04-04-11

LOS ANGELES

DOWNTOWN

NEWS

The Taper’s Burn 17

A project groundbreaking, arts money, and other happenings Around Town.

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The hotels come together to form their own business improvement district.

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

April 4, 2011

Volume 40, Number 14

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The 42 Most Powerful People in Downtown

INSIDE

Ranking the Movers, Shakers and Players of the Central City

A square for Ernest Fleischmann.

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Urban Scrawl on opening day

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Where to buy a bike in Downtown.

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Scenes from Dodger Stadium.

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photos by Gary Leonard

Company of Angels tells Downtown stories.

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People who make the 2011 Downtown Power List include (clockwise from top left) Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, First Deputy Mayor Austin Beutner, CCA President and CEO Carol Schatz, Councilwoman Jan Perry, City Attorney Carmen Trutanich, City Controller Wendy Greuel, developer Rick Caruso, philanthropist Eli Broad, Councilman José Huizar and AEG President and CEO Tim Leiweke. Where do they rank and who’s number one? Read to find out.

by Jon Regardie executive editor

P

The Robots take over.

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19 CALENDAR LISTINGS 21 CLASSIFIEDS

ower is often amorphous, something you can recognize more than touch. Anyone who has spent a few years in Downtown Los Angeles has a good sense of who’s got juice.

This begs two important questions: 1) In a community chock full of power players, who are the most powerful?, and 2) How do you rank them?

Those who wield power in Downtown come primarily from a few fields: The top of the top in politics, business, labor and entertainment make most of the decisions that make the community go. There are also a few media and nonprofit folk who guide the civic discussion.

When it comes to determining the order, there’s a simple exercise: Pretend you’re a Downtowner with a modicum of power (though not enough for this roster). One afternoon you’re talking on the phone with, for example, the 18th most powerful person on the list, developer Jim Thomas.

Suddenly, your assistant rushes in with a piece of

paper saying there’s a call on the other line. If that person is less powerful than Thomas, you direct your assistant to say you’re not available.

If the caller ranks higher, you tell Thomas, “Jim, I’m really sorry, but I’ve got Person X on the other line. I need to take it.” Specifying who it is shows that you have some sway, and also that you’re only breaking off a call with Jim Thomas for a darn good reason. When you say who the call is from, he may not like being cut off, but he’ll understand that you don’t keep Person X waiting. That’s part of the game. As you read the list, ask yourself, “Would I hang up on this person for this other person?”

Here it is, the 2011 Downtown Power List.

42

Frank McCourt, Los Angeles Dodgers

Most of Los Angeles hates what he’s done to the Dodgers and squirms over his legal tangles with Jamie. That said, he still owns a baseball team. At least for now.

The Voice of Downtown Los Angeles

41

Tom Gilmore, developer

Five years ago, amid a booming market, Gilmore would have ranked in the top 20. Circa 2011, the charismatic don of nouveau Downtown development is fairly quiet. Still, unlike everyone else in the entire world, he saw how a decrepit Historic Core block could become a booming hipster land and invented the Old Bank District. He planted the seed, and the rest is local residential history.

40

Alex Padilla, state senator

His Downtown ties these days are thin, but considering he’s likely the only name Latino candidate running for mayor in 2013, he can’t be overlooked.

Even though he now labors in the state Senate and represents the 20th District in the Valley (only slightly more important to Downtown than Akron, Ohio), he’s a past City Council president see Power, page 10

2 Downtown News

April 4, 2011

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AROUNDTOWN LAPD Scores Court Victory Over Homeless Advocates

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entral Division police officers and Skid Row homeless advocacy group the Los Angeles Community Action Network have feuded for years. Score the latest battle for the LAPD. The department last month beat a lawsuit, filed by L.A. CAN in federal court in 2008, alleging first, fourth and 14th amendment violations tied to the 2007 arrest of its director, Pete White, and the detention of group member Steve “General Dogon” Richardson. The suit was filed against the city, former Police Chief William Bratton and several officers involved in the arrest of White and the detention of Richardson for traffic violations (White, who had been on foot, and Richardson, on a bike, were getting ready to videotape an apparent LAPD parole sweep of a residential hotel). On March 17, a jury in U.S. District Court Judge Dean Pregerson’s court ruled in favor of the LAPD, rejecting L.A. CAN co-director Becky Dennison’s argument that the arrests were part of a pattern of police misconduct and harassment in Skid Row. Assistant City Attorney Corey Brente, who represented the LAPD, said Dennison told the jury that the group had taken more than 100 videos of the alleged practice, but produced only two for the trial. “Part of my argument was, you heard her say she has hundreds of videos; you have to assume, they’d bring us the best they have,” Brente said. “They showed two and they showed nothing, in my opinion, and apparently the jury agreed.” City Attorney Carmen Trutanich’s office is trying to recoup the costs associated with defending the city against the suit, Brente said.

Dennison, in an email, said the organization is exploring its appeal options. “More importantly, we will continue to exercise our First Amendment right to document police activity in order to prevent or respond to civil rights violations under Safer Cities policing,” she said.

Gateway Project to Break Ground

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li Broad’s $100 million art museum and the $1 billion Wilshire Grand replacement are not the only new developments coming to Downtown: A groundbreaking is scheduled for Thursday, April 7, for Chinatown Gateway, a long-stalled housing project at 639-643 N. Broadway. The 9 a.m. event

will take place at the corner of Broadway and Cesar Chavez Avenue. The 325,000-square-foot development will include 280 studio, one- and two-bedroom market-rate apartments in a six-story building, along with a 588-space subterranean garage and nearly 20,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space.

Officials with developer Equity Residential have not said how much the project will cost, but estimates from 2007 had the price at approximately $90 million. Completion is expected in about two years. The project was launched five years ago but stalled during the downturn in the economy.

First and Grand Named for Philharmonic Leader

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he intersection of First Street and Grand Avenue will always be known as First and Grand, but for classical music fans, and anyone else who notices a sign on the southwest corner in front of Walt Disney Concert Hall, it now has another name: Ernest Fleischmann Square. On Tuesday, March 29, a group of city and arts leaders came together for the dedication of the square in honor of Fleischmann, the managing director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic from 1969-1998. During his tenure he was credited for revitalizing the L.A. Phil, bringing it to financial security and increasing musicians’ salaries. He died last June at the age of 85. Attendees at the event included Fleischmann’s son Martin, Ninth District Councilwoman Jan Perry, Phil President and CEO Deborah Borda and former music director Esa-Pekka Salonen. “This is definitely better than a star on Hollywood Boulevard,” said Martin Fleischmann. “He certainly didn’t let anyone step on him when he was around, and he’s not about to start.”

New Theater Festival on the Radar

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new theater festival that will feature more than 15 productions is coming to Downtown this summer. RADAR L.A., produced by REDCAT, will run June 14-20 and will feature companies from Australia, Chile, Japan and Mexico, as well as Downtown. “I see this as a great chance for REDCAT and our partners to help provoke meaningful discussion about the evolution of contemporary theater,” said REDCAT Executive

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On March 29, the southwest corner of First Street and Grand Avenue was named Ernest Fleishmann Square for the late managing director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. See story this page.

Director Mark Murphy in a statement. Performances will take place at REDCAT, the Los Angeles Theatre Center on Spring Street (the venue’s Latino Theatre Company is one of the participants) and the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City.

RADAR L.A. will also be part of the Theatre Communication Group’s national conference from June 16-18, an event expected to attract more than 1,000 people. Radar tickets are $50 for multi-event passes (good for five admissions) and go on sale this month. Single tickets will go on sale in early May. Tickets and other information are at radarla.org.

Grand Performances Notches $400,000 in Grants

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alifornia Plaza concert promoter Grand Performances last week announced that it has received two renewed grants totaling nearly $400,000. The funds come in advance of the organization’s 25th season of music, theater, dance and film, which take place throughout the summer at the Cal Plaza Watercourt. The James Irvine Foundation is giving Grand Performances $300,000 over the next three years to present international artists. The California Community Foundation see Around Town, page 15

April 4, 2011

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EDITORIALS Raise a Pint

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he ability to get drunk on obscure European beers and small-batch domestic brews isn’t usually the most obvious sign of a neighborhood moving forward. Yet that is precisely what is occurring in Downtown Los Angeles. It turns out this is a very good thing, with real economic and social payoffs for the Central City.

Last week, Los Angeles Downtown News reported on the area’s growing role as a beer-making and quaffing hub. Two new businesses specializing in beer choices beyond your average Budweiser or Miller Lite — and even surpassing seemingly elite brands like Newcastle and Fat Tire — have opened recently. A third will debut this month.

Craft beers are increasing in popularity across the country, with some 1,600 small brewers in the United States, according to the trade group The Brewers Association. Downtown has been ahead of the curve — the Bonaventure Brewing Company at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel and the Weiland Brewery’s original location just south of the Japanese American National Museum have both been making their own beer, and also serving burgers, fries and bar snacks to an ample Downtown audience, for more than a decade.

Other relatively recent arrivals include Arts District joint Wurstküche (sausage and a lot of Belgian and German beers, many in odd-shaped glasses) and the packed L.A. Live staple Yard House.

They were joined last month by Angel City Brewing, a 27,000-square-foot business at 216 S. Alameda St. that sells beer and will soon make it Downtown as well, and Public School 612, which was carved out of the bar area of popular Financial District restaurant the Daily Grill. The next addition will be the Los Angeles Brewing Company, which will boast 100 beers on tap in a space at 756 S. Broadway.

What is more interesting than the beer is what all the businesses say about Downtown Los Angeles. They point to a forward-thinking and trendy demographic, a clientele with the disposable income to pay more for these creations than what neighborhood bars have long been hawking.

The taste for nouveau beer echoes a couple other Downtown trends: the growing number of businesses offering gourmet coffee, and the surprising spate of establishments that either sell or specialize in desserts and sugary snacks. Much of this action happens in the Historic Core, within walking distance of a clutch of old office buildings that have been turned into housing. The sprawling CoffeeBar and, just down the street, the diminutive Spring for Coffee, are among the new cafes finding a clientele willing to pay $4 or $5 for a latte or other caffeine drink. They are joined by establishments such as Syrup Desserts (think waffles and other creations), cupcake house Big Man Bakes and the Nickel Diner, a throwback restaurant known as much for its entrees as its dessert menu — it gained a modicum of fame for its maple glazed bacon donut.

The point is, there are a growing number of Downtowners willing to support these upscale and inventive breweries, cafes and dessert emporiums.

Their existence proves how far the neighborhood has come in a few years — it is one thing to read the numbers and results of a demographic survey and another thing entirely to get out on the street and see a surfeit of these businesses. The crowds at their counters and sidewalk tables point to both the current growth and the potential future expansion.

That is why the addition of a few places that push beer means more than just, well, a few places that push beer. These businesses not only create jobs and tax revenue (already something to celebrate), they spark energy on the streets and, in turn, lure even more people to the area. We’ll raise a pint to that.

Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis

City’s Latest Thickheaded Olvera Street Rent Offer

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ere’s a little experiment: Pretend you rent an apartment or own a home and pay a mortgage; in either case, it’s decidedly less than what your neighbors pay.

After many years, your rent or mortgage is set to rise. However, there’s an asterisk: You can limit the amount it will go up simply by saying the new rate would be hard on you. You don’t have to prove it, and you don’t have to let anyone inspect your finances.

They’ll trust you — all you have to say is that it would be tough.

Would you claim financial distress?

Would you opt for the lesser amount going from your pocket to the landlord or lender? Of course you would. Only a fool would see this gift horse and smack it in the mouth.

While the scenario sounds like something for Financial Fantasyland, this is exactly what is occurring at Olvera Street. The too-long and overly complicated effort to boost rents for more than 50 shop and restaurant owners has now produced another offer from the city. While some tenants who have paid well-below-market rates could see their rents double, they can lessen the amount it would go up by claiming hardship.

This is laughable. City leaders who agreed to this asterisk in the offer should be embarrassed.

A bit of context: The city and the merchants for decades have been tangling over rents at the tourist attraction that lures 2 million visitors annually.

The department that operates Olvera Street has lost as much as $800,000 a year or more, a frightening amount amid the current fiscal crisis. Some officials point out that if merchants would pay market rates, the shortfall would be wiped out.

Some merchants have agreed to higher rates. The vast majority, however, continue to balk, arguing that the city has never delivered promised amenities such as more parking, and that a past ballot proposition approved by voters entitles them to the 55-year leases that 17 tenants signed in 1999 (the City Attorney disagrees with this assertion). This politically connected group in January filed a legal claim against the city for $52 million. They also ignored rent hikes that were instituted last April; there have been no repercussions from their action.

The city is trying to come up with a rent hike palatable to the merchants, and the latest deal, which 14th District

City Councilman José Huizar introduced in March, calls for 20-year terms with a 20-year option. There are numerous levels of rent increases, though all are lower than what the city sought a year ago.

The thickheaded aspect is the offer to let merchants pay a lesser increase, for at least five years, by claiming financial distress without requiring them to open their books (it is worth pointing out that tenants could secure an even greater price break if they allow the City Controller’s office to examine their finances). There are some caveats about what happens if they accept the lower-but-no-inspection price; there would be restrictions on who they could sell their business to if they want out. However, this is minor stuff, and the money they’ll save by self-declaring hardship means they probably won’t have to worry about selling.

We haven’t yet found anyone who can satisfactorily explain why a selfdeclaration of hardship without inspection is a good thing. Huizar was not made available to explain it. The City Attorney’s office wouldn’t comment on the ongoing matter. We’d sure like to hear from someone why this is a smart idea.

April 4, 2011

DowntownNews.com

Downtown News 5

Room to Market New Hotel Marketing District Means Higher Room Rates, But Double the Publicity for the City

by Richard Guzmán city editor

O

ver the past decade, business improvement districts have become a powerful tool for neighborhoods to provide services beyond those that government delivers. In Downtown and other areas, landowners have voluntarily taxed themselves to raise money that is frequently spent on safety, cleanliness and marketing campaigns.

Now, there is a new twist to the BID movement: Large hotels all across the city are banding together, geographic boundaries be damned.

The City Council on Tuesday, March 29, approved the formation of the Los Angeles Tourism Marketing District. It aims to raise about $11.5 million annually to sell the city.

The new funds more than double the approximate $10 million the city already spends annually on the effort through a small portion of the hotel tax (also known as the Transient Occupancy Tax). It would put Los Angeles on par with competitors in the effort to court business and leisure travelers.

There’s one catch: The agreement, which affects hotels with 50 or more rooms, including more than 20 in Downtown Los Angeles, will levy a 1.5% surcharge on room rates in a weak economy. It’s a calculated gamble officials are willing to take.

“We need to create a sustainable revenue source for marketing Los Angeles so that we can bring more visitors, increase the occupancy at hotels, bring more people to restaurants and other venues so they can spend money in the city,” said Marc Liberman, president and CEO of L.A. Inc., the city’s convention and visitors bureau.

L.A. Inc. will administer the funds collected through the district and run the marketing effort. The scope of that campaign has yet to be determined, but it may include more advertisements in print and online, more ads in trade publications, and additional domestic and international promotions, Liberman said.

“Today there is minimal funding to do this, and we need to

effectively compete with other cities that have implemented tourism marketing districts,” he said.

More than 50 cities in California have similar districts and some of them are outspending Los Angeles in marketing, said Liberman. San Diego spends about $26 million annually on promtions, and San Francisco shells out about $23 million a year.

Hotel Driven The initiative was driven by hotel officials, including several Downtown executives, who two years ago approached 15th District Councilwoman Janice Hahn, the chair of the council’s Trade, Commerce and Tourism Committee. She agreed to help shepherd the marketing district through City Hall.

Hotels owners who would be impacted approved the BID by a 70% vote last year.

The new charge is not technically part of the TOT, since increasing the bed tax would require a public vote. Rather, it is an additional charge hotel guests will see on their bills.

Unlike the bed tax, which mostly goes to the city’s general fund, the new charge is strictly allocated for marketing.

“I like that this idea came from the hotels themselves,” Hahn said. “Other cities have these funding sources in place already and they felt L.A. could really benefit.”

Downtown hotels affected by the agreement include wellknown names like the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, Hilton Checkers, the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, the Omni Los Angeles Hotel and the new J.W. Marriott/Ritz-Carlton.

The changes come as Downtown hotels have seen their business improving. According to Bruce Baltin, senior vice president of PKF Consulting, which tracks the hotel industry, major Downtown hotels ended 2010 with a 64.3% occupancy rate, up from 60.4% the previous year. Average daily rates rose from $133.81 in 2009 to $142.51 in 2010.

Baltin said that the tourism industry is very competitive, and hotels must market themselves and the city in good times and bad.

photo by Gary Leonard

Marc Liberman, president and CEO of L.A. Inc., said a new hotel marketing district is needed to keep the city competitive in the tourism business.

“Even though L.A. is a strong destination, it’s still very much competing with cities like San Francisco and Las Vegas and destinations all over the world,” he said. “It takes sizeable marketing dollars to do that.”

The approval by more than two-thirds of the impacted hotels indicates that most of them support the measure even if it means higher prices for their customers.

Kathy Faulk, the new general manager at the Omni at California Plaza, said she doesn’t expect the charge will discourage people from staying in hotels. She noted that other cities with similar districts have not seen a negative customer reaction.

“I don’t expect a backlash at all,” she said.

Mike Czarcinski, the managing director of the Westin Bonaventure Hotel, who was part of the planning team for the marketing district, agreed that the new charge will not discourage guests in the near future. Instead, he thinks it will pay off in the long term.

“I don’t believe it’ll put off any guests,” he said. “If this was something that was not in other cities then it may put us at a competitive disadvantage, but all of our major competitors have this.”

Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnnews.com.

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April 4, 2011

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Get Your Cycle On In Advance of CicLAvia, a Guide To Downtown’s Two Wheel Shops

by Ryan Vaillancourt

tion. More information is at ciclavia.org.

staff writer

O

n Sunday, April 10, a snaking stretch of Downtown streets will be closed to motorists and turned over to more than 100,000 cyclists, pedestrians and all sorts of other street-combers.

The event is the second installment of CicLAvia. Founded by a coalition of bicycle, public space and community advocates, CicLAvia, first held last October, was inspired by an event in Bogotá, Colombia, known as Ciclovía (which translates to “bike way”).

This week’s CicLAvia, like the premiere, will utilize a 7.5-mile route that starts at Hollenbeck Park and rolls through Downtown en route to East Hollywood. The path includes segments of Fourth, Spring and Seventh streets, along with Central Avenue, which will be closed to cars from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. (though city traffic authorities will begin to block off the route a couple hours earlier). Along the way, there will be dozens of events, some planned, many impromptu, everything from live music to a grapefruit tree pruning in Koreatown.

Though CicLAvia brings out roller skaters, skateboarders and walkers (and other unplanned participants, like last year’s marching band), most people are on a bike.

In the interest of preparation, Los Angeles Downtown News points Downtowners toward a robust retail bike scene in the Central City that includes at least five fullservice shops. From the en vogue strippeddown “fixie” to a relaxed cruiser, you can find all modes of two-wheeled transporta-

Because

Downtown LA Bicycles Like most Downtown bike shops, Downtown LA Bicycles, which opened on Hill Street near L.A. Trade-Tech College last year, focuses on road bikes, and they have an array of topnotch rides for serious cyclists. The store also stocks an array of BMX bikes for the tricksters, and carries a selection of children’s rides (training wheels included), beginning at $39.99. Road bikes start at about $300 and go up to about $1,200. The family-owned shop operated by Daniel Farahirad also offers a few mountain bike models At 1626 S. Hill St., (213) 745-6783 or downtownlabicycles.com.

DTLA Bikes When you buy a bike, it’s always a good idea to test-ride it first. That can be problematic at some shops, where proprietors are leery of letting customers go too far or too fast.

This is not a problem at the Historic Core’s DTLA Bikes, located in the basement of an old garment building — the 10,000-squarefoot shop boasts an indoor track where you can test a number of road bikes (mostly of the single-speed variety) or cruisers. Or, if you just need a tune-up or repair, you can test your bike to make sure the work is up to snuff before leaving the shop. The single speed rides, which can be customized, start at $300. DTLA Bikes, which was opened last year by Rodney Masjedi, also stocks an array of E-Road electric scooters, if you want a battery to do the work.

photo by Gary Leonard

Julio Pérez and Jorge Sosa of El Maestro. The shop is a veteran of the Downtown bicycle scene.

At 425 S. Broadway, (213) 533-8000 or dtlabikes.com.

El Maestro II The maestro is all-around bike man and mechanic Jorge Sosa; he brought this Main Street shop to Downtown long before the recent twowheeled bike craze hit Los Angeles. El Maestro sells a range of bikes, for both guys and girls, with a focus on road bikes. Prices run from $350-$1,500. They also stock a few cruiser types that are good for the casual rider. The shop is known in part for its civic pride — earlier this year, Sosa donated a pricey new ride to the LAPD to use as a bait bike to catch bike thieves.

At 806 S. Main St., (213) 627-0580 or myspace.com/elmaestrobikeshop.

RYD/The Spoke This specialty shop is for the minimalist, fixed-gear enthusiast. These bikes use variations on the traditional road bike frame, but lack gears. It makes for what many cyclists

consider a simpler machine that requires less regular maintenance, essentially because there are fewer parts. That said, if you need a part or accessory for your fixie and want some consultation, this is the place to go.

The Spoke features all RYD (it stands for Red Your Dead) custom fixies, which the company designs and manufacturers. They range in price from about $420 to $530.

At 324 W. Ninth St., (213) 622-4122 or rydbikes.com.

Wabi Cycles This South Park shop specializes in designing and manufacturing single speed bicycles, either fixed gear or with a free wheel. It’s a one-man operation owned by avid cyclist and bike maker Richard Snook. The business is mostly an Internet-based endeavor; Snook designs and develops bikes, which are then manufactured in Taiwan. But he has several bikes on display and for sale in his Downtown showroom. He see Bikes, page 15

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Downtown News 7

DowntownNews.com

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April 4, 2011

10 Downtown News

Father Gregory Boyle, Homeboy Industries

Last May, the pioneering gang intervention program helmed

by Boyle nearly capsized with $5 million in debt. Normally that’s the kiss of death for a nonprofit, and even if it survives, the board usually tosses the boss. Not so with Boyle: He’s still running the show and has Chinatown-based Homeboy financially afloat. The moral of the story: Never dismiss a guy unfazed by gangbangers with neck tattoos.

He keeps a low profile, but have there been any LAFD scandals or major PR conflagrations since Peaks became chief in 2009? Exactly. Peaks works behind the scenes, and as many on this list can attest, sometimes power is best wielded subtly.

The Blogosphere

The first group entry in the list is a sign of changing times.

A decade ago, blogs were the province of high-tech shut-ins.

These days, those with sharp prose, a laptop and a mastery of social media can get their message in front of everyone who makes important decisions. While newspapers and TV remain the best option for traditional reporting, the blogs often blaze the trail, and can make a Downtown restaurant, shop, business or personality blow up in a hurry. Or help tear them down.

34

The wild-haired Venezuelan wunderkind may have no idea how to use his power, but the face of the Phil is the bridge between the current generation of local classical music fans and the one that doesn’t exist yet. The big question is whether the Phil’s music director will recognize that the conductor’s baton is mightier than the pen and the sword.

33

31

Rick Caruso, gazillionaire The man voted most likely to rocket up this list clocks in at number 32 only because he has yet to (publicly) decide if he’ll run for mayor in 2013.

The developer of the shopping complexes the Grove and the Americana is a regional force whose Downtown footprint has been small to date. If Mall Master Rick throws his hat in the mayoral ring and his hand in his checkbook, he’ll find himself with more friends than Mark Zuckerberg.

Gustavo Dudamel, Los Angeles Philharmonic

Gary Toebben, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce

The Chamber had more influence decades ago, but as the president and CEO of a regional business group with 1,600 members, Toebben has the big seat at a still prominent table. Austin Beutner and Miguel Santana are among those who recently made the pilgrimage to the City West headquarters to speak to the Chamber’s top dogs, and Toebben and his posse make regular lobbying trips to Sacramento and D.C., where they get an audience with the very high and mighty. Yes, I just wrote that Gary Toebben has a posse.

Weinstein isn’t nearly as well known as Nelson Rising, his predecessor at the company formerly called Maguire Properties.

However, when you’re president and CEO of a firm that owns seven Downtown Class-A high-rises, no one ignores you. If he can save the beleaguered real estate giant, every banker and lawyer in a $3,000 suit will want to do lunch with him.

