Another Huge Housing Project | 6 Dogs Take Over the Cathedral | 11
JULY 7, 2014 I VOL. 43 I #27
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AROUND TOWN
Staircase and Viewing Deck In New Sixth Street Bridge
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he City Bureau of Engineering has completed planning for the replacement of the Sixth Street Viaduct, and officials last week outlined new details for the $400 million endeavor. The department worked with a design team led by HNTB, architect Michael Maltzan and others to refine the design known as the “Ribbon of Arches.” Officials said the arches will stand 60 feet high and 10 feet wide across the bridge. Two of the arches will have stairs and a bridge deck will provide a sweeping view of the city. The existing bridge, which stretches between Downtown and Boyle Heights, has been compromised by a chemical condition that has weakened its concrete. The replacement will offer improved pedestrian access, with 10-foot wide walkways as well as bike lanes. Officials also announced that artist Glenn Kaino has been selected to create the viaduct’s public art component. Construction is slated to begin late this year, with work expected to be complete in 2018.
Hotel Clark Gets Approvals, But Opposition Remains
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pair of Downtown Los Angeles hotels are almost ready to open, but whether they
TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS actually will welcome guests any time soon remains a question. New York-based landlord and developer the Chetrit Group has received a certificate of occupancy and is ready to debut the 347-room Hotel Clark at 426 S. Hill St., said project representative Elizabeth Peterson. Additionally, the Trinity Auditorium at 849 S. Grand Ave. is almost ready to receive its certificate of occupancy, she said. That, however, doesn’t mean the Downtown hotel roster will soon expand. Both buildings have stood empty for years — despite completing renovations — because of legal challenges filed by the union Unite HERE Local 11, which represents workers in the service industry. Reports in the past said Chetrit would partner with a New York hotel firm on the Hotel Clark, and indications have been that both hotels would open as non-union establishments. Unite HERE’s most recent appeals, based on the hotels’ environmental impact reports, will be heard by the Central Area Planning Commission in September.
Huge Arts District Project To Open in September
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n just over two months, the Arts District is going to get a lot more crowded. That’s because representatives of the massive One Santa Fe have announced that the first move-ins at the $160 million mega-development will start in early September. The initial phase of the project will bring 136 apartments to the Michael Maltzan-designed complex across from the Southern California Institute of Architecture. The six-story One Santa Fe will ultimately include 438
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July 7, 2014
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Lease Signing for One Santa Fe ($1 / Year) Arts District Center for the Arts July 1, 2014
rental units, and a leasing office has opened at 255 S. Santa Fe Ave. (it is open weekdays from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m.-6 p.m.). Representatives also revealed that the Manhattan Beach-based Grow Market will anchor the Yards, the project’s 78,000-square-foot collection of 25 retail and restaurant spaces. Other coming arrivals include cold treats purveyor Van Leeuwen Ice Cream and skin care and hair products store Malin + Goetz. The developers are McGregor Brown, Cowley Real Estate Partners, Polis Builders and Canyon Capital Realty Advisors. Additional information is at osfla.com.
Compromise Reached in Metro Stop Name Battle
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ast month, the Orthopaedic Institute for Children and Los Angeles Trade-Technical College were locked in a battle over which institution would get its name affixed to an Expo Line stop at 23rd Street. Now, the tiff has been resolved, and everyone wins: The new stop will be called LATTC/Ortho Institute. The debate also involved a second stop, a Blue Line station dubbed Grand Avenue. That too will get a new moniker, as Metropolitan Transportation AuthorContinued on page 20
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July 7, 2014
Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis
New Hotels and City Tax Givebacks
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ourism and Downtown leaders last week celebrated the grand opening of the $172 million Marriott Tower. This makes sense, as the two hotels in a single building at L.A. Live will help fill niches in the local hospitality scene. The 174-room Courtyard by Marriott is marketed at business travelers who want to spend less than they would at the five-star Ritz-Carlton or the four-star J.W. Marriott, which are across the street (again, in a single building). The 219 Residence Inn rooms pitched to extended-stay travelers (think employees in town for a multi-day convention) or families also serve a population that is not being widely met. We hope this is the start of a new push in local hotel construction, as Downtown, and all of Los Angeles, needs more rooms to be able to better compete with regional convention behemoths San Diego and Anaheim. However, this desire to build hotel rooms should not prompt city officials to give unnecessary financial incentives to any and all hotel developers. We need to see stringent standards before deals are made. Transparency is also a must. Tax givebacks seem to have become de rigueur for hotel projects in recent years. The Ritz/J.W. Marriott developers worked out a deal with the city that, simplified, will allow them to keep approximately $270 million in room tax revenue over the next quarter century. This money would normally go to the city’s general fund. The new Marriott also received a tax break, this one estimated to amount to $67.3 million over 25 years. Last week, the City Council approved yet another giveback, one worth $39 million to the developer of a future hotel in the Metropolis project in South Park. We urge the city to look skeptically at any future hotel developers who are seeking similar deals for their projects. We are not saying that incentives should never be given, but we also don’t want upcoming projects to get a green light just because past hotels did. Los Angeles starts each fiscal year with a structural deficit of approximately $200 million, and more revenue is required. If a new hotel is to get a tax break, then there needs to be unequivocal and transparent proof that a) the city will benefit significantly, and b) the hotel truly cannot move forward without the incentive. What can’t happen is a tax break to developers who would build a hotel no matter what, but who think they can finagle extra money out of L.A. by playing hardball. We worry that some of the developers, with their teams of adept negotiators, will out-maneuver City Council members who may care more about their legacy and donations for future campaigns. Are tax givebacks necessary to spur hotel construction? Sometimes, yes. We’re open to that possibility in the future, but it all boils down to two words: prove it.
Downtown’s Future Is on the Fringe
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ake a drive or a stroll through the heart of Downtown and you’ll see construction happening everywhere. As Los Angeles Downtown News has reported, the projects run the gamut. There is the 75-story replacement for the Wilshire Grand Hotel at Seventh and Figueroa streets and a clutch of seven-story housing developments planned along Olympic Boulevard in South Park. Both market-rate and low-income residential projects are proceeding in the Historic Core, and some huge governmental buildings, including a $400 million federal courthouse, are underway in the Civic Center. These and other projects are changing the composition of Downtown Los Angeles. The heart of the community is becoming more densely developed. The roster of nightlife and entertainment options is expanding. New work spaces, and in particular a surge in creative office space, means more area residents will be able to walk or bike to their jobs. In five years Downtown will be much fuller and even more active. That said, the work happening in the heart of the community is only the start. If you understand the arc and scope of development, and can take a bird’s eye view of the proceedings, then it becomes clear that Downtown’s future expansion lies in what today might be called the fringe. The communities of City West and Chinatown are beginning to see new investment, and it stands to reason that activity will pick up there quickly, particularly on the residential front. It is the same situation on the eastern edge of the Arts District, including along the Los Angeles River. It may take longer for a shift in the areas south and east of South Park and the Financial District, but again, the seeds have been planted. This activity is simultaneously exciting and worrisome. The bright side is that more projects will mean more people, more businesses, more jobs and more nightlife. Yet, this shift requires preparation, and demands that planners and power players recognize where things are going. No doubt that savvy local leaders glimpse the early developments and are paying attention, knowing that others will follow. Far-sighted planners are factoring in the coming demands in Downtown for water, electricity and sewage system capacity. Transportation officials will also need to expand the work done to date to make the area increasingly navigable for bicyclists and pedestrians. Focusing on the fringe may sound pie in the sky to some, espe-
cially when the Central City contains some lingering slow zones. Still, the jobs-housing imbalance in Downtown is the greatest argument for the boom in all its forms to continue. More and more people want to ditch the car and live near where they work. History shows that pioneer projects can stand lonely for a time, only to emerge in the center of a thriving community. Just consider the initial housing projects in the Historic Core or South Park. Though developers there seemed like mavericks 10 or 15 years ago, now they appear prescient. The pioneer projects are starting to pop up in all directions. Consider: West: Housing has been trickling onto a stretch of Wilshire Boulevard just west of the 110 Freeway for years, and developer Holland Partner Group just broke ground on a 648-apartment project. Expect this to be a tipping point, and to create the residential base that attracts restaurants, bars and even more housing. If you make it easy for people to live here and walk to their jobs, they will. East: Investors are already swarming the Arts District, and the frantic pace will only increase. The soon-to-open One Santa Fe, with 438 apartments, is a residential beachhead. The $1 billion effort to revitalize the Los Angeles River, mainly north of Downtown, will bleed into the communities on its banks. Metro has discussed building light rail stations in the community. The pieces for the next surge are in place. North: Chinatown is being remade. The 280-unit Jia Apartments opened in the spring and the ongoing Blossom Plaza project will make it easy to walk from the Gold Line station to the heart of the community. Developers are already sniffing around old buildings, some parcels have changed hands and a new mega-project, College Station, was recently proposed. Concerns about the community’s heritage and unique look will prevent any full-scale change, but as Little Tokyo saw a wave of investment, so will Chinatown. South: The first phase of the City Market project in the Produce District could open next year, and plans were recently unveiled for housing near the L.A. Mart. This area sprawls and a transformation here will take longer than in other neighborhoods, but relatively cheap land will draw speculators. These changes won’t happen tomorrow, and some may not materialize for a decade or more, but they will occur. The smart money plans for growth on the fringe.
