09-10-12 by Los Angeles Downtown News

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A new statue, a Skid Row judicial loss, and other happenings Around Town.

Editorial: An important moment for affordable housing in Downtown L.A.

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

September 10, 2012

Volume 41, Number 37

The Next Downtown Apartment Boom

INSIDE

courtesy Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council

rendering courtesy of Wood Partners

rendering by Arquitectonica

Urban Scrawl on Zev’s decision.

rendering courtesy of Onni

Tight Market Leads to a Wave of Activity, With at Least 10 Buildings and Nearly 2,400 Units Slated to Start Construction by Next Year

City Council punch lines.

Reflections of a DLANC president.

Occupancy rates of 98% in some large Downtown housing complexes are triggering a wave of new rental projects. Buildings slated to break ground by next year include (l to r) Related Cos.’ $100 million Grand Avenue apartment tower; a 32-story building at Eighth and Olive streets from Canada’s Onni Group; Wood Partners’ 22-story project at Eighth and Hope streets; and Hanover Group’s 281-apartment complex at Olympic Boulevard and Hill Street. by Ryan VaillancouRt staff wRiteR

Celebrate the High Holy Days.

Comics and zombies in Downtown.

istoric Core apartment king Barry Shy has been sitting on big plans for a new tower at Sixth and Main streets ever since he bought the site for $30 million in 2006. Now, he’s eyeing an April groundbreaking on a 40-story, 350-unit complex dubbed SB Omega. Shy’s plan calls for 35 levels of apartments above a five-story, 1,200-space parking facility. The structure would stand more than twice as tall as most Historic Core buildings.

“The rental market, it’s amazing,” said Shy, who already owns some 1,200 apartments in five Downtown buildings. “I have no vacancy and the rent keeps going up.” Shy said the SB Omega plans meet the site’s landuse allowances and will not require special city approvals. But zoning records for the property at 601 S. Main St. indicate that the plan may actually require special signoffs, or only allow a smaller building. Either way, Shy is convinced that now is the time to start the process. In that regard, he is far from alone. A chorus

Family Looks to Upgrade Four Broadway Theaters Delijanis Unveil Proposal to Activate Historic Venues With Concerts and Other Activity

Checking out L.A.’s literary center.

30 CALENDAR LISTINGS 32 MAP 33 CLASSIFIEDS

by RichaRd Guzmán city editoR

or years, the status of four Broadway theaters owned by the Delijani family has been one of the biggest trouble points for the revitalization of Broadway. Although many have envisioned a revived Palace, State, Los Angeles and Tower theaters functioning as mini-epicenters of nightlife, the family has been slow to act, worried about the cost, loading issues and a perceived lack of parking. Now, all that could change. If the new plan comes to fruition, the family could have a major

role in really bringing back Broadway. This week, Shahram Delijani expects to file documents with the Department of City Planning for a proposal that would bring the turn-of-the-20thcentury theaters back to life by transforming them into concert venues and delivering restaurants and bars. The plan involves securing a series of permits that would, in essence, consolidate all four venues into a single “theater complex,” even though they are on different blocks. “I can’t help but feel that this is my dad’s vision for Broadway coming to life,” said Delijani, whose father, the late Ezat Delijani, began the fam-

The Voice of Downtown Los Angeles

of experienced Downtown developers are all responding to current market conditions: Central City apartment occupancy is at an all-time high, with some area landlords reporting that their buildings are about 98% full. The situation is creating what might be called the next Downtown housing boom. At least 10 buildings, with nearly 2,400 apartments, are either under construction or are slated to break ground in the next 16 months. Old Bank District developer Tom Gilmore is see Housing, page 10 ily’s theater collection in 1987. That was when he heeded a request from then-Mayor Tom Bradley to buy the Los Angeles Theatre and save it from the wrecking ball. The “theater complex” approach would make it easier to develop and market the four properties, said Kate Bartolo, a land-use consultant working with the Delijani family. She said it would include elements such as kitchen facilities and similar liquor licenses for all the theaters, which would make it easier to attract restaurant and bar developers. No cost has been released for the project, as Delijani said plans are in the early stage. In the past, projections of renovations for the entire buildings, have been in the tens of millions of dollars. Delijani said that instead of renting out the facilities for shows, the family will operate the venues as the Broadway Theater Group. The new production company will book musical acts and other yet-to-be determined live shows. “We realized that getting the theaters up and running and ready isn’t enough to get them actually active and used for live performances, so we see Theaters, page 12

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“Most of us probably feel we couldn’t be free without newspapers, and that is the real reason we want newspapers to be free.” —Edward R. Murrow

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Freedom of the Press does not mean the press is free. And a free newspaper only appears to be free. Increasingly, as the economy shifts and changes, the formula of producing a weekly print newspaper and a daily online publication on the sole revenue stream of advertising dollars does not compute. It doesn’t pencil. To continue to deliver timely, original local news based on the principles of journalistic objectivity and relevance — our hallmark for 40 years — we are inviting you, our dedicated readers, to become paid supporters. We are asking for your participation. Give what you think is both fair and generous. If you think Downtown should have a robust local paper, now is the time to support that idea. For details please go to LADowntownNews.com/supportlocaljournalism. When we started the paper in 1972, Los Angeles was famously 88 small towns in search of a city. Over the last four decades, Los Angeles has found its city, and it is Downtown. Downtown Los Angeles has become one of the most powerful communities in the world, and we Downtowners — residents, workers, everyone — are its citizens. From Chinatown to LA Live, from the Arts District to Disney Hall, from the Historic Core to the gleaming towers of the Financial District, you’ll find the Downtown News and its readers. From new residents and businesses to the stalwart pioneers of Downtown, we’re in it together. Downtown News is the award-winning news organization that has reported on every major news story impacting the area for forty years, helping to spur local growth and a sense of community. We like to think we’ve played a key part in giving Downtown the strong identity it has today. Please go to LADowntownNews.com/supportlocaljournalism to make your contribution. Or mail it if you prefer. We thank you — and welcome you to the Downtown News team. Sue Laris Editor, Publisher and Owner

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AROUNDTOWN Gehry Prize Established At SCI-ARC

enowned architect Frank Gehry has donated $100,000 to the Arts District’s Southern California Institute of Architecture. The money will go toward the establishment of an annual prize named in his honor, the school announced last week. The Gehry Prize will be awarded annually to the best thesis project selected by critics and jurors at the end of the school year. The first prize will be awarded at this year’s graduation ceremony. Gehry, best known in Downtown for designing the Walt Disney Concert Hall, has been a SCI-Arc trustee since 1990.

Ritz Condo Sales Hit 58%

t may not be as packed as some Downtown apartment complexes, but the residences at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel are filling up, with officials announcing that 58% of the condominiums have been purchased. So far, 131 of the 224 units have been sold to a range of local and international buyers. The residences are on the upper floors of the $1 billion Convention Center hotel at L.A. Live. The value of the sales, according to a press release on the transactions, is more than $200 million. Another 20 residences are in escrow. “This is… a clear signal of the elasticity of the Downtown Los Angeles market, which has seen more recent successful development than any other area of Los Angeles,” said Mauricio Umansky of The Agency, the brokerage firm handling sales in the building. “The forthcoming Farmers Field stadium and modernization and expansion of the Los Angeles Convention Center will further fuel the upward trajectory of Downtown L.A. values.”

TAKE MY PICTURE GARY LEONARD

Appeals Court Upholds Ban on Seizing Homeless’ Possessions

he Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals last week upheld a controversial injunction that bars the city from seizing and destroying apparently abandoned property on Skid Row. The injunction, issued in April 2011 by U.S. District Court Judge Philip Gutierrez, was painted by the city as a de facto welcome mat for trash and hazardous materials to pile up on the sidewalks of the poverty-laden neighborhood. Critics of the city’s practice of seizing and destroying abandoned property argued that the pile-ups were not caused by the injunction. Gutierrez’s ruling, they pointed out, allowed the city to take items that posed public health or safety risks. It also allowed the city to remove other items, so long as they were stored for 90 days. The appeals court agreed with the critics and issued its ruling on Wednesday, Sept. 5. It is unclear whether the city will further appeal the case. “We’re reviewing the decision,” said Frank Mateljan, a spokesman for City Attorney Carmen Trutanich. “In the interim, the city is taking steps to protect public health by cleaning the streets and by removing hazardous and contaminated items as well as storing items for the required amount of days.”

‘Eclectic’ Home Goods Shop Coming to Spring Street

ndrew Meieran, proprietor of the Edison and the man behind the ongoing renovation of Clifton’s Cafeteria, plans to open a store at Seventh and Spring streets

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dealing in eclectic home furnishings and accessories. Kinetescape will occupy the corner space in the Bartlett Building, a condominium property where Meieran owns the commercial slots. The shop will sell furniture, lighting and “all things unique,” Meieran said, from 1920s amusement park games and machines to Art Deco lighting fixtures and specialty paper products. “We need to sort of focus on retail in that corridor, which is under-served and where you have a remarkable community of people with remarkable spaces and no place to furnish them,” Meieran said. “You want to show people what can be done and what is available.” The store will open within 45 days, he said, and prices will range from $3 to $10,000. Kinetescape would join Historic Core home furnishing depots (Sub)Urban Home, at Fifth and Main streets, and I Squared at Eighth and Spring streets.

August 9, 2012

The Bronze Mariachi

ity officials this week will honor Mexicanborn mariachi singer and actor Antonio Aguilar. On Sunday, Sept. 16, at 6 p.m., a 13foot bronze statue of the singer on his horse will be dedicated at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument. Officials with the office of 14th District City Councilman José Huizar, who is spearheading the project, will oversee the ceremony at the small plaza just south of El Pueblo’s administrative offices, which face Union Station. In attendance will be Aguilar’s son Pepe Aguilar, who followed in his father’s footsteps and is a popular mariachi singer. The senior Aguilar was married to famed Mexican actress Flor Silvestre. He spent a lot of time on Olvera Street as a youngster, working in local restaurants before making it big in the music business. He recorded more than 150 albums and sold more than 25 million copies before he passed away in 2007 at the age of 88.

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COMING ATTRACTIONS Live Nation Presents: Aziz Ansari Thursday & Friday, September 13, 14

Beaver Productions Presents: An evening with Melody Gardot Saturday, September 22

8 Project Presents: Kim Kyung Ho Sunday, September 23

Aid for Aids Presents: Best in Drag Show - Celebrating 10 Years Sunday, October 7

Live Nation Presents: Sussan Deyhim Thursday, October 11

Sequoia R. Slentz Presents: The Fab Faux Saturday, October 20

Goldenvoice and KCRW Present: M. Ward Sunday, October 21

Goldenvoice Presents: Brandi Carlile Friday, November 9

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Live Nation Presents: Joe Jackson & the Bigger Band featuring Regina Carter Saturday, October 6

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EDITORIALS Building the Festival Buzz

Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis

here are a lot of things for which modern Downtown is known: the collection of buzz-generating restaurants, a busy nightlife scene and a still growing residential community. Now, you can add another unexpected element to the list: Downtown is home to a thriving summer music festival and outdoor concert scene. Like much of Downtown circa 2012, this would have been unthinkable a decade ago. Yet the season which more or less concluded with Labor Day proves that the area is a hub for the type of live outdoor music that generates attention and draws attendees, many of them young. The festivals dovetail nicely with a batch of older summer al fresco concert series. The big addition to the scene is on the edge of Chinatown. In the spring, officials with the Los Angeles State Historic Park announced a plan to wean the 32-acre facility off public funding as it prepares for an $18 million upgrade. While the park is now available for more private events, such as weddings, it can also be booked for days at a time. That occurred several times recently. On Aug. 3-4, the Hard Summer music festival took over, with more than 50 acts, many of them DJs or electronic artists, performing for a total of about 50,000 people. Then, after the one-day H2O festival on Aug. 25, the FYF Fest filled the park. Nearly 90 bands and comedians were on the several stages throughout the Sept. 1-2 weekend. The former one-day event was twice as big as in the past. Both festivals generated ample amounts of local and national press (Hard Summer was even previewed in Rolling Stone). While some people might complain that a favorite public Downtown space was off limits for a few prime weekends, there are greater benefits. In addition to raising money, the shows exposed the park and Downtown to people who otherwise would never think of coming here. Hard Summer and the FYF Fest were not the only notable outdoor summer music opportunities. Grand Performances last month concluded its 26th year of bringing dozens of prominent international performers to the Cal Plaza Watercourt — as always, every show was free. Meanwhile, Pershing Square, as this page mentioned last week, offered numerous gratis summer concerts, including a batch of Saturday night shows with wellknown (if faded) bands. The business community also gets into the action. Brookfield Properties, which owns three Downtown office buildings and is readying a $40 million renovation of the FIGat7th shopping complex (complete with Downtown’s first Target), had a summer series of daytime concerts for people on their lunch break. It was the latest in a lineup of free events, and proved once again that when it comes to the arts, Brookfield is a forward-thinking corporation with an understanding of giving back to the community. The exciting part is where things go from here. It won’t be surprising if, in a few years, Downtown has even more big music festivals. Rock on.

An Important Moment for Downtown Affordable Housing

his is an interesting and important time for the Central City apartment scene. As Los Angeles Downtown News reports this week, the community is in the midst of a huge wave of rental development, with plans for the creation of thousands of new units over the next few years. Many of these are market rate projects with funding already lined up and groundbreaking imminent. It is not surprising that the rental market is seeing so much activity. After all, occupancy levels are at 96% or higher in many large buildings. The developers, and more and more lenders, recognize that and are jumping, knowing there are profits to be made. At the opposite end of the spectrum is a related matter: the potential loss of more than 1,000 “affordable” units in buildings throughout the community. While we are not in crisis mode right now, the situation deserves attention from local leaders, especially the elected class. Making smart decisions today, and seeking secure and continuing funding streams, will ensure that Downtown maintains a healthy balance, and that the receptionists and other employed professionals who can’t afford the upper echelon apartments still have a place in the evolving neighborhood. Last month Downtown News reported on how low-income housing covenants on 13 local properties are set to expire in the next five years. These buildings represent 1,052 affordable apartments. The covenants are contracts that provide a developer with tax benefits or other incentives in exchange for maintaining a set number of low-priced units for a specific time period. In many instances local market-rate projects that received money from the Community Redevelopment Agency were required to make 20% of their residences “affordable” (the term is often defined as people earning 30%-60% of the region’s household median income). Many people see the phrase “affordable housing” and think of residences for individuals just off living on the streets. Sometimes that is the case. However, in many instances these units are home to people and families in the lower portion of the middle class. Affordable units can house teachers or administrative assistants. They can be occupied by blue-collar or lower-paid white-collar workers. Often these individuals play important roles in the community, serving on their neighborhood council or other bodies, but can’t afford to pay, say, $3 a square foot for a 1,000-squarefoot loft. Gov. Jerry Brown’s elimination of CRAs throughout the state

has killed off not just the agencies, but an important funding mechanism for affordable housing. While there are other sources of money for these projects, the pipeline to create new buildings with a 20% affordable component is restricted. Limited future building makes the preservation of what already exists more important. That is where the sunset of the covenants comes into play. As Downtown News reported, the end of an affordability covenant can have multiple results. In some cases the building will be repositioned and rents will ratchet higher. Other times nothing will change, as the housing provider may have a specific mission. For example, when the 135-unit Ballington Plaza on Wall Street in Skid Row saw the sunset of its covenant in 2010, there was no shift. The building owner, the Veterans of America organization, is focused on this type of housing. There are ways to preserve a mix of housing in a desirable neighborhood. One example the story cited was South Park’s Metropolitan apartment complex, where an affordability covenant ran through 2010. After it expired, instead of shifting to market rate, building owner Forest City worked out a tax-exempt bond financing arrangement with the city. Clearly, Forest City found something good for its bottom line, and the revamped deal had the bonus of helping the city. Currently 42% of the units in the building are set aside for moderate-income tenants. One important part of the conversation is that Downtown has long held a disproportionate share of the city’s “general relief” residents, many of whom need special services such as drug and alcohol counseling. That needs to change, and local leaders in outlying districts should recognize that they have a responsibility to create this kind of housing in their areas (getting people away from a core of poverty will help them turn their lives around) or they should do penance by paying disproportionately more so the Central City can do it well. We think it is worth trying to preserve many of the local affordable units, especially in the context of so many new market-rate residences coming online (as long as other parts of the city also do their duty). The loss of the CRA will diminish the number of affordable units being created in the future, and Downtown will be a better place when there is a mix of incomes and people. As is so often the case, we need effective leadership to ensure that this occurs.

