When people thinks of the Arts District downtown, most know little about the area. Maybe they’ve been to Angel City Brewing a couple times, but that’s usually the extent of their knowledge. Most Angelenos are clueless to all the great shopping, restaurants and bars in the area. Well, that’s where The Taste Of The Arts District comes in- the perfect event to explore all the treasures sprinkled throughout the area.
Stefanie Anderson, the creator of The Taste Of The Arts District, said the following on why she started this one of a kind event:
I have a semi-permanent shop for my online boutique Souvenir at the Arts District Coop. I’ve been a fashion designer for 20 years and started this company as a side project. I dropped off my inventory at the Arts District Coop for them to sell while I was work all day.
I lost my job recently, so I ended up having more time to sell my inventory. I came up with the idea for this event while working at the shop one day, realizing how little foot traffic there was in the area. (especially near the coop). Most customers wander from nearby Urth Cafe, asking what else there is in the area. I live in the neighborhood so am aware of all the amazing shops, restaurants and art in the area. Many are just not advertised well or hard to find.
The Taste of The Arts District is set up in a way to force ticket holders to walk from one end of the neighborhood on 7th street, all the way down to the opposite ends.
I’m thinking of taking my business full time and am working on a business plan; finding the right partner and investors. The best part of putting together this event has been the opportunity to meet and be inspired by other business owners in the area. I also live here, but until now I had not realized what a great little community we have here. It’s like a small town inside a big city, so we have the best of both worlds.
Participating in this event gave us a whole new perspective on the area. There was a diverse array of shopping around each corner, and plenty of art to appreciate as well. While there were many art galleries, we also enjoyed all the street art in the area.
Of course, our favorite part was the delicious food in the neighborhood. No matter what type of food you were in the mood for, everything was very close by. Some of the top bites we had were the bao buns from The Chairman LA, miso peanut ramen from Edibol, a fried chicken slider from Fritzi, a mini pie from The Pie Hole, and ice cream from Salt & Straw.
We also found some treasures of our own, like this cute alleyway where people could come to sit, eat, and relax.
The Taste Of The Arts District was the perfect event to get a better appreciation for the area. By walking around the neighborhood, we got to see all the best spots around, and are excited to head down to The Arts District more often now!
