The Bloc Los Angeles: A Vibrant Open-Air Shopping, Dining & Entertainment Hub

The Bloc Los Angeles is a colourful, open-air city centre and a large project that covers an entire city block at 700 South Flower Street in downtown Los Angeles. It was designed as the “Broadway Plaza” in 1973, and in 2016, it underwent a $160 million renovation to become an outdoor, street-facing space. The Bloc achieved a LEED Gold certification due to its sustainable and efficient building design. The building is a combination of a 496-room Sheraton Grand hotel, a high-end office tower, and a shopping centre with the most popular stores, such as UNIQLO and Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, that have the right of entry to the 7th Street Metro Centre Station. Its open plaza and terraces are full of activities such as the dining experiences in restaurants such as JOEY DTLA and HATCH, and year-round activities including live music, art installations, fitness classes and seasonal lighting displays that create a community hub bridging the financial, fashion, jewellery and theatre areas of the city. 

What Can You See, Do & Experience at The Bloc?

Here are the six best things to see, do and experience at The Bloc Los Angeles:

1. Shopping & Retail: The Bloc is a mixture of big and small stores, including UNIQLO and Nordstrom Local. All types of brands are available here.
2. Dining & Drinks: The Bloc has a variety of food and beverage choices, such as a coffee bar and izakaya. Its famous places are JOEY DTLA, where visitors sit down and have a meal, HATCH, where visitors have Japanese yakitori, and Marugame Udon, where visitors have Japanese noodles. Farm-to-table food and cocktails are also available at the nearby District restaurant.
3. Entertainment & Experiences: The Bloc has the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, where you can have a full menu of food and beverages with your film. There are also numerous events throughout the year in the Bloc, including live music, art showcases, fitness, and seasonal events, including the “Sparkle DTLA” holiday light show.
4. Aesthetic & Atmosphere: The Bloc used to be an inward-oriented shopping centre, but now it is an open-air area that incorporates the downtown street life. It also has colourful outdoor promenades, terraces and sit-down plazas. The place is also covered with murals and art that indicate the cultural map of Downtown LA.
5. Cost & Value: The Bloc have costs for goods and services that vary in its different restaurants between mid-range and higher cost. Parking is also paid, $6 per hour and $44 without validation, in the garage.
6. Crowd & Vibe: It is a tourist spot where a large crowd gathers, particularly during the evenings in the city centre. It is a people-watching and fun-based location with a vibrant and energetic atmosphere.

How to Get to The Bloc?

Here are the three best ways to go to The Bloc Los Angeles:

1. By Metro: The 7th St/Metro station, which serves the Metro B Line (Red) and D Line (Purple), is directly connected to The Bloc. Metro A Line (Blue) also passes the 7th St/ Metro station. To ride, buy a reusable TAP card for paying for tickets. It costs $1.75 per ride.
2. By Bus: There is the Metro Bus, DASH bus, or LADOT bus which takes you to The Bloc. The 7th St/Metro station has a number of routes that pass around it.
3. By Limo and Car Services: A private limousine service Los Angeles drops you right at The Bloc. There is also an option to drive your own car and park it in the Bloc parking structure. The parking garage includes valet services and self-service, with different charges based on validation and time. 

What Are the Entry Fees & Timings of The Bloc?

The Bloc operates around the clock; however, the fees charged on entry will depend on the standard, valet, or early bird parking arrangements. Normal charges are $3.50 per hour. The early bird special provides a discount of $13 on self-parking on  Monday- Friday between 6 AM to 9 AM. 

Where to Eat at or Near The Bloc?

Here are the eight  best places to eat near The Bloc Los Angeles:

1. District DTLA (Inside The Bloc): It is a premium restaurant located within The Bloc, which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Its menu included fish tacos, truffle parmesan fries, and craft cocktails. It also has a relaxed restaurant ambience and a top-rated bar service.
2. Sweetgreen (Inside The Bloc): Sweetgreen serves the franchise of organic and locally-sourced salads and bowls, many of which are vegan. Its food is healthy with fast service.
3. Starbucks Reserve (Inside The Bloc): It is a typical Starbucks, open early and selling various signature roasts and light food, with seating indoors and outdoors. 
4. Uncle Paulie’s Deli: It provides sandwiches and salads in an Italian fashion, made of fresh and high-quality ingredients. It is on 3rd St and has delicious sandwiches made on fresh bread.
5. Bottega Louie (Nearby-6 min walk): Bottega Louie is a colourful and fancy Italian restaurant that offers pizzas, pasta and small dishes. It has a famous bakery stand with macarons. It is located on Grand Avenue and is within walking distance of The Bloc.
6. Shake Shack (Nearby-3 min walk): Shake Shack is a major counter-service chain restaurant that offers high-quality fast-food foods such as burgers and frozen custard. It is situated on West 8th Street, which is quite near The Bloc, and has great food all the time.
7. Tocaya Modern Mexican (Nearby-5 min walk): It’s a contemporary Mexican restaurant that serves tacos, salads, and burritos, with a significant number of vegetarian and vegan-friendly dishes. It is situated in S Olive Street, right within walking distance of The Bloc.
8. Mendocino Farms (Nearby-6 min walk): It is a superb option of creative and quality gourmet sandwiches, salads, and soups prepared using local and seasonal foodstuffs. It is located on S Figueroa Street, which is a short walk away from The Bloc. 

Is The Bloc Worth Visiting?

The Bloc in Los Angeles is worth seeing, and the best place to shop, eat or watch a movie at the special Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. Being an open-air and lively urban centre in the centre of DTLA, it provides an incredible variety of experiences, such as big shops like Macy, UNIQLO, or a diversity of restaurants, and sightseeing programs, like live music and art installations. Its main advantages are that it is in a central and metro-reachable place and it has a nice atmosphere with an outdoor seating area and string lights, which is a good place to have a rest.