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DECEMBER 28, 2015 I VOL. 44 I #52

2015: A W E I V Y EA R I N R E all photos by Gary Leonard except bottom left, photo courtesy Wooster Group; bottom middle, photo by Craig Schwartz; bottom second from right, photo by Dylan + Jeni

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Restaurants: Nguyen and Thi Tran, the husband-and-wife owners of the much-loved Asian fusion restaurant Starry Kitchen (2), announced that they would close their semi-permanent pop-up at Chinatown’s Grand Star Jazz Club if they didn’t raise $500,000 on Kickstarter.

They fell short the next month. Also in China-

December 28, 2015

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town, Andy Ricker opened the anticipated noodle shop Pok Pok Phat Thai in Far East Plaza.

Other new arrivals included high-end Brazilian steakhouse Fogo de Chao, which filled the former Roy’s restaurant space at Eighth and Figueroa streets, and Pez Cantina, a Mexican

seafood eatery inspired by former Patina chef Bret Thompson’s trips to Baja California. It is at the foot of the Wells Fargo Center on Bunker Hill.

Entertainment: Downtown laughed when the

three-day Riot L.A. comedy festival returned, bringing more than 150 performers — among them Maria Bamford, Bill Burr, Al Madrigal and Fred Willard — to seven Downtown venues. Things were less funny, but perhaps more thoughtful, at REDCAT, when the experimental theater troupe Wooster Group launched Early Shaker Spirituals (3), a show based on a 1976 album of hymns and monologues performed by women from the Sabbathday Lake Shaker community. On Jan. 31, the inaugural Night on Broadway took place, drawing upwards of 35,000 people to a free celebration with performances in historic theaters and on the street.

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ews, Business and Politics: The year began with some disconcerting news, as Los Angeles Police Department statistics showed a 25% hike in violent crime in 2014 over the previous year. LAPD brass maintained it came from changes in how certain crimes were classified, and not a sign that Downtown was less safe.

Meanwhile, Downtown got a big retail addition with the opening of a Gap Factory Store (1) at 737 S. Broadway, giving locals a value-oriented option for basic apparel, outerwear, accessories and more. Another new business, this one for the four-legged set, was Uptown Pup, which arrived at 819 Mateo St. in the Arts District.

Also: “Generators of the Cylinder,” a 270-foot-long artwork with circles of colorful flashing lights, reopened after eight years of disrepair at the International Jewelry Center; and the Home for Good program, led by the United Way of Greater Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, announced an ambitious goal backed by Mayor Eric Garcetti: to end veteran homelessness by the close of 2015, and chronic homelessness by the end of 2016. Later in the year Garcetti would back off from the veterans aim.

photo courtesy Wooster Group

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JANUARY

photo by Gary Leonard

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Also: Local developer King’s Arch bought a run-down, sixstory Art Deco building at 537 S. Broadway with aims to turn it into creative office space; Oscar De La Hoya, whose Golden Boy Promotions is headquartered in Downtown, announced plans to launch a monthly boxing card, dubbed L.A. Fight Night, at the Belasco Theatre; and Rick Orlov (2), the Los Angeles Daily News legend known as the Dean of City Hall reporters, died Feb. 2 at the age of 66. A memorial for him was held in City Council chambers.

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photo by Gary Leonard

ews, Business and Politics: Fourteenth District City Councilman José Huizar won re-election handily, receiving 66% of the vote and walloping former County Supervisor Gloria Molina in the March 3 election. Huizar ran a razor-sharp campaign and raised $866,000. With matching funds and unaffiliated independent expenditures, approximately $1.5 million was spent on his behalf. Molina’s take, including matching funds and independent expenditures, was about $340,000.

Though Farmers Field had lost its mojo long ago, developer Anschutz Entertainment Group officially pulled the plug on the proposed football stadium on March 10. Yet as one project ended, another began: AEG also announced plans for a 755room, 38-story expansion of the J.W. Marriott hotel at L.A. Live. AEG hopes to open the $500 million project in 2018.

More Downtown housing came when Skid Row Housing

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image by RTKL

Restaurants: The stretch of Seventh Street near the Financial District got another eatery with the ramen and sushi shop 3rd Generation. Charles Babinski, co-owner of Grand Central Market’s G&B Coffee, won the 2015 U.S. Barista Championship at

MARCH

Trust opened the New Pershing Apartments (1). The $28 million project preserved the Victorian facade of a building at 108 E. Fifth St., and created 69 residences for formerly homeless individuals. At the opposite end of the financial spectrum, on March 19 Chinese developer Oceanwide broke ground on a $1 billion project across from Staples Center with three towers and 166,000 square feet of retail (2).

Also: Developer Related California split with its development partner on the Grand Avenue Project, SBE Entertainment and its head, Sam Nazarian; the City Planning Departments proposed transforming a portion of Seventh Street, mainly between Figueroa and Olive streets, by widening sidewalks, adding bike lanes and taking other pedestrian-friendly steps; and Wood Partners sold its 290-unit luxury apartment complex 8th + Hope for $200 million to Essex Property Trust.

Restaurants: McCormick and Schmick’s, which long occupied a large space at the base of U.S. Bank Tower, closed. M2K Group, which runs Wokcano and Spear, among other Downtown restaurants, announced it would spend $4.5 million on the replacement, the Chinese eatery Monkee. The anticipat-

photo by Gary Leonard

ews, Business and Politics: Downtown voters were galvanized when a Feb. 11 debate at the Los Angeles Theatre featured incumbent 14th District City Councilman José Huizar and former County Supervisor Gloria Molina (1).

Molina wound up on the wrong side of many Central City residents when she spoke out against more density in the community.

Two big-time developers made moves this month, with Houston-based Hanover Company starting leasing at the 284-apartment Hanover South Park, at 939 S. Hill St. Meanwhile, Holland Partner Group acquired a nearly one-acre plot immediately south of the former St. Vibiana’s cathedral for $15.8 million and announced it would build a mid-rise complex with 237 apartments. Construction began March 2 and the project is slated to open in early 2017.

