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New Development Coming to El Pueblo District

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l Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument and Olvera Street are where people go to learn about Los Angeles’ past. If a local arts organization has its way, it will also be a destination for the future. On Jan. 9, the LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes Foundation, which operates a museum and cultural center across from the El Pueblo Plaza, announced that it is looking for a development partner that can help activate two surface parking lots. The parcels, which total 3.7 acres, are adjacent to LA Plaza, which opened at 501 N. Main St. in 2011.

According to LA Plaza officials, the goal is to create a “historic trail” from Union Station to Fort Moore, and to enhance it with tourist attractions, spaces for LA Plaza’s programming, retail and more. LA Plaza intends to lease the two lots as part of its own lease with Los Angeles County. An informational meeting about the proposal and tours of the sites are scheduled for Jan. 29 at 10 a.m. Proposals for the project are due Feb. 28.

MOCA Hits $100 Million Fundraising Goal

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owntown’s Museum of Contemporary Art may still lack a full-time leader, but its long-running financial woes appear finally

to be a thing of the past. The Bunker Hillbased institution last week announced that it has boosted its endowment to $100 million, thereby achieving “financial stability.” In 2008, the endowment had fallen to $5 million, and even a few years ago was only around $20 million. The museum named 29 individuals or foundations whose contributions helped it meet the goal established 10 months ago (donation amounts were not revealed); it also said a new aim of $150 million has been established. “With the help of the entire MOCA board and a worldwide community of supporters, MOCA has emerged from a pivotal phase to secure a sustainable financial future for the first time in its history,” said David Johnson, co-chair of MOCA’s Board of Trustees, in a prepared statement. According to the statement, MOCA, which has Downtown locations on Bunker Hill and Little Tokyo, has no debt on its balance sheet. The museum continues to search for a replacement for former director Jeffrey Deitch, who left during the summer.

Good Samaritan Expansion Tops Out This Week

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n $80 million City West project will hit a milestone this week. On Monday, Jan. 13, the Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Pavilion will mark the end of vertical construction.

The “topping out” ceremony, which includes the placement of a beam signed by hospital staff, will occur at 10 a.m. on Wilshire Boulevard near Witmer Street, shortly after the hospital raises a Korean flag to honor Korean Flag Day. Construction on the 190,000-square-foot,

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GQ Calls Downtown ‘Next Great City in America’

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t’s not just Downtown Los Angeles residents and workers who think the Central City is a

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great place — fancy New York City-based publications feel the same! Or at least GQ does. The popular men’s magazine last week published a story calling Downtown Los Angeles the “Next Great City in America.” The article highlights a veritable who’s who of Downtown leaders, from developer Tom Gilmore to chef Josef Centeno to nightlife magnate Cedd Moses.

Through observations of new development, history and personal anecdotes, the article suggests that Downtown isn’t just in a phase of hipster gentrification, but rather is undergoing a transformation into a true urban center.

Continued on page 9

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EDITORIALS

January 13, 2014

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Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis

No Cross on the County Seal

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eople rarely think of the Los Angeles County seal. That’s fine, because the emblem that appears on flags, letterhead and other official extensions of government has little connection to almost everyone who lives or works in the area. Just glancing at the seal produces a feeling of nostalgia and some head-scratching: A Native American woman is flanked by six small images, among them the San Gabriel Mission and the shell of the Hollywood Bowl and, more curiously, a cow and a tuna fish.

The seal is getting a moment in the spotlight following a boneheaded move by a couple of longserving county supervisors, and an even more boneheaded vote.

Late last year, in that period when politicians often think the media and other government watchers have let their attention wander, Mike Antonovich and Don Knabe made their play, introducing a motion that would add a Christian cross to the seal. On Jan. 7, with precious little public discussion, the board voted, and Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas joined them in a 3-2 approval of the change (Gloria Molina and Zev Yaroslavsky voted in opposition).

This is a terrible idea, one that seems hopelessly out of touch with modern mores and mindsets. While supporters claim this is an attempt to be historically accurate, it rings like an attempt to pick a preferred religion for the region of approximately 10 million people. Ideally the supervisors will recognize their folly and rescind the motion. If not, a nasty legal fight is sure to ensue.

The issue of religious imagery and the seal is not new. The county emblem contained a small cross for nearly half a century until 2004, when it was redesigned. At the time, the American Civil Liberties Union led a charge, with the argument being that including the cross violates the constitutional separation of church and state. After a bout of legal wrangling, the new seal was adopted and the issue seemed settled.

However, Antonovich and Knabe clearly were unable to deal with the sting of their defeat. Their motion focuses on the current look of the San Gabriel Mission. Though the cross on its exterior had been removed during seismic retrofitting, it was reaffixed in 2009. Thus, proponents of the change claim, the 2014 seal needs to reflect the look of the building.

That reasoning is, to use a polite word, poppycock.

The argument is as easy to see through and as flimsy as cellophane.

Not only will adding a cross to the seal open the county to expensive and sure-to-lose legal challenges — the ACLU has already indicated it would fight the move — it is a smack in the face to millions of area residents who have different religious beliefs.

Even if it’s not the intent, having the best-known symbol of Christianity on all county materials implies an endorsement of one religion over others. This is unfair to Jewish residents, as well as people who follow Islam or practice Hinduism, or anything else.

We hope that the supervisors will reconsider this foolish move. The public is paying attention, and this plan is out of tune with a modern and diverse L.A. County.

Skid Row ‘Dumping’ Crackdown Must Be Forceful and Swift

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ecently, Downtown Los Angeles received a bitter reminder of one of the ugliest practices possible, and one that every local resident and worker had hoped was in the past: the “dumping” by hospitals or other institutions of homeless patients on the very mean streets of Skid Row. Allowing this shocking barbarity to rise up again, after many assumed it had effectively ended, is outrageous. It is an affront to the community and, more importantly, is a blatant disregard of basic human rights by institutions or individuals with the ability and resources to do better.

If there is one bright side to the disturbing development, it is that City Attorney Mike Feuer’s office appears ready to confront the practice and to make a big stink about it. We hope that is truly the case, and that other politicians and the greater community rally behind the effort. The executives of any hospital or other organization who think they can ship a “problem” individual to Skid Row without arranging for care needs to know that that they will be exposed and widely reviled.

The current situation became public Jan. 3 when Feuer announced that he had settled a case with the Beverly Community Hospital Association. According to a prepared statement from Feuer’s office, the hospital “had failed to perform a medical screening of a dependent adult with an emergency medical condition, failed to stabilize and transfer that patient and then improperly discharged that homeless patient to Skid Row.” As part of the settlement, the Montebello hospital agreed to pay a $200,000 fine and to reimburse Feuer’s office another $50,000 for the cost of its investigation. The hospital has also adopted a set of homeless patient discharge protocols. They are clearly spelled out in pages of legalese that should serve as a model to other organizations.

Part of the reason this is so frustrating is that the frequent “dumping” of homeless individuals appeared to have been put in the past. Although the practice may have gone on for decades, most people only learned of it in September 2005, when thenLAPD Central Division Capt. Andy Smith witnessed two Sheriff’s deputies taking a man out of a department cruiser near Seventh and San Pedro streets. Smith questioned the deputies and learned that the man had been found that morning on the steps of the sheriff’s office in Lakewood, 20 miles away. He was taken to Skid Row even though he lived in Long Beach, had not committed a

crime and never asked to be brought Downtown.

From there the issue exploded. The community was rife with reports that individuals wearing hospital bracelets, and sometimes hospital gowns, were being sent by ambulance, van or taxi to Skid Row shelters or food lines. In March 2008, Los Angeles Downtown News reported that a deputy city attorney had looked into 20 alleged instances in a two-year span.

Dumping is and was an underhanded way for hospitals and towns to move unwanted people (often homeless or those sick with expensive-to-treat illnesses), incapable of demanding their rights, out of a neighborhood. The hospitals rightly feel it is not within their skill set or their responsibility to fix all the problems in such a person’s life, but leaving patients with no link to help from any source on Skid Row is unacceptable.

Ultimately the practice appeared to slow, as hospitals got the message that failing to seek proper care for a discharged homeless patient would be punished. Certainly a 2007 settlement with Kaiser Permanente had an effect — the chain of hospitals paid $500,000 and agreed to a homeless patient discharge protocol.

It is alarming to see the problem occurring again. Anecdotal accounts suggests that more people wearing hospital gowns or bracelets have been seen recently in Skid Row, though hospital garb is not necessarily evidence that a person has been dumped.

It is likely, however, because properly treated Skid Row denizens would not be walking around with hospital gowns and bracelets.

Still, legally speaking, the tricky part is determining when a case of dumping has occurred, and that is why the timing of Feuer’s settlement with Beverly Hospital matters. Feuer was sworn in just six months ago, and making a big deal out of this situation indicates that the city attorney will treat dumping as a priority. That is important for the homeless community, which has precious few legal resources available, as well as for the rest of Downtown.

We’re glad Feuer has spoken up and is cracking down, and we hope that the media attention the Beverly Hospital case generated prompts stakeholders in Skid Row to keep their eyes open to other instances that merit investigation. We’d like to think that basic human compassion would stop this reprehensible practice, but it appears that dumping will only end when the institutions know they can’t get away with it.

January 13, 2014

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A Sheriff’s Department Debaca-cle Leader’s Retirement Means a Fresh Start, and the Loss of a Beautifully Bloody Election

By Jon Regardie have mixed feelings over Lee “I Didn’t Know It Was Happening in My Department” Baca’s announcement last week that he will retire as sheriff of Los Angeles at the end of January.

On one hand there’s a sense of relief. In recent years Baca’s missteps came dangerously close to turning his department into a punch line. His penchant for personal scandal — the

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THE REGARDIE REPORT sheriff was peddling health supplements and talking in a promotional video about living “to be 100 years old and beyond” — combined with his inability to stop scandal — think inmate abuse and racial profiling — had become the public story of the department. Things got worse last month when, oopsy-daisy, 18 deputies and supervisors were indicted by the feds.

Baca’s retirement could lead to a fresh start for the embattled department. The dragon electing to cut off its own head means that the thousands of sworn sheriff’s deputies finally will have a chance to do their job and not worry about bungling from the boss.

