04-06-09

LOS ANGELES

DOWNTOWN

NEWS April 6, 2009

Volume 38, Number 14

Urban Scrawl on the baseball season.

4

T

Easter and Passover activities.

12

5

Digging into the plan to bring back the Bristol Hotel.

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

Plan Calls for Razing Wilshire Grand Hotel, Building 40- and 60-Story Towers StAff writer

7

Seventh Street bankruptcy, crime trends and other happenings Around Town.

Korean Air Plans $1 Billion Downtown Project

by AnnA Scott

Horse problems in Skid Row.

8

2

rendering by AC Martin Partners

INSIDE

Roses and Lemon Awards

he Wilshire Grand, which for 57 years has stood at the corner of Seventh and Figueroa streets, will be torn down and replaced with a $1 billion luxury hotel, office and residential complex, officials with property owner Korean Air announced Thursday.

The 1.7 million-square-foot de-

velopment would change the skyline of Downtown Los Angeles, rising less than a mile north of the Convention Center and L.A. Live, where a 1,001-room Ritz-Marriott hotel is scheduled to open in 2010.

Preliminary plans call for a 40-story tower housing approximately 700 four- or five-star hotel rooms and 100 residences, plus a see Wilshire Grand, page 11

A $1 billion plan by Korean Air, working with Thomas Properties Group, would create 40- and 60-story towers where the Wilshire Grand hotel now stands.

Officials hope to break ground in 2011. AC Martin Partners is handling the designs.

Dusting Off a Literary Legend

The New Downtown Sports Center

Revisiting Author John Fante’s Downtown, 100 Years After His Birth

ESPN Launches a Mini-Empire With TV and Radio Studios and a Restaurant by ryAn VAillAncourt StAff writer

I

f you’re an American male between the ages of 18 and 45, there’s a very good chance that, along with attending school or work, eating, sleeping and drinking, your daily routine includes a dose of ESPN’s SportsCenter.

While the show has evolved significantly since it debuted in 1979, one aspect has remained consistent: The broadcast came from ESPN’s headquarters in Bristol, Conn. But

Get the Restaurant Buzz.

14

that all changes on Monday, April 6 — when the network airs its 10 p.m. live SportsCenter broadcast, it will be from its new production studio at L.A. Live in Downtown Los Angeles.

The studios in Bristol will continue to broadcast ESPN’s flagship show during the day and on weekends, but the 10 p.m. slot (1 a.m. on the East Coast) is now entrusted to the Los Angeles team.

At first the Downtown facility will see ESPN, page 10

Theater and bunny outfits at REDCAT.

15

photos courtesy of Victoria Fante Cohen

Author John Fante, who died in 1983, set some of his stories in Downtown. His legacy will be celebrated this week at the King Edward Saloon, a bar at Fifth and Los Angeles streets that he frequented. by ryAn VAillAncourt StAff writer

Five great entertainment options.

17

17 CALENDAR LISTINGS 19 MAP 21 CLASSIFIEDS

T

o devotees of Los Angeles lore, author John Fante is a hero.

From his seedy apartment in 1930s Bunker Hill, Fante paid tribute to the city he loved, mostly by chronicling the dark realities of Los Angeles’ down-on-its-luck crowd.

But Fante, considered a god of prose and passion by well-known writers such as Charles Bukowski, never quite took hold in Los Angeles’ literary pantheon. He never garnered the attention of Bukowski, Raymond

Chandler or Joan Didion.

“Nowhere near as many people know about him as should in Los Angeles, let alone outside of it,” said David Kipen, director of literature for the National Endowment for the Arts, who this week is moderating a Zocalo Public Square panel in honor of Fante’s would-be centennial. Fante’s writing and Los Angelesspecific content, Kipen added, should make the author “tops on the nightstand of anybody who loves or pretends to love Los Angeles and care about good writing on the subject.” see John Fante, page 16

photo by Gary Leonard

Chris Berry, vice president and general manager of radio station 710 ESPN, and Judi Cordray, general manager of ESPN’s Los Angeles television production center, at the sports network’s new West Coast headquarters at L.A. Live. Television broadcasts begin April 6.

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

2 Downtown News

April 6, 2009

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AROUNDTOWN

are on the network such as L.A. Live, the Grammy Museum and the Downtown Art Walk.

Brockman Files for Bankruptcy

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he Brockman Building, a long-awaited project at Seventh Street and Grand Avenue, has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Brockman Building Lofts, LLC (a subsidiary of Brockman developer West Millennium Group; the parent company continues to operate) made the filing on April 1, according to court documents. Last month, Los Angeles Downtown News reported that West Millennium had defaulted on its $35 million construction loan with Countrywide and could face foreclosure. The 12-story, 1921 Beaux Arts building at 530 W. Seventh St. has been restored and houses 80 lofts. The project was originally planned as condominiums, though in December the developer announced that it would go rental instead. However, the building remains unopened. The Bottega Louie Restaurant and Market on the building’s ground floor opens on Monday, April 6.

Downtown Violent Crime Up, Property Crime Down

T

he LAPD Central Division announced last week that violent crime Downtown is up 3% this year (as of March 28), and that robberies have increased 2% over 2008 levels.

Central Area Capt. Blake Chow said the robberies have been concentrated in the area bounded by Third, Seventh, San Pedro and Los Angeles streets, and that no robberies took place west of Hill Street in Central Division, which patrols most of Downtown. Chow also said no guns were used in any of the incidents. Aggravated assaults are up 7% this year.

Meanwhile, property crime is down 18% in the area and car burglaries have dropped 24%, though Chow urged people not to leave property visible inside their cars.

New Study Supports Affordable Housing Requirement

A

new UCLA study finds that mandatory affordable housing requirements in 14 Los Angeles and Orange County

cities have produced significant new housing with no adverse effect on market-rate production. The study by Vinit Mukhija, associate professor of urban planning at UCLA’s School of Public Affairs, was released April 1 and announced by the affordable housing advocacy coalition Housing L.A. The study will likely serve as a debate point for Housing L.A. in the coming months, as a controversial proposal by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to create a citywide affordable housing requirement wends its way through City Hall. The idea of requiring all new residential developments to include some affordable units (a policy also known as inclusionary zoning) has been floated before in L.A., but ultimately failed.

Business and development groups such as the Central City Association have argued that any mandates must be balanced with developer incentives to offset the costs of building below-market-rate units, and that such measures hamper market-rate development. Muhkija’s study finds that successful inclusionary zoning programs offer developers flexibility through offsets such as density bonuses or the option to pay for the housing elsewhere rather than build it. More than 170 cities and counties in California have some kind of inclusionary zoning policy. Research on their effectiveness has been largely advocacy-based and often conflicting.

DCBID Joins Twitter Brigade

Y

et another organization has jumped on the Twitter bandwagon. The Downtown Center Business Improvement District is keeping residents informed about all the happenings in the area through the Twitter system that allows messages of up to 140 letters. “It’s a way to get the message out to our younger constituency about things that are happening Downtown,� said Carol Schatz, president and CEO of the DCBID. “It mostly relates to events and promotions so that we can tell people what’s happening Downtown so they’ll come down.� So far the DCBID has filed updates highlighting events such as the grand opening of a new Famima, a new cafe and hotel deals. By late March the DCBID had 136 Twitter followers (users who sign up to receive updates). It has also signed up to follow updates from more than a dozen users, including Downtown entities who

Purple Power, Times Three

T

he artist currently known as Prince made music history in Downtown Los Angeles last week, playing not one, not two, but three concerts at L.A. Live on Saturday, March 28.

Dressed in a black and white, tunic-like shirt, the elfin performer took the stage at his first gig, the 7,100-seat Nokia Theatre, before 8 p.m. Despite sound issues, the early show was a crowdpleaser, featuring hits such as “Kiss,â€? “Let’s Go Crazy,â€? “1999â€? and “Purple Rain.â€? Full of sassy stage banter, Prince asked the audience at one point, “You ever get the feeling that you just have too many hits?â€? Former Prince protĂŠgĂŠ Sheila E. was a surprise guest vocalist, performing her 1984 hit “Glamorous Lifeâ€? toward the end of the night. After three encores, Prince moved on to later shows at the Conga Room and Club Nokia.

CCA to Honor ‘Treasures’ This Week

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ith honorees ranging from a medical group to a famed local boxer, the Central City Association is hosting the 15th annual Treasures of Los Angeles luncheon on Thursday, April 9. The award pays tribute to individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the community. The 2009 recipients, who will be honored from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, at 404 S. Figueroa St., are boxing champ Oscar De La Hoya, Kaiser Permanente, sportscaster Jim Hill, the Los Angeles Community College District, Dodger star Don Newcombe and the L.A. Derby Dolls. The CCA’s City of Angels award will be given to LAPD Chief William Bratton. Real estate entrepreneur Ezat Delijani will receive the Heart of the City award, the CCA’s highest honor.

Correction

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ue to an editing error, the March 30 article “Louie Louie, You Gotta Go� stated that the Bottega Louie Restaurant and Market would open April 2. It should have said that the restaurant would open to the public on April 6.

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MAY 27 THE STING (1973) ORPHEUM THEATRE (1926) Host Charles Phoenix, pop culture enthusiast and author; Bob Mitchell performs on the Orpheum’s Mighty Wurlitzer organ

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JUNE 10 CABARET (1972) LOS ANGELES THEATRE (1931) Host Michael York, actor and co-star of Cabaret

JUNE 17 MACUNAÍMA (BRAZIL, 1969) MILLION DOLLAR THEATRE — Co-presented with Host Sergio Mielniczenko of Brazilian Hour and Global Village radio shows; DJ Mochilla spinning samba, bossa nova, folk-psyck, and batucada

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EDITORIALS Short-Term Traffic Plan an Uphill Inspiration

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raffic is perhaps Los Angeles’ most vexing problem, and the subject is endlessly studied and debated.

However, the only thing that seems to move slower than cars throughout the region during rush hour are the attempts by various government bodies to alleviate gridlock. Talk about start, stop and stall.

All of which is why the unusual plan hatched by real estate developer Jim Thomas is so unexpected and so inspiring on at least two levels. Rather than simply raise a proposal and move into the decades-long queue of concepts wanting funding, Thomas did something radical: He dug into his pockets and paid a respected think tank to search the world for ways to ease traffic. The unusual

part is that the think tank’s sole assignment was to assimilate ideas about what can be done in the short term — no large-scale capital projects such as subways or freeway lanes.

It is uncertain how Thomas’ plan will fare.

The knock against his vision is that some of the ideas have been tried before or are already being looked at. Ultimately success will depend on a critical mass of Angelenos rising up and not just calling persistently for change, but also making shifts in their personal driving habits.

Thomas is taking steps no private individual in Los Angeles ever has. Yes, like everyone who has confronted the issue, he faces an uphill road. Then again, few who have embarked on the path have his wherewithal, connections and track record.

The key to Thomas’ plan, titled Fixing Angelenos Stuck in Traffic (or FAST), is that the big-budget, time-consuming study is already done. About two years ago, Thomas commissioned the Rand Corp. to look at what has worked in other cities and to offer a batch of low-cost ideas to loosen local gridlock. The next step is creating momentum.

With the study in hand, Thomas is miles ahead of many others who called for an investigation, a report, etc. It is exciting to see someone who has done so well for himself (as a developer, his projects include Downtown’s U.S. Bank Tower) not only undertake a civic project, but spend his own money (in this case he fronted about $500,000, some of which was repaid by fellow FAST board

members) to make it happen.

The FAST plan is being pitched to business and community groups, and Thomas hopes to foster excitement through a website, fastla. org. Smartly, he is taking a regional approach, avoiding focusing on individual districts. The 13 points in the RAND plan include suggestions such as better light synchronization and creating a network of major boulevards that act as one-way de facto “highways” during peak traffic times.

The hard part is to come, and Thomas is giving his outreach campaign three years.

Getting the support of drivers and government officials across the region might seem impossible, but he has done a great deal that many never expected. We applaud his effort.

Keep Police Chief Selection Rules as They Are

I

n the past six and a half years, Los Angeles Police Department Chief William Bratton has proved himself an intelligent, capable and at times visionary leader.

He has a track record, in this and other cities, of producing results, and Downtown Los Angeles is one of many communities that is safer than it was a decade ago thanks in part to work by the department. While the LAPD is by no means perfect, under Bratton the police force performs better and is more accountable than it has been in decades.

Despite these positives, and the fact that Bratton could likely do more good for the department and for Los Angeles well into the future, the city should not extend the current term limits of police chiefs. Such a proposal, to add a third five-year term, was recently floated, and while it is tempting to think of Bratton serving until 2017, the rules should not be changed. We do not know what long-term and unexpected results could arise.

Another recently voiced idea, to make the chief of police an elected position rather than an appointed one, is off base. The concept should not move forward.

These two ideas surfaced in recent weeks, the former proffered by City Councilman Herb Wesson, the latter by an official with the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union

Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis

that represents rank and file officers. We think the current situation, in which the Police Commission nominates three candidates for chief and the mayor makes the selection (subject to City Council approval) is sufficient.

We recognize that since the mayor also appoints Police Commission members he has the heaviest hand in choosing the chief. That’s okay: The mayor of Los Angeles should be intimately involved in selecting a chief, as the two must work closely together.

Wesson’s plan has its caveats, and only superior individuals with wide political support would have a chance at a third five-year term. However, this goes counter to the system that was put in place following the recommendations of the Christopher Commission after the 1992 riots. Then, officials moved to prevent a situation like the one that evolved with former Police Chief Daryl Gates. It is wise to put checks against too much power accruing in the hands of a chief.

The system has worked. Two chiefs, Willie Williams and (now Councilman) Bernard Parks did not receive a second five-year term. No dynasties were formed. New preferences were implemented in an orderly fashion. Although we applaud Bratton, we think 10 years is long enough for a chief.

