LOS ANGELES
DOWNTOWN
NEWS April 13, 2009
Volume 38, Number 15
INSIDE
Urban Scrawl on the arts high school.
4
Thank You Gatekeepers 11
2
More new buildings, two suicides, and other happenings Around Town.
5
Guest Opinion: Laura Chick on the LAPD’s rape kit backlog.
W W W. D O W N T O W N N E W S . C O M
Office Tower Is Wild Card in $1 Billion Plan Proposed Commercial High Rise Seen As Risky Move by Anna Scott staff writer
Downtown jumps on the Twitter bandwagon.
6
T
he partnership of well-heeled Korean Air and experienced Downtown developer Jim Thomas is still enjoying the glow of their recently announced mega-venture, a $1 billion plan to build two soaring structures where the Wilshire Grand hotel now stands. Yet the plan to break ground on the high rises at Wilshire Boulevard and Figueroa Street within two years is rife with hurdles, especially for the taller of the two edifices: a 60-story office tower. see Office Tower, page 10
photo by Gary Leonard
Developer Jim Thomas and Korean Air have proposed a 60-story office tower that would change the Downtown skyline. The project, slated for the site of the Wilshire Grand hotel (white building with awnings), would be Downtown’s first new office high rise since 1992.
Road to History Celebrating the Treasures of L.A.
8
What It Takes to Make a Building, or Even a Tree, a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument
Downtown to Get A Double Dose of Walgreens Pharmacy Giant to Open Stores in Financial District, Historic Core
It’s time to ride a bike.
by Richard Guzmán city editor
14
A
photo by Gary Leonard
Reviewing L.A. Opera’s ‘Die Walkure.’
16
Members of the Cultural Heritage Commission were treated to a puppet show as part of their tour of the Bob Baker Marionette Theater, which sought designation for its cultural contributions to the city. About 900 Los Angeles properties have been designated Historic-Cultural Monuments. by Richard Guzmán city editor
W
Architecture students rock Coachella.
17
18 CALENDAR LISTINGS 20 MAP 21 CLASSIFIEDS
ith construction work underway around them, Jacob Jalil leads a group of eight people into a small elevator and presses the button for the top floor of the recently restored Great Republic Lofts building. It is a big day for Jalil, who hopes to convince the members of the city’s Cultural Heritage Commission that his restoration of the 1923 building merits Historic-Cultural Monument status. Like a proud father boasting about his kid’s trophies, Jalil had just showed off the 13-story building’s ornate metal entry gate, the Italian marble in the lobby, the brass mailbox and marble floors.
Then suddenly, pride turns to disbelief. The elevator abruptly stops, trapping Jalil, four commissioners, two city staffers, a historical architect and a reporter between floors. It turns out to be just a small, though rather tense, bump in the long road to reaching historic monument status, something Jalil wants because it would both protect the building against further changes and, for the prestige of owning a historical landmark, it could also provide him significant tax breaks. “We would love to have a historic building in our portfolio,” he said. “Keeping this building as is and as it was built is a good thing for the city, for us and for future residents.” see Monuments, page 9
fter putting plans for an expansion into Downtown Los Angeles on hold in January, the Walgreens drugstore chain is now working on opening two new locations in the area, possibly less than a mile apart. Officials with the Deerfield, Ill.-based chain last week announced that they have signed a 25-year lease for a long-vacant, 16,100-square-foot ground-floor space at 617 W. Seventh St. Plans for a second location, to be located
at a not-yet-announced spot in the Historic Core, are still in the works, said Derrick Moore, director of urban retail for CB Richard Ellis, who brokered the deal. The Seventh Street Walgreens would be directly across the street from an existing Rite Aid. The street also holds a new upscale market and two convenience stores. Still, company officials are bullish about the move into the Central City. “We’ve been looking to expand in the Southern California area and [Downtown] in particular is one see Walgreens, page 7
photo by Gary Leonard
The Walgreens chain has signed a deal to open a store in a currently vacant space at Seventh and Hope streets. It will be across the street from an existing Rite Aid.
Since 1972, an independent, locally owned and edited newspaper, go figure.
2 Downtown News
April 13, 2009
DowntownNews.com
AROUNDTOWN City Settles ‘Dumping’ Case
T
he city has reached a $1.6 million settlement with a Southern California hospital for allegedly “dumping� as many as 150 psychiatric patients on Skid Row over a twoyear period, City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo announced last week. The settlement with College Hospital’s Cerritos and Costa Mesa facilities includes an injunction that prohibits the institution from taking psychiatric patients from their facilities and leaving them in and around Skid Row where there is no one to help them. It also requires the hospital to establish new protocols for the discharge of homeless patients with mental disorders, Delgadillo’s office said on April 8. The city attorney’s office began looking into College Hospital in April 2008 when it allegedly dumped a patient diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder at the Union Rescue Mission, without notifying the patient’s family. As part of the settlement, College Hospital has agreed to pay $1.2 million in charitable contributions to multiple organizations that support the mentally ill and homeless, including Downtown’s Lamp Community, the Midnight Mission, the Union Rescue Mission and the New Image Emergency Shelter. The hospital will also pay $400,000 in penalties to the county and city of Los Angeles. In a statement, Wayne Lingenfelter, CEO of College Hospital Costa Mesa, pledged to develop new discharge protocols. “The allegations in this case have been difficult for all of us at College Hospital Costa Mesa, as we pride ourselves in providing top quality care to each of our patients,� Lingenfelter said.
Jules Verne Film Festival To FĂŞte Tony Curtis
T
he Jules Verne Film Festival and the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation have announced that on June 13, the groups will host a daylong event at the Million Dollar Theater honoring Tony Curtis. The Hollywood icon will attend. “The Magic of Tony Curtis� fetes the prolific actor with screenings of his 1953 biopic classic Houdini and, on its 50th anniversary, Some Like it Hot, Billy Wilder’s comedy featuring Curtis, Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe. After
the Houdini screening, magician Curtis Lovell II will attempt Houdini’s water torture escape. The event marks the fourth installment of the festival’s “Jules Verne Legendaire Awards,� which previously paid tribute to Blade Runner, The Birds and 2001: A Space Odyssey. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit julesverne.org or lahtf.org.
Seventh and Broadway Could Become ‘Delijani Square’
F
ourteenth District City Councilman JosĂŠ Huizar has called for renaming the intersection at Broadway and Seventh Street “Delijani Squareâ€? in honor of Ezat Delijani and his family, who own four Broadway theaters. Huizar launched an effort to revitalize the corridor, titled Bringing Back Broadway, about a year ago. The initiative largely focuses on reopening the thoroughfare’s theaters, and the Delijanis’ Los Angeles, Palace, State and Tower theaters between Sixth and Eighth streets are considered key properties. Huizar introduced a motion on Wednesday, April 8. “Naming this intersection Delijani Square is a way for us to recognize the legacy of a man who started from nothing in our city and became one of Downtown’s most longstanding leaders,â€? said Huizar. “He sets an excellent example, and it’s good to recognize that.â€? Ezat Delijani immigrated to Los Angeles from Iran in the 1970s. He was already a well-established local real estate investor when he purchased the 1931 Los Angeles Theatre at 615 S. Broadway in 1987, at the request of then-Mayor Tom Bradley. His son Michael Delijani went on to purchase the three other Broadway theaters, as well as the Pacific Stock Exchange building at 233 S. Beaudry Ave. Huizar’s motion was referred to the City Council’s Public Works Committee, which must approve it before it goes to the full Council.
Figueroa Street Tower Gets Initial Approval
between Figueroa and Flower streets. The project, proposed by two South Korean investors working under the umbrella California Human Technologies, LLC, would include a 35-story tower over an eight-level podium and two subterranean levels. It would house 273 residential units, 8,496 square feet of restaurant space and a 9,566-square-foot spa, with 379 parking spaces, according to city documents. The Planning Commission gave its okay to the project, being designed by well-known architect Daniel Libeskind, on Thursday, April 9. Officials anticipate breaking ground in 2010, said project spokeswoman Veronica Becerra.
Downtown Sees Two ‘Jumper’ Suicides in Two Days
T
wo men committed suicide in Downtown last week by jumping from buildings. On Wednesday, April 8 at about 6 a.m., 33-year-old Sun Sannes, who had legally changed his name from Doral Fields, was found dead at the southeast corner of Hill and Third streets after jumping off a six-story parking structure. Police had initially suspected that Sannes was homeless, but members of his family have since confirmed that he had never been homeless, said LAPD Det. Albert Marengo. Sannes did not leave a note. “We don’t know why,� Marengo said. “That’s still kind of a mystery to the family. He didn’t indicate that he wanted to commit suicide.� On Thursday, April 9 at about 7:30 a.m., another man leapt from his 20th floor apartment in the Promenade Towers at 123 Figueroa St. The man, who was 27, was not publicly identified pending family notification, said Marengo. Based on a note that the man left, it appears he was battling emotional difficulties tied to an estranged relationship, Marengo said. The man was killed when he landed on a third story apartment balcony, he said. Marengo said the department sees a few so-called “jumper� suicides Downtown every year, “but not two in two days. We may average three or four a year, but this is unusual for us.�
Homeless Families on the Rise
T
he City Planning Commission last week granted key approvals to a proposed 43-story building that would rise near the Convention Center, on current parking lots
T
he Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority’s Winter Shelter Program, which provides shelter beds for homeless people throughout the county during the coldest months of the see Around Town, page 7
Starting at $1,400
metro.net
Metro Briefs Metro Unveils LA’s Largest Solar Project There’s a lot more than just a roof over Metro’s downtown LA maintenance facility. Some 6,720 solar panels generating 1,000 kilowatts of electricity are atop Metro’s Support Services Center, the largest solar project in LA. That and other “green� improvements will cut the facility’s $1.1 million annual energy bill by 50%.
$9.8 Million For Wilshire Bus Lanes Metro is receiving $9.8 million in federal funds for work on dedicated curbside bus lanes for Wilshire Boulevard during the morning and evening rush hours. The project along portions of LA’s busiest transit corridor between Downtown and Santa Monica could improve travel times on buses an average of 24%.
Now...Go Metro with TAP Metro is replacing its paper passes with TAP, the eco-friendly fare card you can use again and again. TAP recently replaced Metro’s disposable paper Day Pass. Please remember that Senior, College/Vocational and Students need to submit a new application for a TAP card to continue receiving their discounts. Learn more at metro.net.
Sign Up For Bike To Work Day It’s time to put away the rain coat and get out the bike helmet. Start training now for Bike To Work Day on Thursday, May 14. Pledge to join in and be eligible to win biking accessories and other prizes. You and your bike also ride free on Metro that day. To register or learn more, visit metro.net/biketowork.
MOnday-friday 9:00am-6:00pm SaTUrday & SUnday By appt.
Go Metro To Fiesta Broadway Twenty-four square blocks of downtown LA will be transformed into the world’s largest Cinco de Mayo celebration for the 20th Anniversary AT&T Fiesta Broadway on Sunday, April 26. Go Metro and beat the crowds with several bus routes and Metro Rail service taking you right to all the action.
-JNJUFE UJNF PĂľFS $BMM GPS EFUBJMT
Call to Schedule a Tour Today
NOW LEASING 213-955-5700 1 bedroom Lofts, Studios & 2 bedrooms:
2 months free
GEN-FE-09-011 Š2009 LACMTA
If you’d like to know more, please call us at 1.800.464.2111, or visit metro.net.
IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES •.0/%": 46/%": ". 50 1. High Ceilings & light airy interiors • Stunning views • Choice of concrete or bamboo floors • Stainless steel appliances • Central air and heat • Washer/Dryer available in select lofts • On-site laundry • Extensive range of floor plans • On-site concierge • Security Service On Site • High speed internet and digital cable ready • Parking included • Pets welcome
On 14mth lease + Gold’s Gym membership. “Specials subject to change. Lock in your special today!�
7JTJU VT BU XXX HBTDPNQBOZMPGUT DPN PS 'MPXFS 4U CFUXFFO UI UI %PXOUPXO -" "O VSCBO JOWFTUNFOU CZ $*. (SPVQ 4065) *4 5)& /&8 $&/5&3
April 13, 2009
Downtown News 3
DowntownNews.com
Pirates and Tigers and T-Shirts, Oh My Ed Hardy, a Clothing Line Known for ‘Tattoo-Style’ Designs, Opens a Downtown Store by Anna Scott staff writer
I
n the early part of the decade, the Historic Core served as ground zero for the Downtown Los Angeles residential boom. Now, the neighborhood appears to be on the front lines of another local trend: the hip clothing boutique. On Saturday, April 11 (after Los Angeles Downtown News went to press), the popular fashion line Ed Hardy was scheduled to open a 2,000-square-foot retail space on the ground floor of 433 S. Spring St., a historic office building at the intersection of Fourth Street. Touted on its website as “vintage tattoo wear,” the brand by designer Christian Audigier and artist Don Hardy is recognizable for its bright colors and tattoo-style tigers, skulls and hearts. The Downtown store joins other regional Ed Hardy locations on Melrose Avenue, in the Beverly Center mall and at Glendale’s Americana shopping center. There are also outlets in seven other states and more than 10 countries. Ed Hardy is not completely new to the area. In the upper floors of the 433 S. Spring St. building, the company has offices for some of its business operations. The brand also maintains Downtown showrooms, which cater to wholesale buyers rather than the general public. But increased momentum in the area’s fashion retail scene helped bring about the new store, said Ed Hardy Retail and Marketing Director Raelyn Hennessee. “We have other parts of our umbrella over here, and we came upon this and thought it would be a great opportunity,” she said. “Right now, the Downtown L.A. area is exactly what’s going off.” Other trendy boutiques in the neighborhood include a well-hidden space at 125 W. Fourth St., where the high-end Japanese label Commes des Garcons opened a one-year-only “guerilla” store last February. That ended this past February, though the store, accessible off an alley next to Bar 107, is expected to reopen this month with a new concept. Another
new arrival is Crack Gallery, which despite the name also sells clothes, on the ground floor of the Hayward Hotel at 601 S. Spring St. One of the earliest arrivals, Stella Dottir, a boutique specializing in tailor-made vintage and gothic creations, opened at 430 S. Main St.
‘We have other parts of our umbrella over here, and we came upon this and thought it would be a great opportunity. Right now, the Downtown L.A. area is exactly what’s going off.’ —Raelyn Hennessee, Ed Hardy
The 3-year-old, avant-garde line Skin.Graft recently launched a retail space and showroom (shared with the clothing line Elmer Ave.) at 125 W. Fourth St., next to the former Commes des Garcons. Like Ed Hardy, the brand had a Downtown presence on the business side before opening its store, occupying a showroom at Spring and
Seventh streets. “It’s a big move to go to street-level,” said Skin.Graft designer and co-owner Jonny Cota. Still, he thinks the time is right. “Fashion’s been Downtown a long time,” Cota said, “but it’s now becoming more strong in retail and less just manufacturing.” Destination Shopping The new Ed Hardy shop will operate as an outlet store, said Hennessee, meaning its merchandise will sell for roughly half the brand’s regular prices. The store will be open seven days a week, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. The space is decked out with bright yellow and red walls adorned with Hardy’s signature artwork, including a growling tiger head and a grinning pirate skull. Prices for T-shirts start around $30, said Hennessee. While the store has signed a month-to-month lease, Hennessee said she expects the space to become a retail destination, drawing its own audience to Downtown. “We always do like to be in a location with some established foot traffic,” said Hennessee, “but we are Ed Hardy and we do have our own following.” Cota describes a similar strategy. “We knew this would be a safe move for us, because we bring in our own clientele from all over the city,” he said. Seizing on the area’s new shopping draws, Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Vice President Brady Westwater, who has helped lure retail establishments to the area, said several more are in the works. Westwater is putting together a guide to a Downtown “fashion walk” in and around the Historic Core, which should be ready within two weeks. “It’s going to be a map to all the fashion destinations in historic Downtown,” said Westwater, who two years ago cofounded the biannual Downtown Fashion Week. “We are marketing a neighborhood.” Contact Anna Scott at anna@downtownnews.com.