On the selfish front, I couldn’t be more disappointed that Baca is quitting, as it means the Most Entertaining Race in the History of Sheriff Races, Baca vs. his former Undersheriff Paul Tanaka (and others), now won’t happen. It’s sort of like all the boxing fans who have spent a decade waiting for Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao to climb into the ring and use their fists to determine who is the best boxer in the

world. The two fighters could never reach an agreement to give the public what they want, and Baca’s decision to withdraw from the June election provokes the same emotion. For some reason, the situation also reminds me of the famous 1978 Sex Pistols concert that frontman Johnny Rotten closed by snarling to his fans, “Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?”

I recognize that I’m on dangerous ground here, trying to weave Mayweather, Pacquiao, Baca and Rotten into the same allusion (Rotten never did anything to deserve that). Yet, after the departure last June of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and City Attorney Carmen Trutanich, Los Angeles has become a much more predictable and boring place politically. I counted on Baca, and the upcoming election, to give us something entertaining to watch.

I also viewed the election as an opportunity to provide a sense of justice and public accountability. Baca once said that if people didn’t approve of his actions, then they should vote for someone else. This offered that chance: He’d defend his record, and the citizenry would say yea or nay.

Now it won’t happen. Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?

Losing Control While it’s easy to list Baca’s many errors, it’s harder to say when exactly things started to go wrong. It’s possible that his most serious mistake may have been the same one made by numerous aging politicians — he stuck around too long.

It’s easy to forget now, but the adored late

Mayor Tom Bradley wasn’t so adored in the last of his five terms in charge of the city. Although Bradley’s 20-year tenure forever changed L.A. for the better, the widespread belief is that he stayed four years too long.

Some people feel the same about Villaraigosa, but that’s another story.

Baca should have recognized this potential from the start. When first elected in 1998, he beat a competitor, Sheriff Sherman Block, who had been around so long that he was, literally, dead. Block, who had completed four terms and was frequently castigated as out of touch with modern L.A., passed away a few days before voters went to the polls.

Ironically, the run against a dead man was Baca’s toughest election. Sheriff of Los Angeles is one of the safest seats around. It provides immense name recognition and easy fundraising opportunities, and few in their right mind are willing to run against or contribute heavily to a challenger for fear of payback. So even as the years ticked on and Baca’s troubles mounted, he never faced a serious challenge. In 2010 he ran unopposed.

With little risk to losing his job, there’s a feeling that Baca over time focused less on managing the department and more on himself, his international trips, and those delicious supplements that can help you live to 100 and beyond.

Like an absentee landlord, Baca delegated and trusted, and without his focused leadership the department’s culture was defined by Tanaka and others. Baca may truly have been unaware

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Sheriff Lee Baca surprised everyone on Jan. 7 when he abruptly announced his retirement. In doing so, he pulled the plug on what would have been the most vicious political race of the year.

of the unseemly things occurring in his department, and that’s a scary thought.

All of this is a reason for the sheriff to have the same limit of three four-year terms as the members of the County Board of Supervisors.

But actually changing the law would, I guess, make too much sense.

Epic Battle Baca vs. Tanaka was shaping up to be epic.

The two were at the top of the department at the time of its greatest scandal, and the race would come down to who could best smear the other. The mailers would be personal and vicious. The TV ads had the potential to make observers (spoiler alert) whisper like Marlon Brando at the end of Apocalypse Now, going, “The Continued on page 20

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January 13, 2014

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Most Crime Falls in Downtown in 2013 Though Homicides Rise, Overall Violent and Property Crime Plummets

By Donna Evans n a dramatic about-face from 2012, Downtown last year saw a sharp decline in violent and property crime — except for homicide.

According to LAPD statistics, Downtown Los Angeles generally became a safer place in 2013. Last year, part one crimes — a category that includes all violent crimes and serious propertyrelated offenses — dropped 10% across the board compared to 2012 in Central Division, which covers most of Downtown. Violent offenses alone decreased 18%.

Still, homicides jumped from three in 2012 to eight last year.

Lt. Armando Munoz called the 2012 figure “an anomaly,” and said eight is a “normal year” for homicides in the area.

Most forms of property crime fell in Downtown in 2013. The sharpest decrease was the 38% reduction in theft from a person, which generally refers to robberies. Although there are still weekly reports of people leaving purses and cell phones unattended in their cars, theft from a vehicle dropped 12%, from 883 incidents in 2012 to 780 last year.

It marked the first time that overall crime fell in the Central City since 2010. In 2012, part one crimes had increased 12%, and violent incidents had gone up 5%.

Downtown’s numbers generally exceeded the reductions in crime seen in the rest of the city in 2013. According to LAPD statistics, violent crimes in Los Angeles fell by 11%, and property crimes dipped by 4%.

The Central City numbers even surpassed the department’s 3% reduction goal in part-one crimes set at the beginning of 2013, Munoz said.

Downtown leaders were especially cheered by the violent crime drop, from 969 reported incidents in 2012 to 797 in 2013. Central City Association and Downtown Center Business Improvement District President and CEO Carol Schatz said that after some spikes off and on over the last few years, the 2013 numbers are “wonderful.”

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photo courtesy David Marroquin

Central Area LAPD Captain Mike Oreb (right), on one of his periodic neighborhood walks, oversees a division where violent crime fell 18% last year.

VIOLENT CRIME CATEGORY

TOTAL FOR 2013

TOTAL FOR 2012

Homicide Rape Robbery Aggravated Assaults

8 21 413 355

3 34 520 412

Total Violent Crime

797

969

PROPERTY CRIME CATEGORY

TOTAL FOR 2013

TOTAL FOR 2012

Burglary Grand Theft Auto Burglary/Theft From Vehicle Theft/Grand Theft Person

199 266 780 1,751

224 326 883 1,821

Total Property Crime

2,996

3,254

Total Part I Crime

3,793

4,223

“I think these statistics prove what we’ve been saying for many years, that Downtown is safe and getting safer,” she said.

Schatz also praised the BID safety officers who work closely with police on crime prevention and response.

Fewer Arrests, More Foot Beats LAPD Capt. Mike Oreb, who oversees the 425-officer Central Division, attributed the drop in crime to what he called a departure from traditional thinking. Two years ago, when Oreb first came to the station at Sixth and Maple streets to head the patrol division, he said the focus was on making arrests, as officials believed that a crackdown in areas such as Skid Row would ultimately reduce the number of people committing illegal acts.

Now, Oreb said, there’s nowhere to put those people following the state prison reform plan known as realignment. With AB 109, implemented in 2011, many non-violent criminals and other low-level offenders find themselves back on the street within days of an arrest.

Instead, Oreb said, officers have taken an approach of more visibility and fewer arrests. For example, when someone is

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caught drinking alcohol on the street, an officer might pour out the contents. Arresting the individual and processing them pulls the officer off the street for too long, he said.

Police visibility, Oreb said, is key to reducing crime. One of the first things he did in September 2013, after taking the reins from Capt. Horace Frank, who was promoted, was add Friday and Saturday night foot beats to a couple of highly trafficked pedestrian areas: Spring Street and the Seventh Street corridor between Hill and Figueroa streets. Daytime foot beats have been in place for some time now, with officers regularly walking around Fifth, from Main to Hill streets, and popping into Macy’s Plaza and FIGat7th.

Additionally, Oreb himself walks various Downtown neighborhoods about once a month to chat with folks about the problems they see and the concerns they have.

“It’s sheer teamwork on behalf of the officers that got us to this point,” he said. “Now we’re going to fine tune it and work on better community outreach and continue to test different methods for communicating with the public.” donna@downtownnews.com

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For Downtown, More Money, Some Problems Conference Attendees Express Excitement and Concerns About Downtown Growth

By Eddie Kim espite ever-rising rents and the increasing number of construction cranes in Downtown Los Angeles, real estate experts believe the Central City is still in the early stage of a building boom.

That bodes well for the future, but it also means that some of the area’s old problems — such as the lack of for-sale homes — have yet to be addressed.

Investors, brokers and developers from around the world descended on L.A. Live on Thursday to discuss the highs and lows of Downtown’s development scene and to speculate on its future as a destination community.

“The Renaissance of Downtown Los Angeles” was hosted by the Central City Association and the Downtown Center Business Improvement District. The event, held at the J.W. Marriott, featured four panel discussions and a lunchtime address by Eli Broad. There was also an afternoon bus tour.

One of the most significant issues facing Downtown is the lack of condominium development in relation to the booming apartment scene. While there are currently almost 5,000 residential units being built in Downtown, only 68 of them are condos, according to The Mark Company. That gives some real estate experts pause about whether Downtown can sustain long-term residents in the future.

“With improvements to Metro and Broadway and everything else in Downtown, don’t you think people are going to want to invest in their

D

home ownership?” said Kathy Neal, a partner at real estate firm Keller Williams’ Downtown office, during a panel discussion on housing.

The issue of supply and demand for condos appears to be somewhat of a chicken-or-egg question: Some experts say that the current market supports rentals, not more costly condos, while others argue that developers need to be bolder about financial plans and help bring homeowners into the area.

Although 18- to 34-year-olds compose the largest demographic of Downtown residents today, Neal said many of those individuals will probably want to start families in the near future, and thus will want bigger homes they can own.

The good news is that the tide may be turning in favor of condos. The biggest rent growth is yet to come, according to Marc Renard, vice president of global capital markets at Cushman & Wakefield, and more expensive rents could spark interest in owning rather than renting.

Even more significantly, Downtown’s amenity base has exploded in recent years, he and others said, making it more attractive for long-term residence.

“To build condos, especially high-rises, you need to up prices, but you need the amenity base to support the price,” said Related California President Bill Witte. “The amenities are finally here.”

New stores and commercial ventures have flooded the Downtown area, but it’s not just the shiny new shops that are attracting foot

traffic. The Macy’s department store in Macy’s Plaza on Seventh Street, for example, has seen annual revenue growth of 7.6% over the last five years, according to the company’s research.

“That’s why we’re so bullish on this area,” said Macy’s Southwest Executive Vice President John Gorham during a panel focused on retail.

With more visitors and residents in Downtown, however, developers are still figuring out how best to plan for the various modes of transportation.

