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Downtown
Downtown LA is a microcosm of the city's past, present, and future and one of its most intriguing neighborhoods. El Pueblo commemorates the city's Spanish origins, while Chinatown to the north and Little Tokyo to the south are the vibrant centers of immigrant communities. The city's financial pulse beats in glass high-rises along flower and Figueroa Streets in sharp contrast to the eclectic early 20th-century architecture in the area around Pershing Square. Culture is king in downtown, from the renowned Museum of Contemporary Art and the spectacular new Walt Disney Concert Hall to the experimental galleries and studios of the Arts District east of Alameda Avenue. The Fashion and Jewelry Districts also add their own flair to the urban tapestry. Downtown is eminently walkable, but DASH buses also whisk you around between the diverse worlds that make up LA. Inside Contemporary Downtown LA Tour - Book This Product El Pueblo de Los AngelesThis historic district near LA's 1781 founding site comprises buildings dating back to the early 19th century, when the city was little more than a scruffy outpost under Mexican rule. Its lain artery, Olvera Street, has been restored to a lively lane lined with Mexican trinket shops and restaurants. Union StationBuilt in 1939 during the golden age of railroad travel, the design of the dignified Union Station blends traditional Spanish Mission elements with Modernist Art Deco touches. Its lofty main wailing room is graced with a coffered wooden ceiling, highly polished marble floors, and tall arched windows. Union Station has been featured in several movies, The Hustler (1961) and Bugsy (1992) among others. 800 N Alameda St 
ChinatownThe Chinese first settled in LA after the Gold Rush, but were forced by the construction of Union Station to relocate a few blocks north to an area that is today known as "New Chinatown." The cultural hub of over 200,000 Chinese Americans, this exotic district has stores hawking dried and pickled ginger and lucky bamboo, the offices of herbalists and acupuncturists, and restaurants that serve hot dim sum. In February, the Chinese New Year is celebrated with colorful parades and dragon dances. Along Broadway Hill north of Cesar Chavez Blvd Little Tokyo
The Japanese have been a presence in LA since the 1880s, but radical redevelopment in the 1960s replaced most of Little Tokyo's original structures with bland modern architecture. The few surviving buildings on East First Street are now protected as a National Historic Landmark. Stop at the Japanese American National Museum, and check out the MOCA Geffen Contemporary close by, and the Japanese Village Plaza. Bounded by 1st & 4th Alameda & Los Angeles St Cathedral of Our Lady of the AngelsLA's strikingly modern Roman Catholic cathedral looms above the Hollywood Freeway that he been likened to a "river of transportation." Opened in 2002, the adobe-colored structure is entered through giant bronze doors cast by LA sculptor Robert Graham and guarded by a statue of Our Lady of the Angels. The soaring hall of worship, which seats 3,000 people, is bathed in soft light streaming in through alabaster windows. It is the first Catholic cathedral to be constructed in the western US in over a quarter century. 550 W Temple St Walt Disney Concert HallThe new home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra is a spectacular addition to downtown's physical and cultural landscape Frank Gehry conceived the dramatic design of this 2,265-seat auditorium, rather like the sculptural interpretation of a ship caught at sea. The exterior "sails" are clad in shining stainless steel panels, while the concert space itself boasts a curved wooden ceiling carefully calibrated for superb acoustics. 111 S Grand Ave 
Bradbury BuildingThe nondescript facade of this Victorian-era office building doesn't do justice to the magical courtyard within. Muted light filters in through a soaring glass roof while open-cage elevators take you up floors hemmed in by lacy banisters. Commissioned by the mining and real estate magnate Lewis Bradbury and completed in 1893, architect George Wyman allegedly found inspiration for some of his designs in Edward Bellamy's 1887 novel, Looking Backward. 304 S Broadway Grand Central MarketAngelenos have perused the produce aisles of this exotic and lively market since 1917. Today, homemakers mingle with office workers to stock up on everything from fruits and vegetables to fresh fish and meat, and spices and herbs to cakes and bread, all available at bargain prices. Many of the eateries here also have long traditions, such as Roast-to-Go where the Penilla family has served made-to-order tacos and burritos since the 1950s. The architect Frank Lloyd Wright once had an office upstairs in this 1905 Beaux-Arts building. 317 S Broadway Places to eat |
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