Contrary to popular belief, Los Angeles does have a downtown--and it's an increasingly vibrant one.The building boom of the early 2000s encouraged a spate of residential building in the downtown area, much of it in the form of loft apartments, which attracted younger professionals and artists and encouraged commercial growth---food stores, dry cleaners, cafes---to serve their needs. The downtown revival spurred interest in L.A.'s past and in the buildings and places that commemorate it.
Whether you're a long-time Angeleno or a first-time visitor, you can get to know the heart of Los Angeles with a mini-tour, starting on Alameda Street at Union Station. Built in 1939, Union Station has been called "the last of America's great rail stations." An elegant structure featured in many movies, the station fell into decline with the coming of air travel. It was revived in the 1990s, and is now the hub of L.A.'s budding subway system (still a work in progress). On adjacent Alameda Street is Philippe's Restaurant, established in 1908 and the home of the French-dip sandwich. Philippe's still serves steaming black coffee in a white enamel mug for 9 cents.
From Philippe's, cross Alameda and walk to the birthplace of Los Angeles, Olvera Street, site of the original Pueblo de Los Angeles--City of the Angels--built by 44 Hispanic settlers from the San Gabriel Mission area in 1781. Twenty-seven historic structures are built around the Plaza, filled with souvenir shops and traditional Mexican wares and with Mariachi music and folk dancing on the weekends.
Next, take a 25 cent DASH bus a few blocks northeast to Chinatown, a mix of old and new traditions. L.A.'s Chinatown has been called "the first modern American Chinatown." Planned and built by Chinese Americans, Chinatown was the result of continuing Chinese settlement in Los Angeles, beginning in the 1850s. Today's Chinatown retains a flavor of its historic past while maintaining a place as a vibrant part of the Los Angeles civic community, with restaurants, art galleries, Chinese grocery stores, herb shops and much more.
From Chinatown, take another DASH bus back to Temple Street and visit the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, which serves more than 4 million Catholics in the Los Angeles area. The Cathedral replaced the original earthquake-damaged St. Vibiana's, located off the Plaza near Olvera Street. The new cathedral, located between L.A.'s Civic Center and its cultural center, is a contemporary 11-story building with virtually no right angles.
Cross Temple Street to the Music Center, dominated by the metal flower of Walt Disney Concert Hall and anchored as well by the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the Mark Taper Forum and the Ahmanson Center. Then make your way down Grand Avenue to the Museum of Contemporary Art and its outdoor sculpture garden. Continue down the hill and take a slight detour to walk through the Biltmore Hotel, one of the city's architectural showpieces. Built in Italian-Spanish Renaissance style in 1923, the Biltmore has been the site of numerous movie shots, and was host to eight Academy Award ceremonies during the 1930s and 1940s--be sure to look for the wall-long photo of a long-ago Oscar night off the main gallery; see how many stars you recognize.
From the Biltmore, go up Fifth Street to Flower Street, and to the Los Angeles Central Library. The third largest central library in the nation, L. A.'s Central Library was originally opened in 1926. The building was badly damaged by fire in 1986, but was renovated and rebuilt by 1993, and is now one of the architectural jewels of Los Angeles with its painted ceiling, atrium chandeliers and the Lodrick M. Cook Rotunda that displays four great periods of American history.
Don't miss touring some of the artisan districts that are part of L.A.'s modern downtown scene. These include the Toy District, the Jewelry District, the Fashion and Wholesale Districts and the early-morning Flower Market on Wall Street between Seventh and Eighth Streets. And take advantage of the variety of high-end restaurants in the downtown area, from the art deco elegance of Cicada at Sixth and Olive Streets to the cool sophistication of Noé, located in the Omni Hotel, to the classic California feel of Café Pinot next door to the Central Library.
If you're interested in going slightly afield from Downtown, there are many sites that are part of L.A.'s history as well as its current life. For example, Echo Park, Elysian Heights and Angeleno Heights, located slightly northeast of downtown Los Angeles, are historic neighborhoods that are enjoying a 21st century renaissance. Echo Park Lake is the heart of the neighborhood, anchored by the art deco style statue of the Lady of the Lake and by the giant lotus flowers that emerged every summer for more than 70 years and that are awaiting rehabilitation in 2010.
Across the street from Echo Park is Angelus Temple, home of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel founded by pioneer woman evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson in 1918. Close by are Elysian Park and Dodger Stadium. The oldest public park in Los Angeles, Elysian Park is home to Dodger Stadium, as well as the Los Angeles Police Academy, and contains miles of scenic walking trails and picnic grounds.
Griffith Park, L.A.'s largest public park and home of the Los Angeles Zoo, is also nearby, and is home to Fern Dell Park, which has been called a treasure of Los Angeles, with cedars, pines, waterfalls, bridges and tunnels to explore. Also in Griffith Park is recently-renovated Griffith Observatory, made famous in the 1950s by the James Dean movie "Rebel Without a Cause." Opened in 1935, the Observatory, which overlooks Los Angeles, boasts state-of-the-art technology in its planetarium, its telescopes and its imaginative exhibits (and admission is free).
The places suggested here are jumping-off points. As you go from site to site, you'll undoubtedly discover other hidden treasures that will add to your enjoyment of one of the world's great cities.
