This week marks the 73rd anniversary of the opening of Union Station, and to celebrate the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles is hosting Cocktails in Historic Places along with a free tour of the downtown landmark this Friday evening, 6 to 8 pm. more ›

On the eve of the "Play Me, I'm Yours" launch, a public art project gifting 30 decorated pianos to various locations throughout L.A. County, one Angeleno hopped off the Gold Line at Union Station to find one of the magical musical instruments sitting before him. more ›

If you like to drink at Dodger home games, unless you have a diligent designated driver, getting to the stadium can be tricky. While there is not currently a regular bus stop at the Stadium, Metro will be running their seasonal Dodger Stadium Express bus service for the third consecutive year. more ›

Have you noticed Transportation Security Administration making spot checks on passengers at Union Station? If you haven't, you may soon, since the agency has been ramping up their presence at some of the nation's busiest rail hubs, including L.A.'s historic Union Station. more ›

L.A. Union Station is an architectural wonder, combining Dutch Colonial Revival, Mission Revival and Streamline Moderne styles. Built in 1939, this transportation hub is known as "Last of the Great Railway Stations" in the U.S. Doesn't it sound like an ideal spot for a music video? more ›

Obviously, so long as you follow state and local laws, you can drink beer whenever you want. But if you want to do so as part of a larger celebration of beer culture in Los Angeles and Orange counties, you may want to mark your calendar for October 10-23 for the return of LA Beer Week. more ›

A person, thought to perhaps be a transient, was struck and killed this morning by an Amtrak train in Downtown Los Angeles near Union Station. The victim was hit by train 562, departing L.A. for San Diego, according to ABC7. The incident took place at approximately 6:20 this morning at Santa Fe Avenue and 8th Street near the 6th Street bridge, notes LA Now. more ›

It's only been a few months since Los Angeles' historic Union Station was sold to a Texas company, but today the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) today announced they have successfully negotiated the purchase of the transit hub property to the tune of $75 million. more ›

As part of a package deal, Los Angeles' historic Union Station will soon have new owners, the Fort Worth, Texas-based TPG Capital, according to CurbedLA. The deal was announced yesterday, involving Denver-based ProLogis selling Union Station and "numerous other properties for $505 million" to TPG. more ›

One of the two Metro Gold Line tracks connecting Los Angeles and Pasadena has been knocked out by a power surge cutting down service to the just the slow-boat running every 30 minutes in both directions. more ›

Hungry travelers who frequent the city's historic rail and bus transit hub now have a new option for snacking and shopping, as Japanese-based convenience retailer Famima!! has just opened their sixth Downtown L.A. location in Union Station. more ›

Union Station is always a beautiful venue. With the cool summer breezes and fading sunlight the three large courtyards filled with music and sounds of celebration last Friday, making for an outstanding event. The amazing feast at the annual benefit for AltaMed was accompanied by wines from Latino-owned or operated Napa Wineries. This year three select vineyards from Baja, the Adobe Guadalupe, L.A. Cetto Vineyard and J.C. Bravo also represented. more ›

Last Friday evening the three courtyards of Union Station exploded with a bounty of exciting tastes, both familiar and exotic. As usual, we sought out Chef John Rivera Sedlar first. He had gone wild with his tortillas florales, taking them to the bring of intensity by pressing capers and olives into the tortillas and slathering them with a cumin yogurt dressing. Are we to expect a Middle Eastern and Latin fusion restaurant next? more ›

Tired of the same old margarita and nachos? Friday night go upscale and raise a glass of California's best wines to toast Mexico's Bicentennial. We're talking wineries the likes of V. Sattui Winery, Maldonado, and Beringer. Union Station will be the location of Altamed's 5th annual East LA Meets Napa Valley Benefit. In addition, this year's event will present some of Baja California’s best wineries from the Valle de Guadalupe region like L.A. Cetto Vineyard and J.C. Bravo more ›

First there was the DesertXpress--the proposed high-speed rail line between Las Vegas and the SoCal hub of all things connected and happening, Victorville. Then the X-Train emerged on the scene, offering future riders a "party" experience to Sin City, including on-board drinks and gaming. more ›

There are already visions of doing it in Hollywood, Santa Monica and Ventura. And Seattle has already done it. But since 2008, thanks to a group of interns and the support of Caltrans and other agencies, there's also a vision to cap a freeway, placing a park above, in downtown Los Angeles. more ›

