There have been several places I’ve visited over the years that I thought were made with me in mind. San Pedro, Guatemala, was certainly one of them. The Jumbo Hostel in Sweden was another. The Last Bookstore in Downtown Los Angeles was the most recent one to give me the “Yesssss, I am home” feeling.
I think you’ll love this place too, if you have an affinity for any or all of the following:
- Books
- Old historical buildings repurposed to house books
- Art installations made of books
- Books
- Books
Although the Last Bookstore is located inside what used to be an old bank, the bookstore itself isn’t all that old. It was founded in 2005 and moved into its current location in 2011. The bank was built in 1914, and with its 25-foot columns, it looks it. I think the Los Angeles Times put it best when it said the store conveys the feeling of “sifting through the ruins of a lost civilization.”
My favorite part about the shop was its size—it’s three stories—and the bargain prices. Every book in the upstairs section is $1.00.
The store sells music, too.
If you visit, here are four things you won’t want to miss.
1. The art installations
The entire second floor of the store houses several cool book-themed works of art as well as a handful of small art galleries and shops. I liked this one the best.
2. The Book Tunnel
This is the tunnel you’ll see if you do a #thelastbookstore hashtag search on Instagram.
2. The vaults
There are several vaults located throughout the store. While they were once used to protect money or gold, now they protect something more valuable: rare books.
4. The rainbow-colored bookshelves
This was my favorite. It’s located on the second floor.
The Last Bookstore:
453 S Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 488-0599