July 7, 2014
The Readers Speak Out Website Comments on Pot Clinics, Metro Station Names, Little Tokyo’s Fortress Mall and More Regarding the article “How Downtown Came to Be Weedtown,” by Eddie Kim, pub lished June 9, and the editorial “Time to Get a Handle on Downtown Pot Clinics,” pub lished June 16
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he reason why there are 30 dispensaries in Downtown is the same reason there are myriad dog parlors in Downtown: The customer base is there to support it. You can force it underground but you’ll never eradicate it, because it’s what the people want. So how long is it going to take to admit what’s going on in Colorado is tenable, viable and lucrative? Legalize, regulate and tax. It’s just that simple. —Conco Jones, June 9, 7:47 p.m.
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Downtown News 5
OPINION
f marijuana is medicinal, why not put it in a bottle and sell it properly in a pharmacy? Duh. —J. Atkins, June 19, 12:05 p.m.
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hat medical marijuana lacks is representative lobbying like any other business sector in Southern California. Unfortunately, the business has not reached the status where its interests can be coordinated, with energy and money focusing on influence-making politicians, something that would change the status quo very quickly. —Michael Bayham, June 19, 1:05 p.m. Regarding the article “Rickey ‘the Pirate’
Dies,” by Donna Evans, published online June 18
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knew Rickey “the Pirate” Taylor before he became a “pirate.” He was always careful of my interests and condition, offering kind assistance, from intervention to humor to direction, asking only for the same in return. He had become homeless, like myself, by a stretch of misfortune, and in our encounters we always inspired smiles and enlightenment in one another. —Julian Steptoe, June 18, 1:33 p.m.
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live on Spring Street and always enjoyed my interactions with Rickey throughout the years. Although I never got to sit and connect with him on a deep level, lately our “Hey’s” turned into gentlemanly smiles and, “How are you, sir?” etc. You could tell he had a gentle, kind spirit. —Ryan Matteson, June 19, 11:06 a.m. Regarding the editorial “Metro Station Nam ing Rights Fight Has a Simple Solution,” about a dispute between L.A. Trade Tech and Ortho paedic Hospital over the 23rd Street and Grand Avenue stations, published June 9
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rade Tech is an amazing resource, but if a student cannot figure out which rail station to disembark from in order to access the
campus, I have serious doubts about his or her ability to do much else in their educational pursuits. Having both names on both stations will create way more confusion. “Where are you? I’m at the Metro Trade Tech stop.” “So am I! Wait? Are you at the Blue Line Trade Tech stop or the Expo Line Trade Tech stop?” The Expo Line stop should be named for the hospital, and the Blue Line station should be named for Trade Tech. —David Carson, June 11, 12:10 p.m. Regarding the article “$61 Million Develop ment Planned for Arts District,” by Donna Evans, published June 16
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y wife and I moved into the Arts District in December for what the district is. If we wanted to live next to The Grove we would have bought in Hancock Park. Don’t ruin what the Arts District is because you think we want a mall. —J. Sabo, June 19, 12:28 p.m. Regarding the article “FortressLike Little Tokyo Mall to Get Major Upgrades,” by Eddie Kim, published June 16
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he article states that “area residents and workers have complained about the exterior of the hulking gray structure.” The only complaints from this resident (living directly across the street) have been that a) The mall owners don’t provide adequate security to prevent tagging or report it for abatement in a timely manner (it is often neglected for three weeks or longer), and b) the greater annoyance: a lack of proper action on the part of security to reduce the noise level of patrons who congregate outside the Third Street entrance and carry on
boisterous conversations during late night/ early morning hours. This is a problem several nights each week. Now, in addition to the noise, residents on Third Street have no choice but to be subjected to “a decorative glow at night” (i.e., light pollution) streaming directly into the windows of kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms. The rendering of the night view of “improvements” is very telling in that it depicts an empty lot in place of the residential building that has stood across the street since 1985. It’s as if the Little Tokyo Galleria is the only neighbor in the ’hood. —Hardy Canyard, June 16, 2:25 p.m. Regarding the article “Metro Reveals More Union Station Makeover Plans,” by Eddie Kim, published online June 6
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’m saddened somewhat to see the Patsaouras Bus Facility go. I’ve always felt it never met its full potential and was one of the best examples of public art and architecture of the time. It balanced whimsy and design nicely, albeit with a slightly heavy hand, but all of SoCal’s public art and architecture of the same time period was like that. This was the “primest” example of the trend. —Marc Caldwell, June 6, 6:26 p.m. Regarding the article “Downtown Develop ment,” a rundown of 87 Downtown projects, published May 19
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would love to understand why all of the new residential projects are rentals rather than condos. —Stephen Semel, May 21 8:09 a.m.
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New $200 Million Housing Project Starts in City West Veteran Developer Begins Construction on 648-Apartment Project By Eddie Kim hen it comes to residential development in Downtown Los Angeles these days, most people think of South Park or the Arts District. Others point to the southern portion of the Financial District, where the projects underway include Carmel Partners’ 700-unit rental complex that will include a Whole Foods. Thus, many would be surprised to learn that Downtown’s second-largest residential effort, in terms of number of units, is elsewhere. Vancouver-based Holland Partner Group recently broke ground on a 648-apartment project in City West, the neighborhood just across the 110 Freeway from the Financial District. Holland Partner, which previously built two City West projects (one has since been sold), last month started work on a development that will deliver two new seven-story structures and renovate a 1920s medical office building on a fouracre site on Sixth Street between Lucas Avenue and Bixel Street. The new buildings will have 606 units and the medical building will hold 42. The project, dubbed Sixth and Bixel, will contain 25,000 square foot of retail and commercial space, much of it fronting Sixth Street. The project’s cost is more than $200 million, according to Tom Warren, head of Holland Partner Group’s Southern California developments. Warren hopes to open the converted office building by mid-2015. The new structure near
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Bixel Street is slated to arrive in summer 2016, with the final component coming online by the end of 2016, he said. “We’re excited to be bringing all these residences to the City West neighborhood. It has the potential to become one of the strongest residential neighborhoods for Downtown,” Warren said. “The project provides an opportunity for people to live close to the energy of Downtown without being in the middle of the action, if you will.” Renderings by architecture firm Togawa Smith Martin show features that are now ubiquitous in Downtown mid-rise residential buildings: clean, neutral-colored structures accented with geometric facade articulations around windows, a scattering of balconies and bright pops of red and yellow paint. The complex will offer studio to three-bedroom apartments ranging from about 500 to 1,300 square feet. Rents are expected to start around $1,500 and go to slightly under $4,000, according to Warren. There will also be 27 units set aside as affordable housing. While previous City West planning regulations required developers to dedicate 15% of a project’s units as affordable housing, California Supreme Court rulings have nullified that requirement. Sixth and Bixel will include the 27 low-income units in exchange for a state development density bonus, Warren said. Sixth and Bixel will have rooftop decks, a
July 7, 2014
large fitness center and a pool. Warren also talked up the project’s open space, noting that at least 300 trees will be planted on the site and there will be several private courtyards. The project will also have a large public plaza and paseo that extends off Sixth Street between the two new buildings. “It should be a lively plaza with opportunities for outdoor dining,” said Jim Dixon, a principal at Togawa Smith Martin. “We want it to be vibrant, with plenty of people coming and going.” rendering courtesy Togawa Smith Martin Inc. Holland Partner Group purchased Holland Partner Group’s 648-apartment complex will have two new structures and a renovation of a 1920s medical office building. A public the land from Good Samaritan Hosplaza will extend off Sixth Street. pital in 2007 for a reported $45 million and set about demolishing several old structures, including a nership with Central City Development Group nurses’ dormitory. The medical office to create 376 apartments at 1027 Wilshire Blvd. building was chosen for renovation because Developer Sonny Astani is working on a 210of its large windows and smaller floor layout unit rental effort, the Valencia, at 1501-1521 W. (“It’s perfect for designing smaller units,” WarWilshire Blvd. ren said), and it gives the overall development Hamid Behdad, president of Central City more diversity. Development Group, said City West has some “This project is really trying to be very condistinct advantages compared to other Downtextual in terms of having smaller and larger town districts. pieces,” Dixon said. “We didn’t want to make a “It’s a little bit away from the craziness of fortress-like project with one big building. We South Park and the Financial District, and prices want it to look like it was built over time inare still relatively reasonable,” Behdad noted. “A stead of as one monolithic project.” big thing is the geography. The neighborhood Holland Partner Group opened the GLO is elevated so projects have naturally better apartments on Wilshire Boulevard in 2007 views, especially if you build a bit higher.” (it sold the complex in 2011) and the 1111 Behdad called City West a “sleeping giant,” Wilshire building last year. It is not the only desaying it has untapped potential that other developer staking a claim in the neighborhood. velopers are only now starting to notice. Amidi Real Estate Group, which created the eddie@downtownnews.com 1010 Wilshire residential building, is in a part-
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And the Winner Is… Us Downtown News Earns Press Club and CNPA Prizes
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gest showings ever, with big prizes in both the Press Club competition and the statewide journalism contest held by the California Newspapers Publishers Association. One story, Donna Evans’ “The Most Interesting Man in the Phil” (1), captured prizes in both contests. The story, about 26-year-old L.A. Phil-
ike Oscar season, the journalism awards season lasts way too long. Fortunately, it came to an end with the Los Angeles Press Club’s Southern California Journalism Awards, which were handed out on June 29 in Downtown. Even better, Los Angeles Downtown News this year recorded one of its stron-
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The Biltmore Turns 90 | 11 A South African Celebration | 17
harmonic violinist Vijay Gupta, who has a side project that performs classical music for homeless individuals on Skid Row, won first place for Feature Story in the CNPAs, competing against weeklies throughout the state with a circulation of 25,000 or larger. It also captured two Press Club prizes: for Personality Profile in a newspaper with a circulation under 50,000, and Best Entertainment News or Feature. Another double winner was editorial cartoonist Doug Davis. His work “Be Impressed, People,” about mayoral contender Wendy Greuel’s ultimately failed effort to woo voters with a string of big-name endorsements (2), received first place prizes from the CNPA and the Press Club. Downtown News also garnered first place CNPA awards in Business News for Ryan Vaillan-
court’s exploration of Anschutz Entertainment Group’s local holdings in “Downtown’s $4.4 Billion Company,” and for Arts & Entertainment coverage, for a package of fall issues. Additionally, Downtown News scored second place CNPA awards for Jon Regardie and Sue Laris’ Editorial Comment “Fencing Fourth and Hill and Angels Knoll Was a Dumb Decision,” for Gary Leonard’s photo essay “In the Presence of Angels” (3), and for Best Page Layout and Design, by the team of Brian Allison, Yumi Kanegawa and Alexis Rawlins. The latter team also won second place honors in the Press Club’s Design category. Another second place prize went to Donna Evans in News Feature (Under 1,000 Words) for the story “For Downtown Jaywalkers, a Lump of Christmas Coal.”
