Downtown Day 2017: Skyspace, Central Library, and Bradbury Building

Larry and I have had a few previous downtown days, with some being harmless fun exploring the sights….

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…in which we looked at some potential apartments as well as the MOCA and Union Station; and then a trip in which it was pretty much a pub crawl….

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….it did start out educational as we saw the Space Shuttle, but then it became pretty much an exercise in drinking around downtown LA. It was awesome.

So today was a bit random, as I just proposed going downtown to the Skyspace experience on a whim. I didn’t want to sit home and there were no good movies out, and after proposing it, Larry agreed, and off we went.

The OUE Skyspace LA attraction is basically the long-awaited Observation Deck that Downtown LA should have had since the U.S. Bank building was built in 1990. But DTLA wasn’t really a tourist destination for the longest time, but now with the Staples Center, LA Live, and a whole host of people living down there now, DTLA is much different. And I think finally it made sense to keep expanding what there was to do, so last year the top deck of the building was built to make this observation deck a reality. Not content to be just a view, they also built a glass slide that drops you from the 69th floor to the 68th – outside of the building. It’s a very short ride, but it is quite a thrill nonetheless.

Anyway, I get ahead of myself. You first make your way into the lobby of the building, process through, and then go up to the 58th floor. Up there are a few neat interactive exhibits like giant video screens showing various LA cityscapes at different times of day, a very cool peak down a very deep hole lit up like a disco, and some other random stuff. I guess it’s to justify the cost of the ticket?

About to head up to the top

Independence Day, anyone

At the entry point

Inside there is a cool large video of LA scenery

There’s apparently a disco infinity pit here

Jump on the steps and interact with the wall

Fun random stuff to do on the 58th floor

As you can see, the magic chasm was pretty fun to play around with in pictures. After you walk through all this excitement, you take another elevator up to the observation deck on 69 – and it’s pretty damn awesome. A nice job has been done making a very clean, open space with quite clean windows to look out and take pictures through. I do hate when observation platforms don’t bother to keep the windows clean as you’re kind of beholden to them for pictures. Anyway, I digress – we did take a lap around the enclosed 69th floor to get a sense of what the views were, but held off on taking too many pictures as I wanted to be outside to get those.

Up on the 69th floor – the Skyslide awaits

Here’s a view of the slide from inside

Unfortunately I’m not the greatest at getting my camera to cooperate

Looking southwest

Out that way is Glendale

Here you can see up Brand Blvd

And there’s Central

There’s an open air terrace the next floor down

The entrance to the slide

I’m sure nothing will ever go wrong

But you don’t take the stairs to go down to the level below…you take the SKYSLIDE.

Yeah, it’s kind of awesome. Brief, but awesome. Some more from the Skyslide experience:

Larry caught me as I made it down the slide

Alright, the remaining pictures are a lot. I couldn’t help myself though as there’s just so much to take in.

Initial Looks:

Looking up at the top of the US Bank building

And now down and east

The end point of the slide

Planes

It’s a comfy scene up top

Handsome Larry with a Pacific Ocean in the distance

View of the Oviatt Penthouse!

Our wedding place – the Oviatt Penthouse

It looks almost small – but man, what a great time it was

Clearly the tent is up with the way our weather has been lately

Alright, a whole lot of pictures of DTLA:

Panorama east

Panorama east and down

Looking into the City Center

Where I’m at

The new Grand Wilshire – only the spire makes it taller than U.S. Bank

A long way down – but what a view

For quite a while, the Aon (formerly First Interstate) building was the tallest in LA

We almost moved into one of the penthouses here

In fact, it was the one on the far left corner here where those people are sitting

We think this is where Redbird restaurant is

Pershing Square in its basicness

Getting some selfies in

Wondering what’s in the fin of the new Grand Wilshire

These terraces are going to be lounges

Looking down into the Standard’s rooftop

Comfy and modern

Lots of great modern furniture arranged around the perimeter

I was just having lunch down in the City National plaza there

Helicopter

Staples Center is visible in the distance

Union Bank

Bonaventure Hotel

LA Center Studios – who knew something like that was so close to downtown

I’m sure a clearer day would have a nicer shot

Hello PwC

The wondrous Eastern building

Closer in

Glendale again

110 freeway – busy as usual

Can see the side of the US Bank sign

LA City Hall

With LA Metro and Union Station behind it

LA Union Station closeup

The Music Hall stretch

Still need to go into the Walt Disney Hall

Dodger Stadium

It’s kind of hard to see the stadium as the parking conceals it, and apparently it’s also kinda sunken

The Bradbury Building from above – more on that later

Griffith Observatory

Okay, I then tried to capture LAX in the distance…

Wanted to see if LAX was visible

Yep

LAX and the ocean

Effort to capture DTLA and LAX together

And some last pics before we went back to the ground:

MacArthur Park

Interactive touch screen to help identify what’s what

Alright, so that was quite a cool experience. I’d like the opportunity to go up closer to a sunset and get those kinds of colors too, but that can be for another time.

Once we got on the ground, we were right outside the Central Library of Los Angeles, which is itself quite a stunning building. So we went in to take a look, and also we both got a library card. It’s my first one in what feels like forever.

Central Library, Inside and Out

The Central Library is across the street

Larry

We went over and got library cards!

It’s an impressive building – and has been the tallest this side of the Mississippi for a long time

The hall inside the library

Very cool chandelier

We didn’t check out any books today, but maybe one day soon? I was getting hangry, so we then started walking towards Bottega Louie but a block before getting there, we ran across Karl Strauss Brewery. Love the place from its Citywalk location, and that felt a little more relaxed than going to Bottega Louie. So that’s what we did – perfect fit, getting beer and grub. After that, we then walked our way over to the Bradbury Building. Why? Well, Larry had figured out where it was while we were up top and we figured if we’re down here, let’s go take a look. It’s well known for having quite the dramatic and unique interior and also for having quite iconic films set within it – notably Blade Runner. My pictures here didn’t come out quite as clear as I’d hoped, but you get the gist.