We’ve talked at length about how Downtown L.A. has become one of the most exciting precincts in the Californian city – a long overdue rebirth of its historic hub. But when you’ve got just 24 hours to spend here, where should you go? Where should you stay? What should you see? And perhaps most importantly: where should you eat? Read on as we share with you some of the things you’ve got to fit into your itinerary.
Where To Stay (and Swim)
Sitting on Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles’ Fashion District, you’ll find The Hoxton Downtown Los Angeles occupying a 1922 Beaux-Arts building, originally the home of L.A. Railway. The exterior has been restored to what you imagine it may have looked like a hundred years ago, while the interior aims to blend the century-old charm with modern luxury. The beautiful rooms, with comfortable and elegant beds, in a superb location, make it one of the best spots to spend a night in the city.
On the rooftop of The Hoxton, you’ll find a small pool open from 11am to 6pm, that at only 3 feet of depth is designed more for wading than for swimming. But a great spot for all guests to enjoy – and the view is sensational. Read our full review of the Hoxton from earlier this year, head HERE.
If you want a rooftop pool that stays open well into the night, look no further than The Ace Hotel – although it’s more like a giant hot tub than a pool. And it happens to be attached to one of the best rooftop bars in the city, which is open to the public. And although it’s from a few years ago now, you can read our full review of that hotel, and it’s fantastic rooms, HERE.
While both The Ace Hotel and The Hoxton have renovated existing, historic buildings, you’ll also find plenty of new builds in the area. There’s the Hotel Indigo (pictured below), which you can read about HERE, and the InterContinental. Its relatively new building became the tallest in Los Angeles when it opened in 2017, as part of the Wilshire Grand Center. Our own Chris Singh reviewed the hotel shortly after it opened, and you can see that HERE.
I was also lucky enough to stay at the J.W. Marriott, in the L.A. Live precinct of Downtown L.A., right next to the Crypto.com Arena where the Lakers play, and had a terrific stay there. The property was massive, the pool fantastic, the beds incredible, and the ease of the location unbeatable. There’s no shortage of options for any price point in the Downtown area.
Where to Eat
Breakfast and Brunch
There’s also no shortage of dining options Downtown – but you do need to know where to look.
An up-market diner, Moonlarks, sits downstairs at The Hoxton, and takes over much of the lobby space, serving food until 3pm. Even if you’re not staying at the hotel this is one of the best places to get Breakfast, Brunch or Lunch in the area.
Their Eggs Benedict was phenomenal. They make their own English Muffins and serve a delicious hollandaise. Also had a side of “cool ranch” hash browns – which were rectangular, covered in “cool ranch” flavouring – and sliced avocado. My friend had the smoked salmon and latkes (which were just the hash browns without the cool ranch flavouring), which she liked too. A great iced latte for her, a fantastic iced tea for me with plenty of refills. We also tried the French Toast, which we were recommended at check in – and that recommendation did not go astray. The mix of citrus curd, coconut granola and mint was an inspiration and honestly worth the trip alone.
Simply put, Moonlarks is a phenomenal diner.
Lunch
No visit to Downtown L.A. is complete without a visit to the Grand Central Market. Founded in 1917, it’s my favourite place to go for lunch in the entire city. There’s a treasure trove of dining options here, with just about every cuisine you can think of. There’s bars, American BBQ, fantastic Asian cuisine, seafood, Latin American, and the now iconic Eggslut. And look out for some incredible neon art through the whole space.
The newest spot to open in the markets is Villa’s Taco’s, the second location for one of L.A.’s favourite taco spots – of which there’s no shortage. But this one sits in particular mention as it happens to be one of the cheapest Michelin star spots in the city.
In addition to the blue L.A. Dodgers’ inspired logo, all their tacos are served on hand made blue-corn tortillas, which are in themselves a highlight.
There are three types of tacos – a standard taco served with onion, cilantro and guac; a queso taco with added cotija cheese and crema; and the mulita, which is a queso taco sandwiched in between two tortillas. I got one of each, with a variety of incredible hot sauces and salsas which you can see laid out below. They were without question some of the tastiest tacos – not to mention salsas – I’ve ever had.
There are six protein options, from Pierna de Polla (chicken leg meat) and Ranchera Asada (beef flap steak) to Grilled “Soyrizo” with pineapple and onion, for the vegans and vegetarians amongst us. You can learn more about Villa’s Tacos HERE – and the Grand Central Market’s official website will have more details about the dozens of other stalls they have on site.