Edward Hogan, national director of retail leasing for Brookfield Office Properties, which owns the FIGat7th shopping center, expressed concern that limited parking in the Historic Core and the Arts District could hamper business in the near future. However, developer Wayne Ratkovich, who is overseeing a $160 million upgrade of Macy’s Plaza into a complex known as The Bloc, said he believes parking will be much less important in a transit-rich future.

Witte, whose firm is planning a Frank Gehry-designed mega-project on Grand Avenue, agreed with both assessments: “Slowly, the need [for parking] is diminishing,” he said. “But parking is still essential. You can say people shouldn’t drive, but until intra-Downtown transit gets more sophisticated, you can’t ignore parking.”

Yet other experts have bigger, more global concerns. Chief among them is the fact that some of Downtown’s biggest projects are being purchased by foreign investors.

The U.S. Bank Tower was sold last March for

photo by Gary Leonard

Eli Broad, whose $140 million museum on Bunker Hill is set to open by the end of 2014, spoke at the event dubbed “The Renaissance of Downtown Los Angeles.”

$367.5 million by local firm MPG Office Trust Inc. to Singapore-based Overseas Union Enterprise. In December, Beijing-based Oceanwide Real Estate Group bought the site of the longdelayed Fig Central across from Staples Center. The Metropolis mega-project site north of L.A. Live was recently sold to Shanghai-based Greenland Holdings Group.

“Investors are coming in from out of town and seeing how cheap it is to build here versus in San Francisco or New York, and they’re snapping property up,” said EVOQ Properties CEO Martin Caverly. “The local guys are still looking in the rear-view mirror.… New ownership isn’t from L.A. money.” eddie@downtownnews.com

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January 13, 2014

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Acing It on Broadway Hip Hotel From Portland Company Is One of Downtown’s Most Eagerly Awaited Projects in Years

By Donna Evans he latest signal of Broadway’s renaissance stands in front of the 1927 United Artists Theatre building, clad in a newsboy cap and wool vest. The lithe doorman, young, bearded and smiling, welcomes those swarming about the sidewalk at 929 S. Broadway, where hip and history have converged to form the Ace Hotel.

It’s a dramatic turn for a 12-story edifice that opened the day after Christmas in 1927 as a theater for a group of independent-minded actors and directors. The Ace and its 180 guest rooms and adjacent 1,600-seat theater/concert hall is the latest incarnation for a building that did time as the West Coast offices for Texaco, a Spanish language film house and eventually a church for televangelist Dr. Gene Scott.

The 87-year-old theater’s strikingly preserved condition in an area where long-darkened marquees are slowly flickering to life made it the exact kind of property, at the exact right time, for Ace to purchase, said Brad Wilson, president of the Portland, Ore.-based chain.

“Ace is about building neighborhoods,” Wilson said last week while standing in the theater’s lobby. “We go across the world and look for interesting neighborhoods with interesting buildings. I don’t know that you can do better than this one.”

Originally scheduled to open Jan. 15, the hotel moved up the date to accommodate lodging for the Jan. 12 Golden Globes. The full hotel

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is set to operate this week.

City officials and community stakeholders credit the announcement two years ago to bring a boutique hotel to the formerly desolate stretch of Broadway as paving the way for the area’s renewed interest in retail, residential and restaurants. Last month, Urban Outfitters and Swedish retailer Acne Studios opened outposts a block north. About two blocks south, developer Forest City is preparing to build two apartment structures adjacent to the historic Herald-Examiner building, and a joint venture including developer the Kor Group plans to turn the Case Hotel at 1106 S. Broadway into a 107,000-square-foot, four-star boutique hotel.

Fourteenth District City Councilman José Huizar is among those enthusiastic about the hotel and its potential to usher further advancement onto the street. Last week, he called the Ace both the “gatekeeper” to Broadway and a “game changer” for the neighborhood.

“This is a meshing of historic L.A. to new Downtown L.A., a direction we’ve been striving for in terms of a city vision,” said Huizar, who six years ago launched the Bringing Back Broadway initiative in an attempt to upgrade the faded corridor known for its collection of historic movie houses.

Bruce Baltin, senior vice president of PKF Consulting, a hospitality industry consulting firm, said the Ace will help fill the void of hotel

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lodging in Downtown Los Angeles. He called The Standard the only other nearby “lifestyle hotel,” and believes the Ace will bring the leisure business and group business that has few other area options.

“I think they’ll do well,” he said. “Broadway is filling in nicely, it’s maturing along with Spring and Main streets with a nice combination of residential and retail. There’s a lot happening Downtown.”

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merous owners, operators and tenants since film star Mary Pickford joined with Charlie Chaplin, D.W. Griffith and Douglas Fairbanks to break away from the entertainment heavyweight of the day, Paramount Pictures, and form their own studio and build a Spanish-Gothic style theater in Downtown.

The theater itself opened and closed many times over the decades, and had different lives as a first-run movie house, a showcase for older films and even a long period as a Continued on page 13

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Downtown News 9

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

AROUND TOWN, 2 “Right now, Downtown is like Brooklyn, but that’s going to change,” Moses said in the piece.

“This is going to be Manhattan. And all the outlying areas, the rest of Los Angeles, that’s going to be the boroughs. I don’t have a doubt in my mind.”

First Fridays and New Eats and Drinks on DTTV

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hile we’re all about the written word, Los Angeles Downtown News likes web video too. This week DTTV, our weekly webcast, has a pair of stories: the return of First Fridays, the monthly Natural History Museum event that mixes science, DJs and indie rock, and the double grand opening of the Chinese gastropub Peking Tavern and the bar Crane’s Downtown. DTTV goes online Monday morning. Check it out at downtownnews.com.

Gastropub Coming to Civic Center

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he corner of First and Los Angeles streets will soon be home to Justice Urban Tavern, a gastropub featuring California wines, craft beers and a host of foods all sourced within the Golden State. General Manager Paul Trevino said that he expects the business at 120 S. Los Angeles St., on the ground floor of the Doubletree Hotel, to open by early February. Although the kitchen will be helmed by chef Mark Pollard, who served as execu-

tive chef at The Downtown and West Hollywood Standard hotels for five years, Trevino said the eatery’s menu will be a far cry from lounge food. Instead, he said, the restaurant will prepare beef, pork and seafood, as well as a cheese board and a charcuterie plate. He hopes to draw residents from nearby lofts as well as city employees. Justice will fill the space formerly occupied by Azalea Restaurant and Bar, which closed Nov. 1. Trevino said the Justice team gutted the place for a full remodel.

New Boarding School Recruiting Fall Class

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owntown last fall saw its educational opportunities expand with the opening of the Metro Charter Elementary School and the reopening of the Ninth Street School. Next fall the choices will continue to grow, though with a twist: A college preparatory boarding school will open… in a current hotel. Officials last week announced the impending debut of the American University Preparatory School, which aims ultimately to support 300 high school students with a focus on science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics. David Unruh, founding headmaster and chief executive officer, said on the school’s website that AUP wants a student body “as richly diverse as the population of Los Angeles and Southern California.”

The school would have space on four floors at the coming Hyatt Regency (currently operating as the L.A. Hotel Downtown) at 345 S. Figueroa St. AUP is recruiting international students to enter grades 9 and 10 in the

2014-15 school year. Students will live together on site. According to the school’s website, annual tuition, including room and board, is about $46,000.

One Santa Fe to House Art Gallery/Theater

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n addition to apartments and retail space, the $160 million One Santa Fe project will hold a community arts facility. The Arts District Center for the Arts is expected to open in summer 2015. The Los Angeles River Artists and Business Association will sponsor the space along with Padua Playwrights, said LARABA secretary Jonathan Jerald. Local entities that will be invited to use the space include SCI-Arc, Cornerstone Theater Company and Art Share. The roughly 5,300-square-foot facility will include 2,000 square feet of exhibition space, a 99-seat theater and a state-of-the-art screening room, where Warner Bros. will provide projection and audio equipment, Jerald said. The center will be off the paseo between Third and Fourth streets.

“We want this to be an opportunity for younger artists to perform and display their work,” said Jerald. “We will balance art installation shows from local artists and artists from similar urban centers from around the world.” One Santa Fe is expected to open this fall.

Wreaths on Display at San Julian Park

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reaths honoring more than 50 homeless people who died in Downtown in 2013 will be exhibited at San Julian Park

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through Tuesday, Jan. 14. The wreaths were presented during the SRO Housing Corporation’s Homeless and Low Income Persons Memorial last month. SRO Housing Corp.

CEO Anita Nelson said many of the men and women who live in Single Room Occupancy units, in shelters or on the streets of Skid Row are isolated and disengaged from family. Yet “each was a person worthy of being honored with the dignity of remembrance,” she said in a prepared statement. “We are a community that honors those who are departed and supports and celebrates those who are living.” The park is located at Fifth and San Julian streets.

Downtown Organization Hands Out ‘Indie Arts’ Awards

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owntown’s independent spirit will be drawn out this week, as the Central City plays host to an awards show that recognizes emerging creative talent across a number of fields. The fifth annual RAWards Show & Ceremony will take place Sunday, Jan. 19, at the Exchange L.A. nightclub (618 S. Spring St.).

Among the prizes are Filmmaker, Photographer and Visual Artist of the Year; other categories recognize achievement in hair styling and make-up. The nine awardees were selected from 15,000 applicants. In addition to dispensing prizes, the 8 p.m. event (with cocktails starting an hour earlier) features live music, a green carpet and a display of local artisans and designers. RAW is based Downtown in the Historic Core. Show tickets and additional information is at rawartists.org.

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Apartments to Rise Next to Herald-Examiner Building

By Eddie Kim wo South Park parcels adjacent to the historic Herald-Examiner building could finally see development after years of plans falling through.

National developer Forest City has purchased two lots at the intersections of Broadway and 12th Street and Hill and 11th streets from Hearst Corporation, which also owns the Herald-Examiner building. The deal closed in late December after about six months of negotiations, according to Forest City Residential West Development Director K.C. Yasmer. The purchase price was not revealed.

“We’re excited about all that’s happening Downtown with development and the demand

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for rental units,” Yasmer said. “This builds on the momentum along Broadway and in South Park, and we’re capitalizing on the public investments that are coming to the area.”

