Celebrating The “Last Book Store” In Los Angeles!
This year, my wife Alex made my birthday a week long celebration of “all new” LA experiences, and that included our first ever trip to downtown LA’s legendary “Last Book Store!”
Here’s a bit of history about this iconic store:
The Last Bookstore is California’s largest used and new book and record store, opened in 2005 in a loft in the heart of downtown Los Angeles.
Here’s a shot of the massive first floor, taken from the second floor…oh, and here are the really cool stairs that take you up there!
The Store’s “Ironic” Name!
It has grown since then to 22,000 square feet, a softly lit labyrinthine collection of books and records, with space for literary, musical and theatrical events.
When Owner Josh Spencer opened The Last Bookstore in downtown Los Angeles, he thought it was going to fail because of the declining state of the book industry.
That’s why he chose the ironic name!
Alex and I explored the entire store, and left with two bags full of books and used record albums as well – we could have stayed all day just exploring the unique features of the store, like their “book tunnel!”
Exploring The “Book Tunnel!”
On the second floor of the store is the iconic “book tunnel”, a carefully constructed arc of literature!
I can only imagine it’s the most photographed spot in the store!
Except for the fact that the store is filled with unique nooks and crannies – this surrealistic library shelf, and of course, the secret “book vault!”
Yes, this real bank vault door leads to a collection of rare first editions – not for sale as much as for show – a love letter to the printed page!
There are rare books everywhere, and yes, Alex perused them all while wearing her special “bunny ears” hat – it was a cold and rainy day in LA!
The “danger room” housed edgier fare, from more controversial writers and artists…everywhere you look there is something for everyone in this great store!
This was just one of the magical adventures Alex had for me – I showed you the view from the top of The Hollywood Sign, which we hiked to as well:
The view is spectacular, and if you want to see how difficult it is to make it to the top, just click on my story here:
If all of this Hollywood history makes you hungry, make a reservation to eat at Hollywood’s oldest and most famous restaurant!
Musso & Frank is over a hundred years old, and even has its own star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame!
Click here to see why they have the best Martini is the city!
If you enjoy these posts, why not subscribe and never miss out? It’s easy, and there are NO ads of any kind, just stuff I like…click on the main page and “follow” me on the upper right…
Here’s to more great L.A. adventures to come and thanks for visiting The Last Book Store!
Categories: Art, Books / Media, Exotic Travel, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Memoirs, Pop Culture, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir
What a wonderful place, John. And they say there is no paradise on Earth! I would love to visit this store.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You could get lost in there for hours with the fun stuff they have and all of the incredible books – from rare classics to pulp fiction!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Heaven on Earth for me, John.
LikeLiked by 1 person
How wonderful…I love it!…
LikeLike
I like everything about this, and I’m putting it on my Bucket List. I can’t imagine too many bookstores have more sq. ft. So much creativity throughout, and I like the exit sign as well.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s a love letter to the printed page and tons of great used albums as well! Thanks for commenting, always great to hear from you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I absolutely love this!! When I get back to LA, this is a must stop for me.
LikeLike
Wonderful! I would LOVE to visit that bookstore!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s a book lover’s dream!
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a fun place. I would just love it!! You certainly had a great birthday week!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, Alex made every day magical! Thanks for reading and commenting!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love old book stores like that , and can spend a long time in them! Amazing
LikeLike
I can imagine spending a very long time in that book shop. A great find, John.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pete, it’s a blast – tons of used books and vinyl as well as new…the good old days of browsing in person! thanks for reading and sharing!
LikeLiked by 1 person