Downtown LA gets a face lift

Email|Print| Text size – + By Terese Loeb Kreuzer

Travel Arts Syndicate / September 21, 2003

How to get there

Lowest round-trip air fare between Boston and Los Angeles available at press time started at $317 on America West Airlines, connecting through Las Vegas.

What to do

Walking tours

Los Angeles Conservancy

523 W. 6th St., Suite 826

213-623-2489, www.laconservancy.org.

Most downtown tours last two hours. Tours include Art Deco, Broadway Theaters, and Pershing Square Landmarks (every Saturday); Biltmore Hotel and Marble Masterpieces (second Saturday of the month); City Hall (first and fourth Saturdays); Downtown's Evolving Skyline (third Saturday); Little Tokyo (first Saturday); Spring Street, National Historic District (second, fourth Saturdays); Union Station (third, fourth Saturdays). No strollers or young children. Advance reservations required. Fee: $8.

Red Line Tours

323-402-1074, www.redlinetours.com

Downtown tours leave from 304 S. Broadway (the Bradbury Building). Tours of one hour include Inside Historic Downtown LA and Inside Contemporary Downtown LA (both offered daily); Inside the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels (for groups of 15 or more). Fee: $20 a person or $15 for AAA members. Reservations required by 9 p.m. the night before the tour. Also, Downtown Museum Package includes one of the standard downtown tours, admission to the Museum of Contemporary Art and lunch at the Patinette Cafe. Fee: $42 a person. Tours utilize use an audio system with radio transmission (each participant wears a headset receiver with adjustable volume levels).

Events of note

Oct. 23-25: Inaugural galas

Walt Disney Concert Hall

135 N. Grand Ave.

323-850-2000

Through Jan. 5: ``Frank Gehry,

Work in Progress''

Museum of Contemporary Art

California Plaza

250 S. Grand Ave.

213-626-6222, www.moca.org

Examines Gehry projects over the last five years.

Where to stay

St. Regis Los Angeles

2055 Ave. of the Stars

310-277-6111, www.stregis.com

Concert packages include accommodations, a pre-concert, three-course dinner in Encore (tax and gratuity included) and two after-concert cocktails; doubles, $425 per night; one-bedroom suites, $675 per night. Town car and limousine services to and from Walt Disney Concert Hall performances at a discount. Preferred concert ticket arrangements, through the concierge desk.

Millenium Biltmore

506 South Grand Ave.

800-245-8673 or 213-624-1011

Fax: 213-612-1545

www.thebiltmore.com

Landmark hotel, opened in 1923.

Rooms $89-$459.

Where to eat

Water Grill

544 S. Grand Ave.

213-891-0900

Seafood. Open 5-10 p.m. daily. Entrees, $28-$50.