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Downtown LA, lifted
The oldest food hall in the city, free world-class art, a 298-foot railway and ramen till late. DTLA is a great place to be high on foot.
Downtown is the one part of LA you can actually do without a car. Metro lines meet here, the blocks are short, and the good stuff stacks on top of itself: Broadway, Bunker Hill, Little Tokyo, the Arts District, Chinatown. Pick two or three and walk between them.
It's also loud, a little gritty and very much a city. That's the point. Come hungry, wear real shoes, and keep your stash at home base.
The vibe, and where LA actually started
LA was founded here. Spanish settlers set up the pueblo near today's Olvera Street in 1781, and the rest of the city spread out from that spot. A lot of the old core survived, which is why Broadway still has the biggest collection of intact historic movie palaces in the country.
The Broadway Theater and Commercial District became the first theater district put on the National Register of Historic Places, back in 1979. Twelve theaters run along eight blocks of South Broadway between 2nd Street and Olympic. Up the hill, Bunker Hill is all glass, steel and museums. East of Alameda, the Arts District took over old warehouses and never gave them back.
Things to do in Downtown LA while you're baked
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Historic Core
Grand Central Market
317 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013Open since September 1917 and still running, with more than 50 stalls under one roof. The building fronting Broadway went up in 1897 and was the city's first fireproofed, steel-reinforced building. The neon stall signs are worth the trip on their own.
Grab a counter seat and people-watch for a minute before committing.
TipWalk the whole thing before you order.
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Bunker Hill
Angels Flight
A funicular that first opened in 1901. The current version runs 298 feet between Hill Street and California Plaza, climbing about 96 feet. It was moved half a block from its original spot and reopened for public service in August 2017 after safety upgrades.
It takes about a minute. It is the best minute downtown, especially on an edible.
TipRide it up, then walk the Bunker Hill museums.
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Bunker Hill
The Broad
221 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012Contemporary art museum where general admission is always free. Timed tickets are recommended and walk-ups go daily. The Yayoi Kusama Infinity Mirrored Room needs its own advance reservation.
The mirror room is a few seconds of pure infinite lights. Plan for it, because you can't just walk in.
TipBook the mirror room the moment you book your ticket.
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Bunker Hill
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Frank Gehry's stainless steel sails, open since October 2003. Free self-guided audio tours run daily, no reservation needed for small groups. Up top is the Blue Ribbon Garden, nearly an acre, with a Gehry fountain shaped like a rose and covered in broken Delft porcelain, built for Lillian Disney.
Touch the steel. Look up. Let the curves mess with you.
TipGo at golden hour when the steel turns orange.
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Historic Core
The Bradbury Building
304 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013Built in 1893, with a light-filled atrium of iron railings, open-cage elevators and glazed brick. It's where J.F. Sebastian lived in Blade Runner, and the rooftop finale was shot here. Visitors can go up to the first landing.
TipIt's right across Broadway from Grand Central Market.
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Historic Core
The Last Bookstore
453 S Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90013An independent store that moved into a 22,000-square-foot former bank at 5th and Spring in 2011. The upstairs has the famous tunnel built out of books, and the whole place is designed for wandering.
This is where an hour disappears. You'll leave with something weird.
TipHead upstairs first, the ground floor is the busy part.
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Historic Core
Broadway's movie palaces
The Million Dollar (1918, 307 S Broadway), the Palace (1911, 630 S Broadway), the Los Angeles Theatre (1931, 615 S Broadway) and the Orpheum (1926, 842 S Broadway) are the heavy hitters. Some host shows and screenings. The LA Conservancy runs a weekly walking tour that starts at Pershing Square and sometimes gets you inside one.
TipCatch anything playing at the Orpheum just to see the room.
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El Pueblo
Olvera Street
Opened on Easter Sunday 1930 as a Mexican marketplace inside the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument. The Avila Adobe, built in 1818, is the oldest adobe in the city. Overlooking the street is David Alfaro Siqueiros' restored mural América Tropical, the only public Siqueiros mural in the US still where it was painted.
