things to do in downtown los angeles

Olvera Street.

For the longest time, downtown Los Angeles was a place no one wanted to be in when office workers went home. Recent developments, however, have revitalized downtown. Now, there are plenty of stuff to do day and night.

In fact, I have spent a few staycations being a tourist in downtown. I found the experience very illuminating and fun. So, if you are visiting downtown, fret not. There are plenty of stuff for you to do. These are my recommendations if you decide to visit:

THE LAY OF THE LAND

First off, if you want to know the boundaries of downtown, it looks like this. Within downtown are tiny neighborhoods: 

• the Financial District, which is where the skyscrapers are; 
• Bunker Hill, which is a hill where additional skyscrapers are located as well as the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Museum of Contemporary Art;
• South Park, where the Convention Center, the Staples Center (where the Lakers and LA Kings play), the Nokia Theater, and the Grammy Museum are located;
• the Fashion/Garment District, where the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, and other cheap clothing stores and stalls are located;
• the Jewelry District, where you can shop for as much gold, diamonds, and other precious metals and stones as you want;
• the Civic Center, where the courts, City Hall, and the performing arts center are located;
• the Toy District, where you can shop for all sorts of toys;
• the Historic Core;
• the Arts District, which is actually very industrial; 
• Little Tokyo; and
• El Pueblo.

While you can walk everywhere, one district could be really far from the other. To get around, you can use the Metro (our subway and bus system), for $1.50 per ride, or the Dash, a small bus for $.50 per ride.

Art Deco in downtown.

*Just note that if you plan to walk within east of Main Street, South of Third Street, west of Alamada Street and north of Seventh Street, that area is Skid Row, which has a big homeless population.

THE SIGHTS

There are plenty of sights in downtown but these are the ones I truly enjoy. I followed the route below, which includes interesting buildings. You can take a day or two days doing this tour (in the order below) depending on how long you want to linger.

• LA Cathedral - Designed by Spanish architect, Jose Rafael Moneo, the Cathedral is a quiet place to visit and admire the architecture and the art inside and outside. It is free to visit. You can go on their website and download or print the information about the architecture, art and mausoleum (they have pretty stained glass down there) to use on your self guided tour.

Mary adorns the door of the LA Cathedral. I love this description of her:
"Mary does not wear the traditional veil. Her arms are bare, outstretched to welcome all. Her carriage is confident, and her hands are strong, the hands of a working woman. From the side can be seen a thick braid of hair down her back that summons thoughts of Native American or Latina women. Other characteristics, such as her eyes, lips and nose convey Asian, African and Caucasian features. Without the conventional regal trappings of jewels, crown or layers of clothing, she has a dignity that shines from within."

• Performing Arts Center - If you walk west on Temple from the LA Cathedral, you'll hit the Performing Arts Center, which is between Grand and Hope Streets and Temple and 1st Streets. I don't really find the buildings here that fascinating. But, this area houses the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (opera), the Mark Taper Forum (plays) and the Ahmanson Theatre (musicals and ballets). If you go when the box office is open, you can check to see if there are any available discounted tickets to a show. 
• Walt Disney Concert Hall - Across the street from the Performing Arts Center is the Walt Disney Concert Hall, which houses the philharmonic. Frank Gehry designed it. The design is similar to the Guggenheim in Bilbao. However, I think that the Walt Disney Concert Hall is a lot more user friendly. When I was at the Guggenheim, I couldn't touch the walls and I had to pay to get in. In contrast, here, I went in for free, I could get a docent-led tour or self guided tour for free, I touched the curves of the wall, and I enjoyed the lovely "rose" garden in the back. I definitely recommend a visit here.

The Rose Garden at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

• US Bank Tower (formerly known as the Library Tower) - If you walk down the hill from the Walt Disney Concert Hall, you'll find the US Bank Tower, which is the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. You may also know it as the building that got blown up by aliens in that Will Smith movie called, Independence Day. IM Pei designed it. Currently, one of Banksy's art is on display in the lobby.
• Central Library - Across from the US Bank Tower is the Central Library. You're probably thinking, "Library? Whaaat?" This art deco building is not only pretty but it also has some fun art work inside to check out. Just note that the last time I was roaming the stacks, I smelled just a slight sniff of something along the lines of body order (which I assume came from a vagrant taking advantage of the free air conditioned room). You can take a free docent led tour or a free self-guided tour (pdf). 
• Historic Core - If you walk east of the Central Library, you will hit Spring and Broadway Streets. That area between 9th and 4th Streets is the historic core. I love walking through it. Don't be dismayed by all the street level store fronts selling cheap merchandise. Instead, look up. Within the historic core are a bunch of old buildings in the art deco style. They are beautiful. It's just a shame that some of them have gone by the wayside. But the facade of the buildings are still there for everyone to enjoy.
• Grand Central Market - Between Hill and Broadway Streets and 3rd and 4th Streets is the Grand Central Market. Recent renovations has pretty much gentrified it. It used to be a place where vendors sold produce, meats and cheap lunch. Since the renovations, rents have gone up and the old vendors have moved on, although a few of the old taco and pupusa stands still remain. Many of the new businesses, while creating a trendy buzz, charge significantly pricier fare. But, it is still a great place to roam and see what tasty food you would like to eat. Stop there for lunch and enjoy!

