University of California Los Angeles, Westwood Village

A large university with a first-rate reputation, UCLA has a wide range of academic departments and professional schools, including the respected UCLA Hospital. Sited on 419 acres (170 ha), with more than 35,000 students, it is a city within a city. The original campus was designed in 1925 to resemble the Romanesque towns of southern Europe. The first four buildings followed this theme, but as the university expanded more modern architecture was favored. The disappointing mix of bland structures that resulted is redeemed by the beautiful landscaped grounds.

Exploring UCLA and Westwood Village

Since it was first developed in 1928, Westwood Village has been one of the most successful shopping districts in Southern California. For years, the pleasant streets south of UCLA were the most popular weekend destination in the city. People still enjoy the pedestrian friendly avenues, the productions at the Geffen Playhouse, and the large number of theaters that often preview the latest films.
However, cheap modernization of some of the storefronts has disrupted the overall cohesiveness of the village’s Spanish Colonial design.

MARILYN MONROE

Born Norma Jean Baker in the charity ward of Los Angeles General Hospital, Marilyn Monroe (1926– 62) was placed in foster care by her mother when she was two weeks old.
Her first marriage, at the age of 16, lasted four years, before she gave it up to pursue her dream of being an actress. In 1950, her career took off with The Asphalt Jungle and All About Eve. With films such as The Seven-Year Itch (1955) and Some Like It Hot (1959), she became the biggest sex symbol Hollywood has ever seen. In the latter part of her life, she struggled to escape the narrow confines of her onscreen persona.