President Obama arrives in Los Angeles for 2-day visit

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- President Barack Obama arrived in Los Angeles Thursday afternoon for a two-day visit.

He kicked off his tour at tech company Cross Campus in Santa Monica, where he praised millenials and spoke about the economy. He emphasized the need for the government to invest more in new technologies, make college more affordable, pass immigration reform and increase the minimum wage..

"In some ways, entrepreneurship is in the DNA of this generation," Mr. Obama said.

Later in the day, he attended a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee at the Westside home of actress Gwyneth Paltrow. Tickets at the event cost as much as $32,000.

Paltrow told the president, "You're so handsome... I can barely speak properly."

On Friday, the president is expected to announce during a speech in San Dimas that he will set aside 350,000 acres of the San Gabriel Mountains as a national monument.

Police asked the public to avoid parts of Santa Monica, Brentwood, Westwood and Beverly Hills during the president's visit.

Roads to avoid:

• 1:30-3:30 p.m., avoid the area around Centinela Avenue between Ocean Park and Olympic boulevard, as well as Lincoln Boulevard between Pico and Wilshire boulevards.
• 3:30-5 p.m., avoid the area around Santa Monica Boulevard between 26th Street and Ocean Avenue, as well as the area around Ocean Avenue between Pico Boulevard and San Vicente Boulevard.
• 5-7:30 p.m., avoid the area around San Vicente Boulevard between Ocean Avenue and Bundy Drive; the area around Sunset Boulevard between Allenford and Barrington avenues; and the area around Sunset Boulevard between Allenford Avenue and Roxbury Drive.
• 7:30-9 p.m., avoid the area around Beverly Glen Boulevard between Sunset and Santa Monica boulevards, as well as the area around Wilshire Boulevard between Sawtelle and Santa Monica boulevards.
• From 8 a.m. Thursday to 6 p.m. Friday, Hilgard Avenue in Westwood will be closed between Le Conte and Weyburn avenues.

City News Service contributed to this report.