01-12-09

LOS ANGELES

DOWNTOWN

NEWS Volume 38, Number 2

INSIDE

January 12, 2009

Robert Graham’s Legacy 16

2

A high-level gym, Ridley-Thomas’ big hire, and other happenings Around Town.

6

Despite the ribbon cutting, no one has moved in to the Roosevelt Lofts.

W W W. D O W N T O W N N E W S . C O M

Walkable by Design Planning Commission Approves Proposal to Make Downtown More Pedestrian-Friendly

A funeral at the cathedral.

2

More on the affordable housing battle.

3

Urban Scrawl’s predictions for 2009.

4

by Anna Scott staff writer

T

he City Planning Commission last week unanimously approved a proposal that could bring wide, tree-lined sidewalks, landscaped courtyards, more streetlights and other walkingfriendly features to Downtown. The nearly two-year effort to improve pedestrian life in the area now moves to the City Council.

The Commission voted on Thursday, Jan. 8, to recommend that the city adopt new development requirements aimed at creating a walkable Downtown landscape. The plan is twofold: The Urban Design Standards and Guidelines address sidewalks and buildings, establishing standards for sustainable design, setbacks, architectural detail and other elements, while the Downtown Street Standards would update the area’s street classifications to better balance car, pedestrian and bicycle traffic and other uses. see Design Standards, page 10

photo by Gary Leonard

Emily Gabel-Luddy of the Planning Department’s Urban Design Studio presenting a proposal to make Downtown more walkable at a Planning Commission meeting last week.

The panel unanimously approved the plan.

A New Focus on Skid Row

To Auction They Go With Slow Sales, Developer of Rowan Lofts Takes a New Direction

Community Photography Club Captures More Than Just Desolate Images

Mitsuwa Market gets ready to say goodbye.

7

Smoking ban may hit restaurant patios.

12

photo by Gary Leonard

Michael Blaze, a co-founder of the Skid Row Photography Club, gives instruction to Cenith Youngblood-De Lay. The club meets every week to learn about photography.

Their work is on display in a Historic Core gallery.

by Richard Guzmán city editor

C

Five great entertainment options.

18

18 CALENDAR LISTINGS 20 MAP 21 CLASSIFIEDS

enith Youngblood-De Lay has some lofty ambitions for her first project.

With the use of a new camera, the Skid Row resident wants to document the inner workings of the local housing groups. She aims to capture what they do, the projects they undertake and the people they help.

But for now, she’s just trying to figure out how to work her new Fujifilm FinePix point-and-shoot.

“I can’t get you all the way in the screen. How do you change the focus on this?” she asks out loud after receiving the camera from the Skid Row Photography Club.

The club formed last March and

comprises about two dozen residents of the Downtown Los Angeles neighborhood. With approximately 25,000 images taken since its inception, and a photo show at a Historic Core space that opened last week, it is an opportunity for members to have fun and document their world, as well as a way to show people that crime and homelessness are not the only things that come out of Skid Row. “When people think of Skid Row they think of drugs, crime, winos, that kind of thing, but it’s not all that. It’s just like any other community; there’s much more the deeper you look,” said Allen Paine, a member of the group.

The club is the brainchild of see Camera Club, page 17

by Richard Guzmán city editor

W

ith sales of its 206 lofts going slowly due to the troubled economy and some construction delays, the developer of The Rowan condominium project is taking a unique approach to moving units: On Feb. 8, development firm Downtown Properties will hold a one-day auction in an attempt to breathe life back into the project.

As of late last week, about a dozen people had qualified to bid on the 79 residences that will be put on the block. Starting bids for the Historic Core units will be as much as 45% below a previous asking price.

For those who pre-qualify for financing and are able to snag a unit in the building at 460 S. Spring St., it could be the bargain of a lifetime.

But for those keeping an eye on a recession-ravished housing market, the first condominium complex auction in memory in Downtown Los Angeles could be a sign of serious trouble.

Not Typical While not commenting specifically on the financial state of The Rowan, real estate experts agree that auctions are rare and usually only take place when a project is under financial strain and under pressure from lenders to deliver.

“In normal market circumstances you typically don’t see auctions. But with what’s happened in the last year and a half, it’s anything but normal,” said Dr. Gary Painter, director of research for the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate.

“So a lot of real estate developers see Auction, page 9

photo by Gary Leonard

After poor sales, 79 lofts at the 206-unit Rowan will be sold at auction Feb. 8.

Since 1972, an independent, locally owned and edited newspaper, go figure.

2 Downtown News

January 12, 2009

DowntownNews.com

Olvera Street Looks Forward

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ith El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument last year having had to lay off staff, reduce museum hours and raise parking fees, the El Pueblo Commission’s Budget and Operations Committee is looking at ways to improve the financial situation. Last week it invited St. Louis-based consulting firm Peckham Guyton Albers & Viets, Inc. to detail how it has helped tourist destinations such as SeaWorld in San Diego and the Gen. Patton Museum in Kentucky increase their business. While offering no specific plans for Olvera Street, Ned Diestelkamp, project manager for the firm, suggested steps including improving marketing techniques and creating a master plan that would provide a clear direction of where Olvera Street wants to go in the future. David Louie, chair of the Operations Committee, said he invited the firm as the first step in developing a vision for Olvera Street. The next step, Louie said, is to look for funds to conduct a master plan, whether with PGAV or another firm. Diestelkamp estimated the cost of a master plan for El Pueblo at $200,000-$250,000. Louie said having a clear plan is essential for the future of the historic attraction. “I think we need to have a cohesive plan, a clear vision and a plan to pull those things together,” he said.

Ridley-Thomas Hires Downtown Developer as Planning Deputy

T

he newest county supervisor has gone outside of the box in choosing a chief planning aide. Last week, Second District Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, who was sworn in Dec. 1, announced that he has tapped Downtown-based developer Dan Rosenfeld as a senior deputy in charge of planning, transportation, the environment and economic development. For the past nine years, Rosenfeld had been a principal in Urban Partners, the firm that developed the Caltrans headquarters building in Downtown, as well as the under-construction University Gateway student housing complex near USC. This will mark his second stint in the public sector; after a career as an office building developer in the 1980s, he worked as deputy director for Real Estate Development for the state and assistant

photo by Gary Leonard

AROUNDTOWN general manager for Asset Management for the city in the 1990s.

The two met when Rosenfeld reported to a committee RidleyThomas, then a City Councilman, chaired. “Government runs the risk of becoming terribly insular and certainly that’s the criticism that’s aimed at the county with increasing regularity,” Ridley-Thomas said about the decision to hire someone from the private sector. “Dan will be a very strong team member.

He’s a big thinker and he’s results oriented.”

Artist Robert Graham’s casket last Wednesday was carried through the “Great Bronze Doors” he created at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. For more on Graham, see p.16.

One Gym Opens, Another Closes

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ast Wednesday, the supposed “highest gym in America” opened on the 57th floor of U.S. Bank Tower on Fifth Street. The 8,500-square-foot Educogym is part of a chain with more than 35 locations worldwide. The gym boasts a “scientific” approach to fitness that includes nutrition guidance and personalized 20-minute exercise programs.

Educogym opened its doors as Physique, a boutique gym that opened on the ground floor of the Toy Factory Lofts less than two years ago, was packing up its workout equipment.

The gym, which was beset by slumping memberships in a difficult economy, ended operations on Dec. 30, owner Eric Gillman said.

L.A. Live and Panasonic Partner

T

he Anschutz Entertainment Group has long suggested that L.A. Live, its $2.5 billion entertainment complex in South Park, could be the West Coast rival to Times Square in New York. Now it has a major partner to realize that glitzy, big-screen vision, in consumer electronics titan Panasonic.

The companies announced a partnership on Jan. 7 that will allow Panasonic to display its logo, and media equipment, throughout the property. While financial details of the deal were not disclosed, AEG declared Panasonic one of L.A. Live’s “founding partners,” a group that includes American Express, Target and Nokia. Panasonic plans to use its presence at L.A. Live to debut and showcase new technology for industry leaders and consumers, said J.M. Allain, president of the company’s system solutions business unit. “During this time of economic hardship that is affecting so many aspects

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of business and everyday life, this exclusive and uniquely structured partnership is designed to stimulate business, while also bolstering consumer confidence,” Allain said.

Natural History Museum Features Red Diamond

M

ove over dinosaurs, it’s diamond time at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. The Exposition Park museum this month is displaying the “Kazanjian Red” diamond, one of the planet’s most valuable gems. There’s no mention of the monetary value at the exhibition, and that’s by design, “partly because it’s hard to put a value on something like that because there are so few of them,” said Anthony Kampf, the museum’s curator of minerals and gems. The 5.05 karat diamond was once stolen by the Nazis and then recovered by American forces from a Bavarian salt mine after World War II. Once simply known as “The Red Diamond,” it now takes its name from James Kazanjian, who bought it in 2007, according to the museum. The diamond is on display through Jan. 31.

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January 12, 2009

Downtown News 3

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Affordable Housing Debate Returns Business Leaders Call on Mayor to Create Building Incentives

by AnnA Scott StAff writer

I

n a potential challenge to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a group of business leaders, led by the Downtown-based Central City Association, last week announced their recommendations for creating more affordable housing in Los Angeles.

The proposal, included in a report titled Affordable Housing: Making It Happen, was unveiled during a press conference on the steps of City Hall on Thursday, Jan. 8.

The report was created in response to Villaraigosa’s $5 billion plan to bring more affordable housing to L.A., which was announced last September.

One of the most hotly contested pieces of Villaraigosa’s plan is the Mixed-Income Ordinance, which would require nearly every new development citywide to include some affordable units. Last fall, early drafts of the measure sparked opposition from business groups including the CCA, who called for balancing the requirements with strong incentives. Some affordable housing advocates also criticized the plan, saying it would not create enough housing.

The report announced last week by the CCA, Ninth District Councilwoman Jan Perry and representatives of the Building Industry Association, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and others, outlines ideas for incentivizing affordable housing construction.

Suggestions include helping developers cut costs by streamlining the city review process for new projects, including environmental reviews, and offering bonuses such as increased floor area or reduced parking requirements in exchange for creating affordable housing within half a mile of a mass transit station.

On Thursday, Perry spoke of the high number of affordable units already in the pipeline in the Ninth District, which includes much of Downtown, and said that strong incentives could help spread housing elsewhere. “We can’t do it in just one part of the city,” she said.

CCA President and CEO Carol Schatz was careful not to present the report as an alternative to the mayor’s plan. “We think there can be a balance there,” she said, going on to say that the CCA and others are hope their recommendations will be included in the Mixed-Income Ordinance when it comes to fruition.

Still, Schatz touched on a controversial point when she cited the report’s recommendation to consider converting under-used industrial properties for affordable housing.

Villaraigosa has been a strong proponent of preserving

much of the city’s industrial-zoned land, including almost all of Downtown’s industrial property.

“We had a debate about this about a year ago,” Schatz said of the industrial land issue, “and we think it is time to reopen it.”

Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Helmi Hisserich said that while much of the CCA plan is “right on track,” it is more focused on middle-income residents than the low-income sector. “We’d like to see the private sector tackle some lower income housing challenges too,” she said.

Contact Anna Scott at anna@downtownnews.com.

photo by Gary Leonard

Officials including Central City Association President Carol Schatz (right) and Ninth District Councilwoman Jan Perry (left) last Thursday took to the steps of City Hall to offer proposals on a citywide affordable housing plan.

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7+Fig Macy’s To Close Slow Sales the Culprit; Downtown’s Other Macy’s To Remain Open

Music. Dining. Sports. Living.

by richArd Guzmán city editor

T

he Macy’s in the 7+Fig shopping mall will shut in the next few weeks, company officials announced last Thursday. The department store at Ernst & Young Plaza is one of 11 underperforming stores being closed nationwide, Macy’s officials said.

The closures were announced Jan. 8. The store’s employees were notified the day before and clearance sales are set to begin this week. An exact closing date has not been announced.

“We periodically take a look at our portfolio of all Macy’s stores. We look for places where we may need new stores and we look at our current stores, particularly those that have sales and earnings under performance, and if there isn’t an alternative to turn around the business, we look to closing,” said Jim Sluzewski, a spokesman for Macy’s.

Sluzewski would not release sales figures on the soonto-close store and said the decision was based solely on that store’s performance and not other economic factors.

National retailers reported dreadful holiday sales. see Macy’s, page 7

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4 Downtown News

January 12, 2009

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EDITORIALS ‘Text’ Law Models Inefficiency

T

he new law banning text messaging while driving affects commuters, and it misses the point.

