Today we explore the third in our Walk Around the Block series where we'll take a stroll around one block of DTLA and see what it has to offer. Previously, we've checked out destinations 1 - 4 and 5 - 7. Today we'll hit destinations 8 - 11 on the map. So put on your comfy shoes and let's go!
8. The Orpheum
842 S Broadway | Since its debut in 1926, this beautifully restored, 2000-seat theatre with the Beaux Arts facade has seen Ella Fitzgerald, The Marx Brothers, and Jack Benny perform within its ornate walls. Now a popular TV and film location (American Idol, The Apprentice, Ru Paul's Drag Race) and host to performers such as Ben Folds, Joanna Newsome and Flight of the Conchords, the Orpheum gives a hint of the decadence that once lined Broadway during the height of its theatre row status.
9. Broadway Bar
830 S Broadway | With its right-next-door location to The Orpheum, Broadway Bar is the perfect place to grab a pre or post-show drink. With a 1940s vibe and a glam interior, it's sure to make patrons feel like they're getting a taste of the past.
10. Two Boots
828 S Broadway | Another exciting arrival for downtown residents, since, oddly, at the time it opened there weren't many pizza options. We now have Garage Pizza and Joe's and Pellicola and 800 Degrees and the numbers are growing, but sometimes I just want the ease of walking up to a window and getting a slice. It's a tiny outpost with a row of stools for outdoor seating, but its late hours have more than once saved us from our hangry selves. Online ordering and delivery and gluten-free options on all pizzas too!
11. Urban Outfitters
810 S Broadway | Another theater restored, this time for retail. The massive chain set up shop in DTLA in perhaps the best way - acknowledging the past but with an inevitable nod to the future. When it first opened, I remember thinking OH NO but I'll be honest – I love the space and have shopped there more than a few times. UO paved their entrance quite well when they decided to restore the original Rialto Theater marquee. There are so many of these old theaters along Broadway, and I would love to see more of them brought back to their original glory. Frankly, in whatever form.
Whooeee! This is a pretty fantastic block, if you ask me. Coming next - our final destinations on our first Walk Around the Block series. Stay tuned!