09-08-14

An Old Building’s New Life | 16 A $270 Million Streetcar | 17

SEPTEMBER 8, 2014 I VOL. 43 I #36

THEY CAME, THEY SAW, THEY DIDN’T TRASH THE PLACE Grand Park and Downtown Shine During the Made In America Festival SEE PAGE 18

John Sedlar in the kitchen of his South Park restaurant Rivera.

INSIDE THIS WEEK

HOLIDAY PARTIES

Tips From the Planning Experts And 55 Great Party Locations PAGES 7-15

photo by Gary Leonard

& CATERING

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AROUND TOWN

City Hall East Named for Former Mayor Hahn

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eople frequently come Downtown for county business in the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration. Now, they’ll have to make sure they’re going to the right Hahn building. That’s because on Thursday, Sept. 4, City Hall East was renamed for Hahn’s son, James K. Hahn, who served as mayor of Los Angeles from 2001-2005. Hahn’s mayoral tenure is best remembered for his leadership in defeating a secession effort in the San Fernando Valley and for his firing Police Chief Bernard Parks and bringing in William Bratton. “The Los Angeles of today stands on the shoulders of Mayor Hahn’s work to improve public safety and keep our city whole,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “Instead of self interest, he put our city’s best interests first. He is a public servant in the truest sense.” Hahn, who also served one term as City Controller and four terms as City Attorney, began his career in City Hall East in 1975 as a Deputy City Attorney.

Arts District Dog Park Officially Reopens

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n the spring, the Arts District Dog Park was closed to all except those willing to pay to use it. Over the weekend, the facility at Fourth and Molino streets officially reopened, thanks to community stakeholders who ponied up

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS funds to cover its costs. On Saturday, Sept. 6, a celebration took place at the park; it included the presentation of a mural of dog profiles. It marked a big turnaround for the 6,000-squarefoot amenity. Although the park had been accessible to everyone since opening in 2010, in March the Los Angeles River Artists and Business Association, which oversees the facility, began charging dog owners to access it. Usage plummeted, but LARABA officials said the move was necessary considering that it costs about $4,000 a year to pay the park’s property taxes, electricity, water and maintenance fees.

In response to the closure, a coalition of business leaders and residents donated more than $10,000. The park is free and open every day from 5 a.m.-11 p.m.

September 8, 2014

TAKE MY PICTURE GARY LEONARD

Drink Downtown Booze, Help the World

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owntown beer and wine drinkers this week both have the opportunity to indulge for a good cause. On Tuesday, Sept. 9, the eighth annual Rhone Rangers wine tasting takes place at Vibiana (214 S. Main St.).

Dedicated fans and newbies alike can learn about Rhone wines and sample more than 200 varietals from 50 producers. Tickets to the 7-9 p.m. event are $50 online (rhonerangers.org) or $60 at the door. VIP tickets ($75) grant admission an hour earlier. Meanwhile, those who want to fight poverty and homelessness over a beer have Pints With Purpose at Angel City Brewery (216 S. Alameda St.). The Wednesday, Sept. 10, happening will raise awareness and money for Skid Row’s Downtown Women’s Center and Lamp Community. Tickets are $10

Honoring James Hahn

City Hall East

September 4, 2014

online ($15 at the door) and include a pint of Angel City’s craft brews. Tickets and additional information for the 5:30-8:30 p.m. event are at angelcitybrewery.com.

Sportswriting Panel At Traxx

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ike sports? Like journalism? Like Traxx restaurant in Union Station? If it’s “yes” to all three, then consider heading to a sportswriting panel this week. The event dubbed Balls, Hoops and Touchdowns starts at 8 p.m. at the

restaurant inside the station at 800 N. Alameda St. Journalist David Davis will moderate the discussion with panelists Jeff Perlman, a Sports Illustrated writer and author of the Lakers book Showtime; Andy McCue, author of Mover and Shaker: Walter O’Malley, the Dodgers, & Baseball’s Westward Expansion; John Schulian, editor of Football: Great Writing About the National Sport; and Michael X. Ferraro, author of Numbelievable: The Dramatic Stories Behind The Most Memorable Numbers in Sports History and a former sports columnist for Los Angeles Downtown News. Additional information is at writlargepress.com.

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EDITORIALS

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September 8, 2014

Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis

A Concert Spotlight On Downtown

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n the weekend before Labor Day, about 35,000 music fans a day swarmed Downtown. In Grand Park and on surrounding streets, they listened and danced to dozens of bands and DJs. They drank beer and, according to observers, smoked a lot of marijuana. They stayed until 11 p.m.

Though plenty of worries circulated before the event, the area was not paralyzed by gridlock and nearby residents were able to drive into and out of their buildings. The crowd was generally well behaved and the 12-acre park didn’t get trashed.

Sure, things were loud and for a few days on either side of the concert driving in the Civic Center was a pain, but all in all the weekend looks to have been a success.

Were there hiccups with the inaugural Budweiser Made in America Festival? Absolutely, but they don’t seem any more insurmountable than those encountered at most first-year music festivals. And while we’re still waiting for a breakdown on how much the concert cost the city and what specifically will be reimbursed (e.g. the 250-plus LAPD officers who were patrolling the streets around the concert site as well as the replanting of some damaged vegetation), at this point it seems that the show was good for Los Angeles and good for showing off Downtown.

We’re pleasantly surprised with how things turned out given how quickly it all came together. Made in America was announced in April, and Mayor Eric Garcetti made streamlining the event a priority. He took a bit of risk in trying to show the world that a gathering of this size could succeed on a speedy timeline in Los Angeles, a city notorious for governmental and permitting delays. Chalk this up as a win for the mayor.

Whether or not you like MIA acts such as Kanye West, John Mayer and Imagine Dragons, it’s hard to beat the image of tens of thousands of people enjoying a concert on a large stage set up in front of City Hall. Additionally, attendees were exposed to Grand Park, and it seems as if many of them also stopped by area bars and restaurants.

To be sure, some things could be done better, and must be for future park mega-concerts.

If the festival returns, we hope organizers figure out how to open the Civic Center/Grand Park Metro station. While we understand concerns about crowds filling the platforms, we think appropriate management of the station is better than making people take trains to stations a half-mile away and hoof it (a counter-argument is that the walking leads to more patrons for area businesses).

We also think pre-show outreach and communication can be much better. Before the weekend many Downtowners were worried about traffic and noise, and there was a paucity of information available, including on the MIA website. Next time a more proactive approach is required.

The good news is that organizers proved they deserve a next time. The MIA festival had far more positives than negatives. We’re glad they pulled together this example of showing off Downtown.

Be Aggressive in Prosecuting Skid Row Dumping

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ate last month, City Attorney Mike Feuer called a press conference to announce the latest settlement with an area hospital over allegations that the institution had “dumped” a discharged homeless patient in Skid Row. Feuer’s actions were well planned: It was the third dumping incident his office had prosecuted this year, and he wanted to inform the media about the investigation and legal resolution.

Every press conference has a similar spread-the-news intent, but there was another component to Feuer’s plan: a public shaming.

The idea wasn’t just to generate headlines, but to warn any hospital that ships homeless patients to Skid Row without an adequate plan for care that the institution will get caught, and will then both have to write a big check and deal with a barrage of negative publicity.

Feuer’s plan worked perfectly. In what is usually a slow news period (the Wednesday before the long Labor Day weekend), a large contingent of TV cameras and print, web and radio reporters (including from Los Angeles Downtown News) arrived at his City Hall East office to hear what he had to say. They then filed stories about Glendale Adventist Medical Center agreeing to pay $700,000 to settle the case, which stemmed from an incident in June when a discharged patient was allegedly transported to Skid Row. Though the generally well-respected hospital admitted no wrongdoing, it agreed to pay a $500,000 fine, reimburse the city attorney’s office $100,000 for its investigation and donate $100,000 to the homeless services provider L.A. Family Housing.

While the fine is serious, the public humiliation and the future impact are probably more damaging. Hospital officials know that any future Google search for “Glendale Adventist Medical Center” will bring up the alleged dumping.

This is a harsh reality for the hospital, but we strongly support the punitive tactics Feuer employed, as well as his related proactive moves to eliminate dumping. We urge him to take it further, to continue his methods and bring out the media every time there is news on a dumping investigation. Hopefully a combination of public shame, financial hits and the adoption of clear discharge protocols will lead to the eradication of the practice.

Dumping makes a travesty of patient care. It has been this way since 2005, when the issue exploded after Andy Smith, who at the time was the captain of the LAPD’s Central Division, blew the whistle on two Sheriff’s Deputies who picked up a homeless man in

Lakewood, 20 miles away, and took him out of a squad car in Skid Row. It turned out the man had not committed a crime and didn’t ask to be taken Downtown. Smith’s action exposed what was long rumored but never before proved, that hospitals and other entities brought people there willy-nilly, never mind that Skid Row wasn’t their neighborhood and that they had nowhere to stay.

The years after Smith’s encounter led to many sickening dumping incidents, among them a 2007 case in which a paraplegic man in a dirty hospital gown with a broken colostomy bag was taken out of a hospital van and left on a Skid Row street. Today, incidents are probably less egregious, and we can’t fathom a hospital CEO allowing a policy of sending a homeless patient to Skid Row and leaving him or her on the street without arranging for follow-up care.

The problem is that it’s not necessarily the CEO making the decision, at least not directly. Instead a lower-level employee, whether on the medical or administrative side, may face unexpected challenges when discharging a homeless patient who is mentally ill or who suffers from addiction issues.

That is why Feuer’s work in creating a hospital discharge protocol is a key complement to his dumping prosecutions. Members of the city attorney’s staff have consulted with the Hospital Association of Southern California and have met with representatives of dozens of area hospitals to urge them to adopt standards that will prevent a patient from being taken to Skid Row, against his or her will, without arranging for care. During his press conference Feuer said Glendale Adventist had not been employing his discharge protocol, but that as part of the settlement a new policy will be adopted.

Obviously it is preferable to do all this work on the front end and avoid the need to prosecute a hospital for dumping. However, Feuer said that anecdotal evidence suggests that the practice continues. That is why he introduced, and we also support, the establishment of a dumping tip line. Anyone who sees a suspected incident can call (213) 978-8340.

We look forward to the day when dumping is eliminated. An unfortunate reality is that we probably won’t get there until other institutions are caught and suffer a similar public shaming and ever larger fines. Dumping has to stop. We hope Feuer doesn’t let up on his aggressive approach.

September 8, 2014

Downtown News 5

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

The True Mark of Downtown’s Success Will Be How We Respond to Homelessness Community Approach and a Homelessness ‘Czar’ Are Crucial Tools to Addressing the Area’s Most Important Issue

By Councilmember José Huizar wo years ago, the redistricting of council districts placed most of Downtown in Council District 14, which I proudly represent on the Los Angeles City Council. With all of the excitement and energy of a “booming” Downtown, my staff and I set out to create a strategic plan to ensure Downtown lived up to its incredible potential.

We spoke with Downtown stakeholders from all walks of life. In those conversations, we

T

GUEST OPINION found one issue to be at the forefront of everyone’s mind: homelessness.

There are roughly 3,500 homeless individuals living within the 50-block section of Downtown known as Skid Row (this includes people in missions, permanent supportive housing complexes, single room occupancy hotels and sleeping on the streets). Their needs and their impact on Downtown are growing every day.

In my opinion, one shared by many of my constituents, there is no greater challenge facing Downtown L.A. It is a pressing humanitarian, as well as a health and public safety issue.

