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If you’re visiting Los Angeles and looking to do something a little off the beaten path, head on over to Downtown Los Angeles. DTLA has experienced a massive resurgence in the last ten years and has become much more than the home to the Crypto Arena and Grammy Museum. Jam-packed with incredible restaurants, beautiful art, and one-of-a-kind experiences, DTLA has many things to check off your Los Angeles bucket list.

While there is no shortage of things to do in Downtown Los Angeles, most of my list includes things to do during the day. But Los Angeles comes alive at night and there’s a wonderful array of exciting things to do in Los Angeles at night.

Top Downtown Los Angeles, California Activities

A Street Art Tour

DTLA’s Art’s District and surrounding neighborhoods are full of gorgeous murals, graffiti, stencils, and yarn bombs. Lucky for you, I put together a map of all the best street art in Downtown Los Angeles.

Prefer a guided tour? I recommend this Wheelchair-Accessible Tour of DTLA’s Arts District.

Start at: The Container Yard - 800 East 4th Street Los Angeles, CA 90013

2. Grand Central Market

Opened in 1917 Grand Central Market is the first and largest open-air market in the country and one of the best areas to grab a bite to eat in Los Angeles Downtown area. From the delicious Khao Soi at Sticky Rice to the perfect lox and bagel at Wexler’s Deli, Grand Central Market has something for everyone. Other foodie highlights include Belcampo Meat Co, Berlin Currywurst, Chili Secos Latin grocer, China Cafe, Clark Street Bread, DTLA Cheese & Kitchen, The Donut Man, Fat & Sour Cookie and Pie Shop, Eggslut, Horse Thief BBQ, Knead & Co Pasta Bar, Lucky Bird, The Oyster Gourmet, Olio Wood Fired Pizza, Ramen Hood, Press Brothers Juicery, Sarita’s Pupuseria, and Torres Produce.

The Grand Central Market is wheelchair accessible. There is an elevator to the main floor if you enter from Hill Street. The parking structure and bathrooms are also wheelchair accessible. Check out the Grand Central Market website for updates.

Want to go with a guide? I recommend this Wheelchair Accessible Downtown LA Food Tour.

Location: 317 S. Broadway Los Angeles, CA 90013

3. The Bradbury Building

Opened in 1893, the lobby of this light-filled Victorian building with its open cage elevators, marble stairs, and ornate iron railings is a favorite stop for photographers in LA Downtown. The public is only allowed on the ground floor, but the lobby is wheelchair accessible. The lobby is open from 9 am - 6 pm daily.

Location: 304 South Broadway Los Angeles, CA 90013

4. Angels Flight Railway

No list of what to do in Downtown LA would be complete without this rail oddity. A 298 ft long funicular railway linking The Downtown Historic Core and Bunker Hill. The cost is $1 each way or .50 for Metro Card Holders. Provisions can be made for wheelchair users by accessing the upper station.

Angels Flight is currently closed as of this writing. Please check their website for updates on closures.

Location: 350 South Grand Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90013

5. The ROW DTLA

Featuring 30 acres of retail outlets, offices, restaurants, pop-up shops, and plenty of things to do in Downtown LA. The ROW features everything from home goods and wine, to fashion and Japanese bicycles. It’s also home to Smorgasburg, a weekly Sunday market, complete with a beer garden. Smorgasburg is a feast for the senses.

There is ample parking and the property is accessible to wheelchair users. The ROW also offers online courses in everything from ceramics to building your own Shopify website, along with a myriad of virtual events.

Location: 777 Alameda Street Los Angeles, CA 90021

6. Art Walk

DTLA is home to two major art walks. The first, Downtown Art Walk is a self-guided art experience taking place on the second Thursday of every month. Visitors can walk through local galleries, studios, and cultural events taking place in a 12-block area of DTLA’s historic core.

The second, Brewery Art Walk, takes place at The Brewery Lofts. This artist only loft residence opens twice annually to the public and showcases the best in ceramics, printmaking, illustration, fashion, jewelry making, mixed media, painting, performance art, photography, sculpture, and multimedia art.

The Brewery Lofts has onsite parking and is largely wheelchair accessible. The buildings do have elevators and common spaces are easy to navigate, but be aware you are entering peoples’ homes and studios. While residents are friendly and welcoming, not every space will be accessible to wheelchair users.

Location: 2100 North Main Street A10 Los Angeles, CA 90031

7. Brunch/ Macarons at Bottega Louie

One of the most photogenic restaurants in LA, Bottega Louie is more than just your run-of-the-mill eatery. It’s a Restaurant, Gourmet Market, Patisserie & Café located in DTLA’s Historic Core. Their upscale brunch runs about $15 -$25. Their macarons are not only delicious but immensely popular with influencers the world over. Check out the Bottega Louie website for menus.

