JANUARY 25, 2016 I VOL. 45 I #4
Check Out the Rich Young Downtowners : 6 A Comedy Festival Roars Into Downtown : 18
Mark Peel, the longtime chef at Campanile, finds new culinary opportunities with Bombo in Grand Central Market.
Let’s Do Lunch A GUIDE TO HEALTHY EATING IN DOWNTOWN IN 2016
photo by Gary Leonard
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Sixth Street Bridge to Close This Week
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irst the Sixth Street Viaduct was expected to be shut down in January. Then it was pushed back to March. Now, the shutdown of the bridge connecting the Arts District and Boyle Heights has been moved forward again. The city Bureau of Engineering recently announced that the bridge will be shut to traffic at the end of this month. Additionally, a 2.5-mile stretch of the 101 Freeway — between the 5/10/101 interchange and the intersection between the 101 and the 10 — will close on Friday, Feb. 5, at 10 p.m., and remain shuttered for 40 hours so crews can demolish part of the viaduct that crosses the freeway. The 84-year-old structure is being torn down because of a chemical condition that has caused its concrete to weaken, and it will be replaced by a $449 million bridge. Work will start on the east side of the Los Angeles River in Boyle Heights. Once demolition starts, it will take nine months to break up the bridge.
Visitor Center Opens at Historic Core BID Office
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ourists, newbies and locals in the Historic Core now have a place to get information about the neighborhood, tips on prime eating and shopping and more. The Historic Core Business Improvement District held the
TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS grand opening of its Visitor Center on Thursday, Jan. 21. The BID, which oversees clean and safe programs in the Historic Core, moved into the space at 209 W. Fifth St. last fall, and has since been building out a spot near the entrance for visitor resources. People who stop by can learn about the neighborhood’s history, pick up a walking guide and other maps, or get guidance from an office representative. The BID will tweak the resources it offers as more people visit, said Executive Director Blair Besten. One hope is that tourists will stop by and decide to spend more time in the Historic Core (and Downtown in general), Besten said. “If we can help someone from Germany wandering around with a suitcase decide to stay here instead of Hollywood, that’s great,” she added.
January 25, 2016
TAKE MY PICTURE GARY LEONARD
More Praise for Downtown Teacher
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n October, Daniel Jocz, a teacher at the Downtown Magnets High School on Temple Street, was named one of California’s five Teachers of the Year by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, and was also nominated as the state’s candidate for National Teacher of the Year. The 36-year-old history teacher’s roll continues, as this month he advanced in the competition, becoming one of four finalists for the national prize. Jocz has been praised for utilizing multimedia such as YouTube and popular music to connect with his 10th- to 12th-grade students. The National Teacher of the Year will be chosen in April. Reached during a break from class, Jocz sought to spread the credit for his advancement. “I feel truly honored to have the great work we are all
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doing at Downtown Magnets High School honored at the national level,” Jocz said. “Teaching truly is a collective effort, and it is the support of my students, parents, colleagues, my family and friends that makes me want to keep growing in the profession I love.”
Classes Begin at Cal State L.A.’s Downtown Campus
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ast summer, Cal State Los Angeles announced that it had leased 22,000 square feet of space at 801 S. Grand Ave. Now the
learning is underway. Classes for the 2016 spring semester start Monday, Jan. 25, on the sixth floor of the building. The Downtown campus will offer degree and certificate programs, as well as courses on urban and metropolitan issues, according to Eric Bullard, dean of the College of Professional and Global Education. Other options include language courses and classes in digital design. People do not have to be full-time students to take classes. Bullard said he expects 150 people to take classes this semester. The Downtown campus can hold up to 400 students. Additional information is at calstate.edu/dtla.
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4 Downtown News
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EDITORIALS
A Downtown Building Battle
ART DIRECTOR: Brian Allison ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR: @ Yumi Kanegawa TWITTER: DOWNTOWNNEWS
CIRCULATION: Danielle Salmon DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Salvador Ingles DISTRIBUTION ASSISTANTS: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla January 25, 2016
©2016 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.
Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis
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he number of surface parking lots in Downtown is shrinking. That’s not surprising — the residential boom has made land more valuable, and property owners and parking companies that have long held onto EDITOR & PUBLISHER: Sue Laris flat parcels are receiving offers they can’t refuse from housGENERAL MANAGER: Dawn Eastin ing developers. In many instances, these developers are EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Jon Regardie looking to make their money back by capitalizing on a deSENIOR WRITER: Eddie Kim sire for Downtown density. Hence they are often proposing STAFF WRITER: Nicholas Slayton steel-and-glass towers that are 20 stories or taller. CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Kathryn Maese S I N C E 19 7 2 People living in condominiums or apartments that overCONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer Los Angeles Downtown News look one of these lots may not like what the developers are 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 planning, but in most instances they will be powerless to ART DIRECTOR: Brian Allison phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 stop construction of a high-rise. Anyone who rents or buys ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR: Yumi Kanegawa web: DowntownNews.com a unit in a Downtown building that today affords a clear email: realpeople@downtownnews.com PHOTOGRAPHER: Gary Leonard view of a neighboring lot should not expect it to look the facebook: same way in a few years. ACCOUNTING: Ashley Schmidt L.A. Downtown News The unpleasant reality of unwanted construction is what CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING MANAGER: Catherine Holloway twitter: some residents of the Eastern Columbia Building on Ninth ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Catherine Holloway, Brenda Stevens, DowntownNews I N AnC E 19 7 2 Street between Hill Street and Broadway are facing.SLos Michael Lamb Angeles Downtown gelesLos Downtown News lastNews week wrote about a battle be©2016 Civic Center News, Inc. Los Angeles Downtown News SALES ASSISTANT: Claudia Hernandez is a trademark of Civic Center News Inc. All rights reserved. 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles,(and CA 90026 tween some of these inhabitants their supporters) and The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newsphone: 213-481-1448 • fax: Residential, 213-250-4617which picked the developer Trammell Crow CIRCULATION: Danielle Salmon paper for Downtown Los Angeles and is distributed every web: DowntownNews.com • email: realpeople@downtownnews.com Monday throughout the offices and residences of Downtown up a long-term lease for the lot west of the Eastern ColumDISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Salvador Ingles Los Angeles. bia. The company wants to build a 26-story tower with 305 DISTRIBUTION ASSISTANTS: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla One copy per person. facebook: twitter: apartments.L.A. Downtown News DowntownNews We are impressed with the organization, creativity and tenacity that the condo owners and their supporters have EDITOR & PUBLISHER: Sue Laris EDITOR & PUBLISHER: Sue Laris displayed. They have formed a nonprofit group, dubbed GENERAL MANAGER: Dawn Eastin GENERAL MANAGER: Dawn Eastin the Society for the Preservation of Downtown Los AngeEXECUTIVE EDITOR: Jon les, and are protesting theRegardie project, claiming it doesn’t fit EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Jon Regardie SENIOR WRITER: and Eddiegoes Kim against area design guidethe neighborhood SENIOR WRITER: Eddie Kim WRITER: Nicholas Slayton lines.STAFF Members have shown up en masse at community cept that they are operating beyond personal interest. Time will tell The conflict is exacerbated by the fact thatSTAFF building residents tried WRITER: Nicholas Slayton CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Kathryn Maese meetings. They have sought to rally elected leaders to their if the group does make stands related to other sites and projects. to buy the lot several years ago, hoping to turn it into a park. The CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Kathryn Maese WRITERS: Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer cause.CONTRIBUTING They have suggested alternate designs and a 14-stoNot that their NIMBY identification is really effort failed. S I N Cthe E point. 19 7 2 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer ry height limit to the developer. We respect the group’s fight — too often developers curry politi It would be one thing if Trammell Crow’s proposed tower, ART DIRECTOR: Brian Allison Los Angeles Downtown News TheASSISTANT group maintains that Yumi this is not a NIMBY (Not in My opposition. In this instance, howdubbed the Alexan, would stick out like a ART steel-and-glass thumb, ART DIRECTOR: Kanegawa DIRECTOR: Brian Allison cal favor and roll over neighbor 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 Back Yard) fight, and that the SP-DTLA will ultimately advoever, the developer appears to have the right to• pursue the tall but similar projects are underway or haveASSISTANT already opened nearby. phone: 213-481-1448 fax: 213-250-4617 ART DIRECTOR: Yumi Kanegawa PHOTOGRAPHER: Gary Leonard cate for good design across Downtown, paying attention project, and the building would create density and help address a The Level Furnished Living complex at Ninth and Olive streets, a web: DowntownNews.com ACCOUNTING: Ashley Schmidt” to so-called “zones of respect. housing shortage that has driven up rents. block to the west, stands 33 stories tall. Other developers also are email: realpeople@downtownnews.com PHOTOGRAPHER: Gary Leonard That said, this feels like the kind ofCatherine NIMBYism endem Generally speaking, this page holds with the philosophy of inpushing area projects that surpass 20 stories. CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING MANAGER: Holloway facebook: ic in communities such as Hollywood, andBrenda we don’t seeMichael Lamb urban centers. In short, While the neighbors’ request to stop at 14 floors sounds like aSchmidt creased density in Los Angeles and other ACCOUNTING: Ashley ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Catherine Holloway, Stevens, L.A. Downtown News a good-enough argument for quashing Trammell Crow’s density has been shown to provide a more efficient use of resourccompromise, it doesn’t hew to current construction economics: GenSALES ASSISTANT: Claudia Hernandez CLASSIFIED Catherine Holloway project or limiting its height beyond current zoning. While es, always a good thing. Of course development should adhere to erally, projects are either seven stories or less, allowingADVERTISING for wood- MANAGER: twitter: CIRCULATION: Danielle Salmon the developer should certainly produce a design that takes requirements and be respectful DowntownNews of neighbors, but density frame construction, or 20 stories or more, requiring Steel isCatherinezoning ACCOUNT steel. EXECUTIVES: Holloway, DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Salvador Ingles Brenda Stevens, Michael Lamb should be encouraged. into account the look and feel of the area, they are working much more expensive, and a developer usually has to build tall to DISTRIBUTION ASSISTANTS: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla SALESfor ASSISTANT: Claudia on a lot where there is no height restriction similar to what Trammell Crow should not takeCivic a win hereNews, as a blank check. make projects pencil out. One other suggestion the Alexan, that Hernandez ©2016 Center Inc. Los Angeles Downtown News is a trademark of Civic Center News the neighbors They have already made some design tweaks after hearing neigh©2016 Civic want. Center News, Inc. Los Angeles Downtown News is a trademark of the Civic developer put in seven levels of parking underground, is also Inc. All rights reserved. News Inc. AllEastern rights reserved. WeCenter don’t blame Columbia residents for waging bor opposition, and the dialogue should continue. The developer prohibitively expensive. The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read CIRCULATION: Danielle Salmon The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and is disthe battle. No oneevery wants to throughout see yearstheofoffices construction should build the best project possible. And residents across DownIf the SP-DTLA had a lengthy history of opposing other projects and is distributed Monday and residenceson of Downtown Los DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Salvador Ingles tributed every Monday throughout the offices and Angeles. the lot next door, and people in west-facing units will liketown should understand that, in the future, more tall buildings will in the quest for a better Downtown (the advocacy record of the residences of Downtown Los Angeles. DISTRIBUTION ASSISTANTS: Lorenzo Castillo, One copy per ly eventually findperson. themselves staring at a wall of windows. replace parking lots. Los Angeles Conservancy comes to mind),Gustavo it wouldBonilla be easier to acOne copy per person.
