07-28-14

Grand Park Gets a Playground | 6 South Park’s Sidewalk Woes | 28

JULY 28, 2014 I VOL. 43 I #30

The Art of the Loft photo by Gary Leonard

Jean Robaire Poses With a Few of His Favorite Things In This Week’s ‘Downtown Living’ Section SEE PAGES 9 - 19

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AROUND TOWN

Metro Board Approves $4 Million Pedestrian Bridge

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iders on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Regional Connector line will have an easier way to get from the Second and Hope street station to the cultural hub on Grand Avenue, thanks to the greenlighting of a pedestrian bridge. Metro’s Board of Directors last Thursday approved a motion to allocate $4 million to build the bridge, which will stretch from the station to the public plaza at the Broad museum, currently under construction on the southwest corner of Grand Avenue and Second Street. The $1.46 billion Regional Connector project will connect area rail lines to simplify crosscounty travel and will create new stations in Downtown. It is being built by a joint venture of contractors Skanska USA and Traylor Bros, and it is expected to be complete in 2020.

Design Workshops to Beautify Skid Row

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kid Row Housing Trust is bringing together Skid Row residents, community members, activists and other Angelenos to create an aesthetic upgrade plan for the 50-squareblock neighborhood that for decades has been home to thousands of homeless indi-

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TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS viduals. The project dubbed Our Skid Row will host a design workshop aimed improving the Skid Row area. In conjunction with Mike Kelley’s Mobile Homestead on view at the Geffen Contemporary at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). Our Skid Row will hold the workshop from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, July 28. Our Skid Row prioritizes people and encourages Skid Row residents to actively contribute and civically engage in the shaping of their built environment, said Theresa Hwang, SRHT project director. Workshop topics include housing, public spaces, creative spaces, social services, food access, health and sanitation, public safety, recreation and more. Additionally, there will be an open house and public design workshop at the Our Skid Row community design studio at 801 E. Seventh Street from 4-8 p.m. on Thursday, August 14.

t’s ba-ack. Shop Walk DTLA will return to the Historic Core Sunday, Aug. 3 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is a coordination among local businesses to offer discounts and special events in their stores. Perks include music, libations and food. The latest businesses to announce they, too, will offer customers special deals are boutique clothing store Curio Los Angeles at 125 W. Fifth St., lingerie shop La Tres at 111 W. Seventh St., Beelman’s Pub at 600 S. Spring St., Grand Central Market at 317 S. Broadway and the Ace Hotel at 929 S. Broadway. Blair Besten, executive director of the Historic Downtown Los

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topics at a Safer Cities Initiative community forum on Tuesday, July 29. SCI head Lt. Billy Brockway from the Los Angeles Police Department said the upcoming Operation Healthy Streets cleaning and service provider outreach to homeless residents will also be discussed. Once the agenda items have been covered, the police will open the floor to community questions. The meeting will be held at 2 p.m. at the LA Mission Holsinger Chapel at 303 E. Fifth St. Parking is located at 316 E. Winston. Questions may be directed to Officers Dressen or Escobedo at (213) 486-1163.

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EDITORIALS

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July 28, 2014

Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis

Big Steps and Bigger Challenges in Skid Row

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t has been a long time coming, but it looks as if there is realtime help about to be offered to troubled people living on the streets, a move that could improve all of Downtown Los Angeles. It will be a bit sporadic, and it’s nowhere near enough, but at least it deals with people in need at their own level. Here is how things got worse and how they could be getting better.

In 2011, Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 109. Commonly known as “realignment,” the effort to ease prison overcrowding shifted the burden of caring for tens of thousands of prisoners from the state to California counties. That in turn led to numerous individuals being released from prison early.

Although the move sought to solve one problem, it created others, and for more than a year one of the worst ramifications of realignment has been felt in Downtown. With many of those who were released lacking any sort of stable support system, former prisoners have been winding up with increasing frequency on Skid Row and beyond.

Many of these individuals, and those who were there before them, suffer from mental illness. Making it worse, those who have addiction issues are easy targets for the ever-present drug dealers.

The deteriorating situation in local neighborhoods has been decried by many. In April, for instance, this page published the editorial “A Leadership Void as Downtown Homelessness Worsens.”

In that editorial we pointed out that the problem is not confined to Skid Row but has been felt all across Downtown. We asked Mayor Eric Garcetti, 14th District City Councilman José Huizar and Supervisor Gloria Molina to band together, secure funding and other resources, and work to address the problem.

We are pleased to hear that the city and county are trying to partner in new ways, and to take an unprecedented approach in ensuring that mental health treatment in Skid Row is prioritized. Los Angeles Downtown News wrote about the new effort last week.

The approach is multifaceted and intriguing. At first glance, it appears to be a thoughtful move, though some steps seem counter-productive. Details need to worked out and consistent

follow-through will be key.

A key element of the new effort is a team approach to homelessness that will be built around major cleanings. Operation Healthy Streets, adopted by the City Council this year, set aside money to conduct regular deep cleanings of Skid Row streets in the effort to eradicate vermin and remove the needles, human waste and other dangerous elements inherent in the area.

The new plan calls for the cleanings to occur at least every other month, and for caseworkers and mental health professionals to accompany the cleaning crews. As the streets and sidewalks are washed, city and county officials will offer a range of services, among them free medical exams and TB tests. They will seek in some cases to get people into detox beds. Others may be enrolled in a health plan under the Affordable Care Act. This is a thoughtful and positive approach, and one of the better moves we have heard proposed for Skid Row in years.

Having a suite of options means that people will not be shoehorned into a solution that is not a fit. The key is getting them personalized care and to the right spot as soon as possible.

At the same time, it’s clear that deep cleaning every other month is nowhere near frequent enough to deal with the problem, nor is confining the new services to Skid Row. The next move should be to increase the frequency of the cleanings and therefore the outreach on Skid Row. There also needs to be a parallel outreach in all the other Downtown neighborhoods.

Another pillar of the new effort is to shift away from the “Broken Windows” approach to policing that was a cornerstone of the Safer Cities Initiative launched by former Police Chief William Bratton and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in 2007. The aim then was to arrest people for small quality-of-life crimes, with the belief that such an approach sent a message that no offenses, including more serious ones, would be tolerated.

Instead, people engaged in low-level crimes will now be cited, not arrested. Although those found with drugs will still go to jail, and drug dealers will be pursued aggressively, it appears as if there will be fewer arrests.

While we like the goal of this aspect of the program, we see the potential for real problems.

Although it generated complaints from Skid Row activists, the Safer Cities Initiative led to major quality-of-life gains in Downtown. After it began, the number of people sleeping on the streets shrank. Many of those who live on Skid Row and are in recovery reported an improvement in their daily lives.

We understand the desire to make a change, and we are in favor of police having the ability to be flexible. They should have the option to be merciful and helpful, a point articulated beautifully in an op-ed by Senior Lead Officer Deon Joseph. Entitled “Downtown Is in a Mental Health State of Emergency,” it was printed in Downtown News on June 30 and can be found at downtownnews.com.

We still do not think that offenses that would not be tolerated in Larchmont Village or the Palisades should be allowed to occur in Skid Row. If people relieving themselves in public would be arrested in another community, the same should apply on Skid Row. Solving these problems isn’t only about improving the lives of those on the streets, but also those living in housing in the community, especially on Skid Row. Serious consideration should be given to the needs of these individuals, though they are often ignored. Some reside there because it has the cheapest housing in the city. Others are facing personal challenges with drugs or alcohol but follow the rules and are getting back on their feet.

They all deserve to live in a safe and clean environment, and one where police and other officials remove as much as possible the hurdles to their recovery.

Making change with troubled people wherever they are won’t come quickly. A turnaround won’t happen overnight.

However, we are encouraged by the proclamations that the city and county will work together. We applaud the team approach tied to the cleanings and the new focus on mental health treatment. We’re glad that Molina, near the end of her term, and Huizar and Garcetti have come together. We see the potential for progress.

Making Skid Row a better place for its residents will require money, focus and committed individuals. We hope those involved are in this for the long haul.

July 28, 2014

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Downtown News 5

Hotel Fig to Become Boutique Hotel New Owners Plan to Renovate But Keep Historic Character

By Donna Evans he new owners of the iconic Figueroa Hotel would like Downtowners and all folks who love historic buildings to know something: the intent is to bring back the 89-year-old structure to its original grandeur.

Green Oak Real Estate, alongside Urban Lifestyle Hotels, announced earlier this month that they had purchased the property. Bradley Hall, Jack van Hartesvelt and Mark van Hartesvelt comprise Urban Lifestyle, which will operate the business. The Hotel Fig, as it is commonly known, now will be managed by HHM, which operates 17 hotels on the West Coast, four of them in California.

“We’re very excited; it’s rare to get a chance to buy such a well located asset with great bones and that kind of historic soul. This kind of structure just can’t be replicated,” said Jonathan Epstein, managing director of Green Oak Real Estate.

Plans call for keeping the charm, but updating the rooms with a more modern flair, and turning the property into a boutique, “urban lifestyle” hotel, he said, noting the term indicates a stylish hotel situated in a popular city setting.

The companies purchased the 285-room hotel at 939 S. Figueroa St. for an undisclosed amount. The facility, which opened in 1925 as a YWCA and turned into a hotel after the Great Depression, features 25,000 square feet of special events and catering space. With its Morrocan-themed décor, flowing bougainvillea, an outdoor bar and coffin-shaped pool, the

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hotel is a popular destination for private parties. Epstein said two family trusts had owned the property since the 1930s, so an important part of the discussions leading up to the sale was that the companies act as stewards of this asset. They agreed not to raze the building, but rather restore it.

