As a half American, I have been visiting L.A once a year for the majority of my life but in all that time I have never been downtown. For some reason it had a bad reputation and when I would ask people about going there, it’s too dirty, there are a lot of homeless, there’s nothing to do etc. would be the answer I received. If you have heard similar things, I am here to preach the truth (well at least a days’ worth of truth). And while some of those comments are true, for instance there are an incredible amount of homeless there and that’s coming from someone living in London. But despite this, it is definitely worth exploring the area.

The Flower Market

Now this isn’t a traditional ‘tourist attraction’ and if you have absolutely no interest in flowers then it’s probably not ideal to go. I however, do and so, it was top on my list of places to visit. When you walk around the block, you can smell the flowers before you see them, an intense floral scent leads you to the open doors where colour cascades from every corner. The flower market is mostly used for wholesale but the public can come and buy also, which also means it tends to be cheaper than your local flower shop. I bought a bunch of giant sunflowers but unfortunately they died in the boot of our car before we got home and even the generous bathtub of water wouldn’t resurrect them. Each vendor sells different varieties, different colours, different sizes and its worth wondering down the aisles letting your eyes enjoy themselves.

The Last Bookshop

This is for the book lovers of the world. If you like to read, being in the presence of artists or have an appreciation of old editions, you are going to like this bookstore. You will have to check your bags in at the front of the store before you start browsing, so make sure you have everything to hand before you go in. The store is pretty big and they have specialised areas such as comics, new and old editions. The giant pillars in the centre of the store make the space feel grand and the dim lighting adds to its allure. There is art everywhere but if you explore upstairs, there are galleries from local artists, where you can purchase their work. My favourite part of the store is looking at the old editions of popular fiction, protected in tall glass cabinets like a museum. If you’re feeling brave enough to shell out a couple hundred dollars you can buy these too. The only negative about the store is that some of the books are over-priced, especially the design books.

Street Art

There are some great works of graffiti around downtown L.A, especially near the ‘Last Bookshop’. So if you have a chance, walk around and open your eyes at all the interesting portraits, some of which sprawl across entire buildings so don’t worry about missing them. I travelled around by driving, so I managed to catch a few, at dodgy angles, out of the window or at red lights. But walking is the way to go and you can eat an ice cream sandwich in-between these spots too!

Sometimes people have different experiences of a particular area but don’t let that put you off, of what could potentially be a great day exploring. If you know of other good spots in downtown L.A. let me know and comment!