The Last Bookstore In Downtown LA Is Still An Iconic Spot

Downtown Los Angeles boasts one of the most magical bookstores in the country, if not the world. The Last Bookstore inspires readers and travelers alike to make the trek to downtown Los Angeles and immerse themselves in this literary haven.

A diverse selection of titles spans two floors, the second of which is a labyrinth of wonder; tunnels and passageways are made of old books, interspersed with art and riveting tales. For seven years, The Last Bookstore has existed within a historic bank building, drawing repeat visits from locals and curious tourists alike.
The Last Bookstore was founded by Josh Spencer in 2005, at which point it was functioning out of a loft in downtown Los Angeles. Spencer had already been selling books and other items online, so the shop was a tangible extension of the business he’d already been running. In 2009, The Last Bookstore moved into a small retail space at 4th and Main, before uprooting again in 2011 for a much larger space within the Spring Arts Tower at 5th and Spring.

The Last Bookstore is an independently owned bookstore in Los Angeles

The Spring Arts Tower is considered a historic building, opening in 1914. At the time of construction, the Los Angeles Timesreported that the building – which cost more than $1,000,000 – was “planned by Architects Parkinson and Bergstrom and is being built by the Commercial Fireproof Building Company, as owner.” According to the report, the block would extend to full legal height, with a frontage of 155 feet (47.2 meters) on Fifth Street by 115 feet (35 meters) on Spring. “On the eleven upper floors will be 450 offices. The exterior will be handsomely faced with terra cotta, and the interior is to be finished in marble and tile.”

It is one of the few remaining places in downtown LA where customers can browse actual books

Those who venture to the second-floor mezzanine will find a maze of genre fiction, including the “vault of horror,” and more non-fiction. This area is also where the endlessly Instagrammed sculptures made from books can be found, including a whimsical tunnel and a curious portal.
“The artwork is meant to stimulate the imagination and creative juices, just like the books much of it is made from,” Spencer told LAist in a 2016 interview.

The store features a number of endlessly Instagrammed sculptures made from books

Wander far enough, and the store soon shifts into the Spring Arts Collective Galleries, where customers can peruse art or purchase local works and gifts.
Though The Last Bookstore is something of a cheeky name, it may be a portent for things to come. It is one of the few remaining places in downtown Los Angeles where customers can browse and purchase actual bound books. Nearby Caravan Book Store announced its closure after 64 years in early 2018. Other downtown shops include Hennessey + Ingalls, which specializes in books on art and architecture; Japanese bookstore Kinokuniya; and Twenty Stories, which features 20 titles at a time, all housed in a van that is occasionally parked downtown.

The Last Bookstore maintains a robust event calendar of signings, lectures, performances and several monthly book clubs in a variety of interests and genres, including true crime, horror, feminism, local authors and obscure Victorian literature.

The name may be a portent of things to come

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