8 Hours in Downtown LA

The other evening I saw downtown Los Angeles in a way I have never seen it before - as a really fun, hip, lively place to have a great evening with friends! Around two in the afternoon, my friend CKH and I took Amtrak from Fullerton to Union Station in Downtown, then continued on the Red Line Metro (Subway) a couple stops to the Bank of America Building in downtown where MH works on the 53rd floor. It was a gorgeous view from every side of the building and a great start to what would turn in an amazing evening of food, drinks/cocktails, great conversation and awesome memories.

Stop 1 - McCormick and Schmit's
CKH and I went here first to wait for MH to finish his day at work. We enjoyed the $1.99 appetizers! That's right - we got hummus, fried zucchini and cheese/bacon fries for only two bucks a plate! Only catch is you have to purchase a drink - $4.50 for a beer - but still a great deal! We spent an hour soaking in the late afternoon sun next to some staircase built in the design of some staircase in Rome. Yummy food, great times and a great way to start the evening.
Drink: Draft Shock Top

Stop 2 - Library Bar
At this point MH and our friend AS joined us as we went to this well-known and famous location! The inside has super comfy sofas next to bookshelves and deep/dark wood paneling. Great place to chill after work and catch up with friends as there isn't any blaring music you have to yell over. Sophisticated and fun. And the big fat steak fries covered in bacon grease and oil help you unwind, too!
Drink: Draft Stella Artois

Stop 3 - Rooftop Bar at The Standard Hotel
This is the epitome of super chic and hip and fun. Rooftop, 16 floors up, with cushy chairs to sit around and watch the sunset, the sky turn beautiful shades of red, orange, purple, and dark blue, and the LA skyscrapers rise up and create awesome shadows around you. Not to mention a great infinity pool if you are so inclined. This was my favorite stop of the evening. The air was crisp, perfect temperature, and the atmosphere was fun! Drinks here are a bit pricey, but well worth it for the ambiance. We didn't get food at this stop, but we were eyeing the "Mac n Cheese Balls" on the menu. If you try it, let me know!
Drink: Bottled Blue Moon

Stop 4 - Casey's Irish Pub
If you want some delicious food then this is a great place to stop-in. A cozy place, not pretentious, with great service and super yummy grub. Reasonably priced!
Drink: Draft Smithwick's

Stop 5 - Seven Grand
This place was incredible. Had MH not been guiding us, I would never have known that the unassuming entrance on the street led up a staircase to a dark-paneled, sophisticated bar and pool hall. It just gave you the sense of a place where multi-million dollar deals are negotiated over some whiskey and a game of pool. None of us really drank whiskey but they had an assortment of great beers as well. We drank while playing a game of pool (where I was surprisingly playing pretty well, which is rare).
Drink: Draft Chimay

Around 930 we headed back to Union Station to grab the last Amtrak of the evening home. All of us agreed that this is THE way to spend 8 hours in Downtown Los Angeles. But, from what we hear from MH, there is still lots of great places in Downtown...so another great evening is in the works.