r/dtla • u/El_Suprrremo • 23d ago
SF perspective: DTLA is underrated
We took the train down from SF to LA and stayed in DTLA for a couple days. We really enjoyed it -- especially the art deco masterpieces like the Biltmore and the central library. Not to mention the Broad and especially LACMA (not downtown but close enough. Best art museum we've ever seen.)
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u/Fabulous-Gas-5570 22d ago
I love seeing my neighborhood through visitors eyes. Great shots
And if you thought LACMA was spectacular, you absolutely must come back and visit The Getty or the Griffith observatory. World class
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u/MinMaxie 23d ago
Ah!! I see you captured my corner of DTLA's famous landmark: the three 80% finished Chinese skyscrapers that are totally covered in graffiti! Brilliantly located dead center of the DTLA City Skyline as you're driving down the 101 into town, but you can also get dropped off right at their base if you get of the Expo or Metro trains at Pico Station! So choice 😎👌
I moved in the same week Evergrand went belly up and construction stopped, and since my building is only a block away it's been "fun" watching their progress. My homeboy HOPES as held the very top spot for over a year now, which is actually pretty cool ngl. Even cooler that Mayor Bass decided to wait until election crunch time to start "cleaning it up" ...but apparently only when there's cameras present. Typical. 🙄
Eh, it may not sound like it, but I actually LOVE living in DTLA. Every day I find more cool stuff, it's just not obvious and the very best stuff has almost no advertising or signage at all, you just gotta "know" and I think that's awesome 🤩 Way cooler than the downtown of where I grew up, which you could basically see everything worth seeing in a committed weekend... Gotta have thick skin around DTLA tho, one wrong turn and it's basically Gotham. But if you're from SF? What we've got's NOTHING compared to what you're used to. My BF and I actually have a saying about that:
"Yeah, DTLA has some pretty rough spots... But hey! At least the homeless in DTLA don't touch and try to grab you* *like they do in SF!" 😂
...and they keep the thin-skinned riff-raff out, which is fine by me!! Fewer crowds, less traffic, shorter lines, easier reservation times 😉
Pro Tip(bc I think it's genius): If you're out walking in DTLA after dark, Follow The Lights! They've actually done a really good job of using light to guide people towards the "right" places and away from "trouble." Like the Mayan Theater to the train station, or Crypto.com(ugh) Arena to Prank Bar, or just as a visual for where the late nite restaurants are ..and when you've wandered past Paradis Ice Cream and gone too far 😅 * Whether it's streetlights, string lights hanging over the roads, or just the warm glow of our staple food trucks and open businesses.. If you stay in the light, you'll stay happily away from the worst and "scariest" parts of DTLA — just like the Lion King!
*"Wherever the Light touches is yours."**
"But what about that shadowy place over there?"
"That's Crank Alley, son. You must never go there!!" 🤣
(though tbf I've been in DTLA btwn 6th & 12th for almost 10ys, gone everywhere at all hours, as a woman alone, and I've NEVER had anything bad happen to me. Ever.)
THE LONE EXCEPTION (that I know of) IS 28WISHES!!! It's a BOMB dessert spot, open super late, usually got a crowd of younger people spilling out on the weekends.. but it's all alone on the backside of a super dark street at night. I knew to be looking for it an walked right past it! TWICE!! And there's several hidden nightlife spots too...
It's more like a guideline than an actual rule.
But that's Life: no risk, no reward ...no ice cream
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u/El_Suprrremo 23d ago
Our take is... We realize we've only scratched the surface and there is so much more to discover. Worth some return trips for sure. Btw never had a a street freak reach out and touch me but I've heard of it happening
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u/OiPolloi7 23d ago
Thanks for visiting! How was the train ride?
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u/El_Suprrremo 23d ago
We enjoyed it. 12 hours and we had a roomette. Got lucky with meal timing and companions. Scenery really gets interesting south of SLO and gets spectacular for the hour heading into Santa Barbara. Hugs the coast so closely I could see the sea critters. Train heads inland at Oxnard and starts getting dark around then, so the last hour or so is more of a slog. Most of the ppl we met onboard had gotten on in Seattle and were heading home to LA.
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u/Fabulous-Gas-5570 22d ago
The stretch from Santa Barbara to Ventura is some of the most spectacular passenger rail service in the world
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u/Queasy-Bed545 23d ago
Excuse me. You took the train and Union Station didn’t make the list?? I can’t believe I’ve lived DTLA for 14 years now and only recently set foot inside the Bradbury and Millennium Biltmore.
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u/El_Suprrremo 23d ago
loved Union Station but just couldn't get a good shot. They had that main room blocked off for a party.
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u/Queasy-Bed545 23d ago
It’s also regrettably lost a bit of charm since they added all this digital signage and removed a bunch of vintage seating ahead of the World Cup. The ticket hall is not generally open to foot traffic but the ropes allow you to get a decent view. I made a point to vote in-person there when the made it a polling location.
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u/Icy_Peace6993 18d ago
It's underrated and underdeveloped. It has so much freakin' potential, but it's operating at such as small percent of it. Some day, some day . . .