Anna How can a bookstore stand out in a city as star-studded and dynamic as LA? With major attractions like the Getty and the Hollywood sign, can an indy bookstore really compete? I think so. The Last Bookstore is primely located in downtown, in the heart of the arts district.
While downtown LA’s architecture hints at its golden past, the area has seen better days, and feels weathered but nostalgic. Against this faded background, the Last Bookstore stands proud in The Spring Arts Tower. Its humble and unassuming exterior belies the wonder it holds inside. It’s entrance is marked by an unpretentious sign and simple wrought iron gate, leading to a modest foyer.
Here, you can check a bag with Security–large bags and backpacks aren’t allowed in the store. Then, you enter a grand and cavernous lobby with soaring columns and ornate ceilings with gilded recessed details.
It’s a beautiful bookstore.
Welcome to the ground floor of the Last Book Store. You will immediately will notice the one of a kind art adorning the walls: installations made of books and a bust of a wooly mammoth!
The lobby hosts rows of bookcases, sporting a huge collection of books. Rooms break off into specialty collections: a vinyl store where you can also sell and trade records, a comic book collection and The Annex, guarded behind an ornate gate contains rare and valuable books.
These are actually housed in what used to be bank vaults—the original building held a bank—. The doors are propped open to showcase the intricate vintage locking mechanisms.
The vault doors are such an interesting feature.
Exploring the collections inside the Last Bookstore is a veritable journey, and the store does a great job at guiding you along the adventure. It starts with the staircase that ascends up to the first floor, advertising the genres and collections that can be found upstairs.
The first stop is an imaginative sculpture of books flying off the shelves and whimsically unraveling scrolls.
At the top of the stairs is a small cafe, hosting a long table for a cozy and collaborative workspace. It is decorated beautifully with preserved floral arrangements and over looks the lobby area.
The next point of interest is the Labyrinth, a boldly colored hallway with a disorientating arrangement of bookcases. Found-art sculptures adorn every nook and cranny, the whole store is jam-packed with quirky artwork, so take your time meandering through.
Following the Labyrinth leads you to another vault and the famous book tunnel. This installations has garnered a lot of attention around social media.
It is quite literally a tunnel made of books: assembled from stacks of old books precariously balanced in an arch to form a hypnotic, highly photographed tunnel. It’s interesting enough to draw engagement photo shoots and influencers alike.
The store understands the iconic installations are photogenic, and permits photography as long as it’s not disruptive. Yet, you can book a session film or hold a professional photoshoot, should you be inspired to do so. You could even hold your wedding here. Prices are listed on their website.
There are decorative books available for purchase at a discounted rate. They’re sorted by color for visual interest.
This porthole made of books is another iconic installations- highly photographed, you may have seen this porthole in profile pics all over social media. Yet, these areas are regularly switched up, the art is changed out, the orientation is swapped to provide an ephemeral and refreshing experience.
The Spring Arts Gallery is located on the Mezzanine, around the entrance of the Spring Arts Collective This is a group of 5 artists who display work on the walls of the gallery and inside the stores. Fun displays showcase hand made and unique items for sale. The floor is tiled with pennies and looks so cool- the pennies are provided by patron’s donations to the space and is a work in progress.
It’s more than just a book store, perusing the shelves feels like spending an afternoon in a museum. The creative lay outs, displays and decorations are as inspiring as they are entertaining. Yet, TLBS is first and foremost a bookstore, with an immense collection of new and used books, rare collectible editions, art, vinyl and gifts. It’s such a fascinating place. If you’re in downtown LA, don’t miss this delightful hidden gem.
