DTLA is full of hidden gems and unseen surprises. There is a high density of discrete subcultures between the alleys, courtyards, and rooftops, bubbling from gaps between high-rises. Los Angeles is a scavenger hunt game where being “in-the-know” is part of the joy of becoming familiar with the city’s details. The many nooks and crannies that shelter the many off-the-menu architectural and urban items are distinguishing factors about the identity of DTLA.
In this portion of our study, we unrolled some of the alleys and enclaves to reveal some under-the-radar qualities. Some of the speculative thinkings are directly within DTLA; others are just outside of it. There are most likely even more B-sides waiting for further studies.
St. Vincent Court, for example, is one secret item hiding in plain sight. Like a miniature export of the Middle East, tiny versions of roofs, balconies, or windows decorate this alleyway’s facades. Too small to be occupied, these elevational attachments communicate the idea of another world within DTLA.
Tucked away within an urban block on 7th Street, the 18-foot-wide gap, St. Vincent Court is home to various cafes with extravagant signage. The elevational attachments transform the cul-de-sac experience into a miniature-scaled micro-boulevard.
Clifton’s Cabinet of Curiosities is an interior with exterior qualities. Composed of dioramas with tiny trees, mountains, clouds, and taxidermy animals such as bison and bears, Clifton’s is a patch of the great outdoors amid a busy Downtown Los Angeles. P.S. Kyle Reese from The Terminator (1984) was dropped off right across from the adjacent Haas Alley.
On 1st Street in Little Tokyo, there are two hidden pockets just slightly north of the Downtown Center. Far Bar is accessible from a roughly 36-inch-wide gap and directly across the street from the Koyasan Buddhist Temple.
Just south of Downtown Los Angeles there is the Santee Court/Alley. Unlike some of the other hidden pockets that are very developed, the Santee Court/Alley has all of the hallmarks of a future thriving pocket that is just emerging now.
Speakeasy bars existed during the Prohibition era, but some of the remaining evidence of this culture exists in Downtown Los Angeles. At Harlem Place, there are hidden secret bars to be found.
If the urban map of Downtown Los Angeles resembles paragraphs of urban stories, these hidden pockets are akin to redactions of an otherwise navigable set of addresses. The redactions are public enough to be discovered but are private sufficient to nurture ideas of subcultures.
