{"id":16909,"date":"2015-03-04T01:21:00","date_gmt":"2015-03-04T01:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/?p=16909"},"modified":"2021-10-28T16:36:20","modified_gmt":"2021-10-28T16:36:20","slug":"digging-downtown-los-angeles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/digging-downtown-los-angeles\/","title":{"rendered":"Digging downtown Los Angeles"},"content":{"rendered":"

Depending on how you look at it, downtown Los Angeles<\/a>\u00a0(DTLA) either cramps or commands LA\u2019s skyline. Flying into Los Angeles International Airport over the years, I was always confused by the urban center’s show of skyscrapers in a sea of suburban sprawl. They seemed to spring up out of nowhere, and nobody ever talked about the \u201ctall\u201d part of town. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In past visits, I barely registered DTLA\u2019s 65 square blocks. I was more drawn to LA<\/a>\u2019s sultry mix of beach and boardwalk; Hollywood hills and Rodeo frills.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That was then\u2014then being the late \u201890s when LA\u2019s birthplace was just starting its slow and steady rise from gritty to grand.<\/span><\/p>\n

While the masses were standing in line for cupcakes and frozen yogurt, modern skyscrapers were added to the city skyline. Sports arenas moved in. Museums took up residence. Architecture and music took center stage at the Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall. Beaux Arts buildings were re-beautified. Art Deco structures\u2014derelict from neglect\u2014were given facelifts. Lofts sprung up. Artists moved in. Restaurants opened.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Exploring downtown LA<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

As the tides of Los Angeles shifted from down-and-out to place-to-be, I found myself less interested in California\u2019s coastline, and more attracted to its cultural hub. Even without palm trees lining every street and shiny convertibles setting the scene\u2014things I\u2019ve grown to love about LA\u2014I was strangely drawn to Downtown and its departure from California stereotypes. So I went all-in on Downtown.<\/span><\/p>\n

Having dabbled in DTLA on past visits, I gave into its edgy mix of classic and cutting-edge for a December 2014 stay. I wanted to avoid what I\u2019d done in the past, which was to stay in another neighborhood and drive in. Plus, staying Downtown meant I could explore on foot\u2014quite a feat for a car-centric city.<\/span><\/p>\n

Viewfinder Tip: To savor LA’s sun and city, book a downtown hotel with a rooftop pool.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To start, I stayed at the\u00a0Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles<\/a>, a creative hub opened in 2014 and housed in the 1927-built United Artists Building. Located along a stretch of Broadway punctuated by parking lots, it-girl boutiques, once-grand theaters, and Alma\u2014one of LA\u2019s most celebrated restaurants\u2014the area oozes energy as if it\u2019s a star on the verge.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Ace isn\u2019t the only accommodation to predict and profit from Downtown\u2019s potential. Other recent recruits include\u00a0The Ritz-Carlton<\/a> and The Standard<\/a>. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Keen on discovering the City of Angels on foot, I strolled along Broadway to Grand Central Market, a food emporium dating back to 1917. Perfectly timed with DTLA\u2019s revival, this collective space was named one of America\u2019s 10 best new restaurants of 2014 by Bon\u00a0<\/em><\/span>Appetit<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Eating at eggslut<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

With stalls that include a wood-fired pizzeria, a cheese shop, a taqueria, a juice bar, and a German sausage house, I had trouble choosing where to nosh. I finally settled on a late-morning gooey-good breakfast sandwich from eggslut\u2014once a food truck, now the market\u2019s most sought-after tenant. And don\u2019t even get me started on the hot cocoa from Valerie Confections. The chocolate is blasted to a fine dust that creates a creaminess reminiscent of the river running through Willy Wonka\u2019s Chocolate Factory. (Or so I’d imagine.)
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

While I could have spent days feasting on all that Grand Central Market has to offer, I was interested in the rest of the it-neighborhood\u2019s cuisine scene dubbed \u201cRestaurant Row\u201d by the Los Angeles Times<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a loyal follower of LA tastemakers on social media outlets, I started seeing Downtown fare featured in Instagram feeds around 2009. The much-photographed queen bee, Bottega Louie, which offers Neapolitan-style pizzas and Parisian pastries, was one of the first to make a splash. Based on its success, others such as Alma, Baco Mercat, and Terroni followed suit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Because a girl can\u2019t eat every hour of the day, my stomach and I sought solace back at The Ace\u2019s rooftop pool. Here, I got another perspective of LA; this time looking out versus looking in. In that moment, I remembered my friend, an LA resident, telling me how much she\u2019s dying to move to the \u201ctall\u201d part of town. I\u2019m now convinced Downtown commands LA\u2019s skyline and, after a few days, my waistline.<\/span><\/p>\n

What are some of your favorite downtown districts and why?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Falling in love with LA's downtown<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":11837,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1808,1814,1809,1782,1816,1875,1788,1895,1776],"tags":[49,115],"authors":[2232],"class_list":["post-16909","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-california","category-city","category-culture","category-destinations","category-food-and-drink","category-history","category-interests","category-los-angeles","category-type-of-vacation","tag-nightlife","tag-popular","authors-trip-styler","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDigging downtown Los Angeles | Expedia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/digging-downtown-los-angeles\/\" \/>\n<meta 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