03-31-14

MARCH 31, 2014 I VOL. 43 I #13

Let the Games

Begin The Arts District Gets a ‘Barcade’ See Page 6

photo by Gary Leonard

Making Sense of the Mayor | 5 A Condo Market Comeback | 8 Watch City Living on DTTV New Episodes Every Monday @ 9am on DowntownNews.com

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UCLA Economic Forecast Hits Downtown

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t’s not shocking news that Detroit and Cleveland have struggled with the weakest job growth rates nationally since 1990. As it turns out, Los Angeles is part of the group as well.

That and more will be discussed at the UCLA Anderson School of Management’s 2014 Economic Forecast Conference, to be held Wednesday, April 2, in the J.W. Marriott at L.A. Live. Themed “Solutions for Our City,” the conference will focus on job readiness and availability. Featured speakers include Mayor Eric Garcetti and former Downtown Councilwoman Jan Perry, now the general manager of the city’s Economic and Workforce Development Department, along with a slew of economists and business experts. The event runs from 7 a.m.-11:30 a.m. More information and registration are at uclaforecast.com.

Hey, Did You Smell That Movie at L.A. Live? ometime this summer, audiences won’t only be able to see a movie at the Regal Cinemas L.A. Live Stadium 14, they’ll also be able to smell it. In fact, that is only one of the sensory impacts promised. Anschutz Entertainment Group, which owns the theater, and Seoul-based CJ 4DPlex last week announced

that the Korean company will bring so-called 4D movies to Downtown Los Angeles. According to a prepared statement, 4D features in the theater can include motion, wind, strobe, fog, vibration, mist, rain and scent-based special effects. The L.A. Live complex will be the first United States location for CJ 4DPlex, which now operates in 91 theaters in 23 countries; the first 4D screening was a version of Avatar in 2010. Shelby Russell, vice president of L.A. Live Marketing, said the Regal Cinemas in Downtown “has become not only the preferred location for blockbuster releases but the ideal venue to showcase the industry’s newest technology.” Although the film that will get the 4D treatment was not identified, the release said it will happen this summer. The 4D presentation, according to the company, “lends itself perfectly to high-action movies.”

TAKE MY PICTURE GARY LEONARD

‘Lifestyle Brand’ Kinfolk Next Up for Broadway

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ew York City’s Kinfolk, a so-called “lifestyle brand” that sells clothes, custom bikes and cocktails and also has a performance space, is building a 10,000-square-foot shop in the basement of the Eastern Columbia Building at 849 S. Broadway. Kinfolk is on track to open

by September, said company Communications Director Felipe Delerme. The Downtown Los Angeles location will be the fourth and biggest Kinfolk (there are two outposts in New York and another in Tokyo). The store will feature a full bar, a section for apparel from Kinfolk and other brands, and space for performances, screenings, exhibits and more. “It will be a social space with lots of uses,” Delerme said. “Downtown L.A.

March 31, 2014

Blair Besten & Duke Oliver Watson

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is an up-and-coming neighborhood that’s going to explode, and we wanted to be involved in many different ways.”

Neighborhood Council Elections This Week

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owntowners this week have another chance to help make their voices heard on a community level. On Thursday, April 3, elections will take place for two neighborhood councils that cover the Central City. A ballot station at the Central Library, at 630 W. Fifth St., will

117 Winston Street

March 22, 2014

be the site of elections for the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council; all 28 board positions will be up for grabs, and votes can be cast from noon-8 p.m. The Historic Cultural Neighborhood Council’s election, meanwhile, will be held from 3-7 p.m. at the Little Tokyo Towers, at 455 E. Third St. #101. Twentysix candidates are running for the 15 seats that are open. Neighborhood councils are advisory groups created to provide a link between individual communities and city government, and though they have no formal power in the decision-making process, local politicians often take Continued on page 14

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March 31, 2014

Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis

A Joyous Comic Culture

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ongstanding Downtown stakeholders have eagerly embraced the tens of thousands of people who have moved to the area in the past decade, and both new and old inhabitants and workers have warmly welcomed the rush of restaurants, bars and service businesses. And it seems that every new dog park or pet-oriented facility is greeted with a communal gasp of unabashed excitement.

Now, there is one more addition to the Central City landscape, and it is completely unlike any that came before. It also seems to indicate something about the re-emergence of the Central City.

Earlier this year, the main character in the comic book The Punisher left New York for Los Angeles, and immediately began patronizing Downtown businesses. The Vietnam vet and vigilante antihero, named Frank Castle, routinely stops by the Nickel Diner on Main Street for a cup of coffee and the eatery’s vaunted maple bacon donut. In a Los Angeles Downtown News story this month, the comic’s writer, Nathan Edmonson, described how, in between fighting bad guys, there will be visits to the Ritz-Carlton hotel, the Bradbury Building and other Central City locations.

This is highly unexpected and equally fun, in part because neither Edmonson nor illustrator Mitch Gerads live in Los Angeles (Edmonson is based in Atlanta, Gerads in Minnesota). Still, the creative duo and the brass at Marvel Comics, which first published The Punisher more than three decades ago, felt that a new series should take place on the West Coast. Writer and illustrator are both finding fertile ground in and around Downtown.

This is another of those developments that would have been unthinkable even a decade ago, as there was little national interest in the community. Now, amid the upsurge, with billions of dollars in investment flowing to the area, along with an enduring gritty side, there are plenty of plot points and locations to drive Castle. Edmonson noted the Nickel Diner’s proximity to Skid Row as a fitting symbol for the lead character.

The comic book creators are not the only ones lured by the appeal of an increasingly vibrant Downtown Los Angeles. Although film crews for decades have used the community as a stand-in for other cities, both real and fictional, a growing number of creative types are electing to set the action right in the Central City. In this regard The Punisher follows the 2009 indie film (500) Days of Summer, as well as last year’s Dorfman in Love and the recent remake of About Last Night.

This isn’t to pretend that Downtown L.A. will become as popular a location for filmmakers and comic book creators as New York, Chicago or Gotham City. Still, the trend is likely to continue, with an increasing number of fictional characters joining the ever-growing crowd of real-life residents and workers.

Even if he thumbs his nose at the law, we’re pleased that Frank Castle will be spending more time in Downtown L.A. and that the comic’s farflung readers will get some exposure to the community. We just hope The Punisher remembers that the expression here is live, work and play, not live, work and blow the place up.

Denial of Meatball Restaurant’s Booze Permit Is Foolish

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here is only one good thing about the recent ruling by a City associate zoning administrator to reject an alcohol permit for a proposed gourmet meatball restaurant at the Historic’ Core’s New Genesis Apartments. That slim sliver of positivity is that the ruling can be appealed.

Fortunately, officials with Skid Row Housing Trust, which developed the residential complex at 458 S. Main St., have said they will indeed fight the March 13 decision. They should do so expeditiously, and as the appeal is heard, hopefully they will receive strong support from a wide swath of Downtowners, including community leaders and elected officials who represent the area.

We suppose we can fathom why the zoning official rejected the application. The request for a beer and wine permit is for the restaurant Great Balls on Tires, and the eatery would be at the base of a building that houses scores of formerly homeless individuals trying to turn their lives around. Many of those residing in the 104 apartments on the upper floors (not all are reserved for those just off the streets; 24 are for working people earning less than about $35,000 a year) have alcohol and substance abuse issues. The primary argument has been that having a restaurant that sells booze is insensitive to people working hard to stay sober.

It’s a reasonable assertion and might make sense in a vacuum, but here it only tells part of the story. Of greater importance is the surrounding neighborhood, as well as the context of what this particular restaurant would offer. More than anything, this is a disservice to a businessman trying to employ a staff, as well as to thousands of individuals who live, work and want to see a general improvement in the area.

We recognize that some people might like to cast this as a situation of well-off residents and business owners battling the homeless. That’s not the case at all, and it is worth mentioning again that SRHT, which has worked for decades to help the homeless, is the entity that will file the appeal.

This should have been a great example of different facets of the community working together. During the planning process for the New Genesis, SRHT officials met with area stakeholders. The devel-

oper understood that simply plopping a structure for the formerly homeless in the middle of a rebounding area would not work. The talks led to the decision to include the two dozen mixed-income units, as well as ground-floor retail spaces that would appeal to the community at large. The building opened in late 2012 and an ice cream store occupies one street-front spot. Great Balls on Tires, a bricks-and-mortar spinoff of a food truck, should have been operating in the other by now.

One reason the zoning ruling is so frustrating is because of the composition of the Historic Core. It is not as if preventing beer or wine sales in Great Balls on Tires removes all temptation to someone trying to stay sober. There are dozens of bars and restaurants within walking distance of the building. One could exit the front door of the New Genesis, take a few steps and enter the Italian restaurant Portofino, which sells beer and wine. Head north toward Fourth and Main streets and within a block are a number of alcohol-serving options, among them Pete’s Café, Bar Amá and The Must. Then there are the area’s markets and convenience stores, many of which sell booze at low prices.

One also should consider the proposed restaurant itself. While not fine dining, Great Balls on Tires will not be a dive that serves cut-rate booze and appeals to those looking to get drunk as inexpensively as possible. Like many other restaurants in the area, diners can probably expect to spend at least $5 or $6 for a drink.

In short, outlawing alcohol sales in the meatball restaurant won’t stop anyone who wants a drink from getting one. So the question becomes, who really is helped by the zoning ruling? It may be a nice symbol for a few dozen people in recovery, but we don’t see it actually improving lives or bettering the neighborhood. Instead, it simply stops someone from opening a restaurant, creating jobs and giving area workers and residents another place to go.

