09-19-11

DOWNTOWN

NEWS Volume 40, Number 38

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DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT 9-22

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September 19, 2011

The New Heart of the LAPD Department Honors 82 Officers Killed or Injured in the Line of Duty

by Ryan VaillancouRt staff wRiteR

Urban Scrawl on the stadium scramble.

4

Climbing L.A.’s tallest building.

6

The life of a cursing line cook.

8

L.A. Opera’s season is underway.

26

The Taper shows ‘Poor Behavior.’

27

L

ong before he became chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, Charlie Beck walked foot beats, cruised in patrol cars and regularly put himself in harm’s way.

He knew the job was dangerous, but he lived under an illusion of invincibility, he said, willfully blinded by the belief that he controlled his destiny.

As the face of the department, he’s closer to death now — he’s at hospital bedsides and officer funerals, consoling family members of the injured and fallen.

On Thursday, Sept. 15, Beck’s responsibility to honor those who suffer serious injuries or die while on duty was heightened. At a solemn ceremony at the JW Marriott in front of about 900 people, he presented 82 LAPD Purple Hearts, a newly initiated department honor.

The medals for the 40 officers killed on duty since 1921 were accepted mostly by their sons, daughters, widows and parents. Approximately 40 officers who had been seriously injured were on hand to receive the award themselves.

During his address, Beck admitted that as a young cop, he couldn’t relate to a civilian and the trauma they undergo when losing a police department relative. Now, with two children of his own on the force, he said he could fully appreciate what they endure.

“I don’t think I understood what it is to be an immediate family member of a police officer until my kids joined the department,” Beck said. “When your loved one walks out that door, there is no illusion, no invincibility, no see Purple Heart, page 25

photo by Gary Leonard

LAPD Detective Victor Alvarez, who was shot in 2002, was one of the 82 recipients of police Purple Heart medals last week. The newly created awards are intended to honor officers who are seriously wounded or die while on duty.

Design Revealed for Grand Avenue Tower Developer Eyes 2012 Groundbreaking, Though Funds Must Be Raised

29 CALENDAR LISTINGS 32 MAP 33 CLASSIFIEDS

by Ryan VaillancouRt staff wRiteR

T

he long-stalled Grand Avenue project took two important steps forward last week, though a third issue looms larger.

Early in the week, renderings for project developer Related Companies’ 19-story apartment tower were revealed, and on Thursday, Sept. 15, the Community Redevelopment Agency board of commissioners unanimously approved the schematic design for the edifice, which would feature an exterior concrete “web” in part to echo the

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neighboring future Broad art museum.

While that marked the first significant public approval for the project in months, developers said that they do not yet have financing, and have not finalized a budget, for the tower.

Miami-based Arquitectonica, which has a Los Angeles office, won a private bidding process to design the building, said Related California President Bill Witte.

Arquitectonica’s design features a façade that, on all sides, employs a pre-cast concrete matrix that frames mostly square windows with loose,

irregular lines. Some of the squares on the upper floors of the Related project stretch off the top of the structure, leading to a visual effect of framing nothing but sky. The design draws inspiration from the Broad museum design by the New York firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro.

“I think the objective here is pretty clear: You’ve got Diller Scofidio and Frank Gehry next door and you don’t compete with that,” Witte said, also referring to the designer of the Walt Disney Concert Hall. “You try to complement see Grand Avenue, page 24

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AROUNDTOWN

TAKE MY PICTURE GARY LEONARD

The Birds Are Back In Downtown

Downtown Guide Arrives Next Week

A

G

twice-a-year phenomenon of the natural world, and something of a Downtown tradition for residents and area bird watchers, is once again upon the Historic Core. Tens of thousands of Vaux’s Swifts are roosting in the chimney of the Chester Williams Building at Fifth Street and Broadway. The Vaux’s (rhymes with “foxes”) are known for a spectacular aerial descent around sundown, when they create a whirling funnel as they dart by the dozen into the chimney for the night. The Audubon Center of Debs Park, which recently counted 6,680 birds roosting at the Chester Williams Building, will again organize Friday evening public viewings of the swifts. On Sept. 23 and 30, officials with the nonprofit will gather on the roof of the neighboring Joe’s Auto Park structure at 440 S. Broadway starting at 6 p.m. Those who can’t make the events can simply head to the Historic Core at around the same time and, well, look up. A migratory species, the Vaux’s Swifts travel up and down the West Coast of North and Central America, roosting along the way in groups of up to 10,000 in hollowed-out tree trunks, or as in this case, in abandoned chimney shafts.

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September 19, 2011

et ready to grasp everything you need to know about Downtown Los Angeles.

On Sept. 26, Los Angeles Downtown News will publish the 92-page Downtown Guide, a glossy magazine with an array of information on area history, hotels, events and dining destinations, along with in-depth descriptions and shopping opportunities in Downtown’s 16 diverse districts. Altogether 110,000 copies of the Downtown Guide will be printed. In addition to the 47,000 distributed with Downtown News, they will be available at multiple Downtown News distribution locations, retail locations and visitors centers.

The Guide can also be seen online at downtownnews.com and losangelesdowntown. com, and additional copies can be requested by calling Downtown News at (213) 481-1448

A ‘Change of Culture’ At City Hall

I

s 12th District Councilman Mitch Englander a political visionary? Or is he a naïve newcomer foolish enough to believe that he can alter the status quo? The answer may not be known for years, but

Remembrance Ceremony Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center Elysian Park Sept. 11, 2011

the questions, propelled by his appearance on Wednesday, Sept. 14, at a Downtown meeting of the Los Angeles Current Affairs Forum, proved interesting. During the event at the Wilshire Grand Hotel, the figure sworn in two months ago discussed a need to “change the culture” of city government.

“We’re in customer service,” he stated, a field he ascribed to everything from police to bulky-item pickup. “That’s what we do.”

Englander decried the fact that there are no

performances-based standards for city managers and departments. He also mentioned that the case number people get when they call 311 doesn’t correspond to any work. “It means nothing. It doesn’t track anything,” he said. Englander said he is assembling a plan regarding governance in Los Angeles, something that could impact how the city interacts with businesses and constituents.

He also said he is talking with think tanks see Around Town, page 7

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September 19, 2011

EDITORIALS Culturally Jammed

Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis

H

ere are a few things we know about fall and culture: 1) Television is replete with new shows, many of which won’t survive the season, 2) the Hollywood studios take a break from their summer blockbuster fare and rely instead on (comparatively) more thoughtful offerings, and 3) Downtown Los Angeles is utterly jammed with theater, music, speakers, events and more.

Downtown is about to launch into an extraordinarily diverse cultural period. Although the sheer number of offerings may be smaller than during the summer, when several free concerts and shows took place each week at Grand Performances and Pershing Square, fall marks the return of opera, classical music, the Aloud reading series and more.

In the next few months, Downtown will see the world premiere of a play, Poor Behavior, at the Mark Taper Forum, and a pair of operas in Eugene Onegin and Cosi Fan Tutte at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. At the end of the month Walt Disney Concert Hall will host the start of the third Los Angeles Philharmonic season under the ever-more-impressive Gustavo Dudamel. This happens as films still screen under the stars at the Devil’s Night Drive-In and Pershing Square, and as the venues at L.A. Live host concerts by prominent and rising acts.

Fall marks another season of the stalwart Aloud series at the Central Library, where nationally esteemed writers and thinkers appear for free (people who catch the same personalities on the Westside often pay). It’s not the only way to take in the great minds and compelling discussion either — organizations and series such as Town Hall-Los Angeles, Live Talks L.A. and Zocalo all use Downtown as an occasional site for their attentiongenerating events.

Then there are the museum exhibits, and again, Downtown is filled. The Dinosaur Hall, which opened during the summer at the Natural History Museum, has an unparalleled collection of prehistoric creatures. The season brings a James Brown exhibit to the Grammy Museum and, in October, the Museum of Contemporary Art will present Under the Big Black Sun, a look at California art in the years 1974-1981.

It would be easy to go on and on about the attractions, and be assured that in the coming months, Los Angeles Downtown News will do exactly that in our calendar pages. These are happenings, activities, shows and concerts worth celebrating and worth attending.

As we go from the summer to the fall, there’s no reason to stop engaging in these cultural activities. Downtowners should recognize how lucky we are to have all these choices. Inhabitants of other areas should be jealous.

Blossom Plaza and Chinatown’s Resurgence

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very so often there are hints that Chinatown is poised to enjoy some of the momentum that the rest of Downtown Los Angeles has seen over the past decade. However, something usually goes wrong. Although the community continues to be a destination for diners and people looking for an occasional night out, in terms of development and investment, it lags severely behind the rest of the Central City.

Now, however, there are indicators that the community really is on the verge of an upswing, one that could both pay heed to Chinatown’s rich history and culture, and lead to a bright, diverse future. A flurry of projects could bring cranes and construction jobs, followed by permanent positions.

This is the time that Chinatown, its business leaders and its local elected officials need to work together to ensure that the momentum is captured. One can’t expect similar chances to keep occurring, especially when the national economy remains soft.

Right now, there are no less than four major housing and mixeduse projects on the table in the area, along with a couple recreational efforts. Two developments in particular, Chinatown Gateway and Blossom Plaza, are poised to add vitality to the region, for both residents and visitors.

Chinatown Gateway, which broke ground this spring, was first broached several years ago, only to be delayed by the recession. Now, the development by Equity Residential could change the look and utility of the community’s southern border. The 325,000-square-foot complex at 639-643 N. Broadway, at Cesar Chavez Avenue, will bring 280 apartments and 20,000 square feet of retail. It will also hold nearly 600 parking spaces. Interestingly, it will have 17-foot-wide sidewalks, meaning there will be an opportunity for people to park at the project and then easily stroll into the heart of the neighborhood.

This would be the first transformation of a large, dead plot of land into something that contributes to the evolution of the neighborhood and creates better connectivity to the Downtown core. However, it is not the most important dilapidated property in Chinatown. That designation belongs to Blossom Plaza, as the project on the site of the defunct Little Joe’s restaurant is known. This will prove to be the community’s greatest challenge, and the one that could lead to its biggest rewards.

The project generated intense interest about five years ago when developer Larry Bond sought to raze the eyesore restaurant (it’s been closed and fenced off for more than a decade) and then erect two towers with 262 housing units. Again, the economy proved the culprit, and Bond lost the land through foreclosure.

The Community Redevelopment Agency and the office of First

District City Councilman Ed Reyes then did a few key things. The city acquired the property on Broadway between College and Spring streets and conducted a public bidding process for a developer.

Recently, the CRA selected Forest City Residential Group as the firm it will recommend to the City Council. This is an inspired choice, as Forest City has a solid record of accomplishment both nationally and in Downtown. Its work opening projects such as the Met Lofts in South Park and Metro 417, near Pershing Square, shows experience in making big things happen in Los Angeles.

Blossom Plaza is important not only for the housing, but also because of the community amenities and the connection it would create with the Chinatown Gold Line station. Currently the tie is terrible, as disembarking light rail passengers have to go down several levels of steps or escalators, then walk up a dingy College Street, to reach Chinatown’s center of commerce. A flat, attractive and easily navigable stretch would increase interactivity and give people another reason to leave the car at home and take mass transit to Chinatown.

The City Council should move quickly on the project, and should recognize that Blossom Plaza could be a catalyst for further development in Chinatown. Some financial details need to be ironed out, but a failure to make this happen would be a setback for the neighborhood and could destroy its fragile momentum.

Blossom Plaza and Chinatown Gateway would come into play as several smaller projects unfold in the area. The $24 million affordable housing development known as Lotus Garden will deliver 60 apartments at 715 Yale St. Meanwhile, the 123-unit Chinatown Metro Apartments at 808 N. Main St., not far from the Gold Line station, is also a possibility, though it has been mired in the fundraising stage for years. Perhaps action on Blossom Plaza would give confidence to lenders and help propel it forward.

These developments hint at the future of Chinatown. Another hint came in the recent Chinatown Summer Nights celebrations. The two Saturday evening events orchestrated by the Chinatown Business Improvement District had the area filled with families and others ready to hit food trucks, watch martial arts and cooking demonstrations and dance under the stars. The activity proved that, given the right attractions, people will come to the neighborhood.

This is something worth remembering. Chinatown has attractions that are unrivalled in the region. Still, the opportunities and the community must be maximized. Blossom Plaza and other projects are ways to do just that, and to ensure that Chinatown is a destination for decades to come.

September 19, 2011

Downtown News 5

Opinion

The Readers Respond

to Historic Core,” published online Aug. 29, by Ryan Vaillancourt

Website Comments on the Cost of a Park and a Farmers Market

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E

very week Los Angeles Downtown News gets online comments to the stories we publish. These are some of the most interesting responses. Additional comments are welcome at ladowntownnews.com.

Regarding the article “City Pays Premium for Maguire Gardens,” published online Aug. 24, by Ryan Vaillancourt

E

xcellent reporting! All very fascinating information about how much the city pays for specific things, how BIDs and the CRA are involved with other parks and how nonprofits come in too. It’s interesting to learn where the money goes. I appreciate all the sources consulted to get this “full picture.” It really is all about the maintenance — it is a lovely garden.

—Katherine McNenny, Aug. 25, 5:20 p.m.

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certainly notice the difference this cost makes, even given the park’s size. Maguire Gardens is beautiful, and we regularly take friends and family for a stroll during their visits.

This park also takes an additional hit from all the residents who take their dogs there throughout the day, so I guess this adds to the maintenance costs.

My only point of concern is the same as another reader mentioned — I have also been asked to leave the park during late-night dog walks, being told that the park closes at 10 p.m. I can’t see myself sitting on a bench at 11 p.m., but it would be nice to have a pleasant green space to walk through with my dog, especially if the city is paying for a 24hour park.

—Jacob Holloway, Aug. 29, 10:01 a.m.

contribute to the additional cost to maintain the area.

However, it would be interesting to know if they are reinvesting this money back into the park so that the city does not have to pay for the increase. It would also be interesting to know if Maguire has competitively bid the maintenance contracts. In this economy there are a number of highly qualified vendors who would jump at the opportunity to maintain such a prestigious location and I would expect that the costs would be reduced or at least remain flat due to this competitive process.

—Bobby Latchford, Aug. 30, 2:28 p.m.

Regarding the article “Weekend Farmers Market Coming

ust for kicks, isn’t the Grand Central Market open seven days a week? For the uninitiated and/or too snobbish to rub elbows with their fellow Angelenos, the Grand Central Market is between Third and Fourth streets and Hill Street and Broadway. See you there!

—Richard Meyer, Sept. 1, 8:34 a.m.

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lthough I totally feel Richard’s comment (there is some amazing produce and food at the Grand Central Market), it’s hard for some of the 9-5-ers to get there, especially when many of us work well beyond a 40-hour week and aren’t off before 5 p.m. I can never make it to the GCM during the busy weekdays, so I’m really excited about this new farmers market. Totally complementary to the wonderful produce already available at GCM and Two Bits!

—Valerie Watson, Sept. 2, 1:07 p.m.

Ranked in Top 5 in Los Angeles Recognized nationally by U.S. News & World Report, St. Vincent Medical Center is also ranked among the Top 5 Best Hospitals in the Los Angeles metro area with excellence in cancer, diabetes & endocrinology, ear, nose & throat, geriatrics, gynecology, nephrology, neurology & neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology and urology. As the first hospital established in Los Angeles, our commitment

M

aguire receives rent for the restaurant on this site and is obligated per the terms of the lease to ensure the surrounding area is in appropriate condition. Additionally, the park is a popular location for filming and Maguire controls all of this activity, collecting the revenues. The film companies also pay a small fee to the library to cover the cost of additional security staff.

My point is that Maguire is receiving substantial additional revenue streams from these activities, many of which

is to provide compassionate patient-centered care encompassing mind, body and spirit—now and in the future.

LETTERS TJ’s Missed Opportunity Dear Editor, read your article on the Downtown demographics study (“Big Numbers and Bigger Dollars,” Aug. 29, by Jon Regardie) which mentioned Trader Joe’s.

I was upset to hear that company spokeswoman Alison Mochizuki does not think there is a need for Trader Joe’s in Downtown. I don’t think the headquarters or CEO of Trader Joe’s five to 10 years from now will be happy with the decision. When I was in Business school, we were taught that you have to do your SWOT (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats) analysis to see what are the threats and benefits of your market. Your SWOT analysis also gives you insight about how you can profit and beat your competitors. I think the company needs to do a SWOT analysis and be open to new market trends.

I believe Trader Joe’s needs to reconsider its position about letting a great opportunity for profit slip away. We will be so happy to shop and have a Trader Joe’s store Downtown. A good place to start will be around USC. Certainly, there is a large population of affluent students there, in addition to all the residents in the area, businesses and other great events going on Downtown. It is a perfect market with all sorts of potential for new entrants.

—Blanca Funes

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Los Angeles Downtown News encourages letters. They become the property of Los Angeles Downtown News and may be edited. All letters should be typewritten and include an address and telephone number for verification.

Please send them to: Letter to the Editor 1264 W. First St. Los Angeles, CA 90026 Fax to: (213) 250-4617 Email to: realpeople@downtownnews.com

Free Physician Referral: 866-478-8462 StVincentMedicalCenter.com

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September 19, 2011

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Stairway to Benefit YMCA Event Has Participants Scampering Up Tallest Building in the West

by RichaRd Guzman city editoR

T

he record may be safe for now, but there are going to be plenty of people looking to be the fastest up the 75 stories of U.S. Bank Tower this week.

Of course, some will take on the challenge because it’s for a good cause, while others simply want to say they’ve scaled the tallest building in the west.

The 18th annual Ketchum-Downtown YMCA Stair Climb for Los Angeles (formerly known as the Stair Climb to the Top) takes places Friday, Sept. 23. About 3,000 people are expected to walk, run and crawl if they have to, up the 1,500 stairs of U.S. Bank Tower.

Organizers are hoping to raise $360,000 this year for programs at the Stuart M. Ketchum Downtown YMCA. By early last week, more than $200,000 had been pledged by approximately 1,500 registered participants.

“It catches on more and more every year,” said Debra King, director of development for the YMCA. “The more people that do it, the more word of mouth there is about it. And the teams, the corporate firms like to do it.”

The YMCA programs that get Stair Climb funding include after-school tutoring, teen leadership development, youth and teen sports, preschool and senior fitness.

“We serve about 2,000 kids, families and seniors every year in the Downtown area,” King said. “We’re constantly trying to broaden the horizons of the kids and families we serve.”

The event kicks off at 2 p.m. It will include a street fair at the corner of Fourth and Hope

streets that will run until 9 p.m. The fair will offer live music, entertainment and exhibitor booths. Starting at lunchtime, Border Grill, Bool BBQ, Chunk-n-Chip and Del’s Lemonade trucks will be selling food, with 10% of the proceeds going to the YMCA. The street fair is expected to attract about 10,000 people throughout the day.

There will also be a beer garden for those not climbing. Downtown employees and residents who show their business card, ID badge or proof of residence will pay a discounted $2 for their first frothy beverage. In case race participants aren’t amply tuckered out, the fair will include a rock climbing wall.

Elites, Heroes and Couples Of course, some participants will be focused solely on the main task at hand — getting to the top, and getting there fast.

The elite climbers will take on the building first, followed by team divisions. Individual racers will start climbing at about 5 p.m.

The elite category includes climbers who can make it up the 75 flights in 13 minutes or less. Racing in this division requires a track record of having placed in the top 25 finishers in stair climb events such as the Empire State Building Run-Up in New York City or the Hustle Up the Hancock in Chicago. The record at US Bank Tower is 9:28. The fastest climber last year clocked in at 9:43.

While many climbers are from corporate teams, others partake for different, even personal reasons. King said that the Y’s video diary project, where they film participants talking about why they are climb, points to a

photo by Gary Leonard

About 3,000 people are expected to participate in the 18th annual Ketchum-Downtown YMCA Stair Climb for Los Angeles on Sept. 23. Participants will scale the 75 floors of U.S. Bank Tower.

diverse group.

There is the single mother who gained weight after staying home for a year with her sick newborn. She trained for the climb to lose weight and to help others, King said.

There is the man and woman who met on a stair climb years ago and now climb every year as a married couple. There was a team who climbed in honor of a deceased co-worker who had previously participated in the event. Each member carried a photo of their late friend on the climb.

“There is a huge range of reasons why people do it,” she said.

For Chuck Jarrell, an attorney with the firm Allan Matkins, who has either climbed or volunteered at the event for the past six years, the reasons are varied. Part of what keeps him coming back is the opportunity to create community among Downtown of-

fice workers. Then there’s the fun in being a spectator, watching firemen in the High Rise Heroes division race up the stairs in full gear, air tank and all.

