This historical monument is a testament to the city’s rich, diverse, and ever changing culture.  Forty-four settlers (los pobladores) were ordered by King Carlos III to grow food for the soldiers guarding this far-flung Spanish territory, which they named El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de Los Angeles de Porciúncula (the town of our lady the queen of the angels). For the next four decades the town grew and prospered; in 1821 Mexico declared independence from Spain.

The turn of the century, however, saw the pueblo's dramatic decline into a slum - and the impending demolition of Avila Adobe (L.A.'s oldest structure). Troubled by conditions in the city's birthplace, civic leader Christine Sterling in 1930 resuscitated El Pueblo with a vibrant Mexican marketplace called Olvera Street. Today, the 44-acre city-operated monument has undergone several facelifts that have brought back much of its original charm.

Admittedly, Olvera Street is a somewhat nostalgic ode to the city's beginnings, but remains as much a draw for the locals as it is for tourists.  In addition to Olvera Street, El Pueblo is made up of 27 historic buildings and outdoor plazas.  The buildings exemplify the different people, ethnic groups, and cultures that have inhabited this area since 1781. 

t's fitting then that the original heart of the city sits just across from the pulsing nerve center of the region's transit system, Union Station. Now, more than 73,500 people pass through the hub each day to other parts of Downtown and the sprawling city.