L.A. Garment District

Today I ask for help. 

It looks like I will head to the Garment District for some much needed creative buying.  It is funny how I can justify traveling for the sake of fabric and trims.  I will always be this way. 

The last time I was in L.A., my sister and I met there to hit the textile show.  Being the people we are, we decided to walk to the show.  So we exited our Korean Hotel (we were the only "English as first language" people there) and started walking to the "tall buildings" in the distance.  In our little experience, big cities have one area with tall buildings.  The first set of buildings turned out not to be our destination.  There were others in the far distance.  I guess we didn't see them due to the curvature of the earth.  Go figure.  We walked and walked and walked like the true pioneer stalk we are.  It was a very hot day, which was to our benefit, because come to find out, we were in a questionable part of town.  Lucky for us, on that hot hot day, no one had the energy to pester two girls walking where we shouldn't have.  We finally had to get a cab, because we were on the wrong side of a major freeway.  For the record, we almost made it there. 

Of course the rest of the trip was just as memorable as the walk.  My sister got to see the "other side" of me.  I guess I can be quite shrewed while dealing with fabric reps.  We dinned on beautiful food that night, found more fabric the next day, and flew out. 

So now I will be returning.  I don't know my way around the L.A. market.  NYC's Garment District is much more familiar to me.  Does anyone have a favorite place there?  Is there some breathtaking restaurant we need to try?  I imagine SOMEONE knows SOMETHING about the area.  I would love some input!