Downtown Los Angeles Nightlife: What To Do In Your 20s, 30s, & 40s

Text courtesy of Los Angeles Magazine.

When the workday winds down, this multifaceted neighborhood revs up. Here are the places to hit, whether you're cutting class or cutting loose.

For the rest of the list and more of the best of Los Angeles, check out Los Angeles Magazine.

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20s: Villains Tavern

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Gothic meets mad scientist at this new watering hole, where church pews serve as seating and cocktails have names like Fatal Hour. The location (beside a barren tract of industrial land that abuts the L.A. River) is appropriately eerie, but frequent musical acts make for an inviting atmosphere. Villains Tavern 1356 Palmetto St. Los Angeles, CA 90013 Photo by Mar Yvette via Citysearch

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Gothic meets mad scientist at this new watering hole, where church pews serve as seating and cocktails have names like Fatal Hour. The location (beside a barren tract of industrial land that abuts the L.A. River) is appropriately eerie, but frequent musical acts make for an inviting atmosphere.

Villains Tavern
1356 Palmetto St.
Los Angeles, CA 90013

Photo by Mar Yvette via Citysearch

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Comments

[007grrl]

12:41 AM on 10/22/2010

Actually, A THOMAS, these places suck. Whoever writes these best of LA pieces, either lives outside Los Angeles and reads random fluff reviews, or patronizes these silly places and maybe gets a free shot for name checking this increasingly nauseating site.

[VeggieLove]

09:40 AM on 10/20/2010

Boo! I don't like trendy places. Give me a small bar with decent food any day.

[A Thomas]

06:30 PM on 10/21/2010

Malcontent, you don't even eat meat. Go back to the end of the line... I only kid because you broadcast your a Vegan and you skirt trends, its not "trendy" most of the places I have been too and DJ'ed at, they have been popular for awhile. If you wanna go to some typical movie anti-social bar where its just a bunch of old drunks, then more power to ya but I doubt that's the case.

[007grrl]

12:42 AM on 10/22/2010

Ditto.

[Thinklongterm]

09:31 PM on 10/19/2010

Been there done it.

[janejoad]

06:36 PM on 10/19/2010

Boy am I old. At 58, I don't qualify to hang out at any of these places. Oh well, I suppose it would be like me seeing MY own Mother, hanging out at the Whiskey, or The Roxy, or indeed any of my old Hollywood haunts in the 60's and 70's.
Ah, youth.............instead I must settle for wisdom (some would argure that ) truth and beauty. Those cannot be taken from me..................

[A Thomas]

06:31 PM on 10/21/2010

@58 shouldn't you be married????????? If not there's always becoming a Cougar...

[janejoad]

09:25 PM on 10/21/2010

LOL!!! I am married. He's 53. We're Angelinos, so we've kind of been there and done that, in L.A.................today, we're just enjoying the rain and kicking back with an old movie. I've got absolutely NO DESIRE to go anywhere, especially if I have to drive to get there!

[ChangeurMind]

06:03 PM on 10/19/2010

Downtown is one homeless wonder. Sadly, LA has no mayor to deal with the situation. Downtown LA always tries, but fails.

[Thinklongterm]

09:34 PM on 10/19/2010

People are homeless because capitalism has failed to address the needs of the people.

Besides they have swept the homeless to darn near East LA near the riverbed. Now all the transplanted New Yorkers can go out at night without dealing with all that visual guilt.

[A Thomas]

06:32 PM on 10/21/2010

Yeah because there's not money to poor people, its always been that way and always will be that way as long as we have a Capitalist system... You don't see Homelessness like this in Europe.

[janejoad]

09:27 PM on 10/21/2010

That's because them that's GOT..shall GET and them that's NOT shall lose..........., I'm guessing you know the rest of that lyric.

[philly282]

05:36 PM on 10/19/2010

just go to the west side. real laid back california.

[Brenna Pye]

06:35 PM on 10/19/2010

ewww. you must not be from around here if you really think the westside has anything to offer besides the beach.

[philly282]

07:55 PM on 10/19/2010

the rest of LA blows. yes the west side lacks diversity, but LA is one of the most segregated cities in america. WeHo--- weho gays are unsophisticated. downtown is gross. i do like culver city...but i consider that westside

[A Thomas]

06:34 PM on 10/21/2010

Oh you mean the stuck up side of Los Angeles? West LA defines as LA's "Liberal Elites" which is fine as I'm Liberal myself but not Elite which means they look down on me. F'em I just don't go out anymore and when I do, its on Sunset right in the middle of Hollywood.

[Steve Richmond]

05:36 PM on 10/19/2010

"What To Do In Your 20s, 30s, & 40s"
DAMN, what about 50's and 60's????????? 60 is the new 40.

[Knute5]

05:56 PM on 10/19/2010

Forest Lawn? Just kidding...

[janejoad]

06:43 PM on 10/19/2010

LOL...........I disagree however on the 60 is the new 40. I think I look 10 years younger, but I still feel my age (58), and you know what, I'm good with that. As to the nightlife, it belongs to my kids now. I'm just happy to see the Grandkids and hangout with Grandpa. We still have fun.

[entropychic]

04:22 PM on 10/19/2010

love the comments here, cynicism and humor alike. thanks for the heads up - i'm going to drink at home, save money and avoid a DUI!

[A Thomas]

06:35 PM on 10/21/2010

I don't belong in bars I don't drink, but I have DJ'ed at a few of those places.

[Connor Alexander]

02:18 PM on 10/19/2010

Sorry, after having lived in, been a drunk in and DJ'ed in L.A. for years, I can say that all of these places are mediocre at best. To paraphrase a great man, 'they're sheik yuppie watering holes.'

[A Thomas]

06:37 PM on 10/21/2010

^Five, you using VDJ or Serato?

[inthedesert]

02:06 PM on 10/19/2010

Well...basically the Rescue Mission is open most of the time....then there's panhandling...when you can get away with it...but stay off of Rodeo Drive....they will arrest in 2 seconds flat. There's always the many and numerous garbage cans in the alleys on Sunset behind the fancy, expensive restaurtants too....you can get some damn good "eats" there. This should keep you busy till your next unemployment check(hopefully)arrives.

[thestargazer]

01:37 PM on 10/19/2010

"What to do in your 20's, 30's 40's?"

What about 50's and 60's ? those people are still alive and looking for benders just like everyone else?

[chardonnay48]

04:53 PM on 10/19/2010

I was thinking the same thing. I guess we are supposed to take the grand kids to Disneyland and stay out of bars.

[A Thomas]

06:38 PM on 10/21/2010

Having had sex with a 50 something woman you can keep that shhh. Have Fun.

[ChangeurMind]

12:26 PM on 10/19/2010

Bottega Louie? jaja... yea if you want some of the worst service and mediocre food.

[RenegadeConformist]

04:26 PM on 10/19/2010

To say nothing of the deafening noise level at Bottega Louie, which conjures up images of a Saturn V rocket at liftoff. I asked the server about the mussels and clams and she told me there weren't any truffles or lamb on the menu.

I did enjoy the food though.

[A Thomas]

06:39 PM on 10/21/2010

Mussels and Claims YUCK. I don't eat at these places I hit Tommy's or In-And Out on the way home, holla.