07-18-11

LOS ANGELES

DOWNTOWN

NEWS

Best Downtown Villain

July 18, 2011

Volume 40, Number 29

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A day of Downtown radio dominance, and other happenings Around Town.

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Bicycling in the Central City is a heck of a lot safer than you think.

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

INSIDE

Ron Artest gets County honors.

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Urban Scrawl on City Hall.

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STARTS ON PAGE 13 Finally, a Hall of Justice rehab.

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The Beauty of the Beasts Natural History Museum Opens the Long-Awaited Dinosaur Hall

by RichaRd Guzmán city editoR

Metro’s plans for Union Station.

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A Figueroa eyesore gets an upgrade.

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33 CALENDAR LISTINGS 36 MAP 37 CLASSIFIEDS

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ith his jaw slightly agape, 6-year-old Justin Leik stared up at the imposing skeletal figure above him. Leik craned his neck back further in the effort to take in the creature’s massive skull.

“Is that like a giraffe?” he asked his mom, Amanda.

“No, it’s a Mamen… chisaurus,” she said with a slight pause. She glanced at the information card and added, with a bit more authority, “It’s a dinosaur that lived a long, long, looong time ago.”

Satisfied, Justin darted over to the next thing that caught his eye, approximately 190 fossilized bones, eggs, teeth and even dino droppings inside a glass case. His mother stood by, ready to explain the boy’s next discovery.

“Those are huge teeth,” she pointed out, before he even had a chance to ask.

The specimens are part of the Natural History Museum’s long awaited Dinosaur Hall. The 14,000-square-foot permanent exhibit, the most attention generating see Dinosaurs, page 31

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A trio of T. rex specimens is the highlight of the Natural History Museum’s 14,000-square-foot Dinosaur Hall. The exhibit opened Saturday, July 16.

It’s happening downtown. www.lacwh.org (213) 742.5784

COMING FALL 2011

2 Downtown News

July 18, 2011

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AROUNDTOWN Infant Dies After Art Walk Accident

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2-month-old died Friday morning after a driver attempting to parallel park during Thursday’s Art Walk jumped a curb and struck a parking meter, causing a collision with the child’s stroller. The driver, a 22-year-old from Ladera Heights, was not impaired, said LAPD Lt. Paul Vernon. He was trying to park on the east side of Spring Street, just south of Fourth Street, at about 9:20 p.m. The baby, whose name was not released by press time, died at 2:25 a.m. Friday. “He was trying to parallel park, and he entered to parallel coming in nose first, which is not what you do,” Vernon said. “Somehow he jumped that curb and hit that parking meter, which kicked it over, and several people got struck. Then he backed up and ended up hitting a cop.” The man was not detained. The monthly Art Walk attracts thousands of people to the Historic Core, flooding sidewalks and businesses with gallery goers and nightlife revelers. It’s not certain how many people attended the July 14 event, or whether crowds were larger than previous Art Walks.

“We’re deeply saddened by the occurrence,” said Joe Moller, Art Walk’s executive director.

“Our deepest sympathies are extended to the individuals and families involved.”

Downtown’s Radio Day

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s part of a year-long initiative to delve into hyper local coverage of Los Angeles communities, KFWB News Talk 980 is dedicating a full day of programming to Downtown this week. The station, which launched its “On Your Corner” series in June with a spotlight on Long Beach, will broadcast a mix of live and pre-recorded interviews with Downtown

civic, cultural and business leaders on Friday, July 22. “We really thought that the most effective way for KFWB to communicate with its listeners is by showing particular interest in the various local communities that it serves,” said Andy Ludlum, director of news programming for KFWB and KNX 1070. All the station’s original programming from 5 a.m.-7 p.m. will delve into Downtown issues (Dave Ramsay’s syndicated show from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. is not part of the series). During Maggie McKay and Michael Shappee’s afternoon news talk segment from 4-7 p.m., listen for Los Angeles Downtown News’ Ryan Vaillancourt talking about Downtown nightlife. The station will broadcast live from the City Club on Bunker Hill, where it will also host a business leader luncheon. A limited number of free seats for the broadcast and luncheon are available at cbsla.com/onyourcorner.

77-unit building, which opened last year, sold out in an auction when Astani still controlled the project.

Concerto Becomes the Apex

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he sleek black South Park edifice known for years as Concerto has a new name, courtesy of its new owner. ST Residential, which pried the 30-story, 271-unit tower at Ninth and Figueroa streets from developer Sonny Astani, has decided to rename the structure Apex. Still, New York-based ST Residential, a division of Starwood Capital, has yet to decide whether to open the building as apartments or try to sell units, said company spokesman Pete Marino. The company expects to make that decision this month, Marino said. In the meantime, ST continues to do some remodeling to the lobby and the pool deck, which is shared with the Concerto mid-rise on Flower Street. That

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

Many Imitate, But None Compare!

photos by Gary Leonard

One Laker legend, and one current Laker, were honored by the County last week. On Tuesday, July 12, Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas recognized Jerry West (left), a star player and former general manager, for his work with the Los Angeles Watts Summer Games. Also honored was Ron Artest, who was praised for his mental health advocacy for youth.

tax included

Another Day, Another Landmark

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he Downtown landmarks just keep coming. Last month, the May Company Garage became City Historic-Cultural Monument number 1,001 (the Golden State Mutual Life Insurance building in West Adams got the magic 1,000th honor on June 1). The garage, a nine-story Beaux-Arts edifice, was built in 1927. It was designed by Claude Beelman and William Curlet and was one of the first parking garages in Los Angeles. The Office of Historic Resources in the Department of City Planning coordinates the city’s historic preservation activities.

Cafe Gets In on the Groundfloor

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here’s a new spot in the Historic Core to grab a cub of specialty coffee. Groundfloor Café opened last week at 433 S. Spring St. for Art Walk and plans to operate seven days a week, from 8 a.m.-11 p.m., said manager Sami Mies. The business occupies a nook of the 3,500-squarefoot art space Groundfloor Gallery.

Groundfloor offers baguette sandwiches and an array of salads, cheese plates, specialty coffee and Moroccan-style fresh mint tea. The menu, Mies said, was put together

by Emmanuelle Delcour, a participant on the Bravo reality show “Chef Academy.”

“Basically you come hang out here,” Mies said. “It’s where coffee meets art.” The cafe’s website, groundfloorcafe.com, was not up by press time.

July 18, 2011

Downtown News 3

DowntownNews.com

Downtown L.A. Auto Group GIANT SUMMER SALE!

2011 Volkswagen Jetta S

VOLKSWAGEN OF DOWNTOWN L.A.

$149

1900 S. Figueroa St. vwdowntownla.com 888-781-8102

per month for 36 months

$149 per month plus tax, 36 month closed end lease on approved Tier “A” credit. $2199 down plus 1st month’s payment, taxes, dealer fees and acquisition fee due at signing. $0 security deposit. Residual $9800. 20 cents per mile over 30,000 miles. 1 at this payment #381637

2011 Chevy Cruze LS

FELIX CHEVROLET

$159

3330 S. Figueroa St. felixchevrolet.com 888-879-9608

per month for 39 months

$159 per month plus tax, 39 month closed end lease on approved credit. $1895 down plus 1st month’s payment, taxes, dealer fees and acquisition fee due at signing. $0 security deposit. Residual $8,372. 20 cents per mile over 39,000 miles. 1 at this payment #7301676

2011 Nissan Altima 2.5S

NISSAN OF DOWNTOWN L.A.

$179

635 W. Washington Blvd. downtownnissan.com 888-838-5089

per month for 24 months

$179 per month plus tax, 24 month closed end lease on approved credit through Nissan Motor Acceptance Corporation. $2999 due at signing. $0 security deposit. Residual $15,046. 15 cents per mile over 24,000 miles. 1 at this price #N111332/BN464790

AUDI OF DOWNTOWN L.A.

2012 Audi A3 2.0T

1900 S. Figueroa St. audidtla.com 888-583-0981

per month for 39 months

$333

$333 per month plus tax, 39 month closed end lease on approved credit through Audi Financial Services. $1999 down excludes taxes, title, security, 1st month, acquisition fee, other options and dealer fees. Residual $17,855. 25 cents per mile over 10,000 miles/year. 1 at this price #A12032/ 002723

2011 Mercedes-Benz C300

DOWNTOWN L.A. MOTORS MBZ

$349

1801 S. Figueroa St. mbzla.com 888-319-8762

per month for 33 months

$349 per month plus tax, 33 month closed end lease on approved credit through Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. $3,894 Total cash due at signing. $0 security deposit. Residual $24,544. 25 cents per mile over 27,500 miles. All with MSRP of $38,350

2011 Porsche Carrera S

PORSCHE OF DOWNTOWN L.A.

$1138

1900 S. Figueroa St. porschedowntownla.com 888-685-5426

per month for 60 months

$1138 per month plus tax, 60 month closed end lease on approved credit. $8999 total drive off. $0 security deposit.

Residual $45,216. 30 cents per mile over 25000 miles. 1 at this payment #CS720333

6 Downtown Dealers to Choose From!

Family Owned Since 1955 The Downtown L.A. Auto Group treats the needs of each individual customer with paramount concern. We know that you have high expectations, and as a car dealer we enjoy the challenge of meeting and exceeding those standards each and every time. Allow us to demonstrate our commitment to excellence!

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

4 Downtown News

Twitter/DowntownNews

June July 18, 20, 2011

EDITORIALS Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis

Unexpected In Skid Row

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very so often you hear a story about something you don’t expect in Skid Row. Sometimes it’s a large donation of money or goods, other times a new, architecturally stunning housing project.

Occasionally it’s a move by the business community to help, or a piece about a single person working to improve the reputation of the area.

They are all worthy stories that Down­ town, and indeed the rest of Los Angeles, should hear. They are also, in most cases, quickly forgotten.

It’s easy to understand why this happens.

Homelessness is a prickly subject that a lot of people still prefer either to ignore or to let others handle. Additionally, Skid Row doesn’t have the profile that Downtown neighborhoods like the Arts District, the Historic Core and Bunker Hill maintain.

Relatively few people cross the boundaries from the places they live or work into Skid Row. It’s not a “bad” thing, as they usually don’t have a reason to head to the area.

The point is, it’s easy to, essentially, forget Skid Row. That also makes these kinds of reminder stories, even if they have a stereotypically human interest or uplifting edge, “good” things. They remind Los Angeles that the neighborhood is filled not with the faceless “homeless,” but with people.

The latest in the line of reminders is a monthly music series that takes place at the Midnight Mission. Los Angeles Downtown News last week reported on the free program, known as Music With a Mission, that puts local bands in a place far different than the traditional nightclub or concert stage. This month an indie rock act called The Dollyrots, who just came off a tour opening for The Go-Gos, found themselves performing for about 50 people, some of whom had their possessions gathered around them, in an activity room at Sixth and San Pedro streets. The band members walked away with an experience that seemed to shift their perceptions. Perhaps that can be extended to their fans and the good work can continue through volunteer or other efforts.

Music With a Mission is a reminder of the unlikely things that happen in Skid Row, of the efforts people make to help those stuck in the area whether due to addiction or mental health issues (or both).

Skid Row has had a quilting club, a camera club and a prominent basketball league, among other efforts. Just as everyone in Los Angeles wants something to pull them away from the day-to-day grind, so do the inhabitants of this community.

We’re glad that Midnight Mission staffers took it upon themselves to start this program. Hopefully they’ll get the sponsors they are searching for, people to provide a banner or food and drinks during the performances. Hopefully it will propel other activities, other respites, for the people living and accessing services in the neighborhood. Hopefully it’s a story that won’t be seen and quickly forgotten.

Dining and Dollars

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nyone who follows the Los Angeles food scene knows that, over the past few years, Downtown has emerged as a culinary hub. A lot of people took notice in late 2008 when the opening of L.A. Live brought approximately a dozen new eating and drinking establishments to that South Park complex.

Other restaurateurs have followed the growing trail of diners to the point that Downtown has become known for its assemblage of cutting-edge kitchens. Some of the most inventive meals in the nation (yes, the nation) are being prepared in places such as Lazy Ox Canteen, Rivera and Mo-Chica.

In the past six months, local residents and workers have seen another benefit of the action that started a few years back: As Los Angeles Downtown News reported last week, the Central City is in the midst of a second restaurant explosion, with some 20 new food-serving spots coming online in the first six months of 2011.

It’s a trend that will continue in the near future, as a cadre of other chefs and dining developers are also readying restaurants.

These new establishments, especially at a time when people are quick to cite the still soft economy, say a lot about entrepreneur and investor confidence in Downtown. In fact, the amount of money pouring into these eating and drinking spots raises a question as to whether Downtown has emerged from the economic doldrums. As this page has noted in the recent past, the neighborhood is also seeing the opening of several new housing complexes and the beginning of construction on major projects such as Eli Broad’s $100 million art museum and the $40 million upgrade of the 7+Fig shopping center. The area may lack the cranes that dotted the skyline a five years ago, but there is ample investment and economic activity.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the new batch of restaurant arrivals are the price points. By and large, these are mid-range establishments, places where it’s easy to spend no more than $12-$15 for food and a non-alcoholic beverage during lunch, and around $20 (with a beer, wine or cocktail) in the evening. These aren’t fast food prices (there’s more than enough of that around) but it is a contrast to the 2008 restaurant explosion, which contained a hefty number of upscale eateries. It indicates both that a niche exists in Downtown, and that even in a neighborhood with a lot of office towers and expense-account white-collar employees,

there’s a new sense of frugality.

These mid-priced places include pizza joints, a Japanese tapas spot, a couple of Seventh Street restaurants offering Mexican fare and even a few chains. There’s a kosher sandwich place and a space focusing on New Orleans style cuisine. The food choices run the culinary gamut, giving Downtowners more options than ever.

While the proliferation is great for those who live, work in and visit the area, it poses a challenge to new and existing restaurant owners. It sparks the issue of cutthroat competition, and of whether Downtown now has too many food places and too few mouths.

It’s a subject that, currently, is impossible to discern. Some observers speculated that the 2008 food flood would bring too many chefs to too small an area. However, the number of places opening has vastly outstripped the number of options that have failed. It will take time to see if the community is now getting oversaturated.

It is worth noting that in some cases closure does not even lead to a net loss, as a departure simply prompts a successor in the same space. Last fall Latin joint Ciudad shuttered, then reopened a few days later, under the same ownership (and with some of the same menu items) as a Downtown outpost of Border Grill. The latest example was the closure last month of longtime Italian favorite Zucca Ristorante. Although the upscale Figueroa Street spot stopped serving June 17, another operator quickly announced that a trattoriastyle establishment will fill the space in the winter.

One asterisk to the culinary evolution is government’s involvement. Last summer the city, working with the Central City Association, launched an effort to overhaul the permitting process for food spots and bars. It was long overdue, as restaurant owners, who can create hundreds of jobs, had decried the 18 months or more it often took to get through the municipal red tape, to get inspectors to come down and then not give conflicting demands.

So far, some owners have reported success and expedited openings working within the new system.

At this point, one of the few sure things is that the new arrivals won’t be the newest places for long. Brown construction paper is visible on the windows and doors of several spaces in Downtown, with signs indicating other eateries are about to arrive. The investors and the entrepreneurs are still taking aim at this growing community.

July 18, 2011

Downtown News 5

DowntownNews.com

The Best Downtown Villain How Frank McCourt Became the Most Hated Man in Los Angeles, and Why That’s a Good Thing

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e’s Hannibal Lecter, eating the hearts of fans and seeming to enjoy every bite.

He’s Bernie Madoff, squirreling away a fortune, and we didn’t realize it until it was far too late.

He’s Lex Luthor, Superman’s arch-nemesis, apparently inTHE REGARDIE REPORT

tent on destroying something — the Dodgers — that means so much to so many. We cringe, cry and seethe as he caroms into bankruptcy court, and he doesn’t care about what the rest of us hold dearly. We’re aghast that the greed of one mad man overwhelms the hopes and wishes of millions.

He’s Frank McCourt.

He’s the best villain in Los Angeles.

No one else comes close. Not Charlie Sheen, who’s more of a nut job than a bad guy. Not Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who’s mainly a disappointment. Not Arnold Schwarzenegger, and come to think of it, is anyone actually surprised by Arnold?

No, Frank McCourt is in a league of his own. His feats, if you can stand back and gape at them, are actually amazing.

In the less than two years since he and Jamie split and opened Pandora’s Dodger-blue box, he managed to destroy the half century of fan dedication that the team built up. He’s managed to make the bad guy of the summer of 2010, the talentstaking LeBron James, look like Mother Teresa.

If the Nobel committee gave out an opposite for the Peace Prize, it’d land in Frank’s mitts. If a Hollywood screenwriter 20 years from now pens a 4D biopic about McCourt and relies on facts, people will accuse said author of making things up. Somewhere, the ghost of Jackie Robinson is bawling like a baby.

