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ERIC KIM DOWNTOWN LA GUIDE
My favorite joints in DOWNTOWN LA for coffee, photography, and food.
COFFEE
- Ilcafe: originally from Stockholm, friendly staff, and good espresso. Clean minimalist design. Next door to ACNE STUDIOS– cool Swedish designed clothes. Get an espresso here, or good almond milk cappuccino.
- Verve: I’m friends with Colby, one of the co-founders. Super high ceilings, lots of green plants, and natural aesthetics. Also very good coffee.
PHOTOGRAPHY
- Fashion District: shoot in “Santee Alley” for craziness. My personal favorite.
- Broadway: my friend Rinzi Ruiz likes to shoot on Broadway: great light during sunset, and lots of great action. I personally like to shoot within two blocks of the ACE HOTEL and ilcafe.
- Spring Street: good to see hipsters walking their dogs. Broadway is better for street photography, but sometimes you’ll see interesting stuff on Spring street.
FOOD
- Umami Burger: on Broadway, a solid burger and beer joint. I always get the Truffle burger, no bun. Also, get the sweet potato fries.
- ACE HOTEL: Go to the top bar for a great view. The cafe on the bottom floor is good for brunch, albeit pricey.
- Bacon Wrapped Hotdogs: good for heart attacks and deliciousness on the go. Get them in The Fashion District.
- Panini cafe: great Chicken Kebab, very cheap and lots of food. On hope street.
- Nickel Diner: on Main Street, good for Americana vibe, and Pastrami sandwich.
TO DO
- The last bookstore: cool bookstore, several stories. Fun to get old photography books for cheap.
- Grand Central Market: good to check out, food is a bit pricey and overrated, but a must see.
- Bradbury Building: across the street from Grand Central Market. Blade runner was filmed here. Very cool.
- MOCA MUSEUM: great contemporary art.
- Walt Disney Concert Hall: next to the MOCA, beautiful architecture. Good for selfies.
Why I love Downtown LA
When I lived in LA, I always came here to shoot. Super inspired by the mix of Latino culture, fashion, and my favorite place to shoot street photography.
For inspiration, look at the photos of Dana Barsuhn, Rinzi Ruiz, Ben Molina, Bil Brown.