Photos by Krista Simmons
 
As eagle-eyed readers may have noticed, we are currently running banner ads for The Gap and there is a little widget in the bottom left-hand side of the screen. This post is what you call advertorial, a mix of advertising and editorial, that hopefully will serve the dual purpose of being a “word from our sponsor” and equally be something of value for Dangerous Minds readers.

Los Angeles is the denim design capital of America. Even after most American clothing companies outsourced their manufacturing overseas, a robust denim infrastructure for receiving, sorting and finishing denim garments still existed in the “Fashion District” of Downtown Los Angeles.

Eventually these tasks, too, were outsourced, but the denim finishing infrastructure (wash facilities, garment assemblies, embroiderers, etc) remained behind. Beginning in the late 90s, small boutique jeans companies began to take advantage of what the district offered, producing small runs of high-quality “premium” jeans—you know, the kind that cost $300—and creating the luxury denim trend.
 

 
The Gap is currently re-branding itself in an interesting new way: They’ve recently opened a denim design studio in Downtown Los Angeles, not only to take advantage of the denim industry’s support structure as it exists here, but also so they can recruit from the ranks of the finest, most forward-thinking jeans designers in the world. The goal is to “democratize” high-end denim and make it affordable for everyone.
 

 
Los Angeles is a “strange attractor,” drawing in some of the most creative, intelligent and innovative people from all over the planet. It’s THE city where nearly everyone you meet has a connection to the creative arts. I’m a big civic booster of my adopted hometown. I love LA and absolutely consider myself a “Los Angeleano.”

I am especially fond of Downtown. It’s the part of the city where LA’s creative momentum can be most viscerally experienced. Forward-thinking street fashion, art galleries, restaurants and gourmet coffee. Iconic modern architecture like Frank Gehry’s Disney Concert Hall. The gigantic, megawatt Staples Center. The nightclubs and bars. The trendy, chic hotels. The film festivals. Underground comedy clubs. Downtown has it all within walking distance and there’s still a sense of slight menace and danger—like pre-Giuliani New York—giving DTLA some extra points to my mind. You really feel like something is happening all around when you’re in Downtown Los Angeles. I love that feeling, like I’m right in the thick of it. It makes perfect sense to me that The Gap has opened up a denim design studio here to soak up some of this world-class creativity as they seek to renew their brand.
 

 
There is a lot to appreciate about DTLA. These these are a few of my favorite things:
 

 
Usually the first place I take visiting out-of-towners is Little Tokyo. The architecture in the area, the things for sale in the shops and especially the people… all of it seems so much like a little piece of Tokyo was broken off and dropped into a spot on the eastside of LA. I’ve been to Japan and I think Downtown’s Little Tokyo district really deserves its name. The streets are slightly narrower, there is a fair amount of cobblestone and the it feels a bit more cramped than other parts of town.  It really does feel like you’re in Tokyo. The details speak of the area’s authentic Toyko-style experience: Sweet shaved-ice desserts can be found everywhere, the best toy stores in town are in the vicinity and practically everyone smokes…

The vendors at the Little Toyko Square mall sell real Japanese stuff to Japanese people living in Los Angeles who want the same food and products they have at home. Even though the Kinokuniya bookstore—my main reason for going there in the past—is no longer in the mall, I still love it. A visit to the big grocery store there is an event in itself.

Inside the mall you will find an insanely advanced video arcade, a bowling alley, clothing boutiques, karaoke bars, noodle houses (like the delicious Hana-Ichimonme where lunch is around $6) and those stores that sell herbal remedies, foot massagers and questionable Japanese electronic “health” devices.

Best of all there is a Beard Papa outlet. If you’ve never had a Beard Papa, it’s a dessert chain from Japan that sells cream-puffs filled with thick pudding. It’s the greatest food invention of ALL RECORDED GASTRONOMIC HISTORY (The last time I was there I ate FOUR of them, lying to my wife that I only ate one and wolfing the other three down while she was distracted in a shop. Good times!)
 