Frankly, the City’s approach to homelessness has failed. In recent years our most constant course of action has consisted of reactionary litigation. We all know that we can no longer litigate our way out of this mess. We need to address the issue honestly and move forward with a service-first approach in Skid Row while

we also work to offer services and permanent supportive housing in communities throughout the county.

But how does the City take on a mental health crisis, as LAPD Officer Deon Joseph has often asked, without the authority to oversee such services or the resources to do more? How do you fully address homelessness in Downtown when the area has served as Southern California’s dumping ground for homeless inJosé Huizar dividuals for decades?

Historically, City and County efforts have been disjointed. This is primarily because the City and County have different responsibilities, with the City largely responsible for public safety, streets and sidewalks, while the County runs the public health, direct housing and service programs.

This year, the City committed to an expanded $3.7 million budget for Operation Healthy Streets. I sought to use this intensive street cleaning as a catalyst for work that can begin to “take it to the streets” in terms of approaching individuals where they live with a multitude of services.

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With the support of County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, my office put together a plan with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, a City/County joint agency, to do something seemingly simple, yet new for Skid Row: For more than two weeks around the OHS cleanings, County medical and mental health experts, addiction counselors, housing providers and others combed the streets offering a multitude of services.

One service provider told me this was the first such City/County homeless collaboration she has seen in 30 years. While I’m proud to have begun this new approach, it was a shock to hear.

This disconnect also speaks to the issue of limited resources: As a joint agency, we share LAHSA with 87 other cities and many unincorporated areas of L.A. County.

That is why I have called on the City to establish a homelessness “Czar.” We need a point person to not only oversee City efforts on homelessness, but also to coordinate with LAHSA and the County. It’s not about creating bureaucracy, but about creating accountability and clear policy direction.

Equally important, the position should be created by an ordinance so that, regardless of who holds political office, there is a commitment to ongoing homeless care and service.

While the City Homeless Czar should focus on coordinated service delivery, the individual can also set policy within the City and coordinate with the County. For example, I’ve asked the Housing Department to report on

how we can use the Coordinated Entry System, a method first piloted in Downtown, to place the most vulnerable individuals in supportive housing (where they receive on-site services in addition to an apartment). The czar should help manage the implementation of this policy and others.

Furthermore, in Downtown, a dedicated group of residents and stakeholders have released a comprehensive report with proposed solutions (it’s at planforhope.org). It bears serious discussion. On Sept. 29, my office will host a community forum to discuss the general issue of homelessness in Downtown and the findings in this report.

While homelessness is a countywide problem, in Downtown Los Angeles it is an epidemic and a travesty. The homeless community deserves better. Let’s end the “containment” policy of years past where Skid Row was simply an area to say “out sight, out of mind.”

The entire Downtown community knows that Skid Row is at its saturation point. It is overburdened and overflowing with the kind of human indignity, pathos and nightmarish reality that should not exist on any street in any city in the world, least of all in Los Angeles, the city of dreams. It will take all of us to stand up as a community and say enough is enough.

José Huizar represents Council District 14, which includes most of Downtown, on the Los Angeles City Council.

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September 8, 2014

A Lottery of Foolishness

Local leaders have struggled with how to increase turnout on election day. In the May 2013 mayoral runoff between Eric Garcetti and Wendy Greuel, only 23% of the eligible voters hit the polls.

Why Cash Payouts for Voting Are a Terrible Idea

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to cast ballots.

The situation isn’t new, and civic leaders and political observers have long been proffering ideas to increase turnout. In fact, two options, which one might call steak and lobster, have been presented this year.

In April, the Los Angeles 2020 Commission released “A Time for Action.” The 17-page report offered a prescription for a number of civic and economic woes. A top recommendation was to have municipal voting coincide with state and federal elections. Getting people to vote for mayor and council when they pick presidents and Congressional representatives, went the argument, would bring a larger and more diverse group to the polls, resulting in a more engaged populace.

Although the 2020 Commission included heavy hitters such as new Los Angeles Times Publisher Austin Beutner and former Gov. Gray Davis, the City Council treated “A Time for Action” like it was political ebola. When commis-

sion members talked up the voting idea before the full council in May, they were pretty much dismissed.

The lobster idea came June 6, when the Los Angeles Municipal Elections Reform Commission, a panel created by the City Council, released its long-awaited report for boosting voter turnout. The top suggestion was moving local elections to June and November of evennumbered years. There was a fleet of additional recommendations, from enhancing voter education efforts to allowing voting in places like shopping malls and supermarkets.

Something could still happen in City Hall regarding the report, but to date it has been mostly greeted by silence.

Calling Kim and Paris Could giving people a chance to make money by voting actually boost turnout? It’s possible, but it seems like maybe the 167th best option out there, and something to push only Continued on page 28

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them the most beautiful steak ever. It was a magic steak, one that if consumed would make them function better.

The group picked up the steak, gave it a cursory sniff, then stuck their noses in the air and dropped it to the ground with a thud.

Next the waiter offered a lobster. This was the king of lobsters, one that if consumed would make any diner smarter and happier.

The group looked at the lobster, then put it out of view on a shelf. The perfectly good lobster sat untouched. Forever.

Moments later, one member of the group complained about being hungry. That’s when the leader of the Kitty Bouncil cheerily exclaimed, “I have a great idea! Let’s eat rocks!

They’re delicious and good for you!”

At which the rest of the group said, “You’re the king! Let’s all eat rocks!”

And despite how bad the rocks tasted, and how poorly they went down, the group kept eating rocks.

Then all the group members patted each other on the back, grew old and collected huge

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pensions. The End! That could never happen, right? Well, if you twist the players, and turn the dining options into plans to increase voter turnout in Los Angeles, then it is precisely what occurred.

Better Than Smurfs In case you missed it, on Aug. 14 the City Ethics Commission announced that it would study a plan to boost election turnout by considering a voting lottery. City Council President Herb Wesson took the political lead, and the next week talked up the idea during an interview with Dave Bryan of KCAL 9/KCBS 2.

The concept, which thank heavens is only in the early stage, boils down to giving people a chance to win money just for going to the polls. Those who vote would be entered in a lottery, and maybe the prize would be $1,000 or maybe it would be $50,000 (the details need to be worked out). Maybe new voters would know and care about the matters on the ballot or maybe their sole goal would be to hit the jackpot. Maybe someone will cash out and run around the polling location screaming, “I won! I won! I won! I won!” like the girl at the beginning of Little Miss Sunshine.

Supporters say a voting lottery could reverse Los Angeles’ dispiriting civic descent. Turnout for last year’s mayoral runoff between Eric Garcetti and Wendy Greuel was 23%, which is just 1% higher than The Smurfs’ fresh factor on rottentomaotoes.com. It is not uncommon in City Council races for about 10% of eligible voters

S CE

By Jon Regardie ere’s a special fairy tale story about what’s going on in City Hall these days: Once upon a time, a group of friends from something called the Kitty Bethics Lomission went out to dinner with some members of the Kitty Bouncil. A waiter came by and offered

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September 8, 2014

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Downtown News 7

Holiday Parties & Catering

INSIDE: ~ Five Downtown Party Planning Experts Offer Advice on

How to Deliver a Memorable Holiday Event, and How to Save Money

~ Downtown Wrote the Book on Partying, and Here Are 55 Places That Prove It

8 Downtown News

HOLIDAY PARTIES & CATERING

September 8, 2014

From Loading Dock to Party Spot Fifty Seven Gears Up for Its First Year of Holiday Events

By Jacqueline Fox he open kitchen at Fifty Seven, located in the loading dock of the Arts District’s former Heinz 57 factory, offers a frontrow seat to the action. The menu, featuring seasonal rustic concepts, changes daily. The stillnew restaurant, known in part for a practice of changing its head chef every few months, also has a downstairs room with live music.

The feel-good factor is going to be the driving force in this year’s holiday celebrations, says general manager Leah Bunch, as guests are looking for high-quality, back-to-the-table experiences over lavishly presented events. Bunch says Fifty Seven can coordinate a variety of holiday parties, whether that’s a small cocktails and hors d’oeuvres gathering, or an all-night, all-access buyout for hundreds of people.

T

Q: What kind of trends or themes are you expecting this year when it comes to holiday parties?

A: I would say the trend across the board this year is more about intimate dining experiences. The idea of getting back to the table is very popular and I think that’s partly due to the cautionary approach to spending going on, despite the economic recovery. But I also think people aren’t just looking for a party anymore. I’d say they are looking for quality and value.

Q: How soon should people start planning a holiday party? Is this actually the right time to be thinking of November and December?

A: It’s absolutely not too early to start planning

now. Venues book up fast.

Q: The economy has recovered from the depths of the recession. Are businesses spending like they did before things went south?

A: Considering we’ve only been open for a few months, it’s hard to tell. I think businesses are being more careful, even if there is a recovery. So, Fifty Seven is willing to work with any budget. We know that some of our customers will be willing to spend the money to buy out a venue, while others are looking to just do something smaller for 20 people.

Q: Should there be entertainment offered at the party, such as music or a show?

A: Music is a great addition. It always makes the event more memorable. We offer live music downstairs, so I think it’s a great asset.

Q: What are your recommendations for making a work event more fun?

A: I would say the best plan is to keep it simple.

Also I would say that it’s important to be willing to let your event professionals help you so you can be a part of the party and enjoy it too.

Q: What size crowds do you handle?

A: We can handle up to 300 for a full buyout, but again, we’ll customize events for much smaller groups.

Q: What food items or specialties do you offer for a holiday party menu?

photo by Gary Leonard

Fifty Seven general manager Leah Bunch says the Arts District restaurant, which occupies the loading dock of a former Heinz 57 factory, can hold 20-300 people for holiday parties. The restaurant also has a downstairs space for live music.

A: Because our menu changes daily, we usually just tell the guest that it will be determined.

But we would work with the group and try to customize a menu that aligns with their needs and desires.

Q: How do you accommodate vegetarians?

A: We always try to find hearty vegetable dishes that stand alone, so we can fully accommodate vegetarians.

Q: If it’s an office party, should booze be allowed?

A: Absolutely! Along with Uber vouchers.

Q: What is the biggest mistake people make when planning a holiday party?

A: Overdoing it. I think the best events are the ones that are kept simple and easy.

Fifty Seven is at 712 South Santa Fe Ave., (213) 816-8157 or fiftysevenla.com.

September 8, 2014

HOLIDAY PARTIES & CATERING

Downtown News 9

Pub Love Beelman’s Offers a Fun Atmosphere and Inventive Cocktails

By Jacqueline Fox ose the tie and embrace the white elephant. Those directives are expected to drive many upcoming holiday office celebrations, according to Jonny Valenti, co-owner of Beelman’s Pub, which opened in the spring in the Historic Core.

Beelman’s is gearing up for its inaugural holiday season with a contemporary pub grub menu and a list of inventive craft cocktails. Valenti expects community, quality and comforting food to be the guiding trends this year.

L

Q: What kind of trends or themes are you expecting this year when it comes to holiday parties?

A: I anticipate that events will be more casual and approachable and humble this year. We have a lot of non-themed holiday events that still embrace the seasonal celebrations. We think more and more it’s about not being too over the top with theme, but allowing guests to loosen their ties, relax and have fun.

Q: How soon should people start planning a holiday party?

A: Now, especially with our place, which isn’t particularly big. We started getting calls in early summer for holiday events.

Q: The economy has recovered from the depths of the recession. Are businesses spending like they did before things went south?

A: I think it’s changed significantly. There is an incredible amount of new business opening Down-

town and it’s great because it reflects recovery.