Cedd Moses, barmaster

The head of 213 Inc. has made it safe and hip for thousands of the young and thirsty to get their drink on in Downtown.

His Golden Gopher was the first of the new upscale bars, followed by the Broadway Bar. These days, he’s got his fingers in nine local watering holes and is a go-to connection for anyone hoping to create a Downtown nightlife spot.

Your world in

30

Ron Nichols, Department of Water and Power

People tired of the city’s water and power factory being run by folks with limited knowledge in the field cheered the December hiring of the longtime utility consultant. The new DWP general manager has a full sink dealing with a distrustful council and an in-your-face union, but the fact that one of Nichols’ first moves was sacking second-in-command Raman Raj shows he’s come to play.

29

Ed Reyes, councilman

The Ol’ Man River of City Council, even though he’s not really that old (and doesn’t have a deep baritone). First District rep Reyes keeps moving steadily on Los Angeles River and af-

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The 42-year-old 14th District councilman has four kids and a whopping five election victories (three for council, two for school board). He took some hits in the recent race against Rudy Martinez (the power lists, the alleged FBI investigation), but he gets major points for bringing Rick Caruso, Eli Broad and Tim Leiweke on board for his streetcar project. He could expand his reach if he alligator chomps more territory when council redistricting comes up.

photo by Anna Hult

39

José Huizar, councilman

Aviation Blvd.

Continued from page 1 with a lot of names in his Rolodex. Or his iPhone contacts.

Or whatever.

36

photo by Gary Leonard

Power

April 4, 2011

Downtown Power List

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24-23

United Firefighters Los Angeles City

Paul Weber,

Los Angeles Police Protective League Los Angeles’ budget debacle has resulted in thousands of layoffs and early retirements, 26 days of furloughs a year for some city employees, and across-the-board cuts in city services. Yet LAPD and LAFD workers haven’t felt much pain from the fiscal slash-and-burn, a feat directly attributable to the power of the unions representing their rank-and-file workers. McOsker of the UFLAC and Weber of the LAPPL have made their unions forces in local elections, too. The recent givebacks that the city and the Coalition of L.A. City Unions agreed to may provide pressure to Weber and McOsker to make similar cutbacks, but rest assured that if they give up something, they’ll also get something.

22

Charlie Beck, Los Angeles Police Department

photo by Gary Leonard

photo by Gary Leonard

Richard Alatorre, connected

It’s been more than a decade since he held the 14th District council seat now occupied by Huizar, but this guy knows everyone and, more importantly, knows where the bodies are buried and the dollars are hidden. If you need to understand how things work on L.A.’s East Side, he’s the first call. Heck, the strip of Broadway that falls in the 14th is still known as the Alatorre Finger.

26

Pat McOsker,

Blake Griffin, dunk machine Just consider this subject line from a recent L.A. Area Chamber email: “Network with more than 20 different chambers then watch Blake Griffin.” When big business uses a Clippers rookie to woo members to an after-hours mixer, you know the kid’s got pull. The dunktastic power forward is giving the Clippers, L.A. Live and South Park restaurants and bars a financial bounce by luring big crowds to meaningless games.

27

the Los Angeles Archdiocese, Mahony hasn’t left the building.

In fact, his connections, relationships and some of his stances (immigration reform, etc.) will live on through Gomez.

When you represent L.A.’s 4 million Catholics, you’re not just a religious figure — you’re a politician.

Los Angeles Downtown News

What kind of journalists would we be if we didn’t posses the reporter staples of a strong (or is that inflated?) sense of our own importance and the willingness to phone someone 600 times until they talk? The wise among us don’t ignore a news organization founded almost 40 years ago.

25

Cardinal Roger Mahony/ Archbishop Jose Gomez

Though he retired in February after a quarter century atop

Former LAPD Chief William Bratton was a top 10 power player, but that’s no slag on this cop’s cop. Good ol’ reliable Charlie Beck, who got the chief’s badge in late 2009, is more a policeman than a politician, and few care about his wattage before TV cameras when he has managed to keep crime at historically low levels. The fact that the LAPD is only slowing hiring now, this far into the city budget crisis, indicates that no one wants to mess with Charlie.

21-19

Rick Orlov, Los Angeles Daily News Dave Zahniser, Los Angeles Times Dave Bryan, KCAL9/CBS2

The Fourth Estate has been butchered as the world increasingly gets its information from the Internet, but there remains a handful of folks consistently able to shape opinion or spark controversy with a single news story. Orlov has been breaking news longer than many people in business and politics have been alive; his Monday “Tipoff” column is a must-read.

Zahniser is tenacious; his dogged determination and ability to nullify spin makes him adored by many and feared by more.

Bryan, the only full-time political reporter on local TV news, uses decades of relationships to get interviews others dream about. He also has the ability to make a complicated matter easily digestible in a two-minute City Hall stand-up.

18

Jim Thomas, developer

When megabucks shipping firm Hanjin decided to raze and rebuild the Wilshire Grand hotel, but needed a local partner, it reached out to Thomas Properties Group and its head, Jim Thomas. Smart move, and at a time when almost nothing is being built, Thomas has shepherded the $1 billion project through the approvals process. It’s only the latest bit of Houdini-like magic from Thomas, who has brought City National Plaza back from the dead and, before that, partnered with Rob Maguire to make a slew of office towers appear on the Downtown skyline.

photo by Gary Leonard

fordable housing issues. He also chairs the council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee. He’s not flashy and doesn’t fight publicly very often, but everyone knows that if you want to do market-rate housing in his district, you’d better have a healthy low-income element.

28

Downtown News 11

Downtown Power List

17

Eric Garcetti, councilman

Smart, charismatic, and the president of the Los Angeles City Council for six years, the 13th District representative has the juicy job of deciding which council members get plum assignsee Power, page 12

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Gloria Molina, supervisor

If you want to do something on the east side of Los Angeles County, there’s one path: through Molina’s office. Her 20 years as a supe have born fruit and produced myriad projects all across the district, with the latest being this month’s opening of the La Plaza de Cultura y Artes near Olvera Street.

Like many on this list, she has tangled with some high-profile players for reasons even they don’t understand. Yet as proof of her power, consider that some of those who rank higher on this list are loath to criticize her on the record. They don’t want the fight or the fallout.

15

Mark Ridley-Thomas, supervisor

The millions the unions spent on his Second District election victory over Bernard Parks leads some to mislabel RidleyThomas as a labor-only guy. That’s foolish. During his time on the City Council in the ’90s, he helped make Staples Center happen when the area’s council rep, Rita Walters, bizarrely opposed the project. While Ridley-Thomas’ Downtown territory is slim (mainly Exposition Park and parts of the Figueroa Corridor and Skid Row), his experience in city and state elected posts give him connections to both people and money. Those union ties don’t hurt either.

14

Carmen Trutanich, city attorney

Trutanich is at once the strangest and most compelling elected figure in Los Angeles. He won a race no one thought he had a prayer of capturing, and has since irked the mayor and city leaders to the point that they’ve decimated his budget. Instead of

13

Wendy Greuel, city controller

The former Valley councilwoman’s audits are not as flashy as those of her predecessor, Laura Chick, but Greuel has been a force on the other, actually larger side of the Controller’s office: She’s given Angelenos frequent attentiondemanding reports on the city’s finances. Of course, the audits are pretty good too, as was Greuel’s move to be the first person to declare for the 2013 mayor’s race. Her political ties go back to the Bradley administration and she’s got connections to the entertainment industry (she was an executive at Dreamworks). She’s also shown a willingness to go toe-totoe, as happened when she tangled with Trutanich.

12

The Lobbyists

In Los Angeles, when the going gets tough, the tough hire lobbyists. When the tough hire lobbyists, money flows faster and thicker than trash in the Los Angeles River. In 2010, lobbying firms registered in L.A. reported receiving more than $34 million from clients, according to records filed with the City Ethics Commission. That’s a lot of meetings at City Hall.

Whether it’s billboards, golf carts, land use, food contracts or something else, when it comes to making things happen, these are the people who never sleep.

11

Brian D’Arcy, IBEW Local 18

Trying to figure out D’Arcy’s rise is sort of like trying to decipher how an Escher staircase comes together. The business

manager (read, boss) of the union representing DWP employees really only ascended to his current lofty status once people started talking about his rising profile — did he go up on his own or did the rhetoric do it? What matters more is his record: While the city was laying off and furloughing people in 2009, the pugnacious D’Arcy actually secured raises for his workers. His biggest test is to come as he encounters new DWP GM Ron Nichols.

10

Richard Riordan, ex-mayor

Actually, ex-mayor is only the beginning for the man who left office in 2001 but continues to play a big role behind the scenes. He remains a deep-pockets philanthropist with a focus on education, and last year when he talked about the city speed skating toward bankruptcy, everyone listened. He could become a kingmaker in the 2013 mayor’s race.

9

John Perez, Assembly speaker

Although Perez doesn’t figure much in the day-to-day happenings of the Central City, this Downtown resident’s position means he can direct enormous influence, and money, to local efforts. The state’s budget boondoggle, and its corresponding impact on local matters (adios Community Redevelopment Agency) means everyone wants face time with this cousin of Antonio Villaraigosa. By the way, speaker of the Assembly happens to be a killer springboard to better things, as Villaraigosa can attest.

photo by Gary Leonard

Continued from page 11 ments like the Budget & Finance Committee, and who gets stuck with Education & Neighborhoods. He’s both a Rhodes Scholar and a friend of business (he regularly appears on stage at the CCA’s annual Treasures of L.A. luncheon) and is ahead of the City Hall curve on social media and other tech matters.

By the way, he’s probably running for mayor in 2013.

shutting up, he takes audacious swings (his own grand jury?!).

That said, the son of San Pedro never stops working, and he gets credit for the city making legal headway on issues where it had stumbled for years, such as pot clinics and billboards. He also secured an injunction against Skid Row drug dealers. Like the Lakers in the playoffs, he’s not someone you want to face off against. The big question: Will he run for District Attorney?

photo by Gary Leonard

Power

16

April 4, 2011

Downtown Power List

8

Maria Elena Durazo, labor powerhouse

At the dog and pony show that was the announcement of the Farmers Field naming rights deal, one labor leader was invited to speak: That was Durazo, who as executive secretary-treasurer of the County Federation of Labor/AFL-CIO

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of L.A. City Unions), he never mastered the mayoral bully pulpit and, worse, doesn’t scare people (witness the council recently thumbing its nose at AnVil and delaying new police hires until July 1). You could write a book about the high hopes and hard landings of the Villaraigosa administration (someone probably will), but as he nears lame-duck status, he risks a legacy that lacks a single defining achievement. Yes, there’s still significant power attached to the office, but he’ll be haunted by everything from the failure to make the 30-10 mass transit dream deal happen to the dissolution of his marriage while he was mayor. He should be top two or three on this list; his placement here says more about him than those who rank higher.

Zev Yaroslavsky, supervisor

Carol Schatz, Central City Association

6

Here are a few positives Los Angeles has recorded in the past year: Chinese car manufacturer BYD signed a deal to open a plant in Downtown; the failed 12-2 development reform initiative was finally euthanized and replaced by a new plan that has serious backing; a three-year “business tax holiday” was launched, and has helped bring companies like architecture firm Gensler into Downtown. Is it any coincidence that all those (and more) happened after former venture capitalist Beutner joined Villaraigosa’s office for a salary of $1 a year? In other words, in 15 months he’s pulled a list of accomplishments that exceed what most people in city government do in five years.

This pal of Riordan is another possible mayoral candidate. The business community already adores him. It remains to be seen if the rest of Los Angeles will.

Many people had a hand in the Downtown upswing of the past decade, but few stirred the pot harder and to better effect than Schatz, the president and CEO of the CCA. After 20 years with Downtown’s most potent business group, her role is varied: She hosts major discussions (Leiweke unveiled many of his stadium plans at a CCA luncheon), lures business to the community (a current focus is Seventh Street) and pushes legislation (she helped craft the adaptive reuse ordinance). She also persuaded a mass of business owners to tax themselves and form Downtown’s largest business improvement district. She acknowledges that you need sharp elbows in this community, and it’s gotten her in plenty of battles.

She’s won most of them.

