07-21-14 by Los Angeles Downtown News

JULY 21, 2014 I VOL. 43 I #29

Big Moves in Skid Row | 5 Reviewing ‘Buyer & Cellar’ | 37

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The Votes Are In. More Than 150 Of Downtown’s Best Are Revealed. SEE PAGES 11-34

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AROUND TOWN

Downtown Projects to Get Preservation Prizes

his week, two forward-thinking Downtown projects with deep ties to the past will earn some big honors. The occasion is the 33rd annual Preservation Awards, which are being handed out by the Los Angeles Conservancy. The ceremony at noon on Thursday, July 31, at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Downtown, will honor the Ace Hotel on Broadway. The Ace’s parent company will receive the prize for outstanding achievement in the field of historic preservation for the salvation and transformation of the 1927 United Artists building and the project’s accompanying 87-year-old theater. Another prize will go to the Bob Hope Patriotic Hall. The County of Los Angeles embarked on a $75 million interior and exterior rehabilitation of the structure at 1816 S. Figueroa St. Built in 1926 as a monument to and resource for veterans of the Civil and Spanish-American wars and World War I, the building was transformed into a multipurpose facility with meeting space for veterans and community members. Tickets for the luncheon begin at $125 and are available at laconservancy.org/awards.

Observation Deck Coming to U.S. Bank Tower

he 72-story U.S. Bank Tower is currently the tallest building in the Western United States,

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS though it will lose that distinction when the new Wilshire Grand Tower opens in 2017. Potentially in a move to keep some of its luster, building owner Overseas Union Enterprise is planning to add a sky-high viewing area and restaurant. OUE representatives last week told the Los Angeles Times that the 69th and 70th floors of the building will become an observation deck for visitors, with access to the outdoor terraces on the 69th floor. The 71st floor, meanwhile, will be transformed into a restaurant. According to the Times, OUE anticipates charging observation deck visitors $25 and that around 500,000 people will visit per year; plans call for opening the new attraction in the second quarter of 2015. OUE bought the landmark structure for $367 million from MPG Office trust last summer. The current move is part of the company’s plan to spend about $50 million on upgrades, including a renovation of the lobby. While the tower’s low occupancy rate (just about 50% at the time of the sale) sparked speculation that OUE would pursue a hotel or residential conversion for part of the building, it will remain an office property.

Go for Broke Goes for Downtown

he Japanese American National Museum has signed a 20-year lease with the Go for Broke National Education Center, which will relocate its six employees from Torrance to Downtown Los Angeles. Go For Broke will move into JANM’s former building at 369 First St. in Little Tokyo. Japanese immigrants built the structure in 1925 as a Buddhist place of worship. During World War II, the build-

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ing, known as the Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist Temple, was used to store the belongings of local Japanese Americans sent to internment camps. Go for Broke formed in 1986 with the aim to inform the public about Japanese American soldiers who fought for the United States during World War II. The Go for Broke Monument, which honors these individuals, is nearby; it opened in 1999 and is inscribed with the names of more than 16,000 soldiers. Go for Broke had planned to build a new facility for its exhibition items and staff, but opted instead to move to the historically significant building in Downtown.

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July 15, 2014

Music at Arts District Flea

he new Arts District Flea will add live music to its repertoire on Saturday, July 26. Indie band Kotolan will play from 8 p.m.-midnight; during the event Arts District Flea, which opened in April, will offer cocktails, an art popup by Modern Multiples and works from other artists. The free event at 453 Colyton St. also serves as a release party for Kotolan’s 45 rpm single. Arts District Flea is a collection of 20-30 vendors who sell clothes, art, jewelry, furniture and other handmade goods. It is open FridaySunday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Additional information is at artsdistrictflea.com.

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EDITORIALS

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July 21, 2014

Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis

Downtown’s a Business Center, Too

t is easy to get excited by all of the housing complexes, restaurants and shopping oppor tunities coming to Downtown. The people who have been here for decades and more recent trans plants alike have reason to celebrate. A residen tial population that has sped past 50,000 (it was approximately 18,000 around the year 2000) gives the area a vibrancy it hasn’t enjoyed since the first half of the 20th century. The burst of entertain ment options ensures that people will continue to flock here for a long time. This activity makes it easy to overlook something else about the community: Downtown Los Ange les is the largest employment hub in Southern Cali fornia, and the hundreds of thousands of people who drive in here for work each day and then drive home are crucial to the area. The folks in the Bun ker Hill skyscrapers, the Fashion District showrooms and other areas may lack the round-the-clock status of the residential class, but they add street life and spend a lot of money. Without the economic heft of the commuting community, many of the big stores wouldn’t open and a lot of the restaurants would fail. A reminder of this came the other week, when Anschutz Entertainment Group announced that it had reached a deal to lease the Desmond Building in South Park. AEG, which developed Staples Center, L.A. Live and the Convention Center hotel, will bring 500 workers from other neighborhoods into Down town (in addition to its employees at L.A. Live). The Desmond will house the company’s AEG Live and AXS Ticketing divisions. It’s safe to assume that some of the new employ ees will move Downtown. However, the likelihood is that the vast majority of those who work in the Desmond Building will still come by car or mass tran sit (but probably by car). Some won’t be ready for Downtown life. Many will be perfectly happy in the homes they own or rent. The point is, while it is great to have people living close to where they work, the Desmond transforma tion is a reminder of the power of the office building. Using a counterintuitive sort of logic, the presence of new employees from outlying areas will help in spire even more restaurants, bars, entertainment op tions and service businesses, which in turn will lead to even more housing. We’re glad that so many people want to live in Downtown, and we expect the residential sector will continue to grow. At the same time, we are heart ened to see that developers are working to create additional office space in the Central City, in particu lar the “creative space” that is increasingly marketed to tech firms and other businesses populated by younger employees. Having new Downtown workers isn’t quite as sexy to some as having new Downtown residents. How ever, the office crowd continues to far outnumber the people who sleep here each night. Additionally, it’s those who already have jobs here who will most likely ponder making Downtown their next home. Downtown is a great place for people who want to be here 24/7. It is also a great place for those on a 9-to-5 schedule. Let’s not forget the worth of the latter.

A New Era in Downtown Art

his is an exciting time to be an art fan in Downtown Los Angeles, but perhaps an unnerving time to be a resident artist. The changes brought about by the residential revo lution have created a landscape that is rapidly shifting and un thinkable for the pioneers who settled in the Arts District several decades ago. Today a number of major arts-related moves are playing out all across Downtown. The big-budget, mainstream art world is en sconced on Bunker Hill and is growing, thanks to a coming mu seum. The gallery scenes in Chinatown and the Historic Core con tinue to mature, and a proposed museum dedicated to Downtown artists could inject a new level of energy. Meanwhile, the Down town Art Walk has shed its past uncertainties and emerged stron ger (even if it’s now as much about the party as it is the art). The Arts District itself is in the midst of an investment and residential surge that is forever altering the community. In this period of flux, it is important that area leaders, particu larly on the business front, recognize that the visual arts are a vital part not just of Downtown’s past, but also its future. Yes, in a boom period everything changes and not everyone can afford a place to live or work amid rising rents and property values. Still, this is the city center, not the suburbs or the Westside. The arts need to thrive here, and there must continue to be opportunities to showcase the fruits of the creative class, as well as ways for the artists and the res idential and business sectors to interact. Several notable actions are happening at the same time. As Los Angeles Downtown News reported last week, Old Bank Dis trict pioneer Tom Gilmore and his business partner Jerri Perrone are planning a museum dedicated to Downtown artists. They are in the very early stage, and designs and financial details need to be determined. Still, they have one of the most important ingre dients: space. They are looking at using 50,000 square feet they own in the Old Bank District, including a rooftop that would hold a sculpture garden. Gilmore and Perrone’s endeavor would come several years after the debut of philanthropist Eli Broad’s $140 million Grand Avenue art museum. This is the most attention-generating Downtown art effort since the founding of MOCA, and Broad’s institution will house the 2,000 works he and his wife Edythe own through their two foundations. Although the project won’t open until next year,

Broad took a savvy step to make the facility instantly accessible — admission will be free. The Broad’s construction coincides with a rebound at the Muse um of Contemporary Art. This is also extremely important, as MO CA’s Grand Avenue flagship opened in 1986 and for decades was Downtown’s visual arts beacon. More recently the museum hit the financial skids, the endowment shriveled and the museum’s board seriously considered being subsumed by another entity such as LACMA. Fortunately, this was avoided. Today MOCA’s endowment is reportedly north of $100 million and working artists have re turned to the board. New Director Philippe Vergne has a sense of vision and an understanding of the mechanics of running an art museum that his predecessor, Jeffrey Deitch, sorely lacked. The Downtown art scene will also get a boost with the coming 100,000-square-foot Hauser Wirth & Schimmel mega-gallery. The project will mark the return to Downtown of former MOCA Chief Curator Paul Schimmel. The location at 901 E. Third St. ensures that the Arts District’s old buildings won’t only become condo complex es and restaurants. Granted, most developers can’t afford such expensive arts-ori ented efforts. Still, an affordable and community-friendly middle ground exists. A thoughtful example of that will appear in the com ing One Santa Fe project. The huge Arts District development will have not only 438 apartments and 75,000 square feet of shops and restaurants, but also the 5,300-square-foot Los Angeles Downtown Arts District Space. It will include a 2,000-square-foot exhibition area, a 99-seat theater and a screening room. If it works as planned, it will be an easy way for the community to access locally made art. This is the type of effort we’d like to see repeated. Hopefully oth ers who are building housing or big-budget projects will look for ways to include the arts in a meaningful manner (read: don’t just buy a sculpture, plop it down and call it mission accomplished). There’s another benefit: All these projects are even more impres sive when taken as a whole. The new museums and display spaces, along with a resurgent Art Walk and the veteran museums and galler ies, provide an opportunity to market Downtown as a visual arts hub. This is an unprecedented time for Downtown, and a lot of peo ple see a lot of ways to make money. That’s all well and good, but don’t overlook art’s role in making Downtown a more vibrant and pleasant place.

July 21, 2014

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A New Plan to Help Skid Row’s Homeless LAPD, City and County Officials Hope to Coordinate Efforts Amid Worsening Conditions By Donna Evans ne day last month, Deon Joseph got a call from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. Outreach workers were trying to get medical and mental health support to a woman with scabies and lice who urinated on herself daily. She resisted the help until Joseph, who has patrolled Skid Row for 16 years, stepped in. The woman knew him, and with his prompting she agreed to receive help. The LAPD veteran has not seen the woman, a longtime fixture on San Julian Street, since that day. Joseph, who recently penned a guest opinion piece in Los Angeles Downtown News that cried out for additional mental health services in Skid Row, believes the woman is finally poised to receive housing, along with the aid she didn’t know she needed. “Police are not the answer to ending homelessness. But we are a piece of the equation,” said Joseph. The anecdote underscores a new approach that the city and county are taking on Skid Row, the 50-block area that for decades has housed thousands of homeless individuals, the missions and shelters that support them, and also the drug dealers and other criminals who prey upon them. The new plan involves altering the primary policing tactics employed by the LAPD, and bringing together the police, the local City Council office, LAHSA and the county departments of Mental Health, Public Health and Health Services. The overall goal is to reduce homelessness with an enhanced emphasis on mental health. The move is significant for several reasons. It marks a major change from the “Broken Windows” theory of policing, which concentrates on arresting people for small quality-of-life crimes, as they often lead to more substantial offenses. That approach was adopted by former LAPD Chief William Bratton and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa with the introduction of the Safer Cities Initiative in 2007. The SCI was widely applauded for helping im-

prove Downtown. The shift, first reported by the Los Angeles Times, also comes as the number of individuals sleeping on the streets has grown exponentially, police and mission workers say. Part of the problem, area stakeholders maintain, is AB 109, the legislation signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2011 that sought to ease prison overcrowding. It shifted the responsibility for many prisoners from the state to the counties. According to observers, it also resulted in the release of numerous low-level offenders, many of whom wind up on Skid Row. Under the new plan, a person found in possession of drugs will still be arrested, but people sleeping on sidewalks and leaving their property in public areas will now be cited rather than handcuffed, according to Central Division Capt. Mike Oreb. Drug dealers and others who know that Skid Row residents make easy victims will be aggressively policed, Oreb added. Most importantly, he said, officers patrolling the area will go block-by-block to identify where the mentally ill homeless are living. That information will be coordinated with teams that are part of Operation Healthy Streets, a $3.7 million city initiative approved this year that will lead to increased street cleanings, as well as more bathroom access and storage for homeless individuals’ possessions. The cleanings will take place at least every other month, and the crews will be accompanied by police and outreach teams. Those teams will offer free medical exams, TB tests, on-the-spot medical treatment and even detox beds when they are available. The first cleaning is slated for Aug. 13. The shift in strategy earned the applause of longtime area stakeholders including Andy Bales, CEO of the Union Rescue Mission. “I feel listened to,” said Bales, who added that he has never seen as many people sleeping on the streets as there are today.

photo by Gary Leonard

With homelessness worsening in Skid Row, city and county officials are partnering with the LAPD. A new effort will involve fewer arrests and a greater concentration on treating mental health issues.

“Safer Cities left it all on the police,” Bales continued. “We need everyone to make a more significant contribution. Skid Row has become a mental health asylum out of control.” “General” Jeff Page, a longtime Skid Row activist, said for years he has wanted to see the Safer Cities Initiative reduce the number of arrests in the community. Page champions the idea of all involved entities coming together to work toward a solution, but said he wants to see Skid Row residents also at roundtable discussions. A Better Partnership Part of the significance of the changing approach is that it improves the partnership between the city and the county. Marc Trotz, director of Housing for Health at the County Department of Health Services, said he sees the new plan as an evolution of Continued on page 6

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July 21, 2014

SKID ROW, 5

photo by Gary Leonard

Part of the new plan calls for at least six deep street cleanings a year in Skid Row. The crews will be accompanied by a team of police and outreach workers.

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work from local jurisdictions that is now more focused than in the past. It’s not that there has been zero or little collaboration in previous years, he said, but rather that the new effort is more structured. For example, he said county workers during the Aug. 13 cleanup will help uninsured people enroll in a health plan under the Affordable Care Act. They will also seek to connect those on the streets with a primary care center. Supervisor Gloria Molina welcomes the new approach. While she said the county has intensified its efforts to connect the homeless in Skid Row and other areas to housing and supportive services for several years, the partnership with the city is a comprehensive approach that everyone needs. “It’s something we’ve always wanted,” she said in an email to Los Angeles Downtown News. “This new team effort isn’t a onestop approach, however. Different clients will have different needs. It’s rarely just about having a home.” For 14th District City Councilman José Huizar, one strength of the new plan is the proactive approach. Paul Habib, Huizar’s chief of staff, said providing a team of support workers during cleanings will benefit people who would like help but have no idea how to get it. “We are providing targeted assistance,” he said. Sara Hernandez, Huizar’s Downtown area director, added, “The street cleanings are disturbing business as usual. It’s uprooting folks and changing the status quo. It’s the perfect opportunity to interact with these people.” Despite the increased services and coordination, LAPD Lt. Billy Brockway, who heads the Safer Cities program, warned that any real change will require patience and careful tracking. If, on Aug. 13, outreach workers get, for example, six people into treatment, identify candidates for drug rehabilitation and remove one ton of debris, that needs to be recorded and compared with following cleanups, he said. The shifting approach is not occurring in a vacuum. The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, recognizing the longterm costs of homelessness on taxpayers, has partnered with the United Way in the Home for Good program, which aims to get people off the streets and into housing that includes on-site support services. To that effect, other new permanent supportive housing complexes have arrived. They include the 106-room New Genesis Apartments at 456 S. Main St. and the Star Apartments, a 102bed facility at 240 E. Sixth St. Oreb said because the police are a 24-hour service, he understands why they were front and center in the Safer Cities efforts. However, many of the issues individuals on the streets face are not police matters, he said. Oreb believes the new plan shows promise. “If we can get 100 people off the streets and into programs, that’s 100 fewer victims and that is a move in the right direction,” he said. donna@downtownnews.com

July 21, 2014

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July 21, 2014

Huge $140 Million Project Planned Near Olvera Street Development Would Include 345 Apartments, Along With Shops By Eddie Kim he El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument attracts about 2 million visitors a year, largely tourists and school groups who learn about the city’s heritage and stroll through the shops on Olvera Street. They could be joined in a few years by a relatively smaller number of individuals whose impact on the historic area could be huge: residents and mainstream shoppers. An approximately $140 million development dubbed La Plaza Cultura Village has been proposed for the area. A partnership agreement has been signed by the County of Los Angeles, which owns the land, and the nonprofit La Plaza de Cultura y Artes Foundation, which operates a museum and cultural facility on Main Street across from the El Pueblo plaza. It would essentially connect El Pueblo to the Fort Moore Pioneer Memorial, a small park and monument at 430 N. Hill St., by extending the “historic paseo” and surrounding it with shops, eateries, cultural and educational spaces, greenery and housing. “It advances our goal to promote Los Angeles’ history, and it’s going to provide social and cultural benefits and promote pedestrian activity,” said La Plaza board member Raul Salinas, who is also chairman of the project’s development committee. “The complex will add new vibrancy to a historic area and give it an economic boost.” Developer Trammell Crow and the Cesar Chavez Foundation have partnered to build and finance the project through private lenders, Salinas said. Chinatown-based architecture

firm Johnson Fain has been tapped to design the complex. The project would rise on a 3.7-acre site composed of two surface parking lots that are separated by Broadway. Initial plans from the county Department of Regional Planning indicate that the 425,000-square-foot effort would include 345 housing units, 20% of which would be set aside for low-income tenants. There would also be up to 55,000 square feet of restaurants, cafes, shops and more. Up to 786 parking spaces would be built. Plans indicate that “Block A,” the parcel east of Broadway, would hold a five-story structure with approximately 35,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and up to 119 residential units on the second through fifth floors. It would also have three levels of subterranean parking and an open-air plaza on the northern edge of the lot. “Block B,” on the western side of Broadway, would see an eight-story structure with up to 226 apartments and 20,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. Plans call for a dog park on the southern end of the parcel, as well as up to five levels of parking (mostly above ground). La Plaza Cultura Village would have studio to two-bedroom apartments, as well as live/work lofts, said Johnson Fain’s Scott Johnson. Another highlight would be an open-air plaza with eateries, a market and space for food demonstrations or other cultural programming. He added that the goal is to create a modern structure that clearly references the history of the area.

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The proposed La Plaza Cultura Village would include a wide paseo with ground-floor retail and housing on upper levels. Officials hope to break ground by the end of this year.

rendering courtesy Johnson Fain

“We want to project a message of the rich cultural history and contributions of original settlers, Mexicans and other Latino communities,” Johnson said. “In terms of aesthetics, it will look to Latin Modernism as a visual idea. There’s fantastic modern architecture throughout Mexico and Latin America. We don’t see the style as often in L.A., but this is an opportunity for it.” The plans have the support of El Pueblo General Manager Christopher Espinosa. He said that replacing two parking lots with a significant mixed-use development would be a big win for the neighborhood. “It will infuse a whole new community into our area, and that might be very good for [Olvera Street] merchants, too,” Espinosa said. “They might be able to expand business or take a different approach because of the influx of residents and new liveliness.” Espinosa noted that the El Pueblo Commission, a mayor-appointed citizen’s panel that oversees the department, expressed some con-

cerns about the project, including whether the design would mesh with the historic monument. The group also has asked that the new retail components not directly compete with Olvera Street vendors. The commission also wants an archaeologist on hand to make sure any artifacts or human remains discovered during the excavation process are properly dealt with, Espinosa said. La Plaza endured a controversy in 2011 when construction crews dug up the remains of 118 people, many of them Native Americans, buried at the site of the coming museum and community center. The project’s draft environmental impact report was released last week, and a final report will be prepared before construction begins. La Plaza Cultura Village could break ground by the end of the year, according to Salinas. Construction is slated to last 30 months and be completed in 2018, according to the Department of Regional Planning. eddie@downtownnews.com

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July 21, 2014

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Another Way To Play Ball Dodgers All-Access Gets Fans on the Field And Up Close With Team Stars

photo by Gary Leonard

Kathryn Schloessman, president of the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission, is organizing Dodgers All-Access, an event that includes a chance to take swings in the Dodger Stadium batting cage and throw pitches in the bullpen. Tickets start at $550.