TipPair it with Philippe's, a short walk north.
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South Park
Crypto.com Arena
1111 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90015Opened in 1999 as Staples Center and renamed in December 2021. Home of the Lakers, the Kings and the Sparks, plus a lot of big concerts. Game nights take over the whole South Park area.
TipTake Metro in. Parking near the arena on game night is pain.
Where to eat in Downtown LA with the munchies
Downtown is a food town. These are the moves.
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Historic Core
Inside Grand Central Market
317 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013Eggslut for the bacon, egg and cheese. Sarita's for cheese pupusas with curtido. China Cafe for wonton soup with chili oil. McConnell's for ice cream when you need something cold. Villa's Tacos for quesatacos. Make it a crawl and share everything.
TipWeekday afternoons are way calmer than weekend lunch.
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Chinatown edge
Philippe the Original
1001 N Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90012Open since 1908, at this address since 1951, about a block from Union Station. Sawdust on the floor, long counters, and a famous claim to inventing the French dip. Nobody can prove who made it first. Order a dip anyway.
TipGet it double dipped and hit the house mustard. Carefully.
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Little Tokyo
Daikokuya
327 E 1st St, Los Angeles, CA 90012A first-wave LA ramen shop known for rich tonkotsu pork broth and chewy noodles. The Daikoku Ramen with pan-fried gyoza is the order. Expect a wait at peak times.
TipPut your name in, then walk around Little Tokyo.
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Little Tokyo
Fugetsu-Do
A Little Tokyo sweets shop doing mochi and manju. The pink bean-filled manju is the one people tell you to get. Perfect pocket snack for the walk.
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Westlake (next door)
Langer's Deli
704 S Alvarado St, Los Angeles, CA 90057Not technically Downtown, but one Metro stop west across from MacArthur Park. Open since 1947. The No. 19 is the pastrami on rye people cross the county for. Daytime only.
TipLunch spot, not a late-night spot. Plan around it.
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Westlake (next door)
Original Tommy's
2575 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90057The original 1946 shack at Beverly and Rampart, just west of Downtown, and it runs all night. The double chili cheeseburger is drippy, messy and exactly right at 2am. Eat it standing at the counter like everybody else.
TipNapkins. More than you think.
A perfect Downtown day
Start with a sesh at home base and take Metro in to the Historic Broadway stop. Crawl Grand Central Market, then cross Broadway to peek at the Bradbury atrium. Ride Angels Flight up to Bunker Hill, do The Broad, and wander over to the Disney Hall garden for golden hour. Drop down to The Last Bookstore to get lost for a while. For dinner, go French dip at Philippe's or ramen in Little Tokyo. If you're still up at midnight, somebody else drives you to Tommy's.
Neighborhoods next door
Echo Park and Dodger Stadium are a short ride north. Koreatown is west down Wilshire when you want BBQ or karaoke, and Silver Lake is right past Echo Park. See every area on the neighborhoods page, and check where to eat for more.
Questions about Downtown LA
Is The Broad free?
Yes. General admission to The Broad is always free. Timed tickets are recommended and walk-ups are available daily. The Infinity Mirrored Room and some special exhibitions need separate reservations.
How old is Grand Central Market?
It opened in September 1917 and has been operating ever since. It sits at 317 S Broadway in a building that dates to 1897, and it has more than 50 stalls.
Is Angels Flight still running?
Yes. It reopened for public service in August 2017 and runs between Hill Street and California Plaza on Bunker Hill.
Where can I eat late at night near Downtown LA?
The original Original Tommy's at Beverly and Rampart, just west of Downtown, is open all night. In Little Tokyo, Daikokuya stays open late on weekends. Langer's is lunch only, so don't wait on it.
Can you smoke weed in Downtown LA?
Not in public. Smoking on sidewalks, in parks or plazas can get you a ticket, and LA city has no consumption lounges. Smoke at home or a rental that allows it, or take a ride to a licensed lounge in West Hollywood.