MOVE UP TO DOWNTOWN (9th & Fig)
Concerto high-rise condominiums merge the integrity of enduring design with unparalleled views and proximity to urban life. A full acre of green space surrounds a saltwater pool, cabanas, gardens, fire pits and a Tai Chi park. Full-length glass walls, hardwood floors, European appliances and sunrooms complement the warmth and light of the Angeleno climate.
concertodowntown.com
213.537.0007
4 Downtown News
April 13, 2009
DowntownNews.com
EDITORIALS Now Is the Time to Plan Future Downtown Projects
T
he state of the global economy has essentially turned the development community into the walking wounded, and the news media, including Los Angeles Downtown News, has been rife with stories about projects and companies that are facing financial trouble or, worse, falling into bankruptcy or foreclosure. Despite the fact that a notable number of entities have been damaged or died, this is the time that people contemplating new businesses, and in particular development projects, should look toward the future. While the sentiment applies across the country, it carries extra weight in Downtown Los Angeles, as the activity of the past decade means this community is poised like few others to rebound. Some will say making new investments is foolhardy, that the time when banks won’t lend and projects are going from condos to rentals is the wrong moment to think about new development. The opposite is true. Given how long projects can take and drops in the prices of raw materials such as steel and concrete, this is precisely the time to
steam ahead. In fact, a handful of Downtown players are already seeing this as a moment of opportunity. Chief among them are the team of Korean Air and Thomas Properties Group, the latter helmed by longtime Downtown real estate developer Jim Thomas. They recently announced a $1 billion plan to tear down the Wilshire Grand Hotel and build 40- and 60-story towers, one for hotel rooms and condos, the other for office space. Korean Air has positioned itself well financially amidst the economic meltdown. Additionally, the fact that Thomas is part of this should be a signal. He co-developed projects including the structure now known as U.S. Bank Tower and has survived a number of recessions. He did not get where he is by going the conventional route. Although the new project currently lacks financing, Thomas recognizes that it will take at least 18 months just to get approvals from the city, and that by then the economic situation will almost certainly be improved. The people who take baby steps now and have their city paperwork in place will be at the
front of the line when money flows again. The Thomas/Korean Air partnership is not the only one proposed for Downtown. At least two other well-known players are also looking toward the future: Charlie Woo, a prominent Toy District landowner and leader of toy industry stalwart MegaToys, is beginning the approval process for a residential project in Downtown. At the same time, the Museum of Contemporary Art, despite being battered late last year by a financial crisis, is looking at building a new structure in Little Tokyo. As stated above, this is a time when, theoretically, developers across the country could begin to plan for the future. But the current situation makes Downtown especially ripe. Downtown has seen major residential increases since 2000. Right now, growth has slowed, in particular as some of the housing projects that began construction at the height of the boom have come online at the low point. The vacancy rate will almost certainly be below where it was for many years. But within a couple of years, people will occupy those projects and the housing market
will tighten. With Downtown’s position as an employment hub certain to remain strong, and traffic not getting better any time soon, the desire to build in the area will come back. As that occurs, the momentum established by the thousands of new residents in the past decade will provide a base for additional growth. Dozens of restaurants have arrived in just the past year, and more convenience stores and other outlets to buy groceries are opening. Downtown has more pet stores than ever L.A. Live has come online and a 14-screen multiplex will open there at the end of the year — the point is, many of the amenities necessary for a vibrant residential community are either in place or on the way, and within a few years the area will be ready for even more inhabitants. We recognize that some will write this talk off as boosterism. That’s okay — this remains a frightening economic time, and it is easy to offer ideas when you don’t need to raise the money for them. But at the same time, we see respected individuals and companies making moves. We think that is an important step and provides a harbinger of things to come.
Police Should Clean Up After Skid Row Horses
T
he Los Angeles Police Department’s increased patrols in Skid Row for the past two years have been a marked success, and the neighborhood’s improvement would not have occurred without the benefits of the Safer Cities Initiative. Despite this, the department is doing the neighborhood a disservice by not cleaning up after police horses that relieve themselves on the streets and sidewalks of the area. As Los Angeles Downtown News reported last week, members of the LAPD’s mounted unit, part of the elite Metropolitan Division, patrol the area as frequently as a couple times a week. Sometimes, the horses do their business right on the sidewalk. In Skid Row, this is often a place where people sleep. The manure is not always quickly cleaned up — a Downtown News reporter witnessed an incident where an
Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis
officer on horseback trotted away after such an occurrence. Police officials downplay the incidents, stating that horse manure is just hay and water. Equine veterinarians and health officials concur that horse droppings do not provide a health risk aside from an unpleasant odor. To that, we say horse****. It totally misses the point. A central tenet of Safer Cities has been not to allow certain crimes to occur just because they take place on Skid Row. While this may not be a crime (though we wonder if a resident would be ticketed if his or her dog relieved itself on the sidewalk and the owner did not clean up after it), we think residents of Brentwood or other upscale neighborhoods would protest mightily if this happened near their homes. If it isn’t allowed in Brentwood, it shouldn’t be allowed here.
We’re not sure what the solution is. We take the LAPD’s point that they don’t want to use officer time picking up excrement. But we are sure there is another solution, horse diaper or not. In any case, don’t let it stay on the sidewalk. The LAPD is an essential part of Skid Row’s recovery. But this is a disrespectful step backwards.
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.
One copy per person.
April 13, 2009
Downtown News 5
Opinion
Rape Kit Backlog Is Inexcusable Problem Is Fixable, But Pressure Needs to Be Applied by Laura N. Chick
T
he possibility of being brutally violated by rape is probably one of the greatest fears a woman has. Yet for hundreds of women each year in our city, the unthinkable becomes a harsh reality. Solving these violent, devastating crimes must become one of law enforcement’s top priorities.
Bill of Rights, which requires the LAPD to make this notification to victims, the department does not currently have a system in place to comply with this law. Many victims may have assumed that their kits were quickly analyzed. How tragic for
guest opinion
As a woman, and as City Controller, imagine my shock and dismay when I discovered in an audit I conducted this past October that thousands of untested rape kits — essential DNA evidence — were sitting in frozen storage in the Los Angeles Police Department. In my mind I did not see just the kits. I saw thousands of human victims who had reported their crime to the police and expected justice. The rape kit backlog has been much in the news lately; but if this problem is going to be solved, city officials must answer two crucial questions: How did it get this bad? What are they doing to make sure it never happens again? A rape kit is the physical evidence collected during a 4-6 hour, extensive procedure that takes place after a sexual assault. Timely testing of these kits is key in identifying and convicting perpetrators who are frequently repeat offenders. One of the many shocking statistics I read said that by the time DNA evidence has been collected, the perpetrator has probably raped six to eight women. As a U.S. Senator, Vice President Joe Biden authored a 2004 bill which provided some federal grant dollars. He said, “If there’s a rape kit left sitting on a shelf, there’s a victim without justice.” In my audit, we discovered at least 217 untested kits that exceeded the statute of limitations, meaning that while they might identify the perpetrator of the rape, they could not be prosecuted because too much time had passed. Many victims who have undergone the invasive ordeal do not even know that their evidence is still untested. My audit revealed that despite a provision in the California Victims’
As to why our city is in this situation, it is simple and obvious — the elected leaders and the Police Department did not make this issue the priority it should have been.
them to learn that this is not the case. The problem of a backlog of DNA testing is not unique to the city of Los Angeles. Recently, Human Rights Watch, an international human rights organization, issued a report that showed that throughout the county of Los Angeles there are 12,669 untested sexual assault kits. This number not only includes the city and county but also 47 independent police departments. Clearing the backlog is most certainly achievable. In 1999, the city of New York discovered it had 17,000 untested rape kits in police storage units. Then-Mayor Giuliani declared the situation unacceptable. He found both the political will and the dollars needed to analyze all the backlogged kits and make
Why does this little burger stand attract over a million people a year?
Find out at the landmark location near Downtown. Home of the original Chili-burger. Quality and value since 1946:
Chili Hamburger .............. $2.00 Chili Cheeseburger ........... $2.40
sure the backlog never grew again. And when this happened, arrest rates for rape skyrocketed 70%-80%, prosecution rates climbed exponentially, case dismissals decreased, and there was even one exoneration. As to why our city is in this situation, it is simple and obvious — the elected leaders and the Police Department did not make this issue the priority it should have been. Even though the LAPD has been reporting the ever-increasing backlog numbers to the City Council for at least two years, there was very little action until my audit was released in October. The intense spotlight set off a public outcry which sent city officials scrambling to address this problem. And what have the recent budget priorities of the LAPD been? Hiring more police officers to put on the street, purchasing radios for them and counter-terrorism. In my many speaking engagements to women’s groups around the city I always ask, “What frightens you more — a terrorist attack or the thought of being raped?” Without hesitation every hand in the room is raised to signal that the possibility of rape is of far graver concern and is much more in the forefront of their minds than a terrorist attack. Despite being awarded nearly $4 million from 2002-2008 in federal grant funds specifically to clear up the DNA evidence backlog, the number of untested rape kits continued to grow. Unfortunately we found that the LAPD lost nearly half a million grant dollars simply due to lax oversight. We also found that the LAPD struggled with spending the grant funds in a timely manner because they do not have a focused and coordinated plan to eliminate the backlog once and for all. The LAPD spent $2.1 billion in Fiscal Year 2007-08. With all of those incredible resources, why is it not possible to find the dollars to run a functioning and well-staffed crime lab? Testing crucial DNA evidence in an organized and timely manner is a basic function of a law enforcement agency. The city’s leadership must adopt a three-year plan to end the backlog and deliver justice to victims once and for all. To ensure that this crisis does not reoccur, we must be vigilant and we must keep watching, asking questions and applying pressure. After releasing more than 170 audits since becoming City Controller, I can tell you that if the public is not paying attention those audits will be sitting on a shelf collecting dust for decades to come. We can never allow this to happen again. Laura N. Chick is the City Controller of Los Angeles.
kid’s club at 7+FIG
every third saturday at noon
free and open to the public!
Saturday, April 18 | Food Court Level
Earth Day - Recycle Symbol Day tax included
Learn about recycling symbols & create your own game card then play Earth Day Bingo and win prizes!
735 S. Figueroa St. | Downtown L.A. | 213 955 7150 | 7FIG.com Three hours FREE parking with validation | Open daily
Many Imitate, But None Compare!
Presented by Brookfield Properties in partnership with the Children’s Museum of Los Angeles
6 Downtown News
April 13, 2009
DowntownNews.com
All the News That’s Fit to Tweet Downtown Entities Jump on the Twitter Bandwagon photo by Gary Leonard
by Ryan Vaillancourt staff writer
T
he Little Tokyo Service Center is holding a contest to win free tickets to an upcoming sake tasting; Metropolis Books is hosting a quintet of Downtown poets coinciding with Art Walk; and speaking of Art Walk, event organizer Richard Schave was recently seen “making lunch.” Of course, you already know about these happenings if you use the online social networking site Twitter and have an interest in Downtown Los Angeles. The site lets users post “micro-blogs,” or mini messages that are limited to 140 characters, and a growing number of Downtown companies, nonprofits, individuals, elected officials and media outlets are jumping on the Twitter bandwagon. Various entities use the site to promote themselves, keep readers — known on the site as “followers” — informed, or just let friends know what they’re up to at the moment. “It’s just the fastest way to get the news you want and it makes it really easy to just stay connected to the different things you’re interested in,” said Marc Loresto, a public relations associate with the Little Tokyo Service Center. Loresto began using Twitter last year, but only started to post updates on a regular basis when he noticed a surging popularity and growth of users — and followers of the LTSC account — in early 2009. Now, he is using Twitter to coordinate a contest in which users take their picture at one of the restaurants participating in the organization’s upcoming sake tasting. The winner, to be judged on creativity, will
Katie Dunham of the Grammy Museum manages the venue’s Twitter account. The social networking site is taking off Downtown.
be chosen by the organization’s Twitter followers (there are now 228), Loresto said. Other Downtown entities embracing Twitter include the Downtown Center Business Improvement District, L.A. Live, the recently opened Bottega Louie and the art supply store Raw Materials. Tweeting From City Hall Launched in 2006, the San Franciscobased Twitter is growing rapidly: Worldwide visitors to the site approached 10 million in February, up 700% from the previous year, according to comScore, a leading Internet information provider. In the U.S., the site drew 4 million viewers in February, up more than 1,000% from the same month in 2008. Even politicians are getting into it. Fourteenth District Councilman José Huizar uses Twitter to offer tidbits straight from City Hall. And like most seasoned Twitter users,
Huizar’s “tweets” use abbreviated words to fit more content into the limited space: On April 4, he wrote, “Introd. motion this wk for report on reducing parking rates in zones where revenue has dropped following recent meter rate hikes.” “It’s just a multimedia age,” said Huizar spokesman Rick Coca, who added that Huizar makes most of the tweets himself, and otherwise directs a staff member on what to post. “Twitter is a great way to connect with and get feedback from constituents and he’s definitely made a conscious effort to leave out the mindless banter about what he’s had for breakfast.” In the public relations and marketing world, companies or event promoters can use Twitter to minimize or even cut out the middleman — journalists and media publications — between the product and the consumer. In addition to emailing a press release to
a media list, promoters can post a link to the press release on Twitter. Interested followers might then “re-tweet” the event notice, distributing it to their followers, starting a promotional chain-reaction, said Katie Dunham, who as public relations director for the Grammy Museum manages the institution’s Twitter account. On the Grammy Museum’s page, Dunham posts notices about upcoming performances and she links to short articles published by other media outlets about events at the venue. The Grammy Museum has 696 followers. “I’m not going to put every article on our website, but when there’s something small and interesting, we’ll just share it with people on Twitter,” said Dunham, who said the museum gets about a dozen new followers every day. Dunham also encourages bloggers who attend Grammy Museum performances to tweet during the shows. At this point, most users say it is still too early to gauge how much interest or publicity Twitter is generating for them. “A lot of people are using it because it’s something new, so within a year or six months we’ll maybe be able to judge it a little better,” said Charity Tram, web coordinator for the event site ExperienceLA.com. But Tram, who leads occasional Twitter workshops for businesses and organizations, is convinced that the site is going to continue its rapid growth. “I really do feel that it’s the next big thing,” she said. “Facebook kind of took over MySpace and Twitter is taking over what Facebook used to be, but people won’t know what it is and what they’re doing until they’re actually using it. They’re not going to understand until they’re dipping their fingers in it.” Follow Downtown News at Twitter.com/downtownnews. Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.
