American Express -- In addition to those at 327 N. Beverly Dr., Beverly Hills (tel. 310/274-8277), and at the Beverly Connection, 8493 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles (tel. 310/659-1682), offices are located throughout the city. To locate one nearest you, call tel. 800/221-7282.
Area Codes -- Within the past 20 years, L.A. has gone from having a single (213) area code to a whopping seven -- with more promised by 2004. Even residents can't keep up. Here's the basic layout: Those areas west of La Cienega Boulevard, including Beverly Hills and the city's beach communities, use the 310 area code. Portions of Los Angeles county east and south of the city, including Long Beach, are in the 562 area. The San Fernando Valley has the 818 area code, while points east -- including parts of Burbank, Glendale, and Pasadena -- use the newly created 626 code. What happened to 213, you ask? The downtown business area still uses 213. All other numbers, including Griffith Park, Hollywood, and parts of West Hollywood (east of La Cienega Blvd.) now use the new area code 323. If it's all too much to remember, just call directory assistance at tel. 411.
Babysitters -- If you're staying at one of the larger hotels, the concierge can usually recommend a reliable babysitter. If not, contact the Baby-Sitters Guild in Glendale (tel. 323/938-8372 or 818/552-2229), L.A.'s oldest and largest babysitting service.
Camera Repair -- On-site repairs are the specialty at family owned General Camera Repair, 2218 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena (tel. 626/449-4533); they opened in 1964 at this spot on the Rose Parade route.
Dentists -- For a recommendation in the area, call the Dental Referral Service (tel. 800/422-8338).
Emergencies -- For police, fire, or highway patrol, or in case of life-threatening medical emergencies, dial tel. 911. No coins are needed for a payphone.
Hospital -- The centrally located (and world-famous) Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles (tel. 310/855-5000), has a 24-hour emergency room staffed by some of the country's finest MDs.
Liquor Laws -- Liquor and grocery stores can sell packaged alcoholic beverages between 6am and 2am. Most restaurants, nightclubs, and bars are licensed to serve alcoholic drinks during the same hours. The legal age for purchase and consumption is 21; proof of age is required.
Newspapers & Magazines -- World Book & News Co., at 1652 N. Cahuenga Blvd. (tel. 323/465-4352), near Hollywood and Vine and Grauman's Chinese Theater, stocks lots of out-of-town and foreign papers and magazines. No one minds if you browse through the magazines, but you'll be reprimanded for thumbing through the newspapers. It's open 24 hours.
Pharmacies -- Horton & Converse has locations around L.A., including 2001 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica (tel. 310/829-3401); 9201 Sunset Blvd., Beverly Hills (tel. 323/272-0488); and 11600 Wilshire Blvd., West Los Angeles (tel. 310/478-0801). Hours vary, but the West L.A. location is open until 2am.
Police -- In an emergency, dial tel. 911. For nonemergency police matters, call tel. 213/485-2121; in Beverly Hills, dial tel. 310/550-4951.
Post Office -- Call tel. 800/ASK-USPS to find the one closest to you.
Taxes -- The combined Los Angeles County and California state sales taxes amount to 8.25%; hotel taxes add 12% to 17% to room tariffs.
Time Zone -- Los Angeles is in the Pacific Time zone, which is 8 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time and 3 hours behind Eastern Time. Call tel. 853-1212 for the correct time (operates in all local area codes).
Weather -- Call Los Angeles Weather Information (tel. 213/554-1212) for the daily forecast. For beach conditions, call the Zuma Beach Lifeguard recorded information (tel. 310/457-9701).