The Devil We Don’t Know Everyone professes to be surprised by what has happened since the McCourts closed escrow on a $430 million acquisition of the Dodgers on Feb. 13, 2004. But really, we shouldn’t

be. The future, the evidence, was right in front of us.

We thought we were being offered an apple.

Yummy, we said, and proceeded both to bite and to buy in.

That was when Frank and Jamie told every reporter within earshot how competitive they were. The McCourts, they said, including their children, were so hungry to win they would even engage in milk-drinking races.

We interpreted that with hearts rather than minds. We thought it meant they’d stop at nothing to turn a team that hadn’t hoisted a World Series trophy since 1988 into a perennial contender for the championship. We envisioned glory, a lineup filled with the type of stars worthy of the city. We looked toward the names to follow Koufax, Garvey, Wills, Hershiser, Valenzuela, Cey and Piazza.

Coming on the heels of News Corp.’s disastrous ownership run, we dreamed of change.

We didn’t realize that the family that drinks milk competitively together is the family that throws legal knives at each other. Yet it turned out they were just as competitive as promised. Their split became public in the fall of 2009, and the fight over who owns the team hasn’t stopped.

Although most observers figured Frank would ultimately see the writing on the wall and give up the team to Major League Baseball, he has stood up like San Francisco Giant Juan Marichal did in 1965, right before he clubbed Dodger catcher Johnny Roseboro in the head with a bat. McCourt called Bud Selig, the baseball commissioner, “un-American.” It’s his way or no way.

Throughout the divorce process, the ugly details poured like shopping carts in a swollen L.A. River. Frank and Jamie pulled $100 million out of the Dodgers to fund a lavish lifestyle that included eight mansions. They hired a Massachusetts psychic healer to think positive thoughts about the team while watching them on TV. Meanwhile, ticket prices soared and parking rose to a shivin-the-ribs-like $15 a car. Security withered and the stadium has lagged — the Reserve level restrooms are slightly nicer see McCourt, page 30

photo by Gary Leonard

As he drags the Los Angeles Dodgers through bankruptcy, Frank McCourt has done something rare: He has managed to unite Los Angeles. Just about everyone hates him and wants him to lose the team.

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metro.net

v l i S ce! i v o r e r t nt S e e u q Mow: More Fre N

Now it’s even easier to get between the South Bay and Downtown on the Silver Line. Service now runs every 10 minutes during rush hour with increased frequencies during midday and weekends too.

To plan your trip, check metro.net.

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6 Downtown News

July 18, 2011

Twitter/DowntownNews

A Ride on the Safe Side There’s Little Danger in Bicycling Downtown, if You Know What to Do

by Ryan Vaillancourt

Staff Writer ride my bike to work, from the Historic Core to City West, most days.

I also use the bike to get to the grocery store (usually Woori Market in Little Tokyo), to the gym, or anywhere else that’s more than, say, 10 blocks away. I don’t think much of

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reporter’s notebook

it. There are lots of bikers in Downtown Los Angeles.

While it’s part of my routine, a few times per month, peo-

ple ask me, “Is it safe?” I’ve gotten the question from a group of lawyers at Library Bar who noticed I was carrying a helmet, a guy in the elevator at my gym, and even from the security guard in my building.

Something about the urban feel of Downtown — all that traffic and the clogged Financial District streets — seems to unnerve people once they get out of their cars. It’s as if Downtown triggers a sort of danger reflex.

Cycling certainly has its dangers, and while I’ve heard the line that more drivers die every year than bikers, that doesn’t mean anything. It definitely doesn’t prove that riding is safer

photo by Gary Leonard

One key to biking safely is thinking like a car driver. You try to anticipate traffic lights, slowing down in advance when you suspect a yellow is seconds away, or pedaling hard when you want to catch a lingering green.

than driving. If you had to endure a traffic accident, what would you rather have for protection? A metal cage and airbags or a helmet? I’d take the former every time.

But if you’re going to ride a bike in Los Angeles for basic transportation, I’d argue that no neighborhood is safer than Downtown.

First of all, the Central City is criss-crossed with de facto bike lanes. The rush hour “bus only” lanes are also open to cyclists, so riders can almost always have an entire lane to themselves. Bikers share it with buses, but since buses regularly pull over for pick-ups, the two-wheelers can scoot by on the side, ultimately commuting faster than the Metro machines.

The one-way streets help too. While they might not mean much in Manhattan, where traffic fills every lane at most hours, in Downtown L.A. one-way streets are generally free flowing. That means cyclists can take up a lane and drivers can still generally pass in the adjacent lane.

The blocks are short too, and this is key: With never too much distance between lights, traffic moves relatively slowly.

What scares me when I’m on the road on a bike is speed.

Traffic is easy, because it’s slow.

It doesn’t all depend on the drivers in four wheelers. Part of being and feeling safe on a bike lies in the comfort to “ride vehicularly.” That’s what Alexis Lantz, planning and policy director of the Downtown-based L.A. County Bicycle Coalition, tries to do.

“You have to behave like a vehicle,” Lantz said. “Obey the rules. Stop at the lights and the stop signs. I tend to control the lane a lot.”

Riding a bike is a lot like driving. You try to anticipate traffic lights, slowing down in advance when you suspect a yellow is seconds away, or pedaling hard when you want to catch a lingering green. Unfortunately, drivers don’t always see cyclists this way.

Last month, I was pedaling to work, headed west on Second Street, west of Beaudry Avenue, which is two lanes in each direction. I was in the right half of the lane closest to the sidewalk. A truck pulled up on the left and slowed down just so the driver could yell out the window, “Get the [expletive] out of the road!”

Mind you, I wasn’t blocking him or slowing him down. I was in the right lane, he in the left. He literally went out of his way to curse me out. But I don’t think it’s a coincidence that it happened out of the core of Downtown. Whenever I cross the Harbor (110) Freeway, I start to feel a little more leery of drivers.

Car speeds simply pick up once they leave the Downtown core and hit the irregular L.A. streets, where the lack of a grid and the varying topography make for longer stretches without a stoplight.

So is riding a bike in Downtown safe? Yeah. It’s quite safe.

Once you get here.

Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.

The race isn’t over until there’s a cure.

Last year, 32,000 men died from prostate cancer and more than 217,000 new cases were diagnosed. Today, 2.2 million live with the disease.

Fight On.

Your contribution supports our race toward a cure for prostate cancer.

SUndAy novembeR 6, 2011 Register to run in the L.A. Prostate Cancer 5K

at Active.com or USCUrology.com or call (323) 865-3700

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7/13/11 4:06 PM

Presenting

Lucent Dossier Experience

Performing a Special Engagement Thursday July 28 at the Historic Downtown Palace Theatre in Los Angeles Doors open at 8pm, Show starts at 8:30 The Delijani family has worked tirelessly on the restoration of this historic venue.

To celebrate the world renowned avant-garde electro-dub circue has been invited to reopen the newly restored Palace Theatre in recognition of its 100th birthday.

Lucent Dossier Experience has prepared an extraordinary performance for this landmark occasion. The evening will feature an explosion of art, mystical fire dancers, deep electronic beats, live world instruments and interactive performers gliding throughout the room in a spectacle unlike any you have ever seen.

The Palace Theatre is truly a historic treasure. Stewardship of these theaters and honoring their rich history has been and continues to be a great honor for us.

—Delijani family

We will stretch the boundaries of what is possible for a rock concert, circus or sacred ritual, for the show melts the three elements into one.

—Dream Rockwell, Artistic Director

Tickets on Sale Now at: http://beticketing.com/lucentdossierpalace

REDO_ForHalfVertPage.pdf

8 Downtown News

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7:36 PM

July 18, 2011

Twitter/DowntownNews

Justice Marches On After Eight-Month Delay, Supervisors Approve $231 Million Upgrade of Civic Center Landmark

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photo by Gary Leonard

A renovation of the Hall of Justice is slated to begin in August. When completed in late 2014, the building will house the Sheriff’s Department, the District Attorney and other county agencies.

by RichaRd Guzmán city editoR

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he effort to reopen the Hall of Justice is finally moving forward. The County Board of Supervisors last week unanimously approved a $231 million upgrade of the Civic Center landmark, putting an end to a protest from a losing bidder.

On Tuesday, July 12, the supervisors approved a deal with Clark Construction Group, a Bethesda, Md.-based company, and Downtown architecture firm AC Martin Partners. Work is expected to begin next month and plans call for the building at 211 W. Temple St. to open in late 2014.

“The team is already assembled and working. Because the schedule is so fast we’re working on it immediately,” said Chris Martin, a partner at AC Martin.

The once bright Sierra white granite exterior of the 1925 building has been dulled by age and pollution. The structure was formerly home to the Sheriff’s Department, a jail, the Coroner’s office and the District Attorney’s office, and housed famous prisoners including Charles Manson and Sirhan Sirhan. Marilyn Monroe’s corpse was once stored in the coroner’s office.

The 14-story building was closed after suffering damage in the 1994 Northridge earthquake. There have been several failed attempts to rehabilitate it. The most recent was halted six years ago due to questions over the extent of the damage and the cost of restoring the structure, which was then estimated at $285 million.

“Preserving the Hall of Justice has been one of this county’s longest standing objectives ever since the building was red tagged after the 1994 earthquake,” said Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky in an email to Los Angeles Downtown News.

“The building is worthy of preservation and, once reopened, it will serve the needs of this county for generations to come.”

The renovation calls for fixing seismic design flaws, performing elevator upgrades, installing new electrical and mechanical systems and connecting the building to utility systems such as sewage, water and gas.

Plans also call for a partially underground 1,000-space parking garage on the north side of the building and a high-pressure wash of the granite exterior to restore its gleam.

When it opens, it would once again house the Sheriff’s Department, District Attorney and other county agencies. Sheriff Lee Baca has long supported the project, which will allow his office to move from its current home in Monterey Park.

“This will place the Sheriff back in the heart of Los Angeles County,” said Nicole Nishida, a spokeswoman for the Sheriff’s Department.

Final Delay The project had looked to be moving for-

ward in November. That was when the supervisors, eager to take advantage of lower construction costs due to the slow economy, approved a $244 million plan to rehabilitate the Hall of Justice.

Those plans were put on hold after a protest was filed against the county’s selection of Clark Construction and architecture firm AC Martin Partners to design and build the project. The protest was filed by M4 Development Group/Lutzky Associates, a team that came in third in the bidding competition for the development. The rankings were made by the County Department of Public Works.

In a letter submitted last November, the M4/Lutzky team claimed that there were procedural violations throughout the Request for Proposals process. The protest was reviewed by the Department of Public Works, which in February issued a written conclusion stating that the protest was without merit.

M4 officials then requested further review by a County Review Panel. In April the panel reached the same conclusion. It issued a written decision in May. Still undeterred, William Barkett, who according to transcripts from the July 12 county meeting identified himself as a representative of M4 Development, addressed the supervisors just before they voted on the contract. Barkett again protested the approval of the contract and alleged that the selection process was biased.

Board members did not respond to Barkett’s claims and instead approved the project unanimously.

Calls to Barkett, who is listed by the California Secretary of State as a representative of La Jolla-based M4 Development, and is president of real estate development firm Merjan Financial Group at the same location, were not returned. Although it has exhausted the county appeals process, the firm could pursue a challenge in court.

Supervisor Gloria Molina, whose First District includes the Hall of Justice, expressed relief that the development is finally moving ahead.

“It’s unfortunate we’ve had all of this battle in making this selection, but I think the protest was put in place, done and completed and we’re ready to move forward,” said Molina. “I’m really looking forward to getting it back into reuse, and it is a very interesting building from the outside.”

Molina noted that the $231 million investment in the Hall of Justice will be offset by the terminated lease obligations of the county agencies that will move into the structure.

Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

July 18, 2011

Downtown News 9

DowntownNews.com

Metro Chugs Forward on Union Station Transit Agency Launches Master Plan for Rail Hub and Surrounding 38 Acres

by Richard Guzmán city editor

I

n April, Metro made perhaps its most prominent acquisition ever, spending $75 million for transit landmark Union Station. Now, the agency is in the midst of trying to figure out just what to do with the 72-year-old rail hub and, perhaps more importantly, 38 surrounding acres of land.

Metro officials last week began meeting with teams of design, planning, real estate and transit engineering professionals to develop a master plan for Union Station. It will serve as a foundation for future development, and will take into consideration the long-term potential of the facility including commercial development, future parking demands, connectivity to nearby attractions and neighborhoods, pedestrian and bicycle access and how the station will accommodate growing transportation needs.

“The master plan will be there to help guide us,” said Pam O’Connor, a member of the Metro Board of Directors. “It will be an evolving document that will lay the foundation of what the area could be.”

The Axis Union Station Apartments and the Metropolitan Water District headquarters building were not included in the purchase.

Built in 1939, Union Station is a nationally registered historic landmark. The station is home to Amtrak, Metrolink, the Metro Red, Purple and Gold lines, L.A. FlyAway and numerous Metro and municipal bus lines serving Los Angeles County. Plans also call for the California High Speed Rail project, a $40 billion plan to link Los Angeles and San Francisco, Anaheim and San Diego with trains capable of traveling at up to 250 miles per hour, to use the facility. Union Station construction could start by 2013.

The station is currently home to businesses including Starbucks, Subway, See’s Candies and Traxx, an upscale eatery with white-cloth covered tables and a patio. On a recent Tuesday afternoon the building was bustling with travelers racing to catch trains and buses and people just arriving in Downtown. Many of those surveyed said they would like to see more amenities inside Union Station.

“It would be nice to have some more businesses in here aimed at regular commuters, like maybe a dry cleaner or tailor,” said Edgar Manquita, a North Hollywood resident who travels to Downtown for work via the Red Line every day. see Union Station, page 11

photo by Gary Leonard

Metro in April spent $75 million to buy Union Station and 38 acres of surrounding land. The agency last week began meeting design, planning and real estate teams about crafting a long-term master plan for the area.

O’Connor was one of four board members who, even before the acquisition was complete, authored a motion asking Metro staff to prepare a long-range vision document. In June the staff presented the board with a report outlining a timeline that calls for the completion of a master plan by 2013.

The report states that Metro will initiate a design competition between real estate, planning and architectural institutions to create the master plan; about five finalists will be selected by October, and they will then be asked to provide their approach and vision for master planning the property.

Public presentations are scheduled for February 2012. The full master plan is slated to be ready in August 2013.

The session on Wednesday, July 13, attracted approximately 130 people. It was intended to generate feedback on the twostep selection process.

“We just bought the property a couple of months ago and this is our way of wrapping our arms around it and understanding what the potential is,” said Martha Welborne, Metro’s executive director of countywide planning. “There are 6 million undeveloped square feet of entitlements available on the property, so that’s pretty significant.”

Central Hub Metro purchased Union Station and the surrounding property from ProLogis Logistics Services Incorporated. The purchase also turned over nearly 6 million square feet of entitlements that give Metro the right to build on the property and draw revenue from transit operators and businesses.

“The potential for that is transformative,” Welborne said.

“It could be office buildings. It could be hotels. It could be a variety of different uses.

The acquisition extended Metro’s stake in the area. The agency also owns Union Station’s East Portal, the adjacent Metro headquarters building and Patsaouras Transit Plaza.

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10 Downtown News

July 18, 2011

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A Figueroa Flip-Flop Parking Giant L&R Plans Upgrade for Building That Has Long Been an Eyesore

by Ryan VaillancouRt staff wRiteR

B

ig-time landowners don’t usually call their prime-location assets an “eyesore,” no matter what state the property is in. But that’s exactly how Gilad Lumer, project manager for parking lot giant L&R Group, refers to the company’s long derelict mid-rise at 845 S. Figueroa St. Lumer’s right: There’s no hiding the fact that the 1969 office structure, a dusty, blackwindowed edifice (except for the north face, which is windowless concrete), is tough on the eyes. If a mental image of the building, which is a few blocks north of L.A. Live, doesn’t immediately pop to mind, it may be because the main façade is largely obscured by a trio of overgrown ficus trees so bulbous that they also block out nighttime streetlights.

“This building has been forced into people’s subconscious,” said broker John Zanetos, vice president at real estate services firm CB Richard Ellis. “Most people just

don’t even notice it when they walk by.”

After a decade of sitting empty, however, 845 S. Figueroa St. is getting ready to emerge from the shadows.

L&R, owner of Joe’s Auto Parks, is planning a renovation of the building in hopes of turning it into a boutique office destination.

Plans for the exterior, which have not yet received city permits, call for an up to $5 million facelift that will replace the dark skin of the building with floor-to-ceiling windows.

It will also add a ground-level retail space fit for a restaurant with outdoor seating along Figueroa Street. Lumer said the firm hopes to start work on the exterior this year.

Work on the interior, meanwhile, is underway. L&R became the first tenant in June, relocating its corporate headquarters from City National Plaza.