September 10, 2012

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City Council Punch Lines The Endings to 26 Jokes About 15 Elected Leaders. No Set-Ups Required by Jon RegaRdie executive editoR

eople love to laugh at politicians. There is just something about elected leaders that gets the late-night TV writers, stand-ups and office joke-crackers going. When a prominent public servant makes a gaffe, the humor, or at least the attempt at humor, follows. THE REGARDIE REPORT

That said, there aren’t many jokes about the Los Angeles City Council. Well, that’s OK, because even without the often convoluted set-up, the representatives of Los Angeles’ 15 fiefdoms make for plenty of punch-line fodder. Below are the ending lines to 26 never-even-written jokes about the people who, every day, make decisions that impact 4 million city residents. Enjoy the punch lines, and feel free to offer others. No profanity, please. No set-ups required. 1) And then the zombies left, because even though there were 15 people around the Council horseshoe, they realized that their favorite meal, brains, were in short supply. 2) To get to the other side, which happened to be populated with union leaders in control of major campaign fundraising machines. 3) That’s the moment when they realized that the one woman on the panel had more balls than the 14 male members.

4) Sure, the group has one Tony, but still, no one wants to come out and watch them perform. 5) At which point the little man said, “I’ll show you how to carve things up.” 6) Paul Koretz. Not! 7) When I said the council needs to be able to say no to our friends in labor, what I really meant was, can I get you anything Miss Durazo? photo by Gary Leonard

8) Napoleon was only exiled to Elba. Parks and Perry had it worse — they were sent to the Education & Neighborhoods Committee. 9) They should have known all the time, because “con” is part of his last name.

Testimony before the City Council isn’t the only way to find humor in City Hall.

14) “It could be worse,” he said. “You could be Carmen Trutanich.” 15) Pull the Alatorre Finger!

10) By that time, they couldn’t tell which one was the lobbyist and which one had been elected. 11) To get to the other side, because that’s where the $700 a plate fundraiser was taking place.

16) “No, Mr. Mayor,” said the councilman, a befuddled and exasperated look on his face. “I’ve told you a hundred times: That’s the press pool, not the dating pool.”

18) Well, the 15 clowns know they’re in the circus.

13) And that’s what you get for dating Dennis Zine.

20) Because they thought that crossing the road would help them extend term limits

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21) Just one is a Republican, but all 15 love a grand old party. 22) You use Wesson Oil to cook. You use Herb Wesson to skewer. 23) Occupy, schmoccupy. Sure guys, go ahead and camp on our lawn. For as long as you like!

17) Because fourteen ate nine.

12) It takes all 15 to change the light bulb, but first they have to debate the matter for six months, send it to 17 committees, ask AEG if it’s a good idea, and then give the union that will handle the job 25% raises over five years.

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24) “It’s not a slush fund,” he pleaded. “It’s an officeholder account.” 25) Now they call it Sacramento South.

19) They call it “Keeping Up With the Krekorian.”

26) Because Tim Leiweke told them to cross the road. Contact Jon Regardie at regardie@downtownnews.com

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Downtown’s Volunteer in Chief Patti Berman Reflects on Two Years as President of the Neighborhood Council by Ryan Vaillancourt staff writer

atti Berman moved to Downtown 11 years ago. For the past two years, she has presided over the most prominent all-volunteer local stakeholder group, the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council, or DLANC. As president of DLANC’s board of directors, Berman is the de facto spokesperson for the organization and an important voice at city meetings. A former singer on the nightclub circuit, Berman, 65, runs an accounting business when she’s not working on DLANC projects. She spoke with Los Angeles Downtown News about DLANC’s calling, her time as its head and changes in the neighborhood. Los Angeles Downtown News: What exactly does the president of DLANC do? Patti Berman: Neighborhood councils are part of the city charter and we were chartered to be a liaison between the constituency and City Hall. I put the agenda together for the monthly board meeting. I’m representing the people who live Downtown, and work and have small businesses, certainly not big businesses. I also am a member of our planning committee, which hears the vast majority of development projects. When the board has decided they’re in favor of something, I go to City Hall to speak on its behalf, or to a meet-

ing with our councilperson. There are a lot of meetings. Q: What is the most important function of the neighborhood council today, and how has that evolved since the body was formed in 2002? A: The most important function of DLANC today is to bring forward programs that are in the best interest of people who live and have small businesses here. Things like the Complete Streets Working Group (which pushed for the Spring Street bike lane). We’re looking at issues of sustainability and livability. Ten years ago, people dealing with DLANC wanted to serve the people who were here and there weren’t that many people living in what they call the lofts, so a lot of the focus was on programs for Skid Row. Today we have a much larger, more diverse constituency so we’re looking at bigger projects. Instead of focusing on small events here and there, we’re looking at large overall things like Complete Streets. Q: What do you say to those who dismiss DLANC as an essentially powerless group because it has a negligible budget and lacks authority to make binding decisions on land-use and other issues? A: All of that is true. We work on a shoestring and we do not have binding authority. But

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Patti Berman is president of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council, the all-volunteer board that lobbies for local interests.

obviously, we are respected for our opinion when it comes to land use. If it wasn’t for that then why would anyone care whether we approved a letter of support for the New Genesis liquor license? Why is it that every single conditional use permit comes through DLANC? So there’s enough respect that we do make a difference. Q: DLANC recently won a big grant from the Southern California Association of Governments to craft a “vision” to make Downtown more livable. The neighborhood got this far without a formalized vision. Why does it need one now? A: About four years ago, our Sustainability Committee got a grant to study sustainability and planning issues Downtown. The experts found that the biggest problem was a lack of a cohesive vision. Based on that report, the

committee applied for this grant to give a vision to Downtown. In my opinion, everything looked like it was going fine, but the experts said it wasn’t and there were organizations willing to come up with the money to help us right that wrong. I’m really interested to see how it evolves. Q: How easy is it for someone to get involved in DLANC? Do you have to run for a seat on the board? A: Boy, am I glad you asked that one. Anyone can get involved immediately. All they have to do is give me a call, email me, tell me about their passions. We’ll find a committee doing what they love. If not, we’ll help them form one. Q: What do you love most about Downtown, see DLANC, page 9

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Downtown News 9

The Services Industry Downtown Temple Celebrates Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur by Jon Regardie executive editor

abbi Moshe Greenwald is one of the many local stakeholders who are generally bullish on Downtown, appreciating the present and seeing a bright future. So it’s no surprise that when people come together at his Jewish Community Center-Chabad of Downtown Los Angeles this week for the opening of the High Holidays, they’ll be expressing thanks. “The theme this year is gratitude,” Greenwald said. Noting issues such as homelessness, he added, “There are a lot of real problems in the area. That being said, we go a lot further by being grateful for the things we have, and it propels blessings for the year when we have that attitude.” This marks the fifth year that Greenwald will hold services for the Downtown congregation. Ceremonies for Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year, begin Sunday, Sept. 16, at 7 p.m., with additional events the next two days. Services for Yom Kippur, the day of atonement in which many observant Jews fast, are Sept. 25-26. Greenwald said about 150 people attended services last year, when events were held in a property owned by the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund. This year, activities are shifting back to the temple’s Seventh Street space in the Haas Building. He expects a similar sized crowd. Unlike many temples that charge for what are also known as the High Holy Days, the Downtown JCC doesn’t have what Greenwald terms a “pay-to-pray” approach. However, he said they do ask for donations. One element Greenwald is excited about this year is a new shofar, the traditional ram’s horn that is blown during the High Holidays. The instruments are notoriously difficult to coax sound from — Greenwald said his father, who is a rabbi in Long Beach, brought this one back from a recent trip to Israel, and that it is relatively easy to blow. “He knows the shofar dealers. He grew up with them,” said Greenwald. “He looked high and low and came up with the perfect shofar for Downtown.” While nurturing a Jewish community in Downtown is a long, slow process, Greenwald said there is much to be thankful for — hence the theme of the holidays. “I see gratitude in the ability to have a community that is

DLANC Continued from page 8 and what neighborhood flaw — cultural, physical, political or otherwise — would you most like to fix? A: The thing I love the most about it are the possibilities. From the moment I got here there were possibilities to make things better, to make things grow, to make things more habitable. The flaw that is number one on my list is probably not the most politically correct one. But I am very much disturbed by the concept that there are two factions Downtown: The poor people and the gentrifiers. If I could do anything it would be to clear up that whole mess. The people saying the “loft people” are gentrifiers are 100% inaccurate. We built in buildings that had no one in them. Gentrification means pushing people out. We did not do that. Q: Should DLANC have a role in pushing land-use policy that would encourage or discourage chain stores in areas known for indie businesses? A: It’s not our role. Economic development is what it is. If money doesn’t come into an area, nobody eats. I actually think that the people who live in an area have a good say about what comes in and what doesn’t. If they don’t like something, they don’t go there. If the store doesn’t make money, they leave. Q: DLANC doesn’t pay the bills. What do you do for work? A: I work as a part-time bookkeeper for the Historic Downtown Business Improvement District. I also have my own business. We design some large computer applications for federal accounting. My bachelor’s degree is from UCLA in theoretical mathematics. Numbers don’t bother me. Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.

different than other communities,” he said. “People here can be in each other’s lives more than other places. We frequent the same coffee shops and bars and markets on every corner. So we have the ability here to be in each other’s lives.” The opening Rosh Hashana service will be followed by a dinner. Greenwald said RSVPs for the dinner and the services are required and can be made through the website downtownjcc.com. Chabad of Downtown Los Angeles is at 219 W. Seventh St., Suite 206, (213) 488-1543 or downtownjcc.com.

photo by Gary Leonard

Rabbi Moshe Greenwald will lead Rosh Hashana services at his Seventh Street temple Sept. 16-18.

10 Downtown News

Housing Continued from page 1 among those posting a 98% occupancy rate on his books — but even that figure is somewhat deflated, he said. “We are effectively full,” he said. “The only reason I’m not at 100% is because I can’t turn the apartments over fast enough.” With supply squeezed, rents are climbing. Rates in the Downtown area have jumped 18.2% since 2010, and were projected to grow another 6% in 2012, according to the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate’s Casden Multifamily Forecast. The list of developers with plans to break ground on Downtown housing projects by the end of 2013 reads like a who’s who of veteran area builders: It includes Steve Needleman, Joseph Hellen, Alex Moradi, the Hanover Company and Related Cos. They don’t appear to be bluffing. The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, which must sign off on all major construction projects in the city, is tracking a 19% year-to-date increase in revenue citywide — that means more developers are paying for permits to put shovels in dirt. More telling, said Bud Ovrom, general manager of Building and Safety, is that the best measure of imminent construction — plan check revenue, or the fees collected from developers who are fine-tuning their blueprints and other construction documents — is up 11% year-to-date, from $6.5 million to $7.2 million. “Now, who knows if Iran comes up with a nuclear weapon or God only knows what can happen in the world, but right now this upward trend is very real,” Ovrom said. “We know the numbers better than anybody. Every indication we have is the upward trend is going to proceed into the foreseeable fu-

September 10, 2012

Twitter/DowntownNews ture, both in terms of new ground-up construction and adaptive reuse.” The List The players seeking to capitalize on the tight market include developers from across the country, and at least one from north of the U.S. border. The properties also represent a variety of structures, with some developers pursuing seven-story buildings (generally the height limit for wood-framed construction) and others opting for steel-boned high-rises. Houston-based Hanover Group, which opened the luxury 717 Olympic tower in 2008, is seeking approvals for a 281-unit complex at Olympic Boulevard and Hill Street. The company is looking to break ground next year, said Simon Ha, chair of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council’s Planning and Land Use Committee, which received information on the project. Related California, developer of the Grand Avenue project, recently secured financing for a 19-story, 271-apartment tower just south of the under-construction Broad museum. Work on the $100 million edifice is expected to start by November, with an anticipated opening in 2014. The familiar names are being joined by newcomers such as Vancouver-based Onni Group, which is set to break ground this fall on a 32-story tower at Eighth and Olive streets. The 283-apartment complex is one of three new Eighth Street housing projects slated to break ground this year. Carmel Partners is in line to start construction on a 700-unit project at Eighth Street and Grand Avenue that was entitled by developer Sonny Astani (Carmel did not respond to multiple requests for comment, but Astani said the firm, which paid $63 million for the project, planned to start work in 2012). At Eighth and Hope streets, Wood Partners is poised to break ground this year on a 22-story apartment tower with 290 units.

rendering courtesy Sonny Astani

Carmel Partners this year bought land at Eighth Street and Grand Avenue and plans for a 700-unit complex from Sonny Astani. Astani said Carmel was targeting a 2012 groundbreaking.