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 SENIOR WRITER: Eddie Kim STAFF WRITER: Nicholas Slayton CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Kathryn Maese CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer ART DIRECTOR: Brian Allison ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR: Yumi Kanegawa
PHOTOGRAPHER: Gary Leonard ACCOUNTING: Ashley Schmidt CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING MANAGER: Catherine Holloway ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Catherine Holloway, Brenda Stevens, Michael Lamb SALES ASSISTANT: Claudia Hernandez CIRCULATION: Danielle Salmon DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Salvador Ingles DISTRIBUTION ASSISTANTS: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla
©2016 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 25, 2016
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Pro Football Returns to a City Really Near L.A. Inglewood Gets a Stadium, St. Louis Gets Stung and the NFL Plays Its Game By Jon Regardie elcome, Inglewood Rams! That’s the reality that has settled upon us after the National Football League this month treated the citizens and sports fans of St. Louis like they had treated the people of Los Angeles for two decades. While
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Although the Rams spent two decades in St. Louis, diehard fans remained in L.A. Some showed up at City Hall in April 2012, when Anschutz Entertainment Group completed a 10,000page environmental impact report for the proposed Downtown stadium Farmers Field.
THE REGARDIE REPORT thousands of locals have made deposits for season tickets, Missouri residents are still feeling like they’ve taken a pigskin shiv to the ribs. If anyone needs more proof that the league is a sort of fantastical combination of Machiavelli and Dr. Evil from the Austin Powers films, then it comes in the fact that they’re not done: The stadium deal allows — or is it ensures? — that fans in either San Diego or Oakland will also get hit the way that Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict popped Steelers receiver Antonio Brown in the opening round of the playoffs. That, by the way, was a cheap shot with concussionary results. Yes, I know concussionary is not a word, but it fits. I’m not saying it’s bad that, after a two-decade absence, football is returning to a city super close to the city of Los Angeles. It’ll be fun to have an alternative to USC and UCLA, and judging by the jubilation of the past couple weeks, the Rams appear to have an enduring fan base. Many are cheering the return of the Rams, who like the Raiders fled town after the 1994 season (even if the Rams played in Anaheim for
photo by Gary Leonard
14 years before heading to Missouri), but I just can’t overlook the money-grubbing machinations of it all. Los Angeles has brilliant weather, copious entertainment opportunities, loads of sports teams, the Jenner/Kardashian clan and now football. What is St. Louis left with? Uh, they’ve got the Cardinals, some good barbecue and the Arch. We’d gladly also give them the Jenners and Kardashians. Let’s be honest: We’re getting football be-
cause St. Louis got sacked by the cabal of billionaire team owners. Rams honcho Stan Kroenke isn’t coming west because he likes Randy’s Donuts in Inglewood and wants to reward long-suffering fans. He’s moving the Rams because the stadium situation in St. Louis couldn’t be worked out with lawmakers there, and because he got 60 acres of Hollywood Park land at an affordable price and the government structure in Inglewood smoothed the road. If St. Louis had ponied up cash and floated the bonds that cities fearful of losing a team had
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done in the past, then the Rams would have stayed put. Here’s another thing: As one civic leader pointed out to me in the wake of the announcement, Inglewood is to Los Angeles as the Meadowlands is to New York City. For those not in the know, that’s the stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where the New York Giants and Jets both play home games. That matters because, while Inglewood will get some benefits, it’s not like a leprechaun just dumped his pot of gold on the city. On select Sundays tens of thousands of people will drive in, see a game, maybe grab a drink or a bite at one of the restaurants to rise in the surrounding shopping center, and then drive back home. They’ll have no stake in the community. It will be just like what used to happen in Downtown Los Angeles with events at the Music Center. The Downtown situation has changed, as the community’s transformation means that many people who come here — whether to the Music Center, L.A. Live or another destination — make a night or day of their visit, often patronizing a business beyond the enclosed campus, and then return another time to see something else, like The Broad or Grand Central Market. Maybe I’m biased, but it’s hard for me to envision many people, on a non-football day, saying, “I want to get some food and do some shopping. Let’s go to Inglewood!” Sure, some Super Bowls will be awarded to the new stadium, and there will be an economic impact. That said, everyone will talk about the Los Angeles Super Bowl, not the Inglewood Super Bowl. As a reminder, the football season is pretty Continued on page 24
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6 Downtown News
January 25, 2016
Beauty and the Buses
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Tim Lindholm (right) oversaw the development of the $120 million Division 13 Bus Maintenance and Operations Facility. The state-of-the-art complex will allow the transit agency to maintain 200 buses. Operations will be overseen by Harold Torres (left).
Metro Opens $120 Million Maintenance Facility With a Modern Design and a Focus on Sustainability By Nicholas Slayton ew people would be excited to learn that Downtown has a new bus maintenance facility. After all, the very term conjures up images of a bland, boxy building — probably in dull municipal gray — populated by workers who clean and repair buses. A $120 million project that opens this week in Downtown Los Angeles could hardly be more different. Yes, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Division 13 Bus Maintenance and Operations Facility will, when at full capacity, house about 525 employees who, at all hours of the day, will wash and maintain up to 200 compressed natural gas buses. That said, the activity takes place behind an exterior that is dynamically modern, with a sleek design and a large, illuminated artwork that references a 400-yearold sycamore tree. The entire facility, meanwhile, was designed with an environmentally sensitive eye, from the solar panels to the system that captures 30,000 gallons of water a week from a nearby prison. Counting Division 13, Metro has 11 major bus facilities scattered around Los Angeles, creating hubs so that vehicles can be stored when not in use or service is needed. Division 13, at Cesar Chavez Avenue and Vignes Street near Metro’s headquarters, is the first new one in more than 30 years.
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Division 13 will officially open on Monday, Feb. 1, and in the first stage will hold 50 buses that travel on seven routes. It will ultimately expand to support 200 buses, with daily inspections and washing. The 430,000-square-foot complex includes multiple levels with spaces for the buses to park when not on the road. The facility was first broached six years ago, according to Tim Lindholm, Metro’s executive officer on Capital Projects. Construction took a little more than three years, a year longer than initially planned due to construction delays. In some ways Division 13, which has a fueling and washing system, 17 bays for maintenance and two for inspection, as well as parking for employees, helps other bus facilities as well. The size of the project will allow Metro to house buses from other divisions so those structures can be upgraded. “What this does is it gives us a good base of operations in Downtown and the ability to ramp down divisions in order to do work at those,” Lindholm said. Public and Sustainable When buses finish their routes, operators will drive into the lower level. Money will be pulled from the register and the vehicles will be re fueled, washed and inspected. If any servicing is needed they’ll move into a maintenance bay. The project, designed by RNL Design, posed Continued on page 10
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January 25, 2016
Downtowners Are Young, Rich and Really Like it Here The monthly Art Walk is one of the many activities that draws people from both Downtown and across the region. A new pair of studies details the area’s growth and spending power.
