LOS ANGELES
DOWNTOWN
NEWS A Sukkot dinner in Skid Row.
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A big barbeque, Pee-wee’s return, and other happenings Around Town.
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Block Party: The history and highlights of First Street in Little Tokyo.
W W W. D O W N T O W N N E W S . C O M
October 12, 2009
Volume 38, Number 41
INSIDE
Fashion Week Arrives
More Than Just a Game A Year in Skid Row’s Streetball Mecca Shows That Recovery Works In Many Ways. Just Ask OG Man by Ryan Vaillancourt staff writer
Urban Scrawl on the DWP payoff.
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Celebrating Dudamel’s Downtown debut.
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Play 4th and Long Football and win prizes.
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A new Downtown dog-walking master.
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First of a Three-Part Series he worn basketball darts from one player to the next, then lands in the hands of Sway, a feisty sharpshooter whose passion for the game is etched permanently on his face — a two-inch Nike hightop sneaker is tattooed on his left cheekbone. He’s scowling mad. After cruising to victory in the first two games of a five-game set for the championship in the league based in Gladys Park, Skid Row’s streetball mecca, Sway’s team, Da Villains, is in a deep hole in game three. Sway’s lost his touch. His shots are now clanging off the rim instead of slicing through the net. The other team in the 3-on-3 game, Liquid Halo, is led by Quik, a lanky 40-year-old gamer who makes up for his lack of youth with creativity and bullishness. He does whatever it takes to get close to the basket, spinning, leaping, hoisting the ball up with one hand. It’s not graceful, but more often than not, as the ball ping-pongs off the backboard, then dances up and down on the rim, he seems to will it to fall in. There’s no money at stake, just pride. But in this downtrodden neighborhood marred by homelessness, drugs and petty crime, this kind of simple pride is priceless. About 60 people fill the metal, high schoollike bleachers on the east side of the court. see Basketball, page 8
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photo by Gary Leonard
Every Saturday, the Skid Row 3-on-3 Streetball League takes over Gladys Park. On the surface, it’s a sporting competition. On a deeper level, it’s a vehicle to transform the vice-ridden community from the inside out.
A Healthy Place for Business Herbalife Finds That a New Headquarters at L.A. Live Works to Its Advantage by Richard Guzmán city editor
Reviewing ‘Parade’ at the Taper.
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18 CALENDAR LISTINGS 20 MAP 21 CLASSIFIEDS
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t’s not often that you see corporate employees strolling through office hallways in tank tops and shorts. Or the CEO of a company with more than $2 billion in annual sales worried about a big afternoon ping-pong match the day before he takes off on a business trip to China. But for Herbalife, it’s a typical day in Downtown Los Angeles. The nutritional supplements company has a distinct corporate culture that blends right in with its new home in the L.A. Live sports and entertainment complex. “We wanted something that would be in the epicenter of the social, entertainment and business culture in L.A., and this is it,” said Michael Johnson, the company’s CEO, referring to last year’s move of Herbalife’s corporate headquarters
from Century City to Downtown. As he spoke, he was getting ready for the company ping-pong tournament that would begin in a few hours. “When you’re sitting in a tower in Century City it’s very confined,” he said. “I like the fact that here we can open up to the outside, at night all the lights are going on. It’s a lot of fun.” Herbalife is a global, direct-sales company, though one that has generated controversy for its operating techniques. It offers nutritional products such as protein shakes and supplements through about 2 million individual distributors in approximately 70 countries. It will celebrate 30 years in business in 2010. In late 2008, the company began move-ins for a 60,000-square-foot space at L.A. Live, and it is now the second biggest tenant in the office component of the mega-project (only project developer the
Anschutz Entertainment Group occupies more office space). It has 130 employees on site and offices on half of the fourth and all of the fifth floors. Herbalife employs more than 1,000 people in Los Angeles, and has 37,500 independent distributors in the greater L.A. area. It brings thousands more distributors to the city every year for meetings and events that take place in their headquarters. Johnson described the L.A. Live campus as an “all-inclusive” venue for Herbalife. In addition to being a place for daily business, the extended complex allows them to provide dinners and special events for top distributors. “We’re using this as almost a theme park for our distributors,” Johnson said. “We tell a story about the opportunity of Herbalife and use this see Herbalife, page 12
Since 1972, an independent, locally owned and edited newspaper, go figure.
