02-16-09

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LOS ANGELES

DOWNTOWN

NEWS Volume 38, Number 7

INSIDE

Bowl and Get Lucky 16

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Another project goes rental, and more happenings Around Town.

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Community disappointed as a proposed Chinatown development stalls.

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

February 16, 2009

The Rowan Rally Historic Core Property Sees 63 of 79 Available Units Sell at Auction by Richard Guzmán

Jewelry District thief released.

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Urban Scrawl on the mayor’s race.

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city editor

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he developers of The Rowan condominiums were breathing easier last week, following a test case of a groundbreaking sales technique: On Sunday, Feb. 8, they put 79 of the residences in the Historic Core complex up for auction, the first time such an effort has been made in Downtown Los Angeles. The approximately three-hour event resulted in the purchase of 63 units. Although loans must be secured and escrows closed, officials with developer Downtown Properties called it a success. “It’s a near miracle in today’s market, a wonderful result,” said Bill Stevenson, a

partner in Downtown Properties, a firm which also includes international investor Goodwin Gaw. About 140 potential buyers participated in the auction, where starting bids for some units were as much as 45% below a previous asking price. Not all units received bids. The auction results totaled $21.8 million in sales for the $50 million adaptive reuse project at 460 S. Spring St. Real estate observers said that, despite the recession, the sales figures show that the market is not dead and that buyers are still out there, as long as the price is right. “That is a good number. I was sort of wondering if the thing would fall flat, so see Rowan, page 8

The Outsider Time for the Economic Forecast.

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The New Head of FilmL.A. Has No Entertainment Industry Experience, But He Considers That an Advantage by Ryan Vaillancourt staff writer

Get the Restaurant Buzz.

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Reviewing the Ahmanson’s Minsky’s.

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aul Audley, the new president of FilmL.A., has been a police officer, a lawyer, a mayor and a business consultant, but nowhere on his resume is there a reference to film industry experience. To many, it may be a surprise that this administrative jack of all trades landed the gig as the leader of FilmL.A., the nonprofit organization in charge of coordinating film permitting in Los Angeles County. “It was a surprise to me too,” Audley said.

In fact, Audley didn’t even seek the post: a recruiting agency he was working with for another job was also representing FilmL.A., and he found the organization quite by chance. “The first thing we wanted was a leader and what attracted us to Paul was really his diverse background, and we didn’t limit ourselves to looking within entertainment,” said Mel Kohn, a FilmL.A. board member who chaired the organization’s president search committee. “Paul really brought us see FilmL.A., page 10

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Five great entertainment options.

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18 CALENDAR LISTINGS 20 MAP 21 CLASSIFIEDS

photo by Gary Leonard

Paul Audley, who became president of permitting organization FilmL.A. four months ago, faces issues such as runaway production and neighborhoods frustrated by intrusive film shoots.

photo by Gary Leonard

Goodwin Gaw (left) and Bill Stevenson of development firm Downtown Properties just before the Feb. 8 auction of condos in The Rowan. About 140 people bid on the Historic Core residences.

Big Dreams Can Mean Big Trouble Delays for Four Downtown Mega-Projects Highlight the Complexities of Billion-Dollar Deals by Anna Scott staff writer

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“The credit markets are all seized up, especially for a project of this size,” said Oskar Brecher, director of development for the New Yorkbased Moinian Group. “The ability of banks to finance large projects… is just nonexistent.” see Mega-Projects, page 11

hile the most recent groundbreaking deadline for the proposed Grand Avenue project came and went last week, the $3 billion effort is not the only Downtown megadevelopment on hold. Three other $1 billionplus projects are also stalled amid the ongoing recession. In addition to Related Cos.’ Grand Avenue plan, no groundbreaking is in sight for the Moinian Group’s $1 billion L.A. Central, a retail-heavy mixed-use project planned for a parking lot at Figueroa and 11th streets; the Houk Development Company’s Park Fifth skyscraper, a $1.3 billion residential-hotel complex proposed for a parking lot at Olive and Fifth streets; and IDS Real Estate Group’s Metropolis, a fourrendering courtesy of Kohn Pedersen Fox Architects phase, $1 billion-plus The proposed Park Fifth project at Fifth and residential-retail behe- Olive streets is one of four stalled Downtown moth in South Park that developments worth more than $1 billion. In deals has been in the works of this size, it can take dozens of banks to fund a for more than a decade. construction loan.

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

2 Downtown News

AROUNDTOWN Debate Continues for Mixed Income Ordinance

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he Mixed Income Ordinance, a controversial plan that would require developers of nearly all residential projects in the city to include some level of affordable housing, could be headed back for wrangling in City Council committees by the spring, First District Councilman Ed Reyes said last week. Speaking at a luncheon hosted by the Los Angeles Current Affairs Forum on Thursday, Reyes, a longtime proponent of efforts to increase lowincome and workforce units in the city, said that an advisory committee — comprised of players including business groups, general managers of city departments and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s office, among others — has met three times, and that he hopes the discussion makes it to Council committees within three to four months. The effort has been opposed by the development community, which has argued that any ordinance would need to include significant incentives to make housing projects pencil out, especially in the current recession. “I think there will always be resistance” from those concerned about the market, Reyes said.

Pershing Square to Increase Programming

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ollowing a public dust-up over her announced departure last month — a move that was subsequently reversed — Pershing Square Recreation Director Louise Capone said last week that the park would feature more community-oriented programming this year. “It’s a great new vibe here at Pershing Square,” said Capone. “We brought in a new team, we are more community-oriented.” In January, Capone said, Recreation and Parks General

February 16, 2009

DowntownNews.com

Manager Jon Kirk Mukri reassigned her to the Ramona Hall Community Center in Highland Park. The move, she said, was not unusual, as RAP employees are transferred on a regular basis. But after a public outcry and a petition calling for her to remain in Downtown, Mukri let Capone decide whether to go or stay. She chose the latter. She said she will be working this year with a new team of RAP employees, including new facilities supervisor Ann Vollmer, with a focus on community-oriented programming such as outdoor concerts and other free events.

Alexandria Hotel Case Settled

developers must pay $550,000 in damages and attorney fees to the tenants and give first priority to displaced, eligible former residents to return to the building, among other stipulations. The lawsuit also requires that the CRA provide housing referrals for some former Alexandria tenants, and that the agency and the city try to find people who were evicted from the Alexandria after AHP purchased the property. Additionally, the developers are required to establish a $400,000 fund for settlement payments for eligible former tenants. LACAN co-director Becky Dennison called the settlement “a great victory.”

2121 Goes Rental

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ix current and four former residents of the Historic Core’s Alexandria Hotel have reached a nearly $1 million settlement with Alexandria Housing Partners, the firm that recently completed a renovation of the 102-year-old property. AHP, which includes principals with San Diego-based developer Amerland Group, purchased the eight-story, 463-unit Alexandria in 2006. The company has since upgraded the edifice at 501 S. Spring St., which for years served as a residential hotel for low-income tenants, into an affordable apartment complex with 461 units. The acquisition and renovation were funded by more than $56 million in tax-exempt bonds issued by the Community Redevelopment Agency, low-income housing credits and other sources. The tenants, working with the Los Angeles Community Action Network, filed suit against AHP, Logan Property Management, the CRA and the city in December 2007, alleging unlawful displacement and that heat, water and elevators were shut off at times during the renovation. According to the settlement terms, announced last Thursday, the

metro.net

Metro Briefs

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he 2121 Lofts, a 125,000-square-foot Arts District complex with three interlinked buildings, is the latest addition to a growing list of Downtown projects originally planned as condominiums that are instead opening as rentals. Lapchih Fan of Concerto Development recently announced that because of the weak buyer market, the first phase of the project at 2121 E. Seventh Place would open this year as apartments. There is no specific date yet for opening and rental rates have not been set, Fan said. Phase one, which is complete, includes 19 townhouses. Phase two, which is under construction but has been stalled since last year, will contain 59 live-work lofts in two buildings. Other condominium projects that have switched to rentals include Broadway’s Chapman Flats and 1010 Wilshire in City West.

Little Tokyo Nonprofit Receives Grant

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owntown’s Little Tokyo Service Center, a non-profit affordable housing developer and family services provider, has received

a $100,000 Partners in Progress Grant from the Citi Foundation. The funds will go toward the Nikkei Center, a mixed-use, transit-oriented development slated to rise at the five-acre, former Mangrove site at First and Alameda streets. The LTSC is a partner in the project that is slated to include 390 housing units, with 110 designated for seniors and low-income households, plus 80,000 square feet of retail, an office tower and public gardens. “In these economic times, we are grateful for the Citi Foundation’s support of our efforts to build more affordable housing in Los Angeles,” said LTSC Executive Director Bill Watanabe in a statement. Budget and timeline details for the Nikkei Center have not been released. The Partners in Progress grant program supports innovative projects that champion the long-term revitalization of low- and moderate-income communities.

Club 740 Remains Open, for Now

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decision on the future of Club 740, which went before the Zoning Administration last week to determine if the nightspot should remain open amidst LAPD reports that it has been a center of crime and violence, will not be made until April. A supervisor with the city Planning Department last week said this will allow more people to comment about the Historic Core club. The hearing was held Monday, Feb. 9. The Zoning Administration officer could offer a range of rulings, from taking no action to placing restrictions on the way the business operates to shutting it down. Club owner Ralph Verdugo has rejected the LAPD reports, and said any past problems have been resolved. The hearing was initiated by the Office of Zoning Administration based on criminal activity that has occurred at the club. The LAPD said the venue has seen assaults, drug and gang activity and violent crimes.

Why does this little burger stand attract over a million people a year?

Subway, Rail Project Get Green Light Metro’s Board of Directors voted to begin environmental reviews of extending Metro Rail into West LA, developing a downtown rail connection and continuing the Metro Gold Line farther east. Extension of the Metro Orange Line in the San Fernando Valley was also approved, with construction scheduled to start later this year.

Metro Day Pass Is Going TAP Metro is combining the ease of the Day Pass with the convenience of the TAP card. TAP will be replacing Metro’s paper Day Pass on March 15. To buy a Day Pass after that date: load it onto your TAP card at any Metro bus farebox; in rail stations, load your TAP card at the ticket vending machine. For more information, go to metro.net.

Find out at the landmark location near Downtown. Home of the original Chili-burger. Quality and value since 1946:

Metro Ridership Hits 37 Million While the pain at the pump may have subsided, it seems the benefits of riding Metro continues strong. Ridership for Metro bus and Metro Rail during December 2008 increased nearly three percent from last year. A total of 37.3 million riders used Metro for the month, up from 36.2 million last year.

TAP Ready For Reduced Fare Customers Metro riders with Senior, College/Vocational or Student K-12 discount passes need to submit an application for a new reusable TAP card. You can get applications at Metro Customer Centers or online. Check metro.net/reducedfares for details or call 213.680.0054.

Chili Hamburger .............. $2.00 Chili Cheeseburger ........... $2.40

Thousands Go With Metro Employer Pass

If you’d like to know more, please call us at 1.800.464.2111, or visit metro.net.

GEN-FE-09-009 ©2009 LACMTA

More than 7,800 employees at 335 worksites in LA County are finding a better and less expensive way to get to work with the Metro Employer Pass. It’s a win-win situation: employees get the benefits of riding Metro and the company gets tax savings, reduced parking demands and improved employee morale. Find out more at 213.922.2811.

Many Imitate, But None Compare!

tax included

February 16, 2009

Downtown News 3

SearchDowntownLA.com

Diamond Thief Released From Jail Victims Angry That Oren Shachar, Charged With Defrauding Downtown Dealers Out of Millions, Is Free by Anna Scott staff writer

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ormer diamond salesman Oren Shachar, charged in two separate cases with defrauding Jewelry District wholesalers out of gems worth millions of dollars, was released from county jail last Friday after serving one year. On Feb. 13 Superior Court Judge Fred Wapner ruled that Shachar would serve nearly nine additional years for the first case against him only if he violates his probation. As a condition of his release, he had to pay approximately $577,000 in restitution to 19 of his victims. Deputy District Attorney Eugene Hanrahan, who prosecuted both cases against Shachar, emphasized that the release was not part of a plea bargain. “We made an offer harsher than that, but that is the judge’s position,” he said. “He’s pleading over the People’s objection.” Shachar’s attorney, Alex Kessel, did not return phone calls. According to interviews and court documents, Shachar ran a familiar scheme while working in the Jewelry District as an independent gem salesman between the late 1990s and 2007: He would build up credit with wholesalers until he could obtain a large amount of merchandise at once, which he would then pay for with bad checks. More than $2 million worth of gems has not been recovered. Some of Shachar’s victims were outraged last week upon learning of the sentence. “I just don’t understand the court system,” said Eddy Zohar, owner of Downtown wholesaler Asax Inc. Diamonds,

‘I just don’t understand the court system. He ruined my life, he ruined the lives of a lot of people I know. —Eddy Zohar, victim

sociated with the second case, rejecting an offer from the D.A. The move, which Hanrahan called “advantageous” for Shachar, put sentencing entirely in the judge’s hands. At his sentencing hearing last Friday, Shachar provided checks for the $500,000 in initial restitution associated with the first case, plus the full restitution of $77,000 for the second case. To collect their full restitution, Hanrahan said, victims in the first case can use the court judgment to go after any of Shachar’s future earnings or assets until they are reimbursed. Contact Anna Scott at anna@downtownnews.com.

photo courtesy of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

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who according to court transcripts lost more than $400,000 in merchandise to Shachar. “He ruined my life, he ruined the lives of a lot of people I know.” Attorney David Youssefyeh of ADY Law Group called the sentence “a joke.” Youssefyeh represents Aziz Nogherian, the former owner of the Downtown diamond wholesale business Gemco. Nogherian claims he lost approximately $3 million in merchandise to Shachar between 2006 and 2007. The losses forced him to shut down his business. “The court just officially sanctioned theft,” Youssefyeh said. Others were simply relieved that the case has come to an end. “I’d prefer that he spend more time in jail, but at least I’ll get some of my money,” said Jacob Galili, owner of Downtown’s Galili Diamonds, which according to court documents lost $262,000 in merchandise to Shachar. “It’s better than nothing. For him not to come Downtown, not to bother anyone else, I think is fair enough.” Pleas and Punishment Shachar, 41, was charged by Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley’s office in May 2007 with 36 counts of grand theft and writing checks with insufficient funds, among other charges. The complaint named 16 victims, mostly Downtownbased diamond and jewelry wholesalers. After being arrested on May 10, 2007, and bailed out of jail the next day by family members, Shachar allegedly continued to do business and write bad checks in the Jewelry District and elsewhere. He was arrested again on Feb. 26, 2008, and was later assigned to the Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic, where he was held until his release. Last April, Shachar struck a deal with the D.A.’s office for the original 36-count case, pleading guilty to three counts of grand theft and one count of assault in exchange for five years probation and one year in county jail. He was also ordered to pay full restitution of approximately $5.5 million to all 16 victims, including $500,000 due last week, to be divided among the victims. Last September, Hanrahan filed a second, five-felony complaint against Shachar naming three additional victims. That complaint alleged similar charges, including grand theft, forgery and writing bad checks. Shachar this month pled guilty to all of the charges as-

Oren Shachar, who has spent the last year in jail after charges that he defrauded Downtown diamond merchants out of millions of dollars worth of precious gems, was released from jail last week.