Forest City is now in the entitlement phase with the city, and Yasmer said that the company plans to erect two mixed-use buildings. The residential units will all be rentals. The heights of the buildings, the project’s budget and other details have not been determined, said Yasmer.

Hearst Corp. was originally looking to collaborate with a developer on the two parcels, but Forest City submitted a “superior” bid that asked for full control, according to Hearst’s Los Angeles Property Manager Doyle McDonald.

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In the past, Hearst Corp. wanted to develop both parcels and the Herald-Examiner building together. It hired local developer Urban Partners in 2002 to spearhead a renovation of the historic space and build 23- and 37-story towers on the adjacent lots. The plan died during the economic downturn, said McDonald.

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The Herald-Examiner building at 1111 S. Broadway could soon have two new neighbors. Landowner Hearst Corp. sold two parcels that are slated to become apartment buildings.

Hearst Corp. will focus on renovating the 1913 Herald-Examiner building. The nearly 100,000-square-foot property has sat unoccupied (save for occasional film shoots) since the paper shuttered in November 1989.

The project is not the only one slated for the block. A joint venture between developers Frank Stork, Channing Henry and the Kor Group last month spent $13.5 million to purchase the Case Hotel, a 1924 building at 1106 S. Broadway, across the street form the Herald-Examiner building. They plan to turn the 107,000-squarefoot edifice into a four-star boutique hotel.

Hearst Corp. could begin its renovation in 12-18 months, according to McDonald. Early plans call for having retail on the ground floor with the second floor dedicated to creative office space. eddie@downtownnews.com

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By Jon Regardie long-awaited report on the state of the city was issued last week, and it is hard and unsparing in its assessment of local government, regional infrastructure and Los Angeles’ fiscal situation.

“Los Angeles is barely treading water while the rest of the world is moving forward,” it says at the top of page one in the report from the Los Angeles 2020 Commission, a 13-member panel convened last year by City Council President Herb Wesson.

It continues, “We risk falling further behind in adapting to the realities of the 21st century and becoming a City in decline.”

The report, released on Wednesday, Jan. 8, chastises area leaders for refusing to make hard financial decisions, comparing local behavior to that of a “hapless” character in Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield. Like Dickens’ Mr. Micawber, the report said, those in power keep waiting and hoping for something good to happen.

Dubbed “A Time for Truth,” the report was prepared by a panel co-chaired by former U.S. Commerce Secretary Mickey Kantor and Austin Beutner, the prominent businessman and former First Deputy Mayor under Antonio Villaraigosa. Other members include labor leaders Brian D’Arcy and Tyler Izen, businessman David Fleming, California Common Cause Executive Director Kathay Feng and former Cal. Gov. Gray Davis.

“The first step in solving a problem is to admit it exists,” Beutner said in an interview. Referring to the members of the panel, he added, “It was a big reveal for everybody to realize the breadth and depth of some of the challenges.”

The 20-page report (with another 23 pages of footnotes, bios and other material) cites a litany of challenges and shortfalls the city faces, some sparked by political inaction, and others propelled by wider trends. The report, which in its critique does not mention specific individuals, states that Los Angeles’ 10% unemployment rate is the highest of any major American city; the rates in San Francisco, Dallas and Houston are below 7%, according to the report.

It also says that Los Angeles’ poverty rate is higher than in any other American city, and that adding the unemployed and those who earn poverty pay means “almost 40% of our community lives in what only can be called misery.”

Other problems are widespread, according to the report. It points to a public school system that is “failing our children” and a city that only has four Fortune 500 companies, down from 12 a decade ago, and barely 10% of New York City’s 43.

Beutner said the study took its information from many existing public sources and studies and used those to assess the state of the region. It did not involve new or original research.

“A Time for Truth” also takes aim at traffic, stating that even if all of the proposed mega-improvements from Measure R are built, they won’t impact congestion, but rather “will simply keep things from getting worse.”

Another oft-cited challenge mentioned in the report is payments for municipal retirees. “Wishful thinking and avoidance of hard choices have endangered the secure retirements promised our public employees,” the report states. “Today’s workers are paying into a system whose benefits they’re increasingly unlikely to see.”

Despite the harsh outlook and statistics, the report also cites some of the region’s assets, saying the city has “all the ingredients of a great 21st century city.”

It touts the diversity of the region, with a workforce that speaks 224 languages other than English, and connections to Asia and Latin America. It mentions the resources available in universities such as USC, UCLA, Caltech and more.

Another strength, according to the report, is that the city owns its own airport, seaport and utility.

“We all want to see it work,” Beutner said. “We have reasons and tools with which to be a winner, but we have to start playing the game to win.”

Though the report is heavy on criticism, it does not include solutions or immediate next steps. A second report from the 2020 Commission is slated to offer ideas on how to address the problems. Beutner said he expects it to be released within the next few months. regardie@downtownnews.com

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photo courtesy L.A. Art Show

12 Downtown News

CALENDAR

Art Sh ow Of fers a Reall y Big Conve

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The Los Angeles Art Show, which runs Jan. 15-19 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, features 140 galleries selling contemporary and historic work.

universally adored. The Los Angeles Times’ Christopher Knight

By Donna Evans wrote last month, “The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam is auf hopscotching the globe to purchase a host of paintings, thorizing this junk.” sculptures, drawings and other artwork is a bit outside your Other Van Gogh-related elements of the show lack the time or financial budget, don’t worry: This week, all of the art controversy and the high price tag. The L.A. Art Show’s lecyou can possibly ponder, or ponder buying, is coming to you.

The 19th annual L.A. Art Show returns to the Los Angeles Con- ture series features Van Gogh Museum Director Axel Rüger and MOCA’s Cliff Einstein talking about the artist’s vision at 4 vention Center Wednesday-Sunday, Jan. 15-19. The event will p.m. on Friday. Other highlight lectures include Kevin Jones, feature contemporary, modern, historic and traditional works curator of the FIDM Museum, who will discuss the Helen Larfrom 20 countries and 18 states. More than 140 galleries will son Historic Fashion Collection at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, and have booths in the sprawling South Park complex. at 12 p.m. Friday art collector Jim Hedges, who amassed the Accompanying the art this year will be the Los Angeles Jewworld’s largest private collection of Andy Warhol photos, will elry, Antique and Design Show, which features some 200 pieces talk about how the market for his work has exploded in the of Mayan art that date to 250 BC. The pieces on display (which last 10 years. unlike most of those in the greater show are not for sale) will be Martindale started the L.A. Art Show almost two decades ago. shown in the future Museo Maya de America in Guatemala.

The first event, he said, drew 250 people to view work from 14 L.A. Art Show producer Kim Martindale was quick to tout its galleries. significance.

The 2013 installment, he said, claimed 60,000 attendees and “It is the most extensive collection of Guatemalan art outside of Guatemala,” he said of the 5,000-square-foot exhibit. “Some of 110 galleries. He anticipates as many patrons for this year’s 140 galleries (plus 60 for the jewelry and design show), installations these pieces have never been seen publicly before.” and lecture series.

The event is operated by the Palm Beach Show Group, which Entrance to the show is $20, or $15 if tickets are purchased acquired the L.A. Art Show in 2012. It kicks off Wednesday with online. The pieces for sale range from a few hundred dollars to a benefit for the Sister Cities of Los Angeles and their program upwards of $1 million, said event spokeswoman Agnes Gomes“Bordeaux-Los Angeles, a 50 Year Partnership. ” MOBILE 55678* OVIE to B Text DTNMelement Koizumi.

OneCLU attention-grabbing in the five-day show is the A nod to the L.A. Art Show’s growing acclaim, Martindale said, U.S. debut of some controversial pieces inspired by Vincent Van Text DTNMOVIE 55678 to Join Our the number of participating artists with international repuGogh. Collectively named the VantoGogh Museum Edition, theMovieisClub and beBlossoms” Entered to Win Movie works, including “Almond (1890), “Boulevard de Tickets!

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photo by Gil Garcetti

Former District Attorney (and the mayor’s dad) Gil Garcetti will have a display at the L.A. Art Show of his photos of women in Paris on bicycles.

matli guitarist Raul Pacheco will perform a short set using one of the guitars during the opening night party.

There’s even a political twist on the art. Two-term Los Angeles District Attorney and photographer Gil Garcetti (yes, he’s also the father of the current mayor) will display nearly 50 images from his 2010 book Paris: Women and Bicycles. Garcetti worked on the project for four years, trekking back and forth to shoot on Parisian streets. He was moved by the number of women, many dressed in fashionable, professional garb with high heels, who Starts Jan 6/Jan 13they went. pedaled everywhere Garcetti said he was approached six months ago by L.A. Art Show organizers to include a selection of his black and white and color images. While his photographs at the L.A. Art Show are part of a special exhibit and are not for sale, Garcetti does sell his limited-edition prints.

“I’m hoping people will see the power and the beauty of photography and that it can have a social purpose,” said Garcetti, a staunch advocate for bike share programs in urban areas.

The L.A. Art Show is Jan. 15-19 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa St., (213) 741-1151 or laartshow.com. donna@downtownnews.com

Starts Jan 17

January 13, 2014

Ace, 8 home for Spanish-language pictures. More recently it was owned by Scott, who erected the massive “Jesus Saves” sign on the roof. The building has been empty since Scott died in February 2005.

Ace worked with local collective Commune Design to restore the building and theater.

The rooms run from $200 a night to $600 for a 633-square-foot terrace suite (the presidential suite, at $900, offers a patio beneath the Jesus Saves sign). The minimalist decor features concrete ceilings with planks of soundproof fiberboard affixed to the walls. Electrical outlets abound near the dark gray-tinted furniture. All rooms offer free Internet access. Some include acoustic guitars and Ace’s own brand of turntables.

On the roof is an indoor/outdoor lounge with sweeping views of the city and a pool roughly the size of a hot tub. There’s a fireplace, salvaged theater lights and cascading bougainvillea and Boston Ivy, which likely would’ve been found in the estate gardens of Pickford and her United Artist contemporaries.