The rooms need updating and much of the property hasn’t been upgraded in decades, so the new owners plan to install modern conveniences that reflect the renaissance of what is happening throughout the Central City, he said. Given the Hotel Fig has some of the lowest room rates in the city — with smaller rooms with a king-size bed starting at $169 per night — future patrons can expect a bump in charges.

“We are very mindful of the place this hotel could have in the Downtown community,” he said.

Jessica Lall, executive director of the South Park Business Improvement District, called the hotel one of the most notable buildings in South Park because of its Spanish architecture and overall character. Lall was impressed that last week the new owners reached out to her office, unsolicited.

“It’s a positive sign that they want to be involved in the community. The Hotel Fig is so iconic, such a piece of history, that hopefully they can retain its character,” she said, adding that with the recently sold adjacent car wash, the intersection of Olympic and Figueroa, with L.A. Live on the south corner, should become

Green Oak Real Estate and Urban Lifestyle Hotels purchased the historic South Park hotel, but plan to keep its character intact.

photo by Gary Leonard

an even more popular destination.

Downtown property owner Ben Neman bought the Downtown Car Wash site in May for an estimated $25 million. Currently, in addition to the car wash the land holds two restaurants and a ticket sales shop. Newman plans to erect a high-rise with a luxury hotel and residential components.

Additionally in South Park, the new 23-story dual-brand Marriott tower just opened. The 174 Courtyard by Marriott rooms cater to travelers on a budget, and the 219 Residence Inn rooms, with more space and full kitchens are primarily marketed to extended-stay travelers in town for conventions and families on vacation. Another change will be occurring on the edge of

the Historic Core and the Financial District: 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.

These are the types of rapid changes that industry experts and tourism officials say Downtown needs to make the city a viable convention competitor to regional rivals such as Anaheim and San Diego.

As for the Hotel Fig, Epstein said the work will be done in phases. The hotel will stay open during construction. donna@downtownnews.com

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6 Downtown News

$1M Playground Coming to Grand Park Rios Clementi Hale Studios Designed the ‘Fanciful Forest’ Concept

renderings courtesy Rios Clementi Hale Studios

First 5 LA and Supervisor Gloria Molina’s office each contributed $500,000 for a forest-themed children’s playground at Grand Park.

By Donna Evans t’s got a fountain for kids to splash in, gobs of grass on which to picnic and party (think New Year’s and Fourth of July) and an area for leash-less dogs to run amok. One amenity, though, has been missing from Grand Park: a children’s playground.

Until now.

Construction is set to begin later this month on a 3,700-square-foot, $1 million play area designed by Rios Clementi Hale Studios to resemble a fanciful forest, complete with live sycamore trees, a tree house, 12-foot tall tube slide, a rope climber and tunnel, said park director Lucas Rivera.

“It’s beautiful,” Rivera said of the design, which includes nature-inspired colors on oversized leap shapes and bright green accents

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atop a Brazillian Ipe treehouse that suggests a tree-top canopy. “This will provide a muchneeded anchor to our space in block four, with the splash pad in block one.”

The splash pad jets water vertically while folks run between or through the streams and slog through the Arthur J. Will Memorial Fountain. Rivera said free programming, whether music, exercise or dancing, draws up to 2,000 people per weekend to the 12-acre facility, which opened in 2012. People come from all over Los Angeles County, many by public transit, as the Civic Center/Grand Park stop is nearby.

The most popular events include the New Year’s Eve bash, which has drawn thousands of people, and the Fourth of July Block party where red-white-and-blue clad revelers draped

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the lawn for daytime activities and nighttime fireworks, shot from the roof of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Coming Labor Day will be the two-day Made in America Festival, sponsored by Budweiser. The paid-ticket event will offer a Jay Z-curated lineup featuring Kanye West amid dozens more recording artists.

Back when Grand Park was being conceptualized, Rivera said, community workshops identified the interest in adding a playground to the park.

The project will be funded jointly by a $500,000 grant from the non-profit First Five LA and $500,000 from Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina, through monies from Prop-

July 28, 2014 osition A/Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District.

“Everybody climbed trees when they were little — I climbed trees. We wanted a beautiful green space where kids could climb and enjoy the views from a tree house,” Molina said by phone last week, adding, “It gives them an entirely different perspective.”

A series of curved, Ipe hardwood benches will sit nearby for parents and caregivers. The play area, meant for children ages 5 to 12, will be divided into two portions. There will be a threeand-a-half foot fence around the area with a custom gate enclosure that will be the sole entrance and exit for safety reasons, said Tony Paradowski, senior associate at Rios Clementi Hale Studios.

The architecture firm also designed Grand Park, complete with indigenous plant gardens, a flag garden, hot pink benches and four connected blocks that stretch from City Hall to the east to the Music Center to the west.

As Grand Park has been touted as “the park for everyone,” and its totems greet visitors in the 25 identified languages of Los Angeles County, the sign on the playground fence translates “Let’s Play” into those same 25 languages, said John Fishback, a landscape architect for Rios Clementi.

The forest design was inspired by Molina, Paradowski said, adding she wanted to bring nature to the center of this urban environment in Downtown. The tunnel and tree house, shaded by the live sycamore, will give kids a chance to really use their imagination and provide a sense of adventure. Plus, they’re getting physical exercise, he said.

Construction is slated to begin this month and the project is set to be completed by November. donna@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.

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and smashed it over the woman’s head before another gal jumped in and helped pummel the victim. The suspects fled and the woman with cuts and bruises to her head refused medical treatment.

Road Rage: A bicyclist and a driver got into a shouting match at First and San Pedro on July 13 after the driver nearly collided with the cyclist. The biker then threw his lock at the driver’s head and missed. That’s when the driver picked up the padlock, whirled it back toward the biker, and smacked the man in the face. He suffered a one-inch laceration to the head. The driver sustained a bruise to his arm.

Gang Chase: Four men identified as gang members were being chased by LAPD at 1:30 a.m. on July 19 when the men pounded on the door of an apartment building in the 300 block of East Bloom Street (between Chinatown and the L.A. River) and asked the resident to hide them. The resident refused, but 20 minutes later, someone shattered the man’s kitchen window. No one entered the property, though.

Drinking Drama: A man upset that a security guard at Broadway Bar, at 830 S. Broadway, ejected his intoxicated friend from the facility, tossed a glass ashtray at the man just after 1 a.m. on July 18. The suspect fled, but left behind his driver’s license and his car, which police impounded.

Parked and Robbed: A man who just picked up his keys from a parking lot attendant in the 200 block of South Grand was cornered at gun point at 11 p.m. on July 13 and robbed of his backpack. The suspect fled on foot.

Last Brawl: A woman irritated that another woman was dating her ex-boyfriend poured alcohol on the new girlfriend’s head at Bar 107, at 107 W. Fourth St., at 1:30 a.m. on July 19. The angered ex then grabbed a bottle

Pickpocket Fail: A man sleeping on the sidewalk in the 100 block of East Ninth street felt someone going through his pockets at 11 p.m. on July 15. When he tried to get up, the suspect stabbed him in the shoulder and fled.

July 28, 2014

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Downtown News 7

More Concerns About Jay Z’s Grand Park Festival Absence of Coordinated Communication Alarms City Councilman’s Office

By Donna Evans hen Live Nation, aided by Mayor Eric Garcetti, applied for a permit to hold a massive, two-day festival in Grand Park over Labor Day weekend — one that would require at least 10 street closures over a several-day period — City Councilman José Huizar complained of a lack of communication from Garcetti’s office.

Now, a month before an expected 35,000 people will descend each day on the 12-acre park, the 14th District council office still believes there’s a dearth of clear, flowing information about the Made in America Festival — this time from the organizers themselves.

A community outreach meeting in the Public Works board room of City Hall Tuesday night did little to assuage those concerns, said Sara Hernandez, Huizar’s Downtown area director.

Roughly two-dozen Central City residents and stakeholders turned out for the meeting, posing questions about the Jay Z-curated concert, particularly about traffic flow, security, alcohol and public restrooms.

Anika Warden, senior sales director for Vibiana, the former cathedral on Second and Main streets that is a popular summer event space, inquired about her clients’ access over Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 30 and 31. The building is adjacent to the closed-off streets.

A representative of the Los Angeles Law Library, meanwhile, asked how patrons would enter the facility that weekend. Dave Meyers, site coordinator for Diversified Production Systems,

City Living THIS WEEK CHECK OUT

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FIDM TV Costume Exhibit shows off costumes and outfits from the past year. courtesy Acme Hospitality Group

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which will be handling the set up and ground communications, suggested clients could use the “underground tunnels.” Meyers appeared surprised when he was informed that that would not be possible.

“It’s a concern, to our office, that there are these disconnects,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez pointed out Monday’s last-minute announcement of Tuesday’s meeting may have contributed to a low turnout. She said there will be another community meeting, as Budweiser and the United Way are tasked with outreach.

Both are sponsors of the festival, with some proceeds from the event expected to go to the local non-profit. Jacqueline Peterson, senior vice president of corporate commuications for Live Nation Entertainment said the Los Angeles-based company is “closely collaborating with all key constituents in the planning and delivery of the event.”

The festival’s headliner is Kanye West and featured musical acts include John Mayer, Imagine Dragons and Afrojack. Meyers told the meeting attendees that there would be three stages, an exhibition skate park and a DJ. The five beer gardens will sell multiple brands of Budweiser, but no hard liquor will be sold. Additionally, alcohol must be consumed in the cordoned-off area of the gardens. It is an all-ages event, but patrons must show proof of ID to purchase booze.

