAID TO HAVE BEEN INSPIRED

BY THE REFLECTIVE SURFACE OF CALIFORNIA’S MERCED RIVER.

THE BUILDING HAS ALSO BEEN ENGINEERED

TO WITHSTAND A 7.5-MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE,

SINCE L.A. SITS RIGHT ON TOP OF MULTIPLE MAJOR FAULTS!

BUT WHAT SOME PEOPLE IN L.A. LIKE MOST

ABOUT THIS TOWERING NEW SKYSCRAPER

IS THE COCKTAIL BAR ON ITS ROOF.

IT’S CALLED SPIRE 73 BECAUSE OF THE FLOOR IT LIES ON.

L.A. PARTYGOERS HERE DON’T JUST GET A CHANCE TO SIP THEIR DRINKS

ON THE HIGHEST OPEN-AIR BAR IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE,

THEY ALSO GET TO TAKE IN A STUNNING AERIAL VIEW

OF THE MOST DENSELY POPULATED CITY IN AMERICA.

AND IF THEY PEER DOWN INTO L.A.’S HISTORIC PERSHING SQUARE

IN THE LATE FALL, THEY MIGHT ALSO CATCH SIGHT

OF THEIR FELLOW ANGELENOS ICE SKATING,

RIGHT IN MIDDLE OF THIS FAMOUSLY HOT AND DRY METROPOLIS.

TO THE WEST, AFTER DARK, SUNSET BOULEVARD

IS ONE OF THE BRIGHTEST STREETS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY.

IT’S ALSO ONE OF THE BUSIEST,

THANKS TO THE MANY CLUBS AND THEATERS

THAT LINE A 1.5-MILE SECTION CALLED THE SUNSET STRIP,

HERE IN WEST HOLLYWOOD.

IN THE 1920s, THE SUNSET STRIP LAY OUTSIDE L.A.’S CITY LIMITS,

AND THAT MEANT THAT GAMBLING HERE WAS LEGAL.

CLUBS AND BARS THRIVED ON THIS ONCE NEARLY EMPTY ROAD

LEADING TO BEVERLY HILLS.

BUT THIS PART OF L.A. HAS LONG BEEN A MECCA FOR MUSICIANS,

WITH ITS RECORDING STUDIOS, RECORD LABELS,

INSTRUMENT SHOPS, AND CLUBS.

THE L.A. TIMES HAS REPORTED THAT THE HISTORY OF POP MUSIC

HAS ESSENTIALLY BEEN WRITTEN ALONG SUNSET BOULEVARD.

WHISKEY A GO GO, WHICH OPENED IN 1964,

IS ONE OF THE SUNSET STRIP’S MOST FAMOUS CLUBS.

THE DOORS WERE ONCE THE HOUSE BAND HERE.

OVER THE DECADES, JEFFERSON AIRPLANE,

OTIS REDDING, PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC,

AND SOUNDGARDEN WERE JUST A FEW OF THE HUNDREDS OF FAMOUS NAMES

WHO PASSED THROUGH THIS CORNER CLUB.

A FEW YEARS LATER, IN 1973,

RECORD PRODUCER LOU ADLER OPENED THE NOW LEGENDARY ROXY NEARBY.

THOSE WHO’VE TAKEN THE STAGE HERE

INCLUDE NEIL YOUNG, U2, GUNS N’ ROSES, AND THE RAMONES,

WHO PLAYED THEIR FIRST-EVER CALIFORNIA CONCERT

HERE AT THIS CLUB.

THERE’S STILL PLENTY OF LIVE MUSIC

ON THE SUNSET STRIP EVERY NIGHT.

BUT TODAY, MANY COME HERE FOR COMEDY.

SOME OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN STAND-UP GOT THEIR START HERE

AT THE COMEDY STORE IN WEST HOLLYWOOD.

TONIGHT A LINE IS FORMING TO SEE COMEDIAN JEFF GARLIN,

STAR OF THE ABC SITCOM "THE GOLDBERGS."

THE MARQUEES OF THE SUNSET STRIP

ARE JUST A FEW OF THE MILLIONS OF LIGHTS

THAT GIVE LOS ANGELES ITS UNIQUE AND COLORFUL GLOW,

ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU’RE PEERING DOWN ON THIS CITY

FROM THOUSANDS OF FEET UP IN THE SKY.

EVEN AFTER THE MOON RISES OVER THE SANTA MONICA HILLS,

MOST OF THESE LIGHTS WILL KEEP FLICKERING UNTIL DAWN.

AND WITH EACH PASSING NIGHT THERE WILL BE

MORE AND MORE LIGHTS AND PEOPLE IN THIS CALIFORNIA COUNTY.

THE POPULATION OF L.A. IS EXPECTED TO TOP 11 MILLION

BY 2040.

ONE THING HERE WILL ALWAYS REMAIN THE SAME:

THE MORNING SUN MAKING ITS DRAMATIC ENTRANCE

FROM BEHIND THE SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS TO THE EAST

AS IT USHERS IN ANOTHER DAY IN THE HILLS AND VALLEYS

AND ALL ALONG THE SUNLIT SHORES OF LOS ANGELES.

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