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Actually, you could do all three within a few hours. Not sure how much time you have but you could have breakfast/brunch at Grand Central, then walk a couple of blocks to the bookstore. After perusing the bookstore, its a 5-8 minute walk to Little Tokyo. You can enjoy some Mochi there while walking around then you can an Uber or Dash over to Olvera Street. It's so close that it'll only cost you less than $10.00 if you decide to Uber it there.
Philippe's is a little farther away so its not possible to walk there. You can still Dash or Uber it.
Isn’t Philippe’s like two blocks from Olvera Street?
Appreciate the link that was shared about Grand Central. I'm not necessarily expecting anything at Grand Central to be divine or better than anything I've ever tasted, haha. I've been to Mexico City, and the Yucatan, and, I get it. But honestly, I like market hall vibes, esp historical ones that don't have sort of the overpriced yuppie vibe that some of the newer ones in certain cities can have (like Tampa, where I'm from haha-I don't mean to hate on Armature Works, as the building it's in is objectively cool, and it has some good food)-but I like more of a feeling for something that feels like a true reflection of day to day culture, and has for a while (like West Side in Cleveland or Reading in Philly, which I haven't been to). I'll be satisfied with pretty good quality, and pretty good value, plus the neon signs and stalls and such inside look cool, and it's close to Bradbury Building and Last Bookstore which I'd like to hit too. We like unique indie bookshops, esp my wife who isn't as much a city person, so it's relatively high on my list to make sure I get her there.
Change in plans, sort of.. I'm trying to be realistic-ish with my timelines, and I'm also trying to not get to Griffith Observatory too late in the day to avoid mad rush, and also not get us in too late to where we are staying (I will have a potentially still jet-lagged, not quite 4 year old). So:
Day 1: Head up towards SoFi Stadium from SD, stop in (for the wife) at Dutch Bros. Then, perhaps a lunch stop for prepared Japanese food at either Tokyo Central or Nijiya or Mitsuwa if one is close-thoughts? Clear winner there on quality (less concerned about price point, since neither of those will exactly be a splurge.
Do middle of day tour at SoFi, and then head more up directly towards Griffith. Perhaps, if the traffic along that routing isn't too bad, stop for a brief walk/few photos at Echo Park Lake, and then perhaps get ice cream somewhere in that area or Silver Lake. Go see the Observatory, ideally driving up towards the observatory itself before 4 PM. Heading back down by 5ish, and getting to our place of stay by around 6, to then just grab dinner somewhere good and walking distance in Burbank along the Riverside Drive strip. Leisurely evening (relatively speaking)
Day 2: And keep in mind, I typically like to wake up early before the day starts for my other family party, and perhaps go jogging/hiking somewhere up in Griffith Park. Go down to Downtown LA. What I see as far as efficient parking options midweek are:
-Fig at 7th-does validation for like $4 for up to 3 hours of parking I think. Good area, pretty decent shopping over there, and good spot for perhaps a jog loop of some notable DTLA architecture perhaps with daughter in tow (Disney Concert Hall, Library, City Hall whose observation should be open, I think during the week? Bradbury, Westin Bonaventure, etc.)
-If separate parking needed for consolidating walking distance between, I think $5 parking at Grand Central Market for up to 90 minutes-and Last Bookstore is close at hand there.
-Question, and really the only one within this post: Somewhere similarly efficient and affordable to park, maybe just for 45-60 mins or so, in the vicinity of Olvera St if we planned too, to perhaps:
-See the exterior/interior of Union Station
-Walk down Olvera St/Plaza, maybe grabbing a snack somewhere along that short walk
-Grab a carryout french dip from Philippe
Otherwise, I feel pretty good about the Downtown LA parking options and my awareness of them. I can look of course and contact someone over there perhaps also if need be, but figured I'd check if firsthand guidance was available.
Rest of day: haven't quite decided, but I'm sort of thinking and deciding between either Santa Monica area, or Pasadena area, from that point (1 pm or so) on.
Thanks again!
Last edited by theurbanfiles; 05-06-2024 at 11:19 AM..
First, please keep this in mind: due to the non-yielding density and insufficient public transit, there are too many cars on the roads during most hours of any day resulting in stifling stop and go traffic. You end up spending most of your day getting from point A to B and this is stressful, particularly to out of towners and it eats up a lot of time that you could be sightseeing. To avoid this, keep driving to a minimum. Limit sightseeing to one area each day. And take the Metro where it makes sense (I know this sounds counterintuitive but really, it works if you do it the right way.).
