Four Hours: Shop, dine, chill, repeat at Row DTLA
Part of the appeal of Row DTLA is that it’s different every time you drop by.
A year ago, the sprawling mixed-use development at 777 S. Alameda St. in the heart of historic downtown felt like a ghost town. Today, thanks in part to the recent opening of Tartine Manufactory, it has become a lively hub for creatives, fashionistas and families who frequent the historical venue for its offices, independent stores and restaurants.
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Graced with abundant outdoor seating and on-site parking, it is a comfortable environment where you can grab coffee and sit for hours, receive a wellness treatment or eat your way through the Smorgasburg open-air food market on Sundays. Here are a few highlights, and please note: Most venues do not accept cash.
11 a.m. Start your day at the sneaker boutique Bodega. If you can find it. But then, that’s part of the fun. (Hint: It’s Suite 150). After you make your way to the first-floor showroom (through a charming faux bodega), shop for the latest sneakers ranging from athletic (Nike) to designer (Missoni and Stella McCartney), casual (Vans) to limited-edition (JW Anderson glitter high-tops for Converse). Head upstairs to the third floor for mostly male-friendly clothing lines by Carhartt WIP, Cav Empt and Wacko Maria as well as unisex hats, backpacks and some selections for women, such as the limited-edition Adidas Originals x Fiorucci line. If you don’t feel like shopping, that’s fine. Get a workout at the pingpong table or introduce yourself to co-owner Jay Gordon’s French mastiff.
11:25 a.m. Grab a cold drink from the refrigerated section of the wine and spirits shop Flask & Field (Suite 180) as you make your way down to the small batch pottery studio Still Life Ceramics (Suite 198). Throw a bowl on one of the electric potter’s wheels, pick out a glaze and they will have it fired and ready for you in two weeks. One-hour guided “Bowl-in-One” classes, 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Sundays. $55. “Rose and Clay” wine tasting and pottery sessions with Flask & Field, 6:30 p.m. Fridays. $65. (Flask & Field also hosts wine tastings Saturdays and Sundays from 2 to 5 p.m.) Noted ceramist Heather Rosenman will lead a five-hour class on surface design June 22. Book classes online before you go as they sell out quickly: stilllifeceramics.com
12:30 p.m. Walk through the pass-through to Tartine’s Manufactory, the 40,000-square-foot food hall that has become the heart of Row DTLA.
Pull up a stool at the Carrara marble Market Bar and snack on some marinated olives, signature flatbreads or endive salad.
On your way out, shop for pantry staples in the market such as the grab-and-go Tartine bread in brown paper bags.
It’s refreshing to see so many California artists represented here, including ceramics by Pawena Thimaporn and Knotwork LA, barstools by Scout Regalia and dishware by Heath Ceramics. If there is a line at the pastry case, grab some chocolate croissants for breakfast tomorrow at the outdoor ice cream and coffee window on your way out.
1:30 p.m. If you have time, you might want to check out the latest photography exhibition at the House of Lucie, a non-profit gallery (Suite 140) showcasing the work of contemporary photographers. If you want to end your day feeling rejuvenated, book a holistic body treatment at the Bartholomew Method (Suite 114), a new wellness clinic that combines massage, aromatherapy and reflexology, among others, in a single treatment. Working with herbal heat packs and hot stones, Sean Bartholomew will “balance and realign major meridians” in your body in an hourlong “Realign and Balance” session. Add-on services include hot stone foot reflexology, cerebral spinal therapy and temporomandibular joint relief. At $150, it’s pricey but totally worth it. You will feel so good when Bartholomew is done with you, in fact, you may decide to explore Row DTLA for another four hours
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