The main reason he stays involved is knowing that the event has a major impact on sorely needed programs that help communities which are often underserved.

“A big driver of the event is the altruism of all these Downtown people who believe in all these programs and, having seen them myself, it’s an incredibly good cause,” Jarrell said.

The Ketchum-Downtown YMCA Stair Climb for Los Angeles is Friday, Sept. 23, 2-5 p.m. at Fourth and Hope streets. Information at (213) 639-7453, stairclimb@ymcala.org or ymcala.org/ketchum/stair-climb Ryan Vaillancourt contributed to this story.

Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

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September 19, 2011

Downtown News 7

DowntownNews.com

Around Town Continued from page 2 and firms such as ratings agency J.D. Power about examining how the city does in customer interaction. “Imagine hiring J.D. Power to rate customer service in L.A.,” he suggested.

Film Festival at Million Dollar Theatre

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f you missed out on the Last Remaining Seats during the summer, you can still see movies on Broadway at the Million Dollar Theater. In October, the UCLA Film & Television Archive, a university-based

film preservation organization, will begin a 20-film festival. The Wednesday night series will begin Oct. 5 with a Dan AkroydJohn Belushi double feature of The Blues Brothers and Neighbors. It closes Dec. 21 with the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar.

Other films cover a range of genres, from George Hamilton’s vampire comedy Love at First Bite (Oct. 26) to the 1978 version of Superman starring Christopher Reeve (Dec. 7). Tickets will be $10 for general admission and will be sold at the theater box office at 307 S. Broadway starting an hour before each 7:30 p.m. show. Theater advocates applauded the activation of the 1918 edifice. “I think it’s a huge step forward for Broadway,” said Hillsman Wright, executive director of the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation. “This is the kind of programming that will help build an audi-

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ence. It’s a great place to see these kind of films.”

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f you’re driving around on Sunday, Sept.

25, you may have to give way to those biking and running in the streets. The Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Triathlon, hey may not be flat screens, but they’ll which begins in Venice, will wind through keep people entertained while they try Downtown for its second and third legs. to find permanent homes. The Los Angeles After a Westside swim, the bike stage rolls Marriott Downtown hotel recently donated from Venice to Downtown, and the final more than 100 television sets to the SRO component has a finish line at L.A. Live Housing Corporation. The older sets were plaza in South Park. Various Downtown going to be thrown away, but instead will be streets will be closed from approximately used at SRO Housing’s emergency housing 7:10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Some of the best sites. The TVs were delivered to the non- places to watch the race in Downtown profit affordable housing provider earlier include L.A. Live and the Walt Disney this month. The televisions will beW.used Concert Hall, which is part of the run sec1264 Firstin Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90026 • 213.481.1448 the SRO’s Russ Hotel, at 517 S. San Julian St., tion. For a full list of street closures see trafand the Panama Hotel, at 403 E. Fifth St. ficinfo.lacity.org.

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Stars in Their [Expletive] Eyes A Reporter Takes a Turn in a Curse-Heavy Kitchen

by RichaRd Guzmán city editoR

I

knew it was going to be a good day at work when the boss walked in and exclaimed, “Good morning mother[expletive]ers!” and the crew smiled and greeted him warmly. They looked like he had just handed each of them a handful of cash and a kitten.

It was obvious right away that everyone in Starry Kitchen loves their job. What I’d discover over the next five hours is that the only thing they like more than their work is cursing like drunken Russian sailors.

I could tell I was going to have a unique, and fun time being a line cook at the popular nouveau Asian lunch destination at Cal Plaza. I took it on for the Downtown Challenge, where I experience other people’s jobs or activities that are part of the fabric of the neighborhood.

Despite the fun factor, there were things that surprised me, including how hard the work is. I didn’t expect my arms to ache when I first read the Craigslist ad placed by chef Thi Tran and her husband Nguyen Tran.

By the way, that ad is unlike anything else you’ll ever see when job hunting. Nguyen, a jokester known to dress in costume and talk up a storm with his customers, likes to keep things fun in his kitchen. The ad reflected what he thinks is important in an employee.

It read: Starry Kitchen (a casual Pan-Asian Comfort Food eatery w/ an owner that’s known to drop F*Bombs to customers on a friendly and regular basis!) in Downtown Los Angeles, is looking to hire some no-wuss (male or female, doesn’t matter to us), enthusiastic, motivated, not-scaredto-roll-up-your-sleeves and/or get-really-plastered-withstaff-after-a-hard-days-work-sometimes (and hopefully

hilarious) LINE COOKS.” There were other requirements too. The applicant had to respect and be comfortable around several F-bombs per day, speak some English and, according to the ad, never have worked at a Subway.

Even though these requirements were for a permanent position, I felt I had what it takes to spend a shift there. Sure, I can only basically cook an egg, but I dominated every other job requirement. Not only do I respect profanity, I love it.

I roll up my sleeves almost every day, and some days I even rock short sleeves. I speak English. I never worked at Subway and, even better, I’ve never applied there. I have no fear of alcohol after, before, or even during work.

And am I hilarious? Come on, did the chicken cross the road?

Shell Game I called Nguyen, offered my services, and just like that I was hired. But I was a little worried at first. “We would love to have you so let me know when you want to come by so we can coordinate with my staff,” Nguyen said in a voicemail.

It was way too polite a message for a guy who professes to love F-bombs so much.

I showed up for my gig bright and early. The 8:30 a.m. call was surprisingly early for me, but not the staff. Turns out, Starry Kitchen has a healthy catering arm, and in addition to the lunch rush, we were getting ready for two private events.

I was placed under the watchful eye of Gaelan Holden, who does the meat preparations. He introduced me to Gordo, aka Hector Caropreso, who helps him prep. Also on hand were Natalie Taylor, who works the sandwich station, and sous chef Ernie Galvez.

Since Nguyen wasn’t there when I arrived, I wanted to see

photo by Gary Leonard

The author gets a lesson in both pan-Asian cuisine and cursing from the kitchen crew at popular Bunker Hill lunch destination Starry Kitchen.

how true this whole cursing culture was. I asked Gaelan if the job was as fun as Nguyen made it sound.

“Oh yeah, you get to cuss a lot,” he said. “I’ll cuss during this interview because I don’t give a [expletive].”

OK, it was true.

It’s also true that while the Starry Kitchen staff has fun, they work really hard. Worse, they planned on putting me to work.

My first job was to scramble the eggs for the fried rice. After see Starry Kitchen, page 23

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September 19, 2011

Downtown News 9

DowntownNews.com

Downtown developmenT

A Stadium Is Only the Start The Latest Information on 66 Downtown Projects

NEW PROJECTS These projects were either publicly announced, were revived or gained prominence in the past four months.

photo by Gary Leonard

845 S. FIG

Parking lot giant L&R Group is in the midst of a $5 million renovation of a 1969 office building at 845 S. Figueroa St. The company acquired the South Park building in 2004 and let it sit empty for nearly seven years. Plans call for a facelift that will replace the dark facade with floor-to-ceiling windows. L&R is in the process of finalizing structural designs.

The company hopes to finish designs, secure permits and begin construction in the fall. It will also add a ground-level retail space fit for a restaurant with outdoor seating along Figueroa Street, said project manager Gilad Lumer. Work on the interior, meanwhile, is underway. L&R moved its headquarters to the top floor in June. Most of the rest of the 125,000-square-foot interior remains gutted. Lumer said space will be built out according to tenant interest and specifications. At 845fig.com.

HAMPTON INN/ HOMEWOOD SUITES Property owner Broadway Chinatown, LLC has tentatively partnered with T2 Development, a division of the Tarsadia Hotel Group, to create a mid-rise Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites hotel project in South Park. The development would hold up to 375 rooms in a building that would rise at 1500 S. Figueroa St., across from the Convention

Center, on what is currently a surface parking lot. Fraydoon Bral, a partner in Broadway Chinatown, said the company’s deal with T2 is preliminary. Although the firms do not currently have a contract, T2 recently orchestrated a private bidding contest in search of an architect to design a building that would meet Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites guidelines.

Proposals were due Aug. 16 and multiple bids were submitted, said T2 Vice President Greg LeBon. LeBon said the firm is now in the due diligence phase, analyzing the economics of the project. Early plans call for a building of up to eight floors.

LA KRETZ INNOVATION CAMPUS A summer 2012 groundbreaking is expected for a clean technology business incubator in the Arts District, said Ian Harris, operations manager for the project at 411 Hewitt St. The DWP is teaming with the Community Redevelopment Agency on the project called the LA Cleantech Incubator at La Kretz Innovation Campus. The final stages of the architectural and engineering designs are being completed, Harris said. The campus, slated to open in 2013, will house a variety of clean technology companies and occupants working with processes related to sustainable uses of natural resources. The DWP paid $11.1 million to purchase a building on the block bounded by Hewitt, Colyton, Fifth and Palmetto streets.

A temporary 3,500-square-foot facility is open and already houses the project’s first tenant, a company called 350Green.

An Oct. 6 opening ceremony is scheduled for the temporary facility that will house up to nine clean tech companies while the permanent space is built. Harris said funds have also been identified for a park that would be part of the project.

a project spokeswoman, 50% of the first phase has been sold at the development formerly known as the Barn Lofts, and a full opening-phase sellout is anticipated next month. The project is owned by Canyon-Johnson Urban Funds, whose partners include Earvin “Magic” Johnson. In the spring, the company acquired the Arts District condominium complex that was originally developed by the Borman Group.

Although the company lost control of the project after encountering problems with its lender, the Borman Group is still involved in the effort. Prices range from $505,000 to $585,000 for three-story, loft-style townhomes that are up to 2,600 square feet. The residences include outdoor porches and balconies, hardwood floors, parking and laundry hookups. At 940eastsecond.com.

APEX The sleek black South Park edifice long known as Concerto has a new name, courtesy of its new owner. ST Residential, which pried the 30-story, 271-unit tower at Ninth and Figueroa streets from developer Sonny Astani, has renamed the structure Apex. Still, New York-based ST Residential, a division of Starwood Capital, has yet to decide whether to open the building as apartments or try to sell units, said company spokesman Pete Marino. There is no timeline for opening, or for committing to a rental or for-sale model, he said. In the meantime, ST continues to do some remodeling to the lobby and the pool deck, which is shared with the Concerto mid-rise on Flower Street. That 77-unit building, which opened last year, sold out in an auction when Astani still controlled the project.

SPRING STREET GARAGE

GALLERY LOFTS photo by Gary Leonard

T

hese days, the media buzz makes it easy to believe that the only project of significance in the Downtown Los Angeles pipeline is the proposed $1.5 billion football stadium and Convention Center expansion. That’s understandable given the size and scope of the effort, but it is also wrong. While Farmers Field would be huge and is already spurring talk of following deals, there is activity happening all across Downtown.

It’s apparent on Bunker Hill, where a crane was recently erected at the site of Eli Broad’s art museum, and in Chinatown, where a developer has been selected for the longstalled Blossom Plaza. It’s obvious in the Arts District, where housing projects such as the condo complex 940 E. 2nd St. are close to coming online. One sees it in the Civic Center, where the aged Hall of Justice will undergo a $231 million upgrade, and in the Historic Core, where construction is slated to begin soon on the long-hoped-for Spring Street Park.

As these efforts indicate, the Downtown development scene runs the gamut of uses, with residential, cultural, civic, entertainment and business projects all getting play. The frenzy of housing and cultural development that began more than a decade ago continues to have an impact, and billions of dollars in investment continue to flow into the community.

In the following pages, we provide the latest information on 66 Downtown projects. That means one football stadium/ Convention Center deal, and more than five dozen others.

rendering courtesy Downtown Management

by Richard Guzmán, Jon Regardie and Ryan Vaillancourt

Downtown Management, a prominent property owner and developer in the Historic Core, submitted plans in July for a 500-space parking garage on Spring Street between Fifth and Sixth streets. The plan represents a departure from an earlier concept that included a ground-level space tailored for a supermarket. Greg Martin, the firm’s vice president, said the project still calls for ground-level retail but the market concept has been jettisoned. Downtown Management is in the process of securing city approvals for the 200,000-squarefoot structure, which would serve residents of the firm’s three nearby apartment buildings as well as the public. The project has proved controversial because it would block rear loading access to Broadway’s Roxie, Arcade and Cameo theaters, which for years have operated as swap meets. Theater preservation advocates say restoring the venues will require rear loading access. Downtown Management, which owns the theaters, hopes to secure approvals and break ground in the first quarter of 2012.

Move-ins at the Gallery Lofts will begin in October, according to a project representative. The 33 condos at 120-130 S. Hewitt St. range from 900-1,700 square feet. Prices in the development formerly known as Hewitt First are $345,000$515,000. The residences feature granite countertops in the kitchens and baths, stainless steel appliances, tiled showers, open beam cathedral ceilings and original brick walls. At galleryloftsla.com.

MERCANTILE LOFTS The renovation of the six-story Historic Core building is complete and sales are underway for the 35-condo project at 620 S. Main St., said Joseph Soleiman, director of acquisition and general counsel for ICO Group, which purchased the Mercantile out of foreclosure last year. Renovations in the 1906 edifice included upgrades to the lobby and the creation of a glass façade. Prices have been reduced about 10% since sales began and now range from $199,000-$529,000. There is no timeline yet on when move-ins will begin. At icodevelopment.com.

RESIDENTIAL FOR SALE

RESIDENTIAL FOR RENT

940 E. 2ND STREET

11TH AND GRAND TOWER

Sales have begun and move-ins are expected by early October at the 38-condominium complex 940 E. 2nd St. According to

Plans for a residential tower on the northwest corner of see Projects, page 10

10 Downtown News

Continued from page 9 Grand Avenue and 11th Street in South Park are unclear. The site is owned by Meruelo Maddux, which recently emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings with overhauled management. The firm submitted applications last year to build a 21-story residential tower on the property, but that was before the new leadership was installed. Company representatives could not be reached for comment. Previous plans called for 19 units (one per floor), all at about 4,000 square feet, which former firm representatives said would fill a void in family housing Downtown.

1027 WILSHIRE The Central City Development Group last year secured entitlements for a 376-unit live/work complex at 1027 Wilshire Blvd. in City West. The company, which is working on the project with the Amidi Real Estate Group, views the low-rise building as the second phase of 1010 Wilshire, a corporate housing complex across the street, said Hamid Behdad of the CCDG. Behdad said the focus continues to be on securing financing for the development. The edifice would also contain 6,500 square feet of retail and 5,000 square feet of office space.

The timeline will depend on the financing, said Behdad.

photo by Gary Leonard

1111 WILSHIRE

Bottega Louie on the ground floor, will likely spend some time finishing minor construction details and then open the units as rentals.

CHINATOWN GATEWAY Construction continues on the 300,000-square-foot development at Broadway and Cesar Chavez Avenue. Developer Equity Residential broke ground on the project in April; when it opens in 2013, it will hold a six-story building with 280 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, along with 18,000 square feet of retail. The project at 639-643 Cesar Chavez Ave., which is being designed by Thomas P. Cox Architects, will include a landscaped plaza, 17-foot wide sidewalks and a 588-car subterranean garage. Chinatown Gateway was originally announced about five years ago with two additional developers, and in 2007 the cost was estimated at $90 million. The project then stalled. The other developers are no longer involved and no price estimates have been publicly announced.

CHINATOWN METRO APARTMENTS

photo by Gary Leonard

ALAMEDA AND FOURTH An early 2012 completion is scheduled for an approximately $20 million project that will transform a six-story Arts District building into apartments, said Peklar Pilavjian of developer Alameda and Fourth, LLC. The project at Fourth and Alameda streets was initially planned as condominiums.

The 1923 structure is being turned into 53 artist-in-residence lofts. Units will range from 650-2,400 square feet. A second phase of the project is in the planning stage. It calls for a new residential structure on the side of the lot fronting Alameda Street.

BROCKMAN BUILDING The owner of the Brockman Building, Wickliffe A., a Bank of America subsidiary, is looking to sell the 80-unit edifice.

The bank put the property at 530 W. Seventh St. on the market in early August. Bids were due Aug. 24, said broker Kitty Wallace of Colliers, who has the listing. Wallace is now weighing offers on the building, which cost the bank about $44 million. Real estate experts have said the 1921 edifice is likely worth less than its debt. Developer West Millennium had sought to open the building as condominiums, but the cost skyrocketed from the original $16 million and the project and then the company filed for bankruptcy. Wallace said she expects that the buyer of the building, which contains

LORENZO Construction on phase one of G.H. Palmer Associates’ $300 million, 913-unit Flower Street apartment complex is underway. The Lorenzo, which will incorporate the same Italian Renaissance-inspired design and upscale amenities as Palmer’s other Downtown projects, is rising at Flower Street and Adams Boulevard on a 9.4-acre lot. Company owner Geoff Palmer said phase one includes 495 units and is expected to take two years to complete. The opening is tentatively planned for fall 2013, in time for the beginning of the USC school year. At ghpalmer.com.

LOTUS GARDEN

In August, the City Council approved a financial plan that could move the long-delayed Chinatown Metro Apartments forward. The council approved a proposal from the Los Angeles Housing Department that would allocate $26.2 million in tax-exempt bonds for the $44 million project at 808 N. Spring St. The decision allows developer Meta Housing Corporation to apply for the funds from the state. The project would convert two Chinatown structures into a 123-unit apartment complex, creating affordable housing for senior citizens. The project would be supplemented with money from city sources such as the Community Redevelopment Agency. According to city officials, construction could begin this fall. At metahousing.com.

CHESTER WILLIAMS BUILDING

On June 9, Vancouver, Wash.-based Holland Partner Group broke ground on a 210-apartment complex at 1111 Wilshire Blvd. The $60 million City West project will be a seven-story building on the site of a former parking lot. It will contain studio to three-bedroom units and an underground parking garage will hold 302 spaces. Company officials said the target audience for the building, expected to open in 2013, is young professionals who work in Downtown. Holland Partner had originally envisioned a 398-condominium high-rise for the site, but changed course when the economy turned. The building will sit not far from Glo, the developer’s first project in the area. The apartment complex at 1050 Wilshire Blvd. opened in 2007 and is 98% occupied.

certification. Construction is slated to begin in December. At srohousing.org.

photo by Gary Leonard

Projects

September 19, 2011

Development

The $24 million affordable housing project by Affirmed Housing Group is on schedule, said Bibiana Yung, a project representative with the Community Redevelopment Agency.

Completion is expected in August 2012. The 60-unit effort at 715 Yale St. broke ground in April. The eight-story Chinatown project will serve families earning 30%-60% of the county’s median income, with rents from $370 for a studio to $1,236 for a three-bedroom apartment. The building’s water heating system will come from solar-powered, high-efficiency boilers. The development was designed by Los Angeles-based Togawa Smith Martin Residential and features a rooftop recreation area, a barbecue station and group gardening plots. The building also incorporates a mechanical parking garage known as a car matrix; vehicles in the threelevel, semi-automated facility will move vertically and horizontally to allow for a space-saving stacking effect. The garage will hold 64 cars. At affirmedhousing.com.

NEW GENESIS APARTMENTS

Downtown Management continues its transformation of the 75-year-old Chester Williams Building at Fifth Street and Broadway. The company is targeting a March 2012 completion of the $15 million effort to convert the former office edifice into 88 apartments, said Greg Martin, the firm’s vice president. Pharmacy chain Walgreens has signed a lease to occupy the 13,908-square-foot ground-floor commercial space. Martin said Walgreens is also targeting a March opening.

DA VINCI

Construction continues on nonprofit developer Skid Row Housing Trust’s $22.3 million affordable housing project at 458 S. Main St. Designed by Killefer Flammang Architects, and funded by a mix of local, state and federal sources, the New Genesis will provide 106 residences, mostly for homeless individuals. Twenty-five percent of the apartments will be set aside for working people earning less than $37,260 per year. Ninety-eight residences will be efficiency apartments, and eight will be one-bedroom, loft-style spaces. Completion, originally planned for March 2012, has been pushed back to June, said Molly Rysman, director of external affairs for SRHT. The complex will include a solar energy system on the roof and is expected to be the first permanent supportive housing effort in Los Angeles built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum standards. At skidrow.org.