The California ban against text messaging while driving, which went into effect Jan. 1, is very much like the ban against talking on a cell phone while driving: Both are complicated models of inefficiency, allowing this but not that fine detail of behavior. Yes to some dialing, no to holding the phone; yes to looking at the cell phone’s GPS, no to reading messages; and all of it is okay if you pull over and park, engine still running. But keep in mind that you can’t do any of those forbidden things while stopped at a light.

The laws, both of which have received coveted and extensive media coverage, address neither the true dangers nor a

sense of personal responsibility.

The most dangerous act a commuter makes is to put the car in gear in the first place, but practical reality prevents legislators from contemplating a ban on driving.

Of course it is additionally dangerous to talk on a cell phone while driving, or to key in or read text messages. It is also dangerous to drink a cup of coffee while driving, or to munch a bagel, or to read a road sign, or to try to quiet a noisy child, or to converse with a passenger, or to think about a problem at work, or to mentally replay the spat you just had with your spouse.

We agree that there is a benefit from shining a light on the dangers of texting, an egregious example of abandoning good

Madoff and Santa Claus

W

hat is this persistent human trait that encourages lying to ourselves and others? We have just come off a season in which millions of children have received gifts from a fictional character invented by adults.

Believing in Santa Claus seems harmless enough on the face of it, but doesn’t it strike an ironic chord that the revelation of the $50 billion Ponzi scheme perpetrated by star-power financier Bernard Madoff unfolded during the Christmas season?

What is it that makes sensible people of any age embrace a Santa Claus fantasy? In the case of those who thought Madoff was Santa Claus, it’s easy enough to note wanting one’s investments to do better than one should logically expect. But there is clearly more than greed at work with the thousands who were taken in. Some very logical, smart people were duped by Madoff, at least a few of them experienced enough to be wary of greed.

Some of those whose life’s savings have been decimated had been working with him for decades and had grown to trust him. Some of the executives at the charitable foundations that invested with him (whether directly or through intermediaries) believed no one would swindle an organization that exists solely to help the less fortunate and to do good.

Still, somewhere along the way, certainly without mean-

Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis

ing to, investors abandoned logic for hope. Somehow hope trumped sensibility. Why? We don’t pretend to have an answer here. We are just raising questions.

Perhaps it is that life can be frightening, even for smart, logical and prosperous people, and the hope of a few extra dollars stirs up a false sense of security. Or maybe it is nothing like that, and that investors do what many people do in a market that is increasingly complex, which is to trust someone who seems to know more about the machinations than they do and has a long track record.

In fact, many of us make similar decisions, albeit with less severe consequences. While obviously a vastly different scenario, most people do not understand plumbing, and when a pipe bursts or the need otherwise arises, they may get a recommendation from a friend, considering that due diligence, and then will trust that the plumber does adequate work and is not cheating them out of several hundred or a few thousand dollars. Perhaps the work is sufficient the first time, leading to a higher level of trust that can be abused when a more significant problem arises later.

Or perhaps the culprit is just the natural human optimism that one could argue is essential to the evolution of the species (yes, dear, I can find dinner in the primitive forest). If that is

driving practices. But wouldn’t it be far better to mount a public service media campaign to remind people just how perilous it is to drive a car without a full set of defensive driving practices mentally booted up and ready to roll?

Isn’t the point of both laws that we should pay full anticipatory attention to the road and driving conditions? That we should have both hands on the wheel? That we should remember that we are steering a 3,000-pound lethal weapon down the street? That in choosing to drive we take our lives and the lives of others into our hands? That we should be aware that because we drive so frequently we may have become dulled to the risks of the road?

We’d like to see our legislators do a more comprehensive job when they address an issue. In this case, the law should focus on a broad statement of personal responsibility on doing everything possible to drive safely.

at work, there would be another level of irony. It would mean that one of our greatest strengths, optimism about survival, is also one of our greatest weaknesses because we can become gullible at our most vulnerable, and prone to being exploited by those without a conscience.

How to solve this conundrum? We wouldn’t go so far as to recommend cynicism to balance the optimism, but we would urge an effort to keep all synapses firing. This is not to say that the victims of Madoff could have easily avoided what befell them, or that they even could have known what questions to ask.

When history tells the full story of this scandal, it seems likely that some of the greatest blame beyond Madoff and his company will fall on the Security and Exchange Commission.

There are reports that concerns about Madoff were brought to the SEC as far back as a decade ago, but the watchdog agency appears to have been sleeping on this biggest of jobs. It raises a troubling question and one with no easy answer: How can a hopeful Joe Public be expected to understand what was going on even when the SEC didn’t or, worse, was engaged in its own Santa Claus dream?

How to reach us Main office: (213) 481-1448 MAIL your Letter Letters to the Editor • L.A. Downtown News 1264 W. First Street • Los Angeles, CA 90026 Email your Letter realpeople@downtownnews.com FAX your Letter (213) 250-4617 Read Us on the Web DowntownNews.com

Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie citY Editor: Richard Guzmán stAFF writErs: Anna Scott, Ryan Vaillancourt coNtributiNG Editors: David Friedman, Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Jay Berman, Jeff Favre, Michael X. Ferraro, Kristin Friedrich, Howard Leff, Rod Riggs Marc Porter Zasada Art dirEctor: Brian Allison AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins ProductioN AssistANt / EvENt coordiNAtor: Claudia Hernandez PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard AccouNtiNG: Ashley Vandervort sAlEs MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin AssistANt sAlEs MANAGEr: George Caston sAlEs AssistANt: Annette Cruz clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Vanessa Acuña, Robert Dutcher, Catherine Holloway, Kelley Smith circulAtioN: Norma Rodas distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla 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. It is also distributed to the extended urban communities of Glendale, Hollywood, Wilshire Center, Los Feliz, Silver Lake & Larchmont Village.

One copy per person.

January 12, 2009

Downtown News 5

Opinion

The Readers Respond Website Comments on Taxis, Hotels, Downtown Dogs and Other Subjects

L

os Angeles Downtown News posts comments to stories on our website. Here are some of the most recent responses.

Many more appear on downtownnews.com (comments follow individual articles).

Additional responses are welcome.

Regarding the article “Eyesores for Everyone,” about problem spots in Downtown, by Anna Scott, Jan. 5

Y

ou could add the Clark Hotel on South Hill Street to your list.

—posted by Denny, Jan. 3, 6:39 a.m.

Regarding the article “I See Dead Businesses,” about establishments that closed in 2008, by Anna Scott, Dec. 29

L

ocation, location, location! If you plan on opening a business east of Olive and south of Eighth in Downtown, then you are taking a big chance. Most people do not go to that area unless they have to. Most if not all of the businesses in this list are in that geographic area. It will take a lot of effort (from the city Planning Department also) to turn this area of Downtown around for businesses and residents. I am not saying that all of Downtown needs to be like L.A. Live, but they definitely need to demolish more of these dilapidated buildings (from an aesthetic standpoint). Refurbishing the insides of these old buildings might be cheaper for developers, but when people see them from the outside, they can’t see any difference, hence they do not want to see what is inside.

—posted by Mike F., Dec. 30, 8:59 a.m.

Regarding the article “L.A. Live Developer Plans Second Hotel,” by Anna Scott, Jan. 5

T

his is all very exciting and beneficial to the comeback of Downtown L.A. The Ritz is great for the ritzy crowd and I think a second hotel should be really cool and trendy to attract the younger and trendier crowd. If you look around, there’s a W in every major metropolitan area worldwide. We can definitely use one in Downtown L.A.!

—posted by Christopher, Dec. 22, 7:42 p.m.

work environment. I hope more companies take note that in this economy, anything an employer can do at such a minimal cost to keep its employees happy and productive and maintain a good working environment is a competitive advantage. The therapeutic benefits of being with canine companions are supported by research. Companies that are progressive will thrive — others will be dogged by a loss of business.

—posted by Agnes Huff, Dec. 8, 9:12 a.m.

Regarding the article “Mixed Results for Project 50,” by Richard Guzmán, Nov. 24

Regarding the article “All Hail,” about the Downtown taxi program, by Richard Guzmán, Dec. 8

T

P

he whole idea behind this effort was that it costs the taxpayers more in hospitalization, police and jail costs to keep the folks with the biggest problems homeless.

Indeed, a study was done showing that just one homeless man, dubbed “Million-Dollar Murray,” cost the system more than $1 million over a 10-year period. Unfortunately, Guzmán’s article focuses only on the costs of the Project 50 program and not the shortand long-term benefits. These efforts may be cheaper for the taxpayer in the long run and may help some of the neediest citizens move toward self-sufficiency.

—posted by OakenRose, Nov. 24, 11:51 a.m.

Regarding the article “Work Like a Dog,” about Downtown offices that allow dogs,

by Richard Guzmán, Dec. 8

G

reat article and completely accurate that pets have a positive effect on the

lease keep this “Hail-a-Taxi” program running. There are more and more people calling Downtown home now, not to mention all the new bars and restaurants!

—posted by Marty Kish, Dec. 8, 12:48 p.m.

I

couldn’t believe my eyes. On a Thursday evening, as I was leaving the New LATC on Spring Street, I witnessed three young ladies who had attended a show I was in. They were at a Hail-a-Taxi sign and they hailed a taxi, the taxi stopped and they got in. Wow! This is the first time I have witnessed a taxi being hailed in Downtown Los Angeles. It is great to see this because this means more tourists for Downtown.

—posted by Don Garza, Dec. 13, 5:58 p.m.

Regarding the article “The Rise and Fall of a Candy Empire,” about the long-defunct business Bishop & Co., by Jay Berman, Dec. 22

A

long with all the other wonderful information you supply about what is happening in Los Angeles today, I am sooooo pleased you include glimpses of its fascinating past. I look forward to opening my e-mail every Monday morning to see what interesting tidbits you have to share with me that week!

—posted by Jeffrey McLellan, Nov. 29, 7:58 a.m.

Regarding the Editorial “Assaults on Police a Matter of Concern,” Nov. 24

Y

our editorial stated that an attacker who attacked a police officer with a knife was “tragically shot and killed.” Huh? I don’t think it’s a tragedy at all.

—posted by Steve Asimow, Dec. 27, 6:44 a.m.

Regarding the article “School District Eyes New Downtown Charter,” by Ryan Vaillancourt, Dec. 15

I

n the 1930s my school was Central Junior High, located at 300 N. Hill St. I was in the graduating class of 1937; then it closed and was demolished. Central was a beautiful, three-story wood building. It was old then and the stairs were deeply grooved from shoes of early founders of L.A. From Central many of us entered Belmont High. Our athletic field at Central was a graveyard for many early-day citizens. There was even a small brick mausoleum with an antique metal locked gate. Many students swore they could see in the crypt a long-dead occupant with long gray hair and long nails.

—posted by Byron Dillon, Dec. 15, 6:30 p.m.

6 Downtown News

January 12, 2009

DowntownNews.com

Roosevelt Stalled, Again Six Weeks After Ribbon Cutting, No One Has Moved In

by Ryan VaillancouRt staff wRiteR

M

ore than a month after Roosevelt Lofts developer Milbank Real Estate cut a cake in the shape of its 12-story condominium building at a rooftop celebration and ribbon-cutting, the project has yet to begin move-ins.

It is the latest delay for the $150 million development which is seen by many as a key to reinvigorating the Financial District. After a

series of construction-related challenges had already delayed the highly anticipated project at Seventh and Flower streets by more than a year, Milbank announced in October that residents would start to move in by midNovember. A Dec. 1 rooftop celebration attracted dignitaries and the media.

Now, the move-in date is at least three more weeks away, as Milbank has not completed the master document detailing all aspects of the structure, said Randelle Green,

sales manager at the Roosevelt. That document, which requires approval from the state Department of Real Estate, represents the last piece of the puzzle before the project can open, he said.

Green stressed that the current delay is not the result of the kinds of financial problems that are affecting numerous housing developments in Downtown Los Angeles and beyond. Unlike many condominium projects that require more than 50% of units to be pre-sold before any sales can close, Milbank’s deal with lender Wells Fargo requires that only 15% of its 222 units be purchased, Green said. Milbank has taken deposits for about 80 units, he said.

The latest stumbling block comes as some Roosevelt buyers, frustrated by the string of delays and looking to cancel their contracts,

have complained about an inability to get their deposits back.

Puya Partow is one of a group of Roosevelt buyers who, after signing a contract and paying a 5% deposit more than one year ago, has been attempting to get a portion of his money back.

“It’s been frustrating,” Partow said. “I decided in September not to stay with the Roosevelt, but I have not been able to get any of my deposit back.”

The push and pull between Milbank and buyers looking to pull out revolves around a Department of Real Estate rule that allows developers to keep only a 3% deposit. To settle disputes, Milbank is requiring buyers to enter an arbitration process, Green said.

Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.