The past several years were relatively quiet in terms of new development, leading to a pent-up demand. Newly opened projects include the Historic Core’s Chester Williams Building and the Jeffries. In other situations, such as Seventh Street’s Brockman Lofts and Roosevelt Lofts, landlords bought and finished construction at projects that had stalled during the recession. Apex, the 271-unit tower at Ninth and Flower streets built by Sonny Astani but now owned by ST Residential, is slated to start leasing as luxury apartments this month. Other large projects are in the throes of construction, among them the 280-unit Chinatown Gateway at Cesar Chavez Avenue and Broadway, the two-phase, 440-residence Avant at Flower Street and Pico Boulevard,

fa l l

and One Sante Fe, a $160 million development that will create 438 apartments near SCI-Arc in the Arts District. It is an inarguably big, capital-intensive wave, with at least 2,396 units slated to break ground by 2013. Still, that will do little to relieve the supply pressure that is pushing rents higher, said Gary Painter, director of research at the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate. According to the Downtown Center Business Improvement District’s 2011 Downtown Demographics Survey, there were 28,861 housing units in the area at the start of 2012. That means the 2,396 apartments in the pipeline reflect a potential 8% increase in supply, and even if all those get built, they won’t open for one to three years. “We’re not talking about a number that’s

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Coming Soon! A Sampling of Some of the Projects Slated To Break Ground by the End of 2013

rendering courtesy of Michael Maltzan Architecture

One Sante Fe, a $160 million development, will create 438 apartments near SCI-Arc in the Arts District.

going to relieve pressure on prices,” Painter said. “It’s going to decrease the rate of increase. That’s all.” Gilmore, one of the first modern era developers to build housing in the Downtown core, said the units forecast to come online in the next few years represent a drop in the ocean, chiefly because the area remains home to some 500,000 jobs. The residential population is estimated to be around 50,000. “You have to always go back to the fundamental math of how many jobs are there versus how much housing, and the ratio is still way out of whack,” Gilmore said. “We could probably use 200,000 more units of housing.” In the meantime, rents are poised to rise steadily. Shy, who has long kept his prices slightly below prevailing market rates, said he plans to continue the same practice, though as overall prices go up, he’ll increase accordingly. “I still prefer to be a little bit below market so then I can rent it easily,” he said. A Downtown News analysis found that currently available apartments in the rental-dense Historic Core average about $2.03 per square foot per month. But buildings that have opened recently are asking higher rates. Owners of the Chester Williams Building, for example, plan to rent units for an average $2.10 per square foot, with a range of $1.90 to $2.40 per square foot. Two units now for lease at the Jeffries, which opened in July, are offered at $2.17 and $2.36 per square foot. Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.

Project: SB Omega Size: 350 units, 35 stories Location: 601 S. Main St. Developer: Barry Shy Timeline: Shy hopes to break ground by April, but that hinges on his belief that the project is “by right.” The site’s zoning allowances may only allow a smaller project, in which case Shy would have to go through the lengthy public review process to notch special land-use approvals. Project: Onni Tower Size: 283 units, 32 stories Location: Eighth and Olive streets Developer: Onni Group Timeline: The firm plans to break ground this fall and open the building by fall 2014. Project: Olympic and Hill Size: 281 units, seven stories Location: Olympic Boulevard and Hill Street Developer: Hanover Company Timeline: The firm is looking to submit plans for final review in early 2013 and break ground later in the year, according to the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council. Project: Eighth and Hope Size: 290 units, 22 stories Location: Eighth and Hope streets Developer: Wood Partners

Timeline: The firm is nearing a groundbreaking. A company rep told Downtown News in July that it would start work this month. Project: Grand Avenue tower Size: 271 units, 19 stories Location: Grand Avenue at Gen. Thaddeus Kosciuszko Way Developer: Related Cos. Timeline: The firm plans to break ground by November, with completion slated for late 2014. Project: 1111 Sunset Size: 92 units, seven stories Location: 1111 W. Sunset Blvd. Developer: Linear City Timeline: Demolition is under way and the firm is securing a general contractor. Completion is expected in early 2014. Project: 430 S. Broadway Size: 50-60 units Location: 430-434 S. Broadway Developer: ICO Development Timeline: The firm, which handled the conversion of the Pacific Electric Lofts, bought the building in August. Plans are preliminary, but the adaptive reuse entitlement process generally takes about one year. The timeline is uncertain. Project: Singer Sewing Machine Building

photo by Gary Leonard

Steve Needleman is starting work this fall on a conversion of Broadway’s Singer Sewing Machine Building into nine lofts. There will be one apartment per floor.

Size: Nine units, nine stories Location: 806 S. Broadway Developer: Steve Needleman Timeline: Needleman has begun preliminary work at the site with plans to start interior work this fall, and construction is expected to take about two years. Project: Spring Street garage/apartments Size: Up to 90 units, 12 stories (including parking) Location: 500 block of South Spring Street, between the Spring Arcade and Alexandria Hotel Developer: Joseph Hellen Timeline: Hellen is finalizing plans to submit to the city. The project, he said, is “by right” and won’t require a lengthy public review process. Hellen is looking to break ground in summer 2013 and take 18 months to build.

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Theaters Continued from page 1 decided to start producing events ourselves,” he said. Limited Changes There have been efforts for years to persuade the Delijanis to upgrade and actively program the theaters. Although the Los Angeles, at 615 S. Broadway, and the Palace, at 630 S. Broadway, are occasionally seen by the public during the summer Last Remaining Seats movie series organized by preservationist group the Los Angeles Conservancy, events over the decades have been relatively rare. The State, at 703 S. Broadway, is occupied by a church, and the Tower, at 802 S. Broadway, is primarily used for filming. Still, some changes have come. Last year the 1,000-seat Palace underwent a $1 million renovation. The venue was rechristened with a performance from avant-garde theater troupe Lucent Dossier. There have been sporadic other shows, such as a concert by the band Wilco at the Los Angeles Theatre in January. Still, the venues have lacked the consistent programming seen at another Broadway venue, the Orpheum Theatre, which Steve Needleman revived in 2001. “I applaud the effort of anyone who is making improvements on Broadway,” Needleman said. Needleman noted that the Delijanis will face challenges. He said his own experience has taught him that programming a theater and competing against other venues can be

difficult. “I know as well as anyone what it is to stay competitive in today’s production world,” he said. “Everything has to be stepped up.” Then there are the costs of power and plumbing in an old building, he said. Parking access for large production trucks is also a challenge, he added. There is no timeline yet on when all four venues will begin holding regular concerts and other performances, but Delijani said that within a year, thanks to the in-house production company, programing will be stepped up at the Los Angeles and Palace. The Tower will follow. The State will be the last to return to regular life, in about five years, after the current lease with the church expires, Delijani said. Once the permits are approved, Delijani said he will begin to look for commercial tenants to open restaurants and bars at the venues. That will follow a current trend on Broadway. Establishments such as Umamicatessesn, Two Boots Pizza, Alma and Figaro Bistro have either opened recently or are under construction on the street. “There are going to be a handful of bars and a handful of restaurant spaces,” he said. “With the movement we’re seeing on Broadway, I can’t imagine that it would take too long to find the right tenants.” In addition to power, light and sound upgrades, there will be some restoration work on the theaters, he said. Parking Concerns There have been efforts throughout the years to spur the Delijanis into action. In 2009, 14th District City Councilman José Huizar led the effort to have the intersection

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photo by Gary Leonard

Shahram Delijani at the Los Angeles Theatre. He is working on a plan to reactivate the four historic venues on the street owned by his family.

of Seventh Street and Broadway renamed Ezat Delijani Square. The family has long cited a lack of public parking as an issue. It created a sort of chicken-and-egg scenario, with some people calling for activation to spur the need for parking, and the Delijanis responding that their plans would die if adequate space for cars did not already exist. As Needleman noted, Delijani has also cited loading as a challenge, particularly at the Los Angeles Theatre, where an alley that once served the building is no longer accessible to large trucks. Delijani said they are working on a solution to provide access to production vehicles at the theater, but would not detail what those plans are. Huizar, who noted that the 10-year Bringing Back Broadway initiative he launched in 2008 was sparked by a conversation he had with Ezat Delijani about the potential of the street, said the parking issue could be addressed with future developments such as the planned Broadway Arts Center. The proposed mixed-use space would contain a theater, an art gallery and affordable housing for artists. Although no location has been identified, he said it could include parking. Huizar is also working on a long-term plan

for Pershing Square, which he said could include a proposal to better connect parking there with Broadway. The planned Los Angeles Streetcar, which Huizar hopes will begin operations by early 2016, could also help, since people could park further away and take the streetcar to Broadway. “I think the Delijanis are very committed to revitalizing those theaters and Broadway,” he said. “From what I see, this is what Bringing Back Broadway is all about: to bring the historic theaters back to entertainment venues to be the anchors of the revitalization.” Delijani said they have a deal to offer discounted parking for future concert attendees at Pershing Square. Adrian Scott Fine, director of advocacy for the Los Angeles Conservancy, said bringing the theaters back to life would be a longawaited key to reviving Broadway. “I think reactivating those theaters is what we’ve all been looking forward to,” he said. However, as plans progress, Fine said he is mindful of the potential impact the project could have on the character and historic features of the theaters. Nevertheless, he said, it is exciting news. Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

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September 10, 2012

Holiday Parties & Catering

An Innovative Party Approach at Soleto New Italian Restaurant Focuses on Trattoria Fare by Jeff Favre contributing writer

he Soleto Trattoria and Pizza Bar has big shoes to fill: The newly opened establishment fills the Figueroa Street space long occupied by the lauded Zucca. Fortunately, Soleto has some things going for it, starting with being a part of Innovative Dining Group, the machine behind establishments including Boa and Sushi Roku. Then there’s the high-quality, varied Italian menu. Those come into play for David Ficklen, Soleto’s general manager. He also has a patio and outdoor dining area at his disposal. He plans on using these and other tools during Soleto’s inaugural holiday season to host a series of unique, made-to-order functions.

Los Angeles Downtown News: What sort of trends and themes will be big this year when it comes to holiday parties? David Ficklen: People are gravitating toward appetizers and things that represent fresh, high quality ingredients. There are more foodie elements these days, and more mixology driven cocktails. Q: How soon should people start planning a holiday party? A: I would say probably start considering it during the month of September. Q: Is austerity still in, or have budgets loosened up somewhat? A: I think we have seen that people still want bang for their buck, but things aren’t quite as they were. Q: Should there be some sort of entertainment offered at the party such as music or a show? A: I think if it’s a holiday party a DJ or something of that nature can be fun, unless it’s a sit-down dinner. Q: If it’s a work event, what do you recommend to make it fun, as opposed to feeling like an extension of the office? A: I think a lot of that depends on the venue they select. If

they select a place that is more high energy and trendy then people can get fully out of the work element and have more fun. Rather than doing it in the break room, get them into a cool environment. Q: What size crowds do you handle? A: For a sit-down meal in the restaurant we can host as little as a party of 10; a complete restaurant buyout is 200. Out of the restaurant we can go as high as 200, but we probably wouldn’t go lower than 50 people. Q: What food items or specialties that you offer would you recommend that anyone have on their holiday party menu? A: From an appetizer standpoint we do great pizzas by the slice. We do a great bruschetta with house-made ricotta and spiced honey. We do a caprese skewer with fresh mozzarella and organic tomatoes. This is our first holiday season, so we’re just now starting to meet with clients to see what they want. Q: If it’s an office party, should booze be allowed? A: Yes, I do think alcohol should be allowed, as long as it’s in moderation. Q: What can someone expect to spend per person, and what tips do you have for keeping prices down? A: Where you see the biggest jumps in price is if you are trying to do something that is completely private, as opposed to a smaller area in the restaurant. If you have a party of 10 or 20 people and are not adamant about it being your space, that’s a dramatic shift in price. The rule of thumb is if you go to a private setting it’s going to run at least $100 per person. For less than 20 people, we’d be looking at the mid-$20 range. Q: Should the boss be there for the whole party? Or do people have a better time if the man or woman in charge just makes a short appearance? A: I’ve been put in that situation pretty frequently. What I

photo by Gary Leonard

The newly opened Soleto comes from the team behind Sushi Roku and Boa. General Manager David Ficklen is planning to host a series of unique, made-to-order functions during their first holiday season.

tend to do is put in a guest appearance and then move on. I think as a rule being the leader there are a lot of ways to build teams, but at the end of the day you always want to keep that shiny veneer, and sometimes you lose that if you are just hanging out and drinking with everybody. Q: When someone is working with you and planning a party, what should they always keep in mind? A: A big mistake people make is not following the lead of the chef or whoever is handling the food component, at least to a certain extent. In our case, we’re an Italian restaurant, and if somebody is asking us to produce egg rolls that’s probably not the best choice. At the end of the day we know what we can execute and we know what guests respond to well. You hire us for our expertise, so letting us do that is important. Soleto Trattoria and Pizza Bar is at 801 S. Figueroa St., (213) 622-3255 or innovativedining.com.

September 10, 2012

Holiday Parties & Catering

Downtown News 15

16 Downtown News

September 10, 2012

Holiday Parties & Catering

Going Big and Boutique on a Budget Hilton Checkers Proves You Can Have an Affordable Affair in an Opulent Space by Jeff favre contributing writer

he Hilton Checkers isn’t just a boutique hotel nestled in the Financial District. It’s also a prime party spot, with a restaurant that has a secluded patio and a private dining room. According to Donna Lewis, the establishment’s director of sales and marketing, even companies that are continuing to struggle economically can find a way to celebrate the holiday season without making a major dent in the budget. The trick, she said, is to plan early, and to think away from the classic office dinner party. Los Angeles Downtown News: What sort of trends and themes will be big this year when it comes to holiday parties? Donna Lewis: Fewer companies have been having the blowout Friday and Saturday night parties. The new trend is to have smaller, more intimate parties. Instead of whole companies, we are seeing individual departments having a party. Also, it’s now more breakfasts, lun-

cheons and early afternoon events. Q: How soon should people start planning a holiday party? A: They should start planning six months in advance. You can still plan for one now, as long as you are open to a less-desirable date. So instead of a Friday or Saturday you might need to be OK with a Thursday or a luncheon. Q: Is austerity still in, or have budgets loosened up somewhat? A: The budgets have not loosened up so far. Even with the companies having the money, people are still hyper-sensitive to employees not getting their full hours or people being laid off. Instead of the blowout party, they would rather see the money spent in some other way, such as a year-end bonus. photo by Gary Leonard

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Donna Lewis, the director of sales and marketing at Hilton Checkers, says people are saving money on holiday gatherings by having smaller events or parties at breakfast, lunch or in the afternoon.

We have seen so much entertainment for different types of events, so we know what has worked and what hasn’t worked as well. A new one I have seen work is a casino night because people interact, which is good because for a holiday party not everyone comes with someone, and you don’t want them sitting alone.

function room or banquet room, and it’s better to find a different kind of venue. For example, at our hotel we do a lot of holiday parties and we have them on our rooftop. We do a heavy hors d’oeuvres reception so it’s not a sit-down, which allows people to mingle with those from other departments.

Q: If it’s a work event, what do you recommend to make it fun, as opposed to feeling like an extension of the office? A: Find a unique venue. I think a lot of times people will go straight from the office to a

Q: What size crowds do you handle? A: The maximum we can do at our hotel comfortably is about 70. We don’t usually do off-site events. see Hilton Checkers, page 25

September 10, 2012

Holiday Parties & Catering

Downtown News 17

18 Downtown News

Holiday Parties & Catering

September 10, 2012

A Party With Atmosphere Café Pinot Has a Standout Location and Plenty of Experience by Jeff favre contributing writer

ost holiday parties are indoor affairs. That’s partly why Café Pinot is different: The restaurant near the Central Library can hold outdoor events by a fountain in a lush garden. General manager Valerie Gerstle benefits not just from the location, but also from the parent company: Café Pinot is part of the standout Patina chain. When it comes to a party, options include the library’s Maguire Gardens and the restaurant’s glass-enclosed Skyroom terrace. Just be sure to book well in advance.