PANAMA APARTMENTS

G.H. Palmer Associates is in the planning stage for a 627-apartment complex in City West. Da Vinci would rise at Fremont and Temple streets on a 193,000-square-foot site that Palmer bought in 2004 for about $9 million. The 578,172-square-foot complex would put five floors of housing above three levels of parking with 8,158 square feet of street-front retail. The site includes a parcel on Temple Street that abuts the nightclub Vertigo’s. Company owner Geoff Palmer said groundbreaking is slated for late 2012. At ghpalmer.com.

SRO Housing Corp.’s plan to convert the rear portion of the 87 emergency shelter units at the Panama Hotel into 41 efficiency apartments for permanent housing is on hold.

The project at 403 E. Fifth St. would turn the entire 221-unit emergency housing complex into about 100 apartments with support services onsite, said Joseph Corcoran, SRO’s director of planning and housing development. The project is not expected to move forward before 2012. At srohousing.org.

GATEWAYS APARTMENTS

PIERO II

SRO Housing Corp. has obtained full funding to build a 108unit affordable housing project on a 22,000-square-foot vacant lot at Fifth and San Pedro streets, said Joseph Corcoran, the nonprofit developer’s director of planning and housing development. All apartments will be efficiency units with an average size of 300 square feet. The project will aim for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver

Construction on developer G.H. Palmer Associates’ 335-apartment complex at Bixel and St. Paul streets is nearing completion, with an opening planned for October, company owner Geoff Palmer said. The City West project employs the same Italian villa-inspired design as the rest of Palmer’s Downtown developments, including the adjacent Piero I. Piero II includes a pedestrian bridge over St. Paul Street that

September 19, 2011

Downtown News 11

photo by Gary Leonard

photo by Gary Leonard

Development

finishing touches on the building at 1000 E. Seventh St. When acquired by SRO, the dilapidated hotel had 295 units and 132 residents. The $25 million project will create 90 apartments for chronically homeless individuals; units will contain a kitchenette and bathroom. The remaining apartments will be for people earning up to 50% of the Area Median Income (approximately $60,000). At srohousing.org.

THE SANTEE

connects a rooftop deck to the first phase of the project. The $70 million effort will have a spa, theater, library, gym, fire pit and communal barbecues. At ghpalmer.com.

ROSSLYN HOTEL SRO Housing Corp. is in the pre-development phase for a renovation of the 264-unit affordable housing complex at Fifth and Main streets. The company, which bought the property in 2010 with help from the Community Redevelopment Agency, is required to preserve the affordable residences in the building. SRO expects to have funding for the project by mid-2012 and to start construction by the end of that year, said Joseph Corcoran, the nonprofit developer’s director of planning and housing development. At srohousing.org.

SEVEN AND BRIDGE Linear City, developer of the Toy Factory and Biscuit Company lofts, continues to work on a three-building, 78-apartment project near the corner of Seventh and Santa Fe streets in the Arts District. The firm acquired the partway done development, formerly known as 2121 Lofts, after it went bankrupt in 2009. In April, Linear City completed phase

one, a 19-unit structure that is now 90% occupied, said company partner Yuval Bar-Zemer. The two remaining buildings are under construction. Twenty residences are slated for completion in October, with all apartments scheduled to come online in December. Linear City is also working on getting entitlements for two restaurant spaces. The project cost is estimated at $5 million. At linear-city.com.

STAR APARTMENTS The nonprofit developer Skid Row Housing Trust is planning a 102-unit permanent supportive housing complex at the southeast corner of Sixth and Maple streets. Michael Maltzan Architecture has been retained to design the project which would reinforce an existing structure and add new residential units above it. SRHT is in the final stage of assembling public and private financing and hopes to begin construction by December, said Molly Rysman, the organization’s director of external affairs. At skidrow.org.

Essex Property Trust is leasing units at the 73-unit Santee building, one of four buildings in the Santee Court apartment complex. Essex bought the property at 716 S. Los Angeles St. in March for $17 million, only five months after it was acquired by Kennedy Wilson and RECP/Urban Partners. The Kennedy Wilson team bought three buildings, including the Cornell and Eckardt; residences in those structures are being sold as condos. It sold the third building, the Santee, to Essex.

According to an SEC filing, Essex spent an additional $4.5 million to finish the residences. The building was 22% occupied at the close of the second quarter. At santeecourt.com.

THE WINSTON Legacy Real Estate Holdings continues its conversion of the long-abandoned Jeffries Banknote building at Los Angeles and Winston streets into 43 apartments. Legacy broke ground on an approximately $5 million transformation of the 1927 structure in January and expects to open it next March, said Stephan Schmidt, development director and spokesman for the firm. The Winston will feature studio, one- and two-bedroom units ranging from 600-1,200 square feet, most of them with balconies. Currently washed in a layer of white paint, the exterior of the structure will be buffed to feature its original brick. The developer plans to bring a jazz club into a ground floor commercial space.

MIXED USE

THE FORD SRO Housing Corp. expects to finish the transformation of the Ford Hotel into 151 studio apartments by Oct. 1, said Joseph Corcoran, the nonprofit developer’s director of planning and housing development. Crews are currently putting

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Continued from page 11 in taking over the failed Blossom Plaza, the Community Redevelopment Agency last month selected Forest City Residential Group as the company it will recommend for the project. There is no timeline yet on when the City Council will vote on entering into an exclusive negotiating agreement with Forest City. Although the developer is not yet releasing details for the major Chinatown project on Broadway between College and Spring streets, Kevin Ratner, president of Forest City West, said the development will likely be very similar to what previous developer Larry Bond had in place. Those plans, which have already gone through the entitlement process and were approved by the city, called for a mixed-use project with 262 residential units, 20% of them dedicated to affordable housing, in two towers. The budget had been set at $165 million. The project would also have created 43,000 square feet of retail space, a 372-car garage and a 17,500-square-foot plaza to be used for community events. A CRA official said the 262 residences could be scaled down to about 200. Bond was unable to get the project off the ground due to financial issues.

L.A. CENTRAL The fate of the long-stalled South Park mega-project remains uncertain. Five years ago New York-based Moinian Group, owner of a parking lot across from Staples Center, announced plans to build 53- and 37-story towers housing 860 condominiums, plus 250,000 square feet of retail space, a grocery store, restaurants and a boutique hotel with 222 rooms. Those plans failed to come to fruition when the company was unable to secure a loan for the $1 billion project at Olympic Boulevard and Figueroa Street. Moinian officials, who are still in search of financing, bought the lot for $80 million from L.A. Live developer Anschutz Entertainment Group in 2006. Oskar Brecher, director of development for Moinian, said that when the project secures financing it will have fewer residential units and an increased hotel component.

METROPOLIS photo by Gary Leonard

Projects

September 19, 2011

Development

IDS Real Estate Group has tweaked its approach for the longstalled Metropolis, ditching past plans for significant office buildings and instead making retail and hotels the emphasis.

The company is courting hotel operators and large retailers to come to the 6.5-acre site bounded by Eighth, Ninth and Francisco streets and the Harbor (110) Freeway. IDS shelved plans to build four high-rises when the housing and credit markets crashed. It was the latest setback for a development that was first broached in 1988. The most recent plan approved for construction called for nearly 1 million square feet of office space, 68,000 square feet of retail and a single hotel with about 480 rooms. IDS now envisions a multiphase project with very little office space, up to two hotels and about 300,000 square feet of mostly ground-level shops.

The concept, which still lacks a timeline and budget, aims to transform Francisco Street into an energized pedestrian corridor feeding directly into L.A. Live. The project could proceed with retail first if Brookfield Properties’ renovation of the outdoor mall at Seventh and Figueroa streets proves successful at attracting tenants, said IDS senior vice president Patrick Spillane. Or, it could move first with a hotel; the chances for that would increase if AEG inks a deal to expand the convention center and build an NFL stadium.

ONE SANTA FE According to the most recent information available, a groundbreaking is scheduled for October for the $150 million One Santa Fe. The project has been in the works since 2005 when it was a $60 million development. It stalled during

the economic downturn and was re-launched this year after the city approved a $4 million loan from the Community Redevelopment Agency for its affordable housing component. The project team consists of the Beverly Hills-based McGregor Company, Polis Builders and Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group. The six-story building would have 438 housing units and 78,000 square feet of retail and commercial space, including a 15,000-square-foot grocery store.

Additionally, there would be a 47,400-square-foot plaza and 802 parking spaces. The CRA’s loan will subsidize 88 affordable housing units for artists. The studio to two-bedroom units would range from 431-1,216 square feet.

THE GRAND Grand Avenue project developer Related Companies is working on plans for a 20-story apartment tower that would rise on a plot originally intended for phase two of the three-phase Grand Avenue project. The firm has until October 2012 to break ground on the tower, which would occupy what is now a parking lot south of Gen. Thaddeus Kosciusko Way on lower Grand Avenue. Related has selected the firm Arquitectonica to do the designs, but has not secured financing for the project. Preliminary plans for the edifice call for about 260 units, 20% of which would be priced as affordable housing, and up to 15,000 square feet of retail space, said Related California President Bill Witte. Known as parcel M, the site is environmentally cleared for two towers of up to 35 stories. The project includes a condo tower that would rise above the future Broad museum parking lot; that tower has a groundbreaking deadline of 2016. Meanwhile, the Frank Gehry-designed phase one, which calls for two luxury residential towers with a boutique hotel and 250,000 square feet of retail, remains on hold. Related has missed multiple deadlines to break ground on the largest piece of the project, and instead has secured repeat extensions. Most recently, the Grand Avenue Authority approved a two-year extension for phase one through February 2013.

WILSHIRE GRAND REPLACEMENT The 59-year-old Wilshire Grand hotel will close on Dec. 31, marking an end of operations for the landmark on the northwest corner of Seventh and Figueroa streets. The 1952 building,

September 19, 2011

Downtown News 13

Development

which originally cost $15 million, will be razed early next year to make way for a $1.1 billion, two-tower hotel, condominium and office project. Earlier this year, hotel owner Korean Air and its development partner, Downtown-based Thomas Properties Group, secured the approvals for the project; the City Council gave its OK in March. The first element to rise will be a 45-story tower holding 560 hotel rooms, with 100 condominiums on the upper floors. TPG officials have said they hope to begin construction near the end of the year and open in 2015. A 65-floor office tower would follow when the office market strengthens. The project will include numerous electronic billboards and an array of architectural lighting.

information available, district officials are still in the environmental study phase. Plans call for a 55,361-square-foot, three-story facility on a sliver of land immediately east of the Miguel Contreras Learning Complex athletics fields, near the intersection of Miramar Street and Huntley Drive. The new school will share the playing fields. It would include a 47-space subterranean garage.

CHINATOWN PLAZA IMPROVEMENTS

BROADWAY REVITALIZATION

DOWNTOWN STREETCAR rendering courtesy of LASI

The 10-year plan to revive Broadway between Second Street and Olympic Boulevard continues. Fourteenth District City Councilman José Huizar launched Bringing Back Broadway three-and-a-half years ago. Last month, the city began repairing sidewalks on Broadway between Second and Fourth streets; the repairs are part of the initiative’s approximately $35 million effort to upgrade the corridor’s deteriorated infrastructure. The work will include reconstruction of the sidewalks and underlying basement ceiling slabs and the structures that support the sidewalks. Meanwhile, Huizar’s office continues to work on a set of commercial reuse guidelines to activate the nearly 1 million square feet of vacant space above street level. Additionally, the Broadway Streetscape Master Plan is in the environmental review phase and should be finished this year. At bringingbackbroadway.com.

EXPOSITION LIGHT RAIL

Work on revitalizing the heart of Chinatown is on hold due to the state budget crisis, said Bibiana Yung, a project representative with the Community Redevelopment Agency.

Nearly 50 property owners had signed up for city grants to renovate their buildings on Central and West plazas and Bamboo Lane. The grants cover new paint, installation of Chinese architectural features and neon lighting. Five projects were completed before the hold and the rest will pick up once the budget issues are resolved, Yung said.

CIVIC

CENTRAL REGION HIGH SCHOOL NO. 12 The charter school organization Camino Nuevo, which runs five schools in the Westlake-MacArthur Park area, plans to open a 500-seat school in City West by 2013. The Los Angeles Unified School District owns the site adjacent to the Miguel Contreras Learning Complex on Third Street just west of the Harbor (110) Freeway. According to the most recent

officials with L.A. Streetcar Inc., a nonprofit established by Huizar to run the streetcar, continue to explore whether a special tax should be levied on private property owners to pay for the bulk of the project. The assessment district would require a two-thirds majority vote from people who live within a few blocks of the route. Dennis Allen, executive director of LASI, said he hopes to have a decision on the fundraising option by the fall. The soonest the streetcar could open is 2014.

At lastreetcar.org.

Work continues on the Exposition Light Rail, a $930 million project that will connect Downtown to Culver City, said Gabriella Collins, a spokeswoman for the Exposition Construction Authority. An opening is expected for the line’s La Cienega station this year and next year is the anticipated debut of the Venice/Robertson station, now known as the Culver City Station. The eight-mile route will share two stops with the Blue Line and will add nine new stations.

Meanwhile, a Sept. 12 groundbreaking was held for phase two of the project, the extension of the light rail from Culver City to Santa Monica. That is scheduled to open in 2015. At buildexpo.org.

FEDERAL BUILDING A $90 million seismic upgrade of the Federal Building at 300 N. Los Angeles St. is scheduled to be complete by October, according to officials with the General Services Administration.

The project also secured $19.5 million of Recovery Act funds to make the property more energy efficient. The project includes a new fire safety system and the replacement of the original ceiling and lighting systems.

GRAND AVENUE CIVIC PARK According to Metro officials, a final route for the $125 million streetcar will be selected by December. The transit agency in August held the last public meeting to gather input on where the project propelled by 14th District City Councilman José Huizar should run. Ultimately the project will go roughly from L.A. Live to Bunker Hill, though options being considered include a leg that reaches Union Station. Meanwhile,

Construction continues on the $56 million Grand Avenue Civic Park, and an opening remains on schedule for summer 2012, said Renate Kofahl, a spokeswoman for general contractor Pankow Construction. Work began in July 2010.

The project was funded by the $50 million up-front payment made to the county by Grand Avenue project developer see Projects, page 15

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14 Downtown News

September 19, 2011

Development

Y photos by: jasmine-star.com

Projects photo by Gary Leonard

Continued from page 13

Downtown News 15

Development In July the County Board of Supervisors put an end to a protest that had held up the project for months when it voted unanimously to award the contract to Clark and Martin. The protest was from a losing bidder for the project. Plans call for seismic improvements, elevator upgrades, new electrical and mechanical systems and connecting the building to utility systems for sewage, water and gas. The project will include a new, underground, 1,000-space parking garage on the north side of the building and a high-pressure wash of the granite exterior to restore its gleam. When the 1925 building at 211 W. Temple St. opens in 2014, it will once again house the Sheriff’s Department, District Attorney and other county agencies. The 14-story edifice was closed after suffering severe damage in the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

begin in 2013 with completion approximately 18 months later. At lashp.wordpress.com.

PARKER CENTER REPLACEMENT photo by Gary Leonard

September 19, 2011

LOS ANGELES RIVER

Related of California, plus accrued interest on that deposit.

The design by Rios Clementi Hale Studios will eliminate the large circular parking ramps at the west end of the site (across from the Music Center) and the L-shaped entrance points near Broadway. The 12-acre facility will feature terraced green space, pathways, an event lawn, additional trees and a small dog run. The historic Arthur J. Will Memorial Fountain is being restored. Monuments on the site have been moved to another location or protected from construction.

HALL OF JUSTICE Work on a long-delayed $231 million upgrade of the Hall of Justice is scheduled to begin this month, said Chris Martin, a partner at AC Martin, the Downtown architecture firm that is working with Clark Construction Group on the project.

The long-running effort to revitalize the Los Angeles River continues. The pilot “Paddle the L.A. River” program launched in August, and the L.A. Conservation Corps is leading supervised canoe and kayak trips down a 1.5-mile stretch of the waterway in the San Fernando Valley. The move came after the Environmental Protection Agency designated the river as “traditional navigable waters.” Meanwhile, First District City Councilman Ed Reyes, along with other local leaders and representatives of the Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan, continues to lobby for federal dollars for the project. The overall effort could cost $2 billion and take decades. A feasibility study for ecosystem restoration is expected to be complete within two years. An updated River Improvement Overlay Plan is available for viewing on the city Planning Department’s website.

LOS ANGELES STATE HISTORIC PARK The first public meeting to unveil plans for the $18 million renovation of the park will be held in October, said Sean Woods, a California State Parks superintendent. The upgrade of the 32-acre facility on the edge of Chinatown will include a welcome pavilion, a promenade for a farmers market, an amphitheatre, some wetland areas and infrastructure improvements such as permanent restrooms. Construction is set to

There remains no movement on a proposal to either swap the aged and vacant Parker Center with the federal government for another parcel, or to raze the old LAPD headquarters and reuse the property. The City Council continues to await a report from the Chief Legislative Analyst on the feasibility of the proposed swap for a 3.6-acre parcel bounded

by Second, Third and Hill streets and Broadway, where the federal government has planned to build a new courthouse.

The council ordered the study in July 2010. Parker Center, the LAPD’s former headquarters at 150 N. Los Angeles St., has been empty since the department’s 2009 move into the Police Administration Building. The city was looking at authorizing an Environmental Impact Report that would study five options for the site, including adaptive reuse of the building, partial demolition and renovation, and demolition and see Projects, page 16

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September 19, 2011

Development

Projects Continued from page 15 replacement with a temporary parking lot.

REGIONAL CONNECTOR Metro continues to work on the final environmental impact report for the $1.44 billion fully underground light-rail link known as the Regional Connector. The study is expected to be complete late this year. Draft sections of the final report detailing the most recent changes to the route are circulating, and the agency will take public comments regarding the route through Sept. 6. The project would connect the Metro Blue and Gold lines, and the upcoming Expo Line. The agency recently began preliminary geotechnical tests along the route, evaluating soil and measuring vibration and noise impacts.

The project will come with at least three new underground stations, at Second and Hope streets, Second Street and Broadway and at Second Street and Central Avenue. A fourth station, originally slated to go at Fifth and Flower streets, has been nixed to save money. Once the environmental study is finished, design and engineering would take another two years. Completion is tentatively pegged for 2019. At metro. net/projects/connector.

rendering courtesy Bureau of Engineering

SIXTH STREET VIADUCT

S. Broadway that will add three new bars and another restaurant to the site. Meieran, who also owns the Edison nightclub, plans to update the famous cafeteria on the ground level without altering its historic character. The street-level renovation will anchor the first phase of the project, which will also include the addition of a “neighborhood bar” on the mezzanine level, said Barbara Jacobs, chief operating officer of the Edison and Clifton’s. Future phases will include the transformation of the second floor into a jazz and blues lounge/bar called The Brookdale, as well as a speakeasy style bar in the basement. The third floor is slated to get a tiki bar in a final phase of construction. A fine dining restaurant will go on the fourth floor, and an existing bakery will be renovated. The overall project will include a restoration of the property’s façade, an effort undertaken with the guidance of preservationist organization the Los Angeles Conservancy, Jacobs said. Meieran hopes to secure permits by Oct. 1 to begin demolition work on the first floor. It is unclear whether the restaurant will have to close during renovations, though if it does, it will be for no longer than three months, Meieran said. The project will be completed in phases, with venues opening every three months until fall 2012.

ENGINE CO. 17 According to the most recent information available, efforts are underway to turn Engine Company No. 17, a 1927 firehouse at 710 S. Santa Fe Ave. in the Industrial District, into a restaurant and bar. In April, the city’s Office of Zoning Administration was presented with the plans as part of an effort to secure a liquor license for the project. Similar plans for the 1904 firehouse were put on hold in 2009 after neighbors protested the project’s parking plan. The building had been a fire station until 1980.

image courtesy of Gensler

FARMERS FIELD

CULTURAL/ENTERTAINMENT CLIFTON’S RENOVATION Andrew Meieran, the owner of Clifton’s Cafeteria, is in the planning stage for a major renovation of the property at 648

MOCA EXPANSION There is still no timeline or budget for a three-story, 90,000-square-foot museum building that would rise on a parking lot adjacent to MOCA’s Geffen Contemporary in Little Tokyo. The land would be transformed into 6,000 square feet of educational program space, 18,000 square feet of exhibition/storage space and 66,000 square feet of pure storage space. According to records from the Planning Department, in 2009 MOCA requested a five-year period after approval to begin construction. Once construction begins the project would take about 18 months.

