Barriers block access along South Grand Avenue. A uniformed security guard, who I initially mistake for a cop, explains that a commercial is being filmed on the street. It's a common occurrence around he adds before wishing me a great stay in Los Angeles.
I’m exploring the city’s Downtown district. The seven-hour time difference between Newcastle and LA was a factor in me waking early on my first morning in the USA. Seizing the day, I started out from my room at the citizenM hotel long before fellow guests headed to the lobby for breakfast.
California is renowned for its golden sunshine but today clouds brood low over the City of Angels. Consequently, the spectacular metallic façade of the Walt Disney Concert Hall has something of a coppery tone. Designed by Frank Gehry, the iconic building is famed for its acoustics and is one of the cluster of performing arts institutions forming The Music Center.
Drizzle prompts me to head inside The Broad, a free-to-visit contemporary art museum whose extensive collection includes Jeff Koons’ engaging Michael Jackson and Bubbles sculpture plus provocative works by Barbara Kruger and Andy Warhol. I’m inspired to cross the road to view yet more artworks at one of the Museum of Contemporary Art’s venues in Los Angeles – the institution’s MOCA acronym reminds me to take a coffee break.
From the steps of Gloria Molina Grand Park I gaze towards LA’s City Hall. The towering Art Deco building dates from 1928. During working hours on weekdays, the free-to-visit observation deck on the 27th floor of the world’s tallest base-isolated structure – a building technique designed to provide stability during earthquakes – is highly recommended by Angelenos for views over their city.
At Civic Center Station I buy a TAP card to use LA’s public transport system. Costing $1.75 (£1.40) a ride, the network offers a value-for-money alternative to getting around by taxi. I disembark just one Metro stop along the line at Union Station, whose mishmash of architectural styles has been dubbed ‘Mission Moderne’. Divided by grand arches, the high-ceilinged waiting room and ticket hall impress me with their calm elegance as I recall scenes from the movies Blade Runner and Catch Me If You Can, for which it served as sets.
El Pueblo, across the street from Union Station, is the oldest part of LA. In 1781, 44 settlers established the farming community that has evolved into one of the USA’s largest and most populous cities. They trekked well over 1,000 miles along a historic route today known as the Old Spanish Trail.
I’ve walked just a tiny fraction of that but welcome resting my weary legs during the 35-minute journey west to Hollywood on the number four bus. Following the Hollywood Walk of Fame, I view the stars bearing names of famous entertainers embedded into the pavement. On a distant hillside, the Hollywood sign is familiar – despite me laying eyes on it for the first time.
A further bus ride drops me by the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, whose insightful The Art of Moviemaking: The Godfather exhibition runs until 5 January 2025. The film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards in 1973 and won three. I get my hands on one of the golden statuettes by booking the Oscars Experience, which costs $15 on top of the $25 museum entry fee, and receive a short video of myself lifting the award with a soundtrack of cheering and applause.
Reality is reintroduced by taking a bus, rather than a luxury limousine, towards Little Tokyo for takeout sushi before bed. Tomorrow more Hollywood magic awaits during a Warner Bros. Studio Tour.