06-30-14

Two New Hotels Open | 15 Anime Expo Returns | 18

JUNE 30, 2014 I VOL. 43 I #26

Downtown After Dark

A Rundown of 40 of the Central City’s Best Nightspots and Bartenders

photo by Gary Leonard

SEE PAGES 7-14

Ozborne Williams at the Broadway Bar.

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THE VOICE OF DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES

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AROUND TOWN

Free Admission to MOCA’s Mike Kelley Show

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o celebrate Mike Kelley, an exhibition of work by the late artist, the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA is offering free admission to the museum every Saturday night in July. Courtesy of the Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts, the weekend freebies will feature DJs, food trucks, performances, art talks and tours. MOCA’s Little Tokyo annex, at 152 N. Central Ave., currently holds the largest Kelley retrospective ever, with sculptures, assemblages, drawings, paintings, videos, photography and installations. Free admission hours are 6-10 p.m. on Saturday July 5, 12, 19 and 26. There will be a closing party on July 26. Mike Kelley runs through July 28.

Mega-Project Being Considered in Chinatown

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owntown-based Evoq Properties, best known for owning Alameda Square, is eyeing a mega-project in Chinatown. The developer has proposed two options for three parcels adjacent to the Chinatown Gold Line stop, according to documents filed with the City Planning Department. One plan for the project dubbed College Station, at 924 N. Spring St., calls for two towers, up to 20 stories, with 500 residential units and approximately 19,800 square feet of groundfloor retail space on the first parcel. The second

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS plot would hold 100 affordable senior housing units spread across multiple four-story buildings and a 20,000-square-foot market, and the final parcel would have an eight-story building with 80 live-work lofts. The development would include 1,054 parking spaces. The second plan is similar, but with 339 first-phase units and 851 total parking spots. The architect is Santa Monica-based Van Tilburg Banvard Soderbergh. No budgets or timelines have been revealed. In February, Evoq announced that its board of directors was pursuing a potential sale of the company or a partnership with other investors.

June 30, 2014

TAKE MY PICTURE GARY LEONARD

Council OKs Downtown Bike Path

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bike path through Downtown that would connect the Elysian Valley to Maywood is now closer to reality. On Wednesday, June 25, the City Council voted to advance the construction of the In-Channel Bike Path along the Los Angeles River’s Downtown section. Designs and cost estimates are expected to be developed in the coming months, which will allow the city to pursue grants and other funding, said Rick Coca, a spokesman for 14th District City Councilman José Huizar. The vote follows the recent recommendation by the Army Corps of Engineers to move forward with a $1 billion restoration plan along 11 miles of the L.A. River. Coca said that the coming construction of the Sixth Street Viaduct replacement gives urgency to the need to fill in the gap in the L.A. River Bike Path. The new bridge will incorporate ground-level plazas and parks that can improve access to the river and the eventual path.

“Connecting the L.A. River Bike Path is critically important to our growing bike network and our

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office’s placemaking efforts along the River,” Huizar said in a prepared statement.

Even More Housing for South Park

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he flood of low-rise residential projects into Downtown continues, with new plans for a building on Figueroa Street in South Park. Developer DHG Family Trust is planning to erect a seven-story complex with 106 residential units at 1400 S. Figueroa St., across the street from the south hall of the Los Angeles Con-

June 24, 2014

vention Center, according to documents filed with the city Planning Department. The project would have 4,750 square feet of ground-floor retail space and two levels of underground parking. GMP Architects-LA is handling the design, and initial renderings show a sleek white structure accented by large, colorful facade articulations that jut outward to frame balconies.

The project would also have a pool deck on the second floor toward the rear of the structure.

No timeline or budget has been revealed. The complex would neighbor another new housing project, the Avant, which recently opened its first 247 units at 1360 S. Figueroa St.

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the event with a $5,000 sponsorship and Toyota corporate matched $5,000.

Toyota also contributes in other ways by providing volunteer leadership, workplace giving campaigns and Go Red for Women.

A total of $375,000 net was raised the night of the event.

Metro and other transit operators invited riders across LA County to submit a photo showing why they love transit for entry in the >rst Transit Pix photo contest. More than 200 entries were received for public voting. Winning entries were announced on June 18, “Dump the Pump” Day, and can be viewed at facebook.com/losangelesmetro.

Purple Line Gets $1.25 Billion in Federal Funds The Federal Transit Administration awarded Metro a $1.25 billion grant to construct the >rst phase of the Purple Line Extension. This segment extends the subway from Wilshire/Western to Wilshire/La Cienega, with completion projected for 2023. More information on the project is at metro.net/purplelineext.

Airport Transportation Center Open House June 27 Bob Hope Airport will hold a public grand opening for its new Regional Intermodal Transportation Center on Saturday, June 27 from 10am to 2pm. The partially Metro-funded facility along Empire Avenue includes a rental car center and bus station.

Don’t Forget Your Bike on Metro When riding the bus with your bike, be sure to sit or stand near the front to watch your bike. At your stop, exit through the front door and tell the operator you will be removing your bike. When taking your bike on the train, walk your bike on the platform. More information at metro.net/bikes.

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ore than 300 people attended in their gowns and suits to the inaugural Los Angeles Heart and Stroke Ball recently at the Disney Concert Hall in support of the American Heart Association’s (AHA) mission of building healthier lives, free of heart disease and stroke.

The Heart and Stroke Ball inspires support of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association’s work to create a better future for children, families and communities. It is a major fund-raising event benefiting research, public education and community programs of the AHA/ASA in Los Angeles.

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June 30, 2014

Downtown News 3

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EDITORIALS

June 30, 2014

Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis

Finally, a Brighter ‘Fortress’ Mall

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owntown has too many examples of fortress architecture, the buildings or properties that are off-putting to pedestrians and limit civic engagement. The Music Center, situated up a flight of stairs at Grand Avenue, is one such example (the Hope Street side is far more inviting). Another is the LAPD headquarters on Sixth Street in Skid Row, where long walls of brick serve to separate the police from the people. It’s a bad look and symbol, especially as the department continues to become better integrated with the public.

While those examples have long been bothersome, they have not been quite as annoying as the Little Tokyo Galleria. This tank of a building opened three decades ago at Third and Alameda streets.

Though it has housed a variety of interesting businesses, including some top-notch sushi joints and two different bowling alleys, from the street one would never have a hint of what lies inside.

The Galleria has been, simply, distressing and depressing, its three floors of food and retail hidden behind a color palette that ranges from gray to dark gray. For whatever mysterious reasoning, the property’s series of owners did nothing about the exterior.

Now, finally and thankfully, that is set to change.

As Los Angeles Downtown News reported this month, the conglomeration of Korean-American investors who bought the mall six years ago have begun renovations on the interior and exterior. On the outside, green construction wrapping has gone up.

Work is well underway, and the results are slated to be revealed in the fall.

Plans call for a series of large, rectangular light boards, along with a batch of thin vertical lights and some articulated metallic panels. It remains to be seen if all of this will simply cast a pleasant glow and warm up the building, or if it’s code for digital billboards with a constant barrage of advertising.

At this point we’ll be hopeful, and we’ll applaud the direction the owners are going in while at the same time withholding judgment until we see more.

A lot remains unknown. For now we join the chorus of community leaders who have largely praised the fix, knowing it could help draw more visitors to Little Tokyo.

However, now and then we have seen the bright lights of a new building cause consternation among neighbors. We expect the property’s owners to keep an open dialogue with those in the area, and to respond effectively if the people living and working nearby think the light is too bright.

Some Welcome Development Blasts

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t’s easy to get excited by the development boom underway in Downtown Los Angeles. Once again, cranes are dotting the skyline and thousands of residential units are being built. The construction work is a heartening harbinger of things to come — the arrival of thousands more inhabitants will mean additional patrons for area restaurants, bars and service businesses. In the process, dead lots will be activated and the energy will feed on itself.

Los Angeles Downtown News last month published its Development issue, running down the latest information on 87 Central City projects. Fortunately, the activity is continuing, with the recent announcements that one mega-project is kicking off sooner than anticipated, and another long-stalled development has been purchased and is ready for a comeback. In City Market and the Glass Tower, Downtown has two more signs of continuing vibrancy.

The City Market was never dead, and indeed, it was only announced about 18 months ago. Still, it is an overall $1 billion development, and given the financing and others hurdles that must be cleared, projects of this size don’t always get off the ground — think Farmers Field, for example. Even when they do, it can take years or decades for work to start — that’s the case with South Park’s Metropolis, which was first broached 27 years ago.

The price, along with the location, made City Market seem questionable. After all, the site in the Produce District, on the blocks bounded by Ninth, San Pedro, San Julian and 12th streets, is well south of the current building boom.

The Exciting Tastes of the City

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ne of the biggest surprises of the Downtown resurgence has been the community’s emergence as a culinary hub.

This has been chronicled in media not just in the city, but throughout the country. As Los Angeles’ overall restaurant lineup is heralded for reflecting the region’s diversity — a mix of cultures leading to a mix of flavors, etc. — the Central City is becoming the hub of taste experimentation.

Los Angeles Downtown News last week published “The 14 Most Interesting Chefs in Downtown.” It was the second installment of the

story, which was first published in 2011. While a few holdovers remain from three years ago, the majority of the lineup is different, and the changes show how Downtown is advancing and how vibrant the food scene is here.

A number of factors are at play. The first is price and location, and although rents are rising, young chefs and their investors can still find spots that are far less expensive than in other portions of the city. This is frequently the case in off-the-beaten-track locales that become culinary destinations — just think of Alma’s space

The development team appears to playing it smart, starting with a relatively compact 75,000-square-foot project built around creative office space, food and retail. While others in Downtown are trying a similar tactic — such as the food and shopping component in the under-construction One Santa Fe in the Arts District — this could be a solid base on which to build. This first phase, dubbed City Market South, is slated to come online next year. Ideally the full City Market will become more likely if this initial element succeeds.

A bigger surprise is the Glass Tower, which was first announced as a big-budget condominium project in 2007. Of course, that turned out to be terrible timing, as months later the economy tanked, lending markets froze and projects in Downtown and elsewhere ground to a halt.

The location at Grand Avenue and 11th Street, near a handful of other residential high-rises and a short walk from L.A. Live, always seemed appropriate. Still, even as the Downtown economy picked up, the project didn’t budge.

Now it’s budging and more, as San Francisco-based developer Trumark Urban has purchased the property and, with the already approved entitlements, is planning on erecting a $100 million, 24-story condominium complex. Designs are being worked out and the 151-unit project could break ground by January.