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM The Dinosaur Hall, the most prominent element of the Natural History Museum’s extensive upgrade, opened in July. The 14,000-square-foot exhibit more than doubled the museum’s previous dinosaur display space. It includes more than 300 fossils and 20 full-body specimens. The opening of the exhibit marks the halfway point in the Exposition Park attraction’s seven-year, $135 million transformation. Next year, an exhibit exploring the natural and cultural history of Los Angeles and Southern California will debut. Also coming in 2012 is the North Campus, a 3.5-acre project that will create a new “front yard” for the facility, with outdoor exhibits in 11 zones. A new entrance will be revealed in November 2013 at the celebration of the NHM’s 100th anniversary. At nhm.org.

PALACE THEATRE RESTORATION photo by Gary Leonard

The city Bureau of Engineering is still awaiting state approval of the environmental impact report for a replacement of the ailing, 78-year-old Sixth Street Viaduct. The bridge spans the Los Angeles River between Downtown and Boyle Heights.

The bureau expects state attorneys who are reviewing the EIR to finish by the end of the month, said Rick Coca, a spokesman for 14th District City Councilman José Huizar. A chemical reaction is breaking down the bridge, though officials have said there is no imminent danger of collapse. Since 2007, bureau staff have been looking at repairing, or more likely replacing the structure. Current projections are that a new bridge won’t come until 2017 at the earliest. The project cost is estimated at $359 million. The city has identified a new cable-supported structure as the preferred design.

of the approximately $1.5 billion development would be the creation of a new convention building, called the Pico Hall, that would rise contiguous to the main convention building.

The current West Hall would then be razed, making way for the stadium. Leiweke said the budget for the stadium is $1.1 billion; it has not yet been determined if that would include a retractable roof. Plans call for the stadium also to be used for large conventions and events such as the NCAA Final Four.

As part of the deal, the city would float $275 million in bonds; AEG would cover about three-quarters of that, with the remainder coming from revenues generated by the project.

Leiweke hopes to open the stadium in time for the 2016 NFL season. At farmersfield.com.

On Aug. 9, the City Council approved a non-binding memorandum of understanding for a deal with Anschutz Entertainment Group, and this month, the state Legislature voted to limit the time the project could be delayed by environmental challenges. Now, the proposed developer of a 68,000-seat South Park stadium is seeking to persuade a professional football team to come to Los Angeles, and for the NFL to approve the deal. Although AEG President and CEO Tim Leiweke said a team will not be announced until the end of the current football season at the soonest, he hopes to begin construction on the project by June 2012. The first phase

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Development

Broadway. The theater, one of four former Broadway movie palaces owned by the Delijani family, has reupholstered seats and new carpeting and wallpaper. The lighting fixtures have been restored, as has the marble near the entrance. The 1,000seat theater originally opened in 1911. Plans call for the building to be used for live music, comedy, movie screenings and other events several times a week.

SPRING STREET PARK The city is scheduled to break ground on the $8 million Spring Street Park this fall, said Paul Tseng, project manager with the city’s Bureau of Engineering. The year-long effort will turn an L-shaped slab of pavement between the El Dorado and Rowan lofts into nearly an acre of walking paths, with a plaza, benches, a fountain, dozens of trees and artwork. Meanwhile, plans are being explored to have a nonprofit group run and maintain the park once it is completed. The group would raise private funds to take care of the park.

temporary art museum. The three-level garage is expected to be complete in January, said Broad Foundation spokeswoman Karen Denne. Construction of the museum will begin once the garage is done. The design for the three-level museum by architecture firm Diller, Scofidio + Renfro features a pre-cast concrete web that will encase the museum on five sides, including the roof, letting diffuse light inside and providing the primary structural support for the building.

The 93,000-square-foot museum will house Broad’s 2,000 contemporary works, with rotating pieces on display in the third floor gallery. The project will include a public plaza to the south and west of the site, and widened sidewalks along Grand Avenue between Second and Third streets. The CRA is spending $52 million on the plaza, sidewalks and garage portions of the project. Broad will cover the rest of the museum construction cost, in addition to the $7.7 million he paid to lease the land for 99 years. That money will fund an affordable housing component for a planned apartment tower next to the museum. Broad will also endow the museum with $200 million.

BUSINESS 7+FIG RENOVATION photo by Gary Leonard

photo by Gary Leonard

THE BROAD

Downtown News 17

The $40 million renovation of the outdoor shopping center at Seventh and Figueroa streets is on track to open in fall 2012, said Bert Dezzutti, senior vice president of Brookfield Properties, the owner of the facility. When completed, it will include a 500-seat indoor/outdoor dining area. Construction began in January after Target and mall owner Brookfield Properties signed a deal for the Minneapolis-based retailer to anchor the space; Target’s 104,000-square-foot store will also open next fall. Most of the restaurants and businesses have moved out for the renovation and talks are underway with new retailers. The mall’s circular layout of stairways, zigzagging escalators and side elevators is being replaced with a grand stairway that will lead shoppers directly into the Target from Figueroa Street. A glass canopy will top the center and the twin columns that front the mall will be increased in height and sheathed in glass. The project is being designed by Gensler.

BYD HEADQUARTERS Chinese electric car manufacturer BYD, which stands for Build Your Dreams, continues construction on its new headquarters on the Figueroa Corridor. The company is renovating the space at 1800 S. Figueroa St., said Michael Austin, a BYD spokesman, and expects to open in the fourth quarter.

The facility will function as a showroom for the firm’s electric cars and other sustainable technologies, including solar energy creation and storage systems, and a center for research and development offices. BYD is currently hiring employees.

It will employ 50 people in the first year and up to 150 people in three years, Austin said.

CLEANTECH MANUFACTURING CENTER The Community Redevelopment Agency has extended the loan on the 20-acre site of the proposed Cleantech Manufacturing Center through February 2012, giving the agency more time to negotiate a deal for a developer to take it over. The CRA board had already approved an extension of the $15.4 million East West Bank loan, which was originally due in May, once before. The agency continues see Projects, page 18

Work continues on the 370-car parking garage that will serve as the base for philanthropist Eli Broad’s $100 million con-

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18 Downtown News

September 19, 2011

Development

Continued from page 17 to pay $42,000 per month in interest. The move comes after a deal to sell the site near 15th Street and Washington Boulevard fell through in May, when developer Genton Property Group backed out, citing contamination issues. CRA spokesman David Bloom said the agency is now negotiating exclusively with Trammell Crow, a firm that originally finished second, behind Genton, in the bidding to buy and develop the land. The CRA, however, remains hamstrung from making any significant deals until the state Supreme Court considers constitutional challenges to recent legislation that forced California redevelopment agencies to pay $1.7 billion to the state in order to remain in existence. The court is expected to rule on the challenges by Jan. 15, 2011.

LITTLE TOKYO GALLERIA Plans continue to be formulated for the renovation of the 25-year-old edifice long known as the Little Tokyo Shopping Center. The owners of the now renamed Little Tokyo Galleria are seeking city approval to improve the building with a nearly 50,000-square-foot entertainment hub; it would be anchored by a 24-lane bowling alley, a sports bar and a new family restaurant. There would also be an upgraded amusement arcade. Owners Three Alameda Plaza would handle all of the operations inhouse, said Jay Chun, president of property manager Kaufman Commercial Group. The owners hope to open the new operations by summer 2012. The 250,000-square-foot mall at 333 S. Alameda St. was purchased by the current owners in 2008. The group

MARRIOTT HOTEL Construction on a 377-room South Park project with two Marriott brand hotels is slated to begin early next year. In April, Portland-based developer Homer Williams, who previously created the Eleven, Luma and Evo condominium complexes, announced plans to build the 22-story project on the northeast corner of Olympic Boulevard and Francisco Street. The $120 million development would create 180 Courtyard by Marriott rooms and a separate 197-room Residence Inn. The 300,000-square-foot project would open across from the Ritz-Carlton/J.W. Marriott tower in March 2014; Williams said it will rise whether or not there is a Downtown football stadium. The privately financed project is being funded with Seattle-based company American Life through the EB-5 Investor Green Card Program. That allows individuals who invest $500,000, and whose projects lead to the creation of at least 10 direct or indirect U.S. jobs, to get Green Cards.

WESTIN BONAVENTURE The $35 million renovation of the 1,354room hotel at 404 S. Figueroa St. that was expected to be complete by the end of June has been pushed back, according to hotel officials. No new completion date has been given. Upgrades to the concierge and hotel registration areas were completed in April, and renovations to the massive lobby were

finished the following month. Upgrades have also been made to some of the public spaces.

The hotel has remained open throughout the renovations.

project manager Abode Communities, broke ground on the $15.7 million Hope Street Family Center, a four-story, 25,500-squarefoot project. When completed in the summer of 2012, the $15.7 million effort at 1600 S. Hope St. will offer a range of services supporting low-income area families and will include an outdoor basketball court and children’s play area. The building is slated to secure LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. At chmcla.org.

NONPROFIT/COMMUNITY BUDOKAN LOS ANGELES Fundraising is underway for the Budokan of Los Angeles, a recreation center planned by the Little Tokyo Service Center. Last month, the project received a $1 million pledge from the George and Sakaye Aratani Family Foundation, the first major promise for the $22 million development. LTSC Executive Director Bill Watanabe said it is too early to determine a timeline for the project, though he hopes to announce a groundbreaking date in about two years. The city and the LTSC recently agreed on a deal for the effort that would rise at 237249 S. Los Angeles St. on city-owned land.

Plans call for a 38,000-square-foot facility that will include a four-court gymnasium, community space and a rooftop garden with a jogging track. It would provide space for several sports with an emphasis on martial arts tournaments.

Financing will come through a mix of private and public sources. At budokanoflangeles.com.

YWCA JOB CORPS CAMPUS photo by Gary Leonard

Projects

of Korean-American investors announced plans to add about eight new restaurants to the three-story edifice. They also said the fortress-like building would undergo a renovation to create a more open and inviting look.

GOOD SAMARITAN EXPANSION A groundbreaking is set for Oct. 6 for a 190,000-square-foot medical office building at Wilshire Boulevard and Witmer Street in City West, said Katrina Bada, a spokeswoman for the City West hospital. The $80 million facility would include a pharmacy, an outpatient surgical center and five levels of physicians’ offices. Architecture firm Ware Malcomb is overseeing the design, while Millie and Severson is handling construction. The project is scheduled for completion in 2013.

HOPE STREET FAMILY CENTER On April 1, California Hospital Medical Center, in partnership with architect and

According to the most recent information available, the $73 million Downtown L.A. YWCA Job Corps Urban Campus is expected to open in mid-2012. The site for the 155,000-square-foot building at 1020 S. Olive St. was acquired in 2004 for $3.5 million and vertical construction of the seven-story structure was completed last year. The project will include a medical center, classrooms, a dining hall, commercial kitchen and 200 residential rooms that will house 400 Job Corps trainees. The building will consolidate Job Corps’ current facilities, which are scattered throughout six Downtown sites.

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Our issue fOr the DOwntOwn Dweller.

Downtowners reveal how they live and what they love about their homes.

Highlights on local business and a guide to Downtown services.

And the best places to live in Downtown.

Don’t miss your chance to reach 150,000 readers!

section Publishes: October 17, 2011 1264 W. 1st St., LA, CA 90026 (213) 481-1448 • FAX (213) 250-4617

LADowntownNews.com

September 19, 2011

Downtown News 19

DowntownNews.com

photo by Gary Leonard

DOWNTOWN RESIDENTIAL

a special advertising supplement

An Urban Oasis Luxury Living From the Mid $200,000s Draws Buyers to 655 Hope

I

deally located in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles’ transportation, shopping and financial center, 655 Hope presents affordable ownership options for high-rise living. Stunning cityscape views from this FROM OUR ADVERTISERS

live/work building arise from 17 stories of sleek steel, stone and glass along the Seventh Street retail and restaurant row corridor.

Each urban loft offers one to two bedrooms and one to two baths in up to 1,268 square feet with exceptional views from floorto-ceiling windows. Residents also have the benefits of a roof deck with bar, an on-site fitness center, 24-hour lobby and parking attendant, and a community room.

“Each unit was smartly designed to be practical and architecturally appealing while taking advantage of the stunning views of the city,” says Charles Cohen, the developer of 655 Hope. From the lustrous hardwood floors to the generous ceiling heights, comfortable modern elegance abounds. Reflective glass windows bring added privacy to this modern living space.

The sleek granite-countered kitchen is fully equipped with high-end stainless steel appliances including a five-burner range, oven, microwave, dishwasher, double-door refrigerator, washer and dryer. Generous walk-in closets, high quality bathroom fixtures including modern bowl sink and glass see 655 Hope, page 22

1 !

E S LD A PH SO % 60

Real loft living… …in the downtown Arts District.

Loft condominiums ideally located in LA’s sophisticated Arts District provide a uniquely appealing home at Gallery Lofts.

Combining old and new, Gallery Lofts offers the comfort and convenience of state-of-the-art finishes in a historic framework.

• Lighted and gated parking with assigned spaces • Granite counters in kitchens and baths • Open and airy mezzanine-style lofts • Stainless steel GE™ appliances • Pre-wired for TV, Internet and telephone • Lush interior courtyard with bamboo and water features • Walking distance to Metro Stop and Dash Bus Stop

From the mid $300s Decorated models open Saturday & Sunday, 10:30 to 5:30

120-130 South Hewitt St., Los Angeles • www.GalleryLoftsLA.com 323-610-7700 Prices, details, specifications and features subject to change without prior notice.

Sales exclusively by Home Builders Marketing Services, Inc. DRE #01163523.

20 Downtown News

September 19, 2011

Downtown Residential

Creating Community First Phase Over 50% Sold at Gallery Lofts Downtown

T

he first phase of loft homes at Gallery Lofts in the stylish Downtown Los Angeles Arts District is more than 50% sold, according to Marvin Hoiseth of Homebuilders Marketing Services, sales agents for the community.

Sales progress has been steady, Hoiseth said, with buyers apFROM OUR ADVERTISERS

preciating the location, design and ambiance of the community.

Nine of the 16 first phase lofts are under contract, and several second phase homes have also been sold.

Gallery Lofts is a community of 33 loft condominiums, conveniently located at 120 S. Hewitt St., within easy walking distance of Little Tokyo, the Little Tokyo/Arts District Metro Stop and the Dash bus stop.

The first phase at Gallery Lofts boasts 26-foot floor-toceiling glass windows, opening onto a central atrium court with lush landscaping and water features. First phase homes range from approximately 1,210 to 1,580 square feet, while second phase homes, each with a distinctive design, range from roughly 900 to just over 1,700 square feet.

Gallery Lofts is priced from the mid $300,000s.

Combining the historic brick charm and exposed beam ceilings of the original building shell with sleek modern touches creates a unique style at Gallery Lofts.

The lofts include granite counters in kitchens and baths; stainless steel GE appliances including refrigerator, stove,

dishwasher and microwave oven; tiled showers; open beam cathedral ceilings and original brick walls; custom-designed track lighting; hardwood or concrete floors; pre-wiring for TV, Internet and telephone; custom window designs in selected homes; pre-plumbing for washer/dryer; central air conditioning; assigned lighted and gated parking; and much more.

The fully decorated model home and sales gallery are open daily, except Tuesday and Wednesday, from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

For additional information, call (323) 610-7700 or visit GalleryLoftsLA.com. Home Builders Marketing Services, Inc., is the exclusive sales agent for Gallery Lofts.

At the Center Of it All Gas Company Lofts Offers a Home in the Heart of South Village

I

magine living, working and playing in an exquisitely restored historic landmark. The beautiful Gas Company Lofts offer extraordinary city views that capture the imagination FROM OUR ADVERTISERS

and open floor plans with limitless options to tap your creativity.

The inviting neighborhood entices residents outdoors to explore the parks, eclectic shopping and exceptional dining. Convenience is the priority of the easygoing lifestyle at Gas Company Lofts.

Residents live within a one-block radius of everything they need, and the best part is that there is no driving required. Enjoy seasonal and weekly events, such as a farmers market every Wednesday and Friday, and the Ralphs Fresh Fare is literally steps away. The surrounding neighborhood also features a pharmacy, a post office, an outdoor shopping mall, Staples Center and L.A. Live.

With such a multitude of choices within walking distance, it is difficult to decide which restaurant to dine at. The Metro is a block away, making it a breeze to hop on and be in Orange County or North Hollywood in less than an hour.

Location, location, location! It is one of the most important things to consider when movContinued on next page

SANTEE VILLAGE LO F TS

Downtown la

LoS AngELES ST @ 7Th

SALES CENTER:

lofts priCed from

716 S. LoS AngELES ST in SAnTEE CoURTYARD

$169K

213.867.2131

WWW.SAnTEEviLLAgELofTS.Com

LA, CA 90014 M-F: 11AM-6pM S -S : 12pM -5pM

The Seller reserves the right to change prices without prior notice or obligation. All units are subject to prior sale or reservation. Kennedy Wilson, A California Real Estate Broker. License #00746768

September 19, 2011

Downtown News 21

Downtown Residential

It’s Not Too Late Santee Village Lofts Priced From $169,000

A

fter a sizzling summer of fantastic sales, there are still 30 distinct, real lofts available at Santee Village Lofts with prices starting at $169,000. Completely renovated, Santee Village Lofts is an ideal choice for the buyer that wants real loft architecture, industrial design details and a FROM OUR ADVERTISERS

commitment to contemporary expectations.

Residents have access to rooftop retreats including a basketball court, golf driving range, pool, spa and barbeque lounge.

The re-energized Santee Courtyard includes generous outdoor seating, an ambient water feature, gourmet market, dog park, fitness center and food court for conversation and convenience. An interesting community of like-minded cultural creatives, freelancers and professionals enjoy hanging out in the city’s Historic Core.

“In recent years I’ve really become a fan of the ever evolving Downtown,” said Scott Benson, one of newest homeowners at Santee Village Lofts. “When this project came along with fair prices and excellent incentives, getting involved made perfect sense.”

Originally built at the beginning of the 20th century by business tycoon Michael J. Connell, the buildings are the cornerstones of the rich architectural landscape and urban community of the Fashion District. Informed by an understanding of contemporary life, each residence retains the original concrete floors, large industrial windows, and high ceilings blending seamlessly with the modern fixtures and features that define today’s standard of loft living.

Located amongst a spirited community of artists, creative professionals and cultural trendsetters in one of Downtown L.A.’s emerging hot zones, Santee Village Lofts sits at the epicenter of the best art, culture, entertainment and dining in the city. Ownership is not only a unique investment in urban growth; it is a dynamic opportunity to experience an eclectic urban lifestyle.

“The adaptive reuse project was creatively conceived and well executed forming one of Downtown’s most unique and vibrant communities,” said Stephen Henry, managing director of acquisitions at Kennedy Wilson, the project’s ownership group.

Those registered at santeevillagelofts. com have exclusive access to up-tothe-minute unit availability, price and incentive information. The sales center is located in the Santee Village Courtyard and five sparkling models are being shown daily.

Santee Village Loft is at 716 S. Los Angeles St. (inside Santee Court). For more information visit santeevillagelofts.com, call the Sales Center at (213) 867-2131, or “like us” at Facebook.com/santeevillagelofts.

Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore!

Call Now Fo r

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 Move-In 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.

Spec ial s

Grand Tower

255 South Grand Avenue Leasing Information 213 229 9777 Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Concierge ~ Pool / Spa / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Gas BBQ Grills ~ Recreation Room

Continued from previous page ing to a new home. Located directly in the center of Downtown Los Angeles, Gas Company Lofts is part of South Village, a multi-block residential and retail community that includes rental housing and a full-service grocery store. These elements make it the hotspot of L.A. The Gas Company Lofts’ historic architecture is complemented by quality finishes in each unit, creating a signature project and luxurious environment. Interior amenities include a variety of granite countertops, dark cherry wood and maple cabinetry with modern design finishes and brushed stainless steel appliances. The “green” floors are reused materials such as cork, bamboo or distressed concrete. All apartments come with garaged residential and gated parking, free of charge.

The Gas Company Lofts leasing office is open MondayFriday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Sunday. Appointments are highly recommended on weekends. For information contact (213) 955-5700 or visit simplybetterrentals.com.

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

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

Promenade Towers 123 South Figueroa Street Leasing Information 213 617 3777 Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Pool / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Covered Parking

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

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

museum Tower 225 South Olive Street Leasing Information 213 626 1500 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)

8 7 7 - 2 65 - 714 6

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

22 Downtown News

September 19, 2011

Downtown Residential

Cultural Connection

655 Hope

The Towers Deliver a Rich Downtown Experience

D

owntown Los Angeles: Here, the living experience goes unmatched anywhere in the West. It’s a lifestyle richly embellished with art, music and the cultural events that make headlines.