L&R is currently putting finishing touches on its new 10,000-square-foot space on the top level of the five-floor building. The company is housing 20 employees in the space.

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ubiquitous Downtown prince of pavement with its 72 lots.

“We just wanted to refocus into the area where we have traditionally done well,” Lumer said. “I think the national expansion that we went through — I wouldn’t call it an experiment but looking back at it now, it was definitely a phase. It’s not really who we are.”

The change in direction also comes after the death, in January, of L&R’s longtime CEO, Joe Lumer. Lumer was instrumental in the company’s recent downsizing, overseeing the October sale of the three operating divisions, said Gilad Lumer, the eldest of Joe Lumer’s three sons. The firm’s new CEO is Stuart Rubin, who comes from a retail background.

His firm, RP Realty Partners, invests primarily in large retail and mixed use projects.

The plan to upgrade 845 S. Figueroa St. is part of the firm’s renewed investment in Downtown, but it is not the only example.

Another prime example is just down the street — L&R recently completed the acquisition of 1220 S. Figueroa St., a parking lot it had already rented.

The acquisition of the 2.7-acre lot doesn’t mean change is coming to the site. Although the land was marketed as a prime South Park development opportunity, especially as AEG strives to grow L.A. Live and Portland-based Homer Williams gets ready to build a new

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The office’s design includes several reminders of the firm’s bread and butter parking business. A glass-enclosed conference room uses steel garage support beams, and the wall behind the receptionist’s desk is a sheet of corrugated metal reminiscent of a roll-down garage door.

“We thought it would be a good home for us,” Lumer said. “And we wanted to reactivate this part of Figueroa.”

The desire to reactivate comes after a more than six-year period during which the firm let the property sit fallow. L&R bought the office building in 2004 for $18 million, or $128 per square foot. Lumer said it was a speculative buy, a wager that properties on Figueroa Street — even those in poor quality — would increase in value.

Then it left it sitting there, untouched.

Prince of Pavement The plans for 845 S. Figueroa St. come as L&R, which has been doing business in Downtown since the 1970s, changes some of its practices.

In recent years, L&R grew into a national company with five parking brands. Last year, the company sold three of them, holding on to the two most successful businesses: Wally Park, which operates airport-serving facilities in Los Angeles and six other American cities, and Joe’s Auto Parks, the

July 18, 2011

Downtown News 11

DowntownNews.com

Marriott hotels project in the area, L&R plans to continue parking operations at the site, Lumer said.

As L&R works on plans for the exterior facelift of 845 S. Figueroa St., most of the 125,000-square-foot interior remains gutted space (except for L&R’s nearly finished office). The floors are all concrete and lack partitions, and will be built out according to tenant interest and specifications, said Zanetos, who is leading the leasing effort at the site.

“This is going to be a boutique office building,” Zanetos said. “So it offers a tenant that’s not a large multi-floor corporation or institutional occupier the chance to have a bigger presence within a smaller buildphoto by Gary Leonard ing.”

Gilad Lumer, project manager for parking lot giant L&R, which Zanetos said he is market- is spending up to $5 million to renovate the exterior of the derelict ing the space at rates that office building at 845 S. Figueroa St. will be competitive with Class A office towers along Figueroa Street. flexible for the kind of tenants that we expect According to real estate firm Cushman & to come that will be part of the travel, tourWakefield, Class A office rates averaged about ism and hospitality industries that are all $35 per square foot per year in the Central moving into Downtown,” Marcussen said.

Business District in the first quarter. Zanetos It may be little surprise that L&R’s ofsaid 845 S. Figueroa St. is going for about $30 fice venture boasts a key amenity — lots of per square foot. parking. In Downtown, it’s standard for of Steve Marcussen, executive director of fice deals to include one parking space per Cushman & Wakefield, said he expects 845 S. 1,000 square feet rented. L&R, which operFigueroa St. to be successful because of its lo- ates a small sea of surface lots around 845 S. cation and size, despite the fact that the office Figueroa St., along with a multi-level garage market remains in a lull. In the first quarter, that’s connected to the back of the building, the Downtown Class A vacancy hovered near is offering tenants four times that standard.

18%, according to Cushman & Wakefield.

Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at “It’s a kind of building that could be real ryan@downtownnews.com.

Union Station Continued from page 9 Others hope to see more personnel as part of the plan to help the large crowds that may not be familiar with the station.

“It’s easy to get confused here about where to go to catch your bus,” said Hollywood resident Irma Ramirez. “It’d be nice if they had guides or something like it all over so you can ask them.”

For County Supervisor and Metro board member Gloria Molina, the priorities for the future of Union Station are clear. She said the building must prepare for growing transit needs and has

to provide amenities for people traveling through the station. It also must maintain its historic essence and be a key focal point in the area, she said.

“Some will see it as a development opportunity; it’s a big space, you can develop things,” Molina said. “I’m more interested in creating more services that are going to be related to the customers we’re serving that are going to be utilizing Union Station.”

Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

photo by Gary Leonard

Service businesses inside the station are limited. The master plan could lead to more restaurants and amenities for people passing through.

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July 18, 2011

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Spring Street Garage Plans Filed Landowner Scraps Effort to Place Supermarket on Ground Floor

rendering courtesy Downtown Management

Downtown Management filed plans to build a 500-car garage on Spring Street, but earlier plans to include a space for a street level market were dropped.

by Ryan VaillancouRt staff wRiteR

D

owntown Management, a prominent property owner and developer on Broadway and in the Historic Core, has submitted plans to the city for a new 500-space parking garage on Spring Street between Fifth and Sixth streets.

The plan represents a departure from an earlier concept that hinged on including a ground-level retail space tailored for a supermarket. Greg Martin, the firm’s vice president, said

the market idea was jettisoned in part for planning reasons, but also because it lacked support from 14th District City Councilman José Huizar.

Huizar’s office has indicated that it would oppose any plan that inhibits rear access to three historic Broadway theaters that back up against the garage property, which is now a surface parking lot. Downtown Management also owns the theaters, the Roxie, Arcade and Cameo, which for years have operated as swap meets.

“We didn’t think that we’d get support because the coun-

cilman’s office made it pretty clear they wanted access to the theaters, which we can’t give,” Martin said. “With controversial projects if you don’t have the council office on your side you don’t have anything.”

Downtown Management’s dispute with Huizar is not new.

The firm, headed by Joseph Hellen, an 86-year-old Holocaust survivor and real estate magnate who spends most of his time in Australia, supported Huizar’s challenger, Rudy Martinez, in the city council election in March. During the campaign Hellen erected a pro-Martinez billboard on top of one of the Broadway theaters, a move valued at nearly $24,000, according to documents filed with the City Ethics Commission.

Huizar spokesman Rick Coca said the councilman could not comment on the plan, as it had not been presented to his office. He also rejected the idea that Huizar had opposed the market, since no plan was ever formally submitted.

“We cannot support or oppose something we have never seen,” Coca said in an email. “We will continue to seek and support projects that respect the national register historic district, do not jeopardize the utilization of historic structures, and support community revitalization by providing for community needs.”

Martin said planning issues also played a role in the decision to nix the grocery store. To accommodate a market, the structure would have required two ramps into a subterranean level of parking — those would have eaten into too much of the street-level commercial space, likely eliminating the chance for including a full-size market, Martin said.

The plan that was submitted this month calls for only one ramp, on Spring Street just south of the Alexandria Hotel.

The single ramp will leave more retail space, but it wouldn’t likely satisfy the regular traffic needs of a market, Martin said.

The company hopes to break ground on the approximately 200,000-square-foot structure in six months. Construction would take less than a year, Martin said.

Various Broadway property owners, along with Huizar, have long stated that a new garage is needed to convince theater owners to make millions of dollars worth of improvement that could help lead to regular programming of the former movie palaces. It remains unclear if Huizar and other stakeholders would consider the Downtown Management garage as a feasible element of that plan. Martin said much of the 500-space facility will be used by the company’s residential tenants. Some spaces will also be set aside for public use, he said.

Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.

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The Biggest and the Best Thousands of Voters, Hundreds of Contenders, And One Jam-Packed List of Winners

E

veryone who lives or works in Downtown spends an ample amount of time talking about how much the community has grown over the past decade. There’s the residential base, the explosion of restaurants and bars and the cultural opportunities. The more time passes, the more people and activity there are.

One other thing that’s growing is Los Angeles Downtown News’ annual Best of Downtown issue. Last year, in recognition of everything that has changed, we jettisoned our old format and went to an expanded ballot, putting the readers in charge of selecting the area’s Best Businesses, Best Drinking, Best Eating, Best Entertainment and Best Shopping. The practice continues this year, and it’s no small feat — from May 14 to June 3, we let the readers choose the best from a whopping 113 categories.

Each of these had from a handful to a few dozen entrants, meaning hundreds of contenders were up for prizes.

That’s a lot, but it’s fitting in a community with so much to choose from. Consider the dining categories: The Downtown options have expanded to the point that we now have a Best New Restaurant (the readers voted for Mas Malo), Best Affordable Restaurant (Nickel Diner), Best Sushi (Sugarfish), Best Mac N’ Cheese (Mac & Cheeza) and more than three dozen others. Yep, readers had their say on an amazing 43 food winners.

Downtown News 15

Best Of Downtown

During the voting period, more than 3,100 people filled out online ballots, and they cast a cumulative 182,961 votes. Not surprisingly, the food categories sparked the heaviest response. The highest level of participation came in Best Lunch (Mendocino Farms won; a total of 2,555 votes were cast). Other popular categories included Best Pizza (Bottega Louie; 2,393 responses) and Best American (Pete’s Café and Bar; 2,332 responses).

Interestingly, the most popular categories didn’t produce the highest tallies.

The top vote getter was L.A. Live watering hole Yard House, which pulled in 944 votes, earning it the Best Restaurant Beer Selection prize. It edged out Historic Core bakery BabyCakes, which received 943 votes in Best Cupcakes. Other high rankers, whether because of universal love from customers or well-orchestrated email campaigns from management (or a bit of both), include the ESPN Zone as the Best Sports Bar (893 votes) and the Orpheum Theatre as the Most Beautiful Broadway Theater (775 votes).

The Downtown News editorial staff also has a say in this issue. Check out the rundown of 24 of our favorite, if eclectic, people, places and things in the Central City (p. 20). Options include the Best Wildlife Outing and the Best Laker (it’s not Kobe).

Overall, it’s a big, diverse list. Which somehow seems appropriate in a big, diverse Downtown.

Voting Pays Off Pressing a Few Keys Earns Readers Big Prizes

E

veryone knows that there’s no such thing as getting something for nothing. That said, Los Angeles Downtown News has gotten pretty close to handsomely rewarding a few minutes of thought and some easy keystroking. The inhabitants and workers of Downtown are the beneficiaries.

Each year, we hand out prizes to some of the people who fill out the Best of Downtown ballot. These winners are generated randomly from among those who respond to 30 or more of the 113 categories at votebestof.com. All voting took place between May 14 and June 3. photo by Gary Leonard The big prize goes to Nancy Grand Prize winner Nancy Jean-Carlson.

Jean-Carlson. She received (take a breath) a two-night stay at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, din- Additionally, Rachel Galaviz and Grant ner for two at Sai Sai, $200 cash, dinner for Barnes both got $50 gift certificates from two at Morton’s The Steakhouse, a $150 Takami Sushi and Robata Restaurant. Leslie Ticketmaster gift card and a Los Angeles Sanchez received a $25 gift certificate from Conservancy walking tour.

Border Grill. Dora Sanchez pocketed a $25 Carlson was not the only person to gift certificate from Pitfire Pizza Company. learn that spending time online can pay Downtown News says a huge thank you to off in unexpected ways. Glenna Haley won all who voted. The Best of Downtown will an iPod Touch, and Kai Herrera, Laurie return next summer, and we look forward Mendiones and Angelina Barron each to what the readers say. And to giving them walked away with $100. things just for saying it.

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Best Of Downtown

July 18, 2011

Best New Restaurant

Best Asian Fusion

Best L.A. Live Restaurant

Best Mediterranean

Winner: Mas Malo Runner-up: SugarFish

Winner: Yard House Runner-up: Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse

Best Affordable Restaurant

Winner: Nickel Diner Runner-up: Wurstküche

Best Mid-Range Restaurant Winner: El Cholo Runner-up: Lazy Ox Canteen

Best Upscale Restaurant Winner: Morton’s The Steakhouse Runner-up: Water Grill

Best Lunch

Winner: Mendocino Farms Runner-up: Urth Caffé

Best Dinner

Winner: Morton’s The Steakhouse Runner-up: Café Pinot

Best Wine Bar

Winner: Corkbar Runner-up: BottleRock

Best Business Lunch Winner: Engine Co. No. 28 Runner-up: Daily Grill

Best Breakfast

Winner: The Original Pantry Café Runner-up: Nickel Diner

Best Middle Eastern Winner: Lula Kabob Runner-up: Kabab & More

Winner: Wokcano Runner-up: Chaya Downtown

Best Sandwich/Wrap Philippe The Original

Winner: Papa Cristo’s Runner-up: Mediterranean City Grill

Best American

Winner: Pete’s Café & Bar Runner-up: Daily Grill

Best Italian

Winner: Drago Centro Runner-up: Colori Kitchen

Best Steakhouse

Winner: Morton’s The Steakhouse Runner-up: Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse

Best Pizza

Winner: Bottega Louie Runner-up: Pitfire Pizza Company

Best Seafood

Winner: Water Grill Runner-up: McCormick & Schmick’s

Best Wine Bar Corkbar

Best Latin/Mexican Winner: El Cholo Runner-up: Border Grill

Best French

Winner: Café Pinot Runner-up: Church & State

Best Burger

Winner: Tommy’s Runner-up: Pete’s Café & Bar

Best Japanese

Winner: Takami Sushi & Robata Restaurant Runner-up: Shabu Shabu House

Best Affordable Restaurant Nickel Diner

Best American Pete’s Café & Bar

Best Cupcakes BabyCakes

Best PIZZA Bottega Louie

photos by Gary Leonard

Best Eating

Best Of Downtown

Best thai

Best RestauRant DecoR

Best sushi

Best OutdOOr dining

Winner: Soi 7 Runner-up: City Thai

Winner: Cicada Runner-up: Patina

Winner: SugarFish Runner-up: Takami Sushi & Robata Restaurant

Best sandwich/wrap

Winner: Café Pinot Runner-up: Bonaventure Brewing Co.

Best FOOd cOurt

Winner: Philippe The Original Runner-up: Mendocino Farms

Winner: Grand Central Market Runner-up: 505 Flower - City National Plaza

Best dim sum

Best dOwntOwn View

Winner: Empress Pavilion Runner-up: Ocean Seafood

Best chinese

Winner: Yang Chow Runner-up: Empress Pavilion

Best mac n’ cheese

Winner: Mac & Cheeza Runner-up: Pete’s Café and Bar

Best Vegetarian Friendly restaurant Winner: Blossom Runner-up: BabyCakes

Winner: Takami Sushi & Robata Restaurant Runner-up: L.A. Prime - Westin Bonaventure

Best restaurant atmOsphere

Winner: Pete’s Café & Bar Runner-up: Chaya Downtown

Best hOtel restaurant

Winner: WP24 - Ritz Carlton Runner-up: LA Market - J.W. Marriott

mOst rOmantic restaurant

Best Organic OptiOns

Winner: Urth Caffé Runner-up: Mendocino Farms

Winner: Café Pinot Runner-up: Cicada

Best Bargain lunch

Winner: BabyCakes Runner-up: Big Man Bakes

Winner: Philippe The Original Runner-up: TIE Mendocino Farms Clifton’s Cafeteria

Best cupcakes

Best Old-schOOl restaurant

Best Bakery/desserts

Winner: BabyCakes Runner-up: Big Man Bakes

Winner: Philippe The Original Runner-up: Clifton’s Cafeteria

Best caFe

Best ice cream/yOgurt

Winner: Urth Caffé Runner-up: Angelique Cafe

Best sushi SugarFish

Winner: Yogurtland Runner-up: Pinkberry

DOWNTOWN

LIVING Our issue fOr the DOwntOwn Dweller.

■ Downtowners reveal how t hey live and what they love about t heir homes.

■ Highlights on local business and a guide to Downt own services.

■ And the best places t o live in Downtown.