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Los Angeles Downtown News: What sort of trends and themes will be big this year when it comes to holiday parties? Valerie Gerstle: Something that we’ve seen is that people are really into wine right now. So very often what they will do is pre-select wine and they will have tasting notes on all

the wine and then give guests a chance to interact with a sommelier to find out more information about that wine. Another popular trend is a photo booth. People love them for their parties. Q: How soon should people start planning a holiday party? A: We start booking for December in May, so we recommend booking the moment you have your guest count and the date so they can get their first choice of date and location. But even if they start now we do everything possible to say yes. We come from a place of trying to accommodate our guests. Q: Is austerity still in, or have budgets loosened up somewhat? A: It has been very tight the last few years, but budgets have loosened somewhat. Our loyal regular companies that would book their holiday parties as soon as they had their last party have been needing to get more creative with

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Café Pinot has the advantage of holding private events in the restaurant, on the patio or in the adjacent Maguire Gardens at the Central Library.

how they celebrate the holidays. As a business we have had to change things as well by making things more approachable and affordable based on what their budgets are. Q: Should there be some sort of entertainment offered at the party such as music or a show? A: It depends on the group as to whether entertainment is the best option. We have had events where they will have caricature artists come in and draw portraits, or they will have photo booths. If they have entertainment where someone is performing that can become somewhat distracting. But if the entertainment can be self-paced then there seems to be more enjoyment and more participation. Q: What size crowds do you handle? A: We can handle up to 3,000 people, which

includes using our beautiful Maguire Gardens. Our restaurant is located on the grounds of the Central Library, which is surrounded by a beautiful garden setting. People can rent out the restaurant and the gardens. For the entire restaurant capacity is 180 and for standing capacity it’s 250. Q: What can someone expect to spend per person, and what tips do you have for keeping prices down? A: A cocktail reception is nice because you get a variety of foods, and that can go for as low as $12 per person for a half-hour reception or $18 per person for a one-hour reception. That price excludes all beverages and a 20% service charge. see Café Pinot, page 25

VIATT PENTHOUSE

September 10, 2012

Downtown News 19

Holiday Parties & Catering

Beer and Beyond The 100 Brews Are Only Part of the Party at a New Broadway Establishment by Jeff favre

budget. We make whatever they can spend look like $1 million.

contributing writer

here may be 100 beers on tap at the new Los Angeles Brewing Company, but owner Ralph Verdugo said that is merely the beginning of what he can offer holiday partiers. Verdugo would know: He formerly ran Club 740, so he has some ideas about setting the atmosphere for a good time, even if the party needs to be on a tight budget. With the Broadway restaurant ready for its first holiday party season, Verdugo is planning some modern menu options that will make an office mixer anything but typical. Los Angeles Downtown News: What sort of trends and themes will be big this year when it comes to holiday parties? Ralph Verdugo: Pianists are a big trend, or a full band. People don’t get to go out that often, so I think while they are having dinner they like to listen to a pianist, or after dinner they can have fun hanging out and listening to a band. Q: How soon should people start planning a holiday party? A: I would say four months in advance. If they start now it’s still OK though. Q: Is austerity still in, or have budgets loosened up somewhat? A: They are still spending less money because of the economy. The good thing about us is we are always working within everyone’s

Q: Should there be some sort of entertainment offered at the party such as music or a show? A: I think it depends on the party. If you want it to be a happy environment then music can be good for that, and we are set up for live bands or a DJ. We have a full catalogue of people, even belly dancers and fire dancers, and a little bit of everything — whatever you need to fit your party. Q: If it’s a work event, what do you recommend to make it fun, as opposed to feeling like an extension of the office? A: We carry about 75 wines and we have 100 beers on tap. The venue is 100 years old and it’s a great place to have an amazing time. Q: What size crowds do you handle? A: On-site, if you buy out the entire place, we can have 500 people. Off-site we can handle up to 1,000 people. Q: What food items or specialties that you offer would you recommend that anyone have on their holiday party menu? A: We have an executive chef who is amazing. He talks to the people organizing the party and gives them a lot of different options. If they want lobster or caviar, they get lobster and caviar. If they want tacos, they get tacos. We have a turkey that is very popular, and we can have that with nice hors d’oeuvres to start.

photo by Gary Leonard

Ralph Verdugo at the massive new Broadway spot the Los Angeles Brewing Company. Holiday partiers can take advantage of big TVs, a private mezzanine and the 100 beers on tap.

Q: If it’s an office party, should booze be allowed? A: Yes. With a little wine or beer they will be more in the mood to talk to people and to have more fun. Q: What can someone expect to spend per person, and what tips do you have for keeping prices down? A: It doesn’t matter to us if your total budget is $2,000 or $50,000, we make the event work. If your budget is low then what we’ll do is have a party where you order off the menu, and we’ll reserve a VIP area in our downstairs. This way you’ll only be charged for who comes. So if you expect 30, but only 10 people show up, you only get charged for 10 people. Q: Should the boss be there for the whole party? Or do people have a better time if the man or

woman in charge just makes a short appearance? A: I think it’s important for the boss to be here, but it’s not a good idea for the boss to be here all night, because people are usually a little intimidated by the boss and they aren’t as relaxed. Q: When someone is working with you and planning a party, what should they always keep in mind? A: They need to be organized so they know what they want. We take the pressure off you by taking care of everything you want, even valet. But you need to know what you expect from the party, and what things you want to have happen during the event. If you know what it is, we can make it happen. Los Angeles Brewing Company is at 750 S. Broadway, (213) 622-0500 or labrewingco.com.

The Holidays The annual Holiday Party is a long-standing tradition of bringing colleagues & friends together to spread good cheer. But, merely planning a holiday party can add to the stresses of an already rushed time of year. At Hilton Checkers, we understand the challenges, anxiety and confusion in the whole process and have been making events memorable since the 1920’s. From an intimate gathering in the artfully decorated Private Dining Room, to a casual reception on Checkers Patio, to a full buyout of the Checkers Downtown, to an elegant party under the stars with a spectacular views on the hotels stunning rooftop … We expertly blend the sophisticated with the classic ! For Booking Your Celebration Or More Information:

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20 Downtown News

September 10, 2012

Holiday Parties & Catering

The Right Menu and The Right Look Ensenada Has Traditional Meals and A Festive Decor by Jeff favre

like parties now more that are in a buffet style. So they order several dishes and they pay for non-alcoholic drinks.

contributing writer

radition is what Emma Chavez can offer holiday revelers. It’s not just a tossed-off line: The Mexican restaurant she owns near Fifth and Spring streets has been a Downtown fixture for 25 years. Ensenada, which specializes in seafood dishes, adds seasonal touches in decor and menu items to put the office crowd in a party mood. The atmosphere, Chavez said, is the key to having fun, no matter what the budget.

Q: How soon should people start planning a holiday party? A: A good time to plan is at the end of October, right around Halloween. Q: Is austerity still in, or have budgets loosened up somewhat? A: I think budgets are starting to loosen up a little bit, although not yet to the point where they are willing to pay for the liquor. The menu is showing it as well. They are getting more seafood fajitas and ordering beef and other items that cost a bit more.

Los Angeles Downtown News: What sort of trends and themes will be big this year when it comes to holiday parties? Emma Chavez: Live music is a bigger trend now. Also, recently, people have wanted to book the entire place for themselves. They

Q: Should there be some sort of entertainment

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Emma Chavez has been serving Mexican food at Ensenada for 25 years. The key to a successful party, she says, is creating the right atmosphere.

offered at the party, such as music or a show? A: Yes, music is a good idea. We hosted a charter school and they had their own DJ. We also have a group of musicians who come from time to time. Q: If it’s a work event, what do you recommend to make it fun, as opposed to feeling as if it’s an extension of the office? A: One of the things we do is decorating. We have had poinsettias on the table for events so it seems festive. Some people bring decorations. Lighting also is important. We have Christmas lights. We can add wreaths and ornaments to make it feel like they can have private time away from the office. Q: What size crowds do you handle? A: Inside the restaurant we can handle 100,

indoor and outdoor combined. Outside [the restaurant] we have done events for 250 and 300 people. Q: What food items or specialties that you offer would you recommend that anyone have on their holiday party menu? A: We have traditional Mexican tamales, beef and chicken, and we have turkey. It’s not as well known, but in Mexico we have sweet tamales, so we have pineapple and guava tamales, which are usually eaten as a dessert with coffee. Mole is big at holiday times, and our mole is mole poblano, which we make with chicken or turkey. Q: If it’s an office party, should booze be allowed? A: I think if you’re at the office, then no. If it’s see Ensenada, page 25

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September 10, 2012

Downtown News 21

Holiday Parties & Catering

Throw Another Party On the Grill Financial District Restaurant Has Private Rooms, A Gastropub and a VIP Experience

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photo by Gary Leonard

Jacqueline Wakefield, the banquet manager and dining room manager for the Daily Grill, offers two private dining rooms and a comfort food menu for holiday partiers. by Jeff favre contributing writer

he Daily Grill is a popular Financial District space for lunch. It also holds numerous holiday party opportunities. Jacqueline Wakefield, the banquet manager and dining room manager, said it’s easy to get a VIP experience by booking one of the two private dining rooms, each of which seats about 40 people. Once there, instead of buffets, the Daily Grill can offer a full menu and a veteran wait staff. There’s also an in-house gastropub.

Los Angeles Downtown News: What sort of trends and themes will be big this year when it comes to holiday parties? Jacqueline Wakefield: Recently, we’ve had more sit down parties than buffets. I think people honestly enjoy sitting and being served as opposed to getting up and getting in line to get food. Another thing we’ve seen are gift tables, where they take the opportunity of gift giving and turn it into a game. Q: How soon should people start planning a holiday party? A: I think the earlier the better. Around September is a good time. Q: Should there be some sort of entertainment offered at the party such as music or a show? A: At this venue I would say no. Our private dining rooms are next to the main dining room and a lot of our clientele doesn’t like to hear excess noise. The bar is already loud enough as it is without surrounding the dining room with noise on one side and the other. Q: Is austerity still in, or have budgets loosened up somewhat? A: The budgets have gotten much better. Before, we were mostly serving our lower end menu, but lately we are seeing more of the higher end choices being selected. Q: If it’s a work event, what do you recommend to make it fun, as opposed to feeling like an extension of the office? A: Having activities is fun, as long as you don’t force people to join them because there’s always someone who doesn’t want to be part of it. We had a party last year where one of the guys from the office dressed up like Santa Claus and he went around making fun of people. Everyone loved it. Q: What size crowds do you handle? A: The most we’ve done for a private event sit-down dinner is 80. For cocktail receptions I would say no more than 90. You can buy out the entire Grill and have 150, and if you

want you can buy out Public School 612, which is our gastropub, and you can have at least 250 people. We don’t do full service catering out of house. Q: What food items or specialties that you offer would you recommend that anyone have on their holiday party menu? A: We specialize in comfort food at the Daily Grill, so you can have chicken potpie or meatloaf or other items that make you think of family and might be good for a holiday party. Q: If it’s an office party, should booze be allowed? A: I think alcohol should be allowed because it loosens up things. People relax more and they are bound to have a better time with a beverage, and they can talk to people they usually don’t talk to. Q: What can someone expect to spend per person, and what tips do you have for keeping prices down? A: Our sit-down menu starts at about $28 a head. It’s a simple three-course meal with a salad, a choice of chicken or pasta and a dessert. On the $34 menu you start seeing steak and more expensive salad options. We have a $48 menu with a choice of steak options and a fish option, along with a chicken option. If people are really looking to keep the cost down you can do an appetizer reception. Not counting alcohol you could do it for as little as $15 a head. Q: Should the boss be there for the whole party? Or do people have a better time if the man or woman in charge just makes a short appearance? A: It depends on the boss. If your boss is like my boss, who can turn the boss mode off and be friendly and social, then he should be there for the whole party. If your boss is more intimidating then maybe he should make an appearance and then leave. Q: When someone is working with you and planning a party, what should they always keep in mind? A: The budget is important, but it’s also a matter of knowing who you are throwing the party for. You should know, for example, if you have vegetarians coming or if it’s primarily a protein crowd. Whatever your needs we are willing to work with you. I enjoy decorating the rooms and helping you make it fun and memorable. Daily Grill is at 612 S. Flower St., (213) 6224500 or dailygrill.com.

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22 Downtown News

September 10, 2012

Holiday Parties & Catering

40 Fantastic Party Places From Private Rooms to Full Restaurants and Beyond, Downtown Has a Wealth of Choices For the Holiday Bash from 10 a.m.-noon The good news is that Downtown Los Angeles has a wealth of choices. From restaurants that offer private rooms to hotels with huge ballrooms to spaces that exist solely for the purpose of a party, there is something for everyone’s taste and budget. Here is a big, but by no means definitive, list of Downtown choices. Call now. Oviatt Building penthouse — the essence of Art Deco, with a Downtown view Conga Room — the L.A. Live spot with Latin flavor and the best salsa sounds in the city

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e know: The week of Labor Day seems way too early to start thinking about holiday office parties. The weather is warm (sometimes much more than warm) and almost no one has even begun to plan a Halloween costume, much less a December office event. Still, as any party planner worth his or her doilies will tell you, ’tis the season to start making arrangements for the end-of-theyear bash. Procrastinators may not believe it, but now is when the hottest spaces start to fill up. Those who don’t reserve a room soon risk having to go to a third-tier choice later, or worse, having to settle for an incredibly boring party time, like Thursday

September 10, 2012

LoftSEVEN in the Haas Building — a spacious, stylish Seventh Street penthouse

Downtown News 23

Holiday Parties & Catering kings behind Mendocino Farms. Pair with inventive drinks

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Border Grill — Two Hot Tamales cuisine and a festive décor

City Club on Bunker Hill — luxurious accommodations on the 54th floor. Seats up to 400

Maddalena Restaurant at San Antonio Winery — Italian food under a barrel-shaped ceiling, steps from a working winery

Millennium Biltmore Hotel — host a few dozen or a few hundred of your closest friends

Drago Centro—some of the best Italian food in the city, with a massive wine list and an assortment of private rooms

AT&T Center Penthouse — drop-dead views on the 32nd floor of an office tower with grub from from Joachim Splichal’s Patina Catering

Mo-Chica — sample Downtown’s new Peru review in a vibrant Seventh Street space

Library Bar — sip smart drinks while surrounded by leatherbound books

Hotel Figueroa — Moroccan flavor and plenty of indoor and outdoor choices, including one with a coffin-shaped pool

Los Angeles Athletic Club — historic Downtown building does events from 10 to 700 people

