Things to Do in Downtown LA

The Broad (221 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012) is downtown LA's contemporary art museum, housing over 2,000 works including pieces by Koons, Basquiat, Warhol, and Kusama. General admission is free. The Infinity Mirror Rooms require a separate (free) timed ticket.

MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art, 250 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012) and its Geffen Contemporary space in Little Tokyo are both excellent for contemporary and experimental art. Combined, they hold one of the strongest contemporary collections on the West Coast.

The Walt Disney Concert Hall (111 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012), designed by Frank Gehry, is stunning from the outside and world-class inside. Even if you don't catch a performance, the exterior is worth walking around. Nearby, the Bradbury Building (304 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013, featured in Blade Runner) has one of the most beautiful interiors in LA — ornate ironwork, open-cage elevators, and natural light flooding through the glass ceiling.

Grand Central Market (317 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013) has been a DTLA institution since 1917. It's a massive food hall with vendors serving everything from Thai noodles and tacos to egg sandwiches, ramen, and fresh-pressed juices. Go hungry.

The Arts District along East 3rd Street is where DTLA gets gritty and creative — warehouses converted into galleries, breweries, coffee roasters, and restaurants. Angel City Brewery, Bestia, and Zinc Cafe are neighborhood staples.

Olvera Street, the birthplace of Los Angeles, is a pedestrian marketplace with Mexican food, shops, and cultural events. It's touristy but genuine, and the taquitos at Cielito Lindo have been a LA tradition since 1934.

The DTLA Art Walk takes place on the second Thursday of every month from 6 PM to 10 PM in the Historic Core, primarily around Spring and Main Streets. The event is free and features gallery exhibitions, pop-ups, and street art — one of the best ways to experience downtown LA's creative side.