Los Angeles

Downtown's exploding with new things to do/drink, but exploring them either means constantly re-parking, or risking the mugging/Don Juan-ing walking guarantees. Until now: the Blue Velvet shuttle.

One of Downtown's preeminent lounge-o-raunts, Velvet's new Thu-Sat service is free for its diners, whisking them to/among any of the below stops:

1. 1st and Grand
Classily booze at Redwood or the Edison, art out at MOCA, or catch a performance at the Music Center or Disney Hall -- where your enjoyment of their occasional opera will be interrupted by animatronic pirates yelling "Arrr-ia!"

2. Grand between 5th and 6th
Down Whisky at Seven Grand or brew at The Library Bar, where the excessive beer list is organized like a card catalog, incomprehensible to a man whose books come as movie adaptations, and whose TMZ's on TV.

3. 11th and Figueroa
Take in a game or show at Staples/Nokia Live, or just follow Kwame Brown around waiting for him to mishandle his wallet.

4. 7th and Flower
Get your post-dinner sushi on at Takami, your dance on at Elevate, your drink on at the Standard, or your "Subway of Broken Dreams" on at the nearby Metro stop.

5. 9th and Flower
Basically, this stop encompasses a Ralph's, because even foolhardy Downtown frontiersman deserve one.

The shuttle runs til "the last dinner guest needs its service", usually around 1am. Miss it, and the only Velvet in your life will be the pimp walking a half-block behind you.