• Introduction
• Downtown
• Venice
• Culver City
• Mid-City West

Downtown

A former no-fly zone is now a can’t-miss destination with style to spare.

A few years ago, there weren’t many reasons to go Downtown, unless you worked in one of the skyscrapers that form the city’s skyline, in which case, at quitting time, you’d run for the hills. After dark, the homeless (sadly, gathered from other districts and dumped here), junkies, and gangs ruled the streets, making it seem like some kind of Epcot Scaryland. Over the last 10 years, however, in the wake of artists who settled in empty warehouses, the city greenlit massive residential developments—shiny lofts no starving artist could afford—and earmarked billions of dollars for the creation of parks, hotels, and a Champs-Elysées-style corridor.

These days, the area is on its way to becoming a residential hub and is already one of the country’s richest cultural centers, with incredible architecture, stylish restaurants and bars, and a vital art scene. A collection of smaller districts, Downtown includes the bustling enclaves of Little Tokyo and Chinatown, and the Art Deco theaters and art galleries of the Historic Core. Several significant architectural projects kick-started the changes here, among them the undulating stainless steel sheath of Frank Gehry’s magnificent Walt Disney Concert Hall (home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic) on South Grand Avenue (111 S. Grand Ave.; 213/ 972-7211, laphil.org), which is on its way to replacing the Hollywood sign as the city’s landmark icon, and the subversive modernism of José Rafael Moneo’s Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on West Temple Street (555 W. Temple St.; 213/680-5200, olacathedral.org), which sparked controversy with its enormous budget ($5 million for the altar alone), size, and absence of right angles.

The art scene is centered in the walkable areas of Gallery Row (between South Main Street and Spring Street) and Chinatown. “I was in SoHo in the ’70s, the East Village in the ’80s, San Francisco in the ’90s, and now here,” says Bert Green, sitting in his airy storefront, Bert Green Fine Art (102 W. 5th St.; 213/624-6212, bgfa.us). Known as the unofficial mayor of Gallery Row, Green opened one of the first galleries in the neighborhood, in 2004. “It’s a very exciting time,” Green says. “There are so many cultural events happening every day, people don’t have time to do them all.” Over 40 galleries now occupy the row, creating a homespun art community unified by an unpretentious attitude (no valet parking). It’s a quirky scene that mixes street art (the “Left Coast funk” graffiti of Crewest) with established names (the biggest Chinese stars show at Morono Kiang Gallery in the historic Bradbury Building; 218 W. 3rd St.; 213/628-8208, moronokiang.com).

Among the galleries are the fun but unsung Museum of Neon Art, which pays tribute to the gas art (136 W. 4th St.; 213/489-9918, neonmona.org), and the Comme des Garçons guerilla pop-up store, which sells limited-edition items (125 W. 4th St., Suite 106; 213/626-6606, guerrilla-store.com). Stop by Banquette Café for a delicious veggie panino (400 S. Main St.; entrées from $8; 213/626-2768) and Blossom Restaurant for Vietnamese shaking beef (426 S. Main St.; entrées from $7; 213/623-1973, blossomrestaurant.com). On an alley off Gallery Row is The Edison, a lounge in a former underground power plant where you can sip cocktails amid polished turbines (108 W. 2nd St.; snacks from $7; 213/613-0000, edison downtown.com).
 
From The Edison, walk a few blocks east to Little Tokyo to see the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA (an outpost of the Museum of Contemporary Art nearby), housed in a former police-car warehouse renovated by Frank Gehry (152 N. Central Ave.; 213/626-6222, moca.org). Don’t leave Little Tokyo without eating fresh mochi (sticky rice with an ice cream filling) at Mikawaya Sweet Shop in the Japanese Village Plaza (213/624-1681, mikawayausa.com).

Due north a few blocks in Chinatown—a four-block expanse festooned with red paper lanterns—galleries are sprinkled along the pedestrian streets of Chung King Road and Gin Ling Way. The granddaddy of the scene is Peres Projects, run by Javier Peres, a gallerist best known for discovering rising superstar and Whitney alum Terence Koh (969 Chung King Rd.; 213/617-1100, peresprojects.com). Piggybacking the art community, a number of hipster boutiques have opened within walking distance, including avant-garde designer spot Welcome Hunters (454B Jung Jing Rd.; 213/687-9905, welcome huntersla.com) and music- and art-book store Ooga Booga (943 N. Broadway, no. 203; 213/617-1105, oogabooga store.com). Mingle with local artists at The Mountain, a low-key bar that was shot into the stratosphere when Brad Pitt showed up for its opening (475 Gin Ling Way; 213/625-7500, themountainbar.com).

Back at Disney Hall you can take a 45-minute, self-guided walking tour for free. Make reservations in advance at Patina, the award-winning Relais & Châteaux restaurant in the concert hall (141 S. Grand Ave.; entrées from $36; 213/972-3331, patina group.com). Or try your luck at its neighbor, the stylish Parisian Kendall’s Brasserie, where Placido Domingo has been known to down a post-performance drink (135 N. Grand Ave.; entrées from $22; 213/972-7322, patinagroup.com).

Just down South Grand is the MOCA flagship, a more intimate space than the Geffen (250 S. Grand Ave.; 213/626-6222, moca.org); both exhibit the museum’s permanent collection (more than 5,000 pieces by Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, and Diane Arbus, among others).

Nearby, there are many stellar restaurants, especially for seafood lovers. Gourmets rave about the experimental courses, like the intriguing “prawn martini” at Noé, in the Omni Hotel (251 S. Olive St.; entrées from $25; 213/356-4100, noerestaurant.com); the Peruvian-style seviche is especially good at Ciudad (445 S. Figueroa St.; entrées from $16; 213/486-5171, ciudad-la.com); and the Water Grill is one of the city’s most-expensive-but-worth-it restaurants (544 S. Grand Ave.; entrées from $29; 213/891-0900, watergrill.com). For comfort food go to Clifton’s Cafeteria, a neighborhood institution with a truly surreal backyard garden (648 S. Broadway; entrées from $3; 213/627-1673, cliftonscafeteria.com). Another old-timey favorite is the Pacific Dining Car, a converted 1920s railway car that’s always open (1310 W. 6th St.; entrées from $30; 213/483-6000, pacificdiningcar.com).

For real Downtown immersion, stay at one of the neighborhood hotels. The legendary 1923 Biltmore (506 S. Grand Ave.; from $375/night; 213/624-1011, thebiltmore.com) is a smart splurge for its old-school Hollywood glamour and reasonable rates. Catch high tea in the Rendezvous Court, which resembles a Spanish cathedral. More casual is the Figueroa Hotel (939 S. Figueroa St.; from $134/night; 213/627-8971, figueroahotel.com), which has hosted travelers and stars alike since 1925. Ask for a room away from the heavily trafficked streets. Still trendy, The Standard, Downtown LA (550 S. Flower St.; from $285/night; 213/892-8080, standardhotels.com) is popular with photographers, musicians and models, and those lucky enough to procure one of their inventive rooms. Much ado has been made of its mod rooftop lounge, but go during the day or on a weeknight to avoid the crowds. As an alternative, check out the little-known Takami Sushi & Robata Restaurant (811 Wilshire Blvd., Penthouse; entrées from $19; 213/236-9600, takamisushi.com), in a penthouse with a large patio atop an office building on Wilshire Boulevard.

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