Q: How much should a company expect to spend for an office holiday party at Beelman’s Pub? A: We offer a wide range of options. We generally don’t charge a house fee. You can come in with your group and if we have the space available we’ll make space for you. That said, we also can put together pre-set packages ranging from $25-$35 per person for food and different drink options.

Q: Should there be entertainment offered at the party, such as music or a show?

A: I don’t think it’s essential. We don’t do live entertainment currently. But we have a great jukebox and video capability, so if the client wants to play something specific we can certainly take care of that. We’ll work with the client and if they want to bring someone in, we’ll do whatever we can to make them happy.

Q: What are your recommendations for making a work event more fun?

A: I think the classic gift exchanges are always a lot of fun. Interactive things like that really get workers to share with their colleagues and these things go a long way.

Q: What size crowds do you handle?

A: Our capacity is about 135. We aren’t the largest venue, but not everyone wants a cavernous club or huge space.

photo by Gary Leonard

Expect the holiday party vibe at Beelman’s Pub on Spring Street to be relaxed. Co-owner Jonny Valenti suggests having music and gift exchanges.

Q: What food items or specialties do you offer for a holiday party menu?

A: We are adding a few items to the menu and will probably also be offering some holiday classics such as roasted turkey and ham. If a client comes to us and says they really want apple pie, for example, then we can work with them.

Q: How do you accommodate vegetarians?

A: Without a doubt we are sensitive to the fact that there are a lot of vegans and vegetarians out there. We’ll do our best to offer something that’s palatable and high quality for them.

Q: If it’s an office party, should booze be allowed?

A: I think it’s certainly a determination made by whoever is in charge. As long as people handle

themselves professionally I don’t think it’s a problem. It’s a tough one: You want people to have a good time, but it is a slippery slope in that you don’t want anyone to be out of control.

Q: What is the biggest mistake people make when planning a holiday party?

A: I would say waiting too late to book a venue and underestimating the amount of food they will need. People are hungry, cranky and tired at dinnertime and it’s important to have enough food. Also, it’s important to make sure the music feels right. It doesn’t have to be a non-stop loop of holiday music. It should be relaxed and comfortable for the group.

Beelman’s Pub is at 600 S. Spring St., (213) 6221022 or beelmanspub.com.

10 Downtown News

September 8, 2014

HOLIDAY PARTIES & CATERING

Keeping It Simple City Tavern Can Take Care of Everything for Holiday Parties, Even at Lunch

By Jacqueline Fox any holiday events this year will involve cocktails, dinners, live entertainment and lots of evening reverie. But Brian McKeaney, co-owner of City Tavern at FIGat7th, suggests broadening that thinking. His outlook for party planners boils down to three words: Let’s do lunch.

City Tavern, which opened in the shopping mall at Seventh and Figueroa streets in February, can cover all the bases, offering up oldschool tavern cheer alongside contemporary comfort foods and a lineup of craft beers, wines and specialty drinks. This year, says McKeaney, it’s all about simplicity, accessibility and hearty meals.

M

Q: What kind of trends or themes are you expecting this year when it comes to holiday parties?

A: We are seeing a lot of requests for dinner and evening events, but also the return of the lunch party, which we’re excited about. TVinspired themes are also big, and I guarantee we’ll see a “Mad Men” party.

Q: How soon should people start planning a holiday party?

A: Yesterday. If you’re really interested, book now, because the date you want may not be there later on.

Q: The economy has recovered from the depths of the recession. Are businesses spending like they

did before things went south?

A: Oh yes. We see check averages going up across the board. We weren’t sure about it at the beginning of the year, but we see it now and we think it’s going to continue right into the holidays and beyond.

Q: How much should a company expect to spend for an office holiday party at City Tavern?

A: It varies because we can do so many different packages. But for food only we can offer a party package that starts at $15 per person. Alcohol and beverages would be additional.

Q: Should there be entertainment offered at the party, such as music or a show?

A: Most people that come like the music we have playing, so it’s not critical to hire live entertainment. Others may want to bring in a band or singer or a DJ. Sometimes we will work with the client in securing a band, so we are very open to any and all of it.

Q: What are your recommendations for making a work event more fun?

A: A loop of video or something like that is always fun. We specialize in craft beer and our relationships with that community, so we like to tailor parties around very specific beers. We can do a “Game of Thrones” party, for example. We work with a beer company that produces the beer on the show from Brewery Ommegang in New York called Fire and Blood Red Ale.

The Holidays

photo by Gary Leonard

Brian McKeaney, co-owner of City Tavern at the FIGat7th mall, is gearing up for his first holiday party season in Downtown. He expects someone will have a party with a “Mad Men” theme.

Q: What size crowds do you handle?

A: We can handle parties of up to about 250 people.

Q: What food items or specialties do you offer for a holiday party menu?

A: We just brought in a new chef who specializes in parties and events and a marketfresh approach. He’s going to work with the dishes we have in place but we like to center parties around finger foods, like our veal and pork meatballs, the farmhouse cheese board and the deviled eggs. If we do offer special items at the holidays, it will be about hearty comfort foods that go with our existing menu.

Q: How do you accommodate vegetarians?

A: We are actually putting together a new list of vegetarian items now. It’s important to cater to vegetarians.

Q: If it’s an office party, should booze be allowed?

A: It’s not a party without it. We can do an open bar. We can do a well or premium package, or we can also just do a beer- and wine-only package. We are open to tabs, drink tickets, etc., whatever the client wants. We also do craft cocktails, so we can do something unique with an infused cocktail for the evening and let the event center around that drink.

City Tavern is at 735 S. Figueroa St., (213) 2395654 or citytaverndtla.com.

Yes the holidays are coming, so book your holiday event now!

Book your event before September 30, 2014 and receive a $15 Cucina Rustica gift card for every $100 spent.

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September 8, 2014

Downtown News 11

HOLIDAY PARTIES & CATERING

A Party With Comfort At Cucina Rustica, a Successful Event Starts With Hearty and Heartwarming Food

By Jacqueline Fox hen it comes to pleasing a crowd, few food options work better than spaghetti Bolognese or a cheesy baked ziti. There’s a reason these dishes wind up on so many plates during holiday parties.

These and other hearty and heartwarming meals will be served to the celebrating crowds at Cucina Rustica in the coming months. Michel LeChasseur, general manager of the Financial District restaurant, said this fits with the relaxed vibe that he expects to dominate corporate celebrations this year.

W

Q: What size crowds do you handle?

A: We can handle groups of up to 204.

Q: What food items or specialties do you offer for a holiday party menu?

A: We don’t have a specific lineup of holiday menu items. We will customize the menu for a business. We’ll do the food, decorations, flowers, everything the client wants. We can also coordinate these things and the entire venue to tie into a company’s logo or personality.

Q: What kind of trends or themes are you expecting this year when it comes to holiday parties?

A: The trend this year is definitely very relaxed with simple foods, foods that comfort. But we have a catering menu that offers a range of both laid-back ideas and more upscale options, such as a four-course meal.

Q: How do you accommodate vegetarians?

A: We have a selection of delicious vegetarian and gluten-free dishes on our menu, so we can accommodate everyone’s culinary needs.

Q: How soon should people start planning a holiday party? Is this actually the right time to be thinking of November and December?

A: It’s not too early at all to make reservations and start planning. We start advertising our venue for holiday events in the first week of August and we’ll be booked up by mid-October.

Q: The economy has recovered from the depths of the recession. Are businesses spending like they did before things went south?

A: We’re seeing an increase in spending this year, definitely. The budgets are not as tight as the year before.

Q: How much should a company expect to spend for an office holiday party at Cucina Rustica?

A: We offer a couple of options. You can do a buyout for a minimum of $15,000, which gives you the whole dining area and the bar. Or, you can do just the dining room only for a minimum of

Q: What are your recommendations for making a work event more fun?

A: I think it’s good to have some kind of a theme, something that reflects your company culture. Possibly some activity for guests is good, but what you do depends on the personality of the business.

photo by Gary Leonard

At Cucina Rustica, general manager Michel LeChasseur can hold parties for about 200 people.

$10,000. We just booked a full buyout today for December.

Q: Should there be entertainment offered at the party, such as music or a show?

A: Absolutely. We offer music here every weekend and bring it in for events. Music is critical to guests. It makes the experience.

Q: If it’s an office party, should booze be allowed?

A: Yes. I don’t think you can avoid that. We have two ways to do this. We will offer a two-drink ticket system per guest if the client chooses to control the consumption of alcohol and to decrease any risks from having guests overindulge. Or, we can do a full and open bar. It just depends on what the client wants.

Q: What is the biggest mistake people make when planning a holiday party?

A: Definitely waiting too late to book their events and start planning. Without fail, I’ll get people calling me on December 1 asking if we can accommodate a party for 150 and I have to turn them away. So planning ahead is essential.

Cucina Rustica is at 888 Wilshire Blvd., (213) 988-8880 or cucinarusticala.com.

BE HAPPY. EVENTS FROM 10 TO 400.

WWW.THELINEHOTEL.COM EVENTS@THELINEHOTEL.COM

12 Downtown News

September 8, 2014

HOLIDAY PARTIES & CATERING

A Local Focus At Local Table, Parties Are All About A Relaxed Vibe and Group Mingling

By Jacqueline Fox t Local Table in the Financial District, a holiday party might begin with a shot of “Liquid Gold” from the pressed juice bar and wind down with specialty coffee and handmade pastries. A variety of options can come between those bookends, but for coowner Dariush Fakheri, one thing is for sure: The focus should center on good health and good cheer.

In other words, flash is out, even if the economy is rebounding. Fakheri believes that fare fueled by organic and locally grown ingredients, along with a relaxed vibe and activities that allow guests to mingle, is much more important.

A

Q: What kind of trends or themes are you expecting this year when it comes to holiday parties?

A: This year, it’s about a relaxed seating style and healthier food offerings, along with more fun and interactive food stations.

Q: How soon should people start planning a holiday party?

A: One of the biggest mistakes you can make when throwing a holiday party is to put it together at the last minute. Do not forget that due to the economic situation, there are even more corporate groups trying to book venues during the short holiday party season.

Q: The economy has recovered from the depths

of the recession. Are businesses spending like they did before things went south?

A: Actually, we are seeing an increase in catered events for office meetings and other corporate events. If this is any indication, we should see more spending for holiday events.

Q: How much should a company expect to spend for an office holiday party at Local Table?

A: We can offer appetizers and drinks starting at $20 a head. We have also served appetizers, main courses, pastries, specialty coffees, wine and beer and pressed juices for between $56 and $80 per person. But cost should not be a determining factor. Value should be. The reason for the party in the first place is to show your appreciation for your staff.

Q: What are your recommendations for making a work event more fun?

A: It all depends on the culture that the company promotes. The diversity, age group and even mission statement of the company are important. If volunteerism and contributing to a charity makes them happy, they may plan an event around that. Any activity that creates opportunities for employees to have fun together, such as telling funny stories, an open mic or karaoke helps to create employee bonding as well.

Q: What size crowds do you handle?

A: We can handle groups up to 100.

photo by Gary Leonard

Dariush Fakheri of Local Table says understanding a company’s culture is an important part of putting together a successful holiday party.

Q: What food items or specialties do you offer for a holiday party menu?

A: Our menu is seasonal and based on fresh, local ingredients, so our food items are based on this concept.

Q: How do you accommodate vegetarians?

A: We offer a variety of vegetarian and glutenfree food and homemade pastries.

Q: If it’s an office party, should booze be allowed?

A: The majority of companies do serve booze, but there is no simple and universal answer.

There are many factors involved. Company culture and the combination of the employees

and their situation have a lot to do with that decision. When the decision is to serve, a limit must be set.