Publishes NeXT WeK

1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90026 • 213.481.1448

1264 W. 1st s t., LA, CA 90026 | (213) 481-1448 FAX (213) 250-4617 | LADoWntoWnneWs.CoM 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90026 • 213.481.1448

Best FOOd cOurt Grand Central Market

Downtown News 17

photos by Gary Leonard

July 18, 2011

18 Downtown News

Best Of Downtown

July 18, 2011

Best Business Best Barber Shop

Best-Looking Building

Best Dentist or Dental Office

Winner: Walt Disney Concert Hall Runner-up: Bradbury Building

Best Downtown Residential Real Estate Agent

Winner: Alex LiMandri – Ultimate Life Living Runner-up: Bill Cooper – The Loft Expert

Best Florist

Winner: Bolt Barbers Runner-up: Rudy’s Barber Shop

Winner: Downtown Dental Runner-up: Zen Dental

Best Chiropractor

Winner: Dr. Boris Mayzel’s Chiropractic & Wellness Center Runner-up: Courtyard Wellness

Winner: Downtown Florist Runner-up: Bloomies Flowers and Gifts

Best Fitness

Best Hospital

Best Moving/Storage Company

Winner: Good Samaritan Hospital Runner-up: California Hospital Medical Center

Best Property Management Company Winner: Grubb & Ellis Runner-up: CB Richard Ellis

Best Business Improvement District Winner: Downtown Center BID Runner-up: Historic Downtown BID

Most Beautiful Broadway Theater Orpheum Theatre

Winner: 24 Hour Fitness Runner-up: Gold’s Gym

Winner: Los Angeles Self Storage Runner-up: Los Angeles Movers

Best Shoe Repair

Winner: Shoe Wiz Runner-up: Shoe Masters

Best Pet Grooming Pussy & Pooch photos by Gary Leonard

Winner: Downtown LA Bicycles Runner-up: Two Bits Market

photo by Berger/Conser Photography

Best New Business

Best Architecture/Design Firm

Winner: Levin & Associates Architects Runner-up: Arquitectonica

Best Pet Boarding/Sitting/ Best Church/Synagogue/Place Walking of Worship Winner: Bark Ave. Winner: Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels Runner-up: St. Vincent De Paul Roman Catholic Church

Most Beautiful Broadway Theater Winner: Orpheum Theatre Runner-up: Los Angeles Theatre

Best Downtown Commercial Real Estate Firm Winner: Grubb & Ellis Runner-up: CB Richard Ellis

Best Auto Dealer — Service Department Winner: Toyota Central Runner-up: Downtown LA Motors Mercedes Benz

Best Law Firm

Runner-up: South Park Doggie Daycare

Best Pet Grooming Winner: Pussy & Pooch Runner-up: Bark Ave.

Best Bank/Credit Union Winner: Bank of America Runner-up: Wells Fargo

Best Investment/Stock Brokerage Firm

Winner: Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Runner-up: Wells Fargo

Best Dry Cleaners

Winner: Sloans Dry Cleaners Runner-up: Tokyo Cleaners

Best Optometrist

Winner: Latham & Watkins Runner-up: O’Melveny & Myers

Winner: Downtown LA Optometric Vision Center Runner-up: LA Vision Optometry

Best Hair Salon

Best Hotel

Winner: Salon Eleven Runner-up: Neihule

Best Barber Shop Bolt Barbers

Winner: Millennium Biltmore Hotel Runner-up: Ritz-Carlton

Best Church/Synagogue/Place of Worship Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels

Best Hotel Millennium Biltmore Hotel

July 18, 2011

Downtown News 19

Best Of Downtown

Winner: Millennium Biltmore Hotel Runner-up: Ritz-Carlton

Coolest Hotel

Winner: The Standard Runner-up: Ritz-Carlton

Best Wedding Spot

Winner: Walt Disney Concert Hall Runner-up: Millennium Biltmore Hotel

Best Auto Body Repair

Winner: Downtown LA Motors Runner-up: Downtown Auto Repair & Body Shop

Best Public Transportation Winner: Metro Runner-up: DASH Downtown

Best Preschool

Winner: La Petite Academy Runner-up: Pilgrim School

Best Daycare

Winner: Hope Street Friends Runner-up: La Petite Academy

Best Event Venue

Winner: Los Angeles Convention Center Runner-up: Orpheum Theatre

Best-Looking Building Walt Disney Concert Hall photos by Gary Leonard

Most Romantic Hotel

Best Meeting Space

Winner: San Antonio Winery & Maddalena Restaurant Runner-up: TIE Morton’s The Steakhouse Café Pinot

Best Adaptive Reuse Residential Building

Winner: Eastern Columbia Runner-up: Gas Company Lofts

Best Built-From-The-GroundUp Residential Building Winner: Evo Runner-up: 717 Olympic

Best Employment Agency Winner: Apple One Employment Services Runner-up: TIE Act 1 Personnel Services Manpower

Best Meeting Space San Antonio Winery & Maddalena Restaurant

Best Hair Salon Salon Eleven

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20 Downtown News

Best of Downtown Staff Picks From a Laker to a Survivor to a Comeback Kid, Here Are Two Dozen of Our Favorite Things Best Reason to leaVe tHe CaR at HoMe

Best sURViVoR

Olvera Street Merchants “Financial Hardship”

Best View

Best atHlete

Best Downtown weB ViDeo

City Hall Observation Deck

Blake Griffin

“Gotta Hoop”

Best FUtURe PaRk

Best ResoURCe FoR PaRents

Los Angeles State Historic Park

Downtown Parent’s Club

Best CoMeBaCk

Best tRenD

The Return of Commander Andy Smith

Hey Kids, Let’s Open a Restaurant

Best CoMMUnity initiatiVe

Best BRigHt sPot

Downtown’s Getting a Football Team

Metta World Peace

Best PolitiCal stoRy oF 2011

Best atteMPt at a City Hall gaMe CHangeR

Best Battle oF tHe Past yeaR

Best HelPing HanD

Best wilDliFe oUting

Best ReBoot

Best Downtown esCaPe

Best laiDBaCk sUMMeR aCtiVity

Best URBan Hike

Best HoliDay stoCking Coal

The 2013 Mayor’s Race

Vaux’s Swifts Viewings

Vista Hermosa Natural Park Los Angeles River

Development Reform Plan

Edison/Clifton’s to the Midnight Mission Art Walk

photo by Gary Leonard

José Huizar vs. Rudy Martinez

Outdoor Movies

Jaywalking Crackdown

Voted Best Dentist 2011!

At first, the flow of riders is gentle. Cyclists cruise up and down Spring Street, and other Downtown corridors, like any Sunday morning. Then the streets grow denser with cyclists, skaters, stroller-pushers and walkers, and by mid-morning Downtown is a giant urban park teeming with thousands of people enthralled by the simple pleasure of navigating our city any way except in a car. This is CicLAvia, which despite occurring only twice so far — in October 2010, and then again in April — appears on its way to becoming an L.A. institution. The nonprofit organizers manage to shut down a nearly nine-mile route from Boyle Heights to East Hollywood.

In the next installment on Oct. 9, the route will include a South L.A. spur, and maybe a leg into Chinatown. Information at ciclavia. wordpress.com.—Ryan Vaillancourt

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Best ResoURCe FoR PaRents Downtown Parent’s Club In July 2009, a Downtown mom looking to set up play dates for her kids took a natural step: She went online. Two years later, the Facebook-based Downtown Parent’s Club is a phenomenon, with 171 participating families. It’s the go-to place for parents looking for just about anything in Downtown, from babysitters to baby gear to school information. Consider: A recent post by founder Susana Benavidez asked members to help a single mother of three who was going through see Staff Picks, page 22

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look carelessly casual, chances are you’re Blake Griffin. The undisputed NBA Rookie of the Year, Griffin may well have instituted a new policy at ESPN’s SportsCenter: If Blake’s got a game, save a minute or two on that night’s highlight show for a montage of his thunderous jams. In just one Staples Center season, Griffin has inspired a generation of sports writers to sprinkle their fawning copy on the Clippers star with adjectives like “freakish” and “beastly,” perhaps because he resembles something super-human to us gravity-gripped scrubs. Whenever the Clippers play, Griffin is the show within the show. And the 22-year-old hasn’t even hit his prime. He’s even good for Downtown: An average of more than 1,000 more fans came to each Clippers game last year than the year before. That means more money for local restaurants and bars. At clippers.com.—Ryan Vaillancourt

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Downtown News 21

Best Of Downtown

Best Drinking Winner: Urth Caffé Runner-up: The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

BEST Bar

BEST rESTauraNT BEEr SElECTiON

Winner: Yard House Runner-up: Weiland Brewery

BEST hOTEl Bar

Winner: Edison Runner-up: Seven Grand

Winner: Standard Rooftop Bar Standard Downtown Runner-up: Gallery Bar - Biltmore Hotel

BEST SPOrTS Bar

Winner: ESPN Zone Runner-up: Big Wangs

BEST Bar haPPy hOur

BEST NighTCluB

Winner: Edison Runner-up: Library Bar

Winner: Edison Runner-up: Conga Room

BEST laTE NighT SPOT

Winner: Pete’s Café & Bar Runner-up: The Original Pantry Café

BEST rESTauraNT haPPy hOur

Winner: McCormick & Schmick’s Runner-up: Border Grill

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22 Downtown News

July 18, 2011

Best Of Downtown

Staff Picks Continued from page 20 hard times by donating clothing or offering leads on inexpensive daycare and toys. It quickly generated nearly a dozen offers of help and advice. And yes, they still organize play dates, which as anyone with a Playdoh chucking, “Itsy Bitsy Spider” singing 2-year old knows are as much for the parents as they are for the kids. For info email downtownl.a.parents@group. facebook.com.—Richard Guzmán

BEST TREND Hey Kids, Let’s Open a Restaurant

Avenue art museum (shown here), and the 325,000-squarefoot Chinatown Gateway broke ground. A $40 million renovation of the mall at Seventh and Figueroa streets (get ready for Target) is deep into construction and the finishing touches are being applied to two Arts District residential properties, the Barn Lofts and the Gallery Lofts. In fact, this could be the beginning of the next wave — the $1 billion makeover of the Wilshire Grand will start in early 2012, as will a new Marriott project near L.A. Live. Don’t look now, but they’re actually building things in Downtown.—Jon Regardie

BEST LAKER Metta World Peace

BEST BATTLE OF THE PAST YEAR José Huizar vs. Rudy Martinez

photo by Gary Leonard

photo by Gary Leonard

Downtown has seen an explosion of restaurants in the past three years, and the pace is only picking up. The culinary tidal wave hit in the first six months of 2011, with literally 20 new food-serving establishments coming online. Unlike the last big wave, when more than a dozen mostly upscale options arrived in late 2008, this batch is largely comprised of mid-priced restaurants. Still, it’s a wealth of options, as they serve everything from modern Asian to Peruvian to East L.A. Mexican fare to kosher sandwiches. First-time restaurateurs, experienced chefs and foreign entrepreneurs are all going for a piece of the pie. Arrivals include Mas Malo on Seventh Street, the Spice Table in Little Tokyo, Urbano Pizza Bar in the Financial District and even chains like Hooters and Chipotle.—Richard Guzmán

BEST BRIGHT SPOT They’re Actually Building Things

photo by Gary Leonard

Had the Purple and Gold won a third straight title, this would be Kobe’s category. But when looking at a group of second round knockouts, winning isn’t everything. And who has been more fun to watch, on and off the court, than the Artest who will soon formerly be known as Ron? His effort to change his name to Metta World Peace (a judge considers the request next month) is only the latest. There’s the stifling defense that, when he plays it, is among the best in the NBA. There’s the putback of a Kobe airball in the 2010 playoffs against Phoenix that saved the Lakers. In a world where NBA players, like other celebs, are guarded by managers and publicists, Laker No. 37 (a tribute to the number of weeks Michael Jackson’s Thriller sat atop the pop charts) is a breath of unpredictable air. He thanked his psychiatrist after winning the title.

Then he auctioned off his championship ring, raising more than $500,000 for mental health efforts. Last week, he was honored by the County for his mental health advocacy work for youth. There’s no one like Metta World Peace. We’re luckier than we know. At lakers.com.—Jon Regardie For a while the pols couldn’t get enough of that dumb joke about the construction crane being the official bird of Los Angeles. Then the recession hit and said crane became extinct in Downtown. Lately, however, we’re seeing honest-togoodness, jobs-generating construction. In the spring, crews began ground preparation for Eli Broad’s $100 million Grand

BEST POLITICAL STORY OF 2011 The 2013 Mayor’s Race Our rational side says it’s way too early to think about

Now enrolling for

Twos and Preschool at

Antonio Villaraigosa’s successor — two years is an eternity.

However, there’s no hotter topic inside City Hall. Right now there are many more questions that answers, and folks can spend hours debating them. Does County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky have the stomach for a long, bruising battle? Do the three top declared candidates, City Controller Wendy Greuel, City Councilwoman Jan Perry and businessman and ex-First Deputy Mayor Austin Beutner, have an early advantage? Can a fourth declared candidate, radio host Kevin James, raise money and compete with the big kids. Will Council President Eric Garcetti join the field of pitbulls, or does he wait to fight another day? If mall developer Rick Caruso runs, will it be one verbal grenade after the other?

Seven may enter. Only one will stand. No wonder we’re watching now.—Jon Regardie

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DOWNTOWN NEWS

BEST of DOWNTOWN W I N N E R

Best Daycare

a state-of-the-art child care and early education center managed by Bright Horizons

When the returns rolled in on the evening of March 8, incumbent 14th District City Councilman José Huizar (standing) notched 64% of the vote, crushing Rudy Martinez, a prominent restaurateur who spent $200,000 of his own money and pulled 36%. The discrepancy didn’t hint at a battle that was shocking and, sometimes, brutal. This was the race where Huizar’s “Community Power Lists,” actual tallies of constituents and how much influence they had and how friendly they were to Huizar, were published. This was the race where a police badge Martinez once held became a hot potato, and a deceased officer’s sister was pulled into the fray. A Huizar campaign staffer sent the infamous “political bullet” email and after one debate a new-to-the-election trail Martinez literally passed out, winding up in the hospital from exhaustion and dehydration. The spin was deafening, the mailers vicious. It was one for the ages.—Jon Regardie

BEST WILDLIFE OUTING Vaux’s Swifts Viewings With its concrete canyons and cacophony of car noise, Downtown isn’t an oasis for wildlife. Twice a year, however, a remarkable phenomenon of the natural world unfolds right in the Historic Core. In April and again in late August or September, thousands of tiny, chimney-dwelling birds known as Vaux’s Swifts swarm over the Chester Williams see Staff Picks, page 24

Come Shop!

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Just Voted “Best Women’s Clothing”

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July 18, 2011

Downtown News 23

Best Of Downtown

Best Shopping Best Pet suPPlies/ Boutique

Winner: Central Library Store Runner-up: The Last Bookstore

Winner: Pussy & Pooch Runner-up: South Park Doggie Daycare

Best Men’s Clothing

Best store for the hoMe (Sub) Urban Home photos by Gary Leonard

Best Bookstore

Best JeWelry Mart

Winner: Macy’s Runner-up: Los Angeles Suit Outlet

Winner: St. Vincent Jewelry Center Runner-up: California Jewelry Mart

Best WoMen’s Clothing

Best farMers Market

Winner: Macy’s Runner-up: FIDM Scholarship Store

Winner: Pershing Square Farmers Market Runner-up: FIG at 7th Farmers Market

Best Boutique store

Best auto Dealer — useD Cars

Winner: FIDM Museum Shop Runner-up: PopKiller

Winner: Felix Chevrolet and Cadillac Runner-up: Toyota Central

Best store for the hoMe Winner: (Sub) Urban Home Runner-up: Design Theory

Best auto Dealer — neW Cars

Best tux/goWn store

Winner: Downtown LA Motors Mercedes Benz Runner-up: Toyota Central

Winner: Bella Bridal & Tuxedo Runner-up: Tokyo Bridal & Tux

Best auto Dealer - useD Cars Felix Chevrolet and Cadillac

Best farMers Market Pershing Square Farmers Market

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enough

yet?

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There’s never been a better time to Go Metro. You can save as much as $10,000 annually by taking public transit in LA instead of paying for gas and parking. LA is among the top 10 cities where public transit riders realize the greatest savings.

Find out how easy it can be with the “Getting Started” selection at metro.net.

Club Nokia can be your TURN KEY, HIGH QUALITY, COST-EFFECTIVE solution for your HOLIDAY PARTY this year!

More Service For Metro Silver Line

Groups of 50 – 1,500 Welcome!

Now it’s even easier to get between the South Bay and Downtown along the Harbor Freeway thanks to the Metro Silver Line. Service now runs every 10 minutes during peak hours. Non-peak and weekend service is more frequent too. Check metro.net for details.

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Public Hearings On Bus Service August 6-18

Proposed bus service changes will be discussed at four public meetings being held August 6-18 throughout LA County. For details about the proposed changes along with the time, date and location of the hearing nearest you, check online at metro.net.

.php /specialevents m o .c ia k o n b See www.clu rmation. for more info

Show Us Why You Like Transit – Win A Free Pass

Lights…camera…you! Create a brief video about what you like best about riding buses and trains for the “Transit Flicks” video contest and you might win a free pass for a year. Top contenders will be posted on the web so everyone can help select the winner. The deadline to enter is September 2. Find out more at metro.net.