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Mitsuwa Market To Say Goodbye Japanese Supermarket To Be Replaced in Latest Little Tokyo Shift

by Anna Scott staff writer

L

ittle Tokyo’s largest supermarket, Mitsuwa Marketplace, will close early next month, store officials said last week. The departure is the latest point of concern for area stakeholders worried that the community is losing its historic Japanese flavor.

Located on the ground floor of the Little Tokyo Shopping Center at 333 S. Alameda St., Mitsuwa has been a community mainstay for 23 years. Its aisles stock American products alongside Japanese specialty items like seaweed, sushi ginger and multi-colored packages of the sweet rice cakes known as mochi.

Last May, a group of local Korean-American investors purchased the LTSC for $35.5 million. Information subsequently surfaced that the new owners were negotiating with several supermarkets, including the Korean grocery chain H Mart, to replace Mitsuwa.

Jason Kim of Coldwell Banker, who is handling leasing at the mall and acting as a spokesman for the owners, said last week that those negotiations are ongoing and should be finalized by the end of this month. The primary contenders, Kim said, are H Mart and an international-themed supermarket.

Mitsuwa Assistant Store Manager Tomokuni Seya said that the grocery store, part of the country’s largest Japanese market chain, will close Feb. 2. Kim confirmed that date, though he said talks with Mitsuwa continue. Seya referred other questions to Mitsuwa’s Torrance-based headquarters.

Officials there did not return phone calls.

The initial announcement that Mitsuwa might be replaced sparked speculation in Little Tokyo that the new owners might also change some of the mall’s other tenants — which include the Japanese tableware chain Utsuwa-No-Yakata, the Ginza Ya Bakery and a florist that specializes in shipments to Japan — with Korean-oriented businesses.

In November, a member of the new ownership team attended a meeting of the Little Tokyo Community Advisory Committee and, according to committee members, spoke mostly through representatives about physical upgrades they are planning for the gray, fortress-like property.

“They shared some of the façade plans and some of the interior plans and said that they very much intend to maintain the Japanese atmosphere,” said committee and Little Tokyo

Downtown News 7

SearchDowntownLA.com Community Council board member Chris Aihara. “They weren’t specific at all as to changes with tenants,” but did say that in general, “they were interested in keeping the existing businesses there.”

Latest Change The loss of the supermarket comes as other major Little Tokyo properties changed hands in the 18 months. The outdoor shopping center Japanese Village Plaza is now owned by the Malibu-based American Commercial Equities, and the Kyoto Grand Hotel and Gardens (formerly the New Otani Hotel) was purchased by the Beverly Hills-based 3D Investments.

American Commercial Equities and 3D have both announced plans to pursue a more pan-Asian, international character in their properties. When Mitsuwa is replaced with H Mart or another market, it could be the first step toward the rest of the LTSC diversifying. Feelings among the community are mixed.

“I’m sad to see it go,” said Little Tokyo Business Association President Ellen Endo, who grew up in Little Tokyo. “It’s a beautifully maintained market, and it has probably some of the best take-out food you can find anywhere.” Still, she said, “I think that for those of us who are used to Asian foods and make them at home, as long as the new market has a fresh, wholesome variety I don’t think people are going to have a problem patronizing it.”

Some see a silver lining in the changes coming to the LTSC, an aging, windowless edifice with an empty former bookstore and a shuttered ice cream shop on its ground floor.

“There’s some regret, I think, when we see longtime businesses in Little Tokyo that were Japanese-based change,” said Aihara. “At the same time, I think there’s been change in Little Tokyo throughout, and that particular property had difficulty sustaining itself.”

Contact Anna Scott at anna@downtownnews.com.

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Macy’s Continued from page 3 While the 7+Fig store will close, the larger and better performing Macy’s at Macy’s Plaza just a few blocks east will remain open. That factored into the company’s decision, said Sluzewski.

“Obviously there is another, larger store very close by and we think we’re well positioned with the other Macy’s store to serve the Downtown shopper,” he said.

Sluzewski said some employees may be given a chance to transfer to different Macy’s locations while others will be let go.

The closure opens up 136,000 square feet of prime real estate owned by Brookfield Properties in the hub of the Financial District. Macy’s is surrounded by the 7+Fig retail and food court, which includes Gold’s Gym, a Washington Mutual branch and more than two dozen stores and restaurants.

Bert Dezzutti, senior vice president of Brookfield Properties, said they were aware for some time that the Macy’s may close. He said Brookfield has been in talks with other potential tenants, although he would not say what companies are interested in the space or when a new tenant would arrive.

“I think for us it’s a great opportunity as the owner of the plaza to reposition the center to attract other very viable, very suitable replacement prospects, and so we’re actually excited for the opportunity,” he said. “It’s certainly our plan that it will not be vacant for long.”

Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

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hen the Los Angeles Police Department reported a 30% drop in violent crime Downtown in 2007, the statistic was both a blessing and a curse for the Central Division.

The decline was trumpeted as a sign that the controversial Safer Cities Initiative — a bolstered police presence and crackdown on so-called quality-of-life crimes in Skid Row — was working. But it also pitted the department against its own good numbers the following year.

Indeed, while Police Chief William Bratton last week announced that violent crime fell citywide in 2008 by 2.5%, marking the sixth consecutive citywide annual drop, Central Division’s 2007 numbers proved too tough to beat: Violent crime edged up 2% in Downtown last year and property crime climbed 6%.

The rise in violent crime, a category that includes homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault, reflects 1,108 such incidents reported in 2008, or 19 more than in 2007.

Aggravated assaults in Central Division, which includes most of Downtown Los Angeles, fell 14%, from 599 to 517. There were also 38 rapes in 2008, up from 31 in 2007. Last year continued a trend of declining homicides, with six, or one fewer than the previous year.

But robberies, from purse snatchings to street card game schemes, surged 21%, from 452 in 2007 to 547 last year.

Crime and law enforcement analysts looking at Downtown tend to focus on robberies

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staff wRiteR

when evaluating trends, if only because it’s the category with the largest sample size, said UCLA law professor Gary Blasi, who has closely studied Central Division statistics over the past three years.

The leap in Downtown robberies last year comes after robberies had plummeted by nearly 40% in 2007. While department officials did not single out robbery among other crimes, the trend is posing some concern.

“We’re concerned about every single crime that occurs,” said Lt. Paul Vernon. “[The robberies] are concerning enough to pay attention to because we don’t want it to get worse.

But we’re looking at an increase over the year of 95 robberies. That’s roughly two robberies a week more and so that gives us an idea about how to address that and where to address it.”

Crimes of Opportunity Discussions of Downtown crime tend to split the area into two communities: Skid Row, and outside that area. While Skid Row continued to be the location of a disproportionate number of incidents compared to other districts, robbery rose in most parts of Downtown.

There were 253 Skid Row robberies last year, up from 200 in 2007. But an LAPD crime map illustrates a concentration of robberies spilling west into the Historic Core between Fifth and Seventh streets, toward Hill Street.

Meanwhile, the 30 robberies in Chinatown in 2008 marked a 66% jump from 2007, and in Central Division’s portion of the Fashion District — an area roughly bounded by Broadway, Wall Street, Ninth Street and Pico

LIL

SF LO W ER S

by Ryan VaillancouRt

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In 2008, Downtown Saw Fewer Assaults, But More Overall Violent Crime

BLV

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An LAPD Numbers Game

CENTRAL AREA Boulevard — robberies jumped Legend ROBBERY DENSITY MAP Very Low Density about 43%, from 23 to 33.

FOR THE YEAR 2008 Low Density Central Division officials attribute Medium Density the increase in part to the growth High Density of Downtown’s residential comVery High Density munity and the area’s increasing popularity as a destination for those who visit local bars, restaurants and nightclubs. More residents and visitors translates to more opportunities for criminals, Vernon said.

The good news for Downtown residents and visitors is that robberies in the Central City usually do not involve weapons, Vernon said.

“Most of these are street crimes and crimes of opportunity, not planned-out bank robberies,” he said. “The criminals in this area are prone to do a crime when they see an opportunity and go for it, so these are highly avoidable if individuals who are victims become more aware of their surroundings and how image courtesy of LAPD, Central Division Detective Bureau they’re carrying their property.”

Downtown robberies, which jumped 21% in 2008, were Besides wallets, purses and cash, anchored in Skid Row. However, a significant number also prime targets include electronics took place in the Historic Core. items like iPods and cell phones, he said.

Robbery prevention tips, said Vernon, in- officer for the area that includes Little Tokyo, clude not wearing iPod buds while walking the Arts District and part of Skid Row. the street at night (it’s a tip-off of property, “Our reporting system is better and our and that the person can’t hear anything but relationship with the community is better,” the music) and not carrying a purse in one’s Richter said. “A lot of people are feeling more hand (wear it on the shoulder instead). free to report incidents of crime, which is a Another possible explanation for the rise in good thing. It may spike our numbers, but robberies, at least in Skid Row, is an increase by having those relationships we have victims not necessarily in the number of crimes, but that are more willing to work with police.” in reporting, said Officer Jack Richter, who Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at recently moved on from his post as senior lead ryan@downtownnews.com.

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Downtown News 9

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Auction Continued from page 1 are finding themselves with the need to have sufficient cash flow either to finish projects or start other projects,” he said.

Under pressure to generate some cash flow, a developer may decide that an auction is the best strategy to move a project forward, he said.

“When you’re in a down market, the lender and developer have the same incentives; they both want to be able to get as much money out of the project as they possibly can.

Time is money also, so the sooner they get the money the better,” he said.

The decision to go to auction is not one that is taken lightly, said Bob Gardner, managing director of the Los Angeles office of real estate advisory firm Robert Charles Lesser & Co. “It certainly represents extensive decision-making on both the developer side and the lending side to resort to going to an auction, because in an auction the prices usually start really low, so it’s a no-win situation,” he said.

If everything was going well with a project, then the developer would sell the units and repay the loan, he said. But an auction scenario could mean the lender is not going to allow

Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp., said that until the economy improves, auctions may become more common.

“I think you could see a situation where you’ll get more auctions in the single family housing market. If builders have unsold new units they’ll resort to auctions because you get them off your books quickly and you get some money in,” he said.

Jim Perabo, vice president of sales and marketing for condosource.com, a Downtown-based company that specializes in condo market information and sales, said local condo sales are down about 30% from this time last year, causing developers to look for new ways to save their projects.

In addition to the Chapman, Downtown projects including TenTen Wilshire and the Union Lofts on Hill Street switched to rentals before opening. Perabo speculated that if the auction is not successful, the Rowan could have the same fate.

Stevenson acknowledged that going rental is a possibility,

but maintained that the aim is to sell the units.

“It was built to be used as owner-occupied units and we think there is a demand. We know there is a demand out there,” he said. “Everybody else is going to apartments and we felt the auction would be successful.”

However, if fewer than 60 units sell on auction day, the developer has the right to cancel the sell orders, Stevenson said.

“If it turns out I’m wrong and there’s no demand out there for anyone to buy units, it’s more likely we will go to rental than sit there with the building empty,” he said.

With the shattered market and comparatively low prices, auctions don’t always guarantee sales.

“We are entering the recession and there’s job losses and depressed consumer demand and obviously consumer confidence is at an all time low,” said Painter. “All of that sort of cycles together to paint a very weak picture for the real estate market in ’09.”

Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

EVONOMICS:

LUXURY IS NO LONGER A

LUXURY photo by Gary Leonard

Downtown Properties partner Bill Stevenson in a unit at The Rowan. Bidding for the smallest condos at the Feb. 8 auction will start at $195,000.

an extension of the loan or that the developer has little confidence in being able to convert the project to apartments to pay off a portion of the loan, Gardner said.

Avoiding Trouble Bill Stevenson, a partner with Downtown Properties (the firm also includes international developer Goodwin Gaw), said The Rowan auction is a preemptive strike to avoid trouble.

“We’re not doing this because we have to. We’re not doing this because we’re under any financial distress,” Stevenson said.

“Oftentimes you will see an auction only after people get in trouble. We’re doing it before we get in trouble,” he said.

“Our loan is current, we’re fine. We have no problems with the lenders. We are in excellent financial shape.”

The $50 million adaptive reuse project is transforming the 280,000-square-foot, 13-story building. So far, only 15% of the units have been sold, said Stevenson. Prices for the residences, which range from 500-1,400 square feet, start at $300,000 and go to more than $1 million.

“It’s partly the recession and, bluntly, it was part our responsibility,” Stevenson said of the delays.

The developer had hoped to have the building ready for move-ins in the third quarter of last year, but that didn’t happen. Stevenson said he expects to get an occupancy permit “any day now.”

Like some other projects in Downtown, Stevenson noted that the building’s lenders have mandated that more than 50% of the units be sold before any escrow can close. In projects such as the Historic Core’s Chapman Flats, an inability to reach that level forced a switch to rentals.

“With the auction units and the number of presales that we have we’ll be over that 50% threshold, so we’ll be well on our way and we’ll be able to close all the units,” he said.