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SEPTEMBER 30, 2013 I VOL. 42 I #39
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THE MOST INTERESTING MAN IN THE PHIL Vijay Gupta, 26, Takes Classical Music Out of the Concert Hall and Into Jails and Skid Row
Photo by Gary Leonard
SEE STORY PAGE 8
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At First and Broadway, the Pit, the Past and the Park Future Recreation Site Yields Dirty Water, Toxic Mold and Failed Development Dreams
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hazards needed to be addressed. Beneath the lobby’s long-worn mosaic tile work lay a dank basement with asbestos in the pipe insulation and vinyl floor tiling, according to a site assessment conducted by the state Department of General Services. Some surfaces had been treated with toxic lead paint, and toxic mold had appeared. The underground parking structure, meanphoto by Gary Leonard while, was more than Construction workers are demolishing the site of a 1931 state office building at the northeast just dank — it had flood- corner of First Street and Broadway. It is the future home of a $10 million city park. ed, and crews discovered a knee-high pool ager with National Demolition Contractors. that was found to be a bacteriological hazard. Once Grand Plans The city spent an estimated $90,000 to pump Taggers were not the only ones who wiggled out the standing water and treat it, according behind the fencing over the years. The tresto city documents. passing became so bad the state in the past Contractors began breaking up the concrete and steel of the building’s basement and lobby. hired security guards to keep people out, said city Bureau of Engineering Project Manager With that portion of the project now complete, Paul Tseng. the demolition team is working on the parking The state tried to activate the site several structure. There crews discovered a lost world times but failed. The closest attempt came in of spray-paint scribbles and stenciled art. 1986, when the city, county and state entered “Every wall was totally covered in layers of into an agreement to build an office develgraffiti. There was not a bare wall in sight in opment led by Raffi Cohen and dubbed Civic that structure,” said Fred Gifford, a project man-
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By Eddie Kim he earthquake hit before dawn on Feb. 9, 1971, and Southern California shuddered awake to the cacophonous sounds of shattering glass, buckling asphalt and masonry plummeting to the sidewalk. Countless buildings in Downtown Los Angeles were damaged in the Sylmar Earthquake, which registered a 6.6 on the Richter scale and emanated from the northern foothills of the San Fernando Valley. Many structures needed costly renovations. Others were demolished. A 13-story state office building on the northeast corner of First Street and Broadway in Downtown was red-tagged after the quake, and though it eluded its fate for several years, the building was finally demolished in 1976. For unknown reasons, however, only the aboveground portions were razed. The lobby floor, basement and two-level underground parking garage of the 1931 building remained, becoming a destination for, at one time or another, homeless individuals, skateboarders, graffiti vandals and feral cats. As has been widely reported, the eyesore site will become a public park. The City of Los Angeles purchased the land from the state in 2013, and contractors began demolition in late April. An opening date and final design for the $10 million park have not been determined. However, a glimpse into the past has been revealed as crews work on the site. Even before demolition commenced, health
Center Plaza. The plans never came to fruition in part because of the recession of the early 1990s. The agreement was finally terminated in 1997, according to city documents. “I would guess that, without clear plans, the state just left the site alone because demolishing below ground is particularly expensive and time-consuming,” said Mahmood Karimzadeh, principal architect with the city Bureau of Engineering and Department of Public Works. Giant excavators are now tearing out the concrete and steel pillars and walls of the garage. One portion of the 83-year-old parking structure will remain after the park is complete, however: the perimeter wall. It needs to stand because the parking structure extends out under First Street and the adjacent sidewalk, Tseng said. “It’s not uncommon in Downtown to see a street widened over an underground structure,” he said. “We’re going to use a combination of dirt to fill in and permanently support the wall and use a concrete slurry as a cap on top.” That will be part of a process in which the entire lot is filled with a mixture of dirt and aggregate materials. Much of the filler is coming from the state building itself. Boulders of demolished concrete are being dumped into a massive, churning crusher that busts it into small chunks, which is combined with dirt to create a stable mixture for the foundation. “It’s kind of full circle,” Gifford said. “The old building is going to be here forever, in a sense.” From that point, the property will have to endure one more hiatus — this time for an estimated 18 months — as the city embarks on community outreach and the design process for the park. eddie@downtownnews.com
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The highlights of the Pershing Square summer music calendar are the Saturday night shows featuring touring acts. Upcoming performers include (clockwise from upper left) Dead Sara, playing July 19, Survivor, appearing Aug. 2, Dread Zeppelin on Aug. 16, ska act the English Beat on Aug. 9 and The Orchestra, with former ELO members, this Saturday.
Rocking Out in Pershing Square Park’s Summer Concert Series Begins, With Four Free Shows Every Week By Donna Evans ree summer concerts at Pershing Square have been attracting audiences to the park for years. Senior Recreation Director Louise Capone said she has seen some big crowds over that time, including the 7,000 screaming fans who showed up last August for punk legends X. While matching the X factor in the coming months may prove impossible, Capone and her team are out to try. The park kicks off its summer music schedule on Wednesday, July 9, and for the next six weeks there will be four concerts every week, along with a Friday night film (the movies continue through the fall). “It’s six weeks of free entertainment five days a week and a splendid time is guaranteed for all,” Capone said. The Wednesday shows are directed at the office crowd, and feature a mix of styles including world beat, jazz, blues and country. All concerts run from 12-1:30 p.m. Appearing this week is Greaseland, a blues/soul/rockabilly act. On July 16, Chris Laterzo will strum some alt-country/American cowboy rock, and the fittingly named ’80s cover band Star 80’s will appear on Aug. 6. The shows coincide with the park’s weekly farmers market. Tribute Thursdays get started July 10 with Inxs-ive, playing the hits from the Australian band. Shows are 8-11 p.m. Also on the lineup is Aeromyth, which will rock this way on July 17. Friday Night Flicks take place, naturally, every Friday at 8 p.m., and park staff have dubbed July “Wise Guy Month,” with films including My Cousin Vinny this week and Married to the Mob on July 25. Saturdays bring the big-name throwback acts (more on those below) and Salsa Sundays start July 13. The 5-7 p.m. performances will provide a taste of Latin American music. Salsa Caliente
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plays this week, and Sitarason has two appearances, on July 27 and Aug. 10. S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night While the overall lineup brings in a bevy of Downtown residents and workers, for years the biggest crowds have been showing up on Saturday nights, when the park books touring acts, many of which hit the pop charts in the past. In that regard, Capone looks for a variety of groups and genres, including classic rock and alternative acts, local bands and British pop stars. “We have such a diverse age range here in Downtown that it’s good to get a mix: new music, guitar rock, ’80s and alternative,” Capone said. While she tries not to play favorites, Capone acknowledged that one of the nights she is most looking forward to is Aug. 2, when Survivor (yes, the “Eye of the Tiger” band) shares a bill with Lou Gramm, the original lead singer of Foreigner and co-writer of many of the group’s hits. Gramm is touring and playing Foreigner tracks including “Feels Like the First Time,” “Cold as Ice,” “Double Vision” and “I Want to Know What Love Is.” While Capone finds Gramm’s music very “soulful,” she said she was most impressed by his comeback from a brain tumor and drug and alcohol addiction. In a phone interview last week, Gramm said he is “thrilled” to be playing the Downtown Los Angeles park, as smaller, intimate venues have a unique charm. “I think in close quarters you can have a rapport with people almost immediately. They’re close enough to see your expressions and know that you’re feeling the song right down to your soul. In a stadium, if they see you move your arms up and down, you’re lucky,” he said.
