Downtown L.A.

For many Angelenos, downtown is a mystery — a destination only when jury duty calls. Where to begin?  (Kimberly Roberson / For The Times)

Gronk, painter of “Enter Tormenta,” chose to live downtown because “I thought it would be character-building.”  (Don Bartletti / LAT)

The grit, the energy and the freedom lure artists like Gronk to the city’s core. But it’s not for everyone, he says. “I always refer to living in downtown L.A. as if I were living in a Fellini movie.”  (Don Bartletti / LAT)

Among SuperHappyBunny’s designs: a table that looks like a Chinese takeout box.  (Ann Johansson / LAT)

Lego-like PixelBlocks are among the projects of the company’s designers.  (Ann Johansson / LAT)

At the offices of industrial design team SuperHappyBunny in Los Angeles’ Brewery Arts Complex, new toys come alive and visitors discover that a chair is more than just a chair  (Ann Johansson / LAT)

The Bunker Hill steps, reminiscent of Rome’s famed Spanish Steps, have eight staircases that offer different views of the city.  (Anne Cusack / LAT)

Need to hire a cat sitter, meet new people or rent a helicopter? Just ask the residential concierge.  (Kimberly Roberson / For The Times)

Beneath skyscrapers’ cold shoulders lies an elegant city on a human scale.  (Don Bartletti / LAT)

The Dish Factory features an array of kitchen equipment and restaurant seating, including an aluminum bistro model for $35.  (Myung J. Chun / LAT)

Michael Levine offers fine trims and upholstery fabrics ranging from crisp linens and toile to leather embossed with a crocodile pattern at $440 a yard.  (Myung J. Chun / LAT)

Silk flowers, from $2.99, and fall-colored decorations are on display at the cavernous Moskatel’s on South San Julian Street.  (Myung J. Chun / LAT)

Cheerful plates, bowls and cups, from $11.99 per dozen, as well as stainless-steel cookware line the aisles of the Dish Factory.  (Myung J. Chun / LAT)

An 8-foot-long copper rain chain, a decorative alternative to the common gutter downspout, sells for $395 at Anzen Hardware in Little Tokyo.  (Myung J. Chun / LAT)

Shaded winding paths are designed to attract daytime office workers as well as evening concertgoers.  (Richard Hartog / LAT)

The soft foliage of mature trees contrasts with the Walt Disney Concert Hall’s sleek, steel exterior.  (Richard Hartog / LAT)

Public parks and plazas take on new importance as downtown redevelops, offering green spaces to concrete-bound city-dwellers. Bronze foxes add a whimsical touch to Grand Hope Park at Hope and 9th streets in the South Park district.  (Don Bartletti / LAT)

John and Anastasia McAteer came to avoid traffic but stay because “it’s like our own little secret society down here.”  (Don Bartletti / LAT)

Lauren Elliott and Alexander Afanasiev run a modeling agency from their “George Jetson”-styled digs at Pegasus.  (Don Bartletti / LAT)

Full amenities, including a pool with a view, lured Pegasus residents Cinthia Beranek and Paul Bannerman.  (Don Bartletti / LAT)

Brock DeSmit extends his Little Tokyo loft’s space into the courtyard. “I’m an advocate of getting to know everybody.”  (Don Bartletti / LAT)

Pete’s Café & Bar, on the corner of 4th and Main streets, has become a popular gathering place for loft-dwelling Old Bank District residents. Transplants from other parts of the city, many seek a sense of community they didn’t find elsewhere.  (Don Bartletti / LAT)

The Orpheum Lofts project is helping revitalize the major artery, joining some 6,000 market-rate units downtown.  (Don Bartletti / LAT)

Painter and poet Jules Blaine Davis chose a downtown address after stints on the Westside and in the Valley. “I moved here because this is freedom to me. Down here you’re in hiding.”  (Don Bartletti / LAT)

After years of false starts, downtown L.A. shows every sign of being in the midst of a major boom. We’re talking $1-million penthouses, innovative design and neighborhoods filled with everyone from artists to investment bankers.  (Don Bartletti / LAT)