Six Historic Spots In Downtown Los Angeles

If you've got a few hours to spend in Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA), you can easily cruise by six historic places that are located within a few blocks of each other! One of the many things I (Lara) love about DTLA is that everywhere you look you will see a piece of the past, and many buildings have been beautifully renovated and are enjoying an awesome second act. Wear some comfortable shoes, bring your water and sunscreen, and have fun! And for some terrific tours (self-guided and with an actual guide), check out the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Conservancy. Also, I cover 30 Old Hollywood-inspired places in my book, FROM THE CORNER OF HOLLYWOOD AND DIVINE. 

1. Pershing Square 532 South Olive Street

 
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 and playground areas for the kiddos. Le Pain Quotidien, Tender Greens, and Pitchoun! French bakery are in the nearby PacMutual Building; you can grab a bite to eat and enjoy it in the park while soaking up some sun.

2. Metro 417 (formerly the Subway Terminal Building) 417 South Hill Street

  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.  Grand Central Market 317 Broadway

 

Grand Central 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 wealthy folks that lived in the nearby (now demolished) Victorian mansions at the top of Bunker Hill would ride the Angels Flight Railway down the hill, pick up what they needed, and take the little train back up the hill. Today, you'll find restaurants, produce vendors, and specialty stands (we even spotted an herbal pharmacy). This is where you can fuel up with some strong java, and there are also public restrooms downstairs. 

4.  One Bunker Hill (formerly the Southern California Edison Building) 601 West Fifth Street

 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 was life-changing in scorching DTLA in the summer. 

 

5. 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 pyramid with suns on each side. In addition to a full-on Egyptian influence, you will see lots of Art Deco details. And things just get better inside, with murals depicting the history of California, ornately patterned floors, and an art gallery. Check out the library store, 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. 

6. Millennium Biltmore Hotel 506 South Grand Avenue

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 through the Galleria that’s just off the lobby, and descend 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; this is where afternoon tea happens in the afternoon. 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.

The Deco Building: Timeless Elegance in Classic Art Deco Surroundings

(This is a modified version of a section of my and Cori Linder’s book, FROM THE CORNER OF HOLLYWOOD AND DIVINE: YOUR GUIDE TO 30 OLD HOLLYWOOD-INSPIRED SPOTS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. Buy the book here!)

 

With its black and gold exterior, The Deco Building stands out on a stretch of Wilshire Boulevard that boasts many impressive structures, such as Desmond’s (a former department store), Southwestern School of Law (the former Bullocks Wilshire department store), the Los Altos Apartments, and the Wiltern Theatre. Sweeping through the doors of this historic structure is quite an experience, and I encourage you to pause at the front of the building and take in the fabulous Deco details (which I’ll get into below) that were used to convey a sense of strength, prosperity, and security when the it first opened as a bank and remain today. 

The story of Wilshire Boulevard began in the late 1800s, when Gaylord Wilshire cut a narrow lane 120 feet wide from Downtown Los Angeles to the Westside. In the 1920s, real estate developer A.W. Ross bought up acres of land on Wilshire between La Brea and Fairfax Avenue, with the idea of attracting shoppers away from Downtown Los Angeles by making Wilshire car-friendly He had such a great vision for the area that a friend said something like, "From the way you talk,you would think this is really a miracle mile." And hence, this certain stretch of Wilshire got its nickname. 

In 1929, nearing the end of the Art Deco ZigZag Moderne years, Security First National Bank (as the Deco Building was originally known) opened at 5209 Wilshire Boulevard with a black and gold terracotta finish and all kinds of lavish details on display. The bank was built for $45,000, and designed by architects Morgan, Walls, and Clements, a firm responsible for local Deco landmarks like the El Capitan Theatre, the Wiltern Theatre, and the now-demolished Richfield Tower in Downtown Los Angeles, which also had a black and gold façade. 

