This Central Los Angeles Neighborhood Boasts Mural-Lined Streets, Bold Bites, And A Nearby Vintage Movie Palace
When you talk about Los Angeles with a local, they'll probably make a lot of references to specific neighborhoods that help organize the sprawl of such a megapolis. It may take a while to get the lay of the land and learn the lingo, but the fun part is that LA neighborhoods each have unique characteristics, from Venice with its canals and European charm to Pasadena and its world-famous Rose Bowl Flea Market. Mid-City, so called because it's in the center of Los Angeles, is roughly 2 miles (or 10 to 20 minutes by car, depending on time of day) from Culver City, LA's underrated Hollywood movie history hub with a fantastic restaurant scene.
LA's neighborhoods are constantly evolving, and borders aren't rigid. Therefore, Mid-City encompasses and overlaps a swath of sub-neighborhoods like Pico-Robertson, Mid-Wilshire, Fairfax, and Arlington Heights as you're driving toward Koreatown, and it's been expanding with the post-pandemic revitalization of West Adams, "LA's first suburb" just south of the 10 Freeway (often considered Mid-City's southern border). Mid-City is conceivably all of those places.
Don't let the boring name turn you off: Mid-City is full of food, art, history, and culture. It's a melting pot of Black, Hispanic, and transplant culture with soul food, street murals, and whispers of old LA, including a nearby vintage-style movie theater. It's not very walkable, so even though you can take the E line of the Metro to the general area, its central proximity to the freeways gives Mid-City residents a major advantage over some of its glossier counterparts.
Mid-City is brimming with diverse history and culture
Washington and Venice are quintessential Mid-City streets running east to west, dotted with businesses and ever-changing murals, like one of legendary Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela on Venice. It's LA tradition to start your day with a breakfast burrito, so order the Rico Suave from The Rooster on West Pico before you drive around these iconic streets, checking out the murals. Then, hit up the batting cages at Baseball Central, and for lunch, grab al pastor tacos at Leo's Tacos Truck. You also have great Mid-City options for dinner depending on your mood: My 2 Cents LA is a classic Southern restaurant on Pico that's a favorite of President Barack Obama, or try the upscale Japanese N/Soto, sibling to "Chef's Table"-featured N/Naka. End your night dancing at Catch One, a historic venue and nightclub, once the longest-running, Black woman-owned, LGBTQ bar.
Los Angeles is chock-full of old movie theaters and Art Deco gems, and Mid-City is no exception. Brain Dead Streetwear turned one 1940s-era former silent theater on nearby Fairfax into Brain Dead Studios, which now curates a slate of cult movies. If you prefer live performances, Mid-City's Wilshire Ebell Theatre offers an extensive calendar of classics from "Black Swan" to the "Nutcracker." The Nate Holden Performing Arts Center is a historic, Brutalist-style venue on Washington run by Black nonprofit Ebony Showcase Theatre with year-round performances.
Venture south of the 10 Freeway toward West Adams for a different Mid-City vibe. There you'll find the classic Johnny's, serving pastrami sandwiches, or CENTO, a vibey Italian restaurant more illustrative of the new side of Mid-City's revitalization. Reparations Bookstore is a Black-owned, indie bookstore with a diverse collection of titles emphasizing the city's historic Black community. Less than a mile northeast of Adams, a notable Mid-City site is the historic Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery on Washington, the first in LA to open to all races.
Head to Mid-Wilshire for classic LA sites and great food
Part of Mid-City bleeds up over Mid-Wilshire's Miracle Mile, where there are some must-see museums and eateries. LACMA is here, with permanent and visiting contemporary art collections. Outside, the iconic "Urban Light" lamp post exhibit offers a great photo op if you don't want to pay $28 for admission. The Academy Museum is an incredible architectural building with a behind-the-scenes look at your favorite silver screen legends. Just next door, the La Brea Tar Pits, one of the weirdest tourist attractions in Los Angeles, are active excavation sites burbling with prehistoric methane that you can see without paying to go inside. Across Wilshire, the Petersen Automotive Museum features famous TV cars and other rotating exhibits.
The award-winning taqueria Sonoratown on San Vicente, also in the Mid-Wilshire range of Mid-City, is easily paired with a day at the museums, or get a burger at the fast-casual Irv's Burgers on La Brea. For something more trendy after all that art, the pasta and cocktails at Met Him At A Bar are noteworthy. Afterward, cross La Brea to get a beer and play Skee-ball at All Season Brewing, in a converted Firestone tire shop. Alternatively, to get some locally beloved fried chicken, head back toward the other end of Mid-City. Gus's is a local go-to, as is Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles.