Quote:
Originally Posted by marilyn220
No. It will not.
It's an ugly, dreary place. No color, no nice architecture, no high end stores or colorful boutiques. Homeless EVERYWHERE.
Once work time is over, employees flee. No one stays to just "hangout".
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Unfortunately, many Angelenos dismiss downtown with negative comments. I'll ask them "ever been to Clifton's?" or "What performances have you seen at the Ahmanson?" or perhaps "Have you tried the bagels in Union Station?" or "Which do you like better, The Los Angeles or The Mayan?". Chances are I could go on and they couldn't answer any of my questions which tells me they don't know squat about Downtown. Contempt prior to investigation. Yes, there's Skid row. Yes, there are homeless people San Francisco has tons of homeless people and in a smaller area. Get over it. Homeless services are decentralizing as Downtown gentrifies. It was inevitable. Downtown is filled with treasures and spectacular development in residential as well as entertainment "holy L.A. Live!" I'm familiar with many things in the works or just coming down the pipe. You ain't seen nuthin' yet. Give it a couple decades and the young generation will not know the downtown I knew when I was younger. Downtown will be built mostly by people from out of state because Angelenos have stigmitized it. They come in and gawk at the architecture and the layout and the fabulous abandoned buildings and say "let's do something about it!" And they are. Our Mayor is pushing the Bring Back Broadway project as well as the Red Car. I can't wait. I really don't understand the vicious contempt some have for downtown. I guess they like to be insulated and homogenized. I'd rather die.
I was going to do this anyway but I guess this is a good time to show the architecture, places to shop, hangouts and color:
Bradbury Building:
Bunker Hill:
Disney Concert Hall:
Top of the amazing deco masterpiece, the Eastern Columbia Building, now luxury lofts:
Top of the Los Angeles Theatre on South Broadway, now hosting star-studded events:
Inside the gilded, Beaux Arts Los Angeles Theatre, 4 mos ago:
Lobby:
Los Angeles City Hall, for many years the tallest building in L.A. until my Grandfather helped build a taller one. It's still starred in more movies:
The Mayan, home to good concerts I've been to and great dance clubs over the years. Here's some great relief work, it's got plenty and the interior is amazing:
Fun at the Mayan:
Los Angeles Central Library. Pictures don't do it justice, you have to see it in person. Next to the Bradbury Building (first pic):
Inside:
Biltmore Hotel...pardon me for posting so many pics of it. I LOVE it. Directly across from Pershing Square:
Westin Bonaventure Hotel, one of my true loves. It was in a suite on the
32nd floor in 2005 that I decided I couldn't spend the rest of my life away from L.A.:
Once in our lives, we should eat at L.A. Prime on the 34th floor of the Red Tower:
If you want deals on diamonds, go to the Diamond District:
Gallery Row is ever-growing, always a "please mind our dust" situation bringing great progress to the area. At press time, there are approximately 37 art galleries in this small area. There are also 13 restaurants and 7 bars in Gallery Row, not to mention coffee.
Here's one Gallery:
Here's a great little alley of several cafes. Architecture is great! I didn't know it existed until a few months ago:
Random Hangout, Traxx Restaurant:
Tiara Cafe:
Boozy at The Lab:
Competing for angles at The Edison bar:
Salsa Club in downtown:
Reggae, sidewalk style:
Whoopin' it up at Bordello:
La Cita:
Rooftop Bar at The Standard, one of the hottest and most celeb filled spots in L.A.:
El Pueblo De Los Angeles is the oldest part of Downtown. Here's the old Firehouse built in 1884:
Olivera St, a great place to eat Mexican food and buy a bunch of junk you never knew you needed:
Union Station was THE last grand train station built in this country. It's Mission Revival style endures and it was given a loving restoration some years back. This is one of my happy places as I've taken trains (and now the Red and Gold Lines which stop there) for many years. I've never seen it this empty. This pic is 3 years old, it's MUCH busier now at pretty much all times of day:
I can't convey the grand scale of this place with photos. These chaneliers are bigger than my E-Class Mercedes:
The Ahmanson Theatre is and has been home to many top performances over the years. It continues, I've seen Rent and most recently Avenue Q, which was sensational! With our 20 buck tickets, we got upgraded to box seats!!!
The Shrine Auditorium is special to me because I went to my first American Music Awards there and last year a Harrison Ford flick called Crossing Over was filmed there, not released yet. I was in it:
Staples Center brings the hottest concerts and athletics to Downtown. I've seen Fleetwood Mac, U2, No Doubt...I could go on:
Nokia Theater is part of the new LA Live project. When finished, it will be all-encompassing with a 5-star hotel tower, condos, high-end shops, A HARD ROCK CAFE!!!! and restaurants as well as the newly finished Nokia Center. I most recently saw the 2008 American Music Awards there:
One Jonas brother fell flat on his face, it made it to air.
http://images.eonline.com/eol_images...ros.111907.jpg
The L.A. Convention Center hosts many exciting events, the last one I attended was the 2007 Auto Show. I actually went twice, I had to take my nephew and he loved it!
Elleven is one of the new "loft" projects in South Park. They are fabulous and they are expensive:
Adaptive Reuse Redevelopment is what got this whole Downtown party started. One of the latest to join, witness the lobby of the Roosevelt:
A favorite Downtown museum of mine is MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art):
Murakami is HOT right now:
When you've had enough music and culture, swing down to the Fashion District and pick up some new duds. If you want the fancier, shi-shi shopping atmosphere, head back toward Bunker Hill to the fancy hotels and their shops, such as the Bonaventure or the New Otani...both and more yield higher-end shops and personal services, and whatever else it is they do there
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Chinatown offers everything you expect from a plethora of Chinese food, little stores with stuff in Chinese writing and stores with some amazing deals on women's clothes:
"Santee Alley is the home of the knock-off Prada bag, Gucci sunglasses, YSL wallet. 2 "Prada" bags for $20. It also has a cool selection of non-knockoff t-shirts and other clothes. Largely for more petite people. Note that the alley is NOT for the faint-of-heart or claustrophobic. Imagine a cross between Tijuana & Calcutta, but with designer labels. You will literally not be able to move sometimes for the crush of bodies. Great selection of purses, sunglasses, shoes & watches. If you like a designer name on your stuff, you're all set.
$5-$40, depending.
Most sunglasses $5.
Most purses $10-30.
Haggling is encouraged."
I'll end with this...Downtown L.A. has some of the best shopping if you know where to go. Follow the link to walking tours of sorts for shopping.
I wish I could write more but this is already wayyyyy to long! I'm tempted to do all of Downtown but here it is.
Downtown LA Walks :: Popular Routes: Shopping
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Locust...?
Cesspool?
Just because there are a handful of gentrfied buildings doesn't make it a great place to live to be.
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