03/05/2026
Touching down in Los Angeles en route to New Zealand, I had around 30 hours to play with and decided to base myself at The Hoxton in Downtown LA’s historic district. The staff were genuinely lovely and I was upgraded on arrival to a larger, very art deco style room which felt like a real treat after a long flight. There is a beautiful rooftop pool and bar with skyline views and excellent cocktails, although the food is on the pricey side so it is worth bearing in mind if you are budgeting a stopover. Location wise it did the job for a quick layover, but for most clients I’d still usually suggest staying in West Hollywood or closer to the beaches for that classic LA experience. With just one night this felt like a good excuse to try somewhere new.
I’d planned a full day of exploring, but a few bits of work needed my attention, so I balanced laptop time with some gentle wandering.
First stop was Angels Flight Railway, a tiny funicular that has been trundling passengers up and down Bunker Hill for more than a century. Once known as the “shortest railway in the world”, it originally opened in 1901 to shuttle residents between the hilltop neighbourhood and the streets below. I walked up to the plaza at the top for a coffee and a quiet spot to work, then hopped on Angels Flight for the short, characterful ride back down.
From there, I strolled over to the Walt Disney Concert Hall, one of LA’s most striking landmarks. Designed by Frank Gehry, the stainless steel curves and gleaming surfaces are just as impressive up close as they look in photos. Even from the outside it feels like a sculptural artwork in its own right, and it’s a lovely place to pause, wander around the terraces and soak up the architecture.
Later I headed to the Arts District, where former warehouses now house coffee bars, creative studios, independent boutiques and colourful murals on almost every corner. I spent a while weaving through the side streets searching for my favourite pieces of street art, before settling into a local hangout for a late lunch and my first ever salted rosemary latte, which was every bit as amazing as it sounds (if you like rosemary and coffee as much as I do!).
One word of advice I’ll share: if you are travelling between the Arts District and Downtown, I’d recommend taking an Uber rather than walking. Skid Row sits between the two areas and, even though I tried to detour, I still ended up passing through some very edgy streets that I quite literally ran through to get back.
With a few more hours in Los Angeles I’d have happily headed back to my favourite spots at the coast, revisiting Santa Monica and the Venice Canals for a sunset stroll before the long-haul flight.