The festival premiered in Philadelphia in 2012. A concert will be going on in that city at the same time as Downtown’s show, and concertgoers may watch the show on a large screen TV that will be erected in Grand Park.

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Large events at Grand Park are common.

Made in America Festival organizers addressed concerned residents last week regarding the upcoming Labor Day weekend festival.

photo by John McCoy

Gates will open at noon and the event will run to 11 p.m. During Tuesday’s meeting, organizers projected the street closures onto a TV screen.

Arteries affected over a nearly two-week period include Main to Grand and Temple to Second.

Construction will begin Aug. 23.

It was the impending traffic hiccups that concerned Huizar’s office back in March. He wanted to withhold all the permits until his office and the community received more information about the festival, but City Council approved the event. Huizar, who along with the rest of his councilmembers is currently on recess, took issue with the fact that he had been left out of the planning process that Garcetti’s

office had overseen. The kerfuffle underscored the city’s lack of a coordinated system for street closures, Huizar has said.

Hernandez said the council office oversees the 14th District’s portion of many sizable events, such as Ciclavia and the Los Angeles Marathon. The event for bicycling enthusiasts brought out more than 100,000 cyclists and walkers back in April, when the city closed traffic on six miles of Wilshire Boulevard, from Grand Avenue in Downtown to Fairfax Avenue in the Miracle Mile. The 26.2 mile run through the city last March also brought out some 20,000 people. donna@downtownnews.com

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

8 Downtown News

‘BESTOF’ Summer Soiree

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P hotos b y G ar y L eonard

he who’s who of Downtown’s restaurateurs, developers, clothing makers and cocktail shakers toasted each other’s victories last week at the 26th annual Los Angeles Downtown News Best of Downtown party at the Figueroa Hotel. Luminaries included Old Bank developer Tom Gilmore, Executive Director of the Downtown Center Business Improvement District Hal Bastian, artist Lili Muller, City Attorney Mike Feuer and City Controller Ron Galperin (who won Best Political Rookie). Waiters clad in Moroccan garb passed trays of shrimp, meatballs and chicken while guests partook in a new tradition for the veteran event: karaoke. How did Bastian do? Well, he did it his way…or, rather, Frank Sinatra’s way.

To see more photos from the party check out the gallery on our home page.

July 28, 2014

July 28, 2014

Downtown News 9

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

DOWNTOWN LIVING

What’s in My Loft?

Downtown Residents Talk About Four of Their Favorite Things in Their Homes

by Jacq uel i n e F ox, P h oto s by Ga ry leon a r d

Clara Berta SB Spring

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ungarian-born Clara Berta, an award-winning mixed-media artist, sold her Studio City home of 20 years in 2012.

Searching for new inspiration, and with a desire to downsize, she is now perched and painting on the 11th floor of a Historic Core building. Her 1,200-square-foot studio and living space, she said, have delivered the exact changes she’d been seeking.

“I am just so much more inspired here,” Berta said. “I’m interacting with all kinds of new people from so many backgrounds and I can see how the light here has worked its way into my paintings. They are different, lighter, softer and freer.”

1) “This is from one of my favorite artists, Jack Chipman,” said Berta, pointing to a piece on a wall in a bathroom. “It’s called ‘Mr. Tambourine Man,’ and it’s not hard to figure that one out. I bought it six years ago. It’s musical, playful, and that’s sort of the kind of person I am.”

2) Admitting to a mild shoe fetish, Berta pulls a favorite from her collection, all of which delicately dangle by their heels from what was intended to serve as safety rails across her bedroom windows. “I have a few different pairs of Manolo Blahniks. In fact, I’m wearing some now,” she said. “I think this is a perfectly good way to show them off. There’s a few Prada sprinkled in there and some others. But Manolo’s are my favorite. They are sexy and comfortable. I like seeing them and having them out on display.”

1 2

3) Can a china cabinet be sexy? Well, Berta’s holds some intimate apparel, a riding crop, a book on erotica and a few other suggestive keepsakes. “I’ve had this china chest for about 20 years,” said Berta. “I originally put it in the living room, but it didn’t work there. So now it’s my little boudoir. A friend, who does what she calls ‘Fun Shway,’ suggested I use it to store my lingerie and I thought that’s a perfect idea. That’s very me.”

4) “This alarm clock is one of the pieces I inherited from my grandfather. My mother was in Romania about 15 years ago and I asked her to bring me something special. It was in my grandfather’s house. I was very close to him and I thought it would be fun to have something of his in my home. I don’t remember seeing it when I was a child, but I visited him often and it makes me feel good to have a part of my history, a part of him, with me.”

3

4 see What’s in My Loft?, page 10

10 Downtown News

July 28, 2014

DOWNTOWN LIVING

What’s in My Loft?

Kristofer Golder Santee Village

K

ristofer Golder, an urban planner and a project manager for a commercial real estate developer, moved into the Cornell Building at Santee Village in the Fashion District about a year ago to be closer to his company’s Downtown projects. The self-professed “neat freak” said he leans more modern than vintage, has a thing for the color green and prefers to keep his belongings at right angles. “My loft is always in order, always pretty tidied up, which is a reflection of me,” he said. “I’m pretty OCD when it comes to my space. I work a lot and I can’t take the clutter.”

Photos of family in Arizona adorn the bookshelves and, fittingly, he’s cultivating a low-maintenance cactus farm in the kitchen of his 700-square-foot loft.

2

1) “I don’t have a view, obviously, unless you count looking across to the next building and you like bricks,” Golder said. “So I hung the skyline picture of New York as a way to get one. My parents gave it to me as a gift. I wanted an image of something urban over my bed. It’s an IKEA print, nothing super-expensive, and I think I’d rather have the skyline of Los

4

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July 28, 2014

Downtown News 11

DOWNTOWN LIVING

Angeles there, but I like this one and it’s serving its purpose.”

2) “I’ve had this mini-fridge since 2004 when I left Arizona. I had it in college with me and I just keep moving it around wherever I end up. There’s no place for it in the kitchen and I don’t store anything in it anymore because it’s almost as expensive as a real fridge to run. Believe me, I’ve tried to pawn it off on friends and family and no one wants it. I can’t even give it away.”

3) “I’ve been picking up shot glasses from all kinds of places for as long as I can remember. And I do really use them. They don’t just sit there. The little pool set used to be complete but I’ve lost most of the rest of the numbers along the way. It’s down to just 13 and 14 now.”

4) Golder’s orderly home office sports an array of notepads, folders, pens, a laptop and other work accessories. Then there’s the brightly colored plastic egg, or rather the egg-shaped chicken. “I got this a couple of years ago. I know it seems like it doesn’t really belong here. But I’m keeping it because it’s cute. The mother has a little hatchling inside. It’s from the very last Easter basket I got from my mom. I was 26.”

1

3 see What’s in My Loft?, page 12

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.

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12 Downtown News

July 28, 2014

DOWNTOWN LIVING

What’s in My Loft?

Jean Robaire Toy Factory Lofts

J

ean Robaire’s ties to the west side of Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley run deep.

That said, he has long had his eye on the Central City.

“I desperately wanted to live Downtown,” he said. “I got so excited by all that was going on here, all the artistic changes and the way Downtown was becoming a living, working city again.”

Three years ago, the creative director of advertising company BBDO moved into the Toy Factory Lofts in the Arts District. His seventh-floor home is a testament to his creative eye. It takes only a few minutes to understand what Robaire means when he says he likes to use design to surprise people.

1) Look closely in Robaire’s home: A white squirrel hangs frozen in foraging position on a concrete support pillar. “I put him up there right after I moved in,” said Robaire. “I like to do things with a little wink. I like to surprise people, give them something to think about for a second. I think unexpected things in design are cool. He’s just a simple plaster squirrel. I had to use a concrete drill

1

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July 28, 2014

Downtown News 13

DOWNTOWN LIVING

to put a hole in the pillar to hang him up there. I don’t know what will happen in a strong earthquake, but he’s doing fine there for now.”

2) Whimsical Japanese toys, red plastic fish “swimming” in a gravel bed terrarium and other novelties dot the entryway. They share space with a painting of Robaire’s mother at the age of 3. “It’s just a simple, quick study my grandfather did in Tunisia,” he said. “I wanted to design a wall in here that was kind of like the calm before the storm. It doesn’t quite match anything in this area, but it surprises because it’s just this simple painting done a long time ago, all by itself here on this wall. It’s very special to me.”

2

3) Vintage radios that work? Who cares, Robaire says. It’s how they look that matters. “I started collecting these about 25 years ago. Some I found in antique stores, others I got right from eBay. I’ve always been a huge fan of Art Deco design and these colors are so wonderful.”

4) Robaire’s art gallery runs throughout his home, boasts more than 100 pieces and even spills out onto the floor.

But like his radios, the artwork itself, not the value of it, is what counts. “I have never gone out and selected a piece of art,” he said. “Every painting, every drawing in here chose me. Not the other way around. I know I do have a couple of pieces that are very valuable, but much of it is lowbrow street art. To me they are all valuable.

They are all my babies.”

3

14 Downtown News

July 28, 2014

DOWNTOWN LIVING

The Class of 2014 A Look at Seven Just-Opened or Soon-to-Arrive Downtown Apartment Complexes

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when it comes to picking their next home. In the following pages, we run down the offerings at seven either recently opened or soon-to-debut buildings, from the Arts District to Chinatown to Bunker Hill and beyond. Below are some of the highlights of the Class of 2014.

Still, the biggest growth is in the residential sector, and after a period slowed by the recession, the new buildings are finally coming online, giving Downtown thousands of additional inhabitants.

