The Last Bookstore in LA, an independent bookstore started by Josh Spencer, had its grand re-opening this past Friday (June 3) in its new 10,000 square foot space in the Spring Arts Tower located at the corner of 5th/Spring. The bookstore had relocated from just down the street from a much smaller retail space of only 970 square feet.

The Last Bookstore in LA adds a substantial presence to this corner in LA’s burgeoning historic core where an impressive number of new independent businesses have opened in the past several years serving a growing population of urban dwellers in Los Angeles. The bookstore contributes to a diversifying array of new retail and restaurant options, helping to transform this once forlorn section of LA back to a vibrant urban center.

The interior space of the bookstore maintains many of the beautiful original architectural details from the time when the Spring Arts Tower (built in 1914) was a banking center called Citizens Bank. The ornate ceiling and soaring white columns give the bookstore a stimulating space to browse/buy titles and also provides a refreshing sense of authenticity that is sorely lacking in the run-of-the-mill mega-chains.

My hope is that as more and more spaces are filled-in on Spring St by high-quality businesses, like this wonderful bookstore, then demand will spawn new businesses to open on Broadway, which is truly the grandest street in all of Los Angeles.