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4 Downtown News

February 16, 2009

DowntownNews.com

EDITORIALS Endorsement: Ed Reyes for Council

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n the past eight years, First District City Councilman Ed Reyes has been the equivalent of a lunch-bucket politician: Short on glamour and hype, he instead puts his head down and focuses on tasks important to the community. It’s a nice refresher for a politician, and though rarely flashy, Reyes has nonetheless achieved steady progress and has proved himself an able and committed leader. We strongly endorse Reyes in the March 3 election. He deserves another four years and the First District, which includes portions of Chinatown and City West in Downtown Los Angeles, will benefit with him continuing in office. Like many politicians, Reyes professes a focus on the basics all communities demand

and deserve: clean streets, public safety, job creation and safe parks and schools. But Reyes’ task on these matters is more difficult than it is in many of the other 14 Council districts in Los Angeles. The First District, which includes the neighborhoods of PicoUnion, Westlake and Echo Park, has some of the highest poverty rates in the city, and several public housing projects have created a legacy of gang violence that has plagued too many communities and families. Reyes grew up walking through gang territory on his way to school and knows the issue firsthand. That is why his record of fostering parks, pools and other recreation facilities is admirable. During his first eight years, the district has seen the creation of 80 acres of parkland

(much of it in the Downtown environs). It both provides resources the area lacked, enabling people to get off the streets, and beautifies the district. Much of Reyes’ attention and passion is directed toward the Los Angeles River. While the waterway is nowhere close to what it could be — indeed, it is still scoffed at by many — he has drawn attention and some funds to the river, and has propelled projects such as cleaning efforts and bicycle paths. His vision for the First District’s improvement is tied to river-related development, and he has some bold thoughts and plans about how to reclaim portions of the waterway and in turn create jobs and housing. He has given the river more attention than any elected official

Endorsement: Jan Perry for Council

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ince taking office in 2001, Ninth District Councilwoman Jan Perry has been an energetic, forceful and brave representative for the district which includes much of Downtown Los Angeles. We enthusiastically endorse her in the March 3 election. Perry came to office at a critical time in the evolution of Downtown, and an ineffective representative could have been devastating as the community was going through so many changes and required aid in City Hall. Perry has delivered on multiple platforms, from nurturing the housing boom to working on getting resources to Skid Row. She has displayed smarts and, when necessary, a willingness to fight. Perry is unopposed on the ballot, and while we always want a competitive election, it is difficult to think that any opponent could match her record of achievement. We like that Perry is taking the campaign seriously and is staging reelection events and phone banking. In the last eight years, one of Perry’s most important tasks has been encouraging the growth of Downtown, and she has played no small part in helping developers — from those working on transforming old buildings to the team behind L.A. Live — get over the many hurdles. In her time in office,

Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis

Downtown has seen the creation of thousands of housing units and hundreds of businesses, from restaurants and bars to retail outlets and galleries. She understands that all of these have a benefit beyond Downtown: Growth emanates from a strong Central City, and these projects help pave the way for mixed-use efforts now underway in South Los Angeles and other areas she represents. Perry has spent more time on Skid Row than any other elected official in Los Angeles. She understands many of the complexities of the neighborhood and realizes that her role is multifaceted. Thus, she has been a frequent presence, doing everything from securing funds to open shelters during cold weather to waging the battle against allowing people to sleep near the doorways of businesses. She has also begun to try to force other council districts to shoulder some of the work in fighting homelessness. Many council members have given this issue lip service — we hope that in the next four years, Perry will be even more aggressive on this matter. Downtown cannot and should not have to solve homelessness on its own. Perry has also been a strong voice for community efforts such as park creation. She came out swinging over

has in recent memory. It is important work, though with only four years remaining, he will need to focus on specific projects rather than cast a wide net. Reyes has professed a desire to help Chinatown grow and become a stronger magnet for tourism, though he notes the effort will have to start with replacing some century-old infrastructure. It’s a good focus, and we hope his office can help spur more development in the area, especially with some current projects faltering. Reyes’ only foe on the March 3 ballot is community activist Jesse Rosas, but Rosas has done little outreach and has failed to adequately inform the district about his platform. We would prefer, for the sake of democracy, that there was stronger opposition. Still, that does not take away from what Reyes has accomplished and the good he can continue to do. He deserves another four years.

the Department of Recreation and Parks’ long failure to use developer funds known as Quimby fees to build more Downtown parks. Last month her efforts led to a breakthrough when a developer agreed to sell some Historic Core land to the city. We hope Perry will continue to make this a front-burner issue. Perry will face challenges in the next four years, including on housing creation in a slow market (though more than 1,000 new affordable residences will come online in the district before she leaves office). She’ll have her work cut out with a potential fight over an ordinance that would force nearly all developers to include low-income units in their projects. She is right to note that those behind the ordinance need to understand where we are in the market. Perry has been a thoughtful and committed champion for the Ninth District. The community will benefit with her in office for another four years.

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.

February 16, 2009

Downtown News 5

Opinion

Angels Flight: The Private Sector Is Finishing the Job Too Much ‘Government’ Can Be a Problem, Not a Solution by Dennis R. Luna and John H. Welborne

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e thank Los Angeles Downtown News for its recognition (in the Feb. 9, 2009, editorial “Time for Government to Step in on Angels Flight”) of the hard work and generosity of numerous volunteers and financial supporters who, over recent years, have brought

We appreciate that there is a place in public affairs for involvement of elected leaders. A place where such involvement is not helpful, however, is in life safety decisions that are technical, not political, in nature. No one should want the CPUC to give its okay because of political pressure or political

guest opinion

the historic Railway so close to its upcoming reopening. We also thank Downtown News for the support and encouragement that the publication has shown for Angels Flight from the time of its 1991-1996 rebuilding by the city and throughout its subsequent operation by the Angels Flight Railway Foundation (AFRF). However, because the paper also opines in the editorial that “it is time for local government officials to insert themselves into the process so the funicular can reopen,” we need to say that the editorial opinion is wrong. Such an insertion would only delay the reopening and, perhaps, reduce public confidence in the long-term future of the historically private little Railway. Furthermore, the appropriate government officials — the experts from the Rail Transit Safety Section of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) — already are involved. Public carriers such as the Angels Flight Railway, the San Francisco Cable Cars, the Metro Red Line, and, believe it or not, the Tram at The Grove are all regulated by the CPUC. Angels Flight will reopen soon, but only after experts certify it is safe for the unique funicular to do so and the CPUC concurs. Involving additional non-expert elected officials or city or county agencies (including the heavy-rail and light-rail experts at Metro) is not the way to clear hurdles and speed the reopening. Some readers of the Downtown News editorial have told us that they see the editorial’s basic call for action as saying that local government officials should step in to help with obtaining an “okay” from the CPUC. Those readers have told us this is not only a bad idea, but “dead wrong.”

We completely understand the concerns of stair climbers, Grand Central merchants and elected officials who are anxious to see passenger service resume — so are we. However, now definitely is not the time for ‘local government officials to insert themselves into the process.’ connections. Rather, we at Angels Flight, and the public, want the CPUC to concur with the Railway’s reopening because the life safety review by expert engineers and the CPUC staff has determined that Angels Flight is safe for reopening. The Downtown News editorial’s suggestion of local government intervention to push for a faster okay in the life safety process now ongoing before the CPUC is the wrong approach. Local government has been “inserted” into the business of Angels Flight before. The city of Los Angeles took over Angels Flight in 1962, when the last private operator was forced to sell to the city in connection with the Bunker Hill Urban

Reading, Then Writing A Column About the Los Angeles Times Draws a Heated Response

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os Angeles Downtown News posts comments to stories on our website. A recent column on the state of the Los Angeles Times drew an array of responses, with passionate opinions and suggestions about the paper’s past, present and future. The original story appears on downtownnews.com Additional responses are welcome. Regarding the column “Save the Times,” by Sue Laris, Feb. 9

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t’s good to know that Angelenos know when they are being fed biased information! They need conservative writers on their staff in order to balance things out and start gaining the people’s trust again. —posted by Louie Cuevas, Feb. 8, 11 a.m.

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o, when are these people who have been offering cash for the LAT going to step up and start a brand-new paper for Los Angeles? Rehire ex-LAT journos, start online, perhaps move to print… —posted by Mike, Feb. 8, 3:02 p.m.

he former owners, the stockholders, were ecstatic over the $34/share price offered and jumped at the chance to cash in big for stock that was developing a troubling P/E. Too bad Zell simply doesn’t have a lick of sense running businesses more complicated than buying and selling dirt. Bringing in people without news and media backgrounds for upper management positions is an indicator. Tribune is flailing for an answer but they missed the boat 10 years ago. —posted by Ex Tribber, Feb. 7, 7:55 a.m.

ace it, Zell doesn’t run the L.A. Times and isn’t involved in the day-to-day workings of Tribune. He’s got plenty on his plate already. No matter who owns the Times, revenue would still be tanking and any type of profit is vanishing. We can’t end up like the SF Chronicle and lose $1 million per month. Zell didn’t kill the Times: Giving our content away for free on the Internet did. —posted by Current Staffer, Feb. 8, 6:02 p.m.

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he easiest and likely most important first step in saving the Times is to get the idiotic, bitter, whining old-timers who are still there to stop sending competitionsensitive email outside of the building. The scribes who still do that should have been fired long ago. —posted by Joseph Mailander, Feb. 7, 12:31 p.m.

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he Times does not need another buyer. That just means debt to pay down. They need banks/bondholders to convert their debt to equity and cut employees in for 20%. No more debt payments! Freed of Chandler/Zell debt, the L.A. Times is profitable, and can start planning how to cover this city again. (Job one: The foreign bu-

Renewal Project. After the Railway closed seven years later, it took the city 27 years to get it reopened. When it finally reopened in 1996, oversight of its operations was undertaken by the private AFRF. As Downtowners of the late-1990s know, Angels Flight, under AFRF’s private management, ran 16 hours every day, seven days every week and 365 days every year. Over 800,000 passenger trips were clocked each year, for a total of 4 million passenger trips in the five years following the 1996 reopening. And, every year during those five years, the nonprofit AFRF raised the funds needed to keep fares at 25 cents per ride. (Operating income from passengers covered only four-fifths of the expenses.) Unfortunately, tragedy struck on Feb. 1, 2001. To recount why tragedy struck, what has transpired during the past eight years and why the expenditure of that amount of time (inconvenient for all) turned out to be necessary takes much more time and space than is available here. For those readers who are interested, we shall post the full story as a comment to the online version of the editorial at downtownnews.com/articles/2009/02/09/news/opinion/02-09-09edit01.txt. In summary, Downtown News readers should know that we completely understand the concerns of stair climbers, Grand Central merchants and elected officials who are anxious to see passenger service resume — so are we. However, now definitely is not the time for “local government officials to insert themselves into the process.” That would only slow the process (a process in which the expert CPUC already is intimately involved). Plus, the evidence shows that Angels Flight did not fare well under our local government’s management of the 1991-1996 rebuilding of the Railway. It’s time to let the private Angels Flight Railway Foundation and the true experts we have hired finish their work. Safety must not take a back seat to attempts at political expediency. Dennis R. Luna is chairman of the Board of Directors of the Angels Flight™ Railway Foundation, and John H. Welborne is president of the Foundation.

reaus might be an affectation in this day and age.) —posted by Benjamin Cole, Feb. 9, 10:56 a.m.

I

t’s time someone tells the truth as these conservative bloviators lick their chops over the Times’ demise: a) This paper is not dying because of its liberal bent. In fact, it was at its peak in circulation in the early ’90s when it was at its most liberal; b) adding conservative voices on the Opinion pages (admittedly lightweights) has done nothing to increase circulation; in fact, the most outrage was expressed when liberal commentators were dropped; c) more conservative papers like the Orange County Register are having as bad a time, if not worse. There are many reasons the Times is sliding, but its liberalism (in a very blue area and state) is not one of them. I don’t expect right wing gasbags to tell the truth, but someone has to. That’s why we’ve needed the Times all along. —posted by Tony, Feb. 9, 11:52 a.m.

