[Slauson Slim]

Broadway Central Bldg: Thanks for sharing your photos and observations on Downtown and its changes. Growing up for me, it was the place to go.

When I was a child mother and I took the streetcar Downtown for shopping and lunch. May Co., Broadway, Robinsons, etc. Pig n' Whistle and Clifton's. It was vibrant and crowded. The toy departments were memorable to a child.

We would visit friends of my grandmother on Bunker Hill.

When I was old enough I went by myself shopping and to the movies, at those big old movie palaces - endless carpets, crying rooms, beautiful decor, big balconies, and the big screens.

During the Summer, and Christmas, breaks from school my parents sent me to the Downtown Y, at 7th and Hope, for day long activities - exercise, swimming, field trips. Before and after the Y my friends and I would explore Downtown - the knife shops, music stores, books shops, coin shops, and pen shops and wander the department stores.

Along Spring Street was the financial area - banks, brokers, etc. Main Street had the, ummmm, colorful bars and burlesque houses, theaters showing Asian movies, and pawn shops.

As a teenager and later I would haunt the pawn shops looking for deals on guitars and amps.

One of my uncles was a Western Electric phone installer and worked in the big buildings, another was a diamond merchant and jewelry maker n the jewelry district and my grandfather owned a restaurant in the 1920s near present City Hall.

Later, as an adult I would travel to LA for business, and during downtime explore downtown. I'd show colleagues the Bradbury Bldg., take them for Mexican food in the Grand Central Market, and drinks at the Biltmore. Or to eat in Little Tokyo.

Despite being somewhat frayed and neglected Downtown was still a vibrant place, reflecting the needs of current LA residents, and now with an influx of new people with a vision of urban life and plans, it is changing again.