Los Angeles

Downtown’s revitalization has placed Skid Row residents on the doorsteps of yuppie loft dwellers—a juxtaposition that is (amazingly) working. Head south to find portfolio-toting FIDM students and the Fashion District, or explore Little Tokyo and Chinatown’s galleries and restaurants to the north. From Downtown’s epicenter, visit Gehry’s Walt Disney Concert Hall and the MOCA; stroll the Jewelry District for wholesale goodies; stock up on veggies at Grand Central Market and (for you early birds) don’t miss the vibrant Flower District.

Landmarks

• Angel’s Flight • W 4th St & S Hill St
213-626-1901
Due to a tragic accident, funicular is now simply a walkway.

• Angeleno Heights • Carroll Ave & W Kensington Ave
Enclave of Victorian homes. Some lavished with astonishing TLC, some not.

• Bradbury Building • 304 S Broadway
Eclectic and dramatic Victorian masterpiece that was featured in Blade Runner.

• Caltrans District 7 Headquarters • 100 S Main St
A solar behemoth that is as energy-efficient as it is commanding.

• Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels •
555 W Temple St
213-680-5200
Architectural Catholicism for the post-Y2K generation.

• Chinatown • N Broadway
It may not sound like much, but the slippery shrimp at Yang Chow can’t be missed.

• City Hall • 200 N Spring St
213-485-2121
Got a gripe? Here’s the place to start.

• Clifton’s Cafeteria • 648 S Broadway
213-627-1673
Tri-level cafeteria with a woodsy theme and fake animals since 1931.

• Coca-Cola Bottling Plant • 1334 S Central Ave
213-746-5555
Designer Robert Derrah’s all-American Streamline Moderne chef d’oeuvre.

• Dorothy Chandler Pavilion • 135 N Grand Ave
213-972-0711
The Oscars are gone but the LA Opera is still here.

• Eastern Columbia Buildings • 849 S Broadway
Hulking turquoise Art-Deco monument.

• El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument • 200 N Main St
213-485-6855
The real LA story, but with Mexican and Native American influence.

• Garfield Building • 403 W 8th St
Another Art Deco monument from LA’s past. Check out the lobby.

• The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA •
152 N Central Ave
213-626-6222
Formerly known as the “Temporary Contemporary,” the museum is still going strong.

• Go For Broke Monument • 160 N Central Ave
Honoring Japanese-Americans who fought with the allies in WW2.

• Grand Central Market • 317 S Broadway
213-624-2378
Mexican specialties and more.

• Instituto Cultural Mexicano • 125 Paseo de la Plaza
213-417-8384
Dedicated to the cultural exchange between American and Mexican cultures.

• Japanese American National Museum • 369 E 1st St
213-625-0414
Chronicling the Japanese experience in the US.

• LA Convention Center • 1201 S Figueroa St
213-741-1151
The building’s green glass exterior is visible for miles.

• The Mayan • 1038 S Hill St
213-746-4674
Spooky and cool. Check out the lobby if you can.

• Millennium Biltmore Hotel • 506 S Grand Ave
213-624-1011
Downtown’s first lady of luxury hotels, the Biltmore is a testament to LA’s lavish architectural heritage.

• Million Dollar Theater • 307 S Broadway
213-617-3600
Historic theater; now homes and offices. Check out the pharmacy downstairs.

• MOCA • 250 S Grand Ave
213-626-6222
Received much well-deserved attention for its wildly popular Andy Warhol retrospective.

• Old Plaza Firehouse • 134 Paseo de la Plaza
213-625-3741
LA’s oldest firehouse; haunted by Dalmatians.

• Olvera Street • Olvera St
An authentic Mexican marketplace in the heart of downtown LA.

• The Orpheum • 842 S Broadway
877-677-4386
Former Vaudeville house, now hosts and assortment of live events.

• Oviatt Building • 617 S Olive St
Art Deco treasure. Be sure to sneak a peek inside.

• STAPLES Center • 1111 S Figueroa St
213-742-7100
If the Staples folk could find a way to play baseball inside the arena, they’d lure the Dodgers too.

• Union Station • 800 N Alameda St
213-625-5865
Makes you wish people still traveled by train.

• Walt Disney Concert Hall • 141 S Grand Ave
323-850-2000
Gehry’s architectural masterpiece.

• The Westin Bonaventure Hotel • 404 S Figueroa St
213-624-1000
John Portman’s shiny, often-filmed towers.

• World Trade Center • 350 S Figueroa St
213-489-3337
Far less impressive than its former NY namesake, but a vital part of Downtown nonetheless.

Nightlife

• 1642 Beer & Wine • 1642 W Temple St
213-989-6836
Usually chill beer and wine bar. Impress your date here.

• Bar 107 • 107 W 4th St
213-625-7382
Kitschy hangout for jaded Hollywood outcasts and downtown dwellers.

• Bona Vista Lounge • 404 S Figueroa St
213-624-1000
Secret microbrewery, packed happy hour.

