While Downtown Los Angeles used to be an eyesore and a “no-mans” land in Los Angeles, it really is becoming quite a great travel destination. In this video I’ll give you 10 reasons why you should travel to Los Angeles, and in particular, visit Downtown Los Angeles. EXPAND DESCRIPTION FOR MORE. Thanks to Brigham Yen for the video idea, and some starting content! Check out his Ted Talk, Facebook page, or blog for more on Downtown LA (links below).
1) Food! DTLA is a center for dining where some of the most popular and lauded restaurants are including Bottega Louie (14225 reviews on yelp, 4 stars), Bestia in the Arts District (4400 yelp reviews, 4.5 stars), Grand Central Market, Blue Bottle Coffee, Whole Foods.
2) it’s a center of culture and art. The NY Times calls the LA Philharmonic the best orchestra in America, period. The Broad museum, an opera that’s gaining international acclaim, one of the best music conservatories in the country called The Colburn School on Bunker Hill, the architecture and design museum in the arts district Hauser & Wirth (Zurich, London, New York) opening in the arts district, one of the world’s most prestigious art galleries opened a massive gallery anchoring the burgeoning arts district community. Ice Cream Museum! Yes! The arts district has a store that sells $7 slices of pie (Pie Hole).
3) Skyscrapers! LA built the tallest skyscraper in the West Coast called Wilshire Grand at 1,100 feet tall. Many more high-rises are being built, especially in South Park. OUE Skyspace at the US Bank Building — 1000 feet high with a glass slide! You can also go up the LA City Hall… a skyscraper in the day.
4) the hub of a growing transit system. Did you know there are as many rail lines that serve DTLA as downtown Chicago? As the Purple Line and Regional Connector subways continue to make progress with construction, we’ll soon have a rail network that funnels people easily into LA’s urban center, finally a subway that goes somewhere. The Expo line finally connects to Santa Monica. Links to LAX coming soon! The new Dunkin’ Donuts will open in LA’s busiest subway station (7th Street/Metro Center) near the Hope Street entrance in Downtown LA
5) architecture! DTLA has one of the biggest collections of historic high-rises in the country making up the bulk of the Historic Core. These once forgotten gems are being saved, restored, and converted to relevant uses like new hotels, lofts, and creative office. Art Deco popular in 1920 — LA City Library. Post Modern — Walt Disney Concert Hall — you can take a tour! The building leaks! All funky buildings leak! Bradbury Building – Bladerunner
6) hotels! Some of LA’s most posh new hotels are opening in DTLA including the very exclusive 5 star Park Hyatt under construction by the Staples center, the 5 star NoMad Hotel from NYC, the ultra hip Freehand Hotel, Indigo Hotel, and the new 900 room Intercontinental Hotel located at the Wilshire Grand with the tallest rooftop bar in the Western Hemisphere. I really like the JW Marriott at LA Live!
7) Nobody Walks in LA! Not anymore! DTLA is bustling with Pedestrian activity that goes counter to the rest of a more suburban paradigm where most people drive. In DTLA, walking is normal, and that in itself is a surprise to most who think of LA as only a car centric metropolis. You can spend a couple days just exploring downtown LA. My favorite part — Little Tokyo. Chinatown is still a little tired.
8) fashion retail! The new trendy shopping district akin to NYC SOHO is forming in the historic core currently anchored by the uber trendy Ace Hotel where you’ll find exclusive brands like Acne Studios, APC, Tanner Goods, Incase, Aesop, Theory, ALC, COS, and many others. There’s a target too! Apple store coming soon! West Elm, Nordstrom Rack, H&M, Vans Flagship,
9) nightlife!
10) a renewed sense of pride!