The Downtown revitalization still has a long way to go. That said, projects like these will help power progress forward.

on Broadway or some Arts District spots.

Then there is the Downtown denizen. The Downtown Center Business Improvement District/Downtown News’ demographics study revealed how the community has a large number of workers and residents who are young and affluent. This results in a base of customers frequently willing to try something new and who have the money to afford it. Yes, the clientele of any restaurant varies wildly in age and background, but enough adventurous eaters are here to create a supportive environment for chefs pushing the culinary envelope.

That environment is also likely drawing more

young chefs to the area. Whether in the Arts District, Grand Central Market, the Historic Core or elsewhere, this creative class is building upon itself. The success of early arrivals is luring others, and the process keeps happening.

This is an exciting time for restaurants in Downtown. The menu options run the gamut, and customers can fill themselves on fine dining or a walk-away sandwich. Everything is constantly changing, and some of the only things you can rely on for sure are that a) things will be different, with more new flavors and options, a couple years from now, and b) you won’t go hungry in Downtown.

June 30, 2014

Downtown News 5

OPINION

A Mental Health State of Emergency Unbeknownst to Many in Downtown, Skid Row Has Become an Outdoor Asylum Without Walls

By Senior Lead Officer Deon Joseph hen it comes to policing Skid Row, it seems as if my fellow officers and I are keeping our fingers in the cracks of a dam to prevent it from breaking. Though many people may not realize it, we are in the throes of a mental health state of emergency.

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GUEST OPINION An extremely marginalized class of the Central City East community today is vulnerable to the criminal element that operates in Skid Row. That segment of the community is the mentally ill. Many of them are drawn to Skid Row for the free services that are not available in other parts of the city or county. Many of them are law-abiding citizens when they properly manage their illnesses. They utilize housing and other services and even become advocates in assisting others struggling with mental illness. Some are partners with our department via community policing.

However, while in Skid Row, these individuals’ issues often become exacerbated, as many are victimized and exploited by the criminals here. Others begin to self-medicate on the plethora of illicit narcotics being sold throughout the area.

Historically, as a police department, we have been relegated to assisting these individuals when they degenerate to such a state and meet the legal requirements for a mandatory hold, only to be released several days later to wander back to Skid Row. They usually end up being handcuffed again and returned to a hospital for more treatment. Even worse, the police often are relegated to being an after-the-fact entity, as the mentally ill often become chronic victims or suspects in violent crimes. Though many times this is understandable from a legal and public safety standpoint, it remains in my opinion one of the great wrongs in our society.

In my 16 years working in Skid Row, I have seen many individuals who, based on their volatile behavior, I believed were right on the edge of committing a crime. Unfortunately I had to wait until they actually committed the crime before I could “help” them.

Others were in such a deteriorated state that I knew they would become vulnerable to an often merciless and heartless criminal element. Most of them we are unable to assist as well, because they legally do not meet the requirements to be helped by our department.

Recently, a man who is known for trying to pick fights with random individuals when his mental illness overcomes him challenged a violent man to a fistfight in the area of Seventh and Wall streets. I along with other officers in Skid Row have detained and placed this individual on a medical hold on several occasions to prevent him from being harmed via his actions. On a day that we were not able to rescue him from his illness, he was stabbed multiple times in the heart and throat by the man he challenged. Thankfully he survived, but I saw this coming for months. Left untreated and un-housed, I truly believe he will be harmed again.

Months before that, I was involved in a use-of-force incident with the same man, as he tried to assault a woman in front of children at the Union Rescue Mission. This happened because, blocks away, he had been harassed by homophobic bullies over his sexual orientation. At no time during the struggle was I angry with this man. I was angry with a system that placed him, a homeless woman and me in danger. In my opinion, his actions were a cry for help.

Others who are not violent will become anchored to the sidewalk in unhealthy conditions for weeks and develop scabies, attract rats and other vermin, or become so filthy that they can be

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LAPD Senior Lead Office Deon Joseph in Skid Row. He has patrolled the community for 16 years.

smelled from what seems like blocks away. However, because they at least have the wherewithal to feed themselves, they are often not considered candidates for assistance via our department mental health resources.

The police have been asked for years to be the answer to the issues stemming from mental illness in the communities we serve. We have done the best that we can. It is not the LAPD that has failed the mentally ill or the public. It is our society that has failed them. A society that has closed down hospitals. A system that is slow to create more housing-plus-care locations that would respect their autonomy and civil rights. A system that will not engage in proactive outreach.

I have had to arrest many mentally ill men and women who Continued on page 6

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June 30, 2014

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

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.

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Heel Hath No Fury: A woman apparently displeased with who her man was dancing with at Club Mayan, at 1038 S. Hill St., removed her 7.5-inch heel and cut the man and his dancing partner. During the incident at 1:30 a.m. on June 21, the man suffered a two-inch laceration above his eye. The woman sustained bruises and swelling to her face.

Ironic Emergency: A woman lying in a bed in a hospital emergency room was attacked by the patient lying next to her on June 20 at 10 a.m. The man jumped on her, choked her and tried to strike her with the EKG machine. The woman called 911 from the hospital bed. The man was arrested.

Stabbed on a Stroll: A man asked a woman for money as she walked alone at Pico Boulevard and Hope Street just after midnight on June 17. She said no, and he stabbed her in the thigh and took money from her pocket. She was treated at a nearby hospital.

Rite Aid Rip-Off: Three men walked into the Rite Aid at 600 W. Seventh St. just before 1 a.m. on June 17 and stole a $2 bottle of soda. When the security guard tried to stop them, they hit him in the eye with the bottle and ran off.

Rite Aid Rip-Off II: A man who hid a beer beneath his jacket while in the Rite Aid at Fifth Street and Broadway at midnight on June 16 was stopped by a security guard. He twisted the guard’s finger and ran out the door. BID officers detained him until police arrived. He was arrested.

Bracelet Bummer: On June 15 at 4 p.m., an argument between two men over a bracelet that was repaired in the 600 block of S. Broadway escalated to a fistfight. A third person jumped in and hit one of the men in the head with a wooden mallet. The victim suffered cuts to his head. Both suspects fled.

SKID ROW, 5 I knew and cared about after their illness drove them to harm someone. Though it was legal and in good faith, it was wrong. I put people in prison and jail who had needed help long before they committed their crimes. I could not stop them ahead of time because they did not say the magic words of “I want to kill myself” or “I want to hurt others.”

Recently we have seen an increase in the presence of said individuals in the Skid Row area. We are now at a state of urgency, as the streets of Skid Row have once again become an outdoor asylum without walls. On a daily basis we see the potential for violence against or committed by these individuals.

What we need most is the stepped-up assistance of professionals who deal with mental health to reach out to these individuals before they become victimized, threaten suicide, victimize others, or become so mentally unstable that they stop taking care of themselves. We have made several attempts to bring this to fruition, but our requests have been met with broken promises, or fear of how people would be perceived by the public for working with law enforcement.

We as a department are changing the way we do things for the safety of the community, and we are striving to develop stronger relationships with the people we serve. We need mental health agencies to do the same and join us. We have tried everything else. It is time to try something that may actually work if we give it a chance.

Deon Joseph is a Senior Lead Officer with the LAPD’s Central Division.

June 30, 2014

AFTER DARK

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Downtown News 7

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

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By Donna Evans and Eddie Kim ehind every popular watering hole is someone with a vision for what makes a great bar. And behind the actual bar is a man or woman who knows how to make a great drink.

This is no simple task. While anyone can pull a lever and pour a pint, or splash together ice, Grey Goose vodka and tonic, it takes some serious know-how to craft the perfect cocktail. It’s not only about ratios, but also ingredients. It’s about squeezing juices hours before the first customer walks in the door and understanding how to coax out just the right flavors. On top of all that, the person needs to be, you know, personable.

In the following pages, four Downtown cocktail experts share their secrets. Cheers!

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Four Downtown Cocktail Experts Share Their Secrets

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OzbOrne Williams Bar: Broadway Bar Age: 44 How He Got There: Williams began bartending at a Red Lobster in Seattle in 1993 to help support his acting career and pay for school. He served drinks in New York City and Greenwich, Conn., before arriving in Los Angeles in 2004. Williams snagged a gig at Broadway Bar for its opening in 2005 and has been slinging drinks there ever since.

Defining Cocktail: Williams helped develop a fresher, more sophisticated bar program for the Broadway Bar’s recent re-launch, but one drink that’s not on the menu is the Osborne (“It’s not Ozborne, it’s Awwsborne, like you’re classy and British,” he jokes). It’s made with muddled blackberries, tequila (or its smokier cousin, mescal), a touch of lime juice and simple syrup. The mixture is shaken and poured into a glass with ice, then topped with ginger beer.

At 830 S. Broadway, (213) 614-9909 or 213nightlife.com/broadwaybar.

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June 30, 2014

DOWNTOWN AFTER DARK

DANIELLE CrouCh Bar: Caña Rum Bar Age: 34 How She Got There: Crouch began managing a bar in Napa Valley at 19. She lived in Denver, Las Vegas and New York before settling in Los Angeles four years ago. Her first experience with Caña, a Prohibition style, membership-only rum bar in South Park, was the night of the Lakers championship in 2010, which resulted in a near-riot. She was a patron that night. When the regular bartender got caught in traffic, Crouch, who was bartending in Hollywood, was asked to help out. She’s been there ever since, and is now Caña’s general manager.

Defining Cocktail: The drink that Crouch is most proud of creating is the Jitterbug Perfume. Named for a book by Tom Robbins, the ingredients include jasmine-infused rye and the beet-based amaro. “This cocktail is one that I feel is interesting and it also has a lot of sentimental value to me,” she said. “It was created shortly after reading the book, which coincided with the summer that I fell in love with my boyfriend.” Crouch also enjoys “surprising” customers with liquors they swear they hate, then they end up asking her for more.

At 714 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 745-7090 or 213nightlife.com/canarumbar.

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June 30, 2014

Downtown News 9

DOWNTOWN AFTER DARK

Tim Heller Bar: Tony’s Saloon Age: 34 How He Got There: Heller first tended bar at Church and State in 2010, then moved to the late, roving pop-up spot Test Kitchen. Heller came to Tony’s Saloon, a dark neighborhood dive bar where mixology reigns, two years ago, and is now the bar manager of the Arts District establishment. “People move around a lot in the bar world. There is always an opportunity to do the next cool thing,” he said. “I like to think I’ve stayed loyal to the bar and the neighborhood.”