By Jon Regardie very Dodger fan has his or her favorite team-related memories, but few have ever taken batting practice on the Dodger Stadium field or thrown a pitch in the bullpen. Not only will attendees of the upcoming Dodgers All-Access get to do that, but when throwing they just might get some advice from Fernando Valenzuela. When squaring up at the plate, former great Maury Wills could be offering batting tips. That, along with an intimate panel discussion featuring Clayton Kershaw and Adrian Gonzalez, is just the start of what will unfold at Dodgers All-Access. The event, put on by the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission, takes place at Dodger Stadium on Monday, July 28, at 5 p.m. Tickets start at $550 and proceeds benefit the LASEC and the Dodgers Foundation. Kathryn Schloessman, president of the LASEC, has been staging the similar Lakers All-Access and NFL All-Access for about a decade (the latter despite L.A.’s lack of a football team). The new Dodgers regime, she said, was responsible for getting the Blue Crew on board. “Timing is everything,” Schloessman said. “The new owners wanted to get more involved in the community. They approached us about doing something. Given how great the Dodgers are doing, and the stadium renovations, it was a good time to start doing something.” The event breaks down into several parts. Upon arriving, attendees head to the field where they can wander into the dugout, get stadium tours or take pictures with former stars including Ron Cey, Nomar Garciaparra and Reggie Smith. They can also visit organist Nancy Bea Hefley or head to the press box and try doing play-by-play to taped Dodger highlights. Recordings will later be emailed to participants. Then there are the instructional opportunities. Schloessman said Valenzuela will be in one bullpen, offering pitching advice. Batting cages will be set up, and she said Wills or another former Dodger will offer hitting tips. The event includes a buffet dinner with tables set up on the base paths and a trio of discussions. The first has former star pitcher and current broadcaster Orel Hershiser interviewing legendary play-by-play man Vin Scully. Then comes a talk on the business of baseball. Schloessman said the panel includes team CEO Stan Kasten, General Manager Ned Colletti (who may be busy considering that the Major League Baseball trading deadline is July 31) and MLB Chief Operating Officer Rob Manfred. The final discussion focuses on the current team. Speakers inContinued on page 44

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10 Downtown News

July 21, 2014

Big Changes in the Downtown Hotel Scene New 200-Room Hotel Coming, Veteran Establishment Sold By Jon Regardie uly is turning out to be a huge month for hotels in Downtown Los Angeles. In addition to the debut of a $172 million tower with two Marriott brands at L.A. Live, plans have been announced for a new hotel at Eighth and Olive streets, and the venerable Hotel Figueroa has been sold. The most striking change is at the edge of the Historic Core and the Financial District, where the 13-story Commercial Exchange Building has been sold and is set to become a Freehand hotel pitched toward young travelers. Freehand is a partnership between billionaire investor Ron Burkle’s Yucaipa Companies and the Sydell Group. The project, according to a release from the office of 14th District City Councilman José Huizar, will create approximately 200 rooms, along with ground-floor retail and a restaurant. The Freehand, according to a prepared statement, will have traditional guest rooms as well as hostel-type rooms with up to eight beds. They can be reserved individually or as a whole. It will be the third Freehand, following a location in Miami and another one under construction in Chicago. It is expected to create hundreds of jobs. Freehand hopes to start construction in the third quarter of next year and open in the summer of 2016. The project ar-

chitect is Killefer Flammang Associates, which has undertaken numerous conversions of old Downtown buildings. The Commercial Exchange, opened in 1924 and was designed by the prominent Los Angeles architecture firm Walker & Eisen. In its early years the Beaux Arts structure held the headquarters for the then-giant Owl Drug Co. It also contained the office of Edgar Rice Burroughs, the author who created Tarzan and other characters. “As we continue to increase our hotel stock in Downtown, this project will provide a unique option to travelers and those seeking a creative, social experience as they explore Downtown,” said Huizar. “This model has been successful in other cities and we are excited to see what Freehand does to revitalize this beautiful, long-vacant building and transform it into a center for culture and innovative hospitality.” Unbeknownst to many, the building was the site of one of the strangest construction jobs in the history of Los Angeles. In a 2004 Los Angeles Downtown News article, Jay Berman described how, in 1935, a five-foot section was literally cut from the building. The effort, undertaken by the Kress House Moving Company, was spurred by the need to widen Continued on page 44

Homelessness Has a Face We embrace people experiencing homelessness with the compassion of Christ — giving hope and healing for a changed life — helping them find their way home.

6 Ways to Make a Difference Distribute Outreach Kits

Volunteer

Urban Experience

Donate

Start a 120 Fund

Involve Your Church

Your simple act of passing out a kit can give hope and tangible help to someone in desperate need.

Your life will be forever changed after seeing the faces of men and women who live on Skid Row up close.

Your personal fundraising campaign is a great way to involve friends and family as partners in this life-changing work.

Your time and service is one of the most valuable and life-changing gifts you can give to people in need.

Your generosity provides meals, safe shelter and recovery programs with the power to transform lives.

Your church can be an example of God’s abundant love and grace for hurting souls here in our community.

To learn more about ways to make a difference please visit us at www.urm.org/help 545 South San Pedro St., Los Angeles, CA 90013

213.347.6300 ~ www.urm.org/help 545 South San Pedro Street Los Angeles, CA 90013

The long-vacant Commercial Exchange Building at 416 W. Eighth St. has been purchased and will become a youth-oriented hotel. Some rooms will hold up to eight beds that can be reserved as a group or individually. The 200room hotel is slated to open in summer 2016.

photo by Gary Leonard

The Hotel Figueroa in South Park, known for its three south-facing walls that bear huge advertisements, has been sold.

photo by Gary Leonard

The votes are in, and the winners are...

BestofDT AD 10.25x6July2014w_ad 7/15/14 9:15 PM Page 1 12 Downtown News

July 21, 2014

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

Urth Caffé–The only LA coffee company roasting exclusively heirloom & organic coffees fresh daily in the Arts District. www.urthcaffe.com

URTH DOWNTOWN 451 S Hewitt Street CA 90013

(213) 797-4534

Good Samaritan Hospital

Best Hospital in Downtown Los Angeles for 15 years!!!!

Our doctors have choices on where to practice medicine, so they practice here. Visit our website at www.goodsam.org.

For a referral to our excellent doctors call 1-800-GS-CARES (1-800-472-2737)

1225 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90017 (213) 977-2121

July 21, 2014

Downtown News 13

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

Beauty and the Best Downtowners Come Out in Droves To Pick Their Favorites

his is a great time to be in Downtown Los Angeles. We know, you expect Los Angeles Downtown News to proclaim that, but seriously, consider what is happening in 2014. The residential population is soaring, having gone from 18,000 at the turn of the millennium to north of 50,000 today. Downtown is Southern California’s hottest culinary scene, with young, inventive chefs flocking to the community, knowing they’ll find affordable spaces and adventurous diners. There are now more opportunities for fun here than ever before. The young and the hip visit the bars, clubs and concert halls. Families have the museums and numerous outdoor attractions including Grand Park. A growing number of festivals are taking place in the Central City. All of this helps explain why so many people are willing to chime in on all that Downtown offers. The latest bit of proof resulted in this very issue. From May 12-30, Downtown News conducted the voting for the 26th annual Best of Downtown issue. Once again, all balloting took place at a dedicated website, and we put in special filters to prevent ballot stuffing (cause we’re tech-savvy like that).

Unlike many city elections, readers came out in droves, and a total of 2,057 people opted to pick their favorite places to eat, drink, shop, be entertained and more. Those individuals cast a cumulative 114,000 votes. There were winners both new and familiar. Old favorite Morton’s the Steakhouse notched the Best Dinner, Best Fine Dining and Best Steakhouse awards. Another multiple winner was Mendocino Farms; the sandwich joint earned prizes for Best Lunch Spot, Best Fast Dining and, fittingly, Best Sandwich. The Best New Restaurant honors went to the Factory Kitchen and Peking Tavern, while the still young Maccheroni Republic beat out some fierce competition to be named Best Italian. The winners are revealed in the following pages. The Best of Downtown section also includes a couple dozen selections from the editorial staff, though these went in a different direction. Forget places to eat and shop, and think instead about categories including Downtown’s Best Corner for People Watching, Best Athletes and Best Villain. If you don’t agree with some of the winners, that’s fine, too. Come back in 2015 and cast your vote. We’ll be here.

The Thrill of Victory Downtowners Get Some Nice Prizes Just for Voting

t’s almost impossible to get something for nothing, but a handful of Los Angeles Downtown News readers have come pretty close to achieving that. In May, we asked our readers to go online and fill out ballots for the 26th annual Best of Downtown issue. More than 2,000 people did so, casting a total of 114,000 votes (there were 138 categories, after all). We also gave those who completed a significant portion of the ballot a chance to be entered into a drawing for some big prizes. Once again, a lot of people took us up on the offer. Now, some of those who did a little bit of online clicking and supporting of their favorite Downtown businesses, restaurants, bars and more are being richly rewarded. Our grand prize winner is Julie Gatica, who won a package that includes a two-night stay at the Omni Los Angeles Hotel, dinner for two at Noé, $200 cash, dinner for two at Morton’s The Steakhouse and a Los Angeles Conservancy walking tour. Yes, she gets all of that. She isn’t the only one to find that using the Internet can bring good fortune. Lucy Brandon won an iPad Mini, while Mike Deckman, Jennifer Lee and Nathan Tellers will all receive $100. Downtown News is also handing out some restaurant gift certificates. Carmen Rodriguez gets to spend $100 with the Patina Restaurant Group

Grand prize winner Julia Gatica.

(Downtown options include Patina, Café Pinot and Kendall’s Brasserie), Debbie Welsch and Rainbow Jung each have $50 to drop at Chaya, and Brian Hale will walk into Cabbage Patch with $25 (all winners were selected in a random drawing). Downtown News says a huge thank you to everyone who took the time to fill out a ballot. The 27th annual Best of Downtown will take place next year, and we look forward both to hearing what our readers like, and to giving them more free stuff. Because, after all, everyone loves free stuff.

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Thank you Downtown News readers for voting Wells Fargo ‘Best Bank’* Our bankers live and work in your community and know that good relationships make us all stronger. By getting to know you our experienced bankers can offer customized tools and services tailored to meet your financial needs. Visit us at a location near you and talk with a banker today.

1200667_12481 10.25x6 4c.indd 1

6/27/14 2:21 PM

14 Downtown News

Best Entertainment BEST FREE EVENT SERIES Pershing Square Summer Concert Series

BEST LARGE MUSIC VENUE 111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 850-2000 or laphil.com If you’ve got the Walt Disney Concert Hall pegged for an orchestra-only joint, you’re dead wrong. Sure, Gustavo Dudamel and the L.A. Phil dominate, but this year German minimalist electronica pioneers Kraftwerk had a four-night stand. In April, pop-soul duo Rhye showed up.

This triple threat of free entertainment features genre-based lunchtime shows on Wednesdays, tribute bands on Thursday nights and classic 80s bands on Saturday nights. For instance, you can catch the groovy Jazzedelics at noon on July 23 as you put down some kabobs from the farmers market, return the next evening to see Johnny Cash tribute band The Mighty Cash Cats and wander over on Saturday to see When In Rome.

RUNNER-UP: Nokia Theatre

RUNNER-UP: Grand Performances at California Plaza

Walt Disney Concert Hall

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

350 S. Grand Ave., (213) 687-2190 or grandperformances.org

Edison

108 W. Second St., (213) 613-0000 or edisondowntown.com Think of The Edison as a nightclub with a Prohibition-industrial style. The low-lit former boiler room jives with strong cocktails and an intriguing array of occasional performances. For years people have been queing up in an alley off Second Street to get in here.

RUNNER-UP: Exchange LA

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

BEST FREE EVENT SERIES

Pershing Square Summer Concert Series 532 S. Olive St., (213) 847-4970 or laparks.org/pershingsquare

RUNNER-UP: Natural History Museum

800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 763-5483 or lalive.com It’s appropriate that the massive video screen at L.A. Live can be seen by airline passengers on their final approach to LAX. Like moths to the flame, visitors to Downtown are drawn to the glowing variety of restaurants, nightclubs, music venues and sporting events.

RUNNER-UP: Grand Central Market

BEST DOWNTOWN TOURS

BEST FAMILY ATTRACTION

RUNNER-UP: Downtown Film Festival

523 W. Sixth St., (213) 623-2489 or laconservancy.org If you live in the Historic Core, you can safely wager that the crowd of wide-eyed visitors outside your century-old building on a Saturday morning are either film location scouts or one of the many tours produced by the Los Angeles Conservancy. With an eye toward the unique social and architectural legacy of our big little city, the L.A. Conservancy focuses on our communal heritage.

227 N. Spring St., (213) 972-8080 or grandparkla.org The 12-acre campus stretching between City Hall and the Music Center is a multi-level family oasis. Whether your little ones enjoy splashing in the Arthur J. Will Memorial Fountain, or you like free events such as the Fourth of July concert and fireworks spectacular, this still-new addition has plenty to entertain.

BEST FILM VENUE

RUNNER-UP: Architecture Tours L.A.

866-FILMFEST or lafilmfest.com Each June, the Regal Cinemas at L.A. Live hosts a veritable cornucopia of big-budget and indie films, and the recent lineup included a batch of locally made movies. If your pet project is looking for distribution, there are few finer festivals in Los Angeles than this gathering. Don’t forget the panel discussions and the parties.

BEST NIGHTCLUB

californiasciencecenter.org The California Science Center in Exposition Park is currently showing an exhibit about Pompeii. Then, of course, there’s a massive craft that’s traveled over a million miles around the earth. If you haven’t been to see the Space Shuttle Endeavour or artifacts from the lost Roman city, summer is a great time to pop in.

L.A. Film Fest

800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 745-0162 or congaroom.com Tucked inside L.A. Live is one of the best places to catch a live salsa band or fiery DJ set. For its 15,000 square feet, the Conga Room hits hard and packs a capacity crowd of 1,800 most weekends.

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

BEST FAMILY ATTRACTION Grand Park

317 S. Broadway, (213) 624-2378 or grandcentralmarket.com

BEST FILM SERIES

RUNNER-UP: Grammy Museum

Photos by Gary Leonard

900 Exposition Blvd., (213) 763-3466 or nhm.org

BEST SMALL MUSIC VENUE Conga Room

July 21, 2014

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

Dffla.com

Regal Cinemas L.A. Live

1000 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 763-6070 or regmovies.com From effects-based blockbusters to Oscarseason darlings, the 14 screens are your best bet to catch a flick in Downtown. If you’re really jonesing for an invasive experience, check out a film in 3D or 4D, which includes a combination of live action effects and moving seats. You’ve been warned.

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

BEST MUSEUM

California Science Center

700 Exposition Blvd., (323) 724-3623 or

Los Angeles Conservancy

(323) 464-7868 or architecturetoursla.com

BEST PERFORMING ARTS VENUE Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-7211 or musiccenter.org The crown jewel in the Music Center’s performance crown, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is the tony home to the L.A. Opera and a variety of other events throughout the year. Since 1964, guests have been awed by the venue’s acoustics and commanding position atop Bunker Hill.

RUNNER-UP: Ahmanson Theatre

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

BEST TOURIST ATTRACTION L.A. Live

Grand Park

RUNNER-UP: California Science Center

700 Exposition Blvd., (323) 724-3623 or californiasciencecenter.org

BEST DOWNTOWN EVENT Downtown Art Walk

Spring and Main between Second and Ninth streets, (213) 617-4929 or downtownartwalk.org. With each second Thursday of the month, the streets of the Historic Core’s Gallery Row fill will onlookers, art fiends, sidewalk vendors, bar enthusiasts and all-around revelers. Over the years, Art Walk event has evolved from a pure art foundation to encompass a large cross-section of Angelenos looking for a fun gateway into the Downtown scene.

RUNNER-UP: Grand Performances at California Plaza 350 S. Grand Ave., (213) 687-2190 or grandperformances.org

July 21, 2014

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

Downtown News 15

A Message from the Downtown LA Auto Group:

Thank You, Downtown LA!

DOWNTOWN LA MOTORS 1801 S. Figueroa St. 888-319-8762 mbzla.com

PORSCHE OF DOWNTOWN L.A. 1900 S. Figueroa St. 888-685-5426 porschedowntownla.com

AUDI OF DOWNTOWN L.A. 1900 S. Figueroa St. 888-583-0981 audidtla.com

VOLKSWAGEN OF DOWNTOWN L.A. 1900 S. Figueroa St. 888-781-8102 vwdowntownla.com

TOYOTA OF DOWNTOWN L.A. 1600 S. Figueroa St. 800-399-6132 toyotaofdowntownla.com

We’re proud to be named the Best Auto Dealership group in Downtown LA. We have been providing vehicles to Downtowners since 1921 when Felix Chevrolet was located at 11th and Grand. You don’t have to leave downtown and travel to the suburbs for sales and service. We take care of you right here on Figueroa Street.

SCION OF DOWNTOWN L.A. 1600 S. Figueroa St. 800-560-9174 scionofdowntownla.com

We have eight brands in one company and can handle all your automotive needs. Call me on a direct line, 213 743-5519, and tell me what you are looking for. We’ll find the car that’s right for you. NISSAN

Sincerely,

OF DOWNTOWN L.A.

Darryl

635 W. Washington Blvd. 888-838-5089 downtownnissan.com

Darryl Holter, CEO CARSON

Downtown L.A. Auto Group Family Owned & Operated Since 1955 W W W . D T L A M O T O R S . C O M

NISSAN

1505 E. 223rd St. 888-845-2267 carsonnissan.com

FELIX CHEVROLET 3330 S. Figueroa St. 888-304-7039 felixchevrolet.com

16 Downtown News

Best Drinking BEST LATE NIGHT SPOT Pete’s Cafe

BEST COFFEE Urth Caffe

451 S. Hewitt St., (213) 797-4534 or urthcaffe.com A handful of special house blends and a pair of organic varietals prove that variety is the spice of life, especially when it comes to caffeine.

Try out sumptuous roasts and hone in on your prefered taste before getting queried by one of Downtown’s numerous bean snobs.

RUNNER-UP: Tierra Mia Coffee

Bes

i ts

E BE S T TH

July 21, 2014

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

s we a r

–

Suits, sport coats, slacks, formal wear, sport and dress shirts, ties and accessories. The latest men’s fashions in sizes 35 extra-short to 60 extra-long, 40% - 70% off retail. THE ONLY CALIFORNIA WHOLESALER OF BETTER MENSWEAR SELLING TO FINE STORES AROUND THE COUNTRY.

Open tO the public SUITS THAT SHOULD BE EXPENSIVE, BUT THEY’RE NOT! OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

PHOTOS By GAry LEONArd

BEST COFFEE Urth Caffe

653 S. Spring St., (213) 895-6000 or tierramiacoffee.com

welcome at the L.A. Brew Co. Giants and Celtics fans begrudingly welcome.

BEST JuiCE

RUNNER-UP: Casey’s Irish Pub

Robeks

750 W. Seventh St., (213) 688-0932; 645 W. Ninth St., (213) 489-4694; 201 N. Los Angeles St. #24, (213) 617-0400 or robeks.com With the recent profusion of mom and pop juice joints in Downtown, this category is highly competitive. Rest assured that the time-tested recipes pioneered by the folks at the Robeks Juice Company have given Downtown plenty to sip on.

RUNNER-UP: Pressed Juicery

860 S. Los Angeles St., (855) 755-8423 or pressedjuicery.com

BEST WiNE BAR (TiE) BottleRock

1050 S. Flower St., Suite 167, (213) 747-1100 or bottlerock.com Grab a cheese plate and indulge in the evershifting menu of wine options that make BottleRock the go-to spot in South Park to get a bit grapey. Open until 1 a.m. most nights with a kitchen churning out bites until 11:30 p.m., the generous pours here promise a good vibe.

The Must

117 Winston St., (213) 628-2000 or themust.com What BottleRock is to South Park, The Must is to the Historic Core. Long a favorite of vine lovers and foodies alike, the reconstituted Must’s location on Winson Street is a cozy invitation to stain one’s lips with a bit of wine and speak some truth.

RUNNER-UP: Mignon

128 E. Sixth St., (213) 489-0131 or mignonla.com

BEST SPORTS ViEWiNG BAR Los Angeles Brewing Company

729 S. Los Angeles St.

1-877-SUITS-4-U • 213-627-9661

750 S. Broadway, (213) 622-0500 or labrewingco.com If you enjoy watching sporting events with a full selection of draft beers, ubiquitous televisions and bar food aplenty, you’ll find yourself

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

BEST LOuNGE BAR The Edison

108 W. Second St., (213) 613-0000 or edisondowntown.com The speakeasy feel and extensive underground footprint of The Edison have long attracted a varied clientele from dedicated Downtowners to curious Westsiders. Spread out in one of the myriad nooks and crannies in this quasi-steampunk space and you may just want to stay until the sun rises.

