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Lost LA

Semi-Tropical L.A.: How the Sunny Southland Sold Itself

When the transcontinental railroad reached Southern California in 1876, it connected Los Angeles with the population centers and markets of the eastern U.S., fueling a boom that transformed a remote cowtown into a city. It also fueled a powerful promotional machine that promised more about Southern California – and its “semi-tropical” climate – than reality could support. Los Angeles has been struggling under the weight of its own mythology ever since.

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In this episode, "Lost LA" examines how the modern metropolis has reshaped its own topography. The program explores downtown L.A.'s lost hills and tunnels, as well as the vanished canals of Venice Beach.
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In this episode, "Lost LA" explores the various ways Southern California's inhabitants have used the hills around Dodger Stadium.
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In this episode, Lost L.A. explores the complicated relationship between the city and its natural environment.
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