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Attendees can expect to sing along with Gramm’s set list, he said, adding, “I’m pretty sure they’ll know the songs we’ll play.” The Saturday series starts July 12 with The Orchestra, featuring former members of Electric Light Orchestra and ELO II. The British rock band’s huge hits in the 1970s and ’80s included “Can’t Get It Out of My Head” and “Telephone Line.” Capone said she is also excited about the July 19 show, which will be headlined by Dead Sara, a Los Angeles hard rock band fronted by Emily Armstrong and Siouxsie Medley. Although she admitted being squeamish about the name, she called the group’s sound “electrifying,” and something a little different for the concert series. Capone noted that the high-octane act is currently opening for Muse, but worked Pershing Square into its touring schedule. July 26 performers include When in Rome, “Nobody Walks in L.A.” creators Missing Persons and Information Society, which Capone said just finished up new recordings in the studio, with production help from some members of Devo. The penultimate Saturday night show features former Wall of Voodoo frontman Stan Ridgeway, whose biggest hit was the deliciously oddball new wave song “Mexican Radio,” and ska favorites English Beat, featuring Dave Wakeling. The season closes on Aug. 16 with a sonic tribute to Jamaica. The bill features The Original Wailers, featuring members of the late Bob Marley’s band, and Dread Zeppelin. For Saturday shows the Pershing Square lawn opens to the public at 7:30 p.m., with concerts beginning at 8 p.m. A beer and wine garden will be open and there will also be a variety of food trucks. At 532 S. Olive St., (213) 847-4970 or laparks.org/pershingsquare. donna@downtownnews.com
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The Funny Girl’s Funnier Underground Mall Taper Show Places a Struggling Actor in Barbra Streisand’s Actual Private Shopping Center By Eddie Kim n a quiet stretch of Malibu coastline is a plot of land rippling with emerald greenery. On that land sits four structures, including a massive cardinal-hued barn. Inside that barn, down a flight of stairs, is a tidy street lined in cobblestone and lit by vintage sconces. The street is flanked with shops for sweets, dolls, antiques, clothing and more. There are no cash registers and on most days it’s utterly devoid of people. This is superstar Barbra Streisand’s real-life basement mall (seriously, it exists). What would happen if a struggling young actor was hired to work in it? Buyer & Cellar, which opens this week at the Mark Taper Forum in Downtown Los Angeles, riffs off that quirky premise. Written by Jonathan Tolins, the play features “Ugly Betty” star Michael Urie in a one-man performance that bounces between multiple characters surrounding Streisand and fictional protagonist Alex More. Alex is a struggling actor who stumbles on an opportunity to work alone in Streisand’s mall. Slowly, he is drawn to the star’s charms and fantastical world despite the eye-rolling pause of his boyfriend, Barry. The notion of a superstar entertainer who keeps collectables in a vintage-y mall could have been the stuff of satire or outright mockery, but Urie sees sensitivity in Tolins’ text. The play is an examination of two extremes of show business, he says, and while an obvious commentary on materialism dances throughout the script, Buyer & Cellar also speaks to the human vulnerability of public entertainers. “Barbra is at the top of the mountain and is a superstar, while our narrator Alex just got fired from a cast member role at Disneyland,” Urie said last week by phone. “The common thing between them is the isolation of showbiz, since no matter whether you’re at the top or the bottom, you’re really on your own as a talent and a human.”
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Buyer & Cellar runs July 13-Aug. 17. Previews start Wednesday, July 9. Second Choice The show bowed at the Rattlestick Playwrights Theater in New York City’s West Village in April 2013, starring Urie and directed by Stephen Brackett. The twist is that the 33-year-old Urie wasn’t the first choice for the role. He and Tolins met in 2012 while working together on the CBS sitcom “Partners” (the show was canceled after six episodes). Tolins showed him the script to Buyer & Cellar, but noted that Jesse Tyler Ferguson of “Modern Family” was already tied to the part. “Good for them, I thought,” Urie said with a laugh. “I loved the script. I joked that Jesse’s a lucky son of a [expletive].” When Ferguson got too busy to appear in the play, Tolins offered the role to Urie. The Rattlestick then helped connect Tolins to Brackett and, like Urie, he was immediately enthralled by the script. “It not only manages to be outlandishly funny to the bitter end, but I ended up caring about all the characters in the play,” Brackett said. “Jon has beautifully laid in a conversation about self-worth, celebrity worship and how we reach out to others for connection.” Brackett noted the playwright “took a chance on him” based on non-traditional solo works and Off-Broadway plays he had directed. The duo were acutely aware of how quickly a one-man show can bomb. Luckily for all parties, the chemistry was evident from the beginning. “It’s a good thing to have a playwright who loves an actor,” Brackett said. “But what was lovely was the way Michael wanted to take care of Barbra and this story and set the right tone.” Still, there were plenty of challenges, the biggest being that in the show Urie is alone on stage for nearly 100 minutes. During that time he plays six characters, a task Urie described as “mentally exhausting.” Urie and Brackett say that a collaborative relationship has
photo by Joan Marcus
Buyer & Cellar features “Ugly Betty” star Michael Urie in a variety of roles, including protagonist Alex More. The struggling actor winds up working in Barbra Streisand’s private mall in the basement of her Malibu home.
helped bring out the nuances of the show, especially in the way they depict Streisand, showing both the eccentric excesses of the Funny Girl star and the flashes of hurt that Alex sees while working for her. In one scene, Alex asks what Streisand would like to see in her utopia. Her answer: “I’d be pretty and everyone would know it and I’d think so, too.” It all comes together in a show that is one part tribute, one part social commentary and one part wholly unreal comedy. It’s not the send-up of Streisand some might expect, but if the premise of Buyer & Cellar is any indication, judgment may be best left at the entrance to the mall. Buyer & Cellar runs July 9-Aug. 17 at the Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or centertheatregroup.org. eddie@downtownnews.com
July 7, 2014
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Canines at the Cathedral Community Event for People and Their Dogs Returns This Week
photo by Gary Leonard
More than 1,200 people and 1,000 pooches are expected to attend the eighth annual Dog Day Afternoon at the Cathedral Plaza on Wednesday, July 9.