Downtown breeds success, housing promiFROM OUR ADVERTISERS

nent firms in impressive architectural sculptures composed of glass, steel and stone. Yet historical elements of yesterday also remain — artifacts of this city’s rich past.

From the faithful climb of the renowned cars of Angels Flight to the fantastic urban spectacle of California Plaza, daily life in the Towers’ neighborhood remains unsurpassed.

Extraordinary fountains, garden alcove retreats, gourmet dining and first-run entertainment provide the perfect setting for a lifetime of enjoyment. Downtown holds all the essentials to fulfill the most demanding lifestyles.

During the day, you are moments from the business district, minimizing or even eliminating a commute. Evenings become immersed in a flood of nightlife, movies and culture beneath the brilliant lights of the city. Day and night, the Towers place residents among all the excitement Downtown offers.

Promenade Towers greets guests via a two-story lobby embellished with a tranquil indoor waterscape. Four impressive towers embrace a breathtaking pool, spa and fitness center in an oasis of flowing fountains and immaculate landscaping — a true departure from the ordinary.

Promenade Towers’ individual design includes apartments with balconies, contem-

porary solariums and angular rooms as exciting as the property’s unique exterior styling.

Grand Tower’s sensuous granite exterior distinguishes this landmark development as the address that reflects success. The 24hour manned lobby provides impressive passage to spacious apartment homes with balconies and a rooftop pool, spa and fitness center with beautiful mountain and city views. Adjacent to the renowned California Plaza, entertainment can be found virtually at your doorstep.

Museum Tower neighbors the beautiful Museum of Contemporary Art. This fine collection of apartment homes features expansive floor-to-ceiling windows. Exhibit your most precious belongings amidst the outstanding backdrop of the city skyline. A controlled access lobby, pool, spa and fitness center provide the upscale amenities Downtown residents desire.

Double Assurance of Quality: For more than 50 years, Shapell Industries and Goldrich & Kest Industries have established themselves among America’s most successful and most honored residential developers. Today, their nationwide reputation for providing exceptional housing is earned through a consistent dedication to quality craftsmanship and design. As a result, many of their joint ventures have been cited as model developments. Marina Park in San Diego, Town Square in Santa Ana and The Promenade and Promenade West in the Bunker Hill district of Los Angeles have all achieved unparalleled success in these prominent urban centers.

Together, they bring to the Towers

Apartments a vast combination of experience, talent and integrity. Each has proven its dedication for a total of more than 90 years. It is that strong combination of experience, innovation and commitment to quality that makes Shapell Industries and Goldrich & Kest Industries a team you can rely on for excellence.

For leasing information at the Promenade Towers, 123 S. Figueroa St., call (213) 6173777. For leasing information at the Grand Tower, 255 S. Grand Ave., call (213) 2299777. For leasing information at the Museum Tower, 225 S. Olive St., call (213) 626-1500, or visit TowersApartmentsLA.com.

Continued from page 19 shower, and intelligent floor plans make this a perfect retreat in the nexus of the city adventure.

First-class amenities make this live/ work building a convenient location.

Meetings and social events can be hosted in the business lounge/community room which allows the residents to keep their private space private. A free, 24/7, residents-only fitness center is conveniently located on the second floor. The residents also have access to a relaxing rooftop entertainment zone equipped with a convenient wet bar to enjoy the stunning 360 degree views.

Designed as a smart building, 655 Hope is DSL, cable and fiber optic ready, and fully climate-controlled for total comfort. Two onsite restaurants can be found on the ground floor and an above-ground indoor parking garage is located in the building. Around-theclock lobby and parking attendants are conveniently located in the building.

The SECK Group delivers this limited ownership opportunity in Downtown’s Central Business District. Originally priced up to $850,000, modern residences are now available from the mid $200,000s. A 3% co-op commission is also available to qualified brokers.

The 655 Hope Information Office, open Thursday-Monday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., is at 655 Hope St., #1605. To schedule a private model tour, call (213) 892-0240 or visit 655Hope.com for more information.

Uptown Living...��������

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Live uptown at the center of it all at Downtown L.A.’s 655 Hope, and watch the world come to you for premier shopping, �ne dining, soughtafter entertainment and world-class sports.

Just minutes from your sleek urban high-rise are the Nokia Theatre, Staples Center, MOCA and The Arts District.

Welcome to a lifestyle that says, ��������������������������������” ����������������������������������������� ���������������������

���������������������������� ����������������

Lots of Style.

Loads of Features.

Lofts of Space.

Now Renting! The Historic Gas Company Lofts.

Get ready for the thrill of a lifestyle.

Spectacular spaces. Soaring ceilings. Sophisticated finishes.

All in the heart of LA’s hip hot South Village.

Sales Gallery Open Thursday - Monday 11-6 655 Hope Street, #1505 (Hope & 7th) Downtown Los Angeles

©2011 – The SECK Group. All square footages are approximate. Pricing effective date of publication and subject to change without notice. Models do not reflect racial preference.

213.955.5700

gascompanylofts.com

September 19, 2011

Downtown News 23

DowntownNews.com

Special Olympics Coming to L.A.

Starry Kitchen Continued from page 8 impressively cracking several eggs (read: no shells ended up in the yolk), I whipped up some scrambled eggs and added them to a mountain of rice. This was where I learned that not only do you need a strong vocabulary to work here, you also have to possess some strong arms, since mixing all of that heavy rice with the egg took a toll on my muscles.

All around me there was laughter, joking and cursing in English and Spanish. And, of course, the sight of people busily preparing food.

I began talking with Natalie, who started at Starry Kitchen over the summer. She saw the same ad I had and knew it was the place for her. I expressed a bit of surprise “It was like the job was directed right to me, since I’m a sassy [expletive],” she remarked, and I’ve learned never to judge a book by its cover.

Natalie soon put me to work. She asked me to chop up a “[expletive]-load” of onions for her, since everyone is always taking her onions.

Crabby Demeanor When the restaurant opened, I expected all hell to break loose, but the staff was prepared, so it was pretty smooth sailing.

Nguyen was up front doing his thing, taking orders, working the crowd and, as promised, dropping F-bombs.

Meanwhile I was given a very important job.

Gordo pulled me aside and showed me how to prepare Starry Kitchen’s Spicy Crack Crab Cake. I was told to break some eggs into a bowl, dip the crabmeat in the egg, roll it in flour, then cover it with the bread flakes before shaping them into a nice tight cake and getting them ready for the oven.

I spent more than an hour doing this as the lunch rush went on around me. I was being careful, trying diligently to shape each crab cake perfectly. After all, it is a signature dish.

A little before 1 p.m., I started to get hungry, and since I didn’t really work here, I made a decision: It was time to go.

I opted to leave in true Starry Kitchen style. I wanted to make Nguyen proud.

After getting everyone’s attention I exclaimed, out loud, “I quit [expletive]!” I made my expletive plural.

photo by Gary Leonard

Rafer Johnson, a gold medalist in the decathlon in the 1960 Olympics and the founder of Special Olympics California, joined several Special Oympians at least week’s announcement. photos by Gary Leonard

Starry Kitchen’s ad for a line cook asked for someone comfortable with cursing and who has never worked for Subway.

I thanked the staff for being so cool and Nguyen in particular for giving me the gig. I walked out, patting myself on the back for a hard half-day of work.

That feeling only lasted for a few hours. In the early afternoon, I got an email from Nguyen. The subject line read “crab cakes!”

For a moment I hoped it was a compliment. Then I read the full text.

“Richard, Good having you,” Nguyen wrote. “Btw, your crab cakes came out like CRAP! (they came out too mushy and just fell apart) See, it ain’t easy. but at least you know now. Lates, Nguyen Tran.”

So yeah, I [expletive] up. But at least the crew liked my cursing skills.

Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

L

os Angeles has failed in its last few attempts to host the Olympics, but in 2015, thousands of international athletes will descend on the city. On Wednesday, Sept. 14, officials announced that the Special Olympics World Summer Games will take place in the United States for the first time in 16 years. The announcement was made at L.A. Live — some of the events will be held in Staples Center — by officials including Timothy Shriver, the chair and CEO of the Special Olympics.

The 2015 games will feature more than 7,000 athletes from 170 countries competing in 21 sports, including gymnastic, aquatics, track and field, basketball and football. The world summer games take place every two years and were last held in the United States in 1999, in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The Special Olympics are expected to attract more than 500,000 people to Los Angeles, according to the organizers.

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24 Downtown News

September 19, 2011

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Grand Avenue Continued from page 1 that, but you try to do it in a way that still has a story to tell.”

The apartment tower plan represents a scaled-down version of what the site, known as parcel M, was originally entitled for. Parcel M is one of four plots that make up the footprint of the Grand Avenue project.

It was originally slated to be the third phase of the project, with two towers of up to 35 stories. What was envisioned as phase one — a Gehry-designed condo, hotel and retail complex that would rise on the east side of Grand Avenue, across from Disney Hall — remains without financing and on hold.

Bookends The tower would serve as the southern bookend for the future public plaza and gardens that will be built level with Grand Avenue, on a platform atop Gen. Thaddeus Kosciusko Way, with the museum functioning as the northern bookend. Diller Scofidio, which designed the lauded High Line park in New York City, is also designing the plaza area between the museum and

the proposed tower.

The CRA is spending $52 million to fund the plaza, along with streetscape improvements that include wider sidewalks on that portion of Grand Avenue. The agency contribution also covers a portion of the 370-space garage currently under construction that will serve as the base for the museum. The garage is slated to serve museum patrons and future residents of Grand Avenue project housing.

No budget has been released for the apartment tower, and financing has not been secured. Related’s agreement with the joint powers Grand Avenue Authority calls for the company to break ground on the tower by October 2012.

Witte said the firm expects to meet that deadline. With the CRA’s approval, the designs still need an OK from the Grand Avenue Authority and the County Board of Supervisors. Once the designs are fully approved, Witte said, the firm can go back to potential lenders “with a little more meat on the bone.”

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The parcel M tower would include 52 affordable units, distributed evenly throughout the building. There would be 53 studio, 134 one-bedroom and 71 two-bedroom luxury apartments. It would sit atop a three-level garage, so the ground floor would be level with upper Grand Avenue and the entrance to the Broad museum. The ground level of the building is designed to include two commercial spaces imagined as restaurants totaling 8,000 square feet.

Related has experience developing apartment complexes with affordable units. Its Little Tokyo projects Hikari and Sakura Crossing (both of which were put up for rendering courtesy Related sale earlier this year) included 20% Arquitectonica’s design for a 19-story apartment tower on affordable components and were Grand Avenue is meant to complement the future Broad financed in part by tax-exempt museum next door. bonds, Witte said. The firm will likely pursue a similar financing model with the proposal will head next to the Grand the new tower, he said.

Avenue Authority, which meets on Sept. 26.

The timeline for additional public conContact Ryan Vaillancourt at sideration of the designs is uncertain, but ryan@downtownnews.com.

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Downtown News 25 photo by Gary Leonard

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Purple Heart Continued from page 1 myth. You worry.”

The creation of an LAPD Purple Heart, Beck said, is an effort to symbolize not just the force’s appreciation for the sacrifice of the injured or killed, but a gesture of love for the family members.

The honor is inspired by the U.S. military designation of the same name, but the LAPD version was designed so that it would not be mistaken for the military decoration, said Police Commissioner Alan Skobin.

Skobin said the idea for the award came from a dinner he had with six officers about three years ago. Two had been shot, and although they recounted being well caredfor physically by the department, once they returned to duty there was little emotional recognition of what they’d gone through.

The well-meaning pats on the back from colleagues during the first few days after they returned to the job didn’t fulfill a need for psychological closure, Skobin said.

So Skobin set about trying to establish an award that would put a permanent department spotlight on those who had been shot or seriously wounded, or killed. What Skobin

The family of Officer Duane Johnson, who was killed in Chinatown in 1984. His daughter Rachel (third from left), who was three months from being born when he died, accepted his LAPD Purple Heart.

found shocked him. The LAPD had rejected at least three previous similar efforts, but those attempts were “largely out of the public eye,” he said.

As then-chair of the Police Commission, Skobin announced his plan to look into creating the award at a meeting, in front of television cameras, he said. He met no strong opposition.

Three years later, 82 officers received LAPD Purple Hearts, some of them posthumously.

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They included Charles Williams, the first African American LAPD officer to die on active duty, who was killed near Sixth Street and Central Avenue in 1923.

Another honor came from an incident in 1984. Rachel Johnson was still three months from being born when her father, Officer Duane Johnson, was shot and killed while responding to a robbery in Chinatown.

Rachel Johnson accepted the award for her

father on Thursday.

“I was pregnant with her when it happened,” said a teary Kathleen Johnson, Duane Johnson’s widow, pointing to Rachel.

“So to see her walk up the steps and accept that today, it just meant so much.”

The LAPD Purple Heart will be awarded on an annual basis.

Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.

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CALENDAR Balancing Masters L.A. Opera Starts Its Season by Filling a Russian AUGUST 29 Adds Some Italian and French Favorites Void, Then

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Staff WRiteR or any serious opera company, the seemingly simple task of picking the productions that will comprise a season is a crucial challenge.

It’s more than just a Mozart here and a Tchaikovsky there.

Instead, the musical, artistic and, yes, financial directors of the world’s most prominent houses seek to craft a mix of warhorses and new works that will keep subscribers coming back and draw single-ticket buyers.

They need to do justice to three centuries of repertory, create the occasional world premiere that can be licensed to other companies, and mix and match the schedules of a relatively small pool of world-class sopranos, tenors and other talent, while also developing their own singers.

The 2011/2012 L.A. Opera season, which began this past ews ntownNcuratorial .Dow weekend, is no exception.

In fact, the annual chal.A /L m o .c k Faceboo lenge has been heightened for the company since budget woes — a combination of the economy and the expensive Ring cycle — forced it to shorten the season in 2010. This season features six productions, down from a high of 10 in 2006/2007.

“These are not easy times for the arts — or for anyone, for that matter — but we have still been able to put together a season that, to me, is equal to the best work of the world’s top opera companies,” said Placido Domingo, L.A. Opera’s general director, and an occasional performer, in an email. “I am very proud of that.”

Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, a company premiere, and Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte, an import from England’s Glyndebourne Festival Opera, opened the season and will run through early October. Over the next nine months, them or co ntownNews.on Dowcurtain Dorothy Chandler Pavilion will also raiseer atthe ht hand corn s/maillist rig r pe up e /form mbol in th such asdowLa WS Lomasterworks nnews.com Romeo et Juliette E-NEadored ntowBoheme, ok for this sy www.la P U N IG S and Simon Boccanegra, as well as the continued presence of Benjamin Britten with his comic opera Albert Herring.

“Basically, it’s a process of elimination,” said James Conlon, the L.A. Opera music director who is conducting Onegin and Cosi Fan Tutte. “I took the 120 operas I’d love to do and managed to whittle it down to six.”

It’s a delicate balancing act, though one Conlon makes easier by looking at the L.A. Opera schedule in five- and tenyear periods, rather than individual seasons. So while this season will be diverse, with a healthy portion of Mozart and

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Verdi, and a dash of Britten, the schedule is perhaps better Just as Tchaikovsky zeroed in on the essential drama of understood as a chapter in a larger story.

Pushkin, the L.A. Opera production strives to get at the core After a steady diet of Wagner over the past three years of the storytelling, said Christopher Koelsch, the company’s that included the company’s first production of an entire senior vice president of artistic planning.

Ring cycle, L.A. Opera is devoid of the German master in “Rather than a slavish re-creation of a 19th century 2011/2012. Instead, a trend is apparent in Cosi Fan Tutte. The Russian country house, you get the basic architecture of it, comic opera is one of three Mozart collaborations with libret- to create a basic sense of time and place,” Koelsch said. That tistCheck LorenzoOur Da Ponte, and follows lastMovie season’sListings Le Nozze de way, the spotlight is always on the music, which, juxtaposed Website for Full LADowntownNews.com Figaro. The third collaboration, Don Giovanni, is poised for against Mozart’s masterful subtlety in Cosi Fan Tutte, is the Chandler stage next season. more visceral.

Another challenge involves selecting the season opener.

“In Onegin, it’s an entirely different kind of singing,” This year, the goal is a major work that fills a void in the L.A. Koelsch said. “These are big, bold, brash, passionate, unbriOpera repertoire: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, dled performances, which is absolutely fitting with the tenor a massively popular opera that is only now getting its Los of the piece.”

Angeles premiere.

Back to Britten Starts Sept. 9 “Russian opera has been ignored in the overall 25 years of In November, Domingo will conduct Charles Gounod’s the company,” said Conlon, who noted that Eugene Onegin Romeo et Juliette (Nov. 6-26, six performances), which will will be only the company’s third Russian opera. “This is a star soprano Nino Machaidze (who wowed Downtown in first step.” a February production of Rossini’s comic opera Il Turco in Visceral vs. Subtle Mastery Italia) and tenor Vittorio Grigolo, both veterans of playing While Eugene Onegin is new to Los Angeles — it runs the legendary duo, Conlon said. through Oct. 9, with six productions — it is anything but As the season continues, Domingo hands the baton back to obscure.

Conlon and takes the stage in the lead, baritone role in Verdi’s The work is an adaptation of the Alexander Pushkin novel- Simon Boccanegra (Feb. 11- March 4, six performances).

Check Oursame Website Full Listings LADowntownNews.com in-verse of the name, afor work so Movie embedded in Russian Conlon will also conduct Albert Herring (Feb. 26-March literature that, as Conlon put it, there’s not a single school 17, six performances), the latest in an ongoing presentation child who does not read it. of works by the English composer Britten — his Turn of the “A 60-year old could be dropped on their head and still Screw closed the 2010/2011 season. The focus on Britten recite verses from it,” Conlon said. leads up to what will be the centennial of his birth in 2013, The opera charts the unraveling of Onegin (played by bari- Conlon said. tone Dalibor Jenis), a brooding aristocrat who rejects a hastThat year will be special for opera houses across the world, Starts 16 the bicentennial of Wagner and Verdi. While ily written love letter from Tatiana (soprano Oksana Dyka), as Sept. it also marks whose sister is engaged to Onegin’s pal, Lensky. Tatiana’s let- Wagner is not on the bill this season, his presence will be felt ter sparks a series of events that lead to a duel between Onegin in the impact the Ring had on the orchestra, Conlon said. and Lensky, and Onegin’s too-late realization that he really “The development of the orchestra was immense, and does love Tatiana. It’s a rare tragedy in which the male and now we’re on to a new era,” he said. “I’m thrilled with what female leads do not die. Onegin must live with his mistakes. is coming out in our early rehearsals and we’re working As the narrative unfolds, Tchaikovsky’s score is a highly very hard at cultivating the sound of the orchestra in other emotional drama unto itself. Pushkin’s Onegin included a repertories.” somewhat detached narrator; Tchaikovsky’s adaptation strips The company will close the season with Verdi’s masterdown the story, including only those narrative turns that “de- work La Boheme (May 12-June 2, six performances).

Check Our Website mand music,” Conlon said. for Full Movie Listings LADowntownNews.com L.A. Opera performs at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 “If you like [Tchaikovsky’s] Pathétique Symphony or the N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-8001 or laopera.com.

Piano Concerto, you will hear an orchestra like that,” he said.

Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.

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Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin is the season-opening production for L.A. Opera. It marks the first time the work has been staged in Los Angeles.

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September 19, 2011

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On Your Worst Behavior

A: I thought this was a great story. I would have a good time reading it, without any thought about “this is what I’ll do [as an actress].” It was just fun and curious and debatable.

Taper Premiere Is a Dark Comedy About the Travails of Two Couples

by Jon RegaRdie executive editoR

O

n Sunday, Sept. 18, the Mark Taper Forum hosted the world premiere of playwright Theresa Rebeck’s Poor Behavior. The dark comedy is about two couples who spend a weekend together at a country house, only to have things go dreadfully wrong when too much booze is consumed and one of the men, Ian, decides he wants the other one’s wife.

In the show that runs through Oct. 16, Johanna Day plays Ella, the pursued woman. The veteran actress, whose credits include a Tony nomination for Proof, spoke with Los Angeles Downtown News about the production and the challenges of inventing a character.

Los Angeles Downtown News: The storyline involves two couples who go away for the weekend and one man pursues the other’s wife, the wife being you. You sure this is a comedy?

Johanna Day: [Laughs] I know it is a comedy. It is a rather dark comedy, I would say.

In the first day of rehearsals it was surprising to me how funny it was, just when we were reading it around a table. I thought it would be a little darker and it needs to be funny, actually. It’s so smart and so tangled and so questionable.