S

am Zell is almost irrelevant to the problems facing the L.A. Times. True, the Times would likely not be in bankruptcy had a previous owner (or two) not sold at unsupportable high prices. But the challenges of sustaining an operating profit in these times would be no less serious, and the cutting would be going on with no real end game in sight. In fact, it’s going on in nearly every market, with numerous big-city dailies barely profitable if at all. The Seattle Times — not profitable. The SF Chronicle — not profitable. The Mercury News — staring at a tsunami of red ink in the months to come. The Miami Herald — probably not profitable. The Wall Street Journal — unprofitable. Blame Sam Zell all you want, but no one

has a solution to the challenges newspapers face. Too bad — newspapers are a wonderful and vital cog in our democracy. —posted by Atul Seausharpe, Feb. 9, 12:56 p.m.

I

t’s true that Sam Zell didn’t cause the economic downturn, or Craigslist, or the information giveaway on the ’net, or any of the other myriad factors and events that are killing newspapers. But he’s hardly an irrelevant player. He is, in fact, an opportunist, who put very little if any of his own money at risk in banking on a quick-buck return and had no interest at any point in making the paper better or more efficient or modern. His interest was in the money he thought he was going to scoop up and run away with, certainly at the expense of jobs at some point, bad economy or good. He is relevant in that he was never interested in journalism or the place of the Times or any other Tribune newspaper in its community. Just because no newspapers are doing well, or doing well enough to please Wall Street, doesn’t excuse Zell from his own adverse role in accelerating anger and disappointment in the customers he has left by weakening the paper. —posted by Someone Else, Feb. 9, 2:41 p.m.

T

he paper is written from the age of 50 and up. There is nothing to bring in younger readers when the Internet rules. I can read 10 newspapers a day in 30 minutes, easy, no wet papers, no recycling and various viewpoints. The paper was paying way too many people who were doing very little because they thought they would always have a job, aka, auto industry workers. The times they are a changing. Quit blaming the guys at the top. —posted by 40 Something Reader, Feb. 9, 2:48 p.m.

6 Downtown News

February 16, 2009

DowntownNews.com

rendering courtesy of the Chinatown BID

Bloom Is Off Blossom Plaza Large Chinatown Mixed-Use Development Delayed Due to Financial Crisis by RichaRd Guzmán city editoR

B

lossom Plaza, a $165 million project that has been five years in the making and is seen by many as a crucial catalyst for Chinatown, has stalled after losing its equity partner. Lillian Burkenheim, the Community Redevelopment Agency project manager responsible for Blossom Plaza, said the developer, Bond Companies, is looking for a new investor after equity partner Morgan Stanley said it would back out of the deal due to the “changing financial situation.” “It means the developer needs to get money to pay off Morgan Stanley to proceed with the development,” said Burkenheim. “We’re still involved with it. We’re on the sides cheering the developer on, hoping he’s going to get his financing.” The proposed mixed-use development at the site of the shuttered Little Joe’s restaurant, next to the Metro Gold Line station in Chinatown, had been slated to receive $41 million from the city. It has been discussed for years, and was most recently scheduled to start construction in mid-2009. Burkenheim said that is now unlikely to happen. Construction could start by the end of the year “if we’re lucky,” she said. “This developer is no different than all the other developers out there right now looking for financing,” she said. Officials with Bond Companies did not return multiple phone calls from Los Angeles Downtown News.

A Connector Slated for a 1.9-acre plot at Broadway and College Street, the project has long been anticipated as a new eastern gateway to Chinatown. It would connect the Gold Line station to Broadway and the heart of the community. Blossom Plaza would include 262 apartments, with 20% of them dedicated to affordable housing, in two towers designed by Nakada & Associates. The project would also create 43,000 square feet of retail space and a 372-car garage. A 17,500-square-foot plaza would be used for community events. Some of the city funds would come from block grants, the CRA and the Los Angeles Department of Transportation. For Chinatown leaders, the news of difficulties did not come as a shock given the financial climate. Still, they hope that the project will move forward. “That is a prime piece of property, especially with its proximity to the Gold Line station,” said Michael Gin, a member of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. “I think if they’re ever able to develop it, it would definitely bring new life and excitement into Chinatown.” However, given that the project has been in the works so long and construction has never begun, Gin said the news of the troubles may not surprise many in the community. It also is not the first time Blossom Plaza has run into trouble. Last July, after the developer told another city agency that the project would return larger profits to investors than

The $165 million Blossom Plaza, which is seen as a crucial project in Chinatown, is in search of a new equity partner.

the CRA had calculated, the CRA voted to reduce the size of the city’s subsidy to Bond if the project delivers a return of more than 10% to the company. Madeline Janis, a CRA commissioner who voted in favor or reducing subsidies, said she still supports Blossom Plaza, and although she is not surprised yet another project is facing financial difficulties, she too is hopeful it will go forward. “It has housing, it has arts and culture, commercial, a strong affordable housing component and programs that would provide good jobs,” she said. “The Blossom Plaza project is probably the most catalytic project in Chinatown, which is a wonderfully vibrant community, but it definitely needs an infusion of jobs and customers.” Blossom Plaza is one of many developments across the nation that have stalled because of the economic crisis. In many instances, projects have ground to a halt as

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developers are unable to secure construction loans from nervous banks. In Downtown Los Angeles, troubled developments include the proposed $1.3 billion Park Fifth skyscraper. In December, officials announced that that they are seeking new capital partners for the project north of Pershing Square. Also stalled is the Related Cos.’ $3 billion Grand Avenue project, which initially had been slated to begin construction in October 2007. That has been pushed back several times due to the choked lending market. Still, the delay of Blossom Plaza could be a blow to the small community of Chinatown. “It’s very disappointing,” said George Yu, executive director of the Chinatown Business Improvement District. “Chinatown will survive and thrive. But we want nothing more than to have Blossom Plaza built.” Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.

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February 16, 2009

More Bad Times As Economic Forecast Arrives, Experts Say There Is No Quick Fix by Jon Regardie executive editor

T

o the question everybody is asking, the answer is yes: The economy will get better, but only after a very difficult first quarter. Expect an uptick in late 2009 and more improvement in 2010, but even then, nothing will be like it was. That is part of the message that will be delivered at the 2009-2010 Economic Forecast & Industry Outlook, said Jack Kyser, the founding economist at the Kyser Center for Economic Research, part of the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp. The LAEDC stages the annual event, which takes place Wednesday, Feb. 18, at the Downtown Marriott. The breakfast features two panel discussions which will offer insight and analysis on sectors including housing, retail, entertainment and tourism. Kyser gave Los Angeles Downtown News a preview of what to expect. It’s not a pretty picture. Los Angeles Downtown News: In last year’s forecast, which took place before a recession was officially declared, you warned that there would be a lot of short-term pain. Has it been worse than you expected? Jack Kyser: Yes, it has been worse than we expected. Basically the local economy fell off the table during the fourth quarter of 2008; all kinds of indicators dropped precipitously. It was very unpleasant and we think the first quarter of 2009 will be equally painful. Q: Every day there seems to be worse economic news: layoffs, stock market tumbles, etc. How bad is it, and is there a historic perspective? A: We can go back to the early 1990s, and it is worse than the early 1990s. Then we go back to ’81-’82, and it looks sort of comparable to that. What you’ve got is a whole array of local industries struggling. International trade, which had been a powerhouse, dropped off in 2007, and you had declines in the number of containers moved last year. We’re looking at more declines this year. Then you have the pain inflicted by the housing slowdown and that has filtered back into the manufacturing sector. We make a lot of things that go into the construction industry. The apparel industry is looking at a topsy-turvy retail environment, with store closing and changes in the way that retailers operate.

Downtown News 7

SearchDowntownLA.com Lowry, the TV critic for Daily Variety, will give insights into the entertainment industry. Mark Liberman from L.A. Inc. can talk about business after the hotel opens up. Then there is Michael Neimira, the chief economist for the International Council of Shopping Centers and an expert on the retail scene — he has come out and said some shopping centers will get torn down. Q: As a sign of the economy, are as many people signing up for the Economic Forecast as in the past? A: Oh yeah. We’ve had a good sign-up. Any place you go to do a speech these days on the economy, there are larger crowds than you normally would see. The 2090-2010 Economic Forecast and Industry Outlook is Wednesday, Feb. 18, 7-10:30 a.m. at the Los Angeles Marriott Downtown, 333 S. Figueroa St. Individual tickets are $100. For questions or to register, (213) 622-4300 or laedc.org/forecast. Contact Jon Regardie at regardie@downtownnews.com.

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Jack Kyser of the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp. is among the figures who will discuss the economy on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at the 2009-2010 Economic Forecast & Industry Outlook.

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Q: Is there any good news? A: There is some good news. Our aerospace sector, which many people forget we have, is holding steady employmentwise. We won’t see much change in 2010 because the Obama administration has other fires to put out. Surprisingly enough, you do see some large leases for warehouse and logistics space being signed. Then it looks like the drama in Hollywood is coming to an end. The studios hopefully will step up the production of feature films. The question is the states with lucrative incentives, will they steal some of that production from us? Q: How is the outlook in Downtown Los Angeles? A: In Downtown it is a mixed picture, because the housing market has chilled and they are still trying to encourage new retailers to come in, but retailers are not making any moves. There is good news in 2010 with the opening of the Convention Center hotel. That will draw in a lot of business shows. Then of course you have infrastructure construction and transportation, and the Los Angeles Community College District has a major construction program underway. Construction and engineering jobs are what we call highpower jobs; for every direct job you generate up to two additional jobs in the economy. Then we have the opening of the Gold Line coming up. I think that will be a runaway success and will further cement Downtown’s position as the center of the rail transportation system in the region. Q: When will it get better, and will things ever be like they were? A: Things won’t go back to the way they were because we were in sort of a dream world, people buying homes they couldn’t afford and tapping into home equity loans to buy toys. By late 2009 there will be definite signs of improvement and then we’ll start to feel a lot better in 2010. But certain industries will be significantly changed. Q: This is the second time you’re featuring two panel discussions. Why do it this way? A: There are a lot of questions that need to be answered. Brian

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8 Downtown News

February 16, 2009

DowntownNews.com

Rowan Continued from page 1 this is another encouraging sign,” said Jack Kyser, the founding economist at the Kyser Center for Economic Research, part of the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp. “More people are getting back into the housing market because they feel that prices have come down.” Gary Painter, director of research for the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate, said he had been expecting fewer condos would sell at the auction. “I think the bit of good news is the volume of transactions was pretty good. I was encouraged by the quantity that sold,” he said. Although it is unclear where the market will go in the future, Painter also said the results show that there is hope for the battered housing market. Kyser said the auction serves as an indicator of where prices of Downtown Los Angeles condominiums should be. “It’s somewhat of a cautionary flag for other condo developments, because they need to look at their price points and see if they should reduce them,” he said. Not for Rent Although before the event Stevenson said the developers would consider changing The Rowan to rentals if less than 60

units sold, after the close he said the building will be able to open as condominiums. “We plan to stay for sale, we are making every effort to make the Rowan 100% for sale,” he said. “We still have to get to the next stage with these buyers and get them actually qualified and then they can close, but on the assumption that we can get there, we should be moving in people next month.” Bidding for the smallest units, approximately 546 square feet, started at $195,000, about 45% below the original asking price of $317,000. Minimum bids for two-bedroom, 1,419-squarefoot condos, originally priced at $775,900, started at $490,000. Winning bids ranged from $207,000 for a studio to $534,000 for a two-bedroom residence. Stevenson said that like many other Downtown condominium projects, the building’s lenders have mandated that more than 50% of the units be sold before any escrow can close, With 15% percent of the 206 condos sold before the auction, Stevenson hoped putting 79 units on the block would push them over the 50% threshold. Although they did not get that far with the sale of 63 residences, Stevenson said they are close and are putting together the next phase of sales. That, at least for now, he said, does not include another auction. Stevenson observed that the auction provided a glimpse of what people are willing to pay for units in the heart of Downtown. “One of the things we wanted to do with this auction was to find out where the market really is, and we got a pretty

good idea of that. We accept the auction results as a good indication of where fair market value is today,” he said. Stevenson said that overall, most units sold at about 25% below the original asking price. “Other lofts will be priced competitive with the auction, but they’re not going to be as low as the auction,” he said. They also may not be as exciting to buy as those that sold at the auction. During the event, the bidders used an electronic system that allowed them to see and bid on all the units simultaneously, rather than one at a time like in a conventional auction. Each new bid had to be at least $2,000 higher than the previous bid. Mark Priceman, a real estate agent with the Downtownbased 213 Loft Company, bought a condo at the auction for a client. He said the event was a creative and effective way to jump-start the building’s sales. “It was a lot less frenzied than anyone would have thought, but it was nonetheless an exciting thing, a very unique opportunity,” he said. It was the first time Priceman participated in an auction, and he said considering the deal his client got — $278,000 for a studio — he would do it again in a heartbeat. “You keep hearing the market is dead, and I don’t think it’s so dead. I think it’s just that people are definitely more in a waiting pattern, and when there’s deals to be had or the specific product they want is at a deal, they’ll jump on it,” he said. Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

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FilmL.A. Continued from page 1 a lot of experience in government, because he was mayor of Fairfield, Connecticut, and also in law.” In some ways, Audley (who also served as Connecticut’s Deputy Secretary), sees his outsider perspective as an advantage. People who have spent a career in the entertainment industry may be hesitant to ask questions to which they might be expected to already know the answer. “I talk about having a deck of naïve cards, and it’s not for playing people as much as saying ‘I don’t know,’ because I really don’t,” he said recently in his eighth floor office overlooking Downtown at L.A. Center Studios. “In some cases, people are relieved to sort of unburden themselves of all this information they have that is not good news.”