Still want to wait for the "hurry-up" of the high-speed rail line to Vegas? The Las Vegas Railway Express says they can have trains running from Southern California to Vegas as soon as mid-2011, according to the Las Vegas Sun. Their X-Train will run from Los Angeles' Union Station to an as-yet unspecified terminus in Sin City. more ›

Following Metro's "big-time" unhappiness with high speed rail plans between Anaheim and Union Station in downtown Los Angeles, the rail authority board today voted to take a second look at one of the previously-scrapped routes. At issue was the pushed-aside idea of sharing track used by Metrolink and Amtrak instead of using $2 billion build a new route, which would include condemning hundreds of private properties and razing homes. Now both approaches will be considered. The L.A. to Anaheim segment is expected to be one of the first to open. In all, the first 500-mile system would connect L.A. and San Francisco in under three hours. more ›

The transit program that swept baseball fans between Union Station and Dodger Stadium in 2008 and then canceled in 2009 is back, thanks to a $300,000 grant enabling a no-cost express bus service for the 2010 Dodgers season. more ›

L.A. City Councilmember Tom LaBonge certainly thinks so. At yesterday's Metro Board Meeting, which he is temporarily appointed to, LaBonge entered a verbal motion in an effort to extend rail service on already existing track to 6th Street in the Arts District. more ›

A quick 20-minute trip to Anaheim via high speed rail could be a reality in less than ten years, according to Metro, whose board today officially supported the California High Speed Rail initiative, as well as a first segment that would connect Los Angeles to Anaheim. The segment within the 800-mile system could begin construction as early as 2012, finishing six years later, and is considered to be the most "construction ready.” “Union Station will become transformed into a world-class, 21st Century intermodal transit hub that will serve the County of Los Angeles in ways that are very exciting to imagine," said Metro CEO Art Leahy. Metro estimates the creation of 75,000 jobs, enabling the possibility for $8 billion in federal stimulus money. Voters last November already passed Prop 1a, a $9.95 billion bond for the state's high speed rail system. The Board also voted to support general improvements to the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor, mainly served by Metrolink and Amtrak Surfliners, for more efficient and coordinated service. more ›

Last weekend, it was over 100 hidden staircases between downtown and the Hollywood sign. This Sunday the Location Managers Guild of America will bring the second of a series of six walks along Route 66, says the blog Franklin Avenue. more ›

There's been a lot of bicycle talk on LAist today and here's one more: the idea of bicycle sharing in Los Angeles has been mulled over about quite a bit and next week, a city panel will examine (.pdf) using a site near Olvera Street and Union Station for a variation that theme--bicycle rentals. From a motion introduced last month: more ›

One of LA's best ideas is about to get a little more pricier. Beginning August 1st, LAX FlyAway one-way tickets between Union Station/Van Nuys and LAX will raise one dollar to $7 to further close the gap between revenues and expenses. Westwood to LAX and back will remain at $5 each way. more ›

Los Angeles' central rail transit hub is a modest 70 years old; a baby compared to many train depots in other major cities. Union Station was designed by John B. and Donald D. Parkinson, and "opened in 1939, with a dedication ceremony featuring both the mayor of Los Angeles and the governor of California, amidst three days of pageants, parades and other celebrations," according to our very own LAistory entry on the "last of the great train stations built in this country." more ›

This is going to get old fast. In response to Barack Obama's big "State of the Union" like speech last night, the Republicans, via Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, had sharp criticisms of the President and stimulus bill including trying to reduce the MagLev train between Anaheim and Las Vegas to "bridge to nowhere" levels: more ›

The always convenient FlyAway buses that whisk passengers from Van Nuys, Union Station and Westwood Village to LAX and back is not making its revenue back and some city officials would like to see that happen. Although ridership increased 30% in 2007 with some 1.3 million passengers, the system lost $9.5 million in the last fiscal year. Therefore, the Board of Airport Commissioner may vote to increase the fare a dollar or two from the current $4 to $6 price (fare dependent on where you're coming from). Earlier this summer, the morning service schedule from Union Station was bulked up due the popularity of the buses. more ›

While we're talking about train stations, a man by the name, Fred Harvey forged a partnership in 1876 with the railroads to open chains of hotels and restaurants along the railways, they continued to be built and operated through the 1940s, though Fred Harvey himself died in 1901. more ›