Dear readers of blogs and literature and whatever else is out there to read,

Los Angeles: the city of angels, the city of… fallen… fairly unkempt angels…

Naturally, most people visit L.A. for the Hollywood connection; then there’s this schmuck here driving into L.A. to go to a bookstore.

Namely, THE LAST BOOKSTORE- 453 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA.

The photo is of the 5th St., which is the main street entrance. There is also a S. Spring St. entrance for book sellers, except on this particular day because someone was filming in front of this entrance. This made me realize how annoying that must be for residents, streets and sidewalks being closed because of filming.

The Last Bookstore claims the title of California’s Largest New and Used Book and Record Store.

The name, to quote the website, “was chosen with irony, but seems more appropriate with each passing day as physical bookstores die out like dinosaurs from the meteoric impact of Amazon and e-books.” I took the name to mean they were the last bookstore you will ever need. Both seem appropriate.

Along with the hundreds of thousands of new and used books and records, the lower level of the store also has a section for graphics novels and Rare Book Annex.

Upstairs, you can find more books in the Labyrinth. This area combines books with art, or potentially the evidence of someone having been EXTREMELY bored one day. Whatever the purpose, the sporadically placed art pieces, including the below pictured book tunnel, are still really cool.

The upstairs also plays host to a few art galleries and shops known as the Spring Arts Collective, of which we are strictly told not to take pictures. Silly artists protecting their art…. most of which, by the way, makes for a free, avant-garde art museum. At least one had a sign saying the art studio is open to the public when the artist is in, so you can even watch an artist at work or ask questions. There is also Gather Yarn Shop, selling yarn and knitting lessons.

Take a cultured moment in L.A. for the dying art that is the bookstore, and check out the art upstairs (some of which, if I could afford it, would be on its way to my house now).

Until next time, dahlings…