DTLA via the Los Angeles Metro Rail

     Ever since I discovered the New York City subway in 2009, I have been absolutely in love with public transportation.  It wasn't my first trip to New York, but it was the first trip where I used the subway.  It really made me regret all the money I had spent on previous trips taking cabs everywhere.  You can get to so many places, and the best part of all - you don't have to worry about having a car and parking it!  

     

     I've always known there was a Metro Rail system in L.A. and even rode it briefly once or twice while photowalking with friends.  However, not until recently have I been really loving it.  After having been spoiled by the public transportation in Berlin and London, I was really longing for a similar experience here in SoCal. The L.A. Metro is nothing like the New York City subway, but it's the closest thing I've got to that kind of experience.  The Atlantic station is the closest one to me, so that's where I began.  It's quite an easy system to use.  I won't get too much into it, because you can learn all about using the system here.  But first, a map to let you get an idea of where I started.  The last time I used the Metro Rail, I stopped at Union Station, Pershing Square, and Little Tokyo.  This time, I only went to Union Station and Pershing Square.  

     Just got off at Union station.  I Love seeing this walkway with everyone hustling to go about their way.  From the gold line, we transferred to the red line and got off at the Pershing Square station.

Cameras used:  5d Mark lll and Canon G7X

Lenses used:  Canon 40mm f2.8 pancake lens,  Canon 28mm f1.8

     A short (albeit pretty shady) walk from Pershing Square, and we arrive at our first stop - The Nickel Diner!  I accidentally found this place from looking at the area surrounding Pershing Square on Google Maps.  I was actually looking for Canter's Deli, but stumbled upon this instead.  It got really good reviews on yelp, so I figured it'd be a great place for a quick lunch!

     It was a warm day, and the A/C wasn't exactly on high in the diner.  However, the cute nostalgic decor and oldies music really made up for it. 

     I had the BLTA (bacon, lettuce, tomato, and avocado) sandwich with a side of salad. It was delicious!

     When I was looking up this place, I saw that they had these amazing looking donuts.  Well, they were out of the cute pink ones I was looking for, but they still had the chocolate coffee donut.  I was willing to try it just because I wanted a donut, but I was pleasantly surprised by how tasty it was!  It is basically a chocolate donut that is light and fluffy with some crumb coating.  I think they cut it in half and fill it with a coffee cream custard filling that is also light, and not too sweet. If you like your donuts light and not too sweet, these are definitely worth trying.  It was good enough that I want to go back and try the other flavors.  I recommend going early since they seem to run out by noon.

     And if donuts aren't your thing, maybe one of these other tantalizing desserts will float your boat.

     We found out later that this used to be a fried chicken place (and apparently the Nickel Diner sells fried chicken on Wednesday nights?)

     Next stop, a short walk to The Last Bookstore.  I'll be honest, I'm not an avid reader.  I used to be when I was a teenager, but college pretty much beats the desire to read out of you.  I had seen some amazing photos of this bookstore from a photography friend, and another friend of mine frequents this place often.  I had never been, and my curiosity was piqued.

     WARNING:  This place does NOT have A/C!  You've been warned.

     The Last Bookstore is HUGE!  I was amazed at all the new and used books they had.  In a world where digital seems to be the way to go, it was nice and nostalgic to see all these books in one place and people enjoying them.  There are plenty of places to sit and read (although I don't know how people were doing this in the heat).

     My favorite thing about the store were the quirky artsy things around every corner.  If you make your way up the stairs or elevator to the second floor, they have more books, some cool artsy things made from books, and some storefronts that I assume local artists rent out to sell their work.

     Some advice for life?

     I want to do a photoshoot here.  It would be so cool.  According to the sign, they will stop me if it interrupts other customers. :)

     The Last Bookstore used to be a bank.  On the second floor is the horror section, and it clearly is housed in what used to be the vault.

     The Bradbury Building.

     I can't get enough of Grand Central Market.  It is a great place to shoot if you're looking to practice your photography.  This was a weekday, so it wasn't as crowded as it would've been on a weekend. 

     Even though the donut was dessert, you cannot go to Grand Central Market and not have some ice cream from McConnell's Ice Cream.  Just go and get some.  Just do it.  You're welcome.

     We tried to hit up the Broad Museum, but the stand-by line was huge.  I made a mental note to get advance tickets next time.  The Broad Museum has free admission, and looks pretty cool from pictures I've seen.  We were able to go into the gift shop and got a glimpse inside.

     I need these erasers lol. :)

     Could.  Not.  Resist.

     If you're in SoCal, or just visiting on vacation, I definitely recommend taking the L.A. Metro Link.  You can use it to explore some parts of L.A. that are better explored without driving.  It doesn't move as fast as other trains/subway systems, but on the flip side you get to explore L.A. and see parts of it you may not normally see since it is mostly above ground.  Every time I think of having a little adventure (without the pain of driving), the L.A. Metro Link is my go-to option!