Pair of Studies Chronicles the Community’s Attitudes and Economic Might By Jon Regardie n 2007, the results of the first demographic analysis of new Downtown Los Angeles residents revealed a population that was rich — with a median household income of $99,600 — young and highly educated. Nine years later, the make-up of those who have moved Downtown since the residential revolution began in 2000 mirrors what was previously reported. However, there are a couple key differences between now and then: There are thousands more people living in condominiums and apartments today; and their impact is being felt not just in this community, but across Los Angeles County. That is part of what was revealed in a pair of reports that the Downtown Center Business Improvement District released last week. The 2015 Downtown Los Angeles Survey Report and a companion document, titled the Downtown Los Angeles Renaissance: Economic Impacts and Trends, come two years after the DCBID’s last Downtown demographic study. Los Angeles Downtown News was a sponsor of the survey. The 22-page Survey Report differs from previous studies in that it is less a chronicle of growth in the neighborhood and more an examination of Downtowners’ behavior and attitudes, said DCBID President and CEO Carol
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Schatz. She said the pair of studies will be used to help recruit businesses and spur investment in the area, whether that means housing development, retail or office space. “We were not really looking so much for numbers about how often you eat out, because we clearly have huge numbers of restaurants and bars and clubs. We don’t need to have that kind of quantitative information anymore,” Schatz said. “What is more important is the qualitative: What do you like about Downtown? What makes you like it?” The Survey Report found that the median age of people who live Downtown but work elsewhere is 38, and the median age of those who live and work here is 37. Seventy-six percent of those who live but don’t work Downtown have a college degree and the median household income is $96,600. Those figures were slightly eclipsed by the Live/Work crowd, with 80% possessing a college degree and a $99,900 median household income. The report found that 43% of residents were male and 57% are female, and that 11% have kids, while 17% of Live/Work respondents have children. Thirty-two percent of those who live Downtown are married and another 20% live together. For the Live/Work crowd, 37% are married and another 16% cohabitate. Schatz said Downtown currently has about
photo by Gary Leonard
34,500 residential units (including market-rate and low-income), about triple the number that existed in 1999. The community now counts approximately 58,000 residents, and thousands more condominiums and apartments are in construction. Other findings include: ■ 47% of residents are Caucasian, with Latinos and Asians making up 17% of the population each, and African Americans accounting for 8% (Live/Work numbers were similar). ■ 43% of Downtown residents have a pet; the count was slightly higher, 47%, in Live/Work households. ■ 47% of residents are 30-44, and 66% of them are 44 or younger. That was similar to the Live/ Work group, where 70% are 44 or younger, and 49% are 30-44. ■ 62% of the people who live and work Down-
town walk to work. ■ 54% of residents say they would probably or definitely try a bike share program. The Live/ Work crowd was even more into the idea, with 58% saying they would likely or definitely participate. Schatz said she was most enthused about some of the attitude-oriented results, including 80% of survey respondents saying they are passionate about Downtown, and 73% of residents feeling that they are part of the Downtown community. “It’s very gratifying to know that we have created a community that embraces people and who feel embraced by it,” she said. As in past studies, the Survey Report noted some of the retailers that Downtowners desire. Topping the list again was Trader Joe’s, as 90% of respondents said they want
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January 25, 2016
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the grocery store in the community. In the health and beauty section, the most-mentioned brand was Sephora. Banana Republic and Forever 21 were cited as the most-wanted clothing stores. The results were tabulated from 3,846 people who chose to participate in an approximately 15-20 minute online survey, according to the DCBID. The Survey Report states that the goal was to gauge preferences and attitudes of Downtowners, and that it “should not be construed as a comprehensive demographic analysis of Downtown Los Angeles.” Rising Prices The Downtown Los Angeles Renaissance report was prepared by the firm Beacon Economics. It used employment and wage data, figures from the city Office of Finance, building permit statistics and other information to determine local trends and the economic impact of Downtown. In many instances the data was only available through 2014. The report is packed with statistics that indicate a community
on the upswing. It stated that Downtown’s total gross receipts were $28.9 billion in 2013, up 25% since 2006. In the same time period, employment in the region grew by 16.4%. The value of construction permits filed in the 2013-14 fiscal year hit $472 million, up 52% over the previous year. Christopher Thornberg, the founding partner of Beacon Economics, said the data echoes the anecdotal evidence about the growth of Downtown. “What I thought was good was the ability to put numbers to the story, and sure enough, things are going gangbusters down there,” he said. “It’s a whole new world. It took a hiatus during the Great Recession — like most housing markets it got walloped, but since then it has emerged to be something different from what folks were originally thinking. Instead of a destination for empty nesters, it is a hip urban ground for the millennials and Gen Y folks who are of the age to enjoy that scene. I think it has huge potential.” The report touched on housing, finding that the median
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condominium price in Downtown in 2014 was $531,700, up 12.2% from the previous year, and far above the county median of $399,000. Though the apartment stock increased, rents rose 7.6% in 2014 over the previous year. The average Downtown rent in 2014, according to the study, was $2,076. Tourism also increased, with hotel occupancy now at 78%, its highest level in four years, according to the report. Schatz and Thornberg both said the growth of the community benefits the county as a whole. Schatz said the activity in Downtown makes it a destination for people from across the region to visit. Thornberg said that what is happening in the heart of Los Angeles is still at a relatively early stage. “This is the beginning of acknowledging that you have this dense, live-work environment that will become a node for economic activity, for entertainment activity, and for transit in people moving around,” he said. “I think it creates a more natural flow to the region.” regardie@downtownnews.com
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BUSES, 6 challenges in the form of the narrow space, said architect Will Todd. He said RNL had to design a three-level complex in order to hold 200 buses. “It was a tight site, so we had to stack the program,” said Todd. “It demanded a level of efficiency that you wouldn’t get at other facilities.” Environmental components are spread throughout the building, which has been certified LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold, according to Harold Torres, Division 13’s Equipment Maintenance Manager, who oversees many of the operations at the facility. Todd said the design was built around the sustainable elements. For example, the maintenance shop features large windows on the roof and bright material to give the space as much natural light as possible and to avoid using unnecessary electricity. Lindholm said sustainability is critical to Metro’s operations. “It’s fair to say we put every single sustainable strategy we could come up with into this building,” he said. The facility has a total of 1,176 solar panels both on the roof and along the southern wall covering the parking deck’s ramps. Lindholm estimates that 8%-10% of the power the complex uses will come from solar energy. There is a green roof on top of the parking structure, with plants native to Southern California. Then there’s water storage. Even without taking into account the drought ravaging California, it takes a lot of water to keep a public transit system going. Much of that goes to maintenance, including washing the bushes. The complex was designed to store and reuse as much water as possible. The rooftop deck has pipes and drains to capture rainwater, which is fed into a 275,000-gallon cistern beneath the complex. Division 13 also has a secondary 50,000-gallon cistern. Additionally, Division 13 taps into the nearby Twin Towers jail, which dumps its emergency sprinkler water each week. Previously, those 30,000 gallons flowed to storm drains. Now Metro is recovering the water and feeding that into its cistern. “One of the biggest costs in maintenance is water,” Torres said.
Division 13’s exterior features an artwork that pays homage to a 400-year-old sycamore tree that was a few blocks from where the project stands. The artwork is illuminated at night.
photo by Gary Leonard
“With that water, we’re reducing our water bill.” The maintenance bays are built with lifts allowing workers to get on top of the buses without ladders, which are a common cause of injury with bus repairs. The shop is also designed for buses to pull into easily after service, and to drive out to park in the depot. Torres said streamlining the maintenance process is the key to the whole system. Then there are the elements that have nothing to do with bus repair. The design is meant to activate the street corner, and the solar panels on the south wall are intermixed with horizontal lights. Those can change colors, and were set to red and green during the winter holidays. The corner of Cesar Chavez and Vignes features a large installation by German artist Christine Ulke. Titled “El Aliso de Los Angeles,” it is an homage to 60-foot tall sycamore tree that, for 400
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years, stood a few blocks south of where Division 13 is now. It was cut down in 1895, and is commemorated with polycarbonate panels that light up at night, allowing the work to glow like like a lantern. Beneath the art is a plaza with benches and a wide, open sidewalk. Todd said the goal was to make the outside of a bus facility engaging to the public. “Metro really pushed from the beginning that this should be a facility that should present itself like a public building would,” Todd said. With the facility complete, Metro is preparing to get the buses rolling. A formal opening ceremony is planned for Feb. 8, and Division 13 should be handling its full load of 200 buses by February 2017. nicholas@downtownews.com
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Downtown News 11
LUNCH A look at nine new Downtown restaurants offering healthy lunch options, and tips from three top chefs on picking health-concious meals. photo by Gary Leonard
12 Downtown News
January 25, 2016
LET’S DO LUNCH
Nine Great Healthy Lunch Options for 2016 Checking Out Some of the Recent Additions For Those Who Watch What They Eat By Eddie Kim and Nicholas Slayton owntown Los Angeles’ restaurant boom has given residents, workers and visitors an unprecedented number of choices when it comes to what, how and where they want to eat. Still, all that choice can make it tough when trying to maintain a healthy diet. With so many options, it can be difficult to find something lighter for lunch. Fortunately, you don’t need to stick with another predictable salad, as Downtown’s dining roster quite literally has something for everyone. To help find that perfect and perfectly healthy mid-day meal, we have run down the options from nine places that opened in the last year. Consider it just a starting point.
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La Tostaderia
Grand Central Market continues to spruce up its roster of food vendors, with La Tostaderia among the arrivals in 2015. As the name suggests, the stand specializes in crispy tostadas, and many are topped with a variety of seafood. There are also a few fish tacos and ceviches (seafood marinated in lime and spices), with specials rotating regularly. La Tostaderia is run by Fernando Villagomez, owner of the always-busy Grand Central Market carnitas stand Las Morelianas, and Gerardo Reynoso, who worked at a seafood spot in León, Mexico. Seafood is often a good pick when it comes to a light lunch, but especially so when it’s prepared this simply. At 317 S. Broadway.
Pok Pok
Downtown’s huge Whole Foods has copious healthy and organic lunch offerings. The choices include an in-store outpost of chef Roy Choi’s rice bowl restaurant Chego.
Chinatown got a big new addition late last year with chef Andy Ricker’s hyped Northern Thai restaurant Pok Pok. It has hundreds of seats and a broad menu of specialty dishes that may be unfamiliar to diners used to curries and pad Thai. Most of the meals also make for a pretty healthy lunch, assuming you avoid the urge to wash everything down with several cold beers. Try the Khao Man Som Tam, a plate of spicy green papaya salad with mounds of shredded pork, herbs and coconut rice. There’s also the Yam Tuna, a modern twist on a classic salad, featuring fresh albacore, ginger, garlic, chiles, herbs and a potent fish-sauce dressing. Thai cooking tends to be light on fat and heavy on flavorings, which makes it a worthy option in general. At 978 N. Broadway, (213) 613-1831 or pokpokla.com.