• Bootleg Theater • 2220 Beverly Blvd
213-389-3856
This cramped venue gets some big names.

• Bordello • 901 E 1st St
213-687-3766
Food, cocktails, jazz, blues, burlesque . . .

• Broadway Bar • 830 S Broadway
213-614-9909
Celebrating the glamorous side of cocktailing.

• Cana Rum Bar • 714 W Olympic Blvd
213-745-7090
Yo ho ho and more than 100 varieties of rum.

• The Edison • 108 W 2nd St
213-613-0000
Experience the roaring 20s with dancing flappers, hot jazz, and killer cocktails.

• Gallery Bar and Cognac Room • 506 S Grand Ave
213-612-1562
Specialty drink’s the Black Dahlia: champagne + Guinness.

• Golden Gopher • 417 W 8th St
213-614-8001
Outdoor smoking alley, chandeliers, gold gopher lamps.

• Hop Louie • 950 Mei Ling Way
213-628-4244
Popular w/ the art crowd, cheap bevs.

• La Cita Bar • 336 S Hill St
213-687-7111
Rock out to indie tunes under twinkle lights.

• Las Perlas • 107 E 6th St
213-988-8355
Creme de cacti. Scorpion honey. Tequila. They’ve got it.

• The Mayan • 1038 S Hill St
213-746-4674
Salsa club with strict dress code, call for required attire.

• Oiwake • 122 Japanese Village Plaza Mall
213-628-2678
Karaoke restaubar with a serious songbook.

• Redwood Bar & Grill • 316 W 2nd St
213-680-2600
Pirate-themed hangout - perfect for finding booty.

• The Rooftop • 550 S Flower St
213-892-8080
Make an entrance upstairs, then stumble to your room.

• Seven Grand • 515 W 7th St
213-614-0736
Whisky and pool tables. Enough said.

Downtown is in a weird state of transition: its restaurants and bars are some of the city’s best, but residents only relatively recently got their first grocery store. Unless you’re celebrating a special occasion, skip the awesome but dress-coded Edison and instead head to the friendly, good-beer-serving Golden Gopher. Daikokuya is your spot for the city’s best ramen—just get there early to avoid the rush—and Wurstkuche stays at the delish forefront of the sausage-and-beer trend.

• Tony’s Saloon • 2017 E 7th St
213-622-5523
Nowhere location, but the drinks you’ll remember.

• Villains Tavern • 1356 Palmetto St
213-613-0766
Goth-noir decor and cocktail-culture hedonism. This joint owns Halloween.

Restaurants

• 24/7 Restaurant • 550 S Flower St
213-892-8080 • $$$
24-hour diner menu, post-party or in your room.

• Blossom • 426 S Main St
213-623-1973 • $$
Fresh authentic Vietnamese in “blossoming” downtown neighborhood.

• Bottega Louie • 700 S Grand Ave
213-802-1470 • $$$
Fantastic space. Food’s fine.

• Brooklyn Bagel • 2217 Beverly Blvd
213-413-4114 • $
Five-decade old authentic bagelry.

• Café Pinot • 700 W 5th St
213-239-6500 • $$$$$
Downtown’s classy French bistro.

• Casa La Golondrina • 17 W Olvera St
213-628-4349 • $
A historic setting for classic Mexican food complete with serenading Mariachis.

• Checkers • 535 S Grand Ave
213-624-0000 • $$$$
Upscale downtown pre-theater dining.

• Clifton’s Cafeteria • 648 S Broadway
213-627-1673 • $
Tri-level cafeteria with a woodsy theme and fake animals since 1931.

• Curry House • 123 S Onizuka St
213-620-0855 • $$
Japanese comfort food that will leave you fat, full, and happy.

• Empress Pavilion • 988 N Hill St
213-617-9898 • $$
Specialty salads, sandwiches, and coffees.

• Engine Co. No. 28 • 644 S Figueroa St
213-624-6996 • $$$$
Good firehouse-inspired eats.

• Fickle • 362 E 1st St
213-628-1888 • $$
Sandwiches by day, fancier at night. Confusing but good.

• The Gorbals • 501 S Spring St
213-488-3408 • $$$
Here, Top Chef fame = weird food.

• Homegirl Cafe • 130 Bruno St
213-617-0380 • $$
Staffed by recovering gangbangers. Now open for dinner.

• Hygge Bakery • 1106 S Hope St
213-995-5022 • $
Danish pastries. So very buttery.

• Johnny Rockets • 445 S Figueroa St
213-488-9186 • $$
You know what you’re getting, and it’s going to be cheap.

• Koshiji • 123 Onizuka St
213-626-4989 • $$$
The lunch bento is one of the best deals around.

• Lazy Ox Canteen • 241 S San Pedro St
213-626-5299 • $$$
Fusion defined, and almost all perfect.

• Men Oh Tokushima • 456 E 2nd St
213-687-8485 • $
When the Daikokuya wait is long, head here.