5

Austin Beutner, first deputy mayor

4 photo by Gary Leonard

Another longtime playa whose high ranking is bolstered by a presumed run for Villaraigosa’s seat in 2013. An elected leader since he was about 4 (actually, 26, when he joined the City Council), he has held the Third District Valley/Westside seat for 17 years. Strong on transportation, experienced in financial matters and with connections a president or pope would envy, he’s known for exerting his will, others’ desires be damned. A lot could happen between now and the mayoral primary, but the man with an M.A. in British Imperial History (really!) is a top contender.

Antonio Villaraigosa, mayor

3 Jan * *Perry, councilwoman

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however, the woman elected to office in 2001 has hit all the bases: She’s got business cred for propelling housing, restaurants and bars, and championing L.A. Live, the Wilshire Grand project and the Grand Avenue plan. The residents like Perry because she has pushed for a slew of community amenities. Even the majority of the Skid Row services community applauds her work (she’s also pulled some nice achievements in South L.A.). Not only that, she’s smart, tough and doesn’t take kindly to intimidation — she recently had some harsh words for the labor groups trying to teach Councilman Bernard Parks a lesson by financially propping up his election challenger. The Downtown stakeholders generally think of Perry as the best area representative in decades, and they’ll be there for her, financially and otherwise, as she too runs for mayor.

photo by Gary Leonard

helms a coalition of 300 unions representing more than 800,000 trades people. Know that when developers cozy up to the politicians, they also come asking for Durazo’s blessing — in turn, she asks for jobs with union pay and benefits.

Few knew how the widow of Miguel Contreras would fare when, in 2006, she took the position he once held. Five years later, there’s no doubt: You still don’t mess with the County Fed.

7

Downtown News 13

Downtown Power List

2

Eli Broad, philanthropist

In a town packed with one-note wonders, Eli Broad stands out for his depth: He founded two billion-dollar companies (home builder Kaufman Broad and retirement investment firm SunAmerica) and has emerged as the leading philanthropic voice in the region through his Broad Foundation.

His involvement in Downtown stretches back decades, from helping found MOCA to working on plans in the ’90s to upgrade Grand Avenue and bring football back to the Coliseum.

Football is no longer his focus but Grand Avenue is, and while Broad pushes for Related Cos.’ stalled mega-plan, he also is building his $100 million art museum across from the Colburn School. By the way, did you notice how L.A. jumped through hoops to get that project? But wait, there’s more: Broad is on board with the streetcar effort, and whomever he backs in the mayor’s race will see their stock rise. Some complain that he’s tough to deal with, but you don’t get his CV by being a patsy. see Power, page 14

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14 Downtown News

Continued from page 13

Tim Leiweke, Anschutz Entertainment Group

Calling Leiweke’s rise meteoric is an understatement: Just 15 years after coming to Los Angeles, the president and CEO of AEG has notched Downtown a $400 million arena (Staples Center), a $2.5 billion entertainment complex (L.A. Live) and a $1 billion tower (the Convention Center hotel). Granted, he did those with billionaire Phil Anschutz’s money (the

photo by Gary Leonard

Power 1

April 4, 2011

Downtown Power List MacFarlane Group also played a big financial role in the hotel), but it is a remarkable achievement nonetheless. Everyone listens to him, which is necessary considering he’s now engaged in his biggest challenge yet: the vision quest to create a $1 billion South Park football stadium/events complex (a project that also needs Anschutz’s blessing and bankroll). Right now, everyone in Downtown wants to be a Friend of Tim and help make the deal happen, knowing it would have an economic ripple (tidal wave?) across the community. Numerous local power players have failed in the past to win on football, but many people on this list say they’d never bet against Leiweke — on this project or any other.

Contact Jon Regardie at regardie@downtownnews.com.

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The newly opened cultural space

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“Every Story Tells a Picture” Autobiographical paintings by distinguished writer Ana Castillo Prize winning author Ana Castillo’s books include The Guardians, So Far From God, Goddess of the Americas, My Father Was a Toltec, among numerous other titles. In addition, books and posters will be on sale.

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107 OR 57% IS THE NUMBER OF THEM THAT ARE SHORT SALES $279 IS THE AVERAGE PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT FOR THE REO’S AND SHORT SALES $444.85 IS THE AVERAGE PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT FOR THE REGULAR SALES 7 YEARS OR MORE IS HOW LONG WILL TAKE FOR THE PRICES TO GO BACK TO 2006 LEVELS 1990 LEVELS IS WHERE THE PRICES ARE NOW 100% IS OUR SHORT SALE CLOSING RATE 7 YEARS IS HOW LONG WILL TAKE TO GET YOUR CREDIT BACK UP IF YOU FORECLOSE 2 YEARS IS HOW LONG WILL TAKE TO GET YOUR CREDIT BACK UP IF YOU DO A SHORT SALE 120 DAYS IS THE TIME SELLERS WASTE TRYING TO DO A LOAN MODIFICATION

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Downtown News 15

DowntownNews.com

Bikes

Hotel/Condo Tower Notches Enviro Award

Around Town

Continued from page 6

Continued from page 2 has also renewed its support, contributing $95,000 over the next two years toward Grand Performances’ efforts to draw artists and audiences from low-income communities. “The James Irvine Foundation has made it possible for us to present probably more modern dance from Mexico than anybody else in the country,” said Michael Alexander, Grand Performances’ executive director. The money will help pay for concerts this summer with artists such as Congo-born salsero Ricardo Lemvo (who hits the stage on July 7). Dates have not yet been released, but other 2011 artists include Iranian vocalist Sussan Deyhim, Peruvian guitarist Ciro Hurtado and Los Angeles composer Geoff Gallegos, founder of the Dakah Hip-Hop Orchestra. photo by Gary Leonard

California Recovery: Will Apartments Lead the Way?

Ronny Masjedi opened DTLA Bikes on Broadway last year. The shop features an indoor track for test rides.

works personally with customers to develop custom-fit single speed bikes. Snook sells three models: a basic steel frame version for $695, a scandium frame for $850 and a special, vintage steel frame for $950. Hours are basically weekdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., said Snook, but can vary, so customers are advised to call first. Weekend appointments available.

At 1200 S. Hope St., Unit 405, (818) 237-9496 or wabicycles.com.

O

fficially, you’ll have to wait until Wednesday, April 6, to find out, because that’s when experts from USC’s Lusk Center for Real Estate will present the annual Casden Multifamily Market Forecast at the Los Angeles Marriott (at 333 S. Figueroa St.). Unofficially, it seems that in Downtown anyway, apartments are indeed leading the way: Related Cos. is selling its Little Tokyo rental complexes Hikari and Sakura Crossing to capitalize on a market flush with institutional buyers looking for product, while in January LaSalle Investment Management, which manages investments for pension funds and insurance companies, bought the 204-unit Canvas L.A. in City West for $62.5 million; the property generated more than 20 offers.

Expect these and other deals to be discussed at the Casden forecast, where industry experts will address the challenges and emerging opportunities in the market and give fresh perspectives on lending and multifamily development.

The program starts at 8 a.m. Information and registration is at usc.edu/casden.

Bici Libre If you’re looking to get your hands dirty, head over to Bici Libre, a new City West bike co-op funded by the L.A. County Bicycle Coalition. This garage-esque workshop space is helmed largely by volunteers committed to fixing old, unused and abandoned bikes and donating them to underprivileged people. That means this is also a great place to drop that old clunker you never ride — the Bici Libre team will fix it and get it on the road again for someone who could really use it.

At 1205 W. Sixth St., tinyurl.com/4rwctyj or email bobby@ la-bike.org or jonathan@la-bike.org.

Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.

Sunday April 10th 2011 10am-3pm

MELROSE

ROSEWOOD

he Downtown Women’s Action Coalition has just completed a survey looking at the state of homeless women on Skid Row. The report found that about 40% of the women stated they were homeless for more than five years, a 10% rise from a 2007 survey. About half the women were older than 50; nearly 50% said they had faced a sexual attack, domestic violence or child abuse in their lifetime. While 62% of the respondents said they had slept in an emergency or transitional shelter, more than half also reported sleeping on the streets. The report, the fourth since 2001 by the organization, aims to provide updated information for policy makers on the issues and needs of women living Downtown, and information about violence against women. The DWAC is comprised of homeless advocates and providers coordinated by the Los Angeles Community Action Network. The results came from a survey of 147 women at nine Skid Row locations last August.

Andrew Zuckerman

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Wisdom

Open Streets for Walking and Bicycling Calles Abiertas a los Peatones y Ciclistas

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he J.W. Marriott/Ritz-Carlton tower at L.A. Live has earned the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification, officials with developer Anschutz Entertainment Group recently announced. LEED recognizes buildings that incorporate systems that help reduce a project’s environmental footprint.

The tower notched the council’s Silver level of certification. The Gensler-designed skyscraper earned points for its energy-efficient windows designed to maximize daylight; water-saving plumbing fixtures and filtering of storm water runoff; water-efficient rooftop landscaping; use of recycled materials throughout the building; and major use of recycled steel in the project’s construction. “This innovative building represents what is great about Los Angeles today, and also provides a view of the city’s blueprint for tomorrow,” said Lance Williams, executive director of USGBC-LA, in a statement.

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April 10, 2011

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CicLAvia turns LA streets into safe, fun places for walking, bicycling, jogging, and enjoying exciting outdoor activities. By making some roadways temporarily car-free, CicLAvia opens the streets to the public from 10am to 3 pm on Sunday, April 10, 2011.

CicLAvía convierte las calles de Los Ángeles en lugares seguros y divertidos para caminar, andar en bicicleta, correr y gozar de actividades al aire libre. Al prohibir el tránsito de los carros en las calles, CicLAvía abrirá las calles al público de 10:00 am a 3:00 pm el domingo, 10 de abril de 2011. ciclavia.org

601 South Figueroa Street, Lobby April 4 – May 13 • Mon – Fri, 8am – 6pm A collection of large-format photographs of leaders and visionaries from the worlds of politics, sports, and the arts.

Wisdom was conceived and created by award-winning photographer and filmmaker Andrew Zuckerman, who was inspired by the idea that one of the greatest gifts a generation can give to the next is the wisdom gained from experience.

Visit ArtsBrookfield.com for information.

Admission is free. No tickets required.

16 Downtown News

April 4, 2011

Twitter/DowntownNews

RESTAURANTS Grub With Guzmán

♦♦♦

Rollin’ With Rudy’s A Little Bit of Life on a Lonely Second Street Block

by RichaRd Guzmán

of the way, it’s on a quiet Second Street block and the management keeps the metal screen front door closed, making it easy to miss. If no one comes, it might not last long, which would be bad for the proprietors and bad for me.

The interior of Rudy’s is barebones simple, with just five tables, a single waiter and daily specials written in marker on a white board. But you’re not there for the decor, you’re there for the food, and they’ve got that part covered.

The menu offers something from the basic food groups — actually, the basic Mexican food groups:

city EditoR was pretty happy when a new restaurant opened a few months ago just a block from my City West office.

It wasn’t because it’s a flashy place helmed by the next great chef. Rather, it’s because I’m pretty lazy, and I now have an option for when I don’t want to walk far or drive to get a quick meal.

I worried about a couple of things. First, there was the question of quality, but after a few lunches, I’m pretty happy with the meals. A bigger concern is the location — not only is Rudy’s Mexican Grill a bit out

I

seafood, soups, rice, beans and lots of meat. Everything is under $9 and most combo meals, which include rice and beans, are less than $6.

I like to start my Rudy’s meal with a sope ($2). It’s basically a thick, rich tortilla topped with meat, vegetables, cheese and salsa.

The carnitas plate ($5.99) is one of my favorites. The meat is tender and perfectly greasy and fatty enough to taste authentic. Also good is the enchilada and taco combo ($4.59). The former is doused in a red sauce, which isn’t spicy but has a nice rustic flavor. The taco is thick and filling.

Also on the combo menu are options such as the carne asada ($6.59), tacos ($1.50), burritos ($4.50) and even a burger combo with fries and drink ($4.99). Additionally, there is a comforting side to Rudy’s, and the recent cold, rainy snap was the perfect excuse to grub down on some of their

soups. I’ve stuck to the cocido or beef soup ($5). It’s served with at least two chunks of beef, as well as carrots, potatoes and corn.

They give you a side of rice, tortillas and chopped onions and parsley. Although some people like to dump all the sides into the soup, I recommend it as is, with just a squeeze of lemon and some salt. Other soups on the menu include the menudo, pozole, meatball and chicken.

