Photos:: Tech scene takes hold in revitalized downtown L.A.

Brennan Roberts, left, Kate Hollenbach, center, and Alan Brown, right, collaborate as Laika the dog sits nearby during a tour of Oblong in downtown Los Angeles. The business is housed in a former railroad depot. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

March 6, 2015 7:45 PM PT

The city’s vibrant geographic core is central, cool and relatively cheap, making it a logical node in the thriving L.A. tech economy that has exploded beyond its Westside confines.

Tech scene takes hold in revitalized downtown L.A.

Vicken Simonian, an engineer, works during a tour of Oblong, a 9-year-old company that makes a gesture control system. The business is housed in a former railroad depot in downtown L.A. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Oblong’s vice president of solutions (on video screen) telecommutes from Boston during a meeting at Oblong’s office in downtown Los Angeles. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

One of three workspaces is seen during a tour of Oblong in downtown Los Angeles. The business is housed in a former railroad depot. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Doors and walls are used to write down ideas at Oblong in downtown Los Angeles. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Hand gestures are on a wall at Oblong, which makes a gesture control system. The business is housed in a former railroad depot in downtown L.A. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Oblong Chief Operating Officer Mary Ann De Lares Norris outside the company’s Arts District office. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

John Underkoffler is founder and chief executive of Oblong in downtown Los Angeles. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

An employee works on the Mezzanine system at Oblong in downtown Los Angeles. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Engineer Thomas Kozourek, right, helps himself to a stir-fry lunch during a tour of Oblong in downtown Los Angeles. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Employees enjoy lunch during a tour of Oblong in downtown Los Angeles. The business is housed in a former railroad depot. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Oblong is housed in a former railroad depot in downtown L.A.’s Arts District. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Charles Shortridge tries on the Smart Helmet during a two-day tech expo at Daqri on February 19, 2015, in downtown Los Angeles. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

The Industrial 4D Studio creation platform is on display during a two-day tech expo at Daqri in downtown Los Angeles. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)