Issuu

2018

DTLA BOOK 2018

Y O U R G U I D E / Y E A R B O O K O F D O W N T O W N L. A.

THE

AR BOOK Cover artist Peter Greco is a local treasure with recognizable murals through out DTLA. Scan this QR code with your standard iPhone camera to launch our DTLA Book AR App and watch the image come to life!

Vol. 02 // 2018

AR VIDEO

COVER: The original cover art created by Peter Greco for DTLA BOOK. QUIZ: Can you find the word “DTLA”? See the answer in the AR video. More about the artist: page 50.

Features 4 5

AR Drone Video by Ian Wood Letter from the Publishers

6 5 ESSENTIAL RULES FOR TOTALLY ENJOYING DTLA New shops, restaurants, bars and art galleries pop up every week. Here’s how to take it all in.

14 DTLA’S 16 DISTRICTS Get to know each vibrant area of the hottest neighborhood in L.A.

16 20 BUILDINGS TO TREASURE From 1893’s Bradbury Building to 2017’s Wilshire Grand, a look at the most glorious architecture of Downtown’s last 125 years— and the reason why so much of it thankfully survived: “It got mothballed.”

24 SEASIDE VIBES Clothing designer Heidi Merrick chose the Fashion District to bring her beach-inspired, made-in-L.A. line to life. In 2016, she opened her own boutique here as well: “It’s a place where you can make things happen.”

28 DESIGNERS OF THE DISTRICT Ten of the most stylish brands to know in 2018 are all based in DTLA.

32 WHERE THE SILENT STARS FROLICKED

Downtown has been a favorite filming location for Hollywood since the 1910s and 1920s, when stars such as Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd and Clara Bow made it their celluloid playground.

FROM LEFT: POUL LANGE; JOSHUA SPENCER

CONTENTS

40 DIVINE DINING

66 FAST FORWARD

Located in a magnificent former Archdiocese cathedral, Redbird restaurant and Vibiana events venue are the delectable culinary province of Neal and Amy Fraser.

The future of transportation is taking shape in Downtown Los Angeles, thanks to the efforts of two ambitious rail startups.

68 THE CRAZIEST BAR IN DTLA 44 DTLA NOIR With real-life mummies, bodies in suitcases and secret tunnels—and a cursed building that inspired American Horror Story: Hotel—it’s no wonder Downtown birthed a whole new chilling genre. AR

50 MASTER OF MURALS

VIDEO

Peter Greco combines classical calligraphy with street art to create his signature “calligraffiti” works, generating some of DTLA’s most unforgettable public art.

In the ’80s and ’90s, the American Hotel and its former music club, Al’s Bar—the subjects of a fascinating new documentary—were where artists and bands were free to run wild: “It was social sculpture.”

FROM LEFT: HUNTER KERHART; CARLEY RUDD; COURTESY MELISSA ECKMAN

These five DTLA companies not only design stylish clothing and accessories—they also help communities from Skid Row’s homeless to Bangladeshi moms. Says the president of one company, The Giving Keys: “Giving people a purpose is critical.”

In the Arts District, painter Vanessa Prager and watch dealer Stephen Hallock create a home in the type of raw, soaring space that “doesn’t really exist anymore.”

Established 237 years ago, El Pueblo, founded as a Spanish mission, was reborn as a themed shopping area in the 1930s.

80 LAP OF LUXURY In the surprisingly dog-friendly urban jungle of DTLA, the go-to spot for all things upscale pet is Pussy & Pooch.

62 GO METRO! Seven Downtown train stations, all within easy walking distance of each other, give seamless access to the vast and diverse culture of Los Angeles, even the beach.

community and hosted a dinner prepared by Tuck Hotel founder and chef Juan Pablo Torre. AR

86 INSTANT KARMA

VIDEO

DTLA Book sent two photographers— Alexander Laurent and Poul Lange—out to shoot DTLA.

90 THE TASTE MAKERS Downtown L.A.’s brightest creatives and entrepreneurs dish on the restaurants, shops and art they love best right now.

72 UNICORN LOFT

76 L.A.’S BIRTHPLACE 56 GREATER GOODS

126

82 EAT AND GREET The DTLA Dinner Club, founded by political consultant Josh Gray-Emmer, is a way for residents to connect. DTLA Book joined the

102 POINTS OF VIEW A historic icon and two modern towers offer three takes on the city’s epic vista and beyond.

Our Faves 104 Eat 120 Drink 126 Wellness 129 Shop 136 Arts 142 Play

End Notes 144

Contributors, the Team and Acknowledgments.

DTLA BOOK 2018

The videographer’s mesmerizing footage captures the city’s essence and every nook.

DTLA BOOK 2018

Scan this QR code with your standard iPhone camera to launch our DTLA Book AR App and watch the image come to life! Powered by augmentmode.com

IAN WOOD

AR VIDEO

WATCH IAN WOOD’S DTLA DRONE VIDEO!

Letter from the Publishers

A DTLA MOMENT

ast year, when we put together our book about everything to know in Downtown Los Angeles, we thought it was a done deal—that we had created the indispensable look at our neighborhood. However,

almost the day that we published, it became clear that the Downtown renaissance to which we had dedicated our book was accelerating at such warp speed that an update would be essential. And here it is: The first edition now makes way for our second edition, DTLA Book 2018. In the space of a little over one year, Downtown has welcomed scores of restaurants, bars and shops and two new museums. Our latest guide is brimming with chic new shopping opportunities, adventurous new art galleries and lively new bars. Inside these pages, we bring you a look at the top DTLA-based designers who are influencing fashion today; introduce you to our cover artist, Peter Greco, whose murals you may have already seen on Instagram; and show you five stylish companies that are doing well by helping others. We also give the lowdown on two companies that may be creating the future of transportation—sci-filike hyperloop transport—from their Downtown offices. With all of this forward motion and the rapid pace of building throughout the district, inevitably some things are lost. As we get more coffee choices in the Fashion District, our options for buying from momand-pop stores dwindle. A new fashion outlet on Broadway opens; a Mexican botanica storefront closes. And with every chic little restaurant we get at Grand Central Market, it gets harder to find the cheap vegetable stands that dominated the hall not long ago. That’s why in the following pages we also celebrate the hidden treasures and colorful history that make up Downtown Los Angeles—the things that we dearly hope will be preserved for all time. DTLA Book pays homage to the past with a story about El Pueblo, the 1781 birthplace of Los Angeles (page 76); a look at 20 of the architectural wonders of the last 125 years (page 16); and movie stills that show where silent film stars were shot Downtown contrasted with present-day photos that reveal what remains there today (page 32). We hope that you will come to cherish these survivors from the past as much as we do. As you explore and enjoy Downtown, take a moment to look around and appreciate what we have right now. Remember, today will certainly be the good old days of tomorrow! —Kayoko & Shana

ESSENTIAL RULES

FOR TOTALLY ENJOYING

DTLA

RULE

NO. 1

WALK IT! Welcome to the most walkable neighborhood in all of Los Angeles. By Degen Pener // Photography by Joshua Spencer

he phrase “Nobody walks in L.A.” is fast becoming dated. With a walk score of 95

Throughout the following pages, our model, Brianna Lopez, wears clothing by DTLA-based Venia Collection. Its designers—who keep their identity hidden, going by the names Eni and Nigma—use 3-D printing, sustainable materials and upcycled textiles to create their line. Brianna wears accessories by Kestan, a label with a commitment to ethical labor and environmental impact policies. Its flagship store is located in Costa Mesa, California, and they also sell at The Row’s Smorgasburg market. Styled by Chrstine Ko, hair & makeup by Lisa Lex.

DTLA BOOK 2018

(an increase of one point from the previous year), Downtown Los Angeles is a paradise for people who love experiencing a city on foot. People in DTLA can stroll

to an average of 33 restaurants, bars and coffee shops in five minutes—a welcome thing in a metropolis designed around car culture. According to a 2015 survey, 22 percent of DTLA locals live and work here, and 62 percent of that group walk to work every day. It’s a trend that’s sure to intensify. In the first nine months of 2017, Downtown saw a record 2,700 new apartments enter the market. Less than two decades ago—in 1999—the population of DTLA was just 18,700 people; it had more than tripled by 2016, hitting 65,185. New shops, restaurants, bars and art galleries pop up every week, inviting residents and visitors alike to hit the streets in search of the next great thing.

Brianna in front of Bunker Hillâ€™s The Broad museum, which, when it opened in 2015, attracted 820,000 visitors in its inaugural year.

RULE

NO. 2

SHOP TILL YOU DROP Buy local. Get eclectic.

rand department stores—now long gone—graced Downtown decades ago. Today, a retail

renaissance is animating the area, everywhere from Little Tokyo and the Arts District to lively developments FIGat7th, The Row and The Bloc. DTLA is also a bargain hunter’s dream, with its fabric, flower and toy markets all waiting to be explored.

JAPANESE VILLAGE PLAZA

B r i a n n a i n L i t t l e To k y o ’s i c o n i c s h o p p i n g a n d d i n i n g c e n t e r. Opened in 1984, it boasts 35 stores and restaurants. 3 3 5 E . 2 n d S t . // 2 1 3 - 6 1 7-1 9 0 0 // j a p a n e s e v i l l a g e p l a z a . n e t

DTLA BOOK 2018

RULE

NO. 3

EAT, DRINK, REPEAT

So many flavors, so little time.

he DTLA dining scene is so hot, it’s drawing chefs from all over, like Eleven Madison

Park’s Daniel Humm, David Chang of the Momofuku empire and James Beard Award-winning chef Jessica Largey (see page 90), who all have new restaurants opening here in 2018. It’s also a springboard for the latest Instagramworthy trends like taiyaki ice cream, traditional Japanese fish-shaped cakes served warm and stuffed with soft serve.

SNOWYA

B r i a n n a s a m p l e s t h e s w e e t t r e a t s t o r e ’s t a i y a k i m a t c h a / m i l k swirl. Weller Court, 123 Astronaut E. S. Onizuka St., Ste. 103, L i t t l e To k y o // 2 1 3 -2 6 5 -76 3 7 // s n o w y a . c o m

GET IT NOW!

You can shop the looks from Brianna’s day exploring Downtown—and receive a special 10 percent discount on the Venia Collection and Kestan pieces she wears. Just enter the code “DTLABOOK” at online store checkout. Limited supply. Hurry!

Venia’s Vitis silk dress, $650 Raphanus silk top, $355

Kestan’s Aster ring in silver rhodium, $15 Comet bracelet in silver rhodium, $30

Lovell ring in sterling silver, $35

Archway ring in silver rhodium, $15

Lyra necklace in silver rhodium, $30

Mendenhall silk top, price upon request*, and Viola tencel culottes, $298

Scan these QR codes with your standard iPhone camera or Android QR code reader app to visit their online stores. Get 10% OFF by using special discount code DTLABOOK at checkout.

KESTAN Kestrel necklace in silver rhodium, $25

DTLA BOOK 2018

kestan.co The ethically sourced California company sells a chic mix of affordable dresses and jewelry.

VENIA COLLECTION veniacollection.com Based in DTLA, the line is produced with sustainable materials often using 3-D printing techniques.

Jasminium fish-leather jacket, price upon request*; Raphanus silk top, $355; and Iris leather leggings, $900 *All price-upon-request pieces will be produced by special request only.

I S EXCITE D TO AN NOUNCE OUR

IS NOW OPEN!

#LifeHappensHere #StyleHappensHere @FIGat7th · FIGat7th.com 735 S. Figueroa St. · Downtown L.A. Across from the 7th Street/Metro Center Station

DTLA’S 16 DISTRICTS Get to know each vibrant area of the hottest neighborhood in L.A. 6. BUNKER HILL

By Liz Ohanesian // Illustrations by Lulu

Once home to mansions, Bunker Hill is now known for office buildings, Los Angeles’ Museum of Contemporary Art, The Broad and Walt Disney Concert Hall. Use the 298-foot-long Angels Flight Railway for easy access to this district.

4. FINANCIAL DISTRICT Downtown’s skyscrapers will lead you to the Financial District. If you make it to the top of one of these buildings, you’ll get a phenomenal view of the city.

110

5. JEWELRY DISTRICT

JEWELRY DISTRICT

SOUTH PARK 2

FLOWER DISTRICT

EL PUEBLO

OR C IC

OR T S I 12 8 H ROW LITTLE Y ER 13 TOKYO L L GA TOY DISTRICT 3

INDUSTRIAL FASHION 14 DISTRICT PIÑATA DISTRICT DISTRICT

10 1

ARTS DISTRICT S R IVE R

LOS

Located within the Fashion District, the Flower District is a six-block floral marketplace. Consisting of nearly 200 wholesale flower dealers, it’s the largest flower market in the United States. The district is open to both the public and the trade.

BUNKER HILL

FINANCIAL DISTRICT

Los Angeles’ Fashion District overflows with clothing and fabrics. Bargain hunters will want to head to Santee Alley, the large apparel marketplace that sits between Santee Street, Maple Avenue, Olympic Boulevard and 12th Street.

3. FLOWER DISTRICT

6 4

2. FASHION DISTRICT

CHINATOWN

CIVIC CENTER

ELE

You will find the bulk of Downtown’s crowds in South Park gathered along Figueroa Street, where the Los Angeles Convention Center, STAPLES Center and L.A. LIVE sit side by side.

ANG

1. SOUTH PARK

Los Angeles’ Jewelry District sits next to Pershing Square, where buildings like St. Vincent Jewelry Center and California Jewelry Mart glisten with stones and precious metals.

DTLA BOOK 2018

WALKING & BIKING

TIPS One of DTLA’s best qualities is that it’s easy to do on foot. It’s about two-and-ahalf miles from Chinatown to the Convention Center, essentially opposite sides of Downtown. Other districts are much closer in proximity. To take advantage of the neighborhood’s walkability, divide your excursions into groups of districts. You can travel through Chinatown, El Pueblo, Little Tokyo, the Arts District and Civic Center in an afternoon. The same goes for South Park, the Financial District, Bunker Hill and the Historic Core. If you prefer bicycles, get the Metro Bike Share app to find the bikes docked throughout Downtown.

7. CIVIC CENTER The Civic Center district is home to Los Angeles’ City Hall, the LAPD’s Police Administration Building and other official structures, but it’s not all business here. Enjoy live performances at The Music Center, tour Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels and find a moment of peace at Grand Park.

8. HISTORIC CORE Many of Downtown’s vintage buildings are clustered together within the Historic Core, including Grand Central Market, the Bradbury Building, The Last Bookstore and a number of renovated movie palaces.

9. GALLERY ROW Centered around Spring and Main streets, Gallery Row overlaps the Historic Core and is known as the home of Downtown’s Art Walk on the second Thursday of the month.

10. CHINATOWN Chung King Road, Chinatown

Chinatown connects Downtown with the northeastern portion of Los Angeles as well as Dodger Stadium. The neighborhood is an art hub thanks to the galleries on Chung King Road and has emerged as a foodie destination in recent years with a bounty of new restaurants (such as Chego) and old-school spots (like Yang Chow).

11. EL PUEBLO

12. LITTLE TOKYO This historically Japanese neighborhood draws multigenerational crowds for its mix of shopping and dining, as well as the Japanese American National Museum and MOCA’s Geffen Contemporary.

13. TOY DISTRICT The Toy District is a collection of predominately wholesale vendors neighboring Little Tokyo.

14. PIÑATA DISTRICT The Piñata District isn’t an officially recognized neighborhood, but this Fashion District– adjacent stop is locally known for its wealth of whimsical creations ready to be filled with candy.

15. INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT Los Angeles’ warehouse-heavy Industrial District—where must-visit spots include The Row and Smorgasburg—sits along Alameda Street, adjacent to the Arts District.

16. ARTS DISTRICT You’ll find murals throughout Downtown, but the collection inside the Arts District is bountiful. Restaurants, coffee spots and boutiques are found within the painted buildings.

El Pueblo de Los Angeles marks the oldest section of the city with a collection of small museums as well as shopping/dining destination Olvera Street. El Pueblo is host to frequent community events. Olvera Street, El Pueblo

The Row, Industrial District

E. 3rd Street, Arts District

20 BUILDINGS TO TREASURE From 1893’s Bradbury Building to 2017’s Wilshire Grand, a look at the most glorious architecture of Downtown’s last 125 years—and the reason why so much of it thankfully survived: “It got mothballed.”

By Degen Pener // Photography by Hunter Kerhart

hen architectural historian Laura Massino Smith gives tours of DTLA, she often hears the same thing. “People think L.A. is a new city. They have no idea how old it is,” she says, noting the city’s 1781 founding and that its oldest house, the

Avila Adobe, dates to 1818. Her tour, Architecture Tours L.A., covers “three centuries of wildly eclectic architecture, from the 19th century to the newest buildings from a few years ago.” Why so much of that architecture has been preserved is a tale itself. “Usually what you will see in a city is that some buildings would have been torn down to build high-rises,” says Linda Dishman, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Conservancy preservation group. “We

1893

BRADBURY BUILDING

304 S. Broadway, Historic Core, thebradbury.com

The subdued Italian Renaissance Revival exterior of this five-story office building provides few clues to the wonders within. Built by gold-mining millionaire Lewis Bradbury, the National Historic Landmark welcomes visitors to its first floor, where they can take in a nearly 50-foot-high skylit atrium exquisitely dressed up with yellow and pink brick, opencage elevators, marble stairs and ornate Art Nouveau iron railings. The building memorably appears in 1982’s Blade Runner.

1908

PACMUTUAL BUILDING

523 W. 6th St., Financial District, pacmutualdtla.com

“It’s incredibly inspiring to walk through the breathtaking marble-clad lobby every morning,” says Dishman of this building, where the L.A.

Conservancy offices are located and which in fact comprises three connected structures. The first, built in 1908, is a six-story Beaux Arts tower, the oldest remaining building on Pershing Square. Adjacent is a 12-story office tower added in 1921 and a parking garage built in 1926. While the façade of the original building was later redone in a Moderne style, the 1921 addition still retains its beautiful terra cotta tile exterior.

1923

MILLENNIUM BILTMORE

506 S. Grand Ave., Financial District, millenniumhotels.com

Host to eight Academy Awards ceremonies in the ’30s and ’40s, this imposing 11-story Beaux Arts hotel covers half a city block. The largest hotel west of Chicago when it opened, the building boasts a grand lobby with a beamed Moorish ceiling and function rooms with murals painted by Italian artist Giovanni Smeraldi.

DTLA BOOK 2018

1965

9 8

THE CALEDISON

601 W. 5th St., Financial District, thecaledison.com

The monumental 14-story former Southern California Edison Building was built as a paean to energy, with sculptures by Merrell Gage and a mural by Hugo Ballin representing forms of power. The Art Deco lobby, open to the public and offering free Wi-Fi, is beautifully designed in 17 types of marble and boasts a 30-foot-high coffered ceiling.

1939

UNION STATION

800 N. Alameda St., Civic Support, unionstationla.com

Known as the last of the country’s great railway stations, Union Station has been described as Mission Moderne in style, a design that combines Art Deco and Spanish Colonial Revival elements. Intriguing details abound in the massive structure including coffered ceilings, decorative star shapes, and floor designs in terra cotta tile and travertine marble.

10 1947

GERRY BUILDING

910 S. Los Angeles St., Fashion District, gerrybuilding.com

This distinctive late-Moderne office building, with its graceful rounded-corner canopies on the façade, has continuously housed fashion showrooms since it opened. It was one of the first buildings built in Downtown after World War II.

mothballed,” says Jernigan. One jewel lamentably was lost: The Richfield Tower, a

DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND POWER BUILDING

dramatic black-and-gold terra cotta–tiled 12-story building,

111 N. Hope St., Bunker Hill

was torn down in 1969, to be replaced by ARCO Plaza towers.

