Olvera Street, Birthplace of Los Angeles

Jill's Journal: It’s no secret driving in L.A. is about as much fun as getting a root canal, so we decided a day getting around on the metro might be a nice little adventure (as we tried not to envision what might become of the subway if an earthquake hit!).

Our main destination was the renowned Olvera Street and it just so happens there's a metro stop at Union Station, literally across the street.

Union Station is neat to see all on its own. It was built in 1939 on top of a former Chinese settlement which itself had been built over the top of an Indian village. It’s built in a sort of Spanish Colonial Art Deco style and is the last of the grand train stations built in the U.S.

It’s a short walk from Union Station to Olvera Street, the area where settlers from Mexico founded Los Angeles on or about September 4, 1781. This is the oldest part of downtown L.A. and is often called the birthplace of L.A. Olvera Street is actually part of the historic monument El Pueblo de Los Angeles. This plaza area was the city center under first Spanish, then Mexican, and finally United States rule through most of the 19th century.

Olvera Street itself is actually an alley that is closed to vehicles. It’s like a merchant’s row, filled to the brim with stall after stall of brightly-colored Mexican goods for sale – piñatas, sombreros, ponchos, plastic mariachi guitars, and more.

And the food! This is supposedly where taquitos first originated. Every food stand and restaurant claims to have the best. We settled for the ones covered in avocado sauce at Cielito Lindo. They’ve been in this spot since 1934 and were favorites of Rita Hayworth, Orson Wells, and Marlon Brando, all of whom talked the owners into catering private parties at their homes from time to time.

Sure enough, the taquitos were very, very good, but we thought their chile rellenos were even better.

Right on Olvera Street is Avila Adobe, the oldest existing house in Los Angeles. Built circa 1818, the house is furnished to look as it might have in the 1840s at the height of cattle ranching in L.A. The Avila family was wealthy and traded cowhides and tallow with merchants docked at the port for furnishings from all over the world. Famed fur trapper Jedediah Smith stayed with the family for a short time in 1826.

Notice there's a door in this master bedroom. Every room opens out into a central courtyard.

The nearby Consulate-General of Mexico has beautiful, elaborate murals adorning the walls.

Also nearby is Fire House No. 1, which was built in 1884 and is open to the public (both upstairs and downstairs). It was the first firehouse built by the City of Los Angeles and featured a unique turntable in the floor that made it unnecessary to back the horses in or out.

What a lovely way to spend a day in downtown L.A. And what fun to think of the quiet beginnings of this now great, bustling city.