Defining Cocktail: Heller defines a good mixologist as someone who can express an idea or feeling in the form of drink, is knowledgeable about liquid, and is always striving for new and exciting ways to create drinks. His libation of choice is a Vieux Carré, a cognac and rye-based cocktail. He calls it a “flavor roller coaster.” Heller pointed out that a good bartender has a different skill set (think: chatting with customers, keeping inventory orderly) than a mixologist.

He wants to exist in that middle ground. “That’s where the true hospitality lies,” he said.

At 2017 E. Seventh St., (213) 622-5523 or 213nightlife.com/tonyssaloon.

10 Downtown News

June 30, 2014

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Bar: Faith & Flower Age: 29 How He Got There: Lay oversees the beverage program for hospitality group Coastal Luxury Management, which opened the South Park establishment in April. He also helped the company open the trendy bar/ dining club Rose.Rabbit.Lie. in Las Vegas, and before that ran the bar at CLM’s Restaurant 1833 in Monterey.

Lay is the lead mixologist at Faith & Flower and can be found there most days.

Defining Cocktail: While working at Restaurant 1833, Lay began tweaking an old recipe for English milk punch from pioneering 19th-century bartender Jerry Thomas. The current iteration combines cognac, Jamaican rums, high-proof bourbon, absinthe, pineapple, citrus and spices.

Boiling milk is added to the mixture, and then the work begins. “The milk curdles, so we spend a day straining it and straining it until the punch is basically clear again,” Lay says. “It takes about three days total.”

At 705 W. Ninth St., (213) 239-0642 or faithandflowerla.com.

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June 30, 2014

Sipping in South Park The District’s Watering Holes Are Blossoming

By Eddie Kim outh Park is exploding, with new housing complexes and hotels. The energy extends to the nightlife scene, and the district touts an impressive list of watering holes. It is easy for drinkers to find the perfect bar for a pre-game beer, or even have a bartender invent a drink for you.

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Veranda Bar at the Figueroa Hotel: The poolside bar at the Figueroa Hotel is both a Downtown classic and a hidden gem.

The hotel features an ornate Moroccan theme, and the bar is no exception with its elaborate mosaic tiling and rustic wood.

There’s plenty of seating, and the bar tends to be quiet and mellow on most evenings.

Sip This: It’s summer and you’re sitting by a pool, so you might as well order a mojito. The bar packs in plenty of fresh mint and a heavy hit of white rum.

At 939 S. Figueroa St., (213) 627-8971 or figueroahotel.com.

Nest at WP24: Wolfgang Puck’s Nest at WP24 may be the Downtown bar with the prettiest view of all. The beautifully designed lounge on the 24th floor of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel features plenty of swooping, bird-nest-themed woodwork.

Don’t miss the Night Owl special, which offers cocktails and $8 dishes from 10 p.m.-midnight every Friday and Saturday.

Sip This: The Buddha Bourbon cocktail, made with Buffalo Trace bourbon, Aperol, lemon juice, sage and Luxardo cherries, deftly balances earthy sweetness with citrus tang.

At 900 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 743-8824 or wolfgangpuck.com.

Tom’s Urban: This massive sports bar and restaurant in the former ESPNZone space is a gathering spot for anyone hoping to catch a game and drink a beer. Tom’s Urban has 80 high-definition TVs and more than 400 seats, and the brew flows freely from four different bars with more than 80 taps combined. Food choices include Buffalo wings, a Havana carnitas sandwich and truffled lobster rolls.

Sip This: The “Taze Me, Bro!” with chili pepper-spiked tequila and pineapple juice is irresistible for its name alone.

At 1011 S. Figueroa St., (213) 746-8667 or tomsurban.com.

Bottlerock: A short walk from Staples Center, Bottlerock offers more than 800 wines, and the staff can navigate any drinker through the menu. The combination wine bar/restaurant/wine shop has menus for lunch and dinner (plus a big happy hour), and a selection of cheese and charcuterie.

Sip This: While there is a rotating list of wines by the glass, servers will pop the cork on any bottle as long as you commit to two glasses.

At 1050 S. Flower St., (213) 747-1100 or bottlerockla.com.

Rivera: Mixologist Julian Cox has for years led one of Downtown’s finest cocktail programs at chef John Sedlar’s restaurant Rivera. The cocktail menu offers a number of inventive and adventurous libations. There are even eight massive bronze and leather chairs in which to sip selections from Rivera’s list of topnotch tequilas.

Sip This: Rivera offers a “Bespoke” option, where a bartender will select a special drink for you or even invent something on the spot based on your tastes.

At 1050 S. Flower St. #102, (213) 749-1460 or riverarestaurant.com.

Honeycut: Hidden in an alley off Eighth Street, Honeycut offers a retro-cool light-up dance floor in one room and a dark, speakeasy-like cocktail bar in another. The beverage program focuses on creative combinations of top-notch, often hard-tofind ingredients.

Sip This: Honeycut offers a small selection of delicious, thoughtfully concocted stirred cocktails. Try the Windsor Knot, with rye whiskey, cognac, dry vermouth and Cynar and Benedictine liqueurs.

At 819 S. Flower St., (213) 688-0888 or honeycutla.com. eddie@downtownnews.com

DOWNTOWN AFTER DARK

Downtown News 11

12 Downtown News

June 30, 2014

DOWNTOWN AFTER DARK

The Business of Getting a Drink

Library Bar & Sixth Street Tavern: At the corner of Sixth and Hope, a pair of bars hold court.

The Library Bar attracts a retinue of lawyers, students and bewildered refugees from the Standard Hotel. The bar’s owners also run the better-lit, more casual feeling Sixth Street Tavern next door in the former Urbano Pizza spot.

Both occupy a happy middle ground between other neighborhood bars.

Eat and Drink: Library Bar has a small selection of craft beers, precision cocktails and a delightful blue cheese bacon cheeseburger. Among other offerings, Sixth Street Tavern has a suite of cocktails and the brilliant Chicken + Donuts, as well as a spectacular pretzel and a classic French Dip. Sixth Street Tavern is at 630 W. Sixth St., (213) 614-1900 or sixthstreettavern.com; Library Bar is at 630 W. Sixth St., (213) 614-0053 or librarybarla.com.

With a Growing Batch of Bars, the Financial District Is No Longer All Work and No Play

By Dan Johnson t the close of each workday, nine-to-fivers stream out of the Financial District’s skyscrapers. While some head home, a healthy contingent of be-suited members of the Los Angeles workforce find their way into a cadre of bars that allow the otherwise responsible to cut loose for a bit. Here are some of their destinations.

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Bunker Hill Bar and Grill: While the impressive view in the Bunker Hill Bar and Grill will entice those looking for a quiet moment of introspection, most customers will find the allure of a wall of high-definition TVs broadcasting major sporting events to be entertainment enough.

With a potent happy hour, a variety of moderately priced draft beers and a full bar, it’s a fantastic destination for the business crowd.

Eat and Drink: In keeping with the trend of gastropubs offering high-quality food, the Bunker Hill Bar and Grill features an assortment of culinary delights. Happy Hour alone (4-6 p.m. on weekdays) offers sushi rolls, gourmet wings, wraps and unorthodox starters. Most of these succulent options are below $6.

At 601 W. Fifth St., (213) 688-2988 or bunkerhillbar.com.

Casey’s Irish Pub: This Irish pub has long been a standard of Downtown drinking, with weekly live music, near-competitive levels of amateur ping pong and a legendary pickle back shot.

On any given night you’ll find a hodgepodge of white-collar employees, sports fans and USC

students on a quest for a righteous buzz.

Eat and Drink: Do they service Guinness on tap here? Of course, and there’s a huge selection of Irish whiskey, too. Also, any belowground bar that opens at 11:30 a.m. and shows sports on TV is an open invitation to begin your day early without the lingering judgment of the sun’s rays.

At 613 S. Grand Ave., (213) 629-2353 or 213nightlife.com.

Seven Grand: The taxidermy-laden whiskey joint Seven Grand is a testament to distilling and the grandeur of the gentlemen’s clubs of yesteryear. Climb the stairs and you’ll emerge in a dimly lit room that reeks of bourbon, orange zest and the lingering notes of cigar smoke from patio stogie smokers. Recently opened in the back room is Bar Jackalope, a tribute to Japanese small-batch whiskey.

Eat and Drink: Whiskey, whiskey, mint juleps and more whiskey is what’s happening here. In addition to whiskey, there’s a live music lineup with acts including The Makers and bass fanatic Rick Taub, whose Midnight Blues Review performs twice a month at Seven Grand.

At 515 W. Seventh St., (213) 614-0737 or sevengrandbars.com.

Bonaventure Brewing Company: The Bona­ venture Brewing Company is a tucked-away gold mine of liquid delights. This bar/restaurant in the Bonaventure Hotel has an onpremises brewing facility that produces four custom beers. The copious interior and patio

photo by Gary Leonard

Bunker Hill Bar and Grill satisfies post-work customers with a killer happy hour, affordable appetizers, a nice view and a wall of high-definition TVs.

seating promise good views or a little quiet private space.

Eat and Drink: The real draw here is Happy Hour, and not since the demise of Downtown’s Budweiser-serving Carl’s Jr. have pitchers of beer and burgers been so accessible and affordable. Try the $4 pints and $10 pitchers of Bonaventure house beers, and pair it with $5 nachos and mac n’ cheese. An arsenal of pot stickers, sliders, calamari and tacos round out the menu.

At 404 S. Figueroa St., (213) 236-0802 or bonaventurebrewing.com.

From the Arts District to the Cocktail District A Surge of Nightspots Deliver Plenty of After-Dark Options

By Donna Evans he Arts District used to be all about art. These days, it might as well be the Cocktail District. Nightspots are opening at a heated pace, and the 11 bars in a onesquare-mile area make the community ripe for a pub crawl. Offerings include places that make beer on the premises and joints that whip up artisan cocktails with fresh-squeezed fruit juice.

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Little Bear: The rotating list of Belgian-style craft beers — 17 drafts and 63 bottles — keeps patrons walking through the double, red-painted doors. This Industrial Street industrial-chic gastropub offers high ceilings, community tables and bartenders who can explain the difference between saisons, stouts, ales and witbiers.

