Los Angeles. Those words conjure images of celebrities in black sunglasses, red carpets, surfers, highways, and countless movies and TV shows set in the City of Angels. Los Angeles has been the site of many a film noir, a capital of the counterculture of the late 20th century, a center for tech and design, manufacture and, of course, the media. There are numerous movie and television studios in and around Los Angeles and countless production companies big and small.

The single word summarizing the popular image of Los Angeles may be "glamour," but Los Angeles has its share of less glamorous yet still fascinating subcultures. It is home to The Magic Castle, a private club for magicians that holds performances for the public. It has a vast community of martial arts schools, new age groups, and every religious group under the sun. The name "La La Land" may be a bit unfair, but it is founded in the city's pluralism combined with its embrace of some, at times, wacky ideas. Growing up in Los Angeles can mean a normal life, an exceptional one, or a very strange one. Would you be a different person if you were born in Los Angeles? If so, it would all begin with your name.