On Feb. 20, the city began initial work on the Sixth Street Viaduct replacement project, which will demolish the existing 1932 bridge over the Los Angeles River in favor of a modern structure designed by noted L.A. architect Michael Maltzan. The current bridge will be closed in early 2016.

December 28, 2015

a competition in Long Beach. He would go on to take second place at the World Barista Championship in April. The Little Easy, a New Orleans-themed restaurant and bar from Vee Delgadillo (owner of the Down n Out bar), opened at the Alexandria Hotel.

Entertainment: Cineastas, a play about filmmakers and their creations from writer/director Mariano Pensotti, arrived at REDCAT with a unique split-level stage and a winding narrative (3). L.A. Opera debuted the contemporary opera The Ghosts of Versailles, melding old-school characters such as Marie Antoinette and the playwright Pierre Beaumarchais with a postmodern narrative about life after death. On Broadway, Mayor Eric Garcetti was on hand for a Million Dollar Theatre screening of his favorite movie: Airplane! Insert your favorite line here.

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photo by Craig Schwartz

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FEBRUARY

photo by Gary Leonard

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ed French bakery Pitchoun opened at the northwest corner of Sixth and Olive streets, offering breads, pastries and a full lunch menu. Tabachines Cocina brought modern Mexican cuisine to the Historic Core when it opened at 517 S. Spring St. Entertainment: Playwright Arthur Miller’s 1968 family drama The Price hit the Mark Taper Forum, with an epic performance from octogenarian actor Alan Mandell (3). The California Science Center debuted its Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition, offering more than 600 ancient manuscripts and artifacts from outside of Jerusalem. MOCA launched a rare retrospective on the confounding artist Elaine Sturtevant, who was best known for replicating her peers’ works.

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photo by Gary Leonard

ews, Business and Politics: With homelessness becoming more prevalent across Los Angeles, and many in Skid Row saying conditions were worse than ever, the City Council announced the formation of a Homelessness and Poverty Committee, with potential goals of hiring a city homelessness czar and finding more funding for affordable housing.

Downtown Councilman José Huizar would be named chair of the committee, which met for the first time during the summer.

photo by Steve Gunther

APRIL

photo by Dylan+Jeni

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The development scene was busy in April. The local firm ICO Development opened the Broadway Lofts (1), turning the 1906 Bumiller Building into 58 rental units. More activity came when Chinese developer Shenzhen Hazens revealed plans to build a three-tower project on the site of the Luxe Hotel, just east of L.A. Live. It would feature a 30-story hotel with 250 rooms and towers of 30 and 42 stories with a combined 650 condos.

The $700 million project would break ground in 2017.

Also: The local celebration of the Jewish holiday Passover was bigger than ever, with Rabbi Moshe Greenwald of the Jewish Community Center — Chabad of Downtown Los Angeles organizing a meal and service for 350 people in the Alexandria Hotel; the Weingart Center proposed building a 14-story tower for homeless individuals at Sixth and Crocker streets in Skid Row; and Holland Partner Group announced plans to move forward on a 28-story, 341-apartment tower at Ninth and Figueroa streets. A groundbreaking was set for early 2016.

Restaurants: Chef Ray Garcia (2) and restaurateur Bill Chait opened B.S. Taqueria in the former Mo-Chica space on Seventh Street, offering modern takes on Mexican food, with spe-

cialties such as a bologna taco and a beet “Milanesa” sandwich.

Vee Delgadillo, the owner of Bar 107 in the Old Bank District, announced the dive bar would close after receiving a lease termination notice from the owner of the Barclay Hotel building.

Mark Peel, known for heading the kitchen at Campanile, resurfaced in Downtown, with his seafood-centric Bombo at Grand Central Market.

Entertainment: The Los Angeles Master Chorale presented composer Tan Dun’s “Water Passion After St. Matthew,” a piece that used large bowls of water, Tibetan finger bells and other unconventional instruments, in a performance at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The Historic Core’s Los Angeles Theatre Center unveiled a diverse spring season, kicking off with Generation Sex, a dramedy from Chicago’s all-Latina company Teatro Luna. REDCAT debuted The Murder Ballad (1938), a dance performance (3) that used jazz legend Jelly Roll Morton’s ferociously vulgar “The Murder Ballad” as its narrative.

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MAY

photos by Gary Leonard

ews, Business and Politics: Downtown’s rock and roll revival took a major step forward on May 31, when the Teragram Ballroom (1) opened at 1234 W. Seventh St. in City West. The venue, which holds 600 people, came from Michael Sweier (shown here) and his architect brother Brian, who were behind New York City’s Bowery Ballroom and Mercury Lounge. The club was lauded for its acoustics and soon was hosting several shows a week with prominent local and national bands.

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1 would create a 300-room hotel in the Grand Avenue Project, replacing the SLS Hotel from former partner SBE Entertainment; developer Greenland USA said that the 18-story hotel at its mega-project Metropolis (just north of L.A. Live) would be a Hotel Indigo, the boutique arm of the InterContinental Hotels Group; and work crews at The Bloc began tearing the roof off of the former Macy’s Plaza.

Bike thefts became a big issue, with the LAPD’s Central Division, which covers Downtown, revealing that the crime had spiked 59% over the previous year (part of an overall crime increase in Downtown). The figures showed Downtown was on pace to hit 400 bike thefts in 2015.

The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority’s 2015 homeless count (2) results were revealed this month, and the numbers were sobering: The countywide homeless population rose from 39,461 in 2013 to 44,359 this year, and the count, conducted in January, found an 85% increase in the number of people living in tents, makeshift shelters and vehicles. In Council District 14, which includes Downtown, the count increased 14%, from 5,500 in 2013 to 6,292 in 2015.

Also: Related California announced that gym brand Equinox

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Restaurants: The trend of New Orleans dining establishments in Downtown continued with the debut of a branch of Inglewood’s Orleans & York Deli at 333 S. Spring St. Triple 8 China Bar and Grill, another project from M2K Group (Wokcano, Spear), opened in the old Trader Vic’s space at L.A. Live.

Entertainment: Little Tokyo’s East West Players bowed their big musical of the year, The Who’s Tommy (3). The show added an Asian-American spin to the story of the deaf, dumb and blind kid who sure plays a mean pinball. Down the street, the Japanese American National Museum acquired roughly 450 pieces of art and artifacts created by Japanese Americans held in internment camps during World War II. The acquisition prevented them from being sold to a private collector.

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JUNE

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ews, Business and Politics: Art fans applauded when muralist Kent Twitchell revealed that he would re-create his “Ed Ruscha Monument” (1) on the exterior of the American Hotel in the Arts District. The original 70-foot-tall work in South Park had been whitewashed in 2006. Twitchell said the replacement would use an updated image of the famous California artist and would stand 30 feet high. photos by Gary Leonard

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1 The Sheraton hotel at The Bloc (formerly Macy’s Plaza) wrapped up a nearly year-long renovation that cost $45 million.

The work included revamping all 495 guest rooms, amenities and the lobby.

The newest cost estimate for the Downtown streetcar (2) came in at $281.6 million, according to a review from project manager AECOM. That meant the project had a funding shortfall of at least $144.1 million, but streetcar boosters talked up the potential for public-private partnerships and federal dollars to cover the gap.

Also: Council members Bernard Parks and Tom LaBonge were termed out of office on June 30. Parks, the former police chief, had spent 50 years in city government. LaBonge had clocked 40 years with the city; L.A. Live’s Nokia Plaza and Nokia Theatre became Microsoft Square and Microsoft Theatre, respectively, following the Washington State-based company’s acquisition of Nokia’s cell phone and tablet division; and the city announced that the team of Populous and HMC had won a competition to redesign the Convention Center. Their plan would connect the South and West halls with a new structure over Pico Boulevard.

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Restaurants: The Arts District’s One Eyed Gypsy bar, which had shut down over tax issues, was reborn as the Southern-inflected Osso. Bunker Hill’s pricey steakhouse Nick + Stef’s closed for a months-long renovation to make it sleeker and more modern. Chef Ray Garcia finished up his Downtown double play — two months after his B.S. Taqueria debuted on Seventh Street, he opened Broken Spanish in the former Rivera space in South Park. It garnered widespread praise for its modern take on dishes from various regions of Mexico.

Entertainment: Downtown said “Hello kitties,” when CatCon, a two-day festival of all things feline, took place at Maker City L.A. on June 6-7. In a new collaboration with L.A. Opera, REDCAT debuted Dog Days (3), a post-apocalyptic opera about a family that encounters a man who believes that he is a stray dog (and acts accordingly). At L.A. Live, about 90,000 people showed up for the nine-day Los Angeles Film Festival. Little did the visitors know, that would be their last chance to do so in Downtown — a few months later, festival organizers announced that the 2016 event would take place at various Arclight theaters, and be anchored in Culver City.

photo by James Matthew Daniel

December 28, 2015

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Restaurants: The never-before uttered phrase “Downtown has an Austrian sausage joint” became reality on July 9, when Bernhard Mairinger opened his BierBeisl Imbiss in the Spring Arcade Building. It was one of several big additions to the food scene, and came three days after former Patina head chef Charles Olalia (2) opened his tiny Ricebar at 419 W. Seventh St. Over at Fourth and Broadway, Precinct debuted, giving Downtown its first gay bar in decades. Two other gay establishments, Redline and Mattachine, would follow in later months.

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photo by Gary Leonard

Entertainment: Colorfully clad fans of Japanese animation descended on Downtown, with approximately 100,000 people hitting the Convention Center for the annual Anime Expo. Up on Bunker Hill, the gay love story/Holocaust drama Bent drew effusive reviews for its Mark Taper Forum run. Meanwhile, superstar DJ Steve Aoki, whose Dim Mak record label is based in Downtown, showed up at the Last Bookstore (3) on July 30 to celebrate the publication of his photo book Eat Sleep Cake Repeat.

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ews, Business and Politics: Los Angeles became the center of the sports universe on July 25, when the nineday Special Olympics World Games opened with ceremonies at the Coliseum. Approximately 7,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities, representing 177 countries, descended on the city, and much of the activity took place in Downtown.

The Convention Center hosted handball, table tennis and other sports, bowling was held at L.A. Live’s Lucky Strike Lanes, and track and field was at the USC Galen Center, to name a few. Admission to all events was free.

In the development world, Waterbridge Capital revealed some of its plans for the 1.1 million-square-foot Broadway Trade Center, offering details on a project at Eighth Street and Broadway that would include office space, a 153-room hotel, a retail and restaurant component that would create 1,500 jobs, and more.

The month’s biggest debut was also on Broadway, as the former problem-plagued Club 740 re-emerged under its original name the Globe Theatre, following a $5 million renovation from Erik Chol. The upgraded 1913 building opened July 30.

Also: Circa, a South Park project with two 36-story buildings, broke ground at 1200 S. Figueroa St.; plans were filed for a 20-sto-

ry condominium tower at Hill Street and Olympic Boulevard; and Singaporean company OUE, which bought U.S. Bank Tower for $367.5 million in 2013, announced plans to create a top-floor viewing deck and restaurant dubbed Skyspace. It will open next year.

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December 28, 2015 photo by Gary Leonard

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photos by Gary Leonard

ews, Business and Politics: One of the strangest real estate stories of the last few years unfolded this month.

Admire Hill, owner of the Title Guarantee Building apartment complex, began marketing the 1930 structure that overlooks Pershing Square as condominiums (1), and told renters they’d have to leave by early September. Then, the night be-

1 turned to issues tied to homelessness and policing (Feuer kept his cool); the tech incubator Grid 110 opened in the Gas Company Tower; and the Angels Flight Railway Foundation began a fundraising campaign to pay for the insurance and maintenance of the shuttered funicular. fore an open house for brokers, Admire Hill suddenly pulled the plug on the 74-unit sale. Local observers were perplexed, as the paucity of available condos made many think the residences would fetch high prices. No explanation for the cancellation was ever given.

A different kind of shock came shortly after 10 p.m. on Aug. 20, when an electrical transformer in the basement of the 811 Wilshire (2) building exploded, rocking the Financial District and knocking out power to a dozen nearby buildings. Power was restored to the surrounding structures the next afternoon, though 811 Wilshire did not reopen until Sept. 18.

Those wanting hotel rooms in Downtown got good news when executives with Chinese developer Shenzen Hazens announced that the $700 million transformation of the Luxe Hotel site in South Park would include a 250-room, five-star W Hotel.

It is expected to open in 2019.

Also: An Aug. 19 meeting about rising crime in Downtown, headed by City Attorney Mike Feuer, grew heated when talk

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Restaurants: Upscale tacos appeared in the Arts District when an outpost of Walter Manzke’s Petty Cash opened at 712 S. Santa Fe. Ave. The poke revolution picked up steam as Ohana Poké Co., headed by chef/owner Erik Park, arrived at 130 E. Sixth St. The Downtown gay bar revival continued with the debut of Redline at 131 E. Sixth St.; it followed the arrival of Precinct in July.

Entertainment: Downtown’s past became part of its present on Aug. 20, when the A+D Architecture and Design Museum (3) opened at 900 E. Fourth St. in the Arts District. It was founded in Downtown in 2001, but had spent the last decade on Wilshire Boulevard near Museum Row. The FYF Fest returned to Exposition Park, with an improved layout over 2014 and a roster of big names including Kanye West, Morrissey and The Jesus and Mary Chain. Additionally, Park City, Utah came to Downtown, when the Sundance Next Fest film festival staged a series of screenings and events in the Ace Hotel.

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ews, Business and Politics: International attention was lavished on Downtown thanks to the Sept. 20 opening of the contemporary art museum The Broad (1). The $140 million project from philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad garnered high praise for both the building and the artwork. The Grand Avenue edifice features a honeycomb-like exterior designed by the New York firm Diller, Scofidio + Renfro. The inaugural exhibit showcases about 200 of the Broads’ 2,000 works, with pieces by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Cindy Sherman, Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, Mark Bradford and every other contemporary artist of note. Admission is free.

Over in the Financial District, Downtown parents and kids cheered when the Pershing Square playgrounds (2) debuted on Sept. 3. The $600,000 project features one play area for 2- to 5-year-olds and a separate one for kids 5-12. On the opposite

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photo by Gary Leonard

ews, Business and Politics: When Andrew Meieran closed Clifton’s Cafeteria for renovations in 2011, he thought the work would take a year and cost about $3 million. Instead, he spent four years and more than $10 million on a top-tobottom transformation of the space at 648 S. Broadway. It was unveiled on Oct. 1 and Downtown went nuts for a building with multiple themed bars and surprises around every corner (1), everything from fossilized brontosaurus eggs to a taxidermied buffalo to a replica of a 40-foot-tall redwood tree. The menu put a modern spin on cafeteria classics, and yes, they serve Jell-O.

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end of the park front, news surfaced this month that contaminants had been found in the soil of the under-construction Art District Park. An opening was pushed back until spring 2016.

Also: Jaws dropped when Los Angeles Times Publisher and CEO Austin Beutner was abruptly fired by Jack Griffin, the head of Tribune Publishing, despite local accolades for advances the paper had made under Beutner; and Rising Realty Partners sold the PacMutual complex for $200 million, three years after buying it for $60 million and spending another $25 million on renovations.

Restaurants: Downtown got a French twist with the debut of Le Petit Paris on the ground floor of the El Dorado Lofts on Spring Street. Food watchers were surprised when a batch of high-

It was not the only big arrival. Over in the Arts District, the 5,200-square-foot boutique grocery store Grow (2) opened on Oct. 24.

The market in the One Santa Fe complex gave area inhabitants a hefty selection of fresh and organic items, along with baked goods, a sizable deli counter and a row of bulk food bins.

Also: Executives with the private SoHo House announced that they had closed a deal to buy a 1917 warehouse at 1000 S. Santa Fe. Ave. for $18.5 million. The Downtown SoHo House is slated to open in 2016; students at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College donated a refurbished fire truck to the country of Haiti, following more than a year of work; Greenland USA started selling 500 units in the second phase of its $1 billion South Park megaproject Metropolis; and Olvera Street made

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photo by Eric Garcetti

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profile eateries, including Steve Sampson’s Rossoblu, were announced for the City Market South project, which is expected to open next year. A sad moment came when Oiwake in Little Tokyo shuttered on Sept. 30, ending a 35-year run for the restaurant, bar and karaoke joint.

Entertainment: Mayor Eric Garcetti’s artistic side was revealed when #MAYOR_OF_INSTAGRAM, an exhibition of photos he took for the social media platform (3), opened at Gary Leonard’s Take My Picture Gallery. Other big openings included Mummies: New Secrets From the Tombs at the Natural History Museum, and River of Fundament, the first major Los Angeles exhibition for Matthew Barney, which filled the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA. On the stage, East West Players scored a hit with the opening of David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish, and a resounding Sound of Music debuted at the Ahmanson Theatre.

the list of the American Planning Association’s “Great Places in America.”

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Restaurants: Easy places to grab food and drinks were lost when the Japanese convenience store chain Famima!! closed all of its U.S. shops, including the seven in Downtown.

Downtowners got a sleek place for dinner and cocktails when the Mexican-influenced FOH (for Front of House) opened Oct. 24 at 615 S. Flower St.

photo by Gary Leonard

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Entertainment: Broadway got bloody on Oct. 28, when Carrie: The Musical, a theatrical version of Stephen King’s 1974 novel, opened at the Los Angeles Theatre (3). It ran in the landmark venue for six weeks. There was a far different kind of culture in Hopscotch. The “car photo by Jason Niedle

photo by Gary Leonard

SEPTEMBER

December 28, 2015 photo by Gary Leonard

10 Downtown News

opera” staged by avant-garde company The Industry used a huge cast and crew and had audiences roll through Downtown and surrounding areas in limousines, taking in arias and breathtaking performances. On Grand Avenue, the aptly titled Grand Ave. Arts: All Access was a one-day festival showcasing the street’s venue and amenities.

December 28, 2015

Daniel Jocz, a history teacher at the Downtown Magnets High School, was named one of California’s five Teachers of the Year; and the Hotel Figueroa closed on Nov. 22 ahead of a major renovation. A liquidation sale began in December.

Restaurants: Big-name eateries continued to pour into Downtown. The popular Manhattan Beach spot Little Sister opened an outpost on Seventh Street, bringing its modern Southeast Asian fusion cooking to the Financial District. Up on Bunker Hill, Tim Hollingsworth’s Otium opened at The Broad museum.

Meanwhile, former Gorbals mastermind Ilan Hall returned to the Central City with vegan noodle joint Ramen Hood in Grand Central Market.

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Entertainment: A number of familiar names made return visits to Downtown this month. Asian-American hipster culture bible Giant Robot launched its Giant Robot Biennale 4 exhibit at the Japanese American National Museum, while Culture Clash member Ric Salinas appeared in the one-man show 57 Chevy at the Los Angeles Theatre Center. Kathy Griffin played four dates at the Mark Taper Forum, and “This American Life” host

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Essential Dining Reference!

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E OV E R

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photo by Gary Leonard

ews, Business and Politics: Downtowners continue to pine for a Trader Joe’s, but for many the next best thing came Nov. 4 when high-end grocery chain Whole Foods opened a 41,000-square-foot store on the ground floor of Carmel Partners’ Eighth & Grand apartment complex (1). The market is packed with grab-and-go items and the organic goods Whole Foods is known for. A bonus is an in-store outpost of chef Roy Choi’s Chego! The store created more than 200 jobs.

Another prominent arrival was Vice President Joe Biden (2), who came to the Arts District on Nov. 16 to discuss green technology at the Los Angeles Cleantech Initiative’s La Kretz Innovation Campus. In South Park, the Hanover Company began moveins for its second large residential complex, the 274-apartment Hanover Grand Avenue, at 111 S. Grand Ave. A third nearby rental project, the Hanover Olympic, will open next year.

Also: Developer Lincoln Property Company finished a transformation of the 1916 Desmond Building at 11th and Hope streets, bringing 500 AEG employees to a long-empty structure;

Ira Glass joined two dancers (3) for a mash-up performance at the Ace Hotel. photo by Jesse Michener

NOVEMBER

photo by Gary Leonard

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CALENDAR LISTINGS EVENTS

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

December 28, 2015

The Don't Miss List Close Out the Old Year With Laughs and Skating, Welcome the New One With Art and Culture

By Dan Johnson | calendar@downtownnews.com

photo by Gary Leonard

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Letting go is hard to do.

Just ask your ex. When it comes to the holiday season, no one can force you to stop celebrating. That said, this marks your final chance to enjoy the winter wonderland idea at L.A. Live, as the last day for the L.A. Kings Holiday Ice rink is also the last day of 2015. Come January 1, the humble, highly branded patch of frozen water you and your kin have so enjoyed will be nothing but a memory. Until then, you too can fall repeatedly between the hours of 3 p.m. and midnight. At 777 Chick Hearn Court, (866) 5483452 or lalive.com.

It’s New Year’s Day in Los Angeles, and if you’re not sitting at home, trying to best your loved ones in a game of who can swallow the most aspirin, Little Tokyo invites you to attend the 18th annual Oshogatsu Festival. Taiko drums, martial arts displays, folk music, dance, calligraphy demonstrations and hands-on craft booths all form the bedrock of this trans-Pacific celebration. Opening ceremonies kick off at 10:50 a.m. in Weller Court. Further activities spread out into Japanese Village Plaza and Frances Hashimoto Plaza. At 123 Astronaut E. S. Onizuka St., (213) 6173696 or japanese-city.com.

Wanna do New Year’s Eve big?

Then join 50,000 of your closest friends in Grand Park for an evening of live music, food and unreasonable resolution making. Spread through the Music Center Plaza, the park and surrounding streets, the event dubbed N.Y.E.L.A. features the likes of Gavin Turek, Hunter Hunted, Quitapenas and many others. There will be three stages and 3D imagery will festoon City Hall, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and the L.A. County Hall of Records. Grab some food truck grub and await midnight at this free gathering, but don’t come sloshed and leave your hoverboard at home (solid advice for any occasion).

At 200 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-8080 or grandparkla.org.

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photo courtesy Grand Park

Set your intentions for 2016 with a special New Year’s Eve dose of earnest cynicism packaged in the five-feet 10-inches of pure Massachusetts comedic honesty known as Bill Burr. At 7:15 and 10:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 31, the socially critical stand-up mounts the stage at Broadway’s Orpheum Theatre in what will surely amount to a few hours worth of staggeringly sardonic appraisals of the hilariously hopeless conundrum of mental inefficiency we call the human race. At 842 S. Broadway, (877) 677-4386 or laorpheum.com.

photo by Gary Leonard

MONDAY, DECEMBER 28 Holiday Ice Rink Pershing Square, 532 S. Olive St. or holidayicerinkdowntownla.com.

Every Day: The skating rink at Pershing Square is back for its 18th year. Glide (or fall) in the shadow of palm trees and Financial District skyscrapers in the 110-by-60 foot rink. It is open through Jan. 18.

L.A. Kings Holiday Ice L.A. Live, 777 Chick Hearn Court, (866) 548-3452 or lalive.com.

This is your last chance to enjoy the ice rink at Microsoft Square. The batch of frozen water with branding from hockey’s Kings measures 132-by-80 feet and you can skate up until New Year’s Eve. But come Jan. 1, 2016, it will be gone.

Type-In with Melrose Poetry Bureau Last Bookstore, 453 S. Spring St., (213) 488-0599 or lastbookstorela.com.

5 p.m.: Not only will the lads and lasses from the Melrose Poetry Bureau be typing out poetry before your very eyes, so too will antique typewriters used by the likes of Ray Bradbury and Orson Welles be on display.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31 Angel City Brewery New Year’s Eve 216 S. Alameda St., (213) 622-1261 angelcitybrewery.com.

4 p.m.-1 a.m.: The No Cover New Year’s party features free admission and loads of new friends.

Bill Burr at the Orpheum Theatre 842 Broadway, (877) 677-4386 or laorpheum.com.

Dec. 31, 7:15 and 10:30 p.m.: Here’s a different way to say good-bye to 2015: Bill Burr will pre-emptively brace you for the endemic stupidity guaranteed to haunt 2016, a presidential election year in America.

N.Y.E.L.A. Grand Park, 200 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-8080 or grandparkla.org.

8 p.m.-1 a.m.: Live music, 3D projections, huge art installations and copious opportunities to blurt out lyrics from “Auld Lang Syne” all make New Year’s Eve in Grand Park a favorite.

Note: No booze allowed.

NYE Extravaganza Clifton’s Cafeteria, 648 S Broadway, (213) 627-1673 or cliftonsla.com.

8 p.m.-4 a.m.: The historic restaurant is back and celebrates the new year with a giant party, cocktails and DJs spinning dance music. It all happens amidst taxidermied creatures, a giant faux redwood tree in the atrium and various themed bars. Keep your eyes open for the aerial performers.

Prohibition NYE Union Station, 800 N. Alameda St. or events.kcrw.com.

9 p.m.: Radio station KCRW takes over the soaring Ticket Concourse at Union Station. The Prohibition NYE party will be a Roaring 20s-style bacchanal with live jazz, DJ sets and a burlesque performance.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 1 Oshogatsu Festival Little Tokyo Weller Court, 123 Astronaut E S Onizuka St., (213) 617-3696 or Japanese-city.com.

10:30 a.m.: Kick off 2016 with a celebration of Japanese traditions ranging from song and dance to crafts and food.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 3 New Year’s Race Throughout Downtown, with a starting line at Grand Park, newyearsrace.com 4 p.m.: Get healthy two days after the year begins. There’s a Continued on next page

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photo courtesy Bill Burr

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Dirty Dames Masquerade Ball Dames N Games, 2319 E. Washington Blvd, (323) 589-2220 or damesngames.net.

NYE Hot Pick: Spearmint Rhino’s Dames N Games topless Sports Bar & Grill’s “Dirty Dames Masquerade Ball!” features $200 bottle specials, Ciroc, Jameson & Patron, $5 shots, a midnight champagne toast, crazy dance specials, a full bar, fine food and more!

photo courtesy LTBA

SPONSORED LISTINGS

The $140 million museum The Broad opened in September, and the building housing the private collection of art fanatics Eli and Edythe Broad instantly became the preeminent Los Angeles building to take a selfie in. If you haven’t yet visited and trained an iPhone on yourself in Yayoi Kusama’s “Infinity Mirror” installation, the time is now. Tickets are free, but must be reserved in advance.

Unfortunately tickets are spoken for until early March, but given the fickle and weather-averse nature of Angelenos, you can bet a stiff breeze or passing cloud will open up the doors for those waiting patiently in the standby line out front.

At 221 S. Grand Ave., (213) 232-6200 or thebroad.org.

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

December 28, 2015

Downtown News 13

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM 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

OP GOI EN NG NE ON W YE NOW AR ! ’S D AY !

kid’s fun run at 4 p.m., a combined 5K/10K course at 6 p.m. and a half marathon at 8 p.m.

ROCK, POP & JAZZ

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

Dec. 31, 8 p.m.: It’s a New Year’s Event titled Pluto’s First Party, with DJ sets from Devendra Banhart, amongst others.

Belasco 1050 S. Hill St., (213) 746-5670 or thebelascotheater.com.

Dec. 31, 8 p.m.: Contrary to the name, Minimal Effort features four stages and a bevy of DJs ranging from Fur Coat to Jimmy Edgar & Danny Daze. Yes, it’s another way to end one year and start the next.

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

Dec. 28: Kirsten Edkins Group.

Dec. 29: Chris Wabich Birthday Concert.

Dec. 30: New Year’s Eve Eve. No, this probably does not mean a night with Eve Plumb, aka Jan from “The Brady Bunch.”

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

Dec. 28: Figs Vision would like to wish you a happy new year replete with ample opportunities to purchase their music!

Dec. 31: Saved By the ’90s is a sonic journey back to the 20th century and a time before hanging chads.

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

Dec. 31, 9 p.m.: Celebrate New Year’s Eve with Bryson Tiller and his “trapsoul.”

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

Dec. 30: Ferry Corsten.

Dec. 31: Prominent DJ John Digweed is in Downtown for the arrival of 2016.

Jan. 2: Coyu.

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

Dec. 30, 3 p.m.: Salsa Caliente, a musical ensemble and a lovely name for a quick service Mexican food chain.

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

Dec. 28: Acoustic Punk.

Dec. 29: The Symptoms.

Dec. 30: The Magnificent with Bad Cop/Bad Cop. The Regent 448 S. Main St. or theregenttheater.com.

Continued on page 14

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Waltz This Way photo by Barry Roden

Dec. 29, 9 p.m.: Feast on this irreverent stand-up comedy cavalcade that takes up residence at the Downtown Independent.

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new year’s tradition returns to Downtown Los Angeles. On Sunday, Jan. 3, at 2:30 p.m., the 14th annual Salute to Vienna arrives at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The Strauss-fueled extravaganza features waltzes and romantic melodies from operettas including Die Fledermaus and Merry Widow. Expect European singers in ornate costumes, a full orchestra and enough references to the Blue Danube to convince you that you are, for a couple hours at least, onequarter Austrian.

At 111 S. Grand Ave. or salutetovienna.com.

Continued from previous page Dec. 31: Dance Yourself Clean is not among the hygienic methods sanctioned by the Surgeon General.

Jan. 1: Cut Copy hit the turntables to give you a taste of the sort of music Australia relies on to keep their GDP up.

Jan. 2: Funktion headlines this installment of bassrush.

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

Dec. 29: No, it’s not rabies. The Makers have been steadily pounding Alka Seltzer for a week now in the hopes of pre-empting their annual New Year’s hangover.

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

Dec. 28, 7 p.m.: Mötley Crüe’s final tour returns home to Los Angeles. The band also performs Dec. 30 and 31. If you choose to spend the last day of the year with Tommy Lee and Vince Neil, this will reveal a lot about you.

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

Dec. 28: Furcast, Porcelain Pale, Rollercoasterwater and Paul Nicholas Slater.

Dec. 30: West America vs. Idaho Green, Spokenest vs. Medicine Bow and Cave Babies.

Jan. 2: REXX, Dabble, Tempest le Mans and Raul.

Teragram Ballroom 1234 W. Seventh St. or teragramballroom.com.

Dec. 31, 8 p.m.: It’ll cost you $90 to see STRFKR on New Year’s Eve, which includes a four-hour long open bar.

Jan. 2, 8 p.m.: Los Angeles gets more noodly psych as Surf Curse hits the stage.

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

Dec. 31, 7 and 10:30 p.m.: With no Pips in tow, Gladys Knight has New Year’s locked up all on her soulful lonesome.

FILM

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

See website for schedule.

IMAX California Science Center, 700 State Drive, (213) 744-2019 or californiasciencecenter.org.

Journey to Space 3D brings audience members along on an E-ticket ride of exploration to the red planet.

Ewan McGregor is the voice of Humpback Whales 3D. Not that the whales aren’t significant enough in their own right, but Obi-Wan narrating means we’re dealing with serious power

brokers here. Power brokers who know a good whale story when they see it.

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

The schedule was not available at press time, but you can bet your bottom dollar that there will be copious opportunities to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2D and 3D formats, as well as screenings of Sisters, Boys on the Hood, In the Heart of the Sea and more. See website for a full schedule.

CLASSICAL MUSIC SUNDAY, JANUARY 3 Salute to Vienna Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 972-0777 or musiccenter.org.

2:30 p.m.: You can bank on Strauss and a bit of waltzing in this annual tribute to our favorite Austrian capital.

THEATER, OPERA & DANCE

Bob Baker’s Nutcracker Bob Baker Marionette Theater, 1345 W. First St., (213) 250-9995 or bobbakermarionettes.com.

Dec. 28-31, 10:30 a.m., Jan. 3, 2:30 p.m.: The dance of the Sugarplum Fairy will never be seen in quite the same way by those who bear witness to this advanced study in puppetry.

The Bridges of Madison County Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or centertheatregroup.org.

Dec. 28-30, 8 p.m., Dec. 31, 7 p.m. Jan. 2, 2 and 8 p.m., Jan. 3, 1 and 6:30 p.m.: Based on the book by Pulitzer Prize winner Marsha Norman and directed by Tony Award winner Bartlett Sher, the novel by Robert James Waller has been converted into a musical. Yes, a musical. Even more surprising: It is full of smart, well-constructed songs thanks to composer and lyricist Jason Robert Brown. It won two Tonys. Through Jan. 17.

The Christians Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or centertheatregroup.org.

Dec. 28-31, 8 p.m., Jan. 2, 2:30 and 8 p.m., Jan. 3, 1 and 6:30 p.m.: In Lucas Hnath’s 90-minute play, a mega-pastor has a change of heart over whether hell exists, causing a rift in the church. With a 27-member choir, a thought-provoking script and a top-notch stage design, it’s the best show to hit the Mark Taper Forum this season. Through Jan. 10.

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

MUSEUMS

African American Firefighter Museum 1401 S. Central Ave., (213) 744-1730 or aaffmuseum.org.

Ongoing: An array of firefighting relics dating to 1924, including a 1940 Pirsch ladder truck, an 1890 hose wagon, uniforms from New York, L.A. County and City of L.A. firefighters, badges, helmets, photographs and other artifacts.

Broad Museum 221 S. Grand Ave., (213) 232-6200 or thebroad.org.

Ongoing: The inaugural installation at the $140 million Grand Avenue institution features about 250 works from Eli and Edythe Broad’s 2,000-piece contemporary art collection. It’s big-time blue chip, with work from Rauschenberg, Warhol, Basquiat, Koons, Kruger and every other big name. Not to be missed is Yayoi Kusama’s eminently selfie-ready Infinity Mirrored Room.

FIDM Museum FIDM, second floor, 919 S. Grand Ave., (213) 624-1200 or fidmmuseum.org.

Ongoing: Artfully Adorned is a collection of fragrance, cosmetics and ephemera from the house of Lucien Lelong. This group of objects was donated by Monique Fink, wife of artist Peter Fink, who worked for Lelong as package designer and interior decorator.

Ongoing: Accessories from The Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection surveys footwear, fans, gloves, purses and hats.

California African American Museum 600 State Drive, (213) 744-7432 or caamuseum.org.

Through Feb. 28, 2016: Coloring Independently: 1940s African American Film Stills is like one of those film trailers your pops is always complaining about. “Heck, the name itself practically gives away the whole plot!”

Through April 24, 2016: If you like shapes and textures, you’ll probably dig Hard Edged: Geometrical Abstraction and Beyond.

Ongoing: The multi-functional Gallery of Discovery offers visitors the opportunity to connect with the lineage of their own family, engage in artistic workshops, educational tours and other programs of historical discoveries. Hear recordings of actual living slaves from the Library of Congress archives and discover stories from the past.

California Science Center 700 State Drive, (323) 724-3623 or californiasciencecenter.org.