Ask About Special Week Day and Evening Rates Monday-Thursday by emailing shuszczo@aeglive.com or call 213.763.4669.

Go Metro To Bob Hope Airport

If you’d like to know more, visit metro.net.

12-0011th_gen-fe-12-001 ©2011 lacmta

Save on parking and reach Burbank’s Bob Hope Airport the easy way. Go Metro to the North Hollywood Station and hop on a free SuperShuttle van straight to your terminal. SuperShuttles operate between 6am-10pm daily. Call 1.800.224.7767 to reserve a van in advance, or 818.558.3179 to request one without a reservation.

24 Downtown News

spite of drought-tolerant plants — there are some patches of lavender stretching well above head level — young trees and picnic-friendly, lush grass. There’s a mini pond and a generous playground for the little ones. It all feels like a great escape from the concrete jungle. It’s sadly underused, even the prime spot — the bench (popular among romancing students of the adjacent high school) perched at the highest point in the park and looking at the Downtown skyline. From there, it’s truly a vista hermosa. At 100 N. Toluca St. or lamountains.com.— Ryan Vaillancourt

Staff Picks Continued from page 22

BEST URBAN HIKE Los Angeles River

photo by Gary Leonard

The Los Angeles River is not just a concrete rain run-off and a place for large-scale urban graffiti. Seriously. You can actually hike on the waterway. The best way to do it is with experienced guides, like The Urban Rangers, who as part of MOCA’s Engagement Party series are organizing the L.A. River Ramble on Aug. 4. They’ll take people under the Sixth Street Bridge through an aqueduct to explore the river in Downtown. If you want to make the hike a regular thing, Urban Ranger Jenny Price also leads treks every month.

Her tours are a mix of walking and driving and explore the Glendale Narrows, the historic Arroyo Seco confluence and the industrial Downtown stretch of the river. It’s a rare chance to learn some history and check out the actual wildlife. The next tour is July 24. Info at laurbanrangers.org or hlacentralriver71711.eventbrite.com.—Richard Guzmán

Building at Fifth and Broadway. They swirl for nearly an hour each evening, growing into one giant mass, undulating in a transfixing aerial ballet until they start dive-bombing into the building’s chimney, where they roost for the night. The Debs Park Audubon Center organizes viewings on the roof of a neighboring edifice on Broadway, but you can take in the swifts from just about anywhere in the Historic Core. Look closely for the ravens standing watch at the lip of the chimney, picking off easy evening meals. Info at ca.audubon.org/ debs_swifts.php.—Ryan Vaillancourt

BEST VIEW City Hall Observation Deck The observation deck at City Hall offered stunning views of Los Angeles long before Google Earth. On a clear day you can see the ocean. It does take a little more effort than clicking a mouse, but this oft-forgotten amenity is open to the public. The deck sits 27 floors above Downtown in the Tom Bradley Room of City Hall, which serves as a conference and reception space. It wraps around the building, is open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and it’s also a place to see all the official portraits of L.A.’s past mayors. To get there you must tell the guard on the ground floor you want to go to the observation deck (bring ID). At 200 N. Spring St.—Richard Guzmán

BEST FUTURE PARK Los Angeles State Historic Park

photo by Gary Leonard

While only a portion of the 32-acre Los Angeles State Historic Park is open for daily use, the future looks a lot greener. State officials are working on an $18 million plan to renovate the attraction on the edge of Chinatown. Currently used for events like concerts and other community gatherings, and open as a place to jog or take a rural lunch break, the park still sometimes called the Cornfield is set to become an even bigger natural attraction. Plans call for a welcome pavilion, a promenade for a farmers market, an amphitheatre, some wetlands areas and infrastructure improvements such as permanent restrooms. Construction is set to begin in 2013 with completion approximately 18 months later. At 1245 N. Spring Street or lashp.com.—Richard Guzmán

photo by Gary Leonard photo by Gary Leonard

gency pack with a whistle, matches, flares and a space blanket.

It’s a story that puts any real estate transaction to shame.— Ryan Vaillancourt

BEST SURVIVOR Ed Rosenthal

BEST DOWNTOWN ESCAPE Vista Hermosa Natural Park

Rising on the north side of First Street, just west of the Harbor (110) Freeway, is an explosion of greenery. It’s unlikely, but this City West hill of trees, plants and winding footpaths is no mistake. Vista Hermosa Natural Park is a 10.5-acre re-

July 18, 2011

Best Of Downtown

Thousands of Downtowners grew worried last September when well-known real estate broker Ed Rosenthal was reported lost in the desert. The poet and avid hiker had gone to Joshua Tree to celebrate the sale of Clifton’s Cafeteria — his first deal in a year — when he lost the trail. Six harrowing days after he was last sighted — five of them spent without a single drop of water — Rosenthal was rescued. While he was admittedly woefully under-stocked with water for his planned hike, Rosenthal was carrying a walking stick that helped him maneuver through rocky canyons while weak and an emer-

BEST COMEBACK The Return of Commander Andy Smith Downtown let out a collective groan in April 2008, when Police Chief William Bratton moved Commander Andy Smith to the LAPD’s South Bureau, where he was put in charge of the Criminal Gang Homicide Group (he also spent the last 18 months as the assistant commanding officer of Operations in the West Bureau). Now Smith, who gained see Staff Picks, page 26

July 18, 2011

Best Of Downtown

Downtown News 25

Best Entertainment Best Family Attraction

Best Music Venue — Small

Best Free Music/Lecture Series

Winner: Walt Disney Concert Hall Runner-up: Nokia Theater Winner: Grammy Museum Runner-up: 2nd Street Jazz

Shows the Best Movies

Winner: Regal Cinemas L.A. Live Runner-up: L.A. Film Festival

Best Museum

Winner: Museum of Contemporary Art Runner-up: California Science Center

Winner: California Science Center Runner-up: Natural History Museum

Winner: Grand Performances Runner-up: Pershing Square Summer Concert Series

Best Free Family Attraction

Winner: Olvera Street Runner-up: Central Library

Best Downtown Tour

Best Performance Art Venue

Best Attraction

Best Downtown Event

Winner: Downtown L.A. Walks Runner-up: Los Angeles Conservancy Winner: Downtown Art Walk Runner-up: L.A. Live

Best Family Attraction California Science Center photos by Gary Leonard

Best Music Venue — Large

Winner: Ahmanson Theatre Runner-up: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion Winner: Downtown Art Walk Runner-up: L.A. Film Festival

Best Museum Museum of Contemporary Art

Shows the Best Movies Regal Cinemas L.A. Live

26 Downtown News

July 18, 2011

Best Of Downtown a strategic plan, and what really makes it different is that it’s already making inroads. Some of the recommendations, including a new cross-departmental case management office launched with mayoral fanfare July 12, were being implemented before the document was even complete. It’s the first effort in years, and perhaps ever, that has the development community optimistic that a sensible, linear entitlement system is at hand.—Ryan Vaillancourt

Staff Picks Continued from page 24

production crew close off streets. Now, the area overflows with options, including a trio of al fresco film series. The Outdoor Cinema Foodfest, which mostly utilizes Exposition Park, pairs films such as Fight Club (Aug. 13) with live bands and food trucks. For old-school flavor, try the Devil’s Night Drive-In, which projects films on an inflatable screen on a rooftop near the corner of Fourth Street and Broadway.

Options include Less Than Zero Aug. 13 and Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure two weeks later. The final spike in the movie trident is Friday Night Flicks in Pershing Square. The free (!) series runs through Oct. 28. Highlights include Raiders of the Lost Ark Aug. 5 and Monty Python and the Holy Grail Aug. 19. Pershing Square is at 532 S. Olive St., (213) 8474970 or laparks.org/pershingsquare. Devil’s Night is at 240 W. Fourth St., (310) 584-1086 or devilsnight.com. Outdoor Cinema Food Fest is at various locations, outdoorcinemafoodfest.com.—Richard Guzmán

photo by Gary Leonard

BEST HELPING HAND Edison/Clifton’s to the Midnight Mission

BEST HOLIDAY STOCKING COAL Jaywalking Crackdown Last year, as the holidays neared, Downtown stores got ready for a bump in business. Anyone paying attention to the news, however, was sure as heck staying attuned to all pedestrian rules as they navigated the Historic Core, the Financial District and other neighborhoods. The LAPD’s Central Division warned shoppers and other Downtown denizens that they were cracking down on jaywalking, an offense that, thanks to an array of fees that don’t actually go to the LAPD, amounted to $190. Ho, ho, harrumph, what a pricy piece of coal.—Ryan Vaillancourt

photo by Gary Leonard

local renown while serving as captain of Central Division, is back. On July 17, he was slated to move into the police headquarters building and become the department’s public information officer, making him the face of the LAPD (well, the second face, after Chief Charlie Beck). It marks a return to Downtown for one of Central’s most able and popular captains ever (Beck also once had the job). While here, Smith oversaw the LAPD’s Safer Cities Initiative, the stepped-up enforcement in Skid Row. He also personally exposed the ugly Downtown “dumping,” by Sheriff’s Department deputies, of a suspect who had been caught 20 miles away. Hail the comeback kid.—Jon Regardie

When it comes to charity, Andrew Meieran, owner of the bar the Edison and Clifton’s Cafeteria, and his business partner Barbara Jacobs, don’t go for lip service. The two have been supporting the Midnight Mission for the past three years, donating money, organizing a massive holiday season toy drive and setting up a recurring “soup kitchen” happy hour, with a portion of the proceeds from booze sales going to the mission (irony noted). Their most significant contribution may be that of real jobs to participants in the mission’s restaurant training program. As of May, 14 mission residents were working in Clifton’s. In a world where Skid Row is the recipient of countless one-time donations and self-promoting gestures made in front of TV cameras, this kind of philanthropy is dense with lasting impact. And when it came to their jobs partnership with the mission, Meieran and Jacobs sent not a single press release. At midnightmission.org.— Ryan Vaillancourt

BEST COMMUNITY INITIATIVE Volunteer LAPD Headquarters Clean-Ups The LAPD headquarters building has a batch of open-air plazas, public art and seating areas, and its near-acre park has rapidly become a haven for Downtowners and their dogs.

Still, there’s a problem: The budget-strapped city let the site deteriorate. Weeds thrived. Litter proliferated. At one point, even the drought-tolerant plants were dying of thirst. Tired of waiting for the city to polish this rare emerald in the concrete canyon, a group of volunteers — organized by the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council’s Parks Committee — descend on the property on the first Saturday of every month from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. They weed, they prune, they water.

Thanks to these individuals the site is looking cleaner and greener. Follow the local leaders who make the project happen at twitter.com/dlanc_parks.—Ryan Vaillancourt

BEST DEAL Olvera Street Merchants ‘Financial Hardship’ The rent battle between Olvera Street merchants and El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument management lasted decades — it made War & Peace seem both short and tame. Resolution was finally reached on June 30, when dozens of tenants signed new concession agreements that will keep them on the historic street for up to 40 years. Although the well-below market rate rents are rising 60% or more, the new terms are still up to 30% below what the city originally wanted. The rents will be phased up to market rate in five years (assuming no other battle breaks out at that time) and the merchants will have the same period to pay back rent owed to the city. For the merchants, who maintain that the city has long failed to deliver promised amenities, there’s one more bounce — the deal allows them to get a discount on the new rents by claiming financial hardship. The city didn’t require any proof to approve the further discount; just the tenants’ claim was enough.—Richard Guzmán

BEST REBOOT Art Walk

BEST ASSUMPTION Downtown’s Getting a Football Team

BEST ATTEMPT AT A CITY HALL GAME CHANGER Development Reform Plan Coaxed by a private sector that has long lamented L.A.’s notoriously Byzantine entitlement and permitting processes, city officials have made many attempts to streamline the approvals system. The latest, a $600,000 effort helmed by the consultant team KH-Woolpert, started by reviewing those past, failed efforts. They perused 100 reports and studies detailing problems in the way-too-complex and redundant process.

On June 30, KH-Woolpert handed in their product, which they smartly differentiate from another “study.” Instead it’s

BEST DOWNTOWN WEB VIDEO “Gotta Hoop”

After a public blow-up in late 2010 had some questioning if Art Walk was dead, local stakeholders regrouped, and soon rebooted the massively popular happening. With $200,000 from the local business community to fund the operations, and an actual paid executive director in Joe Moller, Art Walk now accepts that the 20,000 people or more who come Downtown the second Thursday of every month have forever changed the event. The board has been expanded from six to 10 members, and Moller’s goal is to make the nonprofit financially self sufficient within two years. Art Walk has partnered with Brand X and Canvas LA to promote the event and this summer happenings extend to galleries south of Seventh Street. Additionally, the website has been re-jiggered with a focus on preparation — visitors can print out maps and get parking information before they arrive. It’s still a party, but it’s a much better organized party. At downtownartwalk. com.—Richard Guzmán

BEST LAIDBACK SUMMER ACTIVITY Outdoor Movies For years, seeing a move in Downtown meant watching a

photo courtesy Philo Hagen

photo by Gary Leonard

Los Angeles has been without professional football since after the 1994 season. The Tim Leiweke/Casey Wasserman proposal to build a $1 billion stadium in South Park is the most complete try since. The city is close to approving the framework of a deal, but that’s no surprise — Anschutz Entertainment Group’s record with Staples Center and L.A. Live, and labor support for the project, ensured the city would say yes. The bigger issue is the NFL, and to date the league run by 32 billionaires (and embroiled in a labor dispute) has not uttered one positive public statement about Downtown as the site for football. Make no mistake, a buffed-up Convention Center that has the added bonus of hosting football would be wonderful for Downtown, but anyone who assumes the game is over hasn’t watched the NFL pound L.A. like a clown-faced piñata for nearly two decades. There have been repeated false starts, and in 1999 Commissioner Paul Tagliabue stood in front of the Coliseum and talked about how much the NFL wants to be in L.A. It’s 12 years later and we’ve got bupkis. Ed Roski’s competing stadium is still out there. The Downtown plan could and should happen. But it’s the NFL — don’t trust ’em. At farmersfield.com.—Jon Regardie

Tie-clad clock-watcher Philo Hagen counts down the seconds until he can leave his forsaken desk job, pops outside and waits for a bus near the Los Angeles Theatre. Then a woman hula hoops past him. That’s right. Hula hoops. Inspired, Hagen finds his own hoop and, to the funky tune of Quentin Harris’ “Gotta Do,” skitters up Broadway. Without dropping the hoop, he gradually disrobes until he’s spinning the plastic tube around one leg, and hopping in a circle, in his underwear in front of the Guadalupe Wedding Chapel. Hagen is the founder of hooping.org, and this video celebrates his mostly lost art. With less than 73,000 views “Gotta Hoop” is no “double rainbow” or “Leave Britney alone,” but the closing scene, when Hagen hoops through the Second Street tunnel blissfully indifferent to traffic, makes for the best use we’ve seen of the oft-filmed spot. At youtube.com/philohagen.— Ryan Vaillancourt

July 18, 2011

Downtown News 27

Best Of Downtown

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The Hidden Film Hospital Industrial District Studio Is Quickly Becoming an Industry Favorite

by Ryan VaillancouRt staff wRiteR

N

o one would expect to find a hospital inside a warehouse in the American Apparel complex, but that’s exactly what’s there. Well, kind of.

The space at 760 Terminal St. holds a fully dressed emergency room. There’s a postnatal care facility, complete with newborns, and an array of hospital equipment ready to treat any ailment.

There’s a four-cell jail on site too. It’s not far from the wood-paneled lawyer’s office, and just steps away is a fully stocked bar with red patent leather dining booths.

No, this is not the kitschy hangout ward for Dov Charney and his hipster American Apparel cohorts. Instead, it’s Central City Studios, a not yet 2-year-old production center that has quickly become one of the most popular filming sites in Los Angeles. And yes, the newborns are dolls.

According to permitting agency FilmL.A., Central City Studios was the second mostused site for on-location filming in Los Angeles County in 2010, trailing only Griffith Park (film studios, including the sound stages at Downtown’s L.A. Center Studios, were not counted in the tally because they don’t require film permits).

The Terminal Street building, which is one of four warehouses on the southwest corner of Alameda and Seventh Streets that are primarily occupied by American Apparel, got a place in the spotlight last year when the game show “Downfall” hurled cars and other objects off the roof of the six-story building.

Most of the studio’s users, however, get less attention. Lucy Doty, who opened the business in August 2009, works largely with independent filmmakers, in addition to a few major commercial clients (a Jack in the Box commercial that debuted during the Super Bowl was shot there).

According to FilmL.A. records, the majority of the independent filmmakers using the facility are in college. Students from

Chapman University, New York Film Academy, USC, AFI, L.A. Film School and California State University Northridge all used the property last year, said FilmL.A. spokesman Todd Lindgren.