Downtown L.A. is also home to occasional outdoor markets, such as the South Park Farmers’ Market, which was on while I was in town. It runs on Saturdays from 9AM – 2PM at 11th and Grand Ave. I had some excellent dumplings here as I walked down from The Hoxton on my way to the Grammy Museum.
And finally, if you’re in the mood for some Pizza, can also check out Pi LA at 124 4th St – which our own Chris Singh called some of the best pizza in the USA.
Dinner
If you’re looking for a dinner with a difference, head to the Moxy Hotel, where a number of great dining options sit, across the street from the L.A. Live precinct. Here, via Level 8, you’ll find the Japanese restaurant Lucky Mizu. This is where you’ll find “Shabu Shabu”, which literally means “swish swish”, after the sound your chopsticks make when they move the ingredients around the Japanese style hot pot. You have a choice for this particular dish for beef, pork, veggies or the seafood platter.
I had the seafood platter, with wide selection of raw seafood ready to be cooked in the hot pot – which was split into two types of broth – including lobster, prawns, scallops and fish. It’s served with veggies, noodles, rice and three dipping sauces – two that come as standard, and one that’s your choice. You also choose the broth – I went for Tom Yum, which is a Thai soup, showing they’re not shy to bring some fusion flavours into the mix. It was a lot of food, and an experience meant to be shared.
Their sushi was terrific as well – I tried the spicy yellowtail roll, which you’ll see above, and loved it. The A5 Wagyu beef nigiri was superb as well, showing off the quality of the meat with every bite. I also recommend the snapper sashimi with a raspberry vinaigrette, which perfectly complemented the strawberry mezcal cocktail (“The Ichigo”).
I loved the design of the place, from the neon signs that line its exterior – inspired by the Japanese streets from which this type of cuisine originates – to the Instagram worthy wall of “Lucky Cats” that sits inside. You can sit at the bar, as I did, though if you’re with a group (and all this food is meant to be shared), you’ll want to get one of the picturesque booths.
The L.A. Live precinct is across the street from the Moxy, with a variety of dining and entertainment options – including the GRAMMY Museum and the Crypto.com Arena (FKA the Staples Centre, where the Lakers play). Here, you can get a meal at Fixins Soul Kitchen, where you’ll enjoy some great New Orleans style cuisine.
Fixins had some of the best Southern “soul food” cooking I’ve ever had outside of the American south, and certainly the best I’ve ever had in Los Angeles. I had the fried chicken plate with a perfect mac and cheese, cornbread and black eyed peas.
What to Do
From the Grand Central Market, it’s a short walk to the iconic Angel’s Flight funicular, where you can take yourself from your lunch to the Downtown museum and arts district. Here, you’ll find the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), The Broad Museum and the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The funicular costs just $1 to ride, or 50c with a LA Metro TAP Card.
MOCA – LA’s only artist founded museum – features a mix of permanent and rotating exhibitions. Amongst their permanent collection, have a Rothko room – as seems to be requisite for a modern art museum – and a wide array of beautiful pieces. And best of all – entry is free thanks to the generous donation of Carolyn Clark Powers.
A wonderful exhibition on now is Josh Kline’s Climate Change. It’s a mixed media experience produced in part during the pandemic – which lends additional context to some of its themes. The show is described as “an ambitious, immersive suite of science-fiction installations that imagines a future sculpted by ruinous climate crisis and the ordinary people destined to inhabit it.”
This exhibition runs until 5th January 2025.
Though entry is free, a timed ticket is required, so head to their official website for more details, and for a full list of exhibits currently on display.
Across the street you’ll find The Broad Museum – with some of the city’s most striking architecture. And that’s saying something – because Frank Gehry’s iconic Walt Disney Concert Hall is right next door.
Entry for the permanent collection is free here too, this time thanks to the Broad family who display their massive collection of works by contemporary American artists in the Diller Scofidio + Renfro designed building, and sit as its namesake. While the family’s patriarch Eli Broad passed away in 2021, the collection has continued to grow, like a stunning piece by Amy Sherald, Kingdom (2022), which sits in the entry room. Elsewhere, works by Andy Warhol, Cindy Sherman, Jeff Koons, Ed Ruscha and Roy Lichtenstein sit as centrepieces.
