Dear Los Angeles,
So often you are misunderstood, viewed by the world through thenarrow lenses of the media and outsiders. Their images portray afame-obsessed metropolis filled with beautiful people in sceniclocations wearing seriously curated wardrobes. There’s also the trafficof course, so thick at times, drivers may as well turn their ignitions off.But we devoted Angelenos know that much more is going on outsideof the picture frame. Beneath your gridlock and glitzy veneer lies amarvelously sprawling city filled with experiences diverse, strange,titillating, nutritious, and imperfect.
We know you as a place of opportunity; of big dreams, searingdisappointments, and painful ideals. A city where the wild mesheswith the urban, the beautiful with the ugly, the magical with thereal. Brimming with surprises, you offer access to wildly contrastingplaces and experiences: a club where Mexican drag queens lip syncto 1970s hits, a punk-rock DIY perfume lab, a museum housing thecollection of the real Indiana Jones – and always close by is a hike ona chaparral-scented trail.
And the people! Angelenos speak 224 different languages andcome from more than 140 countries. You harbor deep thinkersand innovators, contributing to the world cutting-edge art andarchitecture, scientific advancements, and brave new ideas. To exploreyour deepest secrets we hung out with surfers, rock climbers, nichecollectors, two-steppers, artists, and historians – all of whom helpedus discover and divulge the rich and unexpected tales and localesdisclosed within these pages.
Sweet LA, this book is our humble attempt to celebrate your depthand complexity. You’re the city so many love to hate, and hate to love.But we know the explorers who read this authentic chronicle will,like us, come to adore you, and that means all of you.
– Laurel Moglen & Julia Posey