Historic Downtown Los Angeles - 12 MAR 2010

Rob and I spent the day walking around what is now called Historic Downtown; an area between 3rd & 8th covering Main, Spring & Broadway Streets. I took so many interesting photos of the area, that I'm breaking it into three parts: Historic Downtown District, Broadway Theatre District & Reflections. Here's the part one: Many former hotels, banks and office buildings are now loft apartments.
There are over 30 art galleries and an art walk every second Thursday of each month. Southeast corner of 5th & Main:
Alexandra Hotel - Southwest corner of 5th & Spring:
Broadway-Spring Street Mercantile Arcade is a Beaux-Arts/Spanish Renaissance Revival structure built in 1924. Located between 5th & 6th Streets, it runs the entire block from Broadway to Spring Street. I'm just hoping that purple color the man is painting has to do with restoration and is not a paint cover-up.
Three-story 35,000 sq-ft retail arcade, it's a dirty swap meet space that feels like back street Tijuana. This is the inside skylight:
Across Broadway from the Arcade:
In 2006, the historic Eastern Columbia Building (designed by Claud Beelman) had a $30 million conversion, turning it into 140 luxury condominiums:

Tinky Winky stayed home so Rob had to act as my model:

Broadway may have 21 theaters, but it still feels like Barrio Shopping.
A lot of fun architectural details if you just look up.
With no TW, Rob had to pose with Charlie Chaplin inside the Bradbury building. This statue was originally inside the Roosevelt Hotel (Hollywood).
Los Angeles Theatre Center - 514 S Spring, this former bank building has been turned into an art complex with three theaters and The Latino Museum of History, Art & Culture in the basement. The restrooms are in the vault.
A gorgeous building in beautiful condition, this is the skylight:
Grand Central Market - 317 S Broadway, since 1917 offering fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, poultry, fish, and prepared food.
Like the Arcade, it runs through a whole block and is LA.'s largest open-air market.
Across Hill Street is Angels Flight.
Not part of the Historic District, the Los Angeles Public Library Downtown (630 W 6th St) is a wonderful old building.
Use this link to view additional images: Enfocus Gallery
and: Historic Los Angeles Theatres

Broadway Theatre District Los Angeles – 12 MAR 2010

The Historic Theatre District of Los Angeles runs along S Broadway from 3rd to 9th Street. Most of the structures were built between 1910 - 1932, progressing from vaudeville theatres, to silent films (with live music from elaborate organs), to the talkies, movie theaters. Most of them had grand exteriors with extravagant interiors displaying the ostentatiousness of the period.
Details on Palace Theatre
Roxie - 518 S Broadway, open in 1931, built on the site of Quinn's Superba Theatre, was the last theatre to open on Broadway in November of that year. It was created to handle live stage performances along with movies and closed in 1989.
Roxie Theatre 1931-1989
Cameo - 528 S Broadway, opened as Clune's Broadway, a nickelodeon, in 1910. In 1924, it was remolded and became the Cameo. When it closed in 1991 it was known as LA's oldest continuous movie theater.
Cameo Theatre 1910-1991
Here's a public domain image of it's original look:

Los Angeles - 615 S Broadway, built in 1931, it was the last movie palace built on Broadway. Open in 1932 with the premiere of Charlie Chaplin's City Lights, which had a live orchestra performing the soundtrack. (The film was well received, even though all of Hollywood had switched to sound films in 1929.) This French Baroque style theatre had a ballroom, restaurant, nursery and barbar shop on the lower level. The very spectacular 50' ceiling, main lobby is complete with crystal chandeliers, marble, gold leaf, silk damask wall coverings, walnut paneling and a crystal fountain at the head of the grand staircase. There were two crying rooms on the mezzanine level, marble in the restrooms and a periscope system in the basement lounge in order to view the movie. But the most unusual feature is the main stage curtain that has an incredible 3-D scene of French royalty with stuffed clothing and human hair wigs.
Los Angeles Theatre 1931
Palace - 630 S Broadway, built in 1911, renamed the Palace in 1926.
Palace Theatre 1911
It is the oldest remaining theatre in the world that was part of Orpheum Circuit, Inc.
Palace Theatre Originally The Orpheum Theatre
There are several 3-D statues along the outside.
Palace Details
Loew's State - 703 S Broadway, Spanish Renaissance built in 1921. The Gumm Sisters (Judy Garland) performed on its' vaudeville stage.
Loew's State Theatre 1921-1997
Globe - 744 S Broadway, originally call the Morosco Theatre. When it opened in January 1913, it was the first legitimate playhouse on LA's Broadway St vaudeville row. The name changed to President in 1928; when it was converted to motion pictures in 1930, it became the Newsreel Theatre and finally the Globe in 1948.
Globe Theatre 1913
2023 Update: In 2015 the Globe got a five year, multi-million dollar renovation and is now a state-of-the-art venue available for rental: GlobeTheatre-LA.com 
  
Tower - 802 S Broadway, opened in 1927 with the silent film The Gingham Girl but it was the first movie palace in downtown LA wired for sound. Claim to fame: sneak preview location for The Jazz Singer, the first feature-length motion picture with synchronized dialouge.
Olympic - 313 W 8th St, opened in 1927 as Bard's 8th Street Theatre; it became the Olympic in 1932 in honor of LA's first Games.
Tower Theatre 1927-1988
Rialto - 812 S Broadway, built as a nickelodeon in 1917 it was Quinn's Rialto. Bought by Sid in 1919, it became Grauman's Rialto. The original Greek revival pedimented facade was torn down in the 30's to create Broadways's longest marquee. In 1989 the marquee was declared City of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #472.
Rialto Theatre 1917
Orpheum - 842 s Broadway, in 1926 this French Gothic fairytale structure became the four and final home of the Orpheum Circuit vaudeville chain in Los Angeles. Fully restored theatre, its' "Might Wurlitzer" is the last great theatre organ remaining on Broadway.
Orpheum Theatre 1926
I really like this back view.
Million Dollar - 307 S Broadway, opened in 1918, it launched Sid Grauman's career as a film showman in Los Angeles. Claim to fame: LA's first movie palace.
Million Dollar Theatre 1918
It's Churrigueresque exterior has some wonderful 3-D statues.
Million Dollar Detail
Rob review's the Million Dollar Theatre history. Here's my YouTube visit of the old Theatre District: Historic Los Angeles Theatre District
Elaborate murals made with real gold paint and real gold leaf were hidden from sight after one of its' early remodel jobs. Check out the Youtube videos on the hidden architecture: Million Dollar Theatre Hidden Layers

Downtown Los Angeles Reflections – 12 MAR 2010

I noticed the trash cans were all paddle locked...to keep the trash in the cans?
This first time I saw building murals was when I moved to Los Angeles in 1968. This one located on 4th & Broadway, is called “Demuestra QuiĆ©n Eres”.
If you stand on the east side of the Bradbury Building, you see this one located on 2nd & Broadway. Called "The Pope of Broadway" it is a tribute to Anthony Quinn.
Here are some visual reflections:
Million Dollar Theatre in the Doors to the Bradbury Building.
Los Angeles, a place were local customers come in several languages.
Located in the Million Dollar Theatre building, the Million Dollar Pharmacy is a very unique store. They have a small pharmaceutical area, but a large collection of everything else including sex aids, catholic statues & candles, voodoo dolls, and every type of potion, powder, or trinket needed to cast any kind of Santeria spell.
The last six reflections of Los Angeles were taken in 2005: