10-28-13

The Death of the Office Cubicle | 20 Halloween Fun Downtown | 26

OCTOBER 28, 2013 I VOL. 42 I #43

There’s Hope Inside Downtown Gets a New $16 Million Family Center SEE STORY PAGE 20

Photo by Gary Leonard

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PAGES 9-18

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AROUND TOWN

International Cleantech Conference Coming Downtown

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veryone knows that clean technology is one of the biggest business opportunities around, with governments and companies recognizing that sustainability matters both to the planet and, more importantly, to customers.

What everyone doesn’t understand is the opportunities available in the wide-ranging field.

Some of that will soon be made clear in Downtown Los Angeles. The inaugural Cleantech Global Showcase, put on by the Arts District’s Cleantech Los Angeles center, is scheduled for Monday-Tuesday, Nov. 4-5, at the J.W. Marriott hotel at L.A. Live. The event, which seeks to foster clean technology opportunities in domestic and foreign markets, will feature companies representing sectors from solar power to alternative fuels to freight movement; the more than 15 countries to be represented at the event include Brazil, China, Japan, France, Germany and the United States. The idea, said Fred Walti, executive director of Cleantech Los Angeles, sprung from the international businesses that visit CLA’s Downtown headquarters each week. “We thought, let’s have a conference on the nexus of international trade, where L.A. is the largest import-export center in the United States, and the international business of clean technology, because this a global business,”

October 28, 2013

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS he said. More than 70 speakers are lined up, among them Mayor Eric Garcetti. Registration and additional information are at Cleantechla. org/showcase or (213) 375-8980.

TAKE MY PICTURE GARY LEONARD

Music Center Launches ‘Living Arts Encyclopedia’

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istorically, the best way to learn about performing arts at Downtown’s Music Center has been to go to one of the Music Center’s venues. Now, all that is needed is a computer (or smart phone or tablet) and an Internet connection. The Music Center last week announced that it has created a free online teaching arts tool, or what it describes as a “living arts encyclopedia,” called Artsource. Based on an education program that was introduced by the Music Center in 1989 and later incorporated into school textbooks, the online Artsource is intended to support teaching and learning in and through the arts. The reference guide offers 69 “units of study” in the disciplines of dance, music and theater. Featured groups or artists include American Ballet Theatre, George Gershwin, Diavolo and composer John Adams.

Each of the individual pages features extensive information about the artists, with text and often video accompaniment. “Taking Artsource to the Internet provides us with a platform to broaden the reach of arts education by offering educators and students 24/7, 365 access to a rich arts resource, and aligns with the move toward the digital classroom,” said Stephen D. Rountree, president and CEO of the Music Center. Artsource is accessible through musiccenter.org.

Cold Case Homicide Unit

Detective Rick Jackson

Metro Approves Key Concepts for Union Station Master Plan

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he Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Board of Directors last week approved plans to redesign Union Station’s bus facility and passenger concourse. The approach, part of the long-range Master Plan for the Downtown landmark, calls for the Patsaouras Bus Facility to be moved into a north-south configuration closer to Alameda Street, where it would run alongside the western edge of

Retiring

October 22, 2013

the train tracks. The passenger concourse, meanwhile, will be expanded and placed in an east-west layout over the tracks, providing easier access to the train platforms. A Master Plan report stated that the configuration will allow for greater development of amenities and offer a better connection between the east and west portions of Union Station, which would be also free up the historic building for “re-programming that creates a destination not completely reliant upon transit uses.” The plan approved by the board on Continued on page 19

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EDITORIALS

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS

October 28, 2013

Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis

Spooky Good

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very year it seems, we marvel at how big Halloween has become in Downtown Los Angeles. That’s because every year there is more to do.

The trend continues this week. On and around Thursday, Oct. 31, more than a dozen major events and celebrations are taking place. These range from a huge party for kids in South Park to Lucha VaVoom, a mix of masked Mexican wrestling and burlesque dancing that is strictly for adults. There are two haunted houses — both are in the Variety Arts Center — and even an opportunity to put pets in costumes (a full rundown is on p. 26).

There are a lot of reasons to like the Halloween surge. One relates to economics, as the holiday propels sales at a variety of businesses, from Fashion District costume and clothing shops to Historic Core and Financial District bars. As in other cities, Halloween here has become a major economic force, and if the people getting dressed up as witches and politicians help keep other people employed, that’s a good thing.

The more impressive step in Downtown concerns how Halloween increases the sense of community. This isn’t just the kind of community that arises when people are dressed as witches and politicians in bars, though that’s good too.

Rather, Halloween increasingly offers an opportunity for Downtowners to come together, in the dark and the light. For example, consider a new addition to this year’s slate: Grand Park, which has been wowing Downtown since it opened in July 2012, is holding a weeklong celebration of the Day of the Dead.

Approximately 40 altars will be set up in the park stretching from the Music Center to City Hall, giving area workers, residents and visitors something different to check out (an older Day of the Dead celebration takes place at Olvera Street). The displays will be complemented by a Noche de Ofrenda ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 26, and an eight-hour Dia de los Muertos concert the following Saturday.

All of this is free, and it all creates mingling opportunities.

Another bonus is how celebrating Halloween is no longer limited to a few hours on one night. While most people will come out on the evening of Oct. 31, there are extended activities such as the Grand Park event. A huge two-day rave takes place at Los Angeles State Historic Park on Nov. 2-3, and the haunted houses have been running for weeks. So has the Natural History Museum’s Spider Pavilion.

What really makes all this activity special is that it is so different from what Downtown offered before the residential revolution. Even a decade ago there were only a few scattered public events. Back then, trick or treating was out of the question and most activities took place just on Oct. 31.

In that way, the expansion of the Halloween experience echoes the expansion of Downtown. As Downtown continues to grow, so will the opportunities for people to come together.

L.A. River: Keep Up the Push for ‘Alternative 20’

L

ooking at the Los Angeles River is all about perspective. If you have paid little attention to the 51-mile waterway, then it’s likely something between a nonentity and an embarrassment.

If, however, you have watched the evolution of the river, and more importantly followed the evolution in Angelenos’ attitudes toward it, then you may see it through shades of something different: potential.

We subscribe to the latter view, though with a healthy dose of the former: The Los Angeles River is frequently an embarrassment, its concrete casing off-putting and its polluted waters distressing. At the same time, thanks to the work of some dedicated activists, a growing number of Angelenos have come to realize that the past does not have to dictate the future, and that the possibility of a more usable waterway, one that is vibrant and welcoming to community uses, is out there.

This is important because, right now, local leaders and stakeholders have the opportunity to get involved and advocate for the most significant change to the river in decades. Accomplishing the goal will be difficult, but it is not impossible.

The opportunity comes via the Army Corps of Engineers, the same entity that decades ago poured concrete over much of the river’s banks. Back then it was a flood-control action, and the immediate aim of ensuring public safety was taken with little to no regard for the river’s long-term look or functionality. For many, the graffiti-scarred concrete has come to be the defining feature of the waterway. Just think of the portions that were the setting for the car race scene in the movie Grease. That is just one of its many appearances in film and TV. Now, the Army Corps is considering options to improve an 11mile stretch of the river from Griffith Park to Downtown Los Angeles.

Through its Los Angeles River Ecosystem Feasibility Study, the Corps weighed four visions and is recommending what is labeled Alternative 13: The $454 million effort would restore 588 acres.

That sounds good, but it’s not the best option — it’s not even close.

A number of area organizations and elected leaders, from the Friends of the Los Angeles River (FoLAR) to the L.A. River Revitalization Corporation to Mayor Eric Garcetti, are pushing hard for another option, Al-

ternative 20. It would restore 719 acres at a cost of $1.08 billion.

Much of the public push came to a head on Oct. 17, when several hundred people showed up for a meeting at the Los Angeles River Center and Gardens. The turnout and passion was impressive and proved beyond a doubt that many people do care. However, that show of force should not be considered a victory or the end of the effort: The public comment period lasts through Nov. 18.

FoLAR has reached out in Downtown, working to convince area residents and business interests that they should speak up in support of Alternative 20. The nonprofit, which started pushing river restoration long before environmentalism became a buzzword, is right in doing so: A key to Alternative 20 is that it would enhance the ties between the river and Los Angeles State Historic Park by creating wetlands and a marsh. It is the only one of the options being considered by the Army Corps that connects the river to the park.

The possibilities for a community dominated by concrete — much of it vertical — are wonderful. Alternative 20, once realized, would allow the Downtowners to come to the park not just for exercise or a picnic, but also to stroll along the banks and watch the wildlife. It would provide a sense of nature in an area that sorely lacks it.

The coming weeks are critical. Alternative 13 is the Corps’ “preferred option,” so Los Angeles needs local figures to lead the charge in advocating for a different selection. Garcetti should continue his outreach to his contacts in Washington, D.C., and other council members and elected officials who have taken public stances should also keep up a forceful push.

It is not only up to elected leaders. Area residents and workers can get involved in a number of ways, including signing a petition supporting Alternative 20 on Garcetti’s lamayor.org website. Other petitions are out there as well.

Another important step is reaching out directly to the Army Corps, and fortunately, this is simple. Anyone can email a statement in support of Alternative 20 to comments.lariverstudy@usace.army.mil.

It is uncertain at this point if the Corps can be persuaded to toss aside its preferred option. However, it is worth a serious try. Push for Alternative 20. Los Angeles and Downtown deserve it.

October 28, 2013

Downtown News 5

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Happy City Hall-oween VI Permitting Hell and Back to Basics Candy: a Visit to the Scariest Place in Downtown

By Jon Regardie owntown Los Angeles has two big Halloween haunted houses, but when it comes to inspiring fear in everyday Angelenos, they pale in comparison to City Hall. Much of what transpires in the Civic Center edifice is shocking to those who don’t know how power works or who you have to pay — literally or figuratively — to get what you want.

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THE REGARDIE REPORT While a few hours in the building could drive any non-lobbyist mad, things ratchet up on Halloween. Here is the sixth annual guide — and the first since Eric Ghostcetti became mayor — to the completely imaginary shenanigans that will unfold there on Oct. 31. Abandon hope all ye who enter and think your problems will be solved. Bwahahahahaha!

Basic Approach: You arrive at the front entrance to City Hall expecting to find beaming officials welcoming you. Instead, you see a sign haphazardly affixed to the door with spit and Scotch tape reading “Back to Basics Halloween, Down Hall, to Left, in Some Door.” You get there and find three figures wearing plain white sheets with black ghost eyes and buttons that read “Back to Basics! Boo-ray!” You neglect to chuckle and open your bag, hoping for candy. Instead, the Back to Basics Ghosts give you a 27-page press release about reforming the DWP. Disappointed, you leave.

“Follow us on Twitter,” they call as you depart.

Memories of the Past and Future: You walk up a flight of stairs and emerge in the hallway near council chambers. A man at the far end of the hall sees you, waves and runs your way, holding up a briefcase. As he approaches, you see he is wearing a $3,000 suit; you can smell the faint whiff of Charlie Sheen coming off him.

Somehow he reminds you of a past mayor. He opens his mouth and the light reflecting off his beautiful white teeth nearly blinds you. He flips open the briefcase. “Can I tell you about Herbalife?” he asks with zeal. Noooooo! You run.

Sacramento South Puppet Show: You dart into council chambers and see activity near the “horseshoe” where meetings take place.

You approach and see a man in a cream-colored suit standing at the council president’s seat. He’s holding a device with strings connected to six human-shaped forms. Are those puppets? The puppeteer wiggles his fingers and they dance, bow, fetch coffee and do all that he commands. “Where did those nice puppets come from?” you ask.

A grizzled observer of the show looks at you and says, “Sacramento!

Most of them got here this summer! The man in charge made it all happen.” You stand impressed: This man at the council president’s seat sure is good at manipulating those below him!

If the Suit Fits: After what feels like 666 minutes you leave, looking for a restroom. You open a door, only to see a former council deputy chief of staff holding a sexual harassment lawsuit. Oh no, you want nothing to do with this. You quietly close the door and slink away.

The Paper Chase: You are walking down the hall when you hear a sharp “slash!” sound. Then another. You follow the noise and wind up near the mayor’s conference room. You peek inside a door and glimpse about 35 people who look like the heads of various city departments, but you can’t be sure. They are all hunched over school desks, and each one is scribbling on a sheet of paper.

You realize they are all writing essays about themselves and why they are awesome. A name is called and a man with a Fire Chief’s badge stands. He hands over his paper, then looks glum as the Continued on page 8

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October 28, 2013

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS

Huizar, Under Fire, Appears at Downtown Campaign Fundraiser Councilman Kicks Off Re-election Bid in the Wake of Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

By Donna Evans mbattled City Councilman José Huizar last week found a way to momentarily escape the glare of reports over an intra-office affair and the rising cost of his Downtown streetcar: He kicked off his 2015 re-election bid.

On Tuesday, Oct. 22, hundreds of people showed up at the Spring Street nightclub Exchange L.A. for a fundraiser for the 14th District councilman’s third four-year term. The invitation, which requested donations of $250 to $700, listed Council President Herb Wesson as a “special guest.”

Mariachis played in the hallway at the 6 p.m. event as supporters milled about the cavernous bar. Overhead were swirling and flashing colored lights. A DJ spun heavy bass beats, and a huge “Jose Huizar 2015” sign hung next to a photo slideshow of Huizar interacting with constituents.

The event came five days after Huizar’s former deputy chief of staff Francine Godoy sued the councilman and the city, claiming Huizar engaged in a “campaign of sexual harassment and retaliation.” Hours after the suit was filed, Huizar acknowledged an “occasional and consensual relationship” with Godoy, though he denied any harassment.

According to the lawsuit, Godoy wanted to run for a seat on the Community College Board of Trustees, and Huizar’s support of her campaign was contingent upon her having sex with him.

After she refused, the complaint states, Godoy was told that she should no longer show up at the office, and instead work from home. Her assignments and duties were cut significantly.