All of this means that people who hope to live in Downtown have a lot of choice

The Emerson Where: 225 S. Grand Ave., just south of The Broad Price: $120 million Residences: 271 apartments Scheduled Opening: October Rents: Not yet determined Developer: Related Companies, which is also developing the proposed The Grand, a $650 million mixed-use complex on Grand Avenue designed by Frank Gehry.

The Facts: Expect the Grand Avenue project to be among the most luxurious rental buildings in Downtown. This shouldn’t be surprising, as the 19-story edifice is rising next to Eli Broad’s $140 million art museum (now scheduled to open in 2015), and The Emerson will be adjacent to the new cultural facility’s courtyard, complete with its grove of 100-year-old olive trees. Though rents have not been revealed, they could easily rival the $3 per square foot that is being charged at some other new buildings.

Still, not everyone will be paying top dollar, as about 54 apartments will be affordable housing. When Related won the right to develop numerous Grand Avenue parcels owned by the city and county, it agreed to set aside 20% of all units for low-income and workforce renters.

Amenities: There will be high-end finishes throughout the complex, and the building designed by Arquitectonica will have a rooftop pool, a business center and a private dog run. Additionally, the property will hold a ground-floor offshoot of the Beverly Hills Italian restaurant Ago. Hey Neighbors: It’s hard to find a better spot for the cultural crowd. Not only is The Emerson next to the coming museum, but it is across the street from MOCA and the Cal Plaza Watercourt, where Grand Performanc-

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By Donna Evans, Eddie Kim and Jon Regardie s everyone knows, Downtown Los Angeles is booming. More bars are opening and more people are coming here to eat. There is an increasing number of entertainment options.

es stages dozens of free shows every summer. It’s also a short walk from the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the other Music Center venues and Grand Park. Nearby restaurants include Patina, Nick & Stef’s Steakhouse and Blue Cow, as well as the food court offerings in Wells Fargo Center and Cal Plaza.

On the Other Hand: The Emerson isn’t exactly in the middle of a construction zone, but the surrounding

area could be pretty busy for the next several years. Crews are still working on The Broad, and The Grand, which will be across the street and just to the north, will contain a hotel and a residential tower, as well as a suite of shops and restaurants. Related hopes to start construction in late 2015 and open The Grand in 2018.

Also, street parking near The Emerson is almost nonexistent.

To Live There: theemersonla.com

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July 28, 2014

Downtown News 15

DOWNTOWN LIVING

One Santa Fe

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

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255 South Grand Avenue Leasing Information 213 229 9777

Where: 300 S. Santa Fe Ave., across from the SCI-Arc campus Price: $160 million Residences: 438 apartments Scheduled Opening: Early September (first phase, 136 units) Rents: The units will among the most expensive in the Arts District. According to the project’s website, studios that are 343-670 square feet go for $1,480-$2,035, while one-bedrooms are $1,980-$2,410 for 526-913 square feet of space.

Two-bedroom apartments that are 899-1,103 square feet rent for $2,385-$2,910. Larger two-bedroom townhomes start at $3,585.

Developer: Not surprisingly, a project this big has a big development team. The players are Canyon-Johnson Urban Fund Investments, the McGregor Brown Company, Cowley Real Estate Partners and Polis Builders.

The Facts: It took a long time to get the project off the ground, but it is already changing the Arts District. The lengthy, six-story building designed by Michael Maltzan is the biggest-ever residential project in the quickly growing neighborhood. Fittingly for the Arts District, it will include a 5,300-square-foot arts center. That will hold a 99-seat theater, a screening room and a 2,000-squarefoot gallery.

Amenities: Like every new Downtown project, One Santa Fe will have a pool, though this one will stand out by virtue of being a saltwater swimming destination. The building will also hold a fitness center, a yoga and pilates studios, a rooftop garden, a business center and a pool table. Drivers of electric vehicles can take advantage of on-site charging stations.

Still, the project’s biggest selling point may be The Yards, its 78,000-square-foot retail and restaurant component.

Deals have already been inked for grocery emporium Grow Market, a Van Leeuwen Ice Cream shop and a skin care and hair products store. Expect many more to come.

Hey Neighbors: The Arts District is booming, meaning One Santa Fe residents are close to close to a clutch of coffee houses, a permanent flea market and a bundle of new shops. Little Tokyo is nearby, as are a rock climbing space and a gun shooting range. Then, of course, there are restaurants including Bestia, Factory Kitchen and Fifty Seven.

On the Other Hand: Have you tried to park in the Arts District lately? The streets already seem clogged, and even with One Santa Fe’s 802-space garage, it’s hard to anticipate traffic flowing more freely. Plus, more and projects are coming, meaning there will be a lot of construction. The developments include a $400 million replacement for the Sixth Street Viaduct and a 472-apartment complex at 950 E. Third St. To Live There: (855) 789-3221 or osfla.com

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

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RESIDENCES: SINGLES • STUDIO • ONE BEDROOM • TWO BEDROOM

16 Downtown News

July 28, 2014

DOWNTOWN LIVING

Where: At 801 S. Hope St., on the corner of Eighth and Hope streets.

Price: $120 million Residences: 290 apartments Scheduled Opening: Mid-August Rents: According to the project’s website, a 707-square-foot one-bedroom unit starts at about $2,900. Two-bedroom apartments begin at $3,773 for 1,135 square feet (and one bathroom). Three-bedrooms, which measure 1,694 square feet, start at about $7,000 and go up to $9,460 for a penthouse.

Developer: Atlanta-based Wood Partners, which has 16 offices around the country. This is the developer’s first project in Downtown.

The Facts: The developer acquired the site in 2008, and a

company official previously told Los Angeles Downtown News that Wood was one about one month from breaking ground when the recession hit. The project was put on hold until the summer of 2012.

While several high-rise residential projects are either under construction or in the planning pipeline in the Central City, this 22-story tower will be the first of the bunch to arrive.

It is aimed squarely at the luxury living market. The design from Atlanta-based architect Preston Partnership is clean and straightforward, with floor-to-ceiling windows. Every unit has a balcony.

Amenities: Apartments have cork and wood floors, Caesarstone quartz countertops and glass backsplashes in the kitchen. There is also a sixth-floor pool deck, a rooftop deck, two club rooms (on the ground floor and the pool deck), a conference room, a theater and a gym. The garage has a car wash

photo by Gary Leonard

8th and Hope Tower

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July 28, 2014

Downtown News 17

DOWNTOWN LIVING

Ava Little Tokyo Where: 236 S. Los Angeles St. Price: Not available Residences: 280 apartments Scheduled Opening: The first phase, with 104 apartments, will open by the end of the year. A second phase with 176 units will come online in 2015.

Rents: According to the project’s website, rates begin at $2,090 for a 640-square-foot studio. A 780-square-foot one-bedroom apartment begins at $2,125, and two-bedroom units start at 1,080 square feet and $2,870. Prices currently top out at $5,020 for the biggest two-bedroom apartments.

Developer: Avalon Bay Communities, a national apartment developer that has more than 50,000 units in the United States.

This is the company’s first foray into Downtown Los Angeles. It is also building a 370-apartment complex in West Hollywood.

The Facts: Avalon Bay bought the Little Tokyo site in 2007 and announced plans to break ground on a six-story apartment complex by early 2008. As with countless other projects across the country, the recession and housing crash brought plans to a screeching halt. Work finally began in late 2012.

Ava Little Tokyo is designed by architecture firm TCA (the company’s projects include the new Jia Apartments in Chinatown). The design resembles many other new mid-rise apartment buildings in Downtown, with a boxy main structure enlivened by colorful, frame-like facade projections and multiple surface textures. Most apartments have a small balcony. There will also be 13,500 square feet of retail on the ground floor.

Amenities: Ava has a rooftop deck with a “movie wall,” a twolevel fitness center, three outdoor courtyards with grill stations, dining areas and fire pits, a pool and a “chill lounge” with game tables. In addition, there will be free WiFi in common areas and electric car chargers in the garage.

Hey Neighbors: Ava is just a short walk from Little Tokyo’s bustling core, with countless dining and shopping options at the Japanese Village Plaza, Weller Court and the rebounding Little Tokyo Galleria (which includes the bowling alley X Lanes). Cul-

photo by Gary Leonard

and the website touts services including housesitting, a personal shopping service, grocery delivery and in-home pet grooming. The building will also hold something called the “Ground Floor Project,” which the website says “aims to present emerging local culture within music, theater, dance, visual art, craft, and culinary art.”

Hey Neighbors: The corner of Eighth and Hope streets is a great location for those who want to eat out and visit bars and nightspots. Seventh Street is bursting with restaurant options, and other new dining choices include Faith & Flower. Shopping is nearby at FIG@7th and the former Macy’s Plaza, which is getting redeveloped into a modern and vibrant mall. A Whole Foods will open next year in a residential project underway at Eighth and Grand. Additionally, the Seventh Street Metro stop is a block away, making regional travel a breeze.

On the Other Hand: Construction is everywhere in the district, which means future traffic congestion and plenty of noise. Onni Group is building a highrise at 888 S. Olive St. and is proposing another 50-story tower at 820 S. Olive St. Carmel Partners has also proposed a 27-story tower at 801 Olive St. In essence, there will be a lot of cranes dotting the view from Wood Partners’ tower — and that will be the case for several years to come.

To Live There: (855) 956-HOPE or 8thandhope.com

tural options include the Japanese American National Museum and theater company East West Players.

The edge of the Arts District is a few blocks to the east; the weekly Thursday farmers market and bar/arcade EightyTwo are two popular destinations right off Alameda Street.