NO WORRY LEASE IF YOU LOSE YOUR JOB, YOU CAN CANCEL YOUR LEASE
NO PENALTY Ask for details.
open weekday evenings for cocktails and food specials enjoy live entertainment on fridays
213-629-1200 www.kyotograndhotel.com 120 S Los Angeles St • Los Angeles CA
NOW LEASING
FROM $1,100/Mo. Free Parking ROOFTOP GARDEN RETREAT WITH BBQ AND LOUNGE • GRAND LOBBY FITNESS CENTER • SPA • MODERN KITCHEN WITH CAESAR COUNTERTOPS HIGH SPEED INTERNET • DESIGNER LIVING SPACES • PET FRIENDLY DRAMATIC VIEWS • WALKING DISTANCE TO RALPHS SUPERMARKET STAINLESS APPLIANCES INCLUDING REFRIGERATOR GATEWAY TO FASHION DISTRICT GROUND FLOOR DRY CLEANERS • KELLY’S COFFEE
756 S. Broadway • Downtown Los Angeles 213-892-9100 • chapmanflats.com Pricing subject to change without notice.
April 13, 2009
Walgreens Continued from page 1 we always wanted to expand into,” said Robert Elfinger, a spokesman for Walgreens. The Seventh Street location is slated to open in late 2010, while the second store is scheduled to arrive either in the fall of 2010 or late 2011, he said. Walgreens had previously announced plans to open at the Seventh Street location, which has been vacant for nearly 10 years, in January, but due to the economy, that was put on hold. Elfinger said the delayed openings allow the chain to stagger its debuts in different fiscal years “We didn’t do it as fast as we wanted to, but we’re still coming,” he said. Walgreens, which was founded in 1901 by Charles Walgreen in a 50-by-20-foot store in Dixon, Ill., is set to open 495 new stores this year. The company aims to operate more than 7,000 stores nationwide by 2010. A significant portion of the growth is occurring in Southern California, with Downtown being particularly well-suited for a Walgreens, Elfinger said. “It’s a good customer base for prescription drugs,” he said. “It’s got a combination of residential and business population and we could offer a very convenient place for people working Downtown and for residents.” A Big Deal Moore said the deal makes sense for the chain because of the area’s strong consumer and business bases. Nearby office towers are filled with thousands of workers, and many residents have been moving into surrounding areas. “It may not have the sex appeal of a celebrity restaurant or be cool and hip like a Famima, but it’s a big deal,” said Moore, referring to the Japanese convenience store chain that is aggressively expanding in Downtown. The new store could face stiff competition from the Rite Aid across the street. Representatives of both companies, however, downplayed the rivalry. “In a lot of places in the country we’re near Rite Aid or CVS or independent drug stores, and we compete well when we’re up against competition in the neighborhood,” Elfinger said. “People generally like our stores once they shop there.” Along with the Rite Aid at Seventh and Hope streets, the company has a Downtown store at Fifth Street and Broadway. A third Rite Aid, at Seventh and Los Angeles streets, closed in November after posting heavy loses that were blamed on lower than expected traffic in the Fashion District. The existing locations, which are less than a mile apart, have performed well, said Rite Aid spokeswoman Cheryl Slavinsky. The planned Walgreens so close to Rite Aid does not come as a big surprise, she said. “It is very common in many places that we operate to have competitors right across the street,” she said. “It’s usually in high-traffic areas. Everyone studies demographics and that’s
Downtown News 7
DowntownNews.com why they pick those areas.” Whether it sparks competition or not, Downtown leaders say it is a strong indicator for the community. “Walgreens is a great company and we welcome them Downtown,” said Carol Schatz, president and CEO of the Central City Association, which has made a strong play to inject life into Seventh Street. Having multiple drugstores in such close proximity is also something that Downtown can support, she said. “If you were in the suburbs some place you would have your choice of a CVS, a Walgreens and a Rite Aid within very short distance of each other,” she said. “We are a big territory and it’s very dense, so it can support more than one brand of drugstore.” The Walgreens announcement follows on the heels of a flurry of activity by grocery and drug stores and convenience chains. In March, Famima opened its sixth Downtown location on the ground floor of the Roosevelt Lofts at Seventh
and Flower streets. That came two weeks after the company opened a space at 700 Wilshire Blvd. In May, it plans to bring a shop to Union Station. The 7-Eleven chain, which has a store at Seventh and Olive streets, also plans to open up to three additional Downtown stores in 2009. The latest arrival was last week. On April 6, Bottega Louie Restaurant and Market debuted at Seventh Street and Grand Avenue. While its fare is more upscale than the convenience store and drugstore rivals, it will certainly be going for some of the same audience. Russell Brown, president of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council, said Walgreens has yet to meet with the organization to talk about its plans, but he expects the chain to be a positive addition to the neighborhood. “It’s great to have more neighborhood-serving businesses,” he said. Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.
EVONOMICS Live at a new level for less than ever before. Evo brings four-star amenities and world-class entertainment right to your door - all at a price that has attracted more buyers than any other residence in downtown L.A. See how extraordinary home can be. HIGH-RISE LIVING TWO BLOCKS FROM L.A. LIVE : MOVE-INS UNDERWAY EXCEPTIONALLY APPOINTED INTERIORS : FURNISHED MODELS OPEN TOURS AND SALES AT 408 W. 11TH : 213-622-5400 : EVOLUXURY.COM
Around Town Continued from page 2 year, last week reported an 87% increase in the number of families served by the program. According to LAHSA, its 13 shelters served 620 families between Dec. 1, 2008, and March 15, 2009, compared to 330 families during the 2007-08 season. The program also saw a 4% increase in overall occupancy. “Certainly, anecdotally we’ve heard from shelters and from our own staff that the economy’s been a cause,” said LAHSA Contracts Unit Manager David Martel, who manages the Winter Shelter Program, “but right now our data just shows an increase. We’ve been doing the 2009 homeless count, and we’re expecting this summer to release some more concrete information.”
Civic Park Gets County Approval
T
he County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, April 7, approved the design plan for the Downtown Civic Park, part of the proposed $3 billion Grand Avenue project by developer the Related Cos. The park, to rise on county-owned land stretching from the Music Center on Grand Avenue to City Hall on Spring Street, would feature a renovated, historic fountain between the County Hall of Administration and the County Courthouse, new lawns, gardens, and promenades along the edges. Architects from Rios Clementi Hale Studios are handling designs. It is expected to break ground next year, and construction would take at least two years.
TWO 1-BEDR PRICED AT OOMS $350K 2-BED FROM THE ROOMS MID-$500K s
BUILDER
SPECIAL A limited co llectio has just been n of homes released with reduced pricing and a 7% broker co -op*
Exclusively represented by The Mark Company The developer reserves the right to make modifications in materials, specifications, plans, designs, scheduling and delivery of the homes without prior notice. Contracts must be ratified by 4/30/09 and COE by 5/31/09 to be eligible. * 7% broker co-op applies to select units sold between 4/3/09 and 4/16/09 and close escrow by 5/31/09.
8 Downtown News
April 13, 2009
DowntownNews.com
photos by Gary Leonard
Uncovering L.A.’s Treasures Trove
O
n Thursday, April 9, the Central City Association honored a diverse group of Angelenos at the 15th annual Treasures of L.A. awards. At the luncheon at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel, real estate entrepreneur Ezat Delijani received the Heart of the City award, while the City of Angels award was presented to LAPD Chief William Bratton. Also recognized as Treasures were boxer Oscar de la Hoya, Kaiser Permanente, sportscaster Jim Hill, the Los Angeles Community College District, Dodgers legend Don Newcombe and roller skating queens the Los Angeles Derby Dolls. City Council President Eric Garcetti was the master of ceremonies and attendees included Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Councilwoman Jan Perry.
1st AnnuAl Downtown los Angeles
High Schools Collaborative
College Fair Collaborative includes: Belmont High School, Downtown Magnets High Schools, Edward R. Roybal Learning Center, Miguel Contreras Learning Complex, Pilot High Schools, LAHSA, SVAH, CIVITAS, LATP, ALC
TIME:
Saturday april 18, 2009 Edward r. roybal lEarning CEntEr 1200 W. Colton St. Los Angeles, CA 90026 10:00 aM - 2:00 pM
For over 70 years, First City Credit Union has helped thousands of members buy their homes and cars, put their kids through school, and build for a secure financial future. Open to the community. Deposits federally insured up to $250,000 by the National Credit Union Administration.
AUTO LOANS AS LOW AS
877-673-6868 • www.firstcitycu.org 717 W. Temple St. • Validated Parking
Come and meet College, university and Community College representatives
AChIEVE YOUR ULTIMATE ACHIEVE
neW SMILE sMile NEW todaY! TODAY
dON on MUNGCAL ungcal dds D ON M UNGCAL,, DDS
D O W N T O W N D E N TA L COSMETIC DENTISTRY
t.213.620.5777 T.213.620.5777
|
los ANGELES angeles, CA ca 90012 LOS
doWntoWndentalLA la.COM coM DOWNTOWNDENTAL
validated PARKING parking AVAILABLE available VALIDATED
Women’s Suit
BLOWOUT
UP TO 70%
OFF
Retail
(sizes 2p-22W)
LASER DENTISTRY INSTEAD OF A DRILL!
south GRAND grand AVE ave. SUITE suite 204 255 SOUTH
Ladies appareL Co.
HUGE SELECTION
MAkE-OVERS THAT ThAT EXTREME SMILE MAKE-OVERS LOOk & FEEL AMAZING! AMAzINg! WILL LOOK
SChEDULE AN APPOINTMENT! CALL NOW TO SCHEDULE
4/9/09 10:38:14 AM
TAHARI ASL • KASPER • ALbERT nIPon JonES oF nEW YoRK • 9 WEST
OVER 15 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN BEAUTIFUL DOWNTOWN L.A.!
BEST DENTIST” bY DOWNTOWN NEWS BY READERS!
APR*
*APR=Annual Percentage Rate. Rate shown is for a 60-month loan with 80% loan-to-value(LTV). Add .50% with 100% financing. Rate may vary, depending on your credit qualifications, LTV, and vehicle model year. Payment estimate on a 60-month $15,000 loan with a 4.49% APR =$280. 2003 model years or newer, up to 100% of Retail Kelley Blue Book value, or MSRP, plus tax, license, dealer documentation, and insurance products, whichever is less, not to exceed 120% LTV. Credit approval required. Rates subject to change without notice. Cannot be combined with other First City promotional offers. Not available on non-member loans funded through Credit Union Direct Lending. Offer expires April 30, 2009.
Downtown News ad Apr 09v2.indd 1
VOTED “ VOTED
4.49%
NEW SPRING Arriving Daily
(213) 627-6861 8th Street L.A. Co ➩ 9th Street
L.A. St.
WHEN: WHERE:
Driving Through Hard Times
840 S. Los Angeles St. Garment District Open Mon.-Sat. 9:30-5:00 Between 8th & 9th St.
April 13, 2009
Downtown News 9
photo by Gary Leonard
DowntownNews.com
Monuments Continued from page 1 The process, minus the elevator stoppage, is repeated frequently in Downtown Los Angeles, which has the highest concentration of Historic-Cultural Monuments in the city, with about 100 recognized properties. For applicants, and building owners in particular, it involves long hours of research and careful planning when they are refurbishing structures to their original glory, along with some inspection day hurdles. For the five commissioners, who are appointed by the mayor’s office, it means not only meetings to review applications, which can read like history novels, but bi-monthly trips to just about every nominated location. “The tours are very valuable to the commissioners, to both confirm and not confirm what was on the nomination and to get a real feel for the current condition of the property,” said Ken Bernstein, manager of the city’s Office of Historic Resources. A nomination for Historic-Cultural Monument status can be submitted by any person or organization, from the property owner to individuals interested in preservation to the commission itself. Buildings make up most of the city’s approximately 900 Historic-Cultural Monuments, but bridges, stairways and median strips have also been recognized. Downtown monuments range from the Bradbury Building to the Aoyama Tree in Little Tokyo. But the nomination is the easy part — earning the designation requires documenting as many facts as possible, including the ownership history of the building or structure, former inhabitants and past uses. It can take about 60 days to go through the approval process with the city. Although Historic Resources officials do not keep statistics, they said the majority of applicants are approved. Commissioners usually cast their votes about two weeks after a site tour. If approved, the City Council has the final say. Research It is not an easy process. Ann Marie Brooks, an architectural historian hired by Jalil to prepare a report for the commission, spent about 100 hours going through city and county
The Great Republic Lofts building at 756 S. Spring St. has been nominated for Historic-Cultural Monument status. Downtown has about 100 properties, from buildings to a tree in Little Tokyo, that have received the designation.
records, library archives, maps, old photographs and newspaper articles to come up with a history of the Great Republic building. “You really have to do some digging,” she said. “The more you can find the better it is.” Her report reads like a history book, with old photographs of the building, biographies of the architects, Albert Walker and Percy Eisen, and Otis Birch, president of the Great Republic Life Insurance Company, which gave the building at 756 S. Spring St. its name. The application notes that the building is nominated as an example of Beaux-Arts architecture and is a reminder of the commercial and financial development of Spring Street when it was known as the “Wall Street of the West” in the early part of the 20th century. “I would think this would be a shoo-in,” Brooks said. The research was particularly important during the restoration of the building. The transformation maintained about 90% of the white Italian marble in the lobby and one elevator door kept its original wrought-iron detail, which had been stripped from the other doors by previous owners. The lobby mail chute was preserved as well, though it is not functional due to fire codes. “These buildings lost a lot of identity. So bringing them back is a hard job with a lot of details,” Jalil said.
For the commission members, the visit to the Great Republic was the first in a long day that included six stops from Downtown to Playa del Rey and back to Downtown, culminating in an inspection of the Bob Baker Marionette Theater, which sought designation for its cultural contributions to the city. The tours, which are also open to the public, are a highlight for many of the commissioners. “The thing that’s important about the field trips is that we actually get to see the building in its totality,” said Richard Barron, an architect and president of the commission. “What we’re looking for is the overall integrity of the building and the significance of the building.” “It provides us with a sense of place here in Los Angeles and it makes our city more real for us, in terms of our historic heritage,” said Commissioner Roella Louie. During the tours, commissioners examine whether the property is accurately represented in the nomination and to ensure that it has retained the historic features that define its significance. “If a building has been drastically altered such as it no longer physically or visually conveys the reason for why it may once have been important, it really should not be designated as a Historic-Cultural Monument,” Bernstein said. Moving Again After Jalil apologizes for the elevator troubles, bangs on the door and rings the alarm, the elevator starts moving again, but only for a few floors. The commissioners ultimately have to walk up three flights of stairs to the roof. There, they check out the patio, which now boasts a Jacuzzi and garden. They walk down to the lofts as Jalil points to the marble stairs. He later explains how the building had been illegally used as lofts in the 1980s and tenants did their own repairs. “They literally stripped everything,” he says as they stand inside a now modern loft with hardwood floors and exposed brick walls. “When I got it bricks where missing, it had holes in the walls,” he says. “But we brought all of it back.” On April 2 the commission unanimously approved the Great Republic and the Bob Baker buildings as HistoricCultural Monuments. In about two months they will go before the City Council for final approval. Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.
Imagining the American West Imagining the American West This summer, study the West’s myths and realities, its imagined pasts, andsummer, possible study futures. USCmyths Professor Bill Handley in exploring This theJoin West’s and realities, its imagined pasts, cultural representations of the West both as a geography of hope and possible futures. Join USC Professor Bill Handley in exploring and as representations a tragic land of of limits—in painting,offilm, cultural the Westphotography, both as a geography hope and in the work of writers from Mark Twain to Joan Didion. and as a tragic land of limits—in photography, painting, film, and in the work of writers from Mark Twain to Joan Didion. Tuesdays, May 26–August 12, 2009 6–8:40May p.m., USC campus Tuesdays, 26–August 12, 2009 6–8:40 p.m., USC campus 3 USC units Open to3 non-USC USC unitsstudents
Open to non-USC students Register now by calling (213) 740-1384 Register now by calling (213) 740-1384
Women’s Clothing Premium Denim Shoes & Handbags Original Jewelry Kid’s Stuff Gifts for Fido
Presented by
213.623.5821 x 2240
USC Master of Liberal Studies Program WhereMaster Options Opportunities USC ofMeet Liberal Studies Program www.usc.edu/college/mls Where Options Meet Opportunities mls@college.usc.edu www.usc.edu/college/mls mls@college.usc.edu
10 Downtown News
Office Tower Continued from page 1 Since the country began its slide into recession, construction financing has all but frozen. Layoffs at law firms and other businesses have cut into the demand for office space across the nation, and Downtown Los Angeles is no exception. On top of that, the Downtown office market’s historically high vacancy rates, even in boom times, could make it more difficult for the project to attract investors. Still, Thomas, who with his Thomas Properties Group has developed more than 5 million square feet of trophy office space in Downtown including the U.S. Bank Tower, the Wells Fargo Center and the Gas Company Tower, is confident that he can pre-lease at least 50% of the tower in the next 18 months.