Q: What is the biggest mistake people make when planning a holiday party?

A: Throwing it together and announcing it at the last minute and not being aware that seating arrangements should promote interaction, especially between employees of different departments. Also, not planning for maximum fun and entertainment, which are critical for preventing boredom and promoting engagement.

Local Table is at 800 S. Figueroa St., (213) 4882654 or localtable-la.com.

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September 8, 2014

HOLIDAY PARTIES & CATERING

Downtown News 13

55 Fantastic Downtown Party Places Whether You Want a Private Room, a Hotel Banquet Hall or Something Else for Your Holiday Bash, Downtown Has You Covered

photo by Gary Leonard

Blue Cow photo by Gary Leonard

Apartment A

S

eptember in Los Angeles means sweltering 90-degree temperatures and a few more weeks of beach visits. It’s a month when people still wear shorts and don sunscreen.

September means something else as well: It’s the time to start booking venues for holiday parties.

No, this isn’t as preposterous as it sounds.

Once Labor Day arrives, corporate event planners open their calendars and start selecting dates for their office parties. Things move quickly, and in a

few weeks some of the most popular November and December time slots will be gone.

Fortunately, Downtown Los Angeles has an ever-growing roster of places to host a party.

From restaurants that offer private rooms to hotels with huge ballrooms to spaces that exist solely for the purpose of a soiree, there is something for every taste and budget. Here is a big, but by no means definitive, list of Downtown choices.

Call now.

Apartment A — a small space with inventive cocktails, a charming ambiance and a virtual indoor forest

Los Angeles Athletic Club — the historic Downtown building does events for 10 to 700 people

Library Bar — sip smart drinks while surrounded by leather-bound books

Noé Restaurant and Bar — chic restaurant in the Omni Hotel has inventive cuisine and room for 125

The Edison — a bash in a former boiler room that looks like no other place in L.A. Try the artisanal cocktails Downtown Independent — see a movie and follow it with drinks and food in the lobby or on the roof

Plum Tree Inn — a Chinatown staple with a private room, addictive honey walnut shrimp and more City Club Los Angeles — a new home on the Continued on page 14

©

H O T E L S & R E S O RT S

Choose the Westin Bonaventure As Your Holiday Co-Host Get a head start on the holiday season, and plan the perfect party with our Season of Renewal offer. As your guests dance within our soaring California Ballroom, or marvel at stunning 35th floor views of Los Angeles, we’ll take care of the wining and dining with a three-course dinner, butler-passed hors d’oeuvres, and full wine service.

Available any Sunday through Thursday in November and December, this events package will seal your reputation as the host with the most with the following features: • Three-course plated holiday dinner, created by Executive Chef Jose Velasquez • Two butler-passed hors d’oeuvres during cocktail hour • Wine service offered during dinner, featuring two bottles per table of 10 Rate: $70 per person, inclusive of all service charges and taxes. | For availability, please contact our Catering Sales Department at 213.612.4808 *Offer applies on any Sunday through Thursday in November and December, 2014

14 Downtown News

September 8, 2014

HOLIDAY PARTIES & CATERING

Party Places, 13 51st floor of City National Plaza offers some of the best views in Downtown Vibiana — where red carpets meet a repurposed Catholic church, with top-notch food and a sweet courtyard Terroni — homemade Italian pastas and other specialties at a chic, modern and flexible Spring Street spot First and Hope — room for up to 400 people, with creative cocktails, a small private club and a staff with some of Downtown’s best outfits X Lanes —the joint on the top floor of the Little Tokyo Galleria has 24 bowling lanes, a big restaurant and 100 arcade games.

The Palm — big lobsters, big steaks and plenty of private spaces Oiwake — eat sushi, drink sake and sing karaoke until you are hoarse Yxta Cocina Mexicana — loads of tequila and authentic Mexican food in an off-the-beatentrack location

Millennium Biltmore Hotel — host a few dozen or a few hundred of your closest friends at the grand dame of Downtown hotels Marvimon — sharp hipster aesthetic in a transformed car showroom in Chinatown Grand Park — with the MIA fest gone, rent a chunk of Downtown’s best park, including a fountain and pink furniture Maddalena Restaurant at San Antonio Winery — Italian food under a barrel-shaped ceiling, just steps from a working winery Farmers & Merchants Bank — throw a big party at ground zero of the Old Bank District revival Daily Grill — private dining rooms in the busy American fare restaurant afford a VIP experience. There’s also an in-house gastropub Bottle Rock — more wine choices than you can ponder, plus tasty snacks and an easy location near L.A. Live L.A. Center Studios — party where they make movies and film “Mad Men.” There’s also a private theater

Oviatt Building penthouse — the essence of Art Deco, with an al fresco atmosphere and an amazing view

Les Noces du Figaro — the former Schaber’s Cafeteria on Broadway has French specialties and an upstairs ballroom that can hold 500 people

Alexandria Ballrooms — old L.A. elegance with a full bar and commercial kitchen at Fifth and Spring

Center at Cathedral Plaza — the headquarters of L.A.’s Catholic community also hosts private events, and is run by Levy Restaurants

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Belasco Theatre — a renovated South Park theater, with two modern bar spaces and a topnotch sound system

AT&T Center Penthouse — drop-dead views on the 32nd floor of an office tower with fare from Joachim Splichal’s Patina Catering

L.A. Live — there are small spaces, huge spaces and food from the Wolfgang Puck empire

Church and State — a fabulous French bistro in the Arts District. Party while eating escargots

Drago Centro — some of the best Italian food in L.A., with a massive wine list and an assortment of private rooms

LoftSEVEN in the Haas Building — a spacious, stylish Seventh Street penthouse

O Hotel — a boutique establishment where the party choices include the Red Room and, egads, the Mafia Room Border Grill — Two Hot Tamales cuisine and a festive decor

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Golden draGon restaurant Chinatown | 960 north Broadway | 213-626-2039

Soleto — multiple indoor and outdoor spaces where you can enjoy pizzas, caprese skewers and other Italian fare

China Inn why Cook? Regent Authentic Chinese Cuisine now accepting Credit Cards

CHICKEN WITH ORANGE SAUCE

Blue Cow — a Bunker Hill sit-down space from the sandwich kings behind Mendocino Farms.

Pair with inventive drinks

260 S. Broadway, (213) 626-7975 • (213) 626-8235, Tel/Fx: (213) 626-4572

Fashion DistriCt at Corner 9th/santee 226 E. 9th St. , (213) 623-5091 • (213) 327-0645, Tel/Fx: (213) 623-9405

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Book your party by October 31st to receive a Palm Party Card valued up to $400* 1100 South Flower Street L.A. Downtown

*Contact Laura Sumpter at 213-763-4601 or lsumpter@thepalm.com for complete details.

September 8, 2014

Downtown News 15

HOLIDAY PARTIES & CATERING

photo by Gary Leonard

City Club of Los Angeles

The Gorbals — Downtown’s only Jewish-Scottish menu. Try Ilan Hall’s bacon-wrapped matzo balls Water Grill — the Downtown seafood standout has been upgraded, and the food still stands out Lucky Strike Lanes and Lounge — who doesn’t like bowling and drinks? There are private rooms and a semi-private bowling suite with four lanes Nick & Stef’s Steakhouse — thick steaks, an easy Bunker Hill location and the expected top-notch service from the Patina Group stalwart The Majestic Downtown — a 20,000-square-foot former bank headquarters has old-L.A. charm and modern touches Natural History Museum — dance and mingle under dinosaur bones in Exposition Park

360 DEGREE VIEWS OF LOS ANGELES FOR YOUR NEXT EVENT AT AT&T CENTER! WWW.ATTCENTER-LA.COM

Mas Malo — killer margaritas, Mexican food and several private spaces Hotel Figueroa — Moroccan flavor and indoor and outdoor spaces, including one with a coffin-shaped pool. An upgrade is coming Elevate Lounge — a sleek Financial District penthouse 21 floors up, with a dance floor Traxx — modern cuisine in Union Station, with a choice of indoor and patio seating Pete’s — the Old Bank District standout is getting a renovation and a new menu from Josef Centeno Conga Room — the L.A. Live spot with Latin flavor and the best salsa sounds in the city Café Pinot — Cal-French fare with a gorgeous setting next to the Central Library Luxe City Center — South Park hotel has a new multi-pronged restaurant, the Stafford + Mathis Kitchen Los Angeles Brewing Company — start with the more than 100 beers on tap. Then hire a band and order some burgers.

Then go back to the beer Mo-Chica — sample Downtown’s Peruvian cuisine in a vibrant Seventh Street space Hilton Checkers — a private dining room and a secluded patio in a boutique hotel, or try the rooftop space Ensenada — traditional Mexican tamales, beef and chicken, along with a mole poblano. A true family affair

Downtown Los Angeles

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

16 Downtown News

September 8, 2014

Another Way to Bring Back Broadway Four-Story Office Building Reopens After Decades of Vacancy

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ASK UR TO U O AB VE-IN MO IALS! C SPE

By Eddie Kim he Schulte United Department Store building opened in 1928. For 40 years Angelenos flocked there to shop for goods and clothing, as well as to eat at a 125-seat cafeteria.

Schulte United went bankrupt in the late 1960s, and the closure of the building at 529 S. Broadway left it in the same state as many of its neighbors. Although it had some ground floor retail tenants over the next four decades, its upper floors sat vacant, collecting dust.

Now, the building is back. It has seen a $2 million transformation and has a new name, the Broadway Arts Tower. The property is being marketed as creative office space.

The Schulte United building was acquired in July 2012 for about $3 million, according to Michael Treadway, property manager and financial officer for the building. He would not identify the buyer, who also purchased and rehabbed the nearby Spring Arts Tower.

Work started in late 2012 and was completed last month.

“The owner likes a challenge, and he saw the potential of turning this building into a mini version of the Spring Arts Tower,” Treadway said. Referring to the street-enhancing effort propelled by 14th District City Councilman José Huizar, he added, “It also made sense because of the Bringing Back Broadway initiative and everything happening in the neighborhood.”

The work posed numerous challenges.

It took three months just to gut the interior, Treadway said. Not surprisingly, basic infrastructure such as electrical, fire and sprinkler systems had to be replaced.

After that came the restoration of the interior and exterior. The facade renovation was overseen by local architect Roger Bennett and involved removing cheap sheet metal coverings and repairing old damage.

“The exterior was largely covered over so it was a process of archaeology,” Bennett said. “It’s a very nice building, wellproportioned and well-crafted.”

T

photo by Gary Leonard

The 1928 Schulte United Department Store building has become the Broadway Arts Tower. The four-floor edifice, which has been mostly vacant for four decades, is being marketed as creative office space.

Inside, the original wooden floors were sanded down and refinished, as were the brick walls. Old paint was stripped off the grand staircase, revealing glimmering bronze inlays, and its brass handrails were polished to a ruddy luster. Some original tin ceilings were fixed and buffed.

One particular hurdle was the central elevator, which Treadway said would have been too expensive to bring up to code. Instead, the owner created a “glass well” out of the elevator shaft to serve as a megaskylight of sorts. A new elevator sits near the rear of the building.

The restoration preserves much of the original aesthetic of the 38,000-squarefoot edifice, which Treadway is using as a tool to woo office tenants. The building’s fourth floor has already been leased to Blankspaces, which rents desks and flexible creative office space to individuals and groups. Three other leases are in the works, Treadway said.

