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| Walt Disney Concert Hall |
Surprise, surprise. Though Los Angeles is known for its car culture, people do walk around in the city. We found it easy to walk to the Grammy Museum, Staples Center and Grand Central Market.
We had planned to spend two-and-a-half days in downtown Los Angeles but snowy weather delayed our departure from Chicago. Instead we ended up with a day and a half in the City of Angels. We made the most of what we had to work with.
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| Cocktails and snacks at the outdoor bar. |
After arriving at our hotel at 7 p.m. and checking-in, we dumped our bags in the room, rode the elevator back down to the lobby and headed for the bar. We opted for outdoor seating around the fire pit. It was 20 degrees back home and 60 degrees in Los Angeles, warm enough for us to sit outside and enjoy a bite to eat and a cocktail.
What's for dinner? Grand Central Market has something for everyone
The next morning dawned bright, sunny and warm. We needed breakfast. We skipped the hotel restaurant and instead headed for the Grand Central Market (317 S. Broadway). The AngelsFlight funicular is located behind the hotel. For a dollar we rode down the hill and arrived at the front of the market.
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| Take a ride on the Angels Flight funicular to Grand Central Market. |
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| A colorful installation at the Grand Central Market. |
Then the hard work began. Where would we eat? There are so many restaurants and retail food stores in the market. Should we sit and have a bite or pick up something to go? We walked from the front to the back and then to the front again, where we settled on coffee and oatmeal from G&B Coffee. Later than evening we returned for a seafood dinner at Prawn.
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| Who wouldn't like a restaurant called Eggslut? |
This is a wild place with so many food options. You can feel the energy from the locals and tourists packing the place. The lines can be long at some of the most popular restaurants. And it seemed like everyone was photographing their food. Watch out for selfie sticks.
Music to our ears: the Grammy Museum
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| Downtown Los Angeles is hilly, much to my surprise. |
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| On our walk to the Grammy Museum, we saw this family of bears. |
After breakfast we walked to the Grammy Museum. It was just over a mile and took us 35 to 40 minutes because we stopped to take pictures and look at various buildings along the way. What struck me was how hilly Los Angeles is. I know. I know. There’s Beverly Hills and Hollywood Hills. But it didn’t occur to me that downtown would be so hilly. Silly me.
We enjoyed the Grammy Museum. We’ve been to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. The Grammy compares favorably with those other two museums. We didn’t feel like we were seeing the same old exhibits. The Grammy has lots of interactive activities. You can pick up a guitar, put on headphones and play along with a soundtrack. We recorded ourselves in a sound booth singing “Wild Thing.”
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| Shaq at the Staples Center. He's one of several stars of the LA Lakers to be honored with a statue. |
After the Grammy, we walked to the Staples Center and looked at the statues of the great LA Lakers basketball players. There are also statues of hockey players Wayne Gretzky and Luc Robitaille skated for the LA Kings. In addition to the basketball and hockey players, there are statues of boxer Oscar de la Hoya and sports announcer Chick Hearn.
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| A late lunch at the Original Pantry Cafe, considered LA's oldest coffee shop. |
By now it was time for a late lunch, so we walked back to the Original Pantry Cafe. There was a block-long line to get in when we passed it on the way to the Grammy. But when we returned at about 2:30, we waited inside for about 5 minutes before we got our table. I won’t say the food is out of this world, but the restaurant is a piece of the city’s history, so why not try it?
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| The Walt Disney Concert Hall 111 S. Grand Avenue. |
Go behind the Disney Concert Hall
The next morning, after breakfast in the hotel, we walked across the street to gawk at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. This is a shiny structure with curlicues of metal. I’m sure you’ve seen pictures of it. If you have been to Chicago’s Millennium Park and seen the band shell, you’ll recognize the signature style of architect Frank Gehry.
We saw people on the roof of the hall, so we asked a man having a cup of coffee at a sidewalk cafe how to get up to the roof. He pointed us to a stairway. The hike up is about 4 or 5 stories. There are landings where you can view the city below. The path takes you between sections of the building, so it’s like walking through a canyon. When you get to the end of the trail, behind the hall, you are in a little oasis. There are shade trees, flowers and a beautiful mosaic.
By now, our time was up and we had to leave Los Angeles. There were other neighborhoods we had wanted to visit, but the weather delays cut into our exploring time. No doubt we’ll return to LA. Though our visit was short, we had a great time.
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| Be sure to walk behind the concert hall to see this pretty mosaic sculpture and dedication. |