Burgerlords
Burgers are rarely a good lunch option for someone trying to eat healthy. And you will no doubt be tempted by the sizzling, cheesy choices at Chinatown’s Burgerlords, a minimalist burger shop that opened in October. But glance down the six-item menu and you’ll spot a house-made vegan burger prepared with garbanzo beans, eggplant, barley, leeks, celery and spices. Owners Frederick and Maximilian Guerrero — they’re vegetarians — spent months developing the recipe. The vegan burger comes with or without vegan American cheese. If you feel like cheating a little bit, there are Kennebec fries cooked in rice bran oil. At 943 N. Broadway or burgerlords.com.
photo by Gary Leonard
Otium
The phrase “healthy lunch” can bring to mind an austere meal — a basic salad, maybe a vegetarian sandwich. If you need to splurge, look no further than Otium. The jewel of a restaurant next to The Broad museum is run by chef Timothy HollingContinued on page 16
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Downtown News 13
LET’S DO LUNCH
HEALTHY EATING TIPS FROM THE CHEFS Whether Eating at Home or Going Out, Local Kitchen Luminaries Have Some Helpful Advice
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facebook.com/artisanhouse twitter.com/ArtisanHouseLA instagram.com/artisanho and they’ll bring water-based liquids to a mix them with whatever raw vegetables By Eddie Kim boil in 40 seconds. So I thought of broth you like, toss it with a light vinaigrette f you eat out in Los Angeles, you’ve bases. What works best in broths and and add some herbs. You can make a big probably tasted the influence of chef cooksBabycakes, fast? Seafood. Artisan Bingo. batch and add different things to change Mark Peel. He spent decades shaping exclusively Partnering with Intelligentsia Coffee and House gives you endless Partnering exclusively with Intelligen Fat is flavor, that’s the thing in cooking.to If go or join us up since it lasts several to days — your make day started the city’s palate as the co-founder of La and itbreakfast coffee options get right. Grab something coffee and breakfast options to ge you tell a French chef that he can’t use butmore than you need. It makes a great Brea Bakery and the seminal French-CaliPartnering exclusively with Intelligentsia Coffee and Babycakes, Art at our indoor/outdoor market café. at our ter, you’re nailing his foot to the floor. But main course. fornian restaurant Campanile. coffee and breakfast options to get your day started right. Grab if you start withPartnering broths, you exclusively start cooking Campanile closed in 2012 after 23 with Intelligentsia Coffee and Babycakes, House gives you endless atArtisan our indoor/outdoor market café. and building texture andand flavor and you reQ: What do you reach for when you need a years, and Peel last year launched a casucoffee breakfast options to get your day started right. Grab something to go or join us alize thatwith you don’t need butter. quick, healthy meal? al seafood eatery, Bombo, in Grand CenPartnering exclusively at ourNeed indoor/outdoor café. variety? evenmarket more A: At Bombo, we always have a huge pot tral Market. The focus is on light, flavorful Partnering exclusively with Q: What’s a dish you think people ought to of rice, steamed with flaxseed, onion, gardishes served up quick. Partnering exclusively with try at Bombo? lic and salt. So I’ll take a scoop of that and “It’s fun to cook for the 3% with foie A: I’m kind of proud of our one vegan pour any kind of hot broth we have sitgras and truffles, but I want to work for dish, because vegan cooking is not easy. ting around. I’ll top it with a protein — a the 70% who want to spend $14 and half We take firm tofu and we prep it so it gets chicken breast, or sauteed tofu, or a piece an hour on lunch,” Peel said. even denser and we sear it, then we mariof fish that you can cook with the rice. It’s nate it with an oregano vinaigrette. We what I want when it’s late and I’m standLos Angeles Downtown News: A lot of make a rich vegan broth with kombu, ing in front of the refrigerator. people struggle to eat a healthy lunch regdried shiitake mushrooms, aromatic vegularly, and even fewer seem to eat homeetables and spices. It’s served together Q: What’s the biggest change in your cookmade lunches. What’s your advice? with rice and it has so much flavor. I’ve ing style at Bombo compared to your past? Mark Peel: I really like salads, but not A: We work with these very specific steam had people tell me that this is what vegan with just greens. Let’s say you poach facebook.com/artisanhouse twitter.com food should be. In fact, most of the peokettles that I saw at the oyster bar in some chicken breasts in a really flavorple who order it aren’t even vegan. Grand Central Station. They don’t work ful broth. You can shred the chicken, and facebook.com/artisanhouse twitter.com/ArtisanHouseLA instagra Bombo is at 317 S. Broadway, (213) 628then add it to something hearty like a po- that great with a fat-based cuisine befacebook.com/artisanhouse twitter.com/ArtisanHouseLA instagram.com/artisanhouseLA 3400 or bombofoods.com. cause they don’t gettwitter.com/ArtisanHouseLA hot enough to saute tato and lentil salad. You can buy cooked facebook.com/artisanhouse instagram.com/artisanhouseLA eddie@downtownnews.com or fry. But they carry a lot of lower heat, lentils and boil and slice some potatoes,
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January 25, 2016
LET’S DO LUNCH
photos by Gary Leonard
A VEGAN VARIETY
Cafe Gratitude Chef Dreux Ellis Says Healthy Eating Is About More Than Salads
Dreux Ellis, executive chef at the Arts District’s Cafe Gratitude, says that sticking with whole grains and vegetables and using protein as an accent is a smart way to prepare a nutritious lunch.
By Eddie Kim os Angeles is an epicenter of vegan cooking, but for some, the word “vegan” probably conjures images of fake soy-based meat, raw vegetables and PETA protests. Chef Dreux Ellis is bucking those stereotypes at Cafe Gratitude, the all-organic vegan restaurant with four Southern California locations, including one that opened in the Arts District last year. The menu has received strong reviews for its emphasis on sharp, intriguing flavors pulled from a bevy of vegetables, spices and techniques. Smoked coconut “bacon,” anyone?
L
Los Angeles Downtown News: Let’s say you’re at home and have to whip up a quick lunch for tomorrow. Where do you begin? Dreux Ellis: My mind goes to the classic grain bowl. It’s super versatile, and if you go with
a big batch of brown rice or quinoa, you can dress that up in so many ways. You could make a sushi bowl with a sesame-wasabi dressing, cucumber, nori, some fish or even chopped sauteed tofu or tempeh. You can use white or pinto beans out of the can, stewed or even just rinsed and added to the bowl with grains and vegetables. If you eat meat, that’s an easy way to change things up for different meals. Salads are great mid-day options, but you need to get out of the straight lettuce-and-tomato salad. Shave up some kale, add fermented foods like pickles or kimchi, and try using avocado instead of adding extracted fats like oils. Blending vinegar and herbs with whole olives, avocado or even zucchini can make for a nice dressing. Q: How do you like to develop recipes? This can be tough for casual cooks.
A: I’ll be at the farmers market and discover something like, say, kohlrabi, and I’ll have a moment where the sky opens up and I think about all the things I can do with it. Seeing a fruit or vegetable coming back in season always gets my mind ticking and is a good place to start. Other times I want to “veganize” a traditional dish, whether it’s Mexican or Italian or whatever, because I love classic foods that people have been making for hundreds of years. The end result might not be faithful or even look like the original dish, but it’s a way to work from a foundation and build different flavors. Q: What are you on the lookout for when eating in restaurants? A: I try to eat as many whole food options as I can, and I mean whole grains and vegetables prepared simply. Personally, I don’t eat too
many soy products, although I use tempeh in different ways at Cafe Gratitude. I tend to avoid, even though I love them, bread and pastas, because after a while I realized that I didn’t feel so great after eating them. Q: Pretty much all of Cafe Gratitude’s offerings are healthy, but what do you suggest people try if they’re new to the menu? A: I just did a TV spot on fermented foods, which reminds me of our “I Am Honest” Reuben sandwich. It’s a gluten-free sourdough bun, so there are probiotics in that. There’s some kimchi. And we use blackened sliced tempeh. So there’s three awesome fermented foods in this sandwich and it’s really delicious with some pickled beets. Cafe Gratitude is at 300 S. Santa Fe Ave., (213) 929-5580 or cafegratitude.com. eddie@downtownnews.com
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Downtown News 15
LET’S DO LUNCH
photos by Gary Leonard
GREEN ENERGY
Spring Arcade Juice Bar Offers a Lighter Twist on Lunch
Kieran Roberts, owner of Green Grotto Juice Bar, fell into making fresh-pressed juices and smoothies after a stint as a bartender. The experience helps him develop recipes.
By Eddie Kim tourist arriving in Los Angeles could be forgiven for seeing the urban landscape and concluding that residents subsist on exactly four things: craft coffee, salad, marijuana and, last but not least, fresh-pressed juice. Downtown Los Angeles has seen a boom of all those things — including pot clinics — and the juice trend in particular is going strong. One local option is Green Grotto Juice Bar, tucked into the cavernous Spring Arcade Building’s ground-floor plaza. There, owner Kieran Roberts serves a big menu of his own elixirs, as well as more substantial smoothies, acai bowls, salads and Jamaican patties, or small crisp turnovers with a meat or vegetable filling.
A
Los Angeles Downtown News: Most people probably come to Green Grotto to grab juice as a snack, but what would you recommend for someone looking for a light lunch alternative? Kieran Roberts: I actually always see people at Green Grotto who
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are looking for a lunch alternative. We have different smoothies, salads and snacks, but an acai bowl can also work really well as a meal on those days when you just need something light and refreshing. Q: What’s your favorite? A: The “Lover” bowl blends acai with cashews, banana, pumpkin and papaya, and we top it with sliced bananas, granola, nuts and goji berries. You could have just that, or pair it with a juice, and we also have a new smoothie, the Choc-Pro Paradise, that’s high on protein, which makes it a good meal option. It has banana, whey protein, peanut butter, milk and some spices. Q: Where did you learn to blend different fruits and vegetables for your drinks? A: I have a background in mixology, so you learn how to combine certain fruit and vegetable and spice flavors. For the final menu, it really just came down to spending months in my kitchen tossing different ideas around. Making juices and
smoothies is simple. It’s figuring out the flavors that takes a little more time. Q: After all that experimentation, what tips do you have for home juicers who want something unique to drink at lunch? A: Green juices don’t have to taste bad! For a newbie juicer who wants to do more than the usual fruit juices, I would say try adding cucumber. It’s 95% water, basically. Celery is another good one, as are bell peppers and even spinach. Carrots also usually work with everything, and they’re naturally sweet. Something like kale is tougher and better for a person who’s been juicing for longer or really likes the flavor. You want to balance it a bit, too, with lemon or orange or green apple — something to brighten and sweeten the taste a bit. I like to add lemon to any vegetable-forward drink, especially. Green Grotto Juice Bar is at 541 S. Spring St., (213) 265-7409 or greengrottojuicebar.com. eddie@downtownnews.com
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16 Downtown News
January 25, 2016
LET’S DO LUNCH
RESTAURANTS, 12 sworth, who headed the prestigious French Laundry in Napa Valley. A lighter lunch is not out of reach here. Try the grilled fish, served on top of charred cauliflower, almonds, cilantro and grapes for a sweet accent. There is also a take on falafel salad, with eggplant, cucumber and a Meyer lemon dressing for brightness. On a side note, Otium is an excellent place to dine with a few friends, as many of the lunch dishes are good for sharing in small-plates fashion. At 222 S. Hope St., (213) 935-8500 or otiumla.com.