The second concept, to make the police chief an elected

position, is simply a bad idea. The job should be about leadership and professionalism, not so heavily into politics, and the police union could become too influential a player in any police election (as could large groups of donors of any description). We worry about an elected chief’s ability to operate independently. An appointed chief already has to walk a fine political line. Having to run for the post would take concentration off the job, especially considering the fundraising requirements. It is way too messy to even consider.

Bratton is an excellent leader and Los Angeles is fortunate to have him. But rules should not be changed simply because we like someone. It is prudent to follow the Christopher Commission recommendations on this matter and keep the appointments to two five-year terms.

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

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

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April 6, 2009

Battling the Bristol’s Blight Developer’s Plan for Vacant Hotel Includes 103 Efficiency Units and Two Ground-Floor Eateries

by Anna Scott staff writer

F

or the last six years, the Bristol Hotel has been a dilapidated eyesore. If new owner Izek Shomof has his way, it will soon be a bustling structure that adds to the vitality of the neighborhood.

“It’s a beautiful, historic building located in a very good area and it’s just sitting there,” said Shomof, who with his business partner and son Eric Shomof paid $2.5 million for the property at 423 W. Eighth St. “Our major goal is to beautify the area, make it more pleasant. It was the same with the Hayward.”

Shomof, who owns a string of market-rate apartment complexes in Downtown, is referring to the Hayward Hotel, a formerly rundown crime-magnet at Sixth and Spring streets that he acquired in 2001. Shomof has since made cosmetic upgrades to the building’s interior and façade, and has brought businesses to its ground floor including a food market, a clothing store and the recently opened D-Town Burger Bar. Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council President Russell Brown said the building has improved significantly.

“It has changed immensely,” he said. “They had all kinds of drug dealing and crime and it was pretty bad, and they’ve done a really great job of fixing it up and still keeping it with affordable units in it. I know they’ll do a really good job with the Bristol.”

Revitalizing the 1906 photo by Gary Leonard Bristol could also provide a Izek Shomof, known for his market- long-awaited complement to surrounding businessrate loft projects on Spring Street, has purchased the vacant Bristol es, including the Golden Hotel on Eighth Street. He hopes to Gopher bar and the Italian enroll the building in the Section 8 eatery Colori Kitchen. federal rent subsidy program.

Shomof hopes the property, which will continue to serve low-income residents, will open by the end of the year. Shomof would not disclose how much he plans to spend on renovations, but said the project will be funded privately.

“This will be a positive catalyst for the area,” said Golden Gopher owner Cedd Moses. “For too long, the Golden Gopher and Colori Kitchen have been the only businesses willing to take a chance on this stretch of Eighth Street.”

Changing Hands Shomof bought the Bristol from Adolfo Suaya, who acquired the property in 2003.

Suaya, a high-profile restaurateur, originally planned to convert the building into a hotel with a nightclub and restaurant. The Bristol’s 103 rooms, mostly inhabited by lowincome tenants, were vacated a few months after the sale.

Suaya’s plans, however, were soon derailed by legal tangles.

About 20 former tenants filed a wrongful eviction lawsuit against Suaya in 2004, and Suaya ultimately paid about $226,000 in damages. The next year, the Community Redevelopment Agency filed a lawsuit against Suaya, alleging that redeveloping the hotel would violate an agreement the agency had with prior owner Chae Ro: The CRA had loaned Ro $1.5 million in exchange for keeping the property as lowincome housing until July 2015.

Last year, Suaya settled with the CRA. According to the settlement terms, the Bristol would have to serve as affordable housing if it reopened before July 2015. However, Suaya was not required to reopen the building at all, raising concern that he might let it sit vacant for seven years.

Instead, Suaya put the property on the market, but the legal restrictions helped make the property a tough sell.

In September, National Housing Ventures, a small nonprofit with ties to the Amerland Group, was in escrow to purchase the property for $4.5 million, but the deal fell through because of financing difficulties.

Suaya said he is relieved that the building finally sold. “It was time to move on.” he said. “I’m glad I got it off my hands.”

Shomof said he finalized his purchase of the Bristol about three weeks ago. He plans to apply for the Section 8 federal rent subsidy program.

Section 8 buildings can be lucrative investments even for

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private developers. In September the Related Cos., the developer behind the $3 billion Grand Avenue project, purchased a Section 8 building at 740 S. Olive St. Related West Coast President Bill Witte said at the time that such properties “can provide decent cash flow if they are reasonably sized and there’s no market risk.”

If the Bristol does not qualify for Section 8, Shomof said, his long-term plans for the property could change.

“Section 8 or not, we have to continue it as low-income housing” until 2015, he said. What happens beyond that “is

something that we have to look at at the time.”

For now at least, Shomof plans to renovate the Bristol’s 103 units as efficiency apartments.

Most of the units already have individual bathrooms, he said, but he will likely add kitchenettes. “We’re hoping by the end of this year that the building will be open,” said Shomof.

“All we have to do is cosmetic.”

The new ground-floor businesses, he said, will include a second D-Town Burger outpost and a restaurant similar to L.A. Café, which is on the ground floor of his Spring Tower Lofts at 639 S. Spring St. That is welcome news to local stakeholders who have considered the boarded-up Bristol a stumbling point for a key block.

“I’m very pleased that the hotel is being used,” said Mike Pfeiffer, executive director of the South Park Business and Community Benefit District, which operates just south of the Bristol. “It will be a key anchor in bringing back that block.”

Contact Anna Scott at anna@downtownnews.com.

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In Skid Row, Manure Happens Residents Complain About Police Horses That Do Their Business on Sidewalks

by Ryan Vaillancourt staff writer

A

t the corner of Towne and Seventh streets in Skid Row, Officer Scott Brown sits tall in the saddle atop one of the horses from the Los Angeles Police Department’s mounted unit.

His horse clops up onto the sidewalk and promptly relieves itself, a load of manure falling to the middle of the walking path.

As Brown and another officer on horseback trot away, a middleaged man strolling toward them expresses his disapproval with a raised voice and waves angrily at what the horse left in its wake.

It is a situation Skid Row denizens say is common.

Neighborhood activists claim that the police do not clean up after their animals, even when their waste hits the sidewalk, which in this area is more than a pedestrian path: It’s where hundreds of homeless people lay their heads at night.

“Basically, they’re [defecating] on peoples’ homes,” said Jeff Page, Skid Row’s representative on the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council, who goes by the name General Jeff. “Talk about total disrespect and disregard for the community in which they’re supposed to be protecting and serving. It’s like a subliminal message that they don’t value this community and it breeds this us-versus-them mentality.”

Deployed by the LAPD’s elite Metropolitan Division, the mounted unit is used primarily for crowd control, but has been regularly embedded within Skid Row as part of the Safer Cities Initiative since September 2006. Up to 10 pairs of mounted officers patrol the area in Downtown Los Angeles as often as twice a week, said Metropolitan Division Capt. Dennis Kato.

When the mounted unit works parades, including the recent St. Patrick’s Day parade Downtown, a vehicle trails the horses and cleans up the manure left in the street, Kato said.

“But on your normal course of patrolling the Skid Row area, they try to stay in the street and if the horse poops in the street they just leave it,” he said. “It’ll dry up in a matter of hours, and it’s like grass clippings after a while.”

Police department officials maintain that horse waste is not a public health concern; horse manure, a common fertilizer, tends to be quite dry and lacks the harmful bacteria present in excrement from carnivores.

“It’s just water and hay,” said Brown, echoing a common department refrain.

Equine veterinarians and public health experts generally agree.

“All the water is pretty much sucked out by the time it leaves the horse and it’s a very easily dried-out, fibrous texture,” said veterinarian Robert Bradley of the Los Angeles Equine Hospital in Sun Valley. “If it’s just laying on the street, it’s going to dry out very quickly and not support any parasite growth at all.”

Robert Kim-Farley, director of communicable disease control and prevention at the L.A. County Department of Public Health, said that the only public health concern is the odor.

“The main thing from a public health standpoint is just the smell and being the source of flies, but I think, basically, it’s not really a strong public health issue,” Kim-Farley said.

But focusing on the relatively benign composition of manure misses the point, said Wendell Blassingame, a longtime Skid Row activist who lives in the Florence Hotel at Fifth and Wall streets and also serves on DLANC. “I live here and every day we walk on our sidewalks,” said Blassingame, who suggests that police horses be equipped with some kind of diaper. “I was raised on a ranch in Tennessee and one thing a farmer does not do is to step in horse [poop].”

Part of the Routine Most of Skid Row, which is loosely bounded by Los Angeles, Alameda, Third and Seventh streets, is cleaned by maintenance details administered by the Central City East Association. Estela Lopez, executive director of the CCEA, said cleaning up after the horses is all in a day’s work.

“Given the fact that we’re picking up human waste seven days a week, it’s no different for us,” she said.

Lopez said her office has never received a complaint regarding horse manure in the streets, and she lauded the mounted unit’s work in the area.

“If the mounted unit is down here, we’re wildly appreciative and whatever contribution they have to what we have to pick up on the sidewalk, we’ll gladly pick it up,” Lopez said.

Whenever the mounted unit is deployed, a department support vehicle roams or parks in the same area. Capt. Kato said he encourages officers on horseback to call the vehicle to clean up any manure left on the sidewalk. But for the most part, the officers try to stick to the streets, where the droppings pose less of a nuisance to pedestrians, he said.

“I think it comes down to dollars and cents,” Kato said. “I don’t think you’re paying officers to follow around a horse and clean up, but if I had a different classification of an employee I’d gladly employ them, but realistically budget-wise, I don’t think I’d get that person.”

That doesn’t mean Kato sees sidewalk manure as a non-issue.

“I’m sensitive to it on the sidewalk,” he said. “The street, that’s a different story. But if it’s significant, somebody [should] get off and get it off the sidewalk.”

Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.

photo by Gary Leonard

In Skid Row, horses like these from the LAPD’s mounted unit help patrol the area. In the process, they sometimes leave manure on the sidewalks.

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Days of Lemon and Roses Breakfast Club Honors Three Downtown Developments, And Jabs Another

by Ryan VaillancouRt staff wRiteR

A

nd the roses go to — sound the trumpets — the upscale, eco-friendly condominium building Evo, the high-powered Italian eatery Drago Centro and the Prohibition-era speakeasy-style lounge the Association.

The three entities took home the honors at the Downtown Breakfast Club’s 29th annual Roses and Lemon Awards breakfast held in the Crystal Room at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel on April 2. The Lemon went to a project that has been repeatedly delayed.

The event, which each year draws hundreds of Downtown Los Angeles boosters and business leaders, was marked by its usual blend of trumpeting the award nominees, interspersed with actual trumpets, and playfully delivered criticism of projects or entities that the DBC found deserving of a little finger wagging.

The Lemon recipient was Angels Flight and its failure to reopen: The historic funicular, which closed in 2001 following a fatal accident, has been beset by repeated delays, and as pointed out in a DBC slide show, the railway that connects Bunker Hill and the Historic Core still boasts a public notice promising an opening by the end of 2007.

“When we give a lemon it’s not intended to be mean,” said Hal Bastian, a DBC member who helps present the Lemon each year. “It’s intended to be an opportunity for improvement.”

Case in point, Bastian said, was last year’s Lemon recipient, the city Department of Recreation and Parks for its failure to spend some $15 million in Downtown Quimby funds (the fees charged to developers for future park development in the area). In the past year, Bastian noted, Quimby fees were put to work as the department purchased a plot on Spring Street that will be turned into a park.

John Welborne, president of the Angels Flight Railway Foundation had his own criticism for the DBC, noting that

three of the club’s members have donated funds to the restoration.

“It would be nice if some of the other members of the Downtown Breakfast Club would write a check,” he said, adding that the foundation still has to raise about $240,000 to cover its $3.5 million restoration budget. “Talk is cheap.”

Welborne said the ongoing refurbishments, which have been delayed by construction-related hurdles and not financial setbacks, are nearly complete.

“We’re very close,” said Welborne. He declined to give a specific timeline for the opening.

Good Ideas The DBC opened the presentation by giving the club’s Milestone Award to the restaurant Philippe The Original in honor of its 100th anniversary last year. In the “Good Ideas, We’d Like to See More” category, Roses were dispensed to a collection of social service providers, including Chrysalis, the Downtown Women’s Center and Skid Row Housing Trust, which were all lauded for their work supporting the homeless.

Other Good Ideas recipients were a Halloween party for kids organized by the Downtown Center Business Improvement District and a playground at Orthopaedic Hospital designed to let all children, including those in wheelchairs or faced with other conditions, play.

This year’s main Rose recipients came out of three categories: Eat, Play and Live.

Drago Centro, the new restaurant from chef and co-owner Celestino Drago at City National Plaza, beat out nominees Church and State, the Arts District bistro, and Provecho, which offers a creative spin on Mexican cuisine.

Drago Centro has quickly made a name for itself since opening in November. It is a place where Downtown power players might be seen trying to close a deal over lunch, next to curious foodies indulging in oxtail ravioli or risotto cakes with octopus.

photo by Gary Leonard

Megan Connors and Matteo Fernandi of Drago Centro accepted the Rose in the Eat category. The restaurant in City National Plaza has been a hit since it opened in November.

Matteo Fernandi, a partner in the restaurant, paid tribute to the other nominees and thanked the club.

“I’m thrilled to be a part of this community of Downtown, which is the most dynamic community in Los Angeles,” Fernandi said.

Developer the South Group took home a Rose for its $160 million Evo condo building in South Park. The development beat out Milbank Real Estate’s Roosevelt Lofts and the Hanover Company’s 717 Olympic.

In the Play category, the Rose went to the Association, a new lounge in the Pacific Electric Building where English pub meets old Los Angeles speakeasy. The other nominees were Lucky Strike Lanes & Lounge at L.A. Live and the Remedy lounge, which is attached to Provecho.