The drama of this 17-story utility-department office building—with its striking horizontal concrete slabs that extend from the structure— comes from the enormous 1.2-million-gallon pool surrounding it like a moat and the blaze of lights that stunningly illuminate it at night.

But when the Central Library was similarly proposed for

1974

1931

the 1920s. “ We’re very lucky. The Historic Core got

demolition, a preservation movement erupted, saving it and leading to the formation in 1978 of the L.A. Conservancy. As the value of historic buildings rose in people’s estimation, Downtown’s core eventually became prized. In 1991, developer Ira Yellin restored the beautiful Bradbury Building. In 1999—the same year the STAPLES Center was built

BANK OF AMERICA

333 S. Hope St., Bunker Hill, brookfieldproperties.com

The sixth-tallest building in L.A., this 55-story stone-and-glass skyscraper, built as the Security Pacific Bank building, was renamed the Bank of America tower in 2004 and boasts a beautiful Alexander Calder sculpture in its plaza.

1956

THE STANDARD

550 S. Flower St., Financial District, standardhotels.com

Built in Corporate Moderne style, the former Superior Oil Company Building is clad in a striking grid of white marble and ribbed stainless steel. In 2002, it was converted into a boutique hotel.

DTLA BOOK 2018

SEASIDE VIBES Heidi Merrick chose the Fashion District to bring her beach-inspired, made-in-L.A. line to life. In 2016, she opened a boutique: “It’s a place where you can make things happen.” By Lesley McKenzie

owntown might not seem like the most obvious place for a designer who grew up on the beach to launch a California-centric clothing line and debut

a boutique, but for Heidi Merrick, it made total sense. “It’s a place where you can make things happen,” says Merrick, who answered her calling in fashion after designing her own wedding dress 15 years ago. As a student learning patterning and sewing at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, located just south of Downtown, Merrick quickly became immersed in the area’s “culture of made-in-America clothing,” she says. “I realized I could do a clothing collection there easily.” With an inaugural four-piece offering fashioned from vintage fabrics, Merrick debuted her namesake line in 2006. It was as much an ode to her urban surrounds as to her laidback seaside upbringing in Carpinteria, California, with parents Terry and Al Merrick, founders of Channel Islands Surf boards, a famed brand beloved by such surf icons as Tom Curren and Kelly Slater. Merrick describes growing up surfboards and your mom packs picnics for the beach.” Her first collection was “four pieces that women wanted to wear, and I’ve never really varied from that idea,” says Merrick, whose equally wearable current collection includes breezy raw-silk gowns, plush velvet bodysuits,

DTLA BOOK 2018

PURA SOUL PHOTOGRAPHY

as “an idyllic California childhood where your dad shapes

FROM TOP: PURA SOUL PHOTOGRPAHY; NICOLE LAMOTTE

CALI COOL CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Merrick in her store, where tops and bikinis sit on a table by MASHstudios, and Britt Merrick for H. Merrick surfboards line the wall; the line’s Olivera gown in ivory; tags and fabric samples.

DTLA BOOK 2018

DESIGNERS OF THE DISTRICT Ten of the most stylish brands to know in 2018 are based in DTLA. By Lesley McKenzie

preading across 100 blocks, the Fashion District is home to more than 2,000 wholesale and retail companies. Among the most talked-about are these ten labels from designers including a pair of CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund winners; Jennifer Lopezâ€™s

former stylist; two models-turned-creatives; and an eco-minded innovator discovering new ways to make clothing both chic and sustainable.

BROCK COLLECTION Models wearing the Spring/Summer 2018 collection during New York Fashion Week; dresses in the line start at $700.

28â€‡

DTLA BOOK 2018

Brock and Vassar at New York Fashion Week

WASSON After introducing her costume jewelry line, Low Luv, in 2008, and making bespoke pieces for Alexander Wang’s runway shows, model Erin Wasson debuted her fine jewelry line, Wasson, in 2016. “It’s a culmination of my experiences, my education in the world of fashion and an expression of my personal passion,” says Wasson of the line, which counts Karlie Kloss and Emily Ratajkowski as fans. wearwasson.com.

BROCK COLLECTION

Wasson’s designs include (from top left) the Fluid Orbit earring, Hoop & Pin pendant necklace and Crater Disc cocktail ring ($1,600–$2,460).

Launched in 2014 and crowned the winner of the CFDA/ Vogue Fashion Fund just two years later, ready-to-wear line Brock Collection is the brainchild of husband-and-wife team Laura Vassar and Kristopher Brock. Expert tailoring and

BROCK COLLECTION: DAN AND CORINA LECCA; WASSON: TOBY LYNN; A.L.C.: DANIELA-SPECTOR; LIEBERMAN: TOBY LYNN

attention to details define these romantic luxury essentials (sold at Barneys New York and Neiman Marcus), from lingerie-inspired silk slip dresses to airy, lace-trimmed frocks. brock-collection.com.

A.L.C. Former stylist to the likes of Gwen Stefani, Drew Barrymore and Jennifer Lopez (remember that thigh-baring green Versace dress at the 2000 Grammys?), New Yorker Andrea Lieberman decamped for the West Coast and debuted A.L.C., her ready-to-wear and accessories line, in 2009. ABOVE: Lieberman. LEFT: A.L.C. dresses (which retail for $375– $995) hanging in the designer’s Fashion District studio.

Edgy silhouettes define this brand of elevated, day-tonight basics, from double-breasted wool jackets to cropped sweaters and collarless silk shirts. alcltd.com.

DTLA BOOK 2018

32â€‡

DTLA BOOK 2018

WHERE THE SILENT STARS FROLICKED Downtown has been a favorite filming location for Hollywood since the 1910s and 1920s, when stars such as Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd and Clara Bow made it their celluloid playground. By John Bengtson // Present-day photography by Hunter Kerhart

os Angeles epitomized the Roaring ’20s. New aqueducts drenched the arid region with imported water, spurring phenomenal growth. L.A. surpassed San Francisco’s population in 1920, and ended the decade doubling in size. Women had gained the

vote, hemlines and stock markets were up and jazz was all the rage. Hollywood reflected the era’s optimism and fun, including movies where women outshined the men. Thus, audiences laughed and cheered when Dorothy Devore, playing a “lady reporter,” scaled the Los Angeles

MARC WANAMAKER – BISON ARCHIVES

Railway Building to solve a mystery in the 1924 film Hold Your Breath.

THEN: Devore, atop 1060 S. Broadway, in a still from Hold Your Breath with a view looking north up Broadway from 11th Street. NOW: Such Broadway landmarks as the United Artists Theatre, the Eastern Columbia Building and the Orpheum Theatre were all built later in the booming era.

HAROLD LLOYD ABOVE BROADWAY Harold Lloyd was box office king. More prolific than Chaplin, and more popular than Buster Keaton, the bespectacled star sold more movie tickets in the 1920s than any other comedian. Lloyd’s can-do spirit fit with the times, overcoming all obstacles in his way, even a skyscraper! The actor staged his stunt-climbing comedies by building small two-level sets atop several DTLA buildings, including 908 S. Broadway for his 1923 classic Safety Last! While still riotously funny today, his many films also inadvertently captured the 1920s building boom.

THEN: Lloyd in Safety Last! hanging from a clock specially built for the film atop 908 S. Broadway. The Hamburger’s store building, built in 1908, which later became a May Company department store, is visible on the southwest corner of Broadway and 8th Street. NOW: The Hamburger building, most recently known as the Broadway Trade Center, is undergoing a renovation as a mixed-use project.

DTLA BOOK 2018

HAROLD LLOYD ENTERTAINMENT, INC.

DIVINE DINING Located in a magnificent former Archdiocese cathedral, Redbird restaurant and Vibiana events venue are the delectable culinary province of chef Neal Fraser and his wife, Amy Knoll Fraser. By Lesley McKenzie

or as long as he can remember, born-and-raised Angeleno Neal Fraser has been an avid supporter of his hometown. “I’ve always worn Los Angeles on my

sleeve,” says the chef. “People really had a bone to pick with it, and I was always trying to prove them wrong, and now it’s gotten a lot easier.” It’s a shift in perception that can be attributed in part to the city’s rapidly evolving dining scene, in which Fraser has played a hand since opening his first restaurant, Boxer, in 1995. Two years later, Fraser came on board as chef at Santa Monica’s now-defunct Rix restaurant, where he met his wife and business partner, Amy Knoll Fraser; the two went on to launch some of L.A.’s most beloved dining institutions, including the now-shuttered Grace and BLD, which, like Boxer, sat centrally located on Beverly Boulevard in the

inside Vibiana—a breathtaking events and performing arts

Fairfax District. “I spent almost 15 years of my career on the

venue housed in one of the city’s few remaining 19th-century

same street,” he says.

landmarks, a former Archdiocese Catholic cathedral—it was

But ever since he completed an externship at Downtown’s

hard to say no. (St. Vibiana had been deconsecrated in 1996;

Checkers Hotel under Thomas Keller at age 21, Fraser had

in 2001, the newly built Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels

dreamed of opening a restaurant in the neighborhood. And

was anointed as its successor.)

with the area’s “big-city feel.”

“I was just stunned by the building. I had no idea it was here,” says Knoll Fraser, who had done a walkthrough

So in 2008, when the couple was presented with an

of the whole Italian Baroque property—complete with

opportunity to open an eatery in Downtown’s Historic Core

marble altar—ahead of a catering gig, and learned that the

DTLA BOOK 2018

Chef Fraser’s deconstructed New York “Cheesecake,” with citrus, caramelized olives and blood orange sorbet.

CARLEY RUDD

Knoll Fraser, a Tennessee transplant, had long been in love

LOVE AT FIRST BITE

Splendor in the Grass cocktail with Four Pillars dry gin, Clément Canne Bleue white rhum, orange bitters and Pernod Absinthe

owners were looking for a restaurant to occupy the former rectory building, built in 1933. “I got chills, and said, ‘Neal has to see this. We have to do this.’” After the couple started negotiations with owner Tom Gilmore, the scope of the project grew. “It became evident that all of it needed to be managed by a team that had experience in hospitality,” says Knoll Fraser. “It made sense to structure a deal in which Neal and I took over the operations of everything.” In 2012, after years of permitting and refinancing, the Silver Lake–based Frasers, along with a group of partners,

INTERIOR: LAURE JOLIET; COCKTAIL: CARLEY RUDD

took over the venue as both owners and operators and set about restoring and modernizing it, debuting their modern American restaurant, Redbird, three years later. Knoll Fraser teamed up with designer Robert Weimer to thoughtfully reimagine the space while paying homage to its original bones. The surroundings, in turn, inspired Fraser’s vision for the eclectic menu, prepared in the chef’s signature French technique using ingredients that showcase the city’s multicultural character. Think heritage pork posole with Redbird’s light-filled main dining room, located in the former rectory of the Vibiana cathedral. The Frasers chose the name Redbird because the quarters of the Archdiocese’s cardinal were on the fourth floor.

cabbage and avocado, and California sea bass served with butterball potato and pickled radish.

DTLA BOOK 2018

DTLA NOIR With real-life mummies, bodies in suitcases and secret tunnels—and a cursed building that inspired American Horror Story: Hotel —it’s no wonder Downtown birthed a whole new chilling genre. Edited by Degen Pener // Illustrations by Chris Sharp

ince becoming a booming urban center in the 1910s and 1920s, Downtown has been the scene of so many crimes, swindles and capers that it gave birth to an entire storytelling genre: noir. The foremost practitioner of the style, Raymond Chandler, took inspiration

from real-life L.A. crimes splashed across newspaper front pages, while tales that looked at the city’s dark underbelly hit the big screen, creating classics like Double Indemnity and In a Lonely Place. For a look at the era’s most illicit and wild true tales, DTLA Book spoke to five tour guides, writers and historians to ask what most fascinates them to this day.

DOWNTOWN MUMMIES As recounted by Kim Cooper, co-founder of Esotouric Bus Adventures tour company

like to say that every neighborhood gets the crimes that it deserves, and there is no L.A. neighborhood that has attracted as many weirdos as Downtown. There are so

many peculiar narratives that dance around in my brain, competing for favor. Many of them are featured on our tours. I’m fascinated by the travels of Elmer McCurdy, the mummified Old West outlaw exhibited for many years at Louis Sonney’s wax museum at 6th & Main, and after passing through several hands ended his performing life on display in a Long Beach fun house attraction whose owners didn’t realize this battered old thing was an actual human

DID YOU KNOW? In 1921, Louis Sonney was a peace officer in Washington State. He arrested the robber Roy Gardner, received a $5,000 reward and opened The Museum of Crime in L.A., displaying wax replicas of Jesse James and the Dalton Brothers. Elmer McCurdy’s mummified body was given a room of his own. The museum closed in 1949 when Sonney died.

DTLA BOOK 2018

ILLICIT UNDERGROUND As recounted by Sandi Hemmerlein, writer and historian, AtlasObscura.com

W DTLA BOOK 2018

and a piano store moved into the ground level, conveniently acting as a cover. The underground bar is now the storage basement of the King Eddy Saloon, which, once Prohibition was repealed,

hen the King Edward Hotel opened, it offered

came up from the underground. In fact, the sign outside of

high-class accommodations for travelers

it says “King Eddy’s, Established 1933.” Of course, it was

coming into Downtown, way before that area

established way before that, but that’s the year Prohibition

was known as The Nickel, aka Skid Row. And it had a bar at

know as the King Eddy Saloon moved into the basement

was repealed.

street level like any other nice hotel would have. But when

The King Eddy basement is just the tip of the iceberg,

the Volstead Act began to enforce the 18th Amendment and

though. The speakeasy used to be connected to an entire

Prohibition was in full swing by January 1920, what we now

network of tunnels underneath that part of Downtown near

Spring Street, which was considered the “Wall Street of the West” and is now what you’d call the Old Bank District. If you were moving large sums of money—even legally— it made a lot more sense to do it underground to avoid the streetcars, automobiles, horses, pedestrians and bicycles of that era. But in the ’20s and early ’30s during Prohibition in particular, those tunnels became quite convenient for illicit activity—if you didn’t have the connections to City Hall or the vice squad to be able to do it out in the open. The thing about the speakeasies is that they were sort of just for show. If you were connected, you didn’t have to go underground to do your business during Prohibition. Every thing was basica lly run out of City Ha ll. The government was in on it. If you had the money and the inf luence, you could continue to do whatever it was you wanted and continue to make a lot of money off it. There were mob bosses who boasted of having a direct line into City Hall. One of the main Prohibition officers, the head of the vice detail—it was called the Purity Squad at the time—actually ended up moving over to the dark side. He ran gambling rackets on the side and then quit altogether to become a bootlegger. And where was the cops’ favorite place to go drinking during Prohibition? King Eddy’s.

THE CURSED HOTEL

window, just upstairs from where Helen Gurnee took the

As recounted by Jordan Riefe, arts writer

leap in 1954.

DID YOU KNOW? ow being redeveloped, the legendary lodging once known as the Hotel Cecil has a blood-drenched history that dates back to the Great Depression.

Even the Black Dahlia plays into its sordid past as she was rumored to have had her last drink at the hotel bar before she turned up dead a few miles away in 1947. Fifteen years later, Pauline Otton jumped from a ninth-f loor window, killing herself and an unsuspecting George Giannini, who was just passing by on the sidewalk below. That same year, a woman named Julia Moore jumped from an eighth-floor

FX’s American Horror Story: Hotel (2015–2016)—which starred Lady Gaga as a the proprietor of the fictional Hotel Cortez—was inspired by the dark doings at the Hotel Cecil, located at 640 S. Main Street in the Historic Core. To film the show, AHS: Hotel ’s creators used the Art Deco Oviatt Building for exterior shots (see page 19 for photo), while the fictional lobby was inspired by the Oviatt’s Cicada Club.

If you’ve never heard of any of these people, no doubt you know the Night Stalker, Richard Ramirez, convicted of 13 murders, five attempted murders, 11 sexual assaults and 14 burglaries committed in 1985. He lived at the Cecil and is the reason Austrian journalist Jack Unterweger took a room there in 1991 to research law enforcement and prostitution. In February 2013, the body of 21-year-old Elisa Lam, a Chinese-Canadian tourist, was found naked inside a water tank on the hotel’s roof during an inspection. She had been decomposing for roughly 19 days before hotel customers began complaining about the taste of their tap water. Police ruled her death an accidental drowning.

DTLA BOOK 2018

MASTER OF MURALS Peter Greco combines classical calligraphy with street art to create his signature “calligraffiti” works, generating some of DTLA’s most unforgettable public art. By Maxwell Williams // Photography by Poul Lange

n his long commercial career as a graphic designer, Peter Greco has infiltrated visual culture with his typographic projects. He devised the Los Angeles Times Magazine’s

masthead that was used for 25 years until 2005; the iconic D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) logo; lettering for Beach Boys and Santana albums; and the typographic identity for iconic movie posters such as Splash, Blazing Saddles, Brazil and The Little Mermaid. Downtown’s recent renaissance has served Greco’s later emergence as a fine artist whose practice blends the now-ness of street art with centuries-old calligraphic technique. On a wall inside the Arts District’s Eat Drink Americano gastropub, his 16-foot-high text work evokes old-timey sign painting. A couple blocks away, Greco’s 18-foot-long Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) painting on the front of the legendary American Hotel has become one of the area’s most Instagrammed murals. Dominated by an orb filled with script of an invented language that exists only in Greco’s mind, it gleams with gold and red paint across a base of green. “It was supposed to be up for three months. Three years later, it’s still there,” says Greco.

DTLA BOOK 2018

The artist in front of his mural Save the Planet , commissioned by Buddha Company in the Arts District.

In his latter-day work, Greco has been shifting from the rigid practice of graphic lettering to a more imaginative style since beginning to practice as a Toltec, or man of knowledge. His increasingly abstracted typography looks at once like someone put ancient writing from every world culture in a blender—and like an altogether alien language of its own. “The reason that Arabic, Hebrew, Gothic and Roman calligraphy look the same to some extent is because of the tool: It’s a chisel pen,” says Greco, explaining that written languages, and calligraphy, all derive from just seven directional marks that can be made within a graphic space (such as vertical, horizontal, and left and right curves). “Elements of this exist in many cultures, but they never really put it together the way I did.” Which is to say that Greco, who was never formally trained in the calligraphic arts, is an ardent autodidact. He has lately begun to call his art “Toltec calligraffiti,” in honor of his philosophy, his calligraphy and the fact that

DTLA BOOK 2018

STENCILED STYLE TOP LEFT: Greco in front of his mural Save the Planet. He’s wearing a Calvin Klein jacket, made for his 2016 solo show at the former LosJoCos Gallery, on which he stenciled and handpainted his Toltec calligraffiti designs. RIGHT, FROM TOP: His original hand-lettered, ink-onMylar title art for the 1993 film The Age of Innocence, the LAPD’s D.A.R.E. program and the 1984 film Splash.