Q: Is there a challenge in making this dark play funny, and not being too dark or too funny?

A: This play is challenging for me in the sense that when Ella has a point to make it has to be very clear and assured. This play is a crazy comedy and madcap, but the trick is to be incredibly honest with it, and real and in the moment and don’t depend on anything every night. Don’t count on laughs or anything like that. That’s the scary zone. You have to be on your toes with this one. photo by Craig Schwartz

Johanna Day plays Ella and Reg Rogers is Ian in Poor Behavior, the Mark Taper Forum’s world premiere about two couples who go away for the weekend.

has a lot to do with that. And Theresa when she is here. But Doug — it’s complete collaboration. You come up with your own ideas and one fosters the other. We bounce everything back and forth and I trust Doug completely.

Q: What was your first impression upon reading the script, other than the obvious fact that you liked it enough to consider it?

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Q: What’s Ella like?

A: Ella is amazing. She is so quick-witted and intelligent and I truly believe in what she stands for in her argument with Ian, that there is goodness in the world, because I agree with her.

Sometime you play characters who have opinions you don’t believe in.

Ella is also, when she changes her mind about something — in the play she gets refreshed from a shower and starts the day anew, here we go. Full-force, full dedication to a new idea, which confuses her husband amazingly and frustrates him beyond belief, because the moment before she said get these people out of our house.

Q: Would you and Ella be friends?

A: I think so, absolutely. I would like to be Ella’s friend. She’s funny and smart and very alive, and I find that interesting and attractive.

Q: This is a world premiere. I know you’re a veteran and it’s your job to do this, but still, how do you develop the character when there’s no precedent?

A: That’s my favorite thing in the world. The one thing I can say about my career is I have originated a lot of wonderful shows and I’ve been fortunate. And [director] Doug Hughes

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Q: What else should audiences know about this show?

A: I think that Poor Behavior, you have to come to it with an open mind and listen and it will all reveal itself, and leave you still questioning yourself and the world and human beings.

Q: Questioning the world and human beings? Now I’m not sure I want to go.

A: It is scary. It’s scary and fun. That’s the way theater should be.

Poor Behavior runs through Oct. 16 at the Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or centertheatregroup.com.

28 Downtown News

September 19, 2011

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A Not-So-Black Widow East West Players Show Has a Familiar Feel contributing writer

A

pparently, one universal truth — at least in the universe of scripted entertainment — is that all mothers are obsessed with their daughters getting married as if it’s the only way they can die in peace.

Woe is the mom from India if she should also be a widow, because she’s expected to badger her daughter from the confines of her home, where, dressed eternally in mourning white, she may do little else but pray and be depressed.

Deepa Kirpalani (Lina Patel) is such a woman, one you’ve seen too many times for her story to be original, and without enough clever dialogue from playwright Shane Sakhrani to earn more than a few laughs.

The world premiere of A Widow of No Importance, directed by Shaheen Vaaz and running through Oct. 9 at East West Players in Little Tokyo, flashes moments of charm on its way to an expected conclusion, thanks mostly to a pair of engaging lead performances. However, in true sitcom style, the script relies too heavily on the telling and not enough on the showing.

That telling begins in the opening seconds as Deepa, kneeling in her Mumbai apartment, prays for her 25-year-old daughter Tara (Puja Mohindra) to get married. She offers personal sacrifices in return, including giving up both Coke and Diet Coke, if a match can be made by Lalitha (Anjali Bhimani), who has a scrapbook filled with eligible bachelors.

Tara is having none of it, and would prefer to get into an American grad school, leaving home

like her brother Manoj (Parvesh Cheena), who moved with his wife to Singapore.

Widowed for two years, Deepa’s only regular visitor is Vinod (Sunil Malhotra), her son’s childhood friend, who moved back into the building after his wife left him for another man. Vinod has been coming over regularly for the home-cooked meals, but he has never admitted until now to a longtime crush on his friend’s mom.

Soon, sparks are flying, just as they do in the cheesy romance novels Deepa reads, and secretly wishes she could write.

Then, out of the blue, Tara finds herself attracted to Vinod, unaware that she may be in competition with her widowed mom.

This well-trod road paved with archetypes makes it easy to predict the transitions from a mother-daughter comedy to a lighthearted romance. There’s too much repetition in the two-hour piece, as Sakhrani’s characters don’t have much to say. Only the occasional throwaway lines, the best being a mix-up in movie titles, are surprising.

Still, there’s a disarming honesty in Patel’s performance. She straddles the line between mature mother with a sagging face and reserved manner in a conservative country, and her free-spirited, youthful inner-self.

Also enjoyable is Malhotra, who as Vinod is a hopeless wreck, until he finds confidence in the loving arms of an older woman.

The most memorable scenes are wordless ones: Two dances, choreographed by Bhimani, have an “I Love Lucy” zaniness that is both joyous and ridiculous.

The other laughs come from Cheena, who appeared as Gupta in the NBC India-based

photo by Michael Lamont

Widower Sandeep (Parvesh Cheena, left) is introduced to widow Deepa Kirpalani (Lina Patel, right) by matchmaker Lalitha (Anjali Bhimani) in A Widow of No Importance.

comedy “Outsourced.” Here he plays three parts, and with each his strong physical comedy skills elevate the writing, in particular his role as a smarmy potential suitor for Tara, whose tastes runs toward the lewd and crude.

The strongest sense of Indian culture comes from Melanie Watnick’s costume designs, highlighted by a brilliant red sari, as well as from some catchy songs. Also effective are the colorful fabrics in John Iacovelli’s multifaceted set. They are used strategically to transition to the various locations.

Vaaz’s pacing at times is clunky, and her staging of a pivotal wedding scene feels

cramped. Yet her gentle touch of the material — never taking any of it too seriously — creates the comforting feel of a familiar friend.

There’s a sense that we don’t have to worry about anything unpleasant arising. Deepa, like most fictional moms, may harass her daughter frequently, but at heart she does it because she loves her children above everything else. It’s a story fans of the genre might enjoy, even if they know how it ends.

A Widow of No Importance runs through Oct. 9 at the David Henry Hwang Theater at the Union Center for the Arts, 120 Judge John Aiso St., (213) 625-7000 or eastwestplayers.org.

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LISTINGS Monday, SepteMber 19 Wolf D. Prix at SCI-Arc Lecture Series SCI-Arc, 960 E. Third St., (213) 613-2200 or sciarc.edu.

7 p.m.: If the name sounds familiar, that’s because the Austrian architect, the co-founder of the firm Coop Himmelb(l)au, designed one of the most attention-demanding and controversial projects in Downtown — the $231 million High School of the Visual and Performing Arts on Grand Avenue. His appearance at SCI-Arc is open to the public.

Dahlia BeCkons, anD More Tony BenneTT Croons, The BlaCk wnnews.com or | calendar@downto

by Dan Johnson, listings eDit

T

ony Bennett may very well leave his heart in San Francisco, but in Los Angeles we’re content with him leaving nothing but a dazzling performance. This handsome vocal treasure from Astoria, New York will be regaling the audience at Staples Center on Saturday, Sept. 24, with old favorites and new dandies from his recent release Duets II. Bennett’s been singing jazz standards with his trademark suave dignity since 1936 and he has no plans to quit. In fact, it’s his 85th birthday and he’ll be celebrating in style by donating all the net proceeds from the evening to the AARP’s Drive to End Hunger program. At 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7100 or staplescenter.org.

S

Friday, SepteMber 23 Latin American Heritage Celebration Angelus Plaza, 255 S. Hill St., (213) 623-4352 or angelusplaza.org.

2 p.m.: The Angelus Plaza Senior Activity Center presents its annual Latin American Heritage Celebration. Dr. Bobby Rodriguez, a world-class trumpeter, arranger, composer and author, will headline this year’s event. The Grammy-nominated bandleader, will perform two sets with an all-star ensemble.

Macy’s Passport Presents: Glamorama 2011 Orpheum Theatre, 842 S. Broadway St., (877) 6774386 or laorpheum.com.

8 p.m.: This year’s Artrageous event features fashion from designers Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, among others, with appearances by Magic Johnson and Sharon Stone. Guests can bask in fashion and also enjoy live performances by Cee Lo Green and the Far East Movement.

YMCA Stair Climb For Los Angeles U.S. Bank Tower, 633 W. Fifth St., (213) 615-6300 or ymcastairclimb.org.

2-9 p.m.: Hundreds of Angelenos will ascend to the summit of U.S. Bank Tower, the tallest building west of the Mississippi, using nothing but the power of their legs. The fundraiser for the Downtown Ketchum YMCA is always a highlight of the Downtown calendar. All are welcome to come cheer on climbers as well as the firefighters, police officers and corporate teams making the 1,500 step vertical trek. A street festival with food trucks and more will take place adjacent to the U.S. Bank Tower on Hope Street.

Saturday, SepteMber 24 Blossoms in the Fall Little Tokyo, corner of Alameda Ave. & Temple,

Continued on next page

Two

has been all across this oots rock veteran Dave Alvin and he has the songs to great wide country of ours, many in L.A. for his time prove it. The man known to , a new release, Eleven Eleven with the Blasters and X has h ive slinging his guitar throug which finds the California nat of ces and names in a fabric gritty yarns that weave pla s al pedigree and haunting riff blues and rock. Alvin’s music on m seu Mu my at the Gram are the topic of an evening ndation Vice President Scott Fou my Monday, Sept. 19. Gram at 7 p.m. about musical roots, Goldman will chat with Alvin d. long, hard rock and roll roa his former projects and the iaud some questions from the After the talk, Alvin will field d, Blv es. At 800 W. Olympic ence and bang out a few tun um.org.

(213) 765-6800 or grammymuse

R

photo by Beth Herzhaft

thurSday, SepteMber 22 This Is Your Library L.A. Central Library, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7000 or lapl.org.

7:30 p.m.: The fourth installment of the wonderful talk-show like event. On the docket are cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz, singer/songwriter Mia Doi Todd, wisecracking pop historian Charles Phoenix and local butchers Lindy & Grundy. There will be musical acts Bleached and guest DJs in this celebration of the life of the mind in Los Angeles.

One

ince 1947, the gruesome murder of Elizabeth Short, aka the Black Dahlia, has captured the imagination of Los Angeles. The story of broken Hollywood dreams and an unsolved slashing murder in Leimert Park take the stage in The Chanteuse and the Devil’s Muse, a new play at the Bootleg Theatre. There’s an impressive pedigree behind the chilling theatrical adaptation — it comes from David J of Bauhaus and Love and Rockets fame, and he blends haunting drama with spooky live music originally recorded for the indie film The Devil’s Muse. The play runs through Oct. 1 at the lovely and intimate theater at 2220 Beverly Blvd., (213) 389-3856 or bootlegtheater.org.

tueSday, SepteMber 20 Diana Reiss at Aloud Mark Taper Auditorium, Central Library, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7000 or lapl.org.

7 p.m.: Cognitive psychologist Diana Reiss is the author of The Dolphin in the Mirror: Exploring Dolphin Minds and Saving Dolphin Lives. She joins biological anthropologist Dr. Amy Parish in a discussion on the whip smart sea mammals and the challenges to their survival. Keep the Flipper comments to yourself, like we just did. Oops.

WedneSday, SepteMber 21 Phillip Beesley at SCI-Arc Lecture Series SCI-Arc, 960 E. Third St., (213) 613-2200 or sciarc.edu.

7 p.m.: Increasing integration of mechanical and smart elements into immersive landscape installations has been the focus of Beesley’s architectural career. He’ll be at SCI-Arc to discuss the methods, applications and abstract principles behind diffusive architecture.

image courtesy of Staples Center

t s i L ’ s s i M t ’ n o D The ‘

photo courtesy of Cha rles

Three

SPONSORED LISTINGS Friday Night Flicks Pershing Square, 532 S. Olive St., laparks.org/ pershingsquare Sept. 23: The weekly outdoor film series presents Inception. Dom Cobb is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state, when the mind is at its most vulnerable.

Phoenix

FoUr T

he Central Library is a massive reposit ory of perspective information, but th and e institution’s tapestr y of Los Angeles isn limited to print. On ’t Thursday, Sept. 22, at 7:30 p.m. the Lib Foundation hosts an rary other installment of This Is that brings together Angelenos from all wa Your Library, an event lks of life in a celebra of the city. The talk tion show format featur es cartoonist Lalo Al singer/songwriter M caraz, ia Doi Todd, wisecrac king Americana-ist Ch Phoenix (shown here arles ) and local butchers Lindy and Grundy. M guest Bleached an usical d guest DJs provide the ambient aural te for a night of diversit xtures y, libations and of co urse, librarians. The be den and transporta dridtion impaired are we lco from home via live Internet streaming on me to enjoy the event Yowie. At 630 W. Fif (213) 228-7000 or lfla th St., .org.

5

This weekend, Little Tokyo celebrates a decade of cherry blossom festivals in Southern California with Blossoms in the Fall. The two-day celebration of autumn on Sept. 24-25 features cultural displays, martial arts demonstrations, J-pop music performances, a Hawaiian village, a beer and sake garden and even a kimono fashion show. The festival also commemorates the deep history of Nisei and Issei Japanese in Los Angeles with the telling of stories from the WWII internment camps and a screening of the documentary Manzanar Fishing Club. Hours are approximately 11 a.m.-5 p.m. each day.

Entrance at the corner of Alameda and Temple streets, cherryblossomfestivalsocal.org.

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

photo by Brian Jordan Alvarez

EVENTS

30 Downtown News

September 19, 2011

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Listings

Bone Machine photo courtesy Paul Koudounaris

you and Randy Travis? Answer: Seven Grammy Awards. Randy’s coming to chat it up and play a few songs, but if you haven’t already gotten a ticket, don’t count on being able to find one. This country ace is a hot commodity.

Continued from previous page Nokia Theater cherryblossomfestivalsocal.org.

777 Chick Hearn Court, (213) 763-6020 or 10:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m., through Sunday: Celebrate nokiatheatrelalive.com. the dawn of autumn with demonstrations of traSept. 24, 7:15 p.m.: 93.5 KDAY presents FreshFest. ditional Japanese culture, a beer and sake garden This one’s for you, hip-hop fans. It’s a big honking and a kimono fashion show. See more in the Don’t lineup of mainstream favorites featuring The Game, Miss List.

E-40, Mack 10, Twista, Young Buck and WC. Sept. 25, 8 p.m.: Calling all metalheads! The lads from Dream Theater pull into town with their brutal prog metal. Smart time changes, polyrhythms, Bootleg Bar ponderous lyrics and blistering solos abound as 2220 Beverly Blvd., (213) 389-3856 or bootlegtheater.org. Dream Theater celebrates their new album A DraSept. 19, 8:30 p.m.: Orchestral, electronic, sooth- matic Turn of Events. ing, hopeful, upbeat and heartfelt Yoya is a smat- Redwood Bar and Grill tering of styles secreted into a delicious blend of 316 W. Second St., (213) 652-4444 or delightful tunes. They’ll cap off a night with The theredwoodbar.com.

Preachers, La Font and Big Moves.

Sept. 20: The Dutch-French punks in Sinner SinSept. 20, 8:30 p.m.: Angela Correa’s groovy little ners are back for more punishment with Hope Is eponymous lo-fi outfit Correatown sounds like a Pain, County Bucks and Woodgrain. happy little Saturday morning in a quiet, pleasant Sept. 21: Another night of punk with The Pegs, place far from Los Angeles. Their utopic sonic slices Crazy Squeezy and power band the Cute Lepers. of indie paradise take the stage with support from These dashing and diseased punkers will put a tune Los Angeles Downtown News The Damselles & the TC4 with Hi Ho Silver Oh. in your head that takes more than a couple rounds 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 Sept.

21, 9:30 p.m.: It’s a night of folk rock for of antibiotics to get out. phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 theweb: vintage eared when old• timey, grinding Sept. 22: If you’re free this Thursday, check out DowntownNews.com email: organ realpeople@downtownnews.com rock pushers Old Californio churn through their this stellar lineup that reads like a shorthand Jeffrey facebook: twitter: tight jams and nostalgic folk songstress Gwendolyn Dahmer diary entry: Bloody Mess, Hollowbodies, L.A. Downtown News weaves a web of bygone music. Opening act isDowntownNews RT N RF7 and the Paul D Band.

The 44s.

Sept. 23: In a delightful change of pace, Big Sandy Sept. 22, 9:30 p.m.: Sue If you mourn the loss of the and His Fly-Rite Boys play a smattering of tradiEditor & PublishEr: Laris slide guitarMANAGEr: in American music or are compelled to tional country, rockabilly and swing.

GENErAl Dawn Eastin flip through the obscure roots sections in the back Sept. 24, 2 p.m.: Electric Children join us ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie of Amoeba, you’ll probably enjoy the Janks and Downtown for a an afternoon installation of citY Editor: Richard Guzmán American Tomahawk. That’s right, another night of Ground Zero History’s concert series. stAFF writEr: Ryan Vaillancourt music for the folk minded.

Sept. 24: Its been rumored that Richard Nixon coNtributiNG Editors: Kathryn Maese Sept.

23, 9 p.m.: Inara George’s cherubic self-posused coNtributiNG writErs: Jay Berman, Jim Farber, Jeff Favre, to frequent the Redwood. If Tricky Dick were session masks theLeff, contemplative underpinstill with us, no doubt he’d love to come check out Kristinalmost Friedrich, Howard Rod Riggs, Marc Porter Zasada ning of doubt and understanding woven tightly be- Chinese Rocks with Objex and Honeymoon Scream.

Art her dirEctor: Brian be Allison neath songs. She’ll joined by the Quick Hellos.

Sept. 25: Tired, The Flytraps and Black Boots.

AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumiof Kanegawa Sept. 23, 11 p.m.: It’s shades Oasis as ’90s-style Senor Fish ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins psych rockers The Shore take back leisurely solos 422 E. First St., (213) 625-0566 or senorfish.net.

PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard and dedicated crooning.

Sept. 19, 7:30 p.m.: Enjoy an evening of jazz from Sept. 24-25, 9 p.m.: Harmonies aplenty and wave saxophonist Javier Vergara.

AccouNtiNG: Ashley Schmidt upon wave of acoustic ramblings are to be expected Seven Grand AdvErtisiNG dirEctor: Steve Nakutin when KCRW hosts celebrated Irish import James 515 W. Seventh St., (213) 614-0737 or sevengrand.la. clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG Holloway Vincent McMorrow.

He’llMANAGEr: be joinedCatherine

by William El- All shows at 10 p.m.

AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Iedia Hess, Catherine Holloway, Brenda Stevens liot Whitmore and John Gold.

Sept. 19: Jazzy explosions from the John Daversa Club Nokia Norma Rodas Small Group. circulAtioN: distributioN Salvador Ingles 800 W. OlympicMANAGEr: Blvd., (213) 765-7000 or Sept. 20: The Makers have been playing Seven distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla clubnokia.com.

Grand every Tuesday since the dawn of time. They Sept. 22, 9 p.m.: All Star MC and Jay Z protégé J are true treasures like the pyramids of Giza or the Cole comes to Downtown.

Great Wall of China. Ponder that.

The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles Sept.

23, 8 p.m.: Singerthroughout Demi the Lovato fol- of Downtown Sept. 21:Los Artwork Jamal and the Acid Blues Band and is distributed every Monday offices has and residences Angeles. lowed the bitter, ugly road to the top. Like any other will make the whiskey in your tumbler jump with respectable artist today, she found her start in the delight.

One copy per person. hardscrabble, blood-spattered Disney television. The Smell She’s climbed out of the muck and is now headlin- 247 S. Main St., alley between Spring and Main ing at Club Nokia. streets, thesmell.org.

Sept. 24, 8 p.m.: Straight from Poland, Basia Sept. 22: You, Me & Us play their driving, upbeat, brings a global sound with her splashes of jazz and raucous noise with Penny Dreadful, Tinylittle and samba.

Kasper Hauser.

Conga Room Sept. 23: Tucson, Arizona in the house as Ram800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 745-0162 or shackle Glory and Douglas Fur rep it hard for our congaroom.com. neighbors to the east. Lady Noise and howardAmb Sept. 22, 8 p.m.: Guadalajara’s finest Latin Gram- also join on the party. my winning synth-pop outfit Belanova takes over Sept. 24: French Quarter, Moses Campbell, So L.A. Live.

Many Wizards and Norse Horse.

Sept. 24, 8 p.m.: Global beats and punchy powder Staples Center keg party rock from the Israeli sensation Balkan Beat 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7100 or Box. Rock it like they do in Tel Aviv, baby. staplescenter.org.