Godoy, who saw her salary triple during the time she spent working for Huizar, left his office early this year and took a position with the Bureau of Sanitation.

Huizar has also seen costs for his proposed Downtown streetcar soar. The project, long pitched to area inhabitants as a $125 million endeavor, now has a projected price of up to $327.8 mil-

E

photo by Donna Evans

Flashing lights and a DJ’s thumping beats highlighted a photo slideshow during Councilman José Huizar’s kickoff event for his 2015 re-election campaign.

lion, according to a city-prepared analysis. Initial budget projections did not take into account the full cost of utility relocation, which is now estimated at up to $165.8 million, according to the city report.

Continuing Support At Tuesday’s event, Huizar received effusive support from Wesson; the two were allies in the redistricting battle that ended up taking much of Downtown out of the Ninth District and putting it in Huizar’s 14th District. Wesson later named Huizar chair of the council’s influential Planning and Land Use Management Committee.

In his introduction, Wesson thundered into the microphone, “Mr. Huizar is like my brother, my best friend on the council. I trust him with my life. He does the same for me.” The unwaver-

ing endorsement, which ended with, “We stand with him,” was captured on a video obtained by Downtown News.

Wesson three months ago instructed city officials to form a special committee to investigate Godoy’s complaint against Huizar, though he did not publicly identify either party. Although the five-member panel, known as the Special Committee on Investigative Oversight, is charged with submitting its findings to Wesson and his council colleagues, Wesson told the Los Angeles Times last week that he will be impartial regardless of his support for Huizar’s re-election.

Outside the Exchange on Tuesday, Maria Elena Durazo, the executive secretary-treasurer of the powerful Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, told reporters that although she has concerns about the allegations, she is not in a position to say whether Huizar is guilty of sexual harassment. There is a process that will determine the outcome, she said.

“He’s been very good to the working people; he has really stood up for good jobs and that is what we, as a labor movement, are all about,” Durazo said while waiting for a valet to bring her car. “So unless and until something happens around those allegations, we are going to stand with Councilman Huizar.”

Also outside the private event, Carol Schatz, president and CEO of the Central City Association, categorized Huizar’s lawsuit and affair admission as “personal issues.” She pointed out that during his tenure on the council he has had many positive effects on Los Angeles.

The controversy comes as Huizar, who with his wife Richelle has four children, is dealing with a family health crisis. His youngest daughter was recently diagnosed with leukemia.

The primary election for the 14th District seat is in March 2015. donna@downtownnews.com

October 28, 2013

Downtown News 7

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CITY HALL-OWEEN, 5 guy in charge mutters something that sounds like, “faulty response times.” Suddenly, an executioner stands. He approaches the man with the Fire Chief’s badge. You turn your head, close your eyes and wince when you hear the “slash!” sound. You leave without turning back.

A Streetcar Desired: You need to get out of the building pronto.

You see a sign saying “Downtown Streetcar Stop.” You sit at the bench. You wait. And wait and wait and wait and wait. Will the Downtown streetcar ever get here? You keep waiting. A streetcar sure sounds like a good idea, you think. How complex can it be? How much will it cost? You wait. And wait and wait and wait.

While on the bench you see a woman who works in City Hall; you ask when the streetcar will get here. The woman just points at you and laughs. And laughs and laughs and laughs. You keep waiting for the streetcar. No streetcar. You fall asleep. When you wake up, the woman is rolling on the floor, laughing at you as you wait for the streetcar. You look to your left and see three skeletons, and think that perhaps people have grown old and died while waiting for the Downtown streetcar. You decide to leave.

More Memories: Before you take even three steps, the man who earlier reminded you of a former mayor sees you and comes zipping down the hall. He whips open his briefcase and, with double bunny energy, enthuses, “Can I tell you about Herbalife?” You ignore him, and realize it’s not that hard to do.

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October 28, 2013

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Play My Song: As you march on, you hear a collection of beautiful singing voices. They are all men, except for one lone woman’s tones. You follow the song and see, in the City Hall rotunda, the man from before at the city council president’s seat; he’s wearing a crown and standing on a throne. He lifts an arm and the chorus of 14 people gets louder. He drops his arm and they instantly grow quieter. He instructs those standing below him to change their tune and they do so instantly. You watch and they sing whatever he asks, including, for some reason, a song with the letters D, W and P and the repeated phrase “best contract ever.” How did he gain such control over them, you wonder? Then, a problem! One member goes slightly out of tune. The man from the president’s throne threatens to take away his toys and the singer gets back in line with the rest of the group. The song continues.

Permit Me to Say Hell-o: After the chorus finishes, you see a door. You enter. As soon as it closes, you are punched in the stomach. You double over in pain and, as you look down, see a placard on the floor reading, “Welcome to the L.A. Permitting Office!” You glance around and notice hundreds of aspiring housing developers, would-be restaurant owners and other entrepreneurs hoping to open a business in Los Angeles. Each time one straightens up, a bureaucrat comes over, screams “No!” and punches him or her in the stomach again. Why would the city treat someone who wants to open a business and create jobs this way? You can’t figure it out, but every time someone stands and expresses a modicum of confidence, another gut punch is delivered. Realizing you can’t deal with this, you leave.

Follow the Bouncing Ball: Back in the hallway a football lands at your feet. It says NFL on it. Suddenly a councilman comes running down the hall. He’s followed by six other councilmen. Seeing the ball, they all dive for it. They appear to land on it, but somehow it squirts away. “There it is!” screams one. They say a “Hail Leiweke” and chase it up, down and around in circles, but no matter how hard they try, they can’t seem to grab it. You see the grizzled observer from before and ask how long this has been happening. “About 19 years,” he says. You wonder if this group of people will ever be able to get a handle on the NFL football. For some reason you’re reminded of the myth of Sisyphus, who was condemned to push a boulder uphill for eternity.

No Candy for You: The day has beaten you down. You’re tired.

You’re hungry. You spent all day inside City Hall and didn’t make out with anyone, and you’re not sure how that happened. You see an exit and walk toward it, expecting that someone will give you a nice piece of candy before you depart. You see a huge bowl with a sign attached to it that says, “Back to Basics Halloween: Please Take One.” However, the bowl is empty. You wonder if others got here first, or if there was ever even anything in it.

You punch yourself in the face and leave. regardie@downtownnews.com

October 28, 2013

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Downtown News 9

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10 Downtown News

LAST MINUTE OFFICE PARTIES

October 28, 2013

Making the Holidays Bear-able Arts District Beer Cafe Does Food and Plenty of Drinks

By Donna Evans owntown Los Angeles has a lot of Italian restaurants. There are also a number of French and Mexican establishments. Most are available for holiday parties.

One thing the community has in short supply is Belgian eateries. In fact, we can only think of one: Little Bear.

While many people know the Arts District establishment for its beer, it also has a solid burger, as well as a number of sandwiches — most of which are accompanied by, yes, Belgian fries. Another thing people may not know is that the restaurant/bar is a nice-sized space for private parties. General manager Andrew Kelley said dates are still available for the coming holidays, though party planners are advised to call soon.

D

Los Angeles Downtown News: How does Little Bear pull a party together?

Andrew Kelley: We have a nice space on the side that’s easily manipulated by tables. The dining room can be halved, as most people gravitate toward the windows on the east side of the restaurant, so the western end, about 400 square feet, can become an almost private dining experience.

Q: How many people can you accommodate?

A: We’ve had 30 people in this area before. People want to know that they can have a section all to themselves and not be disturbed by people wandering in and it’s easy to set it up that way.

Q: How last-minute can a party be?

A: Potentially, day of. Generally, 24-hour notice would be sufficient, assuming there were no prior reservations on the books for the requested time. Earlier that week is good too.

Q: How does your pricing work?

A: We’re very flexible. We’ve offered limited prix-fixe menus, and we’ve also done some buffets. If someone comes in and says I want to host my office party here, but I’m here all the time and I love your crispy Brussels sprouts or I love your mac and cheese or I love your wings, we can make up 10 orders of that for you and have it ready for your arrival. It ends up pricing out at $10 to $20 per person. If you’re more interested in some shared appetizers, but everyone wants his or her own sandwich, it would go into the low to mid $20s.

Q: What options do you have for vegans and vegetarians?

A: The farro burger is vegan. It’s primarily red beans and farro, which is a grain, avocado, bell peppers, roasted red pepper, bibb lettuce and tofu aoli on a whole wheat bun. Whenever I’m cutting down on my red meat consumption, this is my go-to burger. We also have a variety of salads and for vegetarians, the mac and cheese and grilled cheese are popular.

Q: How do you think alcohol affects office parties?

A: Well, the reason they’d be coming to us is because they want to let loose a little bit. If

The Belgian establishment Little Bear can prevent holiday parties from becoming a grizzly experience. Sorry, we couldn’t resist. General manager Andrew Kelley runs the Arts District destination.

photo by Gary Leonard

not, they could just have the office catered and drink Kool-Aid or whatever. We’re here to provide the space and have it be relaxing, very open, so people can mingle. Or organize it anyway you like, and set up tables to divide into groups and have more intimate discussions over a beer or glass of wine or cocktail. You have office parties to have everyone come together, for this sense of camaraderie and team building.

Q: Draft Magazine ranks you as one of the top 100 beer bars in the United States. How many selections are we talking about?

A: We have 17 constantly rotating taps. Most beers are on for two to three weeks, but they’re

staggered, so the menu changes almost daily.

Plus, we have 50 bottled beers.

Q: How loud is Little Bear? Could any on-site entertainment potentially conflict with the boss’ speech?

A: We’re rather restrictive with the entertainment we can provide. There’s no live music, but there are a couple of TVs behind the bar. There’s no worry that the sounds are going to drown out that toast someone’s been working on all year. We’ve hosted city organizations, design, architecture and fashion industry events. We’ll do whatever we need to make it work.

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

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October 28, 2013

Downtown News 11

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12 Downtown News

October 28, 2013

LAST MINUTE OFFICE PARTIES

And to the Republic At Which You Party

Jean Louis De Mori at Maccheroni Republic, a 70-seat restaurant specializing in pasta.

For holiday parties he recommends familystyle service.

Order Up Fresh Pastas and a Cozy Atmosphere At a Broadway Restaurant

By Eddie Kim ean Louis De Mori and Antonio Tommasi first won over diners when they opened the Italian joint Locanda Veneta in West Hollywood in 1988. Twenty-five years and four restaurants later, they landed in Downtown Los Angeles.

Instead of pursuing a high-end restaurant, De Mori and Tommasi opted for an osteria, the neighborhood restaurants found throughout Italy that feature simple, comforting food. The 70seat Maccheroni Republic provides exactly that.

You won’t find fancy passed hors d’oeuvres or a mixologist here, but the fresh pastas have quickly made it a neighborhood favorite, and it’s a strong holiday party option. Maccheroni Republic’s intimate atmosphere and affordable menu could be a perfect fit for those looking to please a crowd without breaking the bank.

J

Los Angeles Downtown News: How big of a group can you accommodate?

Jean Louis De Mori: We’ve done several smaller parties around 20 people, which is a good number for us. We can prepare different menus that are family style, and guests tend to enjoy this.

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

A: For Christmas, we already have some reserva-

tions. Basically people should start making arrangements as soon as they know how many people are coming. It’s just risky not to start talking to a restaurant or venue as soon as you can.

photo by Gary Leonard

Q: That being said, what’s the worst-case scenario that you can handle?

A: Sometimes people will ask about bringing in 20 people on the same day. During the week, like Monday through Wednesday, we can usually handle a same-day request. The weekend is obviously when things get difficult, and people need to expect that.

Q: What’s your advice for people who are planning at the last minute?

A: To be very flexible with the requests, either time-wise or menu-wise. It’s happened to me many times where they’ll just announce 20 people are coming tonight, and I’ll suggest 5:30 to 7:30 and they want something later, when it’s packed. Flexibility is key.

Q: What kind of menu do you offer for parties?

A: We usually pick around five to six pastas and maybe some starters and serve the whole group. For a smaller restaurant like ours, if you have 20 people and each person orders something different, the entire service slows down.

It’s not good for the rest of the restaurant and

everyone starts complaining.

Q: How do you handle vegans or gluten-free diners?

A: We can definitely accommodate people with specific needs. For gluten-free options we have polenta, we have quinoa, rice that we can do a risotto with, and we have some penne that’s gluten-free. And there are lots of Italian dishes that can be made vegan, especially with all the tomato sauces and things like that. The difficulty is when people don’t want any olive oil (laughs).

Q: How much should you expect to spend per person?

A: For food only, about $20-$25. We’re very affordable in that way — we don’t charge for parties, we charge for food. We’re supposed to get our wine and liquor license soon, but for now there’s no corkage fee, either.

Q: What can people do to keep the price down but still host a good party?

A: I think they have to talk out the menu with

the owner. And it’s important to get the head count right and keep the menu simple and consistent because that makes it easier for the kitchen, easier on the food cost. When you want more and more different things you have to expect more time and more money required.

Q: What can people do to make planning easier for the restaurant?

A: Be open to suggestions or changes from the restaurant. Also, be understanding of some extra fees. People try to bring their own food and get upset when we want to charge fees for that, but that’s not how we can survive as a restaurant. We still have to clean the dishes, you’re still taking up seats.

Q: So, why is Maccheroni Republic a good choice for a group event?

A: First of all, it’s a family atmosphere and it feels intimate even if you’re in a bigger crowd.

And pasta makes people happy. It’s just how it is!

At 323 S. Broadway or (213) 346-9725.

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October 28, 2013

Downtown News 13

LAST MINUTE OFFICE PARTIES

Seeking Peking for a Party New Chinese Gastropub Offers a Twist on a Trend

By Eddie Kim astropubs are all the rage in Los Angeles. Andrew Chiu and Andrew Wong are part of the trend, but at the same time, they’re doing something different: Their Peking Tavern offers a taste of street-style Chinese food paired with more than a dozen beers on tap and a creative cocktail program featuring baijiu, the jet-fuel distillate beloved by many native Chinese drinkers.