Chef Timothy Hollingsworth runs the kitchen at Otium, next to The Broad museum. Healthy mid-day meal options include the grilled fish and Hollingsworth’s take on a falafel salad.
Pitchoun
The French are known for rich meals that pack on the calories. Can they also do healthy? At Pitchoun next to Pershing Square, the answer is yes. The bakery-cafe that opened last year has all sorts of baked goods and pastries, but there are also a number of healthy options, starting with more than half a dozen salads, among them the classic Niçoise. There are hot and cold sandwiches, and for those trying to cut back on bread, the tartines come in meat-and-vegetable-heavy varieties. Consider the California, which combines tuna with arugula and tomatoes, along with avocado mayonnaise. At 545 S. Olive St., (213) 689-3240 or pitchounbakery.com.
Ohana Poké The poké craze hit Downtown hard in the last year, and it’s easy to see why: The chopped fish bowls are light and full of protein and nutrients, and they make for a good quick lunch. Eric Park’s Ohana Poké on Sixth Street offers a mix-and-match menu for diners. The health-conscious might opt for a kale base instead of sushi rice, and customers can choose between tuna, salmon and even octopus. There are also gluten-free options. Add in sides such as seaweed or cucumber salads, or add-ons like avocado, and poké bowls can be as light or as big as needed. At 130 E. Sixth St., (213) 265-7561 or ohanapokeco.com.
photo courtesy Otium
Ramen Hood There is no shortage of new and tasty food options in Grand Central Market, but most of them are directed at carnivores. Now, vegans can get in on the fun, thank to former Gorbals chef/owner Ilan Hall. His new Ramen Hood is a vegan ramen stall that uses sunflower seeds, rather than pork, in its broth. There are also vegan eggs made from a concoction of soy milk, nutritional yeast and more. The menu features two types of ramen, one of which is spicy. Sides range from a cucumber salad to tofu al pastor. If the latter sounds like a strange fusion, remember: Hall is the guy who brought L.A. the bacon-wrapped matzoh ball. At 317 S. Broadway or (213) 265-7331.
ediBOL
The Arts District’s One Santa Fe complex is steadily growing its retail and restaurant options. One joint drawing those who pay attention to what they eat is ediBOL. The restaurant, as the name suggests, is built on preparing bowls of Asian fusion-style food. The two mainstays are the BOLiscious, which
mixes fried rice with seared greens and other ingredients, and the VegiBOL, which adds in almond basil pesto and candied almonds. The restaurant on Santa Fe Avenue also has cold options that ditch the rice. There are a number of protein addons, from pork belly to lemon ginger chicken. Yes, they have gluten-free options, too. At 300 S. Santa Fe Ave. or (213) 292-6466.
Whole Foods
It’s no surprise that the Whole Foods that opened at Eighth Street and Grand Avenue last fall is a great place to find a healthy meal — after all, the Austin, Texas-based chain is known for its fresh produce and organic items. The Downtown store has a number of on-the-go options for area workers and residents, including an extensive salad and hot food bar, a fresh juice bar offering detox concoctions and smoothies, a poké stand and an in-store outpost of Roy Choi’s Chego. For those who have a little more time, the Whole Foods has its Eight Bar gastropub, which has plenty of salads and fresh fare. At 788 S. Grand Ave., (213) 873-4745 or wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/downtownlosangeles.
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Win a Romantic Night Downtown!
Tell your...
• Best Wedding Day/Engagement Story • Most Romantic Story • Best Worst First Date Story (for those less bullish on Feb. 14) Stories should be no more than 200 words! GRAND PRIZE: • One night stay in an overnight deluxe room at the Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza including dinner for two at Noe restaurant and parking SECOND PRIZE: • $100 gift card to Patina Restaurant Group
Must be 21 years of age to enter. Room night subject to availability. Performance tickets subject to availability, artist and program subject to change. Performance tickets will be held at will call under the winners name. All other prizes will be mailed to winners.
THIRD PRIZE: • A gift card for a movie night for two at Regal L.A. Live including popcorn and drinks
ENTRIES: Deadline Monday, February 1 at 5 p.m. Email it contests@downtownnews.com (subject line: Love Story Contest) Mail it 1264 W. First St., Los Angeles CA 90026 (postmarked by Jan. 30) All or part of the submissions may be published in our special Romance in the City issue (or online), which hits stands Feb. 8 and become the property of Los Angeles Downtown News.
January 25, 2016
Downtown News 17
DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM
DT
The second annual Night on Broadway will feature free performances in seven Broadway theaters and on outdoor stages. It takes place Saturday, Jan. 30, from 5-11 p.m. and features everything from concerts to chessboxing.
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Highlights includes Latin rockers (and Los Angeles natives) Ozomatli and Aloe Blacc, known for his single “I Need a Dollar.” They’ll play at an outdoor stage on the historic street.
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Bringing Back the Broadway photo by Gary Leonard
BLOCK PARTY
Huge Street Festival With Big Names Returns By Eddie Kim hen planning last year’s Night on Broadway, 14th District City Councilman José Huizar and his team predicted that about 5,000 people would turn out for the slate of free music and other performances in seven historic theaters. Those expectations were blown away when 35,000 people showed up for the inaugural event. Thankfully, there was plenty of room in the Downtown Los Angeles theaters and on the historic street to accommodate them. “I was just floored,” Huizar said last week. “It was just a positive, communal feeling for me, walking through last year’s event. A lot of people I met hadn’t even been to Broadway, didn’t know anything about these theaters.” The second Night on Broadway takes place Saturday, Jan. 30, from 5-11 p.m. It commemorates the eighth year of Huizar’s Bringing Back Broadway campaign to activate the boulevard and make it a hub of offices, shopping and housing. This year’s event again brings theater, music, comedy and more to seven Broadway theaters stretching from Third to Eighth streets. No tickets or reservations are required and all events are free. Visitors are encouraged to use a downloadable Night on Broadway app to plan their evening. New this year is an outdoor stage, and planners have slated more activities for the sidewalks, like a silent disco (participants dance while wearing headsets). Los Angeles Downtown News spoke with Huizar to get his thoughts on a few of this year’s highlights. Ozomatli: Outdoor Stage, 8:45 p.m. Many would be surprised to learn that Huizar is a heavy metal fan, and he’s looking forward to catching Mac Sabbath, a Black Sabbath tribute band that’s performing at 7 p.m. in the Tower Theatre (802 S. Broadway). But it’s Ozomatli that Huizar has the closest ties to. As it turns out, Huizar and Raul Pacheco, Ozomatli’s guitar-
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ist, attended the same elementary school and grew up on the same block in Boyle Heights. Pacheco’s father was Huizar’s Little League coach. “I’ve seen Ozomatli before, and I always think of Raul. We used to call him ‘Bully.’ I don’t even know why, because he wasn’t a bully,” the councilman recalls. “I remember he joined the California Boys Choir and left to get homeschooled and travel with the choir, and here he is now.” The band touts a fluid mix of Latin rock, funk, ska and blues, making it a perfect example of L.A.’s diversity, Huizar adds. Lucent Dossier Experience: Los Angeles Theatre (615 S. Broadway), 5:30-10:30 p.m. The psychedelic theatrical group Lucent Dossier Experience brings together acrobats, dancers and aerialists in performances that feature precise choreography, elaborate costumes and intricate sound design. Huizar last saw the group at the Palace Theatre several years ago, and is excited that the act, which played Night on Broadway last year, is back. “People aren’t only walking away in awe of the theater’s beauty, but in awe of the performance. It’s alive and strange and a massive showing of talent,” he says. “The intricacy of how they put it together gives it the wow factor.” Shows are at 5:30, 6:30, 7:30, 8:30, 9:30 and 10:30 p.m. Chessboxing: Outdoor Ring, 5:30-10 p.m. Huizar’s unexpected favorite of last year’s Night on Broadway was chessboxing, a sport that reads like a typo but is seriously a blend of chess and boxing. Opponents alternate between making a move on the chessboard and donning the gloves. The first to score a checkmate or a knockout wins. “The guys up there work with both their right and left brains,” Huizar says with a big laugh. “The entertainment and comedy is in seeing these fighters switch from intense physical movement to sitting down in deep thought. It’s pure zaniness.” Huizar liked it so much that he plans to referee a match on
Saturday. That requires fitting a little training into a busy City Council schedule, but as he puts it, “I need to be physically ready and know the rules.” Check the website for times. Million Dollar Cabaret: Million Dollar Theatre (307 S. Broadway), 5:30-10:30 p.m. Looking for retro flair? The Million Dollar Cabaret flaunts flappers, swing music from Phat Cat Swinger, and burlesque performances from dancers with monikers such as Miss Tosh, Diamondback Annie, Burgundy Bells and Lost Angels. “I didn’t see the cabaret show last year, and it’s on my shortlist because when you go into that venue, you’re going to be drawn back in time when cabaret was huge,” Huizar says. That’s not just because of the show, but because of the grandeur of the 1918 theater. Shows are at 5:30, 6:45, 8, 9:15 and 10:30 p.m. Rachel Bloom (9 p.m.) and Reggie Watts (10 p.m.): Tower Theatre Nobody executes wildly funny musical improvisation quite like Reggie Watts, who has won raves for his stand-up shows and appearances on TV shows like “Comedy Bang! Bang!” and “The Late Late Show With James Corden” (as the house band leader, no less). Rachel Bloom, meanwhile, is the hyperactive star and showrunner of the excellent “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” a CW network comedy that upturns rom-com tropes with a healthy dose of Broadway-esque showtunes. The two perform back-to-back sets. It’s a huge get for Night on Broadway, Huizar said — Watts is a hot commodity and Bloom just won a Golden Globe. “The level of talent is really impressive, and to be able to find that at a free event is great,” Huizar says. “I don’t think you can find a duo like that on a free block party show anywhere.” Night on Broadway is Saturday, Jan. 30, 5-11 p.m., on Broadway mostly between Third and Eighth streets. More information at nightonbroadway.la.
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18 Downtown News
January 25, 2016
Downtown Gets the Funny Business
Five Highlights Of Riot L.A.