Phoenix Inn — a Chinatown staple with a private room, addictive honey walnut shrimp and more

Luxe City Center — a former Holiday Inn has upgraded events facilities for up to 250 people

Alexandria Ballrooms — old L.A. elegance with a full bar and commercial kitchen at Fifth and Spring

Farmers & Merchants Bank — throw a big party at ground

The Gorbals — Downtown’s only Jewish-Scottish menu. Try Ilan Hall’s bacon-wrapped matzo balls Center at Cathedral Plaza — the headquarters of L.A.’s Catholic community also hosts private events, and is run by Levy Restaurants Noé Restaurant and Bar — chic restaurant in the Omni Hotel has inventive cuisine and room for 125

L.A. Center Studios — party where they make movies and film “Mad Men.” There’s also a private theater Grand Park — rent a chunk of Downtown’s new park, a green expanse with fountains and pink furniture Traxx — modern cuisine in Union Station, with a choice of indoor and patio seating Church and State — a fabulous French bistro in the Arts District. Party while eating escargots Lucky Strike Lanes and Lounge — who doesn’t like bowling and drinks? There are private rooms and even a semi-private bowling suite with four lanes Vibiana — where red carpets meet a repurposed Catholic church The Palm — big lobsters, bigger steaks and plenty of private spaces The Majestic Halls at SB Main — a sprawling old bank lobby with old Downtown charm Mas Malo — killer margaritas, Mexican food and several private spaces Bottle Rock — more wine choices than you can ponder, plus tasty snacks and an easy location near L.A. Live Marmivon — sharp hipster aesthetic in a transformed car showroom in Chinatown

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Belasco Theatre — a renovated South Park theater, with two modern bar spaces and a top-notch sound system The Edison — a bash in a former boiler room that looks like no other place in L.A. Try the artisanal cocktails Downtown Independent — screen a film and follow it with drinks and food in the lobby or on the roof Natural History Museum — dance and mingle under dinosaur bones in Exposition Park L.A. Live — there are small spaces, huge spaces and food from the Wolfgang Puck empire First and Hope — room for up to 400 people, with inventive cocktails and staff with some of the best outfits in Downtown O Hotel — a boutique establishment where the party choices include the Red Room and the amazingly named Mafia Room Elevate Lounge — a sleek Financial District penthouse 21 floors up, with a dance floor Blue Cow — a Bunker Hill sit-down space from the sandwich

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Why not surround your guests with breathtaking downtown panaramas from high atop AT&T Center? AT&T Center offers a host of locations within the center for a wide variety of events. The Penthouse Tower Suites light up the nighttime sky in Downtown Los Angeles. The stunning 32nd floor provides some of the most spectacular skyline views in Los Angeles and is a perfect location to hold a large scale gala or a holiday party. The 30th floor features sweeping panoramic views with state-of-the-art video and audio systems for your next corporate meeting or seminar. The AT&T Theatre offers a 500-seat theatre fully equipped with the latest lighting and sound equipment and is an ideal venue for seminars, filming, musical events, theatrical performances and film festivals. All venues catered by the nation’s highly acclaimed Patina Catering. We’re in the heart of the action just moments from Staples Center, LA Live and the Convention Center. Contact LBA Realty at 213.741.7400.

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Downtown Los Angeles

24 Downtown News

Holiday Parties & Catering

September 10, 2012

Downtown News 25

Holiday Parties & Catering

Hilton Checkers Ensenada Continued from page 16 Q: What food items or specialties that you offer would you recommend that anyone have on their holiday party menu? A: Comfort foods are really popular. We have been doing more of a tasting menu instead of a salad, a main course and a dessert. Last year we did a short rib potpie that was a comfort food, and we did a pumpkin soup for a starter. Q: What can someone expect to spend per person, and what tips do you have for keeping prices down? A: Typically, it’s about $65-$75 for an event. One way to control the cost is avoiding the sit down dinner and doing the high end lunches or breakfasts. Also, with breakfast alcohol isn’t expected, or with lunch it’s maybe a glass of wine or two, so you save there.

Continued from page 20 at a restaurant, then yes. We can control more what people can drink and we can stop them from going home drunk, but at an office event the sky is the limit. Q: Should the boss be there for the whole party? Or do people have a better time if the man or woman in charge just makes a short appearance? A: I think the boss should be there for the whole party. It’s a time of coming together and giving thanks to the employees as much as it is enjoying the holidays. It’s also an opportunity to thank people for their hard work. We hosted a holiday party where they awarded certificates of appreciation, and I could tell it made the employees feel good.

Q: What can someone expect to spend per person, and what tips do you have for keeping prices down? A: The average per person depends on what’s on the menu, but it’s usually between $14 and $18. What we do to keep the cost lower is we don’t have to serve chips and salsa, or soup of the day. You can skip either of those or both and focus on the main menu. Q: When someone is working with you and planning a party, what should they always keep in mind? A: The budget is the most important thing. We can work with them within their budget. We are very flexible. Also, get a very good head count because you want to be served the way you should be and we need to know how many people we are serving. Ensenada Restaurant & Bar is at 517 S. Spring St., (213) 4892950 or ensenadarestaurant.net.

Q: Should the boss be there for the whole party? Or do people have a better time if the man or woman in charge just makes a short appearance? A: The boss should be there the entire time. I think they need to be there, not just your boss, but also the entire executive committee for a company, because you get to see them from a different perspective. It’s more casual. Q: When someone is working with you and planning a party, what should they always keep in mind? A: The budget. That is the one thing that is so important because so many committees that put together the holiday parties are not sure what the budget is. What happens is people have grand ideas of what they want and you tell them how much it will cost and they can become dejected and they lose excitement. If you tell us what you can spend and what your realistic expectations are, we can work with you. Hilton Checkers is at 535 S. Grand Ave., (213) 6240000 or hiltoncheckers.com.

Café Pinot Continued from page 18 Q: Should the boss be there for the whole party? Or do people have a better time if the man or woman in charge just makes a short appearance? A: I think people do want to have the opportunity to mingle with the boss in a social setting. Everybody wants to have that opportunity to have their boss see them in a different light and to have their boss be a little bit more relaxed. But I think people let their hair down more and relax once the boss is gone. Q: When someone is working with you and planning a party, what should they always keep in mind? A: When you are trying to plan a party the most important thing to know is the date, the guest count and the budget. Once we have those three items it’s easy to build from there, and to offer as many options as possible. For huge events it’s best not to over-complicate the menu. For smaller events we can have a little bit more fun. We can work with whatever the price range is. We can make it as exciting as they want. It doesn’t have to be the most expensive event in the world to make it great. Café Pinot is at 750 W. Fifth St., (213) 239-6500 or patinagroup.com

448 south hill st., la ca 90013 Wendy Parker, director of special events & marketing direct: 213-802-1770 ext.3 photo by Gary Leonard

Outdoor dining at Café Pinot.

cell: 818-209-3405

wendy@perchla.com

26 Downtown News

September 10, 2012

Twitter/DowntownNews

HEALTH Hope for Recovery National Recovery Month Event in Downtown Aims to Raise Awareness by RichaRd Guzmán city editoR

ental health and substance abuse issues are often avoided, or when addressed, they are routinely seen as problems in which the person suffering is blamed. A Downtown group is looking to change that thinking. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has declared September National Recovery Month. With the message that recovery in all forms is possible, the month will feature nearly 700 community events throughout the nation. It’s an important message too. According to SAMHSA, last year approximately 20 million people who needed substance abuse treatment did not receive it and an estimated 10.6 million adults reported an unmet need for mental health care. In Downtown, the Total Family Support Clinic, located at 830 S. Olive St., will hold a Friday, Sept. 14, Carnival Games Fundraiser. The event, which is open to the public at Grand Hope Park, runs from 1-4 p.m. The 10-year-old operation runs two other centers in the San Fernando Valley and Long Beach. The clinic provides outpatient drug and mental health treatment to thousands of adults and young people. Brenda Hernandez, the director of program development for the clinic, spoke to Los Angeles Downtown News about the event and their mission.

recovery at all levels is possible. Agencies like ours are here to help individuals and we do help a lot of individuals in Downtown recover. Q: What’s going to be happening that day? A: It’ll be a carnival games fundraiser. There will be a number of booths and games. A representative for Councilman Richard Alarcon will be there to award us with a proclamation. Q: So what does your organization do? A: We are a nonprofit community based agency. We provide a multitude of services, but we specialize in substance abuse treatment and we treat anyone over the age of 12. We treat quite a bit of comorbid individuals. These are individuals who have mental illness combined with substance abuse issues. We also work with a lot of schools and provide [students] with treatments like behavioral health treatment to help them graduate high school. Q: How do comorbid individuals get to that stage? A: These are a lot of the homeless individuals you see. They have mental illness and they self treat their symptoms with drugs. That’s how they develop their addictions. Q: What kind of mental illnesses are you treating? A: A lot of schizophrenia, a lot of dementia, a lot of depression.

Los Angeles Downtown News: What is the purpose of National Recovery Month? Brenda Hernandez: It’s in honor of those individuals who are in recovery. We recognize it’s a huge accomplishment for them and we want to recognize that and their hard work and dedication to sobriety.

Q: How do you find your younger clients? A: We have a contract with LAUSD. The schools contact us and say we have this individual who we’re either going to kick out or he needs to correct his behavior. So we provide them with treatment so they can stay in school. They get selfesteem building, learn decision-making skills and how to deal with peer pressure.

Q: What are you hoping to accomplish with the event in Downtown? A: We want to raise awareness and let people know that

Q: What kind of issues are you seeing in younger clients? A: A lot of drug use, mostly marijuana. A lot of them come from single parent homes. All are on Medical so a lot of them

photo courtesy of Brenda Hernandez

Brenda Hernandez of Total Family Support Clinic is marking National Recovery Month with a carnival games fundraiser at Grand Hope Park on Friday, Sept. 14.

are underserved. We provide individual counseling, parenting classes for the parents, group counseling and we also have a weekly food bank. We feed around 1,700 families per month throughout our organization. Q: How long has your organization been in Downtown? A: We’ve been here for about three years, but we’ve been around since 2002. We moved Downtown to serve the need here. We realized this area was in need of outpatient substance abuse treatment. Q: Does age make a difference in treatment? A: The younger clients are more difficult to engage. They have a lot of peer pressure so it’s harder to get them engaged in treatment. Q: What’s your future in Downtown? A: Our agency is growing. I think we are outgrowing this facility so we are going to be looking for something bigger here in Downtown. The Carnival Games Fundraiser is Friday, Sept. 14, 1-4 p.m. at Grand Hope Park at Ninth and Hope Streets. Additional information is at totalfamilysupport.org. Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

Social Networks and Healthy Behavior USC Study Looks at the Science of Influence by alison tRinidad

ost people call it the “art” of persuasion, but USC public health researchers are trying to pinpoint the “science” behind social influence. They hope a better understanding of human interactions — both face-to-face and

online — can help prevent disease and promote general health. Whether the goal is to curb smoking at a local school or to reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases within a community, it is important to understand the social structure of the group and the dynamics of

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influence at play, says Thomas W. Valente, a professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. “If I want to go into a high school and change physical activity or other obesity behaviors, I have to understand there are cliques and subgroups of students that exhibit different risks,” Valente said. “I would design different interventions for the different groups. We constantly are concerned about how ineffective our interventions are — this is a big reason why those interventions are not working. We can do a much better job promoting healthy behaviors if we understand the social network contexts and design these interventions with those cues in mind.” Valente, whose research focuses on social networks and influence, has compiled a collection of methods that public health advo-

cates use to stimulate changes in behavior. He explains why certain methods may be more effective than others in particular situations. The analysis appears in a July issue of the journal Science. Due to the large number of interventions available to researchers — Valente identifies 24, each with at least several variations — the researcher says a more robust framework is needed for deciding which tactics are best used in particular settings. Word-of-mouth interventions, for example, depend on the social network to succeed. In some cases, word of mouth is used to spread the word and in other cases to create groups of like-minded friends. “Existing evidence indicates that network interventions are quite effective,” Valente writes. “Yet, the science of how networks can be used to accelerate behavior change and improve organizational performance is still in its infancy. Research is clearly needed to compare different network interventions to determine which are optimal under what circumstances.” Article copyright USC HSC Weekly.

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Downtown News 27

Health

creators.com photo courtesy of Envirosax

Water, Water, Everywhere Experts Remind That Hydration Is Important to Overall Health by Sharon Naylor

ater is essential to nearly every function of the human body. It regulates our temperature, cushions and protects vital organs, aids in digestion and acts within each cell to transport nutrients and dispel waste. According to the American Council on Exercise, water constitutes 75% of muscle tissue and 10% of essential fatty tissue, contributing to good health and strength. Since the brain is 75% water, being moderately dehydrated causes headaches, dizziness and, according to some reports, mental fogginess. Water is also required for healthy lung function, moistening oxygen so that you can breathe better. The International Bottled Water Association says that adequate hydration helps convert food into energy and cushions joints. The nutrition site HealthyCrush.com points to good hydration for healthier skin, hair and nails. Headache and feelings of thirst are often the first signs that your water levels are too low. Other signs include: dry mouth; sleepiness or fatigue; extreme thirst; confusion; feeling dizzy or lightheaded; no tears when crying; little or no urine or urine that is darker than usual. When it’s hot outside or when you are exercising, have a fever or are ill with vomiting or diarrhea, your rates of dehydration increase, and you must take extra steps to replenish water lost through these extreme conditions. On an everyday basis, you lose water simply by normal perspiration, going to the bathroom and even breathing. When you don’t replenish your body’s water content, dehydration sets in. How Much Do You Need? Several medical studies have challenged the old formula of drinking eight glasses of water a day, totaling 64 ounces. According to the American Council on Exercise, a healthy woman should aim for 2.7 liters of water per day, and a healthy man should aim for 3.7 liters, through both beverage and food sources. It’s best, however, to consult with your doctor or licensed nutritionist to assess your own body’s hydration needs. Some medical conditions require intake of more or less water. For instance, according to the American Council on Exercise, those with bladder infections or kidney stones may be advised to drink more water to aid in flushing out toxins and obstructions. If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, your physician or nutritionist can advise you on ideal water intake for your weight, body temperature and fitness levels. Water is the best option for hydrating the body. Juices that are 100% fruit, milk and herbal teas also help hydrate you, but be sure to avoid juices with high sugar content. Caffeinated drinks, such as coffee, tea and soda, contribute to water intake in moderation. But be careful: Overdoing it with caffeinated beverages can actually dehydrate you, since such drinks often act as diuretics. Low-sugar sports drinks can provide hydration, electrolytes and carbohydrates to prevent low blood sugar. But the American Council on Exercise suggests checking the serving size of a sports drink bottle, as one bottle may contain several servings, caffeine or high levels of sodium. Eating for Hydration According to the International Bottled Water Association, 80% of hydration usually comes from beverages, and 20% comes from the food you eat. Fruits, vegetables and brothbased soups perform wonderfully in the delivery of water to your system. To better hydrate yourself, add to your diet more foods with higher water content. According to the American Dietetic Association, these foods have high levels of water content: n Lettuce (1 1/2 cups): 95% water n Watermelon (1 1/2 cups): 92% n Broccoli (1 1/2 cups): 91% n Grapefruit (1 1/2 cups): 91% n Milk (1 cup): 89% n Orange (3/4 cup): 88% n Carrot (1 1/2 cups): 87% n Yogurt (1 cup): 85% n Apple (medium size): 84% HealthyCrush.com’s list of hydrating, healthy foods features grapes, peaches, tomatoes, berries, watermelon, lettuce, celery, pineapple, cucumber, pears, peppers and cantaloupe. While water is recommended for all the reasons mentioned above, experts caution not to overdo it. Drinking too much water can cause a potentially deadly condition known as hyponatremia, a water intoxication that can shut down your organs. Physicians advise dividing up the amount of water you need each day rather than drinking it all at once, and drinking before, during and after workouts. Article copyright 2012 creators.com.

