Downtown Los Angeles: Olvera Street and Chinatown

Downtown Los Angeles is the business center. Tall buildings, noisy car, busy people... and in the middle of all that chaos is a way to forget you are in one of the busiest city of the United State, almost like if you went to a different country by crossing a street! Olvera Street and Chinatown are in Dowtown LA and are a fantastic place to get lost and to escape the city.

Olvera Street
Olvera Street is the oldest street of LA. It was the main street of El Pueblo de Los Angeles, what LA used to be called when it all began. It kept the typical Mexican culture in its architecture, its music , its restaurant and shops. You can enjoy a very folkloric time and learn a lot about the Mexican culture during your visit. Visit the small museums along your way in Olvera and see what LA used to be, and what its history was. You might even be lucky and visit on the day of a Mexican fiesta - the music and colors are fantastic. After getting a little bit of culture in, you can also enjoy a little shopping from all the small boutiques with crafts and colorful art. If you get hungry, no problem! The Marriachi music will direct you to the best places for a food stop. You are after all in the best place to savor real Mexican food in LA. For the best carnitas and a low budget, Luz del Dias is very popular.  But for authentic flavorful Mexican cuisine, Casa La Gonlondrina Mexican Cafe is the one you want to stop at.

After you have enjoyed a trip to Mexico without leaving LA, why not jump on the other side of the globe and discover Chinatown, just a few streets away.

Chinatown
LA Chinatown is of course smaller than San Frnacisco Chinatown, but still worth the visit.  Shops, galleries and restaurants come one after another along the streets. To not miss the most interesting history and learn about the culture you can take the Undiscovered Chinatown Tour. However it is only available the first saturday of the month, so you might want to plan your visit in function of this. Just like the MExican culture, the chinese culture is very rich and events take place all year long in Chinatown. what a better way to discover a new culture than by trying some typical dish? Zen Mei Bistro is a great place to stop. If you are more adventurous you can try the DimSum, Ocean Seafood that you get to see and chose before they prepare it for you.

Now, you have a lot to do in Los Angeles! Between all the attractions, Venice Beach, maybe even Catalina Island... but don't forget about Olvera and Chinatown in Downtown, they are truly a great experience for children and adults and will let you go smiling!