Downtown Independent Sept. 24, 7 p.m.: Tony Bennett, the gem from 251 S. Main St., (213) 617-1033 or Astoria, New York, celebrates his 85th birthday by downtownindependent.com. belting out some of his classic tunes in a benefit Sept. 23, 8 p.m.: Shlohmo celebrates the release performance for the AARP’s Drive to End Hunger of their album Bad Vibes by playing the record in program. its entirety. Guests include Matthewdavid, Teebs, The Varnish Groundislava and D33j.

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

Grammy Museum Sept. 19, 9 p.m.: Jamie Elman tinkles the house 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or ivories. grammymuseum.org.

Sept. 20, 8 p.m.: Jazzman pianist Mark BosserSept. 20, 8 p.m.: To celebrate the release of his man entertains. first solo album in 16 years, R&B master Johnny Gill joins Grammy Foundation Vice President Scott Goldman in an interview and performance.

Sept. 21, 8 p.m.: What’s the difference between California African American Museum

ROCK, POP & JAZZ

FILM

Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie citY Editor: Richard Guzmán stAFF writEr: Ryan Vaillancourt coNtributiNG Editors: Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Jay Berman, Jim Farber, Jeff Favre, Kristin Friedrich, Howard Leff, Rod Riggs, Marc Porter Zasada Art dirEctor: Brian Allison AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard AccouNtiNG: Ashley Schmidt AdvErtisiNG dirEctor: Steve Nakutin clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Iedia Hess, Catherine Holloway, Brenda Stevens circulAtioN: Norma Rodas distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla

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bone-decorated churches. That changes on Sunday, Sept. 25, at 7 p.m., when Cal State-Dominguez Hills professor Paul Koudounaris appears at Clifton’s Cafeteria to talk about his new book ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie citY Editor: Richard Guzmán The Empire of Death. At the event hosted by the Los Angeles Visionaries Association, KoustAFF writEr: Ryan Vaillancourt dounaris will discuss the tome and the five years he spent researching and writing it, as coNtributiNG Editors: Kathryn Maese he traveled to more than 70 religious shrines and churches, on four continents, decorated coNtributiNG writErs: Jay Berman, Jim Farber, Jeff Favre, Los Angeles Downtown News with human remains. Koudounaris’ website is empiredelamort.com.

The free event, part of Kristin Friedrich, Howard Leff, Rod Riggs, Marc Porter Zasada 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 LAVA’s monthly Sunday Salon series, is at 648 S. phone: Broadway, lavatransforms.org.

213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617

Art dirEctor: Brian Allison AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins 600 State Dr., (213) 744-7432 or caamuseum.org.

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

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Sept. 25, 2 p.m.: A screening of Dorothy DanSept. 23, Sunset: Is it possible to plant thoughts in facebook: PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard dridge: An American Beauty, hosted by actor Obba someone’s head without them knowing.

L.A. Downtown News If you swear Babatunde, reveals the triumphs and tragedies of the by the fair and balanced approach of Fox News, you AccouNtiNG: Ashley Schmidt first black woman to be nominated for an Academy probably don’t believe so. Either way come check out twitter: DowntownNews Award for Best Actress.

Christopher Nolan’s epic meta-action film Inception AdvErtisiNG dirEctor: Steve Nakutin Downtown Independent and watch as Leo DiCaprio weaves between dreams clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway 251 S. Main St., (213) 617-1033 or in a technically brilliant film.

AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Iedia Hess, Catherine Holloway, downtownindependent.com.

IMAX Theater Brenda Stevens The LosScience Angeles Center, Downtown News is the must-read Sept. 21, 7 p.m.: Girlfriend by Justin Lerner. California 700 State Drive, (213) 744newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and is disThe story concerns Evan, a young man with Down 2019 or californiasciencecenter.org. circulAtioN: Norma Rodas tributed every Monday throughout the offices and Syndrome, MANAGEr: who livesSalvador with hisIngles mother in a poor, Through AAngeles. sweeping portrait of the residences October of Downtown6:Los distributioN working-class town.

He unexpectedly comes into a history, culture and religion of the Arabian PeninOne copy per person. distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla large amount of money and uses it to pursue Candy, sula, Arabia 3D is a mix of contemporary scenes of a girl he has loved since high school. modern-day Arabian life, epic historical recreations Sept. 24, 3 p.m.: Simple acts can lead to serious of ancient civilizations and stunning digital visual consequences in life. So learns Azad, an immigrant effects, shot at more than twenty locations across cab driver in Los Angeles. This is the premiere of Saudi Arabia. Also through October 6: Born to Be Cab 57 and include a Q&A and a rooftop reception Wild 3D is an inspiring story of love, dedication and immediately after the screening. the remarkable bond between humans and animals.

Flagship Theatres University Village This film documents orphaned orangutans and el3323 S. Hoover St., (213) 748-6321 or ephants and the people who rescue and raise them. flagshipmovies.com.

Regal Cinema L.A. Live Through Sept. 22: Straw Dogs (12:30, 3, 5:30, 8 1000 W. Olympic Blvd., (877) 835-5734 or lalive.com. and 10:30 p.m.); Contagion (12, 2:30, 5, 7:30 and 10 Through Sept. 22: Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star p.m.); Shark Night 3D (12:45, 5:15 and 9:45 p.m.); (12, 2:20, 4:40, 7:10 and 9:40 p.m.); Contagion (11:50 Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star (3 and 7:30 p.m.). a.m. and 1:30, 2:30, 4:20, 5:10, 7:10, 8, 10:20 and 11 Sept. 23 (Partial): Dolphin Tale 3D and Moneyball. p.m.); Warrior (12:40, 3:50, 7 and 10:10 p.m.); ApolFriday Night Flicks lo 18 (12:50, 3:10, 5:20, 7:50 and 10:10 p.m.); Saving Pershing Square 532 S. Olive, or laparks.org/ Private Perez (1:20, 4, 6:40 and 9:20 p.m.); Shark

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

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Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris here’s not too much talk in 21st century Los Angeles about 16th century GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin

Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin

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

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

AccouNtiNG: Ashley Schmidt AdvErtisiNG dirEctor: Steve Nakutin clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Iedia Hess, Catherine Holloway, Brenda Stevens circulAtioN: Norma Rodas distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and is distributed every Monday throughout the offices and residences of Downtown Los Angeles.

One copy per person.

September 19, 2011

Downtown News 31

DowntownNews.com

Artwork Sings the Blues photo by Gary Leonard

Night 3D (12:20, 2:50, 5:20, 7:40 and 10 p.m.); The Debt (1:10, 4:10, 6:50 and 9:30 p.m.); Colombiana (12, 2:30, 5, 7:40 and 10:20 p.m.); Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (12:10, 2:40, 5:10, 7:50 and 10:30 p.m.); Our Idiot Brother (12:10, 2:40, 4:50 and 7:20 p.m.); 30 Minutes or Less (10 p.m.); The Help (12:50, 4, 7:30 and 10:40 p.m.); Rise of the Planet of the Apes (1:40, 4:20, 7:20 and 9:50 p.m.); Crazy, Stupid, Love (12:40, 3:40, 6:40 and 9:20 p.m.).

Sept. 23 (partial): Abduction (11:30 a.m. and 2:10, 4:50, 7:40 and 10:30 p.m.); Killer Elite (11:40 a.m. and 2:20, 5:10, 8 and 10:50 p.m.); Moneyball (12, 3:30, 7 and 10:20 p.m.).

THEATER, OPERA & DANCE Cosi Fan Tutte Dorothy Chandler Pavilion,, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-8001 or losangelesopera.com.

Sept. 22, 24, 7:30 p.m.: It’s the magic of Mozart in a romantic comic opera, one-half of L.A. Opera’s opening repertoire. The plot concerns two men who go undercover to see if their women will be faithful. Mad opera props to whoever came up with the poster phrase “Keep your fiancée close, and her sister closer.” Yeah, we said mad opera props. Through Oct. 8. See more on p. 26.

Eugene Onegin Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-8001 or losangelesopera.com.

Sept. 21, 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 25, 2 p.m.: This sensational opera by Tchaikovsky is the opening production of L.A. Opera’s season. It’s an adaptation of the Alexander Pushkin novel-in-verse of the same name, and marks the Los Angeles premiere of the most beloved and romantic of all Russian operas. Company music director James Conlon is conducting and a marvelous cast of exciting young performers includes international sensations Oksana Dyka and Dalibor Jenis. Through Oct. 9. See more on p. 29.

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

Open-ended run, Tuesday-Friday (10:30 a.m.), Saturday and Sunday (2:30 p.m.): In Magic Strings, more than 100 of Bob Baker’s fantastical marionettes appear in an hour-long variety revue. After the performance, guests are invited to have refreshments in the Party Room.

New Original Works Festival REDCAT Theatre, 631 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800 or redcat.org.

Sept. 22, 23 and 24, 8:30 p.m.: The the final week of the NOW festival, in which avant-garde types create works you won’t see anywhere else. This week’s lineup holds Tandem & Timur and the Dime Museum presenting Zoophilic Follies; Michel Kouakou and Daara Dance’s Sack; and Victoria Marks’ considerably long-titled show Medium Big Inefficient Considerably Imbalanced Dance.

Poor Behavior Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Ave., 213.628.2772 or centertheatregroup.org.

Sept. 20-23, 8 p.m.; Sept. 24, 2 and 8 p.m., Sept.

25, 1 and 6:30 p.m.: A weekend in the country turns into a high stakes game of marital mixed doubles in a sharp-edged dark comedy from Pulitzer Prize finalist Theresa Rebeck. The fun happens when one man (played by Reg Rogers) decides he wants the other guy’s wife (Tony nominated Johanna Day).

Seriously, this is a comedy. Through Oct. 16. See more on p. 27.

The Chanteuse and the Devil’s Muse Bootleg Theatre, 2220 Beverly Blvd., (213) 389-3856 or bootlegtheater.org.

Sept. 22, 23 and 24, 7:30 p.m.: David J, the musician from goth rock icons Bauhaus and Love and Rockets, spins the macabre story of the Black Dahlia with evocative staging and live musicians performing.

The Vault Ensemble: Unlocked Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St., (213) 489-0994 or thelatc.org.

Through Oct. 8, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays 9 p.m.: A story just for this community!

When a prominent real estate developer named Ron Dillinger ends up dead, a tapestry of stories are discovered immersed deep in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles. From the mouths, eyes and ears of business owners, loft dwellers, baristas, food vendors, and street people, an intricate world unfolds.

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MUSEUMS African American Firefighter Museum 1401 S. Central Ave., (213) 744-1730 or aaffmuseum.org.

Ongoing: An array of firefighting relics dating to 1924, including a 1940 Pirsch ladder truck, an 1890 hose wagon, uniforms from New York, L.A. County and City of L.A. firefighters, badges, helmets, photographs and other artifacts.

Annette Green Perfume Museum FIDM, second floor, 919 S. Grand Ave., (213) 6241200 or fidmmuseum.org.

Ongoing: One of a kind, the museum is dedicated to enhancing our understanding of the art, culture and science of the olfactory. Originally opened in New York City in 1999, the collection — 2,000 bottles, perfume presentations and documentary ephemera dating from the late 1800s to the present — was donated to FIDM in 2005. Also, “High Style: Perfume and the Haute Couture” features a selection of fragrance bottles and packaging that reflect the many ways that fame inspires design.

Images of Men: A Look Through Fragrance is a new installation in the Annette Green Fragrance Archive.

The bottles and accessories explore how men’s diverse identities and roles are conveyed through the changing designs of the bottles themselves.

California African American Museum 600 State Drive, (213) 744-7432 or caamuseum.org.

Through Nov. 6: Women: Game Changers, Less Known, Here Celebrated. From inventors and high achievers peering through microscopes to writers of headlines and verse, these are, and were, female mavericks who walked outside the lines. Many of these triumphs have been lost in the mist of time — names not in headlines, and faces faded into the background. CAAM celebrates these game changers.

Ongoing: The multi-functional Gallery of Discovery offers visitors the opportunity to connect with the lineage of their own family, engage in artistic workshops, educational tours and other programs of historical discoveries. Hear recordings of actual living slaves from the Library of Congress archives and discover stories from the past.

California Science Center 700 State Drive, (323) 724-3623 or

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he musician known as Artwork Jamal is a Downtown resident and a Downtown treasure. He’s a 350-pound, supremely accomplished bluesman who straps on a Gibson guitar and prays at the altars of Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. In the past five years or so, his thick, resonant baritone has emanated at numerous local venues. On Wednesday, Sept. 21, he shows up at one of his favorite locations, the whiskey emporium Seven Grand, where he’ll be joined by the Acid Blues Band. If you haven’t yet caught this local institution, then be there for the 10 p.m. show. At 515 W. Seventh St., (213) 614-0737, sevengrand.la or artworkjamal.com.

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Through Dec. 31: 1001 Inventions is a traveling international exhibition that promotes awareness of scientific and cultural achievements from the “Golden Age” of Muslim civilization during the 7th to 17th centuries from a diverse region stretching from Spain through China. Through interactive displays, explore basic science principles in such fields as optics, time-keeping, hydraulics, navigation, architecture and math.

Ongoing: Science in Toyland presents physics through favorite kids toys. This hands-on exhibit engages museum visitors with dominos, sails and roller coasters in a fun, but informational primer on friction, momentum and chain reactions.

Ongoing: The Science Center’s permanent exhibits are usually interactive and focus on human innovations and inventions as well as the life processes of living things. The lobby Science Court stays busy with the High Wire Bicycle, a Motion-Based Simulator, the Ecology Cliff Climb and Forty Years of Space Photography. The human body is another big focus: The Life Tunnel aims to show the connections between all life forms, from the single-celled amoeba to the 100-trillion-celled human being. The new Ecosystems exhibit explores how life on our planet is shaped by geophysical and biological processes.

Chinese American Museum 425 N. Los Angeles St., (213) 485-8567 or camla.org.

Through Dec. 18: Dreams Deferred: Artists Respond to Immigration Reform showcases local artists explor-

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ing the tensions, repercussions, hopes and dreams of immigrant communities in the face of new immigration legislation, through a broad spectrum of art including street art, graffiti art, sculptures, painting and multimedia installations.

Through Jan. 31: To commemorate its 100th anniversary, Remembering Angel Island will showcase historic photographs, a reproduction of a poem carved on the barracks of Angel Island, artifacts and a multi-media station featuring personal stories of those who endured or were profoundly affected by the Angel Island experience.

Permanent: Re-creation of the Sun Wing Wo, a Chinese general store and herbal shop, and Journeys: Stories of Chinese Immigration, an exhibit exploring Chinese immigration to the United States with an emphasis on community settlement in Los Angeles.

Outlined into four distinct time periods, each is defined by an important immigration law and/or event, accompanied by a description and a personal story about a local Chinese American and their experiences in that particular historical period.

El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument 124 Paseo de la Plaza, (213) 485-8372 or elpueblo. lacity.org.

Ongoing: The whole of El Pueblo is called a “monument,” and of this monument’s 27 historic buildings, four function as museums: the Avila Adobe, the city’s oldest house; the Sepulveda House, home to exhibits and the monument’s visitors center; the Fire House

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September 19, 2011

Downtown News 33

DowntownNews.com

CLASSIFIED

plaCe your ad online aT www.ladownTownnews.Com

FOR RENT

l.a. downtown news classifieds Call: 213-481-1448 Classified Display & Line ad Deadlines: Thursday 12 pm REAL ESTATE RESIDENTIAL

MONTANA Ranchlands Must Sell 20 Acres w/ Utilities Was $49,900 — Now $19,900 170 Acres -Borders BLM Was $299,900 Now $89,900 More property under $1,000/acre Close to Roundup, Billings & Lewiston. The best elk and deer country! Call 888-361-3006.

(Cal-SCAN)

lofts for sale

TheLoftExpertGroup.com Downtown since 2002

REAL ESTATE COMMERCIAL

Bill Cooper

213.598.7555

office space lease/sale Vacation Homes

office space for lease,

ADVERTISE YOUR Vacation Property in 240 California newspapers for one low cost of $550. Your 25 word classified ad reaches over 6 million+ Californians. Free brochure call Elizabeth (916)288-6019. (CalSCAN)

1,500 square feet,

acreage/lots COLORADO OWNER Must Sell.

Beautiful New Mountain Cabin Was $450,000—Now $350,000.

40 Acres w/ Full Utilities. Close to Telluride & Montrose Trophy elk area. Direct access to Areas 61 & 62 & Uncompahgre Nat’l Forest. Fully furnished w/ ATVeverything goes! Call 315-2717757. (Cal-SCAN)

fully furnished with kitchen.

$1,900 per month.

213-327-0105

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.

“Be wary of out of area companies. Check with the local Better Business Bureau before you send any money for fees or services. Read and understand any contracts before you sign.

Shop around for rates.”

old BanK District The original Live/Work Lofts from $1,100 Cafes, Bars, Shops, Galleries, Parking adjacent. Pets no charge Call 213.253.4777 laloft.com

apartments/UnfUrnisHed CALL FOR SPECIALS @ The Visconti. Free parking, free tanning, free wi-fi + biz center avail.

Cardio Salon, pool, Spa, steamroom, sauna. Call us today. 866742-0992.

SENIOR APARTMENTS 62 + Studio $754 1 Bedroom $864 Balcony, Full Kitchen, A/C, Clubhouse, BBQ, Resource room, Laundry, SEC 8 O.K. Visit GSLSANLUCAS.com 213-6232010.

BRAND NEW Luxury Apartments Homes. Orsini III. Now open for immediate Occupancy.

Call for Specials. Never Lived in, Free Parking, Karaoke Room, Free Wi-Fi, Indoor Basketball, Uncomparable Amenity Package. Call today to schedule a tour - 866-479-1764.

CALL FOR SPECIALS @ the Medici. Penthouse 1 & 2 bdrm apts. Granite kitchens, washer/ dryers, business center, 2 pools, spa! Visit TheMedici.com for a full list of amenities. Call 888886-3731.

commercial space CENTRAL KITCHEN (7326 S. Broadway) 4500/sq. 3 Large Hood, Walk-In Refigerator & Exhaust System in Place, Near USC, K-Town, LA Life, 110 Fwy, Not Far From Santa Monica. Pls Call (818)716-7297.

downtownnews.com

Beautiful loft/UnfUrnisHed CHARMING STUDIO with kitchenette $650 month. Cozy.

Private patio. Quiet building and street. 805-772-9079.

Orsini 550 NORTH FIGUEROA ST.

877-231-9362

WWW.THEORSINI.COM

WWW.THEMEDICI.COM

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

HBODY

MASSAGEH

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

3386766 0119

saKUra HealtH gYm & saUna, inc.

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

■ 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

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

HealtH Dept. rank a for 7 ConseCutive Years

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

Elevate Your Lifestyle @ PE Lofts Today!

Real Estate Specialist of San Gabriel Valley

Cal Best Realty

Emi Terauchi Realtor / Notary • Lic.No.00810238

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

Elegant World Class Resort Apartment Homes

Piero 616 ST. PAUL AVE.

877-235-6012

WWW.THEPIERO.COM

Visconti 1221 WEST THIRD ST.

866-690-2888

WWW.THEVISCONTI.COM

FREE Rent Specials On Select Floor Plans

Pricing subject to change without notice.

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

Continued on next page

Historic beauty.

Modern refinement.

Eclectic elegance.

877-239-8256

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

MARKET ANALYST. Master’s in International Trade and Economic Cooperation required.

Send resume to: Jensam Cooperation, 4317 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90004 Attn: Sung Ryong Cho.

Best Downtown Locations!

EstD 1912

725 SOUTH BIXEL ST.

THAI MASSAGE SPECIALIST

general

Be Inspired...

Medici

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

DRIVER - $2000 Sign-on Bonus.

Start a New Career! 100% Paid CDL Training! No Experience Required. CRST VAN EXPEDITED. 1-800-326-2778. www.

JoinCRST.com (Cal-SCAN)

FOR RENT

MARKET, KELLY’S COFFEE, DRY CLEANING, MAC AND CHEEZA and LA BREWERY on Ground Floor

sec. deposit special @$100

COMPANY Drivers - Regional Runs - Western States! Sign-On Bonus * Excellent Pay * Great Hometime * New Equipment!

CDL-A, 1-Year OTR or recent grad. HazMat Required. 1-888905-9879. www.AndrusTrans. com (Cal-SCAN)

ECHO PARK 1 bdrm. 1 bath.

Refrigerator stove and A/C. Starting at $850 a month. 213250-4810 leave message.

$1,400’s/mo.

