South Coast and Peninsular Ranges

It may have been Carey McWilliams who, in his seminal publication “Southern California: An Island on the Land” said that “Southern California is California only more so.” Indeed, what America is to the world and what California is to America, so Southern California is to the rest of the Golden State; a legendary place that more often than not lives up to its own hype.

Almost everything that can be found within California either exists outsized or in miniature within this sunkissed corner of the state. Here you will find the largest urban conglomeration in the state. Nearly half of California’s population resides in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Statistical Area. And that population is diverse. For instance, some 92 different languages are reported to be spoken in the homes of students enrolled in the Los Angeles Unified School district.

Here too is a freakish land where it is possible to swim in the ocean and ski in the mountains all within the same day. It is no accident that the fledgling film industry chose Hollywood as the pace to set up shop. Within a few hours drive in any direction you can can find landscapes that resemble places on every continent but Antartica.

The Island on the Land

In this remarkable photo we can make out the snow-capped peak of San Gorgonio (11.502'), the tallest peak in southern California, some 80 miles away. Beyond lay hundreds of miles of deserts and the rest of California and the United States. On many days it can be difficult to see this mountain rampart and the size and extent of the interconnected coastal basins on the South Coast. But it is the interplay of these towering mountain ranges, the basins below, and the ocean to the west that is responsible for the climate of this fabled land. That climate, after all, is what has attracted a sea of humanity and untold billions of dollars of investment to the area.

California Dream?

In this stylized image we see a few of the attributes associated with an idealized southern California lifestyle. A crisp and modern housing complex on the coast is flanked by palm trees, while the glow of a warm sun tints the tranquil scene of snow-capped peaks peering down from above. Yet look closer and a fence can be seen encircling this property. Is it to keep people out or make those inside feel more secure? Perhaps it is just a remnant left over from construction? What is certain is that palms are as imported to the scene as the drinking water that supplies the dwelling's occupants. This thought exercise may seem to be trivial. But the California landscape, especially in the south, is often mired in contradictions. More often than not, things are not as they first appear.

Where and What is Hollywood?

Many people think that Hollywood is its own city. It is actually a neighborhood in Los Angeles north and east of downtown. The Hollywood sign (seen here) is located in the Santa Monica Mountains, which are part of the Transverse Ranges. After that things become more nuanced. For instance, the motion picture studios that once dominated Hollywood have spread to Burbank, other parts of Los Angeles, and even further afield. Yet Hollywood is as much an idea as it is a physical place. In popular mythology, there is no question that "Hollywood" still resides in southern California, even if a precise location is somewhat undefined. And though it's appeal and luster may have faded since its golden era, Hollywood as an idea is still a potent driver and shaper of cultural ideas and values far beyond any physical borders.

The L.A. Basin and Coastal Plains

Looking southeast here from the Getty Museum, we can see a hazy smog being pushed inland of downtown Los Angeles by late-afternoon onshore breezes towards the Santa Ana Mountains (at right) and the Chino Hills (center). Though L.A. is often associated with smoggy weather, the cities of the east basin and Inland Empire frequently have worse air quality.

Skateboarding

Unlike surfing, which has Polynesian origins, skateboarding originated in southern California in the 1950s. Looking for a way to surf when the waves wouldn't cooperate, enterprising surfers grafted roller skate wheels on to wooden boards and a new sport was born. Today, as then, Venice and Santa Monica remains the epicenter of a skating culture that has spread across the globe.

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