If seafood is your thing, some $7.99 combos include fried fish filet, camarones à la diabla (spicy shrimp), and camarones al mojo de ajo (garlic shrimp). There are also seafood soups, and although the shrimp and fish soup ($7.99) is a bit more expensive than the other options, it’s worth it for a lazy soul like me.

Rudy’s is at 1263 W. Second St., (213) 482-4890.

Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

Restaurant Buzz

New Dodger Lineup, Wine Talk and More Cupcakes

by RichaRd Guzmán city editoR

T

uesdays With Hémon: You may not learn great life lessons at J Restaurant & Lounge’s new Wine Chat Tuesdays series, but you will learn a heck of a lot about the fruit of the vine. Starting April 5, sommelier Frédéric Hémon will be available every Tuesday from 5-9 p.m. to drop some oenology knowledge. Reservations are suggested but not required. If you don’t know what oenology means, then you really need to have a serious talk with Hémon. While there, be sure to ask if red wine goes with steak. You’ll probably get a “right” said Fred. Is he too sexy for this wine? We’ll stop now.

At 1119 S. Olive St., (213) 746-7746 or jloungela.com. n Los Doyer Dogs: Spring is here, Vin’s on the mic and the boys in blue are back for another season of Dodger baseball. While the team is questionable, the line-up of ballpark eats looks formidable, with reliable veterans and delicious-sounding rookies. Batting

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leadoff is the Dodgertown Deli, a new Field Level spot offering deli classics like a hot pastrami and a BBQ roast beef sandwich. There are some light-hitting additions in the new arugula salad and Greek salad dished out from “healthy plate carts” on the Loge and Reserve levels. A pricey new free agent (read, available only in the Stadium Club and Dugout Club) is the three-pronged mixeddrink menu with Absolut vodka: the AllStar is melded with Dekuyper Sour Apple Pucker; the Charge employs an energy drink; and Go Blue! utilizes lemonade. Finally, batting clean-up, number “yummy,” the Doyer Dog. In honor of the Spanish pronunciation of Dodgers, team Executive Chef (bet you didn’t know they have one) Joseph Martin is debuting the new grilled frank that comes with chili, nacho cheese, chopped tomatoes and jalapeños. Restaurant Buzz knows who’s getting the MVP award this year.

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Dodger Executive Chef Joseph Martin is introducing several new items this season, including the Doyer Dog, a grilled chili and cheese-drenched frank with tomatoes and jalapenos.

desserts recently opened his second cupcake shop in Downtown. Big Man Bakes is now also in the U.S. Bank Tower, on the second level. William “Chip” Brown is the 6-feet-5 inch chef behind the treats.

He was enrolled in medical school before he quit to open his first bake shop in the Old Bank District. The moist little sweets include flavors such as carrot cake and red velvet.

The new location is at 633 W. Fifth St., (213) 622-2127 or bigmanbakes.com. The original is at 413 S. Main St., (213) 6179100. n Back in the Green: You can’t keep a good Irish pub down. Dublin’s reopened just before St. Patrick’s Day, pleasing many who were crying in their beer after the spot at 815 W. Seventh St. closed in September, less than two months after opening. Version 2.0 is even better, with a new menu that was set to debut April 1. Dublin’s was ordered closed by the County Department of Public Health after the owners did some upgrades to the kitchen without obtaining the proper

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n The Italian Deal: Do you have $10 and a hankering for Italian food?

Portofino Cucina Italiana had you (yes, you) in mind when they launched a $7.99 lunch special. The daily deal is available from 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. and includes a choice of sandwich or pasta, with a soup or salad. The menu includes three panini choices like roasted chicken breast with pesto, house-made Angus meatballs and a traditional caprese. The pasta choices are fettuccine Alfredo, spaghetti with meatballs and tube pasta with tomato sauce and eggplant.

At 464 S. Main St., (213) 239-9019 or portofinocucinaitaliana.com.

Roselle Chen contributed to this report.

Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

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Downtown News 17

DowntownNews.com

CALENDAR

Back to the Burn Taper Welcomes the Return of a Messy Love Affair

by Kristin Friedrich contributing writer

T

here’s the version of love realized that unfolds in a field of dandelions, where two lovers run toward each other, arms outstretched. Then there’s the version where they kick, scream, cry and curse — and eventually collide.

Burn This, which opened at the Mark Taper Forum on April 3 (it runs through May 1), forgoes the dandelion field.

Instead, it’s a Lower Manhattan loft inhabited by a duo that used to be a trio. Ad man Larry and choreographer Anna are mourning the loss of their friend and roommate, the brilliant dancer Robbie.

The play had its world premiere at the Taper in 1987 and made its way to Broadway, a trajectory fueled by leads John Malkovich and Joan Allen. The former’s performance as Pale, Robbie’s volatile big brother, was so powerful, sexy and manic that theater aficionados still talk about it. Allen’s turn won her a Tony Award.

Now those big shoes are filled by off-Broadway firebrands Adam Rothenberg and Zabryna Guevara. At a preview performance last week, Rothenberg’s Pale slithered around, ranting about life and love and loss. Guevara’s Anna tried to focus on her art and her tidy construct of an artist’s life, and ignore the very untidy Pale.

Rothenberg and Guevara hadn’t met before these roles, but in a group interview they banter like they have known each other for years, a feat that’s the result of the intensity of the parts and the rehearsal process.

“In my life, I never look at someone in the eyes to the degree in which I look at them on stage,” Rothenberg said. “The nature of the job is very intimate.”

They both deflect credit for their on-stage chemistry, the visible way in which their body language goes from repulsion to total attraction, and the moving delivery of their monologues. Instead, they assign it to playwright Lanford Wilson.

More on Wilson, a creator of characters as poetic as they are screwed up, later.

Tricky Business In Burn This, Rothenberg has to sell a New Jersey menace that’s sweet enough to make tea, and also don his lover’s skimpy silk robe — all without descending into “Jersey Shore” caricature.

“The power of this play, the genius of this writing, is that if you throw yourself into the lines and into the situation, the easiest choice seems to be the right one because it’s laid out,” he said. “He’s completely laid it out.”

Guevara, who plays the character more resistant to the love in front of her, finds the gig trickier. She notes that Anna is in a state of denial.

“I don’t want this but I do, and how do I manifest the I do and the I don’t, and all that happens in between and underneath what I’m saying?” she asked.

The pair had never seen a production of Burn This before getting the roles, but they were familiar with it. Wilson’s work, and the Circle Repertory Company in New York that he helped found, are late 20th century theater staples.

“I read it in high school because it was one of those things that cool kids read,” Rothenberg said. “The only thing that stuck with me is the line, ‘My pants look like a pig is wearing them.’ It was set in the ’80s and pleats were in, and I wondered how that felt.”

In the Taper production, the costumes are of a different time but only subtly so, and the score is, mercifully, free of any ’80s music. In fact, there are very few nods to that decade at all — some hyper-speed, cocaine-fueled monologues and the fact that these artist characters could afford a fabulous loft.

“Nicky talked about that in rehearsals,” Rothenberg said, referring to director Nicholas Martin. “It used to be that you could sustain yourself as in artist in New York, and you can’t do that anymore. He describes it as a magical time.”

In real life, like most East Coast-based actors, Rothenberg and Guevara do theater for the soul, and chase TV and movie parts to pay the rent. The irony that they’re in Los Angeles now — the city in which the money chase usually ensues — and doing a play that they find fulfilling isn’t lost on them.

They seem to feel happily displaced.

Backstage Commotion After an interview with the pair, a rehearsal followed. Plays are illusions, so rehearsals always feel a little sacred — like sneaking behind the Oz curtain and watching the wizard work the boards. As an outsider, it’s best to shrink down in the back and not make any noise.

The first order of business was a prop champagne bottle’s limp cork pop — there’s a New Year’s Eve scene in the play — and how said pop would be pumped up. Then it was time for Martin to give his notes on what he saw during the first preview the night prior. He and the actors discussed pacing issues, some line deliveries and the way in which cues couldn’t be heard inside the offstage bedroom.

Suddenly there was some shuffling at the back of the house — members of the theater’s staff were instantly nose to screen with iPhones and laptops, and it was obvious something had happened. A few minutes brought the hushed news that playwright Wilson had died that morning. Eloquent condolences were unfolding online; obituaries were being penned.

Martin and the cast hadn’t, and wouldn’t, be told just yet.

Rothenberg and Guevara, who just minutes ago were talking about the import of Wilson’s words, continued working on how best to convey them.

They aren’t just shouldering the play’s casting legacy now.

They’re in the loaded position of speaking the words of a writer who just passed away.

Burn This runs through May 1 at Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or centertheatregroup.org.

APRIL 4

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In Burn This, Adam Rothenberg and Zabryna Guevara play the roles that John Malkovich and Joan Allen originated in 1987.

The show runs through May 1 at the Mark Taper Forum.

18 Downtown News

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April 4, 2011

Money Talks Company of Angels Looks at Cash And the Community in a Short Play Festival

by Richard Guzmán city editor

D

owntown Los Angeles is filled with stories set everywhere from a corner of Skid Row to the Central Library to even a pair of historic rail cars. This week, those and other tales all come together in a single place.

The setting is a stage in the Alexandria run by theater troupe Company of Angels.

The fourth installment of its L.A. Views series, a collection of 10-minute plays set in Downtown, features works that explore the price of living in the Central City.

“In this economy we can’t escape the topic of money and what it means to people,” said Henry Ong, the literary manager of Company of Angels.

The five-week Downtown Curren(t)cy: Lives Looking for Change, premiered April 1 and runs through May 1. It features six short plays that touch on topics dealing with unemployment, homelessness and history.

In addition to the monetary theme, the plays are tied together through the voice of a narrator, a photographer who wanders through Downtown taking pictures of meaningful images. As she stops at different areas, the audience meets new characters stuck in tough situations.

“I think each play brings something a little bit different to the table,” said Gabriel Rivas Gomez, the group’s co-literary manager.

“Each playwright has a different neighborhood and they’re looking at a lot of char-

acters that have come to hard times. Each of these plays says a different thing, but I’m hoping people also see a connection between the plays.”

Past L.A. Views events have touched on topics like community, the famous figures of the golden age of movies who congregated at the Alexandria Hotel, and hunger.

This year there were several different interpretations of money, with some stories inspired by real-life events.

The theme led Ong to Skid Row, where he set his work Four Walls. It focuses on two women in the area who want to improve their lives.

The pair tries to join the county’s Project 50, a real-life effort aimed at housing the 50 most vulnerable people on Skid Row. They soon learn that, like most everything else in life, getting into the program is a competition.

“It talks about the idea that people on the street can just be given a place to live,” Ong said. The pair however soon realize that nothing is that easy. “They want to become a part of this program but they wonder if there’s a strategy they have to come up with to get in.”

Other playwrights found inspiration in layoffs caused by the economy and the range of people who have lost jobs.

A Little Help, written by Vasanti Saxena, looks at a corporate employee who may be laid off. He heads to the Central Library where he meets a librarian who is also about

photo by Gary Leonard

Members of the Company of Angels playwright’s group penned six plays set in Downtown. The works all deal with the effects of money as people look for change.

to be put out work.

“They’re finding a commonality in their despair, and in the end they’re able to help each other out, not financially, but with some camaraderie,” said Lui Sanchez, director of education for Company of Angels and the supervising director of the festival.

Another take on the theme is seen in the play Angels Fight, by Mayank Keshaviah.

Perhaps inspired by the Angels Flight Twitter feed, where the two rail cars Olivet and Sinai “talk” to each other, the piece imagines a conversation between the cars as they recount their heyday as important modes of transportation from the Historic Core to

Bunker Hill in the early 20th century and their recent return as a touristy attraction.

Ultimately, the stories are intended to reflect all aspects of a community dealing with a weak economy.

“We want people to put faces and stories behind the headlines regarding money today, and get a good look at the trickle-down theory and who the people are that are surviving on the last drops,” Sanchez said.

L.A. Views runs through May 1 at the Alexandria, 501 S. Spring St. Performances are Fridays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $20. Info at (213) 489-3703 or companyofangels.org.

April 4, 2011

Downtown News 19

DowntownNews.com

LISTINGS EVENTS

Wednesday, apr. 6 ALOUD at the Central Library 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7025 or aloudla.org.

7 p.m.: What is literature? OK, that’s easy. How might we restore it to the center of our lives? That one’s more difficult. Marjorie Garber, a Harvard English professor, and David Ulin, book critic for the Los Angeles Times, explore how reading can be a revolutionary act in the digital age.