Blankspaces founder Jerome Chang, who is also an architect, said he had been scouting locations in Downtown for a

W NO NG TI N E R

photo by Gary Leonard

The company Blankspaces, which rents desks and flexible creative office space to individuals and groups, has taken up residence on the fourth floor of the building.

third outpost of the business. The East Coast transplant was struck by the look and feel of the Historic Core building, as well as the urban environment around it.

“The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. We’re next door to transit and we’re in the heart of all the developments on Broadway,” Chang said. “The street was once a mecca of leisure and business and I knew that was coming back.”

The building reopened just as Huizar unveiled a Broadway streetscaping renovation that trimmed traffic lanes and added pedestrian areas. The property is also the first example of another Huizar effort to upgrade the street, the Historic Commercial Reuse initiative, which launched in December after five years of work between the office of Huizar, the city Department of Building and Safety, the Los Angeles Fire Department and other city agencies.

The plan aims to do for commercial projects what the Adaptive Reuse Ordinance did for residential conversions of defunct buildings, namely streamline the labyrinthine code requirements for developers working on historic properties.

Huizar has focused on Broadway, where he says more than 1 million square feet of upper floor space sits unused.

“The policy did exactly what it was intended to do, which is make it easier and cheaper for an owner to reuse a building for new purposes,” Huizar said. “In the past when this was attempted, a developer would get confusing mixed messages about how to interpret the building code and could be stuck on some extremely restrictive standards.”

While the Historic Commercial Reuse guidelines have been around for less than year, Huizar and Treadway both hope to see more developers take a chance adapting older buildings. It’s about taking part in Broadway’s return, Treadway said.

He thinks others will find inspiration from the transformation of the Schulte United building. eddie@downtownnews.com

September 8, 2014

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Report Puts Streetcar Price Tag at $270 Million Search Continues for Project Funds

rendering courtesy Los Angeles Streetcar Initiative

The Downtown streetcar would create a 3.8-mile route with a main spur along Broadway. Officials hope to open it in 2019.

By Eddie Kim n its early years, the proposed Downtown streetcar had a budget of $125 million. Last year, a city report put the potential price tag far higher, saying the urban circulator could cost up to $327.8 million.

Now, a more definitive figure is being developed, according to 14th District City Councilman José Huizar, who is leading the effort that is a key component of his Bringing Back Broadway initiative.

Newly drafted figures from consulting firm URS Corporation, which was hired as the project manager in December, suggest that the streetcar may actually cost about $270 million. The figure was first reported by the Los Angeles Times.

While the final estimate is several weeks away, Huizar finds the current figure encouraging.

“A lot of the conversation around the high cost estimate last fall was premature,” Huizar said in a phone call. “We were clear that we were working with general numbers and worst-case scenarios.”

The streetcar would be a 3.8-mile track running from South Park to the Civic Center with a main spur on Broadway. Huizar and other project proponents have said that it could spur more than $1 billion in new development Downtown.

The $270 million price tag (which accounts for inflation by 2018) could decrease. The figure has a 30% contingency cost, and that might shrink after more detailed engineering work is complete, according to Huizar’s spokesman Rick Coca. The price also includes an extended route along Grand Avenue near Walt Disney Concert Hall. The $15 million spur is “not in the current funding plan,” Coca said.

Additionally, the cost includes the purchase and creation of a maintenance center for the streetcar. The draft report put the tab at $33 million, but Coca said it is “highly unlikely” the city would buy land just for a maintenance building, and could instead pursue a public-private mixed-use development to share the cost.

Continued on page 19

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Downtown News 17

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18 Downtown News

September 8, 2014

They Came, They Saw, They Didn’t Trash the Place Window-Rattling Made in America Festival Deemed Pretty Much a Success

By Donna Evans he sound may have caused windows to rattle and furniture to vibrate in homes near Grand Park, but after Kanye West’s closing-night performance and the departure of the last of the 80,000 attendees over two days, many area residents, workers and business owners found that things in Downtown were pretty much normal.

In fact, numerous Central City stakeholders felt that with no significant property damage or problems, and even a boost for some local businesses, the inaugural Made in America festival was a success.

Lucas Rivera, the director of Grand Park, said last week that he hopes to do it again next year.

Though that offer has not been extended by the concert organizers, Live Nation and New York rapper Jay Z, Live Nation spokeswoman Jacqueline Peterson expressed a willingness to come back to Los Angeles.

Some plants were damaged by concert attendees, Rivera said, but they were due to be replaced immediately. The contract with the concert promoter covered damages to the venue.

More important, Rivera felt, was the exposure that Grand Park received. In addition to being a destination for the crowds, Los Angeles’ inaugural installment of the rock, hip-hop

T

and electronica concert (the show premiered in 2012 in Philadelphia) was live streamed, giving people all over the planet the chance to see the bands performing on a stage in front of City Hall.

“This was an amazing opportunity for Grand Park to position itself as a top-quality space to hold these types of events,” Rivera said. “We have increased the footprint, and we can say we are a space for tens of thousands of Angelenos and people from all over to come and celebrate events.”

Leading up to the Labor Day weekend show, community concern abounded. The primary worries were noise, crowds and that a week’s worth of street closures before and after the event would choke the Central City. Concert organizers held a handful of community meetings, but many residents complained that communication was too late and insufficient.

Likely adding to the calm proceedings was a hefty law enforcement presence. The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department patrolled the concert site (Grand Park is owned by the county) while more than 200 LAPD officers were on the streets bordering the festival. Officers made eight felony arrests, 34 misdemeanor arrests and issued 69 citations during the Aug. 30-31 event. LAPD Capt. John McMahon called the tally “fabulous” considering there were tens of

photo by Gary Leonard

More than 80,000 people filled Grand Park and the surrounding streets on Aug. 30-31 for Los Angeles’ inaugural Made in America festival. Few problems were reported.

thousands of people filing into the streets. With the exception of one felony warrant, the arrests were for possession of ecstasy and other drugs, he said.

The agreement with the promoters called for Live Nation to pay the city $500,000 and to give

the county $350,000 to cover expenses.

Business Bounce As concert goers streamed out of the event grounds, many wound up at Pitfire Pizza. Assistant manager Stephen Tracy said the eatery at 108 W. Second St. was packed during the week-

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Guisado’s Tacos, a small Boyle Heights based chain opens in the Spring Arcade Building.

Animals Out of Paper is a new play by East West Players, which opens September 10.

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September 8, 2014

end, with people standing in line from 6:30 p.m. Saturday night until it closed at 11. Pitfire had twice as much business over the weekend as usual, Tracy said.

Carol Schatz, the president and CEO of the Downtown Center Business Improvement District and the Central City Association, was working on a survey to see how area merchants fared, though she said early indications are that many did well. She noted that the area around Grand Central Market was buzzing with pedestrians.

Additionally, Schatz said, an important message was conveyed: The second largest city in the country pulled off a major outdoor concert with minimal issues.

CHARACTER, CHARM, AMBIANCE!

“We can do these kinds of events,” she said.

“It says to other promoters, ‘If you have the right kind of concert, and do some outreach, you can come here in the future.’”

While Cheryl McDonald, who has lived in the Higgins Building for 11 years, would have preferred more advance communication from organizers, she said she was happy with the results. McDonald, who lives on the south side of the building at Second between Main and Spring streets, said she didn’t hear the concert as much as she felt it.

“It was very interesting, particularly the furniture vibrating from the base,” she said, laughing.

She also referenced a topic raised frequently in the run-up to the festival: that the normally

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free park was, for the first time, turned into a ticket-only venue. Still, she feels good about what occurred.

“The park itself is very precious. I have loved the public events, like Fourth of July there,” she said. “I wasn’t crazy about the idea of a private event sucking it up the last official weekend of summer, but the park itself has been a delightful addition to Downtown.”

McDonald also worried before the show about accessing her parking space at the Los Angeles Times garage on Spring Street. That too turned out to be an easy fix: She said she displayed her permit and the traffic officer waved her on.

Another would-be nightmare, over at the Music Center, also never materialized.

While the sounds of bands and DJs including Imagine Dragons, Weezer, Kendrick Lamar and Steve Aoki bounded through and out of Grand Park, up at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on Saturday night, tenors and sopranos were competing in the finals of the opera competition Operalia. Christopher Koelsch, the president and CEO of L.A. Opera, who also judged the event, said those in the audience only heard the singers, including the winners Mario Chang and Rachel Willis-Sorensen.

“The subwoofers rattled windows in the

Streetcar, 17 Even with a price tag below the city report, the funding picture remains unclear.

Downtown stakeholders in 2012 approved a new tax district that would allow up to $85 million to be collected from property owners along the streetcar route.

City officials are pursuing a $75 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration, though previous attempts to secure federal funds have failed. Additionally, if the final cost estimate is more than $250 million, the project will have to compete in a grant category alongside other cities’ much larger transit projects.

Despite the challenge, Huizar expressed optimism, saying the grant application is bolstered by the City Council’s approval of

public spaces, but nothing penetrated the stage house,” he said, adding that the festival contributed to the overall excitement and energy of the competition.

The biggest concern for Koelsch, despite a successful sound check the night before the finals, was that the festival noise would corrupt the international live broadcast of the competition. But the recording was pristine, he said.

To Koelsch, the fact that such large musical events were occurring so close to each other underscores the excitement of what’s happening in the Central City.

“It’s emblematic of an overall infusion of creative energy in Downtown,” he said. donna@downtownnews.com a 30-year streetcar operation budget with up to $294 million from county Measure R funds.

“I believe we have one of the best applications for streetcars in the country,” Huizar said. “We are in a prime position to receive that federal grant. We’re also lobbying heavily.”

Project backers are also courting privatesector partners to help cover the gap that remains after accounting for local tax and federal grant funds.

A final cost estimate and an updated economic impact study will arrive in the next few weeks, Coca said. Also on the horizon is the project’s environmental impact report, which could be finished in early 2015.

Huizar still hopes to have the streetcar running by 2019. eddie@downtownnews.com

20 Downtown News

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September 8, 2014

photo © Garrett Davis

The GifT of Gob

Gob Squad, a British-German collective, is coming to REDCAT for two separate performances. Playing Sept.

11-14 is the film-driven Super Night Shot (right). The theatrical /improvisational Western Society (left) runs Sept. 17-20.

Shoot a Film at 7:30 and Show It an Hour Later?

Yeah, Gob Squad Does That

members have to approach strangers with deliBy Eddie Kim cacy, since they don’t know how somebody will f you’re strolling the streets of Downtown react to an unknown presence with a camera.

Los Angeles this week and see a quartet of The result, when it works, is a unique look masked figures prowling the sidewalk with at a city through the words and viewpoints of hand-held cameras, don’t be alarmed. It may all sorts of residents. Everybody has a story to just be a collective of British and German arttell, said Gob Squad member Sharon Smith, ists gathering material for a theater production and the streets provide the perfect backdrop in that will begin in less than hour. which to present those tales.

That collective is Gob Squad, a group of sev“We rarely go back to the same city twice, en individuals that experiments with mashing up original multimedia and live performance in and if we do it’s usually in a different place,” clever and revealing ways. They visit REDCAT on Smith said. “It’s still one of the most challenging, scary and thrilling things to do.”

Thursday-Sunday, Sept. 11-14, with four showDespite the spontaneity of each perforings of Super Night Shot. The crew will return to the building Sept. 17-20 for the U.S. premiere of mance, the four-person crew prepares in the days before the run by going out on rehearsal Western Society. shoots. This allows them to gauge the feel of Super Night Shot has been put on nearly 200 the neighborhood and look for locations that times in cities across the globe, though this attract intriguing people. will mark its first presentation in Los Angeles.