The concept appears to be working, as Peking Tavern has been busy since opening at Eighth and Spring streets a few weeks ago.

Now, Chiu and Wong are gearing up for their first holiday season, offering an off-the-beatenpath choice for anyone looking to host a party, be it a dinner affair or evening mingling.

After all, who doesn’t like Chinese food and beer?

be around $1,500 with some food included. For the entire space and 100 guests, it was $2,500 on a weeknight, including tray service for food.

Charging $30 per person definitely doesn’t include drinks, but at $50 they can expect a prix-fixe menu with a drink or two per person.

We can always throw in some bottles of wine or bottled beer for an additional cost, too.

G

Q: What kind of menu do you offer for parties?

A: We can do something that’s a prix-fixe dinner or lunch, where we do several courses starting with appetizers, vegetables, a couple different dumplings and our beef roll — even a little bowl of noodles at the end if they want more. If they want something more casual with mingling that’s later in the evening, we can downsize dishes to finger-food sizes or do tray service.

Los Angeles Downtown News: How big of a group can you accommodate?

Andrew Chiu: We soft-opened only a couple weeks ago, so it’s kind of in the discovery phase right now. We had a private event for about 100 people that rented out the whole space, but we also have an area we can close off for smaller parties of 20-30 guests.

Q: How much should you expect to spend on a smaller party at Peking tavern?

A: If it’s just a dinner party for 20-30 people, it might be $30-$50 per person for a fixed menu.

Or for hanging out for a whole evening, it might

Q: How do you handle people with dietary restrictions?

A: Several of our items don’t have meat or eggs, like our vegetable dumplings or scallion pancake, and we are almost done developing a gluten-free wrap for dumplings and things like that. We’re in the process of adding more menu items for people with food restrictions.

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

A: I would say a month and a half, two months is standard. We’ve already gotten calls about holiday parties, and we expect a good number of group events.

Andrew Chiu and Andrew Wong opened Peking Tavern at Eighth and Spring streets a few weeks ago. Now, they’re getting ready for the holiday party season.

photo by Gary Leonard

Q: Can you handle short-term notice for events?

A: A couple of days in advance for a small group could work. Definitely something Monday through Wednesday would be best.

And if it’s last minute, it would be better to do it early in the evening, between maybe 5-8 p.m.

Q: What can people do to help out their budget?

A: I would say have the party at lunch, or do it very early in the afternoon, even as early as 4 p.m., when most restaurants don’t have much business. It’ll be nice for many places to get an early start and that might make them more flexible on price.

Q: What’s your advice for people who are planning at the last minute?

A: The big thing is to have a budget in mind first, so that we can assess whether it’s feasible or not. That allows us to help them figure out what sort of food and drink we should plan for early on. And a headcount would be good, obviously.

Q: What can people do to make party planning easier for the restaurant?

A: At least for Peking Tavern, we’re best at providing food and drinks. If they want decorations, if they want special music or a DJ or lighting, they should use their own resources.

At 806 S. Spring St., (213) 988-8308 or pekingtavern.com

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October 28, 2013

LAST MINUTE OFFICE PARTIES

When Prohibition Is a Plus New Arrival Ebanos Crossing Offers A Throwback Look and Artisanal Cocktails

By Donna Evans hen people think “office party,” a couple of adjectives that likely do not spring to mind are sexy and forbidden. Yet, the Prohibition-influenced lounge Ebanos Crossing uses such language to describe its dark environs.

The lounge at Second and Hill streets is a part-

nership between L.A.-based Luminosity Entertainment and Urban America in New York. It opened six weeks ago and has already accommodated several large corporate and smallerscale private events, said Justin Shapiro, managing partner for the restaurant and bar. Ebanos specializes in handcrafted cocktails using fresh and homemade ingredients. It offers an impres-

W

The recently opened Ebanos Crossing has a Prohibition-era influence and food options including chicken sandwich sliders and catfish tacos. Justin Shapiro is a managing partner at the Civic Center establishment.

photo by Gary Leonard

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sive 32 kinds of tequila, 18 rum selections, 20 varieties of bourbon, and six kinds each of scotch and gin.

When it comes to parties, the space can accommodate 300 people, or staff can set up a more intimate area for smaller groups, Shapiro said. If your party is in the 20-person range, Ebanos can get you going with little more than 48 hours notice.

Los Angeles Downtown News: Why is Ebanos Crossing a good choice for an office party?

Justin Shapiro: We love to show people a good time and take away all the pressure from your having to plan a party. We max out at 300 people and can provide the entire space, or can rope off smaller sections of the bar for cocktail tastings or cocktail-making classes. It’s a unique setting where you can experience live entertainment, if you want to have music.

Q: What prices are we talking about?

A: We can work with any budget. Everything is customizable. We can do prix-fixe menus, buffet or family style. In general, prices range from $25 per person to $75 per person, depending on whether you want small bites, top-shelf liquors or a sit-down meal. If you have only 10 people we can work with you on a small cocktail spread, or can arrange a total buyout for $10,000.

Q: What kinds of food options are there?

A: A few of our favorites are the chicken sandwich sliders, jerk chicken wings with a rum reduction sauce, plantain chips with a homemade chutney, made-to-order popcorn, catfish tacos, smoked bacon-wrapped mango shrimp, kettle corn and a whole host of finger foods.

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Q: Do you have options for vegans or vegetarians?

A: We’re happy to create a customized menu for individual dietary needs. We can cater to vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, whatever you need.

Q: How last-minute of a party can you handle?

A: If it’s just a small party, that’s no problem. If we’re talking 20 to 50 people, we’d want about 48 hours notice. We’d need the time to gather all the items, as we use only the freshest ingredients.

Q: How do you think alcohol affects office parties?

A: It can do a couple of things: It allows people to unwind in a relaxed atmosphere, where their professional lives melt away and you start to see your colleagues in a more personal manner. Plus, it does a lot to build camaraderie; it can help give you insight into your coworkers. But it doesn’t just have to be alcohol.

You can get the same reaction over a great meal when you’re removed from the everyday setting.

Q: What is the secret to a great cocktail?

A: Balance. Make sure you balance booze to citrus, correct ice usage and whether it’s shaken or stirred.

Q: Anything else you want to say about Ebanos that I didn’t ask?

A: We love what we do and we love doing it for people. Our focus is hospitality, and holiday parties are a great way to capitalize on that.

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

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October 28, 2013

Downtown News 15

LAST MINUTE OFFICE PARTIES

A Party, Not a Sit-Down Dinner Ten Options for When You Want Something a Little Different

By Jon Regardie hen it comes to that holiday party you’ve been thinking about organizing but haven’t gotten around to because you’re way too busy, there’s bad news and good news: The bad is that many of the prime places are already booked on choice weekends. To twist a cliché, you snoozed, you lost.

The good news is that Downtown Los Angeles is so packed with things to do that a lot of really fun options remain. Even better, you don’t have to rely on the old fallback of a sit-down dinner during which you spend most of the evening talking with the people on either side of you.

W

FARMERS & MERCHANTS BANK HOLIDAY EVENT VENUE

photo by Gary Leonard

Little Tokyo’s X Lanes offers 24 bowling lanes and an arcade with more than 100 games.

For those ready to make a move, Downtown offers a number of inventive holiday party options, and you can make up for your tardiness by booking something that your guests will remember for months. Here are a few of the many options, whether you envision an office party or an evening among friends.

But seriously, make the call this week. It’s getting really late in the game.

Roll With It: One of the coolest 2013 additions to the Downtown entertainment scene is X Lanes, the bowling alley/arcade/bar/ restaurant on the top floor of the Little Tokyo Shopping Center. In addition to being a great place to work on picking up 7-10 splits, X Lanes has a number of private event options, and according to its website can handle corporate crowds from 25 to 900 people.

X Lanes stands out for its 24 bowling lanes, which feature groovy lighting and high-definition TVs. The $6 million establishment also has private rooms and eight lanes that can be reserved.

Another bonus is that an X Lanes visit does not have to be limited to bowling. The arcade has more than 100 games — prove that you’re the Pop-a-Shot king — and the bars have a large alcohol selection. There are a number of customizable party packages.

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

Roll With It II: It’s odd to think that Downtown in 2013 has two big bowling destinations. The second is Lucky Strike at L.A. Live.

Private events are so big at the 18-lane Downtown Lucky Strike that party planning options are listed on the front page of the website. There are private lanes and specialized menus, along with private rooms and full-service bars. The on-site staff can also help give special events a team-building spin, if you’re into that type of thing.

Food options include flatbread pizzas and hor d’oeuvres such as mac & cheese bites and salmon lollipops (you read that right). In Continued on page 16

Planning a holiday event? The Farmers and Merchants Bank in the Old Bank District is your venue. As the holiday season is approaching, call today to book your celebration!

contact: (213) 253-4777 email: laloft@gilmoredev.com

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16 Downtown News

October 28, 2013

LAST MINUTE OFFICE PARTIES

Party Places, 15 addition to the bars, there are 14 big-screen TVs. At 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 542-4880 or bowlluckystrike.com.

An Art Deco Affair: When it comes to having a party in a historic place, it’s hard to top the penthouse at the Oviatt Building. And this has nothing to do with the miserable top/penthouse pun.

The Oviatt, which many know for the groundfloor restaurant Cicada, features a top-level suite that once belonged to haberdasher James Oviatt himself. It is all Art Deco elegance, with thick Lalique glass and other touches that recall the Roaring ’20s (look for the hidden toilet). At the risk of overstatement, spending an evening

on the outdoor patio is magical.

An in-house team handles special events and offers options such as a 1920s cocktail station and a dessert bar. You’re responsible for your own flapper gear.

At 617 S. Olive St., (213) 379-4172 or oviatt.com.

Drink beer, eat funnel cakes, try the Love Meter and indulge in other carnival-inspired fun by having a party at One-Eyed Gypsy.

Party With a View: A lot of places in Downtown Los Angeles offer a view. Only on rare occasions are the food and drink on par with the glimpses of twinkling lights. Perch is one of those.

The restaurant and bar overlooking Pershing Square has a number of options for holiday parties. The Fifth Street Patio can hold groups of 15-23 people, while a 15th floor reception can service 500 of your closest friends.

The menu is largely French, with options including baked brie, steak frites and the amaz-

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ingly named rabbit dish Little Bunny Frou Frou.

The cocktails, meanwhile, can be twisted for any Downtown occupational shindig. A party of doctors might sip Penicillins (Famous Grouse whisky, lemon juice, agave nectar and ginger liquor), while fashion industry folks could opt for the My Fair Lady (quinoa vodka, cranberry, lime and crème de peche). The list goes on and on.

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

pia (a full bar will satisfy those with different tastes). There is a stage for bands, along with coin-operated games such as the Love Meter and a fortune-telling machine. When it comes time to book a party, either call up and reserve, or just wander over with a few dozen of your workmates or friends. They’ll take care of you.

At 901 E. First St., (213) or one-eyedgypsy.com.

The One-Eyed Have It: If you’re looking for something completely different for your holiday party, try One-Eyed Gypsy. The carnival-themed bar in the Arts District is unlike anything else in Downtown. Food choices include corndogs and funnel cakes, which you can wash down with a can of Schlitz or Olym-

It’s A-Live. No, It’s L.A. Live: There are not many places in Los Angeles that can arrange a private party for anywhere from 50 to 5,000 people. L.A. Live can.

The South Park destination developed by Anschutz Entertainment Group has a number of indoor and outdoor venues. The event staff

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October 28, 2013

Downtown News 17

LAST MINUTE OFFICE PARTIES

can help you throw a party in Club Nokia or on an al fresco deck at Staples Center. There are private dining rooms in L.A. Live’s collection of restaurants and a glass-enclosed space in salsa mecca the Conga Room. You can do a suite for a Lakers/Clippers/Kings game or a party movie night in one of the theaters at the Regal Cinemas L.A. Live Stadium 14. The Ritz-Carlton and J.W. Marriott hotel are also in play.

In short, virtually anything you can think of, they can do.

At 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 763-5453 or lalive.com/eventsales.

A Movie to Move You: You know the Downtown Independent as that Main Street venue hosting a wide array of indie and international cinema, along with the occasional double fea-

ture drink-along. Come holiday time, the theater can also be the site for your Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, etc. party. The comfortable theater is available for rentals, and before or after the show guests can congregate in the spacious lobby, which has three high-definition plasma screens. The concession stand can dispense the requisite popcorn and candy, or offer alcohol for a private soiree. Of course, the sound and lighting systems are top notch.

At 251 S. Main St., (213) 617-1033 ext. 100 or downtownindependent.com.

The Downtown Independent can be a place for a movie, a party, or both.

Lucky Seven: Do you want an indoor or outdoor party? If you’re having trouble deciding, get both at Loft Seven. The events venue in the Seventh Street housing complex the Haas Continued on page 18

photo by Gary Leonard

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18 Downtown News

October 28, 2013

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Building has 16,000 square feet of space and can hold up to 400 people (including 250 for a seated rooftop dinner). There’s a state-of-the-art AV system, three LCD screens and more lighting possibilities than you can imagine. There are also a few dozen caterers, rentals, photographers and other vendors you can work with. For what it’s worth, past clients include the LAFD, Coke, Yahoo and Smirnoff.

At 219 W. Seventh St., (213) 290-4055 or loftsevenph.com Going to Church: A gilded foyer. Baroque columns. A 45-foot-high arched ceiling. An 1876 building. It must be the former St. Vibiana’s Cathedral, for more than a century the mother church of the Los Angeles Archdiocese (the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels fills that role now). These days, Vibiana is one of Downtown’s biggest Wow Factor party places, with the spectacular interior as well a charming, lush

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garden. The 35,000-square-foot space at Second and Main streets can host hundreds, with food prepared by Neal Fraser. Vibiana is one of the places where, once you enter, you forget the rest of the buzzing city outside.

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

Park Life: Grand Park dubs itself “the park for everyone.” It can also be the park for you and your team/friends. The 12-acre attraction stretching from the Music Center to City Hall has a number of rentable sections. There’s a large event lawn between Spring Street and Broadway, and smaller spaces such as the Olive Court, just below the beautiful Arthur J. Will Memorial Fountain.

There may be a lot of hoops to jump through — it’s a new public facility, after all — but odds are, no one else you know is using it for a party this season.

At (213) 972-8080 or grandparkla.org. regardie@downtownnews.com

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October 28, 2013

Downtown News 19

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Are You Fiddling With Disaster?

then e h t n i o j party¡ South Park’s 1st Annual

Disaster prep party¡ November 9th, 11 am - 4 pm On 12th between Hope St. & Grand Ave.

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What Will be there¿ Lots of food and fun! An earthquake simulator accompanied by a jazz band, disaster supply you can buy, and tons of helpful information!

South Park 1st Annual Disaster Prep Party is sponsored by Evo, Traiden Global Solutions, South Park Community Benefit District, California Hospital, Action Propety Management, Har-Bro Inc., Elleven HOA, Luma HOA, Joe’s Parking and Beverly Hill Concierge Service!

AROUND TOWN, 2 Thursday, Oct. 24, is only a rough outline of the changes to come; more detailed architectural plans and financing approaches will be presented next spring.

Restaurateur Eyes Spring Street Space For Boutique Hotel

M

ost hotels have hundreds of rooms. Juan Pablo Torre plans to go smaller. Much smaller. Torre is looking to open a 14-room hotel with a restaurant and bar at 820 S. Spring St. The 9,082-square-foot space is in an abandoned building next to the recently closed Parish gatropub. During a recent meeting before the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council’s Planning and Land Use Committee, Torre, who hails from Spain, said he’d like to turn the Fashion District building into the Dart Hotel, and that it would be a sleek, European-style establishment where travelers use their phones to check in. The restaurant would offer 86 seats and include a patio. The hotel would be Torre’s first investment in Los Angeles, though he declined to give a price tag for the project. Torre said he aims to renovate the building without making major alterations. It would mark a significant turnaround from the structure’s past. During the DLANC meeting, committee member Brady Westwater told Torre that the structure was once a brothel. “It wasn’t that long ago that it was a house of prostitution,” Westwater said.

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lthough classes only began in August, this has already been a big year for the Ramon Cortines High School of Visual and Performing Arts. The latest significant step came this month, when philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad donated $250,000 to the Grand Avenue school. The Broads were awarded the William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership, which came with a quarter-million dollar prize for the charity of their choice. Eli Broad was instrumental in encouraging the Los Angeles Unified School District to build the flagship citywide arts high school up the street from the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Museum of Contemporary Art. The high school, designed by Wolf Prix, opened in 2009. Broad’s donation came two months after the hiring of principal Kim Bruno, who had served for 11 years as the head of New York’s LaGuardia High School of Music, Art and Performing Arts. Before Bruno, the futuristiclooking school had cycled through four principals in its first four years. The Simon Prize is intended to honor living philanthropists who have shown exemplary leadership through their charitable giving.

Conservancy Highlights Arts District’s History

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he Arts District is quickly blossoming into one of Downtown’s most vibrant neighborhoods, but it has always held a rich history of growth and transition, particularly in architecture.

Preservationist organization the Los Angeles Conservancy will guide people through that past on Sunday, Nov. 10, during a one-day-only tour. Dubbed Arts District: History and Architecture in Downtown Los Angeles, the tour will visit buildings such as the Southern California Institute of Architecture campus, Angel City Brewery, the Toy Factory Lofts and the Challenge Cream and Butter Association Building. The tour is self-guided, but Conservancy docents will be waiting at each site with stories about the buildings. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and guests are encouraged to check out the neighborhood’s dining and shopping options in between stops. More information can be found at laconservancy.org.

Correction The Oct. 21 issue story “Badmaash to the Bone” incorrectly listed the address of the Indian restaurant. Badmaash is at 108 W. Second St. No. 104 or badmaashla.com.

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20 Downtown News

October 28, 2013

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS

Death of a Cubicle

The redesign of real estate firm CBRE’s Downtown headquarters features various open and private workstations alongside lounge areas and multimedia features. No one, not even the most senior executive, has a permanent desk.

Real-Estate Giant CBRE Shakes Up Office Life

By Eliminating Permanent Work Places and Going Paperless

By Eddie Kim othing captures the banal horror of corporate America quite like the cubicle farm, the row upon row of monochromatic, boxy structures that so many office workers, in Downtown Los Angeles and across the globe, call home.

Ironically, the cubicle was created as an improvement over the early-20th century office design of choice: the regimented bullpen, a large, open floor plan in which rows of desks were neatly aligned with no privacy for anyone.

In the 1960s, inventor Robert Propst envisioned a radical solution: Why not use flexible, easily manipulated walls and furniture to create semi-private spaces in open floor plans?

His Action Office II system, created for office furniture company Herman Miller, debuted in 1968 and was a smash success. Yet despite his dreams of dynamic, easily adaptable offices for all, Propst’s invention merely gave birth to the cubicle sea — and 45 years later it’s the modern office design fallback of choice.

Cubicle grids may have been easy, but they weren’t necessarily efficient or inspiring.

That was on the mind of the brass at CBRE 18 months ago when the real estate services firm was running out of room in its Downtown office, and the West L.A. corporate headquarters wanted to come Downtown as well. While planning for the future, they began studying where inefficiencies and problems lay.

N

“We found that 51% of the time, people aren’t in their seats,” said CBRE Executive Managing Director Lewis Horne last week during a discussion at the new office organized by Downtown’s Town Hall-Los Angeles. “We were also out of space because everyone owned their own bit of real estate in the office.”

CBRE’s research also found that technology was not being harnessed to its full potential and that less than 20% of the office was dedicated to collaborative space, despite more than a third of normal tasks being collaborative in nature.

Horne hired architecture giant Gensler to create a solution that would boost efficiency while creating flexibility and choice for employees. The redesigned space at 400 S. Hope St. debuted only about a month ago, but Horne said the result has been “transformative.”

CBRE’s new office isn’t the carnival of hipster fun found at, say, Google or Facebook. There’s nobody lounging in a beanbag, and workers don’t take breaks to play ping-pong. However, on a recent visit employees did chat happily around a large bar that holds coffee and healthy snacks, an area Horne identified as a key place for workers to congregate.

In another part of the office, a group of employees examined a document at a workstation fitted with dual monitors. The open workstations fill the space between several small, glass-encased rooms in which people can make phone calls, hold one-on-one meetings or work

photo by Eddie Kim

alone. Everything looks bright, ergonomic and modern. There’s even a massive wall-mounted media screen that features Twitter updates and more, while a sweeping, techno-abstract mural from local street artist Augustine Kofie splashes out across the second-floor wall.

Gensler’s redesign is intended to give CBRE employees choices in terms of where and how they want to work — factors that impact productivity and morale, said Robert Jernigan, the architecture firm’s managing principal.

“Too often, you’re going to have an open space in which people want to both focus and collaborate. That’s the problem — openness can compromise your ability to focus,” Jernigan said. “Choice means that if an environment is noisy or just not to your liking, you can move somewhere else.”

Paperless Approach The new CBRE office exemplifies that dedication to choice. Employees can work on a sleek leather couch, chatting with neighbors and sip-

ping on a coffee, or can retreat to those aforementioned glass enclaves, which are of varying sizes and feature acoustic dampening. The single constant is that nobody has a permanent space. Instead, like a modern college classroom, everyone carries laptops and sits wherever they want.

What is termed a “free address” system is possible because CBRE is going paperless. Previously, each employee’s paperwork and documents lived with their owner at an assigned office space, often in huge file cabinets. Now that those pages have been digitized and most of the file cabinets removed, they can be accessed anywhere. That goes for office appliances as well: The in-house “follow me” technology means that an employee can take his or her calls on any phone or get a document off any printer with the swipe of a card.

Not all of the adjustments have been smooth. Some employees griped about not having a personal space to decorate with fam-

LET’S PAINT THE

TOWN GREEN Foothill Transit vehicles are getting a fresh new look, while our neighborhoods are getting fresher air than ever before. For a super-sustainable sneak peek at where we’re going next, visit foothilltransit.org/green.

Going Good Places

October 28, 2013

Downtown News 21

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

In the new offices CBRE staffers don’t have space to display awards or family photos. There are, however, staff pictures with QR codes that bring up bios and other details.

City Living THIS WEEK CHECK OUT

photo by Eddie Kim

ily photos and awards. Horne’s response for the latter has been to hand out special cufflinks and necklaces instead of plaques or trophies.

Other touches include a wall of employee portraits with QR codes that, upon scanning, bring up bios and other facts.

The changes to workplace design also highlight a shift in the way many employees think about their jobs, Jernigan said. Work isn’t just where you put your nose to the grindstone. It’s now a place to find enrichment and enjoyment, and cubicle farms aren’t conducive to either.

“We don’t think [telecommuting] is the future. Humans want to socialize, they want to collaborate,” Horne said. “But when you look at the cube farms and you ask someone whether they want to be in a cubicle all day or go home, they’re going to go home.”

The paradigm shift applies to traditional office hierarchies and the attitudes they fostered.

The era of prestigious corner offices, with assistants shoved to interior spaces under harsh fluorescent lights and bosses dictating tasks with-

out room for discussion, is fading away in some fields, replaced by an environment in which everyone works toward a fuller potential.

“It used to be commanding: ‘Sit down and do your job,’” Jernigan said with a big laugh. “Now, employees want to be empowered. They want coaching, they want mentorship. They want dialogue.”

It’s not just the worker bees that seem pleased. Horne’s excitement was evident as he gave a tour of the office during the Town Hall event. He smiled wide as he fiddled with a fancy Google Earth display array and proudly described the artistic process behind Kofie’s mural.

Best of all, said Horne, the office’s newfound openness doesn’t end with the interior design.

He said CBRE staffers are thinking differently, too.

“I’ve seen it. It’s only been a month but people have already come up with new presentation ideas, different new concepts,” he said. “The creative environment brings material changes.” eddie@downtownnews.com

}

SPIDER PAVILION AT THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

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James Conlon conducts Southern California’s finest ensembles in this anti-war masterpiece Monday, Nov 25, 8 pm Walt Disney Concert Hall Tickets from $15 Visit colburnschool.edu

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22 Downtown News

October 28, 2013

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS

At New Downtown Facility, Hope Springs Eternal A $15.7 Million Family Center Serves Low-Income Residents

By Donna Evans o thousands of low-income families, the new, bright yellow and white building at 16th and Hope streets is a poetic double entendre.

The $15.7 million Hope Street Margolis Family Center has served 2,500 clients since September, and administrators believe they can boost that number to 5,000 people per month, said Amy Costello, development officer for California Hospital Medical Center, which developed the facility along with Abode Communities, an architecture and development firm that builds sustainable and affordable housing.

The Hope Street Family Center began in 1992 as a pilot program for at-risk moms who delivered at the hospital, Costello said. From there, a home visitation program was created and, as the mothers went back to work, the need emerged for child development services and after-school programs.

For more than two decades the center was housed inside the hospital. However, the growing community needs spurred the hospital to look to expand the facility.

A capital campaign was launched. The Margolis name was affixed to the project after Robert Margolis, a physician and California Hospital board member, and his wife Lisa gave a lead donation of $2.5 million. Other funding came from public monies, Prop K funds and Anschutz Entertainment Group, which helped the center acquire the land.

The project broke ground in April 2012. Some 40 staff members began moving in to the building in September, and the four-story, 25,500-square-foot edifice celebrated its grand opening Oct. 17.

The facility at 1600 Hope St. has significantly expanded the center’s activities. New programs include dance, basketball, Zumba, healthy cooking and arts and crafts, Costello said. Additionally, it offers early childhood development programs and ESL classes for parents and children.

T

photo by Gary Leonard

photo by Gary Leonard

A child gets help during an after-school program at the Hope Street Margolis Family Center. The nonprofit that opened 21 years ago in California Hospital Center recently moved into its own building.

The child-care center serves 52 children, while the family literacy program offers two classes, with 40 people in each class.

Approximately 80 to 100 children participate in the after-school program every day.

Towering over the toddler-sized tables and chairs and kitchen play sets, Costello compared the classes, books, toys and materials to early childhood education programs that one would more likely find “on the West side” than in Downtown Los Angeles.

However, she said, most of their clients come from the immediate neighborhood, the Pico Union district and South Los Angeles.

“Most of our clients have a household income of $15,000 or less, so to have no-cost child care is a significant need for our families,” she said.

On a recent afternoon, 27-year-old Sandra Serrano sat in the center’s brightly lit library. Sun pored through the sizable win-

The new edifice offers 25,500 square feet of space for childcare, classes for kids and adults and recreation activities. Staffers expect to serve about 5,000 people every month.

dows, illuminating shelves of books, plants and myriad tables and chairs. As Serrano spoke, her 4-year-old daughter, Daliah, buried herself beneath a pile of green beanbag chairs, only her sparkled red shoes giving away her whereabouts. Serrano explained how the center helped her during a difficult time.

“I felt like I couldn’t connect with my daughter and I was really ashamed of that,” said Serrano, a South Park resident who began coming to the center three years ago. “It was my home visitation [representative] who spotted that I was depressed and suggested counseling, and they made that happen. I was able to get through it, took some mommy-and-me classes, and everything got better.”

Calling the Kids The new structure was designed by Abode. Large windows fleck the boxy, vibrant-colored building. While the architects had their own ideas and directives from the hospital, the designers also took suggestions for the interior from the kids, Costello said. The children wanted a sleek, modern look, but with some funky touches.