Make it Count: While the spacious pub also serves wine and liquor, perhaps only the non-drivers will imbibe the limited stock of Scaldis-Dubuisson, which contains the highest alcohol by volume among all the pub’s beers: 12%. Most other beers on the menu are 5%-6%.

At 1855 Industrial St., (213) 622-8100 or littlebearla.com.

photo by Gary Leonard

The barcade EightyTwo opened in April. In addition to a full drinks lineup, it has 25 vintage video games and 15 pinball machines. Pac-Man, anyone?

EightyTwo: The barcade that opened in April is known for its 25 vintage video games and 15 pinball machines. However, Eighty­ Two is no slouch in the drinks department. It features 10 draft beers, eight cans and bottles and a craft cocktail menu that includes coldbrew beverages powered by gourmet coffee brand Lamill.

Make it Count: The latest addition to the changing menu is the Princess Peach: vodka, lemon, agave, peach puree and raspberry. There’s no kitchen on the premises, but food trucks roll in on the weekends. DJs spin nightly.

At 707 E. Fourth Pl., (213) 626-8200 or eightytwola.com.

find Bar Mateo. Zinc, which opened in May, offers food, a market and a bakery in the front, while Bar Mateo is tucked into the northeast corner of the property. The full bar touts several house specialties, with drinks named for the neighborhood.

The Molino, for example, has Ford’s gin, suze, dolin blanc, grapefruit peel and more.

Make it Count: Bar Mateo’s intriguing food options include truffle-salt-sprinkled, double-fried French fries, and honey-drizzled goat cheese with walnuts and baguette (all of the food is vegetarian). In addition to the cocktails, there is a range of wine and draft and can beers starting at $4.

At 580 Mateo St., (323) 825-5381 or zinccafe.com.

Bar Mateo: Walk past the olive trees on Zinc Café’s patio to

Villain’s Tavern: One of the first things people notice when

Ham and Eggs Tavern: Ham and Eggs Tavern does not serve ham or eggs. The signage and name come from the space’s former occupant: Uncle John’s Ham and Eggs Tavern. Do not let this deter you. Ham and Eggs is a beloved bar because of its strict intolerance of idiots. It exists on weeknights as a venue for quiet conversation and laughs amongst a tight crew of friendly regulars. On weekends, cherished bartenders Olivia, Sierra and Cipriano keep the peace, often ignoring misbehaving patrons.

Eat and Drink: Enjoy a variety of quality $8 wine pours. Those and the two beer taps and a robust selection of canned delights will be liquid fuel enough to keep your head bobbing to the soul, punk or psyche rock coming from the adjacent dance floor.

At 433 W. Eighth St., (213) 891-6939 or hamandeggstavern.com.

they enter Villain’s Tavern is the 600 or so multi-colored antique apothecary bottles that line the 14-foot high window. The fouryear-old watering hole in a century-old building features a full bar with eats including burgers (meat and vegetarian), Brussels sprouts and salted caramel corn.

Make it Count: There is live music most nights after 9 p.m., and summer Sundays bring a concert series that runs from 3-10 p.m.

Expect Afro-beat, disco, and new and old soul. There is no cover and the parking, more and more at a premium in this part of town, is free.

At 1356 Palmetto St., (323) 637-4153 or villainstavern.com.

Eat Drink Americano: Options at this Third Street hideaway include a glass of smoky cabernet sauvignon or fruity pinot grigio, as well as a host of IPAs and pilsners. A more recent addition is a line of spirits, and owner Michael Burke said he will start with vodkas and bourbons, and then ease into the rest of the booze world. Food includes seasonal selections of locally sourced produce, artisanal cheeses, rustic breads and charcuterie plates.

Make it Count: With its exposed brick walls and wine-bottle chandelier, this intimate space features sofas and lounge chairs in the center of the dining room. They’re perfect for quieter meetings or some alone time with your mobile device.

At 923 E. Third St., (213) 620-0781 or eatdrinkamericano.com.

Angel City Brewery: Angel City opened on Alameda Street in 2013 and offers small-batch craft beers including a Vanilla Porter, complete with a roasty chocolate finish, the Gold Line Pils­ ner, a medium-bodied lager, and two kinds of IPAs. Tours of the brewery are given throughout the day. There are two bars with benches and some of the nicest bathrooms in Downtown.

Make it Count: Food trucks routinely roll into the Angel City parking lot. There is also an art gallery in the rear of the building that features regularly changing work from local artists. Additionally, Angel City hosts events such as Taco & Trivia Tuesdays and the Pints & Puns Comedy show.

At 216 S. Alameda St., (213) 622-1261 or angelcitybrewery.com. donna@downtownnews.com

June 30, 2014

DOWNTOWN AFTER DARK

Downtown News 13

Where Some Things Are Old, A Lot Is New When It Comes to Bars, the Historic Core Has Hipster Magnets, Quiet Joints and More

By Dan Johnson or dedicated loft dwellers and visitors alike, the Historic Core is a veritable cornucopia of inebriating pleasure. Each year new watering holes deliver unique cocktails, deep beer lists and distinct design motifs. The resulting collection of nightlife and day-drinking opportunities offers just about anything one could desire.

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Down and Out: The corner of Fifth and Spring holds the Down and Out, a testament to Downtown’s culture of dedicated drinking. Once the nefarious Charlie O’s, the bar today packs booths, pool tables and a dimly lit stage into the ground floor of the Alexandria Hotel. A familiar set of regulars occupy cherished spots at the bar beneath blown-up celebrity mug shots as a professionally surly bar staff doles out a variety of simple cocktails, shots and beers.

Added Extras: Much of the appeal comes from the raw vibe and chameleonesque programming. With its multiple TVs, the DNO can function as a sports bar. The weekly “No Future Thursday” events pay homage to the local punk scene while Fridays and Saturdays offer a packed dance floor where one can pop, lock and occasionally drop to a white-hot hip-hop DJ. At 501 S. Spring St. or downandoutbar.com.

Beelman’s Pub: Those yearning for a taste of European style can wander down to Sixth and Spring, where Beelman’s occupies the former home of the caffeine-slinging Coffee Bar. Comfortable booths, a pair of TVs and a street-watching gallery/outdoor patio lend a feel of accessibility to the neighborhood hang.

Added Extras: Beelman’s offers a sophisticated contingent of drinks and food. Local mixology gurus Proprietors LLC fashioned a cocktail list anchored with strong Trans-Atlantic notes and a beer list dangling the likes of Houblon Chouffe and Duchesse De Bourgogne. Executive chef Tom Block provides noteworthy

dishes from oysters on the half shell to Scotch onion soup and brook trout.

At 600 S. Spring St., (213) 622-1022 or beelmanspub.com.

The Wendell: The high ceilings and finished wood of The Wendell will have Downtown veterans wondering if this is the same space that housed dive bar Craby Joe’s. It is. Open since late 2013, the spot was designed as a loving testament to the tastes and sensibility of late great barman Wendell Green. Shots and craft beers on tap are the specialty here.

Added Extras: The Wendell’s true appeal lies in its lack of intensity. With no television, drinkers are forced to enjoy the ubiquitous classic rock pumped in via a free jukebox. More delightful still is the opportunity to gab away with a crew of classic Downtown bartenders and a laidback clientele.

At 656 S. Main St. or (213) 622-7200.

The Must: Long ago, a neighborhood wine bar at Fifth and Spring ruled all other Downtown vino joints thanks to good food, affordable drinks and a perspicacious pair of hands-on owners. An odd property dispute shuttered the bar in 2010, but The Must now has a larger space, more bottles and taps and a new menu at a cozy spot on Winston Street.

Added Extras: People-watching is the order of the day here.

There’s an elevated outdoor patio and, inside, games. Go ahead, share a bit of conversation with a stranger or join in a healthy round of Jenga.

At 117 Winston St., (213) 628-2000 or themust.com.

The Lash: To enter this style-bending hipster magnet, you’ll wander down an alley into a misshapen angular room adorned with white stone and a red neon sign; the Cyrillic letters translate to “wish you were here.” Proceed down an arched tile corridor and you’ll emerge in a dimly lit room of mirrors, concrete

photo by Gary Leonard

Wine bar The Must opened in its new location at 117 Winston St. late last year. It has an impressive menu of food and drinks, an elevated outdoor patio and even games such as Jenga.

and dark stone with Bauhaus flourishes and a full bar.

Added Extras: Besides the Korova Milk Bar feel and somewhat pricey cocktails, many find themselves in an unlit corner of The Lash for the space’s musical pleasures. There’s a variety of deep house, dark wave and goth tunes.

At 117 Winston St., (323) 632-7778 or thelashsocial.com.

Crane’s Downtown: Open since last November, Crane’s is a welcome blend of the Down and Out’s devil-may-care attitude and the low-key, drink-what-you-will feel of The Wendell. Think of it as a hidden gem appealing to professional drinkers and weekend warriors alike.

Added Extras: This is a no-frills establishment. It doesn’t serve food and you won’t have to jockey for a position at the dartboard because there’s a woefully insufficient supply of darts.

Better still, you won’t have to worry about impressing patrons with the quality of your wardrobe or the size of your paycheck because the bar is dimly lit. The only number that matters here is how many Modelos you can put back in one sitting.

At 810 S. Spring St. or (323) 787-7966.

14 Downtown News

June 30, 2014

DOWNTOWN AFTER DARK

Big Drinks in Little Tokyo The Small Community Offers A Number of Intriguing Nightspots

By Donna Evans veryone knows Little Tokyo is a hot spot for sushi (see what we did there?). What is less known is the community’s copious list of lounges and bars. Little Tokyo nightspots run the gamut: Some are loud and bright, others are dark and intimate.

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Far Bar: Located in the Chop Suey Building on First Street, Far Bar’s long, narrow alley might make first-timers wonder if they made a wrong turn. Just stay with it, as the elongated entrance spills into an outdoor courtyard, surrounded by brick and illuminated by strung lights. While there are a handful of stools inside the bar, the courtyard is preferable. Happy hour includes deals on wasabi fries and Ming’s Wings.

Added Bonus: City of Los Angeles employees and Metro riders receive 10% off their order if they can prove where they work or that they rode public transportation.

At 347 E. First St., (213) 617-9990 or farbarla.com.

Wolf & Crane: Wolf & Crane, created by Downtown residents Michael Francesconi and Matthew Glaser, opened last year and offers a unique concept based on a Japanese drinking trend: the rise of the highball bar. Wolf & Crane offers 10 such cocktails, which combine liquor and a larger amount of non-alcoholic mixer, often something carbonated. Try the Grey Wolf, with Grey Goose vodka, fresh grapefruit juice

Visitors to the Far Bar have to snake down an alley, but the outdoor courtyard makes it one of Little Tokyo’s best nightspots.

and soda water. Highballs run $6-$10.