So, you plan to go to the observatory on one day and you’ll have to drive there from wherever you are staying. Do that (preferably in the morning after 9AM), and afterwards visit neighborhoods that are not too far from the observatory such as the small village like Larchmont neighborhood to grab a bite to eat or the Glendale Galleria where you can stroll around a town green, shop and eat. Or go to Hollywood, if that’s your thing. Or go to the other side of the hill on which the observatory is located and tour Warner, Disney or Universal studios (not the fake stuff at Disney World /Universal in Fl). These are all safe good neighborhoods and you will see the LA many people love and would never live anywhere else and you’ll see it with a minimum of traffic hassles.
For Day 2, drive from wherever you are staying to the Union Station in Downtown LA (preferably in the morning after 9AM unless it Sat or Sun than you can leave earlier than 9AM ) and park in the 24 hr Union Station East Short-Long Term Underground Parking Garage. Its secure, clean and safe and only costs $8 per every 24 hrs. The entrance is tricky to find so study Google maps to be sure you know where it is located. Once you park, take the elevators to the main floor and look for signs pointing the direction to the Union Station (this is all enclosed). Walk there and admire the Union Station (It has an impressive mix of Mission and Art Deco style architecture) and afterwards walk through the front doors and across the street and look for signs pointing to Olvera Street and walk through there. It’s by no means the CDMX, but rather is reminiscent of a quaint shops lined lane in a small Mexican Town or village. Once done, head back to the Union Station and back to where you caught the elevator and look for signs pointing to escalators down to the Red Line Metro Station. Buy your tickets and take the Red line one stop to the Civic Center/Grand Park stop. Once you get there, you’ll have several options to see Downtown LA. 1)Walk a few blocks west on 1st Street to Grand Avenue to see one of LA’s cultural hubs (Music/theater venues and museums). 2) Walk one block north along Hill or Grand to admire Grand Park and the Civic Bldgs. 3) Walk several blocks east along 1st Street to see Little Tokyo 4) Walk 3 blks south on Hill St to see the Grand Central Market. 5) Walk two blocks east along 1st Street and then turn right and walk 8 blocks south along Spring Street. This walk will give you a small taste of NYC and you’ll be able to admire all of architecture and humanity (in a good way) along this street. You’ll also be able to stop in the Last Bookstore on 5th St between Spring and Broadway and the Apple Store one block west of Spring at 8th St and Broadway. From the Apple Store walk one block north on Broadway to Seventh St and then walk several blocks west on Seventh St to Seventh and Figueroa and go down into the Metro Station and take the Red Line back to Union Station to pick up your car. There are several restaurants and fast food places to eat at along 7th Street and there is a nice Whole Foods at 8th and Grand.
Good luck on your visit. Downtown LA is really one of the great downtowns in the country.
First, please keep this in mind: due to the non-yielding density and insufficient public transit, there are too many cars on the roads during most hours of any day resulting in stifling stop and go traffic. You end up spending most of your day getting from point A to B and this is stressful, particularly to out of towners and it eats up a lot of time that you could be sightseeing. To avoid this, keep driving to a minimum. Limit sightseeing to one area each day. And take the Metro where it makes sense (I know this sounds counterintuitive but really, it works if you do it the right way.).
So, you plan to go to the observatory on one day and you’ll have to drive there from wherever you are staying. Do that (preferably in the morning after 9AM), and afterwards visit neighborhoods that are not too far from the observatory such as the small village like Larchmont neighborhood to grab a bite to eat or the Glendale Galleria where you can stroll around a town green, shop and eat. Or go to Hollywood, if that’s your thing. Or go to the other side of the hill on which the observatory is located and tour Warner, Disney or Universal studios (not the fake stuff at Disney World /Universal in Fl). These are all safe good neighborhoods and you will see the LA many people love and would never live anywhere else and you’ll see it with a minimum of traffic hassles.