On the Other Hand: There’s construction taking place on surrounding blocks, namely the large residential development from Sares-Regis

that will bring 240 apartments right next to Ava. Across the street is the planned Budokan of Los Angeles sports complex, which is tentatively slated to break ground in 2016. Although work on a nearby Regional Connector station and tunneling won’t begin for a couple years, it will no doubt snarl traffic and disrupt life in the surrounding neighborhood.

To Live There: (877) 365-5817 or avalittletokyo.com.

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18 Downtown News

July 28, 2014

DOWNTOWN LIVING

Jia Apartments

photo by Gary Leonard

Avant

Where: 639 N. Broadway, at the southern entrance to Chinatown, right next to the “twin dragons” gate.

Price: $93 million Residences: 280 apartments Opened in: January Rents: Prices start at about $3 a square foot for studios, but decrease for larger units. This month, a 645-square-foot studio with a balcony was listed at $1,745; the same-size unit on the top floor was $1,820. Listed one-bedrooms, from 686-835 square feet, were $1,860-$1,965. The least expensive two-bedroom, at 1,141 square feet, was $2,700. A 1,346-square-foot two-bedroom apartment was $3,395.

Developer: Equity Residential, a mammoth national real estate conglomerate that owns seven other Central City apartment buildings, including the Pegasus and the Milano Lofts in the Financial District and the Mozaic near Union Station.

The Facts: The Jia was first broached in 2004, though construction didn’t start until 2011. The six-story building designed by the firm TCA is the first new large rental complex to open in Chinatown in decades, and Equity included numerous nods to the community. The color red, which symbolizes joy and good luck in Chinese culture, is prevalent, and Chinese design features are found throughout the building. For example, the balcony railings evoke sliding Chinese doors with their grid-like texture.

Amenities: Jia has an in-house fitness center with treadmills, cycling machines and weightlifting equipment, as well as an outdoor pool with lounge chairs and a small hot tub. There is also a courtyard with a double-sided fireplace, along with a business center, an indoor lounge and a billiards room.

Anyone needing a caffeine fix doesn’t have to travel far.

The building’s 18,000 square feet of retail space includes Chinatown’s first Starbucks.

Hey Neighbors: The Jia is near everything Chinatown has to offer, including dozens of restaurants (and an outpost of

Scoops ice cream!). It’s also a short walk to Central and West plazas, and a growing number of hip bars.

Jia inhabitants are ahead of the residential curve. With the Blossom Plaza project under construction and real estate speculators eyeing the area, the community is primed to pop. Plus, it’s a pretty easy walk to the Civic Center and Union Station.

On the Other Hand: Hope you

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like Chinese cuisine, because that’s what dominates the neighborhood.

Also, Chinatown still has a few blighted spots, and the current walk from the Gold Line station requires going down a few flights of stairs then walking up a hill. There’s a WalMart Neighborhood Market close by, but if you’re lugging a lot groceries it may be too far to walk.

To Live There: (866) 748-2883 or equityapartments.com

Where: 1360 S. Figueroa St. Price: $220 million Residences: 440 apartments Opened: Move-ins for the first 76 units on Flower Street occurred in May. Another 171 apartments on Figueroa Street are expected to debut shortly. The remaining 193 residences will be available in the first quarter of 2015.

Rents: Prices start north of $3 a square foot.

The smallest unit, a 510-square-foot studio, runs $1,830. A two-bedroom, two-bath apartment that measures 1,080 square feet goes for $3,200. There are also four live-work spaces that measure 1,000-1,300 square feet. They go for $3,000-$3,900.

Developer: Century West Partners. It is their first Downtown project.

The Facts: Avant was named for “avant garde,” according to Randy Fifield, a partner in Los Angeles-based Century West Partners. The complex features three seven-story buildings across from the Convention Center. Century West focused on South Park, Fifield said, because even though L.A. Live had “transformed the area,” there was still a shortage of nearby housing.

Amenities: A landscaped rooftop deck with a panoramic view of the Downtown skyline is one of Avant’s nicest amenities. Also on the roof is a grilling center and a 70-inch TV. A second-floor deck offers a pool, an outdoor spa, gym, kitchen and bar. The interiors of the residences feature gourmet kitchens with nine-foot ceilings and spacious closets. The project also holds a dog grooming station

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July 28, 2014

Downtown News 19

DOWNTOWN LIVING

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and a private play area for the pooches.

Hey Neighbors: The Avant is just steps from L.A. Live and Staples Center, meaning residents have a number of dining options and can go to a game or a concert at the last minute (there’s also ice skating on Nokia Plaza in the winter). The Palm and Rivera restaurants are nearby, as is wine bar BottleRock.

The project’s proximity to the Financial District makes for an easy walk or bike ride to work. There is also a Metro Blue Line stop across from the Avant building on Flower Street.

On the Other Hand: The Avant units are not particularly spa-

cious, especially when compared to some of South Park’s condominium buildings. Then there’s the coming construction: A Chinese firm bought the large parking lot to the north and plans a major mixed-use complex; another huge mixeduse effort, the Metropolis, is rising just north of L.A. Live. Also, there’s the downside to being so close to L.A. Live, Staples and the Convention Center: huge crowds. Hundreds of events take place every year at the venues, and the fans leaving latenight concerts and games aren’t always the quietest bunch.

To Live There: (855) 820-3616 or avantsouthpark.com

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Where: 1115 Sunset Blvd.

Price: $30 million Residences: 96 apartments Opened: June Rents: Rates are $1,500-$6,000, and the higher the floor, the higher the price. The smallest unit is 700 square feet. The most expensive residence, a two-story penthouse, spans 1,700 square feet and has two bedrooms and two bathrooms.

Developer: Linear City, a firm that previously created the Toy Factory and Biscuit Company lofts in the Arts District.

The Facts: During the renovation, a ninth floor was added to the eight-story, 1973 edifice designed by prominent architect William Pereira. The structure was originally built to house the headquarters of the Metropolitan Water District. It did that for a while, but the growing MWD moved out in 1994 following the Northridge earthquake. The stately building then entered a long, decrepit period. One developer tried but failed to turn it into a senior housing complex. The property, which became tagged with graffiti, was sold to Mika Realty in 2004, which sought to convert it into 92 residences. That didn’t work out, either, and Mika sold it to Linear City for $6.8 million in 2010. Architect David Gray handled the redesign.

Amenities: The extras at The Elysian include a gym, a deck with a barbecue and cabanas, a fire pit and WiFi access in common areas.

The units have floor-to-ceiling windows with remote-controlled Mecho shades, along with Italian cabinetry and polished concrete floors.

Every apartment has a balcony. The ample garage also has electric vehicle charging stations; residents with plug-in cars get free charging.

Coming up is a 3,100-square-foot restaurant with an 1,100-square-foot patio. It will be on the ground floor.

Hey Neighbors: It’s a moderate but not too strenuous walk from The Elysian to the Music Center venues and Chinatown. Also, Dodger Stadium is close by, making the building perfect for baseball fans. An outpost of the lauded taco shop Guisados isn’t far away. Those who work on Bunker Hill could also hoof it if they have comfortable shoes. All the hipness of Echo Park is just to the west.

On the Other Hand: Although some fun options are nearby, the stretch of

Sunset where The Elysian sits won’t be confused with an active zone any time soon. Additionally, the building is next to a vacant property that was formerly used as a church. It is also across the street from the low-budget Paradise Motel and a tropicalthemed nightclub. Plus, Sunset can get pretty clogged the 80-plus times a year that the Dodgers have home games.

To Live There: (213) 284-8816 or theelysian.la

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July 28, 2014

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A variety of outfits from “Orange Is the New Black” are part of the eighth annual Outstanding Art of Television Costume Design exhibition. It will be on display at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising through Sept. 22.

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cause some pieces have been stonewashed Taryn Manning, who plays

By Donna Evans more than others. And while no one looks “Pennsatucky,” incorporates he direction to Salem costume designer good in that hideous khaki, she said, that the sweatshirt into her characJoseph A. Porro was explicit: No pointy ter in a way Rogien never expected. black hats.

Now Playing/Starts Julywas 18 the point: the drab color bleeds into the bleakness of the women’s environment. The “She hides in it, she manipulates it. She uses The fictive television series depicts the Salem senting 98 Emmy award nominations.

S of the 17th century, and lead E-NEW women can’t express themselves through this one piece of clothing to bring so much One of those shows is “Orange Is the New witch trials News.comwitch SIGN UP Sign up at Downtown clothing: It’s all cheap and industrial, like the more emotion to whatever scene she’s in. It’s Black,” a Netflix comedy-drama series created Mary Sibley, played by Janet Montgomery, is prison itself. brilliant,” she said.

by Jenji Kohan that is based on Piper Kerman’s “enchantingly evil,” said Nick Verreos, spokesSign Up for Our E-News Blasts prison & memoir, “Orange Is the New Black: My When visitors walk into the FIDM exhibit, While the inmates wear either orange or man for the Fashion Institute of Design and Be Entered to Win Movie Tickets! they are greeted by the aristocratic, early 1900s khaki for most of the series, Rogien pointed Year in a Women’s Prison.” Costume designer Merchandising. out that those are real federal prison uniforms frock worn by Shirley MacLaine and the furSo, Porro needed to bring edginess to the ac- Jenn Rogien stood in front of the 5-feet, twocollared top coat of Paul Giamatti, as they are the actresses don, and the discoloration inch tall mannequin sporting a gray hoodie, tress’ wardrobe. seen on “Downton Abbey.” FIDM borrows the among the tops and bottoms is authentic bewhite T-shirt and khaki pants and said actress Amid the peacock feathers, Porro placed clothing from the studios or whomever owns scores of what look like inch-long turquoise the outfits, then cuts the mannequins to fit the and green glossy beads throughout the bodgarments. The clothing itself is not altered in ice, around the wrists and along the hemline. any way, Verreos said. This explains the piles of Two of the “jewels” even hang from Montgomwooden heads, torsos and legs in the workery’s neck. shop known as the “surgical room.”

