Life in DTLA these days can involve sipping cocktails at some of the best restaurants and bars in town, swimming in rooftop pools and drinking craft beer after an art walk in DTLA. Sure, the scent of improvised outdoor restrooms may strike you on your jaunt around the city, but that kind of comes with the territory. The point is that the downtown scene is on the up-and-up (still), and a loft in a revitalized historical building like one of these three is probably where you want to be.
1. Santee Court ($1744/month). There's no better way to be a part of the transformation of downtown than by moving into a building that is part of the largest adaptive reuse project in Los Angeles. The historic garment building is now considered one of the most contemporary living spaces in the area with a pool, spa, sun deck, gym, business center, parking and a BBQ area. At 761 square feet, you should have some room to roam. (716 S. Los Angeles St.)
Santee Court has a rooftop pool along with a really cool sun deck right next to itPhotograph: Courtesy of Padmapper.com
2. SB Tower ($1750/month). Another one within walking distance of it all. This building has its own rooftop pool and jacuzzi, gym and appliances. It's 950 square feet which should allow you plenty of room to host parties or just rollerblade around on your concrete floors. (600 S. Spring St. Unit # 1611)
Stainless steel appliances, concrete floors and floor-to-ceiling views... not bad.Photograph: Courtesy of dtlamanagement.com
3. San Fernando Building ($1600/month). So you say you want historic? Boom. The San Fernando building has it. It's been around since 1907 and is a fixture of LA's historic core. On top of being the city's first cooperative telephone exchange and the California film exchange, its basement once housed amenities such as pool hall, cafe and even a Turkish bath (kind of cool and kind of creepy, all at the same time). The apartment is 600 feet and comes with appliances. Utilities are included, and it's perfect if you're housing an animal: no pet deposit or pet rent. Click here for pictures of this unit and other Old Bank District loft apartments. (400 S. Main St.)
Want to explore more options for a little less? Try these 3 one-bedrooms for under $1300 or these studio apartments for less than $1000.