Join Esotouric for an immersive time travel trip in the footsteps of novelist and screenwriter John Fante (1909-1983) through Downtown Los Angeles and Bunker Hill, On the special edition of the tour hosted on John Fante’s birthday, we’ll be joined by Fante’s family and Bunker Hill native son Gordon Pattison, on this new and special walking tour, which concludes with birthday cake.

Before Jack Kerouac, before Charles Bukowski, there was John Fante, author of the classic comic novel Ask the Dust (1939) and four more books featuring his alter-ego Arturo Bandini, an outspoken, down-and-out Mr. Hyde to Fante’s Dr. Jekyll. As Bunker Hill’s prodigal son, Fante chronicles a colorful Los Angeles neighborhood teeming with immigrants, criminals and dreamers like himself, until redevelopment forces swept the people, the buildings and much of Bunker Hill itself away. But Arturo Bandini’s voice remains as strong and relevant today as it was in 1939. So please join us as we follow in his footsteps, to the hidden speakeasy beneath the King Eddy Saloon, Central Library and John Fante Square, for a ride on his beloved Angels Flight Railway and across the new, corporate Bunker Hill in search of echoes of the lost neighborhood. This walking tour is illustrated with rare photos you can view on your smartphone.

MEETING INSTRUCTIONS:

Tour begins at 10:30am sharp, with check-in time 10am at the Horse Thief BBQ patio outside Grand Central Market at 324 S Hill St, Los Angeles, CA 90013. Please arrive on time and proceed to the check in table to get signed in and logged in to the smartphone slideshow. Scroll down for tour rules and recommendations.

Parking & Public Transit:

There are numerous paid public parking lots around Grand Central Market, including GCM’s multi-level lot at 308 South Hill Street Los Angeles, California 90013.  The nearest Metro stations are Civic Center/Grand Park and Pershing Square. If using public transit, this link can help you plan your trip:

TOUR RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS:

Our priority is to provide a safe and comfortable atmosphere for our guests and guides on these outdoor walking tours. Because guides will not be masked when telling stories, and because different people have different levels of risk tolerance, we have strict mask policies for attendees. Your understanding and cooperation are appreciated. These simple rules are being implemented for the benefit of all attending. Anybody not abiding by these rules will be given one chance to shape up, then asked to leave the tour if it happens again. There are no refunds or exchanges for anyone removed from a tour for violating the rules.

BE PREPARED: This is a walking hour lasting 2½ to 3 hours, over a mix of level ground and occasional hills and stairs moving at a casual pace. Wear comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen, a hat and a medical-grade mask. Bring your smartphone so you can view the tour slide show. We will have a cooler with cold water, and you’re encouraged to bring a full water bottle. A restroom will be available at the start and end of the tour. If you need more information about what to expect, please email us.

MASKS & SOCIAL DISTANCING: Attendees must bring a medical-grade mask (i.e. N95, KN95, KF94) to wear when checking in, during those portions of the tour when the group is gathered together listening to the tour guides (who will not wear masks when telling stories), and when talking with the tour guides one-on-one. If you are more comfortable not wearing a mask while walking between tour stops, you’re free to remove it, while maintaining physical space from anyone not from your household. Masks must be worn properly, covering mouth and nose completely, and not have any exhalation valves, vents or holes of any kind. Thank you for working with us to keep guests and guides healthy, and please let us know if you have any questions about these policies.

ARGH, I FORGOT MY MASK: Wave to us from a healthy distance at the check in table and point to your cute face. We’ve got you.

VACCINATION: We do not require proof of vaccination for outdoor walking tours.

CONTACTING US ON OR BEFORE TOUR DAY:

Emailing is the best way to communicate with us, but after 8am on tour day you can call or text Richard on his mobile phone, 213-915-8687.

CANCELLATION / REFUND POLICY:

If you feel like you’re getting sick, if you test positive for Covid-19, or if you have knowingly been in contact with a suspected or positive case of Covid-19 in the last 14 days, please do not attend the tour. Let us know not to expect you. If notified at least 72 hours before tour departure, we can refund or reschedule your booking. If notified at least 24 hours before departure, we can honor the booking on a future date. You may also gift your ticket to someone else—we will need their name, email address and phone number to make this switch.