“That way we can scratch beneath the surFor the performance, four Gob Squad tow mem.Down nNews com/L.A Facebook. face of a city a bit,” said Sarah Thom, who is bers take to darkened streets and film interacpart of the Los Angeles film team. “But we still tions with strangers. Though it sounds simple, approach the piece as visitors to the city who there’s aLike wrinkle: The entire 60-minute producDowntown News on Facebook know nothing and have some naivete about it.” tion is shot in the hour before the performance & Be Entered to Win Movie Tickets!

That process also helps the team prepare begins in the theater (8:30 p.m. in Downtown), for the unpredictable, whether it comes in the where it is screened uncut with live sound mixform of an overly in-your-face subject, unining and scoring. spired conversations or problems with the vidSuper Night Shot and Western Society both eo equipment. examine modern life through the lens of orInteractive Element dinary, even banal, experience. The challenge Gob Squad was founded in 1994 by stuof the former lies in finding the right characdents from Nottingham Trent University in ters during a strict timeframe, and Gob Squad

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England and the University of Giessen in Germany. Since then, the collective has produced 38 works. Shows are always developed in a group setting.

These days, Gob Squad is primarily headquartered in Berlin, though they still have a Nottingham office. Residencies in other countries are also common, and last year’s stay with Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles fostered the development of Western Society (CTG is copresenting the performance).

That show isn’t as volatile in structure as Super Night Shot. Still, it involves a heavy dose of randomness in each performance thanks to improvised dialogue and interactions with the audience. Consider it either a warning or an invitation, but people in the crowd may be asked to take part in Western Society.

The show is a re-creation of what Gob Squad terms the “least watched video on the Internet,” a YouTube clip of a family gathered around a TV for a karaoke session. Inspired by the video Now Playing and observations of L.A. culture collected during their residency in the city, the performers critique modern society and family dynamics in an over-the-top way.

While the satire could easily skew cynical, the group tries to create a warm narrative that’s playfully honest.

“There’s a lot of autobiographical material in the show and tender stories about being a daughter or father or brother, living close to-

gether without communicating, or living far apart and having to communicate with tech,” Smith said.

The two productions highlight what makes Gob Squad special, said REDCAT Executive Director Mark Murphy. The group first came to the venue in 2012 for Gob Squad’s Kitchen, a recreation of the Andy Warhol film of the same name. The run showed Murphy that Gob Squad and L.A. were a perfect fit, especially with something like Super Night Shot.

“Their unique and clever take on filmmaking in a renegade form seems like it would really resonate here in L.A.,” Murphy said. “This is a group that has been very influential over the last 20 years in performance art and multimedia, and Gob Squad has such a charm — smart and funny and they win over audiences easily.”

Gob Squad’s members are also excited to be back in Los Angeles and in particular Downtown. It’s exciting to spend time in such a rapidly changing area, Thom said, especially considering the fact that the Central City lacks the “glitz and razzle” of other L.A. neighborhoods.

That contrast, she noted, is what makes going out into the night with cameras and masks that much more alluring.

Super Night Shot runs Sept. 11-14 and Western Society runs Sept. 17-20 at REDCAT, 631 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800 or redcat.org. eddie@downtownnews.com

Starts Sept 12/Sept 19

photo courtesy of Gob Squad/REDCAT

CALENDAR

September 8, 2014

Downtown News 21

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

An Awakening to See and Hear Deaf West Theatre Production of Broadway Musical Comes to Downtown

By Donna Evans hen it came time for director Michael Arden to prepare his cast for a new version of the rock musical Spring Awakening, he decided to push the actors out of their comfort zone. That’s a cliché that is sounded a lot in theater, but this time it meant something: Arden had to urge hearing and deaf actors in new directions.

The show’s deaf performers had to pace their signing with the music’s tempo; it’s not part of their vocabulary to know how long a certain note would take. Hearing actors, meanwhile, needed to learn American Sign Language.

The results will be revealed when the Deaf West Theatre company and a group known as The Forest of Arden open a version of Spring Awakening at the Rosenthal Theater at InnerCity Arts on Thursday, Sept. 13. The show, with a 25-member cast that includes seven musicians, runs at the venue at 720 Kohler St. through Oct. 19.

The show with a book and lyrics by Steven Sater and music by Duncan Sheik is based on Frank Wedekind’s controversial 1891 Expressionist play of the same name. The story of a group of teenagers in 1890s Germany struggling with their sexual awakening opened on Broadway in 2006 and went on to win eight Tonys, including Best Musical.

Arden, who made his Broadway debut as an actor in Deaf West and the Roundabout Theatre

W

Company’s production of Big River (it played at the Mark Taper Forum in Downtown Los Angeles in 2003) started learning sign language for that show. Prior to that experience he didn’t know any deaf people. He said being able to share this mode of communication with an audience “has been a rewarding and delightful experience.”

The story highlights a low point of deaf education, Arden said. In 1880, an international conference of deaf educators decreed that oral teaching was better than manual, or sign education.

The only way for deaf people to be fully integrated into society would be to teach them oralism, which meant reading lips and speaking. While some in the United States rejected the conference’s decision, an entire generation of deaf people were denied access to language, Arden said.

He compared this to Spring Awakening’s themes of miscommunication and isolationism.

“Oralism was and is not a viable option for many people,” Arden said. “These people who were not able to cultivate oralism were robbed of language altogether and considered failures.

We’re taking that and running with it in this play.”

Arden said that anyone who has seen a previous production of Spring Awakening will find the Deaf West version very different. Not only is there the use of sign language, he said, but the story depicts deaf culture of the 1890s. The original work was a comment on the perils of the denial of information and communication

A new version of the Tony-winning Spring Awakening casts deaf and hearing actors and musicians. It opens this week at Inner City Arts.

photo by David J. Kurs

of German teens. In the new version several of these characters are in a schoolroom setting and are forced to speak.

Actor Daniel Durant, who is deaf, hopes the Downtown production will open people’s minds to the diversity that deaf culture can bring to the arts and the world. Durant plays Moritz, a boy who, while smart, does poorly in school. He is under pressure from his parents to be perfect and struggles with how to be social.

Mostly, 24-year-old Durant said, Moritz broods.

“I hope people will love this play because we show such beautiful ASL, which is a very visual art, combined with amazing music and singing,” Durant said in an email to Los Angeles Downtown News. “I hope it is life changing for all who see it.”

Durant, who was born in Detroit and moved

to Los Angeles in 2012 to join a Deaf West production of Cyrano, said it is not easy to combine American Sign Language, English and music, but that the cast had “ASL masters” on hand to help. Throughout the two-hour musical, some of the hearing cast will sign and speak at the same time. Others will be the voice for a deaf actor, such as Durant. The person who voices for Durant, on and off stage, also plays in the band, he said, noting, “All of us work as one team.”

Arden takes that description to the next level.

“It is exciting to see a group of people supporting and teaching each other,” he said.

“These are incredibly talented kids who’ve all had to learn new skills for this show.”

Spring Awakening runs Sept. 13-Oct. 19 at Inner-City Arts, 720 Kohler St., (818) 762-2998 or deafwest.org.

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T h e

CALENDAR LISTINGS

‘Don’t Miss’

EVENTS

L i s T

SPONSORED LISTINGS

WEDNESDay, SEPTEmbER 10 Pints With Purpose Angel City Brewery, 216 S. Alameda St. or dwcweb.org.

5:30-8:30 p.m.: Here’s the deal: Buy a $10 ticket, receive a pint of beer and support the fine folks at the Downtown Women’s Center. Then continue drinking, much to the benefit of the aforementioned high-quality philanthropy.

FRIDay, SEPTEmbER 12 Veena Sud at Aloud Central Library, Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7500 or lfla.org.

7:30 p.m.: “The Killing” writer and show runner Veena Sud discusses the mercurial nature of writing in Hollywood. Yes, you can ask about that wacky fourth season of the show.

SaTuRDay, SEPTEmbER 13 Mid-Autumn Moon Festival Chinatown Central Plaza, 943 N. Broadway, (213) 6800243 or chinatownla.com.

5 p.m.-12 a.m.: A lineup of crafts, vendors, food trucks, bands, DJs and the obligatory capuchin monkey (“Note: the monkey will approach you but please do not touch or pet the monkey.”) mark the end of summer and the descent into autumn.

SaTuRDay, SEPT. 13 Step and Repeat MOCA Geffen Contemporary, 152 N. Central Ave., (213) 626-6222 or moca.org.

6 p.m.: A variety of entertainment from performance art to music, sound and poetry comprise this four week, Sunday evening program of live art. Tonight’s participants include Jacolby Satterwhite with Ashland Mines, Dynasty Handbag and Vanessa Place.

SuNDay, SEPTEmbER 14 Sunday Sessions Grand Park, 200 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-8080 or grandparkla.org.

2 p.m.: Eduardo of the Pattern Bar emerges from his trendy

By Dan Johnson calendar@downtownnews.com

onE

Giant reptiles from millions of years ago again walk the earth for the pleasure of paying thrill-seekers. What could go wrong?

Relax cinema freaks and dino-philes, because when Walking With Dinosaurs thunders into Staples Center this week, all of the massive and realistic species on hand will be remote controlled robots. The world-touring extravaganza, which has seven shows on Thursday-Sunday, Sept. 11-14, originated in 2007 in Australia. Since then, the sophisticated array of audio-animatronic dinosaurs have told a unique narrative of long-ago evolution. Tickets were still available at press time. We’re just hoping some greedy, computer programming, Dennis Nedry-wannabe doesn’t ruin the fun for everyone. At 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7100 or staplescenter.com.

You can create a compelling case that life in Los Angeles east of La Brea could be described by two words: tattoos and Dodgers. For another week, the Japanese American National Museum has both topics covered. Closing on Sunday, Sept. 14, are the exhibits Perseverance: Japanese Tattoo Tradition in a Modern World, which uses photos World

by Kip Fulbeck to chronicle Asian tattoos and their influence on Western culture, and Dodgers: Brotherhood of the Game Game, which explores the team and boundary-bashing achievements of play players such as Jackie Robinson, Fernando Valenzuela, Chan Ho Park and Nideo Nomo. Both exhibits are open each day this week. At 100 N. Central Ave., (213) 625-0414 or janm.org.

tHREE

2

This weekend’s 168 Film Festival at the Japanese-American Cultural and Community Center offers an alternative to the sex, violence and romantic comedy tropes that have taken over modern movie-making (OK, at least the sex and violence part). On Friday-Saturday, Sept. 12-13, the halls of Little Tokyo’s JACCC will ring with praise for a slew of Biblically inspired filmmakers who answered the call and created a piece of cinema based on Scripture in just 168 hours. The festival includes a two-hour kids’ program starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, with child-friendly short films, face painting, appearances by Nickelodeon stars and more. At 244 S. San Pedro St., (818) 557-8507 or 168project.com.

photo by Kip

photo by Gary Leonard

TuESDay, SEPTEmbER 9 James Ellroy at Aloud Central Library, Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7500 or lfla.org.

7:15 p.m.: Sadists, sycophants and other shadow figures suckling on the underbelly of Los Angeles will be in attendance as the crown prince of noir fiction comes Downtown to discuss his latest work, Perfidia. Keep your L.A. Confidential questions to a minimum.

Dinosaurs Invade Downtown, And So Do the Art Walk Crowds

photo courtesy 168 Film Festival

Street Food Cinema at Exposition Park 700 Exposition Park Dr.; at streetfoodcinema.com Check out a screening of Aliens at Exposition Park on Sept. 20. The planet from Alien (1979) has been colonized, but contact is lost. The rescue team, this time, has impressive firepower. But will it be enough? Reserved seating is $17, general seating is $12. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., the band So Many Wizards goes on at 6:30 p.m. and the movie begins at 8:30 p.m. Food vendors include Cousin’s Maine Lobster, Farmer’s Belly and Let’s Roll It. The lot next to Exposition Park is $10 per vehicle. The venue is located off the Metro Expo Line’s Expo/USC stop.

