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DOWNTOWN
On the other side of town, both in style and location, is downtown Los
Angeles's bustling GRAND CENTRAL PUBLIC MARKET (bounded by Third and Fourth
Streets and Broadway and Hill Avenues; 213/624-2378). The market consists
of an amazing square-block collection of stalls and stands full of produce,
meats, fish, fowl, and multiethnic fast food, open daily from 9am to 6pm.
Nearby is the ornate BRADBURY BUILDING (304
S Broadway Avenue), Los Angeles's oldest commercial building, built in
1893 and one of the true marvels of Los Angeles architecture. Another
worthy landmark, the BILTMORE HOTEL (506 S Grand Avenue; 213/624- 1011),
built in 1923, had a face-lift a few years ago and is looking extremely
well for her age. The Crystal Ballroom and the new lobby—a
blend of Spanish rococo and Italian Renaissance—are wonders to behold.
ANGELS FLIGHT (Fourth and Hill Streets), a funicular opened in 1901 to
convey the rich to their Bunker Hill homes and recently restored to its
former glory, offers a spectacular city view as the mini-railcar climbs
to the pinnacle of Hill Street. A visit to downtown Los Angeles wouldn't
be complete without a stop at EL PUEBLO DE LOS ANGELES AT OLVERA
STREET to explore what the city was like when it was still a village,
circa 1781. In the same locale are the PICO HOUSE HOTEL and PLAZA CHURCH
(circa 1822), as well as the AVILA ADOBE house (circa 1818); 10 E Olvera
Street; 213/623-2489. For those who want a more extensive and organized
taste of historic downtown Los Angeles, L.A. CONSERVANCY TOURS (213/623-2489),
led by very kindly and knowledgeable
folk, offer a number of itineraries including "Marble Masterpieces"
and Little Tokyo.
LITTLE TOKYO is located between First and Second Streets and Los Angeles
and San Pedro Streets, surrounding the New Otani Hotel. Within its boundaries
is the JAPANESE.AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER (244 S San Pedro Street; 213/628-2725),
which offers rotating exhibitions and occasionally presents performances
by Japan's Grand Kabuki Theatre group. OLD CHINATOWN, located along Broadway
Avenue and Hill Street north of First Street, has a wide array of shops
and restaurants, but it's comparatively small and caters less to tourists
and more to its Chinese-American residents.
GRIFFITH PARK, stretching from the L.A. to the San Fernando Valley and
located between downtown and Hollywood, features the GRIFFITH PARK OBSERVATORY
AND PLANETARIUM, which was immortalized in the James Dean flick Rebel
Without a Cause. The Observatory offers star shows and information on
just about every astronomical subject, while the Laserium presents light
shows six nights a week. (Located at 2800 E
Observatory Road; Laserium: 818/997-3624; Observatory: 323/664- 1191.)
Also within the park's boundaries are two other gems. The GENEAUTRY MUSEUM
OF WESTERN HERITAGE (4700 Western Heritage Way; 323/667-2000; www.autrymuseum.org)
preserves both the mythology and the history of the Old West within its
seven themed galleries. The LOS ANGELES zoo (5333 Zoo Drive; 323/644-4200)
is now home to 2,000
creatures existing in simulated natural habitats, 78 endangered species
among them.
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