NEIGHBORHOOD

The Historic Core

Loosely outlined by 3^rd Street on the north edge, 10^th Street to the south, Hill to the west and Main to the east, the Historic Core was the cradle of early Los Angeles commerce and entertainment. A frequent backdrop for film sets, the area's lofty Victorian, Beaux Arts and Art Deco buildings instantly telegraph urban history and culture. But it's at the pedestrian level that the Historic Core truly reveals its deep roots - and its rising outlook.

Along Broadway, retailers vend diverse wares at Grand Central Market and the Arcade building, and vintage movie palaces host concerts and dance clubs. At 7th and Hill, five thousand precious gem and metal retailers make up the largest jewelry district outside of New York. On Spring Street, the former "Wall Street of the West" has come back to life as Gallery Row, a creative live-work haven. In the midst of it all, Biddy Mason Park features memorial art, shade, greenery and the whistles of city birds.

Just a few blocks from the Historic Core's fringes, more burgeoning districts and attractions beckon. It's just a hop to South Park (home to Staples Center and the Convention Center) and the Civic Center (Disney Hall and MOCA); a skip to the Fashion and Wholesale Districts (where Santee Alley and the Marts reign); and a jump to Little Tokyo and the Arts District (Japanese-American Museum, Sci-Arc).