DTLA has an amazing soul. A lot of which most people are idly passing by or walking over. The pictures below only reflect a newcomer’s interpretation of the Broadway and old Hollywood-era theater corridor… my goal with this post is to highlight one tiny microcosm of beauty that can be multiplied across the entire city.

DTLA is a concrete jungle – with soft edges. Art deco architecture and aged theater marquees intersect with modern business buildings and a proliferation of new lofts and rentals. I was struck most by the number of signs; I love architecture, but the signs tell the story of this area beyond the buildings. “Dancing Girls”, one of my favorites, sits just over the coffee shop (Verve Coffee) I went on a hunt to find. Old neon marquees now highlight new artists or the retailers that now live in them (boo). Theaters, where I’m sure red carpet premieres were old hat for Old Hollywood, line Broadway, which is now lined with endless micro-vendors.

While most people are racing forward (there’s usually just one, frenzied direction for city-goers), I look every which way. Especially down:

The mosaic pieces complement once-regal theaters. I even found the stamped concrete beautiful. And, in front of a small café, someone made the brilliant choice to paint these circles on the ground. You can imagine my delight as I leapt from one to the other taking pictures – meanwhile, passersby were more than ready to toss my 5’9 frame aside in their manic march to wherever they were headed. I didn’t care.

Street are, my constant love, is also EVERYWHERE in DTLA. I’m sharing a newer pieces here along with a few DTLA standards:

Walk just a mile through DTLA, and you’re walking through several decades, cultures, and stories – all at once.