Riot L.A. Festival Brings More Than 150 Comedians to the Historic Core By Nicholas Slayton he year 2016 has gotten off to a rough start. David Bowie, Glenn Frey and Alan Rickman died. The stock market plunged. Donald Trump continued to fare well in presidential polls. Some laughter and merriment might be in order. That’s where Riot L.A. proves timely. The fourth installment of the comedy festival arrives in Downtown Los Angeles on Friday-Sunday, Jan. 29-31. The festival will bring more than 150 performers — including Paul F. Tompkins, Maria Bamford and Iliza Shlesinger — for stand-up sets, games, a staged version of KCRW’s “Unfictional” and more. Much of the action takes place on Main between Second and Third streets, though venues such as The Regent also get in on the laughs. Riot L.A. was created and is powered by Abbey Londer, who started the festival when she realized that Los Angeles didn’t have a major comedy event like other cities. It has always taken place in Downtown. Londer calls the event a kind of “comedy crawl,” a bar crawl but with jokes instead of drinks. She describes it as a chance for Angelenos to come Downtown and discover talent they don’t know about, and for the comics themselves to reach a new audience. Shows take place at eight venues in the Historic Core, with acts concentrated at the Downtown Independent, Five Star Bar and F-
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Comedy’s Fusion Stage (in an outdoor tent). Marc Cordova, the owner of Five Star Bar, said the festival has been successful in introducing new people to the neighborhood. “It’s a great thing for this part of L.A. that a lot of people are hesitant toward or not familiar with,” he said. Londer thinks word-of-mouth will make this year’s festival the biggest Riot L.A. yet. “I think this year there are going to be a lot of people at the festival who haven’t been,” she said. “I’m feeling like we’re starting to gain a fan base.” The festival starts Friday. Gilbert Gottfried is doing two shows at the Downtown Independent, while David Cross from “Arrested Development” (and much more) has a sold-out performance at the Theatre at Ace Hotel. Later that night at that same venue, there’s a tripleheader with Maria Bamford, Janeane Garafolo and Natasha Leggero. Much of the lineup on Saturday and Sunday consists of 90-minute shows featuring well-known comedians and acts, and “Comics to Watch” showcases featuring multiple stand-up sets. Ground zero for Riot L.A. is The Lot, an outdoor space next to the Downtown Independent. Entry is free, and it will have food trucks, a tent stage, arcade games and more. Londer said that after the shows end, people often congregate there. “Sunday night in The Lot people just sort of
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JONAH RAYDIO When: Saturday, 5 p.m. at Five Star Bar Details: Jonah Ray, the new host of “Mystery Science Theatre 3000,” brings jokes and music. There will be performances by the cover band Snake Plisskin and the I Thought You Were Dead, which features Ray and Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus.
photo by Gary Leonard
Abbey Londer founded and continues to run the Riot L.A. comedy festival. This year’s event features comedians such as Paul F. Tompkins, Maria Bamford and Iliza Shlesinger.
hang out and don’t go anywhere. It becomes this sort of cool random unofficial after-party,” she said. “We encourage people to stop by.” Individual shows are $10-$15 and some events, like the open mic performances, are free. There are also more expensive options and passes that give entry to multiple events. Although she expects larger crowds than in the past, Londer isn’t worried about Riot L.A. becoming too corporate. She thinks the local, community experience will keep it grounded. “We’ve always been grassroots, we’ve always been the underdog,” Londer said. “I really want to keep the grassroots nature of this festival.” Riot L.A. runs Jan. 29-31 at multiple venues. Tickets and additional information at riotla.com. nicholas@downtownews.com
F-COMEDY PRESENTS: TRUMP VS. BERNIE When: Saturday, 11 p.m. at The Lot Details: Political junkies will get their fix as Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders square off for a heated debate. Well, Anthony Atamanuik and James Adomian will be debating, in character as the candidates. ROAST BATTLE When: Saturday, 11 p.m. at the Downtown Independent Details: Remember the freestyle rap battle in the film 8 Mile? This is like that, but with biting comedy instead of rhymes. Eight comedians square off in four battles. MILLENNIAL When: Sunday, 3 p.m. at The Smell Details: Alex Edelman takes on inter-generational challenges and tribulations with his show about Generation Y. Expect anxiety-filled jokes and anecdotes. PICTURE THIS! When: Sunday, 5 p.m. at the Downtown Independent Details: This show combines two things: animation and jokes. Stand-up comics will perform while artists from “BoJack Horseman” and “Mr. Pickle” draw them live.
January 25, 2015
Downtown News 19
DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM
DT The Don't Miss List
CALENDAR LISTINGS
Asian Dance, Law and Order, Bees and Capt. Kirk All Come Downtown
EVENTS
ONE
TUESDAY, JANUARY 26 Cirque Du Soleil: Kurios Dodger Stadium Parking Lot, 1000 Elysian Park Ave., (877) 924-7783 or cirquedusoleil.com/kurios. The Montreal-based circus that focuses on acrobats instead of animals has a show featuring a steampunk design. Expect all sorts of awe-inspiring feats, including performers who bend in ways a body never should. Performances this week are TuesdaySunday. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27 Sheriff Jim McDonnell at Town Hall-Los Angeles City Club, 555 S. Flower St., (213) 628-8141 or townhall-la.org. 11:30 a.m.: Lunch will be served as the Sheriff of L.A. County dishes on a department with a troubled past, including big problems in a few prisons. Think of it as an opportunity to learn where the LASD is going. Norman Doidge at Aloud Central Library, Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7500 or lfla.org. 7:15 p.m.: Neuroplasticity is the process by which the brain heals itself. Synapses evolve new neural pathways to bypass damaged areas. The good Dr. Doidge brings this welcome news to all of our readers who we see perpetually plastered on Spring Street. FRIDAY, JANUARY 29 L.A. Fight Club 1050 S. Hill St., (213) 746-5670 or thebelascotheater.com. 5 p.m.: The first rule of L.A. Fight Club is to get Goldenboy Productions as a corporate sponsor and then advertise the life out of it. The main event features East L.A.’s undefeated Julian “El Cameron” Ramirez. Save the Bees Book Signing Last Bookstore, 453 S. Spring St., (213) 488-0599 or lastbookstorela.com. 7-8:30 p.m.: Rob and Chelsea McFarland will attempt to pollinate you with their pro-bee rhetoric. Just let it happen. SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 Night on Broadway Broadway, between Third and Eighth streets or nightonbroadway.la A Ferris Wheel, a dedicated LGBT zone, performances from the likes of Reggie Watts and Ozomatli, and even some chessboxing all add to the omnibus feel of this free event highlighting the historic street and its landmark theaters. See story p. 17.
photo by Liu Chen Hsiang
East meets west. Martial arts meets contemporary dance. Pick your connection, as Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan will unite worlds this week at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Often referred to as Asia’s foremost contemporary dance troupe, Cloud Gate draws from the entire Eastern zeitgeist to fuse dance, martial arts, folk traditions and longstanding philosophical paradigms. There will be three performances of the show Rice, which spins off the need to protect the planet by delving into the life cycle and cultivation of said grain. Shows are Friday and Saturday, Jan. 29-30, at 7:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. on Sunday. At 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-0777 or musiccenter.org.
Los Angeles-based choreographer, dancer and general creative luminary Meg Wolfe is no stranger to REDCAT. Now, she returns to the house that Roy and Edna Disney funded to debut her latest. New Faithful Disco alludes to the canonical influence of Tony Manero as well as the geological chromosphere of Yellowstone’s Old Faithful geyser — an apparent and appropriate contradiction given that the show features a roving trio of dancers hoofing it to Bee Gees beats laced with nature sounds. New Faithful Disco runs at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 28-30. At 631 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800 or redcat.org.
FIVE
Ace Hotel 929 S. Broadway, (213) 623-3233 or acehotel.com. Jan. 29, 7:30 p.m.: “Mr. Show” and “Arrested Development” veteran David Cross promises to “Make America Great Again!” in this Riot L.A. sanctioned show. Jan. 30, 10:30 p.m.: Riot L.A.’s headlining event features the likes of Natasha Leggero, Janeane Garofalo and Maria Bamford. Belasco 1050 S. Hill St., (213) 746-5670 or thebelascotheater.com. Jan. 30, 10 p.m.: Renegade Hardware is a drum and bass massive. If you associate hardware with lumber and nails and drum and bass as just a simplistic way of describing John Paul Jones and John Bonham’s relationship, this event is not for you. Blue Whale 123 Astronaut E. S. Onizuka St., (213) 620-0908 or bluewhalemusic.com. Jan. 25: LAJC. Jan. 26: Cathlene Pineda Group. Jan. 27: Mayo-Mann-Campbell-Euman. Jan. 28: Hadrien Feraud Group. Jan. 29-30: Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Ensemble. Jan. 31: Robby Marshall Quartet. Bootleg Bar 2220 Beverly Blvd., (213) 389-3856 or bootlegtheater.org. Jan. 25, 8 p.m.: Is Janitor, the Omar Velasco Residency opening band, a musical outfit or a commitment to venue sanitation? One can only hope the answer is “Both!” Continued on next page
To say Sheriff Jim McDonnell has a tough job would be an understatement. McDonnell’s predecessor, Lee Baca, ended his tenure as the county’s top cop with the feds peering deep into the Los Angeles prison system. Even today, McDonnell’s department is grappling with issues that dog law enforcement agencies across the country, such as excessive force complaints. How is McDonnell, a veteran of the LAPD and the Long Beach Police Department, cleaning up the Sheriff’s office? Find out for yourself on Wednesday, Jan. 27, at noon when he appears at the City Club for a luncheon discussion put together by the organization Town HallLos Angeles. At 550 S. Flower St., (213) 628-8141 or townhall-la.org.
photo by Steven Gunther
photo by Gary Leonard
TWO
Courtesy of W.B. FOntenot & Rob McFarland
ROCK, POP & JAZZ
By Dan Johnson | calendar@downtownnews.com
FOUR
THREE
photo courtesy Goldenvoice
Zen riddle: If William Shatner stands on stage and narrates his life story to an empty room, is his celebrity then invalid? The kid from Quebec who made good on his Shakespearean training with memorable roles in both “Star Trek” and “T.J. Hooker” is now starring in an autobiographical one-man monologue, appropriately titled Shatner’s World. The former Capt. James Tiberius Kirk himself will pop into L.A. Live’s Club Nokia on Friday, Jan. 29, for a single show at 8 p.m. Although Shatner appeared in all those Priceline commercials, you can’t Priceline this show. That said, there will be copious opportunities to say “Beam me up, Scotty.” At 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-7000 or clubnokia.com.