Student film or otherwise, the productions that come to Central City Studios are generally working with relatively low budgets, said Russell Gremillot, a producer who steers an array of clients to the facility.

Gremillot found the studio by mistake when he was scouting a neighboring warehouse. He has since used it regularly as a producer, most recently for a Discovery ID show called “Homicide Hunter.”

“A lot of the other studios are used to getting big money from big production companies and there’s a lot of start-up companies and student films and webisodes that need places to shoot,” Gremillot said. “They fly under the radar.”

Other recent productions to shoot at the studio include cable shows such as Spike TV’s “1,000 Ways to Die,” the Discovery Channel series “I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant,” Animal Planet’s “Virus Hunters” and webisodes by Funny or Die. E.R. Many of the clients take advantage of the fully dressed hospital sets. The 52,000-squarefoot space, which Doty rents from landlord Meruelo Maddux, is a museum of recently discarded medical equipment: There’s a CT Scanner (it’s just the shell of the machine — no need for the mechanics and laser parts); a six-drawer morgue cabinet that she got from Martin Luther King Medical Center; a working defibrillator (she keeps it unplugged); and a warming table on which real newborns lay during shoots. There’s even an ambulance, parked outside the studio.

There’s a reason for the medical focus.

Doty worked for 40 years as a registered nurse.

After a shoulder injury forced her to retire six years ago, she found an outlet for her expertise. A friend working on an independent

photo by Gary Leonard

Lucy Doty opened Central City Studios in 2009. It holds hospital sets, a four-cell jail and a wood-paneled lawyer’s office.

film led to Doty getting a job as a medical consultant. She then went to work for a medical prop specialist. Her employer had the right equipment, but not the medical experience. With Doty offering medical consulting, the prop business spiked.

That success led Doty to go out on her own. She was drawn to the Downtown space, she said, because of its size.

In a way, her decision to lease the warehouse brings Doty full circle. While most recently she worked at a hospital in Temecula, she got her nursing start at California

Hospital Medical Center, two miles from her new business.

While the facility currently works mostly with students and low budget independent films, Doty said she is looking to grow Central City Studios to attract bigger productions. Still, even she has been a bit surprised by the studio’s popularity.

“When I saw that [FilmL.A.] report, I was surprised,” she said. “And I thought, not bad for the new guy.”

Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.

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McCourt Continued from page 5 than a Calcutta public toilet — and after a few good seasons the team started flopping like a gutted fish. It’s now one of the worst in baseball and fans are already wondering how long until the three remaining stars — Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw — run to a franchise with a future.

Seeing McCourt now, it’s like Keyser Söze in The Usual Suspects. Late in the film Kevin Spacey’s character says the best trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.

We never believed Frank could do this. He smiled and we didn’t know who he was. He’s done it all right in front of our faces.

Together as One For diehard Dodger fans, this is surgery without anesthesia.

Perhaps some of it will get better on Wednesday, July 20, when Frank and MLB meet up again in a Delaware bankruptcy court. Perhaps it will linger for months or years, the legal system an endless hall of mirrors.

In all this, however, there is one positive. There is something that, again, is unbelievable even as we bear witness.

Frank McCourt has managed to unite Los Angeles.

Everyone hates Frank.

Los Angeles stands united in its hatred of Frank McCourt.

The poor, rich and middle class all want him gone. Jews and Muslims, Christians and Buddhists and atheists all wish he’d step back from the Dodgers.

Everyone hates what he’s done to the team. Everyone hopes that MLB will pry the Dodgers from his cold, greedy fingers and place them in the hands of someone who cares and has the resources to revive the steaming pile of carrion that a game at Dodger Stadium has become.

Have you seen the place when they don’t paper the house with $4 tickets or woo folks with bobbleheads or other tchotchkes? It’s like a morgue, albeit one with a view and where the stiffs are on the field wearing Dodger blue. It’s quiet and there are plenty of empty seats to stretch out on and take a long nap. The occasional loud noise is the other team hitting the ball hard.

If there were a Lakers-like parade with only Frank McCourt striding down Figueroa Street, a million fans would come out just to boo him.

If you were to do a survey, an astounding number of people would say they want Mark Cuban to own the Dodgers.

Yes, the guy who for years sparked the wrath of Lakers fans by his verbal pas de deux with Phil Jackson. But the world just saw Cuban’s Dallas Mavericks beat LeBron’s Heat to win the NBA title.

McCourt has made Los Angeles want Cuban. That’s not easy.

Los Angeles stands united in its hatred of Frank McCourt.

The poor, rich and middle class all want him gone. Jews and Muslims, Christians and Buddhists and atheists all wish he’d step back from the Dodgers. It doesn’t matter if you’re Anglo, Latino, African American, Asian, something mixed or something else — you yearn for the day when the name McCourt is erased from Dodger Stadium.

Los Angeles stands indivisible. The tribe has spoken.

Contact Jon Regardie at regardie@downtownnews.com.

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Downtown News 31

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CALENDAR CALENDAR ALENDA photo courtesy of Natural History Museum

photo courtesy of Natural History Museum

Dinosaur Hall has more than 20 full body specimens, including the Stegasaurus (left) and the Mamenchisaurus.

JUNE 27

Inspire Wonder Mamenchisaurus, whose approximately 40-foot-long neck For NHM brass, Dinosaur Hall is a long time coming, but towers over visitors as if it were walking past them in search one worth the wait. of food. The Morenosaurus, an ancient marine creature, “We want people to really look deeply at the dinosaurs hangs from the ceiling, as if swimming through water.

Starts Continued from page 1 themselves,” said Dr. Jane Pisano, the museum’s president and Recent Digs s June 29/July 1 wnNew .Downtoin .Afacility show to hit the Exposition Park decades, opened director.

“We want to inspire wonder and see clearly the proDr. Luis Chiappe, the exhibit’s lead curator, said many /L m o .c k o o Faceb Saturday, July 16. cess of scientific discovery to see how we know what we know.” of the specimens were discovered in the last 10 years by Dinosaur Hall approximately doubles the museum’s previous The exhibit marks the halfway point in the museum’s seven- museum staff. That includes Thomas the T. rex, the adult dinosaur display space. It features more than 300 fossils and 20 year, $135 million transformation. Last year, the NHM opened Tyrannosaurus rex in the museum’s centerpiece. It was found full body specimens, including what’s billed as the world’s only its restored 1913 building with The Age of Mammals exhibit. between 2003 and 2005 in Montana. Other fossils were unTyrannosaurus rex growth series. The centerpiece of the exhibit The expansion will include an exhibit, opening next year, covered in Wyoming. is made up of baby, juvenile and adult T. rex specimens. exploring the natural and cultural history of Los Angeles According to the museum, Thomas is estimated to be 70% Also on display are dinosaurs such as the long-necked and Southern California. Also coming in 2012 is the North complete, making it one of the most complete T. rex speciChecka 3.5-acre Our Website forwill Full Movie LADowntownNews.com Mamenchisaurus, the imposing Triceratops and fossilized Campus, project that create a newListings “front yard” mens on Earth. It was estimated to be 17 when it died. whales, turtles and giant reptiles that lived in an ocean that for the facility, with outdoor exhibits in 11 “zones.” Those lead The baby in the display was about 2-years old when it died, once covered California. The exhibit also includes the skeletal up to the November 2013 celebration of the NHM’s 100th an- making it the youngest known T. rex fossil in the world. The remains of birds to let people know that dinosaurs have mod- niversary, when a new museum entrance will be unveiled. juvenile, which was 13 when it died, stood more than 20 feet ern descendents.

Most of the specimens in the Dinosaur Hall have never high and weighed 4,000 pounds.

With a goal of inspiring people to pursue science, and been displayed. One of the biggest challenges in putting it all “This is a unique display,” Chiappe said. “There is no other explaining how dinosaur experts know what they know, the together, Pisano said, was editing the specimens to include place 8 in the world where you can see the growth, how it changStarts July s.com or the materials that best tell the story of what their world was exhibit includes video images of recent paleontological excaes, how proportions and skulls changed, how fast they grew.” nNew ow nt w Do at hand corner maillist per right screens vations.

There are also several that like and what happened to them.

Another new display, the Triceratops, lived around 66 mils/ offer infore uptouch th rm in /fo l m bo co m S s. sy E-NEW wntownnew Look for this w.lado mation dinosaurswwand the digs, as well as a wall of tools To give a glimpse of how they lived, many of the dinosaur lion years ago. Resembling a giant rhinoceros, the 25-foot long P the SIGN Uon used by scientists in the field to uncover fossils. specimens are displayed in lifelike poses. That includes the specimen was assembled from fossils discovered in four different expeditions in Montana and Wyoming from 2002-2006.

Another display is the Stegosaurus, an intimidating creature with armor-like plates on its back and large spikes on its tail. It lived about 150 million years ago and is mounted as if fighting with another predator, the Allosaurus, which Check Our Website for Full Movie Listings LADowntownNews.com resembles a small T. rex.

According to the museum, Allosaurus fossils with wounds from Stegosaurus spikes have been found. That makes this scene reminiscent of a clash that may have actually occurred.

For 5-year-old Francesca Matheny, the Allosaurus looked like something out of a fairy tale.

“It looks like a dragon,” she told her mother, Nicole Starts July 15 “It was just a big animal, like a big lizard,” Matheny Matheny. responded. ntownNews One of Chiappe’s goals with the exhibit is to help underow .D .A /L m o Facebook.c stand that these creatures were once as common as the animals that live today.

“Dinosaurs are ancient, and they do look a little like dragons, but on the other hand they were very much real and we want them to make that connection through the exhibit,” he said.

Like the dinosaurs, the permanent exhibit will evolve over time, depending on the next great discovery.

Check Our Website for Full Movie Listings LADowntownNews.com The Natural History Museum is at 900 Exposition Blvd., (213) 763-3466 or nhm.org. Open 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.

The exhibit also features fossils discovered by museum staffers over the past decade.

Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

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WHAT’S IN STORE

Buzz Beer, Wine and a Gaggle of Geeks

by Ryan VaillancouRt staff wRiteR

F

riends Scott Kamalski and David Bakhshi have been in the food and beverage business for more than two decades. But as Downtown residents for four and two years, respectively, they had a hard time finding a bottle of wine that fit their taste.

Thus, they opened their own shop. Buzz, at Fifth and Spring streets in the Rowan Lofts, is an oenophile’s playground, with walls covered in unique bottles from around the world. Beer drinkers with a taste for American and Belgian brews will also find themselves hoppily at home.

The new suds and grapes outpost opened at the end of June, and stays open late — ’til 2 a.m., seven days a week.

Come Correct: Kamalski enlisted wine expert Jamil Williams to curate the store’s more than 4,000 bottles, and it’s a very hands-on gig.

Williams, who buys from more than 30 distributors and brokers, tastes every day. So does the staff, down to the security guards. The resulting inventory isn’t heavy with recognizable labels. Buzz focuses on small producers — those creating less than 200 cases — and wines with unique flavor profiles.

“We’ll line up, say, a bunch of pinots,” Kamalski said. “We’ll choose the one that’s away from the pack.”

There’s not really a science to choosing the wines, but with Williams leading the show, everyone on staff pitches in. They’re

looking for a consensus, Kamalski said, on what tastes “correct.”

Geek Squad: The first thing you notice when entering Buzz is that the sales staff is clad in gray mechanics jumpsuits, with a “Buzz” logo sewn in in place of a name patch. Kamalski thinks of the floor walkers as “geeks” because they’re trained to know about every bottle in the house. Each bottle has a story — take the 2008 Alfaro syrah, a $20 offering made by a former artisan baker, a “hippie guy” in Corralitos, said Williams.

The geeks are expected to tell it.

Chateaux up the street: Don’t come in looking for labels from the best-known viticulture estates or regions, like, say, France’s Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Any bottle with that label drags along a hefty price tag. At Buzz, Williams would direct customers seeking that kind of wine to a $25 bottle of 2007 Cairanne, a Cotes du Rhone wine about 18 miles north of Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

“It’s the same region, same terroir, for half the price,” Williams said.

Most bottles in Buzz sell for $15-$30. That said, the store carries some pricey options. A closed-off, temperature controlled room features what they call “wine for the exhibitionist,” where selections start at $80.

“It’s for the suits and ties on the other side of town,” Kamalski said.

Beer Library: Behold the beer case. The 18-

photo by Gary Leonard

Buzz co-owner Scott Kamalski (right) and wine curator Jamil Williams in the recently opened space in the Rowan Lofts. Buzz stocks 4,000 bottles.

foot long cooler was custom made to fit 200 different bottles of beer, which are organized by style: domestic crafted, Belgian and unique international. The beers are chosen simply by what gets the top ratings on beeradvocate. com and ratebeer.com. That means brands like Delirium Tremens, Drakes Dennogizer and Old Speckled Hen.

Pop Up Video: Aside from all the wine and the empty barrels used as display podiums, the interior of the shop feels less like a Sonoma tasting room than a hip boutique or gallery. A projector is constantly showing video clips (there are 5,000 three-minute videos) and playing a montage of obscure rock.

Lower End: Along with the craft stuff, there’s a selection of domestic light beer, which is not-so-lovingly labeled as “piss.” Six-packs of Coors Light and other similar options are $6.75. A 12-pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon is $10.70. That’s 70 cents more than nearby Rite-Aid charges, but Kamalski is betting that after 11:30 p.m., PBR lovers will be willing to pay the de facto convenience fee.

Pedal Wagon: Those not willing to walk to the shop can indulge both their thirst and their sloth and get a delivery. Orders must be at least $25 and there’s a $2.95 charge.

Locker Room: Want to buy more than you can drink right away? Want to age that special occasion red? Buzz rents temperature controlled wine storage space. A 12-bottle locker goes for $240 a year. Space for 144 bottles will cost $1,176 per year.

The Art Program of the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA) developed these tours to introduce residents and visitors to their collection of public art created by a broad range of artists, in a variety of forms and neighborhood contexts.

The tours available include:

Financial District Historic Core Bunker Hill Little Tokyo

Nightcaps: Kamalski said that in the shop’s first two weeks, the cash register has seen a lot of late-night action. Perhaps that’s because the 2 a.m. closing time — seven days a week — corresponds with last call at all the local bars.

Location: Buzz is at 460 S. Spring St., (213) 922-2222 or buzzwinebeershop.com.

Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.

downtown

PUBLICART walkingtour PODCASTS

The Art Program is integral to CRA/LA’s mission to eliminate blight and to revitalize Los Angeles through focused redevelopment activities in designated project areas.

DOWNLOAD FREE AUDIO TOURS to your personal MP3 player and explore the public art of Los Angeles like never before.

Printable maps direct you to each stop as you listen to the artists’ stories.

For more information on the artwork shown here and to download the tours please visit crala.org/art

July 18, 2011

Downtown News 33

DowntownNews.com

LISTINGS EVENTS

Wednesday July 20 Lunchtime Concerts in Pershing Square 532 S. Olive St., (213) 847-4970 or laparks.org/ pershingsquare/ 12-1:30 p.m. Hit the park in the heart of Downtown for Wednesday lunchtime concerts, with a variety of jazz, country, pop and rock. Bring your lunch or purchase food from the vendors at the weekly farmers market.

Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus Staples Center 1201 S. Figueroa St., staplescenter.com.

7:30 p.m.: “The Greatest Show on Earth” is back with its newest production, “Fully Charged.” Get ready for lions, tigers and clowns, oh my. It continues through July 24.

Comedy Variety Show Harlem Place Café 124 W. Fourth St., (213) 617-7006 or facebook.com/itdidntwork July 20, 8-9:30 p.m.: “If This Doesn’t Work I’m Moving Home” is a free comedy night. Produced by comedians Anthony DeVries and Thom Vacca.

Continued on next page

O

n Saturday, July 23, the Arts District celebrates the life of late storeowner and community leader Joel Bloom. The annual Bloomfest Music, Street Art and Food Festival takes place in the heart of the district at Third Street and Traction Avenue (Joel Bloom Square) from 2-10 p.m. Indie rockers Grouplove (shown here) will be making one of only two American appearances to cap off the show, which includes DJ sets from KSCR, Eastern Conference Champions and Voxhaul Broadcast. Art admirers can check out the neighborhood’s iconic street art through free guided tours presented by L.A. Freewalls or the impressive installation Street Brewed: An Exhibition of Contemporary Street Art at the Angel City Brewery beer garden. It’s a way to mark the past and the future of the vibrant community. At Third and Traction, (213) 446-3467 or bloomfestla.com.

A

standard of delis and dives, the American dill pickle serves as a cultural emissary to the historic Jewish community in Boyle Heights. Why mention this? Well, on Friday, July 22, Rabbi Shmuel Marcus and the Traveling Pickle Factory visit Grand Performances. This event covers the history of the pickle and the process by which a harmless, subtle cucumber becomes a kosher burger accouterment. The Do-It-Yourself pickle kits are already reserved, so bring your own pickle. The pickling commences at 8 p.m. sharp. At 350 S. Grand Ave., (213) 687-2159 or grandperformances.org.

