Visiting The Last Bookstore in Los Angeles
THE LAST BOOKSTORE | LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
As bookstores are slowly getting replaced by digital media and online shopping, one still remains in downtown Los Angeles that is a must-visit destination and not just for its books. I have had it on the list for a while but never had time for a visit. With some free time on New Year's Eve, we finally took a trip around The Last Bookstore in Los Angeles. Take a journey through the labyrinth with us.
VISITING THE LAST BOOKSTORE
The Last Bookstore sits at the corner of 5th and Spring in Downtown Los Angeles. The downstairs looks like any other bookstore that you would see. There are a variety of categories and even a vinyl section for anyone looking for that unmistakable classic turntable sound. It is a used bookstore so there is an area in the back of the store where you can sell your books and a lot of couches and chairs where you can kick back and enjoy a good read. One thing that you notice as soon as you walk in is the size of the place. It is a cavernous two-story open architecture building that has plenty of unique art on display. A lot of the art is made out of books or pages of books.
THE LABYRINTH ABOVE THE LAST BOOKSTORE
The upstairs, is affectionately called the Labyrinth Above the Last Bookstore and there are plenty of additional genres of books. One of the unique parts about the upstairs is the book tunnel that is made completely out of books as well as the book porthole. Social media sites, such as Instagram, have made this bookstore famous as they have done for many obscure places. It has become a destination for both book lovers and those just looking to take a new profile picture. I would imagine that all of this attention has caused issues because there are many signs up stating that if your photography disturbs others, you may be asked to stop.
THE LAST BOOKSTORE SHOPPING
While we were there, Amanda did want to browse through some of the books and actually found one that she wanted to take home. Their prices are very reasonable and I would highly recommend visiting the store, if for nothing more than exploring one of our endangered retail spaces, the last bookstore. While you are downtown, you could check out some of these other places.