Downtown

I don't know how many of you have ever worked or stayed in downtown L.A. but its an odd place. Don't get me wrong, its a cool place, but its just odd. After working there for four years and dating someone who lived (lives?) here for three, I know the area pretty well. However, to try to conduct daily life takes quite a bit of out-of-the-box thinking and a vague knowledge of the area surrounding downtown.

For example, I dare you to try to find breakfast on a Saturday morning outside of your hotel, nearby. Seriously, go try it. Or how about a market? Maybe a bar that charges less than $10 per drink? Here are a few things I've learned while staying in downtown for the last two weeks:

1. You need a car. Seriously. Everything is just too far away to walk and the Dash isn't always reliable.

2. The closest market is Food4Less on Wilshire, but if you do a search for markets in downtown L.A., (even using the zip code) it won't come up. Don't ask me why, it just won't.

3. Bonaventure is the key to happiness. I don't know how I feel about staying at the Boneventure (its a Westin, btw) but inside are all sorts of shops and restaurants. Last night we went and had Teppan and then up to the rotating bar at the top of the hotel. There is nothing better than Japanese food cooked in front of you, followed by drinks at a (slowly) rotating bar overlooking L.A. on a clear night. And, after drinking in any hotel bar here, the rotating bar prices don't seem as ridiculous.

4. You have Chinatown and Little Tokyo within a mile, use them. Safe bets are Ocean Seafood Restaurant(Chinatown) and East (Little Tokyo). And yes, in case you're wondering, Ocean has more than seafood. I tried the Kung Pao chicken and it was damn tastey. But, my favorite dish was something involving squid. I kept eating that person's food 'cause it was just that good.

5. Unless you're in the mood for a little danger, I wouldn't recommend hitting a liquor store. There are tons of mom'n'pop convience stores in and around downtown so try to remember to go during daylight hours 'cause those close around 6 (when the office workers go home) and then you're stuck with the scary liquor stores.

6. The closest Sam's club, Costco and Target are all about 30 minutes away (driving.) However, there is a Smart'n'Final less than a mile away. Its small but if you need stuff in bulk, you'll find what you need, even if you don't get 87 choices to select from.

7. There's Macy's, RobMay, Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works, and Rite Aid in the middle of downtown. So, if you need any "personal" items, you're set. And, I even noticed that Rite Aid has alot of random household items so when we've needed cups, ziploc bags, nails, etc... we've gotten lucky there.

Those are the basics that I can think of off the top of my head. I'll fill in the list as I think of more survival tools. Or, if you have any questions on where to find items, let me know!