DowntownNews.com Indeed, Audley, who took over in October, has arrived at a time of mostly bad news for film production. The industry has been threatened by a strike from the Screen Actors Guild and the increasing problem of “runaway production,” where film shoots are lured to other states or countries where governments dangle financial incentives. In the fourth quarter of 2008, the region recorded its slowest period for on-location feature film production since 1993, and overall production, including commercials and television, fell 8.1%. (Downtown, however, had a busier year, thanks to a rise in reality television production. Downtown filming increased 9.8% in 2008 from the previous year.) The overall slowdown has hit FilmL.A., which is supported largely by permit fees it charges production companies. On Feb. 4, Audley had to lay off 16 of the organization’s 86 employees. “The film industry doing less work means we needed fewer people,” Audley said. “We’re not getting the revenue and the

February 16, 2009

work wasn’t there to be done.” The View From Downtown Audley, 51, has an easygoing demeanor and a tendency to blend bits of humor into otherwise straightforward, serious explanations. He makes up for his lack of film experience with the kind of political acumen needed to balance the often opposing interests of FilmL.A.’s three de-facto constituencies: production companies, municipalities and residents. The organization considers production companies to be its customers. But it is fundamentally accountable to the municipalities it works with on permits — along with the city of Los Angeles, FilmL.A. holds contracts with the county and many school districts — as well as the residents who have to live with the sometimes intrusive film shoots. Balancing the interests and needs of those groups can be difficult, especially when it comes to Downtown Los Angeles. For years, film studios treated the area as a veritable back lot. But with the residential growth in the past eight years, Downtown has evolved into one of FilmL.A.’s most “sensitive” residential neighborhoods, Audley said. Local residents have long criticized FilmL.A. for shoots that went late or were too loud, or where bright lights were shined into residents’ windows. Audley is aware of the issue and of Downtown’s role as an epicenter of filming. Inside FilmL.A.’s office, a map of Downtown occupies an entire wall. Maps of other communities are much smaller and are arranged in stacks in front of the Downtown map. Audley himself has a direct familiarity with Downtown. When he moved to Los Angeles from Arizona, where he worked for the nonprofit Trust for Public Land, he opted to live in a loft near Pershing Square. That enables him to relate to Downtown residents who complain about the inconvenience of film production. When he’s aware of a shoot going on at night, Audley will sometimes stroll over and observe, though he doesn’t alert the crew to his identify. Film L.A. Diplomacy For years, Hollywood players and politicians have decried runaway production. Audley maintains that, at least when it comes to feature films, it’s “ran away” production, and the focus ought to be on bringing it back. “It’s important to me to make that distinction because L.A. identifies itself as the film capital of the world,” he said. “It is not, period. It’s no longer an issue of this dribble, some people are leaving, some are staying, or this whole idea that somehow things will be okay.” It’s an argument Audley plans to incorporate when reaching out to residents who he thinks may not fully grasp the economic importance of film production. He notes that a shoot may mean parking hassles, but it also means up to 250 jobs and an infusion of people patronizing local restaurants, stores and other businesses. Still, Audley knows that in some cases, like when production companies violate their permits by filming too late, residents have legitimate gripes. “Strictly talking from a business point of view, it’s not a good idea to have residents unhappy,” Audley said. “I can’t continue to do the work that I do if they’re all unhappy. The industry has to exist, and it’s good for the community, but the neighbors have to be protected.” Beyond neighborhood conflicts and the slowed production schedule, FilmL.A. will face some key challenges in 2009, namely proving to the city that it is the best vendor for the job. The organization’s contract expired last July, but was extended for six months as the city refined a new competitive bidding process. It has been extended again, though Audley said the city’s Chief Administrative Officer plans to urge the city Public Works Committee, which manages the contract, to extend the current deal at least through 2009. The committee will consider the recommendation at its Feb. 18 meeting. Audley is confident that, whenever the new bidding begins, FilmL.A. will be the best vendor for the job. One of the city’s main goals in crafting a new contract was to eliminate direct city funding to FilmL.A. In January, FilmL.A. agreed to stop receiving city funds and, in order to make up for lost revenue, increased its permitting fee — something it hadn’t done in more than 10 years — from $450 to $625. With the contract likely due for another extension, the group’s focus may zoom in on neighborhood relations. That would be the hope of many Downtown residents fed up with inconveniences tied to shoots, said Russell Brown, president of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council. “I think FilmL.A. has gotten much better and I wouldn’t blame them — FilmL.A. is just sort of the referee in this,” Brown said. “But I would say just to continue a good neighbor policy. We understand the role of supporting small businesses and the jobs here, but we also have to do it in a partnership.” Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.

February 16, 2009

Downtown News 11

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Mega-Projects Continued from page 1 While financing nationwide is difficult if not impossible even for single-family home purchases, the complex financing behind projects that cost hundreds of millions or billions of dollars makes them unfeasible, Brecher said. The situation has forced the developers of projects in Downtown Los Angeles and other cities to wait for the market to change, something far beyond their control. The current scenario also shines a light into what makes these deals so much more complex than more modest projects. The Moinian Group is currently seeking an approximately $700 million construction loan. To achieve that, said Brecher, “We would have to put together a consortium of at least three or four major banks, and they, in turn, would have to syndicate the loan among perhaps 20 or 30 banks.� Lending expert Bob Safai, a partner with commercial real estate brokerage firm Madison Partners, noted that all mega-project developers face similar challenges. “When you do a small deal, you could be dealing with one bank,� he said. “When you do a big deal, you’re dealing with many banks. Everything is compounded when you talk about the size and the financial obstacles of a mega-project.� Staying the Course On top of the lending freeze, some Downtown-specific factors may be at play in the projects’ delays. “Frankly, the demand is dried up on all sides

of it,� said Safai. “Demand is dried up for office space, on the residential front. Downtown has an oversaturated housing market.� Downtown condominium projects have been plagued by slower-than-expected sales. The Santee Village complex was recently taken over by its lender, and on Feb. 8 the Rowan condominiums held an auction in a Hail Mary attempt to move units (63 of 79 residences were sold). Meanwhile, the rental market has seen thousands of new units come online in the past year and a half (including many in buildings once planned as for-sale). That has contributed to a steep drop in occupancy rates, from 96% to 85%, according to USC’s Casden Real Estate Economics Forecast. None of that bodes well for those planning projects with residential components, experts say. It is harder than ever for lenders, whether they are providing capital or construction financing, to gauge how profitable a project will ultimately be — and the bigger the prospective loan, the bigger the risk, said real estate attorney Eric Rowen, corporate counsel for the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation. “It’s very hard to make an assessment as to whether there’s going to be a sufficient debt service-to-coverage ratio,� he said, referring to a project’s income versus its developer’s ability to make debt payments. “Do I pump $400 or $600 million into this development and hope that it’s worth it and there’s sufficient income to pay me? That’s where it’s at with all of these projects right now.� That said, at least one Downtown megaproject has steamed forward: The $2.5 billion, 27-acre L.A. Live began its rollout with

the 7,100-seat Nokia Theatre in October 2007. Since then, the project by Anchutz Entertainment Group has seen the arrival of the Grammy Museum, Lucky Strike Lanes & Lounge, the Conga Room and various restaurants. Five more restaurants and a movie theater are expected to open this year. Experts say that in addition to having most of its financing in place before the recession hit, L.A. Live’s event-driven appeal has helped it survive. “L.A. Live is a different story, because you’ve got a demand from Staples Center constantly,� Safai said. “It’s an entertainment destination and a draw.� While entertainment-based developments are not necessarily less risky, Rowen added, “they are more recession-proof, in the sense that people still like to go to the movies, people still like to go to Lakers games.� Yet developers of the four stalled Downtown projects all say they have no plans to change course or scale back, a prospect that becomes especially difficult for big developments with investors, entitlements and architects attached. L.A. Central, slated to include 860 condominiums, a grocery store, a 222-room hotel and 250,000 square feet of retail space, would not be profitable if downsized, said Brecher. “We have paid a great amount for the land,� he explained, referring to the $80 million purchase the company made from AEG in 2006. “To build a smaller project would not justify the land value and would undermine the financial structure of the project. The way the whole thing was designed is the residential would support the retail, the hotel would support the residential. It really was put together as a Rubik’s Cube of supporting uses.� Putting Pieces Together Like the Moinian Group, Grand Avenue developer the Related Cos. is also working on piecing together an approximately $700 mil-

lion construction loan. Originally expected to break ground on county-owned land in October 2007, the Grand Avenue project, designed by Frank Gehry and highlighted by two high-rises, has been delayed several times. Sunday, Feb. 15, marked the most recent deadline set by the city-county panel overseeing the development, though late last week Related was seeking to defer a $250,000 penalty that would have been due. Related West Coast President Bill Witte last week said that while there is no current groundbreaking date, project plans will not change. “The market will determine when it’s ready to go,� he said, “not any artificial timetable.� Metropolis developer the IDS Real Estate Group has not publicly revealed the project’s financial status, but has attributed groundbreaking delays to the economy. Most recently, the development’s first phase, which would include 351 condominiums, was expected to break ground early this year. Park Fifth developer David Houk, meanwhile, is working to replace the project’s troubled equity partners. Houk said that despite previous groundbreaking projections of early 2009, there is no current timeline. He also has no plans to change the designs for the fully entitled project. Yet as the global economic crisis drags on, some warn that developers of all four projects may eventually have to consider adjusting their plans to some degree. “It’s entirely possible that the types of projects that survive and come out the other end will be dictated by the kind of financing that can be obtained,� said Councilwoman Jan Perry, whose Ninth District encompasses most of Downtown. “I think we’ll see flexibility if developers want to survive and still build.� Contact Anna Scott at anna@downtownnews.com.

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February 16, 2009

HEALTH Rebuilding the Body After a Breast Storm Learning the Ropes for Post-Mastectomy Reconstruction by Sue LariS editor and pubLiSher

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ditor’s note. Fair warning. The squeamish should not read further. What’s coming is graphic medical information. Did you know that there is a federal law guaranteeing that a woman has a right to breast reconstruction after treatment for breast cancer? I didn’t, and it was one of many surprises I encountered in my quest to put my body back together in the wake of, well, lots of things. In sum, I think of all the related events as a breast storm. The right to reconstruction extends indefinitely. A woman who has had a mastectomy or two and can’t face further treatment for a while, even a number of years, still has a right to reconstructive surgery. It turns out that whenever she chooses to have reconstructive surgery, her insurance company has to pay for it, in the same way they’d have to pay for any other illness. Reconstruction is not considered cosmetic surgery. It is classified by the law as an integral part of breast cancer treatment. Called the Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998, it’s so widely used and far-reaching, it even has its own acronym: WHCRA. Search the name or its acronym on the Web for many more specifics than I can provide here, and prepare to be overwhelmed, at least at first. The decision to take advantage of that right is hard enough. Learning your options and choosing the best course is an even greater challenge. In my own case, I had had two mastectomies, one in 2003, then a “prophylactic” mastectomy in 2004. I walked around, as I infamously wrote at the time, “Boobless in L.A.” for al-

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most two years before I could entertain the thought of more surgery. I had told myself that it didn’t matter whether or not I had breasts. They are not essential to life. I derided the idea of reconstruction. I said it wasn’t worth it to put my life in danger with an unnecessary and difficult surgery for the sake of my

I had told myself that it didn’t matter whether or not I had breasts. They are not essential to life.

clothes looking better. It was simply beneath my good judgment, I thought. My defensiveness must have been obvious to everyone but me. Then one day my attitude turned on a dime, or so it seemed at the time. In retrospect I realize a lot of things were churning, coming finally to a crescendo from which I decided to leap into the abyss. The crescendo had many elements in it, among them my identity as a woman. I had taken being myself for granted. I was born a female heterosexual and of course continued to

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feel that way even after the mastectomies. But this is L.A., and I suddenly realized I didn’t look all that female any more. My hair had fallen out with the chemo, and it was only beginning to grow back, and, as I say, I had no breasts. I wore scarves and other things I told myself would disguise the state of my chest, but I was continually pulling my shoulders forward the way women do when they are self conscious about that part of their body. One day I happened to see a reflection of myself from the neck down. The angle of the mirror obscured my head. Seeing myself that way was startling. Even I couldn’t tell if that decapitated human in the mirror was a man or a woman. I felt androgynous, not female. And I didn’t like it. The decision was made. Damn the consequences. Not so simple to go forward. As it turned out, it was a good thing I hadn’t wanted the surgery for a couple of years because cautious surgeons want to wait about that long for the skin to recover from radiation treatments. Who knew? To the unschooled eye or fingertips, the skin on both sides was the same. And then there’s the question of what the breasts should be constructed of. Most people would assume silicone or saline. Wrong. It’s easy to forget that there is no longer any skin inside which to put a silicone sack of any size. The result of unreconstructed mastectomies, which my circumstances had required, is that the skin is adhered to the chest wall, meaning it was somewhat concave. Not an ideal female form. There is one gruesome alternative, far less invasive than what I eventually chose, that calls for inserting an empty sack against that flat surface just under the skin, and then slowly, Continued on next page

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Downtown News 13

Health

Continued from previous page month by month, inserting gel through a special port put there for that purpose. The advantage is that the surgery itself takes very little time. But the patient endures extended periods of pain as the skin very slowly stretches to accommodate the rising mound. The result, at least the ones I’ve seen, feel like stone, even if they protrude in the right place and simulate a breast from afar. Also, this method cannot be used on skin that has been radiated, because that skin will not stretch. So that option was out for me. So. Classic silicone or saline implants, out! Rube Goldberg sack, out! What’s left? What’s left is breathtaking in difficulty, but it’s the option I went with. It requires extraordinary skill and artistry on the part of the surgeon, and courage by the patient. In my case it meant giving up two muscles from elsewhere in my body from which the breasts could be built. There are doctors

