Zip code 90015, Mar 2026 to May 2026, from the Redfin Data Center. Downtown spans several zips; figures are 90015 (South Park and the area around Crypto.com Arena), which is almost all condos. Zip codes don't line up neatly with neighborhood borders, and medians hide a wide range of homes, so treat these as a rough feel for the area.
Mining millionaire Lewis Bradbury commissioned this office building at Third and Broadway, and it opened in 1893 to the design of George Wyman, a little-known draftsman, around a skylit court of iron railings, open-cage elevators and glazed brick. Behind a plain brick front it hides one of the great interiors in America, later a famous film set in Blade Runner. It is the oldest commercial building left in the central city and a reminder of the Victorian downtown that grew into today's loft district.
The homes
Nearly every home in Downtown is a condo or loft. The story starts in 1999, when the City of LA passed the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance, which made it far easier to turn empty office and bank buildings into housing. The early 1900s commercial buildings of the Historic Core and the Old Bank District around Spring and Main became lofts with high ceilings, big windows, exposed brick and original terrazzo or marble lobbies. Little Tokyo and the blocks near it add more lofts and mid-rise condo buildings.
The other half of Downtown is vertical. Bunker Hill has towers from the 1960s onward, many with views over the Music Center and the hills to the north. South Park, around Crypto.com Arena and LA Live, filled in over the last two decades with glass high-rises, including hotel-branded residences with doormen, pools and gyms. Floor plans run from compact one-bedrooms to full-floor penthouses, and parking is usually one or two assigned spaces in the building's garage.
The feel
- Grand Avenue lines up Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Broad, MOCA and Frank Gehry's two-tower Grand LA, with Grand Park running down the hill to City Hall.
- The Historic Core has Broadway's run of old movie palaces, the Bradbury Building's skylit atrium, and Angels Flight, the tiny funicular that climbs Bunker Hill.
- South Park and LA Live center on Crypto.com Arena and the Convention Center, with restaurants, hotels and the Peacock Theater around a central plaza.
- Little Tokyo and Union Station sit on the east side, one with Japanese markets, ramen and the Japanese American National Museum, the other a 1939 Mission Revival station with a grand waiting room.
Eat, drink, shop
- Grand Central Market (Broadway). A food hall open since 1917, with dozens of counters from tacos to egg sandwiches under one roof. Time Out LA
- Sushi Gen (East 2nd Street). A long-running Little Tokyo sushi bar known for generous, traditional cuts. The Infatuation
- Sonoratown (East 8th Street). Small taqueria built around handmade flour tortillas and grilled meats in the Sonoran style. The Infatuation
- Pine & Crane (Grand Avenue, South Park). Bright counter-service spot for Taiwanese dishes, noodles and dumplings. The Infatuation
- Holy Basil (Fashion District). A compact Thai counter turning out bold, spicy plates. Time Out LA
- The Last Bookstore (Spring Street). New and used books and records in a former bank, with a tunnel of books upstairs. LA Magazine
Getting around
Downtown is the hub of the system. The 110, 101, 10 and 5 all meet here, and Union Station connects Metro rail, Metrolink and Amtrak. Since the Regional Connector opened, the A and E Lines run straight through Downtown, so Santa Monica, Pasadena and Long Beach are all one train ride. By car, Hollywood is often 15 to 20 minutes and LAX 25 to 35 minutes outside rush hour, though event nights at the arena slow everything around South Park.
What's new
- The Regional Connector. This underground link opened in June 2023, adding stations at Grand Av Arts/Bunker Hill, Historic Broadway and Little Tokyo/Arts District and letting trains run through Downtown without a transfer (FOX 11).
- The Grand LA. Frank Gehry's two-tower project across from Disney Hall opened in 2022 with a Conrad hotel, a 45-story residential tower and space for shops and restaurants (The Hollywood Reporter).
- LA28 events Downtown. Under the current venue plan, Crypto.com Arena, the Peacock Theater and the Convention Center are all set to host Olympic and Paralympic events in 2028. Venue assignments can still change (FOX 11).
- Sixth Street PARC. A 12-acre park under the Sixth Street Viaduct, on the Downtown edge of the LA River, is now expected to open in early 2027 (LAist).
Good to know
- HOA dues and reserves. High-rise dues can be substantial because they cover staff, elevators, pools and building insurance. Ask for the budget, reserve study, recent minutes and any planned special assessments.
- Condo financing. Some lenders look at whether a building is "warrantable," which can depend on owner-occupancy rates, litigation and commercial space. Ask your lender to review the building early.
- City of LA rules. Downtown is in the City of Los Angeles, so permits and zoning run through the city. Many loft conversions are older buildings, so ask about seismic retrofits and what the certificate of occupancy allows.
- Noise and light. Sirens, events, construction and late-night streets are part of Downtown. Visit at night and on an event day, and ask about window ratings in any unit you like.