2 Downtown News
October 12, 2009
DowntownNews.com
AROUNDTOWN Bankrupt City West Project Sells for $20 Million
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he Flat, an apartment complex in City West that had fallen into bankruptcy, has been sold by China Trust Bank to the private equity fund SA Properties for $20 million. The 206-unit, five-story project at 750 S. Garland Ave. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the spring. The property was developed by MKT Community Development Corp. and before its filing was owned by 750 Garland LLC, both headed by Bret Mosher. The bankruptcy was intended to give the owners time to restructure a $23 million construction loan from China Trust Bank, 750 Garland attorney Helen Frazer of Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo said in May. The bank, however, later foreclosed on the project and sold it to SA Properties for $20 million in cash, said Ed Rosenthal, senior vice president of real estate firm Grubb & Ellis’ Financial Services Asset Management Group, which handled the sale. SA Properties is backed by an individual investor who would not publicly reveal his or her identity, Rosenthal said. The Flat is approximately 90% leased, he said, and the new owner plans to make some minor upgrades to the property (which includes the restaurant Blue Velvet) and keep it as a rental building. “They’re long-term holders and they will improve the property,� said Rosenthal. “It’s an income property; they don’t plan a conversion in any way.�
Pee-wee Takes Downtown
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ee-wee Herman is back, and he is coming to Downtown next year. Herman and officials with concert promoter Goldenvoice announced last week that a new stage version of The Pee-wee Herman Show, based on the 1986 TV series “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,� will open at Club Nokia at L.A. Live on Jan. 12. It will go for four weeks and will replace a run that was to begin in Hollywood at the Henry Fonda Theatre on Nov. 8. The stage show, strictly for grown-ups, features the character created by Paul Reubens in 1981. Also appearing in the stage show will be Chairry the talking chair, Jambi the Genie, Mailman Mike and other characters from the TV series. “I’m really excited that fans are responding so incredibly
to Pee-wee’s return,� said Reubens in a statement. In addition to the television show, the character was the inspiration for the 1986 film Pee-wee’s Big Adventure. The movie marked the directorial debut of Tim Burton. Tickets for the Club Nokia dates go on sale Thursday, Oct. 15, at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster and will range from $29.50 to $125.
South Park Needs A Few Good Cleaners
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he South Park Stakeholders Group, which manages the Business Improvement District that operates in the area near Staples Center and south of the Financial District, is looking for volunteers willing to get dirty. Participants are sought for the South Park Community Cleanup, which takes place Saturday, Oct. 17. Volunteers, working in teams, will fan out across the area to sweep sidewalks, pick up litter, paint over graffiti, trim low-hanging branches and perform other neighborhood beautification tasks. The cleanup will cover the area bounded by Broadway, Olive Street, the Santa Monica Freeway and Ninth Street. “We only focus on the area of South Park that is not covered by a BID,� said Mike Pfeiffer, executive director of the SPSG. “It gets dirty fast.� The event, which usually attracts between 75 and 100 people, will begin with coffee and donuts at the Mayan Theatre parking lot at 1038 S. Hill St. Teams will head out at 8 a.m. and return to the Mayan at 11:30. A lunch of hot dogs, chips and soda will be provided. For information or to sign up, contact the South Park BID at (213) 612-3612 or mail@southpark.la.
Man Injured In Chinatown Garage Fire
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70-year-old man who is believed to have sparked a fire in a garage of a Chinatown apartment building after he hit a parked car was taken to an area hospital last week and was listed in critical condition. Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Devin Gales said that on Monday, Oct. 5, firefighters were dispatched to the building in the 1300 block of
The Jewish holiday of Sukkot was celebrated in an unexpected place last week — on the edge of Skid Row. On Thursday, Oct. 8, Para Los Ninos hosted a dinner for 500 children and their families on the playground of the school at 1617 E. Seventh St. They were joined by visitors from The Jewish Federation, which was launching an anti-hunger campaign.
