doWntoWn - ExperienceLA

What will your downtown la
experience be?
…admiring the silver curves before an
unforgettable LA Phil performance (p10, 34)
…slurping Kirin and green-tea noodles in
Little Tokyo (p26)
…people-watching poolside in the middle
of twinkling skyscrapers (p29)
…re-enacting Blade Runner at the Bradbury
Building (p13)
Downtown Los angeles
…scoring a deeply discounted Betsey
Johnson skirt and a gem-encrusted belt
buckle (p19)
Downtown
Los angeles
keep it in your Pocket
DOWNTOWN
INTERACTIVE
As the world goes increasingly digital, ExperienceLA.com bridges the gap
between the arts and cultural experiences and the online world.
✱
✱
NEED MORE THAN ONE
DAY IN DOWNTOWN LA?
WE THOUGHT SO.
[go to experienceLA.com/hotels]
Planned for 2008
URLS ON THE GO...
DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORHOODS
> For neighborhood details and maps, go to www.experiencela.com/neighborhoods
WIFI HOT SPOTS
> For an interactive experience, check out www.experiencela.com/wifi
PODCASTS
> While you’re at it, listen to CRA/LA’s audio walking tours and more as you explore
each neighborhood. See more at www.experiencela.com/podcasts
experienceLA.com
experience
DOWNTOWN LA
> tours and public art, festivals and markets, the outdoor
experience, historic spotlights, and downtown interactive...
ExperienceLA.com, LA’s official cultural calendar and trip planner, shows you that the
beauty of LA is in how much it has to offer. It’s impossible to get a flavor of all its different
areas in just one day. With the number of neighborhoods in Downtown LA alone, you’ll want
to book at least a night or two (or three, five...10?) when you get a load of what’s in this book.
And subways in Downtown LA? Really? Yes, really. Despite the city’s love affair with the
automobile, your own Downtown LA experience can very well be car-free – try our worldclass public transit or simply hit the pavement and experience Downtown LA’s pedestrian
friendly tours and events. And while you’re hopping the subway or hoofing around, take your
gadgets with you and tap into Downtown’s expanding interactive life at our WiFi Hot Spots.
So flip through this guidebook on the go to find everything from the multitude of art galleries
scattered throughout Downtown (p2), to the fresh Farmers Markets providing an organic
presence amid the bustle of the Financial District (p5), to the sights and sounds of 100,000
firecrackers being set off in Chinatown (p6). Specially produced with you, the cultural pioneer,
in mind, because the heart of ExperienceLA.com is our community, both near and far.
For more great ideas on what to do in the Downtown and greater LA areas, check us out at
ExperienceLA.com. We hope you come to love the quirks of LA just as much as we do and
walk away with an eclectic mix of Downtown memories to call your own.
Happy travels and cheers!
experienceLA.com
ExperienceLA.com is a free public service funded by a coalition of public agencies.
For more information, go to www.experiencela.com/sponsors
>
Snapshots > runninghead b
HISTORIC
SPOTLIGHTS
BROADWAY THEATERS & HISTORIC DOWNTOWN
> go to www.experiencela.com/downtown
ORPHEUM: Its Wurlitzer organ once
provided music for silent movies and
vaudeville acts of the ’20s. The host of a
young Judy Garland, the theater is now the
site for “American Idol” filmings.
LOS ANGELES THEATRE: Built in
1931 in the style of Louis XIV, this theater
was the location of the premiere of Charlie
Chaplin’s “City Lights.” Watch film classics
throughout June in the LA Conservancy’s
“Last Remaining Seats” series.
IMAGINASIAN CENTER: Newly
renovated, the IA center is dedicated to
first-run and classic Asian and AsianAmerican films.
GALLERY ROW: Spanning parts of
Main and Spring Streets, Gallery Row hosts
Downtown’s vibrant art galleries.
FASHION DISTRICT: Apparel hub for
retailers, buyers, students, residents and
shoppers. Shop designer showrooms or hunt
around the 90 blocks for a bargain!
JEWELRY: The largest jewelry district in
the US with over 3000 wholesale jewelers.
Shoppers can buy jewelry direct from the
wholesaler.
TOY DISTRICT: Find anything from
traditional toys like die-cast cars and action
figures to silk flowers and electronics.
experienceLA.com
CRA/LA
PUBLIC ART
REDEVELOPMENT THROUGH PUBLIC ART AND SELF-GUIDED TOURS
> go to www.crala.org/art
THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF LOS
ANGELES (CRA/LA) has a long-standing commitment to Downtown LA arts and
recognizes the significant role it plays in revitalization, growth, and sustainability. Beginning
in the late 1960’s, CRA/LA set groundbreaking work by creating policies requiring
developers to incorporate art and culture into their private projects. Since then, the policies
have helped to create over 150 traditional and contemporary pieces of public art and
cultural facility projects in CRA/LA’s Downtown Region alone.
HIGHLIGHTS IN CRA/LA DOWNTOWN REGION include the development of the
Museum of Contemporary Art, Grand Performances, Gallery Row and the Arts District,
restoration of historic Broadway theaters, and public art installations.
As a result, Downtown is now home to popular destinations to experience contemporary
theater, art galleries, museums, and celebrate cultural traditions.
AUDIO SELF-GUIDED WALKING TOURS brought you by the Art Program of
CRA/LA is a series of tours designed to introduce residents and visitors to public art
commissioned with the support of CRA/LA. To download, visit www.crala.org/art.
experienceLA.com
Snapshots > runninghead b
TOURS
AROUND TOWN
BY FOOT, BUS, OR SUBWAY...
EXPLORE DOWNTOWN’S GROWING ARTS AND CULTURAL SCENE
> go to www.experiencela.com/adventures
METRO ART: Metro commissions artists
to incorporate art into a wide array of transit
projects. Buy a day pass and go on a free
art tour of the Metro Rail system.
LA CONSERVANCY: Discover the
architectural gems of historic LA with a
Conservancy Walking Tour. Also offers a
self-guided podcast tour of the Historic Core.
DOWNTOWN ART WALK: This Art
Walk is a self-guided tour of the art exhibition
venues in Downtown. Includes art galleries,
museums, and non-profit venues.
MONA’S NEON CRUISE: Board the top
deck of a convertible British bus and let your
guide delight you with history and anecdotes
about the urban electric jungle of LA.
UNDISCOVERED CHINATOWN: Visit a
Taoist temple, an herb shop, art galleries,
and more. This walking tour takes visitors to
off the beaten track points of interest, with
tidbits of culture shared along the way.
ESOTOURIC: Not your ordinary tour bus
company. With passionate and brainy
guides, tour themes cover LA crime history,
rock and roll, architecture, film and fine art,
and more!
>
experienceLA.com
FESTIVALS
& MARKETS
FARMERS MARKETS & ANNUAL FESTIVALS
> go to www.experiencela.com/markets and www.experiencela.com/festivals
LITTLE TOKYO: Offers the freshest
local produce, crafts and a variety of lunch
choices.
GRAND AVENUE: Free performances are
held throughout the day along Grand Avenue,
while restaurants offer a taste of downtown.
FASHION DISTRICT: Venture over to
LA’s famous Fashion District for both the
farmers and flower markets!
NISEI WEEK: The nation’s longest
running ethnic festival, Nisei Week offers
free Japanese cultural activities and exhibits,
music, good food and more!
7TH & FIGUEROA: 7th + Fig at Ernst
& Young Plaza offers not only a food court
and shops, but a farmers market every
Thursday and Friday.
CENTRAL LIBRARY: Stroll around the
beautiful Central Library and stop by the
farmers market on 5th & Flower every
Wednesday, rain or shine.
experienceLA.com
LA TOFU FESTIVAL: Features a variety
of imaginative and delicious tofu dishes
served by LA’s hottest restaurants!
BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS:
Olvera Street has celebrated the Blessing
of the Animals each year since 1930. Pets
can be blessed by the Cardinal.
Snapshots > runninghead b
Snapshots > runninghead b
Jostling past the umpteenth martini-sipping
hipster, you finally reach the edge of the
Standard’s rooftop bar, pausing to savor twilight
views of sleek skyscrapers, snow-capped
mountains and sparkling city lights. Your first
thought, despite the hassle? “This is really cool.”
EXPERIENCE
THE OUTDOORS
LEAVE THE CAR BEHIND AND DISCOVER LA’S OUTDOORS
> go to www.experiencela.com/calendar
RACE/LA: Teams of two set out on an
exciting day-long adventure. Teams race
their way to locations while solving clues.
NIKE RUN HIT REMIX: This 5-mile
race features live bands rocking along the
course and ends with a headliner concert
at the LA Coliseum. Past performers have
included Vanilla Ice and MC Hammer.
FIRECRACKER RUN/WALK: The
oldest Chinese New Year run in America.
Starts with a traditional Chinese lion dance
and the lighting of 100,000 firecrackers.
LA MARATHON: The fourth-largest
marathon in the country and now a point-topoint course, the LA Marathon features live
performances at every mile mark.
>
WALK TO LOS ANGELES: Celebrating
LA’s founding, this history walk retraces
the founding footsteps—from Mission San
Gabriel to Downtown’s Olvera Street.
MIDNIGHT RIDAZZ: A late-night
group of bicycle enthusiasts rides together
through city streets.
DOWNTOWN ON ICE: During winter
holidays, Pershing Square transforms into the
LA Kings Downtown on Ice outdoor skating
rink, open to the public seven days a week!
STAIR CLIMB TO THE TOP: At 1108
feet, Downtown’s US Bank Tower is
the tallest building west of the Mississippi.