Includes utilities, basic cable channels, laundry room on site.

Gated building in a good area.

208 W. 14th St. at Hill St. Downtown LA

A BETTER Career With Melton.

Great Equipment & Benefits. 2 Months CDL Class A Driving Experience. 1-877-258-8782. www.

MeltonTruck.com (Cal-SCAN)

DRIVERS/CDL Training - Career Central. No Money Down. CDL Training. Work for us or let us work for you! Unbeatable Career Opportunities. *Trainee *Company Driver *Lease Operator Earn up to $51k *Lease Trainers Earn up to $80k 1-877-3697091. www.CentralDrivingJobs. net (Cal-SCAN)

The Downtown Renaissance Collection

ROOFTOP GARDEN RETREAT WITH BBQ AND LOUNGE GRAND LOBBY • FITNESS CENTER • SPA MODERN KITCHEN w/CAESAR COUNTERTOPS PET FRIENDLY • DRAMATIC VIEWS

Clean unfurnished bachelor rooms with shared bath at $550/mo. with private bath at $695/mo.

driVers

BUngaloW

noW leasing

Casaloma L.A. Apartments

EMPLOYMENT

Version 3

Singing, dancing, performing and fun!

For boys & girls ages 3 and up!

*Amenities vary among communities

MR. CABINET

Children’s Performing Group

Sunshine Generation

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

Client: Publication: Size/Color:

Estimate Fr LADTEE News G.H. Palmer Associates Specialize in

4.3125” x 8” 4C Crown Molding & Baseboard Kitchen Cabinet Granite Top Entertainment Center All Wood Jobs Vanities Custom Make Work Closet Bar

Design by: apluscreative@yahoo.com

SunshineGenerationLA.com • 909-861-4433

Ph: 323.474.4668

Residential and Commercial

Ask for Mario (909) 657-7671

34 Downtown News

September 19, 2011

Twitter/DowntownNews

Continued from previous page

EMPLOYMENT

SERVICES

TRADES

Education

ENTERTAINMENT Broadcast Engineers needed in Van Nuys./ LA area. Mobile Units, Studios and Flypack experience.

Negotiable salary with benefits.

412-826-1414

ALLIED HEALTH career training - Attend college 100% online. Job placement assistance.

Computer available. Financial Aid if qualified. SCHEV certified.

Call 800-481-9409. www.CenturaOnline.com (Cal-SCAN)

Sell Your Car!

Expose your auto to Downtown Los Angeles. With one of the fastest growing residential areas Los Angeles Downtown News gets results.

Call 213-481-1448

SWIM LESSONS from Brian Nassau. 16 years experience.

Children and adults. Learn in a positive environment. Call Brian at 818-307-9153.

Rosslyn Hotel Studio 280 sqft.

Full Bathroom Apartment

ATTEND COLLEGE online from Home. *Medical, *Business, *Paralegal, *Criminal Justice.

Job placement assistance.

Computer available. Financial Aid if qualified. SCHEV certified.

Call 888-210-5162 www.Centura.us.com (Cal-SCAN)

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

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

Business Services

Health

ADVERTISE a display Business Card sized ad in 140 California newspapers for one low cost of $1,550. Your display 3.75x2” ad reaches over 3 million+ Californians. Free brochure call Elizabeth (916)288-6019. (CalSCAN)

PSYCHOTHERAPIST INDIVIDUAL & couples, ages 12+.

Joining with you on your search for meaning and depth in these stressful times. Discrete Silverlake office. Lunchtimes, early AM appointments. Mario Prietto, LCSW. 323-799-1177.

ADVERTISE Your Truck Driver Jobs in 240 California newspapers for one low cost of $550.

Your 25 word classified ad reaches over 6 million+ Californians.

Free brochure call Elizabeth (916)288-6019. (Cal-SCAN)

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

Fully furnished with TV, telephone, microwave, refrigerator.

Full bathroom.

Excellent location.

Downtown LA. Weekly maid service.

Monthly from $595 utilities paid.

(213) 627-1151

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

Infant - Pre-K full-day care 2-5 days, some subsidies Near Little Tokyo Metro Station Harry Pregerson Center 213-894-1556 Joy Picus Center 213-978-0026 mtwashingtonpreschools.org

SOCIAL SECURITY Disability Benefits. You Win or Pay Us Nothing. Contact Disability Group, Inc. Today! BBB Accredited. Call For Your Free Book & Consultation.

877-490-6596.

(Cal-SCAN) Misc. Services

Attorneys

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

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

Get your GREEN CARD or CITIZENSHIP Law Office of H. Douglas Daniel Esq., (213) 689-1710

Psychic

DIRECTV FALLl Special! Free HD, 3 mos free HBO|Showtime|Starz|Cinemax!

NFL Sunday Ticket Free Choice Ultimate|Premier – Pkgs from $29.99/mo. Till 9/30! 1-866419-5666. (Cal-SCAN) Real Estate PENTHOUSE for lease. master suite, build-in storage, 2.5 bath, loft, W/D inside, 1 parking space. $3000/month. 323-382-3988

by Lydia Reader • Healer • Advisor Complimentary Readings Every Friday from 10am - 3pm

No Application Fee! - Sec. Dep. $175

112 W 5th St., Los Angeles, CA 90013 213.624.3311 • Rosslyn@SROhousing.com

Legal

Psychic Readings

$600 mo. to mo. $580 on 6 mo. Lease Free Utilities, 24 hr. laundry, Around the Clock Courtesy Patrol

child care

Specializing in reuniting love

the loft expert! group

Figueroa Corridor (Dwtn LA) (323) 208-1393

TM

LOFT LIVING

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

DowntownNews.com

Business Opportunities THINK CHRISTMAS - Start Now! Own a Red Hot - Dollar, Dollar Plus, Mailbox or Discount Party Store from $51,900 worldwide! 100% Turnkey. 1-800-5183064. www.DRSS25.com (CalSCAN)

AUTOS PRE-OWNED

Downtown L.A. AUTO GROUP Porsche Volkswagen Audi Mercedes-Benz Nissan chevrolet cadillac

2007 MERCEDES ML350 3.5L, V6, Low miles, Rear Seat Ent., Navigation, Black/Black #5358C / A432886 $35,991 Call 888319-8762.

2008 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5S Carfax, 1 owner, only 48K miles, Auto, CD, White N120068-1 / C155663 call 888-838-5089

Downtown since 2002

Voted Best Downtown Residential Real Estate Agent Call us today!

Bill Cooper • 213.598.7555 • TheLoftExpertGroup.com

Furnished single unit with kitchenette, bathroom.

Excellent location.

Downtown LA. Weekly rate $275 inc.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

Monthly from $550 utilities paid.

(213) 612-0348

Is your teen experiencing:

• School problems?

• Conflict at home or with friends?

Adolescent support group now forming Ages 13-17 Low fee

2008 AUDI TT 2.0L, 4-Cyl Turbo, Only 21K Miles, 31 mpg highway, Gray/Blue ZA/9954 / 1044026 $27,993 Call 888-583-0981

madison hotel

Call Marney Stofflet, LCSW

(323) 662-9797

4344 Fountain Ave. (at Sunset), Suite A Los Angeles, CA 90029

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

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

September 19, 2011

2007 NISSAN MAXIMA 3.5 Certified,3.5L V6, Only 27k Miles, Auto, ABS and much more!!

N111041-1/7C823560 $20,499 call 888-838-5089 2008 CHEVY TAHOE 4 DOOR 5.3L, V8, Low Miles, Dual Zone AC, Rear Split Bench #UC782/ R160804 $26,995 Call 888-8799608 2007 NISSAN 350Z TOURING Certified, Carfax, 1 owner, multi-disc CD, leather, premium wheels, Black NI3822 / M552797 $20,499 call 888-838-5089 2008 PORSCHE BOXSTER CONV. Certified, 2.7L V6, Meteor Gray/Black, Only 25k Miles, Alloys, spoiler ZP1347/8U711448 $39,785 Call 888-685-5426.

2009 VW PASSAT KOMFORT 2.0L, 4-Cyl Turbo, Only 21K Miles, 31 mpg highway, Gray/ Blue V111147-1 / P001654 $19,890 Call 888-781-8102.

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

Downtown News 35

DowntownNews.com TWO CARS: 2004 Ford Explorer XLT is white with gray leather interior, two wheel drive, like new, new tires, dual A/C, fully loaded, 72K miles, $10K. 2010 Mercedes C300, silver with black leather interior. Fully loaded, 11K miles, $31K. 310-770-5250.

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) DONATE YOUR Car: Children’s Cancer Fund! Help Save A Child’s Life Through Research & Support! Free Vacation Package. Fast, Easy & Tax Deductible. Call 1-800-252-0615. (CalSCAN) DONATE YOUR Vehicle! Receive Free Vacation Voucher.

United Breast Cancer Foundation. Free Mammograms, Breast Cancer Info www.ubcf.info Free Towing, Tax Deductible, NonRunners Accepted, 1-888-4448217. (Cal-SCAN)

PETS/ANIMALS

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

ATTENTION DIABETICS with Medicare. Get a Free Talking Meter and diabetic testing supplies at No Cost, plus Free home delivery! Best of all, this meter eliminates painful finger pricking!

Call 877-792-3424. (Cal-SCAN)

AuCtIon

ITEMS FOR SALE MIsC. IteMs READERS & MUSIC lovers! 100 Greatest Novels (audio books) Only $99.00 (plus S/H.) Includes MP3 Player & Accessories.

Bonus: 50 Classical Music Works & Money Back Guarantee. Call Today! 1-877-360-6916. (CalSCAN)

ATTENTION SLEEP Apnea Sufferers with Medicare. Get Free CPAP Replacement Supplies at No Cost, plus Free home delivery! Best of all, prevent red skin sores and bacterial infection! Call 888-379-7871. (Cal-SCAN)

ADVERTISE YOUR Auction in 240 California newspapers for one low cost of $550. Your 25 word classified ad reaches over 6 million+ Californians. Free brochure call Elizabeth (916)2886019. (Cal-SCAN)

WANTED- PRE 1975 Superhero Comic Books, sports & non sports cards, toys, original art, movie posters & lobbys. Collector/Investor, CASH. Mike: 800723-5572/mikecarbo@gmail. com (Cal-SCAN)

GArAGe sAles HUGE L SHAPED writing desk kidney shaped marble coffee table $100.00 each 213 389 9831

LEGAL FICtItIous BusIness nAMe

DOWNTOWN

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

NI3848 / AL662279

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

Looking for a constitutional attorney to represent me.

Please call 213.387.0459

ANNOUNCEMENTS

$14,999

L.A. AUTO GROUP OVER 500

Certified, Low Miles, Loaded

$15,999 3.5L V6, AUTO, AC, Traction control. N111472-1 / 4M827983 2008 Nissan Pathfinder S ................................. $19,999 Certified, 4.0L V6, Gray/Gray, Tow Pkg. N111474-1 / 8C643053 2009 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SV ............................. $24,999 Certified, 3.5L V6, Leather, Bose, Moonroof. NI3829 / 9C820645

PREOWNED CARS, TRUCKS, SUV’s & VANS IN STOCK!

2004 Infiniti G35 ................................................

AUDI OF DOWNTOWN L.A.

ZA10001 / 8A165919

notice oF aPPLication FoR PoLice PeRmit Notice is hereby given that application has been made to the Board of Police Commissioners for a permit to conduct a DANCE HALL NAME OF APPLICANT: TAMELOVE LLC DOING BUSINESS AS: PATTERN BAR LOCATED AT: 100 W. 9TH STREET LOS ANGELES CA 90015 Any person desiring to protest the issuance of this permit shall make a written protest before SEPTEMBER 29, 2011 to the: LOS ANGELES POLICE COMMISSION 100 West First Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 Upon receipt of written protests, protesting persons will be notified of date, time and place for hearing.

BOARD OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS Pub. 9/12, 9/19/11

FELIX CHEVROLET

888-879-9608 330 S. Figueroa St. • felixchevrolet.com

2009 CHEVY TAHOE UC888R / R261784

$29,995 Black, Low Miles, 16Valve V8, ABS

$12,995 2011 Chevy Malibu LT ....................................... $16,995 16 valve-6 Spd auto, Low miles, 30 mpg, CD, AC. UC873R / F123276 2010 Chevy Equinox LT..................................... $21,995 Silver, 6 speed Auto, Low Miles ABS. UC841R / A6223011 Auto, AC, 37 mpg, Silver/Gray, Low Miles, CD. UC818R / A7107509

888-I-LOVE-LA DTLAMOTORS.COM

DOWNTOWN L.A. MOTORS MBZ 888-319-8762 1801 S. Figueroa St. • mbzla.com

$23,999

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

Certified, Turbo, Gray/Black, Only 29k miles, 31mpg

$25,252 2008 Audi TT Cabriolet .................................... $25,995 Certified, Turbo, Blue/Blk, ABS. ZA9984 / 81027729 2010 Audi A6 Sedan ......................................... $39,980 Certified, Blk/Blk, Only 23k miles, Moonroof. ZA10020 / AN011824

$12,485

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

$14,945 2009 VW Jetta S .................................................. $16,491 Certified, California Edit., White/Blk, 29 mpg. ZV1260 / 9M091629 2008 VW Passat .................................................. $18,887 Certified, Low Miles, Great Mileage. ZV1273 / 8P071030 2008 VW Jetta S ..................................................

Certified, Black/Gray, 2.5L I5 20V, Only 34k miles. ZV1290 / 8M136982

THE ANSWER TO LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE

$28,991 2008 Mercedes ML350 ...................................... $33,991 Certfied, 3.5L, V6, Sand Beige, Prem 1 Pkg. 111504-1 / A352705 2006 Mercedes SL500 ....................................... $39,991 Convertible, 5.0L V8, AMG Pkg, 5495 / F114929

2008 NISSAN VERSA SL

Certified, Auto, Silver/Blk, Hatchback

Certified, Low Miles, Palladium Silver, AMG Wheels.

Certfied, 24 Valve-3.5L, V6, Pewter, Sport Pkg. 5382C / B104255

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

VOLKSWAGEN OF DOWNTOWN L.A.

$18,987

$27,991

2007 Mercedes E350 Sedan..............................

CARSON NISSAN

Black/Black, Only 22k miles, 31 mpg. ZA10042 / 8A147742

ZV1280 / 8W045640

2009 MERCEDES C300 SPORT 111475-1 / R054493

2008 Audi A4 Turbo ..........................................

2008 VW GTI 2.0 TURBO

polICe perMIt

2010 Chevy Cobalt ............................................

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

2008 AUDI A4 2.0 T

Fictitious Business name statement FILE NO. 2011086076 The following person is doing business as: LA TAX CENTER, 1100 S. Hope Street, #1207, Los Angeles CA 90015-2190, , are hereby registered by the following registrant: PATRICK E. ROHRBACH, 1100 S. Hope Street, #1207, Los Angeles CA 90015. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrants has not begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein.

This statement was filed with DEAN LOGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk on August 22, 2011.

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

Pub. 9/05, 9/12, 9/19, 9/26/11

Volunteer opportunItIes

My constitutional rights have been violated.

Adopt A pet

NISSAN OF DOWNTOWN L.A.

2010 NISSAN SENTRA 2.0

notICes

Auto, Loaded with options, low miles. C120039-1 / 401750

2008 Nissan Sentra 2.0S ..........

Certified, Auto, AC, Full Power. C110934-1 / 613550

$13,995

PORSCHE OF DOWNTOWN L.A.

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

2008 PORSCHE CAYMAN S ZP1410 / 8U781143

$46,998 Certified, Grey/Black, 1 owner, Navigation, Like New

$48,795 $66,795 Certified, Blk/Blk, Bose Bluetooth, Low miles . P11544-1 / 9S707193 2009 Nissan 370 Z Coupe ......... $28,495 2009 Porsche Cayenne Turbo ........................... $71,786 Certified, Auto, Sport Pkg., Low miles. C110557-1 / 411146 Certified, Twin Turbo, Blk/Blk, Only 17k miles, 32V-V8. ZP1370 / A82999 2010 Nissan Rouge S ................

Certified, Auto, Very nicely equipped. CU0473R / 606482

$19,998

2009 Porsche Cayenne S ..............................

Certified, Grey/Grey 32V 4.8L V8 Low miles. P11547-1 / 9LA40203

2009 Porsche 911 Carrera ...........................

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36 Downtown News

September 19, 2011

Twitter/DowntownNews

We Got Games

as one that puts pained Dodger fans out of their misery. It could, in fact, be the beginning of hope, with those who pay for tickets desperately desiring that someone, anyone beside Frank McCourt control the purse strings when games resume next April. After the Giants series, the crew heads to San Diego for a weekend set.

Last Chance to See the Dodgers, A Time of Hope for the Kings Los Angeles Dodgers Dodger Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park Ave., (213) 224-1400 or dodgers.mlb.com.

Sept. 20-22, 7:10 p.m.: If you are a fan of the historic and once-adored team known as the Los Angeles Dodgers, then there are a couple ways to think of this week: Charitable types will view it as the final opportunity in 2011 to head to the stadium in Chavez Ravine and take in a game on a warm night. Even though the squad will only see the playoffs on TV, the glass-half-full crowd will enjoy the chance to watch Clayton Kershaw et al. tangle with those dastardly rivals the San Francisco Giants. Of course, many will view the series

Listings Continued from page 31 Museum, which houses late 19th-century fire-fighting equipment; and the Masonic Hall, which boasts Masonic memorabilia. Check its website for a full slate of fiestas, including Cinco de Mayo, Dia De Los Muertos in November and December’s beautiful candlelight procession, Las Posadas. Open daily, though hours at shops and halls vary.

Grammy Museum L.A. Live, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org.

Sept. 17-Jan 22: Say It Loud: The Genius of James Brown will focus on the “Godfather of Soul,” who blazed a trail in American music by blending gospel, pop and soul. The exhibit will depict Brown’s role as a trendsetter in both fashion and dance, as well as illustrate how Brown used his music and celebrity to positively impact the Civil Rights

Los Angeles Kings Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., 1 (888) KINGS-LA or kngs.nhl.com Sept. 21, 7:30 p.m.. Sept. 25, 6:30 p.m.: Are you ready for some… hockey? Yeah, the weather is still in the 80s and people are spending days at the beach, but in the evenings in Downtown L.A., a batch of bulky grown men are skating on frozen water. It’s pre-season, which means this is the time for excitement and optimism that this year will be different, that Dustin Brown and friends have the pieces to compete for a Stanley Cup. Hope is a good thing. Watch the Kings get their game going with home warm-ups against the Coyotes and Ducks. The real season starts Oct. 7.

—Jon Regardie

movement and race relations of the 1960s.

Through Nov. 28: Roy Orbison: The Soul of Rock-n-Roll explores the life and legacy of music legend and cultural enigma Roy Orbison — black sunglasses included.

Through Feb. 2012: Barbara Streisand commemorates the icon’s 2011 MusiCares Person of the Year honor and her upcoming 50th anniversary in the music industry with a case dedicated to her memorabilia.

Ongoing: The Grammy Museum debuted a new exhibit case in June paying tribute to the life and legacy of Michael Jackson. The display serves as a follow-up to the museum’s past exhibitions, Michael Jackson: HIStyle and Michael Jackson: A Musical Legacy. Housed on the third floor, the exhibit coincided with the second anniversary of Jackson’s death.

Ongoing: Roland Live is a permanent installation courtesy of the electronic musical instrument maker, Roland Corporation. The exhibit gives visitors a chance to participate in the music-making process by playing a wide variety of Roland products, from V-Drums and BOSS pedals to VIMA

photo by Gary Leonard

This is the final chance in 2011 to see the Dodgers in Chavez Ravine.

They host the Giants for three games.

keyboards and the MV-8800 Production Studio.

Japanese American National Museum 369 E. First St., (213) 625-0414 or janm.org.

Through Oct. 30: For more than 25 years, fans around the world have been enjoying Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo. Now JANM hosts Year of the Rabbit: Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo. This retrospective exhibition celebrates the work of Sakai and includes original drawings and paintings that bring to life the adventures of his samurai rabbit from 17th century feudal Japan.

Ongoing: Common Ground: The Heart of Community chronicles 130 years of Japanese American history, from the early days of the Issei pioneers to the present.

LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes 501 N. Main St., (888) 488-8083 or lapca.org.

Current: Los Angeles’ first Mexican American cultural center’s inaugural exhibition, LA Starts Here!, reveals the essential role of Mexicans and Mexican Americans in the founding and shaping of Los Angeles’ history and culture —a multicultural project from the very beginning.

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

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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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