North Broadway at 12:39 p.m. Firefighters rescued the driver from his vehicle. It took 32 firefighters 15 minutes to knock down the blaze. The driver suffered from smoke inhalation and first-degree burns to the face, Gales said. There was minimal interior damage to the garage, but it was unclear whether the two-story residential structure above was affected, he said.
Eat Meat and Say Thanks
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t’s not easy to eat lunch in Downtown for $7. It’s even harder to find a filling barbecue that also benefits those who keep us safe. But on Friday, Oct. 16, you can do just that at the 10th annual Public Safety Appreciation Barbecue. Hosted by the Downtown Center Business Improvement District, the 11 a.m.-2 p.m. event will benefit the Sheriff’s Youth Foundation, a charitable organization that works to prevent youth crime. Attendees of the event at the 7+Fig mall at Ernst & Young Plaza, at 735 S. Figueroa St., get a prime rib sandwich from Morton’s The Steakhouse and pasta and a side salad from California Pizza Kitchen. In addition to being see Around Town, page 6
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October 12, 2009
Downtown News 3
DowntownNews.com
Courtly Camaraderie New Group Aims to Help Legal Professionals Hone Their Skills by Anna Scott staff writer
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even men and women sat in the jury box in Department 3 of the Stanley Mosk Courthouse on Hill Street. For two hours, lawyers representing the Beneficial Insurance Group (or B.I.G., as those in the courtroom referred to it) and former B.I.G. employee Mr. White, who had sued the company, grilled the potential jurors on everything from their job histories to their thoughts on big corporations to whether they had any tattoos. It all looked and sounded like a typical court proceeding, except for a few things: For one, the jury selection began at 6 p.m., more than an hour after the court building had closed for the day. Second, no jurors were selected at the end of the session. Finally, after the questioning, everyone involved — lawyers, jurors and judges — all went out for dinner and drinks together. The gathering last month actually marked the debut of the Justice Carlos Moreno Trial Practice Inn of Court, a new professional group named for the state Supreme Court judge and aimed at providing networking and learning opportunities for young attorneys. In fact, after the questioning (but before the drinks and dinner) Moreno and several other judges who had been quietly watching from the audience took turns critiquing the lawyers’ interview techniques. The group takes its cues from a national organization, the Alexandria, Virginia-based American Inns of Court Foundation. The new Downtown Los Angeles chapter plans to meet on the third Tuesday of each month, with the next gathering scheduled for Oct. 20. Moreno, who grew up around Elysian Park and currently has his chambers at Third and Spring streets, attended the first assembly of his namesake group. “It’s always nice to see a reward pre-mortem,” he joked about the tribute. While he did not organize the new group, he said, “I’ve taken part in a number of Inns of Court exercises. It’s a very worthy thing to do. There’s a lot of mutual learning that goes on, especially for younger attorneys.” The Right Questions Inns of Court are informal conglomerations of judges, lawyers, law students and others in the legal profession. They typically meet once a month to hold programs and discussions on topics including ethics, skills and professionalism. “Most of us have been involved in other Inns of Court previously, but for one reason or another were unhappy with how they were run and wanted to do things our way,” said attorney David Youssefyeh of the Century City firm ADY Law Group, P.C., who represents several Downtown clients and helped set up the Moreno group. He and the other organizers decided to name it after Moreno because the judge “obviously has accomplished a lot,” he said. The Carlos Moreno Trial Practice Inn of Court focuses exclusively on civil (as opposed to criminal) litigation, and honing members’ trial skills. Not every lawyer in attendance worked in that arena, however. Downtown-based criminal defense attorney Richard Chacon said he was there mostly to network, particularly with local judges. “It’s always good to know the bench,” said Chacon. “It always looks good to your client, and it looks good to opposing counsel — especially if the judge invites you back to his chambers. That’s the pinnacle.” The topic of the first meeting was voir dire, or the jury selection process. During the session, three young attorneys questioned the volunteer “jurors” in the fictitious case of B.I.G. vs. White. Some of the jurors used their real names and occupations, while others were assigned biographies. Amanda Kent, a 26-year-old attorney in her first year of practice with the Downtown firm Giradi Keese, was noticeably shy as she asked each juror basic biographical questions. “I was definitely nervous,” she admitted afterwards, “but it was a lot of fun.” Toward the end of the evening, two seasoned, high-profile attorneys — Charles T. Mathews of Charles T. Mathews & Associates, who recently won an $11.4 million judgment against Kaiser Permanente in a wrongful termination case; and William Keith Wyatt of Ivie McNeill & Wyatt, who has tried more than 50 civil trials — demonstrated their methods of voir dire. The attorneys’ easy rapport with jurors, probing questions and theatrical finesse made for impressive demonstrations, but Mathews assured the young lawyers that those qualities would come with practice. Finally, Moreno, who was reportedly among those being
considered for the U.S. Supreme Court nomination that went to Judge Sonia Sotomayor, offered some words of wisdom on the voir dire process before the session recessed for dinner at Kendall’s Brasserie at the Music Center. Ask some open-ended questions such as, “Anything we should know about you?” he recommended. “Sometimes, you get some doozies, some unusual things.” Contact Anna Scott at anna@downtownnews.com.
