Have you been to downtown LA ( DTLA ) lately? If not, plan on a visit soon.
I hadn’t and was stunned to see that the downtown core has been totally repurposed as a cool hipster hangout complete with an arts district and no less than four gay bars ( three of which are new ). The downtown core is full of revitalized historic buildings ( and many new ones ) including hotels, bars, condos, and restaurants.
—See: DTLA is an art deco wonderland. The Central Library is amazing, as is City Hall. Union Station is another must. Built in 1939, the rail station was the last Union Station built in the country. Across the street is a state park which features the original Los Angeles settlement.