RUNNER-UP: Library Bar

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

BEST NEiGHBORHOOD DiVE BAR Redwood Bar & Grill

316 W. Second St., (213) 680-2600 When you enter the Redwood, know that many have come before you. Whether those folks belong to the roulette wheel of punk bands that call the Redwood home or are pirate fanatics obsessed with the nautical theme, just know that you’re in good company.

RUNNER-UP: Cole’s

118 E. Sixth St., (213) 622-4090 or colesfrenchdip.com

BEST RESTAuRANT HAPPY HOuR McCormick & Schmick’s

633 W. Fifth St., fourth floor, (213) 629-1929 or mccormickandschmicks.com This perennial happy hour spot has weathered waves of competition and recession, endless office birthday parties and the Cosmo. The drinks are good, but what really stands out is the happy hour food menu.

RUNNER-UP: Public School 612 (Daily Grill)

July 21, 2014 612 S. Flower St., (213) 623-1172 or publicschool612.com

BEST BAR HAPPY HOUR Seven Grand

515 W. Seventh St., second floor, (213) 614-0737 or sevengrand.la Five dollar house cocktails and a selection of beers priced at a mere four bones will make traveling to this dimly lit, taxidermy-strewn den of vice seem appropriate. Guests are welcome to pump the dollars they save into the well-curated jukebox.

RUNNER-UP: Spring Street Bar

626-B S. Spring St., (213) 622-5859 or springstla.com

BEST HOTEL BAR

Standard Rooftop Bar – Standard Downtown

550 S. Flower St., (213) 892-8080 or standardhotels.com For years now the rooftop bar at the Standard has been the height of sociability on sunny weekend afternoons and a charmingly posh way to spend an evening taking in the view of central Downtown. While the line to get in might stretch down the block, the social cachet netted by the Instagram photos you take once inside will make all your followers jealous.

RUNNER-UP: Upstairs Bar – Ace Hotel

929 S. Broadway, (213) 623-3233 or acehotel.com

BEST LATE NIGHT SPOT Pete’s Café & Bar

400 S. Main St., (213) 617-1000 or petescafe.com A PhD candidate vying for an advanced

Downtown News 17

BEST OF DOWNTOWN degree in Philosophy would be hardpressed to refute the assertion that beer+ wine+full bar+nachos+patio people watching=happiness. Don’t leave it up to the eggheads though. Late-night bliss at Pete’s is best experienced in person.

RUNNER-UP: The Original Pantry Café

Best Shopping

PhOTOS By gaRy lEOnaRd

BEST RETail STORE (laRgE) City Target

877 S. Figueroa St., (213) 972-9279 or pantrycafe.com

BEST BEER (DRAfT/TAP) SELECTION Yard House

800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 745-9273 or yardhouse.com If you tried a new draft beer at Yard House every day, it would take you five months to get through all 150. If you tried all of them in one week, it would take seven days and about five years off your life.

RUNNER-UP: Wurstküche

800 E. Third St., (213) 687-4444 or wurstkuche.com

BEST HANGOVER REMEDY SPOT The Original Pantry Café

877 S. Figueroa St., (213) 972-9279 or pantrycafe.com When hydration and a desire for meats and carbs are required after a round of bar hopping, few Downtown spots can compare with the smorgasbord at The Pantry. BTW, the Pantry is open 24/7, and is owned by former Mayor Richard Riordan.

RUNNER-UP: Nickel Diner

524 S. Main St., (213) 623-8301 or nickeldiner.com

BEST fARMERS MARKET

Pershing Square Farmers Market

532 S. Olive St., Wednesday 11 a.m.-2 p.m., rawinspiration.org Seasonal fruits and vegetables augment a heavy display of nuts, local condiments and other untold pleasures of the agricultural community. Further accolades are due to the selection of warm lunch options, from pupusas and tacos to wonderful Mediterranean fare.

RUNNER-UP: Historic Core Farmers Market (Sundays) Fifth Street, between Spring Street and Broadway or hdlabid.com

BEST BICYCLE SHOP DTLA Bikes

425 S. Broadway, (213) 533-8000 or dtlabikes.com

In the very heart of the Historic Core lurks a spot for veteran gearheads and two-wheeled neophytes alike. DTLA Bikes prides itself on accomodating both those who wouldn’t be caught dead with brakes on their fixie and riders who prefer tassles on their handlebars.

RUNNER-UP: Just Ride L.A.

1626 S. Hill St., (213) 745-6783 or justridela.com

BEST PET SUPPLIES/BOUTIQUE Pussy & Pooch

564 S. Main St., (213) 438-0900 or pussyandpooch.com When your entire neighborhood is filled with residents who gleefully sport a variety of precious canine companions, it’s difficult to stand Continued on page 18

Redefining what’s possible. www.gensler.com

Gensler, Los Angeles

18 Downtown News

SHOPPING, 17 out. If you’re looking to make a stylish statement, Pussy & Pooch would be more than happy to help you accessorize your French Bulldog with a new collar, provide your Golden Retriever with some rubber booties or perhaps groom out the tangles in your Chow’s mane.

RUNNER-UP: Bark Avenue’s Pet Project

548 S. Spring St., (213) 688-7752 or petprojectla.com

BEST ART, CRAFT & DESIGN STORE Raw Materials

436 S. Main St., (800) 729-7060 or rawmaterialsla.com. Any time your local art supply store is decorated with the unlit neon sign from a legendary dive bar like Craby Joe’s, you know they’ve got some credentials. A wide selection of fairly priced necessities and an eager-to-please owner make shopping here a pleasure.

RUNNER-UP: FIDM Scholarship Store

919 S. Grand Ave., (213) 623-5821 or thefidmmuseumstore.org

BEST STORE FOR THE HOME angelo: HOME

847 S. Broadway, (213) 488-9347 or angelohome.com/store From shabby chic to creative kitsch and beyond, angelo: HOME offers up any number of tables, chairs, accessories, storage items and illuminating fixtures. The hardest part beyond wrangling all that gear home is knowing when to stop buying.

RUNNER-UP: Dearden’s

117 N. Broadway, (714) 560-1199 or deardens.com

BEST BOOKSTORE The Last Bookstore

453 S. Spring St., (213) 488-0599 or lastbookstorela.com Those who have taken a journey into the rabbit hole that is the upstairs $1 book labyrinth already know that the Last Bookstore is a place of literate wonder. The expansive first floor is no slouch either. There you’ll find a collection of new and intriguing used books that rivals any store in the city.

HEAD-TO-HEAD BEST MENSWEAR – SUITS Roger Stuart Clothes

RUNNER-UP: The Library Store

630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7550 or lfla.org/store

BEST CIGAR/SMOKE SHOP

2nd Street Cigar Lounge and Gallery

124 W. Second St., (213) 452-4416 or 2ndstreetcigars.com “All the world’s a humidor and we are but stogie connoisseurs.” So goes the mantra of these high-quality tobacco vendors. If you’re ever wandering on 2nd Street between the Historic Core and the Civic City, just follow the sweet, wafting vapors to find the finest options in legally rolled smokes.

RUNNER-UP: Broadway Smoke Shop

8123 S. Broadway, (323) 541-9337

BEST AUTO DEALER – NEW CARS

Toyota Downtown L.A. – Downtown L.A. Auto Group 1600 S. Figueroa St., (213) 748-8301 or toyotaofdowntownla.com With a strong contingent of electric and hybrid automobiles and a solid reputation, Toyota’s stock in the automotive world keeps rising. Drop by and find out about the future of Japanese vehicles.

Congrats to our Historic Core BID Best of Downtown 2014 winners!

RUNNER-UP: Downtown L.A. Mercedes Benz – Downtown L.A. Auto Group

1801 S. Figueroa St., (213) 748-8951 or mbzla.com

When it comes to purchasing a suit in the Fashion District, Roger Stuart takes the cake with a variety of products and customer service. And why not? The place has been around for decades.

BEST AUTO DEALER – USED CARS

BEST MENSWEAR BOUTIQUE

1600 S. Figueroa St., (213) 748-8301 or toyotaofdowntownla.com If Toyota Downtown L.A. is good enough to win the award for Best New Car Dealer, logic dictates that its reputation for service and fair deals extends well into the world of used cars. For those harboring fantasies of driving off in a 2008 Tundra with under 50,000 miles, this could be the place.

600 S. Spring St., (213) 599-1600 Between a selection of graphic T-shirts (including one particularly righteous A Tribe Called Quest Midnight Marauders shirt) and various articles of button-down casual wear, Six Hundred has spent the past few years embodying the eclectic aesthetic of Spring Street. Whether you’re rummaging through sale racks or trying to find a hip garment for an infant, Six Hundred has you covered.

RUNNER-UP: Honda of Downtown Los Angeles

RUNNER-UP: Raggedy Threads Vintage Shoppe

BEST JEWELRY MART

BEST GIFT & STATIONERY STORE

650 S. Hill St., (213) 629-2124 or svjc.com Competition in this category is stiff, but with 500 vendors under one roof offering all that glitters and gleams, it’s hard to argue with the St. Vincent Jewelry Center. Don’t forget to haggle.

630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7550 or lfla.org/store Edgar Allan Poe T-shirts, fine non-fiction and Los Angeles-inspired gifts all have their place in the remarkably diverse inventory of The Library Store. With an unexpected eye toward the vibrant populism of the city itself, chances are you’ll find something for everyone on your list here.

Toyota Downtown L.A. – Downtown L.A. Auto Group

1540 S. Figueroa St., (213) 536-0456 or hondaoflosangeles.com

St. Vincent Jewelry Center

RUNNER-UP: California Jewelry Mart 607 S. Hill St., (213) 627-2831

BEST CONSIGNMENT & VINTAGE STORE Buttons and Bows

LA Cafe Angelo:HOME LA Brewing Company Big Man Bakes Pete’s Cafe & Bar Blossom Pussy & Pooch Bolt Barbers Raw Materials Buttons & Bows SixHundred Crepes Sans Frontieres Spring Street Mac Downtown ArtWalk Do The Last Bookstore DTLA Bikes The Must Eastern Columbia Building HISTORIC DOWNTOWN FARMERS MARKET Sundays 9am-2pm 5th Street DTLA

Winner - Best BID

July 21, 2014

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

Runner-up Best Farmers Market

548 S. Spring St., #112, (213) 622-0648 or buttonsandbowsla.com A healthy selection of vintage and designer clothing and accessories for women and men signals Buttons and Bows’ ascendancy to the top of the consignment/vintage game. Not sold yet? The shop is co-owned by Bob Marley’s daughter, Karen, which has to count for something.

Six Hundred

330 E. Second St., (213) 620-1188 or raggedythreads.com

The Library Store

RUNNER-UP: MOCA

250 S. Grand Ave., (213) 621-1710, or mocastore.myshopify.com

BEST WOMEN’S WEAR BOUTIQUE FIDM Scholarship Store

RUNNER-UP: 1 Man’s Trash

919 S. Grand Ave., (213) 623-5821 or thefidmmuseumstore.org Adjacent to the FIDM Museum is a boutique offering items inspired by current exhibitions along with fashionable jewelry and accessories. The gear may have little in common with the formal programming at the museum, but it has everything to do with FIDM’s commitment to accesible fashion.

BEST STREET FASHION BOUTIQUE

RUNNER-UP: Buttons and Bows

655 S. Main St., (213) 840-3654

Popkiller/Popkiller Second

343 E. Second St., (213) 625-1372 or popkiller.us Irreverence knows no bounds as far as Little Tokyo’s Popkiller is concerned. Their variety of custom made and vintage garments offer a variety of sentiments. Go ahead, try to walk out without buying something.

RUNNER-UP: Blends

725 S. Los Angeles St., (213) 626-6607 or blendsus.com

HEAD-TO-HEAD BEST MENSWEAR – SUITS Roger Stuart Clothes

729 S. Los Angeles St., (213) 627-9661

548 S. Spring St., #112, (213) 622-0648 or buttonsandbowsla.com

BEST Retail STORE (large) City Target

735 S. Figueroa St., (213) 330-4543 or target.com Anchoring the retail lineup for the FIGat7th mall is this City Target, which offers an inventory focusing on trendy items, basic groceries and little design odds and ends you won’t find most anywhere else in Dowdntown. There’s a Zara and an H&M, too.

RUNNER-UP: Macy’s

750 W. Seventh St., (213) 628-9311 or macys.com

July 21, 2014

Downtown News 19

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

Best Restaurants

mission to provide quick-service meals to those without the means or motivation to pick it up themselves.

BEST NEW RESTAURANT (TIE)

800 S. Figueroa St., (213)488-2654 or localtable-la.com

806 S. Spring St., (213) 988-8308 or tooguapo.com/Peking_Tavern The time-honored tradition of dumplings gets new life at this subterranean spot in the Historic Core. Whether you pop in for happy hour or indulge in a full meal, you’re guaranteed to leave with a satisfied belly.

Best RestauRant DeLIVeRY L.a. Cafe

BEST FAST SERVICE photo courtesy L.A. Cafe

Peking Tavern

RUNNER-UP: Local Table

The Factory Kitchen

1300 Factory Pl., (213) 996-6000 or thefactorykitchen.com The Factory Kitchen illuminates its block with a new take on Italian classics. From flatbreads to a divine pasta, the food from chef Angelo Auriana is both adventurous and satisfying. Be sure to try his pesto dish, mandilli di seta.

Mendocino Farms

300 S. Grand Ave., (213) 620-1114; 444 S. Flower St., (213) 627-3262; 735 S. Figueroa St., (213) 430-9040 or mendocinofarms.com The extensive menu at Mendocino Farms features a broad variety of enticing sandwiches created with near-mechanical expertise. They push the envelope but always use high-quality ingredients.

RUNNER-UP: Wurstküche

800 E. Third St., (213) 687-4444 or wurstkuche.com

BEST FINE DINING

RUNNER-UP: The Must

Morton’s The Steakhouse

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

BEST L.A. LIVE RESTAURANT Yard House

735 S. Figueroa St., (213) 553-4566 or mortons.com The long-operating Financial District joint has been kicking out great steaks since before all the housing developers started flocking to Downtown Los Angeles. Try the New York Strip, the filet or what have you — you’ll do just fine.

800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 745-9273 or yardhouse.com It’s difficult to compete with a place that offers 150 beers on tap. Beyond that, look for the full menu and robust happy hour choices that solidified Yard House’s spot on top. There’s nothing wrong with a burger and a beer.

A trip to this healthy bistro reveals a restaurant brimming with kudos for their amiable and efficient staff. Customer service is a priority here.

RUNNER-UP: Katsuya

725 W. Seventh St., (213) 228-7800 or thecounterburger.com

BEST FARM TO TABLE (TIE)

800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 747-9797or katsuyarestaurant.com/lalive

BEST RESTAURANT DELIVERY

BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE

639 S. Spring St., (213) 612-3000 or thelacafe.com Surely you have seen the yellow Smart Car bearing the L.A. Café logo as it zips between USC and Chinatown on a 24-hour-a-day

400 S. Main St., (213) 617-1000 or petescafe.com You wouldn’t necessarilly associate Pete’s with a bounty of fresh agriculture. Try the food, though, and you’ll find a delightful fresh link to the Southland’s plentiful fields. Continued on page 20

Local Table

800 S. Figueroa St., (213)488-2654 or localtable-la.com

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544 S. Grand Ave., (213) 891-0900 or watergrill.com

L.A. Cafe

Pete’s Cafe & Bar

THANK YOU for voting us the best

E BE S T TH

RUNNER-UP: The Counter

RUNNER-UP: Water Grill

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20 Downtown News

July 21, 2014

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

Blue Cow Kitchen & Bar

350 S. Grand Ave., (213) 621-2249 or bluecowkitchen.com Over at Cal Plaza, Blue Cow achieves freshness by dealing directly with a bevy of farms. The team here really understands what ingredients make their meals sparkle.

Best LUNCH SPOT Best Fast SERVICE BEST SANDWICH/WRAP

Mendocino Farms

RUNNER-UP: Bestia

2121 E. Seventh Place, (213) 514-5724 or bestiala.com

Mendocino Farms

300 S. Grand Ave., (213) 620-1114; 444 S. Flower St., (213) 627-3262; 735 S. Figueroa St., (213) 430-9040 or mendocinofarms.com There’s a reason that each of Mendocino Farms’ three Downtown locations generate big lines at lunch. The sandwich is king here, and with the fresh artisan bread and inventive concoctions, there is no sandwich place like it. It’s worth the wait.

Morton’s The Steakhouse

BEST BUSINESS LUNCH Water Grill

735 S. Figueroa St., (213) 553-4566 or mortons.com

BEST BREAKFAST SPOT The Original Pantry Café

RUNNER-UP: Water Grill

544 S. Grand Ave., (213) 891-0900 or watergrill.com

735 S. Figueroa St., (213) 553-4566 or mortons.com In the finest omnivore tradition of the American West, the winner for Best Dinner goes to a spot that will gladly cook up a thick steak with potatoes and a salad accompaniment. You will not leave hungry.

612 S. Flower St., (213) 623-1172 or publicschool612.com

RUNNER-UP: Morton’s The Steakhouse

RUNNER-UP: Urth Caffe

BEST DINNER

RUNNER-UP: Public School 612 (Daily Grill)

544 S. Grand Ave., (213) 891-0900 or watergrill.com Water Grill got a redo the other year, and now the decor is equal to the top-quality fish dishes that stream out of the kitchen. There’s a reason that everyone in Downtown comes here for lunch.

BEST LUNCH SPOT

451 S. Hewitt St., (213) 797-4534 or urthcaffe.com

world of beer and cuisine snobbery. Instead, patrons were forced to describe the inherent pleasure of a fine burger served with a craft beer as a “bar with amazing food.” The legacy continues. photo courtesy Mendocino Farms

restaurants, 19

BEST GASTROPUB Library Bar

630 W. Sixth St., (213) 614-0053 or librarybarla.com Back when Library Bar opened in 2006, the word gastropub hadn’t ascended from the

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RUNNER-UP: Spitz

371 E. Second St., (213) 613-0101 or eatatspitz.com

BEST AMERICAN Pete’s Café & Bar

400 S. Main St., (213) 617-1000 or petescafe.com The righteous menu at Pete’s has a number of comfort food options, including the Hellman Burger and the fabled blue cheese fries. The kitchen stays open late, which really helps those Americans engaged in the patriotic exercise of Downtown barhopping.

RUNNER-UP: Daily Grill

612 S. Flower St., (213) 623-1172 or dailygrill.com

RUNNER-UP: Nickel Diner

429 W. Eighth St., (213) 622-5950 or colorikitchen.com

Maccheroni Republic

332 S. Broadway., (213) 346-9725 Maccheroni Republic had us at “no corkage fee.” Just don’t ignore the high-quality Italian food, the friendly staff and the lovely outdoor seating.

RUNNER-UP: Colori Kitchen

524 S. Main St., (213) 623-8301 or nickeldiner.com

BEST STEAKHOUSE

BEST MIDDLE EASTERN

735 S. Figueroa St., (213) 553-4566 or mortons.com Years before the Figat7th reboot, Morton’s Steakhouse occupied its nook beneath the Ernst & Young building from which a time-tested lineage of fine steaks emanated forth. The joint still enriches the neighborhood, one steak at a time.

914 S. Hill St., (213) 892-8535 or shekarchirestaurant.com Tucked away near Ninth and Hill streets is the kabob king of Downtown. Expect a variety of rice and meat combos supplemented by an ever-encouraged entourage of grilled vegetables and salad.

Morton’s The Steakhouse

RUNNER-UP: Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar

311 W. Sixth St., (213) 236-0604 or sultanchicken.com

800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 745-9911 or flemingssteakhouse.com

BEST VIETNAMESE

BEST PIZZA

426 S. Main St., (213) 623-1973 or blossomrestaurant.com Don’t be confused by the strange layout: You can order your large bowl of pho in the interior room, the dining facility overlooking Winston Street or the patio. Any way you try it, you’re guaranteed a healthy dose of stock with noodles aplenty. Or get a sandwich. The choice is yours.

700 S. Grand Ave., (213) 802-1470 or bottegalouie.com While the pizza wars have heated up in Downtown over the past few years, this Seventh Street hotspot remains a consistent and high-quality place to grab a pie. Choose from seven distinct flatbreads and savor every bite.

Blossom

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2771 W. Pico Blvd., (323) 737-2970 or papacristos.com The Greek cuisine at Papa Cristos market and cafe is as authentic as it gets. Valet parking out back and quick service means an easy path to your gyros.