We believe that those who will hear the appeal can make a better decision. That is why we expect the coalition that has already come together in support of beer and wine sales at Great Balls on Tires to continue to work on the cause, and to redouble their effort. Opening the restaurant will be good for the Historic Core.

March 31, 2014

Downtown News 5

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Making Sense of the Mayor Nine Months in, Many Still Don’t Know What Eric Garcetti Is About. Maybe He’s Playing the Long Game

By Jon Regardie alking about Mayor Eric Garcetti has come to resemble the movie Groundhog Day: About a dozen times over the last two to three months, with different people working in

T

THE REGARDIE REPORT different fields from different parts of L.A., I have had a conversation that proceeds like this: Me: What do you think of the mayor so far?

He’s been in office seven/eight/nine months now.

Person who kind of follows local politics and cares more about the city than they do about Miley Cyrus: I like him. [Pause as additional thoughts are considered.]

Me: Everyone likes him. He’s very likable.

Person: He is very likable. But I don’t know what he’s about.

The conversation doesn’t always go exactly that way, but it’s usually pretty close. Sometimes the speaker says, “I’m still waiting for him to do something big,” or, “I’m waiting for him to make a splash.”

I’m not exaggerating too much when I write this. Instead, as the new mayor smell wears off, Los Angeles is struggling to come to terms with its first real 21st century leader, a man everyone agrees is extremely intelligent and cognizant of the benefits of technology, and who readily questions governmental convention. Still, in a quest to generate buy-in, he can seem hesitant

to take any significant public risk.

It’s a curious situation. On the one hand, there’s a general joy in having survived the Antonio Villaraigosa era, and though a giant talking clam would have been preferable to another four years of AnVil, in his first six months Garcetti did a solid job of understanding the mood of the city, recognizing that people had tired of the former mayor’s combination of selfpromotion and limited achievement. Garcetti’s “Back to Basics” approach so far seems to be not just an effective campaign slogan, but an actual philosophy that has shaped his administration. Who knew?

On the other hand, there’s a growing sense that “Back to Basics” itself doesn’t cut it, that while Los Angeles will benefit from a mayor focused on fixing the city from the ground up, there is also a need for someone who knows how to use the bully pulpit the office affords and when to be a capital letter L Leader. Sure, the City Charter still blunts the power of the mayor, but an effective leader can often circumvent the limitations via effective alliances, charisma and carrot-or-stick governance. There is concern that Garcetti could squander this initial opportunity to take charge, opening the door for someone like City Council President Herb Wesson to expand his power base.

Garcetti has by no means slipped into the general malaise that Los Angeles witnessed during the term of Mayor Jim Hahn (historians

photo by Gary Leonard

Eric Garcetti became the mayor of Los Angeles nine months ago. Some critics are still waiting for him to make a splash.

call those four years The Big Sleep). The new mayor has taken a few important actions — axing LAFD Chief Brian Cummings and subsequently halting the department’s questionable hiring process were big moves.

Still, achievements like those have been few, leading to questions about if and when the splash will come (and whether it needs to come) and raising the possibility that Garcetti’s public standing will be shaped by the perceptions and reporting of others.

Is asking him to know precisely when to flash and when to smash, and still actually run the city, unfair? Perhaps a bit. And it’s not as if Garc-

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etti is unaware of the criticism. At a Hollywood breakfast event hosted by Los Angeles Magazine this month, the publication’s editor, Mary Melton, queried him on the high-profile expectations that come with the job.

“I want to be high profile with the average Angeleno,” he responded, and went on to mention a series of budget town halls, citing an event that brought out 450 people in West Adams.

Of course, exactly zero newspapers then used the blaring headline “Mayor Holds Budget Town Hall!”

Risky Business Every leadership style carries risks. Early in his tenure Villaraigosa made an audacious push to seize control of the LAUSD. He brought his agenda to state legislators in Sacramento but, like Icarus soaring too close to the sun in wax wings, his plans melted and he came crashing down to Earth, humbled and with a loss of political capital.

Garcetti is taking the opposite approach. He told Melton his strategy is to stay disciplined (of course, discipline in City Hall isn’t sexy unless leather and interns are involved). He specifically mentioned not getting distracted by pledging early on to address schools, traffic and a fleet of other big-ticket issues.

This approach means critics don’t have to look hard to find fault with his performance.

I’ve heard several smart people question the aftermath of the horrific shooting and killing of a TSA agent at LAX in November. Shortly after the attack, Garcetti launched a drive to collect teddy bears for children who have experienced tragedy, and while one can see the aim to do something positive, the critics contend that this Continued on page 12

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March 31, 2014

Games On Cocktails, Pinball and Video Games Come Together in an Arts District ‘Barcade’

By Donna Evans cott Davids and Noah Sutcliffe thought they had a good idea in EightyTwo. Still, they couldn’t be sure how the public would respond until they opened their doors.

They wondered: Would people love the concept of a bar filled with vintage video games and pinball machines as much as they did?

The answer quickly became clear on opening night last week when, after the 296th person walked through the door (bringing the crowd to capacity), a line of people still snaked down the block on Fourth Place. That was just the start: Customers burned through two sets of controllers in three days on Street Fighter II and EightyTwo literally ran out of quarters in the change machines. The owners had to empty some video games and pinball machines so play could continue.

Sitting in the 1,700-square-foot patio sandwiched between the arcade and pinball rooms the day before the official debut, Davids and Sutcliffe were both joyous and weary. Yet, hearing people say how much fun they have makes the weeks of nearly sleepless nights worth it.

“Look at what we’ve got here. This is awesome,” said Sutcliffe, a Historic Core resident.

Davids, 33, and Sutcliffe, 32, have been best friends since first grade, and both spent their youth in arcades around Los Angeles. Davids, who grew up in Highland Park, remembers playing Pong and Space Invaders with his dad. Sutcliffe, who hails from Pasadena, had his formative video game experience at the L.A. County Fair — he was 3 and remembers his grandparents looking for a box so he could reach the controller for Battlezone.

Davids, who now lives in the Arts District, said playing, fixing and restoring arcade games has been a passion for more than a decade. Indeed, eight of EightyTwo’s 25 arcade games came from his personal stash (the rest, including 15 pinball machines, were purchased to round out the selection).

We can’t go anywhere without you.

photo by Gary Leonard

Scott Davids and Noah Sutcliffe opened the video game-driven bar EightyTwo last week in the Arts District. The name comes from the year that Pac Man and Frogger took the world by storm.

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The owner of a visual effects company, Davids would play the games at his place, drinking beer and hanging out with friends.

Although he and Sutcliffe, whose background is in entertainment law, talked for years about expanding their concept of basement fun into a neighborhood bar, they didn’t become serious until a trip to Lake Tahoe in September 2012.

Bustling Neighborhood The two focused their search on the Arts District almost immediately, believing the expanding neighborhood of housing, eateries and galleries would be a perfect fit for their business.

They liked the location at the intersection of Fourth Place and Third Street, given its ability to offer a shaded patio (people can smoke, but no dogs allowed) and a front entrance showcasing a slice of the Downtown skyline.

The bar selection features 10 draft beers and eight cans and bottles. There are also signature drinks, among them the Tempest — yes, named for the game, which is in the arcade — a mix of tequila, lime, agave, yuzu bitters and mint, and the 82 Pimms Cup, made with gin, Pimms, lemongrass, cucumber, mint and berries.

The 4,000-square-foot EightyTwo continues the growth of the northern part of the Arts District. It is down the street from Wurstkuche and the Pie Hole, both of which catered the grand opening. It is a few blocks from the Southern California Institute of Architecture and the under-construction One Santa Fe, which could provide a customer base with its 438 apartments.

One visitor during the grand opening event was Shaun Brown. The 32-year-old Historic Core resident wiped the sweat from his palms down the side of his pants during a momentary break from Donkey Kong. He jerked the controller upward to climb a ladder, but, alas, fell victim to a rolling barrel. Turns out, the Donkey Kong prowess he possessed as a youth has slipped away.

“It’s not like riding a bike,” he said, reaching for more change.

March 31, 2014

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Downtown News 7

photos by Gary Leonard

EightyTwo has 15 pinball machines and 25 video games, many from the 1980s. Highlights include Tron, Space Invaders and Pac Man.

Although the games may appeal to customers’ inner teenager, the décor is all about the adults. Architect Darin Johnstone, who teaches at SCI-Arc and outfitted EightyTwo, created a stand that slides between the games. It holds drinks on top, and bags and purses underneath.

During the design process Johnstone found himself infatuated with the form of the games, especially the chunky, angular boxes of the vintage machines. The bar, the DJ booth, and all

the furniture was initiated by those game cabinet forms, he said.

Patrons can expect DJs every night, as well as food trucks or possibly catering from area businesses on the weekends, Davids said. Machines will be swapped out, both for variety and maintenance (Frogger replaced Ms. Pac Man after her monitor died). Games will move as the proprietors figure out which machines get the most action and which could use

some help.

The opening night crowd likely answered Sutcliffe and Davids’ question of whether others would respond to the concept as they do.

Still, the feeling was perhaps best expressed on opening night by Hollace Davids, Scott’s mom.

“Tonight is the celebration of the reality of every young boy’s dream: a video game and pinball arcade with alcohol where all of your

friends can hang out with you,” she said. “What more can you ask for?”

The plinks, whoops and beeps of Space Invaders, Pac Man and dozens of other games continued deep into the night.