DowntownNews.com “If you do the math, based on historic absorption, in the next three to five years you’re going to need a new office tower Downtown,” Thomas told Los Angeles Downtown News when he announced his plans. “And this is the best place for it to go.” While no one counts the experienced developer out, some experts are skeptical of the market’s readiness. There is already a lot of available high-end, or Class A, office space in Downtown, said Greg Tuszynski, an associate vice president at the real estate firm Colliers International, who specializes in tenant representation. As examples, he pointed to the 270,000 square feet at the U.S. Bank Tower formerly occupied by the law firm Latham & Watkins; 140,000 square feet at 601 S. Figueroa St. that once housed Bank of the West and Sanwa Bank; and 116,000 square feet at 707 Wilshire Blvd., formerly occupied by the insurance brokerage Aon, which moved to another space in the same building. “The type of high-quality tenant that would lease space like
April 13, 2009
that already has other options available in some of the best buildings Downtown,” said Tuszynski. “I think the development is kind of a stretch.” Empty Space The Korean Air-Thomas plan was announced April 2 and drew national attention. The project would replace the 1952 Wilshire Grand hotel at 930 Wilshire Blvd., which is slated for demolition. Wilshire Grand owner Korean Air, a subsidiary of logistics giant the Hanjin Group, hired Thomas Properties to develop the project, which is being designed by architect David Martin of AC Martin Partners. The developer expects to begin construction in 2011 and open three years later. Experts predict that the smaller of the two towers, a 40-story hotel-residential hybrid, will be a relatively easy sell, because it will help fill the demand for hotel rooms serving the nearby Convention Center. A 1,001-room Ritz Carlton-Marriott tower under construction at L.A. Live, less than a mile south, is already propelling demand for even more hotel rooms within walking distance of the convention facilities. The 60-story, 1.1 million-square-foot office tower, however, could be tougher to get off the ground. It would be the first new commercial high-rise to open in Downtown since Two California Plaza debuted in 1992 — and there is a reason for that, experts say. Downtown’s office vacancy rates have long been relatively high, said Evan Parry, a research analyst with Colliers. “Vacancy rates have always been 13%, 14%, 15%,” said Parry. “That’s why we haven’t seen anything new in Downtown in the last 20 years.” The trend is expected to grow as businesses lay off more workers. Architecture and law firms, both of which have a heavy presence in Downtown, have been particularly hard hit. Downtown’s current office market vacancy rate is 15% overall, according to a recent Colliers’ report, up slightly from 14.8% in the fourth quarter of 2008. The vacancy rate among the area’s Class A properties is 13.5%, up from 13.1% in the fourth quarter of 2007. “The ideal is around 5% or 6%, which we saw in every other market that had increased construction,” said Parry. Given those trends, he said, it could be difficult for Thomas to obtain construction financing within the next year. “I would think it would take at least 70% of the project to be pre-leased before it could break ground,” said Parry, “but vacancy is continuing to rise in this market. It doesn’t seem like it would be a good idea to put a 60-floor office tower in an environment like this right now.” Downtown’s relatively low rents could also make it hard for the developer to recoup building costs. “They’re likely going to need to target starting rents somewhere as much as double today’s asking rents,” said Mark Lammas, executive vice president of investment for Maguire Properties, one of Downtown’s biggest commercial landlords. In fact, Lammas’ firm was the most recent entity to take steps toward a new Downtown office high-rise. In 2006, the firm’s head (and Thomas’ former development partner), Robert F. Maguire, broached plans for a 50-story high-rise just south of the proposed Korean Air development. That plan also came with a caveat that construction would not begin until occupancy for at least half the building could be secured. That level had not been reached by February, and Maguire is no longer with the company. Think Globally While some are doubtful, Thomas has a few factors working in his favor. Stanley Ross, a real estate finance expert and chair of USC’s Lusk Center for Real Estate, said that starting a project in a down market has benefits. “Your cost of construction is much lower and your crews are available,” Ross said. If the project attracts enough tenants to obtain financing, an effort that should be helped along by Thomas’ track record, he said, the tower could be well-positioned when it opens. “My own forecast is, we start coming out of this and making the turnaround in 2011,” Ross said of the ongoing recession. “If they finish by 2013, that’s a good timeline.” Thomas might do well to think globally when it comes to potential tenants, he added, and Korean Air could be a key ally in that. While economic troubles “are rippling through the world,” Ross said, “there’s always big users that come out at different times in the market. Companies could be cutting down in one part of the world and stepping up in another part of the world. I’d be looking at the global side and to my partner to help.” Lammas agreed. “Given the level of pre-leasing they’re looking for, I don’t think the existing vacancy is the driver of their challenge,” he said. “I think it’s simply attracting the right anchor tenant… most likely from outside the market. “It’s a lot of space.” Contact Anna Scott at anna@downtownnews.com.
April 13, 2009
Downtown News 11
DowntownNews.com
ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONALS WEEK Take a Memo Lunch Is a Great Way to Say Thank You During Administrative Professionals Week by Richard Guzmán city editor
I
t’s likely that behind every great executive, there is someone much more important: the administrative professional. Formerly known as a secretary, sometimes referred to as the gatekeeper, the administrative professional handles most of the behind-the-scenes work that makes executive life possible. From fielding calls to scheduling important meetings, without them, business would come to a screeching, grinding, ugly-as-all-get-out halt. It’s a crucial job, one that almost everyone acknowledges deserves praise 365 days a year. To ensure that some thanks is given, the International Association of Administrative Professionals in 1952 came up with Secretary’s Day. It has now been renamed and expanded: Administrative Professionals Week runs April 19-25. Thus, bosses in Downtown Los Angeles and beyond this week will have a chance — and by chance we mean the requirement — to honor the more than 4.1 million secretaries and administrative assistants that, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, are working in the country today. Another 8.9 million people are employed in various other administrative roles. Since the best way to an administrative professional’s heart, besides a big fat raise, is through his or her stomach, consider a lunch at a top Downtown restaurant. There are dozens of choices in the community, so start planning. And for once, don’t make them call for reservations.
City Deals: The restaurant City Grill, comfortably ensconced in the Wilshire Grand hotel, is a popular meeting place for office dwellers. It offers hearty meals in a laidback but still professional environment. For Administrative Professionals Week, it’s offering a deal that will make secretaries, and the boss’ wallet, happy. A $12.95 prix fixe menu specially tailored for the week of April 20-24 includes spinach and arugula salad or chilled melon soup for starters; salmon salad, sauteed chicken or a grilled portabella mushroom sandwich for the main course; and a chocolate grand marnier cake for dessert. If you can’t make it to lunch with your staff then you can order up a $20 gift certificate. At 930 Wilshire Blvd., (213) 627-4289 or wilshiregrand.com.
photo by Gary Leonard
Lucky Strike has food and games, making it a unique and fun choice for those who normally answer phones and sign for documents.
Escape to Paradise: While a round trip ticket to a tropical getaway may be out of the question, a lunch in a beautiful garden setting right here in Downtown is not. The French Garden, hidden away on Seventh Street in the Industrial District, is literally an oasis of green in a cement desert. With its vine-covered patio, it’s a perfectly relaxing place to forget about the 9-to-5 life. It serves affordable French cuisine, with most dishes ranging from $12-$20. The portions are healthy and the service is super friendly. The Brie sandwich on crusty French bread is a favorite for regulars, and don’t miss the escargots. At 1936 E. Seventh St., (213) 623-4028. Go Upscale: Located in the heart of the Financial District, Drago Centro should be a quick few steps from many Downtown corporate offices, though it is quite a fancy step. The $7 million restaurant that opened in November is helmed by famed chef Celestino Drago. The gorgeous room, with a vaulted ceiling, black Murano glass chandeliers, walnut tables
and white leather chairs, along with a 16-foot-high floor-toceiling glass wine tower, is aimed at the Downtown business community. Thus, it’s a perfect place to thank those who make the office run smoothly. The menu is filled with traditional Italian dishes and lunch items are in $15-$26 range, which is far less expensive than traveling to Italy for a similar dining experience. The veal Milanese is a standout, as is the roasted codfish. Also enjoy the service — it is some of the best in Downtown. At 525 S. Flower St., (213) 228-8998 or dragocentro.com. A Thankful View: A great way to thank your secretary would be to combine a great lunch with an equally amazing view of Downtown. At 21 stories above the ground, and with a chic, modern patio, Takami is just the place. Administrative professionals can dine on sushi, robata and an adventurous Japanese menu. So take the lead, let your secretary relax and order items for the table to share. You can’t go wrong with spicy tuna on Continued on next page
APRIL 20 -24 , 2009
Administrative Professionals Week
C e L e b R At e W I t H U S !
WHEN SAYING THANK YOU JUST ISN’T ENOUGH, SHOW YOUR APPRECIATION AT GRAND CAFÉ. Actions speak louder than words at Grand Café during Administrative Professionals Week. Tempt your palate with contemporary Californian cuisine served in a casually elegant setting surrounded by a beautifully landscaped sculpture garden. Stop by for breakfast or lunch to savor the variety of our chef’s mouth-watering creations.
Cafe Pinot 700 W. Fifth St. | 213 239 6500 Kendall’s Brasserie Music Center of Los Angeles 135 N. Grand Ave. | 213 972 7322 ZuCCa ristorante 801 S. Figueroa | 213 614 7800 niCK & stef’s steaKhouse Wells Fargo Center 330 S. Hope St. | 213 680 0330
Open weekdays 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and weekends 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
To view menu and make your reservation today, please visit www.patinagroup.com 251 South Olive Street Los Angeles CA 90012 213-617-3300 www.omnilosangeles.com © 2008 Omni Hotels.
12 Downtown News
April 13, 2009
Administrative Professionals Week
Continued from previous page crispy rice, soft shell crab or edamame. For entrees try the spicy albacore sashimi, the Takami Tartare (ahi tuna, king crab, spicy tuna, avocado and rice) or the yellowtail with curry. Prices are $4-$14 for appetizers and $15-$32 for entrees. At 811 Wilshire Blvd., (213) 236-9600 or takamisushi.com. Eat and Play: It has 18 lanes, themed bowling balls, funky decor, a lively bar and great American food, so an afternoon or early evening outing to Lucky Strike Lanes & Lounge may be just what the administrative professional ordered. Day games, a perfect way to thank stressed-out gatekeepers, are $5 per person, and evening rates are up to $75 per lane, so it can get pretty pricey. But the look of joy in an administrative professional’s face when the boss clunks a gutter ball can be priceless. The popular L.A. Live destination, which usually fills with as many bowlers as those just hanging out at the bar and lounge, serves classic American fare like burgers and sandwiches. It’s no fancy lunch by any means, but coupled with a game and the fun atmosphere, it is a great way to say thank you. At 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 542-4880 or bowlluckystrike.com. The Home Kitchen: If you’re looking for a cozy experience where your secretarial crew can have a good meal, in a casual but still upscale environment, then why not rent out one of the private rooms at Maria’s Italian Kitchen. It’s a perfect
way to show your appreciation by treating your staff like the VIPs they are. There you can dine on appetizers including calamari fritti, pizza bread and bruschetta. Lunch choices include favorites such as shrimp parmigiana, pasta primavera, chicken ravioli and, of course, pizzas and calzones. Lunch will cost about $10-$20 per person. At 615 S. Flower St., (213) 623-4777 or mariasdowntownla.com. Good Deal: If you’re in the Financial District and are looking for a place that your administrative professional has not been to a hundred times, then try Adoro Mexican Grille. The Mexican restaurant in the 7+Fig mall is celebrating its first year anniversary and will lower prices for any lunch or dinner entree by 20% for the rest of April. It’s a good discount at a popular spot. Standout items include the carnitas michoacan, fajitas and seafood chimichanga. At 735 S. Figueroa St., (213) 955-9204 or adorogrille.com. Meat Is Good: Buying someone a nice steak is a surefire way to let them know you appreciate their hard work. One of the best places to do that in Downtown is at Pacific Dining Car, where the steaks are cut by the restaurant’s own butcher and grilled under an open
flame. The meat is taken from corn-fed herds and aged in the restaurant’s own dry-aging room. What this means is you can order up a juicy filet mignon, a rib-eye or a New York steak as a thank you gift, and the gatekeeper can enjoy it in the powerlunch environs frequented by the city’s bigwigs. If there are any non-meat eaters in the crowd, they should be more than happy with other selections like the Dining Car salad, with a variety of vegetables and a garlic, oil and vinegar dressing, or the heirloom tomato salad with caramelized walnuts. At 1310 W. Sixth St., (213) 483-6000 or pacificdiningcar.com. Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com
photo by Gary Leonard
Adoro Mexican Grille in the 7+Fig mall holds a variety of dishes to help thank your administrative professional.
Bonaventure CluB Day Spa
30%
12th Year Anniversary Special
honor them.
Spa
Off
We offer validation for Hotel parking 10,000 sq ft Facility Sauna/Steam Hydro Jet Showers
they go out for you every day. go out a little further to
*
your assistant works hard for you, so go out a little further this year to celebrate administrative professionals week. come to roy’s april 20–24 to treat your most important team member with an unforgettable meal.
* Sign up to get 30% off your very first special with us today. Exp. 7/31/09.
Swedish/Shiatsu/Thai/Deep Tissue Massage
404 S. Figueroa St., Ste. #302 3rd Floor - Blue Tower Reservation: 213.629.0900 www.bonaventureclub.com
Spa party/Gift certificate available
los angeles 800 s. Figueroa street
go out a little further
213.488.4994 call for reservations
Delicious Fruit Design®
The freshest idea in gifts!
©2003
Berry Chocolate Bouquet™
To order, please call or visit: LOS ANGELES 868 West 7th St.
213-489-0900 PASADENA
452 East Colorado Blvd.
626-229-7571 STUDIO CITY
11702 Moorpark St.
©2003
818-755-1777 Berry Special Baby™
When the occasion calls for something special, send something deliciously different... a beautiful basket of handsculpted fruit, gift-wrapped and delivered with care. ©2003
EdibleA r rangements.com Copyright © 2005 Edible Arrangements,
LLC.
Franchises Available. Call (203) 774-8070
Welcome to the ICE $ R T 1 OFF $3OFF P CU
Any Purchase (excl. Gift Cards)
Any Cake
9th & Flower St. 213-439-0102 (Next to Ralphs)
Downtown Los Angeles
“Buy one combo and get 2nd combo of equal or lesser value FREE with this ad.”* Extensive Health Menu Available Dine in • Take OuT • Drive Thru BreakfasT • Lunch • Dinner
Gourmet Fast Casual Restaurant Since 1973
7 Days 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.
1657 W. 3rd St. [at Union Ave.] (213) 483-8885 FREE Parking
*1 coupon per customer, per visit.
Remember, you can read the paper two days before it hits the streets at LADowntownNews.com
April 13, 2009
Downtown News 13
Administrative Professionals Week
Flowers Are Just the Start When It Comes to a Gift for Your Gatekeeper, Go Beyond the Expected by Jon RegaRdie executive editoR
I
t goes without question that you will begin Administrative Professionals Week on Monday morning by giving your gatekeeper flowers (and don’t be sexist; if your Girl Friday is a guy, they like getting flowers too). You will also take your number one helper out to lunch. Preferably more than once. And certainly not at a place where they can super size it. Now that that is out of the way, it is time to get down to the serious thank you-ing. Administrative Professionals Week, which takes place April 19-25, is the time when the boss and the rest of the people in fancy schmancy, or even grimy and grungy, offices give back to the person who answers the phones, makes the coffee, does all the collating and handles myriad other tasks you don’t even know about. If you are in Downtown Los Angeles, you are in luck, as there are literally hundreds of ways to say thank you. Here are a few of the many great gift ideas. But seriously, don’t forget lunch and the flowers. Rubbed the Right Way: Your administrative professional is sore. Hopefully not in the angry way, but definitely in the I’vehad-a-phone-receiver-pressed-to-my-earfor-nine-hours variety. Thus, you need to make a massage appointment pronto, and the Pho-Siam Thai Spa in City West is just a phone call and a short drive away. You know your helper is in for a soothing experience just by looking at the website: The front page says “Silence and tranquility is a big part of relaxation” and asks that all phones and pagers be turned off. The rates for a traditional Thai massage are a bargain, just $25 for a half hour or $40 for a full 60-minute rubdown. They also do foot massages, skin care and other treatments. At 1525 Pizarro St., (213) 484-8484 or phosiam.com.
Seein’ Is Misbehavin’: Does your administrative professional have an affinity for legendary musician Fats Waller? If he or she does not now, then they will after walking out of Ain’t Misbehavin’, a musical at the Ahmanson Theatre to which you are buying two tickets (up to you whether your gatekeeper gets both, or you go along as the plus-one; we suggest the former). The revival of the 1978 show, which revisits the height of the Harlem Renaissance in the early 1900s, features 30 rollicking numbers, among them the title track and “The Joint is Jumpin.’” The production that originated on Broadway is now on a 30th anniversary tour, with Roz Ryan in the role Nell Carter made famous, and lands in Downtown from April 18-May 31. Tickets start at $20. At 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or centertheatregroup.com. Feeling Artsy: When not making your lunch reservations and getting you out of jams, does your administrative assistant spend time at art museums? If so, then prove you can be creative too with a gift from the Museum of Contemporary Art’s store. You can either check out the Grand Avenue space or go online to find items such as an Ed Ruscha beach towel (it bears the legend “THE STUDY OF FRICTION AND WEAR ON MATING SURFACES”), an Andy Warhol “Vote McGovern” tote bag or any variety of Takashi Murakami T-shirts. The store is also loaded with books, exhibit catalogues and artful note cards. If you can’t get away from the computer, you can also use the MOCA website to give the gift of museum membership, with prices starting at $75. At 250 S. Grand Ave., (213) 621-2745 or moca.org/store.
photo by Gary Leonard
Almost any administrative professional would be thrilled with a gift certificate to the Pho Siam Thai Spa in City West. Massages start at $25 for a half hour.