Delicious and cheap carnitas tacos from a vendor at the Grand Central Market.

• Bradbury Building - Across the street from the Grand Central Market on Broadway is this building famous for being in popular films like Blade Runner and (300) Days of Summer. But, I like it because it is beautiful. The natural light accentuates the steelwork. You can't explore the entire building because there are offices there, but you can go up to the second floor landing. It is free to visit.
• City Hall - Northeast of the Bradbury building between 1st and Temple Streets and Spring and Main Streets is this distinctive looking building with the triangular tower. That's city hall. You can visit the beautiful rotunda inside, and go up to the observation deck on the 27th floor for free.

View of the Walt Disney Concert Hall from City Hall.

• Olvera Street - If you go north of City Hall on Main Street (it's on the other side of the freeway), you will find Olvera Street. This is where Los Angeles began. Back in the 1700s, a bunch of folks established El Pueblo Nuestra Senora Reina de los Angeles, which got shortened to Los Angeles and further shortened to LA. That area is now around Olvera Street. Currently, the street is full of vendors and restaurants. You can go on a free tour of Olvera Street if you contact these folks.

That's the walking tour. If you do the above tour, wear comfortable shoes. You'll be walking a lot!

MUSEUMS

There are plenty of museums in downtown including The Grammy Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art. But, I am a big fan of the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo, primarily because of the collection relating to the Japanese internment. It is very moving and informative. It is also a good place to learn about a sad part in American history. On the flipside, the JANM also hosts some fascinating pop culture exhibits. Once, I saw a Murakami/Louis Vuitton exhibit there. Currently, they have a Hello Kitty exhibit. 

THE FOOD

There are plenty of restaurants in downtown and new ones keep on popping up. I have tried quite few of them but these are my favorite places to eat in downtown:

• Daikokuya - This small ramen place in Little Tokyo has excellent ramen. The pork broth is very rich. The only problem I have is that if you go during peak times, the lines could get very long. Luckily, they tend to move people along fairly quickly so the wait should not be hours on end. 

Ramen at Daikokuya.

• Fugetsu-Do - A few doors down from Daikokuya is this mochi place. Mochi is a rice based dessert. I love the chocolate mochi here. I pretty much buy a bunch and, assuming I don't eat them all, I freeze them.
• Grand Central Market - See above.
• Blossom - If you have a hankering for pho while in downtown, this is the best spot for it. It is not the cheapest bowl of pho I have ever had, but given that it is in downtown, it is relatively affordable.
• Semi Sweet Bakery - I love this bakery for one reason: their hazelnut dingalings, which are basically fancy ding dongs. So good.
• Maccheroni Republic - This nondescript restaurant across from the Grand Central Market serves delicious pasta. And, you can bring your own wine without any corkage fee. Finally, the food is affordable. This place is close enough to the Performing Arts Center and the Walt Disney Concert Hall (about a 15-20 minute walk) that I find it the perfect place for a pre-musical (or pre-opera or pre-play or pre-ballet or pre-philharmonic) meal.
• Wood Spoon - This is a cute little Brazilian restaurant. But, to be honest, all I eat here is their pork burger, which is juicy and delicious!
• Wurstkuche - Sausages and beer. 'Nuff said.
• Faith & Flower - Full disclosure: I know one of the owners. But, I can honestly say that I have enjoyed my meals there. It is a swank place but it is not a hoity toity place at all. The drinks are tasty, and they make a very good sazerac. Plus, chef Michael Hung makes, among other things, a juicy and bursting-with-flavor longganisa sausage. It has also recently been named one of the best new restaurants in the country by Esquire.

SHOPPING

Let me put this out there now: I am not a shopper. But, people seem to find good deals for clothes in the Garment (aka Fashion) District. I've tried shopping there once and I found it so overwhelming. There were so many shops, and I have so little patience for them.

The jewelry selection in the Jewelry District is fantastic. You can go through plenty of "marts" (around Broadway, Hill and Olive Streets between 6th and 8th Streets), and browse. But, if you want a private viewing from some of the jewelers, you need to make an appointment, which is a whole lot less overwhelming.

Clearly, there is also a toy district. I have not shopped there but it is there for folks who want to find bargains on toys.



With downtown's revitalization, new things (especially restaurants) keep on popping up. But, I suspect that the sights I have described above will remain for quite a long time. So, no matter when you read this post, I hope you have a great time visiting downtown LA.

Have you visited downtown? What did you enjoy during your visit?