For Day 2, drive from wherever you are staying to the Union Station in Downtown LA (preferably in the morning after 9AM unless it Sat or Sun than you can leave earlier than 9AM ) and park in the 24 hr Union Station East Short-Long Term Underground Parking Garage. Its secure, clean and safe and only costs $8 per every 24 hrs. The entrance is tricky to find so study Google maps to be sure you know where it is located. Once you park, take the elevators to the main floor and look for signs pointing the direction to the Union Station (this is all enclosed). Walk there and admire the Union Station (It has an impressive mix of Mission and Art Deco style architecture) and afterwards walk through the front doors and across the street and look for signs pointing to Olvera Street and walk through there. It’s by no means the CDMX, but rather is reminiscent of a quaint shops lined lane in a small Mexican Town or village. Once done, head back to the Union Station and back to where you caught the elevator and look for signs pointing to escalators down to the Red Line Metro Station. Buy your tickets and take the Red line one stop to the Civic Center/Grand Park stop. Once you get there, you’ll have several options to see Downtown LA. 1)Walk a few blocks west on 1st Street to Grand Avenue to see one of LA’s cultural hubs (Music/theater venues and museums). 2) Walk one block north along Hill or Grand to admire Grand Park and the Civic Bldgs. 3) Walk several blocks east along 1st Street to see Little Tokyo 4) Walk 3 blks south on Hill St to see the Grand Central Market. 5) Walk two blocks east along 1st Street and then turn right and walk 8 blocks south along Spring Street. This walk will give you a small taste of NYC and you’ll be able to admire all of architecture and humanity (in a good way) along this street. You’ll also be able to stop in the Last Bookstore on 5th St between Spring and Broadway and the Apple Store one block west of Spring at 8th St and Broadway. From the Apple Store walk one block north on Broadway to Seventh St and then walk several blocks west on Seventh St to Seventh and Figueroa and go down into the Metro Station and take the Red Line back to Union Station to pick up your car. There are several restaurants and fast-food places to eat at along 7th Street and there is a nice Whole Foods at 8th and Grand.
Good luck on your visit. Downtown LA is really one of the great downtowns in the country.
I appreciate your guidance! I can speak to a couple of things.
1) Day 1 is a Sunday. We will be driving up from San Diego, so that could be as many as 2.5-3 hours still, as I'm sure traffic, even on Sunday mornings can be rough. I really have two goals/hopes for this day. Seeing the observatory as you mention, and touring SoFi-I know these aren't exactly close to one another, as you recommend, but it's sorta "on the way up" from there so it's not like we'd be driving down there and back, that would just be a waypoint going north.
I see that you mention Larchmont in terms of one of the places you recommend, which I haven't researched yet, and then I see that you recommend other places like Burbank by WB (that strip looks more urbane on some level than actual Downtown Burbank, and we are actually staying in that immediate vicinity, Glendale, etc. Is that strip of Burbank (Riverside Drive, broadly) actually quite nice and walkable? It looks as such. Not super touristy, but inviting and pleasant looking enough, and a well-located spot to base ourselves, I think. Some other places I noticed were sorta close, between Griffith and where we are staying, would be Los Feliz, the northern part of Silver Lake, Thai Town, and I suppose Studio City and City Walk would also sort of qualify as "proximal". My goal was kinda, to hit the stadium, hit the observatory, and be done with both by about 430-5? And then grab dinner and really just walk around by that area we are staying in Burbank and grab food there. But, if one of those other semi close neighborhoods you mention are cooler, I am all ears about those.
2) I really appreciate your guide to going through all the different spots within Downtown LA.
Is Spring Street generally vibrant and active throughout? It definitely looks preferable to walking down Broadway, overall, and we would cover some pretty cool buildings and spots as you mention. It does sound like this path would hit a lot of the highlights!
As for metro, I don't see it as counterintuitive, and my wife and I are no strangers to using metro when traveling. From a convenience standpoint, it's not bad. We are less than 10 minutes (without traffic at least) from the Universal metro station, and it looks like it's $3 to park there all day. From there, we could potentially ride downtown (or to Hollywood and Highland, and perhaps other places) along that line. What I didn't know, is my experience in some of the places in the US where heavy or light rail is available, but not as mainstream (Sun Belt, largely speaking), where it's had a bit more of a desolate or run down vibe, and perhaps a statistically higher percentage of people that might ask you for money on ride, or be mentally unwell, etc. It's sad to see that, and I mean, I don't judge anyone and I know that those can be tough realities for those people, but I wanted to know whether it would be somewhat like that or not (maybe less so if we take it on a weekday during day?) because if it was, I'm one thing but I wouldn't necessarily want my wife or daughter exposed to any of that.
I appreciate your guidance and thoughtful post and guide, again!
I should say, as an urbanist, I personally love taking mass transit to get around, esp when it is so advantageous versus taking a car, like in Los Angeles. But, I just mean what the atmosphere on train might be compared to say, taking the T in Boston or Copenhagen, or something like that, it might be a little different an experience. But I mean at the same time, that hasn't stopped us from taking the metro in places in like Houston or Minneapolis and we've had no problems there (the only place I remember feeling somewhat sketched out was on DART in Dallas, but, that could've been an isolated sample size or the stop I was going from). Also, if the professional or tourist is class is relatively more likely to take it in LA verse some of those places, that would be good to know too, and going between Universal and Hollywood and Downtown would seem to be a relatively touristy place to ride on it.
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