/ CHINATOWN / LITTLE TOKYO / L.A. LIVE / EXPOSITION PARK American National Museum. The Geffen Contemporary, a branch of MOCA, is next door. At 2nd and Main streets is the former St. Vibiana cathedral, now home to stylish Redbird restaurant. To Little Tokyo’s east is the Arts District, which boasts buzzy shops and markets; galleries including Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles; a bevy of craft breweries; and such lauded restaurants as The Factory Kitchen, Officine Brera and Bestia.
Row DTLA lifestyle complex, near the Arts District
have been revived or restored to their original grandeur. Cool shops such as Acne Studios and BNKR lend cachet to the area. The Bradbury Building, constructed in 1893 in the Italian Renaissance Revival style, was featured in the film Blade Runner. Spring Street from 4th to 7th streets is a rapidly awakening area once referred to as the “Wall Street of the West.” Steps from this historic district is a row of trendy bars on 6th Street (between Main and Los Angeles streets) that includes the Varnish.
SHOPPING DISTRICTS Downtown’s heritage as a mercantile center is still evident in its historic shopping districts. The Jewelry District draws shoppers looking for deals on diamonds; in the neighboring Fashion District, you can find designer clothing items. At Santee Alley, an open-air bargain bazaar, designer trends breed low-priced knockoffs. The Flower District offers blooms at wholesale prices. For an awesome mix of old-school produce vendors
and lunch counters and new, upscale specialty stalls, Grand Central Market, near the foot of Angels Flight, is the place to go. And the Figat7th shopping center is home to trendy boutiques and eateries.
CHINATOWN Chinatown is a great destination for sampling dim sum, dining at foodie-favorite spots like Howlin’ Ray’s and Baohaus or browsing for clothing, tea or home goods. Cultural highlights include the ornate Thien Hau Temple. Pedestrian-friendly Chung King Road and Gin Ling Way are home to hip galleries; Broadway is lined with boutiques. Dodger Stadium is a short drive away, as is San Antonio Winery, which offers tours and tastings. LITTLE TOKYO Little Tokyo’s bar scene is popping, and dining options range from traditional sushi at Japanese Village Plaza to seasonal small plates at Baldoria. Just a few steps down 1st Street is the sleek Japanese
L.A. LIVE The $2.5 billion L.A. Live project is home to Staples Center, as well as the Los Angeles Lakers, Clippers and Kings, and it hosts top pop acts, as does Microsoft Theater, which boasts state-ofthe-art acoustics. The Grammy Museum honors myriad music genres with videos, artifacts and interactive exhibits. A dozen restaurants and nightlife venues— WP24, Katsuya and Lucky Strike Lanes, to name a few—face a massive urban plaza lined with LED screens. The Los Angeles Convention Center, encompassing 16-plus acres of exhibition space, is also here. EXPOSITION PARK Just south of downtown is Exposition Park, whose grounds hold major museums and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, temporary home of the L.A. Rams. The California African American Museum delves into black history, and the beauxarts-style Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County offers insight into prehistoric giants. The California Science Center has a 3-D Imax theater and exhibits the retired NASA space shuttle Endeavour.
WF O R B O L D I T E M S , S E E W H E R E G U I D E . F O R A N E I G H B O R H O O D M A P, S E E P A G E 8 5 .
Los Angeles Theatre
insider tips
ON BROADWAY The downtown L.A. thoroughfare is lined by historic theaters with eye-catching marquees. Globe Theatre 740 S. Broadway, 213.489.1667 Los Angeles Theatre 615 S. Broadway, 213.629.2939 Million Dollar Theatre 307 S. Broadway, 213.617.3600 Orpheum Theatre 842 S. Broadway, 877.677.4386 Palace Theatre 630 S. Broadway, 213.629.2939 State Theatre 703 S. Broadway, 213.629.2939 The Theatre at Ace Hotel 929 S. Broadway, 213.235.9614 Tower Theatre 802 S. Broadway, 213.629.2939
FROM LEFT: KATIE GIBBS; DOUGLAS HILL
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