Downtown LA: 10 Unforgettable Things To Do, Part One

I really wasn’t sure I’d like Los Angeles. Would I spend all my time stuck in traffic? Would there be smog? Would I be accosted by people dressed up as dead actors and comic book characters? I imagined Instagram photo-taking so completely out of control that seeing anything of interest would be impossible. Not to mention, how would I get my shots for the Gram?

Excessive instagramming did annoy me occasionally. Standing in the prime spot, taking and re-taking that photo, for half an hour? Really? But hogging the spotlight does seem so very LA; it’s local color. I did notice a few youthful individuals hogging public seating. Now that really is rude, especially when (ahem) slightly older persons want to rest—on the comfy loveseat, not the hard cold bench.

I expected a certain amount of craziness in LA. I didn’t expect a complicated, fascinating, unforgettable city so rich in both modern and historical architecture, art, and an incredible variety of fabulous food, that I can’t wait to go back to see and eat everything I missed.

Downtown LA (DTLA)

On my one day to explore, I chose to go to downtown LA, known as DTLA. DTLA is a place of rapid change, with some of the best, and also the worst, LA has to offer.

I had a long list of things to see and I can tell you right now, I pooped out before I got through that list. One thing that might help you to retain some energy: take advantage of the buses downtown, Downtown Dash, that go all over DTLA, especially to points of interest. (Also, eat well, exercise regularly, and don’t be old. Lol.)

My downtown LA itinerary, which I kinda messed up

Following my downtown LA itinerary, cobbled together from a couple blog posts I found, I got off the subway at the 7th Street stop. I was to walk a couple blocks east, take a left on Grand, and walk 5 more blocks to the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

This was quite a haul. The Grand Park/Civic Center subway stop is actually a lot closer. Those 5 blocks up Grand Avenue become a puffing hike up a seriously steep hill. Bunker Hill, in fact. And as I may have just mentioned, downtown LA has this wonderful thing called the Downtown Dash. Route B runs on Grand from the library all the way to the Ahmanson theater, with a number of stops all along Grand.

Missing out on the library

The unexpectedly calesthenic walk took me through some of historic DTLA, though I bypassed a couple important buildings. For some reason the itinerary didn’t include them till later. And I never got to later. It’s only while writing this post I’ve discovered I actually walked right past the incredible LA Public Library. The entrance is on 5th Street, so all I saw was the unmarked side of the building on Grand. I did notice the interesting Art Deco details and wondered what it was. Even took a photo. GAH!

If I’d only had a map! Learn from my error, O reader. (Yeah, I know, there’s this thing called Google Maps. Let’s not even go there. I’m using Google Maps now to discover my mistakes and craft a much better itinerary for you.) If I could go back in time, I would have made my first stop the library. I would nix a couple relationships, too, and start doing triceps exercises in my 20s. But I digress.

Downtown LA’s historic architecture

I’d pop into the Millennium Biltmore Hotel lobby as well, if that’s a thing you can do. The Biltmore’s main entrance is on Olive, so I was on the opposite side and saw zilch. Nevertheless, I am really glad I took note of historic buildings the PAC Mutual, the Hilton Checkers (formerly the Mayflower Hotel), and the Torrey Pines Bank.

In retrospect, I’m a little obsessed with the Biltmore. It has some incredible interiors, which you can drool over on their website. They offer an afternoon tea, which might be a fun way to see the hotel. I’m not sure if one is allowed to just wander around. Actually, with room rates starting at $189, it’s not that expensive and might be worth a splash out!

A modern trio: the Broad, MOCA, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall

Once I crested the hill, I immediately recognized the Broad. The building has been likened to a giant cheese grater. That’s fairly apt. I did get a strong hankering for hunk of cheddar. Seriously, it’s an incredible piece of modern architecture right next to another. Admission to the Broad is free, but you need to reserve a timed admission spot, or you’ll waste your youth standing in a very long line. I tried to get a spot a couple weeks before our trip. Sold out. Learn from me some more.