Friday Night Flicks by Pershing Square 532 S. Olive St., (213) 847-4970 or laparks.org/ pershingsquare Catch a free screening of St. Elmo’s Fire at Pershing Square on Friday, Sept. 12. In the realm of films about close-knit bands of school friends, St. Elmo’s Fire falls midway between The Big Chill and The Breakfast Club.

Its characters are old enough to enjoy the first flushes of prosperity, but still sufficiently youthful to keep their selfabsorption intact. The movie will begin at 8 p.m., and well-behaved dogs are allowed. Parking can be found in the Pershing Square garage.

photo by Patrick Murphy

22 Downtown News

FoUR For those who stuck around Downtown for last month’s Art Walk, the monthly gathering was as lively as it’s been in years, with a heavier number of vendors filling Spring Street and an exuberant crowd packing galleries. On Thursday, Sept. 11, Art Walk returns for another evening of revelry. While the traditional retinue of creative works will be on display, the folks down at the Hive Gallery (729 S. Spring St.) have an extra special show this month. The Secret Art of Animators features the private work of skilled artists who have contributed to “The Simpsons,”“South Park” and myriad other animated shows you’ve cherished over the years. Throughout the Historic Core or downtownartwalk.org.

5

Fulbeck

On Saturday, Sept. 13, the world of Los Angeles contemporary dance unfurls before you as a triple lineup of local standouts hold court at California Plaza. Grand Performances presents an al fresco evening anchored by Sheetal Gandhi, whose focus on gender and geography in South Asia and the United States seeks sublimation through choreography. Before Gandhi, audience members will bask in the glow of WIFE and Rosanna Gamson. As always, the 8 p.m. performance is free. Have some foresight and arrive early to grab the best seats. At 350 S. Grand Ave., (213) 6872159 or grandperformances.org.

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

September 8, 2014

Downtown News 23

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

It’s a Good NIGht, MooN The Chinatown Summer Nights festivities are over, but that doesn’t mean the community is done celebrating. On Saturday, Sept.

13, the 76th annual Mid-Autumn Moon Festival fills the neighborhood, with activities in Central and West plazas. Inspired by a Chinese harvest celebration dating back more than 3,000 years, the 5 p.m.-midnight event will feature performances, a stage with music booked by the L.A. Weekly, a craft beer garden and KCRW DJs. There is also family-friendly entertainment such as storytelling and calligraphy workshops. The Griffith Observatory will bring telescopes to see the moon close-up, and food trucks will be out in force. Best of all, there will be a capuchin monkey with a trainer, though it comes with strict look-but-don’t-touch policy (the monkey, presumably not the trainer). The happening is free.

At 943-951 N. Broadway or chinatownla. com.

Sept. 9, 10 p.m.: Deep beneath The Makers’ taciturn exterior is an inner life that rivals Michael Douglas in Falling Down. Better give ’em a few more drink tickets.

Sept. 10, 10 p.m.: We don’t know much about the Fran Banish band, but that double-breasted frock coat he’s wearing in the press photo seems pretty legit.

Sept. 14, 10 p.m.: We wonder if violinist Nora Germain has ever been referred to as “Fiddlin’ Germain,” and if not, we propose that change.

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

thesmell.org.

Sept. 10: Darto, Gun Outfit, Dunes, Spokenest.

Sept. 11: Yonatan Gat Band and TraPsPs. Sept. 12: GRMLN. Sept. 13: The Aquadolls, The Hive Dwellers, Grape St. and Vision.

FILM Downtown Independent 251 S. Main St., (213) 617-1033 or Continued on next page



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

Sept. 8, 10 p.m.: TGIM. Sept. 10, 8 p.m.: Actual Disco.

Sept. 12, 10 p.m.: Jack of All Tracks.

Sept. 13, 8 p.m.: DJ Aaron Castle.

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

Sept. 11-12, 8 p.m.: You won’t believe it, but Marc Anthony is returning for two nights to regale you with the silky smooth sounds of 1999.

Sept. 13, 8 p.m.: If the president of Sony Records’ opinion has any credence, “Roberto Carlos is the king of Latin music.”

Sept. 14, 7:30 p.m.: Soul Jam unites The Stylistics, The Dramatics, the Chi-Lites, Brenton Wood, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes and The Three Degrees on one stage.

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

Sept. 9: The ever-abundant Feast of Fetus.

Sept. 10: John Lafayette Ramey and LZ Love.

Sept. 11: Thursday Night Booty.

Sept. 12: Inazuma, Bullocks Franken, Grim Imperials and a band whose name we can’t mention because they might offend your delicate sensibilities.

Sept. 13: The Magnificent, The Sloths, The Beggars and White Murder.

Sept. 14: Fools on Stools.

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

Sept. 8, 10 p.m.: The irreverent dune dwelling Ron King Quartet returns.



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

Sept. 9: Peter Epstein Quartet.

Sept. 10: Wil Blades Trio.

Sept. 11: Greg Reitan Trio.

Sept. 12-13: Walter Smith III Quintet.

Sept. 14: Jonathan Rowden.

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

Sept. 8, 8 p.m.: Linus Young is from Venice, California, where indie synth pop is still a welcome commodity.

Sept. 12, 8 p.m.: If you like your singer-songwriters to be physically unkempt and your concert-going experience to involve cocktail tables, tonight’s show with Sean Hayes is for you.

Sept. 13, 9 p.m.: Black Taxi calls their act “dance punk,” which we suspect is different from the dance punk of our youth which involved getting kicked in the head repeatedly by a skinhead named Deuce.

Sept. 14, 8 p.m.: The copyright lawsuits have apparently not yet been served so Kimbra’s variety show Space Jam continues for another week.

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

Sept. 8, 11 p.m.: We Are the West returns to discuss the historical preconditions and ecological realities that define the left edge of the North American continent.

Sept. 9, 10 p.m.: Boom Boom Boom warmly welcomes opener Trevor Menear.

Sept. 10, 10 p.m.: Johnny Delaware and The Devil’s Box will explore rock and America’s first state.

Sept. 11, 10 p.m.: Miya Folick warms up the joint for Vinyl Playlist.

Sept. 12, 8 p.m.: Pretty Little Demons and The Black Tongued sound like a Bret Easton Ellis critique of Los Angeles private schools.

Sept. 13, 10 p.m.: Cha-cha-cha-cha-changes as Charlie Chan and the SOBs take a break for Freightshakers.

Sept. 14, 10 p.m.: RT N the 44s will be the ones with the homemade instruments.

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

Sept. 12: Oliver.

Sept. 13: Andhim.

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

Sept. 11, 7:30 p.m.: The ever-building fetishism for vinyl and decades-old Beatles fandom merge in tonight’s scheduled listening of the band’s Something New in mono. That’s right: mono.

If someone in the audience mentions casually, “how warm it sounds,” you will have to restrain yourself from committing a perfectly valid act of violence.

photo by Gary Leonard

ROCK, POP & JAZZ

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Ninth Street watering hole to bombard Grand Park with a steady flow of deep house music, fine drinks and the final Sunday Session community gathering of the year.

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

2 p.m.: Grand Performances hosts a broad selection of Mexican culture with a variety of music and other festivities.

STREET FOOD CINEMA presented by Enjoy an unforgettable homegrown dining experience for breakfast, lunch & dinner.

IT’S MORE THAN JUST AN OUTDOOR MOVIE.

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24 Downtown News Continued from previous page downtownindependent.com.

Sept. 8-11: Expedition to the End of the World chronicles a group of scientists and artists who venture toward the Arctic in an old-fashioned sailing schooner.

Sept. 8-11: If you need to reflect on another relationshipspawned existential crisis set in the millennial era, Jason Nash Is Married may be right for you.

Sept. 10, 8 p.m.: A cross-country musicology voyage explores localized album pressings in The 78 Project.

IMAX California Science Center, 700 State Drive, (213) 744-2019

LAST WEEKS ANSWERS

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS or californiasciencecenter.org.

Island of Lemurs: Madagascar 3D is an eye-popping journey full of, you guessed 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.

Sept. 12, 8 p.m.: Yes, the 1980s are alive and well as St. Elmo’s Fire takes to the big screen.

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

Through Sept. 11: The Identical (12:50, 3:30, 6:45 and 9:30 p.m.); Innocence (12:10, 2:50, 5:25, 7:50 and 10:35 p.m.); As Above/So Below (12:30, 3, 5:30, 8 and 10:40 p.m.); Cantinflas (1:40, 4:30, 7:15 and 10 p.m.); Ghostbusters 30th Anniversary (1:10, 4, 6:50 and 9:20 p.m.); The November Man (1:50, 4:50, 7:20 and 9:50 p.m.); If I Stay (12:05, 3, 6 and 9 p.m.); Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (5:15 and 10:30 p.m.); Sin City: A Dame to Kill For 3D (12:15, 2:45 and 7:45 p.m.); The Expendables 3 (12:25, 3:20, 6:20 and 9:35 p.m.); The Giver (12:40, 3:40, 6:35 and 9:05); Let’s Be Cops (12, 2:30, 5:10, 7:35 and 10:20 p.m.); Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (3:50 and 9:15 p.m.); Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3D (1:20 and 6:30 p.m.); Guardians of the Galaxy (4:20 and 10:05 p.m.); Guardians of the Galaxy 3D (1:30 and 7:05 p.m.); The Amazing Spider-Man 2 3D (1 and 7 p.m.).

THEATER, OPERA & DANCE Animals Out of Paper 120 Judge John Aiso St., (213) 625-7000 or eastwestplayers.org.

CROSSWORD

Sept. 12-13, 8 p.m. and Sept. 14, 2 p.m.: Love and origami fold together nicely in a play from the author of Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. Bob Baker’s Fiesta Bob Baker Marionette Theater, 1345 W. First St., (213) 2509995 or bobbakermarionettes.com.

Sept. 10-12, 10:30 a.m. and Sept. 13-14, 2:30 p.m.: Complete with cacti and sombrero-clad locals, the majesty of the American Southwest achieves its truest remembrance in this puppet spectacle.

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

Sept. 12, 8 p.m.: The worlds of Kathak and Tap Dance unite in an examination of dance in the Indian sub-continent.

La Traviata Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 9727211 or musiccenter.org.

Sept. 13, 6 p.m.: Art Deco motifs festoon this Roaring ’20sthemed opera.

Marjorie Prime Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-7211 or musiccenter.org.

Sept. 10-13, 8 p.m. and Sept. 14, 1 and 6:30 p.m.: Artificial intelligence is the topic du jour as this drama tackles issues of intimacy, identity and camaraderie.

Rosanna Gamson, WIFE and Sheethal Gandhi California Plaza, 350 S. Grand Ave., (213) 687-2159 or grandperformances.org.

8 p.m.: A variety of local performers interpret the sights and sounds of our metropolis and the world beyond in a collage of dance.

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

September 8, 2014 downtownindependent.com.

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

CLASSICAL MUSIC Saturday, September 13 Reza Rohani & Sara Naeini Zipper Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., (213) 621-2200 or colburnschool.edu.

7 p.m.: A Persian big band gets its day when Reza and Sara schlep into town.

