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Downtown Los Angeles: itinerary into the “old” LA. A walk among history, cinema, art, cultures from the world and literature. Tips, useful information and safety considerations in exploring the area.

 

 

“I love Los Angeles. I know a lot of people go there and they see just a huge sprawl of sameness.

But when you’re there for a while, you realize that each section has its own mood.

The golden age of cinema is still alive there, in the smell of jasmine at night and the beautiful weather. And the light is inspiring and energizing.

It fills me with the feeling that all possibilities are available.”

(David Lynch)

 

A couple of hours walk to make a real journey back in time, into the old LA, that one of the first half of the 1900s.

In the places where the Oscars and the Mecca of the Cinema were born, where Al Capone and Kennedy used to stay for their secret meetings and which served as a background to some famous noir stories, like the one of the Black Dahlia. Passing through some of the most suggestive movie locations of the area and a historic market really unique in its kind.

Downtown Los Angeles: The Millennium Biltmore Hotel

The Millennium Biltmore Hotel is a true historical icon of the city of Los Angeles.

An extremely fascinating place that has seen a lot over its long activity. Think that it was opened in 1923 with the idea to honor and emulate the great European palaces. And since then – with mixed fortunes – it has never stopped welcoming visitors and celebrities.

In the Twenties, the hotel’s guestrooms and the ballrooms were filled with the most famous faces of the time, earning it the nickname The Host of The Coast. The Gold Room was one of the most popular nightclubs in Los Angeles during the Prohibition, and Al Capone was one of its most regular visitors – and it is said, financiers.

 

Did you know the idea for the Academy Awards was born here, and that the Oscar statuette was first drawn on a napkin during a gala dinner in the hotel’s Crystal Ball Room?

 

Throughout the Thirties, the Biltmore’s connection to Hollywood’ greatest stars strengthened to the point that we had regular guests as Charlie Chaplin, Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy and Ginger Rogers, thanks to the opening of the largest nightclub in the world, the Biltmore Bowl.
Shortly after the end of the war, the hotel was at the center of one of the most notorious unsolved murders of the 20th century.

The young actress Elizabeth Short, last seen on January 9, 1947 in the evening in the hotel lobby with a man, was found dead hours later in a field, horribly mutilated. This assassination sparked the myth of the Black Dahlia. This is the nickname of Elisabeth, because of her passion for the movie The Blue Dahlia and the habit of wearing black. A story narrated then in the novel The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy, and the homonymous and very beautiful movie of 2006. Find here the trailer.

 

 

In the 1960s, the Biltmore was the starting point of the JFK’s presidential campaign. Besides Kennedy, the hotel welcomed Presidents Truman, Roosevelt, Carter, Ford, Reagan, Bush and Clinton. A few years later, the Beatles were forced to fly to the hotel by helicopter and land on the roof to be able to enter, as the fans had blocked all other access.

The story of the Biltmore is an incredible one, which after a few decades of decline and of recovery, has reached our days.

Think that this hotel was the background of countless movies and music clips, like Oceans II, Chinatown, The Sting, Spiderman, Rocky III, The Italian Job, National Treasure and Independence Day. In addition to the video performances of Ed Sheran, John Legend, Jennifer Lopez, Janet Jackson, Taylor Swift, Britney Spears, etc.

I can’t help but mention Ghostbusters. Take a look at the video below, you will recognize immediately the scene when the Biltmore turns into the Sedgwick of NYC for script needs.

 

 

Take the time to enter the hotel, explore the lobby and the rooms, often open to the public, and soak up through the vintage pictures and costumes in the showcases of the main corridor, in its iconic atmospheres.

Downtown Los Angeles: Angels Flight Railway

Must-see on a walking tour of Downtown Los Angeles.

The Angels Flight Railway is a funicular that has taken the passengers on a short trip between Hill Street and Grand Avenue to Bunker Hill for over 123 years. Open first in 1901, Angels Flight – the shortest railway in the world – has made over 100 million runs on its hilly track.

The railway top station is located at California Plaza. The lower entrance is at 351, South Hill Street, just across from the Grand Central Market. Many movies and TV series were shot here, including La la Land and Perry Mason.