Continued on page 32

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NEW PARK & RIDE LOT NOW OPEN 500 S. BREA CANYON ROAD, CITY OF INDUSTRY Steer your single-occupancy vehicle over to this state- of-the-art structure served by Foothill Transit Line 493, and you’ll soon experience all this:

The Downtown L.A. Streetcar is planned as a modern, fixed-rail streetcar system using Broadway, 11th, Figueroa, 7th (or 9th) & Hill Streets to connect the Civic Center, Broadway and the Historic Core, the Fashion District, South Park, L.A. Live and the Convention Center, the Financial District, and restaurant row through the Jewelry District.

A potential design alternative, which will be achieved if funding is identified, would run up onto Grand Avenue to serve the city’s prized cultural institutions.

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Downtown News 23

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

For Parking, Chinatown Building Enters the Matrix

The Carmatrix system in Chinatown’s upcoming Lotus Garden housing complex moves 17 cars vertically and horizontally, creating a space-saving, stacking effect.

Low-Income Project Has One of California’s First High-Tech Car Stacking Systems

By Eddie Kim he Lotus Garden apartment building in Chinatown looks like a lot of new housing developments sprouting all across Los Angeles. Standing seven stories tall, it features a clean, simple façade. The 60-unit project from developer Affirmed Housing Group is slated to open in December and will provide affordable housing for low-income families.

Amenities at the building at 750 Yale St. will include a rooftop terrace and a computer lab, but an underground feature may ultimately prove to be the most compelling feature in the $18.5 million project: a semi-automated, puzzle-grid parking system, the first of its kind in Southern California.

The Carmatrix system, built by Denver, Colo.based company Harding Steel, looks at first glance like an odd cross between a mechanic’s car lift and something that might fetch large packages at a UPS distribution center. Bright orange, waist-high gates block the front of the contraption; inside, several levels of steel car lifts hang from thick roller chains.

Operating the machine is simple — after the gate rises, you drive the car into a stall and then use an external keypad to send the vehicle vertically and horizontally into an open space in the grid. Upon your return, a keypad command identifies where your car is and brings it whir-

T

ring back down to ground level.

The system has 17 stalls. The garage also contains 46 traditional parking spaces.

Rubik’s Cube-like platform parking systems are popular in cities such as Tokyo, where the hyper-efficient use of space is paramount. Yet there are only a few in California; the most similar puzzle-grid system is in Oakland.

Affirmed President and CEO James Silverwood said the developer didn’t initially intend to use such a parking system. That changed during the planning process, he said, when architects realized that the property’s placement against a steep hill made an entire conventional underground garage unrealistic.

“We recognized that the costs were going to be excessive for the large amount of excavation and shoring we would have to do for the parking structure,” Silverwood said.

That isn’t to say that a platform-based parking system is a cheap solution: The Carmatrix at Lotus Garden cost $17,000 per stall, adding up to a total of $289,000. Each system is customdesigned for a development, and stalls normally cost between $15,000 and $20,000, according to Harding Steel National Project Manager Ryan Myers.

“It’s not necessarily going to be cost-effective in many situations, especially if you have a flat property that doesn’t require such tall exca-

photo by Gary Leonard

vation,” Silverwood said. “Many developers also can be wary because it’s a system they’ve never implemented.”

Concerns about whether such parking machines are effective and safe extend to the city permitting process. Myers said that a lack of familiarity with the technology can lead to delays and other regulatory hiccups that discourage developers from investing in such systems.

“The approval process has been the biggest limiter to implementation,” Myers said. “I think the toughest part is getting the city to understand how the systems work. Some are turned off by the machinery even though there are so many safety features.”

Still, as development gets denser in communities such as Downtown Los Angeles, developers will have more reason to maximize parking efficiency and preserve revenue-generating retail or residential space. The trend toward semi-

automated parking systems has begun to blossom in other parts of the country, Myers said, pointing to projects in Portland, Ore., Miami and New York.

“We’ve never seen growth in the market like we have in the last seven years,” Myers said.

It’s not just developers who are warming up to new parking options. Silverwood went on a scouting trip to Portland to see other semi-automated parking systems at work. In the process, he learned that many tenants get peace of mind from the fact that the systems provide better protection from break-ins and even door dings.

Some Lotus Garden residents will probably balk at the hulking steel parking machine and opt to use the building’s regular stalls. But for others, the new system will be an intriguing taste of what the future might hold for parking all across the city. eddie@downtownnews.com

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24 Downtown News

October 28, 2013

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS

Garcetti Wants L.A. to Be ‘The One You’re Going to Settle Down With’ New Mayor Makes His First Major Address in Downtown

By Jon Regardie ayor Eric Garcetti spoke to a Downtown Los Angeles audience last week, and he wasn’t exactly charitable regarding the way that City Hall has conducted itself in recent years. Echoing some of the points raised during his successful mayoral campaign and in his first 100 days in office, he cited a government that he said doesn’t always function in the best ways for businesses and residents.

In describing his vision for how the city should operate, however, he tried a new tack: he compared it to finding a romantic partner,

setting up his allusion by mentioning plans including finishing the subway system and having effective management at local utilities.

“Those are the things I’m focusing on: making sure that government may not be sexy, but you can count on it,” he said to the group of Downtown business leaders on Monday, Oct. 21. “It’s not the girl you’re going to go out on a date with for one or two nights, but the one you’re going to settle down with. That’s who I want to be.”

Garcetti spoke about figurative dating, and other matters, during an address at the Or-

M

Linkages Study Community Visioning Festival Saturday, November 2, 2013 11am–2pm El Pueblo Historical Monument Placita De Dolores 125 Paseo De La Plaza Los Angeles, CA 90012

Please join Metro at a Community Visioning Festival for the LA Union Station and 1st/Central Linkages Study, which will develop an action plan to identify bicycle and pedestrian linkages between both station areas and the surrounding communities.

The festival will have hands-on activities for all members of the community including idea stations to identify improvements, children’s activities, and a neighborhood bike tour and survey (Bring your own bike and helmet, departs at 12:30pm).

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pheum Theatre. It was his first major address in Downtown since his inauguration speech on June 30.

The event was hosted by the Central City Association, which like many of the region’s large business groups endorsed Wendy Greuel in the mayoral election. Garcetti has since been strengthening ties with some of these organizations.

Although Garcetti served on the council for 12 years before becoming mayor, and was the president of the panel for nearly half that time, he was widely critical of City Hall, saying that

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He detailed a number of steps to repair the situation. They ranged from having mayoral office hours during which Angelenos can raise concerns, and opening a help desk at his City Hall office, to creating a website that measures the city’s performance in a number of fields.

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Downtown News 25

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM deal with, has tabled the current effort, implying that it would not necessarily alleviate existing problems.

“I don’t think that we’re ready,” he said. “Longterm I do think it’s a good idea to integrate as much of the operations as many cities do to a single place, but I don’t want the victims to be any of you [in the audience].”

He also touched on homelessness, which continues to be a driving issue for many in Downtown.

Garcetti said he supports moving away from creating additional shelters and instead building what is frequently described as permanent supportive housing, in which formerly homeless individuals get apartments in a property that contains on-site services such as job training or substance-abuse counseling. The num-

ber of those projects in Downtown has increased in recent years.

He also said he supports decentralizing these projects so that they are not only in Downtown.

“We have to ask other parts of the county and the city to bear their fair share,” he said.

Garcetti noted that the effort won’t be cheap, but that it makes more financial sense to pay for housing instead of dealing with the future costs of people who require frequent emergency room visits, or who repeatedly wend through the court and penal systems.

“I don’t know today where that money comes from, but I will certainly make the case to people that we need to pay up front,” he said. regardie@downtownnews.com

photo by Gary Leonard

Mayor Eric Garcetti and Central City Association President and CEO Carol Schatz at last week’s event at the Orpheum Theatre. It was Garcetti’s first major Downtown public address since his inauguration.

He also described his frequently referenced directive to have all department general managers write a memo and establish baseline metrics so that their future performance can be judged. He previously stated that he ultimately expects about one-third of the approximately 35 GMs to be replaced (though some will come from retirement). Already, Garcetti has taken steps to remove Geraldine Knatz, the head of the Port of Los Angeles, and Fire Chief Brian Cummings.

“If we don’t measure, how can we see what we’ve done?” he asked.

Tabling Development Reform While Garcetti did not offer specific details regarding the future of Downtown, he did touch on a series of topics of concern to area stakeholders. Those include the now-halted merger of the departments of Planning and Building and Safety.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa had pushed a plan to consolidate the departments in the effort to speed up the permitting process. Garcetti, who years ago backed a streamlining plan known as “12 to 2” that would have reduced the number of departments a developer must

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CALENDAR

October 28, 2013

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS

DT

A RAging Scene on HAlloween

Thousands of electronic dance music fans will show up at Los Angeles State Historic Park on Nov. 2-3 for Hard Day of the Dead. Performers include Deadmau5 and Calvin Harris.

The Dead Come Alive in Downtown This Week, With Parties, Haunted Houses and Much More

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the summer thriller The Purge, which depicts a

By Eddie Kim dystopian future society where all crime, even hen it comes to Halloween, the objaywalking and murder, is legal for one 12-hour vious event is trick-or-treating. That, period each year. It comes from the folks behowever, doesn’t make much sense EWS om s.c New hind the film, Blumhouse Productions, which in E-N Downtown Los Angeles.

The first problem wn nto Dow SIGN UP Sign up at also created last Halloween’s Blumhouse of is that trick-or-treating inside an apartment haunted house. Tickets start at $39 and building is about as much fun as having someSign Up for Our E-News Blasts Horrors & the show runs through Nov. 2. one drop an apple in your candy bag. The secBe Entered Win inMovie Tickets!At 940 S. Figueroa St. or purgelive.com. ond problem is that mostto people Downtown are well beyond trick-or-treat age.

Into the Dark: The Variety Arts Center also Downtown gets around those issues by having a bucketful of events that will inspire smiles hosts a second, more frightening haunt: Blackout. The “extreme” experience is not for the — or screams — from young and old alike. faint of heart, and attendees must sign a waiver Whether you enjoy raving on to the booming that stipulates, among other things, that you sounds of dance music or showing off Fido at a pet costume party, there’s something for every- will go through the experience alone and that one — including, yes, a chance to trick-or-treat. there are no refunds if you blurt out the safe word (yes, there’s a safe word: Cookie! No, that’s not really the safe word). This year’s event feaAll-in-One Fun: Central City youngsters — tures an “Elements” theme, and though it is unand the young at heart — can once again MOBILE 55678* clear what that entails, expect to be touched, OVIEontoThursday, NMPark CLUB to Te xt DT head down Grand Hope shocked and just plain grossed-out by this Oct. 31. The sixth annual Halloween Party for DTNMOVIE to Join Our18+Movie Club strictly show. Did we mention there’s nuDowntownText L.A. Kids, organizedto by55678 the Downdity? Tickets! town Center Business and Improvement be Entered District, to Win Movie Figueroamax.

St. or blackouthh.com. has quickly *Carrier become ofrates theapply. area’s most msgone & data Reply HELPpopfor help. STOPAt to 940 quit. 4S.msgs/month ular activities on All Hallow’s Eve. It offers crafts, Talking to the Dead: The iconic imagery of puppet shows, bounce houses, trick-or-treat sugar skulls is a common sight across Los Andoors, food, refreshments and more. The pargeles this week thanks to Halloween’s Mexity runs from 5-8 p.m. and admission is $5 (adcan relative, Dia de los Muertos. Although the vanced reservations are recommended). That’s traditional celebration happens on Nov. 1-2, a steal for a one-stop shop that has everything Grand Park is expanding its activities; it started a kid could want out of the holiday. BTW: Coswith an Oct. 26 celebration of the dead featurtumes are required for kids and optional for ing prayer, poetry, music and more. That event adults. No, you can’t carry a slab of concrete with a drop of water on com it and say you’re the ws also kicked off the park’s presentation of 40 nNe tow wn .Do /L.A Facebook. special altars, which will be on display all week.

L.A. River.

Finally, there’s a 3-11 p.m. concert on Saturday At 919 S. Grand Ave. or downtownla.com.

Like Downtown News on Facebook featuring Latin music of all sorts, from cumbia to rock to electronic. Best of all: It’s totally free.

Halloween Purge: Haunted with high & Be Entered tohouses Win Movie Tickets!

At 210 N. Grand Ave. or grandparkla.com. production values are all the rage in Los Angeles. If you’re looking for a twist on the usuKeeping Tradition: Speaking of Day of the al scares, however, check out The Purge: Fear Dead, Downtown’s Olvera Street recalls the the Night. Held in the Variety Arts Center, it origins of Los Angeles, and once again the atis equal parts haunted house and immersive traction at the heart of historic L.A. is delivering theater experience, with a storyline based on

W

photo courtesy Hard Events

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Local kids get their candy fix on Oct. 31 thanks to the Halloween Party for Downtown L.A. Kids at Grand Hope Park.

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plenty of Dia de los Muertos activities. Through Nov. 2, Olvera Street hosts everything from piñata breakings to live music to traditional processions held to bless departed friends or family. The events begin at 7 p.m. nightly, and admission is free.

At 125 Paseo de la Plaza or downtownla.com.

Wrestling With a Twist: The madcap Lucha Now Playing/Starts Oct 25 in VaVoom was an instant hit when it debuted Los Angeles in 2002. The combination of Mexican masked wrestling, burlesque and comedy has since toured the world, but the show returns Downtown to the Mayan Theatre on Oct. 30-31 for a pair of special Halloween performances. Expect lots of cheeky violence, stunts and sexy mischief at the show. There’s

s.com Sign up at DowntownNew

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also a $250 prize for best costume, though it’ll be hard to be more flamboyant than the personalities in the ring.

At 1038 S. Hill St. or luchavavoom.com.