• Mendocino Farms • 444 S Flower St
213-627-3262 • $$
Perhaps the best sandwiches in the world.

• Mikawaya • 118 Japanese Village Plz Mall
213-624-1681 • $
Delicious, sweet Japanese treats! Gelato mochi is the best.

• Nick & Stef’s Steakhouse • 330 S Hope St
213-680-0330 • $$$$$
Old-fashioned steaks in an ultra-modern downtown setting.

• Noe • 251 S Olive St
213-356-4100 • $$$$
Omni Hotel’s upscale Japanese-American.

• Oomasa • 100 Japanese Village Plaza Mall
213-623-9048 • $$
Cozy, late-night, traditional Japanese fare.

• Original Pantry Café • 877 S Figueroa St
213-972-9279 • $
All-American diner open 24 hours since 1924.

• Pacific Dining Car • 1310 W 6th St
213-483-6000 • $$$$
Steak all day, all night.

• Pete’s Café & Bar • 400 S Main St
213-617-1000 • $$$
Great bar, big drinks, tasty American fare.

• Philippe the Original • 1001 N Alameda St
213-628-3781 • $
The best French dips in town. Totally awesome.

• Pitfire Artisan Pizza • 108 W 2nd St
213-808-1200 • $
Local ingredients for discerning locals.

• R23 • 923 E 2nd St
213-687-7178 • $$$$
Stylish sushi in the LA arts district.

• Saffron • 505 S Flower St
213-488-9754 • $
Serving straightforward Indian dishes to the downtown lunch crowd.

• Suehiro Café • 337 E 1st St
213-626-9132 • $$
Comfort food, Japanese-style, with comic books.

• Sushi-Gen • 422 E 2nd St
213-617-0552 • $$
Excellent sushi favored by locals.

• Syrup Desserts • 611 S Spring St
213-488-5136 • $
For your sweetest tooth.

• Tiara Café • 127 E 9th St
213-623-3663 • $$
A good compromise if you’re a carnivore dating a vegan.

• TOT • 345 E 2nd St
213-680-0344 • $$
Good lunch spot for affordable Japanese. Try one of the tuna bowls.

• Traxx • 800 N Alameda St
213-625-1999 • $$
As elegant and exquisite as Union Station itself.

• Via • 451 Gin Ling Way
213-617-1481 • $
Small Vietnamese café mostly occupied by young artists and gallerists.

• Water Grill • 544 S Grand Ave
213-891-0900 • $$$
Expense-account dining to impress. And it’s delicious.

• Wurstkuche • 800 E 3rd St
213-687-4444 • $$
Have some bier with your sausage.

• Zip Izakaya • 744 E 3rd St
213-680-3770 • $$
Fusion sushi in the heart of the Artists’ District.

Philippe the Original serves its famous French dip sandwiches at long tables on a sawdust-covered dining room floor. During the inevitable exodus from a Staples Center event, don’t pass up the Original Pantry Café, a 24-hour diner that claims to have never closed its doors. Lazy Ox offers scrumptious and hearty food from around the world, on plates both small and large. In Little Tokyo, Sushi-Gen can’t be beat.

Shopping

• American Apparel • 363 E 2nd St
213-617-7222
Simple clothing made sweatshop-free.

• American Apparel Factory Store • 747 Warehouse St
213-488-0226
Find irregular or overstock items at a fraction of retail price.

• Berger Beads • 413 E 8th St
213-627-8783
More vintage beads than you could possibly imagine.

• California Market Center • 110 E 9th St
213-630-3600
Gift, home accent, and fashion showrooms, as well as a handful of restaurants.

• Fig at 7th • 735 S Figueroa St
213-955-7150
Downtown’s only real shopping mall.

• Grand Central Market • 317 S Broadway
213-624-2378
An LA legend since 1917 with produce, fish, meat, and ice cream all under one roof.

• Los Angeles Flower Market • 766 Wall St
213-627-3696
Say it with flowers, cheaply.

• Michaels • 219 Glendale Blvd
818-291-0944
Pipe cleaners, felt, and puff paints galore!

• MOCA Store • 250 S Grand Ave
213-621-1710
Museum store’s a haven for design.

• Moskatels • 733 San Julian St
213-689-4590
Massive craft and flower store.

• popKiller Second • 343 E 2nd St
213-625-1372
When you’re in Little Tokyo and you need a with-it belt buckle . . .

• Pussy & Pooch • 564 S Main St
213-438-0900
Pethouse and Pawbar—grooming and gifting for the Angeleno animal.

• The Santee Alley • 210 E Olympic Blvd
310-203-0101
The perfect place to find convincing “kate spate” or “Prado” handbags.

• Shan Fabrics • 733 Ceres Ave
213-891-9393
They carry Vlisco (the Dutch rolls royce of African wax resist fabric!!).

• Welcome Hunters • 454 Jung Jing Rd
213-687-9905
Happy-to-help fashion consultation for happenin’ youth.