A Walking Tour of Downtown L.A. – Part 1

I heart L.A. so much that I wrote a love letter disguised as a romance novel, ‘Los Angeles, I’m Yours‘ which is available as an eBook (and FREE in Kindle Unlimited) or paperback from Amazon (UK / US).

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Sofia Taylor might live in L.A. and be the daughter of rock royalty but that doesn’t mean that she wants to be in the spotlight. She’s designed her life to be quiet and simple, content with working in the mail room at Andretti Records while secretly writing most of the company’s hit songs in her backyard studio under the pseudonym, S Klein.

Dylan Andrews ditched his father’s conspicuous last name as soon as he graduated from high school and has spent the last few years building a successful career in publishing on the opposite side of the country in Manhattan. When he’s summoned back to L.A. he understands that he’s going to be taking over as CEO of his father’s company, Andretti Records but he’s left stunned when his father insists that he go through a fake internship in the mail room first so he can learn more about the company.

Sofia is asked to mentor Dylan and they quickly bond over Frida Kahlo street art, grilled coconut milk and five-spice pork buns. Their friendship blossoms into romance as they explore downtown L.A. together but what will happen when the secrets they’ve both been keeping are finally revealed?

If you’re looking for a fun, flirty romance to brighten up a dull, rainy day, why not join Sofia and Dylan as they discover a terrifying glass slide, a house of mosaics, chicken curry on a pizza and lots more oddities in sunny L.A.

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I’m finally going back there for a vacation at the end of the month (#soexcited) and what better way to celebrate than by blogging about the places I’m most looking forward to exploring whilst we’re there.

There is so much to see that I’ve put together a Walking Tour of Downtown L.A. Just like with my Walking Tour of The Sunset Strip, there’s a lot to discuss so I’ve split it into Parts 1, 2 and 3.

I’m a book-lover so of course I’ve got to start my Walking Tour of Downtown L.A. with a bookstore (duh!)

THE LAST BOOKSTORE (Website) (453 South Spring Street) is conveniently located just a couple of blocks from Pershing Square underground station.

Photo Credit: VAGUEONTHEHOW, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

It’s the largest new and used bookstore in California and has a book tunnel (above) which has become a favourite with Instagrammers.

TLB was founded by JOSH SPENCER in 2005. In 1996 during his junior year of college, Josh and a friend were riding mopeds when he failed to halt for a stop sign and was hit by a speeding car. He suffered a collapsed lung, broken pelvis, two exploded vertebrae and was left paralysed. Needing a fresh start, he moved to L.A. and began buying books at thrift stores, garage sales, yard sales and libraries and then selling them online from his apartment. In 2009, when the business grew too big for his apartment, he opened up his first storefront on 4th & Main. TLB has been at its current location in the Spring Arts Tower since 3 June 2011.

If you want to find out more about Josh’s story, check out this short documentary, ‘Welcome to the Last Bookstore’ by CHAD HOWITT.

TLB is located in the Spring Arts Tower, which has an interesting history of its own. The original tenant of the building way back in 1914 was Citizens National Bank which took over the basement and the first 3 x floors. In 1963, Citizens merged with Crocker-Anglo Bank becoming Crocker-Citizens Bank (and would then be acquired by Wells Fargo in the 1980s). The Crocker name lives on in the nightclub, The Crocker Club, which is located in the original bank vault.

SPRING STREET (where you’re standing right now) isn’t just famous for TLB, it’s also one of the oldest streets in L.A.

It was named ‘Calle Primavera’ after TRINIDAD SERAFINA ORTEGA, a 17-year-old local girl aka ‘La Primavera.’ You can find out more about Trinidad at Los Angeles Revisited.

Because of the proliferation of financial institutions on Spring Street in the early 1900s, it became known as the “Wall Street of the West”.

Spring Street can also be considered the birthplace of the motion picture industry in L.A. In 1898, THOMAS EDISON (1847-1931) filmed a 60-second film titled ‘South Spring Street Los Angeles California.’ He and his crew had to mount a giant camera on a wagon to film the various streetcars, bicycles and horse-drawn wagons traversing Spring Street.

In addition to TBB, there are a couple of other cool buildings to check out nearby.

At 416 South Spring Street is EL DORADO LOFTS. Shortly after it opened in 1913 as the Hotel Stowell, CHARLIE CHAPLIN (1889-1977) moved in and relayed the following story about a loud phone call regarding a $25k appearance fee: “My bedroom window opened out on the well of the hotel, so that the voice of anyone talking resounded through the rooms. The telephone connection was bad, ‘I don’t intend to pass up twenty-five thousand dollars for two weeks’ work!’ I had to shout several times. A window opened above and a voice shouted back: ‘Cut out that bull and go to sleep, you big dope!’”

At 210 West 5th Street is the ALEXANDRIA HOTEL. Built in 1906, it was the most luxurious hotel in L.A. until the Millennium Biltmore opened. The carpet in the lobby was dubbed the “Million-Dollar Carpet” because there was said to be a $1m worth of business done there every day. It closed in 1934, reopened in 1937 but by the 1950s it had become a transient hotel with the Grand Ballroom being used as a training ring for boxers. It’s now been converted into apartments.

