The Great Los Angeles Building Census: Counting Every Bungalow (and Skyscraper) From Malibu to Montebello
Ah, Los Angeles. City of Angels. Land of Dreams. And, apparently, a whole lotta buildings! But just how many buildings are we talking about? Buckle up, armchair architects and nosy neighbours, because we're about to dive into the fascinating, slightly obsessive world of counting LA's concrete jungle.
Skyscraper Smackdown: Counting the Glass and Steel Giants
Let's start with the glitzy giants that dominate the LA skyline. We all know the iconic U.S. Bank Tower, practically a character in every other Hollywood car chase. As of August 2023, there are over 816 high-rises over 100 feet tall. That's a lot of window washing and questionable balcony furniture choices (seriously, who puts a beanbag chair out there?).
But wait, there's more! This doesn't even include the supertall titans like the Wilshire Grand Center, the undisputed king (or queen?) of the LA skyscape. These mammoths take counting buildings to a whole new level – do we count the spires? The antennas? It's an existential crisis for urban planners everywhere.
Beyond the Bling: The Great Sprawl of LA
Los Angeles stretches wider than your average yoga mat. We're talking sprawling suburbs, charming bungalows, and enough stucco to make a Tuscan village blush. Here's where things get a little fuzzy, statistically speaking. While an exact number is elusive, we can make some educated guesses (and wild extrapolations).
Exhibit A: Office Buildings – Rentech Digital estimates there are over 1200 office buildings as of April 2024. That's a lot of cubicles, questionable breakroom snacks, and people wondering why they can never find a decent parking spot downtown.
Exhibit B: The Suburban Sea – Los Angeles County has a population of over 10 million. Let's assume, on average, a family of four needs a place to live (unless everyone's become a die-hard Angeleno yogi living in a studio apartment). That's a whole lotta houses, apartments, and everything in between. We're talking millions, folks. Millions!
The Verdict: So, How Many Buildings Does LA Have?
Honestly, my friend, your guess is as good as mine. It's a number so big it would make a mathematician cry. But here's the beauty of Los Angeles – it's not just about the quantity of buildings, it's the variety. From the art deco gems of Hollywood to the Spanish-style haciendas of Beverly Hills, every corner offers a new architectural adventure.
So, the next time you're stuck in LA traffic (because let's be real, that's inevitable), take a peek around you. You're surrounded by a living, breathing monument to human ambition (and maybe a questionable love of stucco). Los Angeles may not have a definitive building count, but one thing's for sure: it's a city that's always under construction, one dream, one bungalow, and one skyscraper at a time.
