Introducing Tourist Spots in Los Angeles’ Eastside and Downtown!

Downtown is one of the main areas of Los Angeles, a cityscape where high-rise buildings line up in the business district, and where entertainment can also be enjoyed. With public facilities such as Los Angeles City Hall, Dodger Stadium, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall, it’s an unmissable area in the city.
Downtown also has a deep connection to art, with many architecturally impressive buildings. Museums and galleries are also recommended. Here are some artistic sightseeing spots you can enjoy in Downtown.

1. The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles

Known affectionately as “MOCA,” the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles boasts one of the leading collections of contemporary art in the United States. It was originally established in 1979 as an initiative by the mayor and city council members at the time. As of April 2018, there are three facilities, with the main building located on Grand Avenue in Downtown. In 1988, a new building was constructed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki.

The museum houses around 5,000 works from the 1940s to the present, gathered from all over the world. Among its notable pieces are works by Andy Warhol and photographer Diane Arbus. There are about six to eight special exhibitions held each year, featuring paintings and photographs by mid-career and emerging California artists, as well as music workshops.

2. Walt Disney Concert Hall

With its unique curves and striking exterior, the Walt Disney Concert Hall is located within the Los Angeles Music Center, a comprehensive arts complex. To promote the cultural and artistic development of Los Angeles, Lillian Disney, wife of Walt Disney, decided to build the hall in 1987, with funding from the Disney family.

Designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry, with acoustics by sound designer Yasuhisa Toyota, the hall was created with the concept of being a “living room for the city,” a space where people of all generations and ethnicities could feel welcome.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic, led by Esa-Pekka Salonen, calls this hall its home. In addition to their concerts, the hall also hosts performances and events in a wide variety of genres.

3. Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels

Built over four years starting in 1998, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels is a Roman Catholic Church whose total construction cost of about 20 billion yen was funded entirely by donations. The cathedral can accommodate about 6,000 people, and features an altar made with turquoise and cherry wood, walls adorned with tapestries, and a pipe organ composed of thousands of pipes—conveying a sense of grandeur.

Also noteworthy are the bronze doors at the entrance, weighing nearly five tons, the statue of Mary smiling above them, and the underground crypt decorated with stained glass. In the annex, there’s a shop and café worth visiting as well.

◎ Summary

We’ve introduced some of Downtown’s most attractive tourist spots. Each is an impressive building on a grand scale, captivating anyone who sees them. These distinctive spots fit perfectly into Downtown’s modern cityscape, so be sure to visit them when you can.