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Downtown L.A.’s Arts District doesn’t have an official gateway like Chinatown or the NoHo Arts District. But for the past decade, many Angelenos would have surely agreed that Angel City Brewery’s distinctive neon sign—the beer company’s L.A. City Hall–based logo with a bold red “Los Angeles Arts District” below—was the neighborhood’s unofficial grand entrance, and its warehouse tap room akin to the Arts District’s living room.
But after almost three decades in L.A. and 16 years at the corner of Alameda Street and Traction Avenue, Angel City Brewery will permanently shut its doors at the end of April. The brewery will officially close on April 30, when its lease is set to expire, but before then it’s hosting one last weekend hurrah: Angel City’s Last Call will boast bands, DJs, giveaways and, of course, beer on Sunday, April 26 from noon to 6pm. (Per usual, there’s no cover charge.)
The brewery started out as a truly local operation back in 1997 under founder Michael Bowe, first in Culver City and then, in 2004, with a brewery in Torrance’s now bygone German-themed Alpine Village. But the Angel City most locals know came about in 2010 when it moved to the industrial John A. Roebling Building where it currently resides. By 2012, though, the brewery was sold to Alchemy & Science, a subsidiary of Sam Adams maker Boston Beer Company. Fast forward to 2025 and the company announced that it would wind down operations at the site, starting with hard seltzer brand Truly’s tasting room in late 2025. Angel City was set to remain open through the end of its lease.
Regardless of whether or not you cared about the beer (either pre- or post-acquisition), Angel City has undeniably been a cornerstone of the Arts District’s rise into one of L.A.’s most destination-worthy neighborhoods. Before there was a brewery on seemingly every block, people came for the IPAs, pilsners and lagers—and, once a year, avocado-infused ale. But they also came for yoga, trivia and movie screenings. They eyed that twisty slide between floors and wondered if they could sneak onto it. They brought their kids and played board games or had their dogs tag along to hang out under the now-mostly-faded black-and-white eyes from famed muralist JR. They packed the place in on New Year’s Eve and around Valentine’s Day for consistently no-cover events. And in January of 2015, they even came—as I did—for a little pile of snow that had been shipped onto the patio. (From my recollection, it did not hold up well under the afternoon sun.)
So pour one out for—and, hey, why not at—Angel City Brewery. Find it at 216 Alameda Street (though April 30) from Tuesday to Thursday from 4pm to midnight, Friday from 4pm to 12:30am, Saturday from noon to 12:30am and Sunday from noon to midnight.