Voting in Downtown’s Most Historic Places

Timeless Elegance at The Biltmore Hotel

The Biltmore Hotel is a historic luxury hotel located on 5th and Grand. It is one of the city’s most iconic landmarks, known for its elegant architecture and opulent interior design.  A glorious mix of brick, concrete, and Italian marble, spanning almost an entire city block. Built in 1923, the Biltmore is a stunning example of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture with ornate ceilings, chandeliers, sculptures, and enormous ball rooms, that testify to a time of craftsmanship now all but lost. 

Photos courtesy Millennium Biltmore

Voting here would be like stepping back in time, mixing your fate with Hollywood legends, diplomats and the ill fated Black Dahlia who is known to have spent some of her last nights here before her unsolved murder.

Millennium Biltmore Hotel – 506 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90071 – Tue, Nov 5 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Vote First Then Poolside at Hotel Figueroa

Hotel Figueroa is a historic boutique hotel located on 9th and Fig Ave. Originally built in 1926, its Spanish Colonial architecture and Mediterranean-inspired design served originally as a women’s hostel.  Within its main lobby interior of, high ceilings, wide arches, and original tiled flooring, designers continue the tradition with a modern day sheen, transforming the timeless location into a vibrant and stylish accommodation. 

Photos courtesy Hotel Figueroa

Voting here could mean spending the rest of the day relaxing by the pool with a few cocktails and bites before returning to the hustle and bustle of the big city.

Hotel Figueroa – 939 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90015 – Tue, Nov 5 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Go Metro! To Metro Headquarters

The Metro Headquarters building is a modern high-rise office tower located on Vignes and Cesar E. Chavez. It serves as the headquarters for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro), the agency responsible for operating the city’s public transportation system. The building features a sleek design and offers stunning views of the city skyline. 

Photos courtesy Metro Transit Authority

Using public transportation to vote? All roads lead to Metro. Right outside the iconic station’s eastern doors lies Metro HQ.

Metro Headquarters 1 Gateway Plz – Los Angeles, CA 90012. Tue, Nov 5 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Chinatown Branch Library

Photos courtesy Trip Advisor

The Chinatown Branch Library is a community library located in Los Angeles’ Chinatown district. Expect the quietest of voter boxes here; otherwise, face the librarians wrath. 

Chinatown has a long history, beginning with the arrival of the first Chinese people in 1852. Relocated in 1931, since Chinatown has been one of Downtown’s most cherished tourist attractions, with hidden passageways that lead to everything from food to shopping. After exploring options on the ballet, just a short trek allows voters to discover Chinatown’s temples, art galleries, market places, and dark bars, inviting all to dive headfirst into Chinese-American culture. 

Chinatown Branch Library – 639 N Hill St Los Angeles, CA 90012. Tue, Nov 5 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Ahmanson Theater at The Music

The theater was built as a result of a donation from Howard F. Ahmanson Sr., the founder of an insurance and savings and loans company. 

Photos courtesy The Music Center

Voting here, one may hear the echos of past performances, resonating through the halls, such as the Phantom of the Opera, Amadeus, and La Boheme.

A quick trip down a flight of stairs, just past the unpredictable spouting water installations of the Plaza, reveals a full view of City Hall and Gloria Molina Grand Park for a grassy day of reflection and relaxation at one of the calmest destinations in the city. 

The Music Center – Ahmanson Theater – First Floor Lobby, 135 N Grand Ave Los Angeles, CA 90012. Tue, Nov 5 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Japanese American National Museum and the History Culture

The Japanese American National Museum is a cultural institution dedicated to preserving and interpreting the history and culture of Japanese Americans. Located at the edge of Central and 1st, the museum features a variety of WW2 exhibits, including artifacts, photographs, and interactive displays.

Photos courtesy Japanese American National Museum

Voting here allows for a solemn history lesson and testament of just how far America has come since the days of WW2, when the US government evacuated the entire population of Little Japan to concentration camps in nearby states. 

Just outside the museum doors is Little Tokyo, another one of downtown’s busiest tourist districts. Shopping for souvenirs, taking in the sites, visitors from all over the world may enjoy the absolutely best in Japanese cuisine, explore Japanese Gardens, or even take in a play at the oldest Pentecostal Church site located at the Japanese American Cultural Center. 

Japanese American National Museum – 100 N Central Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Tue, Nov 5 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration a Man of the People

Kenneth Hahn Kenneth Frederick Hahn was a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for forty years. During his time, he fought to end pollution, prison reform, public housing, and rent control.

And the list goes on when it comes to Hahn. Before his death in 1997, Hahn would live to see his most gallant public service projects come to life, including the city’s first emergency paramedic response teams that allowed citizens to be treated by other people other than doctors and nurses, emergency call boxes on the freeways, even the renaming of a medical facility to Martin Luther King Hospital, and championing for the possibility of a then, nonexistent Los Angeles Metro Rail network.

Photos courtesy LA Conservatory

An ardent supporter of civil rights, Hahn became a staple of political history. Voting at the Kenneth Hahn Administration Building on Temple and Hill in the Civic District may be the closest many will get to a seat in Los Angeles County government. The building houses the offices of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and other county departments.

Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration 500 W Temple St Los Angeles, CA 90012. Tue, Nov 5 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM

From the Industrial Revolution to One Santa Fe

Photos courtesy Michael Maltzan Architecture

One Santa Fe is a mixed-use development located on 1st and Sante Fe streets in the Arts District. Designed by Michael Maltzan Architecture, the building is more than a quarter mile in length and features a variety of residential, retail, and commercial spaces, including apartments, shops, restaurants, and offices.

With its vast landscape stretching for miles in every direction, voting here could mean an escape from the hectic core of downtown LA into the vast landscape that once led the Industrial Revolution. 

There’s an organic grocery market, cafes, and even sushi houses for those who are hungry for more Arts District serenity.

One Santa Fe – 300 S Santa Fe Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90013. Tue, Nov 5 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Author: Keri Freeman

Military mom and proud parent, artist, writer, musician and film maker. Cocktail connoisseur. Publisher of DTLA Weekly.