BRUSHING UP ABOVE, RIGHT: Greco doing touchups on his “T for Toltec” mural, part of Gabba Gallery’s Alley Project in Historic Filipinotown. ABOVE: Greco wearing a D.A.R.E. T-shirt with his original brush calligraphy, done as a pro-bono contribution to the LAPD.

he’s become known for painting outdoors. “My calligraphy

Downtown in the ’80s and ’90s living in the Arts District,

has nothing to do with the [pre-Columbian Mesoamerican]

then a no-man’s land. He reminisces about the American

Toltec cult,” says Greco, 63, who grew up in New Jersey and

Hotel’s long-closed legendary music venue Al’s Bar (see page

studied at New York’s School of Visual Arts in the 1970s

68 to read more); how there used to be only one restaurant

before relocating to L.A. in 1979. “My calligraphy is based

open on Sunday (the now-shuttered Vickman’s Restaurant

on medieval and later developments of Gothic, so when I

and Bakery, where he ate strawberry pie); and a half-wolf he

use the term ‘Toltec calligraphy,’ all I mean by that is me, a

used to see roaming the streets leading a pack of wild dogs.

Toltec, who does calligraphy.”

“It was the Wild West, uncharted territory, a ghost

Though he now resides with his wife, Yumi, in

town,” Greco says. “I even did some vigilante action—I

Pasadena, close to his job teaching at ArtCenter College

arrested four people for breaking into my car. They’d put

of Design, Greco’s formative years in L.A. were spent

the battery in a shopping cart, take it over the First Street

DTLA BOOK 2018

COURTESY COMUNITY

Comunity’s shoes are handcrafted with Italian leather in Downtown Los Angeles.

GREATER GOODS The 2017 grand opening of Comunity’s HQ

COMUNITY W hen Comunity founders Sean and Shannon Scott and Ryan Gumienny were looking for a space for their headquarters, they made a list of neighborhoods that could benefit from a giving program and help build community. (They dropped one “m” in the word “community” to differentiate their company.) After Downtown rose to the top of the list, they set up shop for their line of “handcrafted in DTLA” shoes in the Arts District. The space serves not only as a retail outlet, but also as a showroom, shoe repair shop, event space and a place where people can sip coffee, charge a cell phone or use free Wi-Fi. Also, for every pair of shoes sold ($160–$185), the company gives $10 to a local nonprofit. “We The Mateo in white

chose to support three platforms,” says Shannon. “They’re all important issues that directly affect the area.” The three

THE PEOPLE CONCERN: WILLIAM SHORT

issues are the arts (through the organization Street Poets), education (the nonprofit Youth Mentoring Connection) and ending homelessness (The People Concern). “Our mission,” explains Shannon, “is to be a catalyst for change, inspire action and participation, and empower others.”

COMUNITY The People Concern’s Lamp Village in Skid Row offers 98 emergency shelter beds.

584 Mateo St., Ar t s Distric t // comunit ymade.com

DTLA BOOK 2018

GO METRO!

RED & PURPLE LINES

By Liz Ohanesian // Illustrations by Sarah Klinger

Historic Union Station connects the Red/Purple Metro subway lines with the above-ground Gold Line, as well as Metrolink and Amtrak trains, LAX FlyAway and shuttles to Dodger Stadium and the Hollywood Bowl. Check out the station’s art and architecture or grab a drink at Traxx before heading out into the city.

Seven Downtown train stations, all within easy walking distance of each other, give seamless access to the vast and diverse culture of Los Angeles, even the beach.

ne of the biggest advantages of staying Downtown is access to L.A. Metro. Los Angeles’ large—and still growing—public transportation system extends deep into the suburbs, but it’s here in the city’s core where you’ll find the

most options. Downtown is served by two subways and three light rail lines as well as numerous buses that can transport you to a bevy of local attractions without the hassle of traffic or high parking rates. With an L.A. Metro TAP card, available at local stations, riders can pay per trip or buy a daily, weekly or monthly pass. The $25 7-Day Pass is ideal for those who plan to ride regularly during a stay of four days or longer. Do be aware that Metro trains don’t run 24 hours. If you plan to explore the city at night, keep tabs on your last train home and have a rideshare app set up on your phone just in case you miss it.

DTLA BOOK 2018

Head west to Koreatown, Thai Town, Hollywood and Universal City UNION STATION

CIVIC CENTER/GRAND PARK Grand Park is 12 acres of tranquility between City Hall and The Music Center that often morphs into a lively outdoor event space. The Music Center is home to four theaters (Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the Ahmanson, the Mark Taper Forum and Walt Disney Concert Hall) that serve as the center of live performance in the city.

PERSHING SQUARE Metro’s Pershing Square stop will lead you to Angels Flight, the historic, tiny railway. At the top, head to the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. Back downhill, grab lunch inside the massive food court at Grand Central Market. For night owls, hip bar La Cita and LGBT-centric club Precinct DTLA both neighbor this Metro stop.

7TH STREET/METRO CENTER Your connection between the Red/Purple and Blue/Expo lines is at 7th Street/ Metro Center. Venture outside the station for shopping and dining options that

HOLLYWOOD/VINE

Korean BBQ

This is your portal to Hollywood nightlife. At the Pantages Theatre, Broadway musicals make their L.A. stop. The Fonda boasts concerts from locals and touring acts. On Vine Street is mega-club Avalon. On Cahuenga Boulevard, you’ll find DJ-centric spots Station 1640 and Le Jardin as well as singer-songwriter hub Hotel Cafe. Shop for albums at the massive record store Amoeba Music or catch a film at the 1963 Cinerama Dome next door.

HOLLYWOOD/HIGHLAND Thai Town

You’ll arise from this stop into an action-packed scene filled with street performers and costumed characters posing for photos in front of the Hollywood & Highland mall. From here, head west to the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, TCL Chinese Theatre, El Capitan Theatre and shopping options that include Japanese minimalist shop Muji. Move east to find the Egyptian Theatre and famed 1919 restaurant Musso & Frank Grill, plus attractions like the Hollywood Museum inside the Max Factor Building. You can catch a shuttle to the Hollywood Bowl from this stop as well.

UNIVERSAL CITY/STUDIO CITY The best way to visit Universal Studios Hollywood is to take the Metro. This stop is downhill from the theme park and adjacent Univeral CityWalk. A shuttle will transport you to the entrance.

include FIGat7th and The Bloc. For sightseeing, head to Central Library, the heart of the massive Los Angeles Public Library System.

NORTH HOLLYWOOD

WESTLAKE/MACARTHUR PARK

This stop offers access to the galleries, shops and restaurants of the NoHo Arts District. You can also connect to the bus–rapid transit Orange Line (which continues on through the San Fernando Valley) here.

During the summer months, Levitt Pavilion inside MacArthur Park is home to free concerts that showcase the diversity of music in L.A. From hip-hop to indie rock to jazz, programming crosses genres and cultures with an emphasis on locally made sounds. Grab a bite at the famous Langer’s Deli, open since 1947.

WILSHIRE/NORMANDIE Along Wilshire Boulevard, you’ll find the Byzantine Revival–style Wilshire Boulevard Temple, home to the city’s longest-running Jewish congregation, as well as Saint Basil Catholic Church, famed for stained-glass windows created by Claire Falkenstein. Head to HMS Bounty, on the bottom level of the Gaylord Apartments where John Barrymore once lived, for a drink.

WILSHIRE/VERMONT If you want to stroll past the vintage buildings of Wilshire Boulevard, this is a good place to start. You’re near the Art Deco Bullocks Wilshire Building and Gothic Revival Immanuel Presbyterian Church. Head down Vermont for a meal at popular Parks BBQ. For a Korean spa experience day or night, Wi Spa on Wilshire is open 24/7.

VERMONT/SUNSET Head to East Hollywood’s Barnsdall Art Park to tour the Frank Lloyd Wright– designed Hollyhock House and visit the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery. Or walk into Los Feliz for funky shopping at Y-Que, Soap Plant/Wacko and SquaresVille. Dining options range from classic steakhouse The Dresden to burger sensation Umami. For a nightcap, Tiki-Ti has Scorpions and Zombies. You can also catch the DASH Observatory bus to the Griffith Observatory or the Greek Theatre, or see the Hollywood Sign.

HOLLYWOOD/WESTERN You can get a taste of L.A.’s diversity in restaurant-heavy East Hollywood, where Thai Town and Little Armenia sit side by side. If you’re brave, take the Dynamite Spicy Challenge at Jitlada restaurant. Comedy fans will want to check out a show at the Upright Citizens Brigade on Sunset Boulevard, near Western Avenue.

WILSHIRE/WESTERN

DID YOU KNOW?

The Hollywood Walk of Fame comprises more than 2,600 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood.

One of the city’s most beautiful buildings is located right at this stop. The blue-green glazed-tile Art Deco Wiltern theater dates to 1931 and was once a home for vaudeville shows. Today, it’s one of the city’s premier concert venues. Area dining options include KyoChon Chicken and Beer Belly.

Hollywood Bowl

ARRIVING SOON

COURTESY HYPERLOOP ONE

ABOVE: A rendering shows a potential station for Virgin Hyperloop One, which has headquarters in the Arts District and recently named Richard Branson as chairman. RIGHT: A test car gets a lift at the company’s facility near Las Vegas.

66 D T L A

BOOK 2018

FAST FORWARD The future of transportation is taking shape in Downtown Los Angeles, thanks to the efforts of two ambitious rail startups. By Joe Bargmann

wo companies in the city known for its love affair with the auto are pioneering forms of transportation that make cars—even fancy new electric ones—

co-founder of Hyperloop One, who left the company in 2016

BOLD VISION

seem extremely old-fashioned. With headquarters in the

amid a bitter lawsuit—says its Batmobile-esque vehicles will

DTLA area, Virgin Hyperloop One and Arrivo are developing

travel on an enclosed railway at about 200 mph.

Arrivo plans to transport passengers in car-like modules that run on an enclosed track at about 200 mph. The company’s offices are in Boyle Heights, just across the L.A. River from the Arts District.

electric train-like systems based on magnetic levitation, or

The hyperloop deserves some skepticism. But an

maglev, technology. While neither is the first to use such

analogy to private-space programs is apt. A lot of people

technology—a maglev rail line is currently operating in

once said Elon Musk would never fire a module into space.

Japan—introducing it to the U.S. would be unprecedented.

Last year, his company SpaceX became the first to launch

SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk first posited

and land an orbital rocket. It can pay to dream.

the feasibility of the hyperloop system in a white paper published in 2013. Musk’s vision consisted of modular

VIRGIN HYPERLOOP ONE

ARRIVO

2014

2016

GOAL

City-to-city/regional transport

Ending traffic on congested city highways

SPEED

670 mph

200 mph

Vacuum-tube maglev railway

Grounded maglev railway

$276 million

Unknown (privately held)

Richard Branson

Riot Ventures

300-plus

11–50 (per LinkedIn)

2021 (passenger-ready)

2019 (railbed construction to begin)

Successful beta test 2017

Building test center near Denver

vehicles, similar to train cars but smaller, traveling in a vacuum tube up to 760 mph. He called it “a cross between a Concorde and a railgun and an air hockey table.” Last fall, Virgin Hyperloop One, which is focusing on city-to-city connectors, pushed a bullet-shaped prototype to a modest 192 mph at its Nevada test track. Regardless, the company has said it will begin constructing a commercial vacuum-tube route in 2019, with passenger travel by 2021. Arrivo’s approach is proving closer to traditional train travel, at least in its first project. The project would use

COURTESY ARRIVO

maglev technology but not vacuum tubes to link Denver International Airport to the city’s downtown. The company has a promise of $760,00 in tax breaks from state officials. That money would help Arrivo in “ending traffic,” as its website homepage trumpets. CEO Brogan BamBrogan—a

FOUNDED

TECHNOLOGY FUNDING KEY INVESTORS EMPLOYEES PROJECTED LAUNCH STATUS

DTLA BOOK 2018

THE CRAZIEST BAR IN DTLA In the ’80s and ’90s, the American Hotel and its former music club, Al’s Bar—the subjects of a fascinating new documentary—were where artists and bands were free to run wild: “It was social sculpture.” By Jordan Riefe // Illustrations by Ulla Puggaard

THE AMERICAN TODAY Built in 1905 as lodgings for African-Americans, the brick building now comprises a hotel, apartments, the Rogue Collective boutique, the Corner Store convenience shop and the Pie Hole’s original location. 303 S. Hewitt St., Arts District americanhotella.com

f New York’s CBGB and the Chelsea Hotel had moved out West and had a love child, it might have grown up to be L.A.’s American Hotel. The Downtown landmark,

built in 1905 at the corner of Traction Avenue and Hewitt Street, enjoyed its heyday in the ’80s and ’90s when it became both a residence for artists and musicians on its upper floors and the home of Al’s Bar, one of L.A.’s legendary

DTLA BOOK 2018

When artist Marc Kreisel bought the four-story

“Anarchy reigned and that was probably the hottest

building in 1979, he recognized the stirrings of an

thing about it. It was a piece of living art. Marc gave a lot

underground punk, art and drug culture in the then-largely

of people opportunities,” recalls performance artist Skip

derelict area. His venue, the subject of the new documentary

Arnold, a regular at Al’s.

Tales of the American, due out this year, became a conduit

Mat Gleason was a resident and manager of the hotel in

for the scene, a place for artists to live and display their work

the 1990s when he started publishing his magazine, Coagula

and, at Al’s Bar, the perfect grungy stage for then-under-the-

Art Journal. Today, he also runs a Chinatown gallery, Coagula

radar alternative and punk bands with names like Nirvana,

Curatorial. “Al’s Bar was Marc’s social sculpture,” he says.

Misfits, White Stripes, Rage Against the Machine and the

Gleason first set foot in the bar in 1986 and quickly became a

Red Hot Chili Peppers.

regular. “Al’s Bar was a place that you either visited once and

EXTERIOR: JORDAN RIEFE; WOMAN: LEONID SADOFEV; MAN: SHANNON FAGAN | DREAMSTIME.COM

music venues for emerging talent, on its ground level.

UNICORN LOFT In the Arts District, painter Vanessa Prager and watch dealer Stephen Hallock create a home in the type of raw, soaring space that “doesn’t really exist anymore.” By Degen Pener // Photography by Ian Spanier

had always wanted to live in a space like this—a big, open, industrial space, but they don’t really exist anymore,” says Stephen Hallock, a dealer in rare

mostly Swiss-made timepieces, of the loft he and his wife, painter Vanessa Prager, share in the Arts District. At most Downtown buildings these days, he feels, “the word ‘loft’ is usually code to charge 80 percent too much for a studio.” With its high ceilings and loading bays for doors, the space, located in an early 20th–century building, was a true discovery. Hallock heard about the unit, which was never listed for rent, from a real-estate agent. It previously had been back-end offices for a DTLA-based company. The problem, recalls Hallock, was that “it was nowhere close to livable. The bathroom looked like a gas station bathroom.” Says Prager, “He was like, ‘It’s never gonna work, but this Prager, who had moved Downtown in 2013 to the Bank District, assured him the unit actually could work. It already had a staircase and a loft that could accommodate two bedrooms. She previously had experience redoing her

72 D T L A

BOOK 2018

PHOTO CREDIT TK

is awesome.’”

PHOTO CREDIT TK

Prager, on a Ligne Roset Togo sofa, and Hallock in the living area and library. Her 2017 painting, I Don’t Want the Warmth from Your Sun, is at far left. Says Hallock of the loft: “It really was a blank slate and there are little bits of each of us in all of the designs of everything.”

L.A.’S BIRTHPLACE Established 237 years ago, El Pueblo, founded as a Spanish mission, was reborn as a themed shopping area in the 1930s. Text and Photography by Poul Lange

hould you ever wonder why Los Angeles sometimes

settlers brought up by De Neve were from the northern

feels so much like a Mexican city, take a trip to El

Mexican provinces of Sinaloa and Sonora.

Pueblo, just west of Union Station on the border of

Chinatown. This is where the story of Los Angeles began.

El Pueblo was under the rule of the Spanish government until 1821, when Mexico gained independence from Spain.

Several tribes of Native Americans had lived in what

The small but growing town was part of Mexico until 1850,

is now known as the Los Angeles Basin for thousands

when California gained U.S. statehood after the Mexican-

of years. It was in 1781 that Felipe De Neve, the Spanish

American War. That’s when certain L.A. street names

governor of Alta California, founded a small mission he

became anglicized—Calle Principal was renamed Main

named El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles

Street and Calle Primavera became Spring Street.

del Río de Porciúncula (The Town of Our Lady the Queen

Fueled by the gold rush, the cattle industry and the

of the Angels of the River Porciuncula). The original 48

arrival of the railway, Los Angeles experienced explosive

DTLA BOOK 2018

PHOTO CREDIT TK

LEFT: Vintage postcards from the then-newly renovated Olvera Street. RIGHT: An official marker at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument.

LAP OF LUXURY In the surprisingly dog-friendly urban jungle of DTLA, the go-to spot for all things upscale pet is Pussy & Pooch. By Liz Ohanesian // Photography by Gabor Ekecs

ooking to indulge your fur baby? Main Street’s stylish Pussy & Pooch puts cats and dogs in pampered heaven, with offerings that go far beyond the average pet store. The boutique and spa offers full-service grooming, personal shopping services, pet

parties, and a selection of toys and accessories that will charm you as much as they will your dog or cat. While your four-legged pal is cleaning up in the Bathhouse spa area, you can shop the boutique for stylish outfits and baubles to complete a makeover. Pussy & Pooch’s Meat Market offers a variety of foods to stock up on, while canine and feline guests can feast on-site at the Pawbar café, which offers seasonal menus. On a sunny afternoon on Nov. 25, 2017, DTLA Book visited the Pussy & Pooch store in the Historic Core (the first of three locations) and photographed some of the proud human and animal customers visiting that day. Which pair or trio of buddies is your favorite?

DTLA BOOK 2018

VOTE FOR US!

8 5

Go on Instagram and like your favorite of these 13 shots, and youâ€™ll have a chance to win a Pussy & Pooch gift certificate ($25 value)! The people in the photo garnering the most likes (votes) will receive a Pussy & Pooch Shopping & Spa Package ($100 value), plus one runner-up will earn a gift certificate ($50 value). Follow the rules below for your shot at a prize. 1. Follow @pussyandpooch and @dtlabook on Instagram. 2. S earch #PPDTLApets and like your favorite of the 13 images. Contest ends May 5, 2018. Winners will be announced by @pussyandpooch and @DTLAbook on May 10, 2018.

CONTESTANTS

10 7

1. CC Bursell & Piggiesmallz 2. Chris Milligan & Micah Troy 9 3. Tania Hinton & Nimka 4. Soo Kim & Einstein 5. Gennadiy Gegenava & Coco 6. Ariana Nussdorf & Fox 7. Rick Montano & Kiba 8. Meg Kitagawa & Mel 9. Alexander Swain & Lady 10. Drew Luu & Cody 11. Jim White, Alex LiMandri & Jacques 12. Galina Gegenava & Kaylah 13. Gavin Elliott Meigs & Huxley Montgomery Find out more about them and vote on Instagram: #PPDTLApets.

PUSSY & POOCH 564 S. Main St., Historic Core // 213-438-0900 pussyandpooch.com

DTLA BOOK 2018â€‡

EAT AND GREET The DTLA Dinner Club, founded by political consultant Josh Gray-Emmer, is a way for residents to connect. DTLA Book joined the community and hosted a dinner prepared by Tuck Hotel founder and chef Juan Pablo Torre. By Stacie Stukin // Photography by Emi Rose Kitawaki

n 2010 Josh Gray-Emmer bought an apartment in the El Dorado Lofts building in Gallery Row. Enamored with the 1914 landmark, its Gothic-meets-Art-Nouveau

façade and a lobby replete with Batchelder tile, he chose a penthouse with sweeping views of the city where he grew up. He also bought into the promise of a burgeoning DTLA social scene. “It was my dream home,” he said. His instincts were right, and as more people moved into the neighborhood, he found a group of peers who agreed with his philosophy: “I believe the best way to build community is over dinner and drink.” So, he started hosting dinner parties. Word got out and every Wednesday night 30 people gathered at his loft, where the only qualification to attend was a DTLA address, a beverage in hand, and the will to make new friends and help with service. Thus, the DTLA Dinner Club was born. Gray-Emmer is a political consultant by trade and a social engineer by nature, and as the club grew in popularity and prestige, he formalized the process, hand-picking

DTLA BOOK 2018

THE SPECIAL GUEST CHEF BELOW: Juan Pablo Torre of Tuck Ventures, who cooked the eveningâ€™s dinner, recently opened the modern and chic boutique Tuck Hotel in the Fashion District. It features 14 rooms, a restaurant and bar. (Read more on page 107 & 108.)

FROM LEFT: Uli Nasibova, Josh Gray-Emmer, Jessie Hoch, Scott Hoch and Sam Walbuck on the Courtyard Terrace of LEVEL Furnished Living apartments in South Park

INSTANT KARMA

n the beginning, it was so exciting, everybody wanted a piece of it. The pictures that came out of it were admired all over the world. Then, after a successful

run, changing times put a damper on the enthusiasm, and soon it was all but abandoned. But it was never quite forgotten, and a movement rose up to bring it back. And now it is here again, better than ever, as we see it developing right in front of our eyes. Are we talking about DTLA or the Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera? It doesn’t really matter—we sent two photographers, Alexander Laurent and Poul Lange, out to shoot the former with the latter.

Sexy Beast The foldable Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera from 1972 is arguably the sexiest camera ever designed. It was the superstar of instant cameras, and soon had a cult following, favored by artists as diverse as Ansel Adams, Andy Warhol and David Hockney. However, the camera went out of circulation for over a decade when the film was discontinued in 2005. Thanks to Polaroid Originals, fresh stock is available, and the beautiful vintage machines are moving from closets and drawers into the streets again.

DTLA BOOK 2018

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER Artist Alexander Laurent was born and raised in California. Working bicoastally between Harlem, New York, and Downtown Los Angeles, he is heavily influenced by the places in which he resides. As a resident of DTLA, he has worked closely with the community and service providers in Skid Row, providing the imagery for their sanitation report, “No Place to Go: An Audit of Public Toilets in Skid Row.” Laurent mainly works in traditional, larger-format, blackand-white photography, and he processes in the darkroom. He’s stated that his favorite camera is his Polaroid SX-70 and naturally chose Polaroid Originals blackand-white film for this editorial.

DTLA BOOK 2018

THE TASTE MAKERS Downtown L.A.’s brightest creatives and entrepreneurs dish on the restaurants, shops and art they love best right now. By Kathryn Romeyn

reatively speaking, DTLA is on fire right now, and the nine innovative personalities on the following pages—who excel in everything from

gastronomy, fashion, art and design to skull tattoos— are generating an outsize share of the heat. “Downtown has become a n incubator of ideas,” says actor a nd

CHEF

Mulholland Distilling partner Walton Goggins. Seconds Lily Stockman of handmade textile company Block Shop, “There’s a dynamic, bustling and gritty energy here that doesn’t exist anywhere else in L.A. Within a few-block radius, you’ll see artists’ studios, furniture fabrication warehouses, jewelry makers, corporate skyscrapers, the Frank Gehry–designed Walt Disney Concert Hall, experimental retail spaces and every type of food.” Of Gehry’s popular masterpiece, Simone chef Jessica Largey says, “It’s hard to put into words the magic of being inside. The sound, the wood—it’s a different world.” DTLA’s distinctive neighborhoods create, in a way, many different worlds, and that diversity is part of the draw. “The variety of food one can eat or topics of conversation one can overhear

DID YOU KNOW? Established in 1990, James Beard Foundation Awards recognize excellence in cuisine, restaurant design and culinary journalism in the U.S. annually. Recent Los Angeles winners include Pizzeria Mozza’s Nancy Silverton (Outstanding Chef, 2014), Lucques’ Suzanne Goin (Outstanding Chef, 2016), Animal’s Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo (Best Chef: West, 2016) and Osteria Mozza’s Dahlia Narvaez (Outstanding Pastry Chef, 2016).

JESSICA LARGEY Photography by Anjali Pinto

The winner of the game-changing James Beard Rising Star Chef of the Year Award in 2015—won while she was chef de cuisine at Northern California’s Manresa—became passionate about cooking as a child and never looked back. Her first restaurant as head chef/partner, the seasonal Simone, is the Arts District’s anticipated destination (due to open in April), with a 75-seat dining room, six-seat tasting

are endless,” says Goggins. Here, our featured tastemakers’

menu counter in the kitchen and Duello at Simone bar. Her

curated picks and tips for doing just that.

experience growing up in an agricultural area in Ventura

90 D T L A

BOOK 2018

“DTLA has transformed immensely—it’s like meeting a whole new city.” —J E S S I C A L A R G E Y

County still informs Largey’s plates, which are created

TOP THREE CULINARY PICKS “The burger and fries at Everson

COLORFUL PLATE

around produce as opposed to proteins, allowing it to shine.

Royce Bar is simple and perfectly seasoned. The Caramelo at

A Largey creation: sweet potato with tahini, shishito peppers, mustard greens and harissa vinaigrette

Sonoratown has the best flour tortillas—don’t forget to add WHY DTLA? “I got my start cooking here for four years. Coming

poblano! And the yellow falafel sandwich at Madcapra with

back is definitely a homecoming, but DTLA has transformed

a sumac-beet soda. They put it best: ‘Because vegetables.’”

immensely and it’s like meeting a whole new city. One of the

FAVORITE RECENT DISCOVERY “Union Station. I love the

biggest draws is being part of the amazing community in the

design and history of it. I grew up here but had never been

Arts District. There’s an incredible amount of momentum

inside, which seems bizarre now. My favorite part is the

and energy coming to L.A., Downtown in particular. When

waiting chairs and booths in the main lobby—they feel like

deciding my next career move, I chose community.”

you’re in a different time.”

INSPIRATION SOURCE “Street art. It draws many parallels

to food for me—it’s an art form that isn’t permanent and is accessible to all, which is a theme I hope Simone embodies.”

SIMONE 447 S. Hewit t St., Ar t s Distric t // 323-628-7600 // simonear t sdistric t.com

DTLA BOOK 2018

Detail of untitled work by Campbell

TATTOOIST & ARTIST

Campbell in front of his 2016 acrylic-and-oil painting, Prayer and Repetition, displayed in his Saved Tatoo shop in the Arts District. He also has a private art studio three blocks away, where he spends time on his art, and running his cannabis lifestyle brand, Beboe. One of his recent tatoo clients is his wife, actress Lake Bell, with whom he is raising two kids. Watch: Shinola

SCOTT CAMPBELL Photography by Ian Spanier

Two thousand seventeen was a big year for famed tattoo artist and painter Scott Campbell, who opened the first

Campbell tattooing Jacobs

West Coast outpost of his Saved Tattoo studio in the back of Shinola’s Arts District shop and launched Beboe, a line of

true walking culture, and the community of artists down

luxury cannabis products from pretty vaporizers to dosed

here is incredibly open and supportive of each other in a way

pastilles. (Read more on page 128.) The contemporary artist

that I haven’t felt from New York in a long time. I left New

from Louisiana also collaborates on Saved Wines, an art-

York because I feel like all the weirdos got priced out. Los

emblazoned range of California blends. This year promises

Angeles still has an abundance of weirdos.”

to be even bigger, with the legalization of recreational

FAVE UNDER-THE-RADAR ARTIST “[Boyle Heights–based] Wes

cannabis in California, upcoming art exhibitions(the artist

Lang is one of my favorite painters ever. I pretty much moved

says painting skulls “is like a mantra”) and the evolution of

here because he said life was better in Los Angeles.”

his Whole Glory project, where he sits behind a wall with

BEST MEAL “Guisados’ tacos are my number one.”

a hole in which volunteers place their arm for a surprise

DRINK GO-TO “Manuela. My tattoo shop is right next door to

tattoo inspired by what he feels from touching their skin.

it, and they pretty much do everything right.”

His intuitive, evocative style is what makes the likes of

SOURCE OF CULTURE “Sitting outside my tattoo shop,

Sting, Orlando Bloom and Marc Jacobs seek out his hard-

people watching.”

to-get appointments. WHY DTLA? “It has a similar feel to Brooklyn when I moved

there 15 years ago. It’s the only place in Los Angeles that has

92 D T L A

BOOK 2018

SAVED TATTOO 825 E. 3rd St., back room of the Shinola Store, Arts District // savedtattoo.com scottcampbellstudio.com // beboe.com. See pa ge 128 to read about Beboe.

JACOBS & CAMPBELL: CRAIG MCDEAN

MAN WITH MANY HATS

“The community of artists down here is incredibly open and supportive of each other.” — S CO T T C A M PB E LL

Matthew Alper (left) and Walton Goggins raising a glass outside Manuela restaurant in the Arts District

“There are many painters in DTLA—pick one, reach out and stop by for a studio visit. That’s where it’s really happening.”

WHO POURS MULHOLLAND 71ABOVE

6 3 3 W. 5 t h S t . , 7 1 s t F l . // 2 1 3 -7 1 2 -2 6 8 3 71above.com

—WA LTO N G O G G I N S

ACE HOTEL LOS ANGELES

9 2 9 S . B r o a d w a y // 2 1 3 - 6 2 3 -3 2 3 3 acehotel.com

BEELMAN’S PUB

6 0 0 S . S p r i n g S t . // 2 1 3 - 6 2 2 -1 0 2 2 beelmanspub.com

THE BOARD ROOM

1 3 5 N . G r a n d A v e . // 2 1 3 - 9 7 2 - 8 5 5 6 patinagroup.com

BROKEN SHAKER / RUDOLPH’S BAR & TEA

F r e e h a n d H o t e l , 41 6 W. 8 t h S t . 2 1 3 - 6 1 2 - 0 0 2 1 // f r e e h a n d h o t e l s . c o m

COLE’S / VARNISH

1 1 8 E . 6 t h S t . // 2 1 3 - 6 2 2 - 4 0 9 0 2 1 3 h o s p i t a l i t y. c o m

COURAGE & CRAFT

Grand Central Market, 317 S. Broadway 2 1 3 - 6 24 -2 3 7 8 // g r a n d c e n t r a l m a r k e t . c o m

THE DOWN AND OUT

5 0 1 S . S p r i n g S t . // 2 1 3 -2 2 1 -7 5 9 5 d o w n a n d o u t b a r. c o m

DISTILLERS

LEDLOW

4 0 0 S . M a i n S t . // 2 1 3 - 6 8 7-7 0 1 5 ledlowla.com

LIBRARY BAR

MATTHEW ALPER & WALTON GOGGINS

TOP MEAL MA: “As Walton is from the South and I have deep

Photography by Andrea D’Agosto

and hush puppies at Manuela—they’re so damn good! Add a

connections there, I can’t get enough of the pimento cheese Mulholland whisky sour and I’m a happy man.”

6 3 0 W. S p r i n g S t . // 2 1 3 - 6 14 - 0 0 5 3 librarybarla.com

MANUELA

9 0 7 E . 3 r d S t . // 3 2 3 - 8 49 - 0 4 8 0 manuela-la.com

OTIUM

FAVORITE BARS MA: “Broken Shaker is a go-to. The vibe,

2 2 2 S . H o p e S t . // 2 1 3 - 9 3 5 - 8 5 0 0 otiumla.com

While shooting The Avengers, ex-cameraman Matthew Alper

the unique menu, the ridiculous view. And downstairs at

PREUX & PROPER

had the epiphany that led to the homegrown Mulholland

Rudolph’s Bar & Tea is always my first stop.”

Distilling, his whisky-, gin- and vodka-slinging label

SOURCES OF CULTURE WG: “The Broad, MOCA, The Geffen

(mulhollanddistilling.com) with actor Walton Goggins,

Contemporary. Some of my best friends are artists with

star of Justified and Vice Principals. The pair envision their

studios, so I get a coffee and sit on their sofas. There are

new invite-only Arts District headquarters like a “modern-

many painters in DTLA—pick one, reach out and stop by for

day salon devoted to new ideas in spirits, the arts, music,

a studio visit. That’s where it’s really happening.”

whatever!” Their whiskey is best described as young and

PERFECT DTLA DAY WG: “My family’s perfect day starts with

pretty, while the gin makes a mean Negroni.

a sandwich from Eggslut, walking down Broadway talking about life on our way to get a cookie and coffee at the Ace

WHY DTLA? MA: “The Arts District is bristling with creative

Hotel, then heading to an art show or, every once in a while

energy and excitement. We wanted to be in the center of it so

when we as a community come together to shout in unison,

when people visit, they can feel the electricity we do.”

jumping into a protest, then ducking out to get tacos!”

8 4 0 S . S p r i n g S t . // 2 1 3 - 8 9 6 - 0 0 9 0 p r e u x a n d p r o p e r. c o m

REDBIRD

1 14 E . 2 n d S t . // 2 1 3 -7 8 8 -1 1 9 1 redbirdla.com

RESIDENT

4 2 8 S . H e w i t t S t . // 2 1 3 - 6 2 8 -7 5 0 3 residentdtla.com

SEVEN GRAND WHISKEY BAR

5 1 5 W. 7 t h S t . , 2 n d F l . // 2 1 3 - 8 1 7- 5 3 2 1 2 1 3 h o s p i t a l i t y. c o m

SPRING ST. BAR

6 2 6 S . S p r i n g S t . // 2 1 3 - 6 2 2 - 5 8 5 9 s p r i n g s t b a r. c o m

ZINC CAFE / BAR MATEO 5 8 0 M a t e o S t . // 3 2 3 - 8 2 5 - 5 3 8 1 zinccafe.com

DTLA BOOK 2018

TEXTILE DESIGNERS

LILY & HOPIE STOCKMAN

Sol Lewitt. Recent collaborations have included designs for the Ace Hotel & Swim Club in Palm Springs and Heath Ceramics. Their mission: “to celebrate the tradition by creating heirloom textiles with a low environmental impact and high social impact,” says Hopie, who with her sister

Photography by Laure Joliet

invests 5 percent of profits to build community healthcare programs in India (think cataract surgeries and installing The sister act of Lily and Hopie Stockman pushes the

water filters). Watch for new architectural hand-woven rugs,

boundaries of traditional Indian hand block printing by

cotton robes and desert-hued upholstery fabrics in 2018.

creating large-scale, one-of-a-kind geometric patterns on cotton silk with the Chhipa, a fifth-generation family of

INSPIRATION SOURCE LS: “We love the crumbling Art Deco

printers and dyers in Rajasthan, India. Started as an art

buildings along Broadway—their geometric motifs inform a

project and launched in 2013, their textile company Block

lot of our designs.”

Shop is known for its scarves, pillows and hand-stitched

TOP THREE CULINARY PICKS HS: “Pork meatballs at Rossoblu,

quilts, some of which take inspiration from the work of artist

Fa ir fa x brea k fa s t sa ndw ich at Eg g s lut a nd loca l persimmon gelato at Gelateria Uli.” SOURCE OF CULTURE LS: “Hauser & Wirth; Hennessey +

Ingalls bookstore; live shows at Resident DTLA, The Regent, The Theatre at Ace Hotel and Belasco Theatre; the ICA LA.” DRINK GO-TO LS: “Oriel, for a glass of Beaujolais in one of our

favorite L.A. interiors. Or cocktails at the Freehand, either in the vibey lobby bar or upstairs. Our favorite is the herbal tequila and mezcal drink Romance in Durango.” DESIGN SHOPPING HS: “Hammer & Spear, which carries our

pillows; Poketo; and the Los Angeles Flower Market for copious house plants.” PERFECT DTLA DAY HS: “Breakfast at Poppy + Rose. Peruse

the L.A. Flower Market. Shop at The Row, including Erica Tanov. Visit Spring Arts Tower for The Last Bookstore and Block Shop studio. Lunch at Grand Central Market— Madcapra’s orange falafel sandwich. Funicular ride up to The Broad and MOCA. Sunset drinks and light eats on the Ace Hotel rooftop. Live music at a classic old-timey theater. Late-night pescado tacos from Guisados.”

BLOCK SHOP 453 S. Spring St., Historic Core, by appointment only // blockshoptextiles.com. Also available at HAMMER & SPEAR, 255 S. Santa Fe Ave., Ar t s Distric t hammerandspear.com.

FAR LEFT: LAURA DART

The sisters in Joshua Tree, California, unfurling their handdyed and hand-woven Temple dhurrie rug in Indian cotton.

“We love the crumbling Art Deco buildings along Broadway—their geometric motifs inform a lot of our designs.” — LI LY STO C K M A N

Lily (left) and Hopie Stockman at their Downtown studio with their cotton-and-silk Temple scarves (86”x34”) in fuchsia and coffee.

POINTS OF VIEW A historic icon and two modern towers offer three takes on the city’s epic vista and beyond.

WILSHIRE GRAND CENTER

900 Wilshire Blvd., Financial Distric t // dtla.intercontinental.com

HEIGHT 1,100 FEET YEAR COMPLETED 2017

ADMISSION PURCHASE OF DRINKS OR FOOD FLOOR 73

LOS ANGELES CITY HALL

200 N. Spring St., Civic Center // lacit y.org To visit the city’s landmarked seat of government, bring your valid ID and enter from the Main Street side.

HEIGHT 454 FEET YEAR COMPLETED 1928

ADMISSION FREE FLOOR 27

Spire 73, the property’s new 73rd-story rooftop bar (part of InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown), is the highest open-air bar in the entire Western Hemisphere. The observation deck is open on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

OUE SKYSPACE LA

633 W. 5th St., Financial Distric t // oue-sk yspace.com

HEIGHT ADMISSION 1,018 FEET $25 (OBSERVATION DECK) YEAR COMPLETED $33 (SKYSLIDE COMBO) US BANK TOWER: 1989 FLOOR OUE SKYSPACE LA: 2016 70 Thrill seekers are rewarded with a sky-high view from the 45-footlong clear glass Skyslide.

102 D T L A

BOOK 2018

Passion is What Drives You.

It embodies us all. Whether you own a coffee shop, curate an art gallery, teach at a yoga studio or are just a free spirit, passion is what drives you to seek a new twist on an old classic. Much like how Downtown L.A. has been revitalized and reinvigorated, we as humans love finding new ways to explore our passions. Let Subaru help you explore the â€œnewâ€? Los Angeles and reconnect with why you fell in love with this city.

FAVES - EAT -

FOR THE VIEW UPSTAIRS AT ACE HOTEL

929 Broadway // 213-623-3233 // acehotel.com

Described as “bunker-like,” this isn’t the most verdant rooftop in L.A. But it might be the hippest. Bring a crowd and enjoy a punchbowl of potent cocktails like Capture the Flag, with scotch, apple brandy, ginger, lemon and black tea. Chips and the like are available when munchies set in.

WESTIN BONAVENTURE BONAVISTA LOUNGE Broken Shaker

BROKEN SHAKER 416 W. 8th St. // 213-261-3599 freehandhotels.com

For ultimate vacation vibes, order a playful cocktail—like the DTLA-inspired Coco-Nutcase—and a smoked fish tostada with guac at this kitschy and colorful rooftop bar, a James Beard Award finalist.