BEST ITALIAN

RUNNER-UP: Sultan Chicken

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Papa Cristos

877 S. Figueroa St., (213) 972-9279 or pantrycafe.com Some days you wake up with a hankering for a massive ham steak or a giant plate of sourdough french toast. On those days you proceed directly to the Pantry. The front door is never locked, but beware: a half-block long line of people waiting for a seat could stand between you and your grub.

Shekarchi Restaurant

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BEST MEDITERRANEAN

RUNNER-UP: Pho 87

Bottega Louie

RUNNER-UP: Pitfire Pizza Company

108 W. Second St., (213) 808-1200 or pitfirepizza.com

1019 N. Broadway, (323) 227-0758

BEST SEAFOOD

BEST ASIAN FUSION

544 S. Grand Ave., (213-891-0900 or watergrill.com For decades, the Water Grill has set the standard for the seafood game in Downtown. With all due respect to the other joints dishing out creatures from the sea, you’re fishing for second place.

Wokcano

800 W. Seventh St., (213) 623-2288 or wokcanorestaurant.com. Delightful pan-Asian cuisine goes a long way toward pleasing Downtowners. Then again, so does a nightly 3-7 p.m. happy hour and then another happy hour from 10 p.m.-1:30 a.m.

RUNNER-UP: Chaya Downtown

525 S. Flower St., (213) 236-9577 or thechaya.com/downtown-la

Water Grill

RUNNER-UP: McCormick & Schmick’s

400 S. Hope, fourth floor, (213) 629-1929 or mccormickandschmicks.com

BEST INDIAN (TIE) Gill’s Cuisine of India

838 S. Grand Ave., (213) 623-1050 or gillsindian.com

July 21, 2014

over the BBQ title. If you’d like to experience what the Seoul camp has to offer, we heartily recommend Korean BBQ House.

Best asian fusion Wokcano photo by Gary Leonard

Whether you’re dropping in for the lunch buffet or the dinner menu, Gill’s promises a traditional take on Indian food. Better still, if you’re within two miles, you can get those samosas delivered for free.

Downtown News 21

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

Badmaash

108 W. Second St., (213) 221-7466 or badmaashla.com Representing the new school in Indian food is Second Street’s Badmaash. The self-styled gastropub features new variations on old classics complete with an entourage of craft beers and fine wines.

RUNNER-UP: Manna Korean BBQ

333 S. Alameda St., (213) 617-0306 or mannabbq.com

BEST SUSHI SugarFish

RUNNER-UP: Saffron Indian Cuisine

600 W. Seventh St., (213) 627-3000 or sugarfishsushi.com While it may be counterintuitive, the people have spoken and the finest sushi in Downtown is not in Little Tokyo. No, the Financial District’s well-deserving SugarFish holds the title. Sushi wizard Nozawa still knows best.

BEST LATIN/MEXICAN

RUNNER-UP: Sushi Gen

505 S. Flower St., (213) 488-9754 or saffronindia.com

El Cholo

1037 S. Flower St., (213) 746-7750 or elcholo.com In 1923, the Borquez family opened up a small Mexican restaurant by Exposition Park. Today the originators of the nachos have their newest location across from L.A. Live where all are welcome.

RUNNER-UP: Bar Amá

118 W. Fourth St., (213) 687-8002 or bar-ama.com

BEST FRENCH Church & State

1850 Industrial St., (213) 405-1434 or churchandstatebistro.com What was once the ultimate in American cuisine, a Nabisco factory, has long since been converted into Downtown’s finest French restaurant. From hors d’oeuvres to plats princi-

422 E. Second St., (213) 617-0552 or sushigenla.com

BEST JAPANESE

Shabu Shabu House paux, it’s hard to go wrong here. All hail chef Tony Esnault.

RUNNER-UP: Café Pinot

700 W. Fifth St., (213) 239-6500 or cafepinot.com

RUNNER-UP: The Counter

RUNNER-UP: Takami Sushi & Robata Restaurant

725 W. Seventh St., (213) 228-7800 or thecounterburger.com

BEST BURGER Umami

also entertain the notion that something painfully addictive is included as well. They’re just that good.

852 S. Broadway, (213) 413-8626, 738 E. Third St., (323) 263-8626 or umami.com While we’d like to believe that the infatuation with the splendid Umami Burger is due to a special blend of seasonings and truffle oil, we’ll

811 Wilshire Blvd., #2100, (213) 236-9600 or takamisushi.com

BEST KOREAN

Korean BBQ House

127 Japanese Village Plaza Mall, (213) 680-3890 or shabushabuhousemenutoeat.com If you like your beef thinly sliced and poached in water, you won’t want to skip out on this gem in the heart of Little Tokyo. Immense servings of dipping sauce augment the experience.

323 E. First St., (213) 680-1826 Koreans and Texans are currently neck and neck in the race to establish global dominance

BEST THAI Soi 7

518 W. Seventh St., (213) 537-0333 or soi7la.com Continued on page 22

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22 Downtown News

July 21, 2014

BEST OF DOWNTOWN Since 1977, Yang Chow has been kicking out a unique blend of traditional Mandarin and Szechuan Chinese food. First time visitors are encouraged, nay, ordered to try the slippery shrimp.

Best ITALIAN Maccheroni Republic photo courtesy Maccheroni Republic

RUNNER-UP: Peking Tavern

HEAD-TO-HEAD: BEST REVOLVING SUSHI BAR Frying Fish photo by Brian Allison

restaurants, 21

806 S. Spring St., (213) 988-8308 or tooguapo.com/Peking_Tavern

BEST MAC N’ CHEESE Pete’s Café and Bar

400 S. Main St., (213) 617-1000 or petescafe.com Goat cheese, cheddar and asiago all blend in this gooey dish that will obliterate any memories you have of the many inferior mac n’ cheeses that have come before.

RUNNER-UP: Nickel Diner

524 S. Main St., (213) 623-8301 or nickeldiner.com

BEST VEGAN/VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY Blossom

The Thai food at Restaurant Row’s Soi 7 will elevate your understanding of the genre. Even cut and dry dishes such as fried rice find new fusions between traditional curry and pineapple or basil varations.

RUNNER-UP: Sticky Rice

426 S. Main St., (213) 623-1973 or blossomrestaurant.com This stalwart of Vietnamese cuisine offers up a variety of tasty options for the animal lover and disciplined dieter alike. Most of the noodle, rice or crepe dishes are available in a vegetarian alternative.

RUNNER-UP: Cabbage Patch

520 W. Sixth St., (213) 489-4489 or cabbagepatchla.com

317 S. Broadway #C-4-5, (213) 621-2865 or eatstickyrice.com

BEST BAKERY/DESSERTS

BEST RAMEN SPOT

413 S. Main St., (213) 617-9100 or bigmanbakes.com The sweet tooth is a cruel and fickle master, but once trained upon the spongy goodness of Big Man Bakes’ creations, your sugar cravings will be well satiated. Try the chocolate cupcakes. Or the red velvet. Heck, try everything.

Daikokuya

327 E. First St., (213) 626-1680 or dkramen.com If you’ve ever wondered why crowds are milling about on First Street between Central and San Pedro, the answer is simple: a masterful bowl of ramen laden with pork and hard boiled eggs. You really owe this to yourself.

RUNNER-UP: Mr. Ramen

Big Man Bakes

RUNNER-UP: The Pie Hole

714 Traction Ave., (213) 537-0115 or thepieholela.com

341 ½ E. First St., (213) 626-4252 or japaneserestaurantinfo.com/mrramen

HEAD-TO-HEAD: BEST CREPES

HEAD-TO-HEAD: BEST REVOLVING SUSHI BAR

541 S. Spring St., (213) 623-3606 or crepessansfrontieres.com In the Spring Arcade Building is this pioneering creperie. While they never intended to foist an existential crisis on their customers, the debate between the supremacy of sweet or savory is hotly contested.

Frying Fish

120 Japanese Village Plaza Mall, (213) 680-0567 Frying Fish is the go-to location for sushi-a-la-boat. After all, it’s only natural to consume raw fish from a pint-sized trawler, then get charged based on how many empty plates sit in front of you.

BEST SANDWICH/WRAP Mendocino Farms

300 S. Grand Ave., (213) 620-1114; 444 S. Flower St., (213) 627-3262; 735 S. Figueroa St., (213) 430-9040 or mendocinofarms.com When the original Mendocino Farms opened up for lunch at California Plaza, the purveyors of incredibly diverse sandwiches heard one recurring complaint: Why aren’t you open for dinner? Nowadays you can grab your sandwich well into the evening at two of the three Downtown Mendocino locations.

RUNNER-UP: Philippe The Original

1001 N. Alameda St., (213) 628-3781 or philippes.com

BEST DIM SUM Ocean Seafood

750 N. Hill St., (213) 687-3088 or oceansf.com Well within the confines of Chinatown sits a chandalier-adorned banquet hall which also happens to boast the finest dim sum menu in town. Ocean Seafood offers a variety of options, each succulent in its own right. Hey, stop that cart!

RUNNER-UP: CBS Seafood

700 N. Spring St., (213) 617-2323

BEST CHINESE Yang Chow

819 N. Broadway, (213) 625-0811 yangchow.com

Crepes Sans Frontieres

BEST FROZEN DESSERT Yogurtland

130 S. Central Ave., (213) 687-0733 or yogurt-land.com In the Fro-Yo wars, the myriad self-topping opportunities of Yogurtland rule the roost. Better still, these slingers of cool cream are open til midnight every night.

RUNNER-UP: Peddler’s Creamery

458 S. Main St., (213) 537-0257 or peddlerscreamery.com

HEAD-TO-HEAD BEST CUPCAKES Big Man Bakes

413 S. Main St., (213) 617-9100 or bigmanbakes.com Owner Chip Brown made his name with his delicious cupcakes and their miniature iterations. Just ask around. From USC to Chinatown and all points in between, Big Man Bakes has a hefty reputation.

BEST CAFE Urth Caffe

451 Hewitt St., (213) 797-4534 or urthcaffe.com Organic coffee and health-conscious food options are the bread and butter of this Los Angeles chain. An unlikely choice for the warehouses and alleys of the Arts District, Urth has flourished in its space south of Fourth Street.

RUNNER-UP: LA Café

639 S. Spring St., (213) 612-3000 or thelacafe.com

BEST RESTAURANT AMBIANCE Perch

448 S. Hill St., (213) 802-1770 or perchla.com Intimate tables and wafting acoustic music contribute to a refined but unpretentious vibe at Perch. Of course, the panoramic view of Downtown can’t hurt either, right?

RUNNER-UP: Bottega Louie

700 S. Grand Ave., (213) 802-1470 or bottegalouie.com

BEST RESTAURANT DÉCOR Cicada

617 S. Olive St., (213) 488-9488 or cicadarestaurant.com The Art Deco James Oviatt Building is on the United States Register of Historic Places. Stop inside Cicada for a meal and you’ll see why. The flowing tablescape is a testament to the grandeur of modernity.

RUNNER-UP: Patina

141 S. Grand Ave., (213) 972-3331 or patinarestaurant.com

MOST ROMANTIC RESTAURANT Café Pinot

700 W. Fifth St., (213) 239-6500 or cafepinot.com Astride the lawn of the Central Library is the peaceful expanse of Café Pinot. Books alone may be liberal and free, but low-lit, elegant meals in the grassy heart of Downtown are priceless.

RUNNER-UP: Pacific Dining Car

1310 W. Sixth St., (213) 483-6000 or pacificdiningcar.com

BEST OLD-SCHOOL RESTAURANT Philippe The Original

1001 N. Alameda St., (213) 628-3781 or philippes.com With sawdust covering the floors, model trains in display cases and a cash-only disposition, Philippe’s isn’t your daddy’s french dip restaurant. It’s your great-granddaddy’s restaurant, and it has been since opening in 1908.

RUNNER-UP: The Original Pantry Café

877 S. Figueroa St., (213) 972-9279 or pantrycafe.com

BEST OUTDOOR DINING Perch

July 21, 2014

Downtown News 23

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

BEST OLD-SCHOOL RESTAURANT Philippe The Original

448 S. Hill St., (213) 802-1770 or perchla.com In a city where it hardly rains and the mercury rarely dips beneath 60 degrees, the joy of eating on a 15th floor patio overlooking the Downtown skyline cannot be understated.

RUNNER-UP: FIGat7th TASTE

RUNNER-UP: Cafe Pinot

448 S. Hill St., (213) 802-1770 or perchla.com The glassy wonder of Bunker Hill and Financial District skyscrapers finally have their champion in the rooftop bar and restaurant Perch. Beyond the bountiful view is a wonderful menu, a strong cocktail program and weekly live music.

700 W. Fifth St., (213) 239-6500 or cafepinot.com

BEST FAST SERVE FOOD CENTER Grand Central Market

317 S. Broadway, (213) 624-2378 or grandcentralmarket.com Wexler’s Deli, Sticky Rice, EggSlut, Berlin Currywurst, Horse Thief BBQ, Olio Pizzeria, DTLA Cheese, Belcampo Meat Co. The list of palatethrilling delights is only getting longer as this new common ground of Downtown cuisine grows.

735 S. Figueroa St., (213) 955-7150 or figat7th.com

BEST DOWNTOWN VIEW Perch

RUNNER-UP: Pete’s Café & Bar

400 S. Main St., (213) 617-1000 or petescafe.com

404 S. Figueroa St., (213) 612-4743 or thebonaventure.com

BEST PLACE TO BREAK BREAD WITH FRIENDS Bottega Louie

Bottega Louie

700 S. Grand Ave., (213) 802-1470 or bottegalouie.com Chances are that if you’ve ever told someone you live Downtown, they’ll ask if you’ve ever been to Bottega Louie. Packed weekend mornings are a further testament to the ubiquitous

ambassadorial quality of this spot.

RUNNER-UP: Perch

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

BEST HOTEL RESTAURANT WP24 – Ritz Carlton

900 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 743-8800 or wolfgangpuck. com/restaurants Celebrated Los Angeles chef and restaurater Wolfgang Puck offers up his spin on Chinese cuisine in a culinary experience that includes basic prix-fixe dining and expansive tastings. Better still, the restaurant looks out from the 24th floor of the Ritz-Carlton.

RUNNER-UP: LA Chapter – Ace Hotel

927 S. Broadway, (213) 235-9660 or lachapter.com

THE

700 S. Grand Ave., (213) 802-1470 or bottegalouie.com With an affordable menu and ample seating, Bottega Louie was created with accomodating large groups in mind. Whether there to share a meal or merely to face the challenge of hearing one another over the palatial restaurant’s din, you’re guaranteed an interesting dining experience.

BEST BRUNCH

RUNNER-UP: L.A. Prime

E BE S T TH

photo by Gary Leonard

photo courtesy Café Pinot

MOST ROMANTIC RESTAURANT Café Pinot

el agen

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BEST OF DOWNTOWN

Best of Downtown Staff Picks

Photos by Gary Leonard

From the Best Dining Trend to the Best Athletes to Downtown’s Best Villain, Here Are Two Dozen of Our Favorite Things BEST DOWNTOWN ATHLETES St. Turibius Warriors

BEST SKID ROW CONCERTS Street Symphony

BEST COMMUNITY ORGANIZING Saving the Arts District Dog Park

BEST DINING TREND Rise of the Tasting Menu

BEST CRIME TIP Use Your Bike Lock

BEST ELEVATORS Westin Bonaventure Hotel

BEST MEDIA TREND National Press Gushing About Downtown

BEST DODGER STADIUM ENTRANCE Scott Avenue

BEST PUBLIC SHAMING NTSB Takedown of Angels Flight

BEST COLD FRONT The Ice Cream Shop Influx

BEST YOUTH REVOLUTION Grand Central Market Vendors

BEST POLITICAL ROOKIE Ron Galperin

BEST UPCOMING PARK Los Angeles State Historic Park

BEST ART SCENE REBOOT Return of Paul Schimmel

BEST CORNER TO PEOPLE WATCH Sixth and Spring Streets

BEST RESIDENT VIGILANTE The Punisher

BEST ARCHITECTURAL STAR Star Apartments

BEST REAL ESTATE TREND Dead South Park Projects Reborn

BEST VILLAIN Donald Sterling

BEST NEW PARKING FACILITY Carmatrix at Lotus Garden

BEST BOOK TRADES Little Libraries in Grand Park

BEST PLACE TO CATCH THE SUNSET Fourth Street Bridge

BEST PLACE TO SEE SKATEBOARDERS Downtown Car Wash

BEST TRAFFIC TANGLES Broadway “Road Diet” Construction

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BEST DOWNTOWN ATHLETES St. Turibius Warriors

BEST MEDIA TREND National Press Gushing About Downtown

The World Cup may have featured superstars like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, but none of them can say they’re undefeated since May 2011. Downtown’s St. Turibius Warriors can. The tiny K-8 school on Essex Street and Central Avenue, just a long free kick from the 10 Freeway, has a team of middleschool boys who have won three consecutive Catholic Youth Organization championships. The Warriors have defeated many larger and more affluent schools and, oh yeah, there’s another challenge — they practice not on a grassy pitch, but a small playground blacktop. It’s not an ideal situation, but Coach Raymond Moreno has figured out how to turn the hardscape into an advantage. The Warriors’ third title came on May 18, a 3-1 victory over Redondo Beach’s St. Lawrence Martyr. Now let’s see the L.A. Kings get a threepeat.—Eddie Kim

213-481-1448

The national media have been writing complimentary things about Downtown for a while now. Still, the first half of this year brought something of a Central City press pile-on. GQ got the ball rolling in January with the big feature story “America’s Next Great City Is Inside L.A.” Less than a week later, the New York Times ranked Downtown No. 5 on a list of 52 international destinations to visit (sandwiched between the Albanian coast and Namibia). On April 3 the Washington Post raved about the Downtown Arts District and seven days later the Wall Street Journal published the story “Downtown L.A. Goes From Gritty to Glitzy.” It’s nice to see the national press finally catch on.—Eddie Kim

BEST PUBLIC SHAMING NTSB Takedown of Angels Flight

BEST COMMUNITY ORGANIZING Saving the Arts District Dog Park

Arts District dog owners were shocked in March when a lock was placed on the gate of the dog park at Molino and Fourth streets and people were informed that getting access required paying $60 for a key. Why? Well, the Los Angeles River Artists & Business Association, which was operating the park, couldn’t afford it in the wake of the local BID’s demise. Some even floated the idea of the 6,000-square-foot park closing for good. That’s when the community rallied. Faced with a $4,000 annual bill, a consortium of residents and business owners united and pledged a whopping $13,500 to fund operations of the park, as long as it remains free to the public. Now the lock is gone and dogs are playing. A grand opening ceremony is slated for August.—Donna Evans

BEST CRIME TIP Use Your Bike Lock

For More Information Please Call:

a drugstore, lean the bike against the wall and expect it will be there 10 minutes later. It won’t. Take some advice: Always lock your bike. Bonus advice: Officers point out it’s best to lock the frame and the tire to a solid, intractable object.—Donna Evans

Week after week, the Los Angeles Police Department’s Central Division issues crime reports that tabulate the number of illegal incidents that occurred in and around Downtown. Nary a reporting period passes without logging one very avoidable crime: bicycle theft. Sure, if the thief is armed with liquid nitrogen or a blowtorch, your two-wheeler is getting taken. Almost weekly, though, the police blotter reveals tales of people who, for example, wheel up to

On Sept. 5, Angels Flight derailed. Though no one was injured, Downtowners immediately recalled the deadly funicular accident of 2001. Then a bigger bombshell hit: On Oct. 11, the National Transportation Safety Board issued an “urgent safety recommendation” about Angels Flight, running down a list of operating problems. The agency said railway operators need an improved braking system, should install track-level walkways with railings, and should install effective end gates. Then there was the Stick That Stunned Downtown: The report said that the railway had been stopping during rides for months, and could only move again when a “start” button was manually depressed. So, according to the NTSB, “The operators had broken a branch off a nearby tree and wedged it against the start button to keep it depressed, negating this safety feature.” No one ever explained why this was a good idea. No one knows when Angels Flight will roll again.— Jon Regardie

BEST YOUTH REVOLUTION Grand Central Market Vendors

Grand Central Market is changing every day, thanks to a new guard of young chefs and entrepreneurs. Kyle Glanville, 31, and Charles

July 21, 2014

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

Downtown News 25

26 Downtown News

July 21, 2014

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

staff picks, 24 Babinski, 29, have created one of the city’s best coffee joints with G&B Coffee. People are still going nuts over Eggslut, run by 29-yearold Jeff Vales and 31-year-old chef Alvin Cailan. Micah Wexler, 31, is pumping out stellar old-school pastrami at his Wexler’s Deli. DTLA Cheese comes from sister co-owners Marnie and Lydia Clarke (28 and 36, respectively). Curiously, the old-school destination is a haven for new-school dining.—Eddie Kim

BEST UPCOMING PARK Los Angeles State Historic Park

Several parks are being developed in the Central City. There’s the long-awaited transformation of the Graffiti Pit at First Street and Broadway, a hillside park in Chinatown and another in the Arts District. The best and biggest project, however, is the overhaul of Los Angeles State Historic Park, which closed in April for a full year of work. The $20 million effort just east of Chinatown will add permanent structures, such as a welcome pavilion and a paved parking lot, and will reshape the landscape with features including a restored wetlands area and a tree-lined promenade. In short, the 34-acre site is primed to be a favorite destination. Expect things to get even better once the $1 billion Los Angeles River revitalization gets going.—Eddie Kim

BEST CORNER TO PEOPLE WATCH Sixth and Spring Streets

Next time you’re traversing the Historic Core, make sure to look up from your mobile device

and take out your earbuds. At Sixth and Spring streets you’ll find all the entertainment you need, but without a stage. Sometimes you’ll find a guy singing the “Star Spangled Banner” a cappella into an unplugged microphone. Other times it’s a man sporting a (real) feline atop his hat — yes, that’s trading Cat in the Hat for Cat on a Hat. Every now and then you’ll catch a dancer practicing moves you think just might land him on “So You Think You Can Dance.” Sure, the shows are free, but tips are appreciated.— Donna Evans

BEST ARCHITECTURAL STAR Star Apartments

Who says low-income housing has to mean bland gray rectangles? Certainly not Skid Row Housing Trust, which tapped architect Michael Maltzan for its 102-unit, $21 million Star Apartments. The building at 240 E. Sixth St. in the heart of Skid Row is Downtown’s most striking new edifice, thanks to its sharp lines, angular concrete pillars and clean minimalist aesthetic.