Guests enter through a lobby dominated by a reception desk made of wood reclaimed from the office building before the restoration. The reception area, which gives way to a gift shop, features large, hand-drawn murals. Cartoonish images and realistic illustrations of icons and California topography dot the walls. Private meeting and event rooms are adorned with a mix of Golden Age Hollywood glam and 1970s Los Angeles punk rock.

The hotel also features a Stumptown Coffee bar. Its in-house restaurant, LA Chapter, opens

Downtown News 13

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM Jan. 17 and has indoor space as well as a patio on Broadway separated from passersby by a line of planters. Ace partnered with restaurateur Jud Mongell, owner of Brooklyn’s Five Leaves, to open the eatery that will serve locally sourced vegetables and seafood.

The Downtown location is the second California Ace, and the fifth in the United States (there are also outposts in Panama and London). Indoors and out, the proprietors want the hotel to be a focal point for Downtown, where people socialize and collaborate, said Yael Greenberg, whose title is “cultural engineer.”

She explained the design concept as using the building’s “physical canvas” to tell a story of what happened in the past, as well as to create a space for the stories yet to be told.

“The next phase of L.A. is now,” she said.

Perhaps nowhere is that mix of past and present felt more than in the theater, where the highlight of the breathtaking features — which include wall murals depicting Pickford and other actors as semi-mythic heroes and villains — is the ceiling dome, dominated by hundreds of hanging crystal pendants.

As part of the upgrades, the original murals and intricate plasterwork were restored, while theater seats were reclaimed and reupholstered. The new carpet boasts a yin/yang pattern that references the ceiling design.

The theater opens Valentine’s Day weekend with a pair of concerts by English band Spiritualized. Perhaps fittingly for the restored venue, it won’t be a regular concert. Instead, the band will be accompanied by a full orchestra and choir.

At 929 S. Broadway, (213) 623-3233 or acehotel.com/losangeles. donna@downtownnews.com

The 1,600-seat Spanish-Gothic theater looks much as it did in 1927, when actress Mary Pickford teamed with Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin and D.W. Griffith to open the Downtown landmark.

photo by Gary Leonard

Ace President Brad Wilson at the new Downtown hotel.

photo by Gary Leonard

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The Don'T Miss LisT Hip-Hop Strings, Last Chance Skating, The Ax Man Cometh and More Downtown Fun

EVENTS

saTurday, January 18 Black Violin at World City W.M. Keck Amphitheatre, 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 9720777 or musiccenter.org.

11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.: The Florida based hip-hop duo assimilates electronic backbeats into a masterfully bowed fabric of classical strings.

Silk Road Day Natural History Museum, 900 Exposition Blvd., (213) 7633466 or nhm.org.

1-3 p.m.: An abundance of events compose today’s tribute to the Central Asian trade networks as brewmasters discuss the art of tea, oral historians pass on tales from the Silk Road and live music from the UCLA Music of China Ensemble echoes through the museum.

ROCK, POP & JAZZ Blue Whale 123 Astronaut E. S. Onizuka St., (213) 620-0908 or bluewhalemusic.com.

Jan. 14: Dylan Ryan and Sand.

Jan. 15: Destani Wolf Group Jan. 16: Yoon Seoung Cho/Darek Oles/Peter Erskine.

Jan. 17-18: Josh Nelson Quintet.

Jan. 19: Adam Czerwinski/Larry Koonse/Darek Oles.

Bootleg Bar 2220 Beverly Blvd., (213) 389-3856 or bootlegtheater.org.

Jan. 13, 9 p.m.: Vanaprasta teases out their “healthy geometry” with yet another week of their January residency.

Jan. 15, 8:30 p.m.: With their ethereal indie rock and brightly colored press photos, we suspect Wild Ones may not actually be that wild.

Jan. 16, 9 p.m.: A quadruple dose of accessible local workhorse indie bands gives the impression of a showcase. Nightmare and the Cat, Carina Round, Fever the Ghost and the Peach Kings will all entertain you.

Jan. 17, 9 p.m.: A touch of grit tonight as punk/indie amal-

one

Black Violin is not your typical hip-hop duo. The members of the Florida-based outfit draw on their classical chops to strum accompaniments to hip-hop backbeats on violin and viola, creating a churning blend of stringed instrumentation and 21st century musical sensibilities.

On Saturday, Jan. 18, Black Violin will be doing triple duty, with two performances for the World City program at the Keck Amphitheatre, and a night show inside Walt Disney Concert Hall. Both World City shows are free to those who wait patiently outside the venue an hour before the 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. events. The 8:30 p.m. concert at Disney Hall will feature a fuller set list. At 111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 850-2000 or laphil.com.

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On Tuesday, Jan. 14, Town Hall-Los Angeles lets you have something you very rarely get to enjoy: breakfast with an archbishop. OK, you’re probably not sharing bites of your croissant with Jose Gomez, but the first Hispanic archbishop of Los Angeles, and the head of the largest Catholic Archdiocese in the United States, will be on hand and will deliver a talk titled “Immigration and the Next America,” which sure does seem timely. Those gathered at 8 a.m. in the warm confines of the Millennium Biltmore Hotel will enjoy not only this rousing pronouncement on evolutions in the sociopolitical sphere, but also a continental breakfast. At 506 S. Grand Ave., (213) 6288141 or townhall-la.org.

Yes, it’s 75 degrees in the middle of January, but you can still ice skate. Well, for another week you can.

The Pershing Square Ice Rink closes Jan. 20, which means this is your last full week to strap on the skates and salchow in the shadow of the skyscrapers. If you’d rather watch others fall, then show up at 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday-Thursday, Jan. 14-16, for the park’s broomball tournament. Sometimes known as “not quite hockey” or “free concussion,” broomball brings the competitive minded onto a cut-down ice rink to compete for the “Pseudo Stanley Cup.” The ice rink is open 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 10 a.m.-11 p.m.

Friday-Sunday. At 532 S. Olive St., (213) 847-4970 or laparks.org/pershingsquare.

4

Let us be extremely forthcoming: Despite the man’s all-too-appropriate name, Emanuel Ax does not play a doublenecked electric guitar. Instead he is a virtuoso piano player who will be initiating the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Brahms festival with a performance of the composer’s Piano Concerto No. 1.

Joining Ax at Walt Disney Concert Hall will be the Phil and guest conductor Robin Ticciati. The program, which includes Ligeti’s Melodien, runs Friday, Jan. 17, at 8 p.m. and again on Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.

At 111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 850-2000 or laphil.com.

FiVe

photo by Gary Leonard

Wednesday, January 15 Jen Stark at SCI-Arc SCI-Arc, 960 E. Third St., (213) 613-2200 or sciarc.edu.

7 p.m.: Artist Jen Stark discusses her methodology and the influence larger universal structuralism and self-similarity has played in her work. No, we’re not quite sure what that means either.

Peter Guralnick at the Grammy Museum Grammy Museum, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org.

7:30 p.m.: Acclaimed music writer and Elvis biographer Peter Guralnick drops by to discuss his body of work and penchant for American tunes.

By Dan Johnson | calendar@downtownnews.com

photo by JuanCarlos Chan/LA Dept of Recreation & Parks

Tuesday, January 14 Ken Ehrlich at the Grammy Museum Grammy Museum, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org.

7:30 p.m.: Over the course of his career, TV producer Ken Ehrlich has helped create the Grammys, Emmys and the MTV Movie Awards.

He’ll be chatting with Bob Santelli and answering a few questions, so go ahead and ask him about his favorite recipient of the MTV Best Kiss award.

Jose Gomez at Town Hall Millennium Biltmore Hotel, 506 S. Grand Ave., (213) 6288141 or townhall-la.org.

8 a.m.: The first Hispanic Archbishop of Los Angeles discusses the challenges and hopes of changing immigration policies and patterns in the 21st century. It’s a major breakfast speech from the region’s most powerful religious leader Richard Rodriguez at Aloud Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St, (213) 228-7500 or lfla.org.

7:15 p.m.: Journalist and essayist Richard Rodriguez takes on the desert. He’ll discuss the sandy expanse in its physical and spiritual sense, and get some help from moderator Ruben Martinez.

There is no greater testament to the compelling enchantment of local piano indie outfit Harriet’s music than the quietly unsettling feeling audience members get when the band launches into their marquee number “I Slept With All Your Mothers.” Sure, you may know for a fact that the band hasn’t even met your dear mom, but the conviction in singer Alex Casnoff’s voice may just leave you with a twinge of doubt. You too can experience this delightful sonic jubilee and its resulting reappraisal of your own life circumstances on Saturday, Jan. 18, as Harriet stops by the Bootleg Theater. Do not, we repeat, do not bring your mom.

At 2220 Beverly Blvd., (213) 3893856 or bootlegtheater.org.

Send information and possible Don’t Miss List submissions to calendar@downtownnews.com.

photo by Emily Knecht

DT

CALENDAR LISTINGS

January 13, 2014

TWITTER/DOWNTOWNNEWS photo courtesy Black Violin

14 Downtown News

January 13, 2014

New Year, Old StriNgS

Y

photo by Alex Evans

ou can’t stop Bob Baker. Not that you’d ever want to try. The octogenarian puppeteer and namesake of City West’s Bob Baker Marionette Theatre has just kicked off his 54th season with another run of Bob Baker’s Fun With Strings. The plot’s not the point, but the characters and settings are: The show features Jack Frost, the Snow Queen and the Balloon Clown, and they visit Paris and the Monkey Circus. Yep, that’s clowns, monkeys and puppets all in one. Shows are Tuesday-Friday at 2:30 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday at 10:30 a.m. At 1345 W. First St., (213) 2509995 or bobbakermarionettes.com.

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Nokia Theatre 777 Chick Hearn Court, (213) 763-6030 or nokiatheatrelalive.com.

Jan. 19, 7:30 p.m.: Old school rhythm and blues comes to town with a dual bill featuring The Whispers and Stephanie Mills.

One-Eyed Gypsy 901 E. First St., (626) 340-3529 or one-eyedgypsy.com.

Jan. 15, 10 p.m.: For those perplexed by Hot Club Vignati’s self-espoused “gypsybilly,” that would appear to be a blend of gypsy music and rockabilly.

Jan. 16, 10 p.m.: Hello, Pariah! is both a musical act and the words you’re greeted with every time you visit your family.

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gams Crooks on Tape, Spaceships and DCTV hit the stage.