photo by Gary Leonard
California Supreme Court Justice Carlos Moreno (center) attended the inaugural meeting of the Carlos Moreno Trial Practice Inn of Court, a monthly Downtown gathering of legal professionals for networking and discussion.
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October 12, 2009
DowntownNews.com
EDITORIALS Twice the Ice
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he news that Downtown will gain a second ice rink this winter was a surprise to many. It is also a concern to some, raising questions as to whether the community can support two skating facilities, and in particular if the original rink, which is run by the city, can survive in the long term. Los Angeles Downtown News reported last week that, after 10 years of sponsoring the ice rink at Pershing Square, the Los Angeles Kings, who play home games at Staples Center, have pulled up stakes and instead will create their own skating facility at L.A. Live. The Department of Recreation and Parks, one of many cash-strapped city entities, is looking for a sponsor to make up the approximately $100,000 shortfall the loss of the Kings means. Pershing Square officials have said that, even if a sponsor cannot be found in time for the rink’s scheduled opening next month, they will proceed anyway, complete with the complementary concerts and programming that have been part of the winter festivities in years past. Presumably the funds would come from the city.
Some may feel the temptation to chastise the Kings for leaving their longtime home and starting a rival rink. But that would be misplaced. The hockey team invested a lot in the public facility over the years, not only in terms of money, but also by organizing clinics, player appearances and other events (things that likely did not directly lead to a lot of ticket sales). There is no requirement that they stay in Pershing Square in perpetuity, and they have the right to operate in a manner that benefits the team and their fan base. With L.A. Live entering its second year, the opportunity exists to feed off the proximity to the place where they play. That said, we hope that the Kings gave Pershing Square and Rec and Parks officials ample notice about their intentions to start a rink. It would be an expected courtesy after such a long relationship, and although the Kings are privately held, like any sports franchise they have a responsibility to be a good civic partner. No doubt Pershing Square will face challenges, but it is worth investing in the rink. During its 10-year run the at-
traction has become a high point on the Downtown winter social and programming scene. In addition to enlivening the park for office workers during the day, the several nights of concerts each week have made it a draw for residents and people from outside the community. A significant amount of progress the Square has enjoyed over the past few years can be traced to the rink. Its family friendly nature and programming will be important in an evolving Downtown. We hope there will be enough of an audience for two rinks. The L.A. Live facility will only be up from Dec. 3-Jan. 2, while the Pershing Square rink has an extra month of usability, running from Nov. 19-Jan. 19. The L.A. Live rink will benefit from the crowds that come for concerts and sporting events, while Pershing Square can build on a base of users who enjoy skating in the shadow of the Financial District high-rises. Two ice rinks could mean competition, or it could mean additional benefits for all Downtown stakeholders. We’ll hope that efficient programming and management will mean the latter.
concerts, exhibits, theater, events and museum and gallery exhibitions. Los Angeles Downtown News last week published its Fall Arts & Entertainment issue. The section is a compendium of hundreds of options, from rock concerts that will fill a 20,000-person arena to readings that will draw a few dozen. Yet what stands out is not just the names, but the quality — while significant shows, concerts, exhibits, etc. will take place all across Los Angeles County this fall, nowhere is so much happening in one geographic area. Dudamel and the Philharmonic schedule dominate, but the classical music scene includes performances from standouts such as the Los Angeles Master Chorale. Across the street in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles Opera continues Wagner’s Ring cycle with Siegfried. The Museum of Contemporary Art will garner attention, and attempt to shake off a rough financial year, with a show highlighting 500 pieces from its permanent collection. The exhibit also marks the museum’s 30th birthday, and will fill both its Grand Avenue space and the Little Tokyo annex. The latter has been closed for more than six months.