By Donna Evans ormally the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels is a place for religious worship. On one evening this week, it’s a place for barking and socializing. OK, that applies not to the whole cathedral, but to the plaza in front of it. That’s because the eighth annual Dog Day Afternoon, hosted by the Downtown Center Business Improvement District and the Cathedral, takes place from 6-9 p.m. on Wednesday, July 9. It is expected to draw about 1,200 Downtowners and 1,000 dogs, said Hal Bastian, executive vice president and director of economic development for the DCBID. The event, which has become one of the most popular Central City happenings, celebrates the four-legged friends who help create community in Downtown, Bastian said. There will be music, dog adoptions, pet service booths and food, including Dodger dogs. Levy Restaurants will operate a bar. For Bastian, it is about bringing people together, with pets as the glue. “This really is a magical way for people to meet each other,” he said. Dog Day Afternoon stemmed from a conversation Bastian had with Monsignor Kevin Kostelnik about the Cathedral. When it opened in 2002, it was intended to be a spot not just for Catholics, but the entire community. Kostelnik is a dog lover, Bastian explained, and thus the two orchestrated an event built around canines. The listed co-organizers included Bastian and Kostelnik’s animal companions, Buddy, a Golden Retriever, and Joaquin, a Labrador Retriever. Buddy died at the age of 12 in 2008. These days Bastian’s right paw man is named Scooter. About 300 people showed up at the first Dog Day Afternoon in 2007, and attendance has blossomed as more people have moved into the Central City. Attendees don’t have to be dog owners, but Bastian said the event is for local dogs and their human companions, and not pets and people from throughout the region. Still, Bastian admids that “local” is a loose term, one that applies to anyone who “lives, works and plays in Downtown. But don’t worry: your canine won’t be carded at the door.” Another rule is that pooches must be leashed. They also need to be social (read: not aggressive) and cannot run amok as they would in a dog park. Although past events have included some cat adoptions, people are asked to leave felines, pot bellied pigs, hamsters and other creatures at home. Dog Day Afternoon will also include a presentation of the “Best Buddy Award” to an LAPD K-9 Unit. The event is free, but attendees must register at downtownla.com. While Bastian encourages people to walk and bike, parking is available at the Cathedral for $8. Dog Day Afternoon is 6-9 p.m. on Wednesday, July 9, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, 555 W. Temple St., (213) 624-2146 or downtownla.com. donna@downtownnews.com
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July 7, 2014
CALENDAR LISTINGS EVENTS
The Circus Comes to Town, and So Do the Ballet and Nick Cave
By Dan Johnson calendar@downtownnews.com
photo courtesy Feld Entertainment
Friday Night Flicks by Pershing Square 532 S. Olive St., (213) 847-4970 or laparks.org/ pershingsquare Catch a free screening of My Cousin Vinny at Pershing Square on Friday, July 11. The film deals with two young New Yorkers traveling through rural Alabama who are put on trial for a murder they did not commit. They are represented by one of the defendant’s cousins, Vincent Gambini (Joe Pesci), a newly minted lawyer. Co-star Marisa Tomei won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. No, seriously, she did. The movie will begin at 8 p.m., and wellbehaved dogs are allowed. Parking can be found in the Pershing Square garage. L.A.’s Largest Mixer XVI 700 W. 32nd St., (323) 230-5656 or lamixer.com Join Los Angeles area chambers and business organizations from 5-9 p.m. on July 17 at the Shrine Auditorium Expo Center for L.A.’s largest and longest-running business-to-business networking event. The 16th annual L.A.’s Largest Mixer is a great opportunity to reach small to large companies, meet new clients and learn how the different chambers of commerce and business organizations can make your business grow. Admission is $20. Dog Day Afternoon at the Cathedral 555 W. Temple St., (213) 680-5200 or downtownla. com/dogday Downtown Los Angeles residents and their dogs are invited for mingling, music and pet-related vendor displays at this annual, free event. Dodger dogs, snacks, a full bar and beverages by Levy Restaurants are available for purchase at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels Plaza from 6-9 p.m. on Wednesday, July 9. Celebrate our four-legged furry friends who help create community in Downtown L.A. Hosted by the Downtown Center BID and the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. Register today!
FRIDay, JuLy 11 Dance Downtown Music Center Plaza, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-7211 or musiccenter.com. 6:30 p.m.: The free dancing series continues with Bollywood night. Join the emotive ecstasy with free dance instructions and a super-charged DJ. SaTuRDay, JuLy 12 A Tribute to Minnie Riperton California Plaza, 350 S. Grand Ave., (213) 687-2159 or grandperformances.org. 8 p.m.: Massive ensemble The Decoders are but one aspect of this tribute to the one and only soul singer Minnie Riperton. Drum Downtown Fountain Overlook, 200 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-8080 or grandparkla.org. 10 a.m.: It wouldn’t be summer without a good old-fashioned drum circle in Downtown. Sponsored by the Music Center and
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages: The Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus elephant walks into Staples Center this week, with 14 performances of the show dubbed Legends starting Wednesday, July 9. Those on hand will be dazzled by feats of equestrian and acrobatic wonder, exotic performances from Beijing’s finest practitioners of gymnastic curiosities and, blessedly, a retinue of motorcycle daredevils. Circus founder P.T. Barnum famously said, “There’s a sucker born every minute,” but with a lineup like this, if you miss out, then you’re the sucker. At 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7100 or axs.com.
Amidst the open-aired splendor of the Natural History Museum grounds in Exposition Park, you’ll find an evening of activities and general leisure to help you wind down and cool off. On Friday, July 10, Summer Nights in the Garden offers performances, food trucks, a cocktail bar and botanical tours. Additional summery pleasure will be delivered through the carefully selected tunes of KCRW’s Anthony Valadez. But wait, there’s more! Enjoy a free class on that warm-weather American pastime, pickling. RSVP online for free admission. At 900 Exposition Blvd., (213) 762-3466 or nhm.org.
photo by Cat Stevens
photo courtesy Natural History Museum
If Romeo and Juliet had been penned in 2014 by a top YA author, it’d go like this: Major stud Romeo matches with cutie Juliet on Tinder. The two get coffee and are super into each other, but one works for Google and the other Facebook. Problems ensue, as does social media suicide. The Romeo and Juliet that arrives at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion this week is a little different. The show from the National Ballet of Canada features choreography by Alexei Ratmansky — in 2011, he put together a new production for the classic Prokofiev score in honor of the company’s 60th birthday. There are five performances on Thursday-Sunday, July 10-13, including two matinees. At 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-8555 or musiccenter.org.
copyright 2006 Christopher John Ramirez
ThuRSDay, JuLy 10 “Not Uniquely Human” at Aloud Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7500 or lfla.org. 7:15 p.m.: Dr. Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, Kathryn Bowers and Laurel Braitman have each written extensively on medical similarities and links between the animal kingdom and humanity. That topic will be explored tonight. The History of Soul Food California Plaza, 350 S. Grand Ave., (213) 687-2159 or grandperformances.org. 8 p.m.: In this exploration of culinary history and cultural diaspora, the roots of Los Angeles’ vibrant soul food scene are traced through the American South to the coasts of Africa. Downtown Art Walk Historic Core, (213) 617-4929 or downtownartwalk.org. 5 p.m.: You know the drill: Galleries open. Visitors come. Some art gets sold. Some drinks get drunk. People converge on the Art Walk Lounge. Hours later everyone goes home and goes night-night.
photo by Bruce Ziner
SPONSORED LISTINGS
No composer embodies the sound of the American West with as much romantic flair as Aaron Copland. On Sunday, July 13, the California Philharmonic returns to the Walt Disney Concert Hall for its Cowboys & Copland program. Conductor and Cal Phil capo Victor Vener will lead the gang through pieces from Billy the Kid, Rodeo (which you may know as the “beef, it’s what’s for dinner” song) and the folktinged El Salon Mexico. In addition to Copland’s work, you’ll hear iconic pieces of Hollywood scores including The Magnificent Seven, How the West Was Won and Ennio Morricone’s deeply evocative The Good, The Bad & The Ugly. It all kicks off at 2 p.m. At 111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 850-2000 or calphil.com.
Since 1984, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds have been kicking out engaging rock albums noted for their dynamic flair and delectable rough edge. The 2013 effort Push the Sky Away was no exception. The ever-expressive Cave and company are barnstorming the Shrine Auditorium on Friday, July 11, to support the album. Expect Cage also to dig into the back catalogue and drop songs from his Birthday Party days, and even that ode to the electric chair, “The Mercy Seat.” Hop on the Expo Line and take it all in. At 665 W. Jefferson Blvd., (213) 748-5116 or shrineauditorium.com. Send information and possible Don’t Miss List submissions to calendar@downtownnews.com.
July 7, 2014
Summer NightS, haviNg a BlaSt
photo by Gary Leonard
Central and West plazas will come alive on Saturday, July 12, as the Chinatown Business Improvement District teams up with KCRW for the family-friendly Chinatown Summer Nights. The event, which runs from 5 p.m.-midnight, features a music stage with bands booked by the L.A. Weekly, a craft beer garden, a culinary stage and loads of art, including a clay sculpture, a dough sculpture (?!) and even a candy sculpture. Of course there will be food trucks, as well as a photo booth. In case you were wondering, “But will there be a monkey,” the answer is a resounding yes. A capuchin monkey and trainer will be on hand from 6-9 p.m., though take the words on the event’s website as a warning: “The monkey will approach you but please do not touch or pet the monkey.” Seriously dude, don’t touch the monkey. At 943-951 N. Broadway or chinatownsummernights.com.
Grand Park, today’s percussive theme is Afro-Brazilian beats. Resist the urge to endlessly sing the World Cup melody.
