Downtown Los Angeles, or DTLA as locals call it, is a neighborhood of neighborhoods. This guide will work a little differently than the rest of my neighborhood guides. Instead of one comprehensive guide to downtown, I separated it into areas worth spending an entire day. I hope these Downtown Los Angeles Guides help you find new and interesting ways to explore the area.
Table of Contents
About DTLA
Downtown Los Angeles has been the center of trade and community for thousands of years. The original caretakers of the land, the Tongva, called this place Yaanga.
In the past few years, DTLA has become more of a local’s downtown. Once filled with weekday office workers, there has been a shift to working from home. You will see many local-focused events, happy hours, and cafes teaming with those looking to escape home for connection. You won’t find too many tourists here, making it easy to feel like you are experiencing this neighborhood as a local. (With some notable exceptions peppered throughout these guides.)
DTLA is experiencing a renaissance. While you may notice some growing pains from the pandemic, this isn’t unlike most downtown cores across North America.
Everyone always wants to know about the homeless situation in Los Angeles. I often get this question, especially from my mid-western and Canadian family members. Yes, you will find homeless people in Los Angeles’ core and concentrations in areas like Pershing Square, transit stations, and south of Spring Street. I have lived in Los Angeles for 18 years and have had very few interactions where I have felt unsafe. In most places around the world, you need to use common sense when you wander.
If you are visiting Los Angeles for the first time, please check out my Los Angeles Tourist pages. If you don’t feel like reading, let’s schedule a call to plan your trip.
DTLA: Historic Core
Los Angeles’s history is alive and well and fully displayed in the historic core. Visit a food hall that has fed Angelenos for over a century, see where the Oscars were born, and ride the shortest railway in the United States.