Ongoing: Mission 26: The Big Endeavour presents Los Angeles’ very own Space Shuttle in all its splendor.

Ongoing: Science in Toyland presents physics through favorite kids’ toys. This hands-on exhibit engages museum visitors with Dominos, Sails and Roller Coasters in a fun, but informational primer on friction, momentum and chain reactions.

Ongoing: The Science Center’s permanent exhibits are usually interactive and focus on human innovations and inventions as well as the life processes of living things. The lobby Science Court stays busy with the High Wire Bicycle, a Motion-Based Simulator, the Ecology Cliff Climb and Forty Years of Space Photography. The human body is another big focus: The Life Tunnel aims to show the connections between all life forms, from the single-celled amoeba to the 100-trillion-celled human being. The Ecosystems exhibit explores how life on our planet is shaped by geophysical and biological processes.

Chinese American Museum 425 N. Los Angeles St., (213) 485-8567 or camla.org.

Permanent: Origins presents the story of the Chinese-American community in Los Angeles.

Permanent: Re-creation of the Sun Wing Wo, a Chinese general store and herbal shop, and Journeys: Stories of Chinese Immigration, an exhibit exploring Chinese immigration to the United States with an emphasis on community settlement in Los Angeles. Outlined into four distinct time periods, each is defined by an important immigration law and/or event, accompanied by a description and a personal story about a local Chinese American and their experiences in that particular historical period.

El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument 124 Paseo de la Plaza, (213) 485-8372 or elpueblo.lacity.org.

Ongoing: The whole of El Pueblo is called a “monument,” and of this monument’s 27 historic buildings, four function as museums: the Avila Adobe, the city’s oldest house; the Sepulveda House, home to exhibits and the Visitors Center;

December 28, 2015 the Fire House Museum, which houses late 19th-century fire-fighting equipment; and the Masonic Hall, which boasts Masonic memorabilia. Check its website for a full slate of fiestas, including Cinco de Mayo, Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in November and December’s beautiful candlelight procession, Las Posadas. Open daily, though hours at shops and halls vary.

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

Through January 10, 2016: Lyric journals, long forgotten interview footage, handwritten prison complaints, personalized Death Row Records memorabilia and a righteous video of an ancient Notorious B.I.G./Pac freestyle are all part of All Eyez On Me: The Writings of Tupac Shakur.

Through March 2016: George Carlin: A Place For My Stuff is a groundbreaking exhibit highlighting the life and impact of stand up comedian/”Thomas the Tank Engine” regular George Carlin.

Through Spring 2016: Gowns, memorabilia and personal photography form the backbone of Legends of Motown: Celebrating the Supremes.

Ongoing: 360 Sound: The Columbia Records Story provides an in-depth look at all aspects of Columbia Records’ history and offers a virtual history of the music industry from its infancy, tracing Columbia’s pivotal technological as well as business innovations, including its invention of the LP. Ongoing: Featuring copious memorabilia including drum kits and a cape, Ringo: Peace & Love is the first major exhibit to be dedicated to a drummer at the museum.

Ongoing: White sequined gloves and other wardrobe pieces are the focal point of the new exhibit case paying tribute to the life and legacy of Michael Jackson. This special display serves as a follow-up to the Museum’s past exhibitions, Michael Jackson: HIStyle and Michael Jackson: A Musical Legacy. Housed on the Museum’s third floor, the launch of the new exhibit coincided with the second anniversary of Jackson’s death.

Ongoing: Roland Live is a permanent installation courtesy of the electronic musical instrument maker, Roland Corporation. The exhibit gives visitors a chance to participate in the music-making process by playing a wide variety of Roland products, from VDrums and BOSS pedals to VIMA keyboards and the MV-8800 Production Studio.

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

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

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16 Downtown News

December 28, 2015

N

ews, Business and Politics: The Downtown cultural slate expanded as the 5,500-square-foot Resident (1) opened at 428 S. Hewitt St. in the Arts District. The interior features a stage for local and touring bands, while the outdoor space has picnic tables and a refurbished 1952 trailer that serves as a bar. It debuted Dec. 11.

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

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PROMENADE TOWERS

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

photos by Gary Leonard

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DECEMBER

1

Down in South Park, the 7,800-square-foot Downtown Dance & Movement held a grand opening celebration on Dec. 4-5. It has three studios and dozens of weekly classes in everything from ballet to tango to belly dancing.

In Little Tokyo, a crisis was narrowly averted, as area business groups raised a ruckus over the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s plan to begin Regional Connector construction on Dec. 4; shop owners said that would hamper their holiday business. Metro either listened or didn’t want a legal challenge, but whatever the case, the agency on Dec. 3 opted to delay construction until 2016.

Also: A group of arts enthusiasts calling themselves the Triforium Project launched a campaign that seeks to restore and activate the Los Angeles Mall’s three-legged, oft-criticized artwork; and Downtowners were given the opportunity to weigh in on designs from the 10 firms designated as finalists to reimagine Pershing Square.

2

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

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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

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RESIDENCES: SINGLES • STUDIO • ONE BEDROOM • TWO BEDROOM

Photo: Martin Girard / shootstudio.ca Costumes: Philippe Guillotel © 2014 Cirque du Soleil

Restaurants: A landmark disappeared when the Yorkshire Grill suddenly closed its doors. It had been at 610 W. Sixth St. since 1947. A new arrival, and the latest to jump aboard the poke bandwagon (or is it boat-wagon?), was Okipoki, which began serving at 507 S. Spring St. Entertainment: Cirque du Soleil brought its latest show, Kurios (2), to a tent in the Dodger Stadium parking lot, trading the company’s oft-used nature-oriented approach for a steampunk design. Two other heralded arrivals were at the Music Center, where Lucas Hnath’s Mark Taper Forum play The Christians delivered a thoughtful examination of a mega-church. The Ahmanson Theatre, meanwhile, saw a musical version of The Bridges of Madison County. The syrupy 1992 novel took on a new form thanks to composer and lyricist Jason Robert Brown.