I (Lara) have
planned out a fun afternoon for you in Downtown Los Angeles! My office is in
Glendale (about fifteen minutes away), and on a whim one recent Friday I
brought my young son and his babysitter along with me to work so we could do
some exploring after I finished.
We hit all of these historic places in about
two hours (from 11:30a-1:30p), but you could probably power through them faster
without a 3-year-old in tow. On the flip side, you could spend all
day at these locations because there is so much to see. So if you’ve got some
free time, grab some water, cash (for parking and snacks), sunscreen, hat, and
comfy shoes, and let’s get going.
1. Park underground at Pershing Square.
532 South Olive
Street
www.laparks.org/PershingSquare
www.twitter.com/PSDowntownLA
In the early
1900s, Pershing Square (which is exactly a block in size) was known as Central
Park and filled with trees. Now, it is mainly concrete and the site of many
musical performances and events, with a cool fountain in part of the park.
2. After you’ve
checked out Pershing Square, head north on Hill Street, taking notice of all
the gorgeous buildings around you, especially the Subway Terminal Building, which is now known as Metro 417.
417 South Hill
Street
www.Metro417.com
Opened in 1926,
the Subway Terminal Building once had 65,000 people passing through it each day! It was part of the Pacific
Electric Railway system, and this line allowed people to bypass the busy
streets of Downtown Los Angeles. Yes, even in the 1920s people were complaining
about the traffic! The tunnel has been filled in for decades now, but the
Italian Renaissance Revival building has found new life as Metro 417, a luxury
apartment building.
3. Continue walking
up Hill Street, keeping an eye out for Grand
Central Market on the right side of the street.
The Market first
opened in 1917 on the first-floor of the Homer Laughlin Building (architect
Frank Lloyd Wright once had an office here), and offered the finest open-air
shopping experience in Los Angeles. The tradition continues today, with tons of
restaurants, produce vendors, and specialty stands (we even spotted an herbal
pharmacy). This is where you can fuel up with some java, and you will also find
restrooms downstairs.
4. Just across
Hill Street from the Market is Angels
Flight.
351 South Hill
Street
Back in the day,
wealthy folks that lived in the fashionable Bunker Hill neighborhood could take
Angels Flight (which opened in 1901) down the hill to do some shopping at Grand
Central Market, and then ride back home with their purchases. The cost? A
penny!
Today, “The Shortest Railway In The World” will cost you 50 cents for a
one-way ticket, or 25 cents if you’re a metro rail pass holder. My son called
this the “rocket train” for its steep incline, and I saved the sweet souvenir
ticket for his keepsake box.
If you don’t want to ride Olivet or Sinai (the
names of the two cars), you can opt for a thigh and glute-burning workout and
take the stairs right next to the tracks up the hill. Interesting note: Angels
Flight used to be located half a block north of the current location. It was
dismantled in the 1960s, and then brought back at 351 South Hill Street in the
1990s.
5. When you
leave Angels Flight at the top, you will be at California Plaza.
350 South Grand
Avenue
Take a moment to
enjoy the sweeping view in front of you, including Los Angeles City Hall (1928)
in all its splendor. Walk though the Plaza, past the buildings and little lake
and stage for performances, and head down the stairs to Grand Avenue.
6. Head South on
Grand, and as you near Fifth Street you will see One Bunker Hill (formerly the Southern
California Edison Building) on your right.
Opened in 1931,
this building features a classic Art Deco design, with setbacks, recessed and
symmetrical windows, and strong vertical lines (representing progress). Also,
as a nod to progress, there are decorative panels at the entrance with carved figures
representing light, power, and hydroelectric energy. This was one of the first
buildings in the U.S. to be electrically heated and cooled, which must have
been life-changing in scorching Downtown LA in the summer.
7. Cross Fifth
Street, then cross Grand Avenue, and you will see the Los Angeles Central Library.
630 West Fifth
Street
Opened in 1926,
the Central Library is still stunning, and most people would probably say that
its most recognizable exterior feature is the tall tower topped by a pyramid
with suns on each side. In addition to an Egyptian influence, you will see lots
of Art Deco details and also a Mediterranean influence. And things just get
better inside, with murals depicting the history of California, ornately patterned
floors, and an art gallery. Check out the library’s fantastic gift shop, café
area for some fresh-squeezed juice, and (if you have kiddos) the wonderful
children’s section complete with a puppet show theatre and tiny toddler
amphitheatre.
8. Exit the
library on Fifth Street and walk east to cross Grand Avenue. Walk just a few
steps south to arrive at the Millennium
Biltmore Hotel.
Opened in 1923,
the Biltmore Hotel (as it was originally known) is a wonderful hodgepodge of
styles, from Mediterranean to Beaux Arts to Spanish-Italian Renaissance
Revival. Between the crystal chandeliers, wood-beamed ceilings, frescos and
murals, gorgeously embroidered tapestries and drapes, and a ton of bronze and
gold, it is no wonder that the Biltmore hosted the Oscars in the ceremony’s
early years; in fact, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was
founded at a luncheon here in 1927.
Walk down the
long hallway Galleria that’s just off the lobby, and come down the large
staircase into the hotel’s Rendezvous Court, which was the Biltmore’s original
lobby. There’s a gently gurgling fountain in the middle of the room, and most
likely tables set up around it; this is where afternoon tea happens most days.
I recommend making a reservation and getting your hands on some homemade scones
and clotted cream!
Walk out the
back doors of the Biltmore, and there’s Pershing Square! You’re right back
where you started, probably a little tired but happy, and with a phone full of
beautiful pictures you’ll hopefully Instagram and share with the world. I hope
that this little tour has intrigued you enough to check out more of the special
buildings and historic neighborhoods that can be found in our city!
(This is by no means a comprehensive list
of great buildings in the area! There are so many more—the Title Guarantee
Building, Cicada Restaurant, the PacMutual Building, etc.—that we didn’t
include simply to kept this little tour short. If you have a favorite building
in the area that we didn’t mention, give it a shout out in the comments!)