EightyTwo is at 707 E. Fourth Pl., (213) 6268200 or eightytwola.com. Open Tuesday-Thursday 6 p.m.-2 a.m., Friday 5 p.m.-2 a.m., and Saturday-Sunday 2 p.m-2 a.m. donna@dowtownnews.com

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

8 Downtown News

March 31, 2014

Downtown Condo Builders Hope the Market Will Say Buy-Buy Why Everyone Is Watching the Barker Block, the First New For-Sale Project in Years

By Eddie Kim f you’re hoping to rent in Downtown within the next year or two, you’re in luck: The Central City flaunts more than 5,000 apartments under construction, and another 3,000 have been approved by the city.

Those looking to own their own home face a far more difficult scenario. Only 68 condominiums have been built in the past year, and they are all part of the second phase of the Barker Block, which sits near the corner of Palmetto and Hewitt streets. The Arts District residences, developed by CityView and Blackstone (with marketing help from the Kor Group), range from 679 to 1,355 square feet. The first release of 15 units sold out in one week, notching an average of about $575 per square foot, according to brokerage the Loft Company. Listing prices for the release ranged from $435,00 to $739,000.

“Barker Block is a success story, and the second phase has attracted a lot of attention,” said Con Howe, managing director at the Los Angeles office of CityView. “Everyone, including developers, is watching this project.”

Primarily, people are watching how fast and for how much the residences go. Before the recession of 2008, Downtown condominiums regularly sold for more than $600 a square foot. Prices, of course, cratered during the downturn and many owners went underwater, owing more on their units than they could possibly fetch.

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Ever since, developers have been waiting to see markets improve to the point that selling prices could justify the cost of building condos.

Buyers, meanwhile, have long had little more than a small pool of resales.

“There’s an insane demand for condos,” said Kathy Neal, a principal at the Downtown office of brokerage Keller Williams. “Younger professionals are a big portion of buyers, but it’s also older people who want to retire here or are looking for a second home.”

Shift to Rentals Rising prices in the available Downtown units seem to back Neal’s claim of a hunger for ownership. Pricing on new condominiums averaged $620 per square foot over a 12-month period ending in February, an increase of 15% from a year before, according to housing research and sales firm the Mark Company. There were a total of 79 sales in that period, including units in the Ritz-Carlton residences and Evo in South Park. Resales, meanwhile, have seen a 29% increase in price over that same period, to an average of $580 per square foot.

The demand has much to do with the growth of Downtown as a cultural center, featuring amenities and nightlife that rival those of any neighborhood in Los Angeles. The context also includes changes in nearby communities such as Echo Park and Silver Lake, according to Richard Green, director of the University of Southern California’s Lusk Center for Real Estate.

photo by Gary Leonard

Downtown received its first batch of new condominiums in years when the Arts District’s Barker Block opened its second phase in January. The first 15 residences that were released sold out in a week.

“Property values in surrounding neighborhoods are increasing greatly, so buying a condo Downtown is getting more appealing,” Green said. “Two years ago, you could buy a house in

Silver Lake for $400 a square foot, and that’s simply not the case anymore.”

Downtown has been through a sort of stopand-start process. A handful of local buildings

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March 31, 2014

Downtown News 9

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

were planned as condominiums before the recession, and architects and developers designed and installed the upscale touches and appliances that mean the most to buyers. However, many of those buildings changed to apartments as lending markets were hammered and securing mortgages became nearly impossible. Only a few projects, such as 920 E. Second St. in the Arts District, actually made it to market as for-sale residences.

“Across the board, construction financing for rentals has been easier to secure in the last few years than for condos,” Howe said. “So when people say developers are choosing one over the other, sometimes it’s not their choice.”

Developers who opened their Downtown buildings as rentals haven’t exactly faltered. Downtown’s apartment vacancy rate dropped to just 3.4% in the fourth quarter of 2013, according to the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate, so even if a developer misses on the financial goals of an apartment project, Green says, it will still fill up.

The upside of condos for developers is that they have higher potential profits. In a strong market, developers can snag a 20% rate of return versus 8% or 9% on rentals, according to Green.

While the heated sales pace at the Barker Block might make some think the for-sale market is about to explode, it’s not necessarily the case. Bill Witte, president of developer Related California, told Los Angeles Downtown News

last year that building a condominium tower can average around $700,000 per unit (though prices are likely lower in shorter buildings not being designed as “luxury” residences). In February, condo sales in Downtown were averaging about $544,000 per unit, according to the Loft Company.

“I think there’s buyer demand at today’s prices for existing stock, but today’s prices aren’t high enough to justify construction,” said Kerry Marisco, a residential broker with Coldwell Banker. “My understanding from the developers I know is that until the smallest, least desirable entry-level condo units can get $600 a square foot, it doesn’t make sense to build.”

Not Just Downtown Downtown’s limited condo stock is hardly unique. While San Francisco has far higher average prices for new and resale residences ($1,027 and $864 per square foot, respectively), there were only 39 new units available at the end of February, according to the Mark Company. Seattle had 270 units on the market at that time, but 255 of those came from a single project, dubbed Insignia, that began pre-sales in September.

“Typically, in the last few years, we’ve only seen condos being built in strong markets like South Florida and New York,” said Alan Mark, president of the Mark Company. “Yet when we look up and down the West Coast, whether it’s San Francisco or San Diego or L.A.,

there are thousands of apartments being built.”

Although Bay Area prices may be out of reach, Mark expects that pentup demand in Downtown Los Angeles will inevitably propel developers either to convert current apartment projects or start planning new condominium structures. USC’s Green also thinks that some developers may need an attitude adjustment, as they’re still waiting for returns on projects more fitting for the financial environment of 15 or 20 years ago.

Real estate players also point out that not all condo projects are the same, even in an increasingly upscale market such as Downtown. Keller Williams’ Neal decried a lack of local midrange units that could appeal particularly to young families or others who don’t need expensive touches and amenities.

“There has to be a range of condos with prices that can accommodate different kinds of residents,” Neal said. “I understand it’s all about the bottom line for developers, but it’s important to build a community of homeowners.”

That brings local real estate watchers back to the Barker Block, where the speedy sales, along with the continuing strength of a limited number of area resales, bode well. It’s why the pricing will be watched even closer as the rest of the property’s residences are put on the market. eddie@downtownnews.com

photo by Gary Leonard

The limited for-sale Downtown housing stock has helped boost the price of existing condominiums. Resales of older units in buildings such as South Park’s Evo increased 29% in a year, reaching $580 per square foot by February, according to the Mark Company.

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March 31, 2014

Agreements Ease Path for Figueroa Bikeway Plan Effort to Trim Auto Lanes and Add Space for Cyclists on Busy Corridor Advances

By Donna Evans controversial plan that would trim vehicular lanes along the Figueroa Corridor to make room for cyclists and pedestrians is closer to reality, as stakeholders who in the past expressed concern about losing business, and who indicated a willingness to use the legal system to fight the project, have relaxed their opposition.

Representatives from the offices of Mayor Eric Garcetti and City Council members Curren Price and José Huizar convened a nearly four-hour meeting on March 21 with repre-

A

sentatives from the California Science Center, the University of Southern California and auto dealerships owner the Shammas Group to try to come to an agreement about the specifics of the proposed My Figueroa project. Although the initiative has been roundly cheered by cycling advocates, some business owners on the heavily trafficked corridor have worried that, protected bikeways and a general slimming of car lanes would slow auto speeds and reduce revenue.

Reaching consensus on the $20 million effort is key on both the legal and financial fronts. My

Figueroa is funded by state Prop 1C bond money, and the deadline to complete construction is Dec. 31, 2014. The city is seeking an extension; previously officials risked losing funding if work did not start by January of this year.

Many of the new details and agreements were revealed on Tuesday, March 25, during a meeting of the City Council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee. Among the most important was the announcement by an attorney for the Shammas Group that his client would withdraw a formal protest to the project if certain concerns are addressed, among them

keeping the entrance and the exit to all eight dealerships free from traffic tie-ups.

Additionally, representatives from Price’s office said the Ninth District councilman is no longer seeking an alternative design of routing bicyclists over to Flower Street.

“From the start, I have said that this is a great project with the potential to be an incredible asset for the City and for the Ninth District,” Price said in an emailed statement to Los Angeles Downtown News. “But far too often elected officials attempt to rush through projects like these, ignoring the concerns of stakeholders, only to discover after completion that you have significant flaws in your project. This is why I have asked that we allow stakeholders to continue the conversations they have already started.”

Last August, Price filed a motion asking the

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Downtown News 11

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city departments of Planning and Transportation to provide an in-depth analysis on how to mitigate the traffic congestion caused by the removal of vehicular lanes on Figueroa Street. Currently, Figueroa is an 82-foot-wide roadway with seven lanes: Four are dedicated to north/south vehicular traffic, a fifth southbound lane is used for traffic or parking, a sixth lane serves as a turn lane or median, and the seventh provides parking or a peak-hour bus lane.

The My Figueroa plan proposes offering four lanes of north/south vehicular traffic and a fifth lane for turning; the rest of the space on either side would be dedicated to parking, bus platforms and protected cycle tracks.

Rather than have cycle lanes on both sides of the street, several area stakeholders had wanted to re-route southbound bicyclists, saving an additional lane for cars.

That alternative is now dead.

USC Bicycle Coalition President Matthew González said he is excited about the project moving forward.

He believes it will be great for the Figueroa Corridor, and that it will provide a foundation for developing more holistic streets throughout the county.

“Improving pedestrian, bicycle and public transit infrastructure along the Fig Corridor will do a lot to reduce the number of motorist-to-bike and bike-to-pedestrian accidents, better connect all residents along the corridor to local businesses, and make great progress toward fostering innovation by better connecting people in a healthy way,” González said in an email.