Added Bonus: On Wednesday nights, patrons can shed all propriety and participate in Cards Against Humanity, a game in which players strive to complete the most politically incorrect sentence possible.

At 366 E. Second St., (213) 935-8249 or wolfandcranebar.com.

Bar Nirvana: If cutting-edge design is key to your nighttime enjoyment, Bar Nirvana is not the place for you. However, with a spate of live performances, big screen TVs, happy hour deals and a variety of Japanese fare on the menu, this dive bar is a First Street favorite.

Long couches line the wall and every now and then the bar will host a ’90s theme night.

Added Bonus: It’s hard to come here and miss a chance to grip the microphone and belt out Bon Jovi classics under the pink and blue lights.

Yes, Nirvana has karaoke.

At 314 E. First St. or (213) 625-0066.

X Lanes: You are going to X Lanes for its 24 bowling lanes, 100 arcade games and nine billiard tables. However, once you finish that, you need something to eat and drink, and X Lanes, inside the Little Tokyo Galleria, also has a restaurant and a big sports bar. There are 23 beers on tap, everything from Bud Light to Fat Tire to Sapporo, and another couple dozen options in bottles. Behind the bar is a batch of big-screen LED TVs.

photo by Gary Leonard

Added Bonus: If you fear having to instruct one more Millennial where the waistband of his jeans should sit, fear not: A dress code kicks in at 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday: No saggy jeans, no excessively baggy clothes and, please, no soiled clothing. DJs spin on Thursday-Saturday nights.

At 333 S. Alameda St., (213) 229-8910 or xlanesla.com.

Lazy Ox: Creator Michael Cardenas continues to coach his staff in the art of “fine dining and wining,” and oversees the production of Canteen wines in Malibu. Many ingredients are sourced from local growers and there are 10 house-made libations; spiced red wine and pear cider sangria are two favorites. The wine lists boast varietals from Europe and California, and there are 12 bottled and 12 draft beer selections, as well as six types of sake.

Added Bonus: The bar/restaurant is currently offering a diner’s deal: a five-course chef’s din-

ner for two for $59. It is regularly $114.

At 241 S. San Pedro St., (213) 626-5299 or lazyoxcanteen.com.

Izakaya & Bar Fu-ga: In addition to 26 types of sake, Bar Fu-ga on San Pedro Street offers 11 draft beers, 14 bottled brews and a variety of red and white wines, along with seven types of whiskey and six scotches. There is also a medley of specialty cocktails. Sample the Blushing Geisha, made with rum, muddled strawberries, basil, lime and sugar. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner, with traditional Japanese dishes of chicken, seafood and pork.

Added Bonus: Want to host a private event?

Izakaya & Bar Fu-ga has a banquet room that suits larger groups for business meetings or celebrations with friends and family.

At 111 S. San Pedro St., (213) 635-1722 or izakayafu-ga.com donna@downtownnews.com

The Bottles of Bunker Hill The Office Crowd and Culture Seekers Find Plenty of Places to Sip

By Eddie Kim ike the Financial District, Bunker Hill was long considered more a place to work than to play. The community is slowly but surely shedding that reputation as the Downtown renaissance continues. With the Music Center as a cultural anchor, and more overall activity than ever, the number of places to drink at night continues to grow.

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Kendall’s Brasserie: This Music Center French restaurant has long been a pre-show dinner destination for theatergoers, but it’s also a nice place to grab a drink whenever you find yourself roaming Bunker Hill. There’s a cocktail menu full of classic-leaning drinks with quality ingredients. Consider the Grand Avenue Gimlet with vodka, house-made lemon verbena syrup and a splash of lime juice. Kendall’s also offers dozens of scotches, brandies, gins and more.

Drinker’s Choice: Absinthe takes center stage at Kendall’s Brasserie, and they serve the potent licorice-flavored spirit in classic form (with water and sugar) or in cocktails. The “Green Hour” takes place from 3-5 p.m. and 8-10 p.m. daily and features absinthe for $8.

At 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-7322 or patinagroup.com.

Blue Cow Kitchen: The lunchtime favorite is also a great place to sip a drink after work. The indoor and outdoor bars offer a short but sweet list of cocktails, craft beer and wine, and at affordable prices (cocktails are $10, beers cost around $7 and wines go for roughly $10 a glass). The setting is comfortable and attractive, service is friendly, and the atmosphere is vibrant without being too noisy. Be advised: Blue Cow closes at 10 p.m.

Drinker’s Choice: Cocktails on tap is the hot new trend in L.A., and Blue Cow hits the mark with its draft Rum Manhattan, which combines rum, walnut, dark porter beer and orange bitters. Pair one with an order of the baked then fried potatoes.

At 350 S. Grand Ave., (213) 621-2249 or bluecowkitchen.com.

Noé Bar at the Omni Hotel: Sometimes, you just want a serene bar in which to sip a drink in peace. Noé Bar, on the second floor of the Omni Hotel, is that place. It is also the rare Bunker Hill establishment that stays open until 2 a.m. daily. It’s rarely crowded, never noisy and not close to hip, but there are plenty of top-notch cocktails that utilize fine ingredients and classic technique.

Drinker’s Choice: Try the passionfruit gimlet, which features organic gin, passionfruit juice, lime and Bittermen’s Tiki bitters in a bright and lively libation.

At 251 S. Olive St., (213) 617-3300 or omnihotels.com.

First and Hope: First and Hope is a bistro that features contemporary American dishes and a no-frills bar that’s perfect for an early-evening buzz session. The beer list isn’t particularly impressive, but it is affordable, with most brews costing just $5. There’s also a cocktail list with old favorites like the Moscow Mule (vodka and ginger beer) and caipirinhas (cachaça, a type of sugarcane rum, shaken with muddled limes and sugar). First and Hope, just steps from Disney Hall and REDCAT, also holds the Bar Fedora, which often features burlesque and cabaret shows.

Drinker’s Choice: One standout on the cocktail menu is the Vesper, made with vodka, gin, Lillet, orange and Angostura bitters and a hint of quinine powder for bitterness.

At 710 W. First St., (213) 617-8555 or firstandhope.com.

Ebanos Crossing: This bar/lounge arrived last year in a spot at Second and Hill streets that has killed many a restaurant. Ebanos Crossing offers moody chandelier lighting, dark wood and crushed red velvet. The West Hollywood lounge tropes are all here, too: A DJ is usually present on weekends, there is a dress code and bottle service is available. The highlight is the cocktail menu, which is stacked with unique touches, among them bacon-infused whiskey and mole bitters.

Drinker’s Choice: The Doc’s Dram is simple yet sophisticated

photo by Gary Leonard

The Blue Cow Kitchen in the Cal Plaza complex offers indoor and outdoor bars. It also has a rum Manhattan on draft.

in its flavor combination and technique. Fuji apple-infused rye whiskey is melded with apple brandy, maple syrup and a dash of Peychaud bitters, then poured into a glass that’s been rinsed in Laphroaig scotch whisky.

At 200 S. Hill St., (213) 935-8829 or ebanoscrossing.com.

McCormick and Schmick’s: McCormick and Schmick’s was the ultimate Downtown early adopter, opening way before the residential revolution began. It’s a reliable place to suck down a few stiff martinis and snack on a shrimp cocktail, but what really stands out is the happy hour, which extends from 3-10 p.m., Monday-Friday. Well spirits for $4, beers for $5, cocktails for $6?

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Drinker’s Choice: Did we mention those happy hour deals?

At 400 S. Hope St., (213) 629-1929 or mccormickandschmicks.com. eddie@downtownnews.com

June 30, 2014

Downtown News 15

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Marriott Doubles Down in Downtown

Developer Homer Williams and Marriott tower General Manager Erik Palmer in the lobby of the $172 million project that contains separate Courtyard by Marriott and Residence Inn hotels in a single building. Check-ins started in early June.

New Hotel Tower Brings Two Brands and 393 Rooms to L.A. Live

By Eddie Kim espite the development boom underway in Downtown Los Angeles, tourism officials regularly complain that the city suffers from a shortage of hotel rooms. The formal debut this week of a 23-story, 393-room

D

photo by Gary Leonard

The 23-story Marriott tower offers a total of 393 guest rooms and amenities including a pool deck, public workspaces, a lounge and more.

Commercial Office Space for Lease

Marriott hotel tower won’t quell those concerns, but area boosters do see it as a small but significant step toward fulfilling the demand.

A grand opening ceremony will be held on Tuesday, July 1, for a $172 million project that holds both a Courtyard by Marriott hotel and a Residence Inn in a single building. It is the first ground-up hotel project to open in Downtown since the 2010 arrival of the J.W. Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels at L.A. Live.

The dual approach is evident throughout the building at 901 W. Olympic Blvd. (where guests actually started checking in this month). Although the hotels share a lobby, the hallways leading to the guest rooms are visually split in two: The Courtyard half of the floor features a lively orange design theme, while the Residence Inn side holds a purple palette. Each side has distinct lighting fixtures, art, carpet and other touches.

There are 174 Courtyard rooms ranging from about 350-480 square feet. They feature a mix of sleek metal, leather and dark-wood furniture that offers a modern but comfortably subdued feel. The Courtyard brand is directed at business travelers on a relative budget.

The 219 Residence Inn rooms are larger and have much of the same look and feel, but also come with full kitchens, each with a sink, twoburner stove, microwave, refrigerator and utensils. They are primarily marketed to extended-stay travelers in town for conventions and families on vacation.

Marriott has long watched the growth of

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Downtown and L.A. Live, said Eric Jacobs, chief development officer for the company. The success of the 1,001-room Ritz/J.W. Marriott building (Marriott owns the Ritz brand), as well as the area’s demand for hotel rooms oriented toward business and extended-stay travelers, created an attractive opportunity, he said.

“We’re keeping an eye on the future redevelopment of the Convention Center, but even without that, L.A. Live and Staples Center is basically booked year-round,” Jacobs said. “For a long time, there wasn’t a hub of leisure in the area and it was missing activity. That’s not the case anymore.”

In the lobby, a small cafe serves coffee and quick meal options, and also offers beer and wine in the evenings. Next to the cafe are several pod-like workstations with personal TVs. Meeting spaces and a 4,200-square-foot Residence Inn Lounge fill the second floor. An outdoor pool is on the third floor.

