On Saturday, December 30, 2017 Linda Wehrli helmed Pastimes for a Lifetime’s first DTLA Winter Culture Tour. Teen students and their family members joined in the fun.

Metro Redline
At 10:30 AM, the group met at the NoHo Metro Redline Station, armed with sketch pads and books for the ride into town. Destination: Pershing Square Depot.

Grand Central Market
Arriving at the top of the Pershing Square depot escalator, the Grand Central Market building came into view.

At the entrance, sights and smells delighted our senses right away, beckoning us to explore.

Deciding what to eat was a dilemma, so a preliminary stroll around the stalls was decided. But first, Cardamom Iced Coffee at MadCapra‘s stall!

Among the chosen were Japanese cuisine, pizza, a bagel, and burger and fries followed by ice cream and a milkshake.

Needing to walk off the calories, the group strolled over to our next destination, enjoying stunning architecture along the way.

The Last Bookstore
My husband and I discovered this eclectic bookstore several years ago, thanks to a tip by a former art student. Close proximity to Grand Central Market made it a must-see on the tour list.

We were treated to a docent tour by longtime, original employee Greg Tower. How did the place get its name? Because when it opened, the neighboring bookstores such as Barnes & Noble began closing their doors. They were literally, “The Last Bookstore” in town.

The building was formerly a bank. Features like the original vault door were left intact. The original bank vault is now the break room.

Greg then showed us up the stairs.

First stop was the office funhouse.

Around the bend and on to the artists’ lofts and workshops! Several artists were in. We had the privilege of meeting artist Liz Huston!

Then the pièce de résistance: The Tunnel!

Greg showed us the Art Room, pointing out the stunning graphite unfinished mural and the salon-style wall of paintings.

Also downstairs was a music store which is owned separately from The Last Bookstore. Vinyl officianados will no doubt love this place.

Needing to return to his post, Greg set us loose to explore the store. Enjoy our favorite pics!

After we had our fill, we headed back towards Grand Central Market to ride the newly opened Angels Flight. Just $1.00 one way.

Angels Flight

The last stop on the tour was Disney Hall and its serene Blue Ribbon Garden. The ride up Angels Flight made it easily accessible on foot.

Blue Ribbon Garden

We headed over to the Metro depot, arriving at NoHo by dusk to enjoy the sunset.

The response to today’s cultural adventure was overwhelmingly positive. Pastimes will definitely schedule another one or two in 2018. Stay tuned!

Many thanks to Sophia H., Leslie H., and Adam R., for their awesome photo contributions to the blog.
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We hope you enjoyed our little photo journal tour of DTLA. Comments welcome.

If you’d like an invitation to the next one, please request to be added to our email list at jessica@pastimesinc.com. Thanks for your interest.

Pastimes For a Lifetime Art and Piano School is located in Valley Glen, California. 818-766-0614. School is open Tuesday – Saturday year round, except major holidays.