In addition to quenching thirst, water regulates our temperature, cushions and protects vital organs and aids in digestion.

The race isn’t over until there’s a cure. Last year, 28,000 men died from prostate cancer and more than 241,700 new cases were diagnosed. Today, 2.5 million live with the disease.

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Fight On.

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September 10, 2012

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CALENDAR photo courtesy Stan Lee’s Comikaze

Stan Lee and Cassandra Peterson (left; not in her Elvira get-up) partnered with Regina Carpinelli for the second Comikaze event. It fills the Convention Center Sept. 15-16.

Zombies and COMICS To Invade SouTh Park

It’s Not Yet Comic-Com, but Comikaze, With a Boost From Stan Lee, Is Ready for Its Close-Up by Jeff favre contributing writer

rowing up an avid comic book, anime and superhero fan in Temecula, there was an image that always stuck with Regina Carpinelli. In the campy 1966 film Batman: The Movie, the bad guys joined forces to create the United Underworld. Their emblem was an octopus with its tentacles wrapped around the earth and the slogan “Today Gotham City — Tomorrow the World.” Anyone familiar with the United Underworld logo will see a striking resemblance to the globe-hugging octopus on the posters and advertising strewn around Downtown announcing the arrival of Stan Lee’s Comikaze. The comic, anime, sci-fi and horror expo was founded by Carpinelli and her brothers, Mario and Fabiano. After last year’s inaugural event, Comikaze returns to the Los Angeles Convention Center Sat.-Sun., Sept. 15-16. If it’s not yet in the pantheon of San Diego’s famed Comic-Con, it is growing, thanks to partnerships this year with comic icon Lee and Cassandra Peterson, the actress known for her gothy Elvira character. The expo features dozens of exhibitors, gaming contests and a survival course called the Comikaze Zombie Apocalypse. Guest appearances include Adam West and Burt Ward, better known as the caped crusader and the boy wonder from the original Batman TV series and movie that helped turn Carpinelli into a self-proclaimed comic book nerd. “Those ‘Batman’ reruns came on all the time,” said the 30-year-old Carpinelli. “Last year we tried to get Adam West and Burt Ward, but they were way out of our budget. We did so well last year that this year they contacted us and said they’d like to come. This could not be more fun for us.” s.com or Carpinelli got hooked on the comics co world decades ntownNewago, rner at Dow nd ha ht t rig r rms/maillis in the uppeattending andE-Nshe brothers Comic-Con when m/fo S her symbolbegan EWand ownnews.co Look for this ww.ladownt w P U N sheSIG was 12. She said they were sparked to create their own event when, in 2010, they couldn’t get into the San Diego event because it was sold out. As children Carpinelli and her brothers had helped their parents, who were Latin music promoters, stage events. So they took that experience and their life’s savings, about $10,000, and approached the Convention Center. The Downtown Los Angeles venue had just lost a long-shot bid to lure Comic-Con away from San Diego and officials, she said, were receptive to a similar event. She knew she had a hit when the doors opened for the first

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Comikaze (Lee’s name wasn’t yet in the title) last November. “The night before the show we were expecting about 5,000 people,” she said. “We showed up and there were 35,000 people. We had a staff of 10. We had printed 5,000 programs. They were gone in 10 minutes.” In-House Museum With the first event a success, Comikaze was in growth mode. In April, officials announced the partnership with Lee and the name change. Although recognition of the gathering is spreading, prices remain relatively low, with one day passes at $20 and weekend entrance $30. Another partner is Peterson, who will bring fans of her kitschy, famously busty character into the mix. In an email interview, Peterson said she was persuaded to become a partner after attending last year’s show.

ing Comic-Con. She noted that instead of just a signing booth, there will be a pop-up store and an Elvira Museum with items including her red sofa and her Macabre Mobile. While Peterson’s character may have peaked in popularity decades ago, another element of Comikaze focuses on something currently in vogue for horror and comics fans — zombies, as seen in vehicles such as the AMC network series “The Walking Dead.” The Comikaze Zombie Apocalypse will be housed in a 75,000-square-foot space next to the gathering. For $30 (separate from regular admission), entrants can be chased by the bloodied living dead through an obstacle course. Those who pay $75-$150 get to play the role of zombie, thanks to some special effects makeup. While zombie chasing, gaming and special guests are draws for Comikaze, perhaps the biggest component is its exhibitor booths. Artists and dealers get a chance to mingle and sell wares to their fans. Among those participating is Michelle Romo, whose work until about a year ago was featured at The Hive Gallery & Studios on Spring Street. She will exhibit her line, Crowded Teeth, which features characters reproduced on a variety of products from handbags to T-shirts. Romo knew Carpinelli back in high school, and the girls bonded over a love of anime. When Romo heard about the first Comikaze, she thought it might be Los Angeles’ answer to Comic-Con. She helped her friend’s cause by drawing the globe-grabbing octopus logo. The self-taught illustrator also sold her wares at the expo last year and made new fans. “What I like about Comikaze is that it has a homegrown feeling,” she said. “Other shows feel too big and corporate. At this one you talk to your booth neighbors and the fans are rephoto by Jason Betrue ally nice.” Artist Michelle Romo, who used to have studio space in the HistoricStarts Sept. 7 It’s that bond with fans that Carpinelli believes separates Core, will showcase her wares at one of the dozens of booths at the event. Comikaze from the other expos. She notes that kids under 12 “To be honest, I had my doubts about a first year show, get in for free. especially in the Los Angeles market,” wrote the 60-year-old Carpinelli hopes that her grassroots philosophies and ideas Peterson, who debuted as a TV horror-movie hostess in 1981. will translate as Comikaze expands. “Comic book, sci-fi/pop culture shows are not easy to put on, “It’s like the United Underground from the Batman movand there are many lessons to be learned in the first year. In ie,” she said, “Today Los Angeles — tomorrow the world. the end, I showed up and was very impressed with the show, Only we’re not the bad guys. We like to do good things and Check Our Website fortheFull Movie ListingsandLADowntownNews.com how professionally it was run, number of attendees to be nice.” the caliber of others involved.” Comikaze is Sat.-Sun., Sept. 15-16, at the Los Angeles Another selling point for Peterson was the way Carpinelli Convention Center, Tom Bradley Hall, 1201 S. Figueroa St. and her team tried to be unique, as opposed to simply copy- Tickets and information at comikazeexpo.com.

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‘A Good Event Is When Our Eyes And Minds Are Opened’ As the Central Library’s Aloud Series Turns 20, Curator Louise Steinman Looks at the Past and the New Season as told to Jon RegaRdie executive editoR

“

his is the 20th year of Aloud. It’s also the Library Foundation’s 20th anniversary. Shocking, isn’t it? “The person who hired me was Library Foundation Executive Director Evelyn Hoffman. The director of the Library Commission was Gary Ross, the film director. He had a vision that the library should have a public program of national stature. It was not an idea that came easily, because no one knew what it would look like. I credit him with giving me that mandate. That was a good thing. “When we first started it was not a sure thing that we could get people to come Downtown. That was almost dicey. I remember days of running around the library trying to get people to come. We had to figure out the right time. It took a while to get it down, but we got it together and the audience got it together. As the Downtown community has come of age Aloud has come of age with it. In that sense it feels very rooted here. “There have been a lot of memorable moments: Patti Smith playing an impromptu acoustic set on the library stage; Jules Feiffer taking me for Scotch at the Biltmore Bar in the middle of the day. I thought I’d died and

gone to heaven; meeting W.G. Sebald, a great man, just months before he died in a car crash; walking Downtown L.A. streets with Nobel Prize-winner Orhan Pamuk; seeing Bernard-Henri Levy, the great French intellectual, impressed and even flummoxed by a high school student’s insightful question during an Aloud Q&A. “I’ve always wanted to present the writer/ critic John Berger, but he lives in a village in the Pyrenees and doesn’t fly on airplanes. “A good event is when the audience is engaged, when people leave with new knowledge, when our eyes and minds are opened. We had a night with Jane Hirshfield, the poet, and Sean Carroll, a cosmologist — I loved the juxtaposition because they were looking at the nature of perception in their fields. People came to hear the physicist and ended up buying a book of poetry. “When trying to schedule a season, we’re looking for a balance of genres, people from afar and from L.A., with programs in the sciences, humanities and politics — lots to chew on. I have a wonderful associate director, Maureen Moore, who has a different skill set than me. She brings a different focus to it. We want to bring people in for the first time and yes, we want big names that will

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anchor the series and please our donors. “This is not supported by the city of L.A. We have to raise money for it. People support the library because they love and believe in the library, and they support the series. “I’m looking forward to all of the events this season. I’m rephoto by Gary Leonard ally looking forward to [science Louise Steinman, who has helmed the Aloud series since it fiction writer] Ursula Le Guin was founded 20 years ago, has rubbed shoulder with figures again; it’s great to have her back. including Patti Smith, W.G. Sebald and Orhan Pamuk. The I’m really looking forward to Lisa new season starts Friday, Sept. 14, at the Central Library’s Randall, another great physicist Mark Taper Auditorium. who is coming in November. There’s the wonderful Eboo Patel, the found“One reason Aloud events fill up earlier er of the Interfaith Youth Core. He was on than in the past is we encourage people to Obama’s interfaith task force. He’s a real become members of the Library Foundation force for interfaith tolerance. There’s also and support the series, and we give advance this interesting guy, François Bizot, the only notice to our members. They get first crack at Westerner to survive imprisonment by the making reservations. Khmer Rouge. I saw he had a book and won“Looking back, I’m very proud of Los dered if they would send him from France, Angeles, proud that Aloud and the Los and they are. Angeles Public Library are clearly integral to “And of course our chefs. We’re really excit- the lives of so many. I think about my pared about having Ludo Lefebvre and Roy Choi. ents and wish they were alive so they could “Everyone is on their devices and commu- enjoy it. Now they’d even be able to take the nicates in these mediated ways now, and the Metro from Culver City.” hunger for the face to face contact and meetAloud is at the Central Library, 630 W. Fifth ing the sources, the people who are generat- St. Reservations and a full schedule at lfla.org. ing this work, is greater than ever. We need Contact Jon Regardie at these places to come together. regardie@downtownnews.com.

30 Downtown News

Friday, sepTember 14 Alexis Rochas and Eric Owen Moss at SCI-Arc SCI-Arc Library Gallery, 960 E. Third St., (213) 6132200 or sciarc.edu. 7 p.m.: The school hosts a discussion with the creators of STEREO.BOT, the largest customized structure in the U.S. featuring interactive 3D projection mapping content built for the Coachella festival. Huh? Robert Hass at ALOUD Mark Taper Auditorium, Central Library, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7500 or lfla.org. 7 p.m.: Hass, a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and former U.S. Poet Laureate, is also a luminous essayist. He’ll drop some rhymes and have a discussion with poet Carol Muske-Dukes. saTurday, sepTember 15 Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo LA Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa St., (213) 741-1151 or comikazeexpo.com. Sept. 15-16, 10 a.m.: Marvel main man Stan Lee hosts a comic book convention of epic proportions, complete with a zombie apocalypse playground. See story p. 28.

ROCK, POP & JAZZ Blue Whale 123 Astronaut E. S. Onizuka St., (213) 620-0908 or bluewhalemusic.com. Sept. 10: Gonzalo Bergara. Sept. 11: Alan Ferber Expanded Ensemble. Sept. 12: Brian Havey Trio. Sept. 13-14: Christian Scott Quintet. Sept. 15: Young Arts Competition Finalist Bootleg Bar 2220 Beverly Blvd., (213) 389-3856 or bootlegtheater.org. Sept. 10, 8 p.m.: Kitten’s electro pop sleaze jams are back again. Everyone loves kittens. Sept. 12, 8 p.m.: She Keeps Bees sounds like Matt and Kim would sound if they were sober, respectable and into apiculture. Sept. 13, 8 p.m.: Robert Francis takes his music very seriously. Sept. 14, 9 p.m.: The surf rock nostalgia craze has finally spread to Virginia from whence the good kids in Eternal Summers spring forth. Sept. 15, 8 p.m.: A slick electro explosion of groovy styles and danceable licks is the indisputable calling card of The Seshen.

Asphalt Makes You Dance, Aziz Makes You Laugh, And More Downtown Fun by Dan Johnson, listings eDitor | calendar@downtownnews.com

photo by Stephanie Berger

With the suddenness of a flash mob, the cacophonous folks in Asphalt Orchestra plan to take over Downtown on Friday, Sept. 14. The New Yorkbased ensemble plays a smattering of jazz, contemporary rock and funky rhythms in what sounds like a marching band straight out of Mad Max. Starting at noon at Bank of America Plaza (333 S. Hope St.), the Asphalters will meander through some of Downtown’s business properties, looking for an audience and generally subverting the sonic environment. They’ll also be raising a racket at 601 S. Figueroa St. at 12:25 p.m. and will round out the day at FIGat7th at 12:45 p.m. Find out more at artsbrookfield.com/losangeles.

TWO

They don’t make them much funnier than Aziz Ansari. The former cast member of the short-lived and provocative MTV sketch show “Human Giant” and current “Parks and Recreation” cornerstone, Ansari is one of the most exciting mainstream stand-up comics on the scene today. On Thursday-Friday, Sept. 13-14, he’ll take up a mini-residency at the Orpheum Theatre on Broadway. Tickets are still available, but be sure to grab them quick before you lose your chance to ask Ansari what the hardest part of roller blading is. At 842 S. Broadway, (877) 677-4386 or laorpheum.com. Boy, a lot has changed since Mean Girls came out in 2004. Regina George is a respected actress, Cady Heron is a convicted felon and Ms. Norbury is a monumental figure at NBC. If you think those changes are big, wait til’ you hear about the folks in 10 Things I Hate About You. Cameron James is Batman’s sidekick, Joey Donnor is no longer modeling underwear and rebel Patrick Verona is, sadly, deceased. What does this have to do with all the milk money in Downtown? Well, on Friday, Sept. 14, the Downtown Independent screens them for the latest installment of the Double Feature Drink-Along. The show starts at 7 p.m. at 251 S. Main St., (213) 617-1033 or downtownindependent. com.