Work still needs to take place before construction begins. Tasks for the departments of Planning and Transportation include resolving entrance and exit issues for the auto dealerships, USC and Exposition Park, and preparing an education and marketing campaign for the project so that everyone from business owners to commuters knows what to expect. Additionally, there needs to be an analysis on how the lane closures will impact filming in the area.

The MyFigueroa proposal has been in the works

since 2008, when the State Department of Housing and Community Development awarded the city the Prop 1C grant for multi-modal transportation investments. It appeared to be moving forward last year, until the opposition from area business interests erupted. That led to the latest round of meetings and the city analysis. Perhaps the most interesting finding from the Planning Department’s recent examination is that the project would not significantly impact businesses in the area despite the density of traffic on the corridor.

The issue has ignited passions, particularly within the city’s growing bicycling community. Scores of bike lane supporters packed the meeting at City Hall on Tuesday, many with helmets clipped to their backpacks and carrying cases.

Dominick Rubalcava, the attorney representing the Shammas Group, told the council committee he is happy with the progress that has been made, and is hopeful that a solution can be reached on the remaining concerns. If that happens, he said, the Shammas Group will withdraw the appeal.

Darryl Holter, CEO of the Shammas Group, did not attend Tuesday’s meeting, but in an emailed statement to Los Angeles Downtown News reiterated the role that the business community played in establishing the project.

“Businesses and institutions who formed the Figueroa Corridor were the ones who obtained the funding for the project,” he wrote. “We have identified specific problems and asked the DOT and the City to work with us to resolve them. The project will be ready to go forward when these issues have been adequately addressed.”

The departments of Transportation and Planning are expected to report back to the PLUM committee in three weeks. From there, a construction timeline could be identified. donna@downtownnews.com

Businesses along the Figueroa Corridor have relaxed opposition to a proposed bikeway that will stretch from the Financial District to Exposition Park.

image courtesy Melendrez

Officials with the Shammas Group, which owns eight Figueroa Corridor auto dealerships including Felix Chevrolet, have worried that the plan would hamper business. As part of a new agreement, My Figueroa officials have pledged to ensure that entering and departing the dealerships will not be impacted. image courtesy Melendrez

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garcetti, 5 effort hardly met the gravity of the situation. A different mayor, goes the thinking, might have used his Big Push after the attack for changes in airport security or something more substantive.

Then there is Garcetti’s performance review website, revealed in “beta” mode 100 days after he took office. It was slim upon release, and 170 days later the effort to give Angelenos a window into how the city does business and meets expectations is still in beta mode and still pretty skimpy in terms of understanding how the city works. That may sound like nitpicking, but this is a mayor who has said 1,472 times that “metrics” are key to how he will operate and make assessments.

The counter view is that Garcetti is playing the long game, that like Keyser Söze in The Usual Suspects he’s laying down a lot of strings that will all ultimately be pulled and result in something that makes everyone go “Wow!” OK, maybe ruthless crime lord Keyser Soze is the wrong comparison, but Garcetti has already made several key appointments that break with City Hall tradition. Hiring a Chief Sustainability Officer in Matt Petersen and a top technology and innovation boss in Peter Marx indicate a willingness to prepare the city for future challenges.

His tapping of Marcie Edwards to run the Department of Water and Power not only puts an experienced figure in charge of the utility, but also seems like an effort to have someone willing to bash horns with Brian D’Arcy, the combative head of the union representing most

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The clearest example of how Garcetti will lead could come in the next month. In April he’ll deliver both his first State of the City address — I expect he’ll resist the urge to do it in 140 characters or less — and his inaugural budget. He has talked often about allocating funds differently than in the past, using something called performance-based budgeting.

This is exciting because it means that staff from the Department of Building and Safety will perform “Old Man River” from Show Boat and workers from Planning will perform “Memory” from Cats, and a panel made up of Garcetti, City Attorney Mike Feuer and Moby will decide who gets the most money.

It’s also possible that performance-based budgeting means something else entirely, like

making department heads demonstrate how they spend.

Whatever the case, the budget and the State of the City provide Garcetti an opportunity to ratchet things up and adopt a more proactive stance. It will be interesting to see whether he continues to gauge the mood of the city and then act based on what he believes he can achieve, or if he’ll pick a position he deems important, and then take a risk by using his power, capital and alliances to pull Los Angeles along.

Everyone is watching, and while Garcetti has a lot to lose if he tries and fails, he also has everything to gain.

Then again, maybe he has his own way to play things. regardie@downtownnews.com

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The Central City Crime Report A Rundown on Downtown Incidents, Trends and Criminal Oddities

Downtown News 13

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

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

I

Don’t Leave Items in Your Car: A man parked and locked his car in the 600 block of W. Seventh St. on March 19, but left his iPad and cell phone in plain sight in the vehicle. Yup, someone stole them.

WEINGART

Prescription Problems: A woman living in the 100 block of East Third Street punched a male neighbor in the face just before midnight on March 16, in an effort to steal his prescription medicine. Police recovered the medicine in her apartment. The woman was arrested on suspicion of robbery.

Knife-Point Robbery: A man was threatened with a knife at the corner of 11th Street and Grand Avenue at 11:15 p.m. on March 18. The assailant demanded the man’s backpack and took his cell phone.

Red Line Blues: A man walking from the Pershing Square Metro stop on Fifth Street between Hill and Spring was pushed from behind and fell to the ground at 1 a.m. on March 19. The thief rifled through the man’s pockets and fled with his wallet. Witnesses overheard two men and a woman at a nearby Rite Aid saying they were going to rob the man.

Tourist Trouble: An Australian tourist who had just taken the Metro to Fifth and Hill street was walking up the stairs at noon on March 22 when a man heading down the stairs asked what was in his bag. The man then pinned the tourist against the wall and stole his backpack.

Rite Aid Rip Off: For the third time in two months, an unidentified person took an unattended and unlocked bicycle from Rite Aid at 500 S. Broadway. The incident occurred March 17 at 9:15 a.m. A man left his bike inside the entrance of the store while shopping.

Downtown News Grabs Seven State Journalism Awards T

he annual awards handed out by the California Newspaper Publishers Association were announced last week, and Los Angeles Downtown News had its biggest year ever, winning seven first or second place prizes.

In the CNPA’s Betters Newspapers Contest, Downtown News competes against the largest weeklies in the state, participating in the category of publications with a circulation of 25,000 and above. The Downtown News winners are: staff writer Donna Evans in Best Feature for her profile on L.A. Phil violinist Vijay Gupta; former staff writer Ryan Vaillancourt for “Downtown’s $4.4 Billion Company,” about the value of Anschutz Entertainment Group’s Downtown holdings; Best Editorial Comment for “Fencing Fourth and Hill and Angels Knoll Was a Dumb Decision”; Best Photo Essay for Gary Leonard; Best Editorial Cartoon, by Doug Davis, for a work about the recent mayor’s race; and the team categories Best Page Layout & Design, and Best Arts & Entertainment Coverage.

CNPA does not reveal the exact first or second place finish until its awards luncheon in San Jose on May 3.

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DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL ELECTIONS ARE JUST AROUND THE CORNER.

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March 31, 2014

AROUND TOWN, 2 into account their stances on proposed projects. DLANC includes Bunker Hill, the Financial District, Central City East/Skid Row, City West and other communities. The HCNC covers the Downtown neighborhoods of the Arts District, Little Tokyo, Chinatown and other communities.

Broadway Buildings Get Lighting Grants

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roadway will be getting a bit brighter in the future. Last week, 14th District City Councilman José Huizar announced that $750,000 has been allocated to 13 buildings on the historic corridor as part of the Bringing Back Broadway initiative. “Façade lighting will help create a safer, more attractive Broadway and will highlight the architectural features of some of the corridor’s most beautiful historic buildings,” Huizar said in a prepared statement. The largest grant, for $166,304, went to the Bradbury Building at 304 S. Broadway, where lights will illuminate the entire top floor’s decorative panels and roof eaves. The Million Dollar Theatre, meanwhile, received $138,587; the work will highlight the decorative arch above the marquee, along with third-floor statues and light-tile panels on Third Street. A total of 22 applications were submitted.

Other recipients include the Sparkle Factory at 910 S. Broadway, which will get $103,940, and Clifton’s Cafeteria, which will receive nearly $70,000. Lighting designer Tom Ruzika, whose work includes designs for the Hollywood Bowl, the Mark Taper Forum and Downtown’s Eastern Columbia Building, will create the designs for each grant recipient.

Arts District Farmers Market Returns to, Well, the Arts District

I

t’s ba-ack. A decade after leaving its home base, the Arts District Farmers Market will return to its namesake community. The event, sponsored by the Los Angeles River Artists and Business Association, will be held every Thursday from 4-8 p.m. beginning April 3 in the Bloom’s Square Triangle. The market left the Arts District about 10 years ago because at, the time, it wasn’t economically viable, said LARABA secretary Jonathan Jerald.

The neighborhood has since mushroomed with businesses and residents, prompting LARABA leaders to try again. Rose Street, which borders the west side of the Triangle, will be closed from Traction to Third streets for the duration of the event. Patrons can expect a variety of fresh produce, prepared foods and local art.

Currently, the market operates next to City Hall earlier on Thursday. That market is slated to continue to run from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and then relocate to the Triangle in the afternoon.

Video Games and Art on DTTV

Voters must show proof of stakeholder status. You are able to vote if you live, work or do business in the Neighborhood Council boundaries and represent one of the following:

4 4 4 4

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V

ideo games and art are things best enjoyed in person, but those chained to the desk can get a taste of both at DTTV, the weekly webcast on downtownnews.com. This week’s episode features a visit to EightyTwo, the new Arts District bar that offers about 40 1980s-era video games and pinball machines. Also on the bill is a piece about the Museum of Contemporary Art’s new Geffen Contemporary at MOCA show Mike Kelley, which features more than 250 works from the late, influential artist. The episode goes online on Monday, March 31, and will be up all week.

