Pre-Convening Cultural Walking Tours
Thursday January 25, 2024 at 2:00pm2 hrs
Join your fellow Convening attendees and experience the rich tapestry of places and people that make up Los Angeles—one of the most diverse and multicultural cities in the world. Hosted by the Levitt Foundation, each walking tour will highlight the historical and cultural significance of a featured neighborhood.
See below for tour descriptions. Please select your tour when registering for the Convening. Shuttles will be provided to take you to the starting point of your selected tour and for your return to Hotel Indigo following your tour. For questions, please contact convening@levitt.org.
Art in the City
DTLA Arts District – Come check out the vibrant world of graffiti art and the mural scene in downtown Los Angeles’ Arts District which has been fueled by an amazing cadre of local artists and globally-known talents. Be inspired as you view over 100 individual works of art, from building-sized murals to hidden treasures. Your guide will be a local street artist and longtime member of the Arts District community who is also an expert on the history, culture, arts, and artists that make this district an important part of the LA creative community.
Arrive by 2:00 pm
Design in the City
Downtown LA – Come explore some of the best architecture in the world in the heart of DTLA, including beautiful examples of the Beaux Arts, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, modern and post-modern styles. The tour will include a stop at the famed Grand Central Market, Los Angeles’ largest and oldest public market which opened in 1917, and where you can explore a range of tastes, from legacy vendors to artisan cuisine that reflect the history and diversity of the city. Your tour will be led by a docent from LA Walking Tours.
Arrive by 2:00 pm
Gateway to the City
Historic Filipinotown – Take an open-air expedition through Historic Filipinotown aboard a Jeepney, a staple of public transit in the Philippines, and one of only 10 Jeepneys in the U.S. This one-of-a-kind experience, coordinated by the Pilipinos Workers Center, will take you through the sights, sounds, streets, and stories of Historic Filipinotown—a dynamic Los Angeles enclave dedicated to the contributions and culture of the city’s Filipino-American residents and pioneers, who built this neighborhood and then turned it into a community stronghold.
Arrive by 2:00 pm
Origins of the City
Olvera Street / Chinatown – Witness the transformation of Los Angeles from a pueblo into a world-class city by experiencing the sights and monuments that helped shape LA and learn how the city’s history continues to evolve. You will explore Olvera Street, the birthplace of Los Angeles with its Mexican marketplace keeping old traditions alive, and Chinatown, the first such neighborhood in the U.S. that was owned and planned by Chinese residents as a new community in 1938. Your tour will be led by LA Walking Tours.
Arrive by 2:00 pm
Zen in the City
Little Tokyo – Travel back in time and marvel at the crossroads of the past with the present as you tour one of the last remaining Japantowns in the nation. Little Tokyo is a major cultural and civic center for Japanese Americans living in Southern California. Dating back to the 1880s, the neighborhood is home to historic Buddhist temples and well-maintained gardens for rest, relaxation, and reflection. Your tour will be led by the Little Tokyo Community Council which was formed to protect, preserve, and promote this historic community.
Arrive by 2:00 pm