Location: 700 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90017

8. Visit Casey’s Irish Pub

One of the best Irish Pubs in Los Angeles, Casey’s is an excellent spot for whiskey lovers and those seeking classic Irish dishes. The warm interior offers comfy wooden booths and the outdoor patio is a great place to enjoy a pint in that warm Los Angeles weather.

Location: 613 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90017, United States

9. Walt Disney Concert Hall

Designed by Frank Gehry, the Walt Disney Concert Hall is a massive music center home to the LA Philharmonic and the LA Master Chorale. The complex also includes a rooftop garden and restaurant. The hall is wheelchair accessible and offers free audio tours.

Check out the Walt Disney Concert Hall for updated schedules.

Location: 111 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012

10. The Broad

This hugely popular contemporary art museum is home to two of Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Rooms, as well as works by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Ed Ruscha, Cindy Sherman, Barbara Kruger, and Jeff Koons. For updated hours, check out The Broad website.

Location: 221 S. Grand Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90012

11. The Los Angeles Conservancy Walking Tours

If you can’t decide what to do in Downtown Los Angeles, LA Conservancy walking tours are a great place to start. Highly trained docents lead tours throughout Los Angeles, including such sites as Union Station, the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, Historic Downtown, Broadway Historic Theater and Commercial District, Angelino Heights, and an Art Deco tour. You’ll learn about buildings such as the Los Angles Library, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, City Hall, and the area’s historic hotels. Most tours are wheelchair accessible, however, the Historic Downtown Walking Tour IS NOT accessible. Most tours cover about a mile and a half of walking. Please notify them at the time of ticket purchase if you have difficulty walking or climbing stairs so your guide can properly plan. Check The LA Conservancy website for more info.

12. Grand Park

The park regularly holds community events, cultural experiences, festivals, and holiday celebrations. It also hosts a myriad of food trucks, and functions as an urban oasis for L.A. Downtown residents. For the latest schedule of musical performances, outdoor activities, interactive events, and other entertainment visit the Grand Park website.

Location: 200 N. Grand Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90012

13. MOCA

LA’s Museum of Contemporary Art houses thousands of artworks from Mark Rothko to Jackson Pollock. General admission is free. Special Exhibits are $18, however, special exhibitions are free to the public every Thursday 5-8 pm. MOCA website.

Location: 250 S. Grand Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90012

14. Build Your Own Bloody Mary at La Cita

Consistently voted one of the best Bloody Marys in Los Angeles, La Cita hosts their world-famous Bloody Mary and Michelada Station every Sunday 2-9 pm on their outdoor back patio. Half Hipster bar, half ranchero, this old-school gem is a favorite with locals and beats any bougie hotel Bloody Mary.

For updated hours, check out the La Cita website.

Location: 336 S. Hill Street Los Angeles, CA 90013

15. Chinatown

Home to tons of restaurants, shops, and art galleries, Chinatown has been a commercial center for Chinese and other Asian businesses in LA since 1938. Situated on the northern tip of Downtown Los Angeles, the neighborhood’s large Chinese gateway can be found at the intersection of Broadway and Cesar Chavez Avenue. Retail shops are open through COVID-19 with outdoor shopping options and takeaway from restaurants.

16. Yang Chow

I consistently hear people complain there’s no good Chinese food in Los Angeles. They’re wrong. And I know good Chinese food! I’ve been to China seven times and grew up in the NYC area where delicious Chinese food is plentiful. While admittedly there aren’t a tremendous amount of fantastic Chinese restaurants in LA, there are some. And Yang Chow is one of my favorites outside the San Gabriel valley. It’s handily the best Chinese restaurant in Downtown Los Angeles.

Yang Chow opened in 1977 and features amazing Mandarin and Szechuan Cuisine. Slippery shrimp, garlic eggplant, pan-fried dumplings, and cold sesame noodles are just some of their most popular dishes. Personally, I go for the spicy Szechuan Wonton soup, a fiery mix of red chilis, black vinegar sauce, and garlic drenching delicious, hand-made wontons.

Yang Chow is currently open for pick up and delivery.

Location: 819 N Broadway Los Angeles, CA 90012

17. Dim Sum at Golden Dragon

Delicious Dim Sum and dumplings at a price that can’t be beaten, right in the heart of Chinatown. I recommend the Pineapple topped chicken bun, snow pea leaf dumpling, and baked BBQ pork buns. There are plenty of vegetarian options, desserts, and bubble teas as well.

Currently, Golden Dragon is open for eat-in, take-out, and delivery

Location: 960 N. Broadway Los Angeles, CA 90012

18. Oue Skyspace and Skyslide

On the 99th floor of the US Bank Tower sits the One Sky-space Observation Deck. The glass-walled terrace allows for three hundred and sixty-degree views of the city. If features a full bar and ample seating to hang out and enjoy the view.