The hotel’s exterior, designed

by Portland-based GBD Architects, is utilitarian by day but comes alive at night, when dozens of LED strips lend a Technicolor glow to the building’s white façade. A large LED board also lights up the corner of Olympic Boulevard and Francisco Street.

The hotel is currently negotiating with an operator for a street-level restaurant with 5,200 square feet of interior space and 1,200 square feet of patio space, said General Manager Erik Palmer.

Finding Foreign Funding The project was a joint development of Portland-based Williams and Dame Development and Seattle’s American Life Inc. Homer Williams, co-founder and chairman of Williams and Dame, has a long track record, having revitalized Portland’s Pearl District and created the Evo, Luma and Elleven condominium buildings in South Park. He said the team began planning the Downtown hotel in 2010 and partnered with Continued on page 17

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June 30, 2014

How Sweet It Is Jack’s Candy Company, in Downtown for 80 Years, Moves Into a Huge New Home

By Donna Evans magine the Costco of candy.

That’s a fitting description for Jack’s Wholesale Candy & Toy Co., owned by brothers Minaz and Shafiq Ahamed, which is celebrating a new home in a freshly built, 42,000-square-foot structure in Downtown.

Dwarfed by 20-foot high stacks of sweets, the Ahameds recently were readying the facility at 777 S. Central Ave. in anticipation of a June 5 grand opening.

The largest commercial candy store in Downtown Los Angeles, Jack’s carries some 5,000 items, with a variety of American and Mexican sweets. Shelves brim with bags and boxes of vintage treats such as ring pops and candy cigarettes. There are multicolored communion wafers and mainstream confections including Jawbreakers, M&Ms and Twix bars, as well as goods from the premium chocolate brands Ghirardelli and Lindt. The latter are a recent addition to the inventory, thanks to the new digs’ industrial air conditioner. Certain chocolate companies, the brothers explained, require strict temperature controls for their products.

Although just 200 feet from the original business at 1244 E. Eighth St., which the Ahameds’ father and uncle purchased in 1980, the new headquarters is twice the size. It also brings all of Jack’s operations under one roof, with a sales floor and a distribution facility

I

complete with a loading dock. In opening the new building, the Ahameds closed their Vernon distribution plant. They would not reveal how much they paid for the property, which previously held seven small buildings, or for the construction of the new edifice.

Jack’s was named for Jack Levy, who in the 1930s began pushing a candy cart through the aisles of the produce markets in Downtown.

He moved into a building on Eighth Street and sold candy there for about 30 years. He sold it to another family, who in turn sold it to the Ahameds 34 years ago.

Minaz and Shafiq’s father died and their uncle retired. Today, Minaz is the president and Shafiq serves as vice president. Although there has been no Jack in Jack’s for many decades, the brothers said the longevity of the business in Downtown is a reason not to change the moniker.

The new building is an effort to boost the business. The ceiling is 30 feet high, which allows the Ahameds to stack pallets in a way they couldn’t in their previous one-story buildings.

Construction took seven months, they said, with 95% of all materials, brick and metal, for example, being recycled.

With that kind of history in the Central City, 14th District City Councilman José Huizar was happy to see the business expand.

“Jack’s Wholesale Candy & Toy Store has been

Minaz and Shafiq Ahamed in the new Downtown building for Jack’s Wholesale Candy & Toy Co. Their family bought the business in 1980 and, this month, the brothers opened a 42,000-square-foot headquarters.

photo by Gary Leonard

a Downtown Los Angeles staple for decades, proving that excellent, reliable service mixed with a wide offering of delicious candy is a winning formula that transcends all eras,” he said in an email to Los Angeles Downtown News.

The Price Is Right Although Jack’s is open to the general public for walk-in business, its biggest clients are national retail chains. It also services mom-andpop shops and even mall carts and kiosks. As in Costco, the bulk offerings lower the per-item cost: Fifty Giant Pixy Stix are $13, for example, and a 30-count bag of Rockaleta lollipops (four

layers of chili with a gumball center) costs $6. If purchased individually, prices would usually be about twice what Jack’s charges, Minaz said.

One unlikely group of clients for Jack’s is bar owners. The brothers noted that the proprietors purchase items such as Rock Candy, which they serve with fancy cocktails. The different flavored sugars add a splash of color to the drinks.

“They’ve got to have some reason to charge you $15 for a drink in Hollywood,” joked Shafiq.

Minaz, 36 and Shafiq, 41, grew up in the candy business, and chewed their way though

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Marriott, 15 With more than 5,000 items, Jack’s has virtually every kind of sweet imaginable.

The offerings run from M&Ms to candy cigarettes to Mexican candies.

photo by Gary Leonard

mounds of sweet treats as kids (which explains why they’re not tempted every day by the copious confections surrounding them). Still, Minaz admitted he doesn’t go terribly long without chomping a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup or some Swedish Fish.

Jack’s also twists with the times. Shafiq said a current trend is “candy by color,” with organizers of birthday parties, quinceaneras and graduation parties all opting for a variety of treats in a single hue. Jelly beans, gummy bears, licorice and even foiled milk chocolates are all available by color in Jack’s aisles.

On a recent afternoon, three mothers of students from Colfax Charter Elementary School in Valley Village pushed an overflowing cart between aisles and gasped at the vintage candies, taking them back to their own childhoods.

Crissy Guerrero was tempted to buy the can-

dy cigarettes and cocktail-shaped treats, but thought better of it for the fifth grade graduation party the women were preparing. They decided the candies would be more appropriate at their next adults-only gathering.

Sweets of all colors were heaped into the cart. Nickie Bryar noted the graduation theme was, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go,” so they wanted a variety of candies. The women said they heard about Jack’s from a friend and were thrilled to be able to buy everything, even some party supplies, at one place.

When asked what they thought of the cavernous candy store, Bryar quipped, “I want to live here.”

Jack’s Wholesale Candy & Toy Co., 777 S. Central Ave., (213) 622-9287 or jackscandyandtoy. com. Open Monday-Saturday, 6 a.m.-4 p.m. donna@downtownnews.com

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Marriott after talking with several operators.

“We wanted to do a hotel because Downtown is on fire and it’s a place where we helped light the match,” Williams said. “Then it ended up being obvious to partner with Marriott because they pioneered right across the street and found long-term success.”

As Williams and Dame spearheaded the entitlement process, it took a relatively unusual approach in securing financing. It teamed up with American Life, which specializes in bankrolling developments with money from foreign investors through the federal EB-5 visa program. The program grants green cards to foreign nationals who invest $1 million (or $500,000 in certain areas) into an American commercial project and create at least 10 jobs for American workers.

American Life President Greg Steinhauer said that foreign investment has become critical for larger projects.

“It’s been very difficult to find development financing in recent years, but global investors know that the West Coast is a strong market right now,” Steinhauer said.

“This project had an advantage in that the Marriott brand is a very powerful name, and it’s a lot easier for a foreign investor to understand a hotel in Downtown L.A. than a warehouse project in the middle of Iowa.”

The project also got some help from the city. As with the Ritz/Marriott, the developers of the new building worked out an agree-

Downtown News 17

ment allowing them to keep a portion of the taxes that normally go to the city. The Marriott team will receive a rebate equal to half of the revenue collected from sales, property, parking, business and transient occupancy taxes generated by the hotel in its first 25 years; the package is worth an estimated $67.3 million, according to city documents.

The process has been controversial, with some charging that developers would build the hotels even without the incentives. Others maintain that the money makes deals pencil out. Bruce Baltin, senior vice president of hospitality advisory firm PKF Consulting, said those sorts of efforts are necessary to achieve Los Angeles’ long-term tourism goals.

“The hotel stock is at capacity now, so we’re losing business to other cities with more rooms to support bigger events,” Baltin said. “So far the city has been good about staying pragmatic with incentives, but it needs to continue to find creative ways to support new development, because that’s revenue that otherwise won’t exist.”

If Williams has his way, the Marriott tower will be just the start of his local hotel efforts.

Williams and Dame is working on the entitlements, design and financing of a Renaissance hotel (another Marriott brand) that would rise adjacent the Courtyard/Residence Inn tower. In the past the 450-room project was put at $200 million. Williams said the team hopes to break ground next spring and complete the building in two years. eddie@downtownnews.com

18 Downtown News

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Anime Expo, a Celebration of Japanese Animation, Returns to the Convention Center

Hello Sailor

By Eddie Kim Anime Expo and the SPJA were formed in 1992 by members s soon as the Anime Expo wrapped up last July, Janeth of U.C. Berkeley’s anime club. The inaugural expo took place in Bailey began thinking about the next convention. Spea San Jose hotel and attracted about 1,500 people, according cifically, what would she wear? to Perez. The event moved to Los Angeles in 1994. It has been Bailey, 27, is a devoted fan of anime, or Japanese animation, photos courtesy Anime Expo held at the Convention Center since 2008. and cosplay, short for costume play, in which people elaborately The Anime Expo, which lands at the Convention Center July 3-6, will draw about Anime Expo offers a massive slate of events and activities, dress as their favorite characters and interact with other cosplayNow Playing/Starts June 180,000 people over four20 days. Thousands of attendees will dress as their favorite including the highly anticipated North American debut of the ers. For the uninitiated, seeing a mob of cosplayers feels like a characters from Japanese animation. uncut, re-dubbed English version of “Sailor Moon, ” the anime bizarro acid trip — it’s tough not.Do town stare at all the bright minitownNews com/L.A Facebook.

TV show that broke into the American mainstream in the 1990s. skirts, capes, swords, impeccable makeup and sci-fi wigs. vidual shows mashed up lighter and darker elements with a fluThat, however, is exactly what people in Downtown Los Ange- Several Sailor Moon-related activities, including a panel discusLike News Facebook idity rarely found in American animation at the time. les will see thisDowntown week. The 2014 Animeon Expo lands at the Conven- sion, an autograph session and a cosplay gathering, are taking “Today you see a lot more experimental animation in the U.S.,” place on Saturday.

A similar celebration will occur Friday for the tion Thursday-Sunday, July 3-6. & Be Entered to Win Movie Tickets!

Ingram noted. “But back in the ’80s and ’90s, people fell in love wildly popular revenge-thriller “Kill La Kill,” which debuted in OcBailey has already dropped more than $500 and countless with anime because many shows took the risks and had ambitober. hours researching and crafting the three costumes she will wear tion that American shows were lacking.”