Jan. 18, 8 p.m.: Anticipate an evening of straightforward feisty rock from Harriet.

Jan. 19, 8:30 p.m.: Speak is a band name, not an invitation.

Club Nokia 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-7000 or clubnokia.com.

Jan. 14, 7:30 p.m.: We have our first contender for best acronym band name with U-Kiss, otherwise known as Ubiquitous Korean International Super Star. Very specific.

Jan. 18, 8 p.m.: Guitar Center’s Drum-Off Finals features Chad Smith, Steve Ferrone, Ray Luzier, Chris Dave and many more percussionists competing to see which one of them is most inferior to Neil Peart. For the ladies in the house, that’s a Rush reference.

Escondite 410 Boyd St., (213) 626-1800 or theescondite.com.

Jan. 13, 9 p.m.: Brian Walker warms the joint up for Yonatan and his Monster Monday.

Jan. 14, 10 p.m.: With their consummate stage craft, Bunny West and Boom Boom Boom make the Escondite the most hospitable watering hole in Skidrokyo each Tuesday night.

Jan. 15, 10 p.m.: Bluegrass troubadours The Get Down Boys pick up where The Sunset Drifters leave off.

Jan. 16, 10 p.m.: Blackwater Jukebox, a musical experience for those who also enjoy beer and hamburgers.

Jan. 17, 9 p.m.: For the Kings supports Trevor Menear both on stage and in all of his endeavors.

Jan. 18, 10 p.m.: Charlie Chan & The SOBs: a lifetime of bluesy knowhow packed into a weekly Saturday night set.

Jan. 19, 10 p.m.: Why don’t you ask RT N the 44s about their hearing loss. I bet they’ll sing you a lovely song.

Exchange LA 618 S. Spring St., (213) 627-8070 or exchangela.com.

Jan. 17, 10 p.m.: Felix Cartal, if you could take overly exuberant house music down a notch that would be great. You’re scaring the locals.

Jan. 18, 10 p.m.: If Dick Cheney ever regains control over this nation’s defense apparatus, he should consider using repetitive, high-decibel broadcasts of Stefano Noferini’s Club Edition podcast to wear down enemy combatants.

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54 Air Conditioned Rooms Suites Have Roman Tubs Direct Dial Phones, Local Calls Free Wet Bars Available • TV’s Major Credit Cards Accepted • No Pets 4121 S WESTERN AVE, LOS ANGELES, CA 90062

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Lunch and Dinner • An Extensive Seafood Menu including Dim Sum at Moderate Prices • Relaxed Dining in an Elegant Ambiance • Live Lobster Tank

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Five Minutes to Downtown, Staples Center & L.A. Live!

Downtown News 15

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Redwood Bar and Grill 316 W. Second St., (213) 652-4444 or theredwoodbar.com.

Jan. 14: Fuzzy Vision Records.

Jan. 15: Adam Bones, The Black Tibetans and Flagg.

Jan. 16: Thursday Night Booty.

Jan. 17: Bombpops.

Jan. 18, 3 p.m.: Jelly Boyz, Open Letters and Spokenest.

Jan. 18: JD Wilkes & The Dirt Daubers.

Jan. 19, 3 p.m.: Great Apes and The Void Boys.

Jan. 19: Inferno of Joy. Seven Grand 515 W. Seventh St., (213) 614-0737 or sevengrand.la.

Jan. 13: The Louis Van Taylor Quintet promises copious saxophone.

Jan. 14: Hot DTLA tip: Not only are the Makers extremely adept practitioners of improvised jazz, but they also file a damn fine personal tax return. Cozy up to the band during a break and talk exemptions.

Jan. 15: Rick Taub’s Midnight Blues Review is fairly self explanatory.

Jan. 19: A touch of jazz violin from Nora Germain.

The Smell 247 S. Main St. in the alley between Spring and Main or Continued on next page

16 Downtown News

January 13, 2014

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Continued from previous page thesmell.org.

Jan. 17-19: Allow us to decipher the listing for the Frequency 3.0 Third Annual Chiptune Festival: Over three days, a gaggle of pop and electro artists specializing in 8-bit music (read: Nintendo sounding vintage synth) will be packing The Smell.

FILM Downtown Independent 251 S. Main St., (213) 617-1033 or downtownindependent.com.

Jan. 13-23: The highly-regarded Shinji Ikari continues with Evangelion 3.0. Disaster lurks around every corner as two boys struggle to save Earth.

Jan. 18, 5 and 7:30 p.m. and Jan. 19, 7 p.m.: Anohana The Movie tells the story of childhood friends reunited by the ghost of their deceased colleague. Told in true anime fashion.

IMAX California Science Center, 700 State Drive, (213) 744-2019 or californiasciencecenter.org.

Explore the remnants and wisdom of an ancient empire in Mysteries of Egypt.

Ice and polar bear enthusiasts will likely dig To the Arctic 3D. Experience the gripping story full of hope, crushing disappointment and triumph in Hubble 3D. Regal Cinemas 1000 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 763-6070 or lalive.com/movies.

Through January 16: Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (9 p.m. and 12:01 a.m.); The Legend of Hercules 3D (12, 2:30, 5, 7:40 and 10:30 p.m.); The Legend of Hercules (4:10 and 9:50); Lone Survivor (12:50, 1:30, 4:40, 6:50, 7:50 and 11 p.m.); Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (11:50 a.m., 2:10, 4:30, 7:30 and 10:50 p.m.); 47 Ronin (12:10 p.m.); 47 Ronin 3D (3:20, 6:30 and 9:30 p.m.); August: Osage County (1, 4, 7:20 and 10:20 p.m.); The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (12:20, 3:40, 6:30 and 9:10 p.m.); The Wolf of Wall Street (11:40 a.m., 3:40, 7, and 10 p.m.); Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (12:20, 3:30, 6:40 and 9:30 p.m.); Her (12:40, 3:50, 7 and 10:10 p.m.); American Hustle (12:20, 3:50, 7:10 and 10:40 p.m.); The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (11:20 a.m., 2:50, 6:20 and 10:10 p.m.); Frozen (11:20 a.m., 1:50, 4:20, 6:50 and 9:20 p.m.); The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (12:10, 3:30, 6:40 and 9:50 p.m.).

THEATER, OPERA & DANCE Bob Baker’s Fun With Strings Bob Baker Marionette Theater, 1345 W. First St., (213) 250-9995 or bobbakermarionettes.com.

Jan. 14-17, 10:30 a.m. and Jan. 18-19, 2:30 p.m.: Whimsy knows no bounds as Bob Baker’s 54th season kicks off with a journey through a monkey circus, a vast winter landscape and Paris.

Songs of Innocence and Experience Loft Ensemble, 929 E. Second St., #105, (213) 680-0392 or loftensemble.org.

Jan. 18, 8 p.m. and Jan. 19, 7 p.m.: Veteran actor Bill Mesnick will be accompanied by folk music as he performs an evening of William Blake’s poetry.

The Wooden Floor REDCAT, 631 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800 or redcat.org.

Jan. 17 and 18, 8:30 p.m.: With choreographer Susan Rethorest at the helm, this Santa Ana-based company of youth dancers takes on the world of contemporary dance.

CLASSICAL MUSIC Tuesday, January 14 Chamber Music Society Disney Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 972-0777 or musiccenter.org.

8 p.m.: Members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic form the backbone of this intimate chamber experience featuring pieces by Poulenc, Beethoven, Krausas and Bartok.

Friday, January 17 Ax Brahms Project Disney Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 972-0777 or musiccenter.org.

Jan. 17, 8 p.m. and Jan. 18-19, 2 p.m.: Celebrated pianist Emanuel Ax christens a mini-festival of works by Brahms as conductor Robin Ticciati leads Ax and the L.A. Phil through Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1.

DaCamera Society Presents Szymanowski Quartet Doheny House, 10 Chester Place, (213) 477-2929 or dacamera.org.

7:40 p.m.: A show and a pre-concert talk amidst the stunning interior of University Park’s Doheny Mansion. The program of chamber music features work from Haydn, Dvorak and Karol Syzmanowski. sunday, January 19 Ebene Quartet, Colburn Chamber Music Society Concert Colburn School, 200 S. Grand Ave., (213) 621-2200 or colburnschool.edu.

3 p.m.: A select group of musicians gather to perform pieces by Bartok, Raphael Merlin and Tchaikovsky.

BARS & CLUBS Figueroa Hotel 939 S. Figueroa St., (213) 627-8971 or figueroahotel.com.

The Moroccan-inspired Figueroa Hotel just a block north of Staples Center manages

the unique feat of making you feel like you’re in the heart of the city and removed from it at the same time. The light-filled Veranda Bar is just steps from the clear, glittery pool, and it’s common to see suit-clad Downtowners a few feet from swimsuit-wearing Euro-tourists.

Five Stars Bar 269 S. Main St., (213) 625-1037.

Burgers, brew, billiards, art and live music. Cash only, amigos.

Gallery Bar Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles, 506 S. Grand Ave., (213) 624-1011 or millenniumhotels.com.

This elegant lounge in the Millennium Biltmore Hotel is known for its martinis, wines and vintage ports.

Golden Gopher 417 W. Eighth St., (213) 614-8001 or goldengopherbar.com.

This stylish, dimly lit space with exposed brick walls, chandeliers and golden gopher lamps has a rockin’ jukebox, cheap Pabst Blue Ribbon and an outdoor lounge for smokers. Best of all, it also has Ms. Pac Man and Galaga. The bar also has a rare take-out liquor counter.

Grand Star Jazz Club 943 Sun Mun Way, (213) 626-2285 or grandstarjazzclub.com.

Firecracker club heats things up every other Friday atop the Quon Brothers’ Grand Star. Start the evening at the latter, where the lapu lapus are wicked strong. There’s usually alternating karaoke and a good jazz trio. Upstairs you’ll find the indie/Brit pop haven known as Firecracker, a longtime dance club with good music and an eclectic, lively crowd.

Hop Louie 950 Mei Ling Way (Central Plaza), (213) 628-4244.

This is old school Chinatown, on the ground floor of the Hop Louie Restaurant, with slightly indifferent bartenders and décor — it’s actually a relief.

