Unforgettable Downtown LA, Part Two

In Part One of 10 Unforgettable Things To Do in Downtown LA, I took you past historic buildings, into the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Grand Park, Civic Center, and the Angels Flight. In our continuation of unforgettable DTLA, we’ll eat at Grand Central Market, gaze in awe at the Million Dollar Theater and the landmark Bradbury building, enjoy some great street art and wander into the whimsical Last Bookstore.

For information on how to plan your LA trip, including how to ride the LA subway and detailed Downtown LA itineraries, see Los Angeles: Planning Your Trip and Getting Around. And be sure to take advantage of Downtown Dash, the buses that go all over DTLA, especially to points of interest. Downtown LA has some steep hills, I tell ya.

Grand Central Market

The Grand Central Market, an historic open-air market in continuous operation since 1917, is totally worth a visit. It’s a nostalgic and essential part of LA’s historic core. The market’s current popularity is a recent phenomenon. It underwent a huge makeover just 5 years ago.

Walk the circumference—er, join the crowd as they creep around it—and check out everything before deciding where to eat. After much inner debate, I decided to eat at Egg Slut of the egg sandwiches starring on Instagram. Hey yes, I am influenced by social media. It did not disappoint.

Even if you’re an indecisive Libran like me, you’ll have plenty of time to decide what to order while you’re waiting in line. Thankfully, it moves fairly quickly. I had the Fairfax, velvety scrambled eggs on a brioche bun with carmelized onions, a slice of really nice cheddar and a spicy siracha mayo. Yum, yum.

What I’ll be eating on my next visit

Having done some research while writing this post, next time I’m going to try the lox at Wexler’s Deli. Wexler’s is one of the only places in the U.S. to actually make their own. I also want to support the market’s so-called “legacy vendors,” about a dozen stalls that were there prior to the makeover (that some call gentrification) around 2013.

The legacy vendors are an important part of the diversity and character that make the market so special. The really old ones are Roast to Go (1952) and China Cafe (1959). Ana Maria’s, Tacos Tumbras, and Sarita’s Pupuseria have been around awhile too.

The market, once focused on groceries, now features more prepared foods. It still has a mix of places to eat and places to buy ingredients for a lovely meal at home. Stands include a cheese shop, a butcher, produce, dry goods, and, most importantly, candy. You can even have your jewelry repaired or keys made at Grand Central Jewelry (1983). I plan to bring home some of the legendary housemade moles from Chiles Secos (1975). Let me know in the comments if you have favorite legacy vendors I’ve missed.

Downtown LA’s historic core

The Broadway district is the historic core of Downtown LA. The Grand Central Market is right across Hill street from the Angels Flight funicular. When you come out of the east side of the market (by EggSlut), you’ll be on Broadway. The landmark Bradbury building is just across the street (on Broadway and 3rd). Right next to the market is the Million Dollar Theater. Across 3rd street from the Bradbury is the former Victor Clothing Company, which has incredible murals on both sides.

Downtown LA’s Broadway Theater District and the Million Dollar Theater

Apparently there are a number of historical movie palaces in the Broadway Theater District (I’ll be going to see them all on my next LA visit) and the Million Dollar Theater is the northernmost.

The first LA movie house built by Sid Grauman, who later built Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. The Million Dollar Theater was one of the earliest and largest movie palaces in the country, boasting over 2,300 seats. The 1918 silent film premiere was accompanied by a 30-piece orchestra and attended by guests such as Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., Mary Pickford, and Charlie Chaplin. It cost a lot, which is how it got its moniker.

Million Dollar architecture

Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the theater’s lavish architectural embellishment is eye-popping. Joseph Mora, son of the famous Spanish sculptor Domingo Mora, designed the elaborate façade. Ornament includes allegorical figures representing the arts, girls strumming stringed instruments with their legs dangling over ledges, and more oddly, bison heads and longhorn steer skulls. Somehow it all comes together in a fascinating whole.

Million Dollar history

The theater has gone through mega changes over the years. In the 1940s, jazz and big band stars such as Billie Holiday and the Nat King Cole Trio performed on its stage. In the 1950s, the Million Dollar became the first theatre on Broadway to feature Spanish-language variety shows (variedades).