Bottega Louie Restaurant and Market. The Seventh Street space, which just opened on April 6, has a collection of items like olive oils, jams and jarred peaches. Add to the package with a box of pastries and your assistant will enjoy the gift for many days to come. At 700 S. Grand Ave., (866) 418-9162 or bottegalouie.com.
holders are looking to unload this, the last game of the year. Which means better seats for you. At Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7340 or nba.com/clippers. Bookish Pursuits: Books or a gift card to a bookstore are always good ideas — why not let your administrative professional read something more intriguing than your business letters? But if you really want to kick it up a notch, then drop by antiquarian bookseller Caravan Books. The store at Sixth Street and Grand Avenue is a glorious throwback and offers all manner of first editions, rare books and out-of-print tomes. To help find the perfect gift, speak with affable and erudite owner Leonard Bernstein — give him a couple thoughts on what your gatekeeper enjoys outside of work (you do know, right?) and he’ll steer you in the appropriate direction. At 550 S. Grand Ave., (213) 626-9944. Contact Jon Regardie at regardie@downtownnews.com
Clippers Tickets Are Not a Punishment: If your administrative assistant is a basketball fan, then there is an intriguing opportunity this week: On Wednesday, April 15, the Los Angeles Clippers host the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have one of the game’s brightest young stars in Kevin Durant. He has exploded in just his second year, and considering that the Clips have a porous defense and stopped trying a while ago, you could see a historic offensive output, or at least a pretty impressive performance. By the way, if your office has been hit by the recession this year, tickets should be cheap — neither team is anywhere near the playoffs and season ticket
To Market You Go: Too many times you have been responsible for your administrative assistant missing lunch or getting home too late to prepare a nice dinner. So show that you recognize the error of your ways by picking up some goods from Downtown’s new upscale
SALAD
Spinach and Arugula Salad with Champagne vinaigrette dressing or
Chilled Fresh Melon Soup ENTRÉE
Salmon Salad
warm grilled salmon over field greens tossed in honey balsamic dressing with cucumbers and fresh berries or
Sautéed Paillard of Chicken with garlic lemon butter sauce or
Grilled Portabella Mushroom Sandwich
photo by Gary Leonard
The new Bottega Louie on Seventh Street offers delectable pastries, which can be combined with jarred peaches or other goods for a proper gatekeeper thank you.
marinated tomatoes, roasted red bell peppers, grilled zucchini, fresh basil, mozzarella cheese and extra virgin olive oil on ciabatta bread DESSERT
Chocolate Grand Marnier Cake or
An Elegant Dining Experience Private party rooms for small to large groups are available for your special occasion. Voted Best Chinese Dish (Honey Walnut SHrimp) Dine In • Take Out 213.613.1819 • 913 N. Broadway, L.A.
plumtreeinnrestaurant.com
— LA Downtown News Readers—
Mon.-Thur. 11aM - 9:30pM • Fri. 11aM - 10:30pM SaT. 11:30aM - 10:30pM • Sun. 11:30aM - 9:30pM
Tiramisu
CAN'T GET AWAY TO PERSONALLY TAKE YOUR ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT TO LUNCH? Purchase a $20 GIFT CERTIFICATE from CITY GRILL and we will take care of all the details for you. (Gift certificate will cover cost of lunch, non-alcoholic beverage, tax & tip)
More Information: (213) 627-4289 WILSHIRE GRAND LOS ANGELES • LOCATED ON THE CORNER OF 7TH & FIGUEROA
DowntownNews.com
14 Downtown News
HEALTH
Annual ‘Fun Ride’ to Support Mobile Blood Collecting Project by Ryan VaillancouRt staff wRiteR
F
or the 12th consecutive year, the City of Angels Fun Ride is set to roll through Downtown and beyond on Sunday, April 26, when more than 1,000 bicyclists will pedal to raise money for Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.
The annual ride, which this year is sponsored by the Volkswagen Southern California Dealers Association, features two routes — one for advanced cyclists, and another for more leisurely riders — that attempt to offer a unique tour of Los Angeles and its historic or popular landmarks. As riders roll past Little Tokyo, L.A. Live, USC, Walt Disney
California Hospital Was Built For You
Concert Hall, the Hollywood Bowl and Universal Studios, they’ll also be raising money for Childrens Hospital Los Angeles’ “Bloodmobile” fund. The hospital’s mobile blood collecting vehicle, dubbed the “MaxMobile” after Max Beulow, a bone cancer victim who died in 2006 at the age of 11, has allowed the institution to increase its ability to conduct off-site blood drives, said event producer Peter Heumann. The vehicle was purchased in 2007, in part with funds raised by the Fun Ride. “In less than four years, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles has gone from doing zero off-site blood drives to now collecting half their total units of blood from off-site blood drives,” Heumann said. The advanced ride, which rolls at 15-18 miles per hour, stretches 53 miles, and the 36-mile recreational route rolls at 10-12 miles per hour, Heumann said. Both rides are led by Los Angeles Police Department escorts and begin and end at the Los Angeles Police Academy in Elysian Park. With registration, which costs $45, riders get lunch and are automatically entered into a raffle with a chance to win prizes that include bicycles and bike accessories. For more information or to register, visit coafunride.com. Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com. photo courtesy of City of Angels Fun Ride
Bike for Blood
April 13, 2009
Whether it’s a routine visit or a medical emergency, we’re here if you need us. California Hospital is a 316-bed acute care facility that has been serving our community since 1887.
Downtown L.A.s L.A.s #1 #1 Kickboxing Kickboxing Gym! Gym! Downtown L.A.s #1 Kickboxing Gym! Downtown
THe OFFicial HOSPiTal OF THe lOS aNGeleS M araTHON ExpErtisE you trust. sErvicE you rEly on. ExpEriEncE that savEs livEs.
MUAY THAI JIU-JITSU FITNESS BOXING MMA MUAY MMA 1335 WILLOW WILLOW STREET, STREET, LOS LOS ANGELES, ANGELES,CA CA90013 90013 1335 LOS ANGELES, CA 90013 (On the corner of Santa Fe and Willow, enter at the rear of the building, 2nd floor) (On Fe and and Willow, Willow, enter enter at at the the rear rear of of the thebuilding, building,2nd 2ndfloor) floor) (On the the corner corner of of Santa Santa Fe
21 133..770066..66882277 | | w ww ww w...ttth muuuaaayyyttthhhaaaiii...cccoo om m 2 hheeeyyyaaarrrdddm m m 2 1
Medical ServiceS State-of-the-Art Cancer Services and Treatment: IMRT, Sentinel Node Biopsy, Brachtherapy, HDR Comprehensive Orthopedics and Rehab Services Trauma Care – Level II Trauma Center Intensive Care Unit Pediatrics, NICU, Maternity Care Surgery Suites and Intensive Care Services Women’s Health and Gynecologic Services Diagnostic Treatment and Imaging Center
50
$
Get an uPtown sMiLe Downtown
For the second year, California Hospital Medical Center serves as the official medical provider of the LA Marathon. To ensure that each participant is provided timely and proper medical attention, a team of volunteers consisting of doctors, nurses and tech professionals from California Hospital will be stationed in eight separate tents along the 26.2 mile course and at two locations at the finish line. An event that is as strenuous and as widely attended as the LA Marathon demands a tremendous amount of medical resources. California Hospital will again be ready to administer care for the thousands of runners who will be hitting the streets of LA on Memorial Day, May 25, 2009.
* Complete Exam & X-rays (a $180 value) includes:
• Oral cancer screening • Gum disease check • Consultation with dentist • Treatment recommendations
• Digital (Low Radiation) X-Rays • Payment plans, Visa & MC • Dental insurance accepted & filed
Silvia Kasparian, DDS USC Graduate, ADA, CDA Member * Or a FREE electric toothbrush for insurance patients. New patients only. Offer exp. 4/30/09
(213) 892-8172
601 W. 5th St. Suite 1110, LA • Use Dash B & C
MakinG QuaLity DentistRy CoMfoRtabLe anD GentLe.
FREE PARKING
During Your Bikram Yoga Class
y Bring ad in for
CHW California Hospital Medical Center 1-866-213-CHMC • www.chmcla.org 1401 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90015 (On Grand Ave., just 2 blocks from the Staples Center.)
$20 one week pass (regularly $35) For first time students only.
y Lose Weight • De-Stress Showers & Changing Rooms Available Tons of Classes log onto website for schedule.
www.BikramYogaDowntownLA.com • 213.626.9642 • 700 West 1st Street
April 13, 2009
Celebrating Life Colorectal Cancer Survivors Participate at USC Event
O
n Friday, March 20, more than 100 colorectal cancer survivors showed up at the USC/Norris Cancer Hospital for an event as part of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Among the attendees were Martin Franco, an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Rampart Division, who has battled the disease for five years. He recently taped a public service announcement to raise awareness of the disease and to urge LAPD officers to get screened for colorectal cancer. Other attendees included Robert Martinez, a colorectal cancer survivor who is now a USC medical student, and Mike Dubron, a survivor and firefighter. Numerous doctors, nurses and family and friends of the survivors also showed up for the event just outside Downtown.
photo courtesy of USC/Norris Cancer Hospital
Attendees at a March 20 event for colorectal cancer survivors included Dr. Robert W. Beart, Jr. (left), professor and chair of the Department of Colorectal Surgery at USC/Norris Cancer Hospital, Martin Franco, an LAPD officer and colorectal cancer survivor (right), and Franco’s wife Lupe Franco.
Big Losses USC Study Links Football and Fatal Heart Attacks by Meghan Lewit
A
Downtown News 15
Health
study by Robert Kloner, a professor of medicine at the USC Keck School of Medicine, and heart researchers at Good Samaritan Hospital found that football fans in the United States are at increased risk for heart attack death, especially following a losing Super Bowl game. The finding was presented March 28 at the American College of Cardiology annual meeting in Orlando, Fla. “Stress may trigger cardiovascular events,” Kloner said. “Emotional stress involving a local sports team, especially in a highly publicized rivalry as in the Super Bowl, is no exception. Both losing a Super Bowl game and the intensity of the game may play a role.” Researchers analyzed post-game deaths on the day of and for two weeks after the Los Angeles Rams lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1980 and when the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins in 1984. They also looked at data from the Super Bowls between 2000 and 2004 when Los Angeles did not have a professional football team. Los Angeles County total death rates and those caused by heart disease and heart attacks were significantly higher on days related to the losing 1980 game compared to non-Super Bowl related control days. Death rates were also higher for circulatory deaths, cardiovascular deaths and heart attacks. On the other hand, there was a lower death rate in 1984 when the L.A. Raiders won the game and in 2000 to 2004 when Los Angeles did not have a professional football team. The increase in deaths and cardiac deaths associated with the losing 1980 game could be related to emotional stress, Kloner noted. The decrease in deaths in 1984 may be related to the euphoria of victory, and the slight decrease in death surrounding the 2000-2004 games may be related to a decrease in physical activity. “Patients, especially sports fans who have had a heart attack or know that they have risk factors for heart disease and become excited while watching sports may wish to discuss these issues with their health care providers,” Kloner says. “Relaxation techniques, slow deep breathing, or certain medicines may be appropriate for some excitable fans.” Article courtesy of USC HSC Weekly.
If you’re Looking for a Female Physician . . .
. . . Look no Further! i Good Samaritan Medical Practice Association has 80 highly qualified female
physicians practicing as Internists, Family Practitioners, Specialists and Hospitalists, all in convenient locations throughout the downtown area. With so many female physicians accepting new patients right now, you are sure to find just the right personal physician for you.
i GSMPA physicians accept all major health insurance plans. Just call the mem-
ber services phone number on your insurance card and choose a doctor from the long list of Board Certified physicians. Many languages and ethnicities are available and scheduling an appointment during your work day will be easy and convenient.
i You can even ride the DASH (E line) to Good Samaritan for only 25¢. Con-
venient parking is also available.
800-611-9847 ext. 262
www.gsmpa.net
G O O D S A M A R I TA N M E D I CA L P R AC T I C E A S S O C I AT I O N L O S SPOTLIGHT ON
HEALTHCARE
)HMXSVMEP JSV EHZIVXMWIVW MW EZEMPEFPI MR XLMW WTIGMEP WIGXMSR
'EPP 1264 W. 1st St., LA, CA 90026 (213) 481-1448 • FAX (213) 250-4617
LADowntownNews.com
Read Monday’s News on Friday Night! Available on-line @
LADowntownNews.com
A N G E L E S
RESTAURANTS
ChirocareDowntown.com
We accept most insurance. » Chiropractic » Acupuncture » Massage Therapy » Personal FIND OUT WHAT Injury/ TO EAT Auto Accidents AND WHERE TO EAT @
» Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture » Cold Laser Therapy » X-Rays » Nutrition/Detoxification
New Client Special
$49
95
(consultation, exam, xray. 1st treatment)
112 W. 9th St. | NLos Angeles, CA 90015 | (213)627-0287 LAD OWNTOWN EWS.COM
Read Monday’s News on Friday Night! Available on-line @ LADowntownNews.com
For a healthy dose of information visit DowntownNews.com
16 Downtown News
April 13, 2009
photos by Monika Rittershaus
DowntownNews.com
A Thrilling Ride for Die Walküre L.A. Opera Continues to Build Up the Ring Cycle
by Marc Porter Zasada contributing writer
I
t’s never been easy being a Wagnerian singer. The orchestras are huge, the operas long and the stage directors often mad. You need a big voice to cut through to the audience, and you have to be willing to, say, have half your face painted black and your hair lifted into a tall blue wave. If you’re Plácido Domingo, however, you don’t let anything cramp your style. The superstar tenor and artistic director of Los Angeles Opera proves that again as he leads a superb cast of Wagnerians through a thrilling, thought-provoking and, yes, hair-raising Die Walküre. The four hours and 50 minutes production, which opened April 4 and runs through April 25 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, flies by like the winged horses of the Walküres themselves — even if, in this case, the horses prove to be wire abstractions with bicycle tires attached at the back. Die Walküre is the second installment of the four-part Ring cycle, Richard Wagner’s mammoth paean to the fall of the pagan gods and the rise of human freedom. The story follows the love of mortals Siegmund (Domingo) and Sieglinde (Anja Kampe), who happen to be long-lost twins, and the decision of Brünnhilde, an immortal warrior-maiden, to defy the laws of the gods and try to help them. Wotan, king of the gods (and the secret father of the twins) continues to make bad decisions and lose his grip on power. It’s not a fairytale, but rather a brooding commentary on the cosmos and a 19th-century manifesto on human dignity. Director and designer Achim Freyer, who is wonderfully mad, continues his symbol-fest from Das Rheingold, turning the stage into a series of highly charged German expressionist paintings and explicitly spelling out each dramatic motif in much the same way Wagner does in his music. The twins are
each painted half-black, but on opposite sides, so they fit together. Freyer’s production is dominated by a huge turntable representing divine time, immortality and eternal return. The rest of the sets are pretty much supplied by the huge and outrageous costumes — big cutouts behind which the singers sometimes retreat or huge grotesques worn by dancers appearing briefly on the turntable. It’s startling and brilliant. And as we become familiar with the director’s goals, it is all becoming clear. The libretto calls for the action to open in the home of Hunding, a boorish hunter who has built a hut around an enormous ash tree. Into this tree, Wotan once stuck a sword that no hero has yet been able to draw. Freyer has done away with the hut and reduced both ash tree and sword to a glowing neon pole which Siegmund will draw forth later in the act. A dancer walks a second pole around the circle in the manner of a clock hand. Conventional? No, but totally in keeping with the original symbolic intent. Great Moment Last month’s Das Rheingold, the first part of L.A. Opera’s $32 million Ring cycle (it culminates in the 2009/10 season), was a mixed success critically, as some thought the production too static. Die Walküre begins in the same static mold, then suddenly breaks loose when the twins discover their affection toward the end of Act One. The moment reveals the truly high-risk genius of Freyer, who was all along (and for a total of at least three and a half hours) building toward this tremendous love duet and its symbolic power. Briefly, Domingo seizes control of the tempo and asserts his musical force, which seems undiminished at the age of 68. Underneath all her makeup, Kampe matches his passion, and when they join their voices it’s a great Wagnerian moment.
