How many different downtowns are there in Los Angeles? (Long Beach: neighborhoods, shopping centers)

[Chicago'sFinest]

I keep hearing that LA is different from Chicago and Midwest cities because it had like a couple downtowns. But just how many downtowns does LA have? And what does each one look like?

[EscapeCalifornia]

Los Angeles has one downtown but has other areas that are business centers and resemble downtowns. There are many cities in the LA area that have their own downtowns of varying sizes. The number depends on your definitions but its safe to say there's dozens of "downtowns" in the LA area.

[BRinSM]

in LA city there are multiple business districts, although downtown is by far the largest. others include, century city, westwood, encino, hollywood and warner center. as far as downtowns for smaller cities that border LA, there are plenty of those as well.

[LASam]

Don't forget Burbank, Glendale, and Pasadena!

[uptown_urbanist]

Like others have said, just the one downtown, but other business districts -- and separate cities -- also have a great deal of importance. It's unlike the East Coast or Midwest cities in that while there is a downtown, it's not set up with a lot of density and a huge job concentration in the center area, with everything sort of radiating out from there. Places like Long Beach, Glendale, Pasadena, etc., don't feel like suburbs, but like cities in their own right (which they are), yet they are part of the larger LA metropolitan area. The pattern of development is just very different, and not only on the commercial front. As far as what these smaller "downtowns" look like, that varies quite a bit by location. Downtown LA is the only place that looks like what I consider a traditional big city downtown.

[californio sur]

There are districts that resemble downtown's so to speak.

[hsw]

Look where most valuable corporate HQs and hedge funds (with far wealthier owners and workers) are located: google (or yahoo finance) is your friend

In LA, it's largely Century City, BH, SM and, less so, DLA for key financial firms and Occidental Petroleum (LA's most valuable co.)....less valuable Disney is in Burbank; Amgen is in 1000 Oaks; and lil Broadcom and Pimco are in NewportBch/Irvine

In Chic, Citadel is in Loop; Magnetar is in Evanston; McD's in OakBrook and Abbott up in exurban Lk County

Rest of any vast urban region is economic wasteland, same phenom in any major urban region in world where cos. tend to concentrate in a few suburban corridors and less so in any one urban dt (even Manhattan is a vast wasteland Downtown aside from Goldman HQ, as all the major hedge funds are in a few bldgs in Midtown)

[nmnita]

When most people hear the term "downtown" they think of just that, one true downtown, not a buch of other areas. However as already mentioned there are several sections of the city or areas bordering the city that are financual centers and great shopping centers. Again, only one true downtown.

Nita

[DowntownVentura]

Go here Los Angeles Neighborhoods on Walk Score

It splits DTLA into its neighborhoods. Just mouse over the neighborhood names on the left and it will outline on the map on the right.

They are sorted by walkscore because that is what the site is all about but it should give you an idea on the individual neighborhoods in and around downtown.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Originally Posted by hsw

Amgen is in 1000 Oaks

Amgen is in Thousand Oaks which is in Ventura County, 45 miles North West of Los Angeles. I wouldn't call Thousand Oaks a neighborhood or even a part of LA. Maybe part of the Metro area, if you are including all of Ventura County to the North West and Orange County to the South.