Olvera Street, also known as El Pueblo Historical Monument and La Placita, is a Mexican Marketplace made up of craft shops, traditional restaurants and cafes, street vendors, gift shops and old 19th-century buildings.
Olvera Street is often called “the birthplace of Los Angeles” because Los Angeles was founded by a Spanish colony which settled in an area near Olvera Street.
Plaza Olvera became the centre of the city, and in 1877 it was renamed Olvera Street.
Stroll down the Olvera street and smell spicy dishes like taquitos and tacos, listen to mariachi music and watch Aztecs and Mexican folkloric dancers.
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From street vendors you can buy handcrafted wallets, belts, pottery, purses and Mexican folk art.
Since Olvera Street hosts numerous traditional events throughout the year, plan your trip to celebrate at least one.
On Olvera Street you can celebrate Blessing of the Animals (Saturday before Easter), Cinco de Mayo, Fiestas Patrias (Mexican Independence Day), Dia de los Muertos (Oct. 25 – Nov. 2), and Las Posadas (Dec. 16-24).
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Check out these popular monuments:
America Tropical Interpretive Center where you can see “América Tropical,” an 80×18 foot mural created by David Alfaro Siqueiros. The mural shows a Mexican Indian crucified on a cross beneath an American eagle, with two sharpshooters aiming at the eagle from nearby which political message about the exploitation of Mexican workers caused immediate controversy.
Avila Adobe, LA’s oldest house built in 1818 by Francisco José Avila.
Church of Nuestra Señora Reina de Los Angeles which has been designated as a California Historical Landmark.
Zanja Madre which was created to supply water to the population and provide irrigation to the fields.
Sepulveda House a 22-room Victorian house built in 1887 in the Eastlake Victorian style. The Sepulveda House represents the architectural and social transformation of Los Angeles from a city of purely Mexican traditions to a multicultural blend of Mexican and American cultures.
La Golondrina Cafe, the oldest brick building in Los Angeles and the oldest restaurant on Olvera Street. Try their authentic food like birria de chivo or barbacoa de borrego – traditional presentations of steamed goat or lamb served in its own broth with herbs and chile.
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Los Angeles Plaza Park where numerous festivals and celebrations happen.
LA Plaza de Cultura Y Artes where visitors can learn about the founding story of Los Angeles with interactive exhibits that focus on exploring Mexican and Mexican-American identity.
The Old Plaza Firehouse is the oldest fire station in the city.
Nearby places
- Union Station (366 m)
- Museum of Contemporary Art (1.1 km)
- The Broad (1.2 km)
- OUE Skyspace (1.5 km)
- Walt Disney Concert Hall (1.7 km)
Location:
Sources: discoverlosangeles.com & introducinglosangeles.com