DEKKADANCE

900 Wilshire Blvd., 69th Fl. // 213-688-7777 dtla.intercontinental.com

Get interactive at this fun buffet with epic views where diners chat with chefs as they prepare Mediterranean-inspired meals.

HARBOR HOUSE

1000 Wilshire Blvd. // 323-642-8393 harborhousedtla.com

This comfy terrace on the Wedbush building’s ground floor offers outside dining with serious skyline views. Hit the Financial District stop for happy hour and enjoy the juicy burger.

104

DTLA BOOK 2018

PERCH

448 S. Hill St. // 213-802-1770 // perchla.com

Live band, festive flair. There is no better way to approach midnight than seated beside a fire pit on the 16th-floor rooftop lounge of this French bistro. Stellar sip: the signature Spicy Concombre—a mix of gin, St. Germain, cucumber, lime and jalapeño.

THE ROOFTOP AT THE STANDARD

550 S. Flower St. // 213-892-8080 standardhotels.com

You can nibble on pretzels, wieners, strudel and beer from the Biergarten. Or settle into a waterbed pod with cocktails and sliders. A DJ spins every night.

SORA

900 Wilshire Blvd., 69th Fl. // 213-688-7777 dtla.intercontinental.com

Never has conveyor-belt sushi looked as good as it does at this

4 0 4 S . F ig u ero a St . // 2 1 3 - 6 24-10 0 0 thebonaventure.com

The revolving bar on the 34th floor of an iconic L.A. hotel

makes a 360-degree rotation in just under an hour. It’s the most efficient and Mad Men –chic way there is to see the city from every possible perspective.

WP24

900 W. Olympic Blvd. // 213-743-8824 ritzcarlton.com

Dinner with a view, anyone? Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant is on the 24th floor of The Ritz-Carlton, serving up a panoramic view of the city and modern Chinese dishes like dan dan dumplings and lobster fried rice.

69th-floor eatery, where the most coveted black and white stools are the ones along the expansive wall of windows.

TO NEW HEIGHTS

SPIRE 73

71 vs. 71

This open-air spot is perched atop the tallest building west of Chicago, with true bird’seye views that seem to make everything you imbibe and eat taste that much better. (See page 10 for a cocktail shot over the sky and page 102 for more information.)

A top-of-the-world war is waging in Downtown. The stakes?

900 Wilshire Blvd. // 213-688-7777 dtla.intercontinental.com

The title of L.A.’s loftiest, most awe-inspiring perch. DTLA’s tallest skyscrapers pit their staggeringly high fine-dining restaurants—each on the 71st story—against each other. At 950 feet, 71Above (633 W. 5th St. // 213-712-2683 // 71above.com) in the US Bank Tower is the ultimate date-night spot, with 360-degree panoramas that seem elusive elsewhere. But La Boucherie on 71 (900 Wilshire Blvd. // 213-688-7777 // dtla.intercontinental.com) is glassed-in,

TAKAMI

811 Wilshire Blvd. // 213-236-9600 // takamisushi.com

Japanese robata-grilled favorites and sushi aren’t the only things on offer at this 21st-floor rooftop restaurant. Gorgeous panoramic views take the experience to the next level, literally.

too, inside the tallest building west of the Mississippi, the Wilshire Grand. Ultimately each exclusive eatery offers a different experience, even if the jaw-dropping views are similar. Where 71Above serves $75 three-course tastings of dishes artfully composed by chef Vartan Abgaryan, La Boucherie offers fanciful French-inspired steakhouse standards—alongside tons of charcuterie and cheese—a la carte. The verdict? Try both.

COURTESY FREEHAND HOTEL

OUR

GOURMET MEXICAN

AMERICAN

GO FOR: Chorizo and papas tacos

BEST GIRL

B.S. Taqueria (514 7th St. // 213-622-3744 // bstaqueria.com) , Broken Spanish’s little bro, excels at street eats like spicy ceviche and these beloved tacos.

GO FOR: Tex-Mex Bar Amá (118 W. 4th St. // 213-687-8002 // bar-ama.com) skews toward the Texasinflected—think queso with chorizo, Frito pie and enchiladas.

GO FOR: Grilled Gulf shrimp tacos Border Grill (445 S. Figueroa St. // 213-486-5171 // bordergrill.com) has long set the standard for elevated modern takes on Mexican food.

927 S. Broadway // 213-235-9660 bestgirldtla.com

This new all-day eatery is your chance to drool over impeccable crudo, oysters, pastas and even a game-changing pork chop by one of L.A.’s most beloved chefs, Michael Cimarusti (Providence).

GO FOR: Throwback dishes Favorites get fancy at Broken Spanish (1050 S. Flower St. // 213-749-1460 brokenspanish.com) , Ray Garcia’s colorful modern-meets-classic cantina.

GO FOR: Tequila and mezcal

A list of 300 agave spirits complements upscale East L.A.–style Chicano dishes at Mas Malo (515 W. 7th St. // 213-985-4332 // masmalorestaurant.com) .

GO FOR: Grilled coastal cuisine Taking inspiration from the Yucatán, Baja and Oaxaca, Pez Cantina (401 S. Grand Ave. // 213-258-2280 // pezcantina.com) plays on vibrant Mexican dishes.

BLACKSMITHS

117 Winston St. // 213-628-3847 blacksmithsla.com

“Elevated American” is the way this elegant Old Bank District gem is described, and the Southern-inflected menu— with items like buttermilk fried chicken, bacon truffle mac

FRENCH

and cheese, and rye whiskey with smoked hickory honey— doesn’t disappoint.

CHURCH & STATE

THE DANKNESS DOJO BY MODERN TIMES

1850 Industrial St. // 213-405-1434 churchandstatebistro.com

ORIEL CHINATOWN

1135 N. Alameda St. // 213-253-9419 orielchinatown.com

832 S. Olive St. // 213-878-7008 moderntimesbeer.com

L.A. PRIME

404 S. Figueroa St. The Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites, 35th Fl. 213-612-4743 // thebonaventure.com

Go for the prime beef, stay for the panoramic city view and encyclopedic wine list featuring hundreds of award-winning vinos. Seafood is also on the sophisticated menu, making surf and turf the right call.

MANUELA

907 E. 3rd St. // 323-849-0480 // manuela-la.com

It’s not dinner, it’s supper at this hip indoor-outdoor eatery and garden (with chickens!), where bites of pimento cheese, hushpuppies and blistered okra— with innovative cocktails to boot— transport diners to the South.

THE MIGHTY

108 W. 2nd St. // 213-278-0025 themightydtla.com

The former 1925 Nabisco bakery is a Francophile paradise under chef Tony Esnault, who serves up steak frites and bouillabaisse in a charming bistro atmosphere. The cocktails are on point, too.

This photogenic little wine bar is hidden under the Gold Line in Chinatown, but the classic French bites (like bavette steak) and rare French wines make tracking it down worthwhile.

Beloved San Diego craft beer maker Modern Times plants its flag in DTLA with this brewery and full-service, plant-based restaurant and café that even serves coffee starting at 7 a.m.

LE PETIT PARIS

SPRING

FAITH & FLOWER

OTIUM

Husband-and-wife restaurateurs David and Fanny Rolland opened this elegant two-story

This spacious, light-filled dining room sporting a fountain, plenty of greenery and an open kitchen offers refined dishes recalling the South of France, from pâté and escargots to classically prepared meats and fish.

You’ll want to dress up to dine at this classy establishment, where the atmosphere and shared plates get A’s for attractiveness. Order an English Milk Punch, then go to town on a panoply of proteins, veggies and pizzas.

This chic indoor-outdoor resto beside The Broad embodies its name as a place where time is spent on leisurely social activities. Indeed, there’s no need to rush through creative cocktails and fantastical New American plates.

brasserie back in 2015. While it’s great for date night, it’s also a beloved brunch spot, when classic French dishes are served up and mimosas flow freely.

257 S. Spring St. // 213-372-5189 springlosangeles.com

705 W. 9th St. // 213-239-0642 faithandflowerla.com

451 S. Hewitt St. // 213-797-4534 // urthcaffe.com

Though “fast casual” technically describes this ultra-relaxed café, it’s where many people take it slow, loitering over organic coffee, fresh-baked treats, artisan salads and sandwiches.

WATER GRILL

544 S. Grand Ave. // 213-891-0900 watergrill.com

For a casual bite or 20, there’s the latest revelation by serial restaurateurs Karen and Quinn Hatfield. With a splash of Californian cuisine (Avocado + Burrata Toast), they balance interesting salads with savory pastas you can’t stop eating.

418 S. Spring St. // 213-217-4445 lepetitparisla.com

URTH CAFFÉ

222 S. Hope St. // 213-935-8500 otiumla.com

A sustainable seafood–serving stalwart since 1989, this refined restaurant excels at everything from chilled shellfish and bivalves to cioppino. A stiff martini pairs perfectly, as do the to-die-for sourdough rolls.

NOT SAMPLED YET...

The Most Anticipated At press time, three eagerly awaited new spots were about to open. In late January, Daniel Humm of NYC’s Eleven Madison Park, named by one website the No. 1 restaurant in the world, was set to introduce The Mezzanine at the new NoMad hotel (649 S. Olive St. // thenomadhotel.com) . David Chang of Momofuku fame was days from debuting Majordōmo (1725 Naud St. // majordomo.la) near Chinatown. And Jessica Largey was readying Simone (447 S. Hewitt St. // simoneartsdistrict.com) . See her interview on page 90.

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RAMEN

The Story of Vegan Eggs A notoriously non–vegan-friendly dish goes animal-free at Grand Central Market’s Ramen Hood, where the decadent broth—typically pork-packed— is made with sunflower seeds and mushrooms instead. The vegan egg is the biggest feat. Molecular gastronomy inspired by the chef’s stint at Noma is to thank for realistically soft-boiled eggs, created with beta carotene, nutritional yeast, B vitamins, black salt and magical sodium alginate.

UMAMI CENTR AL

A Ramen Broth Guide LIGHT: SALT / SHOYU / FISH / VEG BROTH Hailing from Yokohama and Tokyo, the soy sauce–based shoyu broth is almost always clear, featuring chicken, vegetables or fish for the base.

For vegetable-based umami broth: RAKKAN RAMEN 359 E. 1st St. // 213-680-4166 // rakkaninc.com

For great vegan options: DTLA RAMEN 952 S. Broadway // 213-265-7641 // dtlaramen.com

R AMEN REPORT

Japanese Import

MENU Use DTLA Book AR App to see the full menu

t the first U.S. location of Rakkan, a popular Tokyo ramen chain, the soup is as authentic as it gets. Unlike the ubiquitous and heavy bone-based broths, theirs are umami packed and light. Shoyu, salt and miso soups are vegetable- and

olive oil–based, and imported straight from the source. Minimalist décor allows flavors from Tokyo-style ramen, karaage (fried chicken) and miso eggplant to shine bright.

HEAVY: TONKOTSU BROTH This style of broth was conceived in Hakata City, northwest of Kyushu. It can vary, but is usually a thick white soup made from pork bones. It’s sometimes called Tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen.

For filling soup with a wait: DAIKOKUYA 327 E. 1st St. // 213-626-1680 // dkramen.com

To select your own toppings: SHIN SEN GUMI HAKATA RAMEN 132 S. Central Ave. // 213-687-7108 // shinsengumigroup.com

For free extra noodles: HAKATA IKKOUSHA 368 E. 2nd St. // 213-221-7920 // hakataikkoushausa.com

ALTERNATE RAMEN STYLES For miso, coconut milk broth and more: HANA-ICHIMONME 333 S. Alameda St., Ste. 303 // 213-626-3514

RAKKAN RAMEN

For $10 ramen, curry and gyoza combos: MY RAMEN BAR

359 E. 1st St. // 213-680-4166 // rakkaninc.com

321 ¼ E. 1st St. // 213-613-9888

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COURTESY RAKKAN RAMEN

Rakkan Pearl salt ramen

SUSHI & SASHIMI

AND MORE JAPANESE

HAMA SUSHI

SAKANA SUSHI LOUNGE

CHAYA

Elegant but not stuffy, creative but not crazy, this Japanese eatery does sushi and sashimi along with beautifully plated small plates, salads, poke and uni pasta, addressing cravings for a family of flavors.

Refined Japanese izakaya fare with French flair has been served in this breezily beautiful restaurant for years, but the mother restaurant in Kamakura, Japan, traces back to the early 1600s. Fun trivia: They created tuna tartare.

347 E. 2nd St. // 213-680-3454 // hamasushila.com

Sushi connoisseurs know Hama is all about purity. There are no noodles or tempura bites here, and no flash. The intimate Little Tokyo favorite doles out melt-in-your-mouth sashimi that attracts lines.

KAZUNORI

421 S. Main St. // 213-493-6956 kazunorisushi.com

SUGARFISH BY SUSHI NOZAWA

Calling itself “the original hand roll bar,” KazuNori takes pride in being a first-of-its-kind sushi spot, serving only made-to-order hand rolls of crispy nori, warm rice and the freshest of seafood. An offshoot of Sugarfish, it has the same attention to detail with a more casual vibe.

600 W. 7th St. // 213-627-3000 sugarfishsushi.com

KOMASA SUSHI

SUSHI GEN

351 E. 2nd St. // 213-680-1792 // komasasushi.com

Locals line up at this Little Tokyo sushi den—a staple for 20 years with its 10-seater sushi bar and half a dozen tables—especially during peak hours. And it’s for good reason, as it’s hard to find fresher, better quality nigiri, sashimi and rolls than at this intimate spot.

Q SUSHI

521 W. 7th St. // 213-225-6285 // qsushila.com

KAYOKO SUZUKI-LANGE

321 W. 9th St. // 213-683-0008 sakanadtla.com

With just 26 sought-after seats within its exposed brick walls, Q delivers painstakingly perfect Edomae cuisine. Chef Hiroyuki Naruke adheres to tradition when preparing his rice and imported seasonal fish, worth every pretty penny.

Sushi surprises abound at this renowned nigiri mecca. Doing things the old-fashioned way is an option, but trust us, order Trust Me: seven enlightening courses of warm rice, creamy fish, hand rolls and edamame.

422 E. 2nd St. // 213-617-0552 sushigen-dtla.com

Located in Honda Plaza, sushi-lovers flock here for the sashimi deluxe plate, which arrives at your table loaded with the day’s freshest fish. It’s a popular spot for an inexpensive lunch, too, even among some of the city’s most renowned local chefs.

525 S. Flower St. // 213-236-9577 // thechaya.com

CURRY HOUSE

123 Astronaut E. S. Onizuka St., #204 213-620-0855 // curryhouse-usa.com

This casual California chain has served up homestyle Japanese dishes—a variety of curries, katsu and noodle dishes—since the ’80s, and it still draws lines out the door, especially for lunch. For a Japanese dish you likely aren’t familiar with, order the menchi katsu curry.

INKO NITO

225 S. Garey St. // 310-999-0476 inkonitorestaurant.com

This beautifully designed robata restaurant seats 124 diners. Charcoal cooking is king here, with choices from crab tartare to pork ribs in a whiskey glaze.

IZAKAYA & BAR FU-GA 111 S. San Pedro St. // 213-625-1722 izakayafu-ga.com

SUSHI ZO

334 S. Main St. // 424-201-5576 // sushizo.us

For special occasions there is no sushi sampler as storied as this stark white spot’s $160-perperson omakase feast. Expect to experience perfect harmony between the neta (seafood) and shari (rice).

It’s not easy to find, but this sleek spot serves up small plates, steaks and sushi in its underground lounge. (You’ll have to look for the tiny streetlevel sign.) Tradition is shrugged off for what is basically a Japanese take on delicious bar food and inventive fusion.

IZAKAYA GAZEN

SHABU SHABU HOUSE

Whether you’re new to Japanese food altogether or a huge fan, this is a good place to start. Between shabu shabu, izakaya menu and sushi options, you can’t really go wrong. Be sure to get the tofu sampler, featuring tofu made in-house every morning.

Nope, it’s not a sauna; it’s a shabushabu house! You’ll be cooking your own meal at this local spot credited with bringing the cooking style to L.A. Meats, veggies and noodles are cooked in a hot pot tableside before they’re served with rice. Just be prepared to wait for a table or counter seat.

KAGAYA

SHIBUMI

Sinfully delicious shabu-shabu is the focus of this bambooaccented eatery. While beer-fed, massaged Japanese beef takes prime billing, thoughtful service and heavenly bowls of congee and crab make the meal, too.

This intimate bar and restaurant—only open for dinner—is kappo style, which means instead of sashimi and rolls, you’re served intricately plated, complex dishes (some hot, some cold, some sweet, some rice-based) on the 400-year-old cypress tree counter.

362 E. 1st St. // 213-613-1415 e-k-c.co.jp/gazen/la

418 E. 2nd St. // 213-617-1016 kagaya.dla.menuclub.com

KINJIRO

424 E. 2nd St. // 213-229-8200 kinjiro-la.com

Octopus ceviche, beef tongue and the bone-marrow dengaku are but three stars of the menu at this quiet Little Tokyo spot, an artisanal izakaya that serves both traditional and new-school small plates.

MARUGAME MONZO 329 E. 1st St. // 213-346-9762

127 Japanese Village Plaza // 213-680-3890

815 Hill St. // 213-265-7923 // shibumidtla.com

T.O.T. RESTAURANT 345 E. 2nd St. // 213-680-0344 littletokyorestaurant.com

Short for “Teishokuya of Tokyo,” this contemporary (but still traditional) spot is popular for its rice bowls, noodle dishes, sushi and vast sake options (more than 20 labels), though many step inside for the tonkatsu (deepfried pork cutlet). This cozy little spot is popular for lunch and dinner.

This spot, known for drawing a hip crowd, is renowned for its hand-pulled udon noodles crafted in the kitchen. (You’ll watch them get made while you eat.) Opt for traditional dishes or slurp up more creative concoctions, like the sea urchin cream udon.

Udon-making at Marugame Monzo

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SWEET TOOTH

CR AZY FOR CUPCAKES

Baking Boss He might look like an unlikely baker, but 6’5” Chip Brown is actually the man behind DTLA’s most to-die-for cupcakes. Big Man Bakes is the shop where, since 2009, he’s been slinging incredibly moist, fluffy mini and full-sized cakes topped with smooth, sweet frosting. Mix and match freshly baked bite-size cupcakes in rotating flavors and perennial faves like carrot and red velvet.

BIG MAN BAKES 413 S. Main St. // 213-617-9100 // bigmanbakes.com

Little Damage’s activated charcoal ice cream with Fruity Pebbles topping

SOFT SERVE SPOTLIGHT

The Big Chill

scream, you scream, we all scream for…charcoal ice cream?! Step outside your comfort zone and into Little Damage, where rotating adventurous flavors—including one vegan option—are nothing short of innovative. The family-owned shop prepares

their ice cream daily in small batches, using local ingredients supplied by organic dairy farmers. Don’t forget to Instagram that freshly rolled signature black cone, naturally colored with activated charcoal.

700 S. Grand Ave. // 213-802-1470 bottegalouie.com

Best known for their French macarons and picturesque dessert cases, the Downtown icon is part restaurant, grand market and patisserie, all under one gorgeous roof.

CAFÉ DULCE 134 Japanese Village Plaza // 213-346-9910

The Row, 777 Alameda St., #150 // 213-536-9633 cafedulce.co

Their bacon doughnut made them famous, but you’ll find a full menu of breakfast and lunch items along with coffee, tea and matcha.

