Sport
With several top professional teams, Los Angeles offers plenty of opportunities to enjoy spectator sports. Baseball is America’s favourite summer pastime, and Dodger Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park Avenue (tel: (323) 224 1500), north of Downtown, is the home of the Los Angeles Dodgers (website: www.dodgers.com). The season runs April-October; tickets cost US$6-60. Staples Center, 1111 South Figueroa Street (tel: (213) 742 7340; website: www.staplescenter.com), is a new sports/entertainment arena and the home of two basketballs teams, LA Lakers (tel: (310) 426 6000; website: www.nba.com/lakers: tickets US$10-400) and LA Clippers (tel: (213) 742 7500; website: www.nba.com/clippers), as well as the ice hockey team, LA Kings (tel:(888) 546 4752; website: www.lakings.com). Tickets cost from US$16-137. The winter sports season runs October-April.
LA has not had a resident National Football League team since 1995, so the star collegiate teams ignite Angelenos’ passions. UCLA games (tel: (310)825 5292; website: www.uclabruins.com; tickets from US$25) are at the Rose Bowl, 1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena (tel: (626) 577 3100; website: www.rosebowlstadium.com), the venue for the New Year’s Day parade and college football tournament. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, 3911 South Figueroa Street (tel: (213) 748 6131; website: www.lacoliseum.com), is the home venue for UCLA’s football rival, USC (tel: (213) 740 4672; website: www.usctrojans.com).
There is a soccer team, the LA Galaxy (tel: (310) 630 2200; website: www.lagalaxy.com; tickets US$15-45), who play in the Major League. They play at the Home Depot Center in Carson (tel: (213) 480 3232 for tickets or (310) 630 2000 for general information).
Fitness centres: Fitness is huge in LA. Fitness centres that allow day members include: 24-Hour Fitness (tel: (310) 410 9909; website: www.24hourfitness.com), in Santa Monica, West Hollywood and Beverly Hills; Gold’s Gym (tel: (213) 688 1441; website: www.goldsgym.com), in Venice Beach and Hollywood; and Bally Total Fitness (tel: (800) 515 2582; website: www.ballyfitness.com), with Downtown and Hollywood locations.
Golf: There are numerous public golf courses in the area. A list can be obtained from the Convention and Visitors Bureau. Green fees start from US$20, although upmarket courses, such as Malibu, will be much higher.
Horseracing: Located 23km (14 miles) northeast of Downtown, Santa Anita Park, 285 West Huntington Drive, Arcadia (tel: (626) 574 6366; website: www.santaanita.com: general admission US$5), is LA’s historic thoroughbred racecourse.
Tennis: The City of Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department (tel: (818) 246 4088; website: www.ci.la.ca.us/rap) maintains over 100 public tennis courts around the metro area. Many are free, on a first-come, first-served basis.
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Sport