Who is Jeff Lynne? The enigmatic cult of personality that helmed the ’70s British prog rock outfit Electric Light Orchestra is the subject of a night of discussion, conjecture and expository film making at the Grammy Museum. On Wednesday, Sept. 12, the documentary Mr. Blue Sky: The Story of Jeff Lynne and E.L.O. will attempt to expose once and for all the man behind classics such as “Don’t Bring Me Down” and “Evil Woman.” In case the film isn’t sufficiently enlightening, Lynne himself will submit to a follow-up Q&A. At 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 7656800 or grammymuseum.org.

For many, Jonathan Demme’s classic Silence of the Lambs is a roadmap of the macabre sensibility inherent in the American psyche. Still others found the film a wonderful entree into the world of sewing, earthen home redecoration and moth keeping. Now, there’s something new. Running through Oct. 7 at the Hayworth Theatre is the just-opened Silence! The musical (yes, musical) is a comic interpretation of poor Clarisse’s awful first week at the FBI. The dark comedy stays true to the original with a wickedly subversive bent. By the way, David Gaines, who played the title role in Phantom of the Opera more than 2,000 times, has the plum position as Hannibal Lecter. At 2511 Wilshire Blvd., (310) 2378647 or thehayworth.com.

photo by Michael Lamont

Thursday, sepTember 13 Mindshare LA Salon Salvage, 717 W. Seventh St. or mindshare.la. 7 p.m.: Art projects, apocalyptic resonance and new community values as they appear at the annual Burning Man Festival in Nevada are explored and enjoyed with a nice pint of beer.

T H E D O N’T M I S S L I S T

photo courtesy Orpheum Theatre

SPONSORED LISTINGS Autumn Lights L.A. 2012 Pershing Square, 532 S. Olive St., (213) 2478800, autumnlightsla.com, facebook.com/autumnlightsla or twittter.com/autumnlightsla Sept. 22, 6 p.m.-1 a.m.: Autumn Lights L.A. is a multi-media light art spectacle now in its eighth year. Experience interactive light art, installations, performances, projections, live music and more. All lights by local and international artists. Live feed will be available. Stay tuned on Facebook and Twitter. Bands include Killsonic, We Funk, Ruby Friedman Orchestra, Easter Conference Champions ECC and Kings of Spade. Bring your dog for the Glo Dog Pet Parade sponsored by Pussy & Pooch. Dog trainer Tamara Clark will provide a free training lesson in managing your dog at public events and through crowds. Meet-up at 8:30 p.m. at the Pershing Square dog run. Complimentary glo pet collars provided. Under the Sheet Music Film Series Pershing Square, 532 S. Olive St., (213) 8474970 or laparks.org/pershingsquare. Sept. 14, 8 p.m.: From the fringe of contemporary music comes Scott Walker 30 Century Man. Connected Fashion Festival LAZ Parking Lot, Ninth and Hope streets, Connectedfest.com. Sept. 15, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.: Connected is a oneof-a-kind fashion pop-up sale and block party. Pick through top-notch fashions, listen to live bands and engage in family friendly activities. There will be food on hand, and a food drive to benefit local charities. Music starts at 1 p.m.

photo by Tatiana Tensen

EVENTS

September 10, 2012

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September 10, 2012

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.

upertenor Plácido Domingo has had a lot of highlights over his long career. Now, add another to the list. On Saturday, Sept. 15, Domingo takes the stage at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in his 140th role. He’ll be playing Francesco Foscari in Verdi’s rarely seen The Two Foscari. How rare is rare? According to L.A. Opera, this is the first major U.S. staging of the show in 40 years. This month also marks the approximate 45th anniversary of Domingo’s first Los Angeles appearance (he was in a New York City Opera touring production of Don Rodrigo in November 1967), and the release of his Il Postino DVD and Songs CD. L.A. Opera celebrated all things Plácido with a lunch on Wednesday, Sept. 5. The Two Foscari runs through Oct. 9. L.A. Opera is at 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-8001 or laopera.com.

4 WEB: LADowntownNews.com/calendar 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.

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Downtown Independent 251 S. Main St., (213) 617-1033 or downtownindependent.com. Sept. 14, 7 p.m.: Double Feature Drink-Along fuses the high school worlds of 10 Things I Hate About You and Mean Girls. Sept. 15, 7 p.m.: With Great Power, The Stan Lee Story explores the vivid life and imagination of Stan Lee, the 89-year-old comic book legend who co-created over 500 pop culture characters including Spider-Man, X-Men, Iron Man, Thor and The Hulk. IMAX California Science Center, 700 State Drive, (213) 7442019 or californiasciencecenter.org. Explore the remnants and wisdom of an ancient empire in Mysteries of Egypt. Ice and polar bear enthusiasts will likely dig To the Arctic 3D. Experience the gripping story full of hope, crushing disappointment and triumph in Hubble 3D. Regal Cinemas LA Live 1000 W. Olympic Blvd., (877) 835-5734 or lalive.com. Through September 13: The Cold Light of Day (12, 2:30, 5, 7:30 and 9:50 p.m.); The Words (11:50 a.m. and 1:40, 2:30, 4:20, 5:10, 7, 7:50, 9:40 and 10:30 p.m.); The Possession (12:10, 1:50, 2:50, 4:30, 5:20, 7;10, 8, 9:40 and 10:40 p.m.); Lawless (1:30, 4:20, 7:20 and 10:10 p.m.); Premium Rush (12:20, 2:40, 5, 7:40 and 10:20 p.m.); Hit and Run (1:30 and 3:50 p.m.); The Expendables (11:40 a.m. and 2:10, 4:50, 7:30 and 10:10 p.m.); ParaNorman (11:50 a.m. and 2:10, 4:30, 6:50 and 9:30 p.m.); The Bourne Legacy (12:20, 3:40, 7 and 10:20 p.m.); The Campaign (12:40, 3, 5:20, 7:40 and 10 p.m.); The Dark Knight Rises (11:30 a.m. and 3, 6:30 and 10 p.m.).

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515 W. Seventh St., (213) 614-0737 or sevengrand.la. Sept. 10: Katisse Buckingham and his quartet are back for some flute vengeance. Sept. 11: The Makers. Yeah baby, The Makers. Sept. 12, 10 p.m.: The Vibrometers bring new meaning to the phrase “play that funky music white boy.” The Smell 247 S. Main St., alley between Spring and Main streets, thesmell.org. Sept. 13: DJ David Scott Stone and DJ Dane Josiah. Sept. 14: Fell to Low, The Action Index, Char-Man and Heavy Air. Sept. 15: Luna Is Honey, Michael Nhat, Bastidas and Brannigan’s Law.

Sept. 16, 7 p.m.: Portland based acoustic, folkinspired, introspective artist Casey Neill requires no further introduction. Broadway Bar 830 S. Broadway, (213) 614-9909 or broadwaybar.la. Sept. 13, 10 p.m.: As always, HM Soundsystem’s Broader Than Broadway is the most entertaining electronic music on Thursday nights within close proximity to both Two Boots Pizza and Tacos Mexico. Casey’s Irish Pub 613 S. Grand Ave., (213) 629-2353 or bigcaseys.com. Sept. 14, 10 p.m.: Bouncy acoustic from The Middle Initials. Sept. 15, 10 p.m.: If you haven’t already embraced the shaggy-put on and feel-good hard rock vibe of the Janks, go ahead and treat yourself. Club Nokia 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-7000 or clubnokia.com. Sept. 14, 8 p.m.: Bauhaus veteran Peter Murphy performs in the official Comikaze Kickoff hosted by Stan Lee. Go ahead and scream “Bela Lugosi’s Dead.” Sept. 15, 8 p.m.: The vocals of Stephanie Mills are on display. Escondite 410 Boyd Street, (213) 626-1800 or theescondite.com. Sept. 10, 9 p.m.: The Get Down Boys and Ben Powell. Sept. 11, 10 p.m.: Downtown mainstay Bunny West breaks it down before Boom Boom Boom. Sept. 12, 10 p.m.: Ocha La Rocha and Bryan Titus. Sept. 13, 10 p.m.: Yonatan and RT & the 44s. Sept. 14, 9 p.m.: Johnny Moezzi and Trevor Meear. Sept. 15, 11 p.m.: Charlie Chan & the S.O.B.’s. Sept. 16, 9 p.m.: Boys School and The Borrower’s Debt. Exchange LA 618 S. Spring St., (213) 627-8070 or exchangela.com. Sept. 14, 10 p.m.: Awakening with Gabriel & Dresden and Andy Moor. Sept. 15, 10 p.m.: Inception with Sebastien Drums. Grammy Museum 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org. Sept. 11, 8 p.m.: Americana virtuoso Steve Forbert stops by to drop off his latest album by performing selective songs and thanking you for your dedication to his craft. Nola’s 734 E. 3rd St., (213) 680-3003 or nolasla.com. Sept. 10 and 12: Aalon. Sept. 11: Jam Night with Reggy Woods. Sept. 13: x perience. Sept. 14: Joe LoPiccolo. Sept. 15: Palmer Jazz Project. Sept. 16, 11:30 a.m.: Sunday Brunch with Cheryl Barnes. Redwood Bar and Grill 316 W. Second St., (213) 652-4444 or theredwoodbar.com. Sept. 10: Jon Wahl and the Amadans. Sept. 11: The Stains, Los Creepers and Circle One. Sept. 12: Peg Leg Love, Atomic Bride, Haunted Tiger and Wild Pink Horse. Sept. 13: Sparkplug Night #1 with The Chum, The Livingstons and Burlesque by Aurora Indica. Sept. 14: Christian Martucci, The Tomorrow People, Adam Bones and Vince Frederick. Sept. 15: The Generators, Sidekick, The Trenches and The Plexikill. Sept. 16, 3 p.m.: Naked Aggression, Social Conflict and The Jawaz. Sept. 16: Al Scorch. Seven Grand

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Downtown News 31

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Contact Cartifact for the full-color, every-building version of this map . Available in print, web and mobile media.

700 S. Flower St, # 1940 Los Angeles, CA 90017 213.327.0200 maps�cartifact.com

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September 10, 2012

Downtown News 33

DowntownNews.com

CLASSIFIED

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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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Notice is hereby given that Open Bank, 1000 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90017, will be filing an application with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation on September 10, 2012 for the authority to establish a branch at 15435 South Western Avenue #D, Gardena, CA Any person wishing to comment on the application may file Monthly 9/4/12 from7:14 PM90249. his/her comments in writing with the Regional Director of the Federal $695 Deposit Insurance Corporation at its regional office located at 25 Jessie utilities Street at Ecker Square, Suite 2300, San Francisco, CA 94105, not later paid. than September 25, 2012. The nonconfidential portion of the application is on file in the regional office and available for public inspection (213) 627-1151 during regular business hours. Photocopies of the nonconfidential portion of the application file will be made available upon request.

125N. Raymond Avenue Pasadena, CA 91103

Fully furnished with TV, telephone, microwave, refrigerator. Full bathroom. Excellent location. Downtown LA. Weekly maid service.

RR_Classifieds_2x2.8125_r2.indd 1

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

■ Covered On-Site Parking ■ 24 Hr. State of the Art Fitness Center ■ Heated Pool and Spa ■ Rooftop Lounge with Cabanas, Fireplace and BBQs (866) 561-0275 • PELOFTS.COM • 610 S. Main, Downtown LA

Take us home

LOFT LIVING

ADOPT (OR FOSTER) your forever friend from Bark Avenue Foundation. Beautiful, healthy puppies, dogs, cats and kittens are available. Call Dawn at 213-840-0153 email: Dawn@BarkAveLA.com www.Bark Avenue Foundation.org.

Your number 1 source for Loft sales, rentals and development! downtownnews.com

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

Monthly from $600 utilities paid. (213) 612-0348

premiere Towers

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

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)

213.627.6913 | cityloftsquare.com

34 Downtown News

September 10, 2012

Twitter/DowntownNews

THE ANSWER TO LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE

Continued from previous page

HealtH CANADA DRUG Center is your choice for safe and affordable medications. Our licensed Canadian mail order pharmacy will provide you with savings of up to 90 percent on all your medication needs. Call Today 866-723-7089 for $10.00 off your first prescription and free shipping. (Cal-SCAN) FEELING OLDER? Men lose the ability to produce testosterone as they age. Call 888-904-2372 for a free trial of Progene- All Natural Testosterone Supplement. (Cal-SCAN) MEDICAL ALERT for Seniors - 24/7 monitoring. Free Equipment. Free Shipping. Nationwide Service. $29.95/Month CALL Medical Guardian Today 866944-5935. (Cal-SCAN)

FictitiOus Business name statements:

Only $ 85. FOr 4 insertiOns

Call (213) 481-1448 for details. (Note: The Downtown News does not perform filing services)

NATURAL Healing! Body detox, reflexology, lunch hour facelift (Microcurrent) 213-880-4846 www.RenuFromWithin.com. OVER 30 Million Women Suffer From Hair Loss! Do you? If So We Have a Solution! Call Keranique to find out more 888-6900395. (Cal-SCAN)

P E LV I C / T R A N S VA G I N A L Mesh? Did you undergo transvaginal placement of mesh for pelvic organ prolapse or stress urinary incontinence between 2005 and present time? If the patch required removal due to complications, you may be entitled to compensation. Call Johnson Law and speak with female staff members 1-800-535-5727. (Cal-SCAN)

PsYcHOtHeraPY

PrOfessiOnal

Anxiety, depression, relationship, and other issues. Contemplative, analytic approach. Individuals, couples, adolescents. 7th/Fig. tfordmft.com Marriage and Family Therapist #49861 213400-3474

PRINCIPAL SOFTWARE Engineer (National Football League, Culver City, CA). Must hold a Bach. or the foreign equiv. deg. in comp. sci., comp. eng. or a related field and 5 yrs. of progressive, post-bach. software eng. exp. architecting, building, & maintaining media websites & content syndication platforms using the Java language. Also req. is 5 yrs. of exp: performing web development; & using Java/J2EE, SQL, Tomcat, & Apache. Must also have 3 yrs. of exp.: performing application design & architecture; & administering, developing, & supporting the Documentum platform. Must also have exp. architecting high-volume & large-scale public facing web apps. If interested in this opening, or if you know of qualified persons who might be interested, please apply on-line through the “Careers” section of www.nfl.com. No relo. available. No 3rd party responses. EOE.

