Sports
Los Angeles has several top-class professional teams, so there are plenty of opportunities to visit the stadium.
Baseball is America’s favorite pastime in the summer, and Los Angeles Dodgers can be seen in action at Dodger Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park Avenue (tel: (323) 224 14 48), north of downtown. The season lasts from April to October (Tel: (213) 224 14 48).
The Staples Center, 1111 South Figueroa Street (tel: (213) 742 71 00. Internet: www.staplescenter.com), is one of the best sports and event venues and the home stadium of the LA Lakers basketball team (tel: (310) 419 31 31. Internet: www.nba.com/lakers) and LA Clippers (Tel: (213) 745 05 00. Internet: www.nba.com/clippers) and the LA Kings ice hockey team (Tel: (888) 556 47 52. Internet: www.lakings.com). The winter sports season lasts from October to April.
In the United States, a distinction is made between American football (played with an oval ball) and soccer (like European football). LA has not had its own American football team playing in the National Football Team League since 1995.
The Angelenos passionately support their very good college teams. The games of UCLA (Internet: www.uclabruins.com) take place in the Rose Bowl, 1001 Rose Bowl Drive in Pasadena (Tel: (626) 577 31 00. Internet: www.rosebowlstadium.com), which is also the venue of the New Year’s Parade and is known for the college soccer tournament. The Los Angeles Coliseum, 3911 South Figueroa Street (Tel: (213) 747 71 11. Internet: www.lacoliseum.com) is the home stadium of UCLA rivals USC (Tel: (213) 740 46 72. Internet: www.usctrojans .com).
There is a soccer team, the LA Galaxy (Internet: www.lagalaxy.com), which plays in the international soccer league (Major League).
Gyms
Great importance is attached to fitness in LA. Gyms that offer day membership to visitors include: 24-Hour Fitness (tel: (310) 652 74 40. Internet: www.24hourfitness.com) with studios in Santa Monica, West Hollywood and Beverly Hills, Gold’s Gym (tel : (310) 392 60 04. Internet: www.goldsgym.com) in Venice Beach and Hollywood and the Bally Total Gyms (Tel: (800) 258 20 06. Internet: www.ballyfitness.com) in Downtown and Hollywood .
Golf
There are numerous public golf courses in the Los Angeles area, and a list is available from the Convention and Visitors Bureau. More exclusive golf courses, such as in Malibu, are much more expensive.
Horse race
The thoroughbred racecourse in LA has always been Santa Anita Park, 285 West Huntington Drive, Arcadia (Tel: (818) 574 72 23. Internet: www.santaanita.com), which is located 23 km from downtown.
Tennis
The City of Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department (Tel: (213) 473 70 55. Internet: www.ci.la.ca.us/rap) is responsible for over 100 public tennis courts in the LA area. Many of them can be used for free, and whoever comes first plays first.