Corrections

T

he March 24 editorial “Lessons Can Be Learned From ‘New Cecil’ Debacle” incorrectly stated that the Cecil Hotel on Main Street currently houses “hundreds of low-income tenants.” The building actually has about 30 full-time tenants. The property owner stated that although up to 301 residences are permitted, there have not been more than 100 full-time occupants for several years.

The March 24 story “Cornfield Park to Close, Then Re-emerge Better Than Ever” incorrectly stated that the renovation of Los Angeles State Historic Park was designed by Hargreaves Associates. That firm only provided an early master plan vision for the site. An in-house team with State Parks is responsible for the current design.

March 31, 2014

Downtown News 15

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

DT

CALENDAR

c i t A m A DrA n o S a e S g n i r p S Los Angeles Theatre Center Kicks Off a Diverse Slate of Plays

By Eddie Kim espite the beautifully historic stone façade of the Los Angeles Theatre Center, it’s still easy to walk by the venue at 514 S. Spring St. without realizing what lies within, namely its four theaters and nearly 1,100 seats.

The operators of the former bank hope to fill those seats during the spring season dubbed “East of Broadway.” The five-play series kicks off Thursday, April 3, and runs through June 22.

The productions range dramatically in setting and narrative styles.

“It’s a season to reflect on the city and all its changes, and to think about where we are today as residents and artists,” said Jose Luis Valenzuela, the artistic director of the LATC and also the Latino Theatre Company, one of the building’s resident companies. “In a way, it connects to how Downtown is growing, and to me the program is what the LATC is supposed to be.”

The season opens with a pair of shows: There is a four-day run of Placas: The Most Dangerous Tattoo, starring Culture Clash’s Ric Salinas, about a middle-aged former gang member fresh out of prison. Also debuting April 3, and continuing for a month, is the historical drama Knock Me a Kiss, a Robey Theatre Company production about the marriage of Yolande Du Bois, the daughter of legendary intellectual and ac-

D

tivist W.E.B. Du Bois, to poet Countee Cullen despite her attachment to a less prestigious musician.

Next on the bill is Premeditation, a dark romantic comedy written by (and starring) Evelina Fernandez about a marriage that ends in murder. Valenzuela takes the directorial reins on the play, which will be performed April 17May 11. Hit, by Asian-American playwright Alice Tuan and scheduled for May 15-June 8, humorously chronicles a dysfunctional family in the aftermath of a car accident. Two seedy hit men, meanwhile, take the spotlight in the black comedy Bright Light City, in which they encounter a woman who changes their killer plans.

Written by Nate Edelman, the show closes out the season from May 29-June 22.

Valenzuela said the lineup supports the LATC’s mission of enabling diverse, multicultural writers, directors and actors. He’s quick to note that diversity has as much to do with the characters and writing styles as it does ethnicity.

“There are more theater companies than ever before, and there are more artists with different backgrounds and diverse ideas,” he said.

“Sometimes, diversity means a weird narrative or setting, not just race. That’s important.”

Plays With Layers Much of the LATC’s spring programming aims

Ben Guillory (top center) plays intellectual and activist W.E.B. Du Bois in Knock Me a Kiss. The show about Du Bois’ daughter’s engagement to a poet runs April 3-May 4.

photo by Tomoko Matsushita

photo by Amanda Lopez

Culture Clash’s Ric Salinas stars in Placas: The Most Dangerous Tattoo, one of five shows that comprise the Los Angeles Theatre Center’s spring season. It opens this week.

to filter universal ideas and themes through individual experiences. Placas, Salinas noted, is a “slice of El Salvadoran gang life” that highlights the struggle to rehabilitate oneself while fixing broken ties. The show, written by Paul S. Flores and directed by Michael John Garcés, focuses on Salinas’ character as he leaves prison and tries to mend his relationship with his ex-wife and their teenage son. It runs April 3-6.

“It’s a universal story,” Salinas said. “The gang issue does literally come up for a lot of Latino families, black families and even, say, Italian families dealing with the mafia. But it’s really about regret, redemption and hoping to change. A Greek tragedy, in essence.”

Knock Me a Kiss has similar layers in that it challenges modern notions of race, class and accomplishment. One key aspect of the play is the concept of the “Talented Tenth,” a term Du Bois used to describe his belief that 10% of black men had the ability and acumen to become leaders of black society. While well intentioned, the theory had long-lasting impacts, said Ben Guillory, the artistic director and cofounder (along with Danny Glover) of the Robey Theatre Company. Guillory plays Du Bois.

“There was damage done in how people looked at themselves, feeling that you had to stand out from the ‘mainstream’ to feel true accomplishment,” Guillory said. “So it touches on the layers of how one thinks about oneself, how they fit into a social order, and how a group of people can become divided.”

Valenzuela and the Latino Theater Company have been running the LATC since 2006, when the company won a 20-contract to operate the Historic Core facility that is owned by the city. Still, eight years in, balancing the finances of the venue remains a challenge, Valenzuela said, especially as it is less popular than Downtown’s marquee venues such as the Ahmanson Theatre. That’s a shame considering the size of the LATC, the flexibility of its four stages and the in-house resources in terms of rehearsal spaces and technical equipment, Guillory pointed out.

“There needs to be more support from the city for this place to truly thrive,” he said. “This building should hum the way it was designed to — that on any given night you could come and see Shakespeare, or Tennessee Williams, or an experimental black-box show. When it is running like that, it is intoxicating.”

It’s unclear if the venue will ever reach that potential. Regardless, Valenzuela feels great pride in the work being produced at the LATC and hopes that as Downtown grows, so too will the building’s audience and influence.

“We’re a rather small company, but we have a great space and we want to take some risks,” Valenzuela said. “But it’s beginning to feel like a very exciting town, and there is so much new art to be found.”

The Los Angeles Theatre Center is at 514 S. Spring St., (213) 489-0994 or thelatc.org. eddie@downtownnews.com

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16 Downtown News

March 31, 2014

Nine Things About CicLAvia History and Some Interesting Info In Advance of This Week’s Event

By Eddie Kim n October 2010, Los Angeles’ penchant for car-centric travel was thrown to the wind.

The inaugural CicLAvia closed down 7.5 miles of roads from East Hollywood to Boyle Heights. Approximately 100,000 cyclists and walkers showed up.

Four years and seven more events later, CicLAvia continues to grow, and so does Downtown’s role in it. A CicLAvia on Sunday, April 6, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., will close traffic on six miles of Wilshire Boulevard, from Grand Avenue in Downtown to Fairfax Avenue in the Miracle Mile. Los Angeles Downtown News spoke with CicLAvia Executive Director Aaron Paley about the past, present and future of the event.

CicLAvia returns Sunday, April 6. The event will close off six miles of Wilshire Boulevard, from Grand Avenue in Downtown to Fairfax Avenue.

So Long, Wilshire: This will be the last CicLAvia on Wilshire Boulevard for several years. That’s because of conflicts with the start of construction of Metro’s Purple Line subway extension, Paley said. “It was a wonderful feeling to give Wilshire back to the people,” he said. “It is such a historic, culture-filled street with so many different neighborhoods and sights to see.”

I

Safety First: Despite the large crowds, relatively few people have gotten hurt, and although ambulances have been called to treat fractures and other fall-related injuries, there have been no major incidents, Paley said. Part of this is because organizers work to reduce cyclists’ speed. “If you’re trying to get from point A to point B as fast as you can, you need to go to another event,” Paley said. Remarkably, there have been no bike thefts reported at CicLAvia, according to organizers.

So That’s How You Say It: CicLAvia was inspired by Colombia’s ciclovía events, which began more than 30 years ago. So it’s no surprise that CicLAvia is pronounced nearly the same as the Spanish word: See-klah-VEE-ah.

Now Climb This: CicLAvia is dominated by cyclists rolling on open streets, but this week’s event will feature pedestrian-focused hubs at the ends of the route. Downtown will host a rock climbing wall, yoga classes and a photo booth sponsored by REI, as well as various food trucks. There will also be architecture maps available so people can admire significant buildings along the route.

photo by Gary Leonard

Held at the Line Hotel in Koreatown on April 4-6, the summit will bring together people from across the country and beyond to discuss biking and pedestrian use of streets, progressive city planning and how to stage events like CicLAvia.

Boosting Business: A study conducted by UCLA during last year’s Wilshire CicLAvia showed that businesses along the route received a 10% bump in revenue on the day of the event, with “active participants” (such as those with music or sidewalk setups) seeing up to a 57% boost. Those that fared less well were generally “loyalty” businesses, such as hair salons or dry cleaners, the report stated.

More to Come: Two additional CicLAvia events are planned for 2014: a modified take on the Downtown-focused “Heart of L.A.” route used last October, as well as an all-new trek through South L.A. The “Heart of L.A.” event, scheduled for Oct. 5, will feature a new leg from Echo Park to East L.A. and an emphasis on Broadway’s historic theaters. More events could come to the Westside and the San Fernando Valley. “We’re in the middle of planning eight new routes for 2015 and 2016,” Paley said.

Bigger Picture: The April 6 event caps off the three-day Open Streets Summit, co-hosted by CicLAvia and the national Open Streets Project.

Micromanaging: Part of the reason why CicLAvia is so well-received is because of the attention to detail and outreach from the organi-

zation when planning routes, said Paley. For instance, if an apartment complex or a church could face parking issues, the organization might rent out a lot and create signage, Paley said. “We’re not going anywhere, so we can’t screw up,” he added. “We owe it to the locals because this event is for them.”