City Living THIS WEEK CHECK OUT Lou Gramm Aug. 2

photo by Bob Shilland

}

Pershing Square’s Downtown Stage provides six weeks of free entertainment.

The community welcomes Zinc Cafe & Market to the Arts District.

WATCH IT ON DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM,

NEW EPISODE EVERY MONDAY AT 9AM

Even more intriguing is the fact that the Star, which opened early this year, stacked prefabricated units together (they were shipped from Idaho) rather than build from the ground-up, as is traditional. The project also has a deck for exercise and art, a lounge with comfortable leather chairs and a large kitchen and dining room.—Eddie Kim

BEST VILLAIN Donald Sterling

There may be only two things Lakers and Clippers fans agree on: The Clippers are the better and more entertaining team, and longtime Clippers owner Donald Sterling is the worst person in L.A. sports. In fact, few Clippers fans were surprised when TMZ aired recordings of Sterling’s racist rants to V. Stiviano — after all, he had been accused years ago of racial discrimination in some of his apartment buildings, and by former team GM Elgin Baylor. Another time Sterling heckled one of his players — from his courtside seat during a game! As the saga has endured, things have only gotten uglier. Sterling’s CNN interview with Anderson Cooper was a clinic in cringe. During the ongoing trial over his mental capacity, he called his wife Shelly “a pig” in open court. L.A. will breathe a huge sigh of relief when this Voldemort of the sports world finally gives way to Steve Ballmer.—Jon Regardie

BEST BOOK TRADES Little Libraries in Grand Park

It looks more like a birdhouse than a library, but it is a place for free lending of all genres. “Take a book, leave a book” is the basic premise of Little Libraries, which are found across the country in people’s front yards, street corners and public parks. The Downtown Los Angeles Little Library’s hot pink construction echoes Grand Park’s benches and architectural accents. Users should open the door, take a book and read it. Then return it or another and repeat. There are four Little Libraries in Grand Park, one located on each block, from Grand Avenue to Spring Street. No, you don’t even need a library card. —Donna Evans

BEST PLACE TO SEE SKATEBOARDERS Downtown Car Wash

The Downtown Car Wash at Figueroa Street and Olympic Boulevard has been sold for an estimated $25 million, but until new owner Ben Neman turns the parcel into a high-rise hotel and residential complex, count on plenty of grungy teenage boys to continue to catapult themselves up the inclined, south-facing wall. For pedestrians on the north side of Olympic it can be a little perilous, particularly if the rider separates from his wheels. For diners at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse at L.A. Live, it’s a free show. If you can’t make it down there, check out the skateboarders using the First Street side of the Caltrans building in the Civic Center.—Donna Evans

BEST SKID ROW CONCERTS Street Symphony

Ordinarily, audiences wanting to hear Los Angeles Philharmonic musicians play an hourlong show that features the “Passacaglia” by George Frideric Handel and Johann Halvorsen have to pay a handsome sum. But last September, a violinist, cellist and violist performed just such a concert at the Midnight Mission. The trio, performing under the name Street Symphony, was put together by young Phil violinist Vijay Gupta. Street Symphony, in fact, has shown up at the mission as part of its “Music With a Mission” series multiple times. Gupta’s

group has also played local jails. And in case you’re wondering, the audience at the mission was just as quiet, attentive and appreciative as any Disney Hall crowd.—Donna Evans

BEST DINING TREND Rise of the Tasting Menu

In most restaurants you peruse a menu and order what sounds good. Some Downtown chefs are taking the choice out of customers’ mouths, believing diners will trust their tastes and culinary vision. Ari Taymor shifted to a tasting-menu-only approach at his Broadway spot Alma late last year, and Josef Centeno is slinging several tasting menus at his Orsa & Winston in the Old Bank District. Lauded sushi joints Zo and Q are exclusively omakase (chef’s choice), featuring the best ingredients on any given day. Craig Thornton has created a buzz with his supper club Wolvesmouth by offering a deeply idiosyncratic tasting menu that changes every time. It’s not for everyone, but the rise of the tasting menu shows that Downtown chefs aren’t afraid to push themselves or their diners.—Eddie Kim

BEST ELEVATORS Westin Bonaventure Hotel

You’ve seen them in a ton of movies — True Lies, Nick of Time and In the Line of Fire are some — but until you ride in the Westin Bonaventure Hotel’s glass elevators, you’ll never know whether Arnold Schwarzenegger and his horse really could have fit in there (no way). There are a total of 12 cars, with each ride beginning inside the lobby and zooming to the 32nd or 35th floors. The elevators speed up the outside of the building defined by four distinct cylinders, ensuring a dizzying, dazzling view. We even know folks who, after a night of drinking, would pick different cars and have races to the top. Not that we’re encouraging that.—Donna Evans

BEST DODGER STADIUM ENTRANCE Scott Avenue

Downtowners going to Dodger games know to leave work hours in advance. That’s because the Stadium Way entrance turns Sunset Boulevard into a parking lot long before fans reach the actual parking lot. However, there’s an almost secret entrance: Scott Avenue, west of the stadium. This was closed more than a decade ago following traffic complaints from neighbors. The gate quietly reopened this year, but relatively few people know about it. Those who do are pleasantly surprised: They drive across a half-mile or so of empty streets and come to an entrance where about a dozen bored-looking parking attendants wait for cars to arrive. Getting out after a game is just as fast and easy.— Jon Regardie

BEST COLD FRONT The Ice Cream Shop Influx

It’s been a hot summer, but luckily for Down-

July 21, 2014 towners, there’s never been a better selection of ice cream spots to help cool down. Two artisanal gelato joints, Pazzo Gelato at shopping complex FIG@7th and Gelateria Uli in the Spring Arcade Building, have set up shop in the past year. There’s a new outpost of Scoops in Chinatown, the year-old Peddler’s Creamery is serving in the Historic Core, Sweet Rose Creamery has an Arts District pop-up and McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams is arriving in Grand Central Market any day now. Even New York City’s Big Gay Ice Cream is moving Downtown near the Orpheum. However, all of these options raise one big question: Cone or cup?— Eddie Kim

BEST POLITICAL ROOKIE Ron Galperin

When Ron Galperin became City Controller last year, few knew what to expect from L.A.’s new fiscal watchdog. So it was a pleasant surprise when, shortly after taking office, Galperin unveiled ControlPanelLA, his effort to both help Angelenos track city spending and use “big data” as a tool for municipal good. Still, his most impressive move to date is playing hardball with Brian D’Arcy over the union leader’s refusal to reveal how two mysterious DWP training institutes have spent $40 million in taxpayer money. Big Data Ron has pushed hard for an audit and, this month, refused to write a check for the next $4 million. This may wind up in court, but it’s great to see some backbone in City Hall. Pay attention to Galperin — he’s a comer.—Jon Regardie

BEST ART SCENE REBOOT Return of Paul Schimmel

Paul Schimmel spent more than two decades at MOCA, and during his time as chief curator the large survey shows he organized helped put the Downtown museum on the national map. However, things went south when Jeffry Deitch became museum director. Schimmel was forced out (Deitch himself resigned under pressure last year). Two years after his departure, Schimmel is preparing a return to Downtown as a partner and executive director of Hauser, Wirth & Schimmel. The mega-gallery will fill a 100,000-square-foot former flour mill at 901 E. Third St. in the

Downtown News 27

BEST OF DOWNTOWN Arts District. It will offer contemporary and modern art exhibitions and a variety of public programs. The gallery is expected to debut in January with a group show featuring Los Angeles artists of the past 15 years.—Donna Evans

BEST RESIDENT VIGILANTE The Punisher

Since seeing his wife and children get gunned down for accidentally observing a mafia hit, Frank Castle has been out for blood. For a long time, that blood was spilled on the East Coast. Now the vigilante Vietnam vet has gone west. In a new Marvel Comics series written by Nathan Edmondson and illustrated by Mitch Gerads, The Punisher (the same one who inspired several films) is plotting his enemies’ demise in Downtown Los Angeles. The title character is so immersed in Central City culture that he regular visits area landmarks such as the Million Dollar Theatre and the Bradbury Building. When not causing havoc in the streets, he can frequently be found chomping down on maple bacon donuts at the Historic Core’s Nickel Diner. —Donna Evans

BEST REAL ESTATE TREND Dead South Park Projects Reborn

Nothing says “real estate revitalization” like seeing a bunch of old projects rise from the dead. The best example of that in Downtown is in South Park, where three major efforts are calling it a comeback. The largest is Chinese developer Greenland Group’s revival of the Metropolis site north of L.A. Live. It floundered for nearly three decades; Greenland bought the land in January and started construction last month. Then there’s Beijing-based developer Oceanwide, which has plans for the long-delayed Fig Central mega-project across from Staples Center. Finally, San Francisco-based Trumark Urban is bringing back a 24-story condo building, formerly dubbed the “Glass Tower,” that stalled during the recession. The company last month announced that it acquired the property at 11th Street and Grand Avenue and hopes to break ground on a $100 million, 151-unit endeavor early next year.—Eddie Kim

BEST NEW PARKING FACILITY Carmatrix at Lotus Garden

Parking is often the most mundane aspect of any real-estate development. The Carmatrix system in Chinatown’s Lotus Garden apartments, however, is clever enough to be the star of the show. The contraption is a semi-automated, puzzle-grid system that stacks cars vertically to save space. Inhabitants of the building that opened late last year roll past orange gates and into a heavy steel car lift, then walk out and punch a few buttons on a keypad to send the vehicle into the grid and open up a new spot. To bring the car back, hit the keypad again. The 17-space device cost $289,000, or $17,000 a stall.—Eddie Kim

BEST PLACE TO CATCH THE SUNSET Fourth Street Bridge

When it’s time for that glowing orange sphere to dip behind the Downtown skyline, you really should stop and check it out. Downtown offers some great spots from which to watch the day delve into dusk, and one of the best is the Fourth Street Bridge. The 1931 span that connects Boyle Heights to the Arts District has a sidewalk for tripods and a railing to lean on while you glimpse the largest object in the solar system slip away. Enjoy the tangerine hue reflecting off the shimmering skyscrapers and know you’re standing on a historical landmark.—Donna Evans

BEST TRAFFIC TANGLES Broadway “Road Diet” Construction

Broadway is undergoing a “road diet.” That’s urban planner-ese for chopping off driving lanes and using the space for outdoor seating, wider sidewalks, protected parking strips, landscaping and more. The changes that are part of 14th District City Councilman José Huizar’s Bringing Back Broadway initiative aren’t permanent yet — the city is using temporary materials during a “dress rehearsal” period. Still, the impact on traffic has been swift, and Broadway is no longer a speedy vehicular street during rush hour. Is this an inevitable side effect of making the historic street a safer, more attractive place for pedestrians? Perhaps, but don’t tell that to the scowling drivers.—Eddie Kim

PICTURE IT HERE.

Segovia Hall at

ACE HOTEL DTLA Yours for meetings, receptions, company parties and retreats events.dtla@acehotel.com 929 South Broadway

28 Downtown News

July 21, 2014

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

Best Miscellany BEST-LOOKING BUILDING Walt Disney Concert Hall

BEST new business H&M

735 S. Figueroa St., (855) 466-7467 or hm.com Anchoring the reinvigorated FIGat7th shopping center is the flagship store in the H&M line. The stylish threads of the chicly affordable Swedish chain are yours to try on in the 32,000-square-foot street-level location.

RUNNER-UP: Local Table

800 S. Figueroa St., (213) 488-2654 or localtable-la.org

BEST-LOOKING BUILDING Walt Disney Concert Hall

111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 850-2000 or laphil.com For nearly 11 years Frank Gehry’s gem has been a glowing example of the artistic revitalization of Downtown Los Angeles. Literally. No wonder it is one of the most filmed structures in L.A.

RUNNER-UP: Eastern Columbia Building

849 S. Broadway., (213) 478-0755 or easterncolumbia.info

BEST PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY Brookfield Office Properties

601 S. Figueroa St. #2200, (213) 330-8020 or brookfieldofficeproperties.com It’s hard to walk through the Financial District or Bunker Hill and not find yourself facing a building owned by these champs of office realty. From the Bank of America Plaza to the Gas Company Tower, Wells Fargo Center and Figueroa at Wilshire and beyond, Brookfield is the big name in Downtown property.

453 S. Spring St., Suite #1116, (213) 239-8336 or hdlabid.com More than just the eyes and ears of the ubiquitous patroling “green shirts,” the Historic Downtown BID works to beautify and sanitize the eclectic concrete jungle in the residential heart of Downtown Los Angeles.

RUNNER-UP: Downtown Center BID

626 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 200, (213) 624-2146 or downtownla.com

MOST BEAUTIFUL HISTORIC THEATER Orpheum Theatre

842 S. Broadway, (877) 677-4386 or laorpheum.com The 1926 theater on Broadway is worthy of praise for myriad reasons beyond its glorious interior. You too can enjoy the aesthetic heyday of Downtown’s theater scene while taking in a show from one of today’s finest live music acts or while enjoying a screening of a cherished silent film set to the venue’s Mighty Wurlitzer organ.

RUNNER-UP: Los Angeles Theatre

615 S. Broadway, (213) 629-2939 or losangelestheatre.com

BEST DOWNTOWN COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE FIRM Brookfield Office Properties

818 W. Seventh St., Suite 410, (213) 213-8600 or downtown-properties.com

601 S. Figueroa St. #2200, (213) 330-8020 or brookfieldofficeproperties.com Not only is Brookfield Office Properties one of the largest commercial real estate brokers in the country and significant players in the Downtown scene, but they have an eye for the community. The annual Arts Brookfield concert series fills summer afternoons with live music at their many Downtown properties.

BEST BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT

RUNNER-UP: CBRE

RUNNER-UP: Downtown Properties Holdings LLC

Historic Downtown Los Angeles BID

400 S. Hope St. 25th Floor, (213) 613-3333 or cbre.us

Photos by Gary Leonard

BEST ADAPTIVE REUSE RESIDENTIAL BUILDING Eastern Columbia Building

BEST LAW FIRM

Latham & Watkins, LLP

355 S. Grand Ave., (213) 485-1234 or lw.com Since 1934, Los Angeles’ Latham & Watkins has operated a practice with a purview as broad as the city itself. With specialists focusing on everything from corporate law to private equity, these legal eagles have expertise in numerous sectors.

RUNNER-UP: O’Melveny & Myers, LLP

400 S. Hope St., (213) 430-6000 or omm.com/losangeles

BEST MOVING/ STORAGE COMPANY

Los Angeles Self Storage

1000 W. Sixth St., (213) 927-1822 or downtownlosangelesselfstorage.com Bust out the heavy locks and borrow a dolly, this storage facility just west of the 110 Freeway is a climate controlled, U-haul accessible testament to the possibilities of self storage. The converted office space facility is a joy to use and exceedingly convienent to the numerous residential facilities that dot Downtown.

RUNNER-UP: Los Angeles Movers

333 S. Grand Ave., Suite 2500, (213) 596-9683 or losangelesmovers.net

BEST ARCHITECTURE/ DESIGN FIRM Gensler

500 S. Figueroa St., (213) 327-3600 or gensler.com You may know them for the stylish renderings of the proposed Farmers Field, or perhaps you’ve strolled by their posh offices on Figueroa, but Gensler has their hands in all sorts of projects throughout the city.

RUNNER-UP: AC Martin Partners

444 S. Flower St., Suite 1200, (213) 683-1900 or acmartin.com

BEST BANK (TIE) Wells Fargo

Several locations, (800) 869-3557 or wellsfargo.com Beyond a gaggle of conveniently located ATMs throughout South Park, the Financial District, Bunker Hill and the Historic Core, Wells Fargo has a lovely museum to its credit. Head up to 333 S. Grand Ave. and you’ll see an authentic stage coach and other mementos to the American West.

Chase

Several locations, (877) 242-7372 or chase.com Within the confines of Downtown, you’ll find no less than 10 Chase locations. Whether or not you’re desperate for cash on your way into the Standard pool party on a Sunday afternoon or you need to pay for your sunglasses at Acne on Ninth and Broadway, Chase is never too far away.

RUNNER-UP: Bank of America

333 S. Hope St., (213) 613-9579 or bankofamerica.com

BEST CREDIT UNION

L.A. Financial Credit Union

716 W. First St., (800) 894-1200 or lafinancial.org Divesting in major banks is in vogue, and with that movement comes a swell of approval for small, community-based institutions like L.A. Financial Credit Union. Exclusive to Los Angeles, this credit union is a time-tested institution with free checking with cash-back rewards or high interest. Huzzah!

July 21, 2014

Downtown News 29

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

MOST ROMANTIC HOTEL Millennium Biltmore

Originally St. Vibiana’s Cathedral, the 1876 structure and its accompanying gardens are now a gorgeous location for you and yours to exhange vows or have a party. Whether you enjoy the building’s classic aesthetic or prefer to linger amongst the floral terraces, you’ll find a pleasant (and pleasantly priced) option for your special day.

patio to ensure exclusivity.

RUNNER-UP: Exposition Park Rose Garden

849 S. Broadway, (323) 930-3742 or easterncolumbialofts.com Claude Beelman’s 1930 triumph of lucid turquoise Art Deco architecture is one of the most iconic buildings in Downtown and a fulcrum of redevelopment along the Broadway corridor. Those looking to inhabit a piece of history can lease or purchase lofts in this venerated structure.

701 State Dr., (213) 763-0114 or laparks.org

BEST PRIVATE EVENT VENUE Millennium Biltmore Hotel

506 S. Grand Ave., (213) 624-1011 or millenniumhotels.com Some say the ghosts of many a prom still haunt the ballroom at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, but really, the history of the Millennium Biltmore boasts a number of private events from weddings to conferences to award shows. As gorgeous as the hotel’s ballroom is, who wouldn’t want to have an event there?

300 S. Spring St., (800) 954-2327 or calbearcu.com

BEST INVESTMENT/ STOCK BROKERAGE FIRM Morgan Stanley

444 S. Flower St., (213) 486-8811 or morganstanley.com Would you want your parents choosing a mutual fund for you that blends your mixture of aggressive short term gain seeking and long term financial security? Unless your parents are Morgan Stanley CEO James P. Gorman and CFO Ruth Porat, you may want to consider choosing these folks as your investment team.

Millennium Biltmore

333 S. Figueroa St., (213) 617-1133 or marriott.com

506 S. Grand Ave., (213) 624 1011 or millenniumhotels.com Since it opened in 1923, the Biltmore has been one of the most cherished icons in Los Angeles. From rich Baroque filagrees complete with frieses and brilliant chandeliers to a storied history, the Biltmore is exactly the sort of hotel where you can get delightfully lost.

