Downtown

Understand

Bounded by a rough triangle formed by the Santa Monica Freeway (I-10) on the south, the Harbor Freeway (CA-110) on the west, and the Los Angeles River on the east, the Downtown area encompasses several neighborhoods that are remarkably varied in character.

The Historic Core lies east of Hill Street and west of Main Street between 3rd and 9th Streets, and was the undisputed center of the city for the first half of the 20th century, with the old theatres along Broadway and the old banks along Spring Street. Following the white flight to the suburbs after World War II, the district became a vibrant center of Latino culture. Today, while the area is a little sketchy, a significant amount of redevelopment has occurred here and the neighborhood has many superb examples of early 20th century architecture, including a high concentration of movie palaces along Broadway. South of Pershing Square, the Historic Core overlaps with the Jewelry District, noted for its many jewelry stores. To the north of the Historic Core is the Civic Center complex, which stretches west along Grand Park between 1st Street and the Hollywood Freeway (US 101).

To the west of the Historic Core, sitting between 1st and 8th Streets, are overlapping Bunker Hill and the Financial District, an area that was leveled in the 1960s for the many skyscrapers and plazas that were built here. Because of the numerous office buildings, this area can feel rather sterile in character, but it does hold the grand public library, a pair of major contemporary art museums and the Music Center, which includes Walt Disney Concert Hall. South of this is the rapidly gentrifying southwest corner of Downtown, labeled by developers "South Park," home to the convention center, L.A. Live, and the Crypto.com Arena, as well as many new hotels and high-end residential developments.

The southeast side of Downtown is more gritty industrial in character. Infamous Skid Row sits east of Main Street and west of Alameda Street between 3rd and 7th Streets, and is generally deemed a place to be avoided, especially if alone and/or at night, due to a large homeless population, though the Greyhound bus terminal is here. Further east, between Alameda Street and the Los Angeles River, is the Arts District, a neighborhood of old industrial buildings converted to lofts, breweries and studio spaces. South of Skid Row, roughly between Main Street and Central Avenue, is the Fashion District, a nexus of the West Coast apparel industry with its numerous manufacturers and wholesale stores.

The north side of the Downtown area is home to a few colorful ethnic and historic neighborhoods. Little Tokyo, a cultural center for Japanese Americans, is centered around the intersection of 1st Street and Central Avenue. On the north side of the Hollywood Freeway, across Alameda Street from the Union Station complex, is El Pueblo, the site of the original settlement of Los Angeles and today a Mexican-themed district with some historic structures centered around touristy Olvera Street. Spreading to the north is the sprawling Chinatown district, centered along North Broadway and housing many Chinese and Southeast Asian restaurants and shops. Union Station, Los Angeles' main railroad terminal, is located here.

Get in

Downtown LA is simultaneously the hub of the freeway network, road network, commuter rail network, subway / light rail network, and bus network in the region, and thus very easily accessible. Parking lots are also plentiful, though rising steadily in price.

By car

Downtown LA can be accessed directly via the Pasadena Freeway (SR-110), the Santa Monica Freeway (I-10), and the Santa Ana Freeway (I-5 and US-101). Just outside Downtown LA, these freeways connect to the Golden State Freeway (I-5), the Hollywood Freeway (US-101), the San Bernardino Freeway (I-10), the Harbor Freeway (I-110), and the Pomona Freeway (SR-60).

Drive your car to a parking lot and go by foot from there. Downtown isn't that big and quite walkable, and there are plenty of Metro buses and DASH shuttles (see below) to shorten the walk. Some people are partial to parking at any one of the lots around the Music Center or Civic Center, in roughly the area bounded by Grand to Spring and Temple to 2nd. Pershing Square has good parking central to many attractions. On the south side of Downtown, the Convention Center has a large parking garage, although it is near the Staples Center and spaces will be in high demand on game days.