It turned out to be okay, as I typically spend hours and hours in museums, and instead I spent the time actually seeing downtown LA. I decided not to go into the Museum of Contemporary Art of Los Angeles (MOCA) either, but proceeded to the Walt Disney Concert Hall. When I visit downtown LA again, I’ll request a timed admission to the Broad further ahead and stop in to see the extensive permanent collection at MOCA as well.

The Walt Disney Concert Hall

An incredible building designed by architect Frank Gehry, I really love the fact that the Walt Disney Concert Hall is open to the public. You can go in and take a free self-guided audio tour most days between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., but be sure to check their calendar. Times vary depending on performance schedules, and some days tours are not available. Go at your own pace (allow at least an hour; I spent longer). Find more info about the tours here.

Gehry, an LA resident, visualized the lobby as a light-filled “living room” for the city of Los Angeles. He intended it to be a center of civic activity, not just a destination for concertgoers. This was not a small project: the groundbreaking was in April 1999 and the opening, October 2003. Often credited with catalyzing the revitalization of downtown LA, the concert hall certainly represents a major addition to the cultural landscape.

Home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic and one of the most acoustically sophisticated concert halls in the world, the gigantic 3.6-acre complex is an absolutely stunning place, worthy of a major orchestra, Pavarotti, and the Queen.

While you can’t go into the auditorium itself (unless you go to a concert, which would be a fine idea), you can wander around to great viewpoints on each level of the building. Best of all, you’ll get to see the top balcony and the exquisite rooftop garden.

Too shiny

Fun fact and one of the many things related to us by our Uber driver on the way in from LAX: The concert hall’s original stainless steel finish was so bright and shiny, the glare blinded drivers and the neighbors complained. Residents of the condos across the street claimed the reflected sunlight caused temperatures in the area to rise to over 130F.

The city government investigated, and ordered the hall dulled. Workers sandblasted the surface in 2005 to remove some of its sheen. It now gleams less than it once did, but there are a few places you can still see the original finish. It’s like the difference between mirror finish All-Clad and matte, except even more shiny than mirror finish. More like an actual mirror!

Roof garden oasis

The roof garden on the third level charmed me so completely, I sneaked back there twice. It’s a paradise of exotic trees and plants, my favorite-ever fountain, small concert areas, a children’s amphitheatre, interesting walkways reminiscent of Antelope Canyon, and quirky dead ends.

The Philharmonic’s website describes the garden as a public park that doubles as an oasis for concertgoers. It truly is an oasis. Broken pieces of Delft china, main donor Lillian Disney’s favorite, make up the lovely fountain in the center of the Garden. Gehry named the fountain “A Rose for Lilly.” I actually thought it was a lotus, but what do I know.

Views from the upper terrace

The upper terrace on the fifth level offers some unique views, though you’ll want to go to the City Hall observation deck or OUE for panoramic views. You tend to be peeking out in between and over the wings and waves of the architecture. From the terrace you’ll have a wonderful view of the City Hall tower itself. At the top of the outside steps, enjoy a view of the Broad and Grand Avenue.

Los Angeles Civic Center

There are quite a number of buildings in the LA Civic Center. It covers 20 square blocks of downtown. The administrative core of LA and Los Angeles county, the Civic Center is a collection of city, state, and federal government offices, courthouses and monuments. In fact, the Civic Center has the largest concentration of government employees in the United States outside of Washington, D.C. 

The somewhat controversial Civic Center Master Plan, which will attempt to reinvigorate the CC by introducing housing, retail, and green space, is now underway. Approved last year by the city council, the plan aims to rejuvenate and modernise the outdated area surrounding City Hall. 

Los Angeles Superior Court

On Grand Avenue between WDCH and Grand Park, the LA Superior Court is the seat of government for Los Angeles County. Spanning more than 4,000 square miles and nearly 90 cities, LA County has the highest population—over 9 million—of any county in the United States. That’s big, all right.

The three figures represent Mosaic Law, the Magna Carta, and the Declaration of Independence. Interesting. So we’ve got Moses with the 10 Commandments, a medieval knight-looking guy with the Magna Carta, and a 1776 type with the Declaration of Independence.