La Cita 336 S. Hill St., (213) 687-7111 or lacitabar.com.

Everything in this former Mexican Ranchero bar oozes red, from the vinyl booths lining the wall to the glowing light fixtures.

Hipsters, Latino regulars and artists mingle as DJs get their groove on during the week. Saturday and Sunday bring Hacienda Nights with traditional Ranchero music.

Downtown News 17

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM Las Perlas 107 E. Sixth St., (213) 988-8355 or 213nightlife.com/ lasperlas.

This is Downtown bar impresario Cedd Moses’ ode to mescal, tequila’s crotchety old uncle with the smoky voice and wise cracks. The bar mixes some mean margaritas too.

Library Bar 630 W. Sixth St., (213) 614-0053 or librarybarla.com.

This dimly lit bar is more upscale than your typical pub, which means you won’t find a boisterous USC crowd here. A very busy happy hour draws associates from the law firm across the street, as well as bankers, secretaries and other professionals for the grown-up beer and wine selections. There’s a full bar, but the main attractions are the seven craft beers on tap.

Los Angeles Brewing Company 750 S. Broadway, (213) 622-0500 or labrewingco.com.

This massive beer den on Broadway promises 100 brews on tap, to go with a full menu that includes a range of eats, from typical bar fare to steaks and salads. The bevy of big screens has rendered the watering hole a sports bar since it opened in early 2012. Make use of the doggy valet on the outdoor patio, where a patch of grass is reserved for Fido.

McCormick & Schmick’s 633 W. Fifth St., Fourth Floor, (213) 629-1929 or mccormickandschmicks.com.

With a bar, adjoining dining rooms and patio where patrons can take in the dazzling skyline, this is a longtime Downtown happy hour scene, and one of its most festive. The drinks come quick, and the food specials are unbeatable — formidable burgers and appetizers for mere dollars.

Noé Bar Omni Hotel, 251 S. Olive St., (213) 356-4100 or omnihotels.com.

This relaxing spot features a full menu of signature martinis and a humidor with a variety of quality cigars. The outdoor patio showcases the Downtown skyline and California Plaza and features intimate fire pits. Happy Hour every Wednesday and Thursday 5-9 p.m. featuring live music, $3 appetizers and $5 cocktails.

O Bar & Kitchen O Hotel, 819 S. Flower St., (213) 623-9904 or ohotelgroup.com.

Surrounded by warm orange walls and exposed brick, try California-inspired Mediterranean tapas and relax with a house cocktail or specialty martini.

Oiwake 122 Japanese Village Plaza Mall, (213) 628-2678 or oiwake.com.

The first karaoke restaurant and bar in Downtown boasts a monster songbook.

One Eyed Gypsy 901 E. First St., (626) 340-3529 or one-eyedgypsy.com.

Look for the purple building by the First Street bridge to find this Old Worlde meets modern hipster lounge, where you can listen to up-and-coming rock and experimental bands while playing skee ball or demanding answers from the fortune-telling machine.

Pattern Bar 100 W. Ninth St., (213) 627-7774 or patternbar.com.

One of LA’s newest nightspots is a trendy, open walled spot with craft cocktails, good beer and all kinds of references to the

Gill’s Indian Restaurant Free 6 Days Delivery Downtown!

surrounding Fashion District. The owners of Pattern Bar come from a long pedigree of Downtown underground music. Count on good tunes and live mixing when you come in at night, but don’t even think about making a request.

Perch 448 S. Hill St., (213) 802-1770 or perchla.com.

This rooftop Parisian inspired bistro is the newest project from the team that brought you the Must. Wine, cuisine, cognac and craft beer are all good and well here, but the true attraction is the view of Pershing Square and the Bunker Hill skyline.

Redwood Bar & Grill 316 W. Second St., (213) 680-2600 or theredwoodbar.com.

This maritime-inspired tavern is decked out in nautical gear, including fishing nets and floats, weathered wooden planks and the stumps of dock timbers. A rusty anchor and reproductions of pirate flags adorn the ceiling of the entryway. DJs spin in a backroom while a high-tech jukebox churns out everything from the Clash to Frank Sinatra.

Continued on next page

*Any purchase of $15 or more.

1 coupon per customer, per visit. Expires 1/30/14

All You Can Eat Lunch Buffet $8.95

$2 OFF

*

Tandori Chicken, Meat Curry, Two Vegetables Dal, Pullao Rice, Naan, Salad, Dessert, Fruits and much more!

Open Monday - Saturday: Lunch 11:30am-2:30pm Dinner 5:30pm-10pm

838 S. Grand Ave. • (213) 623-1050 gillsrestaurant.com

Gourmet Fast Casual Restaurant Since 1973 7 Days-7am to 10pm • FREE Parking • We Cater 1657 W. 3rd St. at Union Ave. • 213-483-8885

China Inn why Cook? Regent Authentic Chinese Cuisine 10 PieCe sPeCiaL

thighs & Legs now accepting Credit Cards

Party Paks available

with Tortillas & Salsa onLy

$10.99 +

taX

2 Downtown Locations Corner of BroaDway & 3rd

260 S. Broadway, (213) 626-7975 • (213) 626-8235, Tel/Fx: (213) 626-4572

Fashion DistriCt at Corner 9th/santee 226 E. 9th St. , (213) 623-5091 • (213) 327-0645, Tel/Fx: (213) 623-9405

in Chinatown

✤ Live Lobster and Crab ✤ Delivery, Minimum Order $15 ✤ Lunch Special $4.95 – Mon.-Fri. 11-5, Sat.-Sun. 11-3 ✤ Party Tray Available 739-747 N. Main St. Los Angeles, 90012 213.680.3333 Regentchinainn.com FREE PARKING

City Living THIS WEEK CHECK OUT WATCH IT ON DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM,

NEW EPISODE EVERY MONDAY AT 9AM

photo by Ryan Miller/capture imaging

January 13, 2014

FIRST FRIDAYS AT THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

GRAND OPENING OF PEKING TAVERN AND CRANES DOWNTOWN

18 Downtown News

January 13, 2014

TWITTER/DOWNTOWNNEWS

LAST WEEKS ANSWERS

Continued from previous page Salvage 717 W. Seventh St., (213) 688-7755 or salvagela.com.

This lounge and bar on the supposed restaurant row is a perfect addition for the Financial District crowd. Loud house music and sufficient cocktails are all part of the appeal at this Hollywood-inspired spot.

Seven Grand 515 W. Seventh St., (213) 614-0737 or sevengrand.la.

A neon stag head near Seventh Street and Grand Avenue marks the entrance to this high-end whiskey lounge. At the top of a staircase you’ll find a diorama with a gun-toting hunter, one of several quirky elements that also include bejeweled crows in the S I N C Eladies 19room, 7 2 plaid fabric, and plenty of stag and elk imagery.

Los Angeles Downtown News More than 120 whiskeys are displayed behind the stunning back1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 lit bar, and the expert mixologists whip up some truly amazing phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 cocktails (happy hour prices apply all day Monday). A smoker’s web: DowntownNews.com • email: realpeople@downtownnews.com facebook: L.A. Downtown News

CROSSWORD

twitter: DowntownNews

patio is onsite. The action around the pool table is always lively and there’s a nice lineup of live music.

Silo 221 W. Seventh St., (213) 891-1063 or silodtla.com.

Vodka, Vodka, Vodka. Clear distilled spirits are the specialty here. The décor and clientele are more Hollywood than Historic Core. Portent of things to come? Or a new addition to an already flourishing bar district? You be the judge.

Standard Hotel 550 S. Flower St., (213) 892-8080 or standardhotel.com.

Editor PublishEr: Despite&only a few shortSue yearsLaris in operation, you can pretty much GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn consider the Standard hotel’sEastin rooftop bar a local nightlife veteran. FromEditor: buttoned-up office workers who flock to the space ExEcutivE Jon Regardie stAFF writErs: Donna Evans, Eddie Kim for happy hour drinks to the swanked-out late-night crowd, the coNtributiNG Maese place is alwaysEditor: buzzing. Kathryn Floating amid the surreal skyline, the coNtributiNG writErs: Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer, mod lounge features pod-shaped cabanas, vibrating waterbeds, Kristin Friedrich, Kylie Jane Wakefield super hot bartenders and lots of beautiful people.

MORE LISTINGS Hundreds of listings of fun and interesting things to do in Downtown Los Angeles can also be found online at ladowntownnews. com/calendar: Rock, Pop & Jazz; Bars & Clubs; Farmers Markets; Events; Film; Sports; Art Spaces; Theater, Dance and Opera; Classical Music; Museums; and Tours.

Art dirEctor: Brian Allison AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard

Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin

AccouNtiNG: Tara LaPlante

ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie stAFF writErs: Donna Evans, Eddie Kim coNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer, Kristin Friedrich, Kylie Jane Wakefield

AdvErtisiNG dirEctor: Steve Nakutin clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Yoji Cole, Josie Damian, Catherine Holloway sAlEs AssistANt: Claudia Hernandez

Art dirEctor: Brian Allison AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins

circulAtioN: Danielle Salmon distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla

PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard

2 YOUR EVENT INFO

EASY WAYS TO SUBMIT

4 WEB: LADowntownNews.com/calendar 4 EMAIL: Calendar@DowntownNews.com

Email: Send a brief description, street address and public phone number. Submissions must be received 10 days prior Nconsidered C E 19 for 7 2print. to publication dateStoIbe Los Angeles Downtown News 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 web: DowntownNews.com email: realpeople@downtownnews.com facebook: L.A. Downtown News twitter: DowntownNews ©2014 Civic Center News, Inc. Los Angeles Downtown News is a trademark of Civic Center News Inc. All rights reserved.

The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and is distributed every Monday throughout the offices and residences of Downtown Los Angeles.

One copy per person.

AccouNtiNG: Tara LaPlante AdvErtisiNG dirEctor: Steve Nakutin clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Yoji Cole, Josie Damian, Catherine Holloway sAlEs AssistANt: Claudia Hernandez circulAtioN: Danielle Salmon distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla

Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie stAFF writErs: Donna Evans, Eddie Kim coNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer, Kristin Friedrich, Kylie Jane Wakefield

©2014 Civic Center News, Inc. Los Angeles Downtown News is a trademark of Civic Center News Inc. All rights reserved.