Linda Watson, known even in Wagner’s home town of Bayreuth as a dynamic Brünnhilde, is joyful in her military mission, and fills the hall with a warm, full-bodied soprano. Watson, especially, seems to revel in all the obvious Brechtian stagecraft, wrapping herself in a symbolic bird cloak and glorying in the magic fire which springs up to end the opera — a particularly wonderful effect by the ever-inventive Freyer. The principal actor throughout the Ring should really be the doomed Wotan, but in Das Rheingold, Vitalij Kowaljow was hampered by his bulky costumes (for example, something similar to a birdcage on his head), and he seemed a mere supporting player. In Die Walküre, as his imprisoning divinity (and costume effects) begin to loosen, Kowaljow gets to move around, and when he finally takes off the birdcage in Act Two, he comes into his own as a very human, suffering king of the gods. His bass-baritone, even in the big, thunderous parts, is exquisitely nuanced. Once again, the orchestra has been hidden under a scrim, with an unintentional dampening effect. L.A Opera Music Director James Conlon’s conducting is filled with passion. It is a subtle and fully developed passion, but it remains slightly subdued, and one hopes he’ll turn up the volume to “Wagner.” Eric Halfvarson makes for a perfectly menacing Hunding and Michelle DeYoung, also finally freed to move around the stage, shines as Fricka, Wotan’s goddess wife who forces him to obey the laws of marriage. The rest of the supporting cast, including all eight of the other Walküre, are world-class. Die Walkure plays through April 25. Tenor Christopher Ventris replaces Domingo April 22 and 25. At the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135. N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-8001 or laopera.com. Be sure to study a synopsis and perhaps an analysis of the opera beforehand, or you will not grasp this production.
Plácido Domingo and Anja Kampe star in Die Walküre, the second installment in L.A. Opera’s Ring cycle. The production designed and directed by Achim Freyer includes a giant turntable and winged horses configured with bicycle tires.
DowntownNews.com
SCI-Arc Rocks Out
“It can be twisted and curled and arched into various configurations,” Ball said. “It could be a place to relax, a place for people to socialize; it does all of those things.” The artwork will be configured into three shapes: an amphitheater, a lounge and a long strip with no front or backside. Big Art The Coachella Festival started in 1999 with an emphasis on alternative, hip-hop and electronic music. Over the years, the art scene has evolved to become almost as much of an attraction as the music. Large sculptures and installations, interactive designs and stunning displays of electricity, as well as performance art, take place on the green fields as the music plays. This year more than 20 artworks will be on display along with SCI-Arc’s piece, said Phillip Blaine, art curator for the festival. “We really try to take the art very seriously and we decided to cast a much wider net in our research and finding art pieces that are out there,” he said. “When you look at a field that’s hundreds and hundreds of acres, small art, the oil on canvas type of thing, tends to get lost. So we have to go with big art and
Downtown Architecture Students Get Credit for Making a Coachella Festival Artwork by Richard Guzmán city editor
I
something that was going to create an experience that’s outside the every day,” Ball said. “When you’re going to Coachella you’re stepping into this fantasy world and they wanted to create something that’s never been seen before.” With a budget of $15,000 provided by Goldenvoice, the concert promoter, the class began looking for inspiration by researching rock events like Woodstock, the Glastonbury Festival in England and past Coachella shows. The students also looked at artwork constructed at Burning Man and the Venice Biennale. The final product, which resembles a series of giant Slinkies stitched together, is meant to be an interactive and evolving work of art, which is one of the expectations for pieces displayed at Coachella. It is 25 feet wide and 250 feet long.
Downtown News 17
everything we found that was really large was usually from architecture firms.” Blaine said he was looking for a piece that would define the environment, be entertaining and also have a function. With temperatures at the festival expected to reach into triple digits and shade in short supply, “The Elastic Plastic Sponge” could prove to be a popular attraction. In the daytime it can provide shade and cool people off with water misters that have been installed through the piece. After dark, with its LED features, it can be a gathering place for dancing and taking in the night vibe, Blaine said. “The final creation is very unique; it’s definitely a great example of what can be successful on the field and of a collaboration of great ideas,” he said. The sculpture basically acts as an enormous spring, said Jeff Morrical, a graduate student who worked on the project. “Aesthetically it ended up taking this sponge-like quality,” he said. “We’re going to create this misty, fluid lounge atmosphere for people to party and take relief from the heat.” Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.
photo by Gary Leonard
t didn’t look like much last week as it was about to be loaded into a moving truck. The 1,500 feet of plastic tubing spread across the parking lot of the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) appeared more like leftovers from a longfinished plumbing project. But this material was destined for something else, an unlikely combination of art, education and music. The 2,400 pounds of thin plastic tubes will be reassembled this week in the desert about 130 miles east of Downtown Los Angeles. It will become an artwork, known as “The Elastic Plastic Sponge,” and will be on display at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio April 17-19. “It’s a shade structure which can be reconfigured to become a lounge or a theater or a giant sculpture,” said Benjamin Ball, one of three professors who led the school’s course “Rock and Roll Fantasy: SCI-Arc at Coachella,” which began in January. Yes, it’s a real class, and yes, the 12 students received college credit for taking on the challenge of creating a largescale, functional art installation to display at the 10th annual festival. The 1,500 feet of plastic tubing (left) in the SCI-Arc parking lot last week will be assembled into a 250-foot long artwork at the Coachella festival in Indio April 17-19. Twelve “We were looking for students were given a $15,000 budget to create the piece.
rendering courtesy of Southern California Institute of Architecture
April 13, 2009
LISTINGS ThE ‘DON’T Miss’ LisT
SPONSORED LISTING CHEER LA Rummage Sale Harlem Alley, Fourth Street, between Spring and Main streets, next to the Museum of Neon Art, (213) 628-0628 or cheerla.org. Saturday, April 25, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.: The Cheer for Life Fund is hosting an all day rummage sale to benefit organizations that support AIDS research and victims. Cheer LA, a group of philanthropic cheerleaders, will be on hand performing as people shop for clothes, toys, electronics, furniture, books, shoes, DVDs, VHS tapes and art supplies.
Thursday, april 16 Town Hall L.A. 515 S. Flower St., Suite 1650, (213) 628-8141 or townhall-la.org. 6 p.m.: Author and New York Times business columnist James Flanigan will give a talk. Sources say, he’ll talk economy. Thursdays at Central 630 W. Fifth St., Meeting Room A, (213) 228-7241 or lapl.org. 12:15-1 p.m.: Investigate the newest and best mystery writers from Asia. ALOUD at the Central Library 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7025 or aloudla.org. 7 p.m.: Two L.A. impresarios, Mark Murphy and David Sefton, talk about what goes into the making of a season of groundbreaking performing arts at REDCAT and UCLA Live. MOCA Grand Avenue 250 S. Grand Ave., (213) 621-1745 or moca.org. 6:30 p.m.: Assistant Curator and exhibition curator Rebecca Morse leads a walkthrough of “A Changing Ratio: Painting and Sculpture from the Collection.” Friday, april 17 Farmlab Public Salons 1745 N. Spring St. #4, (323) 226-1158 or farmlab.org. Noon: Frank van de Ven and Victoria Looseleaf present “Corpus Criticus: Bodies on Words — Words on Bodies.” Considering the art of improvisation as danced by van de Ven, arts journalist and critic Looseleaf opens a dialogue with both performer and audience, demystifying the genre in real time. ‘L.A.’s Best’ Casino Night Vibiana, 210 S. Main St., (213) 978-0790 or lasbest.org. 8 p.m.–midnight: Put on your poker face and help raise funds for L.A.’s BEST After School Enrichment Program. Tickets are $75 and include heavy appetizers, drinks and $20 in gambling chips. Fangocon L.A. Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa St., fangocon.com. April 17-19, all-day: Fangoria’s Weekend of Horror is a three-day convention for all you lovers of dark entertainment. For more information, and a schedule for each day, visit fangocon.com. saTurday, april 18 Climb California Aon Center, 707 Wilshire Blvd., (213) 384-5864 or climbcalifornia.org. 9 a.m.: Climb 1,377 stairs to the top of the Aon Center and raise money for the American Lung Association. All participants must raise $100, and Continued on next page
by AnnA Scott
ONE
Talk, Music and More Puppets
StAff writer
Bring together Nigerian music, Mexican farce and Polish puppeteers and you have one heck of a party — or two seasons of groundbreaking performing arts. On Thursday, April 16, at 7 p.m., the Aloud series hosts an event titled “Two L.A. Impresarios,” namely REDCAT Executive Director Mark Murphy (shown here) and UCLA Live Director David Sefton, who have created programs involving all of the above, and much, much more. The two, known for bringing some of the most forward-thinking and avante-garde programming to Los Angeles, will be in conversation with journalist and author Barbara Isenberg. The Central Library, Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7025 or aloudla.org.
photo by Craig Schwartz
TWO
Ready for some rollicking, finger-snapping fun? You’re in luck, as on Saturday, April 18, the Tony Awardwinning musical revue Ain’t Misbehavin’ begins preview performances at the Ahmanson Theatre. This tribute to the entertainers of the Harlem Renaissance focuses on the music of Thomas “Fats” Waller, one of the most prolific musicians of the time. The weekend holds 8 p.m. shows Saturday and Sunday, and the show runs through May 31 (the official opening is April 24). 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or centertheatregroup.org.
In 2006, the world of classical music lost one of its most distinctive voices, Russian composer Galina Ustvolskyaya. On Monday, April 13, at 8 p.m., pianist and conductor Marino Formenti hosts a tribute to Ustvolskaya’s obsessive and haunting vision at the Colburn School’s Zipper Concert Hall. The program includes Ustvolskyaya’s harrowing Composition No. 2 and Symphony No. 5, a dramatic setting of The Lord’s Prayer. 200 S. Grand Ave., (310) 836-6632 or mondayeveningconcerts.org.
03
ISRAEL
FOUR
Questions of artistic, historic, social, economic, geographic and political identity converge on Sunday, April 19, at MOCA Grand Avenue with the premiere of Who Am I and What’s My Name, a survey of video works made by Israeli artists during the last four years. Co-presented by the Visual Arts Committee of the Jewish Federation’s Tel Aviv/Los Angeles Partnership, the program begins at 3 p.m. and includes eight short films. 250 S. Grand Ave., (213) 621-1745 or moca.org.
05 Sometimes, one word is all you need, especially when that one word is: puppets! On Saturday, April 18, at 1 p.m., the California African-American Museum presents Light in Play, a shadow puppet show exploring the connections between humans and nature. The piece is inspired by Of Tulips and Shadows, a collection of paintings, sculptures and other works by Bay Area artist Dewey Crumpler. It is on display at CAAM until May 17. 600 State Drive, Exposition Park, (213) 744-7432 or caam.ca.gov.
photos courtesy of CAAM
EVENTS
Tuesday, april 14 ALOUD at the Central Library 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7025 or aloudla.org. 7 p.m.: Investigative reporter Michelle Goldberg exposes the global war on women’s reproductive rights and its consequences for the future of global development in “The Means of Reproduction: Sex, Power, and the Future of the World.” She’s in conversation with Sue Horton, Op-ed and Sunday Opinion editor of the Los Angeles Times. Meet Your Councilmember Los Angeles Theater, 615 S. Broadway, (213) 4736451. or dlanc.com. 6 p.m.: Prior to its regular meeting, which starts at 6:30 p.m., the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council will host a meet-and-greet for residents with City Councilmembers Jan Perry, José Huizar and Ed Reyes in the theater lobby. The event is a chance to get to know your elected officials, and discuss ideas or express concerns related to Downtown.
April 13, 2009
DowntownNews.com
courtesy of Library Foundation of Los Angeles
18 Downtown News
April 13, 2009
Downtown News 19
SearchDowntownLA.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
Continued from previous page
Magazine for his “sadder than hell balladry, razor sharp testifying, storied takes on loneliness, beatnikon-the-Mexican-border music, coffeehouse chic.” April 14, 10 p.m.: Deep-rooted country from Mike Stinson and Dave Gleason. April 15, 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 16, 10 p.m.: Leslie and the Badgers, the 1921A, One Trick Pony and the Folk Heroes. April 17, 10 p.m.: Ireland-soaked rockers Ollin. April 18, 10 p.m.: Relive childhood trauma with the Neighborhood Bullies, Peachfuzz and Steve Barton. April 19, 10 p.m.: Shipwrecked Sundays with Eleven Hundred Springs, David Serby and West of Texas. 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. Staples Center 1201 S. Figueroa St., staplescenter.com. April 16-17, 8 p.m.: Britney Spears is back onstage — and she’s way better here than she is in court. Walt Disney Concert Hall 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 972-3660 or musiccenter.org. April 18, 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.: Traditional Quebec musicians Le Vent du Nord, and the daredevils of city-mates, Circo Comedia.
Café Metropol registration closes on April 17. (Tired already?) 923 E. Third St., (213) 613-1537 or cafemetropol.com. Spotlight on Three Historic Theaters April 17: Milo, featuring Lola Langren, blends Broadway and Eighth streets, lahtf.org. Nordic melancholy progressions with pop melodies, 10:30 a.m.: The Los Angeles Historic Theater odd meter beats, vintage Blue Note era vocals and Foundation continues its series of tours of Down- gritty arrangements. town’s historic theaters with explorations of the April 11: Pianist Matt Slocum funks it out in the Tower, Rialto and Olympic theaters in one day. manner of John Medeski. Theater historian Ed Kelsey will give comprehensive Casey’s Irish Bar and Grill presentations on the storied past of the three venues 613 S. Grand Ave., (213) 629-2353 or bigcaseys.com. and the impresarios who built andgot operated them.Juggling too Friday: aredeadlines for fiddles, the bar hosts We’ve the solution. manyFridays projects, andasvendors? Let live Downtown High Schools PIP College Fairthe creation andIrish music. of all of your business communimanage re-ordering cations.1200 In one location, PIP consultants Edward R. Roybal Learning Center, Colton St., yourChop Suey Café bring together all the resources you need, including: lausd.net. 347 E.•First St., (213) 617-9990 or chopsueycafe.com. Printing • Signs, posters and banners 10 a.m.–2 p.m.: Students who attend high schools Thursdays, p.m.: printing Live jazz on the patio • Copying 7:30-9:30• Digital Graphic design • Online ordering in the so-called Belmont Zone of Choice are encour- of the •restored landmark. Wilshire Blvd. aged to take part in this college700 fair, where represen- Club Nokia ph: 213-489-2333 fax: 213-489-2897 tatives of colleges and universities will be on hand to Corner of Olympic Blvd. and Figueroa St., piparco@sbcglobal.net provide information about their schools. clubnokia.com. April 15, 8 p.m.: Melody maker India.Arie. Sunday, april 19 Conga Room Japanese Tea Aesthetics L.A. Live, 800 W. Olympic, (213) 749-0445 or Aratani/Japan America Theatre, 244 S. San Pedro St., congaroom.com. (213) 382-04886 or jaccc.org. April 15: The Colombian band Aterciopelados 1-3 p.m.: Practitioners of the Omote Senke blends traditional latin music with American rock. School of Tea Ceremony will demonstrate and pro- They’re supported by guest Alex Cuba. vide explanation on the Japanese tea ceremony. April 18: Chino Espinoza y Los Duenos del Son Participants will learn the traditional way to drink play salsa for the ages. Japanese tea. Nokia Theatre REDCAT 777 Chick Hearn (213) 763-6000 or We’ve got the solution. Whether going after Court, just one customer or appealing to a redcat.org. mass market, we’ll help you capture those sales opportunities. In one 631 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800, nokiatheatrelalive.com. location, your consultants bring all the Presents resourcesAvenged you need, 7 p.m.: An evening of new nonfiction with PIP Wayne April 16,together 8 p.m.: KROQ SevenKoestenbaum, Sarah Thorntonincluding: and David L. Ulin. fold • Printing • Signs, posters and banners Copying Pete’s•Café and Bar • Digital printing • Main GraphicSt., design • Online ordering 400 N. (213) 618-1759 or petescafe.com. 700 Wilshire Blvd. Tuesdays, 10 p.m.-1 a.m.: Pablo Calogero and ph: 213-489-2333 fax: 213-489-2897 626 Reserve Fabiano Nacimento play Brazilian jazz. piparco@sbcglobal.net 626 S. Spring St., (213) 627-9800 or 626reserve.com. Redwood Bar & Grill Tuesdays, 6 p.m.: Live music with Goh Kurosawa. 316 W. Second St., (213) 680-2600 or Thursdays, 6 p.m.: More live sounds, this time theredwoodbar.com. with Jessie Torrez. April 13, 10 p.m.: Jake LaBotz, praised by Tatoo
A
of missing sales opportunities?