Side Note: If you’re after a more ghoulish history of downtown L.A., you could also check out the Downtown Suicide Triangle featuring three notorious hotels: Hotel Cecil (640 South Main Street) (which was the subject of the 4-part Netflix docuseries, The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel), Rosslyn Hotel & Annexe (112 West 5th Street) and Hotel Hayward (601 South Spring Street). I’m a bit squeamish so I’m going to give these three a miss but feel free to take a diversion if you want.

From TLB, turn right onto West 5th Street and then left on South Broadway and our next stop: CLIFTON’S REPUBLIC (Website) (648 South Broadway) will be on your left.

Before it closed in 2018 and became the high-end bar, Clifton’s Republic, 648 South Broadway was home to Clifton’s Cafeteria (which features in ‘Los Angeles, I’m Yours’ and was the oldest surviving cafeteria-style eatery in L.A. and largest public cafeteria in the world with 600 x seats on 3 x floors).

Photo Credit: Difference Engine, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

You can still check out what the Cafeteria used to look like in this feature from CBS Sunday Morning:

CHARLES BUKOWSKI (1920-94) mentions the Cafeteria in his novel Ham on Rye: “Clifton’s Cafeteria was nice. If you didn’t have much money, they let you pay what you could. And if you didn’t have any money, you didn’t have to pay. […] It was owned by some very nice rich old man, a very unusual person.”

One of my favourite stories about the Cafeteria is after the building was bought by ANDREW MEIERAN in 2010, it was closed for remodelling. During the remodel, a partition wall was removed which revealed a neon light that was still switched on. It’s thought to have been continuously lit for 77 years and may be the oldest continuously illuminated neon light in the world.

If you’re feeling thirsty, turn left on South Broadway and then right on 7th Street and the next stop (ST VINCENT COURT) will be on your right. It’s accessible through a breezeway on 7th Street (between Broadway and Hill Street). Look for a street sign as well as a sign affixed to the building above the entrance.

Photo Credit: DowntownGal, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

SVC is a quaint, little Europeanesque alleyway offering the perfect respite from the hustle and bustle of downtown L.A.

It’s named after St Vincent’s College (now Loyola Marymount University).

In 1865 the Vincentian Fathers were commissioned by BISHOP THADDEUS AMAT Y BRUSI (1811-78) (1st Bishop of L.A.) to establish St Vincent’s College for Boys in L.A. (the first institution for higher learning in Southern California).

For the first 2 x years before moving to St. Vincent Court, classes were held in Lugo Adobe (donated by DON VICENTE LUGO) in what’s now El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument. Lugo Adobe was demolished in 1951 and the site is now Father Junipero Serra Park.

After the College moved to their new campus in 1887, SVC became a US Army HQ and then Bullock’s Department Store (1907-83).

Bullock’s used the alleyway (which had been the main entrance for the College) for deliveries. It became a popular spot to congregate so they let it out to small businesses such as Italian restaurants and espresso bars. In 1957 it was decorated with plaster facades and a brick-paved street to imitate a European village square.

Turn left on 7th Street, right on South Broadway and the next stop, which also features in ‘Los Angeles, I’m Yours’ is EASTERN COLUMBIA LOFTS (849 S Broadway).

Photo Credit: Jim Winstead, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

ECL originally opened on 12 September 1930 as the HQ and 39th store for the Eastern (Furniture & Homeware)-Columbia (Apparel) Department Store co-founded by Polish immigrant, ADOLPH SIEROTY (1876-1937).

During construction, the city of L.A. enforced a height limit of 150ft however the decorative clock tower was granted an exemption allowing it a total height of 264ft. The building is considered the greatest surviving example of Art Deco architecture in L.A.

The Eastern-Columbia Department Store closed in 1957 and the building was refitted as office space for the wholesale apparel industry. In 2006, it was converted into 147 condominiums.

After ECL, turn left on South Broadway, turn left on West 8th Street and then right on South Grand Avenue and you’ll find our last stop for Part 1 of this Walking Tour of Downtown L.A.

When it first opened on 2 October 1923, THE MILLENNIUM BILTMORE HOTEL (Website) (506 South Grand Avenue) was the largest hotel west of Chicago in the U.S (with 1.5k rooms!).

Photo Credit: MilleniumBiltmore, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences was founded at a luncheon banquet in the Crystal Ballroom there in May 1927 and MGM’s Art Director, CEDRIC GIBBONS (1890-1960) is purported to have sketched the design for the Oscar statuette on one of the Biltmore’s linen napkins during the banquet. The Biltmore hosted the Oscars 8x (1931, 35-39 & 41-42).

During the 1960 Democratic National Convention in L.A. JOHN F. KENNEDY (1916-63) had his campaign HQ in the Music Room (now the Lobby).

For their 1st U.S. Tour, the Beatles stayed in the Presidential Suite but had to access their room by landing on top of the Biltmore in a helicopter because of the crowds of fans on the sidewalk.

The Biltmore was also one of the last places where ELIZABETH SHORT (1924-47) aka “Black Dahlia” was seen before she disappeared and was found murdered on 15 January 1947 in Leimert Park. She was dropped off at the Biltmore on 9 January by ROBERT “RED” MANLEY (1921-86), her married boyfriend and employees at the Biltmore recall seeing her use the telephone in the lobby.

That’s it for today’s blog post but make sure you come back tomorrow for Part 2.

Thanks for reading, Louise x