“We certainly prefer a rose to a lemon,” said Edmundo Macias, the Association’s general manager. “But I do guarantee if we had gotten a lemon, our bartenders would have made a hell of a cocktail out of it.”

Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.

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The Play award went to the bar the Association and general manager Edmundo Macias. The low-key lounge is in the basement of the Pacific Electric Building.

photo by Gary Leonard

The members of the Downtown Breakfast Club have been handing out the Roses and Lemon Awards for 29 years.

photo by Gary Leonard

South Park condominium project Evo earned the Rose for residential projects. Rhonda Slavik accepted for developer the South Group.

photo by Gary Leonard

The continued non-opening of the Angels Flight railway received the Lemon award from the Downtown Breakfast Club. The funicular has been shuttered since 2001 and multiple announced reopening dates have come and gone.

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ESPN Continued from page 1 only broadcast SportsCenter, but in time is expected to incorporate other as-yet unspecified shows.

The show’s West Coast coming-out party finalizes the sports media powerhouse’s three-part local expansion that started with the ESPN Zone, which opened in December along with much of the second phase of L.A. Live. The Downtown Los Angeles outpost of the bar and restaurant chain, a sports junkie’s mecca of television screens, draft beer and upscale bar food, is half-owned by L.A. Live developer Anschutz Entertainment Group.

The second step came in February, when the company’s Southern California radio station, 710 ESPN, left West Los Angeles and began broadcasting from a state-of-the-art L.A. Live studio.

Now, it’s TV’s turn.

“I think from a business standpoint, for ESPN, the success they’ve had over on the East Coast afforded them the opportunity to branch out to the West Coast,” said Judi Cordray, general manager of the Los Angeles television production center. “Part of that is for business continuity and part of it is to serve the fans in a better way.”

Between the radio and television divisions, the new ESPN facilities have brought about 100 jobs to the area.

New Digs, Old Media As the media landscape continues to slide toward online platforms, Chris Berry, vice president and general manager of 710 ESPN, is nevertheless convinced that there is tre-

mendous opportunity for growth in local radio, in particular sports radio.

“Radio is ubiquitous and it’s a tremendous information vehicle, especially in Los Angeles where so many people spend so much time in their cars,” said Berry, who recently relocated to Los Angeles from Washington, D.C. The company’s marriage with AEG at the $2.5-billion L.A. Live campus also helped the radio station land a key partnership that should significantly increase its audience next year: The station secured a multi-year contract to broadcast Lakers games starting with the 2009/2010 season. The team will be cutting ties with 570 KLAC after this season.

“I think that the Lakers ownership realized that moving forward, sometimes you have to make a dramatic change and the opportunity that we had, with ESPN television and the tremendous production facilities, it kind of had to be a no-brainer that we needed to work together,” Berry said.

The Walt Disney Company owns ESPN, and the radio station’s colorful new headquarters was envisioned by a Disney design team. The soundproof radio studios are enveloped in slick walls that are colored in lipstick red enamel paint. One wall in the lobby is covered by an almost life-size, bird’s eye view image of Kobe Bryant soaring for a layup past two Boston Celtic defenders in the 2008 NBA finals.

The studio’s design is intentionally Los Angeles-centric, appealing to the region’s wide cross-section of sports fans, from Trojan football fanatics to lovers of the X Games. Inspiring quotes from Los Angeles sporting legends adorn the walls outside each employee’s office.

Being in a new facility, especially after sharing a building with other radio stations, has

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Chris Berry, general manager of 710 ESPN, inside the station’s state-of the-art broadcast facilities, which replace older studios in West Los Angeles. The new location helped the station secure a deal to broadcast Lakers games.

already instilled a sense of heightened comradery among the station’s reporters and on-air personalities, said Brian Long, who co-hosts an afternoon show.

“Certainly, from a standpoint of prepping for the show, it’s changed a lot because we’re now all together, all on the same team,” Long said.

Easy Access The biggest change for 710 ESPN, and the biggest opportunity to enrich both radio and television programming, is the company’s increased access to athletes.

“We used to have to put someone on a pony and send them off to a game and we saw him the next day or at midnight wandering back,” joked Long in reference to the West L.A. space. “Now it’s happening right here and there’s just an energy of what’s happening in the city and it’s easier to be a part of it.”

The Los Angeles presence, and being steps away from Staples Center — where the Lakers, Clippers and Kings combined have more than 120 home games a year — is even more of an access boost for ESPN’s new television operation. Historically, the company has had to lure talent to its Bristol studios to shoot special features and its trademark, campy commercials that pair anchors with star athletes.

“If you’ve ever been to Bristol, it’s not an easy place to get to,” Cordray said. “It’s not usually one flight and if it is, even then you’ve got a two hour drive, so definitely access is a huge plus. The commercials that ESPN does in Bristol, I’m hoping we have an opportunity to do in our hallways too because they’re

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The television production center has been busy preparing for its April 6 SportsCenter launch, fine-tuning lighting on its sets and rehearsing with anchors Stan Verret and Neil Everett, who will host the 10 p.m. broadcast Monday through Friday.

Situated above the ESPN Zone, on the top three floors of the five-story building, the facility occupies 75,000 square feet of space with offices, studios, green rooms and engineering rooms.

The center’s newsroom boasts more than 30 desks, each equipped with multiple computer monitors where reporters and production staff edit highlights. Twenty-one flatscreen televisions span the walls. The main control room resembles a Cape Canaveral for sports fanatics.

Cordray said the content of her West Coast team’s SportsCenter won’t diverge from the program viewers know and expect. But just the fact that the show is broadcasting from Los Angeles will likely excite West Coast viewers, and help to diffuse a common complaint that ESPN has an East Coast bias, said David Simon, president of the Los Angeles Sports Council.

“It’s a huge deal that ESPN is going to have a presence on the West Coast,” Simon said.

“After 30 years, I think it’s a real big step for them and for us. Whereas that 1 a.m. East Coast show that may not get that many viewers, on the West Coast it will get a lot of viewers and I think viewers will like that they’re hearing from someone in their time zone.”

Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.

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Wilshire Grand Continued from page 1 60-story office tower. The towers would rise on a full city block bounded by Figueroa, Francisco and Seventh Streets and Wilshire Boulevard.

The Downtown-based Thomas Properties Group will spearhead the design, development and leasing.

The project is expected to break ground by 2011.

Construction would take up to three years. Financing is not in place yet, though Korean Air Chairman and CEO Yang Ho Cho said last week that a couple of large Korean banks have expressed interest in the plan.

Thomas Properties Chairman and CEO Jim Thomas declined to say how much he might need to seek in construction financing because it is premature. But he expressed optimism that by the time the project receives all the necessary city approvals, which could take 18 months, the frozen credit markets will have loosened up.

“The country’s going to be in a world of hurt if, a year and a half from now, we haven’t fixed the credit markets,” said Thomas. “We have a high degree of confidence that the credit markets will be flowing by the time we’re ready to proceed.”

If not, he said, the project could be built in multiple phases.

Currently it is all anticipated to rise at once.

Jack Kyser, chief economist with the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp., agreed that the credit markets will likely be in better shape within a couple of years. Still, he said, the developer will have his work cut out for him.

“I think the hotel is going to be very positive,” Kyser said, but “people might question the office side of it.”

No More Renovations Korean Air, one of the largest global airlines, purchased the building that houses the 16-story, 900-room Wilshire Grand in 1989.

At the time, the hotel at 930 Wilshire Blvd. was a Hilton. It was later operated by the Omni Hotels chain before becoming the Wilshire Grand in 1999. Korean Air has made several upgrades to the property, most recently a $40 million renovation launched in 2005.

Cho said last Thursday that despite the improvements, the 1952 hotel is past its prime. “It is not economically feasible to

The hotel portion of the project would attempt to capture the momentum of the Convention Center headquarters hotel.

keep renovating,” he said. “It’s time to redevelop the building.”

Thomas Properties was selected to develop the property last May, after a competitive bidding process. Cho would not reveal how many companies vied for the job.

Though still in the early planning and design stage, preliminary renderings of the project by Downtown architecture firm AC Martin Partners depict two soaring, glassenclosed towers adorned with ground-level greenery. An 18,000-square-foot landscaped park and plaza would be at the corner of Seventh and Figueroa streets, and the buildings would house ground-floor retail.

A below-grade parking structure would accommodate up to 1,700 spaces.

The towers would include environmentally friendly features, Thomas said, designed to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification standards.

Cho said he is negotiating with several four-star or higher hotel operators. Korean Air also owns three hotels in Korea and another in Hawaii, he said, “so we have a good knowledge and good access to many prestigious hotel management companies.”

Thomas and Cho said they are highly optimistic about the hotel component, largely because of the property’s proximity to the upcoming Ritz-Marriott at L.A. Live, which has already provided a boost to Convention Center bookings in the coming years.

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“I don’t worry about the competition,” said Cho. “More quality hotels attract more people to conventions, and a higher quality of conventions.”

Bruce Baltin of PKF Consulting, which tracks the hotel industry, agrees.

“They should complement each other,” said Baltin, who has consulted on the Wilshire Grand project. “The better the overall hotel stock, the better it’s going to be for everybody. Convention planners love a concentration of good hotel rooms.”

Baltin and Kyser both pointed to San Diego, which has a 1,600-room Hyatt, a 1,300-room Marriott and a 1,200-room Hilton near its convention center, as a model for Los Angeles “The Wilshire Grand was a very old hotel,” Kyser added, “and it had small rooms. It started as a traveler’s hotel, so you didn’t have all the amenities you have now. We could use another big hotel Downtown.”

Office Space The office component of the development could be a riskier proposition.

According to Kyser, Downtown’s office vacancy rate stands at 13.8%, higher than the county average of 12.2% By comparison, office vacancy on the Westside is 11.1% However, Kyser noted, the completion of the under-construction Gold Line extension and the Expo Line should provide the area with a boost. The Wilshire Grand site also stands across the street from the Seventh Street Metro station, which serves the Red and Blue lines.

“This gives Downtown the larger mass transit draw, which is important if you’re trying to develop your workforce at all levels,” said Kyser. On the office front, he continued, “There’s potential Downtown. It has a lot of amenities, and it has the best mass transit access.”

Thomas, who has developed more than 5 million square feet of high-end Downtown office space, including the Wells Fargo Center, U.S. Bank Tower and the Gas Company Tower, said he expects to be able to pre-lease at least 50% of the office tower before construction begins, which should help entice lenders. By the time construction is finished, he said, he hopes to have up to 80% of the building leased.

“I’m absolutely convinced that Downtown Los Angeles is going to need a new office tower in the next three to five years,” said Thomas. “What we’re doing is extremely timely.”

Contact Anna Scott at anna@downtownnews.com

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O

n Easter, the kids will likely be busy hunting for eggs and hassling any bunny in sight. For adults, once the services are over, Easter is also about feasting.

Easter Sunday is an occasion when loved ones get together and celebrate over a nice meal. This year the holiday falls on April 12, and as in years past, many Downtown Los Angeles restaurants are preparing feasts. You should come hungry, as these can be hourslong occasions where even the kids decide to put the eggs down and let go of the rabbit’s ear. Be sure to go back for seconds.

Millennium Biltmore Hotel: For those who like a little grandeur with their feasting, the stately Biltmore will not disappoint. The hotel’s Easter Sunday brunch will take place in the spectacular 1923 Rendezvous Court lobby. Served from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. the brunch will include waffles, omelets, eggs benedict, lamb and prime rib. Then comes the seafood items like oysters, crab legs and sushi. Salads, fruit and a chocolate fountain are also on the menu. The cost is $55 per person and $25 for children 4-11.

If brunch is not part of the plan, the hotel’s elegant Smeraldi’s restaurant will be serving a four-course Easter dinner from 5-9 p.m. The meal is $48 per person for adults and $25 for children 4-11. It will include a choice of Colorado Rack of Lamb in a blueberry mustard demi-glace, Mediterranean Red Mullet with potato gnocchi and seared Moulard

duck breast with ravioli.

At 506 S. Grand Ave., (213) 612-1562 or thebiltmore.com.

Taix Restaurant: If you want to get a little bit of French comfort for Easter, head to the historic restaurant in Echo Park, just minutes from Downtown. On Easter Sunday, Taix will offer a menu where dinner is served from noon-8 p.m. The hors d’oeuvres include escargots de Bourgogne (just tell the kids it’s special licorice Easter Gummy Bears) and thon marine au poivre, salade de melon a l’orange; for English speakers, that’s peppercrusted tuna with orange and melon salad.

The entrees include roasted pork loin with apple brandy, honey and raisins, with potato gratin and ratatouille; farmhouse chicken breast stuffed with emmental cheese, Parisian ham and ruby port; and roasted prime rib au jus with garlic mashed potatoes and ratatouille.

At 1911 Sunset Blvd., (213) 484-1265 or taixfrench.com.

the entree options are brioche French toast, mustard-glazed rotisserie chicken, panseared hangar steak, herb-crusted salmon fillet and ricotta pancakes. The final, and sweetest course includes a selection of desserts such as the chocolate lava cake, Fuji apple crumble and fromage blanc cheese cake.

At 700 W. Fifth St., (213) 239-6500 or patinagroup.com.

Cafe Pinot: The restaurant adjacent to the Central Library is one of the prettiest spots in Downtown, and the garden setting offers a perfect backdrop for an Easter Sunday lunch.

The special menu won’t disappoint either, as from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. the restaurant that is part of the Joachim Splichal empire will serve a three-course meal ($35 for adults and $15 for children). First-round choices include mushroom risotto, smoked salmon Cobb salad and French onion soup. Among

Kendall’s Brasserie: For a stylish and urban experience, head to the contemporary spot at the Music Center. Although it is known as a place where the opera and music crowds dine before and after performances, its Easter specials will certainly attract a Sunday audience. The first course features a tomato soup, mixed green salad and panko-crusted goat cheese. The main course options include corn ravioli, rainbow trout with potato, almonds and Dijon sauce, grilled skirt steak,

photo courtesy of Millennium Biltmore Hotel

On Sunday, April 12, brunch specials in Downtown will be easier to find than Easter eggs. The Millennium Biltmore Hotel will serve lunch from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

pan-seared Scottish salmon and poached eggs benedict. Dessert includes a raspberry mille-feullie, Kit Kat chocolate ice cream and rustic apple tart.

At 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-7322 or patinagroup.com.

Levy Restaurants at the Center at Cathedral Plaza: For those who want to be as close as possible to the source of Easter, the restaurant at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels is offering a champagne brunch from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. The brunch will cost $25 for adults and $15 for children under 12. Advance reservations are required. Those who make it there before or after Easter Mass will be treated to a feast that includes hot-iron waffles, scrambled eggs, country sausage, hickory smoked bacon, French toast casserole, omelets, lemon chicken, scones and of course, champagne Continued on next page

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April 6, 2009

Downtown News 13

Restaurants

Continued from previous page and mimosas. You will not go home hungry.

At 555 W. Temple St., (213) 680-5271 or levyrestaurants.com.

Seder, Services and Beyond

Tiara Café: If you want to have a light and healthy meal while still brunching away on Easter, this Fashion District hotspot may be the place. Helmed by chef/owner Fred Eric, Tiara prides itself on serving fresh, organic and seasonal foods that taste good enough to make you forget you’re actually eating healthy. On Easter Sunday Tiara is serving a $14 “brunch” from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. It includes eggs, potatoes, hash browns and breakfast meats. The meal’s highlight may be the mimosas — they’ll be topped with a ginger and peach flavored meringue.

At 127 E. Ninth St., (213) 623-3663 or tiara-cafe-la.com.

photo courtesy of Patina Restaurant Group

The scenic Café Pinot offers an outdoor brunch on Easter Sunday.

La Luz Del Dia: For those who adhere to tradition and don’t want to eat meat on Friday, this Mexican restaurant on Olvera Street will offer a quasi-vegetarian alternative. The shrimp tortas (La Luz serves some seafood, but no meat), which are dried shrimp patties in egg batter and cactus sauce, will cost $6.94 and will be served all day Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. So if you’re watching your meat consumption for Lent, remember, fish and shrimp are okay, so feast away.

At 107 Paseo de la Plaza, (213) 628-7495.

How to Celebrate Passover and Easter Without Leaving Downtown

by Jon RegaRdie executive editoR

A

pril is a big month. It’s the time when the NCAA basketball tournament ends and the baseball season begins. It’s the time when the occasional cold days of March finally disappear, and you know you are fully immersed in a Los Angeles spring (which sometimes feels like summer, but that’s another story).

April is also when a couple major religious holidays arrive, and with an increasing residential population in Downtown Los Angeles, more and more people are looking for local opportunities to get together and worship. This week, you’ll find ample options, whether you celebrate Passover or Easter. n Last fall, the Jewish Community Center-Chabad of Downtown Los Angeles held services for the High Holy Days, offering Jewish residents and workers a place to celebrate Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.

This week, the facility founded by Rabbi Moshe Greenwald continues its service to the area with the first Downtown Community Passover Seder. The event takes place in the organization’s new home on Seventh Street. For those who have never participated in a seder, it is a festive and informative evening, a time when the story of the exodus from Egypt is mixed with rituals such as the Four Questions. It culminates with a full meal. “It’s about enjoying delicious food, songs, sounds, sights and Jewish continuity in action,” said Greenwald. The Passover seder, which is mostly in English, will take place two times: on Wednesday, April 8 at 7 p.m., and Thursday, April 9 at 8 p.m. The suggested donation is $36 per person, though no one

photo by Gary Leonard

Pershing Square will be the site of five hours of Easter activities on Saturday, April 11. Along with music and magic, there will be four different egg hunts.

will be turned away due to a lack of funds. RSVPs are required by Monday, April 6.

The seder is at 219 W. Seventh St., Suite 206. More information and reservations at (213) 488-1543 or downtownjcc.com.

Continued on next page

It’s Out! E aster

Sunday

APRIL 12, 2009

C e l e b r at e e a s t e r d o w n t o w n !

A comprehensive guide to restaurants in and around Downtown Los Angeles.

An excellent reference for your office, car and home.

Cafe Pinot 700 W. Fifth St. | 213 239 6500 Three-course brunch 10:30am-2:30pm (adults $35; children $15) (Closed for dinner) Kendall’s Brasserie Music Center of Los Angeles 135 N. Grand Ave. | 213 972 7322 Three-course brunch 11am-3pm (adults $35; children $15) A la carte menu 4:30-10:30pm

Patina Walt Disney Concert Hall 141 S. Grand Ave. | 213 972 3331 A la carte menu 4-9:30pm ZuCCa ristorante 801 S. Figueroa | 213 614 7800 A la carte menu 4:30-9pm niCK & stef’s steaKhouse Wells Fargo Center 330 S. Hope St. | 213 680 0330 A la carte menu 4:30-8:30pm

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14 Downtown News

April 6, 2009

Restaurants

Continued from previous page n Not surprisingly, this is one of the busiest weeks of the year at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. The mother church of the Los Angeles Archdiocese will be active all week.

From Monday, April 6 though Wednesday, April 8, there will be masses at 7 a.m. and 12:10 p.m., along with the Chrism Mass on Monday at 7 p.m. On Holy Thursday there will be a morning prayer at 7 a.m. and a Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 7 p.m. Good Friday brings services or prayers at 7 a.m., 12 p.m. and 3 p.m., along with a Spanish-language service at 7 p.m. On Saturday there is a morning prayer at 9 a.m. and an Easter Vigil at 8 p.m.

The big happenings, of course, are on Easter Sunday. Highlights are Easter masses at 8 and 10 a.m., the Spanish-language Domingo de Pascua at 12:30 p.m. and the Easter Sunday service at 2:30 p.m. That same day brings the annual Easter Brunch, with seatings from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. in the Cathedral Conference Center.

The Cathedral is at 555 W. Temple St., (213) 680-5200; Easter brunch reservations at (213) 680-5273, olacathedral.org.

variety of arts and crafts, music, magic and storytelling, with performances from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. The highlight just may be someone (or something?) known as Whirle the Clown, who takes the stage at noon.

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

photo by Gary Leonard

The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels holds four services or masses on Easter Sunday. Other events take place throughout the week.

their fun, the adults can partake of an Easter brunch and celebration service starting at 10 a.m. It is all free to the public. “In this economically difficult time, we wanted to create an event where families can come and just have fun without worrying whether or not they can afford it,” said Haah.

The New LATC is at 514 S. Spring St. Information at (213) 741-2415 or newcitychurchla.com. Free validated parking in the Joe’s Parking structure next to the New LATC.

n For many people, Easter has become a kid-centric holiday. The New City Church of Los Angeles recognizes that and has lined up a slate of child-friendly activities on Easter Sunday. The church, founded by Pastor Kevin Haah, will host free festivities at the New LATC in the Historic Core. From 10:20 a.m.-noon, the children’s ministry will feature games, singing, dancing and Bible stories. From noon-3 p.m. there will be an Easter egg hunt, a bounce house, face painting and more.

It is not all child’s play. While the kids have

n Egg puns are everywhere this time of year. Things are eggs-cellent or eggs-citing.

The yolk’s on you. The city Department of Recreation and Parks gets into the pun fun on Saturday, April 11, with the Free

Eggstravaganza Egg Hunt. It means five hours of gratis activities in Pershing Square.

There are four different egg hunts, with those 5 and younger searching at 11:30 a.m.; the 5 to 7 set going off at 12:30; 8 to 10-year-olds will look for the oval prizes at 1:30; and kids 11-12 will search at 2:30.

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n Opera may not be strictly religious, but for many, Richard Wagner’s Ring cycle is a spiritual experience. If you are one of those people, and if you have five hours to spare on Easter Sunday, then a trip to the Music Center may be in order. Die Walkure, the second installment in the Ring cycle, will be performed at 1 p.m. The production, which only has seven performances, features some serious star power, with Placido Domingo and Anja Kampe playing the lead roles. L.A. Opera Music Director James Conlon conducts and wacky German visionary Achim Freyer directs and is handling designs. Fans of Wagner have been waiting years for this to open in Los Angeles.

If you are taking Wednesday off for Passover and have the afternoon free before the evening’s seder, there is a 1 p.m. performance. Die Walkure continues through April 25.

At 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-8001 or laopera.com.

Contact Jon Regardie at regardie@downtownnews.com.

A

Royal Sip: The self-anointed “King of Coffee” opened its doors Downtown in early March, but the king has eyes on more than just a cup of Joe — there is also an angling toward music and art. Located at the edge of Skid Row on Los Angeles Street, the Crown Café offers gourmet coffee, pastries and panini. It also provides an opportunity for Downtown Los Angeles artistic types to hang out and display their work, said owner Robert Kashefi. Open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m., the cafe is lined with inviting and colorful plush couches, red walls and, of course, artwork. Kashefi said he will be inviting local artists to hang their work as well as musicians to perform. Expect the customers to be treated like royalty.

At 531 S. Los Angeles St., (213) 623-3900.

Your Limo Awaits. Really: Restaurant Buzz wasn’t sure if this was an April Fool’s joke aimed at getting some free publicity,

but Karla Lara, a manager at La Fonda on Wilshire, assures us that this is no joke (though the free publicity aim is still there): On April 1, the Mexican restaurant started sending a limo to pick up and drop off groups of customers for lunch. You can get in on the fancy ride as long as your point of departure is within five miles of the City West restaurant and your party is at least 10 people. The free limo service is available from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. “It’s really happening,” Lara said. “In these hard times we wanted to save people the time and stress of driving here and paying for parking.” Lara recommends calling a couple of days ahead to reserve your limo, which will pick you up at work and make you look like a big shot in front of all your friends.

And, since it’s still close enough to April Fool’s, why not tell them you got the limo on your own and they owe you big time.

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Downtown News 15

CALENDAR

Bunnies Gone Wild REDCAT Show Has Furry Creatures And Drag Queen Punks, And That’s Just the Beginning

by Richard Guzmán

SOS is set in a space where cables and cameras represent a forest of technology. Three scenarios unwind in this forest: there’s the social networking addicts called The Profiles, who comment on the world they’ve created, obsess about reality TV and on how they acquire things; there’s a group of rebels called the Televised Trans-Variant Revolutionaries from the Realness Liberation Front, who plan on changing the world and are doing it in sexy outfits which fall somewhere between drag, punk, military and pop star garb, although they all just end up becoming simultaneously pregnant; and there are the forest creatures.

The latter, with their colorful and adorable outfits, are the most tragic of all. They are lost in the forest of technology and, pushed from their natural environment, they turn on each other in order to survive. And as if watching Bambi and Thumper tear each other apart isn’t bad enough, Manson has outfitted them with cameras attached by harnesses that reflect back on their own faces and broadcast a more personal view of their confusion and struggle.

“I wanted them to wear the technology,” Manson said.

“They’re lost, pushed out by encroachment, and I wanted the

physicalization of that.”

It is obviously a different type of experience than that which he outfits depicting furry, smiling deer, raccoons and unfolds a block to the north at the Ahmanson Theatre or the bunnies may be cute, but don’t be fooled: The Caden Mark Taper Forum. But that is precisely what makes SOS a fit Manson/Big Art Group performance of SOS is no for REDCAT, said George Lugg, associate director of the space Easter special, and it’s definitely not your father’s theater. in the back of the Walt Disney Concert Hall. He called SOS a “It’s not for the faint of heart,” confessed Caden Manson, perfect vehicle to attract an audience that may not be familiar who along with writer Jemma Nelson leads the New York with how far the boundaries of theater can be pushed. company that is celebrating its 10-year anniversary with five “It’s pretty far out there,” said Lugg. “I think people who performances of SOS at REDCAT April 8- 12. “It’s pretty viare interested in visual art and media and film and cinema sually aggressive on the audience.” and performance art will probably be more engaged in the The production is both a critique and a celebration of a mework than people who come from a more traditional theater dia-saturated society, and is meant to pose questions that may background looking for a beginning, middle and end. or may not have answers. It’s chaotic, with nine performers, “It’s a lot to take in and it’s designed to be a bit much to two musicians, eight projection surfaces and 22 cameras that take in. It’s a really saturated experience designed to overboth capture and instantly broadcast the performance. whelm the senses. It jumps in with this aggressive tone and It’s an attack on the senses, and like when surfing the just keeps going.”

Internet, Manson admits that with all that will be presented, The constant movement and aggressive tack reflects the the audience will be forced to pick and choose what they see. pace of today’s technology-saturated world, Manson said. He “There are kinds of storylines the audience can follow, but noted that every second of the piece includes movement. if they follow it like a play it won’t unfold like they want it to,” And unlike most performances, the audience is invited to parManson said. “We think about the audience as ticipate in ways that would annoy most companies. active editors; they’re editing the piece themselves.

“You know how theaters always have that anThere’s so much to look at, to take in, that they nouncement to turn off your phones?” asked really have to choose what they want to pay attenManson. “We don’t have that. We have the tion to.” exact opposite announcement. Leave your The experimental performance company was phones on, feel free to take photos, talk to your founded in 1999 with the purpose of mixing friends. I dare you.” technology with visual arts, music and theater.

While conventional wisdom says technology is They have since produced eight pieces that have dominated by the youth, Manson believes SOS is touched on issues such as consumerism, violence a piece any age group can relate to. and pop culture.

“Moms are Twittering, they’re tracking their The newest work, SOS, is about sacrifice and kids on their cell phones. It’s a universal theme,” how to create new beginnings, Nelson said.