B
afraid
your customers won’t notice you?
ROCK, POP & JAZZ
THEATER, OPERA & DANCE The Birds L.A. Opera, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-8001 or laopera.com. April 18, 7:30 p.m.: Conductor James Conlon
C
horrified 700 Wilshire Blvd.
small plates, cigars, smoking patio
• Signs, posters and banners • Digital printing • Online ordering
by L
Featuring
sashimi, yakitori, Tempura, different kinds of sushi open 7 days a week, 11 am - 10 pm 120 Japanese Village plaza (Little Tokyo)
(213) 680-0567
Email: Send a brief description, street address and public phone number. Submissions must be received 10 days prior to publication date to be considered for print.
available for private parties, bottle service, location shoots
Happy HOur M-F 4pm-8pm: $4 Drafts, Wines, Wells & Appetizers 404 s. figueroa st.
on flower st. at the bonaventure hotel (between fourth & fifth st.) valet parking: $7.00 for up to 5 hours with validation.
www.suedebarla.com
Regent China Inn Authentic Chinese Cuisine in Chinatown
catering specials available! Lobster Special
12.95
$
Lunch Special
4.95
$
Weekdays 11-5 Saturday & Sunday 11-3
DELIVERY • DINE-IN • TAKE-OUT • CATERING
739-747 N. Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 Tel: 213-680-3333 • Fax: 213-680-3507 www.regentchinainn.com
Validated Parking (Enter on Central Ave.) or use DASH Route A–Bus
myspace.com/suedebarla
F r e e P a r k i n g
An Extensive Seafood Menu including Dim Sum at Moderate Prices Relaxed Dining in an Elegant Ambiance Live Lobster Tank
Free Parking Next to Restaurant
700 N. Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Tel: 213.617.2323
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
Sushi Counter in LA!
4 wEb: www.DowntownNews.com 4 EmAiL: Calendar@DowntownNews.com
Open M-F 4pm-2am, Sat 7pm-2am
213-489-3590
VOT.AE. Downtown N
EvENT iNfO
$3 Wells, $3 all Beers, $3 House Wines, $3 appetizers
ph: 213-489-2333 fax: 213-489-2897 piparco@sbcglobal.net
I SUSeH T ers Original Revolving d S a E ews R DB
2
EAsy wAys TO submiT yOuR
Continued page 19 At Suede Bar & Lounge • All Day – 4pm toon2am
We’ve got the solution. From simple POS materials to a full-on marketing blitz, we’ll help you get noticed. In one location, your PIP consultants bring together all the resources you need, including: • Printing • Copying • Graphic design
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. Die Walküre L.A. Opera, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-8001 or laopera.com. April 16, 6:30 p.m.; April 19, 1 p.m.: In round two of the L.A. opera’s Ring cycle, Plácido Domingo 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.
RECESSION MONDAYS
by too much to do and too little time?
Scared
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.
☞ 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
E Entertainment
F _ B7
F B7
HIST
66
B A
12
HIST
11
CHINESE HISTORICAL SOCIETY T ARD S BERN
FW
M WAY
NA PA
WAY
ST
T
EGE S
E ST
CHINATOWN ST
N SIO MIS RD
GE LE S RI VE R
H 4T
ST TH 5
HARBOR FWY
FWY
RC
BOR
I-A
SC
T
HAR
VE EA
AS
8
SAN JULIAN
WALL ST
SANTEE
ST
S ST NGELE LOS A
MAPLE AVE
T MAIN S
ST
FIGUEROA
GRAND
FW BOR H A R OWER ST FL
AVE
OA ST
Y
9
ON VE TA
MEMORIAL COLISEUM
LA SPORTS ARENA
D
SAN PEDRO STATION
E
D LV
KB
ML
10 TON BLVD
V
E X P O S I T I O N PA R K
RM
17TH ST
HISTORY MUSEUM
O
PO
EX
UNIVERSITY EXPO PARK WEST
VD BL ON NATURAL
TI SI
H
15TH ST
AIR & SPACE MUSEUM AFRICAN ROSE AMERICAN GARDEN MUSEUM CALIFORNIA SCIENCE CENTER
VE
C
FIGUER
MAPLE AVE
SANTEE ST
MAIN ST
BROADWAY
HILL ST
AVE
OLIVE ST
GRAND
HOPE ST
ST
OA ST
FLOWER
FIGUER
LOS ANGELES ST
14TH ST
FRIEDMAN OCCUPATIONAL CENTER
110
14TH ST
G WASHIN PATRIOTIC HALL
GALEN CENTER
VD SON BL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 14TH PL
VENICE BLVD
SHRINE AUDITORIUM
UNIVERSITY VILLAGE
18TH ST
B
AAA HQ
ANNENBERG CENTER FOR COMMUNICATION
PICO BLVD
A FWY S A N TA M O N I C
110
ED
ST SOUTH EXHIBIT HALL
10
AF NT
BLVD
JEFFER
CALIFORNIA HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER
VD PICO BL
A
AM
AT&T CENTER 12TH ST
CONVENTION CENTER
10
ADAMS
NORTH UNIVERSITY PARK
11TH ST
PICO STATION
PICO UNION
SA
CHERRY
110
AL
12TH ST
WEST ADAMS
MAYAN THEATER
CT
WEST EXHIBIT HALL
ORTHOPEDIC HOSPITAL
MOUNT ST. MARY’S COLLEGE
ST
SOUTH PARK
STAPLES CENTER ARENA
11TH ST
VE LA
OLYMPIC BLVD
FASHION DISTRICT
PRODUCE MARKETS
South Figueroa Corridor District
ER
NOKIA THEATRE H ICK CH
ST
7 INNER CITY ARTS
OV
NOKIA PLAZA
H
WAREHOUSE DISTRICT
Y SANTEE ALLE
REGAL CINEPLEX WEST GARAGE
9
ORPHEUM THEATER
CALIFORNIA MARKET CENTER
FIGUEROA HOTEL
HOLIDAY INN
6
ST
GLADYS PARK
HO
BLVD
SPRING ST
RALPHS
L.A. LIVE
ST
ET
6T
FLOWER MARKET BROADWAY
HILL ST
OLIVE ST
GRAND AVE
HOPE ST
FLOWER ST
FIGUEROA ST
D AVE
FRANCISCO ST
GARLAN
OLYMPIC
RA
AVE
8TH ST
GRAND HOPE FIDM PARK
MARRIOTT & RITZ CARLTON
NT
LUCAS LOYOLA LAW SCHOOL
O
7TH ST
9TH ST
M
6TH ST
CENTRAL CITY EAST
MACY'S PLAZA
777
OL
PARA LOS NINOS
SHERATON HOTEL
7 + FIG
M
M
L PA
WHOLESALE SEAFOOD DISTRICT
7TH ST
725
5
IN
CE
WIL
4TH ST
TO
LAPD
JEWELRY DISTRICT
LAAC
4TH ST
SAN JULIAN PARK
HISTORIC CORE
6TH ST
LITTLE TOKYO GALLERIA SHOPPING CENTER
5TH ST
THE NEW LATC
PERSHING SQUARE
7TH ST / METRO CENTER STATION
WILSHIRE GRAND HOTEL
OLD BANK DISTRICT & GALLERY ROW
5TH ST
FINANCIAL DISTRICT
WILSHIRE BLVD
VD SHIRE BL
TOY DISTRICT
ARTS DISTRICT
ST
ART SHARE 4TH PL
ARATANI NOGUCHI THEATER PLAZA JACCC
ST
FIGUEROA AT WILSHIRE
BILTMORE HOTEL
D
3R
TRACTION AVE
RO
L L S PS
ST
D 2N
PLAZA
PED
GAS CO TOWER
ST
SAN
I BUNKER H
US BANK TOWER
MUSEUM OF NEON ART
PERSHING SQUARE STATION
1ST
3RD ST LOS ANGELES ST
MELLON BANK
MAGUIRE CITY GDNS NATIONAL JONATHAN PLAZA CALIF. CLUB CLUB THE STANDARD
GOOD SAMARITAN HOSPITAL
GRAND CENTRAL MARKET
SPRING ST
WATER ANGELS COURT CALIFORNIA FLIGHT PLAZA
WELLS FARGO CENTER
BRADBURY BLDG. RONALD REAGAN BIDDY STATE MASON BLDG. PARK
4TH ST
WESTIN YMCA UNION BONAVENTURE HOTEL BANK CITIGROUP PLAZA CENTER
CITY WEST
3RD ST
FUTURE LITTLE TOKYO / ARTS DISTRICT STATION
2ND ST
LITTLE TOKYO LIBRARY
MAIN ST
OMNI HOTEL
BROADWAY
HOPE ST
BEAUDRY AVE
LOS ANGELES CENTER STUDIOS
FLOWER ST
MARRIOTT HOTEL
FIGUEROA ST
LAUSD HQ
BA PLAZA
ST VIBIANA
JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM
LITTLE TOKYO
OLIVE ST
MOCA
3RD ST TUNNEL
KYOTO CALTRANS GRAND HQ HOTEL
2ND ST
2ND STREET TUNNEL COLBURN SCHOOL OF PERF. ARTS
CROWN HILL
JAMES
AN
T
N
2ND S
3RD ST CHAMBER OF COMMERCE T 4TH S
IO NS
TIMES MIRROR SQUARE
MOCA AT GEFFEN
UNION CENTER FOR THE ARTS
LAPD PARKER CENTER
1ST ST
BUNKER HILL
EOC-POC-LFD
E XT
1ST ST SHAKESPEARE LA
L. A. COUNTY COURTHOUSE
CENTRAL AVE ART PARK
LOS ANGELES CITY HALL
CIVIC CENTER STATION
EE
CIVIC CENTER
DOROTHY CHANDLER PAVILION
LIN
HALL OF CRIMINAL RECORDS COURTHOUSE
4
L
LD
TEMPLE ST
E INE
GO
EDWARD R. ROYBALL LEARNING CENTER
FEDERAL LOS BLDG ROYBAL ANGELES FEDERAL MALL BLDG
N
SIO
EN
XT
LD
HALL OF ADMINISTRATION
MARK TAPER FORUM
FUTURE PICO / ALISO STATION
GO
DWP
LVD WOOD B
A
FW
S
CATHEDRAL OF OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS
110
6
NT
A
T
AHMANSON THEATER
L.A. DOWNTOWN NEWS
SA
MWD
AN
Y
DOWNTOWN SLO
TEMPLE BEAUDRY
VISTA HERMOSA PARK
FRA SERRA PARK
DE LA PLAZA
HIGH SCHOOL OF THE VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS (Construction)
BUSINESS MAGNET HIGH SCHOOL
UNION STATION
LO
EL
101
C. EDWIN PIPER TECHNICAL CENTER
ST
LE ST
4-LEVEL INTERCHANGE
SAN BERNARDINO SPLIT
101
CHINATOWN GATEWAY
OLVERA ST
101
HQ
ST
CHINATOWN LIBRARY
OA ST
EVANS ADULT SCHOOL
www.cartifact.com
AVE
ST
FIGUER
66
ORD
HIGH
HIST
ING SPR
ALPINE HILL
TEMP
8
Gas Stations
E. CH
R CESA
CALIFORNIA ENDOWMENT HQ
NEW
ANGELINO HEIGHTS
7TH ST
Metro Red & Purple Lines
S NE VIG
BL VD
H O L LY W O O D F W Y
7
Free Parking with validation
AVEZ
T
ET
EZ AVE CESAR E. CHAV
5
Metro Blue Line
AS
NS
4
Metro Rail Station Entrances
ED
ALPIN
Metro Gold Line
Map © 2009 Cartifact
AM
COLL
DYNASTY CENTER
AL
SU
3
T
EGE S
COLL
D BROA
SA
DE
PACIFIC ALLIANCE MEDICAL CTR.
10
2
CHINATOWN STATION
HILL
KAISER MENTAL HEALTH CENTER
FIGUEROA TERRACE
CENTRAL PLAZA
G RD
14
G KIN
Y
13
STADIU
Contact Cartifact for the full-color, every-building version of this map and others. Available as a poster and in print, web, and mobile media.
700 S. Flower St, Ste. 1940 Los Angeles, CA 90017 213.327.0200 maps�cartifact.com
BAMBOO PLAZA
ST
R PA
1
Los Angeles
ST
66
CHAVEZ RAVINE
10
Downtown
N CHU
N
8
P
RD
K
IA
K
O
CASA ITALIANA
LOS ANGELES STATE HISTORIC PARK (CORNFIELD)
F April 13, 2009
E
AIN
N F
ELYSIAN PARK
110
Y
C
1
BROAD WAY
M
2
2
L
D
YS EL
W STADIUM
E
1
J
DODGER STADIUM
NORTH
3
CDowntownNews.comD
ELYSIAN PARK
NOR TH M
B
NORT H SPR ING S T
20 Downtown News A
F
April 13, 2009
Downtown News 21
DowntownNews.com
CLASSIFIED
pLAce your Ad onLine At www.LAdowntownnews.com
l.a. Downtown News classifieds call: 213-481-1448 Classified Display & Line ads Deadlines: thursday 12 pm REAL ESTATE RESIDENTIAL lofts for sale
Downtown since 2002 Don’t settle for anyone less experienced!
Call us today!
Bill Cooper 213.598.7555
acreage/lots BUYER’S MARKET. New Mexico. Ranch Dispersal. 140 acres $89,900. River Access. Northern New Mexico. Cool 6,000’ elevation with stunning views. Great tree cover including Ponderosa, rolling grassland and rock outcroppings. Abundant wildlife, great hunting. EZ terms. Call NML&R, Inc. 1-866-360-5263. (Cal-SCAN) COLORADO BANK Foreclosure- 35 AC $29,900. Enjoy 300 days of sunshine. Rocky mountain views, utilities. Excellent financing. 1st come, 1st serve!! Call Today 1-866-696-5263 x4938. (Cal-SCAN)
TheLoftExpertGroup.com
Buying, Leasing or Selling a Loft?
TheLoftGuys.net
FOR RENT? FOR LEASE? FOR SALE?
LA’s #1 Loft Site
People are looking here, shouldn’t your ad be here?
Call 213-625-1313
(213) 481-1448
“Be wary of out of area companies. Check with the local Better Business Bureau before you send any money for fees or services. Read and understand any contracts before you sign. Shop around for rates.”
REAL ESTATE COMMERCIAL office space lease/sale DOWNSIZING? 3,000 Square foot full floor office suite. Move-in condition. Excellent Westside location. Close to Century City and Culver City. Call 310-943-8537 or e-mail khirai@cbicommercial. com.
DOWNTOWN L.A. OVIATT BUILDING
2 offices for rent, all hook-ups, partly furnished. 530 sqft. $1,000 month, flex lease.
213.623.7008 or 213.280.5452
Sell your items under $300. 12 words, 2 weeks, it’s FREE!
213-481-1448
FOR RENT apartMeNts/UNfUrNisHeD
MILANO LOFTS Now LeasiNg!
■ Gorgeous Layouts ■ 10-15’ Ceilings ■ Fitness Center ■ Wi-Fi Rooftop Lounge ■ Amazing Views
6th + Grand Ave. www.milanoloftsla.com
213.627.1900 2MONTHS FREE @ THE Medici. Penthouse 1 & 2 Bdrm Apts. Granite Kitchens, Washer/ Dryers, Business Center, 2 Pools, Spa! Visit TheMedici.com for a full List of Amenities. Call 888-886-3731.
2 MONTHS FREE! (O.A.C.). Studio, 1 & 2 bdrms available. Upgraded interiors & washer/ dryer in every home. Pool & spa with a skyline view, gym, sauna. Free onsite parking. TheVisconti. com 888-736-7471. FREE FLAT SCREEN TV “A $2,200 Value.” Custom luxury penthouse. Upgraded carpet, spa tubs, towel heaters in the bathrooms, shutters, granite, phenomenal views, choice of accent wall paint, wet bar, fireplace 866-708-0158. TWO MONTHS FREE! (O.A.C.) Brand New Resort Apartments. Granite kitchens, washer/dryers, pools, spas, saunas, fitness ctr, free tanning beds & much more! 866-690-2894. UP TO 2 months free! (O.A.C.) New downtown luxury apartments with granite kitchens, marble baths, pool, spa, saunas & free parking. 888-736-7471.
