Hey friends! I’ve been wanting to do this post for a while and share some of my favorite locations to view downtown Los Angeles. It was fun to shoot this over president’s day weekend. I couldn’t have asked for more perfect weather to view and photograph the city of angels.
In no particular order, here are my favorite locations to view DTLA. I hope you get a chance to check these out personally. Los Angeles is so beautiful.
1. This location is coming into DTLA going across the 4th street bridge from the Brooklyn Heights/Pico Gardens area into Arts District. Sometimes my morning commute navigation routes me across this bridge, and every time I think, “Wow! This is a beautiful view of DTLA.” It might be best to view this on a weekend, when there are less drivers and you can find easy parking on a side street and walk the bridge at your leisure.
2.) This location is coming into DTLA from the 1st street bridge. If you are on the Gold Line from Mariachi Plaza/Boyle Heights station heading towards Union Station you can see this view. The view is more close-up than the 4th street bridge.
3. This location is near Dodger Stadium. It’s off Lookout Drive and Stadium Way. I found this view while driving home from my day job. It’s easy to get to and if you are driving towards the 110 freeway, it’s a great little detour. You can park on Lookout Drive and enjoy the view.
4. I grew up seeing this side of downtown. It’s on Boylston Street off Temple Avenue, not too far from location #2. My grandparents lived across the street from this spot and I saw this view every time I visited them. The scenery has changed over the years, as DTLA is expanding, but it’s still one of my favorite ways to see the city from afar.
5. This location is also near location #2. It’s on the Figueroa Terrace and Centennial Street intersection. My husband and I were lucky to have this view for the few years we lived in this neighborhood before getting married. Seeing this view is one of the things I miss living so close to DTLA.
6. The last location is from a bridge above the 110 Freeway on Park Road Drive, part of Solano Canyon. If you drive from Pasadena into DTLA you will drive under the bridge this shot was taken from. It’s a short detour up Solano Canyon Road from Academy Road. You can also access this view through urban hiking trails that run throughout the area.
Happy Exploring!