Manson said.

“What this play is investigating is what it “Part of our work is saying that there is no way means to exist within a hyper-consumerist soto extricate ourselves,” Nelson chimed in. “We ciety, a society that is so saturated with images, recognize we are all image consumers and image items and ideas and to ask if it’s possible one can producers as well.” free himself from that kind of saturation and “We’re the monster we are so afraid of,” what would be involved in getting out of that,” Manson added. he said.

SOS runs April 8-12 at REDCAT, 631 W. Second “The play doesn’t necessarily answer that St., (213) 237-2800 or redcat.org.

Caden Manson/Big Art Group performs SOS, a production which celebrates and question. It’s a question that it poses and strugContact Richard Guzman at critiques modern technology. Audience members are asked to leave their cell phones on. gles with.” richard@downtownnews.com. city editor

T

photos courtesy of REDCAT

April 6, 2009

16 Downtown News

John Fante Continued from page 1 Kipen and other literary experts are not sure why Fante, who died in 1983 at 74, has largely evaded mainstream readers, but he and other enthusiasts plan to give the author his due at the April 7 Zocalo event at the Hammer Museum in Westwood.

They are not alone. On April 8, in true Fante style, existing and perhaps future fans will celebrate the writer on his would-be 100th birthday at the King Edward Saloon at Fifth and Los Angeles streets. The Skid Row hole-in-the-wall is the last remaining tavern that Fante was known to frequent.

The bar figures in Fante’s standout novel Ask the Dust, which was made into a film by director Robert Towne in 2006. In the book, Fante’s semi-autobiographical protagonist Arturo Bandini finds himself in love with a MexicanAmerican waitress, Camilla Lopez.

Bandini, a young, aspiring writer who idolizes publisher H.L. Mencken, crafts Lopez a love poem, only to watch from afar as she rips it to pieces. Dejected, Bandini strolls to the “King Edward Cellar” in hopes of erasing Camilla from his mind while wasting his latest paycheck on the Midwestern bar girls.

Beyond Bunker Hill Fante was born in Colorado in 1909 to an Italian-born father and an Italian-American mother. In 1929, he moved to Los Angeles.

While Ask the Dust is his most popular novel, the story was actually written after 1938’s Wait Until Spring, Bandini, the first of what would become a four-part series chronicling the escapades of Arturo Bandini. The last book, Dreams From Bunker Hill, wasn’t published until 1982. Other works include The Brotherhood of the Grape and My Dog Stupid.

Besides the King Edward, not many locations mentioned in Fante’s work still exist, especially when it comes to Bunker Hill, said Richard Schave, a Los Angeles historian and Zocalo co-panelist whose bus tour company Esotouric also leads an annual John Fante ride. Much of the community’s homes were razed to make way for the office building boom of the 1970s and ’80s.

“Everything’s gone,” Schave said. “Nothing remains.”

April 6, 2009

DowntownNews.com

photos courtesy of Victoria Fante Cohen

In many of Fante’s stories, the character Arturo Bandini was in Downtown, stopping at places like the Grand Central Market and La Placita Church on Olvera Street.

Even Angels Flight in Fante’s day landed at Third and Hill streets, one block away from its current location (the funicular moved when it reopened in 1996). Perhaps the only original piece of Fante’s Bunker Hill that remains is a chunk of stone retaining wall still visible on Olive Street, Schave said.

But readers will recognize more Arturo Bandini haunts in the flats of Downtown Los Angeles: Still standing are La Placita Church on Olvera Street, where Bandini is propositioned by a prostitute in Ask the Dust, and Bandini’s go-to place for cheap oranges, Grand Central Market.

As the young, fame-hungry (but usually, just hungry)

Bandini navigates Downtown, it is not really the plot that keeps readers interested, Kipen said.

“Fante was not a great storyteller,” he said. “What you love Fante for is the flavor of his prose, and when you can write prose like Fante’s, when even the lines that don’t have exclamation points demand to be sung aloud and savored, then you don’t really need to be a great storyteller, an inventor.”

His style is evident throughout Ask the Dust, but perhaps no passage is more frequently quoted than Fante’s plea to the spirit of Los Angeles: “Los Angeles, give me some of you! Los Angeles come to me the way I came to you, my feet over your streets, you pretty town I loved you so much, you sad flower in the sand, you pretty town!”

Nearly 70 years later, it seems that the city is still playing hard to get: Fante’s daughter, Victoria Fante Cohen, said she often gets raised eyebrows and blank stares when she tells people her father is the writer. But in the small mountain town of Torricella Peligna, Italy, where Fante’s father was born, the local library is named after the author and he is celebrated with an annual festival, Fante Cohen said.

“The sad thing for me is that he’s so beautifully recognized in Italy and published in so many countries, but he is an American writer, a California writer,” said Fante Cohen, who lives in Malibu. “He should be read and recognized everywhere.”

That hope could materialize, as Fante’s family reached a deal last week with the UCLA Library to purchase the author’s original manuscripts, letters and special archives, Fante Cohen said. Until now, Fante’s archives have been locked in a storage facility, she said.

With his archives to be included in the library’s special collections and this week’s centennial events, Fante Cohen is optimistic that her father’s legacy will grow deeper into the Los Angeles fabric.

“It’s too bad there isn’t a plaque where Angels Flight will be once [it reopens], or even on that corner,” she said. “There should be some reference to John Fante’s street.”

The Zocalo Public Square event is April 7 at 7 p.m. at the Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd. The King Edward Saloon, where friends and fans will gather on April 8 from 8-10 p.m. to raise a glass to Fante on his 100th birthday, is at 131 E. Fifth St. Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.

Curated by Kyungmi Shin April 10 — May 29 Weekdays 12 - 4PM 7+FIG Art Space · 735 South Figueroa Street · Los Angeles Ideas of paradise (an artificially created environment) and utopia (an ideal society) are explored through a variety of media including drawing, photography, video, animation, architectural proposal, sculptural installation and performance.

pe rf orm a nc e s

Liz Glynn and mariechen Danz ·

All EVENTS ArE FrEE!

Todd Gray · amy Green and Kyungmi shin · Jen Liu · Jen Liu

April 9, 6–9 pm pablo manzarek and Todd Gray create an electronic and acoustic soundscape with live african drumming, keyboards, white noise, sound loops and video projection.

mAy 14, 6–9 pm Liz Glynn and mariechen Danz’s installation culminates in a performance piece using chant, movement and action.

free parKInG

and marte eknaes · christine nguyen · Guan rong · Julie shafer · myriam Thyes · marc frohn and Illaria mazzoleni

InformaTIon: www.7fig.com · (213) 955-7150 · ArtslA@brookfieldproperties.com

April 6, 2009

Downtown News 17

SearchDowntownLA.com

LISTINGS EVENTS Monday, april 6 ALOUD at the Central Library 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7025 or aloudla.org.

7 p.m.: Native son Mark Arax spent four years traveling the breadth of the Golden State to explore its singular place in the world. From the marijuana growing capital of the U.S. to the town that inspired “The Grapes of Wrath,” Arax offers a stunning panorama of California in a new century in “West of the West: Dreamers, Believers, Builders and Killers in the Golden State.”

photo c ourtesy of Farmlab/Fiscus Rescue

r u

fo

Tuesday, April 7, marks a night of premieres at Walt Disney Concert Hall. No, we’re not talking about the next installment of Iron Man, but rather some never-before-heard works by five composers, performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group. The lineup includes an original work by Phil Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen, titled Floof (no, it is not about a poodle). Expect this to be a hot ticket, as Salonen is winding down his time with the orchestra. 111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 850-2000 or laphil.com.

photo c ourtesy of LA Live

Friday, april 10 John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Awards Los Angeles Athletic Club, 431 W. Seventh St., (213) 630-5231 or woodenaward.com.

6:30 p.m.: The Los Angeles Athletic Club hosts the annual John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award; dinner and gala, which this year will honor coach Rick Barnes of the University of Texas. Tickets are $85.

Free Digital Photography Classes Angelus Plaza, 255 S. Hill St. Room 316, (213) 6234352, ext. 317.

Continued on page 18

3

Who doesn’t love free food? And when it comes in the form of local sushi and sweets, well, yum.

On Saturday, April 11, the Japanese American National Museum continues its series of Targetsponsored, free family-friendly days with the theme “What’s Cooking?” The event that takes place from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. will feature Brian Kito, proprietor of Little Tokyo’s 106-year-old Fugetsu-Do sweet shop, and experts from the Sushi Chef Institute will lead parents and children in a workshop, a mochi demonstration and a sushi-making demonstration. 100 N. Central Ave., (213) 625-0414 or janm.org.

5

Treat yourself to some “Stories of the Street” on Friday and Saturday, April 10-11, when legendary singer-songwriter (not to mention poet and novelist) Leonard Cohen comes to the 7,100-seat Nokia Theatre at L.A. Live. Last year marked a return to the stage for Cohen after a long hiatus, and the four decades worth of tunes he has churned out since his 1967 debut, Songs of Leonard Cohen, should provide for plenty of unpredictable fun. Shows start at 8 p.m. 777 Chick Hearn Court, (213) 763-6030 or nokiatheatrelalive.com.

Contact Anna Scott at anna@downtownnews.com.

photo courtesy of JANM

History and tragedy are the topics of the day at Farmlab on Friday, April 10, at noon. Bill Deverell, director of the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West, is the latest speaker in Farmlab’s public salon series, leading a discussion titled, “Little Girl Lost: The Kathy Fiscus Tragedy and Modern California.” The talk focuses on the case of 3-year-old Kathy Fiscus, who 60 years ago tragically fell into a well. 1745 N. Spring St., Unit 4, (323) 226-1158 or farmlab.org.

Wednesday, april 8 SCI-Arc Lecture Series 960 E. Third St., (213) 356-5328 or sciarc.edu. In the W. M. Keck Lecture Hall.

April 8, 7 p.m.: “American Gothic” from Jason Payne, who has worked as project designer for Reiser + Umemoto/RUR Architects and Daniel Libeskind Studio and co-partnered the award winning office Gnuform, best known for the NGTV Bar (2006 AIA Design Award) and the 2006 PS1 entry, “Purple Haze.”

Toasting John Fante King Edward Saloon, 131 E. Fifth St. 8 p.m.: Literature heads and devotees of Los Angeles lore will gather for a casual evening at the lone surviving Skid Row bar known to have been frequented by the late John Fante, author of “Ask the Dust” and other L.A.-centric novels, who would have turned 100 on April 8. There’s no event program or speakers panel, just cheap beer and fraternizing with Fante fans.

Thursday, april 9 Reading at Metropolis Books 440 S. Main St., (213) 612-0174 or metropolisbooksla.com.

7 p.m.: The shop hosts a fivesome of Downtown poets: Richard Macdowell, Blackbird, Tiger Moon, Jennifer Campbell and Sarah Cruse.

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

12:15-1 p.m.: Career counselor Kathy Bailon from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising appears with tips on writing a successful resume.

Downtown Art Walk Info and map at downtownartwalk.com.

Noon-9 p.m.: The Downtown Art Walk is a selfguided tour that showcases the many art exhibition venues in Downtown Los Angeles — commercial art galleries, museums and nonprofit art venues.

Walk, or ride one of Esotouric’s curated shuttles — the Hippodrome and Hazard’s Pavilion — for free between 6 and 9 p.m.

All About Business Loans 315 W. Ninth St., Suite #501, (818) 552-3321 or vedc.org.

4-5pm: In this free workshop, learn about the different financing options available to your business and how the loan process works. The session explores the use of funds, interest rates and other pertinent information for different types of business loans.

Poetry at LA Artcore 120 Judge John Aiso St., (213) 617-3274 or laartcore.org.

5-8 p.m.: L.A. Artcore presents “Five Voices,” an evening of poetry in conjunction with the ongoing exhibition “West Southwest: ABQ-LA Exchange.”

Curated by Richard Modiano, features editor of the online poetry journal Poetix, the event features L.A. poets Jamie O’Halloran, Fernando Castro, Doraine Poretz, Rafael Alvarado and Corrie Greathouse.

1

by AnnA Scott, StAff writer

While much of the news these days revolves around domestic issues, namely the economy, on Wednesday, April 8, the public lecture series Zocalo Public Square hosts a discussion dedicated to American foreign policy. Leslie H. Gelb, the president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations and a former New York Times correspondent, will appear to explain how American power works and how it should be used in a tumultuous world. The event at the Central Library begins at 7:30 p.m.; reservations recommended. 630 W. Fifth St., zocalopublicsquare.org.

photo c ourtesy of Zocalo

Tuesday, april 7 ALOUD at the Central Library 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7025 or aloudla.org.

April 7, 7 p.m.: B.H. Fairchild and Elise Paschen read poems that celebrate how the humble — the work of a machine shop, the duties of a home — is exalted by attention and care, just as their poems are distinguished by thoughtfulness, gratitude and a deep concern for the well-made phrase.

Serious Talk, Japanese Treats and Heartbreaking Songs

18 Downtown News

April 6, 2009

DowntownNews.com

But Wait, There’s More!

Additional Event Information on the Web

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

Listings Continued from page 17 10 a.m. – noon: Through a partnership with Little Tokyo’s DISKovery Learning Center, Angelus Plaza will offer a series of three beginner digital photography classes. Students, who need to bring their own digital cameras, will learn how to download and upload photos onto a computer and how to enhance their images using photo software. The class will also be offered on April 17 and 24.

Farmlab Public Salons 1745 N. Spring St. #4, (323) 226-1158 or farmlab.org.

Noon: On a bright Southern California day 60 years ago, three-year-old Kathy Fiscus was playing in a field and tumbled into an old well. Her tragic ordeal caught the attention of the world, as wouldbe rescuers worked around the clock to save her.