The expo also features concerts, gaming tournaments, an exthis week. Going to such lengths for two of her favorite shows, The Internet also opened up a new audience for anime in hibit hall with vendors, karaoke, stand-up comedy and more. A “Hetalia” and “Soul Eater,” may seem like a hefty investment, but perennial highlight is the Masquerade (Saturday at 8 p.m.), where the U.S., Perez said. No longer was it necessary to know someit’s just another part of Bailey expressing her passion for anime. body who imported Japanese anime and manga or to locate some of the country’s top cosplayers, both amateur and profes“I fell in love with it as a young kid, and I wanted to spend on a Japanese bookstore. There is also a higher degree of cultural sional, strut their stuff on stage and perform choreographed acts this as a serious hobby ever since,” she said. “It feels amazing to crossover, with anime’s influence seen in American films and TV in a bid to win prizes and the award of “Best in Show.” shed your own skin and portray a character you admire or apshows (2013’s Pacific Rim mines the popular “mecha” robot anWhile the fan experience is the focus of the event, industry preciate.” ime genre, for instance). players such as VIZ Media, the largest anime distributor in North More than 180,000 people are expected to attend the 2014 “Japanese culture is growing in the U.S. — you can get sushi America and the company behind the “Sailor Moon” re-launch, Anime Expo, which costs almost $4 million to put on. The event in the Midwest now. Nerd culture is also trending, with shows is the largest of its kind in North America, and tickets range from also flock to Anime Expo. As with conventions such as ComicNow Playing/Starts JuneTheory, 27 ’” Perez said. “Anime and the intense like ‘The Big Bang Con or E3, Anime Expo is a major stage on which to announce or $35 for single-day admission to $70 for all four days. fandom around it is growing in mainstream acceptance because feature products and shows. Companies are keenly aware that TheMO quantity and range of Japanese animation is impresBILE OVIE to 55678* B DTNM Textfrom of factors like those.” the reception from fans can make or break a new arrival, said VIZ sive —CLU everything bloody science fiction to crime to roLike Ingram and Perez, Bailey believes that Japanese animaMedia Senior Manager of Animation Marketing Charlene Ingram. mantic comedies — and each show flaunts its own fervent fan Text DTNMOVIE to is55678 to Join Our Movie Club tion and comics have yet to hit their peak in the U.S., and she is “Anime Expo is by far the biggest and most influential event base. Yet the beauty of Anime Expo in the way that people and Entered Win Movie Tickets!of its kind in North America,” Ingram said. “Everyone in the inexcited to see more people get involved. She advises anyone bond over a shared lovebe for the art form,tosaid Marc Perez, CEO *Carrier msg Promotion & data rates apply.

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4 msgs/month max. tries to bring their A-game. The most hardcore, passionwho sees a gaggle of cosplayers running around Little Tokyo this dustry of the Society for the of Reply Japanese which week not to freak out. ate fans are coming not just from North America but around the stages Anime Expo.

“Try and keep an open mind,” Bailey said. “And if you’re curiworld, and they expect to see the biggest, most dazzling things.”

“Japanese storytelling in anime and manga has so many difous, just dive right in. It’s more fun than you might think.”

The rise of anime in the U.S. in the 1990s stemmed partly ferent arcs and tones. People really connect with those ideas Anime Expo is July 3-6 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, from the dynamic and unfamiliar themes, narratives and feel of and the art deeply,” Perez said. “Fans find a sense of, ‘I belong 1201 S. Figueroa St., (800) 619-7689 or anime-expo.org. the medium’s genres. Anime didn’t cater just to kids — the prohere, these are my people,’ at an event like Anime Expo, and eddie@downtownnews.com grams often had adult plots, violence and sexual themes. Indionce you find your home, it’s hard to leave.”

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Downtown Gets Ready for Pyro-Mania Organizers Preparing for 50,000 People at Grand Park Fourth of July Concert and Fireworks Show

By Donna Evans ow that Grand Park officials know that free events in the 12-acre attraction can draw bigger-than-expected crowds, they have made a key decision. With the park’s second Fourth of July celebration taking place this Friday, they are planning for 25,000 attendees, but preparing for up to 50,000 people.

Park security had to shut the gates this past New Year’s Eve when three times as many people as expected showed up. So, for the country’s birthday bash, park Director Lucas Rivera is widening the boundaries of the event site. The July 4 Block Party will stretch to Temple Street on the north, Second Street on the south, Grand Avenue on the west and Main Street on the east.

Last year’s event brought out 10,000 people, Rivera said, and pyrotechnic professionals set off fireworks from the ground. This year, Ron Smith, vice president of theatrical operations for J.E.M. F/X, Inc., will be firing 2.5- and 3.5-inch aerial shells from the roof of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

The difference, he explained, is like going from a light show at a concert to a professional fireworks display.

“The last time Los Angeles had fireworks this big was in 1995,” Rivera said.

There’s an asterisk to that. Rivera said a fire marshal told him that the 1995 show started a small fire in City Hall. In response, a moratorium was placed on rooftop pyrotechnics displays.

There’s little chance that history will repeat itself. Smith pointed out that his shells do not come down “hot,” and that his company follows the standards of the National Fire Protection Association. In addition to setting wide “fallout zones,” Smith said there will be fire hoses on the roof.

Rivera called the New Year’s Eve shut-out a “blessing in disguise,” because it showed organizers how popular free, organized events can be at Grand Park.

“L.A. really wants a show this big,” he said.

Visitors can bring picnics or purchase fare from onsite food vendors. No alcohol is allowed.

Grand Park will close at 10 p.m. on July 3 and open at 1 p.m. on July 4. The music starts at 4 p.m., and the 16-minute fireworks display will begin at 9 p.m.

At Grand Park, 227 N. Spring St., (213) 972-8080 or grandparkla. org/4thofjuly donna@downtownnews.com

N

KNOW IF YOU GO

The Grand Park Fourth of July Block Party runs from 4-9 p.m. on July 4. The park opens at 1 p.m. Here are other things you need to know: Supplies: Picnics are permitted. Alcohol is not, and neither are drugs, sparklers, grilling gear, candles, large coolers (handheld coolers are allowed), lawn furniture, tents or umbrellas.

Drinks: In case you didn’t get it the first time, no booze is allowed. Water bottles with contents of any kind are not permitted; empty or reusable water bottles will be allowed, and visitors can fill up water bottles at free stations within the event. Juice boxes and cans of soda or sparkling water are allowed.

Getting There: Parking will be a bear. Consider mass transit, such as the Metro Red/Purple lines to Pershing Square Station or Union Station, or the Gold Line to Union Station or the Little Tokyo/Arts District station.

The Civic Center/Grand Park station will be partially closed: The stop inside the park will be shut, but the one at First and Hill will be open. Still, organizers recommend getting off at Pershing Square.

photo courtesy Grand Park

The Grand Park Fourth of July Block party will feature two stages and a 16-minute fireworks show.

Still, that takes plenty of planning. Part of being ready for up to 50,000 people, said Rivera, means providing more than 100 portable toilets and 400 security officers inside, plus LAPD officers outside the perimeter.

This year’s event features two entertainment stages. The Soulnic Stage, on Grand Park’s Performance Lawn between Grand Avenue and Hill Street, will present four bands of the soul-discofunk variety. Alternative rock station Alt 98.7 is booking bands including Semi Precious Weapons, Wildcub and Phantogram on the lawn between Broadway and Spring Street.

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Friday Night Sing-Alongs: Anthems That Rock Music Center Plaza, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-7211 or musiccenter.com.

5:30 p.m.: Adjourn from the chaos at the park below to participate in a free (but ticketed) sing-along to classic arena rock. Don’t hold back.

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

June 30: Maria Neckam Group.

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

June 30, 8:30 p.m.: It’s your last chance to see Until the Ribbon Breaks before their reign of terror at the Bootleg ends.

July 1, 9 p.m.: The great and wise Merrill Garbus co-produced folk singer Chris Pureka’s last album. That’s a good enough endorsement for most.

round rd underg tion a w to d e c turn usic produ ot an ear f you’ve g . eclectic or solid mes Throw Records. .A n hip-hop, L already know Sto acious aquatic u o e sp l, y ts in genera , July 5, at 7 p.m., th Watercourt hos d y a a z g rd la P in tu J an On Sa California . Expect a night of D honcho e th f o e s expan s Throw Picnic s Throw s of Stone efully the Stone ances from the like ), Madlib (and hop d re an rm live perfo er Wolf (shown he oto), DaM-FunK t seatim tt s u a th B u r e a Q Peanut alter ego , but you can wag 0 S. Grand d e c la m e his heliu . Admission is fre commodity. At 35 r re many mo highly sought-afte rformances.org. e a p e d ing will b 687-2159 or gran ) 3 Ave., (21

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photo by Jake Green

ThuRSDay, JuLy 3 Anime Expo Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa St., (800) 619-7689 or anime-expo.org.

12:30 p.m.-2 a.m.: A massive celebration of Japanese animation with concerts, panel discussions, gaming tournaments, an exhibit hall with vendors, karaoke, stand-up comedy and thousands of people dressed in wild costumes. The expo runs through July 6. See story p. 18.

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celrepare to e h ebrate t n ur a birth of o king it c tion by ro icane. r r u h a like ’s right. t a h t Yes, , July 4, On Friday ed to it you’re inv stallin , a special iday r American Music ment of F g-Alongs at the ute to all things to don’t stop d rib Night Sin za. In a loving t ities are requeste aiting patiently la iv w t P Center he 5:30 p.m. fes issued to those acquiring a t e guests at Free tickets will b the line or forcibly n-American un. u g g believin n’t bother cuttin t, because that’s 13) 972-7211 s o e D u ., (2 in line. naware g 135 N. Grand Ave u n a m o ticket fr a politician. At e less you’r nter.org. e ic s or mu c tionwill inten carnal o h w y t li persona d highly mentary begin an illicit an gs Tavern at le p p u s a and Eg in release perhaps e need to in South Park, or o lives above Ham et Food Cinema at h t lt fe r e h e t v r r e w n o t e o e e S t d at ra .( s rtm f you’v your apa -smoking degene cher’s Fight Club uly 5, at 8:30 p.m e of masp u w lo ally b critiqu avid Fin a chain urday, J hip with u’ll love seeing D le screens on Sat ht Club’s visceral o lose. Then s n io t la o re ig Pitt vehic l Hotel, y you aim t ngeles, F ou the Bristo n Park. The Brad Downtown Los A ou picking fights ing Truck mean y y d io in d e u v y it Expos . Filmed heavil merism will ha Oven and the P . m .) u 5:30 p.m d advanced cons such as the Urban etfoodcinema.co n s re a t k s y c culinit scene food tru 068 or 3) 254-5 again, on position Park, (32 x win. At E

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MONDay, JuNE 30 Miguel Arteta at Aloud Central Library, Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7500 or lfla.org.