Bidding for the smallest units will start at $195,000, about 45% below the original asking price of $317,000. Minimum bids for two-bedroom condos, originally priced at $775,900, are starting at $490,000. Bidders can get more information at therowanauction.com.

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Design Standards Continued from page 1 The guidelines would apply to new developments in an approximately 2.8-square-mile area roughly bounded by the 101, 10 and 110 freeways to the north, south and west, and the Fashion District to the east.

“This is the first time the city will be considering a true urban design project that joins the clear importance of our sidewalks to the way development is built,” said Emily GabelLuddy, who heads the Planning Department’s Urban Design Studio, which spearheaded the effort. “Downtown is the first neighborhood, or collection of neighborhoods, where this is being implemented.”

The design and street standards, a joint effort between the Planning Department, the Community Redevelopment

DowntownNews.com Agency, the Bureau of Engineering and the Department of Transportation, have been in the works since early 2007.

They have received widespread support from city officials and stakeholder groups. Several voiced their support at last week’s meeting, including the American Institute of Architects, representatives for Ninth District Councilwoman Jan Perry and 14th District Councilman José Huizar and the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council.

Still, one point of contention emerged: a stipulation in the design standards that buildings exceeding 150 feet in height must be at least 80 feet from any existing or “possible future” towers. Representatives for the Central City Association and Downtown-based developer Meruelo Maddux asked the Commission to reconsider the requirement, which they argued could stifle Downtown’s overall development.

“That is a fairly large space and some of our developers felt that it didn’t reflect the realities of an urban, dense area,” CCA President Carol Schatz said before the meeting. “If you

January 12, 2009

photo by Gary Leonard

The South Group’s trio of eco-friendly South Park high-rises exemplifies the kind of walkable city officials hope to encourage.

went to Manhattan, I doubt you would have an 80-foot space requirement. People who are moving Downtown realize that they’re moving to a commercial neighborhood where they’re not going to get the same light and space they’re going to get in the suburbs.”

Sidewalks and Buildings Key to the plan are stipulations that would require most Downtown developers to widen sidewalks instead of streets near their projects and accommodate for landscaping.

Perry pointed to the Portland-based South Group’s trio of eco-friendly high-rises in South Park, surrounded by double rows of trees, planters and benches, as an example of the sort of development Downtown would see more of under the new rules.

“The sidewalks can’t just be cement slabs,” said Perry.

“They have to have landscaping and lighting so people aren’t afraid to come out at night, much like the South Group has done.”

Another piece of the plan is a set of rules governing buildings’ street-level space. Focused on promoting pedestrian traffic and avoiding blank walls and visible parking, the standards demand, among other things, that ground-floor space facing the sidewalk be at least 75% devoted to retail, office or other active uses. The standards also dictate that buildings’ primary entrances open onto the sidewalk or a sidewalkaccessible public space.

Those requirements in particular, said Huizar, could help his efforts to revitalize the Broadway corridor in the Historic Core. Huizar’s Broadway team is currently working on its own streetscape design and plans to ask the city to rezone the street to create new standards for lighting, signage and other ambiance-related elements.

“It complements what we’re doing on Broadway because it’s giving us a broader infrastructure to do the detailed work we want to do,” Huizar said of the Planning Department’s guidelines. “It’s providing some broad parameters as to what kind of environment they want to create. We’re going to be putting all the bells and whistles in our streetscape plan and overlay zone.”

Put to the Test Though the Downtown design and street standards have not been adopted by the City Council, some area developers have already heeded the work-in-progress.

Developers of the proposed Park Fifth high-rise next to Pershing Square, for example, made several adjustments to their plans based on the design guidelines, said Gabel-Luddy.

The new elements included a residential mezzanine connected to the Pershing Square Red Line stop and a bus shelter and rest stop that would be incorporated into the project, replacing an existing stop on Hill Street. However, the project, which has yet to break ground, is facing financing issues and is currently stalled.

The Skid Row Housing Trust’s proposed New Genesis Apartments, a low-income project at 456 S. Main St., were also designed using the Planning Department’s proposed guidelines. “We knew they were in the process of putting these together, and we worked out a solution,” said New Genesis architect Wade Killefer. “It was very seamless for us.

What they’re proposing is what everybody would like them to have been doing for the past 20 years.”

Many of the standards, said Gabel-Luddy, are based on existing requirements in other big cities, including New York, Vancouver and Seattle. “All three of these cities have a very well-established relationship between street design and building design,” she said. “Our street standards for years have been divorced from building design.”

Now that the Planning Commission has approved the plan, it will continue on to the City Council for final approval. Gabel-Luddy said she expects the plan to be adopted in March.

Contact Anna Scott at anna@downtownnews.com.

January 12, 2009

Downtown News 11

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L.A. Downtown News  •  1264 W. First Street, L.A., CA 90026  •  fax: (213) 250-4617  •  email: lovelines@DowntownNews.com  •  office hours: M-F, 8:30-5

12 Downtown News

January 12, 2009

DowntownNews.com

photo by Gary Leonard

RESTAURANTS

The patio at Pete’s Café has long been a haven for smokers. A possible new law would force those who want to light up to leave the patio and walk away from the restaurant.

City May Say No to All Restaurant Smoke Signals Lighting Up, Already Banned Inside Eateries, May Become Illegal in Outdoor Areas Too

by RichaRd Guzmán city editoR

W

hen it comes to cigarettes and cigars, even if you got ’em, you may not be able to smoke ’em in Los Angeles if there’s any food around. That could have a significant impact on the numerous Downtown Los Angeles restaurants where smoking is permitted.

In an attempt to curb the dangerous effects of secondhand smoke, the City Council’s Arts, Parks, Health and Aging Committee on Jan. 7 unanimously approved a motion to write an ordinance that would ban smoking in outdoor dining areas and within 10 feet of such areas.

The written ordinance will return to the committee in 30 days and, if approved, go before the full Council for hearings and a vote in the first week of March. If approved, a new law could be in effect this summer.

The measure would only apply to restaurants. Bars, lounges, nightclubs and cigar shops would be exempt.

While some in the restaurant industry view it as yet another barrier in an already tough business climate, many agree that due to the familiar awareness of the dangers of secondhand smoke and the current restrictions on where smokers can light up, a ban on patio smoking, which some restaurants have already self-imposed, may not be that big of a deal.

“I hate anything that’s going to alienate any of my customers and I’m sure there are some diehard smokers who are only going to go to places where they can enjoy themselves,” said Mary Sue Milliken, co-owner of Ciudad on Figueroa Street, which has an outdoor patio that does brisk business.

Milliken admits being torn about the possible ordinance. “I think it’s good to encourage people not to smoke. But people who want to smoke want to smoke.”

However, Milliken said she sees so few smokers at her restaurant that a new ban would probably not have much impact.

“We see maybe one smoker a week during lunch and maybe a couple a week at dinner. It’s not much,” she said.

Non-Issue?

Lighting up at restaurants is already far less common than it was a few years ago.

According to Daniel Conway, a spokesman for the California Restaurant Association, which takes no official po-

sition on the issue, most restaurants are already shying away from offering smoking areas.

“It’s really kind of a non-issue for most restaurants,” Conway said.

But for at least one well-known establishment in Downtown, a ban on smoking in outdoor areas could have a negative effect.

‘In the restaurant world right now there’s such an antismoking feel anyway that just because there’s a patio doesn’t mean that it’s fine for smoke to cross people’s tables.’

—Brian Cousins, Café Pinot

Pete’s Café on Main Street is known for its Hellmann burgers as well as the crowds who flock to the sidewalk tables for some food and, quite often, a smoke.

“It’s a busy patio and that’s primarily the reason it’s busy,” said Marco Colantonio, a manager at Pete’s.

Colantonio said he disagrees with the proposed ban, and while he supports not smoking inside restaurants, believes people should have the option of smoking on a patio.

“A lot of Downtown artsy people smoke, and the people that eat out there are mostly smokers,” he said.

Pete’s patio seats 28 people and there are few if any complaints about smokers, he said. However, forcing people to move away from the restaurant to light up would be very inconvenient to his customers, he added.

“We never really had, that I’m aware of, any backlash from people offended by the smoke outside. It definitely serves a

purpose and fills a niche for people who want to smoke, so until smoking is illegal, it’s a wonderful option to have at a restaurant. It would be an unfortunate loss for some of our customers,” he said.

Smokeless Trend Ninth District Councilwoman Jan Perry, who is a member of the Arts, Parks, Health and Aging Committee and whose district covers much of Downtown, said the city is already a pioneer in not allowing smoking in public places. The proposed ordinance, she said, would fall in line with the smokeless trend.

“Anything to me that provides opportunity for us to have clean air is something I support,” she said.

In 2002 the city banned smoking within 25 feet of playground equipment and fields as well as picnic areas, and in 2004 extended the ban to beaches. In 2007, a smoking ban took effect in all city parks.

“Making this leap is not as shocking as it might be in other parts of the country,” Perry said.

The city is following other municipalities such as Burbank, which in 2007 banned smoking in its downtown and all outdoor dining areas.

Some of the dangers associated with secondhand smoke, according to a city report, include risks such as respiratory tract infections and asthma in children. Secondhand smoke is classified as a carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency.

For Brian Cousins, general manager at Café Pinot, the upscale restaurant at the Central Library on Fifth Street, a new law would have little impact. That is because the restaurant, which has a large outdoor dining patio, banned smoking everywhere in the 1990s.

“We don’t let people smoke in our patio,” Cousins said.

“It’s just another part of our dining room and people who don’t smoke don’t want to be around people who do smoke, and you can’t avoid that in an outdoor patio as much as you can’t avoid it in an indoor dining area.”

Others in the restaurant industry are already following that trend, he said.

“In the restaurant world right now there’s such an antismoking feel anyway that just because there’s a patio doesn’t mean that it’s fine for smoke to cross people’s tables.”

Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

January 12, 2009

Downtown News 13

Restaurants Grub With Guzmán

Side Dish

The Urban Crocodile Hunter

teed cabbage and onions, and chicken pot pie stuffed with hearts of palm, potato, olives and roasted corn. Wash it all down with a glass of fresh coconut water or try one of the succulent desserts like the coconut flan. At 107 W. Ninth St., (213) 629-1765. Open Mon.-Fri. 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Wood Spoon

Sausage and Beer Joint Will Bring Out Your Wild Side

by RichaRd Guzmán

city EditoR ’ve never considered myself much of a survivalist.

In fact, every time I watch shows like “Survivorman” on cable, where a guy gets dropped off in some remote location and has to live by eating snakes, lizards or whatever else he can catch, it makes me further realize that I would last about two seconds in the wild. I have a better chance of getting eaten by than eating some exotic animal.

That said, while trying to survive in the urban jungle that is Downtown Los Angeles, I recently experienced my own version of “roughing it” by eating an alligator.

Okay, I exaggerate. It wasn’t really a whole alligator; it was bits and pieces of one mixed in with some pork. And I didn’t jump into a swamp with a Bowie knife to hunt it down. Instead, I sat at a very comfortable outdoor patio at the recently opened Wurstküche in the Arts District and ordered one of their exotic sausages.

Wurstküche is a sausage and beer lover’s paradise, with more than 20 varieties of sausage on the menu.

They are served on a fresh roll with sauerkraut, onions or peppers, and you can get fat Belgian fries that come with dipping choices such as blue cheese or plain-old ketchup.

I

Authentic Thai Tucked away near the corner of Spring Street and Cesar Chavez Avenue, this Thai eatery is a lovely and affordable lunch or dinner jaunt. The surprisingly large and stylish interior is welcoming, with white tablecloths draped with jewel-colored runners and colorful painted floors. Order the light and crispy calamari appetizer, which is fried to perfection and served with a finger-licking sweet and sour sauce. The biggest bargains are the combo specials, which cost $5.25 or $8.95. Each makes a nice presentation with a mound of fried rice, side salad and egg roll. The curry is lovely and fragrant, while the pad Thai is deliciously tender. Vegetarians will appreciate the sweet basil eggplant served with a chili and garlic kick. Skip the spicy crispy pork, which was too tough and dry. The Thai iced coffee is a refreshing accompaniment. At 637 N. Spring St., (213) 6131115 or authenticthaila.com. Open daily 10 a.m.-10 p.m.

photo by Gary Leonard

This cheery Fashion District gem features traditional Brazilian food like you’d find on the streets of Sao Paulo. Owners Natalia Preira and Darius Danta are happy to make recommendations from the menu, which includes specialties like sausage made with beef and lamb, sandwiches served with yam fries, pork burgers topped with sau-

♦♦♦

Mix in the dozens of specialty beers and you’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven.