Changing the Culture: So, have four years of CicLAvia changed how car-needy Angelenos view cycling and walking? Paley believes it has, and that the biggest impact is in the gradual “mainstreaming” of cycling culture. “Bicycle subculture was certainly rising before we did the first event, but CicLAvia made people rethink their assumptions,” he said. “The issue of bikes vs. cars seems to be getting less polemic partly because of this.”

CicLAvia is Sunday, April 6, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Additional information at ciclavia.org. eddie@downtownnews.com

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April 4th, 2014, Friday at 8 p.m.

HEART OF THE CITY 5K RUN/WALK is designed to raise funds for California Hospital Medical Center (CHMC), which has been serving downtown as an essential community health and public safety resource for 126 years.

Racers are invited to bring their dogs along to be part of the fun. The course is flat and will begin and end at CHMC, traveling up and down Grand Avenue, 11th and Figueroa. The festivities will feature an expo, health information, and even a doggie costume contest.

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March 31, 2014

Downtown News 17

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

DT

CALENDAR LISTINGS EVENTS

By Dan Johnson | calendar@downtownnews.com

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This Wednesday, April 2, prepare in n for a musical journey back to the depths of the il F Ne ’80s as former Split Enz and Crowded House frontman Neil Finn takes the stage at the Orpheum Theatre in support of his latest solo album, Dizzy Heights. The Kiwi singersongwriter has been honing his craft since 1976, and Finn’s many acolytes will be on hand to tell you how much the hard work has paid off. Blessedly, there are still some tickets to be had, so grab yours today and march on down Broadway to take in the resilient sensation from Te Awamutu, New Zealand. At 842 S. Broadway, (877) 677-4386 or laorpheum.com.

April lands this week, and in addition to the profusion of April Fool’s pranks and extreme anxiety over the pending tax deadline, the change in the calendar also means the Natural History Museum has reached the halfway point in this year’s First Fridays program. Beginning at 5 p.m. on April 4, lectures on Los Angeles wildlife and rampant “paleofantasies” in modern culture and health trends abound; seriously, Dr. Marlene Zuk delivers the talk “Paleofantasy: What Evolution Tells Us About Modern Life.” The evening caps off with performances by stellar garage band Tijuana Panthers (shown here) and overly introspective San Francisco wunderkind Mikal Cronin. At 900 Exposition Blvd., (213) 763-3466 or nhm.org.

photo courtesy Rhye

ROCK, POP & JAZZ Belasco 1050 S. Hill St., (213) 746-5670 or thebelascotheater.com.

April 3, 8 p.m.: Black Hi-Lighter, The Moth & The Flame and Psychic Love.

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

March 31: Tatsuya Nakatani, Oguri, GE Stinson and Scott Cazan.

April 1: Thelonious Monk Institute Ensemble-hosted jam session. Should we make the same jam vs. jelly joke here? No, let’s skip it this time.

April 2: Fabiano Do Nascimento and Sam Gendel.

April 3: Rootsystem.

April 4: Billy Childs Group. There are no actual children performing.

April 5: Ethio Cali.

April 6: Kamasi Washington Band.

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

March 31, 9 p.m.: Ever lucid singer/songwriter Moses Sumney caps off his residency with Brandon Coleman and Kan Wakan.

April 1, 7:30 p.m.: Don’t mind the trippy meanderings of New Madrid’s indie psych: They’re from Georgia.

April 2, 9 p.m.: Former residents Incan Abraham return from their travels afar to celebrate the release of a new album.

April 3, 8 p.m.: White Hinterland is a fair-skinned artist creating minimalist pop, not a tourism initiative for Idaho.

April 3, 11 p.m.: Keying in to an entirely untapped resource of initiative-lacking hipsters looking to have cursory intellectual relationships with the most base concepts in their life, X Ambassadors will be playing their “Love Songs Drug Songs.”

April 4, 8 p.m.: Electro soul outfit Caught a Ghost is less like the terror of experiencing the supernatural and more like the blankstared ecstasy of Forrest Gump singing in the church choir.

April 5, 9 p.m.: Mr. Little Jeans, because few things pique our interest quite like self-aware pop music.

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

April 1, 7 p.m.: Yes, the Vans Warped Tour is still happening.

In fact, they’re kicking off this year with tonight’s show featuring Issues, Bad Rabbits, One OK Rock and many more.

April 2, 8 p.m.: Italian singer/songwriter and sometime blues man Zucchero wanders into L.A. Live.

April 6, 8 and 11 p.m.: With two shows tonight, Hoover’s own Continued on next page

photo courtesy Tijuana Panthers

sunday, april 6 Teebs Record Release Party MOCA, 250 S. Grand Ave., (213) 621-1745 or moca.org.

6 p.m.: Musician Teebs will be doing his best Basquiat impression as his latest album debuts in a night of multimedia performances and general creative hobnobbing.

image courtesy of Gordon W. Bailey, Gordon W. Bailey Collection

saTurday, april 5 LA Beer Fest LA Center Studios, 1201 W. Fifth St. or drinkeatplay.com.

High Noon: Ladies and gentlemen start your livers! This colossal gathering of beer and food sampling promises to punish even the most high and mighty teetotaler among us.

Taco Madness Grand Park, 200 North Grand Ave., (213) 972-8080 or grandparkla.org.

12 p.m.: A smattering of DJs provide the soundtrack for the afternoon sampler of fine eats from a citywide swatch of taco purveyors. It’s going to get spicy.

Paleofantasies, Swell Concerts and a Last Look at Some Outsider Art

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Tuesday, april 1 Cesar Chavez’s Legacy at Aloud Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7500 or lfla.org.

7:15 p.m.: Miriam Pawel, who penned the biography The Crusades of Cesar Chavez, frames the UFW leader in the light of his immense achievements and complex personal life. Pawel and playwright Luis Valdez will discuss Chavez and the process of writing a biography.

Rhye is coming to the Walt Disney Concert Hall on Saturday, April 5. No, you ignorant alcoholic, we’re not talking about whiskey, we’re talking about L.A.-based indie R&B duo Rhye. The silky-smooth pop-soul stylings come from Canadian singer and producer Mike Milosh and Danish instrumentalist Robin Hannibal. Get ready to enjoy the minimalist sonic sacraments with the extra pleasure of an orchestral accompaniment. Take in the compositions that blend jazz, electronic and R&B instrumentation with Milosh’s disarmingly pretty countertenor voice. At 111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 850-2000 or laphil.com.

The artist Zucchero is kind of hard to define. Think of him as an Italian Elvis Costello with healthy musical (and fashion) influences from the late Stevie Ray Vaughan. We don’t mean to give the impression that Zucchero is a Johnny-come-lately to the world music scene. In fact, he got his big break back in 1981 and has gone on to work with the likes of Eric Clapton and Sting. On Tuesday, April 2, the man, the myth, the legend himself will be playing Club Nokia. Dare we suggest a pre-concert meal at Maccheroni Republic to set the mood? At 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-7000 or clubnokia.com

Art classes are nice and all, but the Soul Stirring exhibit at the California African American Museum highlights a robust catalog of work by Southern artists who were never formally trained. This is the last week to catch the Exposition Park show that spans time and mediums to produce a portrait of ingenuity, resourcefulness and personal integrity. Highlights include Roy Ferdinand’s “Baptism” (shown here). Free to all, the museum is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. The show closes Sunday, April 6. At 600 State Drive., (213) 744-7432 or caamuseum.org.

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

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

18 Downtown News

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Continued from previous page man of the year Schoolboy Q will be encouraging audiences to feast on his collard greens.

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

March 31, 9 p.m.: Brian Walker and Yonatan return.

April 1, 10 p.m.: Tonight’s lineup features Bunny West playing from atop a rented elephant and Boom Boom Boom inviting your long-deceased grandmother to jam with them. Is this an April Fool’s Joke or are the delirium tremens kicking in? You decide.

April 2, 9 p.m.: Chicken Karaoke picks up where the late-great Gong Show Karaoke let off.

April 3, 10 p.m.: Zach Ryan & The Renegades kick it off for The Diamond Light.

April 4, 9 p.m. Hockey tribute band For the Kings opens for Trevor Menear.

April 5, 10 p.m.: Johnny Moezzi and the Drones will be taking copious notes as Charlie Chan & The SOBs slay the blues.

April 6, 10 p.m.: RT N the 44s are guaranteed to make you blush.

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

April 4, 10 p.m.: Andrew Rayel.

April 5, 10 p.m.: Justin Martin.

April 6, 10 p.m.: Markus Schulz.

Honeycut 819 S. Flower St., (213) 688-0888 or honeycutla.com.

April 2, 8 p.m.: Break out the champagne for DJ Dom P. April 3, 10 p.m.: DJ Rob Ackroyd.

April 4, 8 p.m.: Jack of All Tracks.

April 5, 8 p.m.: DJ Aaron Castle.

Orpheum Theatre 842 Broadway, (877) 677-4386 or laorpheum.com.

April 2, 8 p.m.: New Zealand’s own Neil Finn retakes the stage.

April 4-5, 8 p.m.: With a 50-item list of things you cannot bring into the venue, the Orpheum isn’t playing around when it comes to eminent jam band Widespread Panic.

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

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

March 31-April 3: Enter the world of precocious 14-year-old Lila as she learns some hard truths about adulthood and relationships in It Felt Like Love.

OUR READERS NEED YOUR ADVICE

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Join us to see Wits, a public radio show hosted by John Moe. Wits mixes improv, sketch comedy, conversation and music in a program praised as “one of the rare public radio comedy shows that’s actually funny” (Huffington Post).

