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.
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.
