Riley's favourite place

This is Central Library in Downtown Los Angeles. It was built in the 1920s in ancient Egyptian and Mediterranean Revival inspired styles. The idea was to create a sort of “temple of knowledge,” and looks like it from the outside. 

Its central tower is topped with a hand holding a torch representing “the light of learning,” and there are statues of great philosophers and writers, with inscriptions referring to themes of knowledge and enlightenment all along the walls. Inside, there is a beautiful rotunda with a colorful mural depicting the history of California. There are more statues of ancient gods and beasts in there too. It’s all pretty impressive.

This place is special to me because I would always come here on breaks from work to use the free wi-fi and talk to my girlfriend, who I’m now married to. After that, or maybe on days that we didn’t have a plan to talk, I would just come to read about whatever seemed to sound interesting that day. You can find any kind of book while exploring this massive eight-floor library. If you want a place with an interesting atmosphere that really motivates you to study, this is your spot.