The neighborhood's brick warehouses and rail spurs date to the early twentieth century, when the area served the produce and manufacturing industries along the Los Angeles River, and artists began converting the empty buildings into live-work lofts starting in the 1970s and 1980s.
Row DTLA, built out of a former Coca-Cola bottling plant and Sears mail-order warehouse complex, is now the district's largest adaptive-reuse property, combining event space, food hall, and creative-office tenants across several connected buildings.
SCI-Arc, the Southern California Institute of Architecture, occupies a former Santa Fe freight depot at the district's edge, adding an architecture-school presence that shapes some of the neighborhood's design-forward creative-industry identity.
Execution priorities
- Row DTLA's converted warehouse buildings host branded activations and receptions inside genuine early-industrial architecture.
- Angel City Brewery's taproom, in a converted 1913 warehouse, supports informal group gatherings and off-sites.
- The 6th Street Bridge, rebuilt and reopened in 2022 after the original's demolition, has become a landmark backdrop at the district's western edge.
From produce warehouses to creative-industry campus
The Arts District's brick-and-timber warehouse stock, originally built for produce packing and light manufacturing tied to the nearby rail lines, gives the neighborhood a texture no other downtown district shares: exposed brick, tall factory windows, and loading docks that once moved freight and now move event production instead.
That industrial bone structure is exactly what draws branded activations and press events here, clients looking for a raw, converted-warehouse backdrop rather than a hotel ballroom or a convention hall.
Row DTLA as the district's anchor property
Row DTLA's several connected buildings, developed out of the former Coca-Cola bottling plant and Sears warehouse, combine a food hall, creative offices, and dedicated event spaces, making it the closest thing the Arts District has to a purpose-built venue while still keeping the neighborhood's warehouse character intact.
Loading into Row DTLA and similar converted properties runs through the buildings' original freight docks, adapted for modern event use, so confirming dock dimensions and access windows ahead of a load-in matters more here than at a newer purpose-built venue.
SCI-Arc, Angel City Brewery, and the neighborhood's daily texture
SCI-Arc's presence in a converted Santa Fe freight depot brings a steady flow of architecture and design students and faculty through the district, reinforcing its creative-industry identity beyond the event and hospitality businesses.
Angel City Brewery, operating out of a 1913 warehouse building, is a regular pick for informal group gatherings and off-sites that want a working brewery atmosphere rather than a formal event space.
The 6th Street Bridge as a modern landmark
The Sixth Street Viaduct, rebuilt with a distinctive series of arched ribbons after the original 1932 bridge was demolished over seismic safety concerns, reopened in 2022 at the district's western edge and has quickly become a favored backdrop for photography and outdoor gatherings tied to Arts District events.
The bridge itself is a public roadway and park space managed by the city, not a bookable venue, so any organized activity near it, beyond casual photography, requires the same public-space permitting as other city-owned locations. It connects the Arts District to Boyle Heights across the Los Angeles River, and its arches are now visible from several Row DTLA event spaces, a detail worth using in any evening program that wants a skyline-adjacent backdrop.
Fitting the Arts District into a downtown program
Groups running a convention-center program downtown often use the Arts District for a single evening reception at Row DTLA or a nearby warehouse venue, a short rideshare from South Park or L.A. LIVE, while keeping working sessions at the halls where the exhibit floor actually is.
Frequently asked questions
What is Row DTLA and what kind of events does it host?
Row DTLA is a converted warehouse complex, built from a former Coca-Cola bottling plant and Sears warehouse, combining a food hall, creative offices, and dedicated event spaces used for branded activations and receptions.
Is the Arts District within walking distance of the convention center?
It is a short rideshare or drive from South Park and L.A. LIVE rather than a walk; the districts are adjacent but separated by several downtown blocks.
Can we host a casual off-site at a brewery in the Arts District?
Yes, Angel City Brewery, in a converted 1913 warehouse, is a regular venue for informal group gatherings and off-sites.
What is SCI-Arc and does it affect the neighborhood?
SCI-Arc, the Southern California Institute of Architecture, occupies a former freight depot in the district and brings a steady student and faculty presence that reinforces the area's creative-industry character.