VITAL SIGNS Boosters Are Not Just Kids’ Stuff

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elieved by many to be an uncomfortable task only for children to endure, some immunizations necessitate a “booster” shot every five or 10 years into adulthood. According to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, far too few adults are getting shots that can prevent serious illnesses. For example, only 2.1% of adults are immunized against diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus — all preventable with a shot. “An immunization activates antibodies to fight infection if necessary, but eventually, these antibodies may die off,” explains Dr. John L. Brodhead Jr., associate professor of internal medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. “Many adults have a false sense of security thinking that if they got shots as a kid, they’re covered.” In addition to booster shots, some new vaccines have been developed for adults, such as zostavax, for the shingles virus. Talk to your doctor about which vaccines may be right for you. Visit cdc.gov/vaccines for more information. —USC Health Magazine

who create breasts with body fat only, but it is much harder to establish circulation to fat than to muscle tissue. Lack of circulation means disaster. It means necrosis, more surgery, removal of tissue, skin grafts and lots of potential outcomes that would be personally disastrous. I had to decide that I could live without those two muscles for the sake of having breasts. To someone who hasn’t undergone a double mastectomy, it probably sounds nuts, and maybe it was. But at a deep level my chest was yearning to be itself, and I do know how strange that sounds. There doesn’t seem a better way to describe it. The good news about this surgery, called a bilateral tram flap, or free flap, is that the breasts are made of human flesh and have none of the side effects of cosmetic breast implants. The bad news is that to reconstruct both breasts requires a 12-hour surgery and six or so days in the hospital. The surgery lays down about 45 inches of sutures. Very serious stuff indeed. It also assumes the patient has enough extra flesh

from which to build the breasts, meaning fat to add to the muscle, which I did, no surprise. It is now almost three years later, and I am mostly glad I did the surgery. It helps that the surgeon was the genius I hoped he’d be, and I do like feeling myself, meaning female. But it is a large commitment to give up two key stomach muscles. It means struggling with posture and other annoying difficulties that become a bit exaggerated as the years pass. It’s an extremely personal decision. I write about the experience here because it’s not widely known that women have a literal federal right to such surgery. Also, I want to share what I know with anyone else who might be considering this choice, an inside view of the options. I’m hoping there is something valuable in the patient’s point of view, beyond what the doctors can relate. My best wishes to anyone facing this struggle. Sue Laris is editor and publisher of Los Angeles Downtown News. She can be reached at sue@downtownnews.com.

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DowntownNews.com

RESTAURANTS Restaurant Buzz

Chef Changes, Very Happy Hours, and More New Restaurants n Chef Shuffle: It looks like Casa wasn’t a permanent home for well-known Downtown chef Kris Morningstar. After helping launch the Mexican restaurant in California Plaza in December, Morningstar will be leaving, said Sean Krajewski, a partner in Casa. Krajewski said the split was amicable. Morningstar, who was also the founding chef at the acclaimed Blue Velvet in City West, will be working on a new restaurant in Hollywood, Krajewski said. He will stay with Casa for about three weeks while he trains the new chef, Judy Han, from Mendocino Farms. The menu, which Morningstar created, will remain the same, Krajewski said. “But she’s definitely going to be doing some menu massaging,” he added. Mario Del Pero, another Casa partner and the owner of Mendocino Farms, said in an email, “We’re very grateful to Kris for helping to create the Casa concept and open the restaurant. Now that Casa is up and running smoothly, we wish him well moving forward.” At 350 S. Grand Ave., (213) 621-2249 or casadowntown.com. n More Happiness: Since everyone is happy right after work, and then even happier later on when the drinks start kicking in, Point Moorea, the tiki-themed lounge in the Wilshire Grand, has new after-work and late-night Happy Hours. The afterwork Happy Hour will last three actual hours, from 4-7 p.m., and feature $4 appetizers such as chicken wings and popcorn shrimp. The late night Happy Hour will run from 9-11:30 p.m. and include $4 appetizers and drink specials such as $5 draft beers. But don’t get too happy, because if you go during the week, a real happy latenight hour can be a most unhappy next morning. At 930 Wilshire Blvd., (213) 833-5100 or wilshiregrand.com. n Double Up: Maybe it’s just because it sounds so catchy, but Restaurant Buzz has always been a fan of Two for One anything.

And when the sales pitch is paired with another word that adds to the catchiness of the title, like Two for One Tuesdays, then we’re definitely in. So hats off to Seven Restaurant Bar for the new Two for One Tuesdays, where from 6-9 p.m. if you buy one entree, you get the second one, of equal of lesser value, for free. Choices include a $24 beef tenderloin, a $36 lamb chop and $27 branzino, a Mediterranean bass. It’s a great deal for a good meal, so if other restaurants want to follow with some of their own catchy specials, here are a few suggestions: Manly Mondays, with deals on all meat items, including steaks; Wacky Wednesdays, where the restaurant gets wacky and lets the customer set his/ her own price; or Funny Fridays, where if you can make the waiter laugh, dinner is free. At 555 W. Seventh St., (213) 223-0777 or sevenrestaurantbar.com. n Let’s Do Lunch: Just about a month after it opened for dinner, Rivera has begun lunch service. The new menu, from chef/ owner John Rivera Sedlar, is aimed at the healthy appetite of Downtown residents and office workers, and includes shrimp and watermelon mojito salad, open-face fish tacos, a red chile chicken enchilada and Oaxacan ahi tuna salad. Of course, the establishment at the base of the Met Lofts also has its Seasonal Tequila on Tap, with mixes of sipping tequilas with fruits, herbs and spices. At 1050 S. Flower St., (213) 749-1460 or riverarestaurant.com. n Wine and Dine: Although wine drinkers may not come off as party animals, the release party for Justin Vineyard’s Isosceles Reserve at Nick+Stef’s Steakhouse should be quite the event — it involves a six-course dinner and wine pairings. Courses include the seared sea scallop with a Justin Sauvignon Blanc 2007, a Hudson Valley duck breast with a Justin 2006 Syrah, Sonoma lamb chops with Justin Isosceles 2006 and a braised beef short rib with Justin’s Isosceles

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2003. We’re detecting a theme at the Bunker Hill establishment. The dinner will take place on Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. The cost is $95 per person. At 330 S. Hope St., (213) 680-0330 or patinagroup.com. n More Rocking Food: L.A. Live continues its culinary takeover of South Park with the opening of Rock’n Fish. The seafood and steakhouse could open as soon as this week in a 6,000-square-foot location that holds 200 people. Architect Louis Skelton and designer Larry Drasin created the look of the new restaurant, which follows Rock’n Fish’s flagship in Manhattan Beach. Food options include the Kapalua Rib-eye Beef, which is hand cut and marinated for 72 hours in a pineapple-soy sauce, and the hot-and-sweet New Orleans BBQ Shrimp, sauteed and served over sticky rice. At 800 S. Olympic Blvd., (213) 748-4020 or rocknfishlalive.com. n Cocina What? The name may not be easy to pronounce, and it’s not in the heart of Downtown, but with the

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backing of some respected restaurateurs, the food promises to go down easy at Yxta Cocina Mexicana, which is slated to open Feb. 25 at the site of the failed Sixth Street Bar & Grill. Yxta, a Mexican restaurant, is owned by Jesse Gomez of El Arco Iris, a Highland Park favorite that’s been around for about 40 years. (It’s far longer than the Sixth Street Bar & Grill, which lasted less than a year.) Gomez said they plan to serve authentic foods such as mole, carnitas and tacos al pastor in a contemporary setting. Sunday brunch is also planned and a full bar will give Downtowners another place to go after work. There’s no way to predict if Yxta will follow in El Arco Iris’ foodsteps (intentional pun!) and become a Downtown staple, but with few restaurants in that neighborhood, any new spot is welcome. As far as the unusual moniker, Gomez said it’s the name of his former law school professor, and he just likes the way it sounds. At 601 S. Central Ave. (213) 596-5579 or yxta.net. Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

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316 E. 1st St. • (213) 626-4046

February 16, 2009

Downtown News 15

Restaurants Grub With Guzmán

Side Dish

♦♦♦

True Love Library Bar Combines Everything That Matters by RichaRd Guzmán

Pitfire Pizza

Guelaguetza

This laidback pizza spot on the ground floor of the Higgins Building is a neighborhood favorite. You order at the counter and food is brought to your table. The secret to Pitfire’s pizza is that the crust is allowed to rise for two days and then fired in a ceramic oven, resulting in the perfect combo of crispy and chewy. Creations are topped with organic ingredients like wild mushrooms and roasted onions, or grilled shrimp with lemon zest. Salads are pretty basic, though the skirt steak is divine. Opt for standout pastas like the four-cheese mac and the bowtie with sweet fennel sausage. The restaurant also hosts Sunday Suppers, a veritable feast for $12.99 that includes a salad, pasta, garlic bread and dessert — the warm chocolate pudding cake with fresh whipped cream leaves a sweet and lasting impression. At 108 W. Second St., (213) 808-1200. Open Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday 12-10 p.m.

The trademark of this Oaxacan joint comes in the form of its moles — the rich, complex concoctions of ground seeds, nuts, herbs, chiles and, often, Oaxacan chocolate. The dining room in the original Guelaguetza on Eighth Street (other outlets are on Olympic and on the Westside) is neither pretty nor cozy, but the food makes up for it. Try the colordito con pollo o puerco, where the pork is, surprisingly, ribs, not a cutlet (most meats here are served on the bone). The meat’s sweetness and the ribs’ fattiness prove excellent foils for, and absorbers of, the tangy and sweet red mole sauce. Richer and more elemental in its grainy earthiness is the black mole, which can come via chicken and banana leaf-wrapped tamales. Other house specialties include the clayudas, discus-sized pizza-like corn tortillas that come covered with Oaxacan cheese (very mild and in strings), beans and a spicy chile sauce. At 3337 W. Eighth St., (213) 427-0601. Open daily, 8 a.m.-10 p.m.

city EditoR lthough I am by no means a fan of Valentine’s Day, I must admit the feeling of love got to me last week. Who can blame me, since I spent an evening with two of the greatest loves of my life: a comfortable bar and a delicious hamburger. Call me a romantic if you must, but having a great burger in a cool bar always makes me feel all tingly and googly inside. And that’s just how I felt at the Library Bar, the Financial District spot which recently introduced a new food menu that’s served from 5-11 p.m. on weekdays. The Library Bar is the type of place where the office crowd goes after work. There are a lot of ties and dress heels mingling in the space inspired by, of course, a library — there are comfortable couches and books line the wall. Although I’m more of a dive bar kind of guy, the Library Bar is the kind of place you want for a long-term relationship, since it’s clean, sensible, smart and can cook. The menu has classic bar fare such as steak fries ($6). But, like any good love, it is also full of surprises, among them pork belly skewers ($6) and deviled marrow bones ($9), which are roasted until the marrow bubbles and then slathered on the side of toasted bread.

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I recommend the Library Burger ($10) and the pork belly sandwich ($10). The former was juicy and served with grilled onions and house-made pickles. It was a little smaller than I had imagined, but hey, when it comes to true love, style and taste matter more than size. The pork belly sandwich, with grilled sourdough, arugula and tomatoes was smoky and jumped with flavor, although it was a little bit on the fatty side. One of the other things I love about Library Bar is the beer (man cannot live on food alone). The offerings here include Belgian greats such as Hoegaarden and Samuel Smiths Nut Brown Ale, an English brew. If you’re into the bad boys, or girls, you can also try the Arrogant Bastard, a bitterly stinging ale that you either love or hate right away. Despite all this, I’ve got one confession: I’m not sure what the future holds for the Library Bar and me. Sure, I feel the love, but I don’t know that I’m ready to commit to one place for the rest of my life. After all, there are so many other options in Downtown Los Angeles. At 630 W. Sixth St., (213) 614-0053 or librarybarla. Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

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16 Downtown News

February 16, 2009

DowntownNews.com

The Strike Is Right Lucky Strike Lanes and Lounge Makes It Cool to Bowl, Even if You Can’t Bowl by RichaRd Guzmán

a lot of ambiance,” Leibee added. After seven frames, Leibee had accumulated an embarrassingly low score of 30. “Maybe this will be my lucky throw,” she said as she slowly swung her arm back and released the ball as though she was rolling an egg down the lane. Although not a high-speed toss, the bright lights along the lane flashed on the ball like cameras going off at a sports arena after a high-impact play. It turned out to be her best throw of the game — nine pins came tumbling down, and Leibee jumped up and down in excitement. The lights, and the LCD screens at the end of the lanes that show sporting events or slide shows, are meant to add an element of excitement even when the game isn’t that exciting. “We want to create the experience of the ball being coaxed down the lane, so it looks like your ball is progressing and speeding up,” Duffy said. Experience at a Price Lucky Strike has a lot of bells, whistles and lights. But it is an experience that comes with a price. Day rates are $5 per person per game, and at night lanes can go for as much as $75 an hour. Up to 12 people can bowl on a lane. It’s steep, but to Downtown resident Albert Molina, the