THE PIE HOLE

7 14 Trac tion Ave. // 21 3-537- 01 1 5 thepieholela .com

LITTLE DAMAGE 700 S. Spring St. // 213-534-8363 // lit tledama ge.com

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This sleek local chain serves up both sweet and savory from-

scratch pies—some by the slice, some personal hand pies—to Downtown denizens looking for a tasty treat. A slice is perfectly paired with The Pie Hole’s medium-roast coffee, available as espresso, drip coffee or cold brew.

ICE CREAM & GELATO FOR WAFFLE LOVERS The Dolly Llama 611 S. Spring St. // thedollyllama.com

FOR GELATO CONNOISSEURS Gelateria Uli 541 S. Spring St., Ste. 104 // 213-900-4717 gelateriauli.com

FOR ECO-MINDED CYCLISTS Peddler’s Creamery 458 S. Main St. // 213-537-0257 peddlerscreamery.com

FOR FLAVOR ADVENTURERS Salt & Straw

829 E. 3rd St. // 213-988-7070 // saltandstraw.com

COURTESY LITTLE DAMAGE; BIG MAN BAKES: POUL LANGE

BOTTEGA LOUIE

VEGETARIAN / VEGAN ÂU LAC

P.Y.T.

“Serene” is how many describe the dining room of this vegan Vietnamese spot specializing in flavorful plant-based dishes. It’s been in the L.A. area for nearly a decade, a leader in the local raw food movement.

Chef Josef Centeno’s latest creation puts veggies center stage, featuring in-season produce from local farms in mouthwatering combos sure to satisfy the hungriest carnivores. But while veggies rule, you’ll still find uni and ribeye on the menu, plus plenty of cheese and butter.

710 W. 1st St. // 213-617-2533 // a u l a c . com

BEELMAN’S

600 S. Spring St. // 213-622-1022 beelmans.com

Like many an Angeleno, this former pub dropped the meat and went vegan. With an Asian-Pacific bent, its kitchen prepares refined plant-based fare—think faux hot dogs, Buddha bowls and Impossible Meat “burgers”—with tiki cocktails and craft beer.

CAFÉ GRATITUDE

300 S. Santa Fe Ave. // 213-929-5580 cafegratitude.com

This favorite spot among local veggies is a SoCal chain seeking to promote consciousness and sustainability by serving nothing but organic, plant-based food such as solidly crafted salads, sandwiches, wraps and warm entrées.

THE DANKNESS DOJO BY MODERN TIMES 832 S. Olive St. // 213-878-7008 moderntimesbeer.com

This brewery & restaurant serves over 30 tap beers and a full menu of plant-based cuisine. Think battered and fried seitan, onion rings, salads, and meatless burgers. Coffee from 7 a.m.

400 S. Main St. // 213-687-7015 // pytlosangeles.com

SHOJIN

333 S. Alameda St., Ste. 310 // 213-617-0305 theshojin.com

This upscale vegan and macrobiotic Japanese spot holds its customers’ health in the highest regard, which is why it replaces the fish you’d normally find in rolls and ramen with spicy tofu.

WILD LIVING FOODS 760 S. Main St. // 213-266-8254 wildlivingfoods.com

“Live Dirty, Eat Clean” is the slogan of this vibrant corner space in the Fashion District serving raw food, smoothies and dairy-free gelato alongside cold-pressed juices bottled in glass. The Gorilla Milk (cucumber, kale, almonds, dates, green apples and pink salt) is a fan favorite.

ZINC CAFE & MARKET

580 Mateo St. // 213-825-5381 // zinccafe.com

Serving up vegetarian takes on American comfort food (pizzas, burgers, sandwiches), this courtyard and sleek dining room provide a much-needed respite from the industrial streets surrounding it. Mixology lounge Bar Mateo sits out back.

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BURGERS THE BLACK SHEEP 126 E. 6th St. // 213-689-5022

Specialty Burgers 100-DAY DRY-AGED BURGER, $23 It’s all about the beef in Belcampo Meat Co.’s raclette- and caramelized onion–topped stunner. Grand Central Market, 317 S. Broadway 213-625-0304 // belcampomeat.com

THE KIM PARK LEE, $9.75 Bulgogi, cheddar, kimchi and Meatzilla’s signature sauce are an undeniable combo. 646 S. Main St. // 213-623-3450 meatzilladtla.tumblr.com

THE MEXICAN, $12 Angus dressed up with beef barbacoa, guacamole, cilantro and chipotle sauce at 464. 464 S. Main St. // 213-239-9482 // 464dtla.com

THE SHACKBURGER, $5.29 At press time, Shake Shack’s DTLA location hadn't opened yet, but this item is the one that made Danny Meyer a hit around the world. 801 Hill St. // shakeshack.com

SIMPLE BURGER, $10 The prime beef chuck and Tillamook cheddar burger at Everson Royce Bar sets the standard. 1936 E. 7th St. // 213-335-6166 // erbla.com

WAGYU SLIDER, $7 Chaya’s Asian bent applies to its bar-only slider, dolled up with kimchi, yuzu jam and fontina. 525 S. Flower St. // 213-236-9577 // thechaya.com

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THE COUNTER

BLUE COW KITCHEN

MIKKELLER DTLA

PUBLIC SCHOOL 213

Diners at this clamored-after burger chain get exactly what they want, whether it’s on the menu or not; the idea is complete customization. Endless options consistently beget mouthwatering results.

Offering $6 cocktails, wines and sangria margaritas, happy hour here (4–6:30 p.m. on weekdays) is a guaranteed good time. Popular among those who work nearby, Blue Cow offers a ton of delicious small bites and a casual patio area in the middle of Downtown.

Expansive, high-ceilinged and glass-clad, this craft beer heaven hits a high note, pouring dozens of brews—not to mention kombucha and cold brew—and passing satisfyingly savory plates at all hours.

Throw it back to school days during Recess, aka happy hour, which, like lunch and dinner at this craft beer–slinging gastropub, features grown-up, gourmet twists on lunchroom faves: meatballs, PB&J and tots.

PATTERN BAR

SIXTH ST. TAVERN

This atmospheric bar takes its place in the Fashion District to heart, honoring iconic designers with “haute” cocktails named Lagerfeld and Chanel. Vibrant small plates and fashionappropriate salads are the finishing touch.

High-quality modern American pub grub goes from crispy Brussels sprouts to crispy chicken. Wash it down with a stellar selection of 28 craft brews pulled behind the zinc bar.

725 W. 7th St. // 213-228-7800 thecounterburger.com

MEATZILLA

646 S. Main St. // 213-623-3450 meatzilladtla.tumblr.com

The quirky creations at this tiny hole-in-the-wall burger stand are exciting, but the option to upgrade them with a mini pepperoni pizza substituted as the top bun truly takes things over the top.

UMAMI BURGER

852 S. Broadway // 213-413-8626 738 E. 3rd St. // 323-263-8626 umamiburger.com

Sleek environs and that elusive fifth taste (umami) make for an attractive combination at this hip hang with reclaimed wood, Edison bulbs and a full bar crafting cocktails that pair perfectly with the burgers.

350 S. Grand Ave. // 213-621-2249 bluecowkitchen.com

BRACK SHOP TAVERN 525 W. 7th St. // 213-232-8657 brackshoptavern.com

A love of sports isn’t necessary to enjoy this comfy tavern, but games are always on as the kitchen churns out comfort food like bacon-topped twice-baked potatoes and bartenders shake up original cocktails.

THE EIGHT BAR

788 S. Grand Ave. // 213-873-4745 wholefoodsmarket.com

The location of this gastropub may surprise would-be patrons who find it inside Whole Foods. With a hip ambience, outdoor patio, evening DJ and themed nights (Taco Tuesday), The Eight Bar is more like a 10.

330 W. Olympic Blvd. // 213-596-9005 mikkellerbar.com

100 W. 9th St. // 213-627-7774 patternbar.com

PRANK

1100 S. Hope St. // 213-493-4786 prankbar.com

An open-air, walk-up bar makes for perhaps DTLA's most pleasant place to drink. On-tap kombucha, cocktails made with experimental terpene (an anti-inflammatory oil from cannabis) and delectable bites don’t hurt the cause.

612 Flower St. // 213-622-4500 psontap.com

630 W. 6th St. // 213-614-1900 sixthstreettavern.com

THE STOCKING FRAME 911 S. Hill St. // 213-488-0373 thestockingframe.com

It’s a coffee shop during the day, but starting with happy hour (5–7 p.m. at the bar), it becomes a late-night spot with cleverly concocted cocktails and sophisticated eats. Plan to run into urban hipsters seeking craft beers and deep conversation.

NATALIYA ARZAMASOVA | DREAMSTIME.COM

THE STANDOUTS

Craft beers are featured at this friendly gastropub, where magnificently juicy burgers— some highlighting Asian flavors—and addictive tater tots, covered in carne asada or cheese and truffle, stand out.

LATE NIGHT AND 24/7 24/7 RESTAURANT AT THE STANDARD 550 S. Flower St. // 213-439-3030 // standardhotels.com

Open 24 hours. Surprise, surprise—a big draw of this all-night diner is its consistent, no-brainer hours of operation. Comfort food is served all day to hotel guests and post-party revelers from either the mod counter or the party-ready patio.

BÄCO MERCAT

408 S. Main St. // 213-687-8808 // bacomercat.com

Open until midnight Friday and Saturday; 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Prolific chef Josef Centeno’s trademarked bäco flatbread is joyously available in the form of pizza, tacos and gyros until late at this hopping neighborhood spot. End-of-the-evening specials start at 10 p.m. during the week, 11 p.m. on weekends, and include Bäcobeer for $5.

BIRDIES

314 W. Olympic Blvd. // 213-536-5720 // birdiesla.com

Open 24 hours on Friday and Saturday. All kinds of late-night cravings are sated on weekends at this part-coffee, part-doughnut, part–fried chicken solution. The original chicken sandwich is crisp and juicy, while the made-on-the-hour artisanal pastries wow in a slew of inventive flavors.

COMFORT L.A.

1110 E. 7th St. // 213-537-0844 // comfortla.net

Open until 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday; midnight Sunday through Wednesday (closed Monday). Soul food doesn’t get more authentic in all of Downtown than at this go-to for the bar-hopping crowd. Fried chicken, collard greens and mac ’n’ cheese are clearly made with love.

THE ORIGINAL PANTRY CAFE

877 S. Figueroa St. // 213-972-9279 // pantrycafe.com

Open 24 hours. This diner, open since 1924 and accepting only cash ever since, is rumored to not even have a lock on its door. The nostalgic stop is perfect for an old-school plate of steak and eggs or a late-night stack of buttermilk pancakes.

WURSTKÜCHE

800 E. 3rd St. // 213-687-4444 // wurstkuche.com

Open until 1:30 a.m. daily. When the sidewalk hot dog carts won’t do the trick, there’s Downtown’s go-to for artisanal grilled sausages on fresh rolls, Belgian fries and craft brews. Exotics like rattlesnake and rabbit make for good late-night dares.

Bold Flavors Meet Urban Sophistication Let your senses be dazzled by Chef Hansen Lee’s modern, approachable menu inspired by the extraordinary sustainably-grown ingredients purveyed by local farmers. Each dish pairs perfectly with the bar’s enticing handcrafted cocktails. At DISTRICT not only do we make use of the extraordinary foods grown sustainably by our local farmers, we also seek out unparalleled ideas from food purveyors around the world. Reservations can be made via www.districtdtla.com or by calling 213 612 3185. District is located within the Bloc • 711 South Hope Street, Los Angeles, CA 9001

SheratonGrandLosAngeles_DT_DistrictAd_4.3x8.9.indd 1

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BREWERIES

DISTILLERIES GREENBAR DISTILLERY

2459 E. 8th St. // 213-375-3668 // greenbar.biz

This company, offering perhaps the best-known distillery tour in the area, has the world’s largest organic, handcrafted spirits portfolio. You’ll only be able to catch a tour on Saturdays ($12 per person) here, but they have plenty going on during the rest of the week, like cocktail classes and tastings for you to choose from.

LOST SPIRITS DISTILLERY 1235 E. 6th St. // 831-235-9400 // lostspirits.net

Disney meets distilling at this magical destination where science, innovation and art come together to create standout peated malt whiskeys and rum. The legendary laboratory is open only to those with online reservations for two-hour tastings, which comprise a tour, presentation and pours of truly one-of-a-kind spirits. Angel City Brewery

216 Alameda St. // 213-622-1261 angelcitybrewery.com

This tap room and pub is also a hub for community gatherings, including a weekly farmers market. Enjoy popular brews and limited runs; feel free to bring in outside food for a fun time.

ARTS DISTRICT BREWING CO.

828 Traction Ave. // 213-817-5321 artsdistrictbrewing.com

Enjoy a couple of brews between games of ping-pong, darts and vintage Skeeball in a spot that produces 3,300 barrels of craft beer annually. Bar snacks pair perfectly with stouts and IPAs.

OUR/LOS ANGELES showings, block parties and live music. Every beer label has been designed by an L.A. artist, and the tap room—outfitted with foosball, darts, a pool table and more games—is designed with local furnishings and fixtures.

THE DANKNESS DOJO BY MODERN TIMES 832 S. Olive St. // 213-878-7008 moderntimesbeer.com

This San Diego-based brewery offers more than two dozen taps and a plant-based menu. Read more on page 105 & 115.

IRON TRIANGLE BREWING CO.

1581 Industrial St. // 310-424-1370 irontrianglebrewing.com

BOOMTOWN BREWERY 700 Jackson St. // 213-617-8497 boomtownbrew.com

More than just a brewery, Boomtown seeks to create a community space through gallery

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At 40,000 square feet, Iron Triangle is the largest of L.A.’s local breweries. The tap room—offering 10 brews—has a sophisticated throwback vibe, echoing the 1920s with its long

bar and fresh flowers. This ain’t your frat brother’s brewery.

MIKKELLER DTLA

915 S. Santa Fe Ave. // ourvodka.com/losangeles

Our/Vodka is a global brand that’s all about local flavors. With microdistilleries in nine cities worldwide, each city’s vodka has its own unique flavor and is sourced from local ingredients. For $10, take a tour of their modern facility in the Arts District and taste their L.A. blend at the source.

330 W. Olympic Blvd. // 213-596-9005 mikkellerbar.com

This 100-year-old former auto repair shop was transformed into a high-ceilinged, industrialchic nirvana for beer geeks featuring 50-plus taps. Savory Scandinavian-inflected bites sidle up to brews ranging from Mikkeller’s own Waves IPA to a Texas Pecan Ice Cream Porter.

MUMFORD BREWING CO. 416 Boyd St. // mumfordbrewing.com

At any given time Mumford offers up a dozen beers on tap, including IPAs, porters and pale ales. The only food you’ll find on-site are freshly baked pretzels, so BYOF, and when you find your fave brew, have some canned to take home.

THE SPIRIT GUILD

5 86 Mateo St . // 21 3- 61 3-1498 // thespirit guild.com

This Arts District collaboration doesn’t mess around when it comes to the art of distillation. Started by a sixth-generation California farmer and Scottish-Canadian distiller, it sets itself apart by producing farm-to-glass gin and vodka completely in-house. It’s also gluten-free. Tickets are just $10 for a 45-minute tasting and tour to ooh and aah at their fab facility.

WINE BARS Drink & Shop: GARÇONS DE CAFÉ 541 S. Spring St. // 213-278-0737 // garcons-de-cafe.com

Easy on Your Wallet: POUR HAUS WINE BAR

1820 Industrial St. // 213-327-0304 // pourhauswinebar.com

More Than 800 Labels: BOTTLEROCK LA 1050 S. Flower St. // 213-747-1100 // bottlerockla.com

Rosé With Classic French Bites: ORIEL CHINATOWN 1135 N. Alameda St. // 213-253-9419 // orielchinatown.com // more on page 105

Rustic & Romantic: MIGNON 128 E. 6th St. // 213-489-0131 // mignonla.com

JOHN HOUCK

ANGEL CITY BREWERY

CLUBS THE CONTINENTAL CLUB

HONEYCUT

Don’t expect to spend the entire night on Instagram or Tinder at this subterranean club with zero cell reception. The hidden speakeasy is down an alley in Gallery Row, and prospective clubbers without a reservation are subject to the whims of the bouncer. Expect Penicillins and draft Moscow Mules, DJs and a dressed-up, laid-back crowd.

Known for its multicolored light-up dance floor, this slick spot with an old-school disco vibe invites you to get your groove on, but also to indulge in its expansive craft cocktail program of more than 50 drinks. Split into two rooms—one for drinking, one for dancing; you can choose your own adventure.

116 W. 4th St. // 866-687-4499 // circa93.com

819 S. Flower St . // 21 3- 6 8 8- 08 8 8 honeycutla .com

Queen Kong at Precinct

LGBTQA BAR MATTACHINE

221 W. 7th St. // 213-278-0471 // barmattachine.com

ELEVATE LOUNGE

THE MAYAN

Like the name says, this club is on a different level—21 floors above Wilshire, to be exact. The massive space offers panoramas that reach the Hollywood Hills, but all the action is inside. Bottle service is the best bet for EDM fans who have something to celebrate, Vegas-style.

It’s not every day you come across a club with Mayan décor, but this former movie palace, opened in 1927, is one of the city’s most popular venues for concerts and club nights. The Mayan offers multiple levels of fun, usually with differing music from tropical to Top 40.

811 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 2100 // 213-623-7100 elevatelounge.com

103 8 S. Hill St . // 21 3-74 6 -4 674 clubmayan.com

The only gay bar in L.A. specializing in craft cocktails (with names resembling an LGBT history lesson), this gorgeously appointed two-story space draws an upscale clientele of queer folk and allies. More sophisticated and civilized than raucous, the space is home to a roster of local DJs and performers.

MUSTACHE MONDAYS AT THE LASH 117 Winston St. // 213-687-7723

EXCHANGE L.A.

THE RESERVE: COURTESY THE RESERVE; PRECINCT: JEREMY LUCIDO

618 S. Spring St . // 21 3- 6 2 7-8070 exchangela .com

Located in the former L.A. Stock Exchange building, this expansive, four-level nightclub is one of Downtown’s most popular venues, inviting international DJs of the highest caliber to treat its patrons to a pulsing dance floor. You’ll want to dress upscale for entry. The Reserve

THE RESERVE

65 0 S. Spring St . // 21 3-3 2 7- 0 05 7 thelareser ve.com

Like most of DTLA’s sophisticated nightlife hot spots, this place has history: It serves up its handcrafted cocktails in the basement of a 1920s BeauxArts bank (hence the name) and welcomes night owls with its talented DJs and three bars’ worth of friendly staff.

You may not think of Monday night as a popular one to hit the town, but this edgy underground party has been going on for years, attracting the city’s drag stars, club kids and inthe-know hipsters. In addition to sets by resident DJ and founder Josh Peace, the party regularly boasts performances by queer musicians and artists.

performances and Latino go-go boys, though a mix of people call this neighborhood bar home. Step into this cash-only spot for a night of cumbia, reggaeton and pop music.

