Went here the other day and fell in love! Despite driving around forever looking for parking* and the fact that it's located downtown, where it's always dirty and bummy, the 1920's Los Angeles Public Library is absolutely amazing! It's very clean and not what you would expect for downtown. It's like an oasis of books, art and history. I've never seen anything like it, with 8 levels (4 underground), it's filled with every book you can imagine, including a section of rare books and a whole floor for teens. There's art and sculptures scattered everywhere you turn as well as art and history exhibits to get lost in when you need a break from studying. (It's like an art museum full of books! What could be better???) It's huge and would take forever to explore but it's well worth a try! There are also tons of filing cabinets FILLED with folder after folder of vintage photographs and vintage newspaper/magazine clippings on every subject imaginable. It was a nice day when I went with summery weather, so I also studied outside by the fountain. There's also a pretty restaurant, Cafe Pinot, that looks worthwhile. It's Californian-French with an impressive wine list and an optional fresh from the farmers market menu. I'm sure there is a lot more worth mentioning, but you should check it out for yourself!
*The parking garage (I just found out) is validated $1 flat rate after 3pm and on Saturdays so I will be spending a lot more time here (parking garage states a $4/hour rate but it's discounted hourly when library is open-check the website for hours and more info). There is also an outdoor parking lot just up the street on 5th (past the freeway, where 5th turns into 6th) that is $5 flat rate after 12pm if you come early.
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