The Last Bookstore
Fifth Street between Spring and Main. That’s where it is. Here’s what happened as it started to open a year ago.
“The corner at 5th and Spring, though at the center of downtown’s art district and home to destinations like the Gorbals restaurant, has remained gritty. At 12:20 p.m. on May 10, as people were getting the Last Boosktore space into shape, a suspected drug dealer was killed by an undercover LAPD officer just across the street.” The Los Angeles Times
“There’s a slight element of danger,” Spencer (the owner who started selling things on line from his loft, then focused on books, then with help from friends opened a thousand square foot place, finally jumping to an abandoned bank building) admits. “I like that it’s real, that there’s an intersection of downtown’s past, downtown’s future and present. People at all different places in life, people who are criminals, people who are in city government, people who are artists — it’s all together. I think that’s vibrant and essential, and I think that’s why so many people are moving downtown.”
And it’s terrific. I just read where a grand scheme to turn the area around Disney Hall into a west coast version of New York’s upper east side has fallen through. The backers for the multi-millions condominium projects can no longer raise the money. Ho-hum. So the artists, the young, and the adventuresome have done what the rich planners couldn’t. They are creating a viable and interesting center of the city
In the old Citizen’s National Bank built in 1915.
It frequently has music as you can see.
It’s filled with funky decorating touches, couches, music, art installations, a coffee shop, and thousands and thousands of books which make you want to be there. (The prices are right, too. Used and new.)
I spoke with one of the book sellers. They’re doing great. The Last Bookstore.