By train

Union Station, the main train station for Los Angeles, is located on the edge of downtown, with transfers available to the B and D line subways, Metro, or DASH buses. Four Amtrak lines terminate here, providing direct service from as far as Seattle, New Orleans, and Chicago. Union Station is also the hub of the Metrolink interurban heavy rail system, linking Los Angeles with the Inland Empire, Orange County, Ventura County, and the Antelope, San Fernando, and San Gabriel Valley<nowiki/>s.

By commuter rail

If your point of origin is within the urban and suburban areas of Los Angeles, Ventura, San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, or San Diego Counties, you may be able to avail of the growing commuter rail network known as Metrolink to visit Downtown LA. Six of the seven Metrolink commuter rail lines terminate at Union Station in Downtown LA's El Pueblo district. Tickets can be purchased from vending machines at each station, and fares are determined by time (peak or non-peak hour, weekday or weekend) and distance:

• The San Bernardino Line runs 34 trains on weekdays between Downtown LA and the eastern suburbs (the "Inland Empire"), running through the San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys, and San Bernardino County. There is also limited weekend service, and terminating in Downtown San Bernardino.
• The Riverside Line runs 12 trains on weekday rush hours between Downtown LA and the eastern suburbs (the "Inland Empire"), running through the San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys, and Riverside County, and terminating in Downtown Riverside.
• The 91 Line runs 8 trains on weekdays between Downtown LA and the eastern and southeastern suburbs (the "Inland Empire"), running through the Orange and Riverside Counties, and terminating in Downtown Riverside.
• The Orange County Line runs 20 trains on weekdays between Downtown LA and the southeastern suburbs, running through Orange and San Diego Counties, and terminating in Downtown Oceanside. There are 4 trains a day on the weekends. Check if the Pacific Surfliner's schedule and stops work for you.
• The Ventura County Line runs 20 trains on weekdays between Downtown LA and the northwestern suburbs, running through the San Fernando Valley and Ventura County, and terminating in Ventura's Montalvo neighborhood. Most trains don't go all the way to the end of the line.
• The Antelope Valley Line runs 24 trains on weekdays between Downtown LA and the northern suburbs, running through the San Fernando, Santa Clarita, and Antelope Valleys, and terminating in Downtown Lancaster. There are 6 trains a day on the weekends.

By subway / light rail

For those visitors coming from within Los Angeles County, local subway and light rail service may be the best option to get to Downtown LA. Five of the six subway and light rail lines in the Metro Rail system terminate in Downtown LA at either Union Station or 7th/Metro Center.

• The Line and Line subway routes cut across Downtown, making four stops: Union Station, Civic Center, Pershing Square, and 7th/Metro Center. The Red Line continues northwest to Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley, while the Purple Line continues west to Mid-Wilshire.
• The Line and Line cut across Downtown along the Regional Connector, sharing five stops: Pico Station in the South Park/Convention Center area, 7th/Metro Center in the Financial District, Grand Avenue Arts/Bunker Hill station, Historic Broadway station near the Civic Center and Historic Theater district, and Little Tokyo/Arts District.
• The A line brings riders from South L.A. and Long Beach to the south. From Little Tokyo, it makes two more stops downtown, at Union Station and Chinatown, then continues north and east toward Northeast Los Angeles, Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley.
• The E line brings riders from Santa Monica, Culver City, South L.A., Exposition Park, and the University of Southern California, then continues into East Los Angeles.

7th Street/Metro Center is the junction of all four rail lines that meet in Downtown LA: the A, B, D, and E. Union Station is served by the A, B, and D lines, but not the E.

By bus

Most major intercity bus carriers that serve L.A. stop in Downtown: Greyhound has a bus terminal at 7th St and Decatur in Skid Row, while Megabus, Flixbus, and BoltBus stop at Union Station. From within Los Angeles, Metro buses radiate out of Downtown to many of the city's neighborhoods. Metro buses going to/from downtown are numbered 1-99 (frequent local routes with multiple stops, orange colored); 300s (limited routes at peak commuting hours only, orange colored); 400s (express routes, blue colored); and 700s (Metro Rapid routes w/ limited stops and frequent service, red colored). There's also the frequent Metro Silver Line, which operates along busways to/from El Monte, East Los Angeles, South Los Angeles, Harbor Gateway, and San Pedro. Additionally, many of the other transit agencies of the broader Los Angeles area provide some sort of express service into Downtown.