When we say it’s time to “save the bees,” we don’t mean catching them in a jar and freezing them so you can tie a string around them and laugh as they attempt to fly away, you sadist. Instead, we encourage you to pop into the Last Bookstore on Friday, Jan. 29, at 8 p.m. when Rob and Chelsea McFarland dish on their effort Save the Bees With Natural Backyard Hives. While their comprehensive plan to attract honeybees to basic home hives where they will live long and fulfilling lives may not jive with the conditions of your recent lease at SB Tower or The Emerson, it bears repeating for those suburbanites who seek to prolong the lifecycle of the peeved prospectors of pollination. At 453 S. Spring St., (213) 488-0599 or lastbookstorela.com.
Send information and possible Don’t Miss List submissions to calendar@downtownnews.com.
20 Downtown News
TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS
Jan. 26, 8:30 p.m.: Tack some vowels on and PWR BTTM is a cheeky queer punk advertisement for a very gifted submissive. Jan. 27, 8 p.m.: Ian just moved here from Boston. Jan. 28, 8:30 p.m.: Despite our highest hopes, Parade of Lights is not the nighttime electrical illumination extravaganza at Disneyland. Jan. 29-31: Girlschool Field Day Weekend features a slew of female musical outfits from this here City of Angels. Club Nokia 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-7000 or clubnokia.com. Jan. 29, 9 p.m.: Shatner’s World features the former Captain Kirk, William Shatner, dishing on his life. Jan. 30, 10 p.m.: In the name of cultural detective work, we have to wonder whether music names in the vein of Seshollowaterboyz stem from a shortage of unique band names or a generation raised on Ritalin. Escondite 410 Boyd St., (213) 626-1800 or theescondite.com. Jan. 25, 10 p.m.: Skip Spiros and His Ten Piece Jazz Band will make quite a ruckus when they celebrate the show with a late-night visit to KFC. Jan. 26, 10 p.m.: Edith Crash sounds like a socialite on a bender. Jan. 27, 10 p.m.: We’re told Pretty Polly is aesthetically pleasing. Jan. 28, 10 p.m.: Would it be tactless to suggest that Skin & Bones should try the buffalo mushrooms? Jan. 29, 9 p.m.: OG Friday night line-up as Boom Boom Boom opens for Charlie Chan. Jan. 31, 10 p.m.: King Corduroy, you seem great, but we can’t help but wonder what RT is doing right now. Are we looking up at the same stars? Exchange LA 618 S. Spring St., (213) 627-8070 or exchangela.com. Jan. 29: Project 46. Jan. 30: Chromeo. Redwood Bar and Grill 316 W. Second St., (213) 652-4444 or theredwoodbar.com. Jan. 25: Casual Hex. Jan. 28: The Body Rampart and Articles. Jan. 29: Dirty Words, The Blackerbys and Solitary Friends. Jan. 30: Johnny Madcap & The Distractions. Jan. 31; Bunny the Girl, Fabulous Miss Wendy, The Great Sadness and Lady Zephyr. The Regent 448 S. Main St. or theregenttheater.com. Jan. 28, 8 p.m.: Lush synthesizer dystopia from The Soft Moon. Jan. 29, 10 p.m.: Club ’90s hosts Selena night. Not Selena Gomez, but Selena. Jan. 30, 6 p.m.: “Don’t judge me” is the theme and Haley Joel Osment is a participant in this live taping of the “Unfictional” podcast. It’s part of Riot L.A. Jan. 30, 9 p.m.: Riot L.A. brings Bridget Everett. Jan. 31, 5 p.m.: More Riot L.A. funny with Bull$#!! Artists. Jan. 31, 9 p.m.: The presumptuously titled “Patton Oswalt Can Always Go Downtown” assumes a level of mobility the all-star comedian may not always live up to. Resident 428 S. Hewitt St. or (323) 316-5311. Jan. 26: Ian Moore and the Lossy Coils. Jan. 27: Jake McMullen and Nona. Jan. 28: Feels and Mind Meld with Prettiest Eyes. Jan. 29: Rin Tin Tiger and Dude York. Jan. 31: Juke Joint Sundays featuring Kee Eso & The Boyz. Seven Grand 515 W. Seventh St., (213) 614-0737 or sevengrand.la. Jan. 25: Brandino and Friends, an event with a children’s show name for people who enjoy adult beverages. Jan. 26: The Makers are feeling lucky. Jan. 27: Texas’ Ray Brooks has a mighty fine hat. Jan. 31: Cap off this frigid Los Angeles January with the California Feet Warmers. The Smell 247 S. Main St. in the alley between Spring and Main or thesmell.org. Jan. 25: Lee Bannon, Show Me the Body and Girl Pusher. Jan. 27: White Out, G.E. Stinson/Devin Sarno/Danny Frankel Trio with Telecaves. Jan. 28: Childbirth, Lisa Prank and Upset. Jan. 29-31: Riot L.A. performances. Teragram Ballroom 1234 W. Seventh St. or teragramballroom.com. Jan. 25, 8 p.m.: Gospel inspired Aussie, Matt Corby. Jan. 28, 8 p.m.: In Holly Herndon’s experimental fringe electro pop, Stanford University has finally provided us, the masses, with something worthwhile. Jan. 29, 8 p.m.: Beauty in the Breakdown are releasing an album. We much prefer that to the hounds. Jan. 30, 8 p.m.: Julia Holter writes about her own experiences, which puts her in league with every other musician who has ever lived.
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2 Aavailable, model #13115. C151162/395208, C152551/567705 Close end lease for 2015 Nissan Altima 2.5S for $149 per month plus tax for 36 months on above average approved credit. Payment net of $2450 Nissan Lease Cash Rebate and $500 Nissan Customer Bonus Cash Rebate. $2999 cash or trade equity, plus tax, license and registration fees due at lease signing. No security deposit. 12,000 miles per year, 36k total miles with 15 cents per mile thereafter. Subject to availability and charges for excess wear and tear. Not all lessees may qualify, higher lease rates apply for lessees with lower credit ratings. Offer expires 1/31/16.
$13,888 2009 GMC Acadia SLE1 ...................... $14,888 5 Star Safe, RV Monitor, OBC Syst. CU1949R/174616 2010 Cadillac CTS Sedan ................... Carfax Avail, Performance Trim, Excellent Cond. CU1968R/123809 $19,888 FELIX CHEVROLET 2012 Nissan Altima ........................... CARFAX 1-Owner, Certified, Exc. Cond. CU1842R/518083
888-304-7039 3300 S. FIGUEROA ST. • FELIXCHEVROLET.COM
NEW ’16 CHEVY CRUZE
LEASE FOR ONLY
99
$
888-319-8762 1801 S. FIGUEROA ST. • MBZLA.COM
LEASE FOR ONLY
$
349
per month for 36 mos
Plus tax, 36 month closed end lease on approved credit through Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. $2,499 CAP reduction, $795 acquisition fee. Excludes title, taxes, registration, license fees, insurance, dealer prep and additional options. No security deposit required. $0.25 per mile in excess of 30,000 miles. Offer good on all with MSRP $35,375.
$28,981 2013 Mercedes Benz E350 .................... $36,881 Certified, Blk/Blk, Prem Pkg 1, Prem Sound. 8626C/195008 2014 Mercedes Benz GL450 ................. $59,771 Certified, Silv/Blk, Nav Syst. 160585-1/274138 AUDI OF DOWNTOWN L.A. 2013 Mercedes Benz C250 .................... Certified, White/Beige, Prem Pkg 1, Sport Pkg. 8608c/007379
888-583-0981 1900 S. FIGUEROA ST. • AUDIDTLA.COM
NEW ’16 AUDI A3 1.8T
LEASE FOR ONLY
269
$
per month for 36 mos
36 month lease. $269 plus tax per month. $1,500 down payment plus acquisition, registration and first month’s payment due at signing. No security deposit required. Must qualify for Audi loyalty. Lease for 7,500 miles/year. At lease end, lessee responsible for $0.25/mile over 22,500 miles and excessive wear and tear.
$20,895 2013 Audi A4 2.0L 4 ............................... Wht/Blk, Prem Trim, Prem Wheels, Conv. Pkg. A160445-1/019741 $22,895 2013 Audi A3 2.0T Quattro ................... Certified, Blk/Blk, Skyroof, Premium, Lo Miles! ZA11161/027094 $27,895 PORSCHE OF DOWNTOWN L.A. 2012 Audi A4 2.0T ................................. Certified, Gray/Blk, Prem Sound, Keyless Entry. ZA11112/016431
888-685-5426 1900 S. FIGUEROA ST. • PORSCHEDOWNTOWNLA.COM
NEW ’’16 116 PORSCHE CAYENNE
LEASE FOR ONLY
per month for 27 mos
$
679
per month for 39 mos
4 at this lease/price (F17286, F17239, F17229, F17238) per month plus tax for 27 mos, Lease O.A.C through GM Financial, zero down plus $4,955 in qualifying rebates $0 security deposit, $0.25/mile over 22,500 miles. Based on MSRP of $20,270. *Program subject to change. See dealer for details.
$4,999 CAP reduction. $679 per month. Stock#P16297. $4,999 Down Payment. 39 months, 10k miles per year, VIN#GLA11552, residual $40,043.45, 1 at this price. Down payment excludes tax, dmv fees, $995 Bank Acquisition fee, first payment and document fees. Rates based on approved Tier 1 credit through Porsche Financial Service.
