hidden los angeles

I should be taking a Sociology test, but since I call the shots on when I can take it, I am going to blog about my trip last Saturday around Los Angeles. A few of my friends and I met in Sierra Madre and hopped on the Metro gold line and rode it through Pasadena and in to downtown. Our first stop was China town. I don't think I have ever been there in my entire lifetime living here in LA. It was a lot of fun, tons of cool little shops and things to see.

 Next we hopped on the Metro and took it to J-town (I don't know what the real name is, but that's what we always referred to it as growing up). There was a cherry blossom festival going on so there were tons of people and hula dancers and booths and food. We had some lunch and then headed to Union Station. This is one of THE coolest train stations I have ever seen, and it's right here in LA!!!

And coolest of all - there is a courtyard just outside the station and there are plants and trees and benches. And if you look through the archway of the building, you can see across the street is Olvera Street.

We hopped on the purple line and headed in to the heart of downtown. I have always heard/read about Pershing Square and always wanted to check out that area of town. We saw some amazing cool buildings...

And took a ride up the famous "Angels Flight"

 At the top of Angels Flight sits the park that's featured in the movie "500 Days of Summer".

 It's a really neat park with a spectacular view of the city. It's an odd treasure to find nature and beauty in the middle of a huge city. We ventured a little in to the jewelry/fashion district, and stumbled upon this little alley full of intricate store fronts that make you think you are in another country. I have never seen anything like it ... especially in the United States.

It was such a fun day! There are so many neat things to see and experience right here. We ran out of time, but we are planning to go back in a few weeks and explore some more.