GET TICKETS:

The Smell 247 S. Main St. in the alley between Spring and Main or thesmell.org.

April 3: The Haters, Naomi Elizabeth, Pure Poop and Zawa.

April 4: HowardAmb, Bobb Bruno, Sandy Yang and David Scott Stone.

April 5: Omniflux, Nightmail, The Ian Fays and Nico Turner.

Walt Disney Hall 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 972-0777 or musiccenter.org.

April 2, 8 p.m.: The Joshua Redman Quartet and Brad Mehldau Trio.

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March 31: Abner Community band, Filthy Huns and Aaron Marc.

April 1: EZ Tiger and Solvej SChou.

April 2: Midnight Ghost Train and Mountains of the Moon.

April 3: Sweet Bump It and The Zoo Foundation.

April 4: Success, Civil War Rust, Payoff, Joey Briggs and Western Settings.

April 5: The Lady, the Americans, Flood & The Bounty.

April 6, 3 p.m.: Guitars a Go Go. April 6: Heartsounds, The Mighty Fine and Lysolgang.

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

March 31, 10 p.m.: Wow Factor with Bijon Watson is the only current Downtown jazz show to be pitched like an infomercial.

April 1, 10 p.m.: The Makers are never going to give you up, never going to let you down, never going to run around and desert you. No, The Makers are never going to make you cry, never going to say goodbye, never going to tell a lie and hurt you.

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March 31, 2014 April 3: The Slamdance Film Festival brings its semi-underground, irreverent tastes to the Downtown Independent as part of its On the Road series.

April 4, 4 and 8 p.m., April 5, 4 and 7:45 p.m., April 6, 2, 5:30, 8 and 10:30 p.m.: Harvey Keitel and Gerard Depardieu star in A Farewell to Fools, a WWII farce in which a town idiot in Romania is convinced to take the blame for the murder of a German soldier.

April 4, 2 and 6 p.m., April 5, 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. and April 6, 8 and 10 p.m.: Hot Guys With Guns has been billed as “Lethal Weapon with Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as younger, hotter ex-boyfriends.” Yeah, OK. IMAX California Science Center, 700 State Drive, (213) 744-2019 or californiasciencecenter.org.

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

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

Through April 3: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (8 and 11:30 p.m.); Captain America: The Winter Soldier 3D (9 p.m.); Cesar Chavez (1:50, 4:40, 7:30 and 10:20 p.m.); Noah (11:50 a.m., 12:30, 3, 3:40, 6:20, 7, 9:40 and 10:20 p.m.); The Raid 2 (12:10, 3:30, 7 and 10:30 p.m.); Sabotage (1:20, 4:10, 7:10 and 10 p.m.); Divergent (12:30, 1:30, 2:40, 3:40, 4:40, 5:50, 6:50, 7:50, 9:10 and 10:10 p.m.); Muppets Most Wanted (1:30, 4:30, 7:10 and 9:50 p.m.); Bad Words (11:50 a.m., 2:20, 4:50, 7:20 and 9:40 p.m.); Need For Speed (4 and 10:30 p.m.); Need For Speed 3D (12:20 and 7:30 p.m.); 300: Rise of an Empire 3D (3:20, 6:30 and 9:20 p.m.); Mr. Peabody & Sherman (1:40, 4:10, 6:40, 9:10 and 11:40 p.m.); Non-Stop (12:40, 3:30, 6:20 and 9 p.m.); The Lego Movie (12:50 p.m.).

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

April 1-4, 10:30 a.m. and April 5-6, 2:30 p.m.: Whimsy knows no bounds as Bob Baker’s 54th season continues with a journey through a monkey circus, a vast winter landscape and Paris.

Harmony Ahmanson, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or centertheatregroup.org.

April 1-5, 8 p.m. and April 6, 1 and 6:30 p.m.: Barry Manilow and his creative partner Bruce Sussman have made a musical about “the first sensational boy band,” a sextet that formed in 1920s Berlin. What more do you need?

Knock Me a Kiss Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St., (213) 489-0994 or thelatc.org.

April 3-6: The Robey Theatre Company drama about the marriage of Yolande Du Bois, the daughter of intellectual and activist W.E.B. Du Bois, to poet Countee Cullen despite her attachment to a less prestigious musician. Through May 4.

Lucia di Lammermoor Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-8001 or laopera.org.

April 6, 2 p.m.: What’s an Italian opera without betrayal and love? Russian coloratura soprano Albina Shagimuratova lends her lovely pipes to this production.

Placas: The Most Dangerous Tattoo: Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St., (213) 489-0994 or thelatc.org.

April 3-6: Culture Clash’s Ric Salinas stars in a drama about a tatted-up former El Salvadoran gang member who leaves prison and tries to mend his relationship with his ex-wife and their teenage son.

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

April 1, 9 p.m.: Every Tuesday this irreverent stand up comedy cavalcade takes up residence at the Downtown Independent.

Trajal Harrell: Antigone Sr./Twenty Looks Or Paris Is Burning at the Judson Church REDCAT, 631 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800 or redcat.org.

April 3-5, 8:30 p.m. and April 6, 7 p.m.: One part satire, one part radical theatre and one part fashion show, the avant garde commentary from Trajal Harrell treads a line between genius and absurdity.

Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Concierge ~ Pool / Spa / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Gas BBQ Grills ~ Recreation Room

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

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

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

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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

Tuesday. april 1 Chamber Music Society Disney Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 972-0777 or musiccenter.org.

8 p.m.: Members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic kick out the jams. By jams, we mean work by Haydn, Beethoven, Mozart and Schumann.

Friday, april 4 Bronfman & Zukerman in Recital Disney Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 972-0777 or musiccenter.org.

Continued on next page

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

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CLASSICAL MUSIC

Thursday, april 3 Mozart & Brahms Disney Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 972-0777 or musiccenter.org.

April 3, 8 p.m., April 4, 11 a.m. and April 5, 2 p.m.: James Conlon has the baton tonight (Dudamel is presumably off somewhere trading hair notes with Troy Polamalu) as the Los Angeles Philharmonic plays Schulhoff’s “Scherzo,” Mozart’s “Piano Concerto No. 21” and Brahms’ “Symphony No. 1.”

Downtown News 19

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20 Downtown News

Kelley’s Heroes

Continued from previous page 8 p.m.: Pianist Yefim Bronfman and violin/violist Pinchas Zukerman are the Hall & Oates of the classical field. They’ll be bumping tunes from Schubert, Beethoven and Brahms.

T

he artist Mike Kelley, who died in 2012, is considered one of America’s most influential contemporary artists. Looking at his body of work, it’s easy to see why: Using paint, fabrics, toys and found objects, Kelley created art that both reflected and sharply critiqued pop culture, modernist ideals, consumerism and more.

MOCA is paying tribute to him in a new exhibition, simply dubbed Mike Kelley, at the Geffen Contemporary in Little Tokyo. The show opens Monday, March 31, and will be the biggest exhibition ever of Kelley’s work, with more than 250 pieces from the 1970s to his death. The show runs through July 28, which means you have plenty of time to ponder Kelley’s often-intricate (and sometimes phallic) pieces.

At 152 N Central Ave., (213) 626-6222 or moca.org.

MUSEUMS African American Firefighter Museum 1401 S. Central Ave., (213) 744-1730 or aaffmuseum.org.

Ongoing: An array of firefighting relics dating to 1924, including a 1940 Pirsch ladder truck, an 1890 hose wagon, uniforms from New York, L.A. County and City of L.A. firefighters, badges, helmets, photographs and other artifacts.

California African American Museum 600 State Drive, (213) 744-7432 or caamuseum.org.

Through April 6: African American Self-Taught Artists From the South features work from Leroy Almon, Sam Doyle, Roy Ferdinand

photo by Frank Damon

Saturday, april 5 Toyota Symphonies For Youth Disney Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 972-0777 or musiccenter.org.

11 a.m.: The youngins are invited to partake in the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s youth invigoration program featuring selections from the Minimalist Jukebox.

Sunday, april 6 Dilijan IX:6 Zipper Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., (213) 687-8517 or colburnschool.edu.

3 p.m.: You wouldn’t know it for the event’s cryptic, sci-fiesque title, but this program of chamber music features a number of fantastic recent classical compositions.

Liana Cohen Music Festival Zipper Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., (213) 687-8517 or colburnschool.edu.

6:30 p.m.: In 1992, Colburn School student Liana Cohen was killed by a drunk driver. Today’s program of classical music celebrates her love for orchestration and highlights the importance of keeping intoxicated motorists off the road.

March 31, 2014

and many others.

Through May 5: The acting, dancing, choreography, didactic pleasures and general mentorship of Carmen de Lavallade and Geoffrey Holder come to full focus in A Memoir in Movement.

Through June 15: The gamut of the African-American experience comes into fuller focus with the Q&A collage of Question Bridge.

Through August 3: The USC Roski School of Art and CAAM team up for design exhibit Hands on Design.

Ongoing: The multi-functional Gallery of Discovery offers visitors the opportunity to connect with the lineage of their own family,

City Living THIS WEEK CHECK OUT

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82, a new barcade in the Arts District that features 80s-era arcade games.

The opening of the Mike Kelley exhibition at MOCA, a retrospective of the late artist.

WATCH IT ON DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM,

NEW EPISODE EVERY MONDAY AT 9AM

engage in artistic workshops, educational tours and other programs of historical discoveries. Hear recordings of actual living slaves from the Library of Congress archives and discover stories from the past.

California Science Center 700 State Drive, (323) 724-3623 or californiasciencecenter.org.

Ongoing: Mission 26: The Big Endeavour presents Los Angeles’ very own space shuttle/tree destroyer in all its splendor.