William Deverell, director of the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West, will explore the Fiscus tragedy in all its detail and pose questions about how post-World War II California saw itself and was, in turn, seen by the nation.

Saturday, April 11 What’s Cooking at the Japanese American National Museum 100 N. Central Ave., (213) 625-0414 or janm.org Noon – 3 p.m.: Brian Kito, proprietor of the 106-year-old Fugetsu-Do confectionary business, and instructors from the Sushi Chef Institute will give live culinary demonstrations that will include the opportunity to taste the food. Think homemade mochi and rainbow stir fry. Free.

Sunday, April 12 Easter Fest for Kids New Los Angeles Theater, 514 S. Spring St., 213.471.2415 or newcitychurchla.com.

10 a.m. – 3 p.m.: New City Church of Los Angeles, a new church in Downtown, hosts an Easter extravaganza for kids, featuring an Easter egg hunt, bounce house, face painting, bubbles, arts and crafts and food. There is free validated parking at the Joe’s Auto Parks at 530 S. Spring St. Sustainable Sundays at the Natural History Museum 900 Exposition Blvd., (213) 763-DINO or nhm.org.

10 a.m. - 4 p.m.: In this Sustainable Sundays event, NHM scientists, a film director and local environmentalists will talk trash — literally. There will be a screening of the short film “Trashed,” a road trip through the strange afterlife of our garbage, then Leslie Harris, NHM Annelida Polychaetes Collections Manager, will discuss the problem of plastics in the ocean, how we can convert those materials, and how to recycle and conserve other plastics.

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

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

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

Café Metropol 923 E. Third St., (213) 613-1537 or cafemetropol.com.

April 10: Jens Kuross Gunfighter is lead by drummer Jens Kuross.

April 11: Drummer David Ashkenazy snuggles up to his snare drum, as his band fills out some jazzy tunes.

Casey’s Irish Bar and Grill 613 S. Grand Ave., (213) 629-2353 or bigcaseys.com.

Friday: Fridays are for fiddles, as the bar hosts live Irish music.

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

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

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

April 7, 8 p.m.: America’s first-ever hard rock and heavy metal music award show, the Epiphone Revolver Golden Gods Awards. Hatebreed and Killswitch Engage with All That Remains and Suicide Silence.

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

April 7: British soul star, Omar.

April 11: Congero Angel Lebron plays at Plata.

April 12: Top notch Mariachi sounds from K-Paz y Dareyes De La Sierra.

Nokia Theatre 777 Chick Hearn Court, (213) 763-6000 or nokiatheatrelalive.com.

April 10 and 11, 8 p.m.: The iconic Leonard Cohen.

Pete’s Café and Bar 400 N. Main St., (213) 618-1759 or petescafe.com.

Tuesdays, 10 p.m.-1 a.m.: Pablo Calogero and Fabiano Nacimento play Brazilian jazz.

Redwood Bar & Grill 316 W. Second St., (213) 680-2600 or theredwoodbar.com.

April 6, 10 p.m.: Jake LaBotz, praised by Tatoo Magazine for his “sadder than hell balladry, razor sharp testifying, storied takes on loneliness, beatnikon-the-Mexican-border music, coffeehouse chic.”

April 7, 10 p.m.: Deep-rooted country from Mike Stinson and Dave Gleason.

April 8, 10 p.m.: Paging Beto, which features members of Social Distortion, The Blasters and Top Jimmy, continues its April residency with its power blues sound.

April 9, 10 p.m.: The Doghouse Lords, with Rumble King.

April 10, 10 p.m.: Johnny Witmer’s Medicine Show, with the Morlocks, the Living Sickness and the Hitz.

April 11, 10 p.m.: Lady Dottie and the Diamonds is fronted by, of course, Lady Dottie, “a 60-something blues queen with more swagger than Space Ghost,” Redwood says. With the Flametrick Subs.

April 12, 10 p.m.: Shipwrecked Sunday’s with Lynda Kay, Mike Stinson, Dave Gleason and Ted Russell Kamp.

Royale 2619 Wilshire Blvd., (213) 388-8488 or royaleonwilshire.com.

Sundays, 9 p.m.-midnight: Rat pack protégé Max Vontaine.

Sheraton L.A. Downtown Hotel 711 S. Hope St., (310) 216-5861.

Fridays: The hotel presents a weekly live jazz night.

CLASSICAL MUSIC Tuesday, April 7 Los Angeles Philharmonic Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave.,

(323) 850-2000 or laphil.org.

8 p.m.: Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group in a night of premieres from Fang, Gee, Clyne and Chapela, and “Floof” by Salonen himself.

Thursday, April 9 Los Angeles Philharmonic Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 850-2000 or laphil.org 8 p.m.: Salonen conducts Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 and his own Violin Concerto. Leila Josefowicz guests.

Friday, April 10 Los Angeles Philharmonic Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 850-2000 or laphil.org.

11 a.m.: See April 9 listing.

Saturday, April 11 Los Angeles Philharmonic Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 850-2000 or laphil.org.

8 p.m.: See April 9 listing.

Sunday, April 12 Los Angeles Philharmonic Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 850-2000 or laphil.org.

2 p.m.: See April 9 listing.

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

Siegmund and soprano Anja Kampe star in “Die Walküre,” the compelling love story between the doomed hero and his soul mate, which features some of Wagner’s most memorable music.

Lydia Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 6282772 or centertheatregroup.org.

April 7-10, 8 p.m.; April 11, 2:30 and 8 p.m.; April 12, 1 and 6:30 p.m.: In “Lydia,” a Mexican-American family is mired in grief and guilt over a daughter tragically disabled. So, the Flores family welcomes Lydia, an undocumented maid, into their El Paso home and is immediately set on a mysterious journey of discovery that threatens to uncover elusive secrets. Through May 17.

SOS REDCAT, 316 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800 or redcat.org April 8-12, 8:30 p.m.: Caden Manson/Big Art Group, the always-provocative New York ensemble has won an international reputation for pushing the limits of performance and video art by lacing its original hall-of-mirrors multimedia stagecraft with flurries of livewire choreographed action. Its latest opus, SOS, employs nine performers, two musicians, a half-dozen projection surfaces and 22 live-edit cameras to mix the worlds of surveillance, cinema and live performance.

FILM

THEATER, OPERA & DANCE The Birds L.A. Opera, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-8001 or laopera.com.

April 11, 7:30 p.m.: Conductor James Conlon continues his exploration of long forgotten masterpieces by the lost generation of composers affected by the Holocaust. Featured in this year’s Recovered Voices series is Walter Braunfels’ The Birds, a lush, late Romantic work reminiscent of Strauss and Wagner. Braunfels freely adapted the ancient Greek comic-dramatist Aristophanes’s play The Birds to compose what he described as an “airy play of imagination...everything here is a game, a metaphor.” Soprano Désirée Rancatore makes her company debut in the role of the Nightingale and Brandon Jovanovich makes his first L.A. Opera appearance in the role of Good Hope.

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

Tuesday-Friday, 10:30 a.m.; Saturday, 2:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2:30 p.m.: Bob Baker brings back an old favorite, “Something to Crow About,” the barnyard themed show featuring handmade, antique marionettes.

Brigadoon USC School of Theatre, (213) 740-2167 or theatre.usc.edu.

April 9-10, 7 p.m.; April 11, 2:30 and 8p.m.; April 11, 2:30 p.m.: The musical fantasy is about a town that disappears into the mist of the Scottish Highlands one day every 100 years.

Die Walküre L.A. Opera, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-8001 or laopera.com.

April 8, 1 p.m.; April 12, 1 p.m.: In round two of the L.A. opera’s Ring cycle, Plácido Domingo as

Downtown Independent 251 S. Main St., www.downtownindependent.com.

Through April 9: Baby on Board (7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.)

Through April 9: The Road to Fondwa (5 p.m.)

April 9 and April 12: What About Me? (7 p.m. and 9 p.m.)

April 10-16: The American Astronaut (8:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.)

Flagship Theatres 3323 S. Hoover St., (213) 748-6321.

Through April 9: Fast & Furious (2:15 p.m., 5 p.m., 7:45 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.); Monsters vs. Aliens – 2D (12:30 p.m., 2:50 p.m., 5:10 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 9:50 p.m.); The Haunting in Connecticut (1 p.m., 3:20 p.m., 5:40 p.m., 8 p.m. and 10:20 p.m.).

Laemmle Theaters Grande 4-Plex 345 S. Figueroa St., (213) 617-0268 or laemmle.com.

Through April 10: Monsters vs. Aliens (5:40 p.m. and 8 p.m.), Knowing (5:10 p.m. and 8 p.m.), Fast & Furious (5:55 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.), Duplicity (5:20 p.m. and 8:10 p.m.).

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

Through June 25: Under the Sea will transport moviegoers to some of the most exotic and isolated undersea locations on Earth, for face-to-face encounters with some of the most mysterious and stunning creatures of the sea. (9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m.).

Through June 25: Wild Ocean 3D captures one of the world’s greatest spectacles. Each year a massive feeding frenzy takes place in the oceans of South Africa as billions of fish migrate up the KwaZulu-Natal Wild Coast. Breaching whales, frenzied sharks, herding dolphins, and diving gannets compete in an epic underwater struggle for survival.

(10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., Sat.-Sun. only 5:30 p.m. ) Continued on page 20

A HAndy MAP RefeRence To food, ATTRAcTions & enTeRTAinMenT F

Where to Eat

_

Where to Shop

§ Where to Live

§F § §

C5 C5 B5

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

229-9777 626-1500 617-3777

§

B8

The Metropolitan Apartments • 950 S. Flower St.

489-3300

EF m C6 FF_ C6 E# # F m B7 F F F

☞ C5

The Millennium Biltmore Hotel • 506 S. Grand Ave. California Plaza II • 4th St. & Grand Ave. • Watercourt • 4th St. & Grand Ave. • Angels Flight Railway • 4th St. & Hill St.

624-1011 687-2001 687-2190 626-1901

Wilshire Grand Hotel • 930 Wilshire Blvd.

• Cardini Ristorante • Seoul Jung • Kyoto

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

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

620-5777

F Where to Office F m D5 P

F D5

F m ☞ C7

§☞

B5

☞ B6 F C2

m Where to Stay

#

Points of Interest

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

629-1200

Frying Fish Restaurant • 120 Japanese Village Plaza Mall

680-0567

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

630-5200

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

680-1720

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

892-8172

CBS Seafood Restaurant • 700 N. Spring St.

617-2323

F C7

Clifton’s Brookdale Restaurant • 648 S. Broadway

627-1673

FF_ C2

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

626-7200

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

624-1200

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

680-5200

E ☞ C8

F# C4

☞ Services F C5

§ P

B3

F NA

§

A7

F C5

P Free Parking with Validation

El Pollo Loco • 260 S. Broadway Orsini Apartments • 505 N. Figueroa St. Gus’s Drive-In • 1657 W. 3rd St. Medici • 725 S. Bixel St. Carl’s Jr. • 254 S. Broadway

626-7975 877-267-5911 483-8885 888-886-3731 625-1357

☞ B7

PIP Printing • 700 Wilshire Blvd.

489-2333

F NA

Tommy’s • 2575 W. Beverly Blvd.

389-9060

7+FIG • 7th & Figueroa Sts.

955-7150

Ernst & Young • 725 S. Figueroa St.

955-7100

P P

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Listings Continued from page 18

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

This small but stylish wine bar welcomes with warm lighting, burgundy-colored walls and a curvy bar where you can sip from more than two dozen wines by the glass. There’s a decent selection of international beers and nearly 70 varietals by the bottle.

The Association 610 S. Main St. Carved out of the back area that used to belong to Cole’s, the bar in front, the Association is a dimly-lit, swank little alcove with some serious mixologists behind the bar.

Banquette 400 S. Main St., (213) 626-2768 or banquette-cafe.com.

This petite cafe and wine bar with its red and white striped awning has become a popular hangout for casual evenings of drinking wine and meeting up with friends. During monthly Art Walks on the second Thursday of the month, Banquette buzzes with almost every kind of Downtown denizen you could imagine. They have a small but lovely selection of wines by the glass as well as beers.

Barbara’s at the Brewery 620 Moulton Ave., No. 110, (323) 221-9204 or barbarasatthebrewery.com.

On the grounds of the Brewery, this bar and restaurant in an unfinished warehouse is where local residents find their artistic sustenance. Beer on tap, wine list and full bar.

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

Inside the keyhole-shaped door, tough-as-nails Derby Dolls vie for elbowroom with crusty old bar guys and a steady stream of Old Bank District inhabitants. Velvet señoritas, deer heads with sunglasses, a wooden Indian and Schlitz paraphernalia plaster the red walls. There’s no shortage of entertainment, with the funky dance room, great DJs and the occasional rock band. In the photo booth, you can capture your mug in old-fashioned black and white. Located just two blocks east of the Pershing Square Metro stop, Bar 107 is open from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week.

Blue Velvet 750 S. Garland St., (213) 239-0061 or bluevelvetrestaurant.com.

Located off a small side street, look for the blue neon sign that says The Flat. This stylish poolside restaurant and lounge in the former Holiday Inn (now a residential building) features sparkling views of Staples Center, a dining room with a 17-foot sunken granite table, and a sleek bar with white stools where you can saddle up cowboy style.

Bonaventure Brewing Company Westin Bonaventure, 404 S. Figueroa St., (213) 236-0802 bbc2go.com.

Where can you get a drink, order some decent bar food, sit outdoors and still feel like you’re Downtown? It’s a tall order to fill, but this bar in the Bonaventure Hotel does it admirably. Sure, the hotel is vaguely ’80s, and you’ll probably encounter some convention goers tying a few on, but it only adds to the fun. Pub Quiz Trivia Night every Wednesday at 8:15 p.m.

Bona Vista Lounge 404 S. Figueroa St., (213) 624-1000 or starwoodhotels.com.