The alligator and hickory smoked pork sausage ($7.75) I tried was magnificent. It was crisp and fresh, and biting down on actual alligator meat made me feel surprisingly masculine. Other exotic sausage choices include the buffalo, beef and pork with chipotle ($7.75), the rabbit, veal and pork ($7.75), and for the really adventurous types, the rattlesnake and rabbit with jalapeño ($7.75).

They also serve classic sausages like the bratwurst ($6) and gourmet twists such as the mango jalapeño chicken ($6.75).

So as an experienced urban survivalist, let me dispense some valuable tips when eating exotic game at Wurstküche: If you order a sausage with peppers, go easy with the hot stuff, at least on your first trip, because you’re going to want to savor the flavor of these sausages without being overwhelmed by the add-ons. And if you eat the alligator or rattlesnake, try not to be overwhelmed by the feeling of manliness that comes when you devour a dangerous predator.

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

Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

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14 Downtown News

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Painful Headaches and Jaw Pain?

A Hidden Problem in Your Jaw Called TMJ Disorder May Be the Culprit

D

o you clench and grind your teeth? Are you waking up with painful headaches that radiate from your temples, ears or jaw? Do you have limited mouth opening? Do you have sensitive teeth, loose teeth or toothaches in the absence of tooth decay? Do you have crowns or cosmetic veneers that constantly come off and FROM OUR ADVeRtISeRS

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Thought provoking news deserves thoughts.

Give us yours.

DowntownNews.com Now with reader comments.

need to be re-cemented periodically? Do you have clicking or popping of your jaw joint?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you may be suffering from a common problem known as TMJ Disorder, an often misunderstood or misdiagnosed condition. In our 18 years of experience Downtown, we have successfully treated thousands of patients for this exact problem. Our experience has led us to believe that TMJ Disorder is prevalent in the Downtown population.

The Downtown patient works on average more than 40 hours per week and shoulders most of the responsibilities in the household. This results in high levels

of stress due to the high pressures of daily life. There is no doubt that stress is a major factor in increasing the symptoms of TMJ, but contrary to what most people believe, it’s not the primary cause. The primary causes are reflexes that are triggered by the teeth that cause spasms of the numerous muscles of the jaw, neck and face.

Most joints of the body are fixed in a hinge axis. This is the same movement a door makes when it’s opening and closing from its hinge. The jaw joint is the only joint in the body that is able to slide out of its socket.

Because it can do this, it’s able to deviate from its hinge axis and do the complex motion of chewing, an ability we all take for granted.

If teeth occlude (come together) at the hinge axis position of the jaw, most people would be fine. However, if the teeth developed in a position where the bite occludes outside this hinge axis, where the jaw is slightly protruded from the socket, then there is a potential for TMJ symptoms. The average person cannot tell if their bite comes together forward of this hinge axis, only observing that their jaw is intermittently sore or they have

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Downtown News 15

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16 Downtown News

January 12, 2009

DowntownNews.com

CALENDAR Robert Graham’s Downtown Legacy Late Artist’s Work Is on Display From Bunker Hill to Exposition Park photos by Gary Leonard

by Jon RegaRdie

SOURCE FIGURE

executive editoR

A

rtist Robert Graham died on Dec. 27, 2008. He was 70.

Although his studio was based in Venice and his artworks are spread around the world, Graham leaves an extensive legacy in Downtown Los Angeles.

His sculptures appear at some of the area’s most notable structures, from Bunker Hill to Exposition Park.

Graham was born Aug. 19, 1938, in Mexico City, and attended San Jose State College and later the San Francisco Art Institute. His creations over more than four decades spanned a variety of subjects — he creat created the Joe Louis Memorial in Detroit in 1986 and the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C., 11 years later — though many knew him for his nude sculptures, especially those depicting the female form.

That is on display in “Source Figure,” a 1991 bronze sculpture at the top of the Bunker Hill Steps, part of the First Interstate World Center (now U.S. Bank Tower) project. The image of a nude woman with her hands cupped in front of her midsection is 168 inches tall and remains one of the best-known artworks in Downtown.

A group of four Graham nudes appears in Bunker Hill’s Wells Fargo Center. The 1983 works, set amidst indoor trees and fountains, display a combination of grace and athleticism.

Robert Graham in September 2007. He died Dec. 27 at the age of 70.

Graham also created “Dance Door,” the nearly nine-foot tall bronze door on the Music Center Plaza (it was privately commissioned in 1978 and donated to the Music Center four years later). When viewed from the west, one can see the door framing City Hall.

For decades, the most notable Graham work in Downtown was “Olympic Gateway.” Dedicated on June 1, 1984, the 25-foot tall, 20,000-pound structure was commissioned to commemorate the Los Angeles Summer Games. Muscular, headless male and female figures (modeled from a water polo player and sprinter, respectively) stand atop a two-pronged structure and frame the entrance to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

“It was very controversial at the beginning, because of the nudity and no heads,” remembers Margaret Farnum, who recently retired after a long stint as chief administrative officer of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission. That changed with time, however. “The problems that surrounded it in the beginning are now taken for granted.”

Graham’s defining Downtown work arrived in 2002. The “Great Bronze Doors” at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels (where funeral services for Graham were held last week) are cast bronze with gold leaf and weigh 25 tons. They took nearly five years to create and involved the work of about 150 artists. They feature 40 symbols (from an eagle to a dolphin to the Native American Chumash man) and are topped by a Mary figure whose ethnicity is intentionally impossible to identify.

“People normally come and want to go inside a building. We get a lot of people who hang around outside by the entrance before they go in. They touch the doors,” said Tod Tamberg, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Archdiocese who was part of the Cathedral Advisory Board that helped Cardinal Roger Mahony make decisions on the Downtown landmark. “The doors are a portal of welcome, but they are also a place where people pause, and it is a place of transition from the hustle and bustle of the everyday to the sacred and the sublime.”

Contact Jon Regardie at regardie@downtownnews.com.

OLYMPIC GATEWAY

(top to bottom) “Source Figure” arrived in 1991 as part of the Bunker Hill Steps and the building now known as U.S. Bank Tower; millions of people have seen “Olympic Gateway” since its June 1, 1984, dedication at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The headless, nude figures initially sparked controversy; “Dance Door” was created in 1978 and donated to the Music Center four years later.

GREAT BRONZE DOORS

(left) Graham’s defining Downtown work, the “Great Bronze Doors” at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, took five years to create.

DANCE DOOR

January 12, 2009

Downtown News 17

SearchDowntownLA.com

Camera Club

photo by General Jeff

photo by Sandra Kornegay

pict the gritty life on Skid Row — such as Manuel Compito’s picture of a man sitting by his shopping cart drinking what appears to be a beer — others reveal a tenderness and vulnerability rarely associated with residents of the area.

For example, images include Sandra Kornegay’s shot of the sun’s rays shining through a fence. Another member, a man known as General Jeff, photographed his reflection through a window overlooking a Downtown street.

Blaze got the idea for the group when he learned about filmmaker Spike Lee teaming up with CNN to give cameras to the young victims of Hurricane Katrina so they could document their lives. Those images became part of Children of the Storm, a documentary that ran on the network.

“There’s just so much here to see, so much to record,” he said.

Second Show Kornegay, who used to live at the Union Rescue Mission, also took a picture of the sun setting over the ocean in Santa Monica. The image earned a spot in the club’s first show and is featured in its second, which opened Jan. 8 at Raw Materials, a Downtown architecture store that doubles as a gallery. The exhibit at 436 S. Main St. continues through the month, and may be extended.

“This club can change people’s outlook on what Skid Row is all about. There are people here who are very talented,” said Kornegay.

Like most club members, Kornegay joined without even owning a camera. But with the encouragement of the club

PAINTINGS, PRINTS, SCULPTURE, PHOTOGRAPHS, VIDEO, DRAWINGS

Continued from page 1 Michael Blaze, a community activist and filmmaker, and Downtown photographer Dave Bullock, who also runs the local photography blog eecue.com.

“It’s just about taking pictures and having fun. You come here and socialize,” Blaze said.

Bullock, who organized the group’s first show in the Stella Dottir clothing store on Main Street in November, said he was inspired by the film Born Into Brothels, a 2004 documentary about the children of Indian prostitutes, which used pictures taken by the kids in the film.

“I think what they’re doing is beautiful,” said Dottir, who gave the group exhibit space upon learning of the project. “I look up to what they’re doing and I’ve never seen so many happy faces as the ones I saw when we put their pictures up on the wall.”

See Another World The club meets weekly at the United Coalition East Prevention Project community center at 800 E. Sixth St. in Skid Row. Blaze and Bullock offer tips on how to operate the cameras and use computers to download pictures, edit photos and make prints.

Depending on availability, new members receive digital cameras when they join the club. Much of the equipment was purchased with the help of supporters such as the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council, which is a club sponsor and donated $2,000 for cameras and to print and frame pictures for shows.

There are no sign-up sheets or membership dues. Members can shoot anything they want, even if it is not on Skid Row, Blaze said.

“We have no boundaries, no rules, no obligations, nothing.

If you want to do it, it’s because you want to do it.”

Part of the goal of the Skid Row Photography Club is to empower the members.

“It gives them a chance to express themselves visually and it captures their everyday life,” said Bullock. “It gives them a sense of having power over their lives.”

It also opens a window on Skid Row for those from outside the community, as many of the photographers capture moments and images others may overlook. While some shots de-

Sandra Kornegay’s photo of the sun’s rays shining through a fence (left) is one of the images on display in a group show at Raw Materials, an architecture store on Spring Street.

Also featured is a shot by General Jeff, which captured his reflection through a window overlooking a Downtown street.

and a few lessons on composition and angles from Bullock, she captured the sunset image on her cell phone camera.

The camera club is not alone in being a seemingly unlikely option in Skid Row. The area hosts a basketball league, and for years a quilting club has operated in the community.

Russell Brown, president of DLANC, said it was an easy decision to help out the photography group.

“I think it really shows that most of the folks who live there have a lot more going on in their lives than just homelessness,” he said. “It’s really easy to look at folks on Skid Row as different than us. In reality, many of the folks on Skid Row are not that different than everybody else.”

Blaze said the club is also working on documentaries, since all of the digital cameras have recording capabilities.

Members are encouraged to get a youtube.com account and post scenes of whatever catches their eye.

Kornegay, who plays with a women’s basketball team on Skid Row, is filming a documentary about her fellow athletes. She is learning how to mix music with the images, how to edit and put together the footage she’s captured.

“I was looking at it and it almost brought me to tears when I saw what I had recorded. I’ve never done anything like that,” she said.

The Skid Row Photography Club show runs through at least January at Raw Materials, 436 S. Main St., (213) 627-7223 or rawmaterialsla.com. More information on the club is at skidrowphotoclub.com.

Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

N E W L O C AT I O N !

OPENING NIGHT GALA

GENERAL SHOW HOURS

Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2009 $225 in advance, $250 at the door

Thursday, Jan. 22, 11am - 8pm Friday, Jan. 23, 11am - 8pm Saturday, Jan. 24, 11am - 8pm Sunday, Jan. 25, 11am - 5pm General Admission $20

Benefiting

For more information contact KR Martindale Show Management at 310-822-9145

LAARTSHOW.COM

18 Downtown News

LISTINGS

Friday, Jan. 16 Farmlab Public Salons 1745 N. Spring St. #4, (323) 226-1158 or farmlab.org Noon-1 p.m.: “The Junk Raft Sailors and Crew,” with Marcus Eriksen, Joel Paschal and Anna Cummins, present Junk Raft: Sailing to Hawaii on 15,000 Continued on page 19

on’ tM

iss’ List

Puppets and Music And Maps, Oh My!

1

by AnnA Scott, StAff writer

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2

Whether you know him from Top 40 hits like “Good Vibrations” or four decades worth of critically acclaimed solo albums, there is no denying former Beach Boy Brian Wilson’s ’s status as a legendary musician and songwriter. On Thursday, Jan. 15, Wilson will appear at L.A. Live’s recently opened Grammy Museum for the venue’s inaugural event in its public program series “An Evening With.” At 8 p.m. the Grammy Award-winner will join museum Executive Director Robert Santelli for a live interview, audience question-and-answer session and acoustic performance. Be warned that you should move quickly to snag a seat: only 200 audience members will get access to the intimate show. The evening takes place on the second floor of the Grammy Museum, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., Suite A245. For tickets call (213) 765-6800 or visit grammymuseum.org.

3

photo by James Minchin III

Historical and Recreational Map of Los Angeles, Jo Mora 1942

f you thought Downtown’s puppet season ended with the holidays, you thought wrong. On Saturday, Jan. 17, the Taiwanese company Chen Kuai Le Puppet Theater comes to the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Directed by Taiwan’s leading female puppeteer, Shi-Mei Chiang, the company will be accompanied by live traditional Taiwanese music. The puppeteers will put on free performances at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Tickets will be distributed on Grand Avenue at Second Street starting at 10 a.m. for the first performance and 11 a.m. for the second. Both shows will be held at the Concert Hall’s W.M. Keck Foundation Children’s Amphitheater.

