The completed structure is actually more impressive than the Architect's rendering, an impressive feat.

Since the media blitz that started about three weeks ago, L.A. Live (800 W. Olympic Blvd, LA, CA 90015) seems to have burst upon the Los Angeles consciousness in impressive fashion.  As the first major 'entertainment campus' to be built downtown in quite some time, this dense, multi-use space could actually signal the arrival of a vision that has been in place for forty years but never really taken off -- an inhabited, revitalized downtown.

Walking through the Nokia Plaza, with the 7,100 seat Nokia Theatre to your right, ESPN SportsZone to your left, the Staples Center across the street, and a massive 54-foot LED Christmas tree in front of you, you can't help but think you're in L.A.'s version of Time Square or Rockefeller Center.  At worst, L.A. Live is an upscale, authentic version of the Universal City Walk.  

While construction on the two hotels and condo tower will continue into early 2010, L.A. Live already boasts an impressive assortment of entertainment options.  The Grammy Museum, a Lucky Strike, and the ESPN Zone surround a varied, unique food court that presents dining options for any taste or budget.  In the near future, a movie theater and banquet space (in the vein of Hollywood & Highland) will be added to the mix.  

While the elaborate holiday decorations that currently dress the Nokia Plaza might not exactly recall a Winter Wonderland, they at least suggest an impressive 21st Century Playground.  If you like lights or the film Blade Runner, a visit to L.A. Live this holiday season is a must.  The free shows run on the hour at 7, 8, 9, and 10pm.

On a side note, there are approximately 32 searchlights roaming the sky between the Staples Center and L.A. Live, and not one of them shines the Bat symbol -- this is clearly an opportunity lost.