The space also features a forty-five foot long, completely transparent toboggan run that juts out from the side of the US Bank Tower and wraps around the building. You can look down at the city below as you whoosh down the slide.

For updated hours and COVID-19 closures, check out the OUE Skyspace and Slide website.

Location: 633 W. 5th Street #840 Los Angeles, CA 90071

19. Little Tokyo

The largest and most populous of the three official Japantowns in the United States. Check out the Japanese American National Museum, the Go For Broke Monument, the two Japanese Gardens: the James Irvine Garden and the rooftop garden at the Kyoto Grand Hotel and Gardens. The area is also filled with amazing shopping and delicious Japanese restaurants. Please check the links for up-to-date hours.

Location: 319 E. 2nd Street, Los Angeles, CA

20. Fugetsu-do

A wagashi, or Japanese sweet shop located in Little Tokyo. Founded in 1903, Fugestsu-do is the oldest still operating food establishment in Los Angeles. Stop in for amazing mochi and manjù. They also claim to have invented the fortune cookie. Seilichi Kito, the founder of Fugetsu-do claims he got the idea of putting a message inside his cookies from Omikuji (the fortune slips sold at temples and shrines in Japan. He began selling the cookies predominantly to Chinese restaurants in LA and San Francisco and fortune cookies became inextricably linked to Chinese restaurants. Fugetsu-do is open daily from 8 am -5 pm.

315 E. 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

21. The Last Bookstore

This old bank building turned bookstore is 22,000 square feet of new and used books, art, and vinyl. Visit the much-photographed book tunnel and see the inside of the old bank vault. I’ve spent hours here looking for hilarious old titles to randomly gift my friends. Things like: “Carma Sutra The Auto-Erotic Handbook,” “Living With Crazy Buttocks,” or the classic, “Natural Bust Enlargement With Total Mind Power.” Who doesn’t love a good book?

The Last Bookstore is open daily 11 am - 7 pm. You can also place orders online.

431 S. Spring Street - Ground Floor Los Angeles, CA 90013

22. Enjoy Drinks Outside In The Arts District

In the heart of the Arts District, you can enjoy live music and a lush outdoor beer garden. Local draft favorites and specialty cocktails are served from a 1954 Spartan trailer. And who knows, you just might spot me here if I’m in town.

If you’d like a bite to eat, the gourmet food truck KTCHN DTLA is open for lunch, happy hour, and dinner.

The space is wheelchair accessible. For more info check out Resident’s website.

23. Dinner at Wolvesden

This is hands down one of the best experiences I’ve had in my twenty years of living in Los Angeles. Wolvesmouth is a weekly long table dinner prepared by chef Craig Thornton in a secret Los Angeles location. You must sign up via their website to receive info on upcoming dinners. You’ll find out the dinner location only after you’re selected. Bring your own bottle of wine and prepare to meet a hand-selected group of fascinating dinner guests as you enjoy an exquisitely prepared and artfully presented multicourse meal. At the end of dinner, an envelope is passed around the table and guests pay an amount of their choosing.

From the Wolvesmouth website: “Wolvesmouth is an intersection of food, art, and event production: it does not lock into a specific genre. Sometimes it is tasting menus, sometimes art installations or event builds. It is about creative exploration and freedom to carve a different path.”

When I attended the space was fully accessible and the organizer sent an email beforehand asking about any food allergies. They are incredibly accommodating. Just make sure you voice any concerns before the evening of the dinner as last-minute changes and accommodations may not be possible.

24. Bavel

While many consider their sister restaurant Bestia to be one of the best restaurants in LA, I prefer Bavel. Bavel uses fresh ingredients with slow cooking techniques, aromatic woods, spices, pickling, smoke, and herbs. Their selection of flatbreads and spreads alone is worth the trip, but their cured Middle Eastern meats, cold hot, small plates, and large format meat and fish dishes will take your taste buds on an epic journey.

Location: 500 Mateo Street Los Angeles, CA 90013

25. Santee Alley

The go-to shopping district for fashion students, bargain hunters, drag queens, and other creative types. Santee Alley offers 150+ retailers in an open-air shopping corridor. You’re sure to fund the lowest price guarantee. Discounts range from 30% to 70% off retail prices. Alley vendors are often wholesale vendors, closeout buyers, manufacturers, and/or importers looking to sell directly to the public at discount prices. The alley is a mecca for fast fashion, with styles appearing here before they pop up at your local mall.

Open seven days a week 365 days a year from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm, rain or shine.

Location: 210 East Olympic Blvd. Los Angeles, CA

I Hope You Plan a Visit to Downtown Los Angeles Soon!

If you’re planning to visit Downtown LA it’s best to do so without a car if you can avoid it. Parking is scarce and lots can be expensive. Consider taking the metro, DASH Downtown Los Angeles, or ride share.