 
Two immensely popular noodle shops in Little Tokyo that I wanted to point out: Daikokuaya, who serve “old skool” Japanese comfort food. Here you can get tasty home-cooked tasting ramen noodles that will quickly become an addiction, but come solo or with just one other
person, they can’t really accommodate groups.

The other is Orochon Ramen, found on the third floor of Weller Court (East 1st Street and San Pedro). At Orochon, the great Japanese tradition of “food challenges” is practiced. Down an entire bowl of their Special Spice #2 in less than a half-hour and you’ll be honored on their wall of fame (but you’ll still have to pay). Hundreds of people a week try, few succeed.
 

 
And then there is the monthly Art Walk event which is always a fun experience. Galleries, businesses, bars and restaurants, and even plain old offices open up to display some often very fine modern art. I went to an early Art Walk and wasn’t that impressed, but last year I was invited to speak at an event and I was astonished at how many people were milling about in DTLA that evening. There is so much street-life and things and people to look at during Art Walk that it can be quite thrilling. I haven’t seen this kind of energy in an art scene since the heady days of the the Soho and East Village art scenes of 1980s New York.
 

 
The best view from atop a building in Downtown, hands down in my opinion, is from the pool on the roof of The Standard Hotel. Amidst some truly impressive surrounding skyscrapers, this is not just the best view, but the best swimming pool in LA, too. The location reeks of glamour and is stocked by the requisite complement of beautiful people. Every time I find myself there, I’m reminded of Tim Burton’s distinctive vision of “Gotham City” in his Batman films. It’s an iconic Los Angeles location, so why does the view from The Standard’s rooftop feel more “New York” than Manhattan itself?
 

 
The Farmacia Y Botanica Million Dollar is both a full-on supply store where devotees of Santeria can buy things, and a regular pharmacy selling things like cough medicine, athlete’s foot creme and Band-Aids.
 

 
Coffeebar is the leader for high-end caffeine culture in Downtown. Some eastside patrons say they prefer it to Intelligentsia or L.A. Mill which is really saying something because they take it to extremes. Coffeebar is one of those places where you can get cold-pressed coffee made from beans that have been licked by a magic rhinoceros and so forth. This post-modern java joint has a minimalist decor and artsy vibe. It’s also got a garden, a sweet spot in such a heavily urban area and free wifi.
 

 
The L.A. Gun Club (aka The Los Angeles Indoor Pistol Shooting Range) is a great place for a date, but probably not a first date. Two people a bit more familiar with each other, however, might have a rootin’ tootin’ good time here. The atmosphere is more relaxed than you might imagine and surely it’s a sexier date than bowling, isn’t it? BYO gun or else rent one there. Ammo is for sale, natch. (The Los Angeles Indoor Pistol Shooting Range, 375 East 6th Street)
 

 
If you work in DTLA, Starry Kitchen is a foodie’s delight. The backstory of how it came to be is a great example of the DIY spirit of the area. When Thi Tran was laid off from her job, she and her husband Nguyen began to run an underground restaurant out of their apartment in North Hollywood. Their word-of-mouth restaurant became a sensation on the viral food circuit attracting so much attention that they needed to open up in a real location. Now Thi’s healthy, home-style twists on Asian food are on sale in the courtyard of California Plaza and immensely popular with the lunch crowd. Starry Kitchen is pretty packed on the weekends, too (As I am typing this my mouth is watering for their Lemongrass Chicken Sandwhich. If I had to pick a favorite meal from Downtown, it would be this dish from Starry Kitchen).
 

 
Appropriately last but certainly not least, there is a notable new addition to Downtown in the form of The Last Bookstore. In a move that might seem counter-intuitive at a time when the Borders bookstore chain has declared bankruptcy, The Last Bookstore recently opened a 10,000-square-foot retail and performance space on the corner of Spring and 5th Street, once the home of the Citizens National Bank. (Previously it was a tiny shop on Main Street that opened in 2009). The idea is to have bands, theatrical events, stand-up comedy and even films. It’s a book lover’s paradise. Let’s hope the name stays ironic!

All photos by Krista Simmons, except for Standard hotel pool, courtesy of The Standard