posted by Traveller on Oct 11
Los Angeles is California’s biggest and most stimulating city. If you happen to be in downtown Los Angeles, remember to explore this wonderful city. Los Angeles has a warm climate. The monthly city temperature range less than twenty degrees C throughout the year. You can experience highest temperature in the month of Jul and Aug of about 28 degrees C. As such, if you are not used to cold weather, Los Angeles, California is a place you can consider to visit.
Some of the places in downtown Los Angeles you can explore are the Bradbury Building, Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, The Geffen Contemporary, The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), The Music Center, Olvera Street, Union Station, among others.
Bradbury Building. This building was designed in 1893. This office building had a beautiful lobby boasting some of the best-preserved Victorian décor around. At the interior, it has wrought-iron balconies, open-cage elevators, and is lit by a skylight.
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. The cathedral was opened in 2002. It is a massive structure built of concrete, eleven stories tall and capable to hold three thousand people. It has bronze entry doors decorated with multicultural icons and New World images of the Virgin Mary. During the day, sunlight brightens up the sanctuary through translucent curtain walls.
The Geffen Contemporary. Originally, this transformed warehouse in Little Tokyo is temporary used for Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) while is was being built a mile away. This place was such a hit that it remains part of the museum facility which is now called the Geffen. Over here, you can find concise sample of the MOCA’s permanent collection, which dated from the 1940s to the present. Usually one or two temporary exhibits are also available.
The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). In this museum, you will see permanent collection of American and European art from 1940 to the present. There is a weekly event called “Immersion” where artists and lectures come together and discuss their ideas. The bulk of he permanent collection are from the Abstract expressionist period, including pieces by Franz Kline and Mark Rothko. You will also be able to find plenty of Pop art. Jazz and classical music is played outdoor under the red pyramids during an evening concert in summer.
The Music Center. Since its opening in 1964, the Music Center is Los Angeles’s major performing arts venue. The Music Center is now Los Angeles’s downtown’s centerpiece. It is home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Opera, the Center Theater Group and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. The latest addition is the Walt Disney Concert Hall opened I fall 2003. If you have some time, attend a performance by the Philharmonic or the Master Chorale in this magnificent center.
Olvera Street. This street is open to pedestrian traffic only. Olvera Street represents the rich Mexican heritage of Los Angeles with its Mexican-Americian marketplace flavor. Along the center of the narrow street, you can find vendors selling puppets, leather goods, sandals, serapes, and handcrafts. Restaurants are packed during weekends as musicians play in the central plaza. Two landmarks worth visiting are the Pelanconi House and the Italian Hall Building.
Union Station. The Los Angeles Union Station was built in 1939 and it was a key entry point into Los Angeles before the international airport came into operation. The building design has a Spanish colonial revival and art deco styles and is one of the country’s last great train stations. The waiting hall has a commanding scale and there are enormous chandeliers. There is a restaurant where you can have lunch.
Above are just some of the suggested places you can visit with you are in downtown Los Angeles. Other places to visit are, Bunker Hill Steps, California African-American Museum, California Science Center, Chinatown, Chinese American Museum, City Hall of Los Angeles, Exposition Park, Grand Central Market, Japanese American National Museum, Little Tokyo, Millennium Biltmore Hotel, Museum of Neon art, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Pershing Square, Richard J. Riordan Central Library, Staple Center, University of Southern California (USC), among others.
Visit Los Angeles by flights is easy. The international airport is Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). If you are thinking where to visit for your next vacation, consider Los Angeles.
Picture references:
The Public Domain pictures were taken from Wikipedia.
October 20th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
One of the most popular beaches is the Venice Beach. The Venice Boardwalk is a wide pathway and is very packed on weekends. Here, you can experience artists, rollerbladders, street preaches, T-shirt ad trinket vendors. Pay a visit and enjoy.