Los Angeles has hosted the summer Olympics Games twice, once in 1932 and again in 1984. Both games were profitable for the city, with the 1984 games being the most profitable Olympics in history. The city is currently vying to host the games again in 2016.

Forget images of 20th-century smog. The renowned Brookings Institution recently scored Los Angeles as “greener” than even its northern neighbor, San Francisco. What’s the secret? The city alone preserves over 214,000 acres of natural open spaces. In addition, the region leads in environmentally friendly innovations like solar- and wind-generated energy.