By plane

Downtown LA is not directly served by an airport, but can be accessed via public transportation from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in Westchester and Bob Hope Airport in Burbank.

From LAX, there are two relatively frequent public transportation options to Downtown LA: the FlyAway Bus and Metro Rail. The FlyAway Bus is the most direct and convenient option, running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week between Union Station and LAX, stopping outside each terminal (be sure to take the Union Station-bound bus, or you'll end up far from Downtown). The Metro Rail option is cheaper, but also much slower and requires several transfers: first you must board the free LAX G-shuttle to the Aviation/LAX station on the Green Line, then take a Norwalk-bound Green Line train to Willowbrook station, then transfer to a Los Angeles-bound Blue Line train. The Blue Line ends in the Financial District at 7th/Metro Center, where you can connect to the Red and Purple Lines. Metro Rail trains run from 4AM until about 1AM everyday.

Bob Hope Airport is served by three rail lines, The Metrolink Ventura County Line runs on the weekdays. During evenings or on weekends, take the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner train (the last Amtrak train departs the airport at 9:13PM daily). Both of which use the Burbank Airport-South train station within walking distance from the main terminal building. The third rail line is Metrolink's Antelope Valley Line. Take the free shuttle to the Burbank Airport-North Station. For any train, use the ticket vending machines on the platform to purchase a ticket to Union Station. Alternatively, take the shuttle to North Hollywood station and then the Metro Red Line subway to Downtown.

Get around

Downtown is one of the few areas of L.A. that one can reasonably cover on foot.

By public transit

Metro is the most extensive transit system in the region, operating buses, subway, and light rail across Los Angeles County. All major streets have at least one (and in some cases, several) bus lines running daily. Additionally, Downtown LA is served by four Metro Rail lines; see the Get in section above for details on individual lines and stations.

In addition to Metro is DASH, a shuttle service run by the L.A. Department of Transportation, which is handy for when your feet get tired or to better expand your travel area. It has several convenient routes that whisk you to almost all of the worthwhile spots Downtown. DASH buses run every 5-10 minutes weekdays 6AM-9:00PM, and every 10-15 minutes 9am to 6pm on the weekends. A ride costs 50 cents (25 cents for seniors) and pamphlets are available from most Metro stations (Union Station, 7th/Olive) and convenience stores Downtown. Click here for more information on Downtown DASH routes, including real-time bus tracking

By bicycle

Metro operates a bike share system, with numerous stations scattered across the Downtown area. Single trips are $3.50 for 30 minutes of use (credit or debit card required), or you can load a monthly pass onto a TAP card for $20 which gives you free rides shorter than 30 minutes and $1.75 for every thirty minutes after that.

Stay safe

The area bounded by 3rd Street, 7th Street, Alameda Street and Main Street is often referred to as "Skid Row" or "the Nickel" and has one of the largest homeless populations in the United States. The Greyhound Station is here, but the area is unsafe for pedestrians regardless of the time of day.

Go next

• Hollywood – Center of the motion picture and entertainment industries
• South LA – Despite its rough reputation, this neighborhood south of downtown is worth a visit for its museums, the University of Southern California, and the space shuttle Endeavour.
• Wilshire District – Northwest of downtown, the Wilshire district is home to Koreatown, as well as attractions that include the LA County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Peterson Auto Museum, and the world-famous La Brea Tar Pits.
• Northwest LA – Northwest of downtown, this area is home to Dodger Stadium and the massive Griffith Park and its world-famous observatory.
• East LA – The Eastside of LA is home to several neighborhoods that date back as far as the late 19th century and includes Heritage Square, a historic collection of old buildings moved from other parts of LA. The Eastside is east of downtown.
• Gateway Cities – The Gateway City of Huntington Park borders downtown to the south.