HISTORY LESSON

Riot, Sweet Riot West Hollywood might

PRECINCT

357 S. Broadway // 213-628-3112 // precinctdtla.com

Located in a former police precinct, this multiroom nightclub has become Downtown’s go-to spot for queer lovers of drag, dancing and rock ’n’ roll debauchery. The second-floor spot’s wraparound patio acts as a refuge for smokers, while the main room’s stage serves as a beloved home to talented local performers, comedians and musicians.

be considered the prevalent LGBTQ area in L.A. today, but in the ’50s and ’60s, a stretch of DTLA’s Main Street was the gay hangout. And what is considered the first gay uprising in America took place here, 10 years before NYC’s Stonewall Rebellion. Known as the Cooper’s

REDLINE

131 E. 6th St. // 213-935-8391 // redlinedtla.com

Donut Riot, it happened in May 1959, when a group of drag queens and

NEW JALISCO

A sleek and modern gay bar located in the Historic Core, Redline draws boys and girls (mostly boys) with its hunky bar staff, roster of rotating DJs

with donuts, coffee and

The oldest of Downtown’s batch of gay bars, the New Jalisco caters to a Latin crowd with Spanish-language drag

and regular performances by some of the city’s most popular drag queens. Drinks are stiff and reasonably priced, and the patrons are a friendly bunch.

245 S. Main St. // 213-613-1802

hustlers, tired of being harassed by the police, bombarded the LAPD paper plates and caused Main Street to be closed down for a whole day.

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YOGA

FAVES

Los Angeles suffers no shortage of yoga studios, and

- WELLNESS -

Downtown is no exception. Stereotypes would have us believe every Angeleno practices the meditative Indian discipline, and there are enough destinations for that to be true. Evoke Yoga (731 S. Spring St., #600 // 213-375-5528 // evokeyoga.com) offers both heated and unheated entry points for yogis of every level (and the attractive first-time offer of $25 for two unlimited weeks), with the common thread being energetic playlists and uplifting instructors. Downtown is the flagship studio for original hot yoga studio Bikram Yoga L.A. (700 W. 1st St. // 213-334-3949 // bikramyogala.com) , where 26 specific postures are taught in a 105-degree room. The peaceful ambience at Yoga Circle Downtown (400 S. Main St. // 213-620-1040 yogacircledowntown.com) encourages the flow in their classes

ranging from Solar Flow and Power Flow to Ayurvedic Yoga, Hatha and Yin. Specialty movement methods, such as aerial yoga, are taught at The Bridge Mind Body Movement (1820 Industrial St., #102B // 213-537-0159 // thebridgembm.com) , while yogarajDTLA (900 E. 4th St. // 213-293-9642 // yogaraj.org) has the city’s chicest setting, in the A+D Architecture and Design Museum. Just $10 for a vinyasa class.

Model and wellness blogger Melissa Eckman (@melisfit_) is as socially conscious as she is eyepoppingly flexible, bending into inconceivable yoga pose after yoga pose. One hundred percent of the proceeds of the Guatemalan-print Joriki Yoga leggings she wears above benefit Pencils of Promise, which builds schools around the world. Two hundred leggings sold translates to half a school built. She also supports the nonprofits Direct Relief and Feed America, and works with the brand Raw Sugar Living, which donates a bar of soap to a family in need for each purchase. The inspiring yogi celebrated donating 500,000 bars in 2017.

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PILATES It’s no surprise that Pilates, a fitness practice renowned for its unique ability to strengthen, lengthen and tone with low impact, has taken off in this body-obsessed city. Specializing in the classical method, Kerri Baker Pilates (408 S. Spring St. // 213-590-3703 // kerribakerpilates.net) is an intimate go-to for newbies trying out the therapeutic modality, and experienced practitioners looking to be challenged one-on-one. At Club Pilates Downtown Los Angeles (1119 S. Hope St. // 213-204-6900 // clubpilates.com) , the pure method is taught to groups on state-of-the-art equipment (also, your first intro class is free). Tradition is turned on its head at Pilates+DTLA (110 E. 9th St., AL-025 // 213-863-4834 // ppdtla.com) , a Lagree Fitness studio where intense, sweaty classes test strength and muscular endurance for quick results.

BARRE Go for: Fun, fast-paced fitness

Dance, Pilates and yoga all come together in caloriecrushing workouts at The Main Barre. 560 S. Main St., #4W // 213-623-1213 // themainbarre.com

Go for: Isometrics and intervals

The Bar Method’s one-hour classes tone, stretch and sculpt students like ballet dancers. 724 S. Spring St., #203 // 213-221-1237 // barmethod.com

Go for: Long, lean muscles

High-intensity, low-impact sessions at Pure Barre work even the tiniest muscles to exhaustion. 740 Olive St., #106 // 323-305-7025 // purebarre.com/ca-downtownla

COURTESY MELISSA ECKMAN

GOOD CAUSE YOGI

WELLNESS / BEAUTY BASE COAT

70 4 Mateo St . // 21 3-935 -833 0 ba secoatnailsalon.com

FITNESS BESPOKE CYCLING STUDIO

7 35 S. Fig ueroa St . , #105 // 21 3-2 28-28 28 bespokec ycling studio.com

Although cycling is the name of the game here, workouts in the super-clean studio are dynamic and incorporate the upper body, too. The energetic sequencing in a clublike setting leaves you dripping, making the cold eucalyptus towels even sweeter.

EQUINOX

444 Flower St. // 213-330-3999 // equinox.com

This members-only shop for all things fitness—and recovery— offers not only a hefty schedule of unlimited classes with inspiring instructors, personal trainers dedicated to clients’ individual goals and a wide range of equipment, but good vibes all around.

WAVEBREAKMEDIA LTD | DREAMSTIME.COM

FITPROSLA

1 2 3 S. Fig ueroa St . , #14 0B // 818-319 -31 18 f itprosla .com

Personal attention is a given at this state-of-the-art private training studio, where one-on-one and intimate group sessions are led by experts who specialize in tailoring workouts to the individual. Consider fitness goals addressed.

THE JYIM

83 0 Trac tion Ave. , #2B // 3 2 3-20 4-76 0 4 thejyim.com

Bypass the temptation at Arts District Brewing Co. in favor of a sweat-heavy session upstairs. Prepare to get your butt kicked in both private and group classes including boxing, body sculpt and bootcamp, but have fun while you’re doing it.

KRAV MAGA UNYTED

33 4 S. Main St . , #1 10 6A // 21 3-2 2 3- 6 2 33 kravma g auny ted.com

Self-defense isn’t the only reason to go sweat it out at the gym specializing in the Israeli fighting system called Krav Maga and Mixed Martial Arts training, but it’s an added benefit of hard-core classes that sharpen the body and mind.

SANCTUARY FITNESS

This nontoxic nail salon’s expansive, airy Arts District space is as Instagrammable as the manicure you’ll leave with. Fig & Yarrow custom-blends their plant-based products, and there’s kombucha and cold brew on tap.

7 18 Jack son St . // 21 3-26 6 -831 1 s anc tuar y f itnessla .com

It’s all about HIIT (high-intensity interval training) and spin at this fresh group fitness studio promising “peace through perspiration.” For just $25 new members can try the choreographed cycling classes and strength-inducing HIIT sessions—addressing different body parts daily—for a week.

8 8 8 S. Olive St . // 3 2 3-4 63-76 85 soul- c ycle.com

Forty-five minutes is all you need at this O.G. indoor spinning studio’s sanctuary-like space to fully work both body and mind. Inspirational instructors take riders through hills, jogs and pushups in a candlelit space.

BENJAMIN

300 S. Santa Fe Ave. // 424-249-3296 benjaminsalon.com

Hairstyling guru Benjamin Mohapi’s art-filled cut-andcolor salon in the Arts District is not only exceptionally cool, but so are the looks coming out of it.

SPEEDPLAY

The first of its kind in DTLA, this South Park gym makes working out an absolute blast by encouraging dynamic movement and cardio under the guise of laser tag. Bring friends for the match, which also includes parkour elements for added challenge.

Ditch the gym boredom at this boutique fitness favorite where classes tackle the entire body. Friendly, encouraging trainers utilize treadmills, C2 rowing machines, weights and other apparatus for high-intensity intervals that challenge even the fittest person.

4 0 0 W. Pico Blvd. // 855 -5 2 9 -7 3 4 8 la zr f it .com

1 1 1 3½ S. Hope St . // 21 3-894-9 94 4 speedplayla .com

Like UberEats for massage, this on-demand service delivers experienced masseuses to your doorstep, whether it’s an apartment, office or hotel room.

NAILBOX

300 S. Santa Fe Ave. // 213-229-8832 // nailboxla.com

DRIP DOCTORS

This celeb-loved destination doles out IV drips and vitamin infusions that promise to boost immunity and energy, jump-start muscle recovery and reduce stress. Botox, fillers and weight loss programs are also available.

Adorable décor and competitive pricing attract gel addicts for manicures from basic to blinged out, with chrome, holographic, jewels and nail art designs. Pedicures happen at cool copper basins.

NEIHULE

607 S. Olive St. // 213-623-4383 // neihule.com

FRAIS SPA

819 S. Flower St. // 213-784-8194 // fraisspa.com

LAZRFIT

MELT

866-473-6358 // meltondemand.com

1119½ S. Hope St. // 213-749-3747 // dripdoctors.com

SOULCYCLE DOWNTOWN LA

infrared sauna destination, where sessions to reduce chronic pain, alleviate stress and detoxify the body can be game-changing. Clean, private rooms allow guests to personalize lighting and entertainment and rinse off in a vitamin C–infused shower.

Everyone could likely use the Tech Neck Massage at this intimate spa with offerings such as full-body rubdowns, facials and acupuncture that end with chocolate and green tea.

HOTBOX INFRARED SAUNA STUDIO 835 S. Hill St. // 213-628-3221 hotboxsaunastudio.com

Netflix and chill—or heat—at this

This relaxing full-service salon across from Pershing Square offers skincare, massages, hair services, waxing and nail care.

THE RITZ-CARLTON SPA, LOS ANGELES 900 W. Olympic Blvd. // 213-763-4400 // ritzcarlton.com

Feel like a king or queen for a day at this opulent, expansive spa, where Champagne kicks off pampering via luxe personalized treatments using ingredients from the rooftop garden.

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FAVES - -

CLOTHING

SHOP

BRIGADE LA

903 W. Olympic Blvd. // 213-623-0013 brigadela.com

Marc Jacobs, Kate Spade, Furla, Jeffrey Campbell—all your favorite brands are under one roof at this women’s retailer, known for great sales and customer service. This location across from L.A. LIVE is a surefire hit.

COMMONWEALTH

20 08 E . 7 th St . // 21 3-537- 05 8 4 commonwealth-f t g g .com

ACNE STUDIOS

855 S. Broadway // 213-243-0960 // acnestudios.com

The opening of this sleek Swedish brand’s flagship in 2013 signified a new era in DTLA. Located in the Eastern Columbia Building, its 5,000 square feet of worldfamous denim, leather jackets and minimalist must-haves await you.

ALCHEMY WORKS

8 26 E . 3rd St . // 3 2 3-4 87-1497 alchemy work s.us

A mix of retail and gallery space, this carefully curated boutique is hip to the max and includes men’s and women’s fashion, gifts, home goods, magazines and a Warby Parker showroom.

ready-to-wear French brand brought a whole lot of buzz with it when it opened. Both the collections and the space itself are minimalist with très chic flair.

APOLIS

826 E. 3rd St. // 855-894-1559 // apolisglobal.com

In a city where socially conscious equals sexy, this minimalist menswear boutique features shirts, swimwear, bags, outerwear and shoes, all ethically sourced. This fashion looks good on the body and feels good on the brain. (Read more on page 61.)

BLENDS LA

125 W. 9th St. // 424-252-2762 // apc.fr

In good company at 9th Street and Broadway, this popular,

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City-dwelling sneakerheads get their fix at the Downtown outpost of the beloved shop that puts kicks front and center. Everything from Vans to rare

COS

313 W. 8th St. // 213-271-2716 // cosstores.com

BLISS BOUTIQUE

When you need to stay on-trend but can’t break the bank, it’s Bliss to the rescue. With a fine selection of women’s clothing, accessories and shoes starting at $30, it’s no wonder this boutique has a loyal following.

Clean and modern mark the men’s and women’s clothing and Scandinavian-inflected design of this London-based brand, a sibling company of H&M. Don’t expect fast fashion— the everyday basics and minimalist ready-to-wear are quality and meant to last.

BNKR

GENTLE MONSTER

This Australian retailer’s cult following spans oceans. Lucky for us, the 6,800-square-foot flagship store is the only U.S. location. You’ll find women’s fashion and accessories from Aussie brands like C/MEO Collective and Jaggar Footwear.

Make any excuse to visit this massive, museum-like space with evocative kinetic sculptures and large-scale installations by famed film director Floria Sigismondi. Stimulating surroundings make the experience of shopping for the

204½ W. 6th St. // 213-489-4022 // blissstores.com

725 S. Los Angeles St. // 213-626-6607 // blendsus.com

A.P.C.

Nikes and Air Jordans draws hip-hop fans and skateboarders for regular sprees.

Inside a 1,500-square-foot space, this Virginia-based streetwear boutique is showcasing a variety of brands ranging from classics to lesser known cult favorites, such as Wacko Maria, Brain Dead and Padmore & Barnes.

901 S. Broadway // 213-327-0442 us.fashionbunker.com

816 S. Broadway // 21 3-935 -81 14 gentlemonster.com

Korean eyewear brand’s cool creations totally memorable.

HARPER

20 4 W. 6th St . // 21 3-4 89 -1891

This jewel box of a shop packs a punch in a small amount of space, stocking well-priced separates and dresses that speak to current trends. The friendly salespeople are known to offer styling advice with purchases, too.

THE HOUSE OF WOO 209 S. Garey St. // 213-687-4800 ilovewoo.com

Nestled in the Arts District, designer Staci Woo’s flagship store brings a bit of the beach to Downtown—upscale but comfortable. You’ll find clothing and accessories for men, women and children, and, of course, beach towels.

LE BOX BLANC

1 10 0 S. Hope St . , C 1 // 21 3-519 -3 4 0 0 leboxblanc .com

From head to toe, Le Box Blanc’s store—an airy brickand-mortar shop opened by the DTLA-based e-commerce retailer in 2016—has you covered. Local designers like Janessa Leoné hang alongside faves from Equipment and IRO. (Read more on page 94.)

MYKITA

847 S. Broadway // 213-335-5815 // mykita.com

This German brand is known for custom-fit prescription eyewear (all done in-house),

WRANGLER | DREAMSTIME.COM

OUR

SHOP H&M, Zara, Target & More + Nordstrom Rack Now Open!

DINE Hungry? Choose from 20 Restaurants & Eateries!

PLAY FREE Music + Events All year long!

#LifeHappensHere #StyleHappensHere @FIGat7th · FIGat7th.com 735 S. Figueroa St. · Downtown L.A. Across from the 7th Street/Metro Center Station

OUR

FAVES - -

BOOKSTORES

SHOP

A.G. GEIGER

5 02 Chung K ing Ct . // 21 3-5 05 - 695 7

Part bookstore, part co-working space, this Chinatown shop named for a character in The Big Sleep carries fine art books with a spotlight on California artists.

you’ve seen on Instagram. You’ll find books old and new, and they even have a music section featuring vintage vinyl.

THE LIBRARY STORE

630 W. 5th St. // 213-228-7500 // shop.lfla.org

HENNESSEY + INGALLS

3 0 0 S. Santa Fe, Ste. M // 21 3-437-21 3 0 hennesseying alls.com

This well-known bookstore moved from Santa Monica to the Arts District’s One Santa Fe. The shelves are packed with gorgeous books on art and design.

With all sales supporting the L.A. Public Library, it takes a lot of restraint not to go on a book shopping spree. This curated selection of literary gifts also includes toys, stationery, notebooks and more.

OOGA BOOGA

943 N. Broadway // 213-617-1105 // oogaboogastore.com

THE LAST BOOKSTORE

453 S. Spring St. // 213-488-0599 // lastbookstorela.com

A true L.A. icon, this indie bookstore is home to that infamous book tunnel

SHOP ’TIL YOU DROP OFF... f you enjoyed shopping in Downtown—and picked up more than can fit in your suitcase—City Business Shipping has got you covered. Residents and business owners of the Fashion District have long

depended on this one-stop shop for all their logistics and packaging needs. Opened in 1995 on 9th Street, it now has multiple area locations. It makes shipping easy, whether you need to send something small back home or are looking for freight consolidation to restock inventory at your boutique in, say, Chicago. Just bring any item into a location near you and the company will pack and box it and recommend the most appropriate carrier for delivery (UPS, FedEx, DHL or USPS). The company even offers same-day service for urgent shipments. Services include packaging and building custom crates for paintings, statues and antiques of all sorts.

CITY BUSINESS SHIPPING INC. cbshipping.com FASHION DISTRICT 225 E. 9th St. // 213-612-4949 GARMENT DISTRICT 967 E. 12th St. // 213-239-8877

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LITTLE TOKYO 308 S. Los Angeles St. // 213-622-2426 MARKET SOUTH 1147 S. San Pedro St. // 323-831-2022

JUST FOOD FOR DOGS 333 S. Spring St . // 21 3-70 9 -2 963 just foodfordog s.com

Owners of picky or sickly pups flock to this specialty store, conveniently located beside a veterinarian’s office. The brand’s proprietary recipes address a number of dietary concerns and preferences using high-quality ingredients and creative combinations.

PET PROJECT LA

5 4 8 S. Spring St . , Ste. 107 // 21 3- 6 8 8-7 75 2 petprojec tla .com

Raw, organic food isn’t only trending for people, thanks to the presence of one pet supply store that sells only top-of-the-line food for your favorite four-legged family

members. Super-friendly staff treat all customers with care.

PUSSY & POOCH

5 6 4 S. Main St . // 21 3-43 8- 0 9 0 0 // pussyandpooch.com

Cats and dogs are more than family here—they’re almost royalty. This location features a “Pawbar” cafe where your four-legged baby can choose from raw meats, stews or made-to-order options. That’s luxe living. (Read more on page 80.)

FROM FAR LEFT: COURTESY CITY BUSINESS SHIPPING INC.; ISSELEE | DREAMSTIME.COM

This hip offbeat upstairs shop in Chinatown not only offers books, jewerly, clothing and music, but also obscure zines and even mix cassette tapes—in the most earnest throwback 80’s style.

Looking for some drama tonight?

C E N T E R T H E AT R E G R O U P

DTLA

AHMANSON THEATRE Big, bold and Broadway.

MARK TAPER FORUM

Explosive, provocative, theatrical experiences. Located on the Music Center

Make a play date at CTGLA.org

I 213.628.2772

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MUSEUMS

FAVES - ART -

The Broad

CHINESE AMERICAN MUSEUM

425 N. Los Angeles St. // 213-485-8567 camla.org

Located in El Pueblo’s Garner Building, SoCal’s oldest surviving Chinese building, the museum spotlights the experience of Chinese Americans in California.

EL PUEBLO DE LOS ANGELES HISTORICAL MONUMENT 125 Paseo de la Plaza // 213-485-6855 elpueblo.lacity.org

TIPS TO FULLY ENJOY THE BROAD

1. G eneral admission is free at this sublime museum—designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro and built by philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad—but you still need a ticket, so reserve ahead of time at ticketing.thebroad.org. Tickets are released at noon on the first of every month for the following month. 2. If tickets are sold out online, do not fret. Do it the old-fashioned way and line up. But you’ll want to go early to beat the crowd. Thursday morning is your best bet. The museum is closed on Mondays. 3. Download the app at thebroad.org. It’s user-friendly and has a searchable, interactive map, and it even uses your location within the museum to queue up the right audio guide. 4. Reserve a time for Yayoi Kusama’s stunning Infinity Mirrored Room—The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away by finding the tablet outside the work and signing up for a 45-second slot. You’ll get a text 10 minutes before your entrance time. 5. Take a sneak peek through a glass window at The Vault, a 21,000-square-foot storage space. It’s a glimpse behind the scenes of the workings of the museum.