Participants race, walk, or even crawl
up 1500 steps to benefit the YMCA.
experienceLA.com
Others are now thinking the same. For years Downtown was deserted
after sunset when the briefcase brigade departed their Financial District
fortresses. A few landmarks drew one-stop visitors but nobody spent
the night. Then, in rapid succession, the Staples Center, the Standard
Hotel and the Walt Disney Concert Hall opened their doors – dynamic
developments igniting the Downtown scene.
Today, contractors are busy flipping historic buildings into condos,
new galleries are luring patrons, and trendy restaurants and bars are
turning on the lights. Like the Standard’s rooftop bar, the bump-andnudge vitality isn’t to be missed.
Downtown is the most historical, multilayered and fascinating part
of Los Angeles. You’ll find great architecture from 19th-century beaux
arts to futuristic Frank Gehry, top-notch art and music, and superb
dining from tiny taquerías to brassy gourmet restaurants. It’s an ethnic
mosaic with Chinese, Japanese and Mexican enclaves.
Thanks to its compactness, Downtown is also one of the few LA
neighborhoods that’s best explored on foot. If you’re arriving by car,
your best bet is to park away from the Financial District and Pershing
Square areas. Try the lots in South Park and Little Tokyo instead. Apart
from the Metro, an excellent way to get around is by DASH shuttle.
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los angeles >
this
Festivals
is DOWNTOWN
& markets
LA
THIS IS DOWNTOWN LA
Culture vultures, history buffs and shopaholics flock Downtown,
where they can explore some amazing buildings and museums, eat
yummy food, shop for jewelry and bargains, and spot a few “As Seen
on TV” sites.
1MUSEUM OF
CONTEMPORARY ART (MOCA)
% 213-626-6222; www.moca.org; 250
S Grand Ave; adult/student & senior/
under 12yr $8/5/free;h11am-5pm
Mon & Fri, to 8pm Thu, to 6pm Sat & Sun;
gDash; p
Architect Arata Osozaki built
this conglomeration of cubes,
pyramids and cylinders to house
renowned collections of abstract
expressionism, pop art, minimalism and photography from the
5000-piece permanent collection.
Same-day tickets will also get
you admission to Little Tokyo’s
Geffen Contemporary at MOCA
(see page 16).
1CATHEDRAL OF OUR LADY
OF THE ANGELS
% 213-680-5200; www.olacathedral
.org; 555 W Temple St; admission free;
h6:30am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm Sat,
7am-6pm Sun; mCivic Center
Architect José Rafael Moneo
rewrote the cathedral builders’
rulebook in 2002 with this
flowing, freeform church complete with plazas, colonnades
and a distinct disregard for right
angles. His incorporation of
regional styles and historic
influences provides a welcoming
air that’s certainly helped by the
gift store – famous locally for
selling the cathedral’s privatelabel chardonnay, cabernet
and zin.
1CITY HALL
% 213-978-1995; 200 N Spring St;
admission free; h8am-5pm Mon-Fri;
mCivic Center
Until 1966 no LA building stood
taller than the 1928 City Hall,
which cameoed in the Superman
TV series and 1953 sci-fi thriller
War of the Worlds. On clear days,
you’ll have some cool views of the
city, the mountains and several
decades of Downtown growth
from the observation deck.
Also check out the grand
domed rotunda on the 3rd level
with a marble floor as intricate as
those found in Italian cathedrals.
Free guided tours run at 10am
and 11am, Monday to Friday. The
public entrance is on Main St.
>
DOWNTOWN BY DAY
DOWNTOWN BY DAY
DOWNTOWN BY DAY 1
1LOS ANGELES TIMES
1WALT DISNEY
CONCERT HALL
% 213-972-7211; www.musiccenter
.org; 135 N Grand Ave; h10am-2pm,
but confirm; gDash, A, DD, F; p$8-17
Billowing sail? Blooming rose? No
one knows exactly what architect
Frank Gehry had in mind when
he designed this building, now
preening like a silver ribbon atop
Bunker Hill. Completed in 2003
and home to the Los Angeles
Philharmonic, the structure of
stainless-steel panels – 6664
to be precise – was an instant
iconic addition to the Downtown
landscape.
Check out a self-directed
audio tour, public guided tour
or an urban garden tour. All are
approximately 45 to 60 minutes.
Times vary month to month as
per performance schedules; call
%323-850-2000.
>10
1Music Center
% 213-972-7200, free tours 213-9727483; www.musiccenter.org; 135 N
Grand Ave; p$8
Disney Hall is part of a cultural
complex known as the Music
Center. Aside from the LA Phil’s
old home, the Dorothy Chandler
Pavilion, which is now used for
an expanded schedule by the LA
Opera, it encompasses the Mark
Taper Forum, the Ahmanson Theatre and a fountain plaza. Tours also
make a brief stop in the Disney
Hall lobby. Self-guided audio tours
run from 10am to 2pm most days,
while guided tours run from 10am
to 1:30pm Tuesday to Friday, and
10am to noon on Saturday. Also
see Showtime on page 33.
1GRAND AVE
CULTURAL CORRIDOR
Grand Ave, on the northern edge
of the Civic Center area, is already
a major cultural hub. It’s also
on the verge of what billionaire
developer Eli Broad hopes will be
LA’s equivalent of Paris’ ChampsElysee or New York’s Central
Park. Ambitious talk or reality?
We’ll see.
The master plan, designed by
Frank Gehry, calls for a large public park flanked by two soaring
luxury condo towers buttressed
by several smaller buildings containing high-end shops and the
superdeluxe Mandarin Oriental
Hotel. Phase 1 is expected to be
completed in 2011 at a cost of
$2 billion.
1EL PUEBLO HISTORICAL
MONUMENT
%213-628-1274; east of I-101, btwn
Main St & Alameda St; admission free;
h10am-3pm; mUnion Station
Nope, LA didn’t spring from the
head of Hollywood directors, it
was a full-blown community a
good 100 years before DW
Griffith showed up. Grab a map
at restored Firehouse No.1 (the
Plaza Firehouse) then wander
through narrow Olvera St’s
vibrant Mexican-themed stalls.
For LA’s oldest building, see
Avila Adobe (% 213-628-1274; 125
Paseo de la Plaza; h9am-4pm) then
walk through the Sepulveda House
(% 213-628-1274; 125 Paseo de la Plaza;
h9am-4pm) visitor center to see
a restored 1800s-era kitchen and
bedroom.
1CHINATOWN
% 213-680-0243; www.chinatown
la.com; mChinatown
As you walk north from El Pueblo,
the aroma of chili and beans
gradually gives way to soy and
bok choy. Having been forced to
make room for Union Station, the
Chinese resettled a few blocks
north along Hill St and Broadway.
Chinatown is still the commu­nity’s
traditional hub, even though
most Chinese Americans now live
in Rosemead, Monterey and other
suburban communities in the San
Gabriel Valley.
There are no essential sights
here, but the area is fascinating and perfect for an aimless
wander. Restaurants beckon with
dim sum, kung pao and Peking
duck, while shops overflow with
curios, culinary oddities (live frogs
anyone?), ancient herbal remedies
and lucky bamboo.
Of late, parts of Chinatown
have received an injection of
THE HIPPEST BUILDING IN TOWN
Don’t tell Walt Disney Concert Hall, but the Richard J Riordan Central Library (%213228-7000; 630 W Fifth St; www.lapl.org; htours 12:30pm Mon-Fri, 11am & 2pm Sat,
2pm Sun) is the most fascinating building in town. Yep, the library. Opened in 1926, the
library’s 64ft-high rotunda is the first big wow, its 42ft span highlighted by immense
murals. Below, a 1-ton chandelier perches optimistically above the stark marble floor. In
the 1993 Tom Bradley wing, escalators cascade below a soaring glass atrium, descending
through four glass-walled floors filled with books. And Central has more than 2.1 million
of those, not to mention a restaurant, gift store, free internet access and art exhibits. Tours
occur daily. Check it out. It’s free.
>11
DOWNTOWN BY DAY
DOWNTOWN BY DAY
%213-237-5757; 202 W 1st St; h tours
9:30am, 11am & 1:30pm Mon-Fri; p
News junkies can get their fix
on a free tour of the Los Angeles
Times building. The 45-minute
tours usher you through the
editorial offices, explaining the
paper’s history and the publishing process. Kids under 10 are
not allowed, and reservations
must be made at least one week
in advance.
1CHINESE
AMERICAN MUSEUM
% 213-485-8567; www.camla.org; 425
N Los Angeles St; suggested donation $3;
h10am-3pm Tue-Sun; mChinatown
This small but engaging museum
spotlights the history of Chinese
immigration in America – a
history that parallels the current
immigration debate like an
eerily prescient fortune cookie.
From America’s dependence on
cheap foreign labor to Congressional acts of Chinese exclusion,
the newcomer’s journey hasn’t
changed much in 100 years. In
the adjacent exhibit hall, ponder
SAFETY TIPS
the efficiency of the abacus in Sun
Wing Wo’s general store.
1UNION STATION
800 N Alameda St
LA’s original Chinatown sprawled
through what is now Union
Station, which opened in 1939 as
the last of America’s grand
rail stations. It’s a glamorous
exercise in Mission Revival with
art-deco accents. The marblefloored main hall with cathedral
ceilings, original leather chairs
and grand chandeliers is nothing
short of breathtaking and is
often used in movies (eg Guilty
by Suspicion, Blade Runner and
The Way We Were).
The tiled twin domes north of
the station belong to the Terminal
Annex, once LA’s central post
office where Charles Bukowski
worked for years, inspiring his
1971 novel Post Office.
1CALIFORNIA PLAZA &
ANGELS FLIGHT
4th & Hill Sts; mPershing Square
MOCA is dwarfed by the
Despite what the media would have you believe, LA is no worse than other major cities when
it comes to crime. Most violence is confined to areas where tourists rarely venture, but you
might want to avoid these sections after dark. Homeless folk are prevalent but generally
harmless, although medical and psychiatric problems may make them behave bizarrely.