EMPLOYMENT

legal SOCIAL SECURITY disability benefits. Win or Pay Nothing! Start your Application In Under 60 Seconds. Call Today! Contact Disability Group, Inc. Licensed Attorneys & BBB Accredited. Call 877-490-6596. (Cal-SCAN) Misc. services PROMOTIONAL PRICES start at $19.99 a month for dish for 12 months. Call Today and ask about Next Day Installation. 800275-9954. (Cal-SCAN) SAVE ON Cable TV-InternetDigital Phone. Packages start at $89.99/mo (for 12 months.) Options from all major service providers. Call Acceller today to learn more! CALL 1-888-8977650. (Cal-SCAN)

Drivers APPLY NOW, 12 Drivers Needed. Top 5% Pay. Need CDL Class A Driving Experience. 877-258-8782. www.ad-drivers. com (Cal-SCAN) DRIVER - $0.01 increase per mile after 6 months. Quarterly Bonuses. Annual Salary $45K to $60K. CDL-A, 3 months current OTR experience. 1-800414-9569 www.DriveKnight.com (Cal-SCAN) DRIVERS: No experience? Class A CDL Driver Training. We Train and Employ! Experienced Drivers also Needed! Central Refrigerated. 1-877-369-7091. www.CentralTruckDrivingJobs. com (Cal-SCAN)

is your teen experiencing:

• School problems? • Conflict at home or with friends?

adolescent support group now forming ages 13-17 low fee call Marney stofflet, lcsW

(323) 662-9797

4344 fountain ave. (at sunset), suite a los angeles, ca 90029

AUTOS Pre-OWneD

DOWntOWn l.a. aUtO grOUP

Over 1000 vehicles on Sale Now!

Nearly Every Make & Model Visit us online

dtlamotors.com

sales LIVE-WORK-TRAVEL-PLAY! Hiring 18-24 gals/guys. $400$800 wkly. Paid expenses. Signing Bonus. Energetic & Fun! Call 866-251-0768. (Cal-SCAN)

2006 NISSAN FRONTIER KING CAB Silver/Gray, Auto, AC, ABS, CU0683P / C460698 ONLY....$12,995 call 888-8452267

Children’s Performing Group

Sunshine Generation Singing, dancing, performing and fun! For boys & girls ages 3 and up! SunshineGenerationLA.com • 909-861-4433

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

September 10, 2012

2008 PORSCHE CARERRA 4 Certified, White/Black, Like New, Low Miles P12385-2 / 88710489 ONLY....$58,897. Call 888-6855426. 2009 AUDI A6 3.2 SEDAN Certified, Blue/Black, FWD, Loaded!! A12742P-1 / 9N055052 ONLY....$30,810 Call 888-5830981 2009 MERCEDES C300 SPORT Certified, Black/Gray, Only 23K Miles, 7 Speed 6073C / R055512 ONLY....$24,991 Call 888-319-8762. 2009 VW JETTACALIF. EDITION Certified, DOHC-MPFI, Red/ Black, Only 30K Miles ZV1820 / 9M146924 ONLY....$14,980 Call 888-781-8102. 2010 NISSAN CUBE 1.8S Certified, Only 8054 Miles, Black/ Gray N121007 / AT164993 ONLY.....$15,999 call 888-8385089 2011 CHEVY MALIBU LT Silver/Gray, ABS, CD, AC, Loaded UC134R/ BF135241 ONLY....$17,995 Call 888-8799608

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

Downtown News 35

DowntownNews.com Autos WAnted 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)

ANNOUNCEMENTS speciAl events HYMAN KOSMAN PRODUCTIONS The Drive-By Comedian, presents “LIGHTS ON WHEELS”. notices

MEET SINGLES Right now! No paid operators, just real people like you. Browse greetings, exchange messages and connect live. Try it free. Call now 1-800945-3392. (Cal-SCAN)

ITEMS FOR SALE

We’ve got what you’re searching for! DowntownNews.com

888-I-LOVE-LA (456-8352)

NEW ’12 NV Commercial Van

21,872

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lAWn & GArden/FArm equip SAWMILLS from only $3997. Make & save money with your own bandmill. Cut lumber any dimension. In stock ready to ship. Free Info/DVD: www.NorwoodSawmills.com 1-800-578-1363 x300N. (Cal-SCAN) misc. items

DID YOU KNOW that Ten Million adults tweeted in the past month, while 164 million read a newspaper in print or online in the past week? Advertise in 240 California newspapers for one low cost. Your 25 word classified ad will reach over 6 million+ Californians. For brochure call Elizabeth (916)288-6019. (CalSCAN)

DOWNTOWN L.A. AUTO GROUP

MANTIS DELUXE Tiller. NEW! FastStart engine. Ships free. One-Year Money-Back Guarantee when you buy direct. Call for the DVD and free Good Soil book! 888-815-5176. (Cal-SCAN) SAVE 65 Percent & Get 2 free gifts when you order 100 Percent guaranteed, delivered to the door Omaha Steaks - Family Value Combo. Now only $49.99. Order Today 1-888-525-4620 use code 45393JRK or www. OmahaSteaks.com/father56 (Cal-SCAN)

Automatic, Air & more!

+ tax & license fees. 1 at this price model 61112/104162

MSRP...$25,560 Factory Rebate...$1,200 Dealer Discount...$2,488 Net Price...$21,872

NEW ’13 Nissan Altima 2.5S Lease for only

129

per month for 39 mos

Plus tax, 39 month closed end lease on approved credit. $0 Sec. Dep. $5359 due at Signing. (Excludes taxes, title, other options & dealer fees). Residual $14,280. Model # 13113. $0.15/mile over 12,000 miles/year. 5 At this Price.

NEW ’13 Volkswagen Jetta S 1 B/R APARTMENT STUNNING VIEWS High Floor of Bunker Hill Tower Full service building – rent includes all utilities, parking, gym, Olympic pool, hardwood floors, tennis courts and 24 hr concierge service. Next door to Walt Disney Concert Hall. $1,850 per month Contact Pauline: 818-406-6560

EASY AS Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin

per month for 36 mos

+ tax 36 month closed end lease w/ approved Tier 1 VW Credit. $1,999 due at signing. Excludes title, tax, options & dealer fees. Excludes TDI Models. MSRP of $18,025 w/ man. trans., $0 Sec Dep. Residual $10,804.50. $0.20/mile over 30K miles. 1 at this price: 344313

Offer Ends 10-1-12

NEW ’13 Chevy Volt Lease for only

259

per month for 24 mos

Plus tax, 24 month closed end lease on approved credit. $300 Security Deposit. $3250 Due at Signing (Excludes taxes, title, other options and dealer fees). Based on MSRP of $39,995. Residual $ 29,996 $0.20 per mile over 12,000 miles per year. 1 At this Price. # DU103441.

Lease for only

Downtown News DowntownNews.com makes placingLos aAngeles classified ad in the 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 L.A. Downtown News is easier than ever. Art dirEctor: Brian Allison web: DowntownNews.com AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa Your ad will appear online and in our publication email: realpeople@downtownnews.com ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins in a couple of easy steps. facebook: PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard L.A. Downtown News

appear immediately after they are approved.

twitter: AdvErtisiNG dirEctor: Steve Nakutin • Print ads must be received before Thursday atDowntownNews noon PST clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Yojiprocessed Cole, Catherinefor Holloway, to be the following Monday's edition. Sol Ortasse The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read sAlEs AssistANt: Claudia Hernandez Deadlines subject to change for special issues and holidays. newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and is discirculAtioN: Jessica Tarr distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla

159

NEW ’13 Audi A3 2.0T TDI

ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie citY Editor: Richard Guzmán stAFF writEr: Ryan Vaillancourt coNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Dave Denholm, Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer, Kristin Friedrich, Howard Leff, Ryan E. Smith, Marc Porter Zasada

AccouNtiNG: Ashley Schmidt • Online ads will

Lease for only

tributed every Monday throughout the offices and

of Downtown Los Angeles. For legal notices please call residences 213-481-1448

One copy per person.

299

per month for 42 mos

+ tax, 42 month closed end lease on approved credit. $350 Sec. Deposit. $4343.26 Due at Signing. Excludes taxes, title, other options and dealer fees Lease price includes Audi Loyalty Rebate. Residual $18,099.20. $0.25 per mile over 10,000 miles per year. 1 at this payment DA011080

NEW ’12 Mercedes C250 Lease for only

369

$ Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie citY Editor: Richard Guzmán stAFF writEr: Ryan Vaillancourt coNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Dave Denholm, Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer, Kristin Friedrich, Howard Leff, Ryan E. Smith, Marc Porter Zasada Art dirEctor: Brian Allison AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins

PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard AccouNtiNG: Ashley Schmidt AdvErtisiNG dirEctor: Steve Nakutin clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Yoji Cole, Catherine Holloway, Sol Ortasse sAlEs AssistANt: Claudia Hernandez circulAtioN: Jessica Tarr distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla

per month for 24 mos

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

+ tax 24 month closed end lease on approved credit. $2865 due at signing excluding title, taxes, options, acquisition fees, dealer fees & first payment. Zero Sec. Dep. Residual $25,196. .25cents/mile over 10K miles/year. All with MSRP of $38,175.

NEW ’12 Porsche Boxster Lease for only

588

per month for 48 mos

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.

+ tax, 48 month closed end lease on approved credit. $0 Sec Dep. $4,988 plus tax,1st month payment, acquisition fee, lic, doc fee to start. Residual $24,952 $0.30 per mile over 5K miles/year. 1 At this payment # P12216A/S710404

w w w.DTLAMOTORS.com

CARSON NISSAN

888-845-2267 1505 E. 223rd St., Carson • carsonnissan.com

$9,995 2010 Nissan Versa Hatchback ......... $12,995 Certified, Silver, Auto, AC, ABS. CU0694R / L426077 2007 Nissan Quest 3.5S .................... V6, Majestic Blue, Pwr Liftgate, Multi-CD. CU0783R / N112768 $12,995 2007 Ford Taurus SEL .......................... 3.0L V6, White, Alloys, CD & more. CU0784R / A127666

Plus 291 More New & Used In Stock & On Sale!

NISSAN OF DOWNTOWN L.A.

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

$13,499 $15,999 A versatile beauty. Low miles. N120878-1 / 8C509860 2010 Nissan Cube 1.8S ..................... Certified, Only 8054 Miles, Blk/Gray. N121007-1 / AT164993 $15,999 2005 Nissan Murano SL .................... Only 73K Miles, Must See!! N122079-1 / 5W319429

2008 Nissan Xterra S ........................

Plus 265 More New & Used In Stock & On Sale!

VOLKSWAGEN OF DOWNTOWN L.A. 888-781-8102 1900 S. Figueroa St. • vwdowntownla.com

$15,988 2009 VW Passat Komfort ................. Certified, Turbo, White/Blk, Auto, Low miles. ZV1679/9P001079 $16,988 2010 VW Tiguan S Turbo .................. Certified, Blk/Blk, Auto, ABS, 29K Miles. ZV1869/AW000317 $19,997 2012 VW Jetta S Sedan ..................... 2.0L MPFI-SOHC, Silver/Blk, 9400 Miles. ZV1876/CM353677

Plus 391 More New & Used In Stock & On Sale!

FELIX CHEVROLET

888-304-7039 3300 S. Figueroa St. • felixchevrolet.com

$13,995 3.5L V6, Silver/Gray, Low Miles, Alloys. UC197R / B1111534 $16,995 2011 Chevy HHR LT Sport ................ $16,995 Gray/Black, Auto, AC, Low Miles. UC193R / BS572429 2011 Chevy Aveo LT .......................... Gray/Gray, Low Miles, Must See. UC247R / BB138555

2011 Chevy Impala LT 4Dr. ..............

Plus 168 More New & Used In Stock & On Sale!

AUDI OF DOWNTOWN L.A. 888-583-0981 1900 S. Figueroa St. • audidtla.com

$28,978 2009 Audi A5 Quattro Coupe .......... Certified, White/Blk, Moonroof, Low Miles. ZA10496/9A023850 $32,797 2011 Audi A6 Quattro 3.0T .............. Certified, AWD, 15,659 miles, Gray/Blk. ZA10322/BN028945 $45,980 2009 Audi A4 Avant Quattro ........... Certified, AWD, Gray/Blk, Low Miles. ZA10476/9A235528

Plus 101 More New & Used In Stock & On Sale!

DOWNTOWN LA MOTORS 888-319-8762 1801 S. Figueroa St. • mbzla.com

Mercedes-Benz

$23,991 2010 Mercedes GLK 350 ................... Certified, 3.5L V6, Gray/Gray, Only 29K Miles. 5945C / AF324695$29,991 2010 Mercedes ML350 ...................... Certified, Iridium Silver, 7spd, 36K Miles. 121888-1/AA580846 $37,991 2008 Mercedes C300W ..................... Certified, Palladium Silver, Only 28K Miles. 6057C / F181272

Plus 397 More New & Used In Stock & On Sale!

PORSCHE OF DOWNTOWN L.A.

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

$43,892 2008 Porsche Carerra 4 .................... $58,897 Certified, White/Blk, Like New. P12385-2 / 88710489 2010 Porsche Panamera 4Dr. .......... Certified, Blk/Beige, 20” Whls, 1 Owner, 12 Miles. AL063969 $76,894 2009 Porsche Cayman .....................

Certified, Blk/Beige, Heated Seats, Bluetooth. ZP1516/U760116

Plus 100 More New & Used In Stock & On Sale!

36 Downtown News

September 10, 2012

Twitter/DowntownNews

We Got Games For the Dodgers, It’s Must-Win Time Every Night Los Angeles Dodgers Dodger Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park Ave., (213) 224-1400 or dodgers.mlb.com. Sept. 13-14, 7:10 p.m.; Sept. 15, 6:10 p.m.; Sept. 16, 1:10 p.m.: They seemed poised to be the super offense: Matt Kemp, Hanley Ramirez, Andre Ethier and Adrian Gonzalez. The four big time sluggers made a Dodgers playoff berth a sure thing, right? Not so. The Dodgers were 4 1/2 games behind the Giants at press time (and headed to San Francisco), and 1 1/2 games out of the second wild card spot. The unproductive quartet will have to start living up to their promise, and right away, if the Blue Crew is to give Magic Johnson a magical first year as part owner. After a two-game jaunt in Arizona (Sept. 11-12), the Dodgers come home to host the Cardinals, who at press time owned the second wild card spot. But it doesn’t matter much who the Dodgers play from here on out — no matter the opponent, every

series is a must-win. Clayton Kershaw can’t do it all. Los Angeles Sparks Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 929-1300 or wnba.com/sparks. Sept. 10, 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 14, 8 p.m.: The Sparks head into the second-to-last week of the regular season a lock for the playoffs. Still, they’ll look to finish strong in home bouts this week against the Chicago Sky and, in a potential WNBA Finals preview, the Eastern Conference powerhouse Connecticut Sun, who the Sparks beat in June. Candace Parker continues to lead the team in spirit, but the top scorer this year is Kristi Tolliver. The third-year guard is having a breakout season. After averaging 11 points per game in her first two years with the club, she’s now dropping 18 per match. Go Kristi! It’s your birthday! Gonna party like it’s your birthday! —Ryan Vaillancourt

photo by Gary Leonard

Matt Kemp leads a theoretically powerful offense that in reality hasn’t shown enough power.

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