Rock and pop concerts will unfold at small clubs, historic venues and the still-new facilities of L.A. Live. That’s a far cry from a decade ago, when there was the underground haven of Al’s Bar and only a few other inconsistent programmers. Also coming are major theatrical events, from Mary Poppins to the return of local treasure Culture Clash, and a lineup of impressive speakers at the Central Library through the Aloud series. There are Art Walks, an auto show, Halloween parties and much more. In other words, Downtown boasts a very full fall. The addition of Dudamel is wonderful. But he’s just the beginning.
A Full Fall
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he nonstop drumbeats — or should we say violin plucks? — surrounding the ascension of Gustavo Dudamel hit a high point last week, as the 28-yearold Venezuelan conducted his first Downtown concerts as music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. There was worldwide attention for the shows at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and expectations for Dudamel and the orchestra run high. We love the fact that the Phil, a stalwart of the nation’s classical music scene even if many in the city still don’t know it, is garnering so much attention. The organization, including former Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen, made a bold decision two years ago in announcing that Salonen would leave to focus on composing and his replacement would be someone so young and then so unfamiliar. Dudamel’s passion, charisma and youth have given the Phil a level of attention it has never before experienced. Despite this, it is worth a reminder that the cultural life of Downtown extends well beyond the 2,265 seats of Disney Hall. In fact, this fall brings inarguably Downtown’s most active cultural schedule ever, with a packed lineup of
Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis
How to reach us Main office: (213) 481-1448 MAIL your Letter Letters to the Editor • L.A. Downtown News 1264 W. First Street • Los Angeles, CA 90026 Email your Letter realpeople@downtownnews.com FAX your Letter (213) 250-4617 Read Us on the Web DowntownNews.com
Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie citY Editor: Richard Guzmán stAFF writErs: Anna Scott, Ryan Vaillancourt coNtributiNG Editors: David Friedman, Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Jay Berman, Jeff Favre, Michael X. Ferraro, Kristin Friedrich, Howard Leff, Rod Riggs, Marc Porter Zasada Art dirEctor: Brian Allison AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins ProductioN AssistANt / EvENt coordiNAtor: Claudia Hernandez PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard AccouNtiNG: Ashley Vandervort AdvErtisiNG dirEctor: Steve Nakutin sAlEs AssistANt: Annette Cruz clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Robert Dutcher, Steve Epstein, Catherine Holloway, Tam Nguyen, Kelley Smith circulAtioN: Norma Rodas distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and is distributed every Monday throughout the offices and residences of Downtown Los Angeles. It is also distributed to the extended urban communities of Glendale, Hollywood, Wilshire Center, Los Feliz, Silver Lake & Larchmont Village.
