The Santee Alley

Santee Alley is a hidden slice of Los Angeles in DTLA full of shops, vendors, clothing, fabric, food and even some fun. Often the busiest on weekends, especially SUNDAY.... Local, travelers and tourist alike come for some of the best bargains not only in the city, but most of SoCal.

It's a little rough around the edges on the outskirts and the further you head down stretching from Olympic Blvd all the way down to Pico Blvd...

Metered parking or local transit are probably the best... A good walk or short bus ride to 7th & Metro Station or Pershing Square. Parking lots and garages are plenty, but can be more than you need to pay for though recommended if you're planning to make a day of things in the area like lunch, dinner, drinks, etc.

You can find just about anything you need for any occasion including formal, business attire, craft goods, jewelry and various accessories. Being near the heart of the Fashion District you wouldn't be surprised to find bargains on mark offs, brand items and replicas... Rock Gucci by Ucci.

So many 2 for $$, 3 for $$ and more for incredible prices... You can get an entire outfit or a 3 piece suit often with extra savings on ties and/or belts.

Swimwear, fall fashion, winter coats, sports attire, pet shop, rave gear... You name it, you'll find it!

Some shops or vendors due close up a little early compared to others with some more permanent stores on the outskirts of Santee Alley having set hours, but typically... Open 365 Days a year, 7 days a week, just like the sign says :D

Something for everyone of every age and gender!

Q Tips:
Food is okay when and where you find it. It's typically casual dining/comfort eats, snacks and noms. More around Santee and on neighboring streets. I actually strolled over from Santee Passage just before hand which had a few places to choose from as well as bars and restaurants nearby.

The restrooms are throughout but limited. It's often suggested to stop off before you start your S.A. Downtown LA experience.

Early (9am/10am can be a great time to start or after 4 toward the tail end (a lot of places close by 5 or 6PM at the latest).

Happy shopping!

Ok the Alley has always been the place to come get your lil trinkets, special occasion outfits or dresses, and costume jewelry! I've been coming to the Alley for years since I been growing up and it's somewhat the same just more renovations and higher priced garments that they do sale. The prices have increased over the years which is not so great, but that's the entire county and everywhere.

The values are pretty decent I come here usually for my tailoring just like today I went to Carlos tailoring and he's really good and reasonable! They have some decent eateries over here to that are decent and new restaurants to try on Santee.

Overall, I do recommend the Alley they have really cute clothes and accessories and much more if you want to look nice! The selections here is insane! So they have stuff you need here for sure! Prices has increased unfortunately, but it is what it is! They have it all here and do it all!

They have lots of parking and parking lots that charge you by minutes or hourly, but I think it's best to park on the street with Metered parking it's more rational! I keep going around until I find street parking :) I believe in saving the coins!

Side-note: they do not let you use the restroom here it's really limited! They charge you at some spots so I recommend using the restroom before or be prepared to pay to use it!

-Marshay D.

This used to be the spot back in the day not so much now.. inventory is low and not good and over priced..what happen to barting with the venders...come on alley u can do better.. Ya'll need to start attracting people back to wanting to go there

Okay ima be real-
Some places are amazing here. But there are kids/teens working that get payed $10 an hour and sometimes $8 an hour which is not minimum wage. Some are college students who want to keep a living. I interviewed 11 girls who shared their backstory and reasons. And one guy who gets taken advantage of but need the money for school. They take advantage of the people who don't have papers also. Like yes u have fun looking and seeing the things but there is some dark stuff over there.

Santee Alley has something for everyone. From soccer apparel, to full suits at wholesale price. You can also find jewelry definitely the place to get a good bargain. Do not come here with your card bring cash, as this is the best way to get a good bargain!! Merchants are nice and will do their best to get you the item you want or at least they will point you in the right direction. There is also plenty of food from street vendors.

For anyone who loves flea markets, this is going to be your spot. While I'm not necessarily one who frequents them, this is one to go to just for the experience itself. Why? Because it's unlike any other that I've been to here in the United States. Once you're walking around, it is *almost* reminiscent of the markets in Thailand or other parts of Asia minus the humidity.

What do they sell here? A little bit of everything. Clothes, fake designer handbags, cell phone cases, cheap sunglasses, shoes, kids toys, hats, fashion jewelry, tiaras, costumes, bunnies (yes real bunnies), birds, puppies......

Even if you don't buy anything, walking around is just fun because of all the sights. For someone who is over stimulated easily like me, I couldn't help but just take it all in. From all the colors to the fresh juice stands on almost every corner, there was so much to see. Should you decide to purchase, everything is negotiable.

My only tip is to put on some comfortable shoes and enjoy yourself! This is also people watching at its finest.

Another tip: You don't need to pay for parking in the garages if you come early. Metered parking is plentiful on the street (and it's cheaper). If you need to put more money in, it's not hard because you don't actually walk that far away from your car. It just feels like you do because the alleys are so full of stores and items that you lose track of where you are.

You're going to have a bad time here if you're bougie, a transplant to California, a hipster, a gentrifier or a Karen.

This is as authentic Los Angeles as you can get. A predominately Mexican-American outdoor flea market with a variety of shops and food vendors litter every corner. The bright colors, the smell of the food and the way the shop keepers try and sway you into their shops is reminiscent of "los tianguis" in Mexico City.

Parking can be a pain because you're either not going to find any street parking or will end up paying $20/day to park in a parking structure. Which to be fair is cheaper compared to parking in other major California cities (I'm looking at you San Francisco!).

We've been able to buy everything from clothing, to makeup, to Quinceañera dresses. And in between all the shopping you better believe we do our fair share of eating. Tijuana style hotdogs, burritos, tacos, fruit cups, aguas frescas and even micheladas.

Don't expect to find Versace unless you don't mind an extra r. But if you don't mind Fucci instead of Gucci and aren't adverse to eating food coming from a food cart this is one of those experiences you can't miss.

I didn't spend enough time here but definitely need to come back and spend hours searching the shops and finding deals if I am ever in the area again. My friend took me here to show me a slice of authentic LA and I was impressed! I thought everything in Los Angeles would be crazy expensive but you can find lots of deals here on clothes, accessories, and more. It reminds me of Jackson heights in Queens, NYC if you've ever been.

Very crowded. But I got a great deal on all cotton diabetic socks in mixed colors sizes 10-13 . And Black tank tops size 3x for under 10 dollars. Plus 3x v neck black t- shirts. Wow. The only thing I couldn't find was a cover for my z- fold 3. Oh well. Still got me an original world famous alley dog. Wrapped in bacon with the works. Mayo,ketchup,mustard,grilled,onion,peppers and Pico de Gallo w/avocado. Only in the Santee alleys.

I paid $15 for this. It's a great place to purchase clothes, jewelry, necessities, but I feel like the food is overpriced. The flavors aren't out of this world tastes like everyday food.