I last visited quite a few years ago – not long after it opened in 2015 – and was surprised by how many pieces weren’t out on my previous visit. But if you walk out down the stairs, rather than the glass elevator, you’ll get a glimpse at why this is the case. Through a window, you’ll be able to see the vastness of the collection not currently on display. So this is an ever moving exhibit and experience.
Downstairs you’ll also find the paid exhibitions – and you can learn more details about what’s on now at The Broad on their official website. Like MOCA, you need to reserve a complimentary timed ticket via their website to ensure entry.
And finally, we head to the L.A. Live precinct where you’ll find the Grammy Museum It costs under US$20 to visit this gallery, whose exhibits are constantly changing. When I visited, on the first floor there was a photo and video exhibition related to the iconic L.A. music venue, The Roxy. There are photos like Ronnie Woods hanging with Muddy Waters backstage at the club, plus lots of archival content from Neil Young’s shows opening the venue. He notably returned to play there for its 50th anniversary.
There’s also a documentary that screens, and in other photos, they show Ringo Starr and John Lennon getting into the exclusive club “On The Rox” with their membership keys to see Bob Marley perform. There are Grammy outfits on display on this floor as well, including recent fits for Billie Eilish (2024) and Olivia Rodrigo (2022). You may also enjoy a reel of classic hip-hop performances from the Grammys, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the genre.
Fans of K-Pop would have also loved the expansive K-Pop exhibit that wrapped up a month or so ago, called HYBE. This came with an additional fee to visit.
And how about the Nightlife…
After your day of dining and museums, there’s no shortage of nightlife entertainment in the city.
There are concerts nightly at venues around the area, from the Teregram Ballroom where I once saw King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard play, to The Ace Hotel’s converted historic United Artists screening room theatre, which now hosts concerts, comedy shows and even mini-festivals. The Walt Disney Concert Hall hosts the Los Angeles Philharmonic and other orchestras, as well as plenty of contemporary guests.
Fans of the theatre should look no further than the Ahmanson Theatre, which usually has a Broadway production on show (currently you can enjoy Sutton Foster in Once Upon A Mattress). There used to be a lot more stages and theatres around the city, from the Golden Age of Hollywood, like The Mayan and The Belasco; both of which are essentially now nightclubs. You’ll find them around the corner from The Hoxton. The Mayan in particular is one of the architectural gems of the city and worth a visit no matter what event is on.
And as we mentioned earlier in the article, there are rooftop bars all over the place – The Ace Hotel has a great one that is open to non-hotel guests, and is accompanied by hot tub the size of a pool. The Moxy, where you’ll find Lucky Mizu, also has a fantastic outdoor bar called Golden Hour – which also happens to have a carousel bar and a pool! You’ll start to notice a trend in the downtown area…
Getting around Downtown L.A.
While it’s a lot safer than it used to be Downtown, and I personally do walk around a lot of the area, it still can be a little sketchy in parts and it’s understandable if you don’t want to walk about. If you haven’t rented a car, you’re likely going to be jumping in Ubers or Lyfts to get around the city. Though keep in mind prices have gone up for this service in recent years. There are a number of buses that run through the area, and it’s incredibly affordable, with rides costing $1.75, capped at $5 a day via the TAP card.
This price point is also inclusive of the subway network around the city. L.A.’s beautiful Union Station – where they memorably held the Oscars in 2021 – is Downtown and serves as your hub to get around Los Angeles and Hollywood on their Metro subway line. This is now far more extensive than it once was, with services through the Downtown area, extending to Long Beach, Santa Monica, Universal Studios, and soon all the way to West Hollywood (this line currently goes as far as Koreatown). From Union Station you can also take the FlyAway bus to and from Los Angeles International Airport. This service (which you can learn more about HERE) costs $9.75 each way, and can be paid for via your TAP card, or a credit card. Pre-paid tickets are also available though the FlyAway LAX website.
Of course, this only scratches the surface of what you can do in Downtown L.A. If you have more than 24 hours, and/or would like to see what else you can Discover in Los Angeles head to the Discover Los Angeles website.
While in Los Angeles, the guest stayed at The Hoxton Downtown LA. Support for the visit, including visit to Villa’s Tacos, and the museums mentioned in this article, were provided by Discover Los Angeles, with additional support from the respective museums and Lucky Mizu. All photos by the author unless otherwise credited.
