12. Los Angeles
Hit hard by the meltdown in the U.S. housing market, Los Angeles's economy has begun its slow march back, but over the course of the past decade the city's character has also shifted significantly. A growing Latino population now occupies some of the city's historic black neighborhoods. And though much of the global entertainment industry remains headquartered in the City of Angels, fewer movies are now made in Hollywood. But Angelenos are still innovating: Los Angeles was ground zero for the food-truck craze that has swept the United States, and the city will anchor one end of California's proposed high-speed rail network -- the country's first -- which was finally approved in July.
Above, a view from the Baldwin Hills neighborhood shows two isolated palm trees against the backdrop of Los Angeles, California.
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