The toughest cases usually hang out on Skid Row in Downtown (roughly bounded by 3rd,
Alameda, 7th and Los Angeles Sts).
>12
soaring California Plaza office
tower whose outdoor water court
amphitheater hosts the Grand
Performances, one of the best free
summer performance series.
Once again chugging down a
steep incline to Hill St and Grand
Central Market is Angels Flight,
a historic funicular billed as the
“shortest railway in the world.” The
little trains first started operating
in 1901 when this was a neighborhood of Victorians called Bunker
Hill, but were mothballed when
the area was redeveloped in the
‘60s. Nostalgia revived them in
the ‘90s but only until a derailment in 2001. With new safety
measures in place, it plans to
reopen soon.
1WELLS FARGO
HISTORY MUSEUM
%213-253-7166; 333 S Grand Ave;
admission free; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri
Sponsored by California-based
Wells Fargo Bank, this small but
intriguing museum chronicles the
gold-rush era and the company’s
role in it. See an original Concord
stagecoach, a 100oz gold nugget,
an old bank office and all sorts of
other artifacts, or ask the staff to
start the 15-minute video.
The exhibits are on the ground
floor of the Wells Fargo Center,
another huge office tower that’s
filled with public art, including
numerous nude sculptures by
Robert Graham in the atrium
and Jean Dubuffet’s cartoonish
Le Dandy in the Hope St entrance
vestibule.
1US BANK TOWER &
BUNKER HILLS STEPS
655 W 5th St; m Pershing Square
The tallest of the many office
towers in the heart of the Financial District is the US Bank Tower,
at 1018ft the tallest building
between Chicago and Taiwan.
Film buffs might remember it
being attacked by an alien
spaceship in Independence Day.
The tower abuts the Bunker Hill
Steps, an attractive staircase that
links 5th St with the Wells Fargo
Center and other hilltop office
complexes. At the top is a small
fountain featuring a female nude
by Robert Graham.
1BRADBURY BUILDING
%213-626-1893; 304 S Broadway;
admission free; h9am-6pm Mon-Fri,
9am-5pm Sat & Sun; mPershing Square
This 1893 building is one
of LA’s undisputed architectural
jewels. Its red-brick facade
conceals a stunning galleried
atrium with inky filigree grillwork,
a rickety birdcage elevator and
yellow brick walls that glisten
golden in the afternoon light
filtering through the tentshaped glass roof. Location
scouts love the place, whose
>13
DOWNTOWN BY DAY
DOWNTOWN BY DAY
hipness, no more so than at
Central Plaza (900 block of Broadway),
conceived as an unabashedly
kitschy walking mall. Across
Hill St, the galleries and studios
along Chung King Rd bring out
art students and aficionados in
droves on opening nights.
If you want a bit of orientation,
pick up a self-guided tour brochure at the LA Chinatown Heritage &
Visitors Center (411 Bernard St).
1PERSHING SQUARE
Olive St btwn 5th & 6th Sts
The hub of Downtown’s historic
core, Pershing Sq was LA’s first
public park in 1866 and is now
a postmodern concrete patch
enlivened by public art, summer
concerts, a holiday-season ice rink
and the hulking 1923 Millennium
Biltmore Hotel.
LA’s most illustrious defender
of the grand hotel tradition, it
has hosted presidents, kings
and celebrities. Afternoon tea is
>14
served daily in the rococo-style
Rendezvous Court.
1BROADWAY THEATERS
p$4.25
Now a cut-rate retail spine
cater­ing primarily to Latino
shoppers, cacophonous Broadway
started out in the early 20th
century as a glamorous shopping
and theater strip where megastars
like Charlie Chaplin leapt from
limos to attend premieres at
lavish movie palaces.
As LA grew more suburban,
Broadway plunged into decline
and over time most of the theaters
were closed, even gutted and
turned into churches or tawdry
swap meets. But like the rest of
Downtown, Broadway is changing.
Several of the old theaters have
been restored and again host
screenings and parties, while other
buildings are being converted into
lofts and even some hipster bars
and cafés have sprung up.
Since they’re usually closed to
the public, the best way to see the
theaters is by joining one of the
excellent tours offered by the LA
Conservancy, which also presents
the Last Remaining Seats film
series of Hollywood classics.
There are parking garages all
along Broadway and you’ll find
one-hour free parking at the
Grand Central Market (but you
need to spend $10 to be eligible).
1LITTLE TOKYO
Info at Little Tokyo Koban; % 213-6131911; 307 E 1st St; h9am-6pm MonSat); gDash A (DD on weekends)
Little Tokyo swirls with outdoor shopping malls, Buddhist
temples, public art, traditional
gardens and some of the most
authentic sushi bars, izakayas
(taverns) and shabu-shabu parlors
in town. The community can
trace its roots back to the 1880s,
but only a few historic buildings
survive along E 1st St; in 1996,
they were placed on the National
Register of Historic Places.
Parking is free for the first hour in
the garage at 333 S Alameda St.
1JAPANESE AMERICAN
NATIONAL MUSEUM
% 213-625-0414; www.janm.org; 369
E 1st St; adult/child under 6/student/
senior $8/free/4/5; h11am-5pm
Tue-Sun, to 8pm Thu
A great first stop on your Little
Tokyo exploration is the country’s
first museum dedicated to the
Japanese immigrant experience.
You’ll be moved by galleries dealing with the painful chapter of
the WWII internment camps and
charmed by such exhibits as the
Star Trek uniform of actor George
Takei. Afterwards, relax in the
tranquil garden, browse the wellstocked gift shop or grab a bite at
>15
DOWNTOWN BY DAY
DOWNTOWN BY DAY
star turn came in the cult flick
Blade Runner.
The building has a curious
genesis. Mining mogul turned
real-estate developer Lewis
Bradbury picked not a famous
architect but an unknown draftsman named George Wyman
to come up with the design.
Allegedly, Wyman consulted a
Ouija board and accepted the gig
after his dead brother told him it
would be a success. The design
was inspired by the popular 1887
Edward Bellamy novel, Looking
Back, about a utopian civilization
in the year 2000.
The Bradbury was Wyman’s
only celebrated building.
Security staff hand out a free
pamphlet with more details and
let you go up to the 1st-floor landing. LAPD Internal Affairs has its
offices on the upper floors.
1GEFFEN CONTEMPORARY
AT MOCA
% 213-626-6222; www.moca.org;
152 N Central Ave; adult/child under 12/
student/senior $8/free/5/5, free 5-8pm
Thu; h11am-5pm Mon, 11am-8pm
Thu, 11am-5pm Fri, 11am-6pm Sat &
Sun; p$4.25
Arty types can pop in to peruse
the cutting-edge and often provocative exhibits at this branch
of MOCA. It presents mostly
conceptual art and large-scale
installations in a police garage
converted by Frank Gehry.
1ARTS DISTRICT
In the gritty, industrial section
southeast of Little Tokyo an
increasingly lively arts district
has sprung up. It’s drawn a
young, adventurous and spirited
crowd of people who live and
work in makeshift studios above
abandoned warehouses and
small factories. There’s enough of
them here to support a growing
number of cafés, restaurants
and shops.
Technically, not in the arts district, but just across LA’s trickling
“river,” is the Brewery Art Complex
>16
(www.thebrewery.net; 2100 N Main St), LA’s
largest artist colony, in a former
brewery. There are a few galleries,
but studios are general­ly closed
to the public except during the bi
annual Artwalks (usually in spring
and fall; call or check the website
for details), though you can wander around to examine the large
installations – usually works in
progress – scattered throughout.
Near the art complex is the
San Antonio Winery (% 323-223-1401;
www.sanantoniowinery.com; 737 Lamar
St), LA’s last remaining historic
winery. It was founded in 1917
by Italian immigrant Santo
Cambianica whose descendants
still make buttery chardonnay,
velvety cabernet sauvignon and
other varietals. You can sample
some of them for free in the
tasting room, enjoy a meal at
the Italian restaurant or learn
more about the noble grape at
a wine seminar.
map of must-go destinations for
both locals and visitors.
Construction is progressing
feverishly. The new 7100-seat Nokia Theatre now hosts live music,
awards shows and major spectacles. There will also be a megaplex
movie theater, a dozen restaurants
and a 54-story hotel tower shared
by Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton.
A few steps north of here is
the small and peaceful Grand Hope
Park (9th St, btwn Grand Ave & Hope Sts).
Designed by Lawrence Halprin,
one of the country’s foremost
landscape architects, it was the
first of South Park’s beautification projects which began in the
late ’80s.
1SOUTH PARK
In the southwestern corner of
Downtown, South Park isn’t real­ly
a park at all but an emerging
neighborhood bordering the
Staples Center, LA Convention
Center and what will soon be a
new entertainment hub called LA
Live. City planners and developers
are betting the farm that this $1.7
billion dollar megaproject will
polevault Downtown LA onto the
>17
DOWNTOWN BY DAY
DOWNTOWN BY DAY
the excellent café. Also ask about
drumming workshops for kids
and other fun events. Admission
is free on Thursdays from 5pm to
8pm, and on the third Thursday
of each month.
SHOPPING 3
3FASHION DISTRICT
%213-488-1153; www.fashiondistrict
.org;h10am-5pm, some stores closed
Sun; gDash D, E
Nordstrom’s semi-annual sale?
Barney’s warehouse blowout? Mere
child’s play to serious LA bargain
shoppers. They save their best for
the Fashion District – a 90-block
trove of stores and stalls where
discount shopping is an Olympian
sport. You name it, they’re hawking
it in this mazelike warren of 1000
stores, bounded by Main and Wall
Sts and 7th St and Pico Blvd.
