New Print Publication LA Downtowner Is Telling Colorful Neighborhood Stories

Have you seen copies of LA Downtowner floating around at your local Arts District coffee shop lately? The nascent lifestyle project has apparently been up and running quietly since September of last year, printing off physical monthly copies while maintaining a growing website dedicated to downtown life and, more importantly, food.

The clean, bright publication has taken a run at many of Downtown's best stories already, from quiet Main Street bar Wendell to the cover story on coffee house Elabrew. Even the longtime Golden Gopher gets its due.

For now, it seems like LA Downtowner is offering a lighter look at the neighborhood than, say, Life & Thyme, which shares broader food stories in a moodier light. Though not exclusively food-focused, there's simply too much going on Downtown for the publication to stay away from that arena.

Hopefully in future issues the editorial team will be able to jump into some of the bigger issues facing Downtown, like homelessness and neighborhood identity — without losing the cultural lens that's already starting to get them some recognition. Free pdfs of back issues can be found here, though copies can also be picked up everywhere from the Ace Hotel and Verve Coffee on Spring Street to the Standard Hotel and Grand Central Market.