The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and is distributed every Monday throughout the offices and residences of Downtown Los Angeles.

One copy per person.

Art dirEctor: Brian Allison AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard AccouNtiNG: Tara LaPlante AdvErtisiNG dirEctor: Steve Nakutin clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Yoji Cole, Josie Damian, Catherine Holloway sAlEs AssistANt: Claudia Hernandez circulAtioN: Danielle Salmon distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla

Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin

S I N C E 19 7 2 Los Angeles Downtown News 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 web: DowntownNews.com • email: realpeople@downtownnews.com facebook: L.A. Downtown News

twitter: DowntownNews

ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie stAFF writErs: Donna Evans, Eddie Kim coNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer, Kristin Friedrich, Kylie Jane Wakefield Art dirEctor: Brian Allison AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard AccouNtiNG: Tara LaPlante

S I N C E 19 7 2 Los Angeles Downtown News 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 web: DowntownNews.com email: realpeople@downtownnews.com facebook: L.A. Downtown News twitter: DowntownNews ©2014 Civic Center News, Inc. Los Angeles Downtown News is a trademark of Civic Center News Inc. All rights reserved.

The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and is distributed every Monday throughout the offices and residences of Downtown Los Angeles.

One copy per person.

AdvErtisiNG dirEctor: Steve Nakutin clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Yoji Cole, Josie Damian, Catherine Holloway sAlEs AssistANt: Claudia Hernandez circulAtioN: Danielle Salmon distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla ©2014 Civic Center News, Inc. Los Angeles Downtown News is a trademark of Civic Center News Inc. All rights reserved.

The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and is distributed every Monday throughout the offices and residences of Downtown Los Angeles.

One copy per person.

January 13, 2014

DT

CLASSIFIEDS REAL ESTATE RESIDENTIAL lofts for sale

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apartments/UnfUrnished $1,200/mo 2bd/1ba in Chinatown. minutes from Downtown.

Newly paint, range, refrigerator, carpet. Laundry on-site. one parking space. 433 Cottage Home Street 818-716-7297.

SENIoR APARTmENTS 62 + Studio $873 1 Bedroom $929.

Balcony, Full Kitchen, A/C, Clubhouse, BBQ, Resource room, Laundry, SEC 8 o.K. Visit GSL SAN LUCAS.com 213623-2010.

EMPLOYMENT Caregiver/aide/Cna HIRING CAREGIVERS NoW! Hourly and live-in assignments! mUST have 1 year of professional experience. Please call HR mon - Fri 9Am-5Pm (310) 258-9569

health SPECIALS! 4 mani’s & Pedi’s for oNLY $99! 3 Facials or 3 massages for only $99. Buy our specials tomorrow but use them when you want! Enjoy yourself more than once! 818-574-9882 Downtown Los Angeles.

LEGAL fiCtitioUs BUsiness name Fictitious Business name statement File no. 20090170655 The following person is doing business as: 1) LA Downtowner, 1264 W. 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026-5831, are hereby registered by the following registrant: CIVIC CENTER NEWS, INC, 1264 W. 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026. This business is conducted by a corporation.

The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 09/12/1972.

This statement was filed with DEAN LoGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk on February 11, 2009.

NOTICE—This fictitious name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et. seq. Business and Professions Code).

Pub. 01/13, 01/20, 01/27, and 02/03/2014.

Fictitious Business name statement File no. 20090170655 The following person is doing business as: 1) CIVIC CENTER INC, 1264 W. 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026-5831 are hereby registered by the following registrant: CIVIC CENTER NEWS, INC, 1264 W. 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026.

To place a classified ad in the Downtown News please call 213-481-1448, or go to DowntownNews.com Deadline classified display and line ads are Thursday at 12pm.

FORfor RENT All submissions are subject to federal and California fair housing laws, which make it illegal to indicate in any advertisement any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, source of income or physical or mental disability. We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

This business is conducted by a corporation. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 09/12/1972.

This statement was filed with DEAN LoGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk on February 06, 2009.

NOTICE—This fictitious name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et. seq. Business and Professions Code).

Pub. 01/13, 01/20, 01/27, and 02/03/2014.

Fictitious Business name statement File no. 20090187396 The following person is doing business as: 1) LA DoWNToWN NEWS 2) LoS ANGELES DoWNToWN NEWS, 1264 W. 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026-5831 are hereby registered by the following registrant: CIVIC CENTER NEWS, INC, 1264 W. 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026. This business is conducted by a corporation.

The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 09/12/1972.

This statement was filed with DEAN LoGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk on February 11, 2009.

NOTICE—This fictitious name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et. seq. Business and Professions Code).

Pub. 01/13, 01/20, 01/27, and 02/03/2014.

Thomas E. Rounds

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Fictitious Business name statement File no. 20090189318 The following person is doing business as: 1) LoS ANGELES DoWNToWN SHoPPER 2) DoWNToWN SHoPPER, 1264 W. 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026-5831 are hereby regis-

tered by the following registrant: CIVIC CENTER NEWS, INC, 1264 W. 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026. This business is conducted by a corporation. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 09/12/1972.

This statement was filed with

DEAN LoGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk on February 11, 2009.

NOTICE—This fictitious name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement

does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et. seq. Business and Professions Code).

Pub. 01/13, 01/20, 01/27, and 02/03/2014.

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Restrictions: Offer good on private party ads only. Ads must be pre-paid by cash, check or credit card. Certain classifications excluded. Deadline: Thursday at noon for next issue.

20 Downtown News

January 13, 2014

TWITTER/DOWNTOWNNEWS

The Central City Crime Report

Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore!

It’s our business to make you comfortable... at home, downtown. Corporate and long term residency Call Now Fo is accommodated in high style at the Towers Apartments. Contemporary singles, studio, one r bedroom and two bedroom apartment homes provide fortunate residents with a courteous full service lobby attendant, heated pool, spa, complete fitness center, sauna and recreation room Move-In Spec with kitchen. Beautiful views extend from the Towers’ lofty homes in the sky. Mountain vistas and ial slender skyscrapers provide an incredible back drop to complement your decor. Far below are a host of businesses s ready to support your pampered downtown lifestyle. With spectacular cultural events nearby, even the most demanding tastes are satisfied. Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore. Visit the Towers Apartments today.

Grand Tower

255 South Grand Avenue Leasing Information 213 229 9777 Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Concierge ~ Pool / Spa / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Gas BBQ Grills ~ Recreation Room

Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove, Microwave & Dishwasher (most units) ~ Central Air Conditioning & Heating ~ Balconies (most units)

On-site: ~ Dry Cleaners / Dental Office / Restaurants

Promenade Towers

123 South Figueroa Street Leasing Information 213 617 3777 Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Pool / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Covered Parking

Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove & Dishwasher ~ Central Air & Heating ~ Solariums and/or Balconies

On-Site: ~ Convenience Store / Coffee House / Yogurt Shop / Beauty Salon

museum Tower

225 South Olive Street Leasing Information 213 626 1500 Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Concierge ~ Pool / Spa / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Gas BBQ Grills ~ Recreation Room

Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove, Microwave & Dish washer (most units) ~ Central Air & Heating ~ Balconies (most units)

8 7 7 - 2 65 - 714 6

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By Donna Evans n the Central City Crime Report, we survey the recent week in public safety. All information is provided by the LAPD’s Central Division.

I

Fast Food Ruse: A man gave a fellow halfway house resident a ride from Anaheim to Downtown on Dec. 31, and pulled into a McDonald’s parking lot at 690 S. Alameda St. at 4 p.m. under the guise of checking his tire pressure. Instead, the man pulled out a knife, cut the passenger, stole his wallet and fled.

Bad Corner: An unidentified man brandished a knife at a person walking at Fourth and Spring streets at 6 p.m. on Dec. 30 and demanded, “Give me everything you have.” The victim complied, and the suspect fled.

You Cut, They Cuff: Police arrested a man on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon at 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 2. The man allegedly used a knife to threaten and assault a person in an apartment building in the 500 block of South Main Street. The man refused to comply with police officers’ orders to surrender; authorities then put him in handcuffs.

Hit and Run: A man who hit another person’s car in a garage in the 100 block of Hope Street at 5 p.m. on Jan. 1 refused to give the other individual his personal information. When the driver tried to leave, the victim stood behind his car in an attempt to block his exit. The man backed into the victim and drove away.

Baca, 5 horror, the horror.” (Yes, I just spoiler alerted a 35-year-old film).

I was looking forward to the debates, knowing there was a 40% chance someone would get angry and pull out a shiv.

The debates also seemed to present some fabulous political conundrums: If Baca accused Tanaka of messing up the department, would he thereby admit that he wasn’t capably running the show? If Tanaka blamed Baca for the problems, then was he acknowledging that he lacked the sway to effect real change and was simply a yes man?

Then there was the presence in the race of former Commander Bob Olmsted, who spent three decades in the department and blew the whistle to the feds about some of the unsavory activities and corruption at a Downtown jail.

With Baca and Tanaka trading blows, Olmsted was perfectly positioned to play the reformer role.

Now, Baca has euthanized his own campaign and plunged the whole thing into chaos stew.

Exactly what happens next is unknown, but expect plenty to occur quickly. The lack of a king opens the field to a bazillion new contenders, though the most closely watched potential candidate is Long Beach Police Chief Jim McDonnell. Tanaka, meanwhile, doesn’t have to fight Baca anymore, but he’ll be the sole focus of everyone who points to the problems of the current regime. Think of him as a political archery target.

Things also will get tricky for Olmsted. While he has a jump on any new candidates, without Baca he has lost his best villain and the person from whom he drew his sharpest contrast. If other reform-minded contenders enter, he’ll no longer have the claim as The Only Alternative to All the Evil (a rejected campaign slogan).

The whole thing will become messy. There will be a mad fundraising scramble and all the candidates will desperately strive to connect with voters. Expect everyone in the race to cast himself as a sheriff’s equivalent of former LAPD Chief (and current New York Police Commissioner) William Bratton.

If everything works out, then this will be the start of a new era for the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. As it occurs, however, we won’t have Lee Baca to kick around anymore. regardie@downtownnews.com