For decades from the 1950s to the 1990s, it was a center for the Spanish entertainment industry and served as a leading Latinx entertainment venue, featuring variedades and Mexican film premieres. During its heyday in the 70s and 80s, the LAPD closed down Broadway to traffic when long lines of people waiting to attend wrapped around the block.

Not any longer. As I came out of the market, the building really caught my imagination. It’s one of the incredibly stunning buildings in downtown LA that appears largely deserted. Shuttered at street level, it looks occupied above with some nice curtains.

What’s going on?

My curiousity led me to do some research. The Yellin Company spearheaded the Grand Central Square project, encompassing the theater, the market, the apartments created above them, and a parking structure. Yellin renovated the Grand Central Market and the Bradbury building in the 1990s.

In the mid 2000s, Yellin Company converted the 12 stories above the theater to apartments. They refurbished the theater and reopened it for performances and special events.

Yellin recently sold their portfolio to Langdon Street Capital. A fashion startup, CoBird, has a 5-year lease on the theater and the main floor commercial space, but it’s unclear if their startup has actually started. The theater is available to rent as an event venue and filming location, with some concern in the community for its preservation.

The retail space appears vacant. The apartments above are available to rent. That is, if you can afford a 750-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment for $2,000. Amenities do include a sauna and a fitness center. I signed a lease while I was there.

Haha, no. Though as I understand it, that’s not bad for a one-bedroom in downtown LA. And I adore the entrance.

Want to see inside the theater?

The Million Dollar has screenings as part of the LA Conservancy’s Last Remaining Seats, an annual series showing classic films in historic theaters. (Speaking of the Conservancy, they offer a historic downtown walking tour that I fully plan to take next time I’m in LA.) I’d love to see the auditorium; check out their events website to see if anything is going on when you plan to be in town.

The Bradbury Building, Downtown LA’s architectural movie star

We may have the movie Blade Runner to thank for the survival of the wondrous Bradbury building. The vintage 1893 structure was almost caving in on itself when Ridley Scott shot his cult classic there in 1982, and a series of safety code modifications threatened its architectural purity. Though the building appeared in previous films, Blade Runner turned the Bradbury into a star. Surely that affected Ira Yellin’s 1989 decision to purchase and restore the BB as part of his dream of a revitalized Broadway district.

That star quality

The oldest commercial building remaining in the central city, the BB is one of Los Angeles’ unique treasures. Entering from Broadway, you’ll walk through a nondescript corridor that suddenly opens to a stunning sunlit court. The splendid Victorian atrium is awash with light from a huge plate glass skylight 50 feet above. It’s an extraordinary and magical space, with ornate filigree ironwork everywhere you look.

Imported from France, the exquisite wrought iron winds upward on the geometrically patterned stairways and balconies. Equally elaborate are the iconic birdcage elevators, powered hydraulically to glide between floors. When you visit, you’ll immediately see why the Bradbury’s court is one of downtown’s most photographed sites. Beautiful carved wood glows in the sunlight and the whole thing just takes your breath away. If I may gush. Check out the cantilevered balconies.

An architectural mystery

The identity of the Bradbury’s final architect is the subject of some debate. The building’s moniker, Lewis Bradbury, was a mining and real estate millionaire. Bradbury commissioned local architect Sumner Hunt to create a spectacular office building, and Hunt turned in completed designs. But soon afterward, Bradbury hired George Wyman, one of Hunt’s draftsmen, to replace him and supervise the actual construction. Whether Hunt or Wyman ultimately created the final design is up for grabs, though Hunt, unlike Wyman, did go on to design several more notable buildings.

The building, a National Historic Landmark, underwent complete restoration in the early 1990s as part of the Grand Central Square project. The Bradbury Building houses both retail space and offices, but the unique central atrium and first landing are open to the public.

Downtown LA street art!

I wandered around the Broadway area and saw quite a bit of street art. My understanding is that the majority of LA street art is in the Arts District, which is actually quite a bit east of where I was, but I saw some awesome stuff here.