B

photo by Gary Leonard

price is worth it. “You get more than just a bowling game here, you get rian Duffy is not a great bowler. Still, he knows what a whole night out,” said the South Park resident. “It’s like bowlers — or at least bowlers who have a fondness for a club, but with more stuff to do, and you can even dance nightclubs — like: funky artwork, hip lounges, leather here.” couches, a VIP area, rock music, a couple of bars and, oh It’s so much like a club, Molina said, that he wouldn’t feel yeah, lanes to bowl on, with cool lights along the sides and flat comfortable coming to Lucky Strike unless he’s in a buttonscreen TVs above the pins. down shirt or a sports coat. Since the lounge doesn’t allow “We don’t consider ourselves to be a bowling alley. We baggy clothing, athletic wear, white T-shirts or sweats after 5 consider ourselves to be a lounge that happens to have some p.m. Molina fits right in. lanes of bowling,” said Duffy, the assistant general manger at Since it’s located next to the Conga Room, it is sometimes Lucky Strike Lanes and Lounge, which opened its latest locahard to point out who is going bowling and who is going to tion at L.A. Live late last year. It is the first new Downtown the salsa club, Molina said. Los Angeles bowling alley in decades. “But it’s way more relaxed here.” The 23,000-square-foot, 18-lane attraction debuted in And yes, bowling shirts are allowed. November. With its high-energy and visually stimulating VIP Bowling concept, complete with specialty bowling balls and even a Another indicator that Lucky Strike, which also has a location dress code, it’s not your father’s bowling alley. in Hollywood, is as much a club as a bowling alley is the VIP “What we’re trying to do is bring people a lounge experiroom. Called Luxe, it hosts private parties and features white ence, a nightclub type of experience, without the pretension leather couches, walls and bar stools, a private bar, pool tables of a nightclub or a lounge,” Duffy said. and four lanes with novelty bowling balls decorated in flames Plenty of Downtown residents and visitors have been havand Los Angeles sport teams logos. It goes for as much as $100 ing a good time. Lucky Strike holds almost 500 people and is per lane per hour and can accommodate up to 12 people. filled to near capacity on a regular basis, “It’s our most luxurious experience,” Duffy said. That may not be surprising: Duffy said. Tim Leiweke, the president of Anschutz Lucky Strike also has bar regulars like Entertainment Group, the developer of Michael Torres and Ken Asmus, who L.A. Live, last year said that Lucky Strike work in construction at the nearby was specifically included in the South Convention Center hotel. The guests at Park project to attract the USC crowd. the 1,000-room establishment are also Indeed, Staples Center has been a mafuture customers for the lanes. jor factor in its success, Duffy added, with “He’s dragged me in here several times,” many people visiting Lucky Strike before Asmus said as he and Torres sat at the bar and after games. after work. “I’ve enjoyed every bit of it, at “We have been unbelievably smitten least what I can remember of it,” he joked. with the support Downtown has given Although they have bowled here mulus,” he said. tiple times, the two know their game is Looks Matter not perfect. Fred George and his friend Elena Leibee “It was so bad we bowled our second visited Lucky Strike last week before atgame with our left hands,” Torres said. tending a Lakers game. The two, who are “But the DJ comes on with music, so it not regular bowlers, were lured by the makes it fun to bowl even when you’re atmosphere. not good.” “It’s a nice place to be even when you’re At 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 542-4880 not bowling,” George said, admitting that or bowlluckystrike.com. The venue is all he rarely breaks into triple digit scores. ages until 7 p.m., then is 21-plus. Lucky Strike, with its 18 lanes and nightclub atmosphere, has brought hip bowling to L.A. Live. Lanes on “The lights make up for it though.” Contact Richard Guzmán at weekend nights cost up to $75 an hour. “The atmosphere is really chic and has richard@downtownnews.com.

city editoR

photo by Gary Leonard

CALENDAR

February 16, 2009

Downtown News 17

SearchDowntownLA.com photo by Craig Schwartz

Pie in the Eye Minsky’s Brings Back The Burlesque Era by Jeff Favre contributing writer

T

he most self-referential moment in Bob Martin’s follow-up to the audience pleasing The Drowsy Chaperone comes in the form of a poignant question posed by a supporting character. Will people pay to sit in a hot theater to listen to tired, old jokes in a new musical? Of course, the Ahmanson Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles is air-conditioned, but the jokes in the burlesque homage Minsky’s, as anyone would admit, are old and filled with more corn than a field in Iowa. Also, the Charles Strouse-Susan Birkenhead songs are fun, faithful recreations of the 1930s jazz era, but quickly forgettable. It’s tough to condemn a production filled with solid performances that succeeds in its goal, and anyone who never tires of pie-in-the-face skits, double entendres and old-fashioned hoofing will have plenty to love. But there’s a reason burlesque doesn’t dominate Broadway, and hasn’t for a long time. Minsky’s, a world premiere which continues through March 1, doesn’t poke enough fun at burlesque. It is burlesque. The paper-thin plot is little more than an excuse to get to the songs and comedy skits. Inspired by actual events, the story’s centerpiece is Billy Minsky (Christopher Fitzgerald), who runs a struggling burlesque company with help from his right-hand woman Maisie (Beth Leavel) and lyricist Buster (Kevin Cahoon). His latest show is fraught with two major issues: First, his financial backer, Mr. Freitag (Philip Hoffman), insists that his no-talent daughter Beula (Rachel Dratch) be part of the show. More problematic is that councilman Randolph Sumner (George Wendt) is trying to rid New York of burlesque, with assistance from his naïve daughter Mary (Katharine Leonard). Toss in a love-at-first-sight attraction between Mary and Billy and the predictable storyline is complete.

Minsky’s, a world premiere at the Ahmanson Theatre, revisits burlesque touchstones.

Strouse’s musical compositions adhere to a standard ’30s jazz sound, dominated by woodwinds and trombones. The similar tempo, however, means they are virtually interchangeable. Birkenhead’s lyrics for the burlesque numbers follow the same risqué pattern, with lines such as, “Who needs men when we’ve got bananas?” But there are two wonderful exceptions. “I Want a Life” is the one song that earns laughs by lampooning the musical theater world. Dratch, who retreads her Debbie Downer “Saturday Night Live” character, pairs with John Cariani, who plays Minsky’s bookish accountant, for an ode to life without music and bawdy jokes. The song’s best moment comes when a musical interlude that begs for dancing is met by Dratch and Cariani standing perfectly still. The other musical highlight is “Home,” about the camaraderie of theater professionals. The heartfelt number, which builds in intensity and emotion, is belted with gusto by Leavel, and it serves as a strong reminder that Strouse can still create classic show tunes, as he did many times for Annie. The entire cast deserves praise, none more than Fitzgerald, who as the title character captures the spirit and energy of a young “let’s put on a show” Mickey Rooney. The most enjoyable supporting performance comes from Paul Vogt, who as the stage manager speaks only one word

at a time. His comic skills are strong, but the one-word joke, unfortunately, is repeated too often. Fans of Wendt may get a kick out of him in drag, but the absurdity of the “Cheers” star in a dress doesn’t translate into hilarity. Though Anna Louizos’ set, which consists primarily of unremarkable cityscape backdrops, doesn’t impress, the costumes by Gregg Barnes are a visual treat. There are several brilliantly colorful, playful outfits for the dancers, including an inventive getup where bongos strategically cover certain body parts. As director, Casey Nicholaw sets a lighthearted tone and keeps the action peppy, though the over-abundance of songs needlessly pushes the running time to more than two-and-ahalf hours. Nicholaw’s second task, choreographer, is less successful. The one major tap dance contains less athleticism than the numbers in 42nd Street and pales in creativity to The Will Rogers Follies. Die-hard burlesque fans will smile from start to finish. But if a pie in the face isn’t your idea of comedy, then Minsky’s probably isn’t for you. Minsky’s is at the Ahmanson Theatre through March 1, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772, or centertheatregroup.org.

An InITIATIve oF BrooKFIeLD ProPerTIeS AS PArT oF ITS nATIonAL ArTS ProGrAm

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18 Downtown News

February 16, 2009

DowntownNews.com

LISTINGS EVENTS Monday, Feb. 16 SCI-Arc Lecture Series Sci-Arc, Keck Lecture Hall, 960 E. Third St., (213) 623-2200 or sciarc.edu. 7 p.m.: Architect Neville Mars presents the Urban China 2020 project, an in-depth study mapping the tendencies of China’s flash-urbanization and investigates how designers can respond.

Friday, Feb. 20 African American Heritage Celebration Angelus Plaza, 255 S. Hill St., (213) 623- 4352. 2 p.m.: World-class percussionist Munyungo Jackson headlines this annual festival celebrating African American heritage. The event will feature African masks, fabrics and artifacts and exhibitions detailing important figures in African American history. Continued on page 19

List

A Week of Unusual Dancing, Evolution And Cultural Celebrations

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February marks Black History Month, and on Friday, Feb. 20, at 2 p.m., Bunker Hill’s Angelus Plaza will hold its annual African American Heritage Celebration. The free event in the complex’s fourth-floor auditorium will include a performance by world-class percussionist Munyungo Jackson (who has performed with the likes of Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross) plus authentic African masks, fabric, artifacts and a historical poster display. 255 S. Hill St., (213) 623-4352.

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photo courtesy of Natural History Museum

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If you’ve wandered through the 7+Fig shopping center recently and wondered about the 10 dancers and 200 feet of blue fabric rushing all over the place, wonder no more. It is all part of Collage Dance Theatre’s performance titled A Material World. After seven weeks of free, open rehearsals, the group headed by Heidi Duckler finally debuts its work this Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 12:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Get ready to follow the dancers and the fabric up, down and all around the outdoor shopping center. Seventh and Figueroa streets, collagedancetheatre.org or 7fig.com.

Think the language of science is dry? Perhaps you haven’t read Charles Darwin. American poet Elizabeth Bishop once praised the naturalist’s “endless, heroic observations,” and she was not the only bard inspired by Darwin’s writings. On Thursday, Feb. 19, from 7-9:30 p.m., see for yourself during Charles Darwin and Poetry: A Reading and Conversation With Jorie Graham and Others at the Natural History Museum. The Pulitzer Prize-winning Graham, plus guests from the literary and scientific worlds, will read Darwin and discuss the connections between poetic and scientific query. The discussion will be followed by a reception and string quartet performance. It is part of a worldwide celebration of Darwin: 2009 marks the 200th anniversary of his birth, and he published his seminal work, On the Origin of Species, 150 years ago. 900 Exposition Blvd., (213) 763-3466 or nhm. org/weekends.

photo by Tadashi Ogino

photo by Gary Leonard

by AnnA Scott, StAff writer

photo courtesy of Munyungo Jackson

Thursday, Feb. 19 All About Business Loans Historic Downtown Retail Project, 315 W. Ninth St., Suite 501, (818) 552-3318 or vpinedo@vedc.org. 4-5 p.m.: Looking to expand your business, purchase equipment or restructure your business? Learn about the various types of loans available to expanding or start-up businesses. The workshop is free. Thursdays at Central Central Library, 630 W. Fifth St., Meeting Room A, (213) 228-7241 or lapl.org. 12:15-1 p.m.: The weekly lunchtime series explores the life and times on Olvera Street. Bringing the Circle Together National Center for Preservation of Democracy, 111 N. Central Ave., mypsace.com/nafilmseries 7 p.m.: “Bringing the Circle Together,” a Native American film series, presents a free screening of “Whispers.” Chumash filmmaker George Angelo, Jr. interviews and documents three indigenous cultures of Southern California: the Chumash, Tongva/Gabrielino and Juaneno. Free. ALOUD at Central Library 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7241 or lapl.org. 7 p.m.: Norman Fisher, one of the best-known Zen teachers in the country, weaves Buddhist, Christian and Judaist thought into his own reinterpretation of Homer’s Odyssey. Fisher is in conversation with Irene Borher, director of the Alpert Award for the Arts. Darwin Among the Poets Natural History Museum, 900 Exposition Blvd., (213) 763-3230 or nhm.org. 7-9:30 p.m.: Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Jorie Graham headlines a group of esteemed wordsmiths in a collective reading and discussion of Charles Darwin, who in their eyes, was quite the poet himself. Women’s Journeys Lamp Community, 452 S. Main St., (213) 228-0024 or LindaV@cangress.org. 6 p.m.: The Downtown Women’s Action Coalition presents a variety show celebrating the strength and experiences of mothers, daughters, sisters, wives and selves. Reception starts at 6 p.m. and the show is at 6:30 p.m.

‘DON’T MISS’

photo courtesy of the Japanese American National Museum

Wednesday, Feb. 18 SCI-Arc Lecture Series Sci-Arc, Keck Lecture Hall, 960 E. Third St., (213) 623-2200 or sciarc.edu. 7 p.m.: Sociologist and multimedia theorist Benjamin Bratton delivers the lecture “The Program Is Not on the Floor: Stories about Projection, Planning and Partition.” Curious what the heck that means? There’s only one way to find out. Free Muay Thai Classes The Nine, 1335 S. Flower St., (213) 746-9021 or theninemma.com. 6:15-7:45 p.m.: The Nine, a mixed martial arts studio formerly known as the Piccinini Training Center, is offering free Muay Thai classes every Wednesday and Saturday through February. The Saturday class is from noon-1:30 p.m. Internet Marketing Workshop Central Library, Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 488-3599 or info@downtownLAretail.com. 5:30-8 p.m.: In this free workshop, learn how social networking on the Internet is an increasingly important business marketing tool. Economic Forecast Los Angeles Marriot Downtown, 333 S. Figueroa St., (213) 622-4300 or laedc.org. 7-10:30 a.m.: The Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation delivers its 2009-2010 economic forecast. It’s mostly bad news, but there are some silver linings… they promise.

The

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On Saturday, Feb. 21, at 2 p.m., the Japanese American National Museum commemorates the Day of Remembrance, which actually falls two days earlier and marks the day in 1942 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the order leading to the internment of Japanese Americans. During a program titled Forging Alliances: Connecting Nikkei to Current Immigration, keynote speaker and scholar Roger Daniels (shown here) of the University of Cincinnati will provide an overview of the early Japanese-American experience, followed by firstperson accounts of contemporary immigrants searching for the American Dream. (213) 625-0414 or janm.org.

Continuing its informal reputation as L.A.’s puppet capital, Downtown this week hosts the traditional Japanese Awaji Puppet Theater Company. Distinguished by its intricate three-person puppet manipulation, gorgeous costumes and sets, live shamisen music (played on a threestringed Japanese instrument) and chanted narration, Awanji brings three works to REDCAT on Tuesday, Feb. 17, and Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 8 p.m.: The Cherry Trees Along the Hidaka River, a dance piece based on a folktale; the lighthearted Dance of the Fisherman God; and the drama The Miracle at Tsubosaka Temple. 631 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800 or redcat.org.