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October 12, 2009
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Block Party: First Between San Pedro and Central Historic Stretch of Little Tokyo Also Has a Contemporary Twist by Anna Scott staff writer
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n Downtown, historical, architectural and social consistency are fleeting. The community boasts many diverse districts, and individual streets have their own distinct identity. As part of a new series, Los Angeles Downtown News is profiling individual Downtown blocks, examining each one’s character, trademark businesses and people. This week: First Street between San Pedro Street and Central Avenue. Snapshot: Old and new Little Tokyo literally meet here. The entire north side of the block is a federally designated historic landmark, with every structure dating back to the turn of the 20th century (the lone exception was erected in the 1950s to replace an aging wood-framed structure). The south side holds a hotel, a shopping mall, some small stores and other businesses. As Seen on TV: The block once bizarrely housed four video stores specializing in Japanese films. Now there is just one, the 10-year-old Video Paradise at 321 E. First St. The no-frills shop features tall shelves stacked with Japanese DVDs and VHS tapes, many in blank white boxes with hand-marked titles. The store specializes in Japanese TV programs, said manager Kane Nakasawa, and customers come from as far away as Torrance to catch up with their favorites. As for the diminished competition, Nakasawa said, “It’s getting smaller because of the Internet and Youtube.” Unusual Shopping: Quirky is the name of the game at the 64-year-old gift shop Bunkado, Inc., at 340 E. First St. The store occupies the former site of Kame Restaurant, which opened in the 1890s and was L.A.’s first Japanese-owned business. The selection includes English-language novelty books, parasols, sushi trays, elaborate Japanese dolls dressed in kimonos and more. If you’re in the market for a Halloween costume, visit Tokyo Salon at 342 1/2 E. First St. From the outside it looks like a typical barbershop, but inside a few dozen realistic-looking wigs and hairpieces are displayed on
mannequin heads. If you need to fix up a beloved heirloom, visit the tiny shop Miki Seki at 363 E. First St., where Pat Seki specializes in watch and jewelry repair and engraving. Words of Wisdom: You might notice something unusual under your feet while walking along this stretch of First Street: strategically placed brass letters embedded in the pavement spell out three quotes that describe seemingly random reminiscences. “At Kyodo Grill, we mixed up Japanese and American ingredients into ‘gacha’ and ‘champon’ — dishes that were our customers’ favorites,” reads one, attributed to Fumiko Tani. The quotes, created by artist Sheila photo by Gary Leonard Levrant de Bretteville, were part of a pub- A First Street highlight is Fugetso-Do, a bakery that has been in its current spot since the lic art project initiated in 1991 and came 1930s. The north side of the street is a national designated historic landmark. from interviews with three generations of Japanese Americans who lived or worked in the area. number of inexpensive lunch spots, as tourists and jurors on break from the Superior Court building continually The Sweet Life: Fugetsu-Do bakery and confectionery, at discover. The choices include several sushi spots like Tosi 315 E. First St., has been a Little Tokyo fixture for 106 years. It Sushi and Usui Restaurant; noodle places like Daikokuya also happens to be one of three businesses that claim to be the and Mr. Ramen; and Korean Barbecue. Japanese Village birthplace of the fortune cookie. Once housed in a building Plaza, an outdoor mall with an entrance at 350 E. First St., where the LAPD’s Parker Center now stands, the shop moved also houses a host of options, from Shabu Shabu House to to its current location in the 1930s, said owner Brian Kito. the frozen yogurt shop Cefiore. The secret to its success is traditional Japanese pastry. Many of the treats are tied to Buddhist traditions and are created for Find Your Way: If you’re lost in Little Tokyo, this is the occasions such as weddings, anniversaries and even funerals. block to be. The Little Tokyo Visitors Center (307 E. First “That’s why the business will never die,” said Kito. Fugetsu- St.) anchors the west end of the block and offers all sorts Do also sells candy and mochi (sweet Japanese rice cakes) in of brochures and information about local businesses and non-traditional flavors such as peanut butter and strawberry, transportation, among other things. The center is run by the to keep up with younger generations’ tastes. Little Tokyo Safety Association and serves more than 1,200 people per month. Bunch of Lunch: The block contains an overwhelming Contact Anna Scott at anna@downtownnews.com. LOS ANGELES DOWNTOWN NEWS_10_05_09_ 5”w x 7.625”h_BW 9UBC7440RTL_Priority_LADN_5X7.625_BW.indd
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6 Downtown News
October 12, 2009
DowntownNews.com
Dudamel Arrives
Around Town Continued from page 2 a feast, it is a way for Downtowners to say thank you to those who work to protect the community. The only ones who don’t have to pay for their meal are, fittingly, public safety officers, including police, firemen, sheriff’s deputies, FBI agents and California Highway Patrol officers. More information is at downtownla.com/public-safety-bbq.
