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Silver Lake has regularly topped the polls in our annual Time Out Index, in which we ask readers around the globe to let us know what they love most about their cities. But this year the coolest neighborhood crown is heading just down the 101.
The Arts District, the colorful, (maybe overly?) revitalized area on the eastern edge of Downtown L.A., claimed the title in L.A.’s reader-voted coolest neighborhood poll—and landed the Arts District at #13 on the list of the world’s coolest neighborhoods.
Once a railroad-driven swath of warehouses, Downtown L.A.’s Arts District adorns its century-plus-old buildings with vibrant murals, sidewalk seating and a surprising amount of greenery for a formerly industrial area.
A little less arts and a little more luxe these past few years, the neighborhood now beckons Angelenos for its booming craft brewery and restaurant scene: Expect Michelin-starred meals at Hayato, Kato and Camphor, unexpected riffs on Korean cuisine at Yangban and two of the very best meals in L.A. at superb siblings Bestia and Bavel.
The biggest development over the past year or two in the Arts District might just be about how you get there. Parking is often tight but the recently reopened Metro A and E Line station will let you avoid that whole process; it’s only a few blocks from the neighborhood’s closest thing to a walkable center, roughly the intersection of 3rd Street and Traction Avenue. And, of course, the neighborhood sits on one side of the instantly-iconic new Sixth Street Viaduct, which debuted last summer.
Looking for a whirlwind tour of some new and old highlights in the area? Fuel up with a gourmet twist on street tacos at Ditroit before admiring the art inside a former flour mill at mega gallery Hauser & Wirth. Toast to happy hour at neighborhood hangout Everson Royce Bar, get a breezy taste of Mexico City atop LA Cha Cha Chá and catch an outdoor movie screening thanks to Rooftop Cinema Club’s ROW DTLA residency. (Oh, and speaking of the ROW, plan your visit on a Sunday, if you can: That’s when Smorgasburg sets up over 90 food and shopping vendors.) If you need to crash for the night, consider Soho Warehouse or one of the enviable Airbnbs in the area.