Every last Friday of the month,
clued-in fashionistas descend
upon the corner of 9th and Olympic armed with cash and attitude
to catfight it out for designer
clothes – Betsey Johnson to Calvin
Klein to Von Dutch – priced below
wholesale. Their destination:
the showrooms at the New Mart
(%213-627-0671; www.newmart
.net/samplesales.htm;127 E 9th St), which
specializes in contemporary and
young fashions, and the California
Market (%213-630-3600; 110 E 9th St),
a huge mart across the street
with a great fashion bookstore
on the ground floor. Open from
9am to 3pm, this is the only time
the general public is allowed in
these trade-only buildings. Come
early and – harsh but true – don’t
bother coming at all if you’re
wearing size 8 or higher. Also
leave your modesty at home, as
you’ll either be trying things on in
front of others or not at all. Check
the websites for upcoming dates
and participating showrooms.
3JEWELRY DISTRICT
%213-683-1956; www.lajd.net; Hill St
btwn 6th & 8th Sts
South of Pershing Square,
bargain bling awaits in this
bustling district, where you can
snap up watches, gold, silver and
gemstones at up to 70% off retail.
One of the marts occupies
the historic Pantages Theatre
(401-21 W 7th St), a hugely popular
vaudeville venue in the 1920s.
>19
shopping
SHOPPING
For many Angelenos shopping is one of life’s great pleasures, a benign
diversion that’s as much about visual and mental stimulus as it is
about actually buying stuff. Whether you’re a penny-pincher or a powershopper, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to drop some cash in LA.
Aside from the listings below, you can pick up “ethnic gifts” or
unusual food stuff on Olvera St or El Mercado in East LA, Chinatown and
Little Tokyo.
3FLOWER MARKET
%213-627-3696; www.laflowerdistrict
.com; Wall St, btwn 7th & 8th Sts; admission Mon-Fri $2, Sat $1; h8am-noon
Mon, Wed, Fri, 6am-noon Tue, Thu, Sat
Cut flowers at cut-rate prices are
the lure at the Flower Market
where a few dollars gets you
armloads of Hawaiian ginger or
sweet roses, a potted plant or
elegant orchid. The market is
busiest in the wee hours when
florists stock up on posies by the
truckload. Bring cash.
3MUNKY KING
%213-620-8787; www.munkyking
.com; 441 Gin Ling Way; hnoon-7pm
Mon-Tue, 11am-7pm Wed-Fri & Sun,
11am-8pm Sat; mChinatown
Head to tiny Munky King where
fanciful figurines – part toy, part
art, part guilty pleasure – dot
FASHION DISTRICT DEMYSTIFIED
>20
wear a piece of hollywood
With vintage all the rage, even Universal Studios (see p45) has gotten into the game
and opened the Wardrobe Dept. store inside the park next to the Silver Screen store.
It sells clothing worn on such TV shows as Law & Order, Crossing Jordan and The Tonight
Show with Jay Leno. Tags reveal the source of each item, which comes with a certificate
of authenticity.
Also check out packed-to-the-rafters It’s a Wrap (www.itsawraphollywood.com;
h10am-8pm Mon-Fri, 11am-6pm Sat & Sun) in Beverly Hills (%310-246-9727; 1164
S Robertson Blvd) and Burbank (%818-567-7366; 3315 W Magnolia Ave). These stores
sell wardrobe castoffs – mostly small-size designer duds – at steep discounts. We’ve seen
stuff from CSI Miami, Law & Order and Alias. Tags are coded (there’s a list at the check-out
counter), so you’ll know what to brag about.
shelves like colorful candy confections. “Individuality in the face of
conformity” is the official motto,
and these figurines clearly stick
it to the man.
The deals can be amazing, but first-timers are often bewildered by the district’s size and
immense selection. For orientation, check out www.fashiondistrict.org, where you can
download a free shopping tour podcast or order a map guide to the area. Power-shoppers
hungry for the latest inside scoop can book a custom-guided tour with Urban Shopping
Adventures (%213-683-9715; www.urbanshoppingadventures.com; tour $36).
Basically, the area is subdivided into several distinct retail areas:
Women – Los Angeles St between Olympic and Pico Blvds; 11th St between
Los Angeles and San Julian Sts
Children – Wall St between 12th St and Pico Blvd
Men & bridal – Los Angeles St between 7th & 9th Sts
Textiles – 8th St between Santee and Wall Sts
Jewelry & accessories – Santee St between Olympic Blvd and 11th St
Designer knockoffs – Santee Alley and New Alley (enter on 11th St between Maple
and Santee Aves)
3AMERICAN APPAREL
FACTORY STORE
Saturday is the busiest day by far because that’s when many wholesalers open up to the public. Cash is king and haggling sometimes works, especially when buying multiple items.
Refunds or exchanges are a no-no, so make sure items are in good condition. Most stores
don’t have dressing rooms.
%310-276-6226; 350 N Ave 21;
h10am-5pm Wed & Sat, noon-6pm
Sun; p
You’ll feel like the ultimate insider
journeying down a grimy cul-de-
%213-488-0266; 747 Warehouse St;
h9am-7pm Mon-Fri, 9am-2pm Sat; p
It’s now an international chain,
but deep in Downtown’s industrial zone is the belly of the beast,
the very place where all those
rainbow-colored tees, dresses
and shorts are cobbled together.
Some items have small flaws, but
prices are at least 30% off retail.
3SHAREEN VINTAGE
Shopping
Shopping
Nearby is one of Downtown’s
newest oddities, St Vincent Court (7th
St, btwn Hill St & Broadway), a recently
restored alleyway supposed to
look like a quaint Parisian street
and lined with Middle Eastern
cafés where clusters of men sip
minty tea and workers, shoppers
and the occasional hipster chow
down on gyro and kebabs.
sac to this signless warehouse
where Shareen Mitchell wants
you looking fab in yesteryear’s
fashions. If that mod mini is all
wrong for you, she’ll let you know.
Most items sell for between $20
and $45 with some going for $1
to $5 during blowout sales every
third Saturday of the month.
3SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET
%323-343-0760; 1104 N Mission Rd;
h8:30am-4:30pm Mon-Fri; p
This ghoulish gift shop,
operated by the LA County
Coroner’s Office, is located
two floors above the morgue.
Bestsellers include personalized
toe-tags, body-outline beach
towels, even travel garment
“body bags.” Proceeds benefit
the Youthful Drunk Driving Visitation Program, an alternative
sentencing program.
>21
LA cuisine makes creative use of local, seasonal and fresh ingredients
and flirts with foreign influences, be they Mexican spices, Asian cooking techniques or Mediterranean flavor pairings. Although the focus
recently has held tight on tapas, spicy tuna and Kobe beef, at least we’re
past the gourmet pizza craze. Or not.
BUDGET
2GRAND CENTRAL MARKET
%213-624-2378; www.grandcentral
square.com; 317 S Broadway; h9am6pm; gDash DD; pfree with $10
validation
You may have to muscle your way
to the counter for a taco at Ana
Maria’s Mexican Food eatery, but
that’s just part of the fun. Dating
from 1917, the 38-stall market
maintains its street cred with an
eye-popping array of fresh-food
options. From apples and chili
peppers to kababs, you want it,
they’ve got it.
2PHILIPPE THE ORIGINAL
%213-628-3781; www.philippes.com;
1001 N Alameda St; h6am-10pm;
mUnion Station; gDash B, DD; p
From LAPD hunks to smooching
couples, everyone loves Philippe’s,
where the French dip sandwich
was invented a century ago. Order
a crusty roll filled with meat (beef
is best; insiders ask for “doubledipped”) along with some coleslaw
and hunker down at communal tables on the sawdust-covered floor.
Coffee is just 10¢ (yes, really). Cash
only, but there’s an ATM onsite.
2YANG CHOW
%213-625-0811; www.yangchow.com;
819 N Broadway; h11:30am-9:45pm
Sun-Thu, 11:30am-10:45pm Fri & Sat;
mChinatown
All hail the slippery shrimp, the
signature dish that’s coaxed
Angelenos to Chinatown for the
last 30 years. Although outposts
have opened in The Valley and
Pasadena, the original Downtown
location, despite its coral-colored,
somewhat uninspired decor,
remains the most popular.
2COLORI KITCHEN
%213-622-5950; 429 W 8th St; h
11am-3pm Mon-Sat, 6pm-10pm Fri & Sat
Everybody feels like family in this
Euro-flavored eatery where ownerchef Luigi kicks Italian comfort
food into high gear. It’s a fab
choice for anyone who doesn’t believe in shelling out $20 for a plate
of pasta. Service is tops. BYO or
hit the Golden Gopher two doors
down for postprandial libations.
>23
eat your heart out
eat your heart out
EAT YOUR HEART OUT 2
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>24
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>25
San Pedro
2CLIFTON’S CAFETERIA
2CAFÉ METROPOL
%213-613-1537; 923 E 3rd St; h
8:30am-10pm Mon-Sat, 9am-2pm Sun;p
This exposed-brick, high-ceilinged,
art-studded bistro embodies the
ways in which the Arts District is
transforming Downtown. It’s a
bit tricky to find, but the gourmet
sandwiches and organic salads and
pizzas make it worthwhile. There’s
live music on some nights (cover
$5, plus $10 minimum).
MIDRANGE
2Haru Ulala
%213-620-0977; 368 E 2nd St; h6pmmidnight Sun-Thu, 6pm-2am Fri & Sat
The Kirin flows as freely as the
conversation at this Little Tokyo
izakaya (tavern) where the best
seats are at the bar with full view
of the cooks and sushi meister
in action. Choice picks from the
crayon-scrawled menu are the
green-tea noodles, the slowcooked Kurobuta pork belly and
the sake-marinated cod.
