Welcome to HuffPost LA

In a city as populous, diverse and sprawling as Los Angeles, it's no surprise that we're lacking a geographical hub. In fact we're really quite famous for it. So what better way to harness technology than to create a place online where people can gather and connect around local issues they care about? We like to think of HuffPost LA as our digital town square -- a place for Angelenos to get up-to-the-minute local news, share tips and gripes, and even create some buzz of their own.

Our goal is to give LA a page of its own, where bloggers can express themselves on the issues that matter to them -- whether they're substantive, sublime, simple or just plain fun. As you'll see, we have some familiar faces on the page. And we are excited to introduce you to some compelling new voices as well.

One of the joys of launching our local pages is that it gives us a chance to celebrate all that we love about our hometowns. In the days and weeks ahead, there will be plenty of opportunity to analyze and assess all that could use improving in LA. But on our first day on the job here at HuffPost LA, we want to take a moment to share what inspires us about the city. To share what brings us great pleasure, and to appreciate "what works," as Zev Yaroslavsky does in "LA's Big Green Secret."

In a Lettermanesque turn, Eli Broad, one of the city's great civic leaders and philanthropists -- and someone you've heard from before on HuffPost -- offers his "Top Ten Reasons to Love LA." Jonathan Greenblatt highlights our "better angels" in his post about some of LA's most impactful non-profits. And our new "top cop," LAPD Chief Charlie Beck shares his favorite Langer's sandwich and more in an exclusive interview with HuffPost LA's contributing editor Tina Daunt.

We're tapping into the depth and breadth of the creative community here. In addition to the entertainment industry, Los Angeles has a wealth of talent in other creative fields -- art and culture, fashion, architecture, design and music. One of the city's cultural visionaries, Michael Govan, CEO of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, examines what makes art and art history in Los Angeles distinct. Journalist Joe Robinson offers his take on how LA might reinvent itself culturally by solving the hideous traffic problems that keep Westsiders housebound most weeknights.

Artist and writer Nancy Marks profiles the incredibly talented, LA based designer Michael Smith. And, in an era of celebrity obsession, singer and songwriter Ben Lee offers an ode to "working artists," the actors, stylists, screenwriters or musicians who "make their small but generous contributions to the cultural landscape we live in."

The Office's Ellie Kemper adds her take on dressing for success -- Los Angeles style. Former adult entertainment star Jennifer Ketchum rides the subway for days to get a better handle on the honor system at work underground, and contributing editor Deborah Schoeneman takes on bragging in the age of social media. (See if you can match the boldface names with the face brags and twags.)

We hope you'll enjoy hearing from these new contributors and others we'll continue to add to the mix. Our Los Angeles editor, Billy Silverman, and I would like to hear more from you, too. Send us your ideas for stories, tips, and feedback in the comments below, or email us at losangeles@huffingtonpost.com.