I

photo by Gary Leonard

THREE

s Walt Disney Concert Hall funky? It will be on Friday, July 22, when the Music Center’s Active Arts initiative stages its latest Friday Night SingAlong in the outdoor Keck Ampitheater. From 6:30-8 p.m. this unique urban hootenanny will be all about ’70s funk. Song titles weren’t released by press time, but if it’s your thing or you get super freaky, come bust out of your brick house. Admission is free, but tickets are required; they’ll be distributed starting 30 minutes before the event. At 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 9723660 or musiccenter.org. photo by Pamela Littky

Thursday, July 21 Aloud at Central Library 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7025 or aloudla.org.

7 p.m.: Kevin Roderick, editor and founder of the blog LAObserved.com, talks to cultural historian Leo Braudy about the Hollywood sign; how it got there, why it stayed, and what it means today.

Street Art Tour with Chaz Bojorquez MOCA Geffen Contemporary, 152 N. Central Ave., moca.org.

July 21, 6:30 p.m.: L.A. graffiti artist Chaz Bojorquez leads an exhibition walkthrough and a discussion of his work in the context of Art in the Streets.

Zen Meditation Zenshuji Temple 123 S. Hewitt St., (213) 617-0100 or zenshuji.org.

7:30-8:45 p.m.: From July 21-Aug. 24, the temple hosts Intro to Zen meditation classes, which include discussions of how to practice Zen in daily life — while at work and at leisure. Cost: $70 for the series ($35 for temple members). Ommm.

Grand Performances California Plaza, 350 S. Grand Ave., visit grandperformances.org.

July 21, 8 p.m.: Take a peek at a slice of the Boyle Heights Jewish community’s traditions through the beloved kosher pickle. Reservations are required for this workshop, where you’ll learn the history of the American kosher dill, how to make your own, and what makes a pickle kosher.

Friday, July 22 Friday Night Sing Along Keck Amphitheatre at Walt Disney Concert Hall 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 972-3660 or musiccenter.org

ONE

photo by Heinz Kluetmeier

re you down with the clowns? If so, wander over to Staples Center this week as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus unveils its new touring extravaganza. “Fully Charged,” with 11 performances July 20-24, blends circus standards like acrobats, animals and, of course, clowns in a vibrant, electricity-themed show.

The combination of acts can best be described as classic circus meets disco steampunk. Arrive 90 minutes before show time and enjoy the Animal Open House. There’s also the All Access Power Up Pre-Show Party, where you can take a step into the three rings and learn about circus skills from actual Ringling performers for an hour preceding the show. Both events are free with any ticket. At 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7340 or ringling.com.

FOUR

Tuesday, July 19 Aloud at Central Library 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7025 or aloudla.org.

7 p.m.: When a massive wildfire blazed across California in June 2008, five monks risked their lives to save the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. Fire historian Stephen Pyne and author Colleen Morton Busch discuss the ways of wildfires in the West and what it means to meet a crisis with full presence of mind.

A

by Dan Johnson, listings eDitor calendar@downtownnews.com

TWO

Monday, July 18 Beat School at Downtown Independent 251 S. Main St or downtownindependent.com.

July 18, 7 p.m.: For all you beat junkies out there: Production 101, a free music production class taught

by Ableton certified instructor Thavius Beck, features a performance by Subtitle and a guest lecture

by Daedelus. You’re down, right?

Nature Camp at the Natural History Museum 900 Exposition Blvd., (213) 763-DINO or nhm.org.

July 18-Aug. 12: Adventures in Nature is a day camp for children in grades K through six. Participants explore a variety of museum topics, covering Earth’s features, creatures and cultures. Call (213) 763-ED4U or e-mail educate@nhm.org.

Clown Love, In a Pickle and Street Partying in the Arts District

photo by Ed Fuentes

SPONSORED LISTINGS Friday Night Flicks Pershing Square, 532 S. Olive St., laparks.org/ pershingsquare Friday nights: Every Friday night from July 15 through October 28, Pershing Square will present a variety of movies. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets to place on the lawn. Picnic baskets and snacks are welcome.

No alcohol allowed. Film begins sometime after 8 p.m. when the sun is down over the venue. On July 22, the film is Young Sherlock Holmes.

I

f you’re yearning for a midsummer night beneath the stars back in some pleasant Midwestern field, check out Owl City on Thursday, July 21. The bucolic synth pop artist Adam Younge’s performance at L.A. Live will be your only opportunity to see 10 million fireflies in the City of Angels, even if metaphorically. In support of his new album All Things Bright and Beautiful, the critically praised crooner from Owatonna, Minn., will be filling Club Nokia with infectious melodies and feel good summer foot stompers. Get a preview when Owl City appears on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” June 20. At 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-7000 or owlcitymusic.com.

FIVE

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

34 Downtown News

July 18, 2011

Twitter/DowntownNews Sunday, July 24 L.A. Conservancy Tours of the Biltmore Hotel 506 S. Grand Ave., (213) 623-2489 or laconservancy. org/tours 2-4 p.m. The L.A. Conservancy offers a walking tour of the Biltmore Hotel, exploring the architecture and rich history of the hotel known in its early days as “The Host of the Coast.” Tours are $5 for Conservatory members and children 12 and under; $10 for the general public. No strollers or pets.

Through July 21: Harry Potter and the Deathly July 22 (Partial List): Captain America: The First Hallows Part 2 (10:30 a.m. and 1:30, 4:30, 7:30 and Avenger 3D (1:10pm, 4:10pm, 7:10pm, 10:20pm) 10:30 p.m.); Zookeeper (11:30 a.m. and 2, 4:30, 7 and 9:30 p.m.); Transformers: Dark of the Moon (11:30 a.m. and 2:45, 6 and 9:15 p.m.).

Continued from previous page July 22 (Partial List): Captain America: The First Blue Whale 6:30-9 p.m. It’s the moment you’ve been waiting 123 Astronaut E.S. Onizuka St. Suite 301, (213) 620Avenger (Midnight) for. Friday Night Sing Alongs gets funky. Join hun0908 or bluewhatlemusic.com IMAX Theater dreds of voices belting out popular funk favorites, July 19, 8 p.m.: A jazz jam session hosted by the California Science Center, 700 State Drive, (213) 744accompanied by live musicians. Free.

Kevin Kanner quintet.

2019 or californiasciencecenter.org.

Through September 5: A sweeping portrait of the Cicada Saturday, July 23 history, culture and religion of the Arabian Penin- Cicada Restaurant, 617 S. Olive St., (213) 488-9488 or Bloomfest sula, Arabia 3D is a mix of contemporary scenes of cicadaclub.com.

Devil’s Night Drive In Bloom Square, 300 E. Third St., bloomfestla.com.

Sundays, 6-11 p.m.: The restaurant is transformed modern-day Arabian life, epic historical recreations 2-10 p.m.: Live music, food and one of the 240 W. Fourth St., (310) 584-1086 or devilsnight.com. of ancient civilizations and stunning digital visual into a vintage, old Hollywood-style dance club every July 23: The people have spoken…Grandma’s effects, shot at more than twenty locations across Sunday. Come out to appreciate the big band, swank largest public displays of street art in Los Angeles.

Grouplove, Voxhaul Broadcast, Eastern Conference Boy won the people’s choice vote. Gates at 7:30 Saudi Arabia. Born to be Wild 3D is an inspiring costumes, dinner and cocktails.

Champions, Chicano Batman and more provide the p.m., show at 9 p.m. story of love, dedication and the remarkable bond Club Nokia live tunes, and KCRW DJs Anthony Valadez, Raul Flagship Theatres University Village between humans and animals. This film documents Corner of Olympic Blvd. and Figueroa St., 3323 S. Hoover St., (213) 748-6321 or Campos and Marlo Cotto spin. Dogs welcome. orphaned orangutans and elephants and the people clubnokia.com. flagshipmovies.com.

July 21, 7 p.m.: Owl City hoots into town with who rescue and raise them.

Matt Kearney and Breanne Duren.

Outdoor Cinema Food Fest July 24, 7 p.m.: The B’z are Tak Matsumoto and Exposition Park, 700 Exposition Park Dr., Koshi Inaba, on guitar and vocals. No other instruoutdoorcinemafoodfest.com.

Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris July MANAGEr: 23: Gourmet trucks including Lee’s ments needed.

GENErAl Dawnfood Eastin Philly, Fresh Fries, Papas Tapas, Border Grill and Conga Room ExEcutivE Jon Regardie LakestreetEditor: Creamery; live music from Kevin Martin; 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 749-0445 or Los Angeles Downtown News citY Editor: Richard Guzmán and Reservoir Dogs. Bring your own blood for this congaroom.com 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 stAFF writEr: Ryan Vaillancourt July 18, 8 p.m.: The Foxxhole live, hosted by Mark one. Event starts at 5:30 p.m., film at 8:30 p.m. coNtributiNG Editors: Kathryn Maese phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 Los Angeles Downtown News Regal Cinema L.A. Live coNtributiNG writErs: Jay Berman, Jim Farber, Jeff Favre, Curry, has live stand-up comedy and R&B music. web: DowntownNews.com • email: realpeople@downtownnews.com 1264 Street, Los Angeles, CAsalsa 90026 23,W.9First p.m.: Tropicali features lessons, 1000 Friedrich, W. Olympic Blvd.,Leff, (877) or lalive.com.

Kristin Howard Rod835-5734 Riggs, Marc Porter Zasada July facebook: twitter: • fax:Vive 213-250-4617 and live213-481-1448 band; at 11 p.m., features Spanish Through July 21: Harry Potter and the Deathly DJs phone: Art dirEctor: Brian Allison L.A. Downtown News DowntownNews DowntownNews.com DJs and a live band.

Hallows: Part 2 (11 and 11:40 a.m. and 12:10, 2, 2:50, pop,web: AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa email: realpeople@downtownnews.com Grand Performances 3:20, 5:10, 6:10, 6:40, 8:30, 9:30 and 10 p.m.); Harry ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins S. Grand Ave., Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2: 3D (12:40, California Plaza, 350 Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris facebook: PhotoGrAPhEr: 1:10, 3:50, 4:20,Gary 7:10,Leonard 7:40, 10:30 and 11 p.m.), Winnie grandperformances.org.

GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin L.A. Downtown News July 22, noon: Ethiopian-born, San Francisco-based the Pooh (11 a.m. Schmidt and 1, 3, 5 and 7 p.m.); Horrible AccouNtiNG: Ashley ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie a soulful singer-songwriter delving Bosses (11:10 a.m. and 1:40, 3:10, 4:20, 7:10, 8, 9:40 Meklit Hadero is twitter: citY Editor: Richard Guzmán AdvErtisiNG dirEctor: Steve Nakutin art-rock and folk traditions and 10:40 p.m.); Zookeeper (11:20 a.m. and 2, 4:30, into jazz, soul, hip-hop, DowntownNews stAFF writEr: Ryan Vaillancourt clAssiFiEd MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway 7 and 9:30AdvErtisiNG p.m.); Transformers: Dark of the Moon from the Americas and her East African homeland. coNtributiNG Editors: Kathryn Maese AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Iedia Hess, Catherine Holloway, July 8 p.m.:Downtown Get ready swivel the pelvis.

(12:20,Stevens 3:50, 7:20, 9 and 10:50 p.m.); Transformers: The 22, Los Angeles News to is the must-read Brenda coNtributiNG writErs: Jay Berman, Jim Farber, Jeff Favre, newspaper for opens Downtown Los Angeles and is disFania Records its vaults to New York DJ Dark of the Moon 3D (11:30 a.m. and 3, 6:30 and 10 Kristin Friedrich, Howard Leff, Rod Riggs, Marc Porter Zasada tributed every Monday throughout the offices and circulAtioN: Norma Rodas “Joe”of Downtown ClaussellLos and his six-piece band, givp.m.); Bad Teacher (11:30 a.m. and 2:10, 4:30, 6:50 Joaquin residences Angeles. distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles Art dirEctor: Brian Allison and 9:20 p.m.); A Better Life (12:40 and 5:40 p.m.); ing them leeway to remix and create a new vibe for distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla One copy per person.

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Los Angeles Downtown News 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 phone: 213-481-1448 fax: 213-250-4617 web: DowntownNews.com email: realpeople@downtownnews.com

facebook: L.A. Downtown News

twitter: DowntownNews

ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie citY Editor: Richard Guzmán stAFF writEr: Ryan Vaillancourt coNtributiNG Editors: Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Jay Berman, Jim Farber, Jeff Favre, Kristin Friedrich, Howard Leff, Rod Riggs, Marc Porter Zasada Art dirEctor: Brian Allison AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard

• 750 W. 7th Street, Space 126 (Inside the Macy’s Plaza) • 213-489-5785

AccouNtiNG: Ashley Schmidt AdvErtisiNG dirEctor: Steve Nakutin clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Iedia Hess, Catherine Holloway, Brenda Stevens 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.

One copy per person.

July 18, 2011

Downtown News 35

DowntownNews.com

Cruz. Later, Palenke Soultribe shares the stage with a mix of electronica, pop, rock and Colombian folk sounds, all driven by turntables and looped laptop grooves.

July 23, 8 p.m.: The Pan Afrikan People’s Arkestra and Build an Ark join for a celebration of experimental jazz and soul-stirring astral vibes.

Pershing Square Summer Concerts 532 S. Olive St., (213) 485-1645 or laparks.org/pershingsquare. All concerts at 8 p.m.

July 21: Spaceland presents Infantree with Son Ark July 23: The Romantics tell you what they like about you. Red leather suits and skinny ties encourages.

The Redwood Bar and Grill 316 W. Second St., (213) 680-2600 or theredwoodbar.com July 18: Frank Fairfield, roots master, banjo dominator and all around Americana incarnate.

July 19: The Mormons, a punk band styling themselves after your favorite LDS missionaries, tear up the joint with support from the Grease Patrol.

July 20: Eddie Nichols.

July 21: Star and Micey, Sofa City Sweetheart and Darby Tweed.

July 22: Vonveederveld plays psychedelic rock from the Black Hills.

July 24: Iconic punkers Sin 34.

Seven Grand 515 W. Seventh St., sevengrand.la.

Tuesdays: House band The Makers.

Summer on the Plaza Earnst & Young Plaza, 735 S. Figueroa St., artsbrookfieldproperties.com.

July 22, 5:30-8:30 p.m.: Smooth jazz saxman Mike Phillips.

Walt Disney Concert Hall 111 S. Grand Ave., visit musiccenter.org.

July 24, 2 p.m.: Victor Vener and the Cal Phil bring in pianist Bryan Pezzonne for a night of classics from Bolero to Black Swan to Grease.

The Varnish 118 E. Sixth St., (213) 622-9999 or thevarnishbar.com.

Mondays, 9 p.m.: Jamie Elman tinkles the house ivories.

Tuesdays, 8 p.m.: Jazzman pianist Mark Bosserman entertains.

Les Miserables Ahmanson Theatre 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or centertheatregroup.org.

July 19-22, 8 p.m.; July 23, 2 and 8 p.m.; July 24, 1 and 6:30 p.m.: If you’ve dreamed a dream, you can dig Boublil & Schönberg’s classic Les Miserables. Based on Victor Hugo’s classic novel, it’s an epic and uplifting story about the survival of the human spirit. Through July 31.

Magic Strings The Bob Baker Marionette Theater, 1345 W. First St., (213) 250-9995 or bobbakermarionettes.com.

Open-ended run: In “Magic Strings” more than 100 of Bob Baker’s fantastical marionettes appear in an hour-long variety revue. After the performance, guests are invited to have refreshments in the Party Room.

LoveSick L.A. Fringe Theatre, 929 Second St., Studio 105, (213) 680-0392 or loftensemble.com.

Through July 24: In Loft Ensemble co-founder Larissa Wise’s “LoveSick,” Benjamin, an unusual young man obsessed with death, falls in love with Sophia, a colorful young woman brimming with life. Against his better judgment, Benjamin finds himself becoming more and more enchanted with Sophia’s contrasting world.

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

2 yOuR EvENT INfO

EASy WAyS TO SuBMIT

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

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.

THEATER, OPERA & DANCE Anton’s Uncles Bootleg Theater, 2220 Beverly Blvd., (213) 389-3856 or bootlegtheater.com.

July 24, 7 p.m.: An adaptation of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, this new work is a deconstruction of the original where only the men remain from the cast of nine characters.

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Downtown News 37

DowntownNews.com

CLASSIFIED

place your ad online at www.ladowntownnews.com

FOR RENT

L.A. Downtown News Classifieds Call: 213-481-1448 Classified Display & Line ad Deadlines: Thursday 12 pm REAL ESTATE RESIDENTIAL

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All submissions are subject to federal and California fair housing laws, which make it illegal to indicate in any advertisement any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, source of income or physical or mental disability.