February 16, 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 Farmlab Public Salons 1745 N. Spring St. #4, (323) 226-1158 or farmlab.org Noon-1 p.m.: Artist Edgar Arceneaux discusses his Watts Housing Project, an ongoing collaborative artwork across from the Watts Towers in the shape of a neighborhood redevelopment. Saturday, Feb. 21 Day of Remembrance Japanese American National Museum, 369 E. First St., (213) 625-0414 or janm.org. All day: The Japanese American National Museum commemorates the 66th anniversary of the day President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the executive order that authorized the forced removal of some 120,000 Japanese Americans from the West Coast and Hawaii during World War II. Educational festivities are all day and at 2 p.m., there will be a keynote address by historian Roger Daniels. Funding for Entrepreneurs, Inventors, and Small Businesses! Central Library 630 W. Fifth St., Mark Taper Auditorium, (213) 488-3599 or info@ downtownlaretail.com. 1-3 p.m.: In a free workshop, finance and credit experts present resources and methods for obtaining loans for new technologies and new enterprises. Meet and talk with the people who actually invest in new enterprises. Magical Music and Memorabilia Sale Heritage Square Museum, 3800 Homer St., (323) 225-2700 or heritagesquare.org. 10 a.m.-2 p.m.: The museum, which celebrates Southern California history, hosts a rare opportunity to shop for vintage phonograph records and record players, sheet music, pianos and more. Sunday, Feb. 22 Sustainable Sundays Natural History Museum, 900 Exposition Blvd., (213) 763-3230 or nhm.org. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.: As part of the museum’s ongoing series on sustainability, Michael Prather, earth system science expert at UC Irvine, details the scientific advances in understanding past climate change and predicting future climate change.

ROCK, POP & JAZZ 2nd Street Jazz 366 E. Second St., (213) 680-0047, 2ndstjazz.com or myspace.com/2ndstreetlivejazz. Tuesdays: Jazz jam session. Music usually starts at 9 or 10 p.m. 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. Automat 936 Chung King Rd., (213) 617-0422. 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. Café Corsa 2238 S. Figueroa St., (213) 746-2604 or cafecorsala.com. Café Metropol 923 E. 3rd St., (213) 613-1537 or cafemetropol.com. 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. Feb. 17: Country crooner Wynonna. Feb. 20: Rapper Jayceon Taylor, or as the kids call him, The Game. He’s supported by Clyde Carson and Nipsey Hussle. Feb. 21: Hip Hop en Espagnol with Akwid and the Psycho Realm. Conga Room L.A. Live, 800 W. Olympic, (213) 749-0445 or congaroom.com. Feb. 17: South African singer/songwriter Vusi Mahlasela was the headliner at Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday. If you didn’t get that invite, don’t worry, this show’s public. Thursdays: “Azucar” features tropical rhythms from 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Fridays: “The Beat Down” features global beats and dance grooves starting at 9 p.m. Saturdays: “Plata” brings an upscale Latin flavor from 9 p.m.-2 a.m. e3rd Steakhouse and Lounge 734 E Third St., (213) 680-3003 or myspace.com/therhythmsectionla. Second Saturdays: The Rhythm Section brings in DJs and live acts to this Arts District restaurant, playing eclectic selections in nujazz, soul, rare groove, soul and hip-hop. Grammy Museum L.A. Live, Corner of Olympic Blvd. and Figueroa St., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org. Feb. 17, 8 p.m.: Dweezil Zappa discusses music production, guitar techniques and creating useful guitar sounds for stage and studio in this presentation by Fender Musical Instrument Corporation.

It’s free, but reserve a seat. J Restaurant and Lounge 1119 S. Olive St., (213) 746-7746 or jloungela.com. Tuesdays: Live acoustic performances in the lounge. Wednesdays: Salsa in the City features complimentary salsa lessons at 8 p.m. At 9 p.m., a batch of live musicians takes over for a jam session. Fridays: Live bands on select dates. La Cita 336 S. Hill St., (213) 687-7111 or myspace.com/lacitabar. Mondays, 9 p.m.: Mustache Mondays is a gay/ mixed theme night with the best in electro, dance and live performances. Tuesdays, 9 p.m.: Cheap Souls, featuring DJs spinning funk, soul, old school and electro dance. First and third Wednesdays, 9 p.m.: Mucho Wednesdays are dance nights with Latin music. Second and fourth Wednesdays, 9 p.m.: Full Frontal features big-time DJs from L.A. and beyond. $5 cover. Thursdays, 9 p.m.: Dance Right, voted Downtown’s best dance night. Free if you RSVP, $5 otherwise. So duh, RSVP. Fridays, 9 p.m.: Punky Reggae Party. That’s right: punk plus reggae equals party. Free before 11 p.m. After that, it’s $5, Saturdays, 6 p.m.: Hacienda Nights features live tejano, norteno and cumbia music. Cover $10. Sundays, noon-10 p.m.: Hacienda Nights again, $8. Millennium Biltmore Hotel – Gallery Bar 506 S. Grand Ave., (213) 624-1011 or millenniumhotels.com. Mountain Bar 475 Gin Ling Way, (213) 625-7500 or themountainbar.com. Every Tuesday “Broken Dreams” is DJ’ed by China Art Objects’ Steve Hanson and the Red Krayolas’ Tom Watson. Nokia Theatre 777 Chick Hearn Court, (213) 763-6000 or nokiatheatrelalive.com. Orpheum Theatre 842 S. Broadway, (213) 622-1939 or laorpheum.com. Feb. 18: Of all the instruments that songwriter Andrew Bird plays, none are more fun to listen to than his lips: the man can whistle. Pete’s Café and Bar 400 N. Main St., (213) 618-1759 or petescafe.com. Tuesdays, 10 p.m.-1 a.m.: Pablo Calogero and Fabiano Nacimento play Brazilian jazz. Redwood Bar & Grill 316 W. Second St., (213) 680-2600 or theredwoodbar.com. Feb. 16, 10 p.m.: Jake LaBotz, praised by Tatoo Magazine for his “sadder than hell balladry, razor sharp testifying, storied takes on loneliness, beatnikon-the-Mexican-border music, coffeehouse chic.” Feb. 17, 10 p.m.: Deep-rooted country from Mike Stinson and Dave Gleason. Feb. 18, 10 p.m.: Sioux City Pete and The Beggars play rugged rock and roll, with Simon Stokes. Feb. 20, 10 p.m.: Dirty Ed presents The Gears, Prima Donna, and Standard and Poor. Feb. 21, 10 p.m.: Saturday Night Fish Fry with Nick Curran. Feb. 22, noon: Brunch Americana with The Derailers, The Palominos and Mike Stinson and Dave Gleason Feb 22, 10 p.m.: Smokey Hormels Roundup. Rerax Fridays at Señor Fish 422 E. First St., (213) 625-0566 or senorfishla.com.

Fridays, 9 p.m.-3 a.m.: Music, art, VJ performances, silk screening and photos. Royale 2619 Wilshire Blvd., (213) 388-8488 or royaleonwilshire.com. Mondays, 9 p.m.-2 a.m.: A live musical showcase with bands, a DJ and an Eastside vibe. Tuesdays, 9 p.m.-2 a.m.: An acoustic live set in the historic Royale lounge. A DJ spins between sets. Wednesday (second of every month), 9 p.m.-2 a.m.: A fusion of spoken word and acoustic musical melodies. Sundays, 9 p.m.-midnight: Rat pack protégé Max Vontaine. Sheraton L.A. Downtown Hotel 711 S. Hope St., (310) 216-5861. Fridays: The hotel presents a weekly live jazz night. Standard 550 S. Flower St., (213) 892-8080 or standardhotels.com. Nightly DJs at both the lobby bar and rooftop lounge. Wednesdays, 8-11 p.m.: DJs spin in a swank, but still comfy, lobby. And yes, there’s a bar right there. Saturdays, noon-8 p.m.: Local DJs unleash indie, rock and electronica at “Diss.” Suede Bar and Lounge 404 S. Figueroa St., (213) 489-3590 or suedebarla.com. Nightly DJs and pop music in this upscale lounge at the Westin Bonaventure. Walt Disney Concert Hall 111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 850-2000 or laphil.org.

CLASSICAL MUSIC

Monday, Feb. 16 Monday Evening Concerts Zipper Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., (310) 836-6632 or mondayeveningconcerts.org. 8 p.m.: This new music series presents Gerard Grisey’s Acoustic Spaces, a Los Angeles premiere. According to the concert producers, “Grisey’s analysis of sonic phenomena led the way to a new approach to harmony, incorporating the entire range of sound from consonance to noise.” Thursday, Feb. 19 Los Angeles Philharmonic Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 850-2000 or laphil.org 8 p.m.: Conductor and pianist Christian Zacharias leads the L.A. Phil in a program featuring works by Brahms, Haydn and Schumann.

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.

A HAndy MAP RefeRence To food, ATTRAcTions & enTeRTAinMenT F

Where to Eat

_

Where to Shop

§ Where to Live

§F § §

C5 C5 B5

Grand Tower • 255 S. Grand Ave. Museum Tower • 225 S. Olive St. Promenade Towers • 123 S. Figueroa St.

229-9777 626-1500 617-3777

§

B8

The Metropolitan Apartments • 950 S. Flower St.

489-3300

The Millennium Biltmore Hotel • 506 S. Grand Ave.

624-1011

EF m C6 FF_ C6 E# #

California Plaza II • 4th St. & Grand Ave. • Watercourt • 4th St. & Grand Ave. • Angels Flight Railway • 4th St. & Hill St.

687-2001 687-2190 626-1901

F m B7 F F F

Wilshire Grand Hotel • 930 Wilshire Blvd. • Cardini Ristorante • Seoul Jung • Kyoto

688-7777 896-3822 688-7880 896-3812

Downtown Dental Office • 255 S. Grand Ave., Suite 204

620-5777

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Points of Interest

Kyoto Grand Hotel & Garden • 120 S. Los Angeles St.

629-1200

Frying Fish Restaurant • 120 Japanese Village Plaza Mall

680-0567

The Los Angeles Athletic Club • 431 W. 7th St.

630-5200

☞ Services F C5

§ P

B3

F NA

E Entertainment

P Free Parking with Validation

El Pollo Loco • 260 S. Broadway Orsini Apartments • 505 N. Figueroa St. Gus’s Drive-In • 1657 W. 3rd St.

626-7975 877-267-5911 483-8885

§☞

B5

Bunker Hill Real Estate • 800 W. 1st St., #401

680-1720

☞

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

892-8172

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Carl’s Jr. • 254 S. Broadway

625-1357

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CBS Seafood Restaurant • 700 N. Spring St.

617-2323

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PIP Printing • 700 Wilshire Blvd.

489-2333

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Clifton’s Brookdale Restaurant • 648 S. Broadway

627-1673

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Tommy’s • 2575 W. Beverly Blvd.

389-9060

7+FIG • 7th & Figueroa Sts.

955-7150

Ernst & Young • 725 S. Figueroa St.

955-7100

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

626-7200

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The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising/FIDM FIDM Museum Galleries & Shops • 919 S. Grand Ave.

624-1200

The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels • 555 W. Temple St.

680-5200

Medici • 725 S. Bixel St.

888-886-3731

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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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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 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! 866690-2894. hOMe FOR ReNT. Like new, five minuets to downtown. Great view, ample parking, large yard, country like. 2 bedrooms, 1 1/4 bathroom. $1,700/ Mo. Call 323-559-9087. hOUSe FOR ReNT. $1850 3bd/2ba, Family Room. Exclusive quiet Rosewood Neighborhood. Compton short drive downtown. Newly renovated. 213-324-4031.

Up TO 2 month free! (O.A.C.) New downtown luxury apartments with granite kitchens, marble baths, pool, spa, saunas & free parking. 888-7367471. dOWNTOWN Los Angeles 2 Month’s FREE RENT! Studio $1688/ month Luxury at it’s finest! Granite counters, W & D 888-262-9761. 1+1 SKYLiNe condo. Renovated kitchen & bath. Pool, spa, racketball, social room. 310-989-8895.

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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. 1-866360-5263. (Cal-SCAN)

heLP Wanted 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) AcUpUNcTURiST MS Acupuncture or Oriental Med required. E-mail resume: Cynn Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, cynnmd@hotmail. com. Los Angeles.

dRiVeR - Positions Available! Start your NEW CAREER with our CDL Training: $0 down, No Credit Check financing by Central Refrigerated. 1-800587-0029 x4779. www.CentralDrivingJobs.net. (Cal-SCAN) 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! 1-866-8634112. (Cal-SCAN) Continued on next page

THE ANSWER to LAst weeK’s puZZLe

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

6th + Grand Ave. www.milanoloftsla.com

213.627.1900

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

22 Downtown News

February 16, 2009

DowntownNews.com

Continued from previous page

UP TO $500+ DAILY (parttime) providing a simple service every home and business needs. FREE report. Dry-tech, Suite CL13167, 8920 Quartz Ave., Northridge, CA 91324. 1-818-576-0388. (Cal-SCAN) 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) WINE BAR in Downtown for sale. Accepting all offers. Sarkis@theabb.com or 818-9037890.

