Discover L.A.’s fun new downtown
Rotary International News - 11 June 2008
A view of Downtown Los Angeles from Echo Park.
Photo courtesy of Richard Carroll
When Rotarians arrive by the thousands in Los Angeles for the 99th RI Convention, 15-18 June, they’ll be stepping into a vibrant downtown that is in a state of continual change.
With the L.A. Convention Center as the main convention venue, downtown L.A. will be the primary stomping ground for Rotarians during the day. And after hours, venues like the new NOKIA Theatre and the Staples Center – both adjacent to the convention center – will beckon convention attendees with entertainment and sports events.
Part of L.A. Live, the “entertainment campus” in the city’s downtown, the new NOKIA Theatre has been called the Times Square of the West. Here, singer Natalie Cole will entertain Rotarians on 14 June. Before the concert, the NOKIA Plaza will be reserved for the California Experience, a host event that gives ticket holders the opportunity to enjoy wine and hors d’oeuvres by famed chef Wolfgang Puck. Find more details at the HOC site.
Getting around in downtown L.A. couldn’t be easier thanks to an efficient and easy-to-use public transportation system and an urban “way-finding” program featuring 1,300 pedestrian and vehicular signs, pointing the way to local attractions.
Some not-to-be-missed downtown attractions awaiting Rotarian visitors include the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Designed by world-renowned architect and L.A. resident Frank Gehry, this concert hall is known for its breathtaking design and excellent acoustics in a campus that includes other cultural venues such as the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Other architectural and cultural landmarks near the hall include the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the buildings of the historic district, like the pyramid-topped City Hall and the Richard J. Riordan Central Library. A few blocks away, visitors can enjoy the Asian cuisine of L.A.’s Chinatown and Little Tokyo. The HOC full- and half-day tours are a great way to see the city and nearby points of interest such as the Getty Center. You can access the tours through the HOC events and tickets link.