Cultural Tour of Los Angeles: Eat Your Way through L.A.

L.A. CULTURAL TOUR DIRECTIONS AND STOPS SUMMARY

Stop #1: L.A. Center for Enriched Studies (5931 W. 18^th Street, just west of Fairfax).

Travel east on 18^th Street to Fairfax: Turn left (north) on Fairfax.  

Stop #2: Little Ethiopia and South Fairfax (1040 S. Fairfax, just before Olympic).

Continue North on Fairfax to Wilshire Boulevard.

Continue north on Fairfax to visit side stops 3a, 3b, and 3c before turning back to Wilshire. Once you get to 3^rd Street, you will notice Farmer’s Market and The Grove on your right. 

Side Stop 3a: Farmers Market (6333 W 3^rd Street and Fairfax).

Continue north on Fairfax for a few blocks, noting how the atmosphere turns more upscale or hipster as you approach Melrose.

Side Stop 3b: Chao Krung Thai Restaurant (111 N. Fairfax Ave.)

Side Stop 3c: Canter’s Deli (419 N. Fairfax Ave.).

If you still want to salvage our cultural foods and landscapes tour, turn around now and head back south on Fairfax before it is too late.
After heading back south on Fairfax, turn east on Wilshire toward Koreatown and downtown to continue our intended cultural tour.

Continuing east toward downtown and Koreatown past a host of storied architectural landmarks, you will eventually turn right (south) on Western.

Continue south on Western.

Stop #4: Koreatown Plaza (928 S. Western).

After continuing south on Western, turn right on Country Club Drive and then continue past Saint Andrews Place.

Stop 5: Side Trip to Country Club Drive (3200 Country Club Drive).

Return back and continue south on Western, then left on Pico toward downtown.

Stop # 6: One city block from Pico to 15^th between Normandie and Mariposa Avenues.

Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral (1324 S. Normandie Ave.) and St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church (2727 W. Pico Blvd.) and Papa Cristo’s (2771 Pico Blvd.).

Continue east on Pico toward downtown and Pico Union.

Stop # 7: Pico at Union (1287 Union Ave.).

Backtrack west on Pico away from downtown.

Turn right (northeast) on Alvarado Street (NOT Alvarado Terrace) to MacArthur Park between 6^th and 7^th.

Stop #8: MacArthur Park (2124 W. 7^th St.).

Continue north on Alvarado past Beverly and into Historic Filipinotown.

After passing Beverly, turn right on Temple, then left on Glendale. (Note how the 101 Freeway represents a dominating barrier that divides these neighborhoods.) To go around Echo Park, turn right on Park and right again on Echo Park Avenue.    

Stop #9: Echo Park (751 Echo Park Ave.).

Continue on Echo Park Avenue around the lake. Turn right on Bellevue and then left on Glendale. Continue on Glendale toward downtown as it turns into 2^nd Street, following the signs into the Central City.

Staying with our original tour, tunnels allow us to drive under Bunker Hill.    

Continue on 2^nd Street to San Pedro Street.

Stop #10: Little Tokyo (2^nd Street and San Pedro Street).

Continue southeast on 2nd and then turn left (north) on Alameda and continue for a few blocks.

Stop #11: Union Station (800 N. Alameda St.) on the right and Olvera Street (845 N. Alameda St.) on the left.   

Continue the tour north on Alameda Street. Turn left on College, at the Asian-style MTA Station. Then, turn right (north) on Broadway into Chinatown.

Stop #12: Chinatown (978 N. Broadway).

Turn back toward downtown (south) on Broadway past the 101 freeway.

Turn left (southeast) on 1^st Street past City Hall and travel past our former adventures in Little Tokyo. Continue east on 1^st, past Alameda, and over the historic bridge that spans the L.A. River.

Continue east on First Street past the 101 Freeway to Boyle Avenue.

Stop #13: Mariachi Plaza, Boyle Heights (1817 E. 1^st Street).

From Mariachi Plaza, head north on North Boyle Avenue for a few blocks. Turn right (southeast) on Caesar Chavez Avenue and continue into East L.A.’s densely-packed business district.

Continue well past the I 5 Freeway until you get to Soto Street.

Turn right (south) on North Soto Street and continue past 1^st Street. Turn right (northwest) on 4^th Street.

Continue along 4^th Street, crossing the 101 Freeway and L.A. River again. Soon, the road will split into a one-way choice that requires you to veer right on to East 4^th Place. Continue northwest to Alameda.

Warning: If it is getting dark or you are squeamish, you will want to end the tour here as we are entering skid row and rougher, higher-crime neighborhoods that are best explored with plenty of daylight.

Otherwise, continue northwest past Alameda as your one-way path becomes 3^rd Street. Continue northwest past San Pedro Street and turn left (SW) on Wall Street, then left (southeast) on 6^th Street to San Pedro Street.        

Stop #14: Midnight Mission, Skid Row (601 South San Pedro St.).

Continue southeast on 6th Street, just past South Central, then right (south) on Alameda.

After crossing the 10 Freeway, continue south on Alameda to 41^st Street. Turn right on 41^st Street and stop.       

Stop # 15: Former South Central Farm Community Gardens (1702 41st Street).

Continue west on 41^st Street across the light rail tracks. Turn left (south) on Compton Avenue. You will have to veer at the East Vernon Avenue intersection to stay on Compton Avenue.

Stop # 16: Augustus F. Hawkins Park (5790 Compton Ave.).

Continue south on Compton Avenue. Watch for the required curve at Firestone and the big one (east on E. 92^nd Street) that will keep you headed south on Compton Avenue.

Turn left on 108^th across the tracks and follow signs to Watts Towers (left on Graham/Willowbrook, then right on 107^th).

Stop #17: Watts Towers (1765 E. 107^th St.).

This last stop leaves you near the 105 Freeway to connect to the route of your choice. Go back to 108^th Street that will connect to Wilmington Avenue or South Central Avenue and go south to the 105 Freeway ramps. Or, use the maps provided in this guide and your GPS to plot your own route back. We wish you safe and rewarding adventures.