California dreamin’
Six things to do in . . . downtown Los Angeles There’s far more to this town than Hollywood glitz and glamour
LOS ANGELES— Downtown L.A. has just about everything you could want short of a beach; fine food, glitzy concert halls, old-time markets, beautiful architecture and colourful history. Here’s a look at a few things on offer.
FLY WITH THE ANGELS
The Angels Flight funicular is billed as “The shortest railway in the world.” It’s just 90.8 metres long, running up a steep incline from Hill St. to Olive St. (and back, of course). It’s just 50 cents (25 if you have a Metro pass). The funicular dates to 1901, when the Bunker Hill area was the height of fashion. It was taken apart during the so-called urban renewal era of 1969 but refurbished and brought back to life (and moved a bit) in1996. It’s a quick but fun ride and great for kids, too. angelsflight.com
OLD TIME SHOPPING
Grand Central Market is a fun, lively market in a city where they can grow damned near anything. Jones Grain Mill sells jars of ginger, horehound, sarsaparilla, oat bran, comfrey and plenty more.
You’ll find a crowded stand selling Chinese food backing onto a counter advertising Mexican moles for lunch. You might find bright red peppers or rounded carnival squash. One of the fruit sellers recently had two pounds of perfect, bright green limes for a buck. The main market entry is on Hill St., across from Angels Flight.
Grandcentralsquare.com.
SOAR WITH DISNEY
Check out the Walt Disney Concert Hall at W.1st and Grand, part of the Performing Arts Center. It opened in 2003 and was designed by Ontario-born Frank Gehry. There are free audio tours. The onsite restaurant, Patina, is definitely a home for the glam set. Mains include black cod confit and run from $38 and up. The city’s newest downtown park, Grand Park, is just steps away. It opened earlier this month with giant palm trees, bright pink furniture, fountains and more. Grandpark.lacounty.gov. Disneyhall.org. patinarestaurant.com.
BACK TO THE FUTURE
It’s credited with helping bring back downtown L.A., for which travellers should be grateful. This complex more or less includes the Staples Center (where the Lakers play) and then a massive shopping/ theater/hotel complex called L.A. Live that includes a J.W. Marriott and a Ritz-Carlton.
Dining options include Katsuya for Japanese, an ESPN Zone and Trader Vic’s. It could just as easily be downtown Miami or Pittsburgh (minus the weather), but lots of folks love it. Tours are a whopping $20 and run every hour on the hour from10 a.m. to 4 p.m. S. Figueroa St. between Olympic and Pico Blvds.
lalive.com.
OLD-TIME OLVERA
A huge contrast from L.A. Live, Olvera St. an area with historic buildings, purple and pink bougainvillea, a park with a fountain and a bandstand at one end that looks like something out of middle America. You might see elderly Mexican men wearing cowboy hats and grinning at their grandkids as they wolf down a churro. There are tons of great sidewalk joints offering Mexican specialties and you’ll probably spot a mariachi band. Crowded stalls sell everything from wrestling masks to blankets, luggage and tiny, painted guitars that sell for $10.
Olvera-street.com
ARCHITECTURAL DELIGHTS
Union Station is a fine, Spanish style building dating back to the late 1930s, with a cool, airy interior featuring archways and stunning floor tiles. You can walk all over downtown and find dozens of fabulous friezes, art deco entries and old-time brass railings. The Bradbury Building at 304 S. Broadway is a marvel. Check out the lovely Biltmore Hotel at 5th and Grand, temporary home to celebs, American presidents and more. The L.A. Conservancy does award-winning walking tours.
Laconservancy.org. milleniumhotels.com.