Enthusiastically Los Angeles

How did Downtown Los Angeles go from a glorified office park to being the "coolest Downtown in America" (at least according to GQ Magazine)? Who made it happen? What makes them tick? What are their stories? Your favorite Amateur Enthusiast interviews the dreamers, makers, movers, and shakers who made it happen - and continue to move it forward. From the famous to the infamous, the well known to the unknown, we all have one thing in common: a passion for Los Angeles. And we have our share of laughs along the way, too.

All Episodes

Enthusiastically Los Angeles

Tom Gilmore

March 20, 2020 • Glenn Gritzner • Season 1 • Episode 2

Downtown LA is now undoubtedly a "24/7" community. With nearly 80,000 residents and many of the City's most famous and respected bars and restaurants, it's no surprise that Downtown was named the "Best Downtown in America" just a few years ago by GQ Magazine.

It's easy to take that for granted, but it didn't happen automatically. It took a bit of vision and a lot of hard work by a few intrepid pioneers along the way. But perhaps none of those pioneers were as influential, or necessary, as Tom Gilmore. Because without people - without actual residents - then Downtown is just a destination. But it's not a home. It's not a community. But the fact that it IS a home to so many people - with all the vitality and life that comes with that - is due, in no small part, to Tom.

Hear how Tom made it to Los Angeles in the first place. How a job at a nursery began is unlikely journey to where he is now. And how he looked at a dilapidated building on what was then Skid Row and thought "people would live here".

The story of Downtown is, in many ways, the story of Tom Gilmore. Let's hear it together.