Grand Park, downtown LA playground

Continue east along Grand Avenue to Grand Park, the largest open space in Downtown LA, which opened in 2012. The park’s website describes Grand Park as a place for Angelenos of all walks of life to come together. A series of stairs, accessible ramps and sloped walks connect the park to Grand Avenue. Features include a restored historic fountain with a wadeable membrane pool and a grand event lawn.

When I arrived, dancers and a band were performing in and near the fountain. An interesting installation along the fence caught my attention. Further down, a small art show showcased some local artists.

The sheer quantity of public space Grand Park offers is impressive. Acting as a kind of giant green “front lawn” for LA City Hall, the park holds events year-round. Tens of thousands come here every New Year’s Eve to watch the elaborate light shows projected onto City Hall. There’s sure to be something going on when you visit.

LA City Hall

For decades the Los Angeles City Hall with its Art Deco-style tower was the major visual symbol of downtown LA. Arguably the city’s most widely recognized landmark, City Hall opened in 1928 as the only building to significantly exceed the 150-foot height limit the city maintained until 1957. Meaning, at 450+ feet, it was by far the tallest thing downtown for 30 years. The tower has a compressible joint at each floor, like a human spine, so that it can safely ride out the waves of an earthquake. Cool, huh?

Over the years, City Hall has had many screen roles. You may remember it as the police headquarters in Dragnet or as the building attacked by Martians in War of the Worlds.

Angels Flight, much more than just a pretty face

My first response to the Angels Flight: it’s charming, but, meh, not exactly a must-see. The crowds of tourists rather obscure the charm. Out of operation for many years, you can now ride it. It only costs a dollar, but there’s a long line, and it just goes up and down a little hill.

Upon doing a bit of research the Angels Flight becomes much more interesting. It is actually all that physically remains of the original Bunker Hill neighborhood, along with a retaining wall or two.

Historic Bunker Hill

In the late nineteenth century, Bunker Hill was the city’s most fashionable residential district, with grand Queen Anne mansions and luxurious hotels. The Angels Flight funicular, built in 1900, connected Bunker Hill residents with the shopping and entertainment districts downtown.

As tends to happen, the area went out of fashion. The wealthy moved on to more secluded neighborhoods. Apartments and commercial buildings moved in. The big houses were converted to flats, hotels, and apartments. Attitudes toward the neighborhood shifted along with the social status of the people who lived there.

It became the most densely populated residential district in Los Angeles. Many, especially those eager for development, began to characterize Bunker Hill as a decaying urban slum. Talk of completely leveling the Hill began in 1928 and grew in following years. The neighborhood hovered in purgatory for decades, becoming increasingly shabby.

“Urban renewal”

Adopted in 1959, the Bunker Hill Urban Renewal Project eliminated the entire community within a decade. An urban revival movement was sweeping the nation, kickstarted by federal aid for clearing “urban blight.” I cringe to think of everything demolished in the name of urban renewal: 400 Victorian mansions, along with every other existing structure.

Bridging the new and old downtowns

The new, commercially developed Bunker Hill became functionally separated from the older downtown, creating two worlds, the new and the old downtown. Restored in 1993, Angels Flight intended to bridge the two.

The Angel’s Flight is much more than a tourist attraction. It’s heavy with symbolic meaning as well as with historic value. I suspect the bridging needed in downtown LA these days resides a bit further east.

Join me for Part Two

I’ll share the rest of my downtown LA adventures in Part Two. We’ll start out in the Grand Central Market, head over to the landmark Bradbury building, see some fabulous street art, and peruse the whimsical displays in The Last Bookstore. Stay tuned. Also coming up: information about navigating downtown LA without a car and some suggested itineraries.

Pin me!

Fun in another city

Looking for some things to do in other U.S. cities? How about New York City and Minneapolis? Have summer fun with me in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Join me as I explore Midtown Manhattan and Visit Ancient Egypt at the Met. Look forward to seeing you there!