My direction was east of Broadway (to Spring and Main) between 2nd and 5th streets. Walking down Broadway toward 2nd Street, I saw the murals on far side of the Victor Clothing Company. I ran into a locked gate in the adjacent parking lot, so I walked around the block and got inside there. The lot is part of Joey’s Parking, along with several other parking lots nearby. Several lots have some interesting street art, so take a wander and see what you can find.

An encounter with Michael Jackson

It was while photographing street art I had my encounter with Michael Jackson.

I was trying to photograph a mural across an intersection from me. (Too lazy to cross over.) I saw a guy in a bright white cowboy hat start to cross the street, and I took the photo when he was partway across. A bit later, I was startled to hear “Did you get a good shot?” VERY close to my ear. I may have squeaked. I glanced up and I swear, he looked a lot like Michael Jackson and he really sounded like him. Not that I think he was trying imitate MJ with the cowboy hat and everything.

He freaked me out a bit. People talk to themselves in downtown LA. I don’t mind. But it was truly disconcerting to have a person actually whisper in my ear.

The Last Bookstore LA, an iconic spot

My last stop, appropriately, was The Last Bookstore. A huge labyrinth of new, rare and used books, this independent bookstore is the biggest new and secondhand bookshop in California. I especially loved their rare books section with lots of cool Hollywood stuff.

The bookstore is on a mission to “keep the paper and ink book business alive.” While I am totally for this mission, I regret to say I didn’t buy a book. The extra weight in my backpack may well have killed me at that point.

It’s an Instagrammable spot, and a lot of tourists were wandering about taking photos for the gram, but in a polite way. You’ll understand why when you see the whimsical art and sculptures around the store. It’s a former bank building, and the horror section is located in the old vault. Sweet.

Exhausted

At this point I decided to go back to the hotel and rest, fully intending to come back downtown and hit Little Tokyo. However, my resting segued into passing out, so Little Tokyo is on the agenda for next time.

Downtown LA: the good, the bad, and the ugly

You’ve had the good. Now comes the bad and the ugly.

Downtown LA is a rapidly changing place, home to some of the best, and some of the worst, LA has to offer. You’ve heard a lot here about the best. The worst is the prevalence of homelessness and the wretched conditions in parts of downtown LA. The gentrification of the historic core pushes Skid Row (defined by the LAPD as 3rd to 7th streets, and Los Angeles to Alameda streets) further east. Refurbishing these gorgeous historic buildings has cost millions of dollars, and many have been made into high-end residential units.

Homelessness epidemic

Meanwhile, LA’s homeless population increased 16% in the past year. Of the mind-boggling 59,000 homeless people in Los Angeles County, 36,000 are in LA. Over 2,000 live on the streets in Skid Row, which has the distinction of holding the largest concentration of homeless encampments in the country.

While the development of high-end housing continues apace, the creation of affordable and supportive housing has been slow. In fact, a new rezoning plan unveiled July 2 would convert parts of Skid Row itself, and the adjoining fashion and arts districts, from warehouse and industrial uses to residential. Whoa. Some housing development would have income restrictions (people earning under $58,000 annually), others would have none.

Critics say the plan opens too much of the neighborhood to the same luxury lofts and condominiums that blanket much of downtown.

Squalor blocks away from luxury

To compound the problems for the homeless, illegal dumping is rampant in Skid Row. The city streets look like landfills, with giant piles of garbage. The homeless get blamed, but they’re not tossing huge amounts of refuse (furniture, construction debris, fruit peelings from produce warehouses) to avoid paying for disposal.

A public health hazard of potentially epic proportions is in the making. The copious amounts of organic waste dumped, as well as the waste that results when a large number of people lack facilities, has led to large rats. Well-fed rats breed exponentially and carry typhus and other fun stuff.

LA Times journalist Steve Lopez has reported on the situation in several articles. I don’t know how to address these difficult and heartbreaking problems, but I hope the civic leadership and the citizens of LA make them a priority.

Part of the charm of Downtown LA is that it’s in the process of changing and becoming. Downtown LA is still figuring out what it wants to be, and I hope that is a place for everyone.

For information on how to plan your trip to LA, get around on public transportation, including how to ride the LA subway, and suggested Downtown LA itineraries, see Los Angeles: Planning Your Trip and Getting Around.

For more things to do in L.A. , visit FitLife and Travel and her Adventure Guide to Los Angeles!

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