THE BROAD 221 S. Grand Ave. // 213-232-6200 // thebroad.org 136

DTLA BOOK 2018

A+D ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN MUSEUM

This monument includes 27 historic buildings, four of them museums, and Olvera Street market. (Read more on page 76.)

INSTITUTE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART, LOS ANGELES (ICA)

1717 E. 7th St . // 21 3-928- 0833 // theicala .org

Formerly called the Santa Monica Museum of Art, the ICA LA moved to a renovated industrial building in the Arts District in 2017 and named a talked-about new curator, Jamillah James.

ITALIAN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF LOS ANGELES 125 Paseo de la Plaza // 213-485-8432 italianhall.org

Opened in 2016, this institution, which explores the lives and impact of Italian Americans, is located in El Pueblo’s historic Italian Hall, built in 1908.

900 E. 4th St. // 213-346-9734 // aplusd.org

Celebrating progressive design, A+D moved to DTLA in 2015. Shows have included looks at never-built L.A. projects to architect retrospectives.

THE AFRICAN AMERICAN FIREFIGHTER MUSEUM 1401 S. Central Ave. // 213-744-1730 aaffmuseum.org

L.A. has the country’s only African American firefighter museum, housed in Fire Station 30 and established in 1913.

AMÉRICA TROPICAL INTERPRETIVE CENTER 125 Paseo de la Plaza // 213-485-6855 theamericatropical.org

This small museum, dedicated to Mexican artist David Alfaro Siqueiros, showcases his mural América Tropical. (See page 79 to read more.)

FIDM MUSEUM AND GALLERIES / ANNETTE GREEN FRAGRANCE ARCHIVE

919 S. Grand Ave., 2nd Fl. // 800-624-1200 fidmmuseum.org

The museum draws from its collection of 15,000 costumes, accessories and textiles with shows on everything from midcentury women designers in California to antique corsets, while the Fragrance Archive is the country’s only perfume museum.

GRAMMY MUSEUM

800 W. Olympic Blvd. // 213-765-6800 grammymuseum.org

At this four-floor music museum, you’ll find exhibits dedicated to the influence and history of music in almost every genre, brought alive through film and interactive displays.

JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM

100 N. Central Ave. // 213-625-0414 // janm.org

The beating heart of Little Tokyo, it’s the country’s only museum dedicated to the history of Japanese Americans.

LA PLAZA DE CULTURA Y ARTES

501 N. Main St. // 213-542-6200 // lapca.org

Located near historic Olvera Street, this museum is the nation’s premier center of Mexican-American culture.

LOS ANGELES UNITED METHODIST MUSEUM OF SOCIAL JUSTICE 115 Paseo de la Plaza // 213-613-1096 museumofsocialjustice.org

Housed in the historic La Plaza United Methodist Church, this

POUL LANGE

OUR

small social-justice museum will stage a photo show on homelessness in 2018.

THE MAIN MUSEUM 114 W. 4th St. // 213-986-8500 themainmuseum.org

Still in a beta phase—with exhibits in a temporary space—The Main, co-founded by Downtown developer Tom Gilmore, will eventually spread across three historic buildings. It will include a rooftop sculpture garden, a café and studios for artist residencies.

GALLERIES CROSSING THE RIVER INTO BOYLE HEIGHTS This neighborhood just across the L.A. River has become a hub for new art spaces. But be warned: It’s been roiled by activists fighting gentrification, including protests of galleries.

356 MISSION 356 S. Mission Rd. // 356mission.com Founded by artist Laura Owens, Ooga Booga bookstore’s Wendy Yao and dealer Gavin Brown, this gallery has a sense of fun and friendliness.

BBQ LA 2315 Jesse St. // bbqla.net An often-roaming gallery founded by three artists.

CHIMENTO CONTEMPORARY

MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART, GRAND AVENUE

622 S. Anderson St. // chimentocontemporary.com

250 S. Grand Ave. // 213-626-6222 // moca.org

Its street-art roster includes D*Face and Ron English.

With more than 5,000 pieces in its phenomenal collection, MOCA is a force in the global art scene, staging acclaimed shows by the likes of Kerry James Marshall and Anna Maria Maiolino.

IBID 670 S. Anderson St. // ibidgallery.com

MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART, THE GEFFEN CONTEMPORARY

Despite its cheeky name, this is a commercial gallery.

152 N. Central Ave. // 213-625-4390 // moca.org

A hipster favorite for its industrial setting, this second MOCA location features a mix of exhibitions and events.

Art gallery started by a collector, Eva Chimento.

COREY HELFORD GALLERY 571 S. Anderson St. // coreyhelfordgallery.com

A London transplant whose lineup includes David Adamo and Timo Fahler.

MACCARONE GALLERY 300 S. Mission Rd. // maccarone.net NYC gallerist Michele Maccarone’s massive L.A. satellite.

MUSEUM AS RETAIL SPACE 649 S. Anderson St. // marsgallery.net NICODIM GALLERY 571 S. Anderson St. // nicodimgallery.com Mihai Nicodim spotlights European art, including works from his native Romania.

PARRASCH HEIJNEN 1326 S. Boyle Ave. // parraschheijnen.com Co-founded by NYC dealer Franklin Parrasch and repping seminal L.A. artist Billy Al Bengtson.

SELF HELP GRAPHICS & ART

SCI-ARC GALLERIES

960 E. 3rd St. // 213-613-2200 // sciarc.edu

Since SCI-Arc architecture school opened a gallery space in 2002, more than 50 installations—all experimental projects by contemporary architects—have been staged here.

1300 E. 1st St. // selfhelpgraphics.com

Since 1973, this nonprofit center has supported the Latino community with shows and workshops.

UTA ARTIST SPACE 670 S. Anderson St. // utaartistspace.com United Talent Agency’s showcase for its artist division.

VENUS 601 S. Anderson St. // venusovermanhattan.com Collector Adam Lindemann’s outpost of his NYC gallery.

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OUR

FAVES - -

PERFORMANCE THEATERS Walt Disney Concert Hall

ART

LIVE CONCERTS BELASCO

distinguished 1920s façade, while the inside boasts a 5,000-square-foot stage for the ultimate show.

Enjoy live music at this historic theater, where the real star has been the ornate, gilded dome ceiling since 1926.

MICROSOFT THEATER

CICADA RESTAURANT AND CLUB

This 7,100-seat music venue at L.A. LIVE sits in the middle between STAPLES Center and The Novo in terms of size.

1050 S. Hill St. // 213-746-5670 // thebelasco.com

617 S. Olive St. // cicadarestaurant.com

The 1920s Art Deco and 30-foot ceilings make for an elegant night out with live music.

777 Chick Hearn Ct. // 213-763-6020 // microsofttheater.com

THE NOVO BY MICROSOFT

800 W. Olympic Blvd., Ste. A335 // 213-765-7000 thenovodtla.com

CONGA ROOM

800 W. Olympic Blvd. // 213-745-0162 congaroom.com

135 N. Grand Ave. // 213-628-2772 centertheatregroup.org

Amelie, Jersey Boys, Bright Star, Something Rotten...there’s a reason this 2,000-seat Center Theatre Group venue has the largest theatrical subscription base on this coast.

DOROTHY CHANDLER PAVILION

135 N. Grand Ave. // 213-628-2772 // laopera.org

This 1964 hall with gigantic chandeliers is home to LA Opera and Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center.

EAST WEST PLAYERS

120 Judge John Aiso St. // 213-625-7000 eastwestplayers.org

The Asian-American theater company is collaborating on plays with such companies as Rogue Artists Ensemble.

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DTLA BOOK 2018

FOUR LARKS

REDCAT

Known for its immersive junkyard operas around town (including at its hidden Basic Flowers space in the Historic Core), this company moved from Melbourne to L.A. in 2015.

Inside Walt Disney Concert Hall, REDCAT offers cutting-edge plays, dance and performance art in a black-box theater, plus a lounge-bar and art gallery.

fourlarks.com

LOS ANGELES THEATRE CENTER

514 S. Spring St. // 213-489-0994 // thelatc.org

Operated by the Latino Theater Company and housing several stages, it offers theater, dance and spoken word programs.

MARK TAPER FORUM 135 N. Grand Ave. // 213-628-2772 centertheatregroup.org

There’s not a bad seat in the house at the Center Theatre Group’s adventurous stage at The Music Center, thanks to its half-circle shape.

631 W. 2nd St. // 213-237-2800 // redcat.org

Catch live musical acts from global artists at this Latin dance club and venue.

448 S. Main St. // 323- 284-5727 // regenttheater.com

THE MAYAN

1038 S. Hill St. // 213-746-4674 // clubmayan.com

Bring the drama. Outside is a

WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL

111 S. Grand Ave. // 323-850-2000 // laphil.com and lamasterchorale.org

Home to the L.A. Philharmonic and Los Angeles Master Chorale, this Frank Gehry-designed hall also offers free tours of its architecture and gardens.

ZIPPER HALL

200 S. Grand Ave. // 213-621-1050 colburnschool.edu

This classical-music hall at the Colburn School is a main venue for the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.

THE REGENT THEATER

Thanks to the ingenious slanted floor, there are no bad seats in this theater.

SPORTS & CONCERT ARENAS Dodger Stadium 1000 Vin Scully Ave. // 866-363-4377 // losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com Go blue or go home. Dodger Stadium has been hosting Dodger fans since 1962 and has a capacity of 56,000 seats, making it a prime concert venue for big acts like Guns N’ Roses and Beyoncé as well.

STAPLES Center 1111 S. Figueroa St., Ste. 3100 // 213-742-7100 // staplescenter.com Welcome to the hub of DTLA. Between Lakers, Clippers, Sparks and Kings games and concerts, STAPLES Center sees about 4 million visitors a year.

FROM TOP LEFT: COURTESY LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC ASSOCIATION; ALKAN2011 | DREAMSTIME.COM

AHMANSON THEATRE

Formerly Club Nokia, this music/ event venue at L.A. LIVE has just over 2,000 seats and is known for good acoustics.

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BROADWAY THEATERS

1 UNITED ARTISTS THEATRE Opened in 192 7 // 2 ,2 14 seats

LITTLE KNOWN FACT: This theater was built for United Artists, the company formed by Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and D. W. Griffith to gain independence from the big studios of the time. THE LATEST: Now The Theatre at Ace Hotel, it hosts concerts and events. UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance brings some of its programming here as well, including performances by Taylor Mac and Angélique Kidjo.

ORPHEUM THEATRE Opened in 1926 // 2 ,000 seats

YOU’VE SEEN IT IN: Broadcasts of American Idol, America’s Got Talent, the seventh and eighth season finales of RuPaul’s Drag Race. THE LATEST: The theater’s $4 million makeover in 2003 has really paid off. The Orpheum is alive and thriving as a concert venue, film location and movie theater.

3 RIALTO THEATRE

Opened in 1917 // 800 seats

LITTLE KNOWN FACT: The Rialto opened with The Garden of Allah starring Broadway favorite Helen Ware. THE LATEST: Urban Outfitters restored the theater’s marquee and opened a retail outlet in December 2013.

4 TOWER THEATRE CHRIS SHARP

Opened in 192 7 // 900 seats

LITTLE KNOWN FACT: This theater was the first one in Los Angeles to be wired for talking pictures. THE LATEST: Rumors say it’ll be a future home of an Apple store, the first in DTLA.

5 GLOBE THEATRE

9 ARCADE THEATRE

6 LOEW’S STATE THEATRE

10 CAMEO THEATRE

Opened in 1913 // 782 capacit y

YOU’VE SEEN IT IN: J.Lo’s video “On the Floor” (2011) was filmed here. THE LATEST: Reopened in July 2015. Twice a month, the theater hosts TEASE, if you please!, a modern burlesque show.

Opened in 192 1 // 2 , 4 50 seats

LITTLE KNOWN FACT: A six-year-old Judy Garland debuted here as Francis Gumm, appearing as part of performance trio The Gumm Sisters in 1929. THE LATEST: Currently called the State Theatre and home to a Spanish-language church, the Catedral de la Fe.

Opened in 1910 // 1 , 4 00 seats originally; 850 seats currently

YOU’VE SEEN IT IN: If you made the unfortunate mistake of seeing Daredevil (2003), starring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, you saw the theater’s rooftop, with L.A.’s Broadway played off as New York City. THE LATEST: Retail space in the lobby.

Opened in 1910 // 900 seats

LITTLE KNOWN FACT: Until it closed in 1991, the Cameo Theatre was the longest continuously operating movie theater in the United States. THE LATEST: Retail space in the lobby.

7 PALACE THEATRE

11 ROXIE THEATRE

12 MILLION DOLLAR THEATRE

Opened in 1911 // 1,956 seats originally; 1,068 seats currently

YOU’VE SEEN IT IN: Dreamgirls (2006), The Big Lebowski (1988) as Maude’s apartment and in Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” music video (1983). THE LATEST: After years as a filming location, the theater was given a $1 million renovation in 2011, opening the doors to concerts, movie screenings and other events.

LOS ANGELES THEATRE Opened in 1931 // 2 ,000 seats

LITTLE KNOWN FACT: Charlie Chaplin invested his own money to finish this lavish theater in time for the premiere of his movie City Lights. With a construction price tag of $1.5 million, it was the most expensive theater built up to that time on a per-seat basis. THE LATEST: The theater is now earning its money as a film location and event space.

Opened in 1932 // 1 ,600 seats

LITTLE KNOWN FACT: It was the very last historic theater built on Broadway, designed by famed architect John M. Cooper. Its claim to fame as the only Art Deco theater in the district makes it easy to spot. THE LATEST: Retail space in the lobby.

Opened in 1918 // 2 ,024 seats

LITTLE KNOWN FACT: Opened February 1, 1918, by impresario Sid Grauman as one of the earliest and largest movie palaces in the country, the theater hosted jazz and big band stars such as Billie Holiday, Artie Shaw and Lionel Hampton in the ’40s. THE LATEST: Located next door to a thriving Grand Central Market, it’s enjoying new life as prime real estate for live events and movie screenings.

DTLA BOOK 2018

141

CONTRIBUTORS LESLEY MCKENZIE—who writes about restaurateurs Neal and Amy Knoll Fraser, and profiles Heidi Merrick and other top DTLA fashion designers—is the deputy editor of C magazine and previously served as editor in chief of Angeleno magazine. Born in Scotland and raised between the Arabian desert and the Alps, she now calls Venice, California, home. See pages 24, 28, 40

Born in L.A. and raised by the beach, JOSH

SPENCER , who

photographed “5 Essential Rules for Totally Enjoying

LINDA IMMEDIATO , whose story, “Greater Goods,” spotlights

DTLA,” shoots portraits, fashion and video. “My goal is

five companies with giving back built into their business

to tell stories,” he says. “I hope the viewer is drawn in

model, has worked as an on-air news reporter for NPR and

enough to ask what happened before and after the frame

an editor at Gourmet, LA Weekly, Angeleno and Pasadena

was taken.” His clients have included The Mondrian and

magazine. Currently, she’s the style editor of Los Angeles

Garrett Leight California Optical. Check out his work on

magazine, where she produces seasonal fashion shoots.

joshuaspencerphoto.com.

See page 56

See page 6

IAN SPANIER , who shot portraits of some of DTLA’s top

London-based

creatives, began taking photographs at six years old when

illustrated “The Craziest Bar in DTLA,”

his parents gave him his first point-and-shoot camera. He’s

credits growing up in Denmark as a

shot for Condé Nast Traveler, MTV, HBO, Marie Claire, The

major influence on her graphic style and

New York Times and Los Angeles magazine and has published

color choices. She’s worked for The New

the books Playboy: The Complete Guide to Cigars and Local

Yorker, The New York Times, fashion

Heroes: Portraits of American Volunteer Firefighters. Spanier

designer Junya Watanabe and Audi.

recently left New York for the sunny coast, and now lives with

Her website is ullapuggaard.com.

his wife and two sons in L.A. His website is ianspanier.com.

See page 68

UL L A P UG G A A R D , who

See pages 72, 92, 100

MA XWELL WILLIAMS , who profiles L.A.-based K ATHRYN

144

DTLA BOOK 2018

ROMEYN —who writes in “The Taste

cover a r tist Peter Greco, has

Makers” about nine people who are inf luencing DTLA

written for The New York Times,

culture a nd lifest yle—is a globe-hopping freela nce

Vogue, Dazed, W and The Wall

journalist who covers travel, design, wellness and food.

Street Journal, as well as a number

Along with contributing to Vogue, Architectural Digest

of books. He is on the board of

and Robb Report, she surfs, plays drums and seeks out

directors at the Institute for Art

Neapolitan-style pizza wherever she goes.

and Olfaction in Chinatown, and he DJs at clubs around L.A.

See page 90

See page 50

LIZ OHANESIAN —who writes about taking

DTLA BOOK

Metro from DTLA to access the rest of Los Angeles—is an L.A.-based arts and culture journalist. Her work has appeared in LA Weekly, Playboy and The Village Voice. “After moving to the Downtown area five years ago, my use of L.A.’s Metro system increased dramatically. It’s been exciting to share what I’ve learned.” See pages 14, 62, 80

JOHN BENGTSON , who writes about the DTLA spots where silent stars once filmed, is a business lawyer, film historian and author of the blog silentlocations.wordpress.com. His books Silent Echoes, Silent Traces and Silent Visions reveal the history hidden in the background of the films of Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd. He serves on the board of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. See page 32

I A N W O OD

is a former mobi le-phone-

technology consultant who recently began flying drones for the film and TV industries. When a video he made of DTLA went viral in 2014, producers and directors started to

K AYOKO SUZUKI-LANGE

SHANA WONG SOLARES

Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer kayoko@district8media.com

Co-Founder & Publisher shana@district8media.com

DEGEN PENER

ABOUT OUR

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR For the 2018 edition, we asked Degen Pener to oversee our editorial vision. He’s the former culture editor of The Hollywood Reporter and was previously editor in chief of Angeleno magazine. He has contributed stories on design, art, philanthropy and timepieces to such publications as Cultured, The New York Times, Elle Decor, Los Angeles magazine, C magazine and Santa Barbara Magazine. He also wrote three stories for this issue: see pages 6, 16, 72.

Consulting Editorial Director

MELISSA BR ANDZEL Copy Editor

LYDIA MACK

Article Writer

SALES

DEBR A DILGER MARY GALLAGHER MARK NOCKELS ROBIN OKMAN

CONSULTANTS

GARY BAUM

MEGHAN MILKOWSKI

Editorial Operation

Business Operation

SPECIAL THANKS TO: Poul Lange, Richard Solares and our families for their unconditional support and contributions. PUBLISHER’S NOTE: While every effort was made to ensure accuracy at the time of publication, it is always best to call ahead and confirm that the information is up to date.

call him hoping to replicate the cinematic, dreamy nature of his drone videos. See page 4

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. Scanning, uploading and electronic distribution of this book or the facilitation of such without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. Opinions in DTLA BOOK are solely those of the editors and writers and are not necessarily endorsed by our distribution partners.

CHRIS SHARP, who created the art for “DTLA DEBRA SCHERER FOR THE CULTURE CRUSH

Noir,” is a New York–based illustrator. His clients have included A merica n Express, Aveeno, Bloomberg, Coca-Cola,

Printed in Korea

Fast Company, Laura Mercier, Newsweek, UNICEF, United Nations and West Surfing. You can see more of his work on his website, instachrissharp.com. See page 44

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DTLA BOOK 2018

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ISBN 9780998711027

9 780998 711027 > $38.00 USD

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