Downtown Los Angeles

Glance in every direction and you can find construction crews building luxury lofts and retail space in hopes of attracting new residents. All of this is aimed at making Downtown a one-stop destination to work, live, and play. Redevelopment slowed a bit because of the recession at the end of the last decade but Downtown is still a noteworthy player in the award worthy ensemble of neighborhoods that make Los Angeles one of the most intriguing cities in the world.

Two massive entertainment complexes are further transforming Downtown: The Frank Gehry-designed Grand Avenue Project is in the works, to be built around the Music Center performance complex, and the newly built L.A. Live project anchored around the Staples Center sports arena brings that area to life. All of this is aimed at making Downtown a focal nightlife destination not just tethered to its hotels.

For art lovers, the Museum of Contemporary Art Museum, including its sister museum MOCA at the Geffen Contemporary with exhibitions that are more cutting edge (often including video installation and multimedia pieces), celebrated a 30-year anniversary in 2010 and is poised to be known as having one of the world's most important modern and contemporary art collections.

As you venture into the ethnic neighborhoods in Downtown—Chinatown, Little Tokyo, and El Pueblo de Los Angeles—enshrined as Olvera Street, don't forget that each of these neighborhoods has its own museum. As is so much of Los Angeles, these neighborhoods are more like cities within cities so partake of their tastes, sounds, and sights in full whether its duck feet in Chinatown, red bean cakes in Little Tokyo, or pickled cactus on Olvera Street, they are all experiences that you won't forget.

Although all this redevelopment promises to bring throngs of new residents and visitors alike, it remains to be seen how the traffic will pan out, as Downtown currently is one of the most congested sections of Los Angeles, particularly when it becomes the site of parades, protests, or film shoots, which frequently bring unexpected road closures.

In addition, longtime artist residents and businesses set up by Hispanic immigrants are fighting the powers that be and rallying their communities to stand against these sweeping changes. In the meantime, Downtown is a tale of two cities, where opposites clash. It may take a few years before the dust settles and Downtown is ready for its close-up.