The Music Center will also offer pre- and post-performance family workshops in the adjacent Blue Ribbon Garden. 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 972-4396 or musiccenter.org.

Wednesday, Jan. 14 All About Business Loans Central Library 630 W. 5th Street, Meeting Room A, (818) 907-9922 or lmontanez@vedc.org 6-8 pm: Need to expand, purchase equipment/ inventory or restructure your business? At this Historic Downtown Retail Project free workshop, learn about the various types of business loans available to expanding or start-up businesses. Prepare to talk with a loan officer and receive free one-to-one technical and lending assistance.

ALOUD at Central Library 630 W. 5th St., (213) 228-7241 or lapl.org.

7 p.m.: Azar Nafisi, author of the international bestseller “Reading Lolita in Tehran,” in conversation with KCRW’s “Bookworm” host Michael Silverblatt about her most recent work, “Things I’ve Been Silent About: A Memoir in Moments.”

Town Hall Los Angeles National Center for the Preservation of Democracy, 111 N. Central Ave., (213) 628-8141 or townhall-la.org.

7:30 p.m.: Town Hall Los Angeles hosts a public debate between a proponent and critic of Proposition 8, the measure passed by voters in November to ban gay marriage in California. Gloria Allred, who filed the lawsuit that resulted in the state Supreme Court decision allowing gay marriage in May 2008, debates the Yes on Prop. 8 campaign’s general counsel Andy Pugno.

Geography nerds, cancel Thursday’s lunch plans. On Jan. 15, the Central Library will offer a last chance lunchtime tour of L.A. Unfolded, an exhibition featuring dozens of maps from the Library’s collection.

The charts include historic gems such as the 1849 Plan de la Ciudad de Los Angeles, which depicts a barren, 100-squaremile Los Angeles — at the time, the world’s largest city.

Aside from offering a glimpse of L.A.’s history and evolution, many of the maps are beautifully drawn pieces of art in their own right. The library’s map specialist and exhibit cocurator Glen Creason will lead the tour, from 12:15 until 1 p.m. 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7500 or lapl.org.

four

Ninety-seven-year-old French sculptor and painter Louise Bourgeois is hardly your grandmother’s artist. Her pieces, from a drawing of a woman’s legs grafted onto a building to a large installation of a steel-legged spider, command attention. On Monday, Jan. 12, at REDCAT, in conjunction with the Museum of Contemporary Art’s Bourgeois retrospective (on display until Jan. 25), locals can catch a glimpse of the artist behind the arresting images. The theater will screen the first installment of documentarian Brigitte Cornand’s 12-years in the making, three-part chronicle of Bourgeois’ daily routines, Chere Louise (Dear Louise). Cornand will appear in person to discuss the work. The 50-minue film begins at 8:30 p.m. 631 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800 or redcat.org.

Image Courtesy of REDCAT

Thursday, Jan. 15 ALOUD Business Forum Central Library, 630 W. 5th St., aloudbizforum.org.

7:30 a.m.: President and CEO of Zogby International John Zogby, who the Washington Post labeled “the maverick predictor,” challenges conventional wisdom that the United States is politically fragmented and inclined toward material pleasure.

He’s in conversation with Ira Jackson, dean of the Drucker School of Management. The event starts with breakfast. Talk begins at 8:15 a.m.

Ice Skating at Pershing Square 532 S. Olive St., laparks.org.

Noon-2 p.m.: The Vertigo Road Band plays ramblin’ acoustic music.

Thursdays at Central Central Library, 630 W. 5th St., Meeting Room A, (213) 228-7241 or lapl.org.

12:15-1 p.m.: Glen Creason, co-curator of the ongoing “LA Unfolded,” offers a last chance overview of this exhibition. The show, which ends Jan. 22, features myriad maps of the city that offer a wide range of perspectives on Los Angeles history.

A Better LA Fundraiser ESPN Zone, LA Live, 1011 Figueroa St. at Chick Hearn Court, (213) 765-7070 or espnzone.com.

6 p.m.: LA Live developer Anschutz Entertainment Group will host a grand opening event for the ESPN Zone restaurant that will double as a fundraiser for USC football coach Pete Carroll’s nonprofit “A Better LA.” Carroll’s foundation is dedicated to breaking the cycle of violence and hopelessness among troubled youth in the city. Tickets for the event, which is expected to draw celebrity guests in addition to Carroll, are $125 for adults and $75 for those under 21 years of age.

ALOUD at Central Library 630 W. 5th St., (213) 228-7241 or lapl.org.

7 p.m.: Watch out Starbucks. With a little hip hop theater flavor, actor/playwright/director Danny Hoch and poet Jerry Quickly explore “the true value of a latte” in an event exploring Gentrification, NeoFeudalism and the Colonists on Your Block.

T he ‘ D

photo courtesy of the Chen Kuai Le Puppet Theater

EVENTS Tuesday, Jan. 13 Ice Skating at Pershing Square 532 S. Olive St., laparks.org.

Noon-2 p.m.: M-80’s are those powerhouse little fire crackers. They’re also an ’80s cover band rocking out at Pershing Square on Jan. 13.

Zocalo at the Central Library 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7025 or zocalola.org.

7:30 p.m.: In tough economic times, nonprofit organizations are hit especially hard. Paul Vandeventer, president and CEO of Community Partners, and other veterans of the philanthropic world visit Zócalo to explore what’s ahead for nonprofits and how they can survive.

January 12, 2009

DowntownNews.com

5

Who knew French history mixes so well with pop music? The Mark Taper Forum this week kicks off its 2009 campaign with a revival of the Tony Awardwinning Pippin, a fairytale musical based on the life of King Charlemagne’s oldest son. The musical’s run begins Thursday, Jan. 15, with an 8 p.m. show, and performances continue at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Pippin runs through March 15. 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or centertheatregroup.org.

Contact Anna Scott at anna@downtownnews.com.

January 12, 2009

Downtown News 19

SearchDowntownLA.com

But Wait, There’s More!

Listings for additional concerts, exhibits and more in Downtown Los Angeles can be found on our website. Go to downtownnews.com/listings for full information, including time and location, for all the happenings in Downtown.

Additional Event Information on the Web

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM/LISTINGS : EVENTS | ROCK, POP & JAZZ | CLASSICAL MUSIC | THEATER, OPERA & DANCE ART SPACES | FILM | BARS & CLUBS | MUSEUMS | FARMERS MARKETS | TOURS

Listings Continued from page 18 Plastic Bottles and a Cessna 310 to Raise Awareness About Plastic Fouling Our Oceans.

Ice Skating at Pershing Square 532 S. Olive St., laparks.org.

8-10 p.m.: Ground control to Downtown: A David Bowie tribute act plays Pershing Square on Ice on Jan. 16.

Saturday, Jan. 17 Chinese Fossils at Natural History Museum 900 Exposition Park Blvd., (213) 763-3532 or nhm.org.

All day: Meant to celebrate both the Chinese New Year and a new collaboration, join the museum in an exploratory weekend of China’s extensive fossils deposits and their scientific importance. The museum joins forces with USC to present their recent work in China, including Tibet. Also on Jan. 18.

Ice Skating at Pershing Square 532 S. Olive St., laparks.org.

1 p.m.: A special kids program, with Soozie’s Baloon Show at 1 p.m. and Weusi Stories and Dance at 2 p.m.

ROCK, POP & JAZZ 2nd Street Jazz 366 E. Second St., (213) 680-0047, 2ndstjazz.com or myspace.com/2ndstreetlivejazz. Music usually starts at 9 or 10 p.m.

Tuesdays: Jazz jam session.

626 Reserve 626 S. Spring St., (213) 627-9800 or 626reserve.com.

Tuesdays, 6 p.m.: Live music with Goh Kurosawa.

Thursdays, 6 p.m.: More live sounds, this time with Jessie Torrez.

Bar 107 107 W. Fourth St., (213) 625-7382 or myspace.com/bar107.

Tuesdays: A classic island mix of reggae with attitude. Jah! Wednesdays: The world famous (or at least in L.A.) Bar 107 Karaoke Gong Show. Come join the fun and help the judges vote for the best act of the evening.

Sundays: DJ’s choice with 107’s Matt Dwyer, the comic-actor genius who plays music while serving the meanest drinks (in the nicest way) Downtown.

Blue Velvet 750 S. Garland Ave., (213) 239-0061.

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 p.m.: Live music and DJs. Casey’s Irish Bar and Grill 613 S. Grand Ave., (213) 629-2353 or bigcaseys.com.

Fridays: Live Irish music.

Chop Suey Café 347 E. First St., (213) 617-9990 or chopsueycafe.com.

Thursdays, 7:30-9:30 p.m.: Live jazz on the patio of the restored landmark.

Cicada Cicada Restaurant, 617 S. Olive St., (213) 488-9488 or cicadarestaurant.com.

Thursdays, 8-11 p.m.: The velvet-voiced Max Vontaine recreates the sounds and styles of rat packers Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. His smoking jackets and tunes are vintage; his bawdy repartee is less so. Keep a close eye on the unlit cigarette.

Sundays, 6-11 p.m.: The restaurant is transformed into a vintage, old Hollywood-style dance club every Sunday. Come out to appreciate the big band, swank costumes, dinner and cocktails. Visit cicadaclub.com.

Club Nokia Corner of Olympic Blvd. and Figueroa St., clubnokia.com.

Jan. 16, 7:30 p.m.: Just when you thought it was the end of the road, Boyz II Men are back on bended knee at Club Nokia.

Jan. 17, 8 p.m.: It’s the Tim and Eric Awesome

Show, Great Job! tour of 2009. The comedic live show expands on the live material featured in Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim’s Adult Swim television shows.

Conga Room L.A. Live, 800 W. Olympic, (213) 749-0445 or congaroom.com.

Thursdays: “Azucar” features tropical rhythms from 9 p.m.-2 a.m.

Fridays: “The Beat Down” features global beats and dance groove starting at 9 p.m.

Saturdays: “Plata” brings an upscale Latin flavor from 9 p.m.-2 a.m.

Please email Your event info To submit events for this section, please email a brief description, street address and a public phone number to calendar@ downtownnews.com. Web addresses are welcome. Listings are due 10 days before publication date. Because of time constraints, submissions without full information cannot be considered for publication. Inclusion in the listings is at the discretion of the L.A. Downtown News. Sorry, we cannot accept follow-up calls about event listings.

SEE TWO GREAT COMEDIANS AT THEIR FINEST: HAROLD LLOYD as THE KID BROTHER, and BUSTER KEATON in ONE WEEK SPECIAL GUEST: SUZANNE LLOYD Harold Lloyd’s granddaughter

FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2009 at 8:00 PM at the magnificently restored 1920s movie palace, THE ORPHEUM THEATER. BOB SALISBURY and Jim Spohn at the Orpheum’s 1927 MIGHTY WURLITZER

Presented by the Los Angeles Theatre Organ Society in partnership with the Los Angeles Conservancy’s Broadway Initiative Tickets: $15 advance, $20 at the door.

Buy online at WWW.SilentMoviesLA.com or phone: 1-888-LATOS-22

Clothing  art  aCCessories

Downtown los Angeles

Winter Art SAle 6th @ spring c r a c k g a l l e r y. c o m (213)622-3493

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229-9777 626-1500 617-3777

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The Metropolitan Apartments • 950 S. Flower St.

489-3300

7+FIG • 7th & Figueroa Sts.

955-7150

Ernst & Young • 725 S. Figueroa St.

955-7100

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624-1011

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629-1200

F# C4

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680-0567

F C5

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612-4300

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630-5200

§ P

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624-1200

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680-5200

El Pollo Loco • 260 S. Broadway

626-7975

Orsini Apartments • 505 N. Figueroa St. Gus’s Drive-In • 1657 W. 3rd St.

877-267-5911 483-8885

§☞

B5

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680-1720

§

A7

Glo • 1050 Wilshire Blvd.

866-216-2101

☞

B6

Dr. Silvia Kasparian DDS • 601 W. 5th St., Suite 1110

892-8172

§

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Medici • 725 S. Bixel St.

888-886-3731

F C2

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617-2323

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800-896-5294

F C7

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627-1673

F C5

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Far East Plaza/Wing Hop Fung • 727 N. Broadway

626-7200

Tommy’s • 2575 W. Beverly Blvd.

389-9060

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Carl’s Jr. • 254 S. Broadway

625-1357

PIP Printing • 700 Wilshire Blvd.

489-2333

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Contact Cartifact for the full-color, every-building version of this map and others. Available as a poster and in print, web, and mobile media.