Bark at the Moon: Do dogs like being dressed up by their owners in furry or Miley Cyrus costumes for Halloween? We’ve never heard one say yes. However, that’s not stopping a lot of pet lovers from deciding to treat their animal companion to a spooky experience. The Historic Core’s Pussy & Pooch and Arts District market Urban Radish are coming together to host the inaugural Howl-O-Ween Pet Costume and Cocktail party. The event, to be held Oct. 29 from 7-10 p.m. at Urban Radish’s parking lot, will feature a live DJ, a beer and wine garden, food

October 28, 2013

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Deadly Dancing: For some, it’s not sweet treats they crave — it’s an endless night of some of the freshest electronic dance music from around the world. That is possible at Hard Day of the Dead, which takes over Los Angeles State Historic Park on SaturdaySunday, Nov. 2-3. There are more than 60 artists and DJs on the bill, from modern EDM stalwarts like Deadmau5 and Calvin Harris to unexpected choices such as legendary synth/ disco innovator Giorgio Moroder, who won an Oscar for his soundtrack to 1978’s Midnight Express. Expect lots of skimpy outfits, dilated pupils and blown-out eardrums.

Pulling Strings on Halloween: If you’re looking for a Halloween event that delights rather than frightens, look no further than the Bob Baker Marionette Theater. The City West company’s Halloween Hoop-de-Doo features more than 100 puppets in a multitude of musical numbers, and since it’s aimed at young crowds, you won’t have to worry about the kids having nightmares.

At 1345 W. First St., (213) 250-9995 or bobbakermarionettes.com.

Scary Eats: Halloween doesn’t conjure up images of Chinese dim sum, but maybe it should.

From 6-10 p.m. on Oct. 31, four restaurants — Chego, Golden Dragon Seafood Restaurant, Hop Woo Seafood & BBQ and Starry Kitchen — will be dishing out dumplings and other dishes, and pairing them with local craft brews selected by Melody Lounge, for the Dim Sum Crawl.

Costumed attendees also get to try a few “Dishes of Horror,” which will feature unusual ingredients. There’s an after party for anyone who wants to keep the good times rolling. Tickets run $60 until the week of the event, when the price bumps up to $70.

At chinatownla.com The Elfman Cometh: Composer and former Oingo Boingo frontman Danny Elfman has many credits to his name, but his work on the films of unofficial Halloween king Tim Burton stand out. Who can forget the songs of The Nightmare Before Christmas or the theme from Burton’s 1990 Johnny Depp ve-

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Creepy Crawlies: It’s not specifically Halloween-related, but the holiday marks the final week of the Natural History Museum’s incredibly popular Spider Pavilion. Get up close and personal with hundreds of eightlegged creatures and learn about different species, their roles in nature and why humans have no reason to get so freaked out by arachnids. Entry to the Spider Pavilion is separate from regular museum admission; tickets are sold in half-hour slots from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Due of the exhibit’s popularity, online reservations are highly recommended. Bonus points if you dress up as Spider-Man and get bit. No, not really.

At 900 Exposition Blvd. or nhm.org.

At 1245 N. Spring St. or harddayofthedead.com.

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trucks, treats for pets, costume contests for animals and humans alike and a 35-foot mobile pet photo bus. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door, and all proceeds benefit local animal rescues.

At 661 Imperial St. or pussyandpooch.com.

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Six floors of the Variety Arts Center have been transformed into a haunted house with a storyline based on the summer thriller The Purge.

photo by Gary Leonard

hicle Edward Scissorhands? Now, Elfman gets the live treatment for three evening performances on Oct. 29-31. He’ll be at the Nokia Theatre, where he’ll be joined by the Hollywood Symphony Orchestra and the Page L.A. Choir. They’ll run down the best of the Elfman-Burton collaborations. Tickets for the show are $45-$125.

At 777 Chick Hearn Ct. or nokiatheatrelalive.com.

What’s New, Tiger Lillies?: How can one describe the crazy, avant-garde British trio the Tiger Lillies? For one, they wear clown makeup, flaunt lyrics about prostitutes and bestiality and feature a lead singer who is sometimes referred to as the “criminal castrati.” Then again, the Lillies have been nominated for a Grammy, so who’s to judge? The trio take the stage at REDCAT on Oct.

30. Tickets are $30 and $24 for students.

At 631 W. Second St. or redcat.org.

Phantom Flavor: Many people know The Phantom of the Opera through Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1986 musical adaptation. However, a 1925 silent film was the first to transform novelist Gaston Leroux’s text through performance. The story’s fantastical twists captivated audiences, as did silent-era star Lon Chaney’s portrayal of the ghoulish, crazed Phantom. On Halloween night, Walt Disney Concert Hall is presenting the original film with live accompaniment from the venue’s spectacular pipe organ, just like the classic movie halls once did. The show was sold out at press time, but check the box office for returns and resale sites such as StubHub. At 111 S. Grand Ave. or laphil.com. eddie@downtownnews.com

28 Downtown News

October 28, 2013

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS

DT

CALENDAR LISTINGS EVENTS

A Lot of theAter, A Lot of oLd rock, ock, And More downtown fun

SPONSORED LISTINGS

By Dan Johnson | calendar@downtownnews.com

6th Annual Halloween Party for Downtown LA Kids Grand Hope Park at FIDM, 919 S. Grand Ave. or www.

DowntownLA.com/Halloween This annual event for Downtown L.A.’s children and families includes trick-or-treat doors, face painting, crafts, a bounce house, video game truck, puppet shows, hot dogs, and candy. Avoid the lines and buy your tickets today! Hosted by the Downtown Center Business Improvement District, FIDM and Ralphs Fresh Fare. Thursday, October 31, 5-8 p.m. Tickets are $5 (children under 2 free).

LA Mart Semi-Annual Furniture Sample Sale 1933 S. Broadway, 800-LAMART-4 or lamart.com Save up to 40-70% off participating Design Center Showrooms on floors 1, 10 and 12. Free parking.

10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 9. Admission is $10.

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

Oct. 29: Leni Stern Trio.

Oct. 30: Lucian Ban and Jorge Sylvester Transylvanian Concert.

Nov. 1-3: Kneebody.

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

Oct. 28, 8 p.m.: It’s not too late to say goodbye to October residents Max and the Moon before they take their “combustive” sound elsewhere.

Oct. 29, 8 p.m.: Andy Clockwise is the Australian singer/songwriter who became so enamored with America he crafted his stage name after the direction in which this fine country’s toilets flush.

Oct. 30, 6:30 p.m.: For a while there with that whole Radiohead thing, Oxford, England, was getting a little too highfalutin with its rock. Lewis Watson is here to set things straight with his entirely accessible brand of anti-Oxford rock.

Oct. 30, 8:30 p.m.: Future soul outfit Hiatus Kiayote boasts a track on their new album featuring Q-Tip, which should be the only endorsement you need.

Oct. 31, 8 p.m.: SpectreFest’s A Stones Throw Halloween will

The new Los Angeles Theatre Center show The Road Weeps, the Well Runs Dry will make you appreciate the creature comforts of your loft more than ever. Set in Native American territory during the 1800s, the play chronicles the hardscrabble existence of a Black Seminole village coming to terms with the legacy of slavery and the recent horror of the Trail of Tears. Add on the fact that a group of slave hunters are hard set on dragging our heroes back into slavery and you’ve got quite the conflict on your hands. The play runs each Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. though Nov. 17. At 514 S. Spring St., (213) 489-0994 or thelatc.org.

photo courtesy Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular

ThuRSDay, OcTObER 31 213 Zombie Bar Crawl Seven Grand, Broadway Bar, Golden Gopher, Casey’s, Cole’s, Las Perlas, Cana, Tony’s 4100 Bar and Honeycut or 213nightlife.com.

6 p.m.: Cedd Moses and company host this costume contestmeets-drinking exercise, as all are encouraged to dress up as a zombie and patronize the 213 Inc. bars. Each location (excluding Varnish) will feature $5 punch and a $666 bar credit to the zombie costume winner.

Circus Maximus One-Eyed Gypsy,901 E. First St., (626) 340-3529 or one-eyedgypsy.com.

Oct. 31-Nov. 1, 8 p.m.: Few things say Halloween in Downtown Los Angeles like the old-fashioned freak show being held in the supposedly haunted ex-bordello One-Eyed Gypsy.

photo courtesy Stan Lee’s Comikaze

WEDNESDay, OcTObER 30 Lunch a La Park Grand Park, 200 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-8080 or grandparkla.org.

Oct. 30-31, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.: The queen of Downtown green space opens her boundaries to food trucks for lunch this Wednesday and Thursday.

Well folks, it’s time for Stan Lee’s Comikaze. The event at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Friday-Sunday, Nov. 1-3, promises to be a potent blend of comic culture, cosplay dress up, contests and special guests that will blow you out of the ink-stained water.

For three long days you can look forward to rubbing elbows with the likes of Weird Al Yankovic, Bruce Campbell, LeVar Burton and Paris Themmen, who played Mike TeeVee in the original Willy Wonka film. Tickets are still available online. At 1201 S. Figueroa St., (213) 741-1151 or comikazeexpo.com.

photo by Ed Krieger

TuESDay, OcTObER 29 Puppetzilla PuppetSlam Halloween Bootleg, 2220 Beverly Blvd., (213) 389-3856 or bootlegtheater.org.

7:30 p.m.: The Los Angeles Guild of Puppetry presents this festive menagerie of marionettes.

photo by Craig Schwartz

The Center Theatre Group’s current duo of comedies proves conclusively that there’s no business like show business. From Humor Abuse’s take on the bizarre and fanciful world of small-time circuses (at the Mark Taper Forum) to the Danny DeVito and Judd Hirsch revival of Neil Simon’s vaudevillian tribute The Sunshine Boys at the Ahmanson Theater (shown here), the Music Center has been packed to the gills with entertainment-fixated funnies. Alas, this week marks your final chance to catch both productions, which close Sunday, Nov. 3. Each play has eight more shows, so turn off your television and take in a dose of old-fashioned stagecraft. At 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or centertheatregroup.org.

For those who still remember Pink Floyd’s seven-night stand at the Sports Arena as part of the 1980 The Wall tour, and those who attended but have no clear memories of the event, now’s your time to rehash the golden years of British psychedelia. The Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular rolls into Club Nokia on Friday, Nov. 1, at 8:30 p.m. Yes, a massive light array will augment a live band as they kick out favorites from “Meddle” on through “Division Bell.” The cornerstone of the show, naturally, is a performance of Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety. None of the original members of Pink Floyd are involved at anything more than the cursory level of cashing their royalty check from this show. At 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-7000 or clubnokia.com.

While we’re indulging in the realm of electric guitar-driven voyages into the heart of the human psyche, head to the Grammy Museum, which will turn down the lights and spool up the projector for Hear My Train a Comin’, the new Jimi Hendrix documentary by Bob Smeaton. The film features rare performance and life footage of Hendrix’s artistic evolution and most unique style.

Following the screening, Smeaton will join producer John McDermott and Grammy Museum executive director Bob Santelli in a panel discussion. It all takes place Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 6:30 p.m. At 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org.

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

October 28, 2013 feature a sensational lineup of electronic oriented hip-hop artists with what may collectively be the worst Internet presence of any artist to have played the Bootleg in the last two years.

Nov. 1, 8 p.m.: Where noise meets indie, you’ll find Battleme.

Nov. 2, 8 p.m.: Few things embody the character of the waning Pax Americana better than the image savvy, subdued acoustic lifestyle rock of The Young Romans.

Nov. 3, 6:30 p.m.: It takes an artist with Clara-Nova’s deep commitment to the ironic hipster ethos to don a headdress in her press photo and keep a straight face.

Nov. 3, 9 p.m.: Deep Cotton is a funk band from Atlanta. Why not?

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

Nov. 1, 7:30 p.m.: As the tech crew of the Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular replaces another burned-out light fixture, they were heard to remark to the piece of doomed equipment, “Remember when you were young? You shined like the sun.”

Nov. 2, 9 p.m.: Fingers crossed that the Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular’s gear trucks break down so that pop vocalist Janelle Monae can borrow some fog machines for her set.

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

Oct. 28, 10 p.m.: Prepare for a seasonally extra spooky Monster Monday.

Oct. 29, 10 p.m.: Bunny West and Boom Boom Boom, the dynamic duo that fills each Skidrokyo Tuesday with musical joy.

Oct. 30, 10 p.m.: Come enjoy Irene Diaz and Ocha la Rocha while indulging in the Escondite’s signature “Johnny Blue Cheese” burger.

Oct. 31, 11 p.m.: On this All Hallow’s Eve, Trip Rezac and Boys School will help lift the veil between you and intoxication.

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

Oct. 31, 10 p.m.: Nothing says Halloween like Myon & Shane54, two artists who look completely bewildered by their surroundings.

Nov. 1, 10 p.m.: Celebrate Dia de los Muertos with Awakening’s Pure Trance.

Nov. 2, 10 p.m.: Don’t let the name fool you, Boyz Noize is fun for both genders.

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

Oct. 28, 9 p.m.: Controlfreqs.

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

Oct. 29, 10 p.m.: Strangeheart seems to have some sort of de facto residency going on here.

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

Oct. 29-31, 8:15 p.m.: Danny Elfman’s Music from the Films of Tim Burton is, as expected, your favorite pieces of Elfman film score orchestrated before your very eyes.

Nov. 1, 8 p.m.: The Moody Blues love, yes, they love you. OK, perhaps that’s a lie, but just what the truth is they can’t say anymore.

Nov. 2, 7:30 p.m.: How Sweet the Sound is a nationally renowned Gospel choir event and not a sensory immersion program for diabetics.

One-Eyed Gypsy 901 E. First St., (626) 340-3529 or one-eyedgypsy.com.

Oct. 30, 8 p.m.: Hello, Pariah!

Nov. 3, 10 p.m.: Lil Death.

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

Oct. 31, 8 p.m.: Beard enthusiasts will be enthralled by singer/songwriter Iron & Wine’s grizzly facial hear.

REDCAT 631 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800 or redcat.org.

Nov. 2, 8:30 p.m.: The Now Hear Ensemble presents a musical slice of the Golden State.