Located in the heart of the Financial District in the landmark Westin Bonaventure Hotel, this revolving cocktail lounge offers a 360-degree view of the city.

Bordello 901 E. First St., (213) 687-3766 bordellobar.com.

If the name doesn’t clue you in, a sultry voiced “madam” on the answering machine lets you know Bordello isn’t exactly for the buttoned-up crowd. This onetime house of ill repute has shed its most recent life as Little Pedro’s with a gussied up interior oozing sex appeal — lush scarlet velvet, ornate black chandeliers and heart-shaped chairs in hidden alcoves.

Broadway Bar 830 S. Broadway, (213) 614-9909 or thebroadwaybar.net.

Located next to the Orpheum Theatre in the Platt Building, the Broadway Bar’s blue neon sign beckons patrons inside to its 50-foot circular bar. The casualchic spot is based on Jack Dempsey’s New York bar, with low lighting and a dose of ’40s glam. There’s a patio upstairs with nice views, and a jukebox.

Casey’s Irish Bar & Grille 613 S. Grand Ave., (213) 629-2353 or bigcaseys.com.

With its worn brick staircase, tin ceilings and dark wood decor, it’s easy to see how this neighborhood bar and grill still works its Irish charm. Regulars cozy up to the 60-foot mahogany bar with a pint of Guinness and a plate of bangers and mash. Casey’s

April 6, 2009

DowntownNews.com has a full menu with six beers on tap and a selection of Belgian ales and microbrews.

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

Every Sunday, the restaurant is transformed into a vintage, old Hollywood-style dance club, with a big band, swank costumes, dinner and cocktails (visit cicadaclub.com).

Ciudad 445 S. Figueroa St., (213) 486-5171 or ciudad-la.com.

Chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger’s Downtown restaurant serves up Latin recipes from Spain and South America. The modern space also hosts a thriving happy hour with live music on the outdoor patio several nights a week. Don’t miss the mojitos.

Club 740 740 S. Broadway, (213) 225-5934 or 740la.com.

This 1920s theater has been transformed into a three-level party playground sprawling over 40,000 square feet. Club 740 is a spectacle with ornate gold balconies, go-go dancers and private skybox lounges. Music includes hip-hop, Latin vibe, Top 40 and indie rock.

Cole’s 118 E. Sixth St., colesfrenchdip.com.

This beloved restaurant saloon has been renovated under new ownership. The great leather booths and dark wood bar of the old spot remain, but now the glasses are clean. Draft beer, historic cocktails, and a short wine list.

Eastside Luv 1835 E. First St., (323) 262-7442 or eastsideluv.com.

A stone’s throw from Mariachi Plaza and all that Metro Line construction, this tucked-away spot features Mexican movie posters on the wall, good beer on tap, regular sangria, live bands, and different from anything to its west, no attitude. e3rd 734 E. Third St., (213) 680-3003 or eastthird.com.

This Asian-style steakhouse with an artsy flavor features a sleek lounge with low, circular tables and a long psychedelic bar that changes colors like a mood ring. There’s a full bar, inventive cocktails (including soju) and a reasonable wine list. DJs spin.

Edison 108 W. Second St., (213) 613-0000, edisondowntown.com.

Downtown history has come full circle in this former power plant turned stunning cocktail bar. The Edison is perhaps Downtown’s hottest hotspot and draws an eclectic crowd, including jaded Hollywood types who can’t help but gawk at the preserved bits of machinery, the huge generator and the coal box that now houses the jukebox.

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

Tucked behind the Chop Suey Café is the Far Bar, where intimacy and a sense of noir L.A. collide.

If you can find the place, which you enter through the back of the café or via a skinny alley a few doors down, you can throw them back in the same spot author Raymond Chandler is rumored to have done the same.

Figueroa Hotel 939 S. Figueroa St., (213) 627-8971 or figueroahotel.com.

The Moroccan-inspired Figueroa Hotel just a block north of Staples Center manages the unique feat of making you feel like you’re in the heart of the city and removed from it at the same time.

The light-filled Veranda Bar is just steps from the clear, glittery pool, and it’s common to see suit-clad Downtowners a few feet from swimsuit-wearing Euro-tourists.

Gallery Bar Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles, 506 S. Grand Ave., (213) 624-1011 or millenniumhotels.com.

This elegant lounge in the Millennium Biltmore Hotel is known for its martinis, wines and vintage ports.

Genji Bar Kyoto Grand Hotel and Gardens, 120 Los Angeles St., (213) 253-9255 or kyotograndhotel.com.

The Genji Bar offers a hip, private karaoke room that you and a dozen or so of your friends can rent for about $10 a piece. It’s got new songs, old songs, odd songs and songs that you wish no one would sing. It also means you can warble “Sweet Home Alabama” all you want without the agonizing wait.

Golden Gopher 417 W. Eighth St., (213) 614-8001 or goldengopherbar.com.

This stylish, dimly lit space with exposed brick walls, chandeliers and golden gopher lamps has a rockin’ jukebox, cheap Pabst Blue Ribbon and an outdoor lounge for smokers. Best of all, it also has Ms. Pac Man and Galaga. The bar also has a rare take-out liquor counter.

Grand Star Jazz Club 943 Sun Mun Way, (213) 626-2285.

Firecracker club heats things up every other Friday atop the Quon Brothers’ Grand Star. Start the

evening at the latter, where the lapu lapus are wicked strong. There’s usually alternating karaoke and a good jazz trio. Upstairs you’ll find the hip-hop haven known as Firecracker, a longtime dance club with good music and an eclectic, lively crowd.

Hop Louie 950 Mei Ling Way (Central Plaza), (213) 628-4244.

This is old school Chinatown, on the ground floor of the Hop Louie Restaurant, with slightly indifferent bartenders and décor — it’s actually a relief.

J Restaurant & Lounge 1119 S. Olive St., (213) 746-7746 or jloungela.com.

Once the site of the historic Little J’s, this South Park lounge a stone’s throw from Staples Center now offers signature cocktails, cigars, beer and about 20 wines by the glass. The sprawling space is highlighted by a 10,000-square-foot outdoor patio featuring cozy cabanas, a glowing fire pit and a 30-foot granite bar. Happy hour is from 5 p.m. until sunset all summer long.

La Cita 336 S. Hill St., (213) 687-7111.

Though the owners of Echo Park’s Short Stop bought it, little has changed. Everything in this former Mexican Ranchero bar oozes red, from the vinyl booths lining the wall to the glowing light fixtures. Hipsters, Latino regulars and artists mingle as DJs get their groove on during the week. Saturday and Sunday bring Hacienda Nights with traditional Ranchero music.

La Fonda 2501 Wilshire Blvd., (213) 380-5053 or lafondala.com.

The palatial restaurant and stage has re-opened.

Live performances by the Mariachi Monumental de America plays nightly at 7 p.m., 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. The restaurant is open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Library Bar 630 W. Sixth St., (213) 614-0053 or librarybarla.com.

This dimly lit bar is more upscale than your typical pub, which means you won’t find a boisterous USC crowd here. A very busy happy hour draws associates from the law firm across the street, as well as bankers, secretaries and other professionals for the grown-up beer and wine selections. There’s a full bar, but the main attractions are the seven craft beers on tap.

Mayan 1038 S. Hill St., (213) 746-4287 or clubmayan.com.

A multi-level nightclub in the refurbished Mayan Theatre features Latin dance, Spanish rock, house and tropical music on the main floor. Upstairs, its ’80s music, KROQ selections, disco, hip-hop and R&B. McCormick & Schmick’s 633 W. Fifth St., Fourth Floor, (213) 629-1929 or mccormickandschmicks.com.

With a bar, adjoining dining rooms and patio where patrons can take in the dazzling skyline, this is a longtime Downtown happy hour scene, and one of its most festive. The drinks come quick, and the food specials are unbeatable — formidable burgers and appetizers for mere dollars.

Moody’s Bar and Grille Los Angeles Marriott Downtown, 333 S. Figueroa St., (213) 617-1133 or marriott.com.

Located in the lobby of the Los Angeles Marriott Downtown, Moody’s is a traditional sports bar, serving pub grub from steaks to sandwiches.

Morton’s The Steakhouse, Bar 12·12 735 S. Figueroa St., (213) 553-4566 or mortons.com.

Sinatra croons and cocktails chill. And during Power Hour, bar bites are $5, Mon.-Fri. from 4:306:30 p.m. and 9:30-11 p.m.

Mountain Bar 475 Gin Ling Way, (213) 625-7500 or themountainbar.com.

There’s something to be said for a spot that’s a bit tricky to find. No matter. Your hard work will be rewarded with an extra strong drink at this artsy Chinatown haven decked out with stunning light fixtures, red bleeding walls and post-modern decor.

The second level features a dance floor. There’s usually an art show every month, and weekly DJs. The Must 118 W. Fifth St., (213) 627-1162.

It’s new to the neighborhood, but The Must already feels like a neighborhood spot. With a creative bar list, artisan beers on tap, sangria plus great happy hour and food specials, it’s a welcome addition.

O Bar & Kitchen O Hotel, 819 S. Flower St., (213) 623-9904 or ohotelgroup.com.

Surrounded by warm orange walls and exposed brick, try California-inspired Mediterranean tapas and relax with a house cocktail or specialty martini.

Oiwake 122 Japanese Village Plaza Mall, (213) 628-2678.

The first karaoke restaurant and bar in Downtown boasts a monster songbook.

Point Moorea Wilshire Grand Hotel, 930 Wilshire Blvd., (213) 8335100 or wilshiregrand.com.

Step into the South Pacific at this casual drinking bar that was voted the area’s best place to meet sin-

gles by this newspaper. The gathering spot features a grand bar, a martini bar, the Harem Room and a daily happy hour from 5-7 p.m.

Redwood Bar & Grill 316 W. Second St., (213) 680-2600 or theredwoodbar.com.

This maritime-inspired tavern is decked out in nautical gear, including fishing nets and floats, weathered wooden planks and the stumps of dock timbers. A rusty anchor and reproductions of pirate flags adorn the ceiling of the entryway. DJs spin in a backroom while a high-tech jukebox churns out everything from the Clash to Frank Sinatra.

Royal Clayton’s Pub 1855 Industrial St., (213) 622-0512 or royalclaytonstavern.com.

This stylish Gothic-Industrial restaurant on the ground floor of the Toy Factory Lofts has a laidback vibe and no Hollywood scene in sight. Drinks are strong, the lighting is soft and the short ribs are insane. There’s a tavern menu after 10 p.m. to keep you going as you play pool or listen to the nightly DJs spin everything from Euro grooves to ’80s anthems.

Royale 2619 Wilshire Blvd., (213) 985-0676 or royaleonwilshire.com.

Set in the historic Wilshire Royale Hotel on Downtown’s western fringe, Royale restaurant has created a Roaring ’20s cocktail lounge with a modern twist. During the week, check out Happy Hour Remixed (5-8 p.m.), where a bar menu features items from $4-$9 including crispy pork spareribs, sea bass carpaccio and a beefy Royale burger. There are also $4 well drinks and draft beer, and delicious $5 martinis to enjoy while you listen to the DJ music or lounge in a 35-seat booth.

Sabor 847 S. Union Ave., (213) 388-3311, saborlounge.com.

This neighborhood watering hole hosts hardcore metal music, cheap beer and a smoky patio outside.

Seven Grand 515 W. Seventh St., (213) 614-0737 A neon stag head near Seventh Street and Grand Avenue marks the entrance to this high-end whiskey lounge. At the top of a staircase you’ll find a diorama with a gun-toting hunter, one of several quirky elements that also include bejeweled crows in the ladies room, plaid fabric, and plenty of stag and elk imagery. More than 120 whiskeys are displayed behind the stunning backlit bar, and the expert mixologists whip up some truly amazing cocktails (happy hour prices apply all day Monday). A smoker’s patio is onsite. The action around the pool table is always lively and there’s a nice lineup of live music.

Standard Hotel 550 S. Flower St., (213) 892-8080 or standardhotel.com.

Despite only a few short years in operation, you can pretty much consider the Standard hotel’s rooftop bar a local nightlife veteran. From buttoned-up office workers who flock to the space for happy hour drinks to the swanked-out late-night crowd, the place is always buzzing. Floating amid the surreal skyline, the mod lounge features pod-shaped cabanas, vibrating waterbeds, super hot bartenders and lots of beautiful people.

Suede Bar and Lounge Westin Bonaventure, 404 S. Figueroa St., (213) 4893590 or suedebarla.com.

This new, crimson-toned pocket has a happy hour Monday through Friday from 4-8 p.m. There are small plates, cigars and a smoking patio.

Takami & Elevate Lounge 811 Wilshire Blvd., 21st floor, (213) 236-9600 or elevatelounge.com.

This former 1960s office suite is split between the 130-seat restaurant on the east and a stylish lounge on the west. The modern Japanese aesthetic with warm wood tables, leather floors, low lounge seating and striking sculptural pieces makes an immediate impression, though not nearly as much as the wall-to-wall windows and endless views. The stylish lounge features VIP seating, a dance floor, two bars and DJs spinning nightly. Valet available after 6 p.m. nightly (Wilshire/Lebanon).

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

CAN’T AFFORD a washer & dryer? Yes You Can! New - Brand Name Washer & Dryers – No Cost!!! Quantities are Limited. Log on Now for Details: www.FreeOfferWD.com. (CalSCAN)

Cleaning CONCEPTO’S CLEANING Crew. Professional, experienced, cleans apartments, homes, offices and restaurants.

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

Music lessons

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SCOOP downtownnews.com

Elegant Apartment Living Dramatic Downtown Views

LEGAL

Computer

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

ITEMS FOR SALE Misc. Items TWO VOGUE TIRES yellowwhite wall. size 225-60-16 $250.00. Call 23-487-1303

ANNOUNCEMENTS donations JUST $5 can make you feel good. www.homelessinamerica. blogspot.com. Make donations at www.servantsofthefather.org/ donation.

