The last bookstore in LA

A swirling archway of books invites you to walk through in awe as you gaze at the colorful bindings. Books are suspended in the air as fallen pages flood the floor. A mural on the wall stands out immediately above the front desk made of stacked books.  As you go upstairs, visitors can enter an old vault that has been converted into a room with shelves full of books covering the walls. During the holidays, artists created a Christmas tree made exclusively of books with red and green bindings.  But this isn’t some extravagant movie set, but rather a bookstore in downtown Los Angeles only a train ride away. The Last Bookstore uses books as building blocks, so everywhere you look there are functional and decorative things made completely out of books. People seem to enjoy the quirkiness not found in standard bookstores. The Last Bookstore initially started in a downtown Los Angeles loft which was converted into a bookstore in 2005 by Josh Spencer. The bookstore has moved locations twice, but currently resides in an old bank space, which used to be a Citizens National Bank, in the Spring Arts Tower sitting on the corner of S Spring St. and W 5th St. The name of The Last Bookstore was chosen with irony, although it is becoming less ironic due to the fact that bookstores are dying as online options become more and more popular. The bookstore currently houses over 250,000 new and used books. They also have a vast assortment of vinyl records and graphic novels in stock. You can even trade in books for cash or store credit. The Last Bookstore is California’s largest store selling used and new books and records. The second floor, called the Labyrinth, currently houses many other books as well as the Spring Arts Collective gallery shops and the Gather Yarn Shop. After walking through the maze of bookshelves, visitors can browse the many unique gallery shops that are all along the perimeter of the second floor, that display work from outside artists and the collective artists. Visitors can admire paintings, photography and jewelry among many other types of art.“It was amazing to walk into this huge bookstore, especially since it’s actually one of the last book stores,” Parker Lauer (’20) said. “Books are so important, and we are so lucky to have this thriving bookstore in Los Angeles. It’s not just a bookstore, it’s also filled with so many creative art pieces that truly represent downtown’s diverse spirit.”  Cozy, worn in couches invite lazy weekend reads and it’s often hard to find a spot. The couches spread throughout the aisles allow for visitors to relax and read to enjoy their time, making the bookstore a popular destination. These features in The Last Bookstore make it far different than most other bookstores and create a unique experience. With bookstores dying out, The Last Bookstore is a must see in Los Angeles because of the creative details that provide a bookstore unlike any other.