MUSEUMS 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 recreation of 1920s-era Main Street, at the time the heart of Los Angeles’s growing immigrant community. Featuring a variety of vignettes—a grocery store, portrait studio, clothing store, phonograph and record store, pharmacy, and more—it offers visitors a hands-on investigation of daily life during that period, encouraging them to make connections between the past and the present.

September 8, 2014

Downtown News 25

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

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

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. 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-to-day 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 19th-century 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.

NISSAN OF DOWNTOWN L.A.

2YOUR EVENT INFO 4 WEB: LADowntownNews.com/calendar 4 EMAIL: Calendar@DowntownNews.com

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

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

One copy per person.

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

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

One copy per person.

circulAtioN: Danielle Salmon 888-304-7039 888-685-5426 distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles 3300 S. FIGUEROAdistributioN ST. • FELIXCHEVROLET.COM 1900 S. FIGUEROA ST. • PORSCHEDOWNTOWNLA.COM AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla

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S I N C E 19 7 2 Kristin Friedrich, Kylie Jane Wakefield White, UC1629R/107554 CPO, PDK, Chrono, Prem.Pkg plus, Park Assist, 4kmiles (ES120603) Los Angeles Downtown News Art dirEctor: Brian Allison 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 Silver, F14605-1/178839

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26 Downtown News

September 8, 2014

Map © 2014 Cartifact

DWP

DOG PARK

SPRING STREET PARK

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FUTURE KOREAN AIR WILSHIRE GRAND

COURTYARD

BY MARRIOTT

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METRO CHARTER SCHOOL

September 8, 2014

DT

CLASSIFIEDS REAL ESTATE RESIDENTIAL

SERVICES donation pick-up

home for sale

WHAT’S YOUR LOFT WORTH? Free Online Home Evaluation

LALOFTEVAL.COM lofts for sale

TheLoftExpertGroup.com Downtown since 2002

Bill Cooper

213.598.7555 FOR RENT

To place a classified ad in the Downtown News please call 213-481-1448, or go to DowntownNews.com Deadline classified display and line ads are Thursday at 12pm.

FORfor RENT All submissions are subject to federal and California fair housing laws, which make it illegal to indicate in any advertisement any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, source of income or physical or mental disability. We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

EMPLOYMENT General

ST. VINCENT de Paul Thrift Store. For free pickup by truck of your donations 1-800-974-3571.

210 North Avenue 21, Los Angeles 25% off w/ this ad. Expires 10-1-14. computers/it IT COMPUTER/REPAIR SERVICE, Wifi, Routers, DSL, MAC & Windows, Free diagnostic; Onsite or remote technical help on phone/online. Call for free quote/ consultation. 213-923-9349 home improvement Ruben Garcia: Experienced painter of interiors and exteriors. Does very good work.

Reasonable prices. Call for a quote 323 - 622- 9583.

AUTOS & RECREATIONAL

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

ANNOUNCEMENTS volunteer opportunities Need homestay family for Indonesian male 17 who will attend local high school, can help with rent, guardian is retired local. Contact Gordon. 213-3047972

ITEMS FOR SALE collectaBles Rare 1976 Marimekko. Hot primary colors. $275. Call 213-5051431 for picture.

pre-oWned homes/unfurnished

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old Bank District The original Live/Work Lofts from $1,295 Cafes, Bars, Shops, Galleries, Parking adjacent. Pets no charge Call 213.253.4777 LAloft.com

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Downtown News 27

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

LEGAL fictitious Business name Fictitious Business name statement File no. 2014201608 The following person is doing business as: New Energy Design Group, 1250 Long Beach Ave, Loft #115, Los Angeles, CA 90021, are hereby registered by the following registrant: Michael Ulmer, 1250 Long Beach Ave, Loft #115, Los Angeles, CA 90021. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant has not begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed.

This statement was filed with DEAN C. LOGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk on July 25, 2014.

NOTICE—This fictitious name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new

fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et. seq. Business and Professions Code).

Pub. 08/18, 08/25, 09/01, 09/08/2014.

Fictitious Business name statement File no. 2014210304 The following person is doing business as: LA Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast, 545 S. San Pedro Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013, are hereby registered by the following registrant: Union Rescue Mission, 545 S. San Pedro Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013.

This business is conducted by a corporation. Registrant has not begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein.

This statement was filed with DEAN C. LOGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk on AUGUST 01, 2014.

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

Pub. 08/18, 08/25, 09/01, and 09/08/2014 leGal notices

DePaRtment oF tHe tReasuReR anD taX collectoR notice of Divided Publication notice oF DiViDeD PuBlication oF tHe PRoPeRtY taX DeFault

(DelinQuent) list made pursuant to section 3371, Revenue and taxation code Pursuant to Sections 3381 through 3385, Revenue and Taxation Code, the Notice of Power to Sell Tax Defaulted Property in and for Los Angeles County, State of California, has been divided and distributed to various newspapers of general circulation published in the County. A portion of the list appears in each of such newspapers.

I, Mark J. Saladino, County of Los Angeles Tax Collector, State of California, certify that: Notice is hereby given that the real properties listed below were declared to be in tax default at 12:01 a.m. on July 1, 2012, by operation of law. The declaration of default was due to nonpayment of the total amount due for the taxes, assessments, and other charges levied in the 20112012 tax year that were a lien on the listed real property. Property upon which a nuisance abatement lien has been recorded and non-residential commercial property shall be subject to sale if the taxes remain unpaid after three years. If the 2011-2012 taxes remain unpaid after June 30, 2015, the property will be subject to sale at public auction in 2016. All other property that remains unpaid after June 30, 2017, will be subject to sale at public auction in 2018. The name of the assessee and the total tax, which was due on June 30, 2012, for the 2011-12 tax year, is shown opposite the parcel number. Tax defaulted real property may be redeemed by payment of all unpaid taxes and assessments, together with the additional penalties and fees as prescribed by law, or it may be paid under an installment plan of redemption.

All information concerning redemption of tax-defaulted property will be furnished, upon request, by Mark J. Saladino, Treasurer and Tax Collector, 225 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, California 90012, 1(888) 807-

2111 or 1(213) 974-2111.

I certify under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed at Los Angeles, California on August 14, 2014.

MARK J. SALADINO TREASURER AND TAX COLLECTOR COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES STATE OF CALIFORNIA Assessees/taxpayers, who have disposed of real property since January 1, 2009, may find their names listed for the reason that a change in ownership has not been reflected on the assessment roll. assessoR’s iDentiFication numBeRinG sYstem eXPlanation The Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN), when used to describe property in this list, refers to the Assessor’s map book, the map page, the block on the map (if applicable), and the individual parcel on the map page or in the block. The Assessor’s maps and further explanation of the parcel numbering system are available in the Assessor’s Office.

The

following

property

tax

defaulted on July 1, 2012, for the taxes, assessments, and other charges for the fiscal year 2011-12: LISTED BELOW ARE PROPERTIES THAT DEFAULTED IN 2012 FOR TAXES, ASSESSMENTS AND 0THER CHARGES FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2011-2012.

AMOUNT OF DELINQUENCY AS OF THIS PUBLICATION IS LISTED BELOW. CREHAN,THOMAS M CO TR CREHAN FAMILY TRUST SITUS 121 S HOPE ST APT 0602 LOS ANGELES CA 900125020 5151-002-158 $7,942.87 DEIRMENJIAN,RAFFE SITUS 4270 MELROSE AVE LOS ANGELES CA 90029-3541 5538-029-002 $7,302.71 LANDAVERDE,JUANA D SITUS 925 N VIRGIL AVE LOS ANGELES CA 90029-2911 5539-008-003 $3,027.14 LYNCH,MARGUERITE M ET AL KASDEN,MARGUERITE SITUS 800 W 1ST ST APT 2009 LOS ANGELES CA 900122429 5151-027-156/S2010-010 $6,793.58 PATTILLO,THELMA TR THELMA PATTILLO TRUST AND PATTILLO,DARRELL SITUS 5255 VIRGINIA AVE LOS ANGELES CA 90029-1211 5537-010-026 $13,274.97 SEVIAN,SUSAN DECD EST OF SITUS 833 N RIDGEWOOD PL LOS ANGELES CA 900384327 5535-001-017 $9,359.15.

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after all the good ideas have been attempted. It is baffling how the concept has risen to the top of the pile when recommendations such as moving a largely ignored election day or other steps to reduce so-called “voter fatigue” seem left on the floor.

Heck, a voting lottery is what you might get if you put Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton in charge of the City Clerk’s office.

The exchange would probably go like this.

Clerk Hilton: People totally aren’t voting. What do you think we should do? And how do you like these pants?

Clerk Kardashian: Those pants are awesome. You should wear them with the Louboutins. And, I dunno, maybe voting could take place at a concert where my husband Kanye West headlines. How do like this Hope Diamond necklace he bought me?

Clerk Hilton: The necklace is hot. You should wear it with the new Versace dress. But Kanye can’t play at every election. Maybe, like, we could pay people to vote. Should I buy a baby?

Clerk Kardashian: Babies are great, but make sure yours comes with three nannies. And I know! Let’s have a voting lottery! Make people think they’ll get money without actually doing anything to earn it. Americans love that!

Clerk Hilton: Yes! Clerk Kardashian: Yes! Clerk Hilton: Yes! Eric Garcetti is hot!

From the Inside OK, I’m being facetious, but as mentioned above, how about looking at cash payouts only after trying other steps? Those steps, by the way, include having city politicians acknowledge that their attempts at career longevity are part of the problem.

Actually, they’re about 88% of the problem. Get-out-the-vote efforts by politicians who target their own constituencies are much more effective for them when the voting pool is miniscule. That and other machinations mean many local elections are highly, if legally, manipulated.

Said another way, local balloting is increasingly more a coronation than an election. While theoretically anyone can run for any office, the power of entrenched office holders and political machines, including big-money labor and business groups, means that choice is quashed long before election day.

The Garcetti-Greuel mayor’s race was one example, as many people saw not a stark contrast where an election defines the future, but rather a pair of entrenched City Hall progressive Democrats with many more similarities than differences. Or consider the recent election to replace First District County Supervisor Gloria Molina: This is one of the most powerful jobs in California, and each supe represents 2 million people. Yet, behind-the-scenes maneuvers and deal-making resulted in Hilda Solis being the only credible candidate on the ballot. There were a couple contenders with the heft of a daisy, but really, the choice was made long before people hit the polls. This is good for democracy how?

City Council members share culpability, as most elections boil down to a powerful incumbent and a token opponent or two. Nine months before his March re-election bid, Wesson had raised $213,000, according to documents filed with the City Ethics Commission. Meanwhile, the lone person to file papers to run against him has raised exactly zero dollars. Yes, Wesson is playing by the rules, but in doing so he and other incumbents are crushing the chance of opposition long before election day.

The issue is even more pronounced in Downtown Los Angeles, where 14th District City Councilman José Huizar has raised $649,000, and his three competitors have a cumulative $4,300.

How can anyone feel his or her vote matters when the election is a rubber stamp?

There’s another issue, too, one that gets to the essence of democracy: Some people forget, but going to the polls is both a privilege and a duty. Wars have been fought and people have gone to jail in the quest to secure the right to vote. Women in the United States couldn’t pick a president until the Suffrage movement led to the 19th Amendment being ratified in 1920. It took the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to open the polls for most African Americans. Local political ruses make a mockery of the great sacrifices inherent in those accomplishments.

Maybe, just maybe, it’s worth the politicians accepting the responsibility for change and doing the hard work to remind people how important voting is to our democracy, and then creating an opportunity for them to vote conveniently.

Or maybe our local leaders just want to spread the idea that, if you cast a ballot, then you might get rich. regardie@downtownnews.com