The Wiltern Theatre is an Art Deco masterpiece.
BOUNDARIES: Western Ave., Wilshire Blvd., Catalina St., Seventh St.
DISTANCE: About 1.5 miles
DIFFICULTY: Easy
PARKING: Metered street parking is available on Western Ave.
NEAREST METRO STATION: Wilshire Blvd. and Western Ave., or Wilshire Blvd. and Normandie Ave. (Purple Line)
The area known as Koreatown or Wilshire Center truly has it all: historic buildings, a wealth of dining and shopping options, churches, a giant spa and sports club, and a sizzling night scene. The neighborhood even features two convenient Metro subway stations, making it easy to get here and spend day and night without worrying about parking fees (or designating a driver, should that become an issue). While the area is home to a mostly Korean-American population and many of the businesses cater primarily to Korean-speaking clientele, it has plenty to offer anyone else looking for an adventure, a dose of Los Angeles history, or a taste of authentic Korean culture.
Begin at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard (south side of the street) and Western Avenue, in front of the 
Wiltern Theatre (the Wilshire/Western Metro station is located directly across the street). This green terra-cotta Art Deco structure opened as an office building and movie theater in 1931 and has since been renovated and declared a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument. Today the venue hosts a variety of performances, from comedy acts to garage bands. Take a minute to check out the underside of the flashy metal and neon marquee, which is decorated with an ornate sunburst design in plaster, and the beautiful carved mahogany doors of the theater lobby.
Just past the imposing Wilshire Park Place office building, 
Aroma Spa and Sports occupies the southeast corner of the intersection with Serrano Avenue; its Blade Runner–esque electronic billboard lures passersby to try out the exclusive club’s saunas, spa treatments, four-story driving range, and other sports facilities.
Cross to the north side of Wilshire Boulevard at Serrano Avenue, and continue east. You’ll pass the 
Wilshire Boulevard Temple on the northeast corner of Wilshire and Hobart. Built in 1929, this striking, Byzantine-influenced structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building’s exterior is dominated by a massive dome 100 feet in diameter. If the synagogue is open to the public at the time of your visit, take time to explore the interior, which is decorated in gold and black Italian marble and features murals depicting the biblical story of creation.
After crossing Harvard Boulevard, you’ll come upon St. Basil Roman Catholic Church (established in 1969), an imposing building whose vertical concrete panels are interspersed with jagged columns of colorful stained glass, giving it the slightly discordant feel of a Picasso painting.
At 
BCD Tofu House, on the northeast corner of Wilshire and Kingsley Drive, you can get a table full of banchan (assorted Korean salads and pickles) to go with your delicious bubbling bowl of soon (a flavorful stew served with tofu and your choice of meat, fish, or vegetables), all for under $10. It’s even open 24 hours.
The chic 
Line Hotel is found at the northwest corner of Wilshire and Normandie Avenue. Besides its hip rooms for guests, the place offers bars, a Poketo boutique, and one heck of a setting for public dining at Commissary, inside a greenhouse set next to the pool.
At the northeast corner of Wilshire and Normandie Avenue is the Oasis Church, an ornate Romanesque structure built in 1927. Cross Normandie; then cross to the south side of Wilshire, and continue east. From this side of the street, you have a better view of the white Art Deco building just east of Wilshire Christian Church, which houses the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia. On your right, pass a variety of small, inexpensive eateries, including a popular New York City import, The Halal Guys. This area is bustling with office workers on weekdays.
After crossing Mariposa Avenue, note Wilshire Center’s tallest structure, the modernist Equitable Life Building, which towers over the opposite side of the boulevard.
The northeast corner of Wilshire and Alexandria Avenue is the former site of the first of the legendary hat-shaped Brown Derby restaurants—where the Cobb salad is thought to have originated—but the site is now occupied by a cheesy-looking strip mall (named Brown Derby Plaza in honor of the former Hollywood Golden Age hot spot). Just east of the plaza are the 1920s-era Gaylord Apartments, named for Henry Gaylord Wilshire, the millionaire who developed what is now called MacArthur Park. According to popular lore, Wilshire Boulevard was so named because Wilshire would only allow a boulevard to bisect his property if it bore his name. Inside the Gaylord building is the 
HMS Bounty, one of the city’s most noted dive bars.
Another view of the Wiltern
On the south side of the street is the former site of the Ambassador Hotel, the legendary playground for Hollywood’s rich and famous and the infamous site of Robert F. Kennedy’s assassination. The hotel and its Cocoanut Grove nightclub opened in 1921 and enjoyed decades of fame as a beautiful people’s mecca before Sirhan Sirhan killed Kennedy there on June 5, 1968. The hotel was demolished in 2006, and the property now belongs to the Los Angeles Unified School District. A sign on the median declares this stretch of Wilshire the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Parkway.
Retrace your steps to Normandie Avenue and turn left on Normandie/Irolo Street. Another historic apartment building, the Piccadilly, is located at 682 S. Irolo St.
Turn right on Seventh Street, a residential street occupied for the most part by apartment buildings, many of them newer midrises that were built to take advantage of the nearby subway stations. One notable exception is the cute apartment building at 3530 W. Seventh St.—its rounded corners and retro ’50s-style architecture bring to mind the fenders of a classic automobile.
Turn right on Serrano Avenue. You’ll notice the netted driving range of Aroma Spa and Sports on your right. The Koreatown branch of the Los Angeles Public Library is on your left.
A view along Wilshire
Cross Wilshire Boulevard and turn left. The curved twin towers of the Wilshire Colonnade office complex on your right are built around a gorgeous circular fountain courtyard—a nice place to enjoy a sandwich or coffee from the popular South Korea–based Tom N Toms that you’ll pass in the next block.
Continue two blocks to your starting point at the corner of Wilshire and Western.
Koreatown and Wilshire Center
Points of Interest
Wiltern Theatre 3790 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90010; 213-380-5005, wiltern.com
Aroma Spa and Sports 3680 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90010; 213-387-0212, aromaresort.com
Wilshire Boulevard Temple 3663 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90010; 213-388-2401, wbtla.org
BCD Tofu House 3575 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90010; 213-382-6677, bcdtofu.com
The Line Hotel 3515 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90010; 213-381-7411, thelinehotel.com
HMS Bounty 3357 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90010; 213-385-7275
