Los Angeles has its downsides, as you well know.

Rent is at championship levels, traffic will test the boundaries of your very humanity, and an abundance of starstruck transplants will stretch your fake smile to its limits.

But L.A. excels when it comes to the important things, such as tacos, parties and, apparently, innovation.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently ranked 25 large American cities for innovation and startup friendliness. The analysis, based on “level of talent, capital, industry specialization, density, connectivity and culture,” is part of the chamber's “Innovation That Matters” study, the organization said in a statement.

L.A., with our Silicon Beach (Google, YouTube, Snapchat), came in seventh place.

Not bad for a big, mean city when competition like San Diego and (third-place) Denver are stealing some of our thunder.

San Diego, which had a Silicon Beach long before we did, ranked fifth, making Southern California almost dominant. 

San Diego's “relatively strong startup density and capital funding activity (it ranked fifth in both categories) have also contributed to its budding appeal for entrepreneurs, and that may help San Diego lure promising startups and bright entrepreneurs from in-state innovation heavyweights like Los Angeles or San Francisco,” the chamber states.

Surprisingly, Boston, which led the nation in access to capital, was ranked No. 1. 

But, well, we wouldn't bet against California. 

Put the second-place Bay Area in the mix and it's clear that when it comes to innovation, the Golden State is your destination.

The Bay Area, including Silicon Valley, has “more money, talent and startups than any other U.S. city,” the chamber says.

Why should you care? We know you love your job, but this stuff is the future.

“America is on the cusp of a technological revolution that will impact every sector of the economy and every corner of the country,” the chamber says. “In the same way some cities rose and others faltered during the industrial era and the first technological revolution, this next wave of innovation and disruption has the potential to redraw America’s economic map as new cities emerge as leaders in the digital world.”

If you're in L.A., you're already halfway there.

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