700 S. Flower St, Ste. 1940 Los Angeles, CA 90017 213.327.0200 maps�cartifact.com

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January 12, 2009

Downtown News 21

CLASSIFIED

pLAce your Ad onLine At www.LAdowntownnews.com

L.A. Downtown news Classifieds call: 213-481-1448 Classified display & Line ads deadlines: thursday 12 pm for rent ECHO PARK: Downtown adjacent and on 2008’s top 10 list for best areas to live. Modern 2bdr/1bth, $1559, 1-parking, laundry, shared patio. Bedrooms w/carpet, big closets, industrial flooring, dishwasher, stove, fridge, AC. 323.804.8125.

THE MEdiCi 1 & 2 Bdrm Apts.

Granite Kitchens, Washer/Dryers, Business Center, 2 Pools, Spa! Visit TheMedici.com for a full List of Amenities. Call 888886-3731 for Specials!

TWO MONTHS FREE! (O.A.C.) Brand New Resort Apartments.

Granite kitchens, washer/dryers, pools, spas, saunas, fitness ctr, free tanning beds & much more!

866-690-2894.

STOP RENTiNG! Own A Home.

100% Financing. Zero Down.

No Closing Costs. Federally Insured. 1st Time Buyer OK. Call 866-903-8051. Green Planet Mtg. DOC LIC#4130948. (CalSCAN)

UP TO 1 month free! (O.A.C.) New downtown luxury apartments with granite kitchens, marble baths, pool, spa, saunas & free parking. 888-736-7471.

LAnD/ACreAGe BUYER’S MARKET. New Mexico. Ranch Dispersal. 140 acres $89,900. River Access. Northern New Mexico. Cool 6,000’ elevation with stunning views. Great tree cover including Ponderosa, rolling grassland and rock outcroppings. Abundant wildlife, great hunting. EZ terms. Call NML&R, Inc. 1-866-360-5263.

(Cal-SCAN)

Lofts

“Be wary of out of area companies. Check with the local Better Business Bureau before you send any money for fees or services. Read and understand any contracts before you sign.

Shop around for rates.”

1 br/1bath furnished. 735SF. All amenities. (818) 642-4572 $1,588/mo. • info. and photos: thizizit@hotmail.com

CommerCiAL reAL estAte

LAloft.com

6,610 SQ. FT. Commercial Building on 11,000 sq. ft. land for sale. 4-unit warehouse partially leased. Good for owner/user.

West of 110 freeway. Fenced, secure. Parking lot. $1.2M; $2K/ mo. to own. Matt 323-767-2033

Lofts from $1,100. High ceilings.

A/C. Parking available.

High speed internet/T1 & direct T.V. Pets no charge.

Call 213-253-4777

offiCe sPACe

Prime Office Spaces As Low As 99¢/sqf.

reAL estAte for sALe

High-Rise Building on Olive St.

LA’s #1 Loft Site

High ceilings, wooden floor, kitchen, shower, big window.

Free utilities. $1,275.00/Mo. 213-327-0105.

Now LeasiNg!

■ Gorgeous Layouts ■ 10-15’ Ceilings ■ Fitness Center ■ Wi-Fi Rooftop Lounge ■ Amazing Views

6th + Grand Ave. www.milanoloftsla.com

213.627.1900

ABLE TO TRAVEL: Hiring eight people, no experience necessary, transportation & lodging furnished, expense paid training.

Work / travel entire U.S. Start immediately. www.ProtekChemical.com Call 1-877-936-7468.

(Cal-SCAN)

dRiVER - CdL TRAiNiNG: $0 down, financing by Central Refrigerated. Company Drivers earn average of $40k/year.

Owner Operators average $60k/ Year. 1-800-587-0029 x4779. www.CentralDrivingJobs.net (Cal-SCAN)

JOBS, JOBS, JOBS! California Army National Guard. No Experience. Paid training. High School Jr/ Sr & Grads/ Non- Grads/ GED. May qualify for $20,000 BONUS. 1800GoGuard.com/ careers (Cal-SCAN) Continued on next page

Downtownnews.com

heLP WAnteD Teams earn Top dollar

THE ANSWER to LAst weeK’s puZZLe

Werner enterPriSeS

Management on site

Loft For Rent.

MILANO LOFTS

NATiONAL CARRiERS needs O/Os & Lease Purchase Candidates for its Regional Operations in Southern California. Generous Home Time/ Outstanding Pay Package. CDL-A Required.

1-888-707-7729. www.NationalCarriers.com (Cal-SCAN)

Solo drivers also needed for Western Regional

213.892.0088

offiCe Lofts

reAL estAte APArtments

plus great benefits.

Near Metro (train), Security, New Elevator System. Air Condition.

1,250 Sq. ft

Call 213-625-1313

LITTLE TOKYO SAVOY CONDO FOR RENT

oLD BAnk DistriCt

Buying, Leasing or Selling a Loft?

TheLoftGuys.net

reAL estAte

1 (800) 346-2818 x123 Downtown since 2002 Don’t settle for anyone less experienced!

Call us today!

Bill Cooper 213.598.7555

TheLoftExpertGroup.com

dRiVER - West Coast Regional new hiring area. Newest equipment on the road. Competitive Pay. Run the Western 11 States On Site - Full Service Maintenance Shop. Reasonable Home Time. Western Express - 22 yrs. old. Good MVR, EOE, CDL-A, 1 yr. OTR. Call Edna Today!

1-866-863-4112. (Cal-SCAN)

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

22 Downtown News

January 12, 2009

DowntownNews.com

Continued from previous page

help WANTED

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

13 DRIVERS NEEDED. SignOn Bonus. 35-41 cpm. Earn over $1000 weekly. Excellent Benefits. Need CDL-A & 3 months recent OTR. 1-877-258-8782. www.MeltonTruck.com (CalSCAN) DRIVER- $5K SIGN-ON Bonus for Experienced Teams with HazMat. Dry Van & Temp Control available. O/Os welcome.

Call Covenant 1-866-684-2519 EOE. (Cal-SCAN)

LOFT LIVING

Your number 1 source for Loft sales, rentals and development!

DowntownNews.com

100% RECESSION PROOF! Do You Earn $800 in a Day? Your Own Local Vending Route Includes 25 Machines and Candy for $9,995. MultiVend LLC, 1-888-625-2405. (Cal-SCAN)

business services LOOKING FOR A COST efficient way to get out a news release? The California Press Release Service is the only service with 500 current daily, weekly and college newspaper contacts in California. Questions call (916) 288-6010. www.CaliforniaPressReleaseService.com (Cal-SCAN)

A BEST-KEPT CLASSIFIED advertsing secret! A 25-word ad costs $550, is placed in 240 community newspapers and reaches over 6 million Californians. Call for more information (916) 2886010; (916) 288-6019 www.CalSCAN.com (Cal-SCAN) ADVERTISE EFFECTIVELY! Reach over 3 million Californians in 140 community newspapers.

Cost $1,550 for a 3.75”x2” display ad. Super value! Call (916) 288-6010; (916) 288-6019. www.

Cal-SDAN.com (Cal-SCAN)

PETS

Let us do the dirty work!

DONATE YOUR CAR: Children’s Cancer Fund! Help Save A Child’s Life Through Research & Support! Free Vacation Package. Fast, Easy & Tax Deductible. Call 1-800-252-0615. (CalSCAN)

Beverly's Laundromat Drop Off

25% OFF

1st time customers only. Minimum 25lb

Free Pick-up & Delivery 610 S. Rampart Blvd. @ 6th St (213)804-0069 Open Daily 7 a.m.-10 p.m. • Free Parking

FREE MALE & FEMALE york terriers. AKC registered. Email: rmiller009@live.com

services

Parking

Monthly Parking Available

Family, Criminal, P.I. for more than 20 yrs!

Familiar o Amigo Arrestado?

Necesita Permiso de trabajo? Tagalog / Español

CONCEPTO’S CLEANING Crew. Professional, experienced, cleans apartments, homes, offices and restaurants. Call for a quote. 323-459-3067 or 818409-9183.

PROFESSIONAL Organizer/Designer. Start the New Year with an organized loft. Closets, home office, art studio, storage. Move in/out.

OrganizeWithCaryn@ Hotmail.com or 310-925-2819.

MAKE JOINING with Homeless in America your New Year Resolution! www.HomelessInAmerica.BlogSpot.com Your donation, however great or small helps men, women, children and teenagers at St. Peter’s in Chinatown daily food line and Homeless in America’s StreetReach to those homeless living under DTLA bridges and in alleyways.

Donate now online with PayPal at www.ServantsoftheFather.org or by check payable to SFM, P. O. Box 42001, Los Angeles, CA 90042. Mourn with us; one day too, you shall laugh!

213 . 381. 50 0 0 918 South Oxford Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90006

Rent

Move-in Special 1/2 Month Free Single rooms starting from $550/mo.

Includes utilities, basic cable channels, laundry room on site, street parking, 1 yr lease.

Health Dept. rank A for 7 Consecutive Years

111 N. Atlantic Blvd. Ste #231-233 Monterey Park, CA 91754 (626) 458-1919 [Corner of Garvey Ave.]

HBODY

MASSAGEH

First Professionally Licensed Massage Shop in L.A. County.

FOR RENT? FOR LEASE? FOR SALE?

APARTMENT, LOFT OR CONDO

People are looking here, shouldn’t your ad should be here?

(213) 481-1448

LOFT LIVING

Your number 1 source for Loft sales, rentals and development!

DowntownNews.com

3386766 0119

SAKURA HEALTH GYM & SAUNA, INC.

LOST PASSPORT and Imigration documents for IMAD AWARKE in Los Angeles. If found please call 620-757-5731.

MISCELLANEOUS

MORTGAGE ALERT!! Loan Modifications, FHA Programs May save your home. Get the facts now. Free 24-hour recorded information. 1-800-715-6117 x17. (Cal-SCAN)

PREGNANT? Considering Adoption? Talk with caring agency specializing in matching Birthmothers with Families nationwide. Living Expenses Paid. Call 24/7 Abby’s One True Gift Adoptions. 1-866459-3369. (Cal-SCAN)

Beautiful Offices For As Little As $400 Fully Furnished/Corporate ID Programs Flexible Terms/All New Suites Services Include: • Reception • Mail • T-1 • State-of-the-Art Voice Mail & Telephone • Westlaw • Fax • Photocopy • More Additional Features: Kitchen Facilities, All Support Services, Great Views, Free Conference Room Hours, Fully Trained Staff, Cost Effective.

Jenny Ahn jahn@regentBC.com

(213) 996-8301 www.regentbc.com

MOVE-IN SPECIAL

For English Call Terri or Pierre 213.744.9911

foR LEAsE

REAL ARtist Lofts

Open House Sunday 12:00pm-3:00pm 1250 Long Beach Ave. L.A.

Luxury Rooms in Downtown

Wood floors, New kitchen, fireplace, high ceilings, jacuzzi, laundry room, pool.

Gated Parking. View of Downtown.

Monthly Rents Start at $880 1 & 2 Bedrooms Available

Sorry No Dogs

• Fully Furnished • 100% Utilities Paid • • Refrigerator, Microwave & TV In Each Room • • Wireless Access Throughout Bldg. • Gym • • Close to USC & Loyola Law School • • Presidential Suite with Kitchen • Parking Available Onsite

Special STUDENT RATE! $780 1 Person

$100 OFF on 1st months Rent Exp. Jan. 31, 2009

Mayfair Hotel 1256 West 7th Street

Simin (213) 484-9789 Ext. 555 or (213) 632-1111 Fully furnished with TV, telephone, microwave, refrigerator.

Full bathroom.

Excellent location.

Downtown LA. Weekly maid service.

Monthly from $695 utilities paid.

(213) 627-1151

Furnished single unit with kitchenette, bathroom.

Excellent location.

Downtown LA. Weekly rate $275 inc.

Monthly from $595 utilities paid.

(213) 612-0348

On Spring St.

Spring Tower Lofts:

2bdrm/2bath, 2300 sqft, $3000/mo. • Live/Creative work space • 14 story bldg. • Rooftop garden terrace w/city view • Pet friendly

Premiere Towers:

2 bdrms/2 bath, $1750/mo. • 3 bdrms/2 bath, $2100/mo. • Rooftop garden terrace/GYM w/city view • 24 hr. doorman • free (1) parking

City Lofts:

880 sqft, 13 ft ceilings, $1650 • Granite marble top • Stainless steel appliances/ refrigerator etc. • Pet friendly We are located in a prime area in Downtown LA nice neighborhood w/ salon, market, café etc. Wired for high speed internet & cable, central heat & A/C

(Friendly Fun Community)

Professional massage for men & women. Services include Thai Massage, Shiatsu Massage, Swedish Oil Massage, Foot Massage, Sauna, Steam, and more. Lounge area.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

loan

Law Office of H. Douglas Daniel Esq., (213) 689-1710

208 W. 14th St. at Hill St. Downtown L.A.

For Spanish call Susana 213.749.0306

VIP Room Available. The Best Way For Business Meetings & Entertainment

JAPANESE Garden Lantern 4’ high, heavy to move. Excellent condition. $200. 562-799-4009

Locations Nationwide

Ve r s a i l l e s L i v i n g . c o m

THAI MASSAGE SPECIALIST

FORECLOSED HOME Auction!