ROCK, POP & JAZZ Blue Whale 123 Astronaut E. S. Onizuka St., (213) 620-0908 or bluewhalemusic.com. July 8: The one, the only, Greg Johnson. July 9: Count the members of the Alan Pasqua Quintet on one hand. July 10: Jesse Harris, Anthony Wilson and Petra Haden. July 11-12: Tootie’s Tempo. July 13: Joey Sellers and Ryan Dragonn. Bootleg Bar 2220 Beverly Blvd., (213) 389-3856 or bootlegtheater.org. July 7, 8:30 p.m.: Hi Ho Silver Oh sounds a bit like Tune Yards making love to a Nintendo. July 8, 8:30 p.m.: The only problem with Town in the City’s blend of “Americana roots” and the “iconic Laurel Canyon sound of the ’70s” is that both scenes produced phenomenal music that, thanks to the ubiquitous nature of recorded sound, can be listened to at any time. July 9, 8 p.m.: With a Downtowner playing axe for them, Via Echo drops into the Bootleg. July 10, 8 p.m.: Sultry soul pastiche from a white dude named Miles Tackett. July 11, 8 p.m.: We were saddened to discover that Tiny Ruins is an acoustic singer songwriter and not a grand allusion to Spinal Tap. July 11, 7 p.m.: When we say Xavier Rudd incorporates the ambient sounds of his native Australia into his music, we mean didgeridoos and not the bellows and vomiting of deeply intoxicated, sun bleached uni-students. Club Nokia 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-7000 or clubnokia.com. July 11, 9 p.m.: Artie Lange is still alive, but given the fact that he’s performing standup comedy with Stuttering John, there are no guarantees that he is well. Exchange LA 618 S. Spring St., (213) 627-8070 or exchangela.com. July 11, 10 p.m.: Ashley Wallbridge. July 12, 10 p.m.: Of the innumerable charlatans plying the EDM trade behind the relative safety of their laptop computers, Psychemagik is a breath of fresh air and a taste of the legitimate groundbreaking potential of the genre. No joke. Grammy Museum 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org. July 7, 8 p.m.: Huntington Beach’s Dirty Heads will be debuting their new album. July 9, 7:30 p.m.: You may know tonight’s guest guitarist Stanley Jordan for his prodigious talent on the six string. Or perhaps you know him as the man who created the start-up sound for the old Mac computers. Grand Performances 350 S. Grand Ave., (213) 687-2159 or grandperformances.org. July 11, 8 p.m.: Deep jazzy vibes from England’s Quantic. Honeycut 819 S. Flower St., (213) 688-0888 or honeycutla.com. July 7, 10 p.m.: TGIM. July 9, 8 p.m.: Actual Disco. July 10, 8 p.m.: DJ Mathieu Schreyer. July 11, 10 p.m.: Jack of All Tracks. July 12, 8 p.m.: DJ Aaron Castle. Pershing Square 532 S. Olive St., (213) 847-4970 or laparks.org/pershingsquare. July 9, noon: The park’s afternoon concert series starts with Greaseland. Get a snack or some produce from the adjacent farmers market and enjoy the free tunes.
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July 10, 8 p.m.: Tribute Thursdays begins with INXS-ive. Hey, remember when INXS turned into a tribute band for itself on the show “Rock Star”? July 12, 8 p.m.: Every summer, large crowds come to the park on Saturday nights for bands that once had big hits. The Downtown Stage series begins with The Orchestra, featuring alumni of ELO. July 13, 5 p.m.: If it’s hot on Sunday it will be even hotter in the park with salsa act Salsa Caliente. Redwood Bar and Grill 316 W. Second St., (213) 652-4444 or theredwoodbar.com. July 7: Calmosa Guts and Anchorless. July 8: Wild Smoke, The McNaughstys and Baron Bandini. July 9: War Masters, Destroyed in Seconds, Dead Issue and Sebek Midcity. July 10: Scotch Apostles, Red Roses and Veronica Grim. July 11: Shattered Faith, Decry, Sidekick, Killroy and backpack-wearing punks The Mormons. July 12: Hags and Native Fauna. July 13, 3 p.m.: Fools on Stools and the Hollywood Blues Destroyers. July 13: Blue Skies for Black Hearts, Exploding Flowers and L.A. Drugz. Seven Grand 515 W. Seventh St., (213) 614-0737 or sevengrand.la. July 7, 10 p.m.: Wow Factor with Bijon Watson features a man who bears a striking resemblance to Morpheus from The Matrix playing a trumpet. July 8, 10 p.m.: The Makers always get so excited in the run-up to Bastille Day. July 9, 10 p.m.: The Fran Banish Band lives to kick out pop-oriented blues rock and to subliminally influence us to eat bran muffins. July 10, 10 p.m.: The Vibrometers return to their happy hunting ground atop Mas Malo. July 13, 10 p.m.: The Eric Patterson Quartet is listed as a quintet in the band description. Which is it, Seven Grand? Are there four band members or five? The Smell 247 S. Main St. in the alley between Spring and Main or thesmell.org. July 9: Apogee Sound Club, Armedalite Rifles and Sex Stains. July 12: TraPsPs and Civil Union.
A FREE COMMUNITY EVENT FOR DOWNTOWN LA RESIDENTS AND THEIR DOGS
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FILM Downtown Independent 251 S. Main St., (213) 617-1033 or downtownindependent.com. July 7-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. July 11, 8 p.m.: Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei stand out in My Cousin Vinny, a touching story of love, the law and redemption in the South. Regal Cinemas 1000 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 763-6070 or lalive.com/movies. Continued on next page
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Continued from previous page Through July 10: Deliver Us From Evil (11:10 a.m., 1, 2, 4, 4:50, 7:10, 7:50, 10:10 and 10:50 p.m.); Earth to Echo (11:40 a.m., 2:20, 5, 7:40 and 10:20 p.m.); Tammy (11:10 a.m., 1:50, 4:30, 7:30 and 10:10 p.m.); Begin Again (11:30 a.m., 2:10, 4:40, 7:40 and 10:40 p.m.); Transformers: Age of Extinction 3D (11 and 11:50 a.m., 2:50, 3:30, 6:40, 7:20, 10:30 and 11:10 p.m.); Transformers: Age of Extinction (12:30, 2:10, 4:10, 6, 8 and 9:50 p.m.); Think Like a Man Too (11 a.m., 1:40, 4:30, 7:10 and 10 p.m.); 22 Jump Street (1:10, 3:50, 7 and 9:40 p.m.); How to Train Your Dragon 2 (1:50, 6:50 and 9:30 p.m.); How to Train Your Dragon 2 (11:20 a.m. and 4:20 p.m.); Edge of Tomorrow (12, 8:10 and 11 p.m.); Maleficent (1:20, 3:40, 6:30 and 9:10 p.m.). Street Food Cinema Exposition Park, (323) 254-5068 or streetfoodcinema.com. July 12, 7 p.m.: Seeing a film is expensive these days, but even those who will drunkenly slur, “Help me, I’m poor,” can find a lovely outdoor screening of Bridesmaids tonight for a mere $12.
THEATER, OPERA & DANCE Bob Baker’s Fun With Strings Bob Baker Marionette Theater, 1345 W. First St., (213) 2509995 or bobbakermarionettes.com. July 8-11, 10:30 a.m. and July 12-13, 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. Buyer & Cellar Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or centertheatregroup.org. July 9-12, 8 p.m. and July 13, 7 p.m.: Michal Urie of “Ugly Betty” fame stars in this one-man comedy about a struggling actor who finds himself employed in the private mall beneath Barbra Streisand’s house in Malibu. Yes, the mall really exists. Through August 17. See story p. 10. Sleepaway Camp Downtown Independent, 251 S. Main St., (213) 617-1033 or
July 7, 2014
downtownindependent.com. July 8, 9 p.m.: Every Tuesday this irreverent stand-up comedy cavalcade takes up residence at the Downtown Independent.
CLASSICAL MUSIC Sunday, July 13 Cowboys & Copland Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 9727211 or musiccenter.org. 2 p.m.: The spirit of the American West lives on with this collection of Aaron Copland classics and a strong contingent of cherished Western scores.
MUSEUMS African American Firefighter Museum 1401 S. Central Ave., (213) 744-1730 or aaffmuseum.org. Ongoing: An array of firefighting relics dating to 1924, includ-
ing a 1940 Pirsch ladder truck, an 1890 hose wagon, uniforms from New York, L.A. County and City of L.A. firefighters, badges, helmets, photographs and other artifacts. Annette Green Perfume Museum FIDM, second floor, 919 S. Grand Ave., (213) 624-1200 or fidmmuseum.org. Ongoing: Artfully Adorned highlights two centuries of jewelry from the Christie Romero Collection. Through July 5: Bliss features 19th century wedding gowns from the Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection. Ongoing: The FIDM Museum presents an exceptional collection of fragrance, cosmetics, and ephemera from the house of Lucien Lelong. This group of objects was graciously donated by Monique Fink, wife of artist Peter Fink, who worked for Monsieur Lelong as package designer and interior decorator. Ongoing: Accessories from The Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection surveys footwear, fans, gloves, purses and hats. California African American Museum 600 State Drive, (213) 744-7432 or caamuseum.org.
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Anime Expo with its fantastic costumes hits the Convention Center on July 3-6.