$9,988 2010 Nissan Sentra ................................ $13,888 4 Dr Sdn, Auto, Pwr windows and locks. F16792-1/L612799 2014 Chevy Impala ................................ $15,888 Gray/Blk, Auto, Sdn, 3.6L, Beautiful Vehicle. UC2083R/1149790
2016 Cayenne AWD ................................
2013 Dodge Dart ....................................... 4 Dr Sdn, Pwr Windows and Locks. F16904-1/D319960
$61,898 2012 911 Cabriolet Carrera .................. $67,898 997, Ltd. Avail., Blue/Beige, Auto, 25k Miles. ZP1990/740117 2013 911 S Coupe ................................... $76,897 CPO, Grey/Black, 19k Miles, Loaded. ZP1953M/122805 CPO, White/Blk, V6, 6k Mi - Like New! P16022L/A02561
January 25, 2015 Continued from previous page californiasciencecenter.org. Journey to Space 3D brings audience members along on an E-ticket ride of exploration to the red planet. Ewan McGregor is the voice of Humpback Whales 3D. Not that the whales aren’t significant enough in their own right, but Obi-Wan narrating means we’re dealing with serious power brokers here. Power brokers who know a good whale story when they see it. Regal Cinemas LA Live 1000 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 763-6070 or lalive.com/movies. Through January 28: The 5th Wave (1, 1:40, 4, 4:40, 6:50, 7:40, 10 and 10:40 p.m.); The Boy (12:10, 3, 5:30, 8:20 and 10:50 p.m.); Dirty Grandpa (11:35 a.m., 2:10, 5, 7:40 and 10:30 p.m.); 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (12:50, 4:05, 7:20 and 10:35 p.m.); Norm of the North (11:40 a.m., 2, 4:20 and 7 p.m.); Ride Along 2 (11:30 a.m., 1:20, 2:20, 4:30, 5:10, 7:20, 8:10, 10:10 and 11 p.m.); The Forest (9:30 p.m.); Daddy’s Home (12:05 p.m.); The Revenant (11:50 a.m., 12:30, 2:30, 4:10, 6, 7:50 and 9:50 p.m.); Star Wars: The Force Awakens (12:40 and 10:20 p.m.); Star Wars: The Force Awakens 3D (12, 3:10, 3:50, 6:30, 7:10 and 9:40 p.m.); The Big Short (12:20, 3:20, 6:15 and 9:20 p.m.).
THEATER, OPERA & DANCE
Act of God Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-0777 or musiccenter.org. Jan. 30, 8 p.m. and Jan. 31, 1 p.m.: The comedy Act of God comes from the pen of 13-time Emmy winner (and former “The Daily Show With John Stewart” head writer) David Javerbaum.
CROSSWORD
DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM Sean Hayes, perhaps best known for his role in “Will & Grace,” plays the almighty himself in this tongue-and-cheek divinity play. Through March 13. The Aeroplane or How Low: An Autobiography (sort of) Loft Ensemble, 929 E. Second St., (213) 680-0392 or loftensemble.org. Jan. 30, 8 p.m. and Jan. 31, 7 p.m.: In Mitch Rosander’s drama, a plane flight home to cope with family grief turns into a boundless bit of soul searching. Through March 6. Bob Baker’s Sketchbook Revue Bob Baker Marionette Theater, 1345 W. First St., (213) 250-9995 or bobbakermarionettes.com. Jan. 30-31, 2:30 p.m.: The Sketchbook Revue promises a cast of marionettes that will alternately delight and terrify. Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-0777 or musiccenter.org. Jan. 29-30, 7:30 p.m. and Jan. 31, 2 p.m.: The finest contemporary dancers in Taiwan (some would argue the entirety of Asia) make a stop in Los Angeles. Meg Wolfe: New Faithful Disco REDCAT, 631 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800 or redcat.org. Jan. 28-30, 8:30 p.m.: Disco rhythms blend with nature tracks as a trio of dancers featuring Meg Wolfe herself trots about the stage. Sleepaway Camp Downtown Independent, 251 S. Main St., (213) 617-1033 or downtownindependent.com. Jan. 26, 9 p.m.: Feast on this irreverent stand-up comedy cavalcade takes up residence at the Downtown Independent.
CLASSICAL MUSIC TUESDAY, JANUARY 26 Chamber Music Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 972-0777 or musiccenter.org. 8 p.m.: With a veritable Mock UN meeting of musicians from the L.A. Phil, tonight’s performance promises a multicultural panoply of Brahms. FRIDAY, JANUARY 29 Beethoven & Mahler Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 972-0777 or musiccenter.org. Jan. 29-30, 8 p.m. and Jan. 31, 2 p.m.: At a combined run time of 89 minutes, this Beethoven/Mahler program will push conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen to the brink. SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 10th Annual Croatian Cultural Extravaganza Zipper Hall, 200 S. Grand, (213) 621-1050 or colburnschool.edu. 3 p.m.: Hold on to your seats, folks: The artists from the Adriatic are coming in force with help from St. Anthony’s Croatian Children’s School, St. Anthony’s Tamburica Club, the Izvor Vocal Ensemble and many more.
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.
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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
CLASSIFIEDS REAL ESTATE RESIDENTIAL
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.
DUPLEXES
TAX SERVICES
Downtown since 2002
Old World Charm. Olympic and Highland. Very large 2 bdrm. 2 bath, 2 car garage. Private fenced yard. All appliances included, Stove, refrigerator, washer and dryer, carpet & drapes $2400/mo. 323-9345666.
Bill Cooper
SERVICES
MIKE’S TAX PREPARATION Mobile Tax Service, We Come To You!!! Any Time Any Place, Fast and Friendly Service, No Waiting In Line, Direct Deposit -Check-Debit Cards FREE REFUND ESTIMATE!!!!! ** 20 % OFF COMPETITORS PRICES** Call Now to Schedule Your Appointment. 213-2801369
LOFTS FOR SALE
TheLoftExpertGroup.com 213.598.7555
HOUSEKEEPING HEALTH AND BEAUTY - DAY SPAS
FOR RENT
JANETH’S CLEANING Services offers a winter special!! 135.00 for 3 hrs of deep cleaning, with a team of 2 cleaners for first time customers!! call today to make an appointment, find us on yelp. 323-490-4211.
LOFT/UNFURNISHED
OLD BANK District The original Live/Work Lofts
WELCOME DESUAR SPA TO DTLA New neighborhood Day Spa servicing the DTLA community. Offering facials, massage, body treatments, and waxing. Call 213-265-7908 for appointments http://spadesuar.com Mention this ad and enjoy a $49 introductory 1 hour Swedish massage & 25% off any additional treatment. 213-265-7908
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Downtown News 23
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(323) 662-9797
DowntownNews.com
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4344 Fountain Ave. (at Sunset), Suite A Los Angeles, CA 90029
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NOTICE INVITING PROPOSALS PARKING SERVICES FOR THE LITTLE TOKYO CENTRAL BUSINESS AREA
Children’s Performing Group
Sunshine Generation
PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that ARCADIS, Inc. is issuing a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) as an opportunity for a SUBCONTRACTOR to manage the operations of a public parking lot, along with providing valet parking and/or shuttle services for patrons and businesses in the Little Tokyo community located in downtown Los Angeles. RFP documents are available by sending an email request to Mike Halsey at: Arcadis.RFP@gmail.com. Please include your contact information. You may call 213-820-5889 for more information. Proposals are due by: 3:00 PM Wednesday, February 17, 2016.
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Essential Dining Reference! FE RE NC E IA L DI NI NG RE YO UR ES SE NT RI ES TE EA 70 EX PL OR
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January 25, 2016
FOOTBALL, 5
Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore!
limited. Kroenke’s $1.8 billion stadium, once it opens in 2019, will likely stand empty nearly 350 days a year. If two teams play there, tweak that to 340. Yeehaw. Football Stiffed Baseball As running back Todd Gurley and a bunch of other Rams few people can name prepare to come west, it’s worth looking back
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
Re New no ly va ted
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 / Spa / BBQ Grills ~ Fitness Center ~ Covered Parking
Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove & Dishwasher ~ Central Air & Heating ~ Solariums and/or Balconies
On-Site: ~ Convenience Store / 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
TOWERS T H E
A PA RT M E N T S
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photo by Gary Leonard
Stan Kroenke’s Rams effort comes after many previous Los Angeles stadium attempts failed. The most notable was Anschutz Entertainment Group’s Farmers Field, which was planned for 15 acres next to the Convention Center in Downtown.
at Los Angeles’ litany of failed stadium plans. And heavens to Goodell, there were a lot of them. It’s easy to forget, but shortly after the Rams and Raiders left, then-Dodgers owner Peter O’Malley launched an effort to bring a team to a new stadium in the Dodger Stadium parking lot. City officials eventually pulled their support from O’Malley’s plan and instead backed a Coliseum NFL effort. That is part of what prompted O’Malley to sell the Dodgers, which led to the disastrous reigns of FOX and then Frank McCourt. In other words, L.A.’s football effort managed to stiff baseball fans. Weird. The Coliseum had a good run in the late ’90s, powered by then-City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, who recognized the economic benefits a stadium revitalization could have on South L.A. and the Figueroa Corridor. That effort got slammed when Houston businessman Bob McNair out-bid L.A. for an expansion franchise. There were stadium games in Carson, Pasadena, the City of Industry and pre-Kroenke attempts in Inglewood. As I wrote last year, more than one-quarter of the league’s 32 teams were at some time floated as candidates to move to L.A. The best and brightest attempt was Anschutz Entertainment Group’s Farmers Field. During the push, AEG President and CEO Tim Leiweke shifted into P.T. Barnum mode as he tried to sell the city and the NFL on a $1.1 billion South Park stadium that had the added benefit of updating the Convention Center — the plan included using portions of the stadium for the biggest conventions, giving the venue some extra revenue-generating activity. A 10,000-page environmental impact report was completed and delivered to City Hall during a splashy 2012 event that attracted, presciently, people wearing Rams gear. Through the decades, the NFL sought to foment competition among various stadium backers, hoping they’d sweeten the pot with public subsidies and other giveaways. Time and again local officials and developers jumped through the hoops the NFL raised, but were never rewarded with the cookie. That brings everything back to today. In a brilliantly brutal business tactic, the league has left a one-year window to resolve the situation in San Diego — Qualcomm Stadium is basically a mausoleum with a field — and if no deal is achieved, the Chargers can also come north and share Kroenke’s stadium. San Diego officials face a ticking clock. If San Diego stays put, Oakland gets the opportunity to play halfsies in Inglewood. All of which means that in one fell swoop, the league has solved L.A. and put make-or-break pressure on two other cities. St. Louis football fans, meanwhile, are shut out. Go Rams. regardie@downtownnews.com