The building underwent a renovation in the early 2000s, and they did a great job preserving the details of a place that most people take one look at and exclaim, “What IS it?” The Deco Building has the kind of WOW factor that can make people fall in love with Art Deco with one look. I went into the building a few years ago and saw it as an office modeled on the boutique hotel concept: There was a concierge just inside the front door, and then small enclosed offices all around the ground floor. There were conference rooms, and even offices inside the former bank vaults! When I drove by recently, I saw a sign advertising the building for filming and hosting special events.

Other things to notice at The Deco Building are the symmetry of the pillars on each end outside, and the setbacks, a major ZigZag Moderne feature that began with skyscrapers in New York City; buildings were required to “fall back” on themselves (think of the layers of a wedding cake that get progressively smaller toward the top) so that sunshine would reach all the way down to the street level. It started off with a functional purpose, but quickly became decorative, too.

Inside, there are leaping gazelles, which tended to represent the leap away from the Art Nouveau style to the new modern style, cast aluminum grill work, and repeating patterns of flora and fauna. There are also images that give the effect of cascading water, which symbolized energy and new beginnings and life, along with chevrons and zigzags—the classic signature of Art Deco. All of these were unconscious cues to represent growth and safety, two things that are very important to any institution that is trying to convince you to give them your money!

Contact Info:

The Deco Building

5209 Wilshire Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA 90036

323-592-3600

A Very GOOD Day With ALEXANDER At Disney's El Capitan Theatre

The El Capitan Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard.

At the El Cap entrance and ready for a good day!

One of Steve Carell's movie outfits on display in the lobby.

The gorgeous interior of the theatre.

El Cap organist Rob Richards at the Wurlitzer.

On a beautiful Saturday (the first weekend that finally felt like fall here in SoCal), my husband and son and I headed to Hollywood for the El Capitan Theatre to see Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Seeing a movie at the El Cap is always an exciting experience, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to explore. I love Netflix, but this is well worth taking the time to get off the couch and deal with the Hollywood traffic. And now, the El Cap is offering daily tours--don't miss this chance to go behind-the-scenes at a legendary, historic venue. (I love the El Capitan so much that I included it in my book, From the Corner of Hollywood and diVine: Your Guide to 30 Old Hollywood-Inspired Spots.

In the lobby, we checked out props and costumes from Alexander, grabbed a souvenir bucket of popcorn, and then headed into the theatre. I always love to come early and hear award-winning organist Rob Richards on the Wurlitzer Theatre Pipe Organ, which instantly transports me back to the glory days of Old Hollywood. This time, he played "Circle Of Life," "You've Got A Friend In Me ("From Toy Story!" screamed my four-year-old.), "When You Wish Upon A Star," "Beauty And The Beast," "Zippity-Doo-Dah," and "Be Our Guest" before riding the organ down through the floor and underneath the stage.

I absolutely loved the movie. Alexander is turning twelve, and for him...every day is a bad day. As he watches the rest of his family (including Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner as his mom and dad) have one success after another, he makes a birthday wish that they would all know what it is like to have a terrible day, too. His wish seems to come true, as one mishap after another occurs, from a ginormous forehead zit popping up on prom day to alarms not going off in the morning to a lost pacifier (if you're a parent, you will def understand that last one).

Alexander is a great example of what Disney does so well, which is getting right to the heart of the matter; in this case, it is all about family. This is one of those movies that had me laughing one minute, and then tearing up the next, either because something was painfully true about being a parent or just genuinely sweet. I hope that you never experience a day that goes wrong to the extent the Cooper family does in the movie, but if you do, you will have some wisdom from a wise twelve-year-old to keep in mind: "Sometimes, you gotta have the bad days so you can love the good days even more."

A Self-Guided Tour of Five Historic Los Angeles Buildings Designed by John Parkinson

Hi! My first guest blog is up at Vintage Shopper! It's a self-guided tour of five gorgeous and historic buildings in Los Angeles designed by famous architect John Parkinson, like Union Station. You can check out out here; happy touring!