7:30 p.m.: Filmmaker Miguel Arteta joins senior Sundance programmer John Nein for a look back at the Golden Age of Hollywood. They don’t mean 2008.

son n John

By Da wnnews.com ownto ndar@d

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photo by Gary Leonard

DT

TheON’T D S S I M IST L

CALENDAR LISTINGS

June 30, 2014

photo by Sheldon Chau

20 Downtown News

5

ill be eatre w 14 h T g le t c at c h he Boo ur bag, t .-2 a.m. you can cals and a o y ’t n e r chnics a eated vo od om 5 p.m ial pyrote Four th of July. Fr guitars, reverb-tr l, L.A. Witch, Blo r e a r o m e s e y p li lp z s h a t z e o n u h G on o ff e tio okeout p a ra d e o d driver t he Savag a n to n n a n case w e Warlocks’ Sm ds in a rollicking hlights include T o get a designate -3856 or booth 9 n t hosting T ock and indie ba otropic vibes. Hig are encouraged ly Blvd., (213) 38 r h r s c e e h y v c e s local psy ive quantity of p for God. Attend rugs! At 2200 Be h t d c p r o a d m e u ’t S s he pre don nd kids, d LSD & T Candy an home alive. Oh, a t them ge r.org. e legtheat

I

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

June 30, 2014

Downtown News 21

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

July 2, 9 p.m.: You’ll come to The Burning of Rome’s show for the Nero reference.

You’ll stay for the Michael Stipe sound-alike.

July 3, 9 p.m.: Highland Park standout venue Church on York co-sponsors tonight’s Reigning Sound fiasco with Kevin Morby and The Black Widows on support.

July 4, 5 p.m.: If you do The Warlocks Smokeout all-day psych rock fest right, the only Fourth of July fireworks you need will be in your head… for 12 to 16 hours, depending on the dosage.

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

July 3, 7 p.m.: What little we know about tonight’s AniPiano 2014 event is gleaned from the show’s byline, “Anime Music Revolution.” Tied in to the Anime Expo, natch.

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

June 30, 9 p.m.: Trevor Menear returns with all manner of pleasures to soothe your yearning ears.

July 1, 10 p.m.: The great and wise Bunny West will be killing it before Boom Boom Boom hits the stage.

July 2, 10 p.m.: Crosby Tyler will get his set in before Chicken Karaoke.

July 3, 10 p.m.: Zach & Bridget, friends forever.

July 5, 10 p.m.: The much cherished, highly sought after duke of the blues with Charlie Chan and the SOBs. July 6, 9 p.m.: Honky Tonk Sundays with RT N the 44s.

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

July 3, 10 p.m.: Dubfire.

July 4, 10 p.m.: Joachim Garraud.

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

June 30, 8 p.m.: Americana artist John Fullbright, who may or may not be a scholar, drops his new album.

Grand Park 227 N. Spring St., (213) 972-8080 or grandparkla.org.

July 4, 4 p.m.: In perhaps the most inspired move of their brief tenure in L.A. radio, radio station Alt 98.7 sponsors a free concert in the park featuring the likes of Semi Precious Weapons, Wildcub and Phantogram.

Grand Performances 350 S. Grand Ave., (213) 687-2159 or grandperformances.org.

July 5, 7 p.m.: The kings of L.A. underground hip-hop emerge into the fresh Downtown air for the Stones Throw Picnic.

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

June 30, 10 p.m.: TGIM. July 1, 8 p.m.: Sleazy McQueen.

July 2, 8 p.m.: Actual Disco.

Continued on next page

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©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.

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clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Yoji Cole, Steve Epstein, Catherine Holloway sAlEs AssistANt: Claudia Hernandez

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1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

22 Downtown News Continued from previous page July 3, 8 p.m.: Mathieu Schreyer.

July 4, 10 p.m.: If you’re a’scared of fireworks, hide out downstairs and listen to Jack of All Tracks.

July 5, 8 p.m.: Aaron Castle.

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

June 30: Acoustic Punk Night with Bradley Riot.

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

July 1, 10 p.m.: The Makers are proud to be Americans, cause at least they know they’re free. Or do they?

LAST WEEKS ANSWERS

CROSSWORD

July 2, 10 p.m.: Celebrate this nation’s birth by imbibing the sonic wonder of this land’s original music form with Rick Taub’s Midnight Blues Review.

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

June 30: Qui, Lozen and Mustard Gas and Roses.

July 3: Hollows, Franky Flowers and Party Time.

July 5: Destruye Y Huye, Angustia, Sunny War, Las Sanfronas Y El Cabron and The Potential Lunatics.

July 6: Whitman, Roar, Human Behavior and Bouquet.

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

July 4-July 10: If you dig mountaineering or humble men dressed in gabardine, you’ll love Beyond the Edge 3D, the story of Edmund Hillary’s first summit of Everest.

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

Island of Lemurs: Madagascar 3D is the sort of ecological study that will make the sober trip out.

Like the movie Twister but real, Forces of Nature promises a panoply of nature’s worst destruction.

Flight of the Butterflies is visually stunning.

Experience the gripping story full of hope, crushing disappointment and triumph in Hubble 3D. Pershing Square 532 S. Olive St., (213) 847-4970 or laparks.org/ pershingsquare.

Pershing Square’s Friday Night Flicks is taking a break for the Fourth of July. Come back next week for My Cousin Vinny.

Regal Cinemas 1000 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 763-6070 or lalive.com/ movies.

Through July 3: Tammy (8 and 10:30 p.m.); Transformers: Age of Extinction 3D (11 and 11:50 a.m., 1, 2:50, 3:30, 4:40, 6:40, 7:20, 8:40, 10:30 and 11:10 p.m.); Transformers: Age of Extinction (2:10, 6 and 9:50 p.m.); Jersey Boys (12:50, 4, 7:30 and 10:50 p.m.); Think Like a Man Too (11 and 11:40 a.m., 1:40, 2:30, 4:20, 5:10, 7:10, 7:50, 10 and 10:40 p.m.); 22 Jump Street (11:30 a.m., 1:10, 2:10, 3:50, 4:50, 7, 7:40, 9:40 and 10:20 p.m.); How to Train Your Dragon 2 (1:50, 6:50 and 9:30 p.m.); How to Train Your Dragon 2 3D (11:20 a.m. and 4:20 p.m.); Edge of Tomorrow (2:40 and 8:10 p.m.); Edge of Tomorrow 3D (12, 5:20 and 11 p.m.); Maleficent (1:20, 3:40, 6:30 and 9:10 p.m.); X-Men: Days of Future Past (12:20, 3:20, 6:20 and 9:20 p.m.).

Street Food Cinema Exposition Park, (323) 254-5068 or streetfoodcinema.com.

July 5, 7 p.m.: When you’re promoting an outdoor film screening, the first rule of Fight Club is tell everyone about Fight Club.

THEATER, OPERA & DANCE Bob Baker’s Fun With Strings Bob Baker Marionette Theater, 1345 W. First St., (213) 2509995 or bobbakermarionettes.com.

July 1-4, 10:30 a.m. and July 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.

The Last Confession Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or

June 30, 2014 centertheatregroup.org.

July 1-4, 8 p.m., July 5, 2 and 8 p.m. and July 6, 1 p.m.: Contrition, guilt and power-jockeying at the highest levels of ecclesiastic power collide in this tale of a papal murder.

Through July 6.

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

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

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.

2

EASY WAYS TO SUBMIT YOUR

EVENT INFO

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 to publication date to be considered for print.

June 30, 2014

DT

CLASSIFIEDS

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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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delivery Organic groceries & produce bike delivery now operational in DTLA. KALECART has members all across dtla who have subscribed to receive the freshest, locally-farmed, organic groceries. Ask about a trial membership ($3.50) to check it our for yourself. www.kalecart.com (213) 448-0410

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Civil Service / Postal Clerks No Experience. Job Security. $20-75 an hour and Benefits CALL NOw! (855) 631-0850

Visit us online

724 S. Spring St. Downtown Los Angeles

http://issuu.com/ladtn

U.S. GOVT JOBS NOW HIRING

Wanted: Outbound Account Manager at FinditParts. Make outbound calls to customers or prospects to grow relationships and increase sales 888.312.8812

dtlamotors.com

misc. services PET OR PERSON PORTRAITS Drawn or painted by almost famous artist. $15+. Call Jane 323-221-0175

cUstomer service

general

Nearly Every Make & Model

downtownnews.com

EMPLOYMENT

TheLoftExpertGroup.com

Bill Cooper 213.598.7555

TheLoftExpertGroup.com BRE #01309009

DRE # 01309009

Voted BEST Downtown Residential Real Estate Agent!

Fully furnished with TV, telephone, microwave, refrigerator.

Full bathroom.

Excellent location.

Downtown LA. Weekly maid service.

Monthly from $795 utilities paid.

(213) 627-1151

Thomas E. Rounds Attorney at Law 825 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 109, Santa Monica, CA 90401

(424) 234-6381

trounds4esq@gmail.com lawofficeofthomaserounds.com.

5B#268274

For Sale

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Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Los Ranchos

Seven Acres

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

• Beautiful view of Sandia mountains • Great for large homes • Alfafa field with irrigation

• 5 minutes from shopping • 9 miles from downtown Albuquerque • 8817 4th Street, NW

For appointment call Alex Sanchez 505.898.3934 or cell 505.362.6488 One of the few remaining property of this size in the North Valley

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

24 Downtown News

June 30, 2014

FRIDAYS

JULY 11 AND 25 AUGUST 1, 15 AND 29 5-9 PM Awaken your senses at the brand new Summer Nights in the Garden at the Natural History Museum with great music, garden-inspired cocktails, hands-on garden and science projects, botanical tours, food trucks and more.

FREE ADMISSION. ADVANCED RESERVATIONS REQUIRED.

RSVP AT NHM.ORG/SUMMERNIGHTS OR 213.763.DINO

MEDIA SPONSORS:

NHM.ORG

Discover what Nature Gardens activities we have going on in the daytime too at nhm.org/nature