Downtown Celebrates the Phil’s New Music Director
T
he Gustavo Dudamel era at the Los Angeles Philharmonic began in high fashion last week. On Thursday, Oct. 8, the Venezuelan began his stint as music director of the orchestra by conducting Mahler’s “Symphony’s No. 1” and John Adams’ “City Noir,” a new piece commissioned by the Phil, in the Walt Disney Concert Hall. After the performance, the crowd spilled onto Grand Avenue for a gala celebration. Dudamel took part in the festivities, where he was enthusiastically greeted by the black-tie crowd. In the afternoon before the show, aerial performers who would be part of the gala celebration could be seen practicing in the street.
Frowns for the City Council
W
photo by Gary Leonard
hat does the community think of the work performed by the members of the Los Angeles City Council? If you believe an online poll, then not much. In a totally unscientific two-week survey on ladowntownnews. com, readers were asked the simple question, “Do you think the Los Angeles City Council does a good job?” Only 10% of the respondents said yes, with a whopping 76% voting no. Another 14% clicked “I don’t pay attention.” Good thing no one is running for re-election this month. The new poll question on the website is, “How frequently do you take public transportation in Downtown?” To vote, go to ladowntownnews.com, scroll down and look on the left side of the page.
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Contest Rules: All entries are due by 12 pm Thursday prior to the weekend games. Los Angeles Downtown News is not responsible for lost or misplaced submissions in any way, shape or form. The Judge(s) will tabulate the entries and announce the winner on the 4th & Long Contest page each week. All decisions of the Judge(s) are final and binding. Any resident of United States age eighteen or over can play, except employees, of Los Angeles Downtown News or any member of their immediate family. One submission per person or e-mail address per week. Subject to all federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Void outside the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, and where prohibited. The Prize is not transferable. No substitutions for Prizes offered. All entries become the property of The Los Angeles Downtown News and will not be acknowledged or returned. Except where prohibited: acceptance of the Prize constitutes consent to use winner’s name, likeness for editorial, advertising, and publicity purposes, without further compensation. This contest is in no way affiliated with the professional league in which the stated football teams play. In the event of a tie winners will be determined by a lottery. This contest is for entertainment purposes only.
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8 Downtown News
October 12, 2009
DowntownNews.com
Basketball
photo by Gary Leonard
Manuel Benito Compito, known as OG Man, believes that the game of basketball — being part of a team, keeping to a schedule and losing with grace — teaches life skills. He founded and runs the league at Gladys Park in Skid Row.
General Jeff, waves a thick, outstretched arm, calling for the ball. Off the court he’s a prominent Skid Row activist, hell-bent on showing the world there’s more to the neighborhood than drugs, homelessness and despair. But for now The General, as Crockett calls him, is taking over. Sway sneaks a bounce pass to his teammate. The General backs down his smaller defender, fakes left, spins right and releases
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his trademark left-handed hook shot. Swish. It’s unstoppable on this court, and so are Da Villains. Game. Set. Skid Row championship. As Da Villains celebrate, Quik is washed in pure devastation. He shrugs off consolation from Sunshine, takes a seat by himself on the bleachers and stares out at nothing. It takes him about 20 minutes to cool down. When he does, he reaches for the outstretched hand of the man who birthed the
Skid Row 3-on-3 Streetball League. Manuel Compito grins, and offers the younger man somewhat of a challenge: “What are you going to do about it? You gonna stay mad? Man, ain’t no losers here. It’s more than just a game.” Sir Skid Row Manuel Benito Compito is something between a grassroots community hero and a neighborhood father figure. He’s known as