>26
Shuttle forth
Many Downtown restaurants offer shuttle service to the Walt Disney Concert
Hall and Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on
performance nights. Call Ciudad, R23
and Water Grill to confirm service.
2CIUDAD
%213-486-5171; www.ciudad-la.com;
445 S Figueroa St; h11:30am-9pm Mon &
Tue, 11:30am-10pm Wed & Thu, 11:30am11pm Fri, 5-11pm Sat, 5-9pm Sun; gDash
A, DD, F, music center shuttle
The Two Hot Tamales of cable
TV – Mary Sue Milliken and Susan
Feniger – brighten the Downtown
corridor with empanadas, carnitas and other spicy specialties
sprung from Spain and South
America. Tuesday is “Paella on
the Patio” with the Spanish rice
dish whipped up tableside on the
ever-so-cute front patio. Mojitos
are a must.
2EMPRESS PAVILION
%213-617-9898; www.empresspavil
ion.com; Bamboo Plaza, 988 N Hill St;
h10am-2:30pm & 5:30-9:30pm;
gDash B, DD; pvalidated garage
Great for groups, this Hong Kong–
style banquet hall has seating for
a small village (500 people to be
exact). Delicacies fly off the carts
wheeled to your table by a small
army of servers. Off the regular
menu, seafood rarely disappoints.
2PETE’S CAFÉ & BAR
%213-617-1000; www.petescafe.com;
400 S Main St; h11:30am-2am Mon-Fri,
11am-2am Sat & Sun; mPershing Square
Sparkling lights, glittering mirrors
and towering mahogany walls
project Victorian airs, but Normand-Cliff friendliness make this
upbeat watering hole a mecca for
chatty locals, post-work tipplers
and those wanting a pre-show bite.
The menu is modern American
feel-good food, including a mean
burger doused in fontina and tomato aioli. Come on, be extra bad
and get a side of killer blue-cheese
fries. Food’s served till closing time.
2R23
%213-687-7178; www.r23.com;
923 E 2nd St; h11:30am-2pm Mon-Fri,
5:30-10pm Mon-Sat; gDash A, DD,
music center shuttle;p
Frank Gehry–designed cardboard
chairs are the seat du jour inside
the minimalist redbrick interior of
this popular sushi hideaway. At the
sushi bar, exquisite daily specialties
are masterfully prepared, but gracious chefs won’t throw newbies to
the curb for ordering California rolls.
2TIARA CAFÉ
%213-623-3663; 127 E 9th St;
h11:30am-3pm; p
Pretty in pink and with a high
ceiling, this Fashion District
lunch spot feeds designers,
sales clerks and frenzied bargain
hunters with healthy, organic
fare that can be calibrated to
meet vegan and vegetarian
needs. The salads are fresh and
abundant and the sandwiches
are custom made. Carbophobes should try the rice
paper–wrapped versions.
TOP END
2WATER GRILL
%213-891-0900; www.watergrill.com;
544 S Grand Ave; h11:30am-8:30pm
Mon & Tue, 11:30am-9:30pm Wed-Fri, 59:30pm Sat, 4:30-8:30pm Sun; gDash
B, C, DD, music center shuttle; p
Who needs the captain’s table
when impeccable service, fresh
seafood and a warm, nautical ambience await in the heart of Downtown? Locals linger over martinis
at the raw bar while concertgoers
savor the pre-show fruit-of-the-sea
platter, sumac-coated barramundi
and chocolate bread pudding.
2PATINA
%213-972-3331; 141 S Grand Ave,
Walt Disney Concert Hall; h11:30am1:30pm Mon-Fri, 5-11pm daily, to
9:30pm on non-performance days; p
Chef Joachim Splichal is every­
where these days, but this
handsome restaurant remains his
flagship. The Euro-Cal fare – Berkshire pork, Scottish salmon, lamb
rib eye – is a great fusion of substance and style without taking
any unnecessary flights of fancy.
>27
eat your heart out
eat your heart out
%213-627-1673; 648 Broadway;
h6:30am-7pm
This eatery was founded in 1931
by a Salvation Army captain who
doled out free grub to starving
Angelenos during the Great Depression. They still serve “grub” but
it’s the ultracampy forest setting,
complete with fake trees, squirrels
and deer, that makes it so special.
From funky beach pubs to underground dives, snazzy hotel lounges to
designer cocktail temples and historic watering holes where Bogie and
Bacall used to knock ’em back, in LA you’re rarely far from a good time.
Hollywood Blvd and the Sunset Strip are classic bar-hopping grounds,
but there’s also plenty of good drinking and dancing Downtown.
5MOUNTAIN BAR
%213-625-7500; www.themountain
bar.com; 473 Gin Ling Way; h6pm-2am
Tue-Sun; mChinatown
Poets and hipsters gather at
this artsy Chinatown bar for a
nightcap after gallery-hopping on
nearby Chung King Rd. The Kool
Aid–orange decor makes you feel
like you’re sitting inside a volcano.
5LIBRARY BAR
%213-614-0053; www.librarybarla.com;
630 W 6th St; h3pm-2am Mon-Fri, 7pm2am Sat & Sun; m7th/Metro Center
You won’t be checking out books
at this dark, elbow-to-elbow
drinking pad where you may
have to yell to be heard above
the din. The book-lined bar with
an East Coast vibe may be new to
the scene but it’s filling a void for
the post-work thirsty looking for
a low-attitude beer. The entrance
is on Hope St.
5STANDARD ROOFTOP BAR
%213-892-8080; www.standardhotels
.com; 550 South Flower St; cover $20
after 7pm Fri & Sat;hnoon-1:30am;
m7th/Metro Center; p
Lawyers and execs mix it up with
IT’S HAPPY HOUR
Sometimes all you want to do is wind down the day without eviscerating your wallet. Thank
goodness someone invented Happy Hour. You find them everywhere in LA, but not all are
created equal. Here are two great ones in Downtown:
Ciudad (see page 26; h3-7pm Mon-Fri) Knock back $4 mojitos or piscoritas (made with
potent Peruvian schnapps) while staying stable with quesadillas and fish tacos.
McCormick & Schmick’s (%213-629-1929; 633 W 5th St; h3:30-7pm & 9-11pm
Mon-Thu, 3-11pm Fri) This serial fish house keeps you happy not once but twice daily.
Drinks are full price but such belly-fillers as fish tacos, teriyaki beef skewers and the
incredible cheeseburger are just $1.95 each.
Also check out http://la.myopenbar.com for more.
>29
i love the nightlife
i love the nightlife
I love the nightlife 5
5EDISON
%213-613-0000; 108 W 2nd St, off
Harlem Alley; h5pm-2am Wed-Fri,
6pm-2am Sat; p
Metropolis meets Blade Runner at
this industrial-chic basement boîte
where you’ll be sipping mojitos
surrounded by machinery from its
days as a boiler room. No athletic
wear, flip-flops or baggy jeans.
5SEVEN GRAND
%213-614-0736; 515 W 7th St;
h4pm-2am Mon-Fri, 8pm-2am Sat;
m7th/Metro Center
For a glamour vibe, beat a trail
to this dusky whiskey bar with
tongue-in-cheek hunting decor.
There are 175 varieties of the amber stuff. For non-whiskey-philes a
slate of a dozen tap beers awaits.
DJs and smoking patio, too.
5GALLERY BAR
%213-624-1011; 506 S Grand Ave;
h4pm-2ammPershing Square
Nostalgia lovers will love the
five-star ambience at this classic
noir bar in the Millennium Biltmore Hotel. The signature drink
is the Black Dahlia, named for the
infamous 1947 murder victim,
>30
COFFEE & WI-FI, OH MY!
For caffeine and wi-fi access, head to
Lost Souls Café (%213-617-7006;
124 W 4th St; h7am-10pm Sun-Thu,
7am-6pm Fri & Sat). A keen java radar
is required to track down this coffeehouse-cum-community-lab down a dark
alley off 4th St (don’t worry, it only looks
scary). Inside, it’s a cool spot where local
latterati hang out for a chat, to check their
email or to listen to poets or bands.
aspiring actress Elizabeth Short, last
spotted alive in the hotel lobby.
5SMELL
%213-625-4325; www.thesmell.org;
247 S Main St; p
This aptly named underground
club in the dark belly of Downtown
books mostly try-hard Cal bands of
the noise-rock and punk persuasion, with the occasional import
from the UK or Japan. The all-ages
policy means no liquor license.
5CLUB MAYAN
%213-746-4674; www.clubmayan.com;
1038 S Hill St; h9pm-3am Fri & Sat; p
Kick up your heels during
Saturday’s Tropical Nights when
a salsa band turns the heat up a
few notches. Pull out your nattiest
suit and slinkiest cocktail dress
and start hitting the dance floor.
Don’t know how? Come early for
lessons. On Fridays it’s house and
hip-hop.
SUPER SLEEPS
Downtown makes a great launching point with its central location and
Metro access.
RITZ MILNER HOTEL
%213-627-6981, 800-827-0411;
www.milner-hotels.com; 813 S Flower
St; r incl breakfast $80-130; p$9
This mini-chain has been familyowned since 1918. The entire
place has had a fairly recent
date with a paint bucket and a
designer, so it’s definitely a solid,
central and safe cheapie choice
with a cool retro pub downstairs.
INN AT 657
%213-741-2200, 800-347-7512; www
.patsysinn657.com; 657 W 23rd St; r incl
breakfast $125-200; wi-fi; p
Eclectic, well-tended gardens
embrace this heritage inn. Rooms
are uncluttered and comfortable
and the neighborhood is dotted
with classic old Craftsmen mansions. Alas, the nearby freeway
and paucity of restaurants within
walking-distance puts a damper
on the location.