RUNNER-UP: Ritz-Carlton

BEST RESTAURANT MEETING SPACE Drago Centro

525 S. Flower St., (213) 228-8998 or dragocentro.com Centrally located in the heart of the Financial District, Drago Centro is a fine culinary experience in its own right. If you’re looking to host a group of friends or colleagues in a private space, you can book out the large Flower Room, the sub-Figueroa Vault Room or the BEST_OF-4.pdf

900 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 743-8800 or ritzcarlton.com

735 S. Figueroa St., #207, (213) 553-4566 or mortons.com

BEST ADAPTIVE REUSE RESIDENTIAL BUILDING Eastern Columbia Building

RUNNER-UP: Gas Company Lofts

810 S. Flower St., (213) 955-5700 or gascompanylofts.com

BEST BUILT-FROM-THE-GROUNDUP RESIDENTIAL BUILDING Barker Block

RUNNER-UP: J.W. Marriott

MOST ROMANTIC HOTEL

RUNNER-UP: California Bear Credit Union

RUNNER-UP: Morton’s The Steakhouse

7/9/14

10:52 AM

510 S. Hewitt St., (213) 620-9650 or barkerblock.com When the Barker Block’s second phase went on the market earlier this year, hundreds of Angelenos came out to try and buy a piece of the hugely popular Arts District condoplex. Now, 67 of the 68 units have been sold. That’s a pretty good indication that the lofts across from Urth Caffé are at the top of their game.

RUNNER-UP: Evo

1155 S. Grand Ave., (213) 741-2700 or evo-south.com.

COOLEST HOTEL Ace Hotel

RUNNER-UP: Wells Fargo

333 S. Grand Ave., (213) 253-7166 or wellsfargo.com

BEST EMPLOYMENT AGENCY Apple One Employment Services

888 S. Figueroa St., (213) 892-0234 or appleone.com If you’re out searching for a job or trying to find someone to fill a position for you, Apple One Employment Services has a novel take on the hiring predicament. These folks understand that everyone is a human being, not just a number or a desk-filler.

929 S. Broadway, (213) 623-6163 or acehotel.com The new kid on the block has quickly become a go-to spot for those eager to be seen. Rooftop cocktails are but the tip of the iceberg for this fast-evolving institution located in the old United Artists building. Catch a DJ set, see a classic film or just lounge about. Each is a pleasant endeavor in its own right.

RUNNER-UP: Standard Downtown

550 S. Flower St., (213) 892-8080 or standardhotels.com

BEST WEDDING SPOT

RUNNER-UP: Act 1

Vibiana

330 S. Hope St., (213) 623-8166 or act-1.com

214 S. Main St., (213) 626-1507 or vibianala.com

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July 21, 2014

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Downtown News 31

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

Best Services BEST DAY SPA

BEST BARBER SHOP

900 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 743-8800 or ritzcarlton.com From seasonally themed manicure and pedicure packages to drink-inclusive relaxation experiences, the Ritz-Carlton Spa at L.A. Live offers a bevy of unique sensations geared to coaxing the flesh into the highest state of conscious transcendence.

460 S. Spring St., (213) 232-4715 or boltbarbers.com Despite the recent passing of founder Mohawk Matt Berman, Bolt Barbers’ presence in Downtown is undeniable. The location at Fifth and Spring has become the flagship for a larger chain dedicated to root beer slinging, sports watching, hair sheering ecstasy.

Ritz-Carlton Spa

photo courtesy of Good Samaritan

BEST HOSPITAL Good Samaritan Hospital

Bolt Barbers

RUNNER-UP: The Spa (Omni Los Angeles Hotel)

RUNNER-UP: Rudy’s Barber Shop

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

550 S. Flower St., (213) 439-3058 or rudysbarbershop.com

BEST HAIR SALON

BEST SHOE REPAIR

Neihule

Shoe Wiz

607 S. Olive St., (213) 623-4383 or neihule.com Like an ancient password communicated in hushed tones amongst the stylish, Neihule is the Valhalla of Downtown hair and the glorious gateway to flowing locks and head-turning coloring.

514 W. Sixth St., (213) 688-9699 If kicks were a metaphor for Downtown Los Angeles, the experts at Shoe Wiz would be kings of the adaptive reuse game. Ask around and you’ll find these re-soling legends of the loafers are well worth your money.

RUNNER-UP: Salon Eleven

RUNNER-UP: Sears Shoe Service

420 W. 11th St., (213) 744-9944 or salon-eleven.com

BEST NAIL SALON

201 N. Los Angeles St., (213) 621-2151; 505 S. Flower St., (213) 680-0838

Hope Spa & Nails

501 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 623-5908 or hopespanails.com Logic dictates that the wisest place to open a nail salon in Downtown is close to the city’s largest fashion school. Hope Spa & Nails hasn’t suffered for lack of business thanks in part to a smart location and quality attention paid to a variety of colorful cuticles.

RUNNER-UP: Neihule

512 W. Seventh St., (213) 627-5300 or neihule.com

BEST CHURCH/SYNAGOGUE/ PLACE OF WORSHIP

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels

555 W. Temple St., (213) 680-5200 or olacathedral.org It’s never easy to say one place of worship is better than another, but the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels is a beacon in Downtown. It’s not only a place to catch a Mass, but also the site of the annual community event Dog Day Afternoon.

RUNNER-UP: Jewish Community Center Chabad of Downtown Los Angeles

219 W. Seventh St., Suite 206, (213) 488-1543 or downtownjcc.com

BEST FLORIST

Downtown Flowers.Net

505 S. Flower St., (213) 488-2028 or downtown-flowers.net Whether you’re trying to say you love someone or you messed up real bad, Downtown Flowers is a reliable bet for sending a scented floral arrangement. Online and phone ordering options make it easy to give the gift of temporary beauty.

RUNNER-UP: Bloomies Flowers and Gifts

515 S. Olive St., (213) 489-9757 or bloomiesflowersandgift.com

BEST COMPUTER REPAIR SHOP Spring Street Mac

PRIME STEAKS. LEGENDARY SERVICE.

Continued on page 32

BEST

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32 Downtown News

600 S. Spring St., (213) 943-3304 or springstreetmac.com Owners Jason Gurnick and Mike Deckman should be proud of the thorough Apple service options their store offers. Once a hole-in-the wall tucked beneath SB Tower, the shop has grown to nearly double its original size.

BEST AUTO BODY/ AUTO REPAIR Downtown L.A. Motors

RUNNER-UP: Downtown Los Angeles Computer Repair

BEST DRY CLEANERS Tokyo Cleaners

426 E. Second St., (213) 628-2474 It’s difficult to build a trusting rapport with the folks who handle your delicates and non-washer safe garments. Yet with their precise starching and ever-reliable customer service, Tokyo Cleaners is ahead of the game when it comes to dry cleaning.

Downtown L.A. Motors

1801 S. Figueroa St., dtlamotors.com The Angelenos who love Downtown but are baffled by its one-way streets and subtle lane changes should have no fear. The good folks at Downtown L.A. Motors are here. They’re on hand to undo the damage of myriad fender benders.

Good Samaritan Hospital

Downtown Dental

255 S. Grand Ave. #204, (213) 620-5777 or downtowndentalla.com Located atop Bunker Hill, Downtown Dental offers a full menu of dentistry options from cosmetic alterations to the ever-popular root canal. Whether you’re a Downtown resident or a 9-5 type, the good people on Grand Avenue will fit you in.

RUNNER-UP: MKD Dentistry

523 W. Sixth St., #515, (213) 261-0958 or mkddentistry.com

BEST CHIROPRACTOR

Downtown Live Chiropractic

714 W. Olympic Blvd.,Suite 1001, (213) 744-1099 or downtownlivechiropractic.com From professional athletes to those who lay claim to a world-class slouching posture, the people at Downtown Live Chiropractic promise to straighten, stretch and generally realign your spine. Dr. Levon Nalbandyan is not about to be outdone by a crick in your crooked body.

RUNNER-UP: Chiropractic Care Center

112 W. Ninth St., (213) 627-0287 or chirocaredowntown. com

leave their vision unremedied when Dr. Judy Liao is just around the corner. The comprehensive eye-care center located across from the Bradbury Building is open six days a week.

RUNNER-UP: Downtown L.A. Optometric Vision Center 623 W. Sixth St., (213) 629-4691 or downtownlavisioncenter.com

BEST GYM/WORKOUT FACILITY Los Angeles Athletic Club

431 W. Seventh St., (213) 625-2211 or laac.com Beyond the ample workout facilities, Olympicsized pool and squash courts, the Los Angeles Athletic Club boasts a full-service restaurant and an in-house hotel. Not bad for a Downtown icon that has been serving the community since 1880.

RUNNER-UP: Gold’s Gym

735 S. Figueroa St. #100, (213) 688-1441 or goldsgym.com

BEST TRAVEL AGENCY AAA Travel

2601 S. Figueroa St., (213) 741-3111 or aaa-calif.com When the Auto Club’s Mission Revival building opened in 1923, its location at the corner of Figueroa and Adams was the busiest corner for automobile traffic in America. Today AAA hosts unmatched travel services and a special AAAmembers-only DMV that put the institution a cut above all others in Downtown.

RUNNER-UP: Liberty Travel

661 S. Flower St., (213) 688-2150 or libertytravel.com

BEST OPTOMETRIST

BEST HOTEL

311 S. Broadway, (213) 680-0404 or eyes4la.com While some argue that L.A. civic planning has been myopic in the past, those suffering from actual near-sightedness have no excuse to

900 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-8600 or lalivemarriott.com Towering above L.A. Live, the JW Marriott set a new standard for accomodations in Down-

L.A. Vision Optometry

Toyota of Downtown L.A.

BEST AUTO BODY/AUTO REPAIR

BEST HOSPITAL

BEST DENTIST OR DENTAL OFFICE

BEST AUTO DEALER — SERVICE DEPARTMENT

1801 S. Figueroa St., (213) 748-8951 or mbzla.com

300 S. Grand Ave., (213) 620-0205; 330 S. Hope St., (213) 620-1622; and 601 S. Figueroa St., (213) 627-5123

1401 S. Grand Ave., (213) 748-2411 or chmcla.org

929 S. Broadway, (213) 623-3233 or acehotel.com

RUNNER-UP: Downtown L.A. Motors Mercedes Benz

RUNNER-UP: Sloan’s Dry Cleaners

RUNNER-UP: California Hospital Medical Center

RUNNER-UP: Ace Hotel

1600 S. Figueroa St., (213) 748-8301 or toyotaofdowntownla.com Parked beneath the 10 and 110 Freeway interchange is a collection of buildings housing one of the most professional service departments in L.A. From routine service to emergency overnight drop-offs, Toyota of Downtown L.A. has got you covered.

(213) 985-2786 or downtownlosangelescomputerrepair.com

616 S. Witmer St., (213) 977-2121 or goodsam.org For nearly 130 years, Good Samaritan Hospital has offered trustworthy medical care to the Downtown area. Now the medical center is getting ready to grow with a new seven-story facility on Wilshire Boulevard.

town. Plush rooms, pristine views and an enviable location bode well for this jewel in the already bedazzled Marriott crown.

photo by Gary Leonard

SERVICES, 31

July 21, 2014

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

JW Marriott

RUNNER-UP: Downtown Auto Repair & Body Shop 1023 E. Olympic Blvd., (213) 622-8579

BEST PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION Metro Subway/Light Rail

(213) 748-8951 or metro.net As construction on the Regional Connector begins and rumors of a proposed Arts District expansion gain steam, Downtowners have a lot to look forward to in terms of Metro Rail. For now, we’re more than content with the transportation options provided by the Red, Purple, Blue, Gold, Silver and Expo lines.

RUNNER-UP: DASH

brighthorizons.com The youth of Downtown are making strides toward a positive future with Hope Street Friends’ thorough curriculum. From infants to Pre-K children, language, math and art become focal points of personal development.

Cal-Tot Child Care Center

300 S. Spring St., (213) 897-2991 or serendipitypreschool. com/cal_tot.asp Located in the first floor of the Ronald Reagan State Building, Cal-Tot prides itself on fostering a strong on-site bond between parents and children during the workday. Add on an exclusive outdoor play area and you’ve got a recipe for a well-rounded upbringing.

RUNNER-UP: La Petite Academy

750 N. Alameda St., (213) 626-0019 or lapetite.com/7204

BEST PET DAYCARE/BOARDING/ SITTING/WALKING Go Dog LA

1728 Maple Ave., (213) 748-4364 or godogla.com Amidst the tight confines of Downtown’s urban environs and the ever-contentious debate over dog-only spaces, Go Dog LA has a leg up on the competition and they’re marking their territory. While Go Dog LA features comprehensive options for dog walking, their true genius is establishing a large open boundary play area where boarded dogs can frolic indoors and outdoors to suit the whims and fancies of their ever-fickle canine dispositions.

RUNNER-UP: Walk Fido

(213) 479-2426 or walkfido.com

BEST PET Training Bark & Clark

600 S. Spring St., (213) 748-4364 or godogla.com If the influx of dogs is indeed the unheralded catalyst of Downtown’s rejuvination, Bark & Clark’s Tamara Clark is the Pied Piper of the paw-set. From basic obedience to playing well with others and the subtle nuance of curb etiquette, Bark & Clark is a robust finishing school for man’s best friend.

100 S. Main St., (213) 808-2273 or ladottransit.com

BEST PET GROOMING

BEST PRE-SCHOOL (TIE)

564 S. Main St., (213) 438-0900 or pussyandpooch.com The plush pet boutique with the cheeky name has long been a one-stop shop for pleasing the fawning canines and capricious felines that call Downtown home. Today we honor the immense, seven-day-a-week, do-it-yourself and full-service pet grooming facilities at the corner of Sixth and Main.

La Petite Academy

750 N. Alameda St., (213) 626-0019 or lapetite.com/7204 Adjacent to Union Station is a pre-school facility with strong teaching credentials, a convenient location and a strong track record of achievement. Since 1968, La Petite’s Journey curriculum has developed into a mode of immersion for young Downtowners.

Pilgrim School

540 S. Commonwealth Ave., (213) 385-7351 or pilgrim-school.org Early education is but the tip of the iceberg at Pilgrim School, where young minds receive close attention. Whether your kids stay at Pilgrim for elementary and secondary school or move on to greener pastures, they’ll be well prepped for the world ahead.

RUNNER-UP: Hope Street Friends

330 S. Hope St., (213) 787-2006 or brighthorizons.com/ hopestreetfriends

BEST DAYCARE (TIE) Hope Street Friends

330 S. Hope St., (213) 787-2006 or child-care-preschool.

Pussy & Pooch

RUNNER-UP: Muttropolitan

408 E. Second St., (213) 626-8887 or muttropolitanla.com

BEST RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE AGENT Laura Silver

1200 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 747-4151 or majorproperties.com Silver has made a name for herself amidst the burgeoning loft and condo market created by Downtown redevelopment. Now the ultra-professional queen of Downtown brokerage has earned a coveted second”Best Residential Real Estate Agent” title.

RUNNER-UP: Bill Cooper

1020 S. Hope St., (310) 721-2455 or theloftexpert.com

July 21, 2014

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

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Serving full meals with savory 100% organic buckwheat crepes and dessert crepes

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34 Downtown News

July 21, 2014

BEST OF DOWNTOWN

THANK

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FOR YOUR VOTES DOWNTOWN LA!

YOU HAVE

BEST RETAIL STORE

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FIGat7th is celebrating long Summer days with NEW longer dining hours at ! Now you can park, shop, eat and play longer at Downtown Los Angeles’ premier shopping and dining destination. Shop at H&M, ZARA, Bath & Body Works, City Target, Lenscrafters Victoria’s Secret, PINK, MAC, Sport Chalet, Sunglass Hut, and L’Occitane. Dine at

, a thriving global dining collection featuring chef-driven, fast casual eateries.

Park and pay just $5 every Monday-Friday night after 4pm and ALL DAY Saturday and Sunday with validation from one of our retail or restaurant merchants (no minimum purchase). Connect with us! | figat7th.com 735 S. Figueroa Street Downtown Los Angeles

NEW EXTENDED HOURS: MONDAY-FRIDAY 11AM TO 9PM SATURDAY & SUNDAY 11AM TO 7PM

July 21, 2014

Downtown News 35

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

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.

Coffee Confrontation: On July 6 at 2:30 p.m., a man at the Target at 735 S. Figueroa St. stuffed cans of coffee into his backpack and attempted to leave the store without paying. A security guard confronted him, but the man became combative, fought off the guard and fled.

AL A VE

Roll Them Up: A man with a two-toned birthmark on his lip reached into the open window of a car parked at Sixth Street and Central Avenue at 6 p.m. on July 7 and snatched a cell phone sitting in the center console. The driver tried to wrench it away, but the suspect’s hands were too sweaty, and he slipped the grasp and escaped.

Too Drunk to Drive: A man booted from the Belasco Club, at 1050 S. Hill St., for being too drunk, stole his friend’s car and crashed it near the nightspot on July 12. Police arrested the man, who did not have permission to take his buddy’s car, during the 1 a.m. incident.

A Winning Combination

BL VD

PROPANE, GAS & DIESEL 1800 E. Olympic Blvd. 24 Hours/ 7 Days a Week

Fast & Friendly Service Se Habla Español

(On the corner of Olympic and S. Alameda St.)

213-627-5008

The California Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act requires California businesses to advise employees and neighbors of any potential exposure to chemicals considered by the state to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. Veolia Energy Los Angeles, Inc. wants you to know that detectable amounts of some of these substances may be found in and around its facility located at 715 W. Third St., Los Angeles, CA. Potential sources of these substances can include common products such as gasoline, oil, natural gas, paint.

Commercial Office Space for Lease

Century/Aviation Intersection Closure Plan ahead to avoid delays. july 25-28

Rider Relief Coupons Help You Save Are you eligible for a lower fare? Rider Relief monthly coupons can save you up to $10 on your weekly or monthly transit pass. Find out if you qualify and how to sign up at metro.net/riderrelief. Public Hearings on Bus Service August 6–13 Proposed Metro bus service changes for December 2014 will be discussed at public hearings held August 6–13 in the San Fernando Valley, Downtown LA and Westside areas. For details and schedules, check metro.net.

facebook.com/losangelesmetro

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Petroleum Building

S ION T OP G SIN A E L AT E GR

Plan Ahead During “Century Crunch” July 25–28 The intersection of Century and Aviation boulevards will be closed near the approach to LAX July 25–28. The closure is prompted by bridge demolition to make way for a new station on Metro Rail’s Crenshaw/LAX line. For detours and alternate routes, go to metro.net/crenshaw.

metro.net

The

.com

Metro Briefs

Opportunity for Transit Connection at LAX The Metro Board of Directors approved a new light rail station at Aviation/96th St for future service into Los Angeles International Airport. This station is planned as a transfer point from Metro Rail to LAX’s People Mover. More at metro.net/laxconnector.

Mauling for Nothing: Two unidentified men demanded money from a man standing at First and Figueroa streets on July 6. Even though he didn’t have any money, the men kicked and punched him. The victim suffered head trauma and a broken bone around his eye during the 8 p.m. incident.

A Proposition 65 Public Notice

S ALAMEDA

OL YM

suspect dropped some items, but fled with others. He ran out of the store, committed a traffic violation in the street then ran, yep, back into the store. He was apprehended and later arrested by police.

Robbery Reboot: A man who concealed hair care products in the waistband of his pants on July 10 got into an altercation with security at the Rite Aid at 500 S. Broadway. BID officers got involved during the 1 p.m. incident and the

7 TH S

NTR S CE

NOW OPEN!

Cell Phone Blues: A man talking on his cell phone in the 700 block of South Hope Street was robbed at 4 a.m. on July 9. The suspect wrapped a towel around what appeared to be a black handgun and demanded the man’s phone and wallet. The man ran to the Sheraton Hotel security office.

714 W. OLYMPIC BLVD.

LOS ANGELES, CA 90015 213.746.6300 Ext.1455 Fax: 213.765.1910 ghollis@shammasgroup.com

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

36 Downtown News

July 21, 2014

CALENDAR

HUMAN TRAFFICKING, FROM THAILAND TO DOWNTOWN

photo by Kudos Studio

Historic Core Resident Puts Together a Multifaceted Musical About Sex Workers

The cast of Land of Smiles will hold four performances at the Los Angeles Theatre Center on July 23-26. The musical about human trafficking was written by Historic Core resident Erin Kamler (right).