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

AUTOS & RECREATIONAL 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. (CalSCAN) DONATE YOUR VEhICLE! Receive Free Vacation Voucher.

United Breast Cancer Foundation. Free Mammograms, Breast Cancer Info www.ubcf. info Free Towing, Tax Deductible, Non-Runners Accepted, 1-888-468-5964. (Cal-SCAN)

Sell your items under $300.

12 words, 2 weeks, it’s FREE!

213-481-1448

Luxury Rooms in Downtown Monthly Rents Start at $780 1 & 2 Rooms Available • Fully Furnished • 100% Utilities Paid • • Refrigerator, Microwave & TV In Each Room • • Wireless Access Throughout Bldg. • Gym • • Close to USC & Loyola Law School • • Presidential Suite with Kitchen • Parking Available Onsite

Special STUDeNT RaTe! • Luxurious interior upgrades including granite & marble countertops, stainless steel appliances & a washer / dryer in every apartment home • Business Center complete with study library, computer center and conference room

$690 1 person

Mayfair Hotel

*All Specials are subject to change.

ThePiero.com Do you have something to sell? ifieds get results!

With a circulation of 49,000, our class

Ad prices

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

(Marketplace and Automotive Categories ONLY):

• Items under $300…12 words, 2 weeks FrEE! • Items $301 to $500…15 words, only $11.50 • Items $501 to $1200…15 words, only $14.00 • Items $1201 to $2000…15 words, only $16.50 • Items $2001+…15 words, only $19.00

Restrictions: Offer good on private party ads only.

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

Certain classifications excluded.

Deadline: Thursday at noon for next issue.

State Check $

Zip Credit Card $

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$570/month

income & other restrictions apply.

Call 213.626.1743 or stop by for a tour

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

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

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

Information available to qualified prospective tenants.

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

• View our website for additional details and SPECIALS Up to 2 months Free*

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

On-site laundry, free utilities, indiv. bathrooms, 24 hr. security & pet friendly. Close to metro, restaurants, farmers market & supermarket. Units starting at

Available Immediately

• 24-hour doorman, concierge services Gated community with FREE reserved parking

616 St. Paul Avenue

is Now Leasing!

1256 West 7th street

• Fitness Center including saunas, steam & tanning rooms

Piero

at 501 S. Spring St.

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

• Jr. Olympic-size pool & spa with gorgeous city views & expansive sun decks

877.223.1494

the alexandria

PRE-SOLICITATION NOTICE Parking Operation and Management Services RFP No. NP 6225 The Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles, California (“CRA/LA”) plans to issue Request for Proposals No. NP 6225 (“RFP”) seeking interested and qualified parking management and operation firms, individuals, and/or joint ventures for parking management and operation services for the CRA/LA-owned Public Parking Facility at 988 North hill Street in the Chinatown Redevelopment Project Area.

The RFP No. NP 6225 will be available for downloading on or after April 3, 2009 on the CRA/LA Website at www. crala.org. The CRA/LA plans to hold a MANDATORY ON-SITE walk-through and pre-proposal meeting to discuss this RFP on April 20, 2009 at 10 A.M. at the Public Parking Facility at 420 Bernard Street. This preproposal meeting will take place on the roof top of the Parking Facility.

Additional information regarding this MANDATORY ON-SITE meeting will be posted on the CRA/LA Website. Proposals for this RFP will be due on May 4, 2009.

Qualified and interested firms, individuals, and/or joint ventures interested in attending the MANDATORY ON-SITE meeting should RSVP to Ms. Donna Yep, Contracts Officer by e-mail to dyep@cra.lacity.org or by facsimile at (213) 626-0090 with complete company name, address and contact information. All inquiries about this RFP or for placement on the Registered List for this RFP, should be directed to Ms. Yep by e-mail.

4/6/09 CNS-1557070#

Furnished single unit with kitchenette, bathroom.

Excellent location.

Downtown LA. Weekly rate $275 inc.

Civil summons SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES NO. KC 053121 PLAINTIFF: RAFAEL CASTILLO; JOSE FLORES; VANESSA ZAMORA; KENIA FLORES, A MINOR,

BY VANESSA ZAMORA, HER GUARDIAN AD LITEM VS DEFENDANT: RENEE BELL; ENTERPRISE RENT-A-CAR; JOHN DOE AND DOES 1-20, INCLUSIVE You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you. Your written response must be in proper legal form, if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online Self-help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form.

If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court. There are other legal

Exclusively Downtown Since 2001,

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(2 blocks west of San Pedro St.)

Monthly from $595 utilities paid.

(213) 612-0348

PubLIC NOTICE

EXPOSITION METRO LINE CONSTRUCTION AUTHORITY FTA FINAL ADDENDUM RECORD OF DECISION The Federal Transportation Administration has issued an Addendum to its Record of Decision (ROD) for the Expo Light Rail Line. The ROD includes the addition of the (USC)/Expo Park station, the new aerial Venice/Robertson station and structure and the Environmental Determination for the Proposed Expo Storage and Inspection Facility at the Metro Blue Line Satellite Yard. The full ROD can be read and downloaded by visiting BuildExpo.org. or by scheduling an appointment to come view the document at the Authority offices at 707 Wilshire Blvd., 34th Floor, Los Angeles, California 90017. To schedule an appointment call (213)243-5500.

April 6, 2009

Downtown News 23

DowntownNews.com

requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away.

If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www. lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association.

STATEMENT OF DAMAGES (Personal Injury or Wrongful Death) PLAINTIFF: RAFAEL CASTILLO Seeks damages in the aboveentitled action, as follows: 1.GENERAL DAMAGES a. Pain, suffering, and inconvenience: $12,000.00 b. Emotional distress: $12,000.00 2. SPECIAL DAMAGES a. Medical expenses: $3,745.00 b. Future medical expenses: $1,000.00 c. Loss of earnings: $1,500.00 PLAINTIFF: JOSE FLORES Seeks damages in the aboveentitled action, as follows: 1. GENERAL DAMAGES a. Pain, suffering, and inconvenience: $5,000.00

b. Emotional distress: $5,000.00 2. SPECIAL DAMAGES a. Medical expenses: 3,915.00 b. Future medical expenses: $1,500.00 PLAINTIFF: VANESSA ZAMORA Seeks damages in the aboveentitled action, as follows: 1. GENERAL DAMAGES a. Pain, suffering, and inconvenience: $5,500.00 b. Emotional distress: $5,500.00 2. SPECIAL DAMAGES a. Medical expenses: $3,970.00 b. Future medical expenses: $ 1,500.00 PLAINTIFF: KENIA FLORES, by and through her Guardian Ad Litem Vanessa Zamora Seeks damages in the aboveentitled action, as follows: 1. GENERAL DAMAGES a. Pain, suffering, and inconvenience: $1,500.00 b. Emotional distress: $1,500.00 2. SPECIAL DAMAGES a. Medical expenses: $575.00 b. Future medical expenses: $250.00 Dated: July 31, 2008 The name and address of the court is: POMONA COURTHOUSESOUTH(EAST DISTRICT) 400 CIVIC CENTER PLAZA POMONA, CA 91766 Case Number: KC053121 Dated: June 16,2008 John A Clarke, Clerk

E. Leon, Deputy The name, address, telephone number, and fax number of Plaintiff’s attorney is: THE LAW OFFICES OF ARTHUR G. LESMEZ BERNARD WARE, ESQ (SBN 159833) A Professional Corporation 854 Pico Boulevard Santa Monica, CA 90405-1325 Telephone: 310-399-1111 Fax: 310-399-3299 Pub. 4/06, 4/13, 4/20, 4/27/09 Fictitious Business Name Fictitious Business name statement File no. 20090459681 The following persons doing business as: SIX-GUN ANTHEM, 1636 Sheridan Road, Glendale CA, 91206 is hereby registered by the following regis-

trants: (1) SASHA BOGHOSIAN, 1636 Sheridan Road, Glendale, CA 91206. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrants has not began to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed.

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on March 31, 2009.

NOTICE—This fictitious name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et. seq. Business and Professions Code).

Pub. 4/6, 4/13, 4/20, 4/27/2009

TWO MONTHS FREE!

starting at $1645 On Spring St.

Offices • Offices • Offices • Offices

Spring Tower Lofts:

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Premiere Towers:

2 bdrms/2 bath, $1600/mo. • 1 bdrms, $1300/mo. • Rooftop garden terrace/GYM w/city view • 24 hr. doorman • free (1) parking Burbank • Brentwood Century City • Downtown L.A. Woodland Hills Locations Nationwide Beautiful Offices For As Little As $400 Fully Furnished/Corporate ID Programs Flexible Terms/All New Suites Services Include: • Reception • Mail • T-1 • State-of-the-Art Voice Mail & Telephone • Westlaw • Fax • Photocopy • More Additional Features: Kitchen Facilities, All Support Services, Great Views, Free Conference Room Hours, Fully Trained Staff, Cost Effective.

Jenny Ahn (213) 996-8301 jahn@regentBC.com www.regentbc.com

MOVE-IN SPECIAL REAL ARTIST LOFTS FOR LEASE

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

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

Gated Parking. View of Downtown.

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

city Lofts:

920 sqft, 16 ft ceilings, $1650/mo. • Granite marble top • Stainless steel appliances/refrigerator etc. • Pet friendly We are located in a prime area in Downtown LA nice neighborhood w/ salon, market, café etc. Wired for high speed internet & cable, central heat & A/C

Please call 213.627.6913 www.cityloftsquare.com

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

Pride of Ownership. $3,000 Furn. $2,800 Unfurn. ❏ Prom. West-1 Bed. 1 Bath. Penthouse. Overlooks Pool & Gardens.

Greenhouse Windows and Balcony. Stunning! $1,995 Month ❏ Prom. West-2 Bed. 2 Bath. 5th Floor. Move In Now. $2,200 Month. ❏ Bunker Hill Tower-2 Bed. 2 Bath. N/W View. $2,200 Month ❏ Bunker Hill Tower-1 Bed. 1 Bath. South View. $1,600 Month FOREcLOSuRES-LOS ANGELES ❏ Pasadena Home. Semi Circular Driveway. More. Price $379,900 ❏ 3 Bed. 2 Bath. Pasadena. Upgrades. 3 Car Gar. Big Lot. $547,800

Promenade West Condo

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

Asking $599,900

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

www.Bunkerhillrealestate.com

Monthly from $695 utilities paid.

(213) 627-1151

Fully furnished with TV, telephone, microwave, refrigerator.

Full bathroom.

Excellent location.

Downtown LA. Weekly maid service.

THAI MASSAGE SPECIALIST

oFFice/creative space in Artist District (Little Tokyo) 618 ½ E. 1st St.

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

Children’s Performing Group

Sunshine Generation Singing, dancing, performing and fun!

For boys & girls ages 3 and up!

SunshineGenerationLA.com 909-861-4433

ARTIST LOFTS FOR LEASE Live/Work in Downtown Fashion District 700 to 1500 Sq. Ft. Lofts.

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

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

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

SAKURA HEALTH GYM & SAUNA, INC.

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

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

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

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

Steve Andelich Professional Golf Instructor

818.618.2099

Catering to Intermediate/Advanced Players

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Low Move-in SPECIAL Includes utilities, basic cable channels, laundry room on site, street parking, 1 yr lease.

HealtH Dept. rank a for 7 ConseCutive Years

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

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Single rooms starting from $550/mo.

3386766 0119

Bobby Grahm @ (213) 437-0211

Leasing-SalesLoans-Refinance

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

Call Emily (866) 425-7259

Prime location on 1st street 1 block East of Alameda. Parking lot adjacent/ spaces also available. Beautiful garden and patio in rear of building. 4 Offices currently available. Starting @375/mo. (month to month)

Mirza alli

Broker/Realtor

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

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

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24 Downtown News

April 6, 2009

DowntownNews.com

We Got Games week also holds road games against Sacramento (April 7) and Portland (April 10).

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

April 11, 1 p.m.: It was a tough season, but the Kings fought through adversity, showing flashes of playoff potential. Maybe next year. They finish the season with a home game against the Sharks, after three away games in Calgary (April 6), Edmonton (April 7) and Vancouver (April 9).

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

Tuesday, April 7, 7:30 p.m.; Friday, April 10, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, April 11, 7:30 p.m.: One of the interesting things about the Clippers is that they keep finding different ways to lose.

One night they can be blown out by an NBA also-ran, and the next they might compete against a top-caliber team, only to fade late. Sigh. This week they host Minnesota, Sacramento and Portland.

Los Angeles Dodgers Dodger Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park Ave., (213) 224-1400 or dodgers.mlb.com.

Get your faux dreadlocks ready, the Dodgers are back… sort of. Monday, April 6, marks opening day across Major League Baseball, but the Blue Crew kicks off the season with two road series, first in San Diego (April 6-9) and then in Arizona (April 10-12) before returning to Chavez Ravine next week to host the hated San Francisco Giants.

—Ryan Vaillancourt

Saying Goodbye to Another Kings’ Season Los Angeles Lakers Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7340 or nba.com/lakers.

Thursday, April 9, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, April 12, 6:30 p.m.: The Lakers have locked up the best record in the Western Conference, securing home court advantage throughout the playoffs and in the Finals if they get there, and if the Cavaliers don’t make it out of the East.

Wait, we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

After a grueling seven-game road trip, the Lakers were looking tired in the legs, especially those long, slightly inward bending legs of center Pau Gasol. The big man needs to turn it up as the Lakers host Denver and Memphis; the

photo by Gary Leonard

Once again the Los Angeles Kings’ season will close without a trip to the playoffs. The final game of the year is Saturday, April 11.

Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore!

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

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

LEASING I N F O R M AT I O N

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