LGE ONE BEDROOM in historic West Adams. Quiet street, family-owned quad. 7 minutes from downtown. $1,000/month. 323-481-4224.
UP TO 2 MONTHS free! Panoramic downtown views. 1 bed/1bath starting at $1398. Washer dryer in unit, gated,Pool, spa and sauna. 888-265-1707.
APARTMENT FOR RENT: 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, balcony. Downtown view, no pets. 562-760-0101.
loft/UNfUrNisHeD
DOWNTOWN Los Angeles 2 Months free rent! Studio $1688/ month Luxury at its finest! Granite counters, W & D 888-262-9761.
REAL ARTIST LOFTS 1200-2000 Sq. Ft., $1600-$2200/ mo. High ceilings, hardwood floors, fireplace, pool/spa, gated parking, laundry, sorry no dogs, Open House Sundays 12-3pm @ 1250 Long Beach Ave., L.A.866-425-7259, LAartistlofts. com. apartMeNts/fUrNisHeD DECOMPRESS IN VILLAGE green! 4 mi from Downtown, USC. 1Bed/1Bath. Furnished, fully equipped kitchen, patio, garage. Utilities included. $1250.323-356-0566.
HoMe - UNfUrNisHeD
5 minutes to downtown LA
Silverlake roomS food included, laundry, cable, internet, rooms start at $1500, large room $2000, suite w/bath jacuzzi tub & fireplace $3000
323-833-5869 Continued on next page
Sell Your Car!
expose your auto to downtown Los Angeles. with one of the fastest growing residential areas Los Angeles downtown news gets results.
Call 213-481-1448
THE ANSWER to LAst weeK’s puZZLe
olD BaNk District
Lofts from $1,100. High ceilings. A/C. Parking available. High speed internet/T1 & direct T.V. Pets no charge. call 213-253-4777 LAloft.com
CROSSWORD PUZZLE
22 Downtown News
April 13, 2009
DowntownNews.com
Continued from previous page
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING in 240 Cal-SCAN newspapers for the best reach, coverage, and price. 25-words $450. Reach 6 million Californians!. Free email brochure. Call (916) 288-6019. www.Cal-SCAN.com. (CalSCAN)
attoRneys
FOR RENT
ABOGADO DE IMMIGRACION!
Rooms HOST INT’L STUDENTS!!! If you live in Downtown or close to zip codes; 90017, 90012 etc. ASAP. Will be compensated!!! 310-618-1067.
SERVICES
Family, Criminal, P.I. for more than 20 yrs! Familiar o Amigo Arrestado? Necesita Permiso de trabajo? Tagalog / Español
Get your GReen CaRd or CItIZensHIP
DISPLAY ADVERTISING in 140 Cal-SDAN newspapers statewide for $1,550! Reach over 3 million Californians! Free email brochure. Call (916) 288-6019. www.Cal-SDAN.com. (CalSCAN)
Law Office of H. Douglas Daniel Esq., (213) 689-1710
taIloR
EDDIES TAILOR SHOP
laundRy
Let us do the dirty work!
Beverly's Laundromat
Take your wardrobe to the next level! Same Day Service! Open 7 days a week!
CleanInG CONCEPTO’S CLEANING Crew. Professional, experienced, cleans apartments, homes, offices and restaurants. Call for a quote. 323-459-3067 or 818-409-9183.
115 E. 8th St. L.A. 90014 (213) 399-1177
eddiestailorshop.com
Drop Off
20% OFF
adveRtIsInG
1st time customers only. Minimum 25lb
Free Pick-up & Delivery with minimum 35lb
610 S. Rampart Blvd. @ 6th St (213)804-0069 Open Daily 7 a.m.-10 p.m. • Free Parking
NEWS RELEASE? Cost-efficient service. The California Press Release Service has 500 current daily, weekly and college newspaper contacts in California. Free email brochure. Call (916) 288-6010. www.CaliforniaPressReleaseService.com. (Cal-SCAN)
musIC lessons CHILDREN’S PERFORmING Group! Singing, dancing, performing and fun! For boys & girls ages 3 and up! See SunshineGenerationLA.com or call 909-861-4433.
Elegant Apartment Living Dramatic Downtown Views
DRIVER - West Coast Regional New Hiring Area. Newest equipment on the road. Competitive Pay. Run the Western 11 States. On Site - Full Service maintenance Shop. Reasonable Home Time. Western Express - 22 yrs. old. Good mVR, EOE, CDL-A, 1 yr. OTR. Call Edna Today! 1-866-863-4112. (Cal-SCAN)
eduCatIon HIGH SCHOOL Science & English teachers needed. Complete information can be found at: www.PinalCountySchools. org, click on employment opportunities. Contact: lolly.davies@pinalcountyschools.org or 520-464-8972. (Cal-SCAN)
RetaIl/sales
FInanCIal seRvICes
ABLE TO TRAVEL: Hiring eight people, no experience necessary, transportation & lodging furnished, expense paid training. Work / travel entire U.S. Start immediately. www.ProtekChemical.com Call 1-877-936-7468. (Cal-SCAN)
BEHIND IN HOUSE Payments? Real Estate attorney with 25 years of experience can Stop Foreclosure, Reduce house payments, Reduce interest rates and Reduce principal. (760) 610-7574. www.AttorneyMikeGroves.com. (Cal-SCAN)
AUTOS & RECREATIONAL
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
volunteeR oPPoRtunItIes HELPING kIDS heal. Free Arts for Abused Children is looking for volunteers to integrate the healing power of the arts into the lives of abused and at-risk children and their families. Today is the day to get involved! Contact Annie at volunteers@freearts. org or 310-313-4278 for more information.
ITEMS FOR SALE laWn & GaRden/FaRm equIP 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)
autos Wanted
BusIness oPPoRtunItIes
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)
100% RECESSION PROOF! Be Your Own Boss! Your Own Local Vending Route. Includes 25 Machines and Candy for $9,995. MultiVend LLC, 1-888-625-2405. (Cal-SCAN) EASY mONEY! Get paid to do something you’re already doing. Opportunity going viral now. Invite friends, earn more. Free to join. Details: www.stringwize.com or 714-927-0312. (Cal-SCAN)
DONATE YOUR VEHICLE! Receive Free Vacation Voucher. United Breast Cancer Foundation. Free mammograms, Breast Cancer Info www.ubcf. info Free Towing, Tax Deductible, Non-Runners Accepted, 1-888-468-5964. (Cal-SCAN)
EMPLOYMENT
ANNOUNCEMENTS
dRIveRs INDEPENDENT Contractors & Company Drivers. All 53’ Refrigerated. Various Lanes, 7 Western States. Contact Brent Redmond Transportation Safety Department for details, 1-800-777-5342 or www.BrentRedmond.com. (Cal-SCAN)
donatIons JUST $5 can make you feel good. www.homelessinamerica. blogspot.com. make donations at www.servantsofthefather.org/ donation.
LEGAL 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
voted downtown's best residential living six years in a row
• SHORT SALES • FORECLOSURES • RENTALS • VIDEO TOURS
• Jr. Olympic-size pool & spa with gorgeous city views & expansive sun decks
Call 877-4LA-LOFTs Drew Panico
• Fitness Center including saunas, steam & tanning rooms
Keller Williams Realty 877-452-5638
• 24-hour doorman, concierge services Gated community with FREE reserved parking
DRE #01706351
• View our website for additional details and SPECIALS Up to 2 months Free*
ARTIST LOFTS FOR LEASE Live/Work in Downtown Fashion District
*All Specials are subject to change.
ThePiero.com 616 St. Paul Avenue Take Your Game to the Next Level Learn Course Management
3 Learn while you play 3 Shot visualization 3 Mastering club selection
3 Driving strategies 3 Mid/long iron techniques 3 Short game fundamentals
In golf, its you versus the course. Learn to manage the entire game, not just the mechanics of your swing. Learn course management and improve your game.
Steve Andelich Professional Golf Instructor
818.618.2099
Catering to Intermediate/Advanced Players
www.loFtlIvInGla.com
Buyers visit us for...
• Business Center complete with study library, computer center and conference room
Piero
Exclusively Downtown Since 2001,
Thinking about Leasing or Selling?
• Luxurious interior upgrades including granite & marble countertops, stainless steel appliances & a washer / dryer in every apartment home
877.223.1494
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 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
700 to 1500 Sq. Ft. Lofts. High ceilings, skylights, cable, kitchen, bath+shower, laundry room, elevator, controlled access, sub. parking. Sorry no dogs.
up to 2 months free! • Studio, one & two Bedrooms
• Nine foot ceilings
• Granite kitchens
• Subterranean, gated parking
• Italian marble counter baths
• Private one acre park
• Washer/dryer in every home
• Golf driving cages
• Crown molding
• Putting green
• Direct TV & Internet access
• Tennis courts
• Oversized windows with Dramatic views of the city
• Sand volleyball court
• European maple cabinets
• Designer carpet And ceramic tile
• Balcony or patio
• Roof top pool and spa
Call George: 818-634-7916 or 310-275-9831 x24 • Fitness center with sauna • Executive Business Center • Study Library • FREE tanning bed • 24-hour doorman • Spectacular waterscapes • Lush courtyards
close to l.a. live and nokia theater
888.886.3731 •TheMedici.com 725 Bixel St., Los Angeles, CA 90017
Children’s Performing Group
Sunshine Generation Singing, dancing, performing and fun! For boys & girls ages 3 and up! SunshineGenerationLA.com 909-861-4433
April 13, 2009
Downtown News 23
DowntownNews.com
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 registrants: (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 Fictitious Business name statement File no. 20090474372
The following person is doing business as: CHRISTINE NOR, 880 W. 1st Street, #613, Los Angeles CA 90012, are hereby registered by the following registrant:CHRISTINE NORENE SMITH, 880 W. 1st Street, #613, Los Angeles CA 90012. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrants has not begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. This statement was filed with DEAN C. LOGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk on April 2, 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. 4/13, 4/20, 4/27, 5/04/09
On Spring St.
spring tower lofts:
Open floor plan, 2000 sqft $2500/mo. • Live/Creative work space • 14 story bldg. • Rooftop garden terrace w/city view • Pet friendly
TWO MONTHS FREE!
starting at $1645
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
city lofts:
Offices • Offices • Offices • Offices
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
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.
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 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! $690 1 person
Mayfair Hotel 1256 West 7th street
Simin (213) 484-9789 Ext. 555 or (213) 632-1111
You never know what you’ll find in the…
Downtown News
Classified
Place your classified ad online, its safe and secure at DowntownNews.com/classified. Or call 213.481.1448
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 VIP Room Available. The Best Way For Business Meetings & Entertainment
Professional massage for men & women. Services include Thai Massage, Shiatsu Massage, Swedish Oil Massage, Foot Massage, Sauna, Steam, and more. Lounge area.
saKuRa HeaLtH GYm & sauna, inc.
HBODY
MASSAGEH
First Professionally Licensed Massage Shop in L.A. County.
Available Immediately
Public Notice
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
pre-solicitation notice
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.]
Rent
Single rooms starting from $550/mo.
3386766 0119
Luxury Rooms in Downtown
Leasing-salesLoans-Refinance
Call us for other condos for sale or lease Dwntwn & surrounding areas!!
Jenny Ahn (213) 996-8301 jahn@regentBC.com www.regentbc.com
Mirza alli
Broker/Realtor
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
oFFice/creative space in Artist District (Little Tokyo) 618 ½ E. 1st St. 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)
the alexandria at 501 S. Spring St.
is Now Leasing! On-site laundry, free utilities, indiv. bathrooms, 24 hr. security & pet friendly. Close to metro, restaurants, farmers market & supermarket. Units starting at
$570/month
income & other restrictions apply.
call 213.626.1743 or stop by for a tour
Bobby Grahm @ (213) 437-0211
Furnished single unit with kitchenette, bathroom. Excellent location. Downtown LA. Weekly rate $275 inc.
Monthly from $595 utilities paid. (213) 612-0348
madison hotel Clean furnished single rooms. 24-hour desk clerk service. •Daily, $25.00 •Weekly, $99.00 •Monthly, $295.00 (213) 622-1508 423 East 7th St.
(2 blocks west of San Pedro St.)
Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to Provide General Architectural Services RFQ No. NP-9572 The Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles, California (the “CRA/LA") is soliciting “Statement of Qualifications” (SOQs) from individuals and firms with qualifications to provide architectural and design services for its Commercial Façade and Signage Improvement Programs, Streetscape Improvement Projects, Commercial Rehabilitation Projects to Property Owners and Tenants in Various Neighborhoods throughout the City of Los Angeles, and Other Related and General Architectural Consulting Services for Various Projects and Program Areas on an as-needed basis in the following areas: Category #1 -Commercial/Industrial Façade and Signage Improvement Programs Category #2 -Streetscape Improvements Projects Category #3 -Commercial Rehabilitation Category #4 -Building Design Services Category #5 - Historical Structure Services Qualified and interested firms, and individuals and/ or joint ventures interested in the RFQ No. NP-9572 should submit a Letter of Interest (LOI) to Ms. Blanca Huerta, Administrative Specialist, by e-mail to bhuerta@ cra.lacity.org or by facsimile at (213) 977-1783 with complete address and contact information to ensure your firm is registered for this RFQ. Inquiries should be directed to Ms. Huerta at (213) 977-1783. RFQ No. NP-9572 will only be available on the CRA/LA Website at http://www.crala.org for downloading on or after April 6, 2009. 4/13/09 CNS-1560611#
24 Downtown News
April 13, 2009
DowntownNews.com
We Got Games Last Home Game for the Clippers, First Home Game For the Dodgers Los Angeles Lakers Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7340 or nba.com/lakers. Tuesday, April 14, 7:30 p.m.: The Lakers finish a dominant regular season by hosting the Utah Jazz, a team also heading to the playoffs. As the regular season winds down and with numerous teams bunched together, Utah could slip to eighth place and become the Lakers’ firstround opponent. The playoffs start on April 18, and the Lakers will be in Staples Center, where they have home court advantage at least until the Finals. Los Angeles Clippers Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St.,
(213) 742-7340 or nba.com/clippers. Wednesday, April 15, 7:30 p.m.: This is the last chance to check out the 2008/2009 Los Angeles Clippers. In other words, it may be your final opportunity to see the failed experiment of Baron Davis in a Clippers uniform Not jumping to buy tickets? Then let’s try another tack: Ladies and gentlemen, in their final game of the season, the Clips will host rising star Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Los Angeles Dodgers Dodger Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park Ave., (213) 224-1400 or dodgers.mlb.com. Monday, April 13, 1:10 p.m.; Wednesday, April 15-Friday, April 17, 7:10 p.m.; Saturday, April 18, 12:40 p.m.; Sunday, April 19, 1:10 p.m.: It’s that time of year again, when nothing beats having the dust of peanut shells in your fingernails, a Dodger dog or two in your belly and an honest smile on your face. Yes, it’s baseball season. Joe Torre and the Dodgers open their first homestand against the hated San Francisco Giants, then on Friday, the Colorado Rockies come to town for a three-game set. —Ryan Vaillancourt
photo by Gary Leonard
In his first season with the Clippers, onetime NBA star Baron Davis was a big bust. The team closes out the season on April 15.
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
Penthouse Available
M u s e u m To w e r 225 South Olive Street
(213) 229-9777
LEASING I N F O R M AT I O N
(213) 617-3777
(213) 626-1500
It’s our business to make you comfortable...
sauna and recreation room with kitchen.
Far below are a host of businesses ready to
at home, downtown. Corporate and long term
Beautiful views extend from the Towers’ lofty
support your pampered downtown lifestyle.
residency is accommodated in high style at
homes in the sky. Mountain vistas and slender
Even the most demanding tastes are satisfied
the Towers Apartments. Contemporary singles,
skyscrapers provide an incredible back drop to
with gourmet dining, shops, theatres and
studio, one bedroom and two bedroom
complement your decor.
the cultural events that make headlines.
apartment homes provide fortunate residents with a courteous full service lobby attendant,
Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore.
heated pool, spa, complete fitness center,
Visit the Towers Apartments today.
SINGLES, STUDIO, ONE BEDROOM & TWO BEDROOM RESIDENCES
MAID SERVICE FURNITURE HOUSEWARES CABLE UTILITIES PARKING WWW.GKIND.com