UP TO $275K+ 1st year Potential Income. We train. Serious, Motivated & Driven Only. Not MLM. Don’t Believe it, Don’t Call. 1-800-821-9551. (CalSCAN) A SALES PROS DREAM. Checks cut daily, complete training, earn what you’re worth, $100K potential, big residuals, commissions, benefits included. $95 fee. 1-800-9542108 Barbara. (Cal-SCAN)

BUSINESS SERvIcES DISPLAY ADVERTISING in 140 Cal-SDAN newspapers statewide for $1,550! Reach over 3 million Californians! FREE email brochure. Call (916) 288-6019. www. Cal-SDAN.com. (Cal-SCAN)

NEWS RELEASE? Cost-efficient service. The California Press Release Service has 500 current daily, weekly and college newspaper contacts in California. FREE email brochure. Call (916) 288-6010. www.CaliforniaPressReleaseService.com. (Cal-SCAN) CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING in 240 Cal-SCAN newspapers for the best reach, coverage, and price. 25-words $550. Reach 6 million Californians!. FREE email brochure. Call (916) 288-6019. www.CalSCAN.com. (Cal-SCAN)

cOmPUTERS FRUSTRATED BY computers? For services or solutions for home or business, call 213458-6873.

ATTORNEYS

mASSAGE

ABOGADO DE IMMIGRACION!

EZ SHIATSU & MASSAGE

Family, Criminal, P.I. for more than 20 yrs! Familiar o Amigo Arrestado? Necesita Permiso de trabajo? Tagalog / Español

Mon.-Fri. 10am-6pm Sat. 10am-3pm

Get your GREEN cARD or cITIZENSHIP

400 E. 2nd St., #205 LA cA 90012

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

ADMINISTRATIVE LAW attorney to handle your professional licensing case. Represents physicians, nurses, laboratories, pharmacies and other professionals in disciplinary actions brought by state and federal agencies including license denials, suspensions and revocations and associated criminal matters. Please call John Dratz, Jr. at (213) 221-7564. www.medicalfraudattorney.com

AUTOS wANTED

Available Immediately

Locations Nationwide 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 (213) 996-8301 jahn@regentBC.com www.regentbc.com

MOVe-In SPeCIAL REAL ARTIST LOFTS FOR LEASE

Open House Sunday 12:00pm-3:00pm 1250 Long Beach Ave., L.A. (Friendly Fun Community)

Wood floors, New kitchen, fireplace, high ceilings, jacuzzi, laundry room, pool. Gated Parking. View of Downtown.

Sorry No Dogs 1100 Sq Ft – 2000 Sq Ft. Prices from $1600-$2300 Includes 1 Pkg space.

Call Emily (866) 425-7259 Fully furnished with TV, telephone, microwave, refrigerator. Full bathroom. Excellent location. Downtown LA. Weekly maid service.

Monthly from $695 utilities paid. (213) 627-1151

We’ve got what you’re searching for!

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

Luxury Living in the heart of Downtown Modern Gourmet Kitchen (gas) • Rooftop spa/garden/BBQ • Fitness Room • Billiard/Media room • Secured access • Magnificient City views and much much more... STARTIng FROm $1,350 Studio, 1 Bdrm, 2 Bdrm, Bi-Level Penthouses National City Tower Lofts 810 South Spring Street 213-623-3777 nctlofts.com

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

fictitiOus

LAUNDRY SERvIcES Let us do the dirty work!

Beverly's Laundromat Drop Off

50% OFF

1st time customers only. Minimum 25lb

FREE Pick-up & Delivery

DONATE YOUR CAR: Children’s Cancer Fund! Help Save A Child’s Life Through Research & Support! Free Vacation Package. Fast, Easy & Tax Deductible. Call 1-800252-0615. (Cal-SCAN)

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

MIRIAM’S CLEANING Services. 10+ years experience. Professional cleaning for Lofts, apartments, homes, offices, restaurants and more. Call for a quote 213-500-3062 or 323445-0756. CONCEPTO’S CLEANING Crew. Professional, experienced, cleans apartments, homes, offices and restaurants. Call for a quote. 323459-3067 or 818-409-9183.

FOR SALE

SERvIcES

DONATE YOUR VEHICLE! Receive Free Vacation Voucher. United Breast Cancer Foundation. Free Mammograms, Breast Cancer Info www.ubcf. info Free Towing, Tax Deductible, Non-Runners Accepted, 1-888-468-5964. (Cal-SCAN)

DENTAL HYGIENE PROGRAM openings in Arizona. Two-year program prepares graduates for high-income employment. Applications close March 1. Call (928) 704-7797 or go to www.mohave.edu today. (Cal-SCAN)

SAWMILLS FROM ONLY $2,990 - Convert your Logs To Valuable Lumber with your own Norwood portable band sawmill. Log skidders also available. www.NorwoodIndustries. com/300N -FREE Information: 1-800-578-1363 x300-N. (CalSCAN)

ARTIST LOFTS FOR LEASE Live/Work in Downtown Fashion District

Rent

THAI MASSAGE SPECIALIST

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

Move-in Special 1/2 Month Free

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

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

Single rooms starting from $550/mo.

Includes utilities, basic cable channels, laundry room on site, street parking, 1 yr lease. 208 W. 14th St. at Hill St. Downtown L.A.

HealtH Dept. rank a for 7 ConseCutive Years

SAKURA HEALTH GYm & SAUNA, INc.

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

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.

vOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES HELPING KIDS heal. Free Arts for Abused Children is looking for volunteers to integrate the healing power of the arts into the lives of abused and at-risk children and their families. Today is the day to get involved! Contact Annie at volunteers@ freearts.org or 310-313-4278 for more information.

KIDS PERFORmING ScHOOLS CHILDREN’S PERFORMING Group! Singing, dancing, performing and fun! For boys & girls ages 3 and up! See SunshineGenerationLA.com or call 909-861-4433.

LEGALS ADVANCED COMPUTING Institute is applying to become a Candidate for Accreditation by the Council on occupational Education, recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally approved Accrediting Agency. The Council on Occupational Education is located at 41 Perimeter Center East, NE, Suite 640, Atlanta, GA. 30346- (770) 396-3790. Persons interested in making a

OFFIcE SPAcE

$1320/mo. to $2640/ mo., 1200 sqft to 2400 sqft for retail rent or office space. Downtown LA at Hill St. & 14th. 1st 3 MOnthS, hALf Off.

call Pierre for details at (213) 744-9911

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: ___________________________________________________________

statements:

__________________________________________________________________

Only

$ 85.

CALL: 213.481.1448

213-680-4970

2 NECKLACES $100 & 175. Take your choice. 323-4286274.

Business

name

Looking for a new house, a car, a job, an antique? Take a closer look at the classifieds. Hundreds of terrific values are listed daily. Or if you’re looking for a way to make extra cash, sell it quickly in the Classifieds.

(Honda Plaza Mall) 1st Visit Only.

with minimum 35lb

Offices • Offices • Offices • Offices

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

60 min. massage (Reg. $60) $20 OFF w/this ad

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!

3386766 0119

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

fOr 4 insertiOns Call (213) 481-1448 for details.

(Note: The Downtown News does not perform filing services)

__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

February 16, 2009 comment should contact COE at the above address. NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR POLICE PERMIT Notice is hereby given that application has been made to the Board of Police Commissioners for a permit to conduct a DANCE HALL NAME OF APPLICANT: CASA VALDEZ, INC. DOING BUSINESS AS: CASA VALDEZ LOCATED AT: 2907 E. 1ST STREET LOS ANGELES, CA 90033 Any person desiring to protest the issuance of this permit shall make a written protest before MARCH 10, 2009 to the: LOS ANGELES POLICE COMMISSION 150 North Los Angeles Street Los Angeles, CA 90012

Downtown News 23

SearchDowntownLA.com Upon receipt of written protests, protesting persons will be notified of date, time and place for hearing. BOARD OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAMES FICTITIOus BusINEss NAME sTATEMENT FILE NO. 20090021831 The following persons doing business as: JOHN ALDANA TRIPLE J’s PROCESS, 4316 Willowbrook Avenue #2, Los Angeles, CA 90029, is hereby registered by the following registrants: JOHN ALDANA, 4316 Willowbrook Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90029. This business is conducted by an individual. Reg-

istrants has not begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on January 7, 2009. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on January 7, 2009. NOTICE—This fictitious name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business

name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et. seq. Business and Professions Code). Pub. 2/2, 2/9, 2/16, 2/23/2009

Why Chapman Flats are the fastest leasing lofts in Downtown?

Iconic Beauty

TWO MONTHS FREE! Now LeAsiNG

move-in specials $1395* - Free Parking On Spring St.

• Rooftop Garden • Pet Friendly • Stainless Steel Appliances • BBQ • Refrigerators • Hi-speed Internet • Spa • Fitness Center • Ground Floor Dry Cleaners and Kelly’s Coffee

spring Tower Lofts:

Open floor plan, 2000 sqft $2500/mo. • Live/Creative work space • 14 story bldg. • Rooftop garden terrace w/city view • Pet friendly

*subject to change without prior notice.

On Broadway at 8th St. • 213.892.9100 c h A P m A N F L AT s . c o m

Premiere Towers:

2 bdrms/2 bath, $1600/mo. • 3 bdrms/2 bath, $2000/mo. • Rooftop garden terrace/GYM w/city view • 24 hr. doorman • free (1) parking

Luxury Rooms in Downtown

city Lofts:

880 sqft, 13 ft ceilings, $1600/mo. • Granite marble top • Stainless steel appliances/refrigerator etc. • Pet friendly

Monthly Rents Start at $880 1 & 2 Rooms Available

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

Please call 213.627.6913 www.cityloftsquare.com

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

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

• 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. March 31, 2009

Mayfair Hotel 1256 West 7th street

Simin (213) 484-9789 Ext. 555 or (213) 632-1111

Furnished single unit with kitchenette, bathroom. Excellent location. Downtown LA. Weekly rate $275 inc.

Monthly from $595 utilities paid. (213) 612-0348

Take Your Game to the Next Level Learn Course Management

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

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

PUBLIC NOTICE BY THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, IN CONFORMANCE WITH SECTION 33490 OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA’S HEALTH & SAFETY CODE, REGARDING THE ADOPTION OF THE MID TERM REPORT FOR THE FIVE-YEAR IMPLEMENTATION PLAN (FY2005-FY2009) OF THE PICO UNION No. 1 AND PICO UNION No. 2 REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT AREAS OF COUNCIL DISTRICT 1. NOTICE is hereby given that the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles, California (CRA/LA) will hold a public hearing on the Mid Term Report of the Five-Year Implementation Plan (FY2005-FY2009) for the Pico Union No. 1 and Pico Union No. 2 Redevelopment Project Areas of Council District 1, Hollywood and Central Region on Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. at the Community Redevelopment Agency of¿ce located at 354 South Spring Street, 6th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90013. A map showing the location of the Project Area is attached to this notice. The public hearing is being conducted to hear testimony of all interested parties regarding the Mid Term Report of the Five-Year Implementation Plan (FY2005-FY2009) for the Pico Union No. 1 and Pico Union No. 2 Redevelopment Project Areas of Council District 1. Any person desiring the opportunity to be heard in the Implementation Plan will be afforded an opportunity to do so. At the above stated time and place, any and all persons having any testimony regarding the proposed Mid Term Report of the Five-Year Implementation Plan (FY2005-FY2009) for the Pico Union No. 1 and Pico Union No. 2 Redevelopment Project Areas of Council District 1 may appear before the CRA/LA Board of Commissioners and be heard. The hearing may be cancelled or set for another time in the future at any time until the scheduled hearing-time. Copies of the Implementation Plans are available for public review at the following locations: CRA/LA Of¿ces 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 354 South Spring Street, 5th Fl. Los Angeles, CA 90013 (213) 977-1925

CRA/LA Hollywood Regional Of¿ce 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 3055 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 520 Los Angeles, CA 90010 (213) 977-2633

Of¿ce of Council District 1 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. 200 N. Spring Street, Room # 410 Los Angeles, CA 90012 (213) 473-7001

Pico Union Public Library 1030 S. Alvarado Street Los Angeles, CA. 90006 (213) 368-7545

Any and all persons having any objections to the proposed Mid Term Report, or who deny the regularity of this proceeding or wish to speak on any issue raised by the proposed Mid Term Report, may appear at the public hearing and will be afforded an opportunity to state their objections. If any person desires to challenge in court the adoption of the proposed Mid Term report or any proceedings in connection therewith, they may be limited to raising only those issues that they or someone else raised a the hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the CRA/LA, or prior to, the hearing. Written correspondence on this matter may be addressed to the CRA/LA at the above noted addresses. The public hearing is being held pursuant to Health and Safety Code Section 33490 and is open to the public. CNSB#1511160

10.25” x 5”

24 Downtown News

February 16, 2009

DowntownNews.com

We Got Games The Clippers Show Signs of Life Los Angeles Lakers Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7340 or nba.com/lakers. Tuesday, Feb. 17, 7:30 p.m.; Friday, Feb. 20, 7:30 p.m.: The Lakers kick off the second half of the season with a home game against Joe Johnson and the Atlanta Hawks. After a trip up north to play the Golden State Warriors (Feb. 18), the purple and gold return to host Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets. They close out the week with a road game against the depleted Minnesota Timberwolves (Feb. 22). Los Angeles Clippers Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7340 or nba.com/clippers.

Wednesday, Feb. 18, 7:30 p.m.: The Clippers are almost back to full strength, thanks to the return from injury of point guard Baron Davis and top scorer Zach Randolph; they recently led the team to three wins in four games. The Clips will look to sustain the closest thing they’ve had to a winning streak with back-toback contests this week against Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns (the first game is Feb. 17 in Phoenix), before heading to Portland to play Brandon Roy, Greg Oden and the Trailblazers. Los Angeles Kings Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7340 or kings.nhl.com. Monday, Feb. 16, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 21, 1 p.m.: In a recent eight-game stretch, the Kings won seven times, by far their best showing of the season. If they can keep up their winning ways, they might just crawl out of the Pacific West hole and into the playoffs. They host the Atlanta Thrashers and Phoenix Coyotes this week, with away games at contenders the Anaheim Ducks (Feb. 18) and the division-leading San Jose Sharks (Feb. 19). —Ryan Vaillancourt

photo by Gary Leonard

Baron Davis is back on the court for the Clippers.

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

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