Zócalo Public Square Downtown Independent, 251 S. Main St., zocalopublicsquare.org.

7:30 p.m.: Author and historian Mae Ngai moderates a panel discussion exploring the laws, history, culture and art that made, and that continue to transform, Chinese America.

Thursday, apr. 7 MOCA Grand Avenue 250 S. Grand Ave., (213) 621-1745 or moca.org.

7-10 p.m.: MOCA’s “Engagement Party” series, which turns the museum over to resident arts collectives, hands the reins to Neighborhood Public Radio. The group’s first party is titled “In Your Ear” (see Don’t Miss list).

Friday, apr. 8 Zócalo Public Square MOCA Grand Avenue, 250 S. Grand Ave., zocalopublicsquare.org.

7:30 p.m.: Peter Lovenheim, the author of In the

Continued on next page

|

calendar@downtownnews.com

he Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater started in 1958. The troupe not only helped popularize modern dance in this country, but eventually became recognized by the U.S. Congress as a “cultural ambassador to the world.” The company’s upcoming 10-performance engagement at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion includes three programs of premieres and classics and celebrates five decades of Ailey’s masterwork “Revelations.” The 1960 piece will be performed at each program, along with historic footage and interviews with the late choreographer and the current artistic director, Judith Jamison. BTW, this is Jamison’s final season as the boss. The run opens Friday, Apr. 8, at 7:30 p.m., and continues through Apr. 17 at 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-0711 or musiccenter.org.

tor ic Ta ke a trip thr ou gh his literual ann s ric’ tou Downtown in Eso te’s Fan n Joh r tou g ary bus and walkin once e Th l.

Hil er nk Bu Dreams From the obscure writer who inspired ski kow more famous Charles Bu ut abo te lived, breathed and wro the ore that community long bef d skyscrapers arrived. He detaile as ses, hou its Victorian rooming well as Skid Row bars and local dance halls, with raw truth and humor. Whether you’re a Fante fan or just love old L.A., walk and ride in the starving artist’s footsteps, exploring the haunts of his antihero Arturo Bandini. The author’s daughter Victoria Fante Cohen will be along for the ride on Saturday, Apr. 9, from noon4 p.m. The tour departs from Clifton’s Cafeteria at 648 S. Broadway, (323) 2232767 or esotouric.com.

T

W

ay back when, there were a few Seattle coffeehouses with a curious name and an even-morecuious logo. Now, Starbucks is everywhere, with 16,000 caffeinefueled stores around the world. It’s a huge business, and also a source of controversy among those who think the venti and grande killed the mom and pop cafe. Get the dirt on the company on Tuesday, April 5, when the Drucker Business Forum welcomes CEO Howard Schultz at a breakfast program at the Colburn School. During the 7:45-9:30 a.m. event, Schultz will share the story of his return to leadership eight years after he stepped down. And whaddya know, he’ll also sign copies of his new book Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life Without Losing Its Soul. At 200 S. Grand Ave., (909) 607-9043 or druckerbusinessforum.org.

his ain’t your grandma’s NPR. Instead, it’s the artist-run radio collaborative Neighborhood Public Radio, ready to represent during the first of three interactive sound projects as part of MOCA’s “Engagement Party” series. At the first happening on Thursday, Apr. 7, from 7-10 p.m., they’ll commandeer the airwaves around the museum and offer programs including interviews with Downtown denizens and workers, a large-scale polyphonic voice ensemble, live music and remixed dance tunes. Tune into the mash-up via handheld personal transistor radio or buy ’em for $2 at the event. Free admission. Sounds good. At 250 S. Grand Ave., (213) 621-1745 or moca.org.

S

photo courtesy Drucker Business Forum

ure, you love Downtown, but how well do you really know the community? Learn all about our neighborhood while testing your wits and fact-finding skills during Seek Out Hidden Gems: Art & Architecture Hunt of Downtown L.A. It’s an urban scavenger hunt/safari, sort of like the great Race/LA. Highlights of the event, held on Saturday-Sunday, Apr. 9-10, from 2-4:30 p.m. (separate races each day), include the building whose blueprint is a Ouija board, secret passageways, hidden art and the world’s largest abstract mural. The clues are designed for tourists and locals alike. The team that solves the most clues wins the big prizes. The starting location will be revealed upon registration (hmm, intriguing already), (323) 799-1374 or outoftheboxevents.com.

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

photo by Andrew Eccles

T

s photo courtesy Out of the Box Event

Tuesday, apr. 5 Drucker Business Forum Colburn School, 200 S. Grand Ave., (909) 607-9043 or druckerbusinessforum.org.

7:45-9:30 a.m.: Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz speaks at a breakfast program and signs copies of his book Onward: How Starbucks Fought For Its Life Without Losing Its Soul. It’s early, so you may want a cup of coffee.

Public Health Week Health Fest 2011 Pershing Square, 532 S. Olive St., ph.lacounty.gov.

10 a.m.-2 p.m.: The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health will be handing out free information on emergency preparedness, child safety, immunizations and other health-related topics, and giving out free flu vaccines and blood pressure screenings.

Town Hall Los Angeles Thomas Properties Group, 515 S. Flower St., 51st floor, (213) 628-8141 or townhall-la.org.

6-7:30 p.m.: Phil Angelides, the former California treasurer and one-time governor hopeful, was tapped to chair the Congressional Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission. He’ll speak about the commission’s final report, detailing the causes of the economic crisis.

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

7 p.m.: How does a poet view time, or the slant of light on a windowsill? How might a theoretical cosmologist approach those same phenomena? Jane Hirshfield and Sean Carroll discuss different points of entry into the realm of observation and metaphor.

SCI-Arc Lecture Series 960 E. Third St., (213) 356-5328 or sciarc.edu. In the W. M. Keck Lecture Hall.

7 p.m.: Sanford Kwinter, co-director of the Master in Design Studies program at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, gives the talk “This Is Your Brain on Design.”

by Lauren CampedeLLi, Listings editor

photo courtesy Victoria Fan te Cohen

SPONSORED LISTINGS Wisdom by Andrew Zuckerman 601 S. Figueroa St., Lobby, artsbrookfield.com April 4-May 13, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.: “Wisdom” is a collection of large-format photographs of leaders and visionaries from the worlds of politics, sports and the arts. It was conceived by award winning photographer Andrew Zuckerman, who was inspired by the idea that one of the greatest gifts a generation can give to the next is the wisdom gained from experience.

Live Church LA Club Nokia, 1000 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 4934329 or livechurchla.com April 10, 10 a.m.: Join Live Church L.A. for a new series: “Do You Believe?” Most people want a touch, taste, see, and smell guarantee before they believe anything. The reality is that everyone “believes” or acts on something without absolute proof everyday — belief in things unseen is more a fabric of our lives than absolutes. Come discover the power of believing.

20 Downtown News

April 4, 2011

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Rise of the Machines photo by Snapcult

Listings

Captured! By Robots Takes Over the Redwood

L

egend has it that back in the day, a nice young San Francisco musician named JBOT invented a couple robots to make rock ’n roll. The robots rebelled, installed a computer chip in his brain, and made him their slave. The resultant musical act was called Captured! By Robots. Now the bots, which include DRMBOT, GTRBOT and the Headless Hornsmen, lead the concerts, and ritually torture JBOT on stage.

C!BR, which really is an amazing feat featuring a single guy in a bondage mask and a slew of guitar-playing and drumpounding robots, comes to the Redwood Bar & Grill in Downtown on Friday, April 8.

Last week, the robots kindly let JBOT have a few words with Los Angeles Downtown News.

Los Angeles Downtown News: So, the robots are still keeping you down. How’s that going for you?

JBOT: It’s been changing a lot over the years.

We’re more like an old married couple now

and they don’t torture me as much. Maybe it’s Stockholm Syndrome, but I feel like we’re in it together. We also don’t suck as much as we used to. We suck a little less.

Q: What are they putting you through these days?

A: The other night GTRBOT woke me up and bent my thumb back. I thought it was going to break off. But that’s OK. We get out and do a good mix of originals and fun covers. I want to have a good time and rock out.

Q: What should C!BR newbies expect at the Redwood?

A: We’ll have a great time. I might fall into some people. I might buy a round of drinks.

They might get insulted if they insult the robots.

Captured! By Robots performs Friday, April 8 at the Redwood, 316 W. Second St., (213) 680-2600 or theredwoodbar.com.

Band info at capturedbyrobots.com —Jon Regardie

Continued from previous page Neighborhood: The Search For Community on an American Street, One Sleepover at a Time, recounts his efforts to get to know his neighbors.

Saturday, apr. 9 Central Library Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 2287000 or lapl.org.

10:30 a.m.-noon: The Culinary Historians of Southern California present the lecture “The Old Girl Network: Charity Cookbooks and the Empowerment of Women,” which explores the first wave of the women’s movement via cookbooks.

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 900 Exposition Blvd., (213) 763-DINO or visit nhm.org.

1-4 p.m.: A weekly spring gardening class on how to start your own healthy vegetable garden. Lesson #1: Get dirt, seeds and water.

Create:Fixate Premiere Events Center, 613 Imperial St., createfixate.com.

7 p.m.: An event titled Rise will feature more than 40 artists, DJs and musicians. Preview hours, from 4-7 p.m., include the Kids Kreativity Zone, a supervised space where youth can create art while parents explore the exhibit.

Seek Out Hidden Gems: Art & Architecture Hunt of Downtown LA Starting location revealed upon registration, (323) 799-1374 or outoftheboxevents.com.

2-4:30 p.m.; Apr. 10, 2-4:30 p.m.: A scavenger hunt featuring Downtown trivia and locales (see Don’t Miss list).

ship live on the big screen.

Apr. 7-10: L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival.

Flagship Theatres University Village 3323 S. Hoover St., (213) 748-6321 or flagshipmovies.com.

Through Apr. 7: Hop (noon, 2:20, 4:40, 7 and 9:20 p.m.); Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (11 a.m. and 1:20, 3:40, 6, 8:20 and 10:30 p.m.); Sucker Punch (11:30 a.m., 2:10, 4:50, 7:30 and 10:10 p.m.).

IMAX Theater California Science Center, 700 State Drive, (213) 7442019 or californiasciencecenter.org.

Through Apr. 7: A Rainforest Adventure: Bugs! in 3D explores the dramatic lives of an Old World praying mantis and a beautiful butterfly. Hubble 3D takes movie-goers on a journey through distant galaxies to explore the grandeur and mysteries of our celestial surroundings and accompany space-walking astronauts as they attempt the most difficult and important tasks in NASA’s history. Under the Sea 3D explores the exotic waters and creatures of the Indo-Pacific as well as the impact of climate change on the ocean wilderness.

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

Apr. 9-10: The sixth annual REDCAT International Children’s Film Festival rolls out the red carpet for a mind-expanding collection of short film programs, each crafted with care to appeal to the next generation of movie-lovers. Check redcat.org for showtimes. Weekends through April 17.

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

Sunday, apr. 10 Colburn School 200 S. Grand Ave., colburschool.edu.

All day: “Tapfest” is a daylong festival for the twinkle-toed.

2 yOuR EvENT INFO

EASy WAyS TO SuBMIT

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

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

Apr. 4, all day: NCAA 2011 basketball champion-

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

Help Wanted advertising account executive L.A. Downtown News is looking for a enthusiastic self-starter who is well-organized and has the ability to sell advertising over the phone AND in person, with 3+ years in sales experience, preferably in advertising/media with a proven track record in prospecting and closing new business. The ideal candidate will have exceptional communication and selling skills, a strong work ethic and a great attitude. Compensation includes a base salary plus commissions and bonuses.

This is a full-time position with benefits, including health insurance, vacation, private health club, and a 401(K) retirement plan. Candidate must possess own vehicle and valid driver’s license and insurance.

If you are interested in applying for this position, please send your cover letter, resume, and salary requirements via e-mail to: jobs@downtownnews.com. Use subject line: Account Executive 2011 1264 W. 1st St., LA, CA 90026 (213) 481-1448 • FAX (213) 250-4617

ladowntownnews.com

Help Wanted advertising account executive L.A. Downtown News is looking for a enthusiastic self-starter who is well-organized and has the ability to sell advertising over the phone AND in person, with 3+ years in sales experience, preferLosably Angeles Downtown Newswith a proven track record in prospecting and closing new business. The in advertising/media 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 ideal candidate will have exceptional communication and selling skills, a strong work ethic and a phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 great attitude. Compensation includes a base salary plus commissions and bonuses.

web: DowntownNews.com • email: realpeople@downtownnews.com

twitter: Thisfacebook: is a full-time position with benefits, including health insurance, vacation, private health club, and a L.A. Downtown News DowntownNews 401(K) retirement plan. Candidate must possess own vehicle and valid driver’s license and insurance.

Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris you areDawn interested GENErAl If MANAGEr: Eastin

in applying for this position, please send your cover letter, resume, and salary requirements via e-mail to: ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie Use subject line: Account Executive 2011 citYjobs@downtownnews.com.

Editor: Richard Guzmán

stAFF writEr: Ryan Vaillancourt coNtributiNG Editors: David Friedman, Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Pamela Albanese, Jay Berman, Jim Farber, Jeff Favre, Michael X. Ferraro, Kristin Friedrich, Howard Leff, Rod Riggs, 1264 W. 1st St., LA, CA 90026 Marc Porter Zasada (213) 481-1448 • FAX (213) 250-4617 Art dirEctor: Brian Allison ladowntownnews.com AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard AccouNtiNG: Ashley Schmidt

Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie citY Editor: Richard Guzmán stAFF writEr: Ryan Vaillancourt coNtributiNG Editors: David Friedman, Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Pamela Albanese, Jay Berman, Jim Farber, 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 PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard AccouNtiNG: Ashley Schmidt AdvErtisiNG dirEctor: Steve Nakutin sAlEs AssistANt: Annette Cruz clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Catherine Holloway, Brenda Stevens, Lon Wahlberg circulAtioN: Norma Rodas distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla

Los Angeles Downtown News 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 web: DowntownNews.com email: realpeople@downtownnews.com facebook: L.A. Downtown News twitter: DowntownNews The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and is distributed every Monday throughout the offices and residences of Downtown Los Angeles.

One copy per person.

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If you are interested in applying for this position, please send your cover letter, resume, and salary requirements via e-mail to: jobs@downtownnews.com.

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The Downtown Renaissance Collection

LA SKYpAD Stunning Views - 2br/2ba 28th Floor Bunker Hill Tower luxury condo. Many Upgrades. Utilities included. parking, Concierge, Gym, pool, Tennis, Market, Salon, Dry Cleaners onsite. $2,250/mo.

(409) 771-9540

CALL FOR SpECIALS @ the Medici. penthouse 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.

drivers

sales

Be Inspired...

> now leasing. Cooperating BestBrokers Downtown Locations!

Welcome

> now leasing.Cooperating Cooperating Brokers Welcome Brokers Welcome

EstD 1912

Valet parking.

Fitness Center.

Rooftop Valet parking.

Fitness Center.

Rooftoppool. pool.

Valet parking. Fitness Center. Rooftop pool.

Metro station.

Lounge.

Zen Garden.

MetroResident’s station. Resident’s Lounge.

Zen garden.

Metro station. Resident’s Lounge. Zen garden.

Historic beauty.

Modern refinement.

Eclectic elegance.

call> 213.623.3100 visit> www.rsvlt.com noW leasing

$1,400’s/mo. free parking ROOFTOP GARDEN RETREAT WITH BBQ AND LOUNGE GRAND LOBBY • FITNESS CENTER • SPA MODERN KITCHEN w/CAESAR COUNTERTOPS HIGH SPEED INTERNET DESIGNER LIVING SPACES • PET FRIENDLY • DRAMATIC VIEWS WALKING DISTANCE TO RALPHS SUPERMARKET

call> 213.623.3100 visit> www.rsvlt.com Elegant

> now leasing.

Cooperating Brokers Welcome >> showroom open: m-F 10-6, s-sCooperating 11-5 SHOWROOM OPEN: Brokers Welcome now leasing.

727 W. Seventh St., Downtown Los Angeles Valet parking.

Fitness Center.

Rooftop pool.

M-F 10-6, S-S 11-5

Orsini

Metro station. Resident’s Lounge.Valet Zen garden. parking. Fitness Center. Rooftop pool.

727 W. Seventh St. Resident’s Lounge. Zen garden.

Metro station.

visit> www.rsvlt.com

Medici

727 W. Seventh St., Downtown Los Angeles

>showroom open: m-F 10-6, s-s 11-5 725 SOUTH BIXEL ST.

727 W. Seventh St., Downtown Los Angeles 877-239-8256

WWW.THEMEDICI.COM

756 S. Broadway, Los Angeles 213-892-9100 | chapmanf lats.com

MILANO LOFTS Now Leasing! the loft expert! group

TM

Downtown since 2002

Voted Best Downtown Residential Real estate Agent Call us today!

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FREE Rent Specials On Select Floor Plans

Pricing subject to change without notice.

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

World Class Resort Apartment Homes

550 NORTH FIGUEROA ST. call> 213.623.3100 Downtown Los Angeles 877-231-9362 open: m-F 10-6, s-s 11-5 visit> www.rsvlt.com >showroom WWW.THEORSINI.COM call> 213.623.3100 727 W. Seventh St., Downtown Los Angeles >showroom open: m-F 10-6, s-s 11-5

Piero

• Free Resident/Guest Parking in Gated Garage • Private Library, Business Center & Conference Rooms • Free Wi-Fi & DSL Computer Use • Resident Karaoke Lounge • Directors Screening Room • Lavish Fountains & Sculptures • On-Site Private Resident Park with Sand Volleyball, BBQ’s and Jogging Track • Night Light Tennis Courts • Indoor Basketball

Bill Cooper • 213.598.7555 • TheLoftExpertGroup.com Version 3

• Brunswick Four-Lane Virtual Bowling • Full Swing Virtual Golf • 3100 Square Foot Cybex Fitness Facility • Free Tanning Rooms • Massage Room, Sauna & Steam Room • Rooftop Pools with Dressing Rooms • Concierge Service • 24-Hour Doorman • 24/7 On-Site Management • Magnificent City Views *Amenities vary among communities

22 Downtown News

April 4, 2011

Twitters/DowntownNews

Continued from previous page

EMPLOYMENT Drivers DRIVERS - New Pay Package.

Hiring Class-A CDL Flatbed Drivers for Regional and OTR Lanes.

Solos, O/OP’s and Teams. Top Pay, Great Equipment. 1-888801-5614. www.SystemTrans. com. (Cal-SCAN)

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Business OppOrtunities ALL CASH Vending Route! Be Your Own Boss! 25 Machines + Candy All for $9995. Vend3, 880 Grand Blvd., Deer Park, NY. 1- 877-915-8222. Major CC accepted! (Cal-SCAN)

BUSINESSES like Acupuncture, Chiropractic, Massage Therapy, Pest Control & Plumbing can benefit from the legal use of our trademarked name Rid-All+, LLC™. example: Rid-All Pain.

For details Call 888.743.2550. www.ridallroots.com.

(CalSCAN)

SERVICES AttOrneys

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

Child Support / Custody Necesita Permiso de trabajo? Tagalog / Español / Korean

get your green cArD or citiZenship Law Office of H. Douglas Daniel Esq., (213) 689-1710

eDucAtiOn

Business services ADVERTISING- Best Kept Secret. A business card sized display ad 140 California community newspapers. Reach 3 million+ Californians. Cost $1,550.$1.33 cost per thousand. Free brochure (916)288-6019; www.CalSDAN.com. (Cal-SCAN) CLASSIFIED Advertising. 240 California community newspapers reaching over 6 million Californians. 25-words $550 works out to 18 cents cost per thousand! Free email brochure.

Call (916) 288-6019. www.CalSCAN.com. (Cal-SCAN) FREE JOB ADS New website to post jobs for FREE for a limited time only. Visit us at bestwantedjobs.com. http://bestwantedjobs. com

ATTEND COLLEGE Online from Home. *Medical, *Business, *Paralegal, *Criminal Justice. Job placement assistance.

Computer available. Financial Aid if qualified. SCHEV certified.

Call 888-210-5162 www.Centura.us.com. (Cal-SCAN) HIGH SCHOOL Diploma! Graduate in 4 weeks! Free Brochure.

Call Now! 1-866-562-3650 ext.

60 www.SouthEasternHS.com.

(Cal-SCAN) psychic PSYCHIC READERS Spiritual advisor. Tarot $20. Confidential text for one free question 323493-9494. heAlth NOT FEELING any joy? Overwhelmed by stress and emotional overload? Professional counseling helps! www.drannewarman. vpweb.com, Downtown Wilshire Office, reasonable rates, insurance accepted, 310-281-9797.

VIAGRA 100MG and CIALIS 20mg!! 40 Pills - 4 Free for only $99. #1 Male Enhancement, Discreet Shipping. Only $2.70/ pill. The Blue Pill Now! 1-888904-6658. (Cal-SCAN)

DIABETES/ Cholesterol/Weight Loss. Natural Product for Cholesterol, Blood Sugar and Weight. Physician recommended, backed by Human Clinical Studies with amazing results.

Call to find out how to get a free bottle of Bergamonte! 888-6159598. (Cal-SCAN) ATTENTION Joint & Muscle Pain Sufferers: Clinically proven all-natural supplement helps reduce pain and enhance mobility. Call 888-589-0439 to try Hydraflexin Risk-Free for 90 days.

(Cal-SCAN) cleAning CONCEPTO’S CLEANING Crew. Professional, experienced, cleans apartments, homes, offices and restaurants.

Call for a quote. 323-459-3067 or 818-409-9183.

AUTOS pre-OWneD

DOWntOWn l.A. AutO grOup Porsche Volkswagen audi Mercedes-Benz nissan cheVrolet cadillac

2007 PORSCHE CAYMAN S Certified, Only 29K Miles, Silver/Blk, Bose Xenon. #783463 $39,988. Call 888-685-5426.

2008 MERCEDES BENZ C300W Certified, Low miles, 7 speed automatic, 3.0L 5306C / F051792 $26,991 Call 888-3198762.

2008 VOLKSWAGEN RABBIT Great Car, Great Price. Must See!! ZV1072 / 8W149660 $13,998 Call 888-781-8102.

2009 AUDI A3 Certified, Very Low Miles, Auto, AC & more A11399-1 / 122527 $21,610 Call 888-583-0981 2009 NISSAN VERSA 1.8S Certified, Auto, AC, 1 owner, CD and more NI3677 / 9L449916 $11,499, call 888-838-5089 2010 CHEVY SILVERADO 1500 Only 14K Miles, Blk/Blk Full Power UC712 / 131048 $21,999 Call 888-879-9608.

2010 NISSAN SENTRA 2.0 Certified, 1 owner, Auto, AC and more NI3697 / AL612400 $13,999 call 888-838-5089

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

Elevate Your Lifestyle @ PE Lofts Today!

THE PACIFIC ELECTRIC LOFTS

• Rooftop pool and spa • 24-hour gym • Dog run • Rotunda library • On-site parking Rents starting at $1,395 Introducing the 9th Floor Penthouse Apartments

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Elevate Your Lifestyle @ PE Lofts Today!

Amazing Open Lofts in the Heart of Downtown Historic District n n n n

Covered On-Site Parking State of the Art Fitness Center Luxurious Rooftop Pool and Lounge Pet Friendly with Rooftop Dog Run.

(866) 561-0275 • pelofts.com • 610 s. main, Downtown lA

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

1989 FORD E250 CARGO VAN for cheap. 157K miles. Runs good. Great if you are starting a business. $1,500. 213-2203234.

AutOs WAnteD DONATE YOUR Car: Children’s Cancer Fund! Help Save A Child’s Life Through Research & Support! Free Vacation Package.

Fast, Easy & Tax Deductible. Call 1-800-252-0615. (Cal-SCAN) DONATE YOUR Vehicle! Receive Free Vacation Voucher.

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

ANNOUNCEMENTS gArAge sAles DOWNTOWN ESTATE SALE 9th & Fig. Denny’s garage Sat 4/2 Noon - 11PM Sun Noon 6PM. 100’s womens clothing, costume jewelry, shoes, vintage hats. Parking $5 flat. 323-9820777 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. Today is the day to get involved! Contact Annie at volunteers@freearts.org or 310-3134278 for more information. churches THE BRIDGE / Little Tokyo: Contemporary worship, 11 am Sundays at Union Church 401 East Third St. www.thebridgewired.org.