Nation Ballet of Canada’s Romeo and Juliet at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
WATCH IT ON DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM,
NEW EPISODE EVERY MONDAY AT 9AM
July 7, 2014
Downtown News 15
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Through July 6: The acting, dancing, choreography, didactic pleasures and general mentorship of Carmen de Lavallade and Geoffrey Holder come to full focus in A Memoir in Movement. Through August 3: The USC Roski School of Art and CAAM team up for design exhibit Hands on Design. Ongoing: The multi-functional Gallery of Discovery offers visitors the opportunity to connect with the lineage of their own family, engage in artistic workshops, educational tours and other programs of historical discoveries. Hear recordings of actual living slaves from the Library of Congress archives and discover stories from the past. California Science Center 700 State Drive, (323) 724-3623 or californiasciencecenter.org. Ongoing: Mission 26: The Big Endeavour presents Los Angeles’ very own space shuttle/tree destroyer in all its splendor. Ongoing: Science in Toyland presents physics through favorite kids’ toys. This hands-on exhibit engages museum visitors with Dominos, Sails and Roller Coasters in a fun, but informational primer on friction, momentum and chain reactions. Ongoing: The Science Center’s permanent exhibits are usually
interactive and focus on human innovations and inventions as well as the life processes of living things. The lobby Science Court stays busy with the High Wire Bicycle, a Motion-Based Simulator, the Ecology Cliff Climb and Forty Years of Space Photography. The human body is another big focus: The Life Tunnel aims to show the connections between all life forms, from the single-celled amoeba to the 100-trillioncelled human being. The new Ecosystems exhibit explores how life on our planet is shaped by geophysical and biological processes. Through January 4, 2015: Pompeii: The Exhibition brings rare archives from the lost Italian city to another grand metropolis perched on a tectonic zone. Chinese American Museum 425 N. Los Angeles St., (213) 485-8567 or camla.org. Through July 12: LA Heat: Taste Changing Condiments illuminates the world of ever-so-spicy sauces in our current cultural palette of tastes. Permanent: Origins presents the story of the Chinese-American community in Los Angeles. Permanent: Re-creation of the Sun Wing Wo, a Chinese gen-
eral store and herbal shop, and Journeys: Stories of Chinese Immigration, an exhibit exploring Chinese immigration to the United States with an emphasis on community settlement in Los Angeles. Outlined into four distinct time periods, each is defined by an important immigration law and/or event, accompanied by a description and a personal story about a local Chinese American and their experiences in that particular historical period. El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument 124 Paseo de la Plaza, (213) 485-8372 or elpueblo.lacity.org. Ongoing: The whole of El Pueblo is called a “monument,” and of this monument’s 27 historic buildings, four function as museums: the Avila Adobe, the city’s oldest house; the Sepulveda House, home to exhibits and the monument’s Visitors Center; the Fire House Museum, which houses late 19th-century fire-fighting equipment; and the Masonic Hall, which boasts Masonic memorabilia. Check its website for a full slate of fiestas, including Cinco de Mayo, Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in November and December’s beautiful candlelight procession, Las Posadas. Open
daily, though hours at shops and halls vary. Grammy Museum L.A. Live, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org. Through June: Barry White, Unlimited Love follows the career of the man with the lusty voice. Through November 30: California Dreamin’ is a tribute to the famous Laurel Canyon rock community and the work it produced between 1965 and 1977. Through July 2015: The bashful six-string master with the churlish smile receives his own museum tribute complete with articles from his life as special insight into his music. Pride & Joy: The Texas Blues of Stevie Ray Vaughan. Through Winter 2015: The 75th anniversary of the illustrious jazz label gets the museum treatment with Blue Note: The Finest in Jazz. Ongoing: 360 Sound: The Columbia Records Story provides an in-depth look at all aspects of Columbia Records’ history and offers a virtual history of the music industry from its infancy, tracing Continued on next page
STREET FOOD CINEMA presented by
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ADVENTURES IN PARADISE
A Tribute to Minnie Riperton
Friday, July 18 @ Noon and 8:00 PM
CHOP AND QUENCH
Saturday, July 19 @ 8:00 PM
QUETZAL 20TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
PRECEDED BY GRAND PERFORMANCES’ 12TH ANNUAL FUNDRAISER GALA
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Saturday, August 2 @ 8:00 PM
SUMMER CONCERTS
PEOPLE GET READY
A Soundtrack of the Civil Rights Movement Free bike valet
2014 DTLA
Due to the nature of live performances, this schedule is subject to change. Please call our concert line at 213.687.2159 to confirm events.
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CROSSWORD
Art WAlk this WAy
with the second anniversary of Jackson’s death. Ongoing: Roland Live is a permanent installation courtesy of the electronic musical instrument maker, Roland Corporation. The exhibit gives visitors a chance to participate in the music-making process by playing a wide variety of Roland products, from VDrums and BOSS pedals to VIMA keyboards and the MV-8800 Production Studio. Japanese American National Museum 369 E. First St., (213) 625-0414 or janm.org. Through September 14: Perseverance: Japanese Tattoo Tradition in a Modern World traces the world of body art as a historical trend and modern fascination.
photo by Gary Leonard
Continued from previous page Columbia’s pivotal technological as well as business innovations, including its invention of the LP. Ongoing: Featuring copious memorabilia including drum kits and a cape, Ringo: Peace & Love is the first major exhibit to be dedicated to a drummer at the museum. Ongoing: White sequined gloves and other wardrobe pieces are the focal point of the new exhibit case paying tribute to the life and legacy of Michael Jackson. This special display serves as a follow-up to the Museum’s past exhibitions, Michael Jackson: HIStyle and Michael Jackson: A Musical Legacy. Housed on the Museum’s third floor, the launch of the new exhibit coincided
July 7, 2014
Summer is the busiest time for the Downtown Art Walk, with tens of thousands of people wandering through the Historic Core, visiting galleries and checking out bars and restaurants. It’s a curious event these days, and those who claim Art Walk is more about the party than the art aren’t wrong. Still, the Art Walk brass do the best they can to ensure that the creative community gets its due, and dozens of galleries will be flinging open their doors on Thursday, July 10. It’s easy to find the food trucks and the vendors. Prepare your visit by checking out the Art Walk website. It has rundowns of galleries, as well as helpful parking information. Throughout the Historic Core or downtownartwalk.org.
July 7, 2014
Downtown News 17
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Through September 14: Dodgers: Brotherhood of the Game explores the roots and heritage of our own Trolley Dodgers from their time in Brooklyn through the days of the Coliseum to their run of World Series wins in the 20th Century and our own era where the boys in blue have the highest payroll in baseball and still can’t get it done. Through August 31: Colors of Confinement presents a masterful collection of rare Kodachrome prints of Japanese American incarceration during World War II. Ongoing: Common Ground: The Heart of Community chronicles 130 years of Japanese American history, from the early days of the Issei pioneers to the present. LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes 501 N. Main St., (888) 488-8083 or lapca.org. Current: Los Angeles’ first Mexican American cultural center’s inaugural exhibition, LA Starts Here!, reveals the essential role of Mexicans and Mexican Americans in the founding and shaping of Los Angeles’ history and culture—a multicultural project from the very beginning. Ongoing: Calle Principal invites visitors of all ages to explore the Mexican American community of downtown Los Angeles during the 1920s. Located on the second floor of the historic Plaza House, Calle Principal is an evocative re-creation of 1920s-era Main Street, at the time the heart of Los Angeles’s growing immigrant community. Featuring a variety of vignettes—a grocery store, portrait studio, clothing store, phonograph and record store, pharmacy, and more—it offers visitors a hands-on investigation of daily life during that period, encouraging them to make connections between the past and the present.
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.
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TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS
18 Downtown News
July 7, 2014
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DOG PARK
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July 7, 2014
DT
CLASSIFIEDS
FOR RENT
REAL ESTATE RESIDENTIAL home for sale
loft/UnfUrnished
WHAT’S YOUR LOFT WORTH?
old Bank District The original Live/Work Lofts
Free Online Home Evaluation
from $1,295 Cafes, Bars, Shops, Galleries, Parking adjacent. Pets no charge
LALOFTEVAL.COM
Call 213.253.4777 laloft.com
lofts for sale apartments/UnfUrnished
TheLoftExpertGroup.com Downtown since 2002
Bill Cooper
213.598.7555
SENIOR APARTMENTS 62 + Studio $881 1 Bedroom $937. Balcony, Full Kitchen, A/C, Clubhouse, BBQ, Resource room, Laundry, SEC 8 O.K. Visit GSL SAN LUCAS.com 213623-2010.
SERVICES REAL ESTATE COMMERCIAL
cleaning
office space lease/sale Prime Office Spaces For Lease Remodeled HigH-Rise Building on olive st. 1700 - 5000 Sqft.Walking distance to Metro Station, Social Security Office, Immigration Office, Jewelry District and Restaurant Row. Close to 110&101 Fwy. On site security.
213 892 0088
real estate for sale GATED CONDO with big patio in Monterey Hills priced at $329,000. 2 bd, 1 bath, inside laundry, central heat/AC, pool with 2 car parking. Peaceful Living! Agt. Paxton 626-2013464
CONCEPTO’S CLEANING Crew. Professional, experienced, cleans apartments, homes, offices and restaurants. Call for a quote. 323-459-3067 or 818-409-9183.