Angels Flight is open daily from 6.45am to 10pm, weekends and public holidays included.

The ticket price is 1$ per trip.

Downtown Los Angeles: Bradbury Building

After more than 130 years, the Bradbury Building – opened in 1893 – is still showing off magnificently.
It is the most ancient remaining commercial building in downtown.

Its magical Victorian courtyard full of light, open-cage elevators, marble staircases and ornate iron railings, make it one of the most photographed icons and a perfect setting for cult movies scenes. Included the 1982 Blade Runner. Ridley Scott chose right this building for J.F. Sebastian’s apartment and the roof sequence.

Enjoy the scene in the video here below.

 

 

You can freely access the first floor during the opening hours of the building’s offices.

If you want to vist also the upper floors, then you have to book a guided tour with Los Angeles Conservancy, which organizes tours also to the other places indicated in this article.

Going out, do not forget to take a look at the historic Million Dollar Theater, located just across the street from the Bradbury Building
It is one of the very first movie theaters in the United States of America, opened in 1917.

Downtown Los Angeles: Grand Central Market

After your walk in the “old LA”, I can only recommend stopping for a quick lunch or an aperitif at the Grand Central Market.

A cheerful and colorful food market dating back to 1917 where you can buy local fresh products or from the most different countries. Here you can find a little bit of everything, from the sale of lots of food at the retail to the diners, and even the cafés.

I invite you to visit the official website of the Grand Central Market to take a look at the events (music, meetings, tastings, shows, etc.) organized during your visit.

Downtown Los Angeles, other places not to be miss

If you have more time and want to explore Downtown Los Angeles with other places outside the mentioned historical route, then you cannot miss the places listed below.

Los Angeles Central Library

The Richard J. Riordan Central Library, also known as Los Angeles Central Library, is the main office of the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL), in downtown Los Angeles. It was built in 1925 and now it is the third largest library in the United States as a heritage and number of publications and texts.

It consists of two buildings: the Goodhue Building and the Tom Bradley, built in 1925 and 1993 respectively.

The first one is influenced by ancient Egypt and Mediterranean Revival architecture. The central tower is surmounted by a tiled mosaic pyramid with one hand on the top holding a torch representing the Light of learning.

A real treasure of the 1920s.

The Last Bookstore

The most original bookstore in Los Angeles at an old credit institution.

More than 20.000 among books – new and used – vinyl, graphic novels and works of art. Besides a fascinating labyrinth of books, with tunnels, shelves and bookshelves entirely made with old texts.

A café and several spaces accessible to all, periodically animated with conferences, presentations and readings of poetry and fiction.

Why the name The Last Bookstore?

Because it resists stoically to the sale and to the e-commerce and the e-book. Here you can find only and exclusively printed texts.

The Blue-Ribbon Garden

The Blue-Ribbon Garden is a park located on a hill above Hope Street, adjacent to the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

A place of peace and beauty from which to admire even the Hollywood Sign in the clearest days. Do not forget to stop by and admire the Lillian Disney Memorial Fountain, a rose-shaped fountain in bloom, nicknamed “A Rose for Lilly”.

Downtown Los Angeles: some considerations on safety

The path in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles that I described to you in this article is extremely easy to follow.

An itinerary that however develops in a very controversial area of the city in recent years due to the safety issue. Especially following the increase of the homeless and micro-crime after the pandemic.

It would be a shame to miss out on exploring this area, given the incredible historical, cultural, social and artistic richness it offers. Maybe with some right precautions – as I did personally even twice in the last year – you can move freely and peacefully.

The tip I wish to give you – since I experienced firsthand and on several occasions in recent years the efforts being made to improve the situation and the conditions of homeless people – is to explore this area in the middle of the day when the streets are more crowded and busier, and the feeling of unsafety is greatly reduced.

You can use Uber to get around, then walk your way home and return to the place where you are staying. If you decide to drive your car, leave it in a secure parking lot.

 

 

Article written for and in collaboration with #IPW2024 Los Angeles and Discover Los Angeles.