FIGUEROA HOTEL
%213-627-8971, 800-421-9092; www
.figueroahotel.com; 939 S Figueroa St;
r $134-174, ste $195-245; isp$8
It’s hard not to be charmed by this
rambling oasis. A Spanish-style
lobby segues to a poolside garden
where guests and locals mingle at
the Veranda Bar. The Moroccanthemed rooms vary in size and configuration and are pretty skimpy in
the amenities department.
STANDARD DOWNTOWN
%213-892-8080; www.standardhotel
.com; 550 S Flower St; r from $140;
isp$25
This design-savvy hotel in a
con­­verted oil company building appeals to a young and hip
crowd, so don’t come here with
kids or to get a solid night’s sleep
(the upper floors are quieter).
Rooms are mod and minimalist,
but the platform beds and
peek-through showers are no
longer as racy as they used to be.
OMNI LOS ANGELES HOTEL
%213-617-3300, 800-843-6664; www
.omnihotels.com; 25 S Olive St; r $170290, ste $320-1000; wi-fi; sp$28
Omni is all buttoned-up business
during the week but the lower
weekend rates make it an attractive base choice for families and
culture vultures. The best rooms
overlook the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Walt Disney
Concert Hall, both just steps away.
>31
Super SLEEPs
i love the nightlife
sorority sisters and cubicle hotties at this libidinous outdoor
lounge, swimming in a sea of
twinkling skyscrapers. Weekends, arrive before 7pm to beat
the cover and the velvet rope.
SHOWTIME 4
4MUSIC CENTER
%theater 213-628-2772, dance 213972-0711, opera 213-972-8001; www
.musiccenter.org; 135 N Grand Ave; ticket
prices vary; mCivic Center; p$8
At this lynchpin of the Downtown performing arts scene,
splashy musicals play to capacity
at the Ahmanson Theatre, while
the more intimate Mark Taper
Forum premieres high-caliber
plays. The LA Opera has fine-
tuned its repertory of classics
by master composers, with
performances at the Dorothy
Chandler Pavilion.
4REDCAT
%213-237-2800; www.redcat.org;
631 W 2nd St; $8-32, standard &
member discounts; gDash A, DD, F
The Roy and Edna Disney/Cal Arts
Theater, tucked in the southwest
corner of the Walt Disney Concert
Hall complex, fosters new talent
SPORTS MINDED
Baseball
Los Angeles Dodgers (%866-363-4377; www.dodgers.com) Catch a major-league
baseball game between April and September at Elysian Park’s Dodger Stadium, at 1000
Elysian Park Ave.
Basketball
All teams play home games at Downtown’s Staples Center (%213-742-7340;
www.staplescenter.com; 1111 S Figueroa St).
Los Angeles Lakers (www.nba.com/lakers) Kobe and gang play from October to April.
Los Angeles Clippers (www.nba.com/clippers) Perennial underdogs but easier to snag
tickets.
LA Sparks (www.wnba.com/sparks) The women’s season follows the men’s, running July
to August.
>32
>33
SHOWTIME
SHOWTIME
From glitzy Broadway shows to gritty one-act dramas, live theater is
thriving in LA, thanks to a limitless talent pool and a willingness to push
the creative envelope. On dozens of stages you can watch budding
talent hamming it up or seasoned thespians getting back to their roots.
Meanwhile, highbrow music lovers get their fill of the LA Phil and LA
Opera, led by Plácido Domingo.
HALF-PRICE SHOWS
from around the world, presenting unique, sometimes challenging, performances in film, dance,
theater, and art. Libations are
poured in sexy, shoeboxy REDCAT
Lounge (h9am-9pm Tue-Fri, noon-9pm
Sat & Sun, and post show).
4LOS ANGELES
MASTER CHORALE
%800-787-5262, 213-972-7282;
www.lamc.org
It may lack the glamour of the
Phil or Opera, but this 120-voice
choir gives consistently strong
recitals infused with vigor and
lyrical sensibility. Performances
are from October to June at the
Walt Disney Concert Hall.
4LOS ANGELES
PHILHARMONIC
%323-850-2000; www.laphil.org; 111 S
Grand Ave; p$8
The world-class LA Phil performs
classics and cutting-edge works at
the Walt Disney Concert Hall from
October to June and at the Holly­
wood Bowl in summer. For some
>34
4LOS ANGELES OPERA
%213-972-8001; www.laopera.com;
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N Grand
Ave; p
Helmed by Plácido Domingo, this
renowned opera ensemble plays it
pretty safe with such sonic crowdpleasers as Carmen and Aida,
although lesser known works such
as Leos Janácek’s Jenufa are also
part of the repertory.
4AHMANSON THEATRE
%213-628-2772; www.taperahman
son.com; Music Center, 135 N Grand
Ave; p
Much larger than the Taper, this
grand space is another Center
Theatre Group venue in the Music
Center. It’s used primarily for bigtime musicals on their way to or
from Broadway.
4EAST WEST PLAYERS
%213-625-7000; www.eastwest
players.org; 120 N Judge John Aiso St,
Little Tokyo; p
Founded in 1965, this pioneering Asian-American ensemble
seeks to build a bridge between
Eastern and Western theatrical
styles. Its repertory of Broadway
to modern classics takes a back­
seat to acclaimed premieres by
local playwrights. Alumni have
gone on to win Tony, Emmy and
Academy awards.
4DOWNTOWN
COMEDY CLUB
%213-514-5345; www.downtown
comedyclub.com; inside the Wilshire
Grand Hotel, 930 Wilshire Blvd; hFri &
Sat; p$4
Saturday Night Live alum Garrett
Morris is the man behind the curtain of this weekend club at the
divey Charlie O’s cocktail lounge
in the Alexandria Hotel. Tickets
come with a unique money-back
guarantee: you don’t laugh, you
don’t pay. Isn’t that funny?
MARK TAPER FORUM
%213-628-2772; www.taperahmanson
.com; Music Center, 135 N Grand Ave; p
Part of the Music Center, the
Mark Taper is one of the three
venues used by the Center
Theatre Group, SoCal’s leading
resident ensemble and producer
of Tony-, Pulitzer- and Emmywinning plays. It’s an intimate
space with only 14 rows of seats
arranged around a thrust stage,
so you can see every sweat
pearl on the actors’ faces. The
theater has gone through a
complete overhaul, finishing
in summer 2008.
>35
SHOWTIME
SHOWTIME
Half-price tickets to selected shows
are available online through LAStage
(www.theatrela.org) or in person at
the visitor centers in Hollywood and
Downtown LA. Tickets are released on
Tuesdays for up to 100 shows during the
remainder of the week.
Disney concerts, “choral bench”
tickets behind the orchestra are
available for $15. They are released
at noon on the Tuesday two weeks
before the concert and are available in person at the box office
or by phone. Student and senior
rush tickets go on sale for $10 two
hours before showtime.
TOURIST INFORMATION
Downtown Los Angeles Visitor Information
Center (%213-689-8822; 685 S Figueroa,
btwn 7th St & Wilshire)
Hollywood Visitor Information Center
(%323-467-6412; Hollywood & Highland,
6801 Hollywood Blvd)
Los Angeles Convention and Visitors
Bureau (%213-624-7300, 800-228-2452;
www.lacvb.com)
GETTING TO LA
AIR
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX;
%310-646-5252; www.lawa.org/lax)
is about 17 miles southwest of
Downtown, bounded by the Pacific
Ocean to the west and the San
Diego Fwy (I-405) to the east. Terminal maps are available at www
.lawa.org/lax/terminalmap.cfm.
Mid-sized LA airports include
Burbank’s Bob Hope Airport (BUR;
%818-840-8840; www.burbankairport.com)
and Long Beach Airport (LGB; %562-5702600; www.longbeach.gov/airport).
TRAIN
Amtrak (%800-872-7245; www.amtrak
.com), America’s national rail service,
rolls into Downtown Los Angeles
at historic Union Station (800 N Alameda
St). The Pacific Surfliner travels daily
to San Diego ($29, 2¾ hours) and
Santa Barbara ($21, 2½ hours) from
Union Station. Cross-country trains
departing Union Station include
the scenic Coast Starlight, Southwest Chief and Sunset Limited.
BUS
Greyhound (%800-231-2222; www.grey
hound.com) operates extensive, if
slow, routes across North America.
Its main Los Angeles terminal is
Downtown (%213-629-8401; 1716
E 7th St). Other terminals include
Hollywood (%323-466-6381; 1715 N
Cahuenga Blvd), Pasadena (%626-7925116; 645 E Walnut St) and Long Beach
(%562-218-3011; 1498 Long Beach Blvd).
GETTING AROUND
LA METRO BUS & RAIL
Most public transportation is handled by Metro (%800-266-6883; www
.metro.net). The regular base fare is
$1.25 per boarding or $5 for a day
pass with unlimited rides. Weekly
passes are $17. Monthly passes
are $62 and valid for one calendar
month. Single tickets and day
passes are available from bus drivers and vending machines at each
train station. Weekly and monthly
passes must be bought at one of
650 locations around town.
Metro Buses
Metro operates about 200 bus
lines, most of them local routes.
>37
info & TRAnSPORTATION
info & TRAnSPORTATION
INFO & TRANSPORTATION
Metro Rail
A network of four light rail lines
and one subway line, with four of
them converging in Downtown.
Blue Line Downtown to Long Beach
Connects with the Red Line at 7th St/Metro
Center station and the Green Line at the
Imperial/Wilmington stop.
Gold Line Downtown’s Union Station to
Pasadena via Chinatown, Mt Washington and
Highland Park; connects with the Red Line at
Union Station. Its East LA extension via Little
Tokyo and Mariachi Plaza is expected to be
completed by 2009. Another extension to
Foothill in the eastern San Gabriel Valley is
supposed to follow by 2010.
Transport to/from LAX
Burbank
Burbank
Green Line Norwalk to Redondo Beach; connects with the Blue Line at Imperial/Wilmington.
