South Park Renaissance

Once dotted with parking lots, auto dealerships and warehouses, the South Park area of downtown Los Angeles is being transformed into a neighborhood of shiny new residential high-rises. (Luis Sinco / LAT)

Sept. 16, 2014 7:32 AM PT

Revival of downtown area known as South Park

A woman walks in the afternoon glow along Olympic Boulevard in the South Park area of downtown L.A. (Luis Sinco / LAT)

Outside the neighborhood’s shuttered Morrison Hotel. (Luis Sinco / LAT)

Modern and historic buildings stand shoulder to shoulder in South Park. (Luis Sinco / LAT)

Most new South Park units are condos, with prices starting around $500,000 and climbing steeply from there. (Luis Sinco / LAT)

Parts of South Park just north of Interstate 10 remain outside the urban renaissance. (Luis Sinco / LAT)

A mural hints at the neighborhood’s grittier side. (Luis Sinco / LAT)

Young lovers and the homeless converge at Grand Hope Park. (Luis Sinco / LAT)

With its proximity to Staples Center, South Park pulls clientele to upscale establishments like The Palm restaurant on 11th Street. The area also is close to the first phase of L.A. Live, a 4-million-square-foot sports and entertainment complex. (Luis Sinco / LAT)

In South Park, more than 3,500 residential units have opened so far, and approximately 5,400 more are planned over the next three years or so. (Luis Sinco / LAT)

Constrcution workers put the finishing touches on a high-rise residential building. (Luis Sinco / LAT)

A woman cuts through Grand Hope Park. Friday’s opening of a Ralphs in the neighborhood is considered a symbolic boost for downtown. (Luis Sinco / LAT)