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.
health & fitness
misc. serVices
QUIET ZONE HYPNOSIS Board Certified Hypnotherapist. Lose weight, stop smoking, overcome creative blocks. Replace bad habits with good ones. Top rated stress reduction program! Success can be yours without all the hard work. Hypnosis is easy, fun, and effective. 213-375-4411
PET OR PERSON PORTRAITS Drawn or painted by almost famous artist. $15+. Call Jane 323-221-0175
massage therapy ONE OF THE BEST reviewed licensed MASSAGE therapist, working in Yolanda Aguilar Spa at 735 S. Figueroa St #100 (next door to Gold’s Gym at FigAt7TH downtown LA), pls call/txt Yunfei for appt. Incalls $60/hr Mon-Fri; outcall $160/90min. See reviews at www.massageanywhere.com/ profile/yunfei 213 590 0914 deliVery
pre-oWned
DoWNtoWN l.a. aUto groUp
Over 1000 vehicles on Sale Now! Visit us online
ORGANIC GROCERIES & PRODUCE bike delivery now operational in DTLA. KALECART has members all across dtla who have subscribed to receive the freshest, locallyfarmed, organic groceries. Ask about a trial membership ($3.50) to check it our for yourself. www. kalecart.com (213) 448-0410
oneclick cleaners
Clean unfurnished bachelor rooms with shared bath at $600/mo. with private bath at $745/mo.
25% oFF
Includes utilities, basic cable channels, laundry room on site. Gated building in a good area.
free Pickup and Delivery
For English Call Pierre or Terri 213.744.9911 For Spanish Call Susana 213.379.4743
AUTOS & RECREATIONAL
Nearly Every Make & Model
Casaloma L.A. Apartments
208 W. 14th St. at Hill St. Downtown LA
Downtown News 19
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The most convenient dry cleaners.
first order!
EMPLOYMENT professional SAP Basis Specialist (Nestle Globe Inc. – Glendale, CA): Maintain & support all SAP Environments according to GLOBE strategies & stds. F/T. Reqs Bach’s deg (or foreign equiv) in CS, Comp Eng, EE, Mgmt Info Systems, or rel field & 5 yrs’ exp in the job offered or in SAP implementation, UNIX operating systems, & database SW. Stated exp must incl the follow’g: CRM/CRP; APO - DP/ SNP/PPDS; DB2 databases; Scripting; Netweaver; Transport Mgmt; Backup & Restore; Change Mgmt; Service Mgmt; & Call & Incident Mgmt. Resumes: M. Simo, Nestle USA, Inc., 800 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale, CA 91203. Ref. job code SAP-CL.
dtlamotors.com
800 W. 1st St. Suite 102 (855) 672-5425 Located in the Bunker Hills Tower
30-minute free parking
cUstomer serVice
U.S. GOVT JOBS NOW HIRING Civil Service / Postal Clerks No Experience. Job Security. $20-75 an hour and Benefits CALL NOw! (855) 631-0850
WANTED: OUTBOUND ACCOUNT MANAGER at FinditParts. Make outbound calls to customers or prospects to grow relationships and increase sales 888.312.8812
downtownnews.com
the LOFT expert!
TM
Downtown since 2002
Bill Cooper 213.598.7555 TheLoftExpertGroup.com
Bill Cooper 213.598.7555
TheLoftExpertGroup.com BRE #01309009
DRE # 01309009
Voted BEST Downtown Residential Real Estate Agent!
CREATIVE OFFICE FOR LEASE 724 S. Spring St. Downtown Los Angeles
• 900 to 1500 sqft. Completely renovated • Polished concrete floors • Brand new A/C in every unit. Bathroom with shower in each unit. • Spectacular views of Downtown • Great Location, restaurant/cafe on the ground floor
Please call (213) 627-6913
(No Fancy)
Sign Up Online, use promo code DT25 oneclickcleaners.com
general
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
Furnished single unit with kitchenette, bathroom. Excellent location. Downtown LA.
Monthly from $700+ utilities paid. (213) 612-0348
825 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 109, Santa Monica, CA 90401
(424) 234-6381
trounds4esq@gmail.com lawofficeofthomaserounds.com. 5B#268274
Do you have something to sell?
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(Marketplace and Automotive Categories ONLY) • Items under $300 • Items $301 to $500 • Items $501 to $1200 • Items $1201 to $2000 • Items $2001+…
Name: Address: City Phone: Cash $ Credit card #: Exp. Date:
FREE! $11.50 $14.00 $16.50 $19.00
12 words, 2 weeks 15 words 15 words 15 words 15 words
All ads run for 2 weeks. Ads may be renewed after two weeks for 50% off the original price of the ad.
With a circulation of State Check $
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47,000,
our classifieds get results!
________________________________________________
For Sale Albuquerque, New Mexico
Seven Acres Los Ranchos
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
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
20 Downtown News
Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore! It’s our business to make you comfortable... at home, downtown. Corporate and long term residency Call Now Fo is accommodated in high style at the Towers Apartments. Contemporary singles, studio, one r bedroom and two bedroom apartment homes provide fortunate residents with a courteous full service lobby attendant, heated pool, spa, complete fitness center, sauna and recreation room Move-In Spec with kitchen. Beautiful views extend from the Towers’ lofty homes in the sky. Mountain vistas and ial slender skyscrapers provide an incredible back drop to complement your decor. Far below are a host of businesses s ready to support your pampered downtown lifestyle. With spectacular cultural events nearby, even the most demanding tastes are satisfied. Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore. Visit the Towers Apartments today.
Grand Tower
255 South Grand Avenue Leasing Information 213 229 9777 Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Concierge ~ Pool / Spa / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Gas BBQ Grills ~ Recreation Room
Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove, Microwave & Dishwasher (most units) ~ Central Air Conditioning & Heating ~ Balconies (most units)
On-site: ~ Dry Cleaners / Dental Office / Restaurants
Promenade Towers
123 South Figueroa Street Leasing Information 213 617 3777 Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Pool / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Covered Parking
Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove & Dishwasher ~ Central Air & Heating ~ Solariums and/or Balconies
On-Site: ~ Convenience Store / Coffee House / Yogurt Shop / Beauty Salon
museum Tower
225 South Olive Street Leasing Information 213 626 1500 Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Concierge ~ Pool / Spa / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Gas BBQ Grills ~ Recreation Room
Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove, Microwave & Dish washer (most units) ~ Central Air & Heating ~ Balconies (most units)
8 7 7 - 2 65 - 714 6
TOWERS T H E
A PA RT M E N T S
www.TowersApartmentsLA.com MAID SERVICE • FURNITURE • HOUSEWARES • CABLE • UTILITIES • PARKING
RESIDENCES: SINGLES • STUDIO • ONE BEDROOM • TWO BEDROOM
July 7, 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.
I
Fast Food Getaway: A man who had been sitting at a table in a McDonald’s at 590 S. Alameda St. just before 8 p.m. on June 25 jumped up, leapt over the counter and put a gun in the ribs of a cashier. He demanded money. She complied and he fled. Car Lost and Found: A man told police he was sitting in his car on 12th Street between Olive and Hill streets at 10 p.m. on June 27 when a guy brandishing a gun demanded his car keys. The driver did as ordered and the carjacker and two other individuals climbed into the vehicle. The car owner fled. Police later found the car in the same place, with the keys still in the ignition. Missing was the driver’s cell phone. BID to the Rescue: A man who swiped items from the Rite Aid at Sixth Street and Broadway at 10:30 a.m. on June 22 fought off security guards with a sharp glass object. However, BID officers arrived and blocked the suspect’s path with their bike tires, which the suspect tried to slash. Officers tackled the man and held him until police arrived. Bikejacking: An unidentified man confronted a bicyclist who wheeled by him at Third Street and Broadway at 2:15 p.m. on June 25. The assailant pulled out a gun and demanded the bike. The man climbed off and the suspect fled on two wheels. Rent Money Robbed: An 84-year-old man who left his door unlocked in the 600 block of North Broadway at 2:30 p.m. on June 27 told police someone stole $1,500 in rent money, a watch and a cell phone.
AROUND TOWN, 2 ity spokeswoman Kim Upton said the Metro Board of Directors voted last week to name the Blue Line stop Grand/LATTC. The hospital had argued that it deserved naming rights for the Expo Line station because it made changes to allow for the construction of the stop, and because it is expanding. Trade Tech wanted its moniker on both stations so its 20,000 students could find the school. “The names were changed to try to help riders easily grasp which station is the best choice for each of the two entities,” Upton said. “In the case of LATTC, both stations work, so that’s what the new names are trying to convey.”
Delivery Service Brings Super King Goods to Downtown
D
owntowners who are too lazy to drive and find parking at Super King in Glassell Park now have a way to get groceries without getting off the couch. Late last month, delivery service Instacart added Super King to its roster, giving Downtowners willing to pay a little extra access to the store’s abundant produce and array of international items. Similar to the way that Uber and Lyft utilize independent drivers for individual fares, Instacart uses a fleet of what it dubs “personal shoppers” to deliver groceries. Customers place orders on Instacart.com and pay a delivery fee ($3.99 for service in less than two hours, according to the website). Items on the Instacart site may also be marked up from in-store prices. Shoppers use their personal vehicle. In Downtown, Instacart also delivers items from Ralphs and Whole Foods. “We’re thrilled that residents of Downtown L.A…. can now get Super King Markets’ unique assortment of products from around the world delivered right to their door,” Daniel Barth, general manager at Super King Markets, said in a prepared statement.