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writing following its premiere at the Hudson Theater in Hollywood. Kamler, again, wrote the book, music and lyrics from her favored intersection of feminine social justice and the arts. Helping or Harming? The musical’s title is a nod to Thailand’s tourism slogan “Land of Smiles.” The show is built around two women: Emma, an American caseNow Playing/Starts July 11 Erin Kamler worker, and Lipoh, a migrant from Burma. When a casting director referred Kwan to the Emma, who has to prepare Lipoh to be a witaudition, she didn’t know much about the ness in a trafficking trial, arrives in Thailand subject matter. Interestingly, Kamler authored an abolitionist wanting to “rescue” all the sex Kwan’s favorite yoga album, Mantra Girl: Truth, workers. After speaking with Lipoh, who is beso Kwan felt an instant connection to the writer. ing held at a detention center following a raid “I really appreciate how [Kamler] opens up of the brothel where she worked, Emma begins the floor for discussion on this topic,” Kwan to question what “rescued” really means. said. “It is a worldwide problem and while her Kamler wasn’t able to access the detention enter where she set much of the 90-minute sto- view on it, some would say, is a little different, ry. Still, her interviews with the migrant women she stays very true to the actual occurrences of the women in her writing.” (she’s conversationally fluent in Thai but used Although the musical is finished, Kamler is interpreters) taught her that many of the sex continuing to explore the topic. Kamler, who workers send the money they make from the is pursuing a doctorate at USC, will work as a trade home to their families in the war-torn Nowthey Playing/Starts 18 at Thailand’s Chiang Mai Universivillages they left. Ironically, once are res- Julyresearcher ty later this year, examining the trafficking of cued, she said, there’s no more money heading Kachin women along the Burma-China border. home. Additionally, she noted, the women can The musical is also part of her dissertation projbe held for months in grim detention centers ect at USC, where she earned a fellowship that with no telecommunications access. supported the production. “Is that really solving the problem of traffickWhile she is out to do good, and will contining, or is it more punishing illegal immigrants?” ue her studies, Kamler noted that it all comes she asked. The six-member, all-female cast features Jen- back to where she started. “I’m an artist first,” she said. nie Kwan as Lipoh. Kwan described her characLand of Smiles runs July 23-26 at Los Angeles ter as part young warrior, part innocent. Kwan Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St., (213) 489-0994 found Lipoh to be a strong woman who is dior thelatc.org. rect and doesn’t have any doubt about needdonna@downtownnews.com ing to help her family. photo by Sahra Sulaiman

work is their choice and you need to respect By Donna Evans that and support them by implementing safe he phrase “human trafficking” conjures thoughts of sex slaves. Most people men- working conditions and ensuring access to health care.” tally picture oppressed and exploited A three-time winner of Stephen Sondheim’s women, maybe in the United States, maybe in Young Playwrights Festival, Kamler said the a foreign country, who are chained to a life of idea of writing about human trafficking has prostitution from which they must be freed. com/L.A.DowntownNews ebook. FacErin been percolating for more than 20 years. At It’s the notion Kamler had before travelage 16, the Michigan native traveled to Banging to Thailand in 2012 and interviewing miLike Downtown onvisit, Facebook kok, where she lived with a host family as an grant sex workers. During herNews five-week exchange student. She was intrigued about the the Historic Core resident found that things & Be Entered to Win Movie Tickets! family’s Laotian maid and the other immigrant are not that simple. The more she investigated, women from Burma whom she met. She wantthe more she discovered a world where politics ed to know what they had endured to reach and morality trumped human rights. Thailand, as well as what the conditions were Wanting to help the women, and feeling like in the villages they had left. the need to educate the masses, Kamler did The stories have been transformed into what comes naturally to her: She wrote a musongs with titles such as “Home to You,” “Kachin sical about Thailand’s anti-trafficking moveWomen Are Proud and Strong,” and “No Woman ment. The Los Angeles premiere of Land of Fights to Be a Prostitute.” Kamler described the Smiles will run Wednesday-Saturday, July 23numbers as “contemporary musical theater.” 26, at the Los Angeles Theatre Center, before A musical may seem an unlikely vehicle for heading to Scotland for the Edinburgh Fringe a story about human trafficking. Land of Smiles’ Festival in August. director and co-producer Rick Culberston With the script, music and lyrics by Kamler, doesn’t think that’s the case, however. He notLand of Smiles is a work of fiction with traces of S E-NEW wnNews.com at Downto Sign up SIGN UPas seen ed that Les Miserables, Miss Saigon and Phantom memoir, through the eyes of sex workof the Opera are all musicals that include mass ers, grassroots activists and NGO (non-governSign Up for Our E-News & suicide and other heavy themes. death, mental organization) employees. Inspired Blasts by more than interviews,to theWin production Be50Entered MovieexamTickets!“You think Guys and Dolls when you think musicals, right? The reality is that musical ines how the trafficking story is being told and theater is very diverse and covers a wide understood around the world. range of topics,” said Culberston, who is mar“The whole discourse about trafficking is ried to Kamler. very polarizing,” Kamler said during an interThe couple have gone down the musical view in her Downtown loft last week. “Even in road less traveled before. In 2009, Culbertson feminist academic circles there are two sides: produced Divorce! The Musical, which won prizthat all sex work is a human rights violation es including the Garland Award for Best Playand the women need to be saved, and that sex

Now Playing/Starts July 25

July 21, 2014

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Beauty and the Basement Barbra Streisand’s Underground Mall Is the Setting for the Laugh-Til-You-Cry ‘Buyer & Cellar’ By Dany Margolies t the top of Buyer & Cellar, struggling actor Alex More (Michael Urie of “Ugly Betty”) firmly and repeatedly tells the audience that the show is a work of fiction. However, Alex adds, the fictional account is based on truth. This much is true: Barbra Streisand wrote a book, My Passion for Design, in which she describes a street of stores under her Malibu home, based on a real-life street of shops in a Delaware museum. Jonathan Tolins wrote a one-man play about Streisand’s subterranean mall. It is at the Mark Taper Forum, after getting past who knows how many lawyers, through Aug. 17. Everything else is fictional, Alex states. After losing his “acting” job at Disneyland, he gets referred to a gig “in Malibu.” As it turns out, that position is in Streisand’s basement mall, where he’s the only employee and she’s the sole customer. You can bet the merchandise is of tiptop quality. In the show, Streisand comes off pretty well, even if a little demanding. As for Alex, well, it’s hard not to adore him. Urie is an endearing bundle of happy energy, totally committed to the work and at ease with the dynamics of the humor. Alex could directly address the audience all evening, but Tolins lets the crowd relax and enjoy, and instead provides a stand-in for our conscience: Alex’s boyfriend, Barry, who supplies

the catty commentary the audience wishes it had thought of first. Urie plays Barry, in addition to Barbra’s savvy assistant Sharon and a few other notables in Barbra’s life. Barry speaks unbelievably quickly and gestures manically. Sharon, both hands on hips, has a flatly nasal delivery that occasionally turns singsong. James Brolin gets a furrowed brow and a matinee-idol voice. The 100-minute show twists when Barbra comes downstairs to shop. Alex says at the top that he won’t “do” her for the audience, but Urie does deliver a vague impression: the perfect blush-pink nails sweeping aside the perfect strands of hair, the crooked sideways glances, the slight Brooklyn accent. The oddest thing happens as Alex tells his story: Despite its outlandishness, and even though the audience has been told it’s fictional, very quickly the proceedings seem true. That’s a result of the script, Urie’s abilities and the lightest but wisest touch by director Stephen Brackett. As Alex describes in detail the various shops — one spelled shoppe and pronounced “shoppie” — the audience visualizes each one. Of course, Brackett and his design team aid the visualization. Andrew Boyce’s white-onwhite scenic design, Eric Southern’s rapid-fire yet subtle lighting and Alex Koch’s video projections transport the mind from Alex’s studio apartment (created with a green wall and one Venetian-blinded window) to Barbra’s magic

Michael Urie plays Alex More, a struggling actor who lands a job in Barbra Streisand’s underground shopping mall, in Buyer & Cellar. The comedy is at the Mark Taper Forum through Aug. 17.

photo by Craig Schwartz

kingdom (in various shades of perfect pales). Get ready to laugh, and if you’re someone who laughs until you weep, bring a fresh box of tissues. While full of humor, Buyer & Cellar is not without deep human truths, particularly our need to connect. Alex turns out to be a storyteller for Barbra, too, improvising tales about the merchandise and becoming a soothing grandma with harrowing and poignant tales from the old country. Buyer & Cellar is a reminder about the delights of imagination and play. Barbra doesn’t need a discount on items in her own store, but the fun of negotiating the price of a doll, the pleasure in mocking up a document and the give and take of “let’s pretend” are joys

for the playful. Even this incomprehensibly rich and famous star finds comfort in the familiar. The show is also about letting go of childhood pain, and ultimately, it’s about keeping the relationships that make us comfortable. The play utilizes some Yiddish, though the gentile Alex explains most. It also drops handfuls of pop and theatrical references. Oddly, sweetly, Streisand comes off as a woman who knows what she wants and who makes her own dreams come true, whether or not she’d want to be friends with the likes of us. Buyer & Cellar runs through Aug. 17 at the Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 6282772 or centertheatregroup.org.

38 Downtown News

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July 21, 2014

CALENDAR LISTINGS

By Dan Johnson | calendar@downtownnews.com

EVENTS

photo by Joan Marcus

A CATbaret! 1050 S. Hill St. or kittybungalow.org A CATbaret! returns Downtown for its fourth year, featuring the hidden talents of your favorite celebrities, hosted by funnyman Fred Willard. Whether you’re a cat lover or a theater lover, come to the Belasco Theater at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 9, for an unforgettable night of sensational singers and dazzling dancers at the trendiest animal event of the year. A CATbaret! is presented by World’s Best Cat Litter. Proceeds benefit Kitty Bungalow Charm School for Wayward Cats. Friday Night Flicks by Pershing Square 532 S. Olive St., (213) 847-4970 or laparks.org/ pershingsquare Catch a free screening of Married to the Mob at Pershing Square on Friday, July 25. After Angela de Marco’s (Michelle Pfeiffer) husband (Alec Baldwin) is whacked for bedding the mob boss’ mistress, de Marco opts to try and leave her “family.” Turns out, walking away from the mafia is not so easy. The movie will begin at 8 p.m., and well-behaved dogs are allowed. Parking can be found in the Pershing Square garage.

ore than two decades after a group of LAPD officers beat motorist Rodney King, and a Simi Valley jury found them not guilty, setting off days of riots, Los Angeles is still trying to come to terms with all that unfolded. Few takes, however, will be as powerful or as thought-provoking as the one being presented in Downtown this week by Roger Guenveur Smith. The top-notch monologue man will bring his one-man show Rodney King, which earned rave reviews during its 2012 stint at the Bootleg Theater, to the Cal Plaza Watercourt. The free 8 p.m. performances on Thursday-Saturday, July 24-26, will remind you of all that happened, but force you to examine those happenings in a new light. At 350 S. Grand Ave., (213) 687-2159 or grandperformances.org. Mobile Homestead on site at Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, 2010. © Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts, photograph by Corine Vermeulen

ThuRSDay, JuLy 24 Talking Movies at Aloud Central Library, Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7500 or lfla.org. 7:15 p.m.: If you’ve ever looked at the Bradbury Building and thought of Rick Deckard, worried about a manic Dennis Hopper hijacking your train or looked up at the U.S. Bank building and thought it a nice place to welcome extraterrestrials, then you’ll love tonight’s program. Kenneth Turan and Marc Wanamaker discuss Los Angeles as it’s portrayed in film.

onday, July 28, is your last chance to glimpse the eccentric, multimedia legacy of the late Mike Kelley. In true post-modern fashion, Kelley explored the creative canvases of modern culture in a litany of mediums, perspectives and outcomes. If you want to remember the prolific artist who was born in Michigan and relocated to Los Angeles, then head down to the MOCA Geffen Contemporary any day this week except Tuesday and Wednesday when the museum is closed. By the by, if you see Mike Kelley on Saturday, July 26, after 6 p.m., admission is free. At 152 N. Central Ave., (213) 626-6222 or moca.org.

ROCK, POP & JAZZ Blue Whale 123 Astronaut E. S. Onizuka St., (213) 620-0908 or bluewhalemusic.com. July 22: Mike Gurrola Trio. July 23: Grupo Falso Baiano. July 24: Danny Janklow’s Sound Barrier. July 25: Jamire Williams presents “System to the Red.” Folks who prefer blue, enter at your own risk. July 26: The Jennifer Leitham Trio. July 27: Ross Hammond, Dwight Trible, Nicole Mitchell, Hamil-

rom well-choreographed acts of collective dance to random expressions of the kinetic glory of human motion, Grand Park is your go-to locale on Saturday, July 26. That’s because it’s National Dance Day, and to celebrate, the park is bringing Chris Scott, a choreographer from “So You Think You Can Dance,” to instruct the uninitiated masses in a large-scale routine. The young and aqua-friendly, meanwhile, will enjoy an episode of Baby Loves Disco in the Arthur J. Will Memorial Fountain. Still others will be enthralled by a variety of modern dance styles presented and taught in the Music Center Plaza. The free event runs 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Be sure to get a good stretch before you twist. At 227 N. Spring St., (213) 972-8080 or grandparkla.org.

photo courtesy The Internet

SaTuRDay, JuLy 26 Machinations in the Library Central Library, Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7500 or lfla.org. 7:15 p.m.: Various artists will be commandeering parts of the Central Library and transforming them into a visceral interpretation of their own perspectives. The event is free to those who reserve early. National Dance Day Grand Park, 227 N. Spring St., (213) 972-8080 or grandparkla.org. July 26, 10 p.m.: Join veteran dancers from “So You Think You Can Dance” and rank amateurs in a day-long celebration of choreography that is all about terpsichorean twists. Perform Chinatown Chung King Road or performchinatown.com. 12 p.m.: We can guarantee that the smattering of performance exhibitions, art talks and general meetings of the creative mind is going to be an out-there experience.

photo courtesy Coagula Curatorial

TuESDay, JuLy 22 Ted Craver at Town Hall-LA City Club, 555 S. Flower St., (213) 628-8141 or townhall-la.org. 11:30 a.m.: Good news: Recent studies suggest that the United States could be energy independent by 2020. Bad news: We’re going to have to frack extensively to do it. Edison International CEO Ted Craver stops by to talk about alternative energy and domestic demand. Lunch will be served.

photo courtesy Grand Park

SPONSORED LISTINGS

ith effortless style and an incisive sound, The Internet has maintained the modern soul wing of Odd Future’s assault on contemporary music since 2011. On Friday, July 25, FIGat7th will echo with The Internet as Arts Brookfield’s concert series continues. The evening affair begins at 4 p.m. with DJ sets and a beer garden playing precursor to the main show from 8-10 p.m. While the gig is free, you’d be wise to RSVP ahead of time online to ensure entry and feel better about the time you spend lollygagging at Mendocino Farms beforehand. At 735 S. Figueroa St. or artsbrookfield.com.

hile Downtown’s Gallery Row and the Arts District are easy destinations for viewing art, many people have yet to venture into Chinatown’s Chung King Road. You’ve got an excuse this week as Coagula Curatorial and the 88 Gallery present the final week of their Queer Biennial I show. Featuring the work of 20 artists who hail from the LGBT community, the selection dissects, analyzes, celebrates and supports a populace that hasn’t always received the artistic limelight. Pop into Coagula Curatorial through July 26 for a glimpse. At 974 Chung King Road, (424) 226-2485 or coagulacuratorial.com.

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

July 21, 2014

Downtown News 39

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

ton Price and Breeze Smith. Bootleg Bar 2220 Beverly Blvd., (213) 389-3856 or bootlegtheater.org. July 21, 8:30 p.m.: Later on in life you’ll look back and cherish all the moments you spent with Hi Ho Silver Oh. July 22, 8 p.m.: Beatboxing Hawaiin guitarist Kawehi may just balance a spoon on her nose as well. July 23, 8 p.m.: Indie showcase Blind Date returns with Cadillacs in Space, Paris Carney and Machineheart. No, the latter is not a musical tribute to former VP Dick Cheney. July 24, 8 p.m.: The Dirty Nil sound like Harvey Danger would if they started a Black Keys tribute band. July 25, 9 p.m.: Concertgoers are advised not to operate heavy machinery after enjoying halcyon duo Luluc. July 26, 9 p.m.: Obits, a surf punk band from Brooklyn and something I’ve always aspired to write. Club Nokia 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-7000 or clubnokia.com. July 26, 9 p.m.: Free-form whimsy and obsequious sources of visual stimulation with the Lucent Dossier Experience. Escondite 410 Boyd St., (213) 626-1800 or theescondite.com. July 21, 9 p.m.: Brian Walker and Yonatan have a tacit understanding: One plays after the other and that’s the only way things can be. July 22, 10 p.m.: Boom Boom Boom and Bunny West expound on the virtues of amplified music. July 23, 10 p.m.: Punch Drunks, a band with a dangerous message about the intoxicating effects of violence. July 24, 10 p.m.: Wicklow of Atwater fame opens for Skin Bones. July 25, 9 p.m.: Diamond Light is an illuminating source of effervescence in the otherwise dimly lit Boyd Street corridor. July 26, 10 p.m.: Johnny Moezzi opens for Charlie Chan and the SOBs. July 27, 10 p.m.: If you’re not spending your Sunday night with RT N the 44s, chances are you’re an upstanding citizen. Exchange LA 618 S. Spring St., (213) 627-8070 or exchangela.com. July 25: Project 46. July 26: Fehrplay and Grum.

Grammy Museum 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum. org. July 22, 7:30 p.m.: Born at the musical tail end of the American Century, A.J. Croce is a product of his environment. Grand Performances California Plaza, 350 S. Grand Ave., (213) 687-2159 or grandperformances.org. 12 p.m.: Habitual Downtown performer Vardan Ovsepian fills the lunch hour with joyous music. Ham and Eggs 433 W. Eighth St. or hamandeggstavern.com. July 24: Matt Jared. July 25: Big Bill, Wide Streets, Oestrogenes and Signals. July 27: James Allen. Honeycut 819 S. Flower St., (213) 688-0888 or honeycutla.com. July 21, 10 p.m.: TGIM. July 23, 8 p.m.: Actual Disco.

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Orpheum Theatre 842 Broadway, (877) 677-4386 or laorpheum.com. July 26, 8 p.m.: Move Live on Tour features the irrepressible Julianne and Derek Hough. Pershing Square 532 S. Olive St., (213) 847-4970 or laparks.org/ pershingsquare. July 23, 12 p.m.: Get wild with the Jazzadelics, but not too wild. Work calls. July 24, 8 p.m.: If you dig the man in black, you’ll enjoy the finger flashing escapades of Johnny Cash cover band Mighty Cash Cats. July 26, 8 p.m.: Missing Persons and Information Society open up for Napoleon Dynamite’s band of choice: When In Rome. Redwood Bar and Grill 316 W. Second St., (213) 652-4444 or theredwoodbar.com. July 21: Daikaiju and Round Eye. July 22: Those Howlings, The Bloodhounds and Wide Streets. July 23: Para Funk.

July 24: Fuzzyvision Records. July 25: The Gashers. July 26: Dirty Eyes, The Schitzophonics, Flaggs, Mountains of the Moon and Deadbeat Vultures. July 27, 3 p.m.: Guitars a Go Go. July 27: Sealion. Seven Grand 515 W. Seventh St., (213) 614-0737 or sevengrand.la. July 21, 10 p.m.: If you’re doubting your sanity or questioning the terms of your existence, tonight’s performance by the Katisse Buckingham Oddsemble may not be helpful. Then again… July 22, 10 p.m.: The Makers’ gift for improvised jazz is surpassed only by their loyalty. Surely they’re all Scorpios. July 23, 10 p.m.: Regrettably, or perhaps fortunately, the “GG” in GG Jazz Nights refers to band leader Geoff Gallegos and not the late, great first chair of punk waste management. Staples Center 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7326 or staplescenter.com. Continued on next page

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What can you say about Lady Gaga that hasn’t been written 16 zillion times. Hmmm. Her real name is Stephanie Germanotta. No, that’s been done. She often avoids pants and sometimes wears meat. No, that’s been mentioned a lot too. Ah, forget it. Just know that meat-wearing Stephanie is all grown up and is coming to Downtown Los Angeles this week, with shows at Staples Center on MondayTuesday, July 21-22, as part of her “Artrave: The Artpop Ball” tour. She’ll be dashing out hits from albums including Born This Way and The Fame, and the kids will be all dressed up and screaming along. At 1111 S. Figueroa St or staplescenter.com.

