Dtla Mugs

All of your favorite historic DTLA hotels in one place!

Celebrate where you were, where you are, and whatever is next.

A map I made showing the vestiges of Los Angeles's historic Little Italy in 2013 for "California Fool's Gold." Since then, Little Joe's -- the last remaining Italian restaurant in the neighborhood -- has been demolished. https://ericbrightwell.com/2013/07/10/exploring-the-remains-of-l-a-s-little-italy-block-by-block-land-of-sunshine-kcet/

Celebrate where you were, where you are, and whatever is next.

Downtown Los Angeles is a region of Central Los Angeles which is home to many small neighborhoods and districts. I explored and mapped it for my series, "California Fool's Gold," in 2011. https://ericbrightwell.com/2011/03/15/california-fools-gold-a-downtown-los-angeles-primer-2/

In 2013, I explored the Calvin S. Hamilton Pedway -- a network of pedestrian overpasses in Downtown Los Angeles -- for my series, "Nobody Drives in LA." The pedway is the remnant of an unfinished transit project, the Downtown People Mover, envisioned in 1971 by planner Calvin S. Hamilton. https://ericbrightwell.com/2013/06/26/nobody-drives-in-la-exploring-downtowns-calvin-s-hamilton-pedway/

An ink map of did of Downtown Los Angeles's Historic Core for "California Fool's Gold." https://ericbrightwell.com/2019/03/21/california-fools-gold-exploring-the-historic-core/

Bunker Hill is a neighborhood in Downtown Los Angeles. Originally, it was a posh neighborhood for white Angelenos. By the mid-20th century, most of the mansions were subdivided and home to a diverse, working-class population. Most were demolished in the name of "slum clearance" and today it is topped by high culture amenities and gleaming (if anonymous) skyscrapers. I explored in 2015 for my series, "California Fool's Gold." https://ericbrightwell.com/2015/12/12/california-fools-gold-exploring-bunker-hill/

Los Angeles Tote

La Life design.

An ink map that I made of Skid Row for "California Fool's Gold." It's titled "The Nickel," because that's what some people refer to the neighborhood as since it's centered on 5th Street. https://ericbrightwell.com/2010/10/25/califoronia-fools-gold-exploring-skid-row-hells-half-acer-aka-the-nickel/

City Hall, Los Angeles,CA..photo edit from 2019

Los Angeles photo edit from 2019

Los Angeles photo edit from 2019

Japanese Album Art celebrating Little Tokyo, Los Angeles.

I explored Downtown Los Angeles's Arts District in 2009 for my series, "California Fool's Gold." https://ericbrightwell.com/2009/10/22/california-fools-gold-exploring-the-arts-district/

The Toy District is a neighborhood in Downtown Los Angeles that is home to several toy sellers -- mostly wholesale. In the early 1980s, several Taiwanese, Vietnamese, and Hong Konger entrepreneurs began opening toy shops at the western edge of Skid Row.

Metro Los Angeles is home to the largest Japanese community in the US and Little Tokyo is the nation's oldest Japantown. I explored and made this map for my series, "California Fool's Gold," in 2010. https://ericbrightwell.com/2010/02/05/california-fools-gold-exploring-little-tokyo-%e5%b0%8f%e6%9d%b1%e4%ba%ac/

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Downtown view from Echo Park, Los Angeles photo edit from 2019