April 4, 2011 Fictitious BusiNess NAme Notices WANTED - Comic Books, sports & bubble gum cards. Mags, toys, movies & music, rock and roll stuff anything pre 1975. Please call Mike: 800-723-5572 $ Paid.

(Cal-SCAN)

PETS/ANIMALS Adopt A pet ADOPT (OR FOSTER) your forever friend from Bark Avenue Foundation. Beautiful, healthy puppies, dogs, cats and kittens available at Downtown’s largest private adoption facility. Call Dawn at 213-840-0153 or email Dawn@BarkAveLA.com or visit www.Bark Avenue Foundation. org.

LEGAL

Furnished single unit with kitchenette, bathroom.

Excellent location.

Downtown LA. Weekly rate $275 inc.

Downtown News 23

DowntownNews.com Fictitious Business name statement FiLE NO. 20110326851 The following person is doing business as: LADiES APPAREL COMPANY; REAL CHEAP SWiMSUiTS; THE SWiM GUY, 840 S. Los Angeles Street, Los Angeles CA 90014 , are hereby registered by the following registrant: H & H JOBBiNG iNC., 840 S. LOS ANGELES STREET, LOS ANGELES, CA 90014.

This business is conducted by a corporation. Registrant began to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on March 01, 2000.

This statement was filed with DEAN LOGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk on March 02, 2011.

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

Monthly from $550 utilities paid.

(213) 612-0348

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. 3/28, 4/4, 4/11, 4/18/2011 Fictitious Business name statement FiLE NO. 20110352375 The following person is doing business as: DOWNTOWN PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCiATiON; THE FASHiON DiSTRiCT; THE FASHiON DiSTRiCT OF LOS ANGELES; THE LA FASHiON DiSTRiCT; L A FASHiON DiSTRiCT; LA FASHiON DiSTRiCT; LOS ANGELES FASHiON DiSTRiCT; LOS ANGELES FLOWER DiSTRiCT; LA FLOWER DiSTRiCT; FLOWER DiSTRiCT, 110 E 9th Street, Suite # A-1175, Los Angeles CA 90079, are hereby registered by the following registrant: DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES PROPERTY OWN-

ERS ASSOCiATiON, 110 E 9th Street Suite #A-1175, Los Angeles CA 90079. This business is conducted by a corporation. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 8/22/1996.

This statement was filed with DEAN LOGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk on March 08, 2011.

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. 3/21, 3/28, 4/4, 4/11/11

Downtown L.A. Auto Group Downtown L.A. Auto Group has thousands of new, used and certified pre-owned vehicles to choose from. For a complete list including pictures, descriptions and prices please visit our website...

w w w. D T L A M O T O R S . c o m NISSAN OF DOWNTOWN L.A.

2009 NISSAN VERSA 1.8S # N13677 / 9L449962

$11,499

888-838-5089

Certified, Auto, AC, 1 Owner, CD.

$14,999 2007 Nissan Murano S ..................................................... $18,999 4 Door SUV, 3.5L, 6 Cyl., Auto, White, Low Miles. #N110400-1 / 7W519675 2008 Nissan Armada LE 4X4 ........................................... $29,999 Certified, 8 Cyl., 4WD, Grey. #N110674-1 / 8N632795 2008 Nissan Titan King Cab ............................................

Certified, 8 Cyl., Silver, Auto. N110025-1 / 8N317410

Bristol ApArtmeNts 423 W. 8th st.

Al lu til iti es pa id

VOLKSWAGEN OF DOWNTOWN L.A.

2008 VW RABBIT # ZV1072 / 8W149660

$13,998

888-781-8102

White/grey, Auto, 2.5L, 5 Cyl., 38K miles.

$15,704 2008 Volkswagen Passat ................................................

Comfort Sedan, 2.0L Turbo, Auto, Artic, Blue/black. Only 32901 miles. ZV1106/ 8P056843 $18,898 2008 Volkswagen GTI ...................................................... $18,994 2.0L 16V DOHC Turbo, Manual, Black/Anthracite. Only 32357 miles. ZV1095/ 8W084870

2008 Volkswagen Beetle ................................................

HELP WAnTEd Advertising Account executive L.A. Downtown News is looking for a enthusiastic selfstarter who is well-organized and has the ability to sell advertising over the phone AND in person, with 3+ years in sales experience, preferably in advertising/media with a proven track record in prospecting and closing new business. The ideal candidate will have exceptional communication and selling skills, a strong work ethic and a great attitude. Compensation includes a base salary plus commissions and bonuses.

This is a full-time position with benefits, including health insurance, vacation, private health club, and a 401(K) retirement plan. Candidate must possess own vehicle and valid driver's license and insurance.

If you are interested in applying for this position, please send your cover letter, resume, and salary requirements via e-mail to: jobs@downtownnews.com. Use subject line: Account Executive 2011

Children’s Performing Group

Sunshine Generation Singing, dancing, performing and fun!

For boys & girls ages 3 and up!

SunshineGenerationLA.com 909-861-4433

2.5L DOHC, Beige/beige, Auto, Only 32545 miles. ZV1111/ 8M508999

Monthly from $595 utilities paid.

(213) 627-1151

Real Estate Specialist of San Gabriel Valley Proudly serving the communities of San Gabriel, Alhambra, Monterey Park, Montebello and El Monte.

Cal Best Realty Emi Terauchi

Realtor / Notary

Lic.No.00810238 English/Japanes/Chinese speaking

FELIX CHEVROLET

Prime downtown location • Now leasing studios

$662/mo.

213-228-3000 THAI MASSAGE SPECIALIST 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.

Starting Jan. 1, 2011

Sell Your Car!

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

Call 213-481-1448

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

HBODY

TO LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE

MASSAGEH

myNails Professional Nail Care Specialist - Facial - Waxing

323.662.2718 • 4335 W. Sunset Blvd.

Walk-in Welcome • GIft Certificate Available M.-F. 9:30am - 7:30pm Sat. 9am - 7:30pm • Sun. 10am - 6pm

is your teen experiencing:

• School problems?

• Conflict at home or with friends?

Adolescent support group now forming Ages 13-17 low fee

2008 AUDI TT8104623/ZA9005 COUPE

$24,995

888-583-0981

Certified, 2.0L Turbo, Silver/ Black, Auto, 37K miles.

$21,610 2008 Audi A6 3.2 .............................................................. $27,922 Certified, premium pkg., Only 29,000 miles. ZA9847/N011782 2009 Audi Q7 .................................................................... $39,979 Premium Package, Pano Roof, Certified, Low Miles. 9D010670/A11492 Certified, Auto, Very Low Miles, Leather, ABS, Alloys. A113991/122527

sAKurA HeAltH GYm & sAuNA, iNc. Expose your auto to Downtown Los Angeles. With one of the fastest growing residential areas Los Angeles Downtown News gets results.

AUDI OF DOWNTOWN L.A.

2009 Audi A3 2.0T ...........................................................

HealtH Dept. rank a for 7 ConseCutive Years

(2 blocks west of San Pedro St.)

emiterauchi@yahoo.com (626) 786-9086

THE ANSWER

$16,887 2010 Chevrolet Suburban ............................................... $29,990 5.3L, V8, Only 19K Miles, 1 Owner, 9 Pass. #UC650R/137825 2008 Cadillac Escalade Platinum ESV ........................... $51,999 Only 24K Miles, AWD, One of a kind in L.A., LOADED, White Diamond. UC694 / 253700 3.5L, V6, Auto, Air, ABS, CD and More. #UC731R/A1176324

Move-in SpecialS

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

•Daily, $30.00 •Weekly, $109.00 •Monthly, $310.00 (213) 622-1508 423 East 7th St.

4.8L, V8, Crew Cab, 15K miles, Black/Black.

2010 Chevy Impala LT ......................................................

income qualifications - earn under $46,400/year

madison hotel

$21,999

888-879-9608

2010 CHEVY SILVERADO 1500 # UC712 / 131048

3386766 0119

Fully furnished with TV, telephone, microwave, refrigerator.

Full bathroom.

Excellent location.

Downtown LA. Weekly maid service.

DOWNTOWN L.A. MOTORS MERCEDES BENZ

2008 MERCEDES BENZ C-CLASS 300 LUXURY

$26,991

888-319-8762

Certified, 3.0 Ltr, V-6, Auto 7-Spd, Low miles. 5306C/F051792

2008 Mercedes CLK350C .................................................

$28,991 $28,991 Certified, 3.5L, V6, Navigation, Sport Pkg., 18” alloys. #5098C / B334494 2007 Mercedes S550V ..................................................... $46,994 Certified, 40k miles, 5.5L, DOHC. 4-door sedan, Iridium Silver, Auto. #5195 / A015568 Certified, Only 39k miles, 3.5L, V6, Black/Stone. #5294C / F248371

2008 Mercedes E350 Sedan ............................................

PORSCHE OF DOWNTOWN L.A.

2007 PORSCHE CARRERA # 7S776811 S CAB

$64,988

888-685-5426

30K miles, midnight blue, tiptronic, pwr seat, bose, sport chrono pkg. certified.

2008 Porsche Cayenne GTS ............................................

$59,988 $89,988 14K miles, Silver/black, Bose, XM Radio, 19” Wheels, Park Assist, Loaded! AL061143 2008 Porsche 911 GT3 ..................................................... $95,988 White/black, Chrono Pkg. Plus, Nav., Ceramic Brakes, Certified, 12,000 miles. 8S792166 White/black, Like New, Certified, 29,000 miles. LA73964

2010 Porsche Panamera S ..............................................

Call Marney Stofflet, LCSW

(323) 662-9797

4344 Fountain Ave. (at sunset), suite A los Angeles, cA 90029

DOWNTOWN L.A. AUTO GROUP 888-I-LOVE-LA (456-8352) W W W . D T L A M O T O R S . C O M

24 Downtown News

April 4, 2011

Twitter/DowntownNews photo by Gary Leonard

We Got Games Lakers and Kings Prep for the Playoffs Los Angeles Dodgers Dodger Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park Ave., (213) 224-1400 or dodgers.mlb.com.

The Dodgers hit the road for their first time in 2011, starting with the dreaded spring trip to Denver to play the Rockies in a potentially snowy climate (April 5-6). After an off day for travel, it’s a warmer three-game set with the San Diego Padres (April 8-10).

Los Angeles Clippers Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7100 or nba.com/clippers.

The Clippers are on the road all week, doing little more than tweaking the rankings for some playoff-bound squads or playing spoiler for hopefuls like Memphis (April 5). They also visit Oklahoma City (April 6), Dallas (April 8) and Houston (April 9).

Los Angeles Lakers Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7100 or nba.com/lakers.

April 5, 7:30 p.m.; April 10, 6:30 p.m.: The Lakers revisit the Jazz, this time in Los Angeles, then jet north to play in Golden State (April 6) and in the always troublesome Portland Rose Garden (April 8). The marquee game of the week is possible playoff opponent the Oklahoma City Thunder, with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

Los Angeles Kings Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., 1 (888) KINGS-LA or kings.nhl.com.

April 2, 1 p.m.: The Kings were in need of a break, just not that kind: Team leader Anze Kopitar is out indefinitely with a busted ankle. But the Kings aren’t folding. They won their first two games after Kopitar’s injury, and skate into the final week of the regular season poised for a playoff berth. Relying more than ever on the likes of Dustin Brown, the Kings play in San

The Kings will have to lean on veteran Dustin Brown as they head into the playoffs without injured star Anze Kopitar.

Jose (April 4) to start the week, then host the Phoenix Coyotes.

After a jaunt to the OC to take on the Anaheim Ducks (April 8), the Kings close out the regular season against those same quackers.

—Ryan Vaillancourt

Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore!

Grand Tower 255 south Grand avenue Leasing Information 213 229 9777

Promenade Towers 123 south Figueroa street Leasing Information 213 617 3777

Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Concierge ~ Pool / Spa / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Gas BBQ Grills ~ Recreation Room

Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Pool / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Covered Parking

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

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

Now For Call n Specials Move-I

8 7 7 - 2 65 - 714 6

museum Tower 225 south olive street Leasing Information 213 626 1500

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

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

Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Concierge ~ Pool / Spa / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Gas BBQ Grills ~ Recreation Room

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

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

TOWERS T H E

A PA RT M E N T S

www.TowersApartmentsLA.com

MAID SERVICE • FURNITURE • HOUSEWARES • CABLE • UTILITIES • PARKING RESIDENCES: SINGLES • STUDIO • ONE BEDROOM • TWO BEDROOM