Location

Harbor-UCLA Medical Center is near the San Diego and Harbor freeways; San Diego is a two hour drive south, and downtown Los Angeles a half-hour drive north. Beaches are 15 minutes from the hospital. Ski resorts are less than three hours away. San Francisco, Santa Barbara and Monterey-Carmel are close enough for weekend excursions. Ensenada and other Mexican resort towns along the Baja coast are other weekend alternatives. Las Vegas and the desert hiking terrain are favorite longer trips to the east.

Within Los Angeles and Orange counties are major professional baseball, basketball, soccer and hockey teams. UCLA and USC have all the major university sports activities. There are more than 20 universities and colleges in metropolitan Los Angeles. These educational institutions provide a wealth of sports, cultural and social activities available to Harbor-UCLA personnel.

Most Harbor-UCLA residents choose to live in one of the beach cities close to the hospital. These include the Torrance beach area, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, or San Pedro. These communities have many rental houses and apartments in communities that cater to a young crowd, i.e. outdoor beach sports, theater, restaurants and nightclubs.

The UCLA Westwood campus and the adjoining neighborhood are favorites for those who enjoy exceptional restaurants, films and theater.

Art collections at the Los Angeles County, Getty, Norton Simon and Huntington museums, as well as the Museum of Contemporary Art compare favorably to any other city in North America. The Music Center in Los Angeles is a major complex of theatres that offers serious drama, opera, symphony and ballet. The Greek Theatre and Hollywood Bowl are famous for their outdoor cultural performances, featuring the L.A. Philharmonic Orchestra and world class entertainers.

Los Angeles is culturally diverse and there are many ethnic organizations and events throughout the community.