Ongoing: Science in Toyland presents physics through favorite kids toys. This hands-on exhibit engages museum visitors with Dominos, Sails and Roller Coasters in a fun, but informational

primer on friction, momentum and chain reactions.

Ongoing: The Science Center’s permanent exhibits are usually interactive and focus on human innovations and inventions as well as the life processes of living things. The lobby Science Court stays busy with the High Wire Bicycle, a Motion-Based Simulator, the Ecology Cliff Climb and Forty Years of Space Photography. The human body is another big focus: The Life Tunnel aims to show the connections between all life forms, from the single-celled amoeba to the 100-trillion-celled human being.

The new Ecosystems exhibit explores how life on our planet is

March 31, 2014 shaped by geophysical and biological processes.

Chinese American Museum 425 N. Los Angeles St., (213) 485-8567 or camla.org.

Permanent: Origins presents the story of the Chinese-American community in Los Angeles.

Permanent: Re-creation of the Sun Wing Wo, a Chinese general store and herbal shop, and Journeys: Stories of Chinese Immigration, an exhibit exploring Chinese immigration to the United States with an emphasis on community settlement in Los Angeles. Outlined into four distinct time periods, each is defined by an important immigration law and/or event, accompanied by a description and a personal story about a local Chinese American and their experiences in that particular historical period.

El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument 124 Paseo de la Plaza, (213) 485-8372 or elpueblo.lacity.org..

Ongoing: The whole of El Pueblo is called a “monument,” and of this monument’s 27 historic buildings, four function as museums: the Avila Adobe, the city’s oldest house; the Sepulveda House, home to exhibits and the monument’s Visitors Center; the Fire House Museum, which houses late 19th-century fire-fighting equipment; and the Masonic Hall, which boasts Masonic memorabilia. Check its website for a full slate of fiestas, including Cinco de Mayo, Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in November and December’s beautiful candlelight procession, Las Posadas. Open daily, though hours at shops and halls vary.

Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising FIDM, second floor, 919 S. Grand Ave., (213) 624-1200 or fidmmuseum.org.

Through April 26: The Art of Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibit features a smattering of high quality wardrobe pieces from last year’s nominated films and the 2013 Oscar winning costumes for Anna Karenina.

Through July 5: Bliss features 19th century wedding gowns from the Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection.

Ongoing: Accessories from The Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection surveys footwear, fans, gloves, purses and hats.

Grammy Museum L.A. Live, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org.

Through May 2014: Barry White, Unlimited Love follows the career of the man with the lusty voice.

Through May 2014: The Diva of Banda, Jenni Rivera, is immortalized in this comprehensive display featuring the story of her life and music.

Through Winter 2015: The 75th anniversary of the illustrious jazz label gets the museum treatment with Blue Note: The Finest in Jazz.

Ongoing: 360 Sound: The Columbia Records Story provides an in-depth look at all aspects of Columbia Records’ history and offers a virtual history of the music industry from its infancy, tracing Columbia’s pivotal technological as well as business innovations, including its invention of the LP. Ongoing: Featuring copious memorabilia including drum kits and a cape, Ringo: Peace & Love is the first major exhibit to be dedicated to a drummer at the museum.

Ongoing: White sequined gloves and other wardrobe pieces are the focal point of the new exhibit case paying tribute to the life and legacy of Michael Jackson. This special display serves as a follow-up to the Museum’s past exhibitions, Michael Jackson: HIStyle and Michael Jackson: A Musical Legacy. Housed on the Museum’s third floor, the launch of the new exhibit coincided with the second anniversary of Jackson’s death.

Ongoing: Roland Live is a permanent installation courtesy of the electronic musical instrument maker, Roland Corporation. The exhibit gives visitors a chance to participate in the music-making process by playing a wide variety of Roland products, from V-Drums and BOSS pedals to VIMA keyboards and the MV-8800 Production Studio.

Japanese American National Museum 369 E. First St., (213) 625-0414 or janm.org.

Ongoing: Highlighting the wartime service of the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the military intelligence service is Go For Broke: Japanese American Soldiers Fighting on Two Fronts.

Through August 25: Visible & Invisible: a museum testatment to the hapa experience in Japanese American History.

Ongoing: Common Ground: The Heart of Community chronicles 130 years of Japanese American history, from the early days of the Issei pioneers to the present.

LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes 501 N. Main St., (888) 488-8083 or lapca.org.

Current: Los Angeles’ first Mexican American cultural center’s inaugural exhibition, LA Starts Here!, reveals the essential role of Mexicans and Mexican Americans in the founding and shaping of Los Angeles’ history and culture—a multicultural project from the very beginning.

Ongoing: Calle Principal invites visitors of all ages to explore the Mexican American community of downtown Los Angeles during the 1920s. Located on the second floor of the historic Plaza House, Calle Principal is an evocative re-creation of 1920s-era Main Street, at the time the heart of Los Angeles’s growing immigrant community. Featuring a variety of vignettes—a grocery store, portrait studio, clothing store, phonograph and record store, pharmacy, and more—it offers visitors a hands-on investigation of daily life during that period, encouraging them to make connections between the past and the present.

Museum of Contemporary Art, Grand Avenue 250 S. Grand Ave., (213) 621-2766 or moca.org.

Through March 31: Room To Live features recent acquisitions and works from the modern art collection.

Ongoing: Installed chronologically, this selection of some of the most significant works from the museum’s permanent collection introduces major art movements of the 20th century, including abstract expressionism and pop art.

Permanent: Nancy Rubins’ cheekily and comprehensively titled “Chas’ Stainless Steel, Mark Thompson’s Airplane Parts, About 1000 Pounds of Stainless Steel Wire, Gagosian’s Beverly Hills Space, at MOCA (2001-2002)” is a monumental sculpture made out of parts Continued on next page

Downtown News 21

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22 Downtown News

Continued from previous page of an airplane.

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Natural History Museum, 900 Exposition Blvd., (213) 763–3466 or nhm.org.

Through June 30: “The Lady Heart Diamond Collection” presents an exceedingly rare array of five diamonds in the shades of red, pink, orange, yellow and blue.

Ongoing: “Age of Mammals” tells an epic evolutionary story that spans 65 million years. But its theme can be distilled into just six words: Continents move. Climates change. Mammals evolve.

Ongoing: The spectacular Humboldt fin whale specimen, S I N“Finwhale C E 19Passage,” 7 2 features the 63-foot-long specimen, which Los Angeles Downtown News weighs more than 7,000 pounds and has been re-articulated to 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 create a more realistic impression of the living animal. An intriguphone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 ing sound installation and interactive visitor components will acweb: DowntownNews.com • email: realpeople@downtownnews.com

LAST WEEKS ANSWERS

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CROSSWORD

March 31, 2014

company the display, which is one of the best and most complete large-whale articulations in the world.

Ongoing: The “Dino Lab” is a working paleontological lab, wherein museum preparators will work on a several dinosaur and other fossil creature skeletons for future display at the museum.

For a true behind-the-scenes experience, come witness the exciting dinosaur preparation process in the Level 2 Dino Lab. Sneak a peek at real fossils and see the NHM staff working on the day-today details. Everything you see in the lab is real.

Through September 2: The museum’s lauded Butterfly PavilEditor & PublishEr: Sue Laris ion opens again for the summer.

GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin Wells Fargo History Museum ExEcutivE Editor: Jon 253-7166 Regardieor wellsfargohistory.com.

333 S. Grand Ave., (213) stAFF writErs: Eddie including Kim Ongoing: Take Donna in an OldEvans, West exhibit a faux 19thcoNtributiNG Editor: Maese century Wells Fargo office,Kathryn a real-life Concord stagecoach that coNtributiNG writErs: Jeff Favre, roads Gregand Fischer, once traversed windy southern Kentucky a gold nugget Kristin Friedrich, Kylie Jane Wakefield weighing in at a shocking two pounds.

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

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

Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin

AccouNtiNG: Tara LaPlante

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

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

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

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

PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard

2 YOUR EVENT INFO

EASY WAYS TO SUBMIT

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

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

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

One copy per person.

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

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

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

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

One copy per person.

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

Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin

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

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

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

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

One copy per person.

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

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

One copy per person.

March 31, 2014

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Downtown News 23

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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 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.

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fiCtitioUs bUsiness name Fictitious Business name statement File no. 2014051760 The following person is doing business as: On Purpose Unlimited, 253 Linwood Ave., #E, Monrovia, CA 91016 are hereby registered by the following registrants: George Albert Hunlock, Jr., 253 Linwood Avenue, Unit E, Monrovia, CA 91016 and Jeanne Lynn Johnson, 253 Linwood Avenue, Unit E, Monrovia, CA 91016. This business is conducted by a married couple.

Registrant began to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on January 02, 2014.

This statement was filed with Dean C. Logan, Los Angeles County Clerk on February 26, 2014.

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

Fictitious Business name statement File no. 2014064919 The following person is doing business as: Ostrich Farm, 1525 W. Sunset, LA, CA, 90026 are hereby registered by the following registrant: Boite LLC, 2085 Balmer Dr., LA, CA 90039. This business is conducted by a limited liability company. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious

business name or names listed above on 04/01/2014.

This statement was filed with DEAN C. LOGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk, and by Miguel Macias, Deputy, on March 11, 2014.

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

Pub. 03/31, 04/07, 04/14, and 04/21/2014.

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Bill Cooper 213.598.7555

http://issuu.com/ladtn

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

Pub. 03/10, 03/17, 03/24, and 03/31/2014.

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Attorney at Law

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825 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 109, Santa Monica, CA 90401

(424) 234-6381

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24 Downtown News

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March 31, 2014