We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

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SERVICES Business Services ADVERTISE A display Business Card sized ad in 140 California newspapers for one low cost of $1,550. Your display 3.75x2” ad reaches over 3 million+ Californians. Free brochure call Maria Rodrigues (916)288-6010. (CalSCAN)

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(Cal-SCAN) Continued on next page

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DowntownNews.com

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Elegant World Class Resort Apartment Homes

Piero 616 ST. PAUL AVE.

877-235-6012

WWW.THEPIERO.COM

Visconti 1221 WEST THIRD ST.

866-690-2888

WWW.THEVISCONTI.COM

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

Version 1

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

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38 Downtown News

July 18, 2011

Twitter/DowntownNews Continued from previous page

Do you have something to sell?

(Marketplace and Automotive Categories ONLY)

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

TT

CONVERT-

DRIVER - DRIVE Knight in 2011.

Daily or Weekly Pay. Top Equipment, 27 Service Centers, Van and Refrigerated. CDL-A with 3 months OTR experience. 1-800414-9569. www.DriveKnight. com. (Cal-SCAN)

Call 888-583-0981

________________________________________________ 2008 MERCEDES C300 Cer-

Ad Prices • Items under $300 • Items $301 to $500 • Items $501 to $1200 • Items $1201 to $2000 • Items $2001+…

2008 AUDI

IBLE Certified, 2.0L Turbo, BUSINESS Auto, blue/blk, only 47k Miles OPPORTUNITY ZA9984/810277729 $26,989 Ad Copy: _________________________________________ Drivers

FREE! $11.50 $14.00 $16.50 $19.00

12 words, 2 weeks 15 words 15 words 15 words 15 words

All ads run for 2 weeks.

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

With a circulation of State

Zip Credit Card $

Check $

47,000,

our classifieds get results!

Business OppOrtunities

THINK CHRISTMAS - Start Now! Own a Red Hot - Dollar, Dollar Plus, Mailbox or Discount Party Store from $51,900 worldwide! 100% Turnkey. 1-800518-3064. www.DRSS25.com.

(Cal-SCAN)

tified, 3.0L, 4Matic V6, Steel Grey/Blk, 20K Miles #5330C// F127369 $28991 Call 888-3198762.

________________________________________________

DRIVER - START a New Ca________________________________________________ 2008 PORSCHE reer! 100% Paid CDL Training. No Experience Required.

Recent Grads or Experienced Drivers: Sign On Bonus! CRST VAN EXPEDITED. 1-800-3262778. www.JoinCRST.com.

(Cal-SCAN)

CAYENNE Certified White/Beige Navigation, Moonroof, Heated Seats, only 24k miles ZP1381/LA28193 $38,898. Call 888-685-5426.

________________________________________________ AUTOS

2008 VOLKSWAGEN ________________________________________________ pre-OWneD TEAM / SOLO Drivers – Dedi-

RABBIT Certified, 2.5L I5 20V MPFI DOHC, 5-SPD, Silver/Blk, only 31k Miles ZV1283/8W144298 $14,994 Call 888-781-8102.

________________________________________________ cated – Western states! Base Pay Increase. New Equipment!

Immediate Sign-On Bonus.

Great Home Time. CDL-A, 1-Year OTR. HazMat Required.

1-888-905-9879. www.AndrusTrans.com. (Cal-SCAN)

DOWntOWn l.a. autO GrOup

Porsche 2010 CHEVY HHR ________________________________________________ Volkswagen audi Mercedes-Benz nissan cheVrolet cadillac

LT 2.2.L I-4 CYL, ABS, CD 22mpg, low miles 33k #UC829R/S528092 $15,995 Call 888-879-9608.

________________________________________________

Restrictions: Offer good on private party ads only. Ads must be pre-paid by cash, check or credit card. Certain classifications excluded. Deadline: Thursday at noon for next issue.

Ad Copy: _________________________________________

________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________

sales GUYS & GALS 18+. Travel the country while selling our Orange peel product. Training, Hotel & Transportation provided. Daily cash draws. Apply today leave tomorrow.

1-888-872-7577.

(Cal-SCAN)

2006 NISSAN XTERRA S Carfax, 1 Owner, RWD, 37k Miles, 6-cyl N110810-1/6C548329 $16,499 call 888-838-5089 2007 NISSAN ALTIMA 4-CYL, HYBRID, 2.5L, AUTO, ABS 42mpg N111152-1/7C156100 $12,999 call 888-838-5089

________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________

Certain classifications excluded.

Deadline: at by noon issue.

Restrictions: Offer good on private party ads only. AdsThursday must be pre-paid cash, for checknext or credit card. Certain classifications excluded. Deadline: Thursday at noon for next issue.

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

autOs WanteD DONATE YOUR Vehicle! Receive Free Vacation Voucher.

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

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

Cal Best Realty

Emi Terauchi Realtor / Notary • Lic.No.00810238

English/Japanes/Chinese speaking emiterauchi@yahoo.com • (626) 786-9086

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

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

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

(2 blocks west of San Pedro St.) Starting Jan. 1, 2011

July 18, 2011

Downtown News 39

DowntownNews.com

DONATE YOUR Car, truck or boat to Heritage for the Blind.

Free 3 Day Vacation, Tax Deductible, Free Towing, All Paperwork Taken Care Of. 888-9026851. (Cal-SCAN) 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)

ITEMS FOR SALE AppliAnces 3 KEURIG coffee machines: 1 Platinum, 2 Special Editions.

Call for prices 323-256-1661.

Books 23 BOOKS by Clive Cussler. $60. Mid Wilshire 323-229-1956 clothing/Jewelry WOMEN’S SAMPLE SALE!!

JULY 23-24 and JULY 30-31.

8am-5pm. 814 S Spring St. Unit#1 European, Australian, and US made womens clothing and accessories. GREAT PRICES! CASH AND CARRY ONLY. (213)362-1123 Misc. iteMs OMAHA STEAKS - Everyday 2011. 100% Guaranteed Omaha Steaks - Save 64% on the Family Value Collection. Now Only $49.99 Plus 3 Free Gifts & right-to-the-door delivery in a reusable cooler, Order Today.

1-888-461-3486 and mention code 45069KZH or www.OmahaSteaks.com/value38.

(CalSCAN) tV/electronics/coMputers Netflix lovers: Watch 100,00 Movies & Shows Instantly on Your TV. Learn more at youstream.tv 818-406-3828

ANNOUNCEMENTS Auction ADVERTISE YOUR Auction in 240 California newspapers for one low cost of $550. Your 25 word classified ad reaches over 6 million+ Californians. Free brochure call Maria Rodrigues (916)288-6010. (Cal-SCAN) notices CASH BUYER, 1970 and Before Comic Books, Toys, Sports, entire collections wanted. I travel to you and buy everything you have. Call Brian at 1-800-6173551. (Cal-SCAN) SUPER HERO Deal Maker. Pre1975 ONLY! Wanted: Comic Books, Monster Mag, Original Art, Bubble Gum Cards, Toys, Aurora Model Kits,1960’s TShirts-Posters. The Bigger the Collection the Better! In Town for Comic-con. Please call Mike - Tell me what you have! 1-800723-5572. (Cal-SCAN) VONAGE UNLIMITED Calls in U.S. & 60 Countries! No annual contract! $14.99 For 3 Months!

Then Only $25.99/mo. Plus Free Activation. Call 888-860-6724.

(Cal-SCAN) 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.

CASE NO. BS132828 Petitioner (name of each): GRACEY DALIA GOMEZ,by her mother MARIA GOMEZ, 1710 1/2 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, LOS ANGELES CA 90033, filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: GRACEY DALIA GOMEZ Proposed name: GRACEY DALIA GUTIERREZ THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes

the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING Date: 9/16/2011 Time: 9:00am Dept.: 1A Room: 548 The address of the court is STANLEY MOSK COURTHOUSE, 111 N Hill Street, Los Angeles CA 90012 Date Filed: 7/07/2011 Hon. Matthew C. St. George, Commissioner Judge of the Superior Court Pub. 7/11, 7/18, 7/25, 8/01/11

Furnished single unit with kitchenette, bathroom.

Excellent location.

Downtown LA. Weekly rate $275 inc.

Monthly from $550 utilities paid.

(213) 612-0348

PrEmiErE TOWErS

7000 sqft. Basement Space ✦ set up for Gallery/Office space

$12,595 $16,995 2.2L I-4 cyl, ABS, CD, 22mpg,only 29k miles, red/grey. UC843R/S529063 2010 Chevy Malibu LT ..................................................... $17,995 Free Carfax, 2.4L, 4dr Sedan, Silver, CD/MP3, 33MPG Hwy, 30k Miles. UC779/F227717

Beautiful

2011 Chevy HHR LT ..........................................................

EstD 1912

NISSAN OF DOWNTOWN L.A.

Historic beauty.

Modern refinement.

Eclectic elegance.

2005 NISSAN ALTIMA 3.5SE N110906-1 / C320516 $1,400’s/Mo.

ROOFTOP GARDEN RETREAT WITH BBQ AND LOUNGE GRAND LOBBY • FITNESS CENTER • SPA MODERN KITCHEN w/CAESAR COUNTERTOPS HIGH SPEED INTERNET DESIGNER LIVING SPACES • PET FRIENDLY • DRAMATIC VIEWS WALKING DISTANCE TO RALPHS SUPERMARKET

TO LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE

$15,999 2007 Nissan Titan Crew Cab XE ..................................... $16,999 5.6L 32 Valve V8, auto, 2WD, CD, Silver/Tan. N110619-1 / N237076 2007 Nissan Maxima 3.5SL ............................................. $20,499 Certified, V6 3.5L Auto ABS, A/C, only 27k miles. N111041-1/7C823560 VOLKSWAGEN OF DOWNTOWN L.A.

2004 VW TOUAREG 4X4 V11040D1 / D034735 756 S. Broadway, Los Angeles 213-892-9100 | chapmanf lats.com

is your teen experiencing:

$15,829 2009 VW Jetta Sportwagen ........................................... $19,988 2.5L 20V MPFI DOHC, 10 Spkr. CD, ABS, white/black. ZV1348 / 9M252293 2008 VW R32 Hatchback ................................................ $25,480 Certified, 3.2L 24V 6cyl, Leather, Moonroof, CD, Alloys, Blue/Blk. ZV1312 / 4D034735

2008 AUDI TT CONVERTIBLE

Certified, 4-Cyl Turbo 2.0L, Auto, Blue/Blk only 47k miles

$28,989 $32,995 Certified, Navigation, V6 3.2 Liter, only 16k miles. ZA10005/8N136600 2008 Q7 Quattro Premium SUV .................................... $40,839 Certified, Navigation, V6 3.6 Liter, Blk/Blk, only 30k miles. ZA10004/ D051016 Certified, 4-Cyl Turbo 2.0L, Blk, only 28k miles. A11744-1/9NK017220

(323) 662-9797

2008 AUDI A6 Sedan .......................................................

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

DOWNTOWN L.A. MOTORS MERCEDES BENZ

Children’s Performing Group

2007 MERCEDES E350 SEDAN

Sunshine Generation

5382C / B104255

Singing, dancing, performing and fun!

For boys & girls ages 3 and up!

$28,991 888-319-8762

Certified, Sport Pkg, Navigation, 3.5L V6, Only 40k miles, moonroof, Pewter

2009 Mercedes C300 Sedan ...........................................

$28,991 2007 Mercedes CLK350 Coupe ...................................... $31,991 Certified, Silver/Black, 3.5L 268hp, Sport Package, Navigation. 5160/ F223491 2008 Mercedes S550 AMG .............................................. $54,991 Certified, AMG Package, 5.5L V8, Navigation, 19” AMG Wheels. 5066C / A156099 Certified, Sport Pkg, Palladium Silver, Only 36k miles, Moonroof.111475-1 / R054493

SunshineGenerationLA.com • 909-861-4433

PORSCHE OF DOWNTOWN L.A.

2008 PORSCHE CAYENNE GTS ZP1366/LA72369

wN

$26,989 888-583-0981

2009 AUDI A4 Quattro Sedan ........................................

call Marney stofflet, lcsw

Nto

3.2L 24Valve V6, MPFI, DOHC, auto, red, CD, ABS

Certified, 29 MPG Highway, 8 speaker CD, Black/Gray. ZV1292 / 8W224792

ZA9984/ 81027729

Adolescent support group now forming Ages 13-17 low fee

$14,698 888-781-8102

2008 VW Rabbit Hatchback ...........................................

AUDI OF DOWNTOWN L.A.

• School problems?

• Conflict at home or with friends?

dow

Only 52k miles, auto, CD, 4 wheel ABS, Alloys, Black / Tan

Carfax 1 Owner, Silver, RWD, 37k miles, 4.0 6 Cyl. N110810-1/6C548329

now leAsing

213.627.6913 | cityloftsquare.com

THE ANSWER

$13,999 888-838-5089

2006 Nissan Xterra S ........................................................

CAll FoR PRiCE

• w/Gallery Lights • Wide Private (Spring St.) Entrance • Ideal for Art Gallery, SPA, Office Space • Wired for internet service/telephone outlets • Prime Location in Downtown (Gallery row, residential area, wine bar, café, market)

Free Carfax, 4.8L, V8, 1500, Auto, 2dr Reg Cab, White, CD 61k Miles.

Air, power, CD Grey/Grey only 36k miles, 37 mpg highway. UC826R/7282456

Pricing subject to change without notice.

Monthly from $595 utilities paid.

(213) 627-1151

$13,995 888-879-9608

2009 Chevy Cobalt ...........................................................

nAMe chAnge

Fully furnished with TV, telephone, microwave, refrigerator.

Full bathroom.

Excellent location.

Downtown LA. Weekly maid service.

2008 CHEVY SILVERADO UC810//Z231779

LEGAL

Change of name SUPeRIoR CoURT of CaLIfoRnIa, CoUnTY of LoS angeLeS STanLeY moSK CoURThoUSe

FELIX CHEVROLET

$59,988 888-685-5426

Certified, Blk/Blk, Navigation, 4,8L V8, 32V, 385hp, Bose, only 24k miles

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

New

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$38,898 Certified, 2.7L V6 Meteor Gray/Black, Alloys, Rear Spoiler, 25K Miles. #ZP1347/8U711448 $39,785 2009 Porsche Cayman ..................................................... $47,898 Certified, Blk/Blk, Bose, 18” alloys, 11kmiles, 6Cyl., 27 mpg hwy. ZP1322-1 / 9U760975 Certified White/Beige Navigation, Moonroof, Heated Seats, only 24k miles ZP1381/LA28193

2008 Porsche Boxster Convertible ...............................

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

40 Downtown News

July 18, 2011

Twitter/DowntownNews

We Got Games Dodgers Follow the All-Star Break, Sparks Get a New Coach Los Angeles Dodgers Dodger Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park Ave., (213) 224-1400 or dodgers.mlb.com.

July 22-23, 7:10 p.m.; July 24, 1:10 p.m.: Not only was the All-Star break a needed respite for a tired, banged-up Dodgers roster, it gave Blue Crew loyalists a rare reason to celebrate. All three Dodger All-Stars — Clayton Kershaw, Andrew Ethier and Matt Kemp — made contributions to the National League’s easy victory over the A.L. Kershaw, who retired the side in order in his one inning of action, was especially sharp. Too bad the trio does not appear destined to take advantage of the N.L.’s prize, home field advantage in the World Series. The Dodgers and manager Don Mattingly look to begin what would be a miracle second-half run to the postseason with a three-game set in San Francisco (July 18-20). Then it’s back home to host the Washington Nationals.

Los Angeles Sparks Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 929-1300 or wnba.com/sparks.

July 18, 7:30 p.m.: Were the L.A. ladies of pro basketball sparked by some Kobe power? Not quite, but the city’s most famous sports surname is now a Spark, again. Kobe Bryant’s father, Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, has taken over as coach, replacing Jennifer Gillom, and in his first game the Sparks secured their first road victory of the season. Behind a season high 18 points from sharpshooting veteran Tina Penicheiro, the Sparks bested the San Antonio Silver Stars, who come looking for revenge at Staples Center this week. They’ll have to play much better than last week to beat the Sparks, who despite their recent travails and the loss of Candace Parker are undefeated so far at home.

—Ryan Vaillancourt

photo by Gary Leonard

Don Mattingly will try to keep the Dodgers out of the cellar of the National League West. He’ll have a tough time.

Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore!

Grand Tower 255 south Grand avenue Leasing Information 213 229 9777

Promenade Towers 123 south Figueroa street Leasing Information 213 617 3777

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

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

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

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

Now For Call n Specials Move-I

8 7 7 - 2 65 - 714 6

museum Tower 225 south olive street Leasing Information 213 626 1500

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

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

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

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

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

TOWERS T H E

A PA RT M E N T S

www.TowersApartmentsLA.com

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