Across the LA River is LA’s largest artist colony, housed in a former brewery. Most lofts and studios are generally closed to the public except during the biannual Artwalks (usually in spring and fall; check the website for details), though you can wander around to examine the large installations – usually works in progress – scattered throughout.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Chinatown

1.23 MILES

Walk north from El Pueblo and you'll breach the dragon gates. After being forced to make room for Union Station, the Chinese resettled a few blocks north…

2. Mariachi Plaza

1.23 MILES

Dressed in their traditional charro suits, Mexican mariachi musicians have been descending on Boyle Heights' old-school zócalo (public square) since the…

3. Union Station

1.24 MILES

Built on the site of LA’s original Chinatown, Union Station opened in 1939 as America’s last grand rail station. It’s a glamorous exercise in Mission…

4. Olvera Street

1.24 MILES

The block-long, pedestrianized 'birthplace of Los Angeles' (circa 1781) may now be a festive Mexican marketplace with gaudy decorations and souvenir…

5. Italian American Museum of Los Angeles

1.26 MILES

Aptly located inside Italian Hall – built in 1908 as a social hub for the area's Italian community – this small, interactive museum sheds light on the oft…

6. Avila Adobe

1.27 MILES

The oldest surviving house in LA was built in 1818 by wealthy ranchero and one-time LA mayor Francisco José Avila. After subsequent lives as a boarding…

7. América Tropical Interpretive Center

1.27 MILES

Everyone from Hollywood stars to LA intellectuals attended the 1932 unveiling of América Tropical, a rooftop mural by David Alfaro Siqueiros, one of…