LOS ANGELES, USA - Downtown

08:54 Travel Bunny 1 Comments

Downtown Los Angeles is the central financial hub of the city where all the skyscrapers located. The tallest building in Los Angeles is the 73-story U.S. Bank Tower (left in the photo), which was completed in 1989. Skyscrapers are difficult and expensive to construct in Los Angeles due to the city's high rate of earthquakes and position near the San Andreas fault line. But the city’s skyline continues to grow rapidly due to improvements in seismic design standards, which has made building highly earthquake-resistant.



From Hollywood, I proceeded to Downtown Los Angeles.



The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels is a Latin-rite cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church in Los Angeles. The cathedral is widely known for enshrining the relics of Saint Vibiana and tilma piece of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Its post-modern architecture was designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning Spanish architect Rafael Moneo.



Koreatown in the Mid-Wilshire district has the highest population density of all neighborhoods in Los Angeles with a population of over 120,000  covering just under 3-square-mile.



Koreatown, dubbed as the mini Seoul.



Korean church.



Korean Bank.



You know you are in Koreatown when you see Korean language signs everywhere.



Koreatown has the largest concentration of nightclubs and 24-hour businesses and restaurants in Southern California.



I bet not many people know that Koreatown is also the location of the assassination of former President Robert F. Kennedy.



Wilshire Christian Church.









MacArthur Park looking towards Downtown Los Angeles.





The Westlake Theatre is a historic theatre which operated as a first-run movie theater from 1926 until the 1960s.




Los Angeles is the second most populous city in America after New York City.








Still plenty of time to explore L.A.




The skyscrapers at Bunker Hill.





More skyscrapers as I travelled around L.A.





Los Angeles City Hall.





You often see people jogging around even in the afternoon.







The flag of California. Los Angeles is a city in the state of California.



World Trade Centre in downtown Los Angeles.




Batman, The Dark Knight Rises movie was supposedly filmed here.





Walt Disney Concert Hall is a architectural masterpiece and acoustical wonder designed by Frank Gehry. Upon completion in 2003, the project cost an estimated $274 million; the parking garage alone cost $110 million.




Most of the building's exterior was designed with stainless steel. In 2005, some panels were dulled by lightly sanding the panels after receiving complaints from neighboring buildings and residents about unwanted glare.




An architectural beauty in the heart of L.A.




Los Angeles Superior Court.



The Fort Moore Pioneer Memorial depicting the Raising of the United States flag.



Fort Moore was a U.S. military fort used during the American - Mexican war in 1846.





Passing by Los Angeles National Cemetery.







Lafayette Recreation Center.



A church for the Hispanic people.



The United States Post Office Terminal Annex.



Los Angeles Union Station is the main railway station in Los Angeles.






Los Angeles Mall.









I came across a few graffiti while walking around downtown.



It seems that some of the graffiti are actually markings of the gang members as a form of territorial markings. Well, Los Angeles is known as the 'Gang Capital of America' having more than 45,000 gang members organised into 450 gangs.



Little Tokyo has the largest Japanese-American population in North America.







The Little Tokyo Watchtower.



You can easily find ramen and sushi restaurants here.






If you require further information while visiting Little Tokyo, you can always visit the Little Tokyo Visitor Center.


The Los Angeles Police Department.


“Pretty women walking down the street…”


Found your soul-mate?



The Hilton Checkers Hotel seems like a nice hotel to stay. Gangs roam the streets of Downtown Los Angeles especially at night. You ought to take extra precautions if staying in downtown L.A. As for me, I opt to stay in nearby Hollywood which is much safer.



Los Angeles Theatre is located in the historic Broadway Theater District in Downtown Los Angeles. It was constructed in late 1930 and early 1931. After closing its doors to the public in 1994, it is often used as a filming location for movies like Charlie's Angels (2000) and its sequel, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003).



I am now entering the Jewelry District. It is the largest jewelry district in the United States.





If jewellery is your thing, this is the place to be.



‘To protect and to serve’. Police patrolling the Jewelry District. With more than 10,000 robberies reported a year, it no wonder that police are often seen around this area.




The United Artists Theatre Building has been vacant since 1984. The 18-storey building used to be a first-run movie house and office building.


I got down from the bus at Fashion Street. The District is known to be one of the best places to shop for clothing, accessories, cosmetics and shoes. How can I miss it?


Ladies, you won’t want to miss the Fashion Street.


“Police! You are being suspected for carrying drugs. Face the wall, ladies. I’m going to search your pockets.” (Just kidding.) Well, I find it funny to see all the jeans clad mannequin’s butt facing the pedestrian.





If you love to shop but don’t want to burn a hole in your purse, this is the best place to be. You can even get a piece of clothing for just 99 cents! I bought a strapless top here too. Its just so cheap.


1 dollar for a pair of legging. You can’t get this deal elsewhere.


T-shirts with quirky messages.


T-shirts especially for the guys!



Passed by a boxing training center.



St Joseph’s Church



The Metro bus is a convenient way to travel around the city. Cyclist can mount their bicycle in front of the bus for longer distance journey.



Of course, the most convenient way is to travel by subway and light rail around the city.



My beau having a rest after we had a long walk exploring Downtown Los Angeles.



I walked from Fashion District to Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC). The LACC is one of the largest convention centers in the United States with over 720,000 sq ft (67,000 m²) of exhibition space, 147,000 sq ft (13,700 m²) of meeting space, and a 299 seat theatre.





Staples Center, located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex is a multi-purpose sports arena and also home to the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).



Many famous artists such as Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus performed at the arena during their concerts. Even the legendary Michael Jackson rehearsed for his “This Is It” concerts at the arena, before his death.




Interesting looking portrait.


Hmmm…..where should I go next?


Marriott's Ritz Carlton and J.W. Marriott hotels at L.A. Live.


Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE, is a world-class 7,100-seat venue for live performances .





Bronze disks embedded on the sidewalks at the LA Live streets, honouring Grammy Award each year's top winners such as Record of the Year, Best New Artist, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year.



The Grammy Museum opened on December 2008 for the Grammy Awards 50th anniversary.





The Nokia Plaza is an open air plaza. It is a really nice place to chill out.



Stopped by Starbucks Coffee in Nokia Plaza for refreshments. The coffee in Starbucks, America actually taste much better in Malaysia. Hmmm...wonder why!?



Ahhh...... refreshing. Now I am ready to move to my next destination. And why is the lady in the background flipping her hair like a hair commercial? LOL.



My day in Downtown Los Angeles is not over yet. If you’re wondering why am I missing out Chinatown in Los Angeles, well, I didn’t. It’ll be in my next posting.


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