Reality check: The beads are dung beetles.

In addition to the floor-length silk and vel“That’s macabre but that’s authentic and that vet gowns that dominate the wardrobes of is costume design,” Verreos said Sunday during Now Playing/Starts July 25 “Downton” actresses, headpieces, necklaces and the premiere of the eighth annual OutstandnNews tow bracelets are another critical component of the ing Art of Television Costume Design exhibiwn .Do /L.A com ok.

Facebo PBS series’ costume design, Verreos said. And tion, presented by FIDM Museum & Galleries because seamstresses of the early 20th century and the Television Academy. The exhibit salutes Like Downtown News on Facebook the work of the 2013-14 Emmy-nominated coswould hem every item by hand, that is how the & Be Entered to Win Movie tume designers, costume supervisors and as-Tickets!

Downton costumers tend to the garments. sistant costume designers. It runs Tuesday, July Can you see that degree of subtlety on the 22, through Sept. 20 and is free to the public. screen? Probably not, Verreos quipped.

More than 100 costumes from 20-plus “It’s about keeping it real,” he said. shows, episodic series, movies and miniseries Art of Television Costume Design runs through Sept. are dotted throughout the South Park facility’s 20 at FIDM, 919 S. Grand Ave. or fidmmuseum.org.

10,000-square-foot showroom. Collectively, the Hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. exhibit features design work from shows repredonna@downtownnews.com Costumes and jewels from “Downton Abbey” greet visitors at the beginning of the FIDM exhibit.

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For Those About to Rock Queen Is the Latest Band Whose Songs Power a Rock Musical

By Dany Margolies lasting the Ahmanson Theatre through Aug. 24, We Will Rock You boasts two dozen songs by the legendary band Queen. Fans of the London-born outfit fronted by the late Freddie Mercury will line up for tickets no matter what. However, those who expect musicianship to accompany the songs, or even a story to support a musical, might want to rock ’n’ roll elsewhere.

The show, written and directed by Ben Elton, takes place in the future, on iPlanet (formerly planet Earth), where uniformity and blandness prevail. Musical instruments are banned and live rock is outlawed. In other words, creativity and imagination matter less than conformity and perkiness.

This future is distant enough that rock ’n’ roll is lost in historical mists, yet Facebook remains, the subject of numerous Elton references and many of his jokes. Well, perhaps that’s his best, most cautionary point.

A group of kids, calling themselves Bohemians, rebel, and hunker down in the abandoned Hard Rock Café in what was Las Vegas. (The British-born show’s locale has been moved to the United States for this national tour, and its many asides and jokes have been updated.)

The Bohemians disregard the propaganda and believe in a time when music was a creative endeavor — a time that, fittingly, is called The Rhapsody. They surround themselves with mementos of rock, though they have no idea what they are. Nor do they know how to pro-

B

213.847.4970

nounce them, a running gag that quickly grows tiring.

The kids need a hero, someone who will find The Great Axe (an electric guitar, natch). Galileo Figaro shows up, and he’s an unpleasant mix of narcissist and dreamer, who hears songs in his head that turn out to be the entire rock ’n’ roll canon, or so it seems. If you have a favorite singer or band, chances are he, she or it will probably get a mention here.

Galileo needs a female sidekick. He happens to meet Scaramouche. She’s sullen and hardened. By 11 o’clock, they have fallen in love.

The look and sound of We Will Rock You are more concert than theater. Lights assault the audience (though designer Willie Williams affords a few painterly moments to the stage), and the audio blares, at least compared to normal theater standards.

Ultimately, there’s a paradoxical problem: The show’s point is how conformity and commercialism must be vanquished, yet the production is nearly plastic in its polished, imitative packaging.

Throughout Arlene Phillips’ staging and choreography, the “Ga Ga” kids who conform are bouncy, the minions of the Killer Queen villainess are robotic and the Bohemians are headbangers.

Elton’s story is built on Queen songs, and Galileo, Figaro and Scaramouche are, of course, lyrical refrains in “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the opus that at long last makes an appearance as the encore. Lyrics, even for the most-familiar

Ruby Lewis is Scaramouche and Brian Justin Crum plays Galileo in We Will Rock You. The musical features 24 songs by the band Queen.

photo by Paul Kolnik

songs, have undergone updating. For example, Killer Queen now “emails like a baroness.”

What’s missing most here, though, are the likes of Mercury and the band (though Queen guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor helped put together the original show 12 years ago). Playing Scaramouche, Ruby Lewis comes closest to Mercury’s tone and utterly committed passion, at least in the first act. Strutting and pleading, she delivers a scene-stealing “I Want to Break Free” and a stellar “Somebody to Love.” But as Scaramouche softens, Lewis seems to deflate.

As Galileo, Brian Justin Crum blossoms vocally in the second act, leading the cast in an inspired “We Will Rock You.” The Killer Queen is the domineering AfricanAmerican female character, now almost obligatory in musical theater. Jacqueline B. Arnold delivers her titular song, in particular when she

dumps her henchman. Yep, that ushers in “Another One Bites the Dust.”

Playing that henchman, named Khashoggi, P.J. Griffith has a glorious voice, albeit one better suited to a 1950s musical. Adequate if uninspired performances come from Erica Peck and Jared Zirilli as leaders of the Bohos. Ryan Knowles, who has the vocal range of Mercury, is relegated to the goofy role of Buddy — named, as are all the Bohemians, for long-ago rock stars. There’s even a Britney.

The seven-member onstage band doesn’t match the chops of the originals. You can’t blame them, because who could? Still, when the video screens lift to reveal the band, there’s pleasure in watching these artists fully engage in the music.

We Will Rock You runs through Aug. 24 at the Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 6282772 or centertheatregroup.org.

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

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 The Buddy Holly Story at Pershing Square on Friday, Aug. 1. The musical career of rock and roll pioneer Buddy Holly is chronicled, from his days when “Peggy Sue” topped the charts, to his untimely death in a plane crash. That shouldn’t have been a spoiler. The movie will begin at 8 p.m., and well-behaved dogs are allowed.

Parking can be found in the Pershing Square garage.

WEDNESDay, JuLy 30 A Chinaman’s Chance at Aloud Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7500 or lfla.org.

7:15 p.m.: Former Clinton speechwriter Eric Liu pontificates on the parallel development of a strong China and the condition of the Chinese American.

ThuRSDay, JuLy 31 Morley Live at the Last Bookstore Last Bookstore, 453 S. Spring St., (213) 488-0599 or lastbookstorela.com.

7:30 p.m.: Self referential street artist Morley will be reading from his latest book, “If You’re Reading This, There’s Still Time.”

FRIDay, auGuST 1 Friday Night Sing-Alongs: Broadway Favorites W.M. Keck Amphitheatre, 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 9727211 or musiccenter.org.

6:30 p.m.: Those longing for the show stopping numbers of the great white way will be delighted by this free sing along on a Friday night.

Summer Nights in the Garden Natural History Museum, 900 Exposition Blvd., (213) 7633466 or nhm.org.

5 p.m.: With undertones of Genesis and a strong program of music, cocktails, tours and other activities, the new monthly program at the Natural History Museum encourages Angelenos to interact with this thing called nature.

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

July 29: Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Large Ensemble.

July 30: Perry Smith Quartet.

July 31: Sitarason.

Aug. 1: Gavin Templeton Trio.

Aug. 2: Ben Wendel/Ambrose Akinmusire/Jeff Ballard.

Aug. 3: Scrote/Lefebvre/No.

By Dan Johnson calendar@downtownnews.com

photo courtesy Library Foundation/Aloud

TuESDay, JuLy 29 It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens at Aloud Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7500 or lfla.org.

7:15 p.m.: danah boyd, communications professor and social media expert, sits in to discuss her recent work examining teenagers and their interaction with the modern marvel that is the World Wide Web.

Big Voices, Big Laughs and Big Thoughts Are Spreading Across Downtown

3 Capital-letter-hating USC professor danah boyd has spent countless days studying the habits of teens as they interact with social media. Somehow, she has turned that into a career. On Tuesday, July 29, boyd comes to the Central Library as part of the Aloud series. She’ll be talking up her new book, “It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens.” Yet, rather than spell pure doom for the coming generation, she’ll be carving out intricate lines of nuance in the intellectual surface of a vastly complex social issue. boyd will be on stage with fellow USC faculty member Henry Jenkins, and no, just because it’s about a life online doesn’t mean you can use Tinder while you’re watching.

At 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7500 or lfla.org.

Tease your hair up and pretend not to be excited about anything, because Echo and the Bunnymen are taking over the Orpheum Theatre on Friday, Aug. 1. The only two original members of the Liverpool post-punk band you’ll be seeing are vocalist Ian McCulloch (shown here) and drummer Will Sergeant, but you’ll enjoy it nonetheless. It’s the second night of their American tour, and you can be sure they’ll be trotting out hits including “The Killing Moon” and “Lips Like Sugar.” Tickets are still available for this lone L.A. date, so don’t hesitate. At 842 S. Broadway, (877) 677-4386 or laorpheum.com.

2

photo © 2013 Richard Termine

The comedian Joe Rogan is performing at the Theatre at the Ace Hotel on Friday, Aug. 1, and as always, it’s hard to know in advance which Joe you’ll get. Is it the subdued witty banter of “Fear Factor” host Joe Rogan? Macho MMA commentator Joe Rogan? Serious Libertarian political rhetoric-spewing Joe Rogan? No matter which Rogan shows up, his collage of thought processes and personalities jives with a curious mainstream appeal. So expect a sharply entertaining evening of jokes smattered with big ideas. Or is it big ideas smattered with jokes? The laughs start at 8 p.m. at 929 S. Broadway, (213) 623-3233 or acehotel.com.