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FILM Downtown Independent 251 S. Main St., (213) 617-1033 or downtownindependent.com. July 25, 7 and 9 p.m., July 26, 1:30 and 3:15 p.m., July 27, 5 and 9 p.m.: Pakistan is a land of contradictions. Without Shepherds

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provides a portrait of the spaces in that country’s culture war. IMAX California Science Center, 700 State Drive, (213) 744-2019 or californiasciencecenter.org. Island of Lemurs: Madagascar 3D is an eye-popping journey full of, you guesses it, lemurs. 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 25, 8 p.m.: Pershing Square’s Facebook fans have spoken and tonight’s film of choice to round out Wise Guys Month is Married to the Mob. Regal Cinemas 1000 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 763-6070 or

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Continued from previous page July 21-22, 8 p.m.: If you don’t want to think anymore, you’ll certainly enjoy the aesthetic primacy of Lady Gaga. The Smell 247 S. Main St. in the alley between Spring and Main or thesmell.org. July 23: The Frights, Pilgrims and Death Lens. July 25: Crisis Arm, Fatty Cakes & The Puff Pastries and Charlyne Yi. July 26: Hollows vs. Bobby T. & The Slackers. Franky Flowers vs. Jeffertitti’s Nile. No Parents vs. Psychomagic.

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Downtown News 41

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lalive.com/movies. Through July 24: Planes: Fire & Rescue 3D (1:50, 4:20 and 9:30 p.m.); Planes: Fire & Rescue (11:30 a.m., 1:10, 3:40, 6:20, 7 and 8:50 p.m.); Sex Tape (12, 2, 2:40, 4:40, 5:20, 7:10, 7:50 9:50 and 10:30 p.m.); The Purge: Anarchy (11:50 a.m., 1:40, 2:20, 4:30, 5:10, 7:20, 8:10, 10:10 and 11:10 p.m.); Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (11:40 a.m., 2:50, 6:10 and 9:40 p.m.); Deliver Us From Evil (1:30, 4:50, 7:40 and 10:40 p.m.); Tammy (12:10, 3:10, 5:30, 8 and 10:50 p.m.); Transformers: Age of Extinction (11:20 a.m., 2:30, 6 and 10 p.m.); 22 Jump Street (1:20, 4, 6:30 and 9:20 p.m.); Edge of Tomorrow (3:50 and 9 p.m.); Maleficent (12:50 and 6:40 p.m.). Street Food Cinema Exposition Park, (323) 254-5068 or streetfoodcinema.com. July 26, 5:30 p.m.: If you’ve ever wanted to know what Quaalude abuse looks like, head down to Exposition Park tonight to see Scorsese’s Wolf of Wall Street.

THEATER, OPERA & DANCE Bob Baker’s Fun With Strings Bob Baker Marionette Theater, 1345 W. First St., (213) 250-9995 or bobbakermarionettes.com. July 22-25, 10:30 a.m. and July 26-27, 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.

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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$22,690 2012 MINI Cooper Countryman ........... $25,675 Silver, AWD, 4dr., T140395-1/WM14231 2014 Honda CR-V .................................... Silver, 5dr. LX, Auto,10k miles T142206-1/700464

Special Incentives For Uber Drivers, Call for Details.

VOLKSWAGEN OF DOWNTOWN L.A.

DOWNTOWN L.A. MOTORS MERCEDES BENZ

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NEW ’14 MERCEDES CLA 250

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888-781-8102 1900 S. FIGUEROA ST. • VWDOWNTOWNLA.COM

LEASE FOR ONLY

329

* per month for 36 mos

*$3,349 due at signing. Based on all with MSRP of $17,715 (including destination charges), amount due at signing excludes title, tax, options and dealer fees. Monthly payments total $3,564. Acquisition fee of $625 excluded in amount due at signing. Purchase option at lease end for $9,388.95. At lease end lessees responsible for $0.20/mile over 30,000 miles and excessive wear and tear. VIB 230880. Offer ends 7/31/14.

Plus tax, 36 Month closed end lease on approved credit through Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. $2,499 CAP reduction, $795 acquisition fee. Excludes title, taxes, registration, license fees, insurance, dealer prep and additional options No security deposit required. 25¢ per mile in excess of 30,000 miles. Offer good on all with MSRP $33,925.

$26,989 2011 Mercedes E350 ............................. $34,991 Certified, Prem. Pkg. 1, Low Miles, Nav. Sys. 7425C/BA462642 2012 Mercedes SLK350 ......................... $40,881 Certified, Prem. Pkg.1, Low Miles! 7410C/CF015037 AUDI OF DOWNTOWN L.A.

NEW ’’14 114 NISSAN SENTRA SV

NEW ’14 AUDI A4 2.0T

Auto, 4L, 96,330 miles, great value! V141307-1/367446

2011 Mercedes GLK350 ........................ Certified, Nav. System, Must See! 7431C/BF577836

888-583-0981 1900 S. FIGUEROA ST. • AUDIDTLA.COM

Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin

LEASE FOR ONLY

facebook: L.A. Downtown News

twitter: DowntownNews

per month for 36 mos

$5,628 2005 Honda Accord LX Sedan ................. $6,583 Blue, 2.4L, Auto, 4-Door. V141290D-1/094547 2003 Infinity FX 35 SUV ........................ $11,969 5-speed auto, AWD, 6L. V141142/202067 CARSON NISSAN 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser Sport Wagon .

888-845-2267 1505 E. 223RD ST., CARSON • CARSONNISSAN.COM

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

per month for 36 mos

LEASE FOR ONLY

209

315

ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie per month per month stAFF writErs: Donna Evans, Eddie Kim for 36 mos for 42 mos coNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer, S I N C E 19 7 2 $0 initial payment required at consummation, $0 consumer down payment, $0 first month payment, $0 Security Deposit. (INCLUDES $400 mfg. Plus tax 42 month closed end lease on approved credit. $2199 down, plus first month payKristin Friedrich, Kylie Jane Wakefield Los Angeles Downtown News rebate applied to $209/Month lease). Offer valid only when financed through NMAC. Subj. to residency restrictions. 2014 Sentra SV with Splash ment, tax, title, licensing fees and $695 bank acquisition fee.$0 Sec. Dep. Must qualify for the Guards and Floor Mats. Lease model 12114 subject to availability to well-qualified through NMAC. $18,720 MSRP incl. destination charge. Net 1264 W. First Street, Los CA 90026 Audi Loyalty or Audi Acquisition Rebate of $1,000. $0.25 perAngeles, miles over 10,000 miles/year. 1 Artlessees dirEctor: Brian Allison capitalized cost of $18,342 includes a $595 non-refundable acquisition fee. $.15c per mile for mileage over 12k miles/year. Offer ends 07/31/14. phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa at this offer EN022577.

$8,888 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK ...................... $8,888 Class 3.2L, Carfax, 1-Owner, Premium Sound. C141552-1/ 091586 2006 Mazda 3s .................................... $10,888 GT Stock, Leather, Alloy Wheels, Rear Spoiler. CU1530P/516945 FELIX CHEVROLET

$23,995 $26,703 Bronze, Low Miles! Reduced! ZA10815-1/608818 twitter: 2013 Audi Q5 2.0T SUV ......................... DowntownNews $36,995 Certified, Silver/Black, ZA10808/064686 PORSCHE OF DOWNTOWN L.A.

web:Prem. DowntownNews.com 2006 Nissan Altima 2.5 S ...................... Front Trak ... ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins2011 Audi A4 2.0T Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie stAFF writErs: Donna Evans, Eddie Kim coNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer, Kristin Friedrich, Kylie Jane Wakefield Art dirEctor: Brian Allison AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins

Carfax, Special Edition, 1-Owner. C141653-1/397338

PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard

AccouNtiNG: Ashley Schmidt

NEW ’14 CHEVY VOLT

LEASE FOR ONLY

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

One copy per person.

©2014 Civic Center News, Inc. Los Angeles Downtown News is a trademark of Civic Center News Inc. All rights reserved. The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and is distributed every Monday throughout the offices and residences of Downtown Los Angeles. One copy per person.

circulAtioN: Danielle Salmon 888-511-6735 888-685-5426 distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles 3300 S. FIGUEROAdistributioN ST. • FELIXCHEVROLET.COM 1900 S. FIGUEROA ST. • PORSCHEDOWNTOWNLA.COM AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla

AccouNtiNG: Ashley Schmidt

facebook: 2010 Cadillac SRX SUV .......................... L.A. Downtown News

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

PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard

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

email: Meteor Gray/Black, Sports Pkg., Bluerealpeople@downtownnews.com Tooth, A150039D1-1/045947

129

per month for 36 mos

Plus tax 36-month closed end lease on approved credit. Total Customer Cash Down is $4,669, which includes the first payment plus the first payment tax. Includes $2,240 Cash Incentive plus $750 USAA discount. $0 security deposit. $0.25/ mile over 10,000 miles/yr. Based on Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris MSRP of $34,995. Everything subject to Mfg. changes. 1 at this price EU142543. GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin

2010 Chevy Cobalt LT .............................

$11,995 $18,995 $19,995

NEW ’14 PORSCHE CAYENNE GTS LEASE FOR ONLY

1,099

per month for 48 mos

$9,995 CAP REDUCTION

10k miles per year, residual $40,971, 1 at this price. Down payment excludes tax, dmv fees, $895 Bank Acquisition fee, first payment and document fees. Rates based on approved Tier 1 credit through Porsche Financial Services. P14673/VIN#ELA77393

$78,894 $102,895 $106,897

2014 Cayenne S ......................................

Jet Blk/Blk, CPO, Nav, 21” Whls, Prem. Pkg plus, 6kmiles (ELA55177) ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie stAFF writErs: Donna Evans, Eddie Kim 2013 Honda Civic LX .............................. 2013 Panamera GTS ............................ Gray/Gray, auto, 4L i-VTEC. UC1699R/514382 coNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn Maese CPO, Bose, Pk Assist Camera, Full Lthr, 17kmiles (DL075593) coNtributiNG writErs: Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer, 2013 Ford Mustang V6 Convertible .... 2014 Carrera S ...................................... S I N C E 19 7 2 Kristin Friedrich, Kylie Jane Wakefield Red/Black, auto, 6L. UC1647R/209912 CPO, PDK, Chrono, Prem.Pkg plus, Park Assist, 4kmiles (ES120603) Los Angeles Downtown News Art dirEctor: Brian Allison 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 Silver/Black, 4L, auto. F14605/178839

42 Downtown News

CLASSIFIEDS REAL ESTATE RESIDENTIAL home for sale

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July 21, 2014

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.

REAL ESTATE COMMERCIAL

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CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION NUTRITION SERVICES DIVISIONSCHOOL NUTRITION PROGRAMS

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Vacation rentals LABOR DAY IN HAWAII - One week at Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach resort in Oahu Aug. 30 - Sept. 6, includes 1 Bedroom w/Full Kitchen sleeps 4 comfortably and easily accommodates several more kids. On private cove, steps from Disney’s Aulani. Listed on Marriott.com at $499/night available for 7 nights at $1850. Call Chip 760-6083054 or email mhollo5177@aol. com.

from $1,295 Cafes, Bars, Shops, Galleries, Parking adjacent. Pets no charge Call 213.253.4777 LAloft.com

apartments/UnfUrnished 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 213-6232010.

2014-2015 MEDIA RELEASE FOR FREE AND REDUCED-PRICE MEALS IN THE NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH AND SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAMS Downtown Value School, Everest Value School and Central City Value School today announced its policy for providing free and reduced-price meals for children served under the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. Each school has a copy of the policy, which may be reviewed by any interested party. The household size and income criteria identified below will be used to determine eligibility for free, reducedprice, or full-price meal benefits. Children from households whose income is at or below the levels shown here are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Children who receive Food Stamp (FS), California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs), Kinship Guardianship Assistance Payments (Kin-GAP), or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) benefits are automatically eligible for free meals regardless of the income of the household in which they reside. Eligibility for a foster child is based on a separate application and solely on the amount of the child’s “personal use” income.

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Application forms are being distributed to all households with a letter informing them of the availability of free and reduced-price meals for enrolled children. Applications are also available at the principal’s office in each school. To apply for free or reduced-price meal benefits, households must complete an application and return it to he school for processing. Applications may be submitted at any time during the school year. The information households provide on te application will be used to determine meal eligibility and may be verified at any time during the school year by school or program officials.Requirements for school officials to determine eligibility for free and reduced-price benefits are as follows: For households receiving Food Stamp, CalWORKs, Kin-GAP, or FDPIR benefits – applications need only include the enrolled child(ren)’s name, Food Stamp, CalWORKs, Kin-GAP, or FDPIR case number, and the signature of an adult household member. For households who do not list a Food Stamp, CalWORKs, Kin-GAP, or FDPIR case number, the application must include the names of all household members, the amount and source of the income received by each household member, and the signature and corresponding Social Security number of an adult household member. If the household member who signs the application does not have a Social Security number, the household member must indicate on the application that a Social Security number is not available. Under the provisions of the free and reduced-price meal policy, the determining official(s), as designated by the sponsor/agency, shall review applications and determine eligibility. Parents or guardians dissatisfied with the eligibility ruling may discuss the decision with the determining official on an informal basis. Parents may also make a formal request for an appeal hearing of the decision and may do so orally or in writing with the sponsor/agency’s hearing official. Parents or guardians should contact their child(ren)’s school(s) for specific information regarding the name of the determining official and/or hearing official for a specific school, agency, or district. If a household member becomes unemployed or if the household size increases, the household should contact the school. Such changes may make the children of the household eligible for benefits if the household’s income falls at or below the levels shown above. In accordance with federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 (voice and TDD). The USDA is an equal opportunity provider.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• 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

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General PART TIME FITNESS aerobics/ range of motion leader 4 mornings wk. Training and experience with seniors. Contact Dennis Hiebert 323-263-1005

professional 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, Electronic Eng, Mgmt Info Sys, or rel field, & 5 yrs’ exp in job offered or in support’g SAP Infrastructure on UNIX. Must also have exp in the follow’g: Administration in VLDB (greater than 1 TB) DB2 Databases; Development (KSH and Perl); AIX, HACMP, & VIOS; SAN (Meta Fabrics, Backbone, Brocade DCX, McData 6140/6064, MAN, & DWDM); Enterprise Storage Technologies (Hitachi Data Systems VSP, IBM DS8K, & TPC); & Disaster Recovery Technologies for mySAP (HADR, TSM, TDP for R3, TDP for ESS R3, and HDS ISR). Exp may, but need not, be gained concurrently. Resumes: M. Simo, Nestle USA, Inc., 800 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale, CA 91203. Ref. job code BSD.

SERVICES cleaninG CONCEPTO’S Cleaning Crew. Professional, experienced, cleans apartments, homes, offices and restaurants. Call for a quote. 323-459-3067 or 818409-9183. health & fitness 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

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 Casaloma L.A. Apartments

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July 21, 2014

DTLA Fitness is a Personal Training/Nutrition Counseling business owned and operated by NASM Certified PT and Nutrition Specialist, Jodi Frazier. Offering a variety of training options, nutrition counseling, meal planning/preparation, DTLA Fitness has a plan to fit your lifestyle, your schedule, and your budget. www.dtlafitness.com dtlafitnessinfo@gmail.com IG: @ jodilynette 310-818-3437 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

LEGAL Civil Summons SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, No. BC520593 Plaintiff: Forum Entertainment Group, Inc., a California Corporation

Downtown News 43

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM vs Defendants: Robin DiMaggio, an individual; DiMaggio International Inc., a California Corporation, Ervin Ward, II, an individual; Wayne E. Ballard, III, an individual, and Does 1 through 25, inclusive NOTICE! You have been sued. The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below. You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you. Your written response must be in proper legal form, if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court. There are other legal requirements. You may want

CROSSWORD

to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www. lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association. NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case. The name and address of the court is: Stanley Mosk Courthouse 111 North Hill Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 Case Number: BC520593 Dated: September 06, 2013 The name, address, telephone number, and fax number of Plaintiff’s attorney is: Sandeep J. Shah SHAH SHETH LLP 650 Town Ctr Dr. Suite 1400 Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Telephone: (714) 955-4551 Pub. 07/21, 07/28, 08/04, and 08/11/2014

Fictitious Business Name

Name Change

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2014158410 The following person is doing business as: 1) The Better Start 2) Potts Martinez Attorneys at Law, 453 South Spring Street, Suite 1100, Los Angeles, CA 90013, are hereby registered by the following registrant: Shan O. Potts, Attorney at Law, 337 Sonora Ave, Glendale, CA 91201. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrants began to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on June 6, 2014. This statement was filed with DEAN LOGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk on June 11, 2014. NOTICE—This fictitious name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et. seq. Business and Professions Code). Pub. 07/21, 07/28, 08/04, and 08/11/2014

SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME No. BS149635 Petitioner (name of each): Insook Jung Cho, 204 N. Manhattan Pl., #6, Los Angeles, CA 90004, filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: INSOOK JUNG CHO Proposed name: INSOOK JUNG THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING Date: 05/ 07/2015 Time: 10:00 a.m.

Dept.: 20 Room: 310 The address of the court is 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in LA DOWNTOWN NEWS, 1264 West 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 of general circulation, printed in this county.

Prepared by: Sherri R. Carter, Executive Office/Clerk and Judi Lara, Deputy. LOS ANGELES SUPERIOR COURT 111 North Hill Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 Date: July 08, 2014 Hon. Kevin C. Brazile Judge of the Superior Court Pub. 07/21, 07/28, 08/04, and 08/011/2014

LAST WEEKS ANSWERS

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

44 Downtown News

July 21, 2014

HOTELS, 10

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

city streets to make way for the increasing number of automobiles. The building was deemed too big and had either to be razed or shrink. The five-foot section, Berman wrote, had been used for storage and hallways. After it was removed, he wrote, “a crew that now numbered 75 began to push the western half of the building toward the stationary half. They used the ‘patented methods’ Kress’ sign boasted of, a number of huge jacks with threads. Each turn of the jack moved the two halves 3/8 inches closer while 14 braces held the western half steady. A crowd gathered to watch. In about nine hours, they were done. There were no accidents or substantial injuries.” The Commercial Exchange has sat vacant for years. It sits on the same block on Eighth Street as Colori Kitchen and the Golden Gopher bar. The building also contains a long vertical sign at the corner of Eighth and Olive streets. It will be utilized in the conversion, according to Huizar’s office. Andrew Zobler, the CEO of the Sydell Group and the founder of the New York-based Freehand, expressed enthusiasm about the Central City and the changes underway in the area, including on nearby Broadway. “Downtown is emerging as the most exciting place to be in the city, if not the nation,” he said. “We can’t wait to open our first Freehand Los Angeles outpost in Downtown. We could not have imagined a better context for the brand, or a better location for our guests.” In South Park The Hotel Figueroa, which serves many large tour groups and is well-known for the huge south-facing walls that carry a triptych of huge advertisements, has been sold to a joint venture between GreenOak Real Estate and Urban Lifestyle Hotels. The latter firm is comprised of investors Bradley Hall, Jack van Hartesvelt and Mark van Hartesvelt. The property at 939 S. Figueroa St. is now being managed by HHM, which operates 17 other hotels on the West Coast, including four in California. The deal closed on July 14. It is unclear what changes will come to the Hotel Figueroa. The 1925 building has 285 rooms, along with 25,000 square feet of special events and catering space. It is a popular destination for private parties, with Moroccan-themed decor and an outdoor bar adjacent to a coffin-shaped swimming pool. It is all part of a rapidly changing hotel scene in Downtown Los Angeles, which tourism officials say desperately needs more rooms to make the city a viable convention competitor to regional rivals such as Anaheim and San Diego. The new Marriott tower is a 23-story edifice with 174 Courtyard by Marriott rooms, which are directed at business travelers on a relative budget. It also holds 219 Residence Inn rooms. These are larger, with full kitchens, and are primarily marketed to extended-stay travelers in town for conventions and families on vacation. Another older building is also slated for a turnaround. Last year a joint venture between developers Frank Stork, Channing Henry and longtime Downtown player the Kor Group purchased the Case Hotel. They plan to turn the 1924 building at 1106 S. Broadway into a four-star boutique hotel. regardie@downtownnews.com

DODGERS, 9 clude Kershaw, Gonzalez, Andre Ethier and Manager Don Mattingly. Schloessman credited Dodger head of PR Steve Brener for arranging for so many notable names to come out on one of the team’s rare off days. “Knowing how hard it is to wrangle the players, to have had them confirmed a month out is phenomenal,” Schloessman said. “This is an event organizer’s dream lineup.” At the end of the night, attendees will have to be able to catch, though no baseball gloves will be required. Schloessman said a vendor will be throwing out bags of peanuts as people leave. Dodgers All-Access is Monday, July 28, at Dodger Stadium. Tickets and information at lasec.net, (213) 236-2381 or email Cindy Hanson at chanson@lasec.us. regardie@downtownnews.com