Las Vegas -Auction: Jan 31st.

300+ Homes Must Be Sold! Free Brochure 800-613-0263. www.

USHomeAuction.com REDC. (Cal-SCAN)

FREE INSTALLATION! Burglar, Fire, Medical & Cameras. Honeywell Security Systems, with 24/7 monitoring commitment. Direct Marketing Research. Discounted 24/7 Monitoring monthly fee $29.95! O.A.C. Lic#ACO2451.

Limited time. 1-800-654-7797.

(Cal-SCAN)

Get your GREEN CARD or CITIZENSHIP

Offices • Offices • Offices • Offices

FOR SALE

Burbank • Brentwood Century City • Downtown L.A. Woodland Hills

• Exclusive Business Center fax and copy machines, computers, and private conference rooms

• Luxurious Lobby 24-hour Attendant

ABOGADO DE IMMIGRACION!

$125. Group Discounts.

727 W. 7th Street Call (310) 693-0362

• Clubhouse Lounge Pool Table Large Flat Screen TV Snacks

• Exclusive fitness center State of the art LIFE FITNESS equipment

DONATE YOUR VEHICLE! Receive Free Vacation Voucher.

United Breast Cancer Foundation. Free Mammograms, Breast Cancer Info www.ubcf.info Free Towing, Tax Deductible, NonRunners Accepted, 1-888-4685964. (Cal-SCAN)

Ask About Our Move-In Specials!

1-bedroom apartments starting at $1900 2-bedroom apartments starting at $2685

• Elegant Courtyards Pool/spa Putting greens Zen Garden

AUTOS wanted

with minimum 35lb

BRAND NEW 3 Miles from downtown Immediate Move -ins!

laundry services

1100 Ft 2000 Ft. Prices from$1750–$2500 $1600-$2300 1100 Sq Sq Prices from $1750–$2500 1100Sq Sq Ft Ft ––– 2000 2000 Sq Sq Ft. Includes 1 Pkg space.

Please call 213.627.6913 www.cityloftsquare.com

Visconti

2 Months FREE! 2 Bedroom/2 Bath • Starting at $2205 Walk to Downtown! • Must M/I by 1/31

(877) 644-2623

Call Emily (866) 425-7259

Do you have something to sell?

All ads run for 2 weeks. Ads may be renewed after two weeks for 50% off the original price of the ad.

Ad prices (Marketplace and Automotive Categories ONLY): • Items under $300…12 words, 2 weeks FREE! • Items $301 to $500…15 words, only $11.50 • Items $501 to $1200…15 words, only $14.00 • Items $1201 to $2000…15 words, only $16.50 • Items $2001+…15 words, only $19.00 Restrictions: Offer good on private party ads only.

Ads must be pre-paid by cash, check or credit card.

Certain classifications excluded.

Deadline: Thursday at noon for next issue.

Name: Address: City Phone: Cash $ Credit card #: Exp. Date:

State Check $

With a circulation of 49,000 our classifieds get results!

Zip Credit Card $

Ad Copy: ___________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

ArTIsT LoFTs For LeAse Live/Work in Downtown Fashion District 700 to 1500 Sq. Ft. Lofts.

High ceilings, skylights, cable, kitchen, bath+shower, laundry room, elevator, controlled access, sub. parking. Sorry no dogs.

Call George: 818-634-7916 or 310-275-9831 x24

madison hotel Clean furnished single rooms. 24-hour desk clerk service.

•Daily, $25.00 •Weekly, $99.00 •Monthly, $295.00 (213) 622-1508 423 East 7th St.

(2 blocks west of San Pedro St.)

Children’s Performing Group

Sunshine Generation Singing, dancing, performing and fun!

For boys & girls ages 3 and up!

SunshineGenerationLA.com 909-861-4433

Downtown News 23

SearchDowntownLA.com Help Wanted

Help Wanted

Finance

executive assistant Leading global fashion company seeks highly motivated and energetic Executive Assistant for senior executive. This is an exciting, demanding role in a fast-paced office that allows you to maximize your skills. Qualified candidates will have 5 solid years of experience working with senior level executives; board experience a plus.

Trust Company of the West is seeking a VP/Analyst (Portfolio Management) to analyze assets & sectors within the fixed income markets.

Reqs. incl. Master’s in Economics, Finance, Info. Sys., or rltd. & 3 yrs. rltd. exp. Exp. w/statistical software such as SAS, SPSS & E-View; Visual Basic & C; Intex & ABS net; Rating Agency Models incl.

S&P Monte Carlos CDO Evaluator, Moody’s CDOROM & Fitch’s Vector.

Job site: Los Angeles, CA. Interested candidates may email resumes to hrtcw@tcw.com referencing the job title in the subject line. Must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship. EOE

Available Immediately Top floor of 11 story (18,000 SF) historic building available now!

Perfect for corporate hqtrs. Features separate executive suite(s).

Stunning views of LA two blocks away from Staples Center and across the street from the new LA Live complex. The building also has approx 4,000 sq ft of beautiful contiguous space and some small offices available. These spaces can be viewed by appointment.

Information available to qualified prospective tenants.

Email request to mdavis@shammasgroup.com or call (213) 746-6300

Promenade West Condo

2 Story Townhouse. West Facing With Downtown City View. Upgrades. Large Patio. Very Elegant.

Asking $599,900

Mirza alli

Broker/Realtor Leasing-SalesLoans-Refinance

(213) 680-1720 e-mail us: Info@bunkerhillrealestate.com

Call us for other condos for sale or lease Dwntwn & surrounding areas!!

www.Bunkerhillrealestate.com

save?

Ideal candidates will be conscientious, professional, and proactive, and possess the following skills: ❚ Positive and upbeat attitude, as well as a desire to take on new challenges. ❚ Professional image and demeanor ❚ Excellent time management skills and ability to reprioritize on short notice ❚ Ability to work under pressure ❚ Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills across all levels of management ❚ Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and Powerpoint. ❚ Ability to work both autonomously and in a team environment. ❚ Detail oriented with excellent follow through ❚ Ability to work flexible hours, including overtime ❚ Sensitivity to confidential nature of this position Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: ❚ Management of executive calendar ❚ Heavy telephone coverage ❚ Preparation of correspondence, reports and powerpoint presentations ❚ Coordination of meetings, social events and appointments in a timely and efficient manner ❚ Coordination of domestic and international travel including hotel, air, car rental, etc.

We offer competitive salary and outstanding benefits including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, flexible spending and onsite gym and fitness classes.

For immediate consideration for this position, send a WORD formatted version of your resume to apply.now09@gmail.com.

Please enter Executive Assistant in the title box.

Bunker Hill real estate Co, inC. For reNT: EstablishEd 1984 ❏ Prom. West-2 Bed. 2 Bath. 7th Floor. Elegant Upgrades. Green House.

Pride of Ownership. $3,200 Furn. $3,000 Unfurn. ❏ Prom. West-2 Bed. 2 Bath. 5th Floor. $2,200 Month ❏ Bunker Hill Tower-2 Bed. 2 Bath. N/W View. $2,200 Month ❏ LA Fayette PK. PL.-2 Bed. 2 Bath. 3rd Floor. $1,750 Month ForecLosures-Los ANGeLes ❏ 4 Bed, 2 Bath. Pasadena. Semi Circular Driveway. Price $411,900. ❏ 3 Bed, 2 Bath. Pasadena. Great For Growing Family. $409,900 ❏ 3 Bed. 2 Bath. Pasadena. Upgrades. 3 Car Gar. Big Lot. $594,900 ❏ 3 Bed. 3. Bath. Lawndale. Tri-Level Townhouse. Large $329,900 ❏ 2 Bed. 2. Bath. Altadena. 18,500 sq.ft. Lot Needs Some TLC. $412,000

Driven to

I’M THERE

™

Every day, over 4,000 drivers switch their car insurance to State Farm® for average annual savings of $369.* Next! Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.®

CALL MY OFFICE FOr A quOtE 24/7.

Ramon Pantoja, Agent Insurance Lic. #: 0F70474 712 W 1st Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 Bus: 213-225-0655

P080090 05/08

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Daily average based on 1.5 million drivers switching to State Farm in 2007.

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H E L P WA N T E D

Join Us! llEnt PAy We Are Growing Everyday! ExcE nEfits!! & BE IMMEDIATE OPENINGS FOR

BUS DRIVERS FOR Downtown DASH

Santee Court Lofts from $1,450 716 Los Angeles Street, Los Angeles, CA 90014

(213) 623-8101 • www.santeecourt.com

• Have superb customer relations skills • Exercise sound judgment in stressful situations • Understand and follow detailed oral and written instructions • Quickly and accurately count money at a glance • Fluent in English

Our complete benefits package includes: Health Insurance and Paid Vacations

Minimum Requirements • Minimum age: 21 years old • Class C driver’s license • No more than 2 pts. in the last 36 months on DMV record (H6 form)

05002822B850

January 12, 2009

2012 Laura Street, Huntington Park, CA 90255 Job line 323-582-1875

Take Your Game to the Next Level Learn Course Management

3 Learn while you play 3 Shot visualization 3 Mastering club selection

Get your TRUE story to hollywood.

3 Driving strategies 3 Mid/long iron techniques 3 Short game fundamentals

In golf, its you versus the course. Learn to manage the entire game, not just the mechanics of your swing. Learn course management and improve your game.

Steve Andelich Professional Golf Instructor

818.618.2099

Catering to Intermediate/Advanced Players

24 Downtown News

January 12, 2009

DowntownNews.com

We Got Games Lakers Rule; the Clippers, Not So Much Los Angeles Lakers Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7340 or nba.com/lakers.

Friday, Jan. 16, 7:30 p.m.: The Lakers make a trip to Texas to face the Houston Rockets (Jan. 13) and Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs (Jan. 14) before returning to Staples Center. In a big Friday match-up, they’ll host Eastern Conference frontrunner the Orlando Magic.

“Superman” Dwight Howard and the Magic beat Los Angeles in Florida in December, but anchored recently by the strong play of big man Pau Gasol, the Lakers have been on a roll.

Los Angeles Clippers Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7340 or nba.com/clippers.

Wednesday, Jan. 14, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 17, 7:30 p.m.: The reeling Clippers are without point guard Baron Davis,

leading scorer Zach Randolph and center Kris Kaman. Plus a bunch of backups are in the recovery room. Since the Clips were struggling even before the big three got hurt, the team’s able bodies have even larger shoes to fill as they take on a hot young Atlanta Hawks team and then the Michael Redd-led Milwaukee Bucks. The advantage of the short week is they can lose no more than two times.

Los Angeles Kings Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7340 or kings.nhl.com.

Monday, Jan. 12, 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, Jan. 15, 7:30 p.m.: The Kings have slid below the .500 mark, but they’ll look to get the better of the struggling Tampa Bay Lightning, then the charging Detroit Red Wings. The Kings also travel to play the Dallas Stars (Jan. 17), where they have a chance to gain a game on a division opponent.

—Ryan Vaillancourt

photo by Gary Leonard

Big man Pau Gasol has his work cut out for him this week with two road games and a home contest against Orlando.

Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore!

G r a n d To w e r 255 South Grand Avenue

Promenade To w e r s 123 South Figueroa Street LEASING INFORMATION

LEASING I N F O R M AT I O N

M u s e u m To w e r 225 South Olive Street

(213) 229-9777

LEASING I N F O R M AT I O N

(213) 617-3777

(213) 626-1500

It’s our business to make you comfortable...

sauna and recreation room with kitchen.

Far below are a host of businesses ready to

at home, downtown. Corporate and long term

Beautiful views extend from the Towers’ lofty

support your pampered downtown lifestyle.

residency is accommodated in high style at

homes in the sky. Mountain vistas and slender

Even the most demanding tastes are satisfied

the Towers Apartments. Contemporary singles,

skyscrapers provide an incredible back drop to

with gourmet dining, shops, theatres and

studio, one bedroom and two bedroom

complement your decor.

the cultural events that make headlines.

apartment homes provide fortunate residents with a courteous full service lobby attendant,

Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore.

heated pool, spa, complete fitness center,

Visit the Towers Apartments today.

SINGLES, STUDIO, ONE BEDROOM & TWO BEDROOM RESIDENCES

MAID SERVICE FURNITURE HOUSEWARES CABLE UTILITIES PARKING WWW.GKIND.com