Purple Line Subway between Downtown
LA and Koreatown, shares six stations with
the Red Line.
Red Line The most useful for visitors! Subway
going from Downtown’s Union Station to
North Hollywood (San Fernando Valley) via
central Hollywood and Universal City; connects with the Blue Line at the 7th St/Metro
Center station in Downtown and the Metro
Orange Line express bus at North Hollywood.
DASH Buses
These small shuttle buses, run by
the LA Department of Transportation
(LADOT; www.ladottransit.com), operate
along 30 routes serving local communities (25¢ per boarding), but
only until 7pm and with limited
services on weekends. Many lines
connect with other Dash routes.
Check the website for details.
Useful lines include:
Beachwood Canyon Route (Mon-Sat)
Useful for close-ups of the Hollywood Sign,
runs from Hollywood Blvd & Vine St up
Beachwood Dr.
Downtown Routes (Daily) Six separate
routes, hitting all the hotspots, including
Chinatown, City Hall, Little Tokyo, the
Financial District and Exposition Park.
Fairfax Route (Mon-Sat) Makes a handy
loop past the Beverly Center mall, the Pacific
Design Center, western Melrose Ave, the
Farmers Market/Grove and Museum Row.
Hollywood/West Hollywood Route
(Mon-Sat) Connects Hollywood & Highland
with the Sunset Strip, the shopping zone
around the Pacific Design Center, western
Melrose and the Beverly Center.
Hollywood Route (Daily) Covers Hollywood
east of Highland Ave and links with the
Los Feliz Route (daily) at Franklin Ave and
Vermont Ave.
LA’s sprawl makes public trans­
portation cumbersome and timeconsuming while taxis can be
expensive. Car is by far the easiest
way to get around. Avoid freeways
during rush hour. Beachfront
highways get jammed on weekend
mornings, and Sunset Strip is slow
going on weekend nights. Onstreet parking can be tight. If you
find a spot, it may be metered or
restricted. Private lots and parking
garages cost at least $5 a day and
can be more expensive Downtown.
Metro red line 20min
Metro red line 4min
Car 1hr
Car 1hr-90min
car 30min
car 1hr
Metro red line 15min
Flyaway shuttle 45min-1hr
Metro blue line 53min
Metro gold line 25min
Big Blue Bus 10 40-90min
car 45min-1hr
car 90min
car 35-45min
car 45min-1hr
car 40min-1hr
car 20-30min
car 45min
car 45min
Hollywood
Metro red line 4min
Metro red line 15min
LAX
car 1hr
Flyaway shuttle 45min-1hr
car 45min-1hr
Long Beach
car 1hr-90min
Metro blue line 53min
car 90min
car 45min
Pasadena
car 30min
Metro gold line 25min
car 35-45min
car 40min-1hr
car 45min
Santa Monica
car 1hr
Big Blue Bus 10 40-90min
car 45min-1hr
car 20-30min
car 45min
>38
CAR & MOTORCYCLE
Hollywood
Metro red line 20min
Long Beach
Most buses are equipped with
bike racks and bikes ride for free,
although you must securely load
and unload them yourself. Bicycles are also allowed on Metro Rail
trains except during rush hour.
Downtown
Downtown
LAX
BICYCLE
car 45min
Pasadena
Santa Monica
car 40min
car 40min
>39
info & TRAnSPORTATION
info & TRAnSPORTATION
Metro Rapid buses stop less
frequently. Commuter-oriented
express buses connect communities with Downtown and
other business districts, usually
traveling via the freeways.
ALSO STARRING
HOLLYWOOD
For decades Hollywood was more
grit than glitter. But like the Terminator, you can’t keep Hollywood
down forever. As big bucks are being sunk into the area, shiny new
clubs, trendy restaurants and luxe
boutiques are supplanting tacky
souvenir shops, tattoo parlors and
stripper supply stores. It’s all a
faux Vegas–type glitz, to be sure,
but most people are just happy to
see life return to the streets. Even
celebs are back, carousing at the
hip-again Hollywood Roosevelt
Hotel and embarrassing themselves at the clubs on Cahuenga.
Box-office results aren’t in, but a
possible blockbuster awaits.
If you’re relying on public transportation, central Hollywood is a
convenient base. The Metro Red
Line whisks you to Downtown, Koreatown, Hollywood and Universal
Studios in minutes and Dash buses
provide easy links east along Hollywood Blvd and west to the Sunset
Strip and fashionable Melrose Ave.
>41
ALSO STARRING
ALSO STARRING
Downtown has plenty to keep you busy, but we’d be remiss not to
mention the rest of LA’s main attractions.
Hip-again Hollywood is worth a stroll, for its remnants of Golden Age
glamour. Urban designer chic, raucous nightlife and lesbigays rule West
Hollywood, an oddly shaped independent city that segues seamlessly
into Mid-City where Museum Row is the main draw.
Beverly Hills cuts through LA like the grandest of royal cruise ships.
Glittering streets, chic boutiques and posh restaurants – all sparkle on her
haughty decks with the security and charm befitting the securely monied.
Further west are Westwood with UCLA, estate-rich Bel-Air, burgeoning Culver City with Sony Pictures, and upscale Brentwood with the
hilltop Getty Center.
Boho-chic Silver Lake and Los Feliz lie northwest of Downtown. The
latter borders the large urban playground of Griffith Park, home of the
Hollywood Sign.
Santa Monica is the most tourist-friendly of the beach towns with
fun beaches, shopping and dining. Others include swish-but-low-key
Malibu, funky Venice, the purebred South Bay trio of Manhattan Beach,
Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach, and finally, hopping Long Beach.
Note that most TV and movie studios are actually in Burbank and
Studio City in the San Fernando Valley.
GRAUMAN’S CHINESE
THEATRE
%323-464-8111; www.manntheatres
.com; 6801 Hollywood Blvd;
mHollywood/Highland
Ever wondered what it’s like to be
in George Clooney’s shoes? Stand
in the footprints of silver-screen
le­gends in the courtyard of this
grand movie palace, built in 1927.
Inspired by Chinese imperial architecture, the ornate decor extends
from the intricate courtyard to the
grand lobby, the lounges, and the
massive theater itself where current
releases captivate all-ages crowds.
WALK OF FAME
%323-469-8311; www.hollywood
chamber.net; Hollywood Blvd
Marilyn Monroe? 6774 Hollywood
THE 411 ON DISNEYLAND
Blvd. James Dean? 1719 Vine St.
Elvis Presley? 6777 Hollywood
Blvd. Nope, not last known addresses, just the exact spot for the
brass star honoring these celebs
on the Hollywood Walk of Fame,
on Hollywood Blvd between La
Brea Ave and Vine St. There are
more than 2000 stars, so check
the website for precise locations.
Check www.hollywoodchamber
.net for upcoming ceremonies, usually held once or twice a month.
SANTA MONICA
Sunny Santa Monica is the
quintessential West Coast beach
town – wide glistening beaches,
stylish shopping enclaves, saladcentric eateries and an affluent
population that hangs on to its
socially conscious, laid-back roots.
Just don’t smoke on the beach.
Montana Ave is the chicest of
the shopping districts, lined for
blocks with boutiques specializing
in upscale designs for women,
Location 1313 Harbor Blvd, Anaheim (25 miles southeast of Downtown LA on 1-5, exit
Disneyland Dr)
Getting there gMTA 460 from Downtown LA (1½ hours)
Contact %714-781-4565, live assistance %714-781-7290, www.disneyland.com,
www.disneytravel.com
Costs Prices change constantly; 1-day single park ticket adult/3-9yr/under 3yr $66/56/free,
dual park passes $91/81
Opening hours Disneyland h9am-8pm/10pm, extended summer hours 8am-midnight;
DCA h10am-6pm, extended summer hours 8am-10pm
>42
babies and puppies. Main St offers
a similar small-town charm, though
the fashions and attitudes trend
toward beachy casual, while 3rd St
Promenade, with its loitering teens,
chain stores and street performers,
has a slightly edgier vibe.
The beaches serve up the same
mix of affluent and anything goes.
Top-notch hotels and restaurants
line the oceanfront where the rich
and remote can watch sunsets
from behind the safety of glass
walls. Those preferring the arena
to the stands head to the beach for
bike riding, bodyboarding and volleyball, or to the Santa Monica Pier
for the solar-powered Ferris wheel
(but preferably not after dark, when
the scene gets a bit sketchier).
VENICE BEACH
Venice is just plain cool. In fact,
its coolness threatens to eat it
alive and spit it back out as Santa
Monica. In the century following
entrepreneur Abbot Kinney’s original vision of a cultural “Venice of
America,” the reality of his dream
has been slightly askew. Over
the years the neighborhood has
attracted artists, visionaries and
dreamers to its canals and crooked
streets as well as its fair share of
deadbeats and trouble-makers.
Ocean Front Walk exemplifies
the kooky side of the unfettered
dream – vendors, muscle men and
unabashed performers bumping
elbows for attention. It’s a little
bit crazy and a whole lot of fun.
Abbot Kinney Blvd on the other
hand, with its independent
boutiques and customer-centric
eateries, boasts the best of
focused indie spirit. No chains,
franchises or green-smocked
baristas on this hard-charging
boulevard. Both approaches make
Venice what it is. Even if you never
visit, it’s nice to know it exists.
DISNEYLAND
adult/child $66/56 single day pass, $91/81
for dual park pass
If you’re unhappy at Disneyland,
you have no one to blame but
yourself. From the moment you
board the cheery tram, there’s
a perceptible change in atmosphere. Wide-eyed children lean
forward while stressed-out parents
relax. Uncle Walt’s in charge, and
he’s covered every possible detail.