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

Oct. 28: Beck Black & The Moonbeams with DJ F Boy. Oct. 29: Savage Gospels, The Black Tibetans and The Picture Books.

Oct. 30: Recnamorcen, The Fall of Me, Bah Ram You, Pardon Me Sir. Oct. 31: The Mormons, Lightnin’ Woodcock and Scaredycat.

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

Oct. 28, 10 p.m.: Eric Patterson and his colleagues in the Eric Patterson Quartet are doling out the tunes tonight.

Oct. 29, 10 p.m.: Some say if you look into the mirror and say, “The Makers” three times fast, you’ll be haunted by the melody from “Take the A Train” for the rest of your natural life.

Oct. 30, 10 p.m.: Rick Taub, local bass player, bluesman and devoted dog owner presents his Midnight Blues Review… at 10 p.m.

Staples Center 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7326 or staplescenter.com.

Oct. 28, 7:30 p.m.: Kanye West’s Yeezus tour continues its high-decibel cavalcade of self-aggrandizement.

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

Oct. 31: Surf Curse, Palm Reader, Roses and Post Life.

Nov. 1: The Shondes, Go Betty Go, Ingenue and Potential Lunatics.

Nov. 2: Fungi Girls, The Pool Honeys, Corners and Mikki & The Mauses.

Continued on next page

Downtown News 29

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

NISSAN OF DOWNTOWN L.A.

888-838-5089 635 W. WASHINGTON BLVD. • DOWNTOWNNISSAN.COM

NEW ’’13 113 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5S

LEASE FOR ONLY

129

$

per month for 39 mos

TOYOTA OF DOWNTOWN L.A.

800-574-4891 1600 S. FIGUEROA ST. • TOYOTADOWNTOWNLA.COM

NEW ’13 TOYOTA PRIUS PLUG-IN

LEASE FOR ONLY

$

279

per month for 36 mos

Plus tax, 39 month closed end lease on approved credit. $0 Sec. Dep. $5359 due at Signing. (Excludes taxes, title, other options & dealer fees).

Residual $14,280. Model # 13113. $0.15/mile over 12,000 miles/year. 5 At this Price.

Plus tax 36-month closed end lease on above average tier approved credit., $1000 due at signing. Includes $5000 Lease Cash. (Excludes title, tax, 1st mo. pymt, options and dealer fees). $0 security deposit. $0.20/mile over 12,000 miles/yr. 3 at this offer # D3038718, D3040784, D3046386.

$6,999 2007 Nissan Altima Sedan ..................... $13,999 Only 42,000 Miles, Must See, N130227-1/7N418393 2005 Nissan Armada SE .......................... $15,999 5.6L V8, Silver/Black, Leather, 38K miles, NI4111/5N706134

2006 BMW 530Xi .....................................

2002 Nissan Altima Sedan ........................

Only 87K miles, Looks and Runs great, N130239-1/2C197821

$16,999 2006 Toyota Tacoma X-Runner ............. $23,999 Silver/Black, 4.0L V6, 4-Whl ABS, Alloys. S130146-1/Z290770 2012 Lexus RX350 .................................. $37,988 White/Black, 18” Alloys, Roofrack, 35.L V6. T130665-1/C070250 Black/Beige, 3.0L 24V I6, 17” Alloys, 4-Whl ABS. TU0308-1/CN02249

VOLKSWAGEN OF DOWNTOWN L.A.

DOWNTOWN L.A. MOTORS MERCEDES BENZ

NEW ’13 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA S

NEW ’’13 113 MERCEDES C250

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

LEASE FOR ONLY

199

$

per month for 42 mos

42-month closed end lease, $0 due at signing. (Excludes title, tax, options and dealer fees.

Excludes TDI(r) Clean Diesel and Hybrid models.). $0 Security Deposit. Lessees responsible for $0.20/mile over 10,000 miles per year and excessive wear and tear. 5 at this offer.

$11,786 2010 Pontiac G6 GT Sedan ....................

3.5L V6 SPI VVT, Silver/Black, Low Miles. V140007D-1/ A4100085 $11,906 2008 VW Jetta Sedan ............................. $12,137 Certified, Blk/Blk, 50K Miles, Moonroof. ZV2476/ M122887 CARSON NISSAN 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser ......................

Turbo, Stone White, 40K Miles, Moonroof. V132184-1/ T183219

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

NEW ’’13 NISSAN ROGUE S

LEASE FOR ONLY

179

$

per month for 39 mos

Plus tax 39-month closed end lease on above average tier approved credit., $2999 due at signing. (Excludes title, tax, 1st mo. pymt, options and dealer fees). $0 security deposit. $0.20/mile over 12,000 miles/yr. 1 at this offer # C130048/008216.

$8,888 2011 Mitsubishi Galant ......................

White Pearl, Auto, 33K Miles, CD, Alloys, ABS. CU1103R/ BE018493 $12,888 2009 Nissan Pathfinder ...................... $14,995 Super Black/Gary, 4.0L V6, Auto, CD. C131320-1/9C600185 FELIX CHEVROLET 2007 Chevy Monte Carlo LS ..................

3.5L V6, Auto, 1 Owner, Rear Spoiler, Low Miles. C131688-1/162376

888-304-7039 3300 S. FIGUEROA ST. • FELIXCHEVROLET.COM

NEW ’’14 1 CHEVY CRUZE LS

LEASE FOR ONLY

139

$

per month for 36 mos

36 month close end lease on approved “S” tier credit through Ally Bank $0 down payment. Ex Excludes title, tax, 1st mo. pymt, options and dealer fees Includes $950 CCR and $1000 Competitive lease rebate $0 Security deposit .25 cents per mile over 10,000 miles per year. Based on MSRP of $19,180 5 at this payment.

$14,999 2010 Toyota Camry LE ........................... $15,999 Green/Gray, Auto, 3.5L V6, Only 35K Miles. TU0407/ AU609361 2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser ...........................

Black/Gray, Auto, 4.0L V6, 24K Miles, ABS. T131668-1/ CK012036 $27,889 2012 Toyota Corolla LE ..........................

Gray/Gray, Auto, AC, ABS, Low Miles. TU0431R/ CC833705

888-319-8762 1801 S. FIGUEROA ST. • MBZLA.COM

LEASE FOR ONLY

319

$

per month for 27 mos

27 Month closed end lease on approved credit Tier 1 credit. $2,899 CAP reduction + first payment, Tax, License, acquisition fees. Total due at signing $4,461, $0 security deposit. 25¢ per mile in excess of 10,000 mi/year.

MSRP $38,755. 5 To Choose.

$14,789 2011 Mercedes C300 Spt Sdn ...............

Certified, Black, Nav, Low Miles, 7 speed Auto. 7003C/ BA513776 $28,889 2012 Mercedes GL450 ........................... $51,891 Certified, Arctic White/Blk, 37K Miles, Nav. 7005C/ CA762757 AUDI OF DOWNTOWN L.A.

2006 Mercedes C230 ..............................

Only 58K Miles, Very Clean, Incredible Value. 140674-1/A883387

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

NEW ’14 AUDI A4 2.0T

LEASE FOR ONLY

379

$

per month for 42 mos

+ tax 42 mo. Closed end lease on approved credit. $0 Sec. Dep. $0 Down plus first month payment, license and registration, and bank acquisition fee. Must qualify for the New Owner Appreciation or Audi Loyalty Rebate of $1000. $0.25 per miles over 10,000 miles/year. 1 at this offer EN003135.

$13,993 2010 Audi A3 2.0T ...................................

Certified, White, Turbo, Sports Pkg., Open Sky. ZA10704/ AA112634 $25,988 2012 Audi A7Quattro Sedan .................

Certified, Black, Tiptronic, AWD, Supercharged. ZA10684/ N010796 $53,995 PORSCHE OF DOWNTOWN L.A. 2006 Chrysler 300C .................................

White Beige, 5.7L Hemi, Auto, Navigation. A13735-2/ H299140

888-685-5426 1900 S. FIGUEROA ST. • PORSCHEDOWNTOWNLA.COM

NEW ’14 PORSCHE CAYMAN PDK

LEASE FOR ONLY

599

$

per month for 24 mos

Plus tax 24 month closed end lease on approved credit. $6,999 Down plus tax, 1st month pay payment, $895 Bank Acquisition fee, lic, doc fee. Residual $49,275. .30 cents per mile over 5,000 miles per year. No security deposit. Only 1 available at this price EK171030.

$61,898 2012 Porsche Cayman S ......................... $62,898 Certified, Blk/Blk, Nav., Bose, 19” wheels, 19K Miles. CU780068 2012 Porsche Carrera Cabriolet ............ $81,898 Certified, PDK, Sport Exhaust, Nav., Bose, 17K Miles. CS792087 2011 Porsche Panamera ........................

Gran Turismo, Certified, Blue/Beige, Prk Asst, ZP1615/BL010537

30 Downtown News

LAST WEEKS ANSWERS

Continued from previous page

FILM Disney Hall 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 972-0777 or musiccenter.org.

Oct. 21, 8 p.m.: Clark Wilson takes to the Walt Disney Concert Hall organ to accompany a screening of the 1925 silent version of The Phantom of the Opera.

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

Oct. 28, 11:15 p.m., Oct. 29, 5 and 7:15 p.m., Oct. 30, 5 and 9:30 p.m. and Oct. 31, 2:15 and 5:30 p.m.: In Haunter, a long dead family trapped in the house in which they met their demise Los Angeles Downtown News struggles to reach through the veil and transcend this mortal coil.

1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 Oct. 27, 8:30 p.m. and Oct. 29, 7 p.m.: Danny Boyle’s directophone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 rial debut Shallow Grave screens in all its thrilling glory. web: DowntownNews.com • email: realpeople@downtownnews.com facebook: L.A. Downtown News

October 28, 2013

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS

twitter: DowntownNews

CROSSWORD

Oct. 31, 7 p.m.: Razorblades in Your Reeses IV is a program of short films and a reminder to check your trick-or-treating candy before indulging.

Nov. 1, 9 and 11 p.m., Nov. 2, 10:30 p.m. and Nov. 3, 12:30 p.m.: I Am Divine chronicles bullied Baltimore native Harris Glenn Milstead and his transformation into celebrity drag queen Divine. RIP. Nov. 1, 6 p.m.: Eat your heart out Richard Linklater, Los Angeles has its own narrative feature built on anecdotal short stories about the city we know and love. Enjoy Lowlands.

Nov. 2, 11:30 p.m.: The Thing might be Kurt Russell’s finest contribution to cult film.Sue Laris Editor & PublishEr: GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin Grammy Museum 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org.

ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie Oct.writErs: 30, 7 p.m.:Donna In HearEvans, My Train A Comin’ stAFF Eddie Kim the story of Jimi Hendrix’s ascendancy to the heightMaese of rock stardom finds a new coNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn coNtributiNG Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer, niche. It featureswritErs: recently released unseen footage of the golden Kristin Friedrich, Kylie Jane Wakefield guitarist at his zenith.

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.

Art dirEctor: Brian Allison AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard

Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin

AccouNtiNG: Tara LaPlante

ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie stAFF writErs: Donna Evans, Eddie Kim coNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer, Kristin Friedrich, Kylie Jane Wakefield

AdvErtisiNG dirEctor: Steve Nakutin clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Yoji Cole, Josie Damian, Catherine Holloway sAlEs AssistANt: Claudia Hernandez

Art dirEctor: Brian Allison AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins

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

PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard

2 YOUR EVENT INFO

EASY WAYS TO SUBMIT

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

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

Angeles News 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 web: DowntownNews.com email: realpeople@downtownnews.com facebook: L.A. Downtown News twitter: DowntownNews ©2013 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.

AccouNtiNG: Tara LaPlante AdvErtisiNG dirEctor: Steve Nakutin clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Yoji Cole, Josie Damian, Catherine Holloway sAlEs AssistANt: Claudia Hernandez circulAtioN: Danielle Salmon distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla

Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie stAFF writErs: Donna Evans, Eddie Kim coNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer, Kristin Friedrich, Kylie Jane Wakefield

©2013 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.

Art dirEctor: Brian Allison AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard AccouNtiNG: Tara LaPlante AdvErtisiNG dirEctor: Steve Nakutin clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Yoji Cole, Josie Damian, Catherine Holloway sAlEs AssistANt: Claudia Hernandez circulAtioN: Danielle Salmon distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla

Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin

Los Angeles Downtown News 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 web: DowntownNews.com • email: realpeople@downtownnews.com facebook: L.A. Downtown News

twitter: DowntownNews

ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie stAFF writErs: Donna Evans, Eddie Kim coNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer, Kristin Friedrich, Kylie Jane Wakefield Art dirEctor: Brian Allison AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard AccouNtiNG: Tara LaPlante

Los Angeles Downtown News 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 web: DowntownNews.com email: realpeople@downtownnews.com facebook: L.A. Downtown News twitter: DowntownNews ©2013 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.

AdvErtisiNG dirEctor: Steve Nakutin clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Yoji Cole, Josie Damian, Catherine Holloway sAlEs AssistANt: Claudia Hernandez circulAtioN: Danielle Salmon distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla ©2013 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.

October 28, 2013

DT

CLASSIFIEDS REAL ESTATE RESIDENTIAL lofts for sale

TheLoftExpertGroup.com Downtown since 2002

Bill Cooper

213.598.7555 FOR RENT

health KUR sPA Happy Hour from 2 to 7pm, Monday to Friday: Any full body massage or facial $40 (55 mnts) Manicure and Pedicure $25. $2.00 off any waxing. 412 W. 6th street #1111 relaxatkur. com. adabatun@yahoo.com.

818-574-9882. sPECiALs! 4 Mani’s & Pedi’s for OnLY $99! 3 Facials or 3 Massages for Only $99. Buy our specials tomorrow but use them when you want! Enjoy yourself more than once! 818-574-9882 Downtown Los Angeles. photography

loft/UnfUrnished

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

apartments/UnfUrnished 2 Units Available, 2/1 $1200.