4

If you’re getting married in the morning, affiliate as a Shark or a Jet or feel a need to proclaim your love for Oklahoma, the upcoming “Broadway Favorites” installment of Friday Night Sing-Alongs is for you. From 6:30-8 p.m. on Friday, August 1, a healthy retinue of show tune-enthused men and women will gather at the W.M. Keck Amphitheatre at the Walt Disney Concert Hall to spout out in spirited chorus. Admission is free, but ticketed, so be sure to arrive early to snag a spot and warm up those pipes. At 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 972-7211 or musiccenter.org.

photo courtesy of The Music Center, by John McCoy

SPONSORED LISTINGS

photo courtesy Echo and the Bunnymen

EVENTS

ONE

Each summer, REDCAT hosts its multi-week New Original Works Festival. It began July 24, and for week two there’s a spirited and boundary-pushing batch of shows. Playing Thursday-Saturday, July 31-Aug. 2, is Carole Kim’s The Singing Head, featuring multi-layered projection surfaces and the well-known dancer Oguri. Also on the bill is the tabletop puppet show Object of Her Attention by Marsian De Lellis. The plot is, we kid you not, about a woman who loves inanimate objects and learns that the Golden Gate Bridge has been cheating on her. Last up is D. Sabela Grimes’ society-critiquing, Afrofuturism-espousing Electrogynous. Shows are each night at 8:30 p.m. At 631 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800 or redcat.org.

FIVE

DT

THE DON'T MISS LIST

CALENDAR LISTINGS

July 28, 2014

photo by James Law

22 Downtown News

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

July 28, 2014

Downtown News 23

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July 30, 8 p.m.: Pete Anderson’s guitar may not kill fascists, but it’s guaranteed to sing like a bird just the same.

Aug. 3, 3 p.m.: Fanatics and all those familiar with punk icon Henry Rollins’ weekly radio program already know the big man with big ideas has a fascination with Syrian musician Omar Souleyman. Today, the two unite on stage for a Q&A. Grand Performances California Plaza, 350 S. Grand Ave., (213) 687-2159 or grandperformances.org.

Aug. 2, 8 p.m.: Original soul, jazz and R&B songs from the pivotal Civil Rights Era find a new voice tonight with an immense cast of guest performers doing duty to rework numbers from Sam Cooke, Billie Holiday, Nina Simone and John Coltrane among others.

Ham and Eggs 433 W. Eighth ST. or hamandeggstavern.com.

July 29, 9 p.m.: C-Note.

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

July 28, 10 p.m.: TGIM.

July 30, 8 p.m.: Actual Disco.

July 31, 8 p.m.: DJ Mathieu Schreyer.

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

July 30, 7:30 p.m.: Apparently fans of teenage recording artist Austin Mahone are referred to as “Mahomies.” Knowledge is power.

Aug. 3, 7:30 p.m.: At this point there’s nothing new about “New Edition,” but it won’t stop you from enjoying it any less.

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

Aug. 1, 8 p.m.: Echo & The Bunnymen will be slinging their ‘80s classics.

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

July 30, 12 p.m.: Alt rock pleasures from Crowd Theory.

July 31, 8 p.m.: Pyromania is the Southland’s pre-eminent Def Leppard cover band.

Aug. 2, 8 p.m.: Your heart will palpitate with anticipation for Survivor’s classic “Eye of the Tiger.”

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

July 28: Acoustic Punk Night.

July 29: Bombon and The Pine Hill.

July 30: Sugar Stems, The Radio Hearts, The Lost Notes and Benny The Jet Rodriguez.

July 31: Thursday Night Booty.

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

July 28, 10 p.m.: With names that echo in eternity, Slocum, Bagg, Storie Trio promises an evening of delicious jazz.

July 29, 10 p.m.: One of these days The Makers are going to bust on out of here.

July 30, 10 p.m.: Rick Taub’s Midnight Blues Review promises a veritable cornucopia of pleasurable sounds harkening back to our collective sonic roots.

The Smell 247 S. Main St. in the alley between Spring and Main or Continued on next page

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Dim Sum

Lunch and Dinner • An Extensive Seafood Menu including Dim Sum at Moderate Prices • Relaxed Dining in an Elegant Ambiance • Live Lobster Tank

700 N. Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 Free Parking Next to Restaurant Tel: 213.617.2323

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

July 28, 8:30 p.m.: It’s your last chance to see residents Hi Ho Silver Oh before they ride into the Sunset and by ride into the Sunset we mean drive to Silversun Liquor on Sunset.

July 29, 8:30 p.m.: If you haven’t gotten your fill of dream pop in the past few years, be sure to reward your pain tolerance by checking out Winter.

July 30, 9 p.m.: Bust out the banjos and pine for the old timey pleasures of a long ago ecological disaster with the Dustbowl Revival.

July 31, 9 p.m.: What does tonight’s musical artist Hayley Kiyoko have in common with every waiter in Los Angeles? She’s also an actor.

Aug. 1, 8 p.m.: Paradoxes abound as Afternoons goes on stage at 11 p.m. and Manhattan Murder Mystery unfurls their East Coast gum shoe sound in an eclectic Los Angeles theatre.

Aug. 2, 9 p.m.: Red Wanting Blue and The Alternate Routes will transport you back to the American heartland without all the GMO corn and bigoted church groups.

Broadway Bar 830 S. Broadway, (213) 614-9909 or broadwaybar.la.

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

July 28, 9 p.m.: Culinary aficionados will note that Brian Walker pairs especially well Miller High Life, while Monster Mondays are best enjoyed with buffalo mushrooms.

July 29, 10 p.m.: Trevor Menear fills in for Bunny West while Boom Boom Boom continues their age long quest for live music apotheosis.

July 30, 10 p.m.: The Get Down Boys: all the legit bluegrass you could ever need.

July 31, 10 p.m.: Grown Up Clothes are a band and not an open invitation to donate your old duds. Although, if you do have anything cool you’re ready to party with, by all means, bring it…

Aug. 3, 10 p.m.: RT N the 44s will help you forget the impending crisis that is Monday.

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

Aug. 2: Justin Martin.

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

STREET FOOD CINEMA presented by

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avec Benoît Charest et le Terrible Orchestre de Belleville

Saturday, August 2 @ 8:00 PM PEOPLE GET READY

A Soundtrack of the Civil Rights Movement

1050 S Hill ST Los Angeles, CA

Get your tickets now! at kittybungalow.ORG

Free bike valet

SEE THE COMPLETE 2014 LINE-UP

GRANDPERFORMANCES.ORG

CALIFORNIA PLAZA, 350 S. GRAND AVE., DOWNTOWN L.A. Due to the nature of live performances, this schedule is subject to change. Please call our concert line at 213.687.2159 to confirm events.

24 Downtown News

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

Continued from previous page thesmell.org.

Aug. 1: Draag, Cigarette Bums, Washing Machines and Hott MT. Aug. 2: Heavy Hawaii, Prom Body, Heaven and Susan.

Party Like an Art Star

July 28, 2014

FILM One night every summer, the Inner City Arts campus at 720 Kohler St. becomes the home of one of Downtown’s best parties. Dubbed “Summer on 7th,” this year’s shindig on Saturday, Aug. 2 is no different, featuring live music, lots of art, food trucks and a slew of Downtown residents, business people, art lovers and more. Music highlights include ubertalented DJ Peanut Butter Wolf (shown here), YACHT and disco-punk duo De Lux. Tickets are $65 online and $75 at the door, and you can feel good about all that partying, since all the proceeds support free arts programs for children.

At 720 Kohler St. or inner-cityarts.org. photo by Stacy Lucier

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

July 28, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., July 29, 7:30 p.m., July 30, 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. and July 31, 7 and 9 p.m.: Y’all remember that American ally nation that ended up providing refuge to Osama Bin Laden in the heart of one of their largest cities while accepting billions in American financial assistance? Yes, Pakistan is a land of contradictions. Without Shepherds provides a lucid portrait of the liminal spaces in that country’s culture war with a close perspective and without all my acerbic bitterness.

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

Aug. 2, 5:30 p.m.: Tonight’s Sci-Fi double feature focuses on animation with Monsters vs. Aliens and Wall-E. Grand Performances California Plaza, 350 S. Grand Ave., (213) 687-2159 or grandperformances.org.

Aug. 1, 12 and 8 p.m.: Oscar-nominated French animation film Les Triplettes de Belleville screens with an accompaniment from Benoit Charest et le Terrible Orchestre de Belleville.

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.

AT

TOUR

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AT A TIME

AT A TIME

Join us at the only food and wine festival that’s authentically L.A.

AUGUST 29-31 Labor Day weekend | Paramount Pictures Studios

Tickets are sold exclusively at

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July 28, 2014

Downtown News 25

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Aug. 1, 8 p.m.: A month of films about rock and or roll begins with The Buddy Holly Story.

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

Through July 31: Hercules (1:20, 4, 6:50 and 9:40 p.m.); Hercules 3D (11:30 a.m., 12:10, 2, 2:40, 4:40, 5:30, 7:30, 8:10 and 11 p.m.); Lucy (11:40 a.m., 12:20, 2:10, 2:50, 4:30, 5:20, 7:10 and 9:50 p.m.); The Fluffy Movie (11:50 a.m., 2:20, 4:50, 7:20 and 9:30 p.m.); Planes: Fire & Rescue (11:20 a.m., 1:30, 3:50, 6:20 and 9 p.m.); Sex Tape (12:40, 3, 5:40, 8:20 and 11:10 p.m.); The Purge: Anarchy (12, 1:40, 2:30, 4:10, 5:10, 6:40, 8, 9:20 and 10:40 p.m.); Dawn of the Planet of the Apes 3D (1:10, 4:20, 7:40 and 10:50 p.m.); Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (12:30, 3:40, 7 and 10:10 p.m.); Transformers: Age of Extinction (1:50, 5:50 and 10 p.m.); 22 Jump Street (12:50, 3:30, 6:30 and 9:10 p.m.).

