Union Station
This majestic 1939 edifice (www.amtrak.
com; 800 N Alameda St; admission free; h24hr)
was the last of America’s grand railway
stations to be built. Walk into the waiting
room, its glamorous interior glimpsed
in dozens of movies and hit TV shows
from Speed to 24. Bordered by tall palm
trees, the stately exterior is a uniquely
Californian fusion of Mission revival and
art deco streamline moderne styles.The Walk » Walk a block up N Alameda St,cross
over W Cesar E Chavez Ave and walk west a half
block. Turn left down the passageway of Olvera St.El Pueblo de Los Angeles
Compact, colorful and car-free, this
historical district sits near the spot
where LA’s first Spanish colonists
plunked down in 1781. Preserving some
of the city’s oldest buildings beside
tiny museums and churches, El Pueblo
is a microcosm of LA’s multiethnic
immigrant history. Join a free guided
walking tour at the visitors center
(%213-628-1274; http://www.lasangelitas.org;
Sepulveda House, 622 N Main St; htours usually
10am, 11am & noon Tue-Sat) near the old
firehouse.The Walk » Northwest of the open-air
bandstand, cross Main St. To your right is ‘La
Placita,’ LA’s oldest Catholic church (1884). After
peeking inside, walk back down Main St a half
block.La Plaza de Cultura y Artes
Open since 2011, La Plaza de Cultura y
Artes (%213-542-6200; http://www.lapca.org; 501 N
Main St;admission free; hnoon-7pm Wed-Mon)
tells the whole truth about the Mexican
American experience in LA, from Zoot
Suit Riots to the Chicana movement.
Calle Principal recreates Main Street in
the 1920s. Rotating gallery exhibitions
showcase Latino art, documentary
films and oral history.The Walk » Continue southwest along Main St,
crossing over Hwy 101 toward LA’s City Hall (1928).
Turn left onto E Temple St, right onto Los Angeles
St and left onto E 1st St, entering Little Tokyo.Take this walk on Trips
STRETCH..
YOUR.LEGS
1 su
Start/Finish Union Station
Distance 3.5 miles
Duration 4–5 hours
LOS
ANGELES
Nobody.walks.in.LA?.That’s.just.not.
true.in.Downtown’s.historic.core..
Sample.the.jumbled.sights,.sounds.
and.tastes.of.the.city’s.Mexican,.
Asian.and.European.heritage,.with.
iconic.architecture.and.famous.TV.
and.film.locations,.on.this.half-day.
ramble.