Regional Connector Transit Project

The Little Tokyo/Arts District Station, currently an at-grade Gold Line station located at the intersection of 1st and Alameda streets, will be moved underground and across the street to the southeast corner of 1st St and Central Av as part of the Regional Connector Transit Project. The station, bordering the two neighborhoods of Little Tokyo and the Arts District, will make these historically rich and vibrant neighborhoods easily accessible.

Little Tokyo

As one of the three remaining Japantowns in the United States, Little Tokyo offers a unique cultural experience for the whole family. This Gold Line destination introduces the public to traditional and contemporary Japanese culture through vibrant festivals, historical tours, exhibitions, performances and more. This neighborhood lies within a nationally recognized historic district and has been an important piece of LA’s history since it’s beginning. Walk down the brick-lined streets and explore small family owned businesses offering authentic cuisines and one of a kind retail. The neighborhood's local museums and cultural centers are the heart of this community and present unique artistic and cultural programming to the visitors every day.

Attractions:

• Aratani Theater
• Art Share L.A.
• Go For Broke Monument
• Historic Churches and Buddhist Temples
• Honda Plaza
• Japanese American Cultural and Community Center
• Japanese American National Museum
• Japanese Village Plaza
• Little Tokyo Public Library
• MOCA at Geffen Contemporary
• Southern California Institute of Architecture
• Weller Court

Arts District

Since the 1970’s, this once gritty industrial district has evolved to an urban destination with arts at its roots. Galleries, small boutiques, socially conscious retailers, breweries and restaurants, lie amidst a stretch of early 20th-century warehouse lined blocks that introduce passersby to murals by local and international artists. Visitors can walk south just a few blocks from Metro’s Gold Line’s Little Tokyo/Arts District station and decide upon a guided historical tour, view street art, visit a contemporary gallery, take a hike to a local breweries, shop at an arts’ inspired boutique, or bring the family to the Saturday Farmer’s Market.

With the Regional Connector’s direct connection across Los Angeles County, residents from Azusa, Santa Monica, East Los Angeles and Long Beach will easily access downtown Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo and Arts District communities contributing to the thousands of visitors flowing each day into these two neighborhoods.

Attractions:

• Arts District Farmers Market
• Hauser Wirth and Schimmel
• Angel City Brewery

The rich history of the birth of downtown Los Angeles surrounds the location of the new Historic Broadway Station.  The streets of historic downtown Los Angeles include two nationally registered districts:  The Broadway Theater District, which includes the remnants of 12 theaters within seven blocks, and Old Spring Street, which is known as the original Financial District of Downtown Los Angeles.  Broadway is one of the oldest streets in the city and it was laid out as part of the 1849 street plan.  Broadway was also the home to streetcars, which were heavily utilized by shoppers and workers between 1901 and 1963.

The Historic Core Downtown and the Civic Center areas combined contain the second largest concentration of government employees in the United States outside Washington, D.C.  The new station will be the hub for both government employees and tourists alike.  With the connectivity to downtown, a visitor can hop on the train and go to the Grand Av Arts/Bunker Hill Station to visit the cultural hub of downtown Los Angeles or to the Little Tokyo/Arts District Station to visit historic Little Tokyo.

With the Regional Connector’s direct connection across Los Angeles County, residents from Azusa, Santa Monica, East Los Angeles and Long Beach can easily access downtown Los Angeles’ government services or nearby destinations.

Attractions:

• City of Los Angeles City Hall
• Angelus Plaza
• Caltrans District 7 and Los Angeles Department of Transportation
• Downtown Independent Cinema
• Federal Courthouse
• Grand Park
• Historic Broadway Corridor
• LA Law Library
• Los Angeles Police Department Headquarters
• Times Building

The new Grand Av Arts/Bunker Hill Station will sit a block west of Grand Ave surrounded by nationally recognized performing arts centers and museums.  Besides these cultural assets, the area remains a job and residential center for thousands of Angelenos.  The area traditionally known as Bunker Hill draws thousands of local visitors, as well as tourists from all over the world.

Bunker Hill has a rich history from its inception in 1867 and its revitalization, beginning in 1955, which populated Bunker Hill with modern plazas and buildings.  The resurgence of Bunker Hill in recent years grew from the construction of public venues, such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall , the Museum of Contemporary Art and more recently, The Broad Museum.

With the completion of the Regional Connector’s Grand Av Arts/Bunker Hill two-story station, visitors can hop on the train and exit at the footsteps of these popular venues.

With Regional Connector’s direct connection across Los Angeles County, residents from Azusa, Santa Monica, East Los Angeles and Long Beach can easily access Downtown Los Angeles’ cultural hub and surrounding destinations.

Attractions:

• Ahmanson Theater
• California Plaza
• Colburn School of Performing Arts
• Department of Water and Power Headquarters
• Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
• Ketchum YMCA
• Mark Taper Forum
• Museum of Contemporary Art
• Redcat Theater
• Stanley Mosk Los Angeles County Court House
• The Broad Museum
• Walt Disney Concert Hall
• World Trade Center

The 7th St/Metro Center, one of the most utilized Metro Rail stations, serves thousands of workers in the Financial District.  With the completion of the Regional Connector, the 7th St/Metro Center will no longer be a terminus for the Long Beach Blue Line and the Culver City Expo Line but will offer an opportunity to save 20 minutes for those commuting by rail across Los Angeles County.  The Regional Connector will also relieve station crowding with its direct access to centralized stations such as Little Tokyo/Arts District, Grand Av Arts/Bunker Hill and Historic Broadway.

With Regional Connector’s connection across Los Angeles County, residents from Azusa, Santa Monica, East Los Angeles and Long Beach can easily access downtown Los Angeles’ Financial District and surrounding destinations.

Attractions:

• FIGat7th
• California Club
• Citigroup Center
• City National Plaza
• The Bloc Downtown
• Maguire Gardens
• Richard J. Riordan Central Library
• Sheraton Hotel
• The Standard Hotel
• The Westin Bonaventure Hotel
• Wilshire Grand Hotel (under construction)