A bright floral Mickey greets
visitors at the entrance, enticing
everyone toward Main St USA,
where there’s a parade every day
of the week. From Adventureland
to Fantasyland to Tomorrowland,
every attraction, restaurant and
cast member has been carefully
crafted to conform to Disney’s
grand illusion.
Even the most-determined
Nietzsche-quoting malcontent
will find something to warrant a
smile. For one, Mr Toad continues
>43
ALSO STARRING
ALSO STARRING
Parking at Hollywood & Highland
costs just $2 for four hours with
validation from any merchant or
the Hollywood visitors center.
mall, and the more utilitarian
Malibu Colony Plaza (23841 W Malibu Rd).
Universal Studios
his slightly boozy Wild Ride to
nowhere in particular, spared
the fate of his squashed Disney
World counterpart. Smoking isn’t
completely banned – see the
jittery crew huddled behind the
Matterhorn. Finally, there’s the
apocryphal story of the villainous
sculptor: stand west of the central
“Partners” statue of Walt and
Mickey and look toward Tomorrowland. The position of Mickey’s
bulbous nose makes it appear
that Uncle Walt is, in fact, very
happy to see you. But you didn’t
hear it from us.
>44
MALIBU
Malibu enjoys a near-mythical
status as a “Shangri-La on the
Pacific” thanks to its large cele­
brity population, the incredible
beauty of its shoreline and its
legendary surfing beaches.
Stretched out for 27 miles, it’s a
place with no discernible center,
inhabited by people richer than
god, yet far less glamorous than
the tabloids make it sound.
The chances of spotting Brangelina in the toy store are greatest
at the Malibu Country Mart (3835 Cross
Creek Rd), a village-like outdoor
%1-800-864-8377; www.universalstu
dioshollywood.com; 100 Universal City
Plaza, Universal City; admission 1-day pass
over/under 48inch tall $64/54, under 3yr
free; h10am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm Sat
& Sun, extended seasonally; p$11
The magic of movie-making gets
its due at ever-popular Universal,
where thrill rides, live perform­
ances, interactive shows and
back-lot tram tours perpetually
draw the masses. The Revenge of
the Mummy indoor roller-coaster
and Jurassic Park water ride lead
the thrills while several new
theme-park and tour attractions –
GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY
%213-473-0800; www.griffith
observatory.org; 2800 E Observatory Rd;
admission free; hnoon-10pm Tue-Fri,
10am-10pm Sat & Sun; pfree, LADOT
Observatory shuttle 25¢
Billions and billions of stars for
millions and millions of dollars.
After four years and $93 million,
this landmark 1935 observatory now opens a window on the
universe from its perch on the
southern slopes of Mt Hollywood.
Its revamped planetarium now
boasts the world’s most advanced
star projector and hollowing out
the front lawn nearly doubled the
original exhibit space, added a
store, a self-service café and
a theater.
The observatory has starred
in many movies, most famously
Rebel Without a Cause with James
Dean. Outside, have your picture
snapped beside the actor’s bust
with the Hollywood Sign caught
neatly in the background.
>45
ALSO STARRING
ALSO STARRING
MANHATTAN BEACH
If Manhattan Beach had its own
magazine, it would surely be
called Gorgeous Living. Classy
beachside cottages, bougainvillealined walk-streets, bustling sidewalk patios, friendly boutiques,
surfers silhouetted against the
setting sun, and babies who never
seem to cry – all within half a
mile of a portrait-worthy pier. It’s
that impossibly perfect. Outdoor
enthusiasts should check out Fun
Bunn’s (%310-372-8500; 1116 Manhattan
Ave; h10am-5:30pm Wed-Mon), where
rentals include beach cruisers,
surfboards, in-line skates, wetsuits
and volleyballs.
Shrek in 4-D, the War of the
Worlds crash site and Wisteria
Lane from Desperate Housewives
(shooting dependent) – keep
things fresh. That being said,
some grumble that too many
attractions are dated. Cartoonish Whoville, a still-spooky Bates
motel and a tram-hungry shark
still reveal movie-making magic
at its best.
GRIFFITH PARK
LA BREA TAR PITS &
PAGE MUSEUM
%323-934-7243; www.tarpits.org;
5801 Wilshire Blvd; museum adult &
senior/student & 13-17yr/5-12yr/under
5yr $7/4.50/2/free, tar pits only free;
h9:30am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm Sat
& Sun; gMTA 20, 21; p$6
The low-grade oil bubbling at
the corner of Wilshire and Curson
was formed over millions of years
as the remains of ancient sea life
merged with marine sediments
to form fossil fuels. As oceans
receded and land emerged, this
“tar” would seep to the surface,
ensnaring animals unfortunate
enough to get caught in its sticky
mire. Scientists collect, clean and
catalog these ancient remains –
watch them in the Fishbowl
>46
Laboratory – and display some of
the most amazing within the museum. Staff are disturbingly vague
about recent, perhaps apocryphal,
stories of lost mid-city pooches.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY
MUSEUM OF ART
LACMA; %323-857-6000; www.lacma
.org; 5905 Wilshire Blvd; adult & senior/7
student/under 17yr $12/8/free, free after 5pm & all day 2nd Tue; hnoon-8pm
Mon, Tue & Thu, noon-9pm Fri, 11am8pm Sat & Sun; gMTA 20, 21; p$7
LACMA’s almost-overwhelming
permanent collections are currently
scattered across six buildings. Diego
Rivera’s Flower Day, Rembrandt’s
Portrait of Maerten Looten, Southeast Asian and Islamic art (the last,
perhaps not surprisingly, in the
Getty Oil Gallery) and the contemporary collection are highlights as
are the many impressionist and
post-impressionist paintings and
sculptures. LACMA is undergoing
a major, much-needed renovation
and expansion. You’ll have the
place to yourself Friday afternoons.
GETTY CENTER
%310-440-7300; www.getty.edu; 1200
Getty Center Dr, off I-405; admission
free; h10am-6pm Tue-Thu & Sun, to
9pm Fri & Sat; g761; p$8
For optimal Getty pleasure, plan
to spend at least half a day wandering the pavilions, gardens,
and viewpoints that fill this
hillside haven. Be sure to include
time for the drive to the museum,
the tram ride, and a bit of orientation once you reach the arrival
plaza and entrance hall. Pavilions
1 through 4 hold the permanent
collections while displays on
the 2nd floor of the Exhibitions
Pavilion change periodically. For
Roman and Greek antiquities,
visit the Getty Villa (%310-440-7300;
www.getty.edu; 17985 Pacific Coast Hwy;
admission free, reservations required;
h10am-5pm Thu-Mon; p$8).
SUNSET STRIP
A visual cacophony of billboards,
giant ad banners and neon signs,
the sinuous stretch of Sunset
Blvd between Laurel Canyon and
Doheny Dr has been nightlife
central since the 1920s. Mobster
Bugsy Siegel and his posse hung
out at such clubs as Ciro’s (now the
Comedy Store), Marilyn Monroe
had her first date with Joe DiMaggio at the Rainbow Bar & Grill, the
Whisky A Go-Go gave birth to both
the Doors and go-go dancing; and
Led Zeppelin raced motorcycles
in the Hyatt Hotel (8401 Sunset Blvd),
henceforth known as the “Riot
House.” Then, in the late ’90s, the
strip captured the limelight again
with the House of Blues, the ultra
posh Skybar at the Mondrian
Hotel and the sexy Standard Hollywood hotel. These days, though,
it seems to be coasting on its
fabled legacy. The young, hip and
fickle have moved on to ghettoglam Hollywood.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU SEE A STAR
The odds of seeing a star in the 30-mile zone surrounding Hollywood are actually pretty
good. So what should you do if you happen upon Brad, Halle or Reese? Follow these pointers
to maximize your celeb-spotting experience:
1. Respect their personal space. Take stock of your surroundings and remember you’re looking at a person, not a product. George Clooney is a living, breathing human being. Yes, he
sells movies but he’s not a can of soda (though he may be a bag of chips). Piercing shrieks
and convulsive hyperventilating can be off-putting.
2. Don’t mimic their most famous catchphrase. Jake Gyllenhaal doesn’t want to hear “I
wish I knew how to quit you!” yelled across the ArcLight lobby in a faux cowboy accent.
Although imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, it’s not always polite. And he’s probably heard it before.
3. Don’t comment on their height or lack thereof. Most stars are short. Some are very short. Understanding this before entering Hollywood will work in your favor. Blurting, “Wow, you’re a
lot shorter in real life!” at Orlando Bloom in Runyon Canyon will endear you to no one.
4. Compliment their work. Everyone loves a compliment, and stars are no different.
>47
ALSO STARRING
ALSO STARRING
%323-913-4688; 4730 Crystal Springs
Dr; www.lacity.org/rap; admission free;
h6am-10pm, hiking & bridle paths
until sunset; gMTA 96; p
SoCal naturalist John Muir once
said the clearest way into the
universe is through forest wilderness. The tree-covered acres
at sprawling Griffith Park (the
country’s biggest city park with
urban wilderness) proves his point
with miles of trails and a seemingly
endless supply of stunning views.
Stop by the ranger’s office for a
map and list of attractions.
We seek to inspire the right kind of travel – The Lonely Planet style
embraces the positive power of independent travel to transform both
travellers and the communities to which they travel. The Lonely Planet
way means taking risks, leaving behind the everyday, experiencing a
culture at first hand and discovering the people, the land, the history. Our
responsibility is to ensure millions travel with respect, sensitivity, curiosity
and with a liberal sense of humour.
Downtown Los Angeles – Keep It In Your Pocket
First published – August 2008
www.lonelyplanet.biz
Specially produced by Lonely Planet Business
Solutions for ExperienceLA.com in partnership with
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Published by
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© Lonely Planet Publications 2008
This guide was based on the Los Angeles Encounter
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