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

Aug. 2, 5:30 p.m.: The thing we love about Matthew McConaughey in Dazed and Confused is that we keep getting older and he stays the same age. Alright alright.

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

July 29-Aug. 1, 10:30 a.m. and Aug. 2-3, 2:30 p.m.: Whimsy knows no bounds as Bob Baker’s 54th season continues with a journey through a monkey circus, a vast winter landscape and Paris.

Buyer & Cellar Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or centertheatregroup.org.

July 29-Aug. 1, 8 p.m., Aug. 2, 2:30 and 8 p.m. and Aug. 3, 1 and 6:30 p.m.: Michael Urie of “Ugly Betty” appears in a one-man show about a struggling who finds himself employed in the private mall beneath Barbra Streisand’s house in Malibu. Yes, the mall really exists, even if the actor doesn’t. Through August 17.

New Original Works Festival REDCAT, 631 W. 2nd ST., (213) 237-2800 or redcat.org.

July 31-Aug. 2, 8:30 p.m.: Week three of the yearly art festival features work from Carole Kim, Marsian De Lellis and D. Sabela Grimes.

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

July 29, 9 p.m.: Every Tuesday this irreverent stand-up comedy cavalcade takes up residence at the Downtown Independent.

We Will Rock You Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or centertheatregroup.org.

July 29-Aug. 1, 8 p.m., Aug 2, 2 and 8 p.m. and Aug. 3, 1 and 6:30 p.m.: Ben Elton Continued on next page

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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

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26 Downtown News

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

Continued from previous page directs a musical set to the immortal music of rock band Queen.

The show has 24 songs, including “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Another One Bites the Dust.” Through Aug. 24.

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

July 30, 12 p.m.: Generously, the cast and crew of We Will Rock You is trotting out to Grand Performances for a free lunchtime concert featuring the work of Queen, of course.

Sunday, August 3 Magic, Fantasy & Adventure Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 8502000 or calphil.com.

2 p.m.: Pieces of film scoring from such whimsical cinema classics as Disney’s own Sorceror’s Apprentice, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid and the odd-man-out “Firebird Suite” from Stravinsky.

CLASSICAL MUSIC

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

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

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

Museum of Contemporary Art, Geffen Contemporary 152 N. Central Ave., (213) 621-1741 or moca.org.

Through July 28: Collage and textile artist Mike Kelley is the subject of this definitive exhibit two years after his passing.

Museum of Contemporary Art, Grand Avenue

LAST WEEKS ANSWERS

CROSSWORD

MUSEUMS

250 S. Grand Ave., (213) 621-2766 or moca.org.

Through August 11: Artist Francesco Vezzoli’s multi-media critique and exploration of the lens and modern celebrity comes into full focus with Cinema Vezzoli.

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

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

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

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

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

Ongoing: The spectacular Humboldt fin whale specimen, “Finwhale Passage,” features the 63-foot-long specimen, which weighs more than 7,000 pounds and has been re-articulated to create a more realistic impression of the living animal. An intriguing sound installation and interactive visitor components will accompany the display, which is one of the best and most complete large-whale articulations in the world.

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

July 28, 2014 For a true behind-the-scenes experience, come witness the exciting dinosaur preparation process in the Level 2 Dino Lab. Sneak a peek at real fossils and see the NHM staff working on the day-today details. Everything you see in the lab is real.

Through September 2: The museum’s lauded Butterfly Pavilion opens again for the summer.

Wells Fargo History Museum 333 S. Grand Ave., (213) 253-7166 or wellsfargohistory.com.

Ongoing: Take in an Old West exhibit including a faux 19thcentury Wells Fargo office, a real-life Concord stagecoach that once traversed windy southern Kentucky roads and a gold nugget weighing in at a shocking two pounds.

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

2 YOUR EVENT INFO

EASY WAYS TO SUBMIT

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

Email: Send a brief description, street address and public phone number. Submissions must be received 10 days prior to publication date to be considered for print.

July 28, 2014

DT

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SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, NO. BC520593 Plaintiff: Forum Entertainment Group, Inc., a California Corporation 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.

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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

fictitioUs BUsiness name 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

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name chanGe 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

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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

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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).

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further warning from the court.

There are other legal requirements. You may want 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

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28 Downtown News

July 28, 2014

South Park’s Disappearing Sidewalks Amid a Development Boom, Sidewalk Closures Spell Problems for Pedestrians

By Eddie Kim pening and running a restaurant is no easy feat, but it’s even more difficult when sidewalk access to the storefront is severely slashed.

That’s the conundrum that Stocking Frame owner Jerry Aschoff found himself in as soon as the South Park eatery near Ninth and Hill streets opened its doors last June. Construction of a 284-apartment residential complex from The Hanover Company shut down pedestrian access to the restaurant from the south.

“We haven’t had a sidewalk and we haven’t had street parking. From personal experience, I have to walk around several blocks sometimes to get from point to point,” Aschoff said. “The reality is that we’re not doing the business we could, and the debris and dust is a challenge too.”

The problem will likely become a growing one as South Park sees more sidewalk closures as a result of the more than 20 development projects that have started or are on the cusp of breaking ground. Major portions of Olive and Hill streets, from Eighth Street to Olympic Boulevard, are already closed down. Grand Avenue would see significant sidewalk closures between Olympic and Pico boulevards, and Olympic would be impacted between Grand Avenue and Hill Street.

The issue has caught the attention of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council, an advisory board who helps steer development, resident and business issues in the Central City. The organization is trying to convince

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the city to more seriously investigate the impacts of multiple sidewalk closures.

“Our planning and land use committee did research and basically, people are being told that it’s not something to worry about. They need to worry about it,” said DLANC President Patti Berman. “Maybe it’s okay in the Valley to shut off a few sidewalks for a few years, but the impact is not okay in Downtown.”

Bits and Pieces All developers and contractors have to address sidewalk closures as part of the project approval process, and multiple city agencies are involved in the overall picture. The key players are the city Department of Planning, Bureau of Street Services, Bureau of Engineering and the Department of Transportation.

The impact of a sidewalk closure is included in the environmental review process with city planning, while contractors must apply for a sidewalk closure permit with Street Services. Public improvements, such as rebuilding the sidewalk itself, go through Engineering. The traffic and pedestrian flow impacts are studied by DOT. While this makes sense on a project-byproject basis, the cumulative effects of multiple sidewalk closures are not carefully reviewed by a cohesive entity, according to several city officials. Such closures are normally viewed as inconveniences rather than public safety problems.

“If we were to take sidewalk closures into consideration as a significant factor in environmental review, the whole process would simply

take too long. We would be seeing major delays and [California Environmental Quality Act] lawsuits,” said Senior City Planner Craig Weber.

Even if closures were reviewed more carefully, there is “generally no” alternative to closing a sidewalk, according to the city Department of Public Works. Developers often build all the way out to the lot line, Weber noted, which leaves no space to carve out an improvised walkway. If a traffic lane is closed to create a walkway, vehicular congestion can become a major problem.

The notion that there is no alternative is disputed by DLANC’s Simon Ha, chairman of the planning and land use committee and managing partner of Tate Snyder Kimsey Architects.

DLANC has looked at how other cities like Chicago, Boston and Washington, D.C., regulate sidewalk closures, and Ha said that developers can be pushed to create four feet or so of space to leave a walkway, even if only for a portion of the construction timeline. The problem is that contractors are not required to do so, Ha added.

Beyond inconvenience, the closures can create public safety problems when people begin jaywalking or walk along a construction fence instead of crossing a block.

“In order for somebody to walk up and down a street, they’re playing Frogger, essentially,” Ha said. ”If you’re elderly or disabled, it’s even more difficult, especially considering the condition of sidewalks in certain areas.”

The city has already had to deal with a safety

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hazard at Eighth and Hope streets, the site of a high-rise construction. The Los Angeles Police Department originally began ticketing numerous jaywalkers to deter hazardous behavior, but that didn’t curb the problem. The issue was only resolved when the contractor and the city cut a traffic lane for half a block and created a protected path, Ha said.

“As we become a more pedestrian-oriented city, these policies need to be reviewed and with pedestrians and cyclists as a focus, not just impacts to traffic flow,” he added.

Jessica Lall, head of the South Park Business Improvement District, agrees that the issue of sidewalk closures is a significant one, and noted that the BID is investigating how to incentivize developers to leave walkways.

“A carrot, not the stick, approach is better,” she said. “It’s in everyone’s best interest to get these projects done as soon as possible. We don’t want to add costs to developers, but we want to find a compromise.”

The developers working in the district, Lall said, are cognizant of the impacts of closing sidewalks and she expects cooperation as more projects move forward.

As for the Stocking Frame’s Aschoff, he harbors no bitterness about the closure and says he supports the development boom.

“We have a good relationship with the Hanover guys next door. They’re doing the best they can,” Aschoff said. “They paid for the closure and there’s nothing we can do.”

So he’ll wait, like many other travelers and business owners in Downtown, until an alternative becomes clearer to all parties involved.

DLANC plans to submit a formal letter to City Council about the matter in mid-August. eddie@downtownnews.com

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