First, you go see the Angels Flight Railway, the shortest railroad in the world (and probably the steepest). It’s not functioning right now, so you can’t take a ride, but you can look at it.
Then, you walk across the street to the Grand Central Market. You poke around at the various stalls, looking at all the food and weird stuff.
You didn’t even realize you were hungry, but now you’re starved! So you get some tamales and plantains and chicken stew at the Salvadoran stall.
Properly fortified, you head out of the market and go next door, to a place that sells candles, votives, sacred objects and Santeria stuff.
Then, you stroll down Broadway, gawking at all the amazing old theaters, most of which still have their marquees even though they aren’t in business anymore. You pop in and out of stores along the way, checking out the goods from rows of candy-colored accordions to rainbow-bright quincanera dresses.
You kind of start to feel like you’re in New York.
And then you end up at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel. High tea, anyone? Or perhaps a martini?
And that is how you spend a Thursday downtown.
A lovely wee tour, LP, and thank you for it. My new ride to work takes me right along Broadway (or Hill) every day. I’m surprised I didn’t see you strolling along!
This is my favorite development on TGW in a long time. Love this series. Please keep it up. It actually makes me happy you aren’t on Instagram because then we get to see it here first.
Wait, you aren’t on Instagram are you?
I am not on Instagram. I feel like I can only do Instagram OR Facebook OR Twitter. So far, FB is winning.
(Not that limiting myself in this way means I look at my various devices any fewer than ten thousand times an hour. The Internet has sunk its scary claws into me.)
Love this!!! Is Clifton’s reopened? That is the finest landmark on here (though we spent our first anniversary at the Millennium Biltmore and always get kind of excited when it’s featured on Mad Men). That shrimperia you captured is really sumpin’.
You forgot the part where you visit US!
Isn’t that big clock the one Cybil Shepherd and Bruce Willis hang off of in an episode of Moonlighting?!
3 — I only got on Instagram so I could keep up with LA/Philly friends without having to be on FB! And so glad I did. Though I kind of wish TGW still had pride of place in all our social media. Part of what happened is the world sped up — we post shit right away, real time. No waiting around to consider how to frame it. And so I end up using Instagram as a draft for a post or something like that. Anyway, glad to see these travel guides on here, where they will be more permanently accessible/linkable.
4: Oh! Oh! I was just checking out the Clifton’s cafeteria website for info, as the place was clearly undergoing major renovations… and it turns out Clifton’s was the site of one of the great wacky news stories of 2012: During renovations, workers found a neon light behind a wall that was still lit after 77 years!
From Blogtdowntown:
“We’ve uncovered just amazing things,” said Meieran.
While many of these things he wants to keep as “surprises” for future patrons, Meieran did say that behind one wall they found a neon light — it was on, and had been quietly glowing behind the wall for about 70 years. He’s dubbed it the “Eternal Neon,” adding that the light has no switch and must be hard-wired into a panel deep in the brick.
Check out the Clifton’s page for photos of the renovation… I can’t wait to see the interior when they’re done!
6: I did some poking around about this, too, but couldn’t find anything. But check out this photo of the pool on the roof, in the shadow of the great clock…
I love these last two posts a lot too, LP. Please keep em coming. Seems like something all of us could do here and there about our own neighborhoods. You’ve inspired me. Stay tuned.
Did you see that the NYT’s Travel Section posted almost that exact photo of the Central Market in its 52 Places to Visit in 2014? #5: DTLA! Parrish: ahead of the curve as usual.