1/1 $900. 433 Cottage Home st., L.A.Chinatown 818-716-7297. sEniOR APARtMEnts 62 + studio $873 1 Bedroom $929.

Balcony, Full Kitchen, A/C, Clubhouse, BBQ, Resource room, Laundry, sEC 8 O.K. Visit GsL sAn LUCAs.com 213623-2010.

SERVICES Cleaning COnCEPtO’s CLEAninG Crew. Professional, experienced, cleans apartments, homes, offices and restaurants.

Call for a quote. 323-459-3067 or 818-409-9183. health & fitness BODYWORK by Will-Outcalls 7 days a week. swedish, Deep tissue, scrubs, Runner’s Massage. Your Home or Hotel. www. bodyworkbywill.weebly.com.

323.359.6719

DtLA HEADsHOt Photographer. Friendly downtown studio near Little tokyo.

LAHeadshotGuy.com Mention Dtnews and receive $25.00 off.

213-713-2272

EMPLOYMENT general

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 edUCational LEAD tEACHER: Bs/BA in sci or related + 5 yrs exp. Jobsite: Palmdale, CA. Resume/ad: HR Dept, YouthBuild Charter school of California, 155 W. Washington Blvd., #517, Los Angeles, CA 90015. labor/WarehoUse HiRE A HOMELEss and get intern free. Brochure Delivery, Picketing Contact: 213-915-2130 work4homeless@gmail.com. wwww.hireAhomeless.com, paid by permaiD.com 213-373-4141

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY sales/marketing

fonx Co is offering to pay you for driving

Casaloma L.A. Apartments Clean unfurnished bachelor rooms with shared bath at $550/mo. with private bath at $695/mo.

your own vehicle. Drive around with our specially designed AD and get paid for it. Interested parties should contact Stevenfox31@hotmail.com

Downtown News 31

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

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.

AUTOS & RECREATIONAL pre-oWned

DoWNtoWN l.a. aUto groUp

Over 1000

2005 nissAn ARMADA sE 5.6L V8, silver/Blk, Leather, Only 38K Miles. ni4111 / 5n706134 Only...$15,999 call 888-8385089 www.downtownnissan. com

vehicles on Sale Now!

2008 PORsCHE CAYEnnE Gts Certified, Sand White/Black, 4.8L V8, Every Low Make Miles &ZP1556 Nearly Model / 8LA73049 OnLY....$50,898. Call Visit uswww.porschedoonline 888-685-5426 wntownla.com dtlamotors.com 2008 VW JEttA PAssAt 2.5s Certified, 5cyl PZEV., Gray/Blk, Only 10,115 miles ZV1959 / CC059045 Only...$18,980 Call 888-781-8102 www.vwdowntownla.com 2009 AUDi A5 2.0t QUAttRO Certified, Turbo, Gray/Black, AWD, 35K Miles A13424D-1 / AA065553 OnLY....$32,995 Call 888-583-0981 www.audidtla. com 2009 CHEVY MALiBU HYBRiD 4DR. Gray/Gray, Great Mileage, AC, Loaded F13074-1 / F131890 OnLY....$13,995 Call 888-3047039 www.felixchevrolet.com 2009 MERCEDEs CLK350 AMG Certified, White Stone, 3.5L, low miles 5940C / F270087 OnLY....$25,991 Call 888-3198762. www.mbzla.com 2011 nissAn sEntRA 2.0s sEDAn Certified, Red Brick Pearl/silver, 30mpg, CU0827R / L651168 OnLY....$11,995 call 888-845-2267 www.carsonnissan.com

For a complete list of our pre-owned inventory, go to www.DTLAMOTORS.com

ITEMS FOR SALE

LOS ANGELES COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT CASE NO. BC490580 PLAINTIff: 1840 HIGHLANd PARTNERS, LLC vS dEfENdANTS: GENNARO J. MONTININO, JOEY fRANk MONTININO, dAvId WILLIAM MORRISON, AnD DOEs 1 tHROUGH 50, inCLUsiVE nOtiCE! You have been sued. the court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below.

You have 30 CALEnDAR DAYs after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you. Your written response must be in proper legal form, if you want the court to hear your case. there may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. if you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form.

If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court. there are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. if you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. if you cannot afford an attorney, you may be

eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal services Web site (www. lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association. nOtE: the court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbritation award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. the court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case. the name and address of the court is: Los Angeles County superior Court Central District 111 n. Hill street Los Angeles, CA 90012-3014 Case number: BC490580 Dated: August 17, 2012 John A. Clarke, Clerk Christina Grijalva, Deputy the name, address, telephone number, and fax number of Plaintiff’s attorney is: John G. Burgee/Burgee & Abramoff 20501 Ventura Blvd. st. 262 Woodland Hills, CA 91364 818-264-7575 nOtiCE tO tHE PERsOn sERVED: You are served as an individual defendant.

Pub: 10/21, 10/28, 11/4, 11/11

fICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT fILE NO. 2013 213719 the fol-

NOTICE INvITING BIdS Lamp Community is requesting bids for the conversion of 2,825 s.f. of office space to a 25 bed dormitory in Los Angeles CA. Work will be bound by all relevant regulations to satisfy California Department of Housing and Community Development funding requirements as well as all requirements of governing agencies.

Bids will be received until 3 p. m on the 11th day of November, 2013 in Lamp Community office located at 1920 West 3rd Street, Los Angeles, California, at which time and place all bids will be publicly opened and read aloud.

Bidding Documents will be available on October 28th, 2013 and can be ordered through ARC/ Plan well.

Contact: Bobby Rush: 818-224-3557. The Contractor is to bear all costs associated with obtaining the Bidding Documents.

Project Direct URL: https://order.e-arc.com/arcEOC/x_project. asp?de=6342a9ef-86f2-4b7d-9d4e-e1283f64ef6b

WHitE RAttAn coffee table, glass top, like new. $100 or best offer. 323-605-2249

526 S SAN PEDRO mandatory pre-bid Conference: Bidding Documents must be brought to the Mandatory Pre-Bid Conference on October 30, 2013 at 8am on site at 526 S San Pedro St. Contractors that do not have the project bidding documents in hand at the Mandatory Pre-Bid Conference are not eligible to neither attend the mandatory pre-bid conference nor submit a bid. Anyone arriving after 8:15am for the mandatory pre-bid conference will not be allowed to enter nor submit a bid.

Local, minority, disadvantaged and women owned businesses are encouraged to apply.

sec. deposit special @$100 with good Credit Includes utilities, basic cable channels, laundry room on site.

Gated building in a good area.

208 W. 14th st. at Hill st.

Downtown LA

For English Call Pierre or Terri 213.744.9911 For Spanish Call Susana 213.749.0306

NOTICE Of APPLICATION fOR POLICE PERMIT notice is hereby given that application has been made to the Board of Police Commissioners for a permit to conduct a DAnCE HALL nAME OF APPLiCAnt: spirited Group iii, LLC DOinG BUsinEss As: Honeycut LOCAtED At: 819 south Flower street Basement Los Angeles, CA 90017 Any person desiring to protest the issuance of this permit shall make a written protest before november 5, 2013 to the: LOs AnGELEs POLiCE COMMissiOn 100 West First street Los Angeles, CA 90012 Upon receipt of written protests, protesting persons will be notified of date, time and place for hearing.

BOARD OF POLiCE COMMissiOnERs Pub. 10/28, 11/04

the LOFT expert!

TM

Downtown since 2002

Bill Cooper 213.598.7555 TheLoftExpertGroup.com

Project Name: Lamp Village Emergency Shelter

Civil sUmmons

poliCe permit

fiCtitioUs bUsiness name

fUrnitUre

LEGAL

lowing person is doing business as: tHE stAnDARD, DOWntOWn 550 south Flower street at 6th street, Los Angeles, CA 90071, are hereby registered by the following registrant: stAnDARD DOWntOWn LEssEE, LLC 23 East 4th street, 5th Floor, new York, nY 10003. this business is conducted by a limited liability company. Registrant began to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on september 1,2013.

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on October 11, 2013.

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. 10/28/2013.

LegAL NotiCe

LegAL NotiCe

Angels Walk L.A. is seeking qualified disadvantaged business enterprises (DBE) as well as other qualified business enterprises to print a quality self-guided walking trail guidebook. Bids to be received no later than 11/25/13.

Angels Walk L.A. 11611 Washington Place, Los Angeles, CA 90066 Tel: 213-744-0016

Angels Walk L.A. is seeking qualified disadvantaged business enterprises (DBE) as well as other qualified business enterprises to fabricate quality historic stanchions to be placed at street. Bids to be received no later than 11/25/13.

Angels Walk L.A. 11611 Washington Place, Los Angeles, CA 90066 Tel: 213-744-0016

DRE # 01309009

Bill Cooper 213.598.7555

TheLoftExpertGroup.com BRE #01309009

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32 Downtown News

October 28, 2013

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS

The Central City Crime Report

Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore!

It’s our business to make you comfortable... at home, downtown. Corporate and long term residency Call Now Fo is accommodated in high style at the Towers Apartments. Contemporary singles, studio, one r bedroom and two bedroom apartment homes provide fortunate residents with a courteous full service lobby attendant, heated pool, spa, complete fitness center, sauna and recreation room Move-In Spec with kitchen. Beautiful views extend from the Towers’ lofty homes in the sky. Mountain vistas and ial slender skyscrapers provide an incredible back drop to complement your decor. Far below are a host of businesses s ready to support your pampered downtown lifestyle. With spectacular cultural events nearby, even the most demanding tastes are satisfied. Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore. Visit the Towers Apartments today.

Grand Tower

255 South Grand Avenue Leasing Information 213 229 9777 Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Concierge ~ Pool / Spa / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Gas BBQ Grills ~ Recreation Room

Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove, Microwave & Dishwasher (most units) ~ Central Air Conditioning & Heating ~ Balconies (most units)

On-site: ~ Dry Cleaners / Dental Office / Restaurants

Promenade Towers

123 South Figueroa Street Leasing Information 213 617 3777 Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Pool / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Covered Parking

Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove & Dishwasher ~ Central Air & Heating ~ Solariums and/or Balconies

On-Site: ~ Convenience Store / Coffee House / Yogurt Shop / Beauty Salon

museum Tower

225 South Olive Street Leasing Information 213 626 1500 Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Concierge ~ Pool / Spa / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Gas BBQ Grills ~ Recreation Room

Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove, Microwave & Dish washer (most units) ~ Central Air & Heating ~ Balconies (most units)

8 7 7 - 2 65 - 714 6

TOWERS T H E

A PA RT M E N T S

www.TowersApartmentsLA.com MAID SERVICE • FURNITURE • HOUSEWARES • CABLE • UTILITIES • PARKING

RESIDENCES: SINGLES • STUDIO • ONE BEDROOM • TWO BEDROOM

A Rundown on Downtown Incidents, Trends and Criminal Oddities

By Donna Evans n the Central City Crime Report, we survey the recent week in public safety. All information is provided by the LAPD’s Central Division.

I

Don’t Think Pink: Executives at L.A. Live, who have a federal injunction against a man for selling counterfeit merchandise near the sports and entertainment complex, got into a scuffle with the man and his siblings, who were hawking Pink items (the clothing maker, not the color). During the 11:30 p.m. incident on Oct. 13, the suspect removed his belt and used the buckle as a weapon, hitting a security guard. The district attorney filed one count of assault with a deadly weapon against the vendor.

Robbed, Stabbed & Arrested: A 47-year-old woman pointed a knife at a man she was robbing at Fifth and San Pedro streets.

When the victim put up his hands to protect himself during the 2 a.m. incident on Oct. 11, the woman stabbed him and, with the help of accomplices, stole cash, a camera and a photo album. Police found Danna Brass later and arrested her on suspicion of robbery.

Faux Wheelchair Bandit: A man in a wheelchair rolled up to a bus bench at Third Street and Broadway just before 2 a.m. on Oct. 18 and demanded another man’s headphones. The man declined, but offered to sell the headphones. That’s when the suspect got out of his wheelchair, punched the first man, stole the headphones and fled.

Bus Driver to the Rescue: Two men punched a homeless man at Alameda and Alhambra streets at 9 p.m. on Oct. 18 as they tried to steal his backpack. The victim flagged down a Metro bus and the driver called police. Irving Reyes and Edgar Bonilla were subsequently arrested on suspicion of robbery.

Swing and a Slice: A man kicked a car in a parking lot on Spring between Sixth and Seventh streets at 3:40 a.m. on Oct. 19. That caused another man to get out of the car. The kicker pulled out a knife and swung it, stabbing the other man in the arm and torso.

The victim was taken to an area hospital.

HOPE STREET, 22 They got their wish: The building features modern desks and chairs, recycled wood flooring (chunks of old 2x4s) and faux antique metal ceiling fans. The kids expressed their ideas on tri-fold display boards that resemble science fair projects. The boards are exhibited in the craft room.

The building’s lobby is dominated by a mural, by Kyungmi Shin and Todd Gray, that Costello said reflects the center’s contribution to healthy families. The piece, “Family, 2013,” is a photo collage on powder-coated aluminum that depicts a family made out of fruits, vegetables, school supplies and toys.

One of the most frequently utilized elements of the family center is the outdoor full-size basketball court, said recreation coordinator Sid Oxford, who oversees the game room and sports court. In a neighborhood with few green spaces, there has been a lack of safe places for kids to run and play — until now.

“Kids need to run around and burn that energy, but also learn how to work together as a team,” he said.

The project had another, unintended benefit. When the Margolis staffers moved into their new facility, they opened up a space that was quickly filled by the new Metro Charter Elementary School. Now, approximately 110 kindergarten through second grade students are taking classes in the old building.

Costello said that although the new building has space for all of the center’s additional programming, some volunteers are needed to serve as coaches, fitness instructors, art teachers and nutrition educators. Interested Downtown residents and workers should email amy.costello@dignityhealth.org. donna@downtownnews.com