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Continued from page 1 On the sideline is Ron Crockett, the league’s iron-lunged play-by-play announcer whose dramatic, syllable-stretching narration of the game has earned him the nickname the Skid Row Chick Hearn. “Heeeee’s on fire,” Crockett says after Quik flings another one-armed shot into the hoop to close out the victory, stealing game three. Quik falls to his back on the concrete court. “This shit ain’t over,” he announces. “They’re not giving up ladies and gen-telmennnnn,” Crockett hollers, so loud that the house audio system crackles in distorted static. Sunshine, a cherry blonde who wears a black bandana headband-style, roars her approval from the bleachers. She pumps her fist, which is tattooed with the nickname of her man and the father of her 2-year old son. One letter on each knuckle spells out Q-U-I-K. Crockett’s narration yields to a mix of rap and soul, from 50 Cent to Isaac Hayes. Outside the park’s gates, prostitutes and drug dealers hang out along Gladys Avenue, a side street surrounded by seafood warehouses and low-income housing. Missionary types belt out spirituals, leading prayers for whoever will listen. In the park, a cluster of older men and women huddle over a table playing dominos, wads of dollar bills clenched in their hands. About a dozen people are passed out on the ground, some just resting, others sleeping off last night’s bender. A few brawny men run through sets at the pull-up bar. The referees in the black and white striped shirts call for the start of game four. Da Villains’ powerful, 6-foot-1 big man,
October 12, 2009
DowntownNews.com conspiracy against them, the government’s fault and everything, but I didn’t come from no bad family, man,” OG says. “Nope. I chose this life.” Haven or Hell It was more than a year ago that I, a reporter with a basketball habit, first wandered into Gladys Park. It’s a small plot, fenced off from the southwest corner of Sixth Street and Gladys Avenue by green iron gates that get locked every night at 6 p.m. Stepping inside for the first time was unnerving. A white guy in slacks and a tie doesn’t really blend in. Even in the context of Skid Row, the park was a depressing scene. Parks are supposed to be refuges and recreational escapes. This wasn’t that at all. Beyond the usual pieces of infrastructure — a thin swath of grass, the court, some picnic tables, and an inexplicable shuffleboard platform that the homeless use as an unforgiving bed — not much differentiated the inside of Gladys Park from the outside.
photo by Gary Leonard
The league is now in its third 25-week season. The eight teams, each with about five players, have names like Urban Legends and the Gladys Boyz.
OG Man, or just OG, short for “Original Gangster.” It’s a term of endearment for elders, a synonym for “sir” in the hiphop meets Skid Row vernacular. Other men might get called “OG” from time to time by younger men, just for being middle aged. But in Skid Row, Compito is the OG. Born to a black mother and a Filipino father, he has a dark caramel complexion. The brown inner circles of his slightly squinty eyes are encircled by a cloudy blue ring before fading to white. A salt and pepper moustache curls around his upper lip. For a 60-year-old, his shoulders and torso are broad and strong, but at about 5-foot-7 he’s not a big guy. He favors a backwards cap on his bald head. A laminated card emblazoned with the Skid Row 3-on-3 Streetball League logo usually dangles from his neck on a lanyard, like a badge. It’s been a long road from his youth in South Los Angeles to Skid Row. Along the way, he earned the literal “gangster” part of his nickname. As a teenager, he traveled up and down the Hollywood Freeway with nothing but a pistol and a lust for taking. “I robbed everything and everyone,” he recalls in his gravelly smoker’s voice. “The milkman, the Hostess cupcake truck, the bank. Everyone. I just wanted to get money. Don’t know why. Just did.” Raised in Compton and other parts of South L.A., he got caught up in gangs and drugs and cycled in and out of jail. After multiple stints in juvenile hall, his first trip to the state penitentiary came at the age of 20, in 1969, for armed robbery. He already had two children. He did five years, three of them in solitary confinement, punishment for fighting with corrections officers. He got released on out-of-state parole and, in pursuit of a woman, moved to Buffalo. He bounced between honest jobs and crime. A community organizer or employment recruiter for one stretch, a pimp and drug dealer the next. Five hundred dollars invested in cocaine in Los Angeles turned into $1,500 in Buffalo, so for a while he shuttled between the cities. The profits went mostly to child support, but neither that nor the passage of years stopped him from falling into the arms and beds of different women, his Achilles heel. At 54, he had his sixth child. He’s not shy about his mistakes. They’re not secrets. They’re lessons. “Some people talk about their circumstances, and that that’s why they did bad in life and all that, like it was some big
Downtown News 9
Just as homelessness abounds on the 50 square blocks of Skid Row, tired men and women laid and slept on the mostly concrete surfaces inside the park. It was an unabashed vice zone, with seemingly everything for sale. “What do you need?” strangers often asked me. A potbellied woman in a pink denim miniskirt and heels, standing by herself against a building near the park’s entrance, called out affectionately, “Hey honey.” It was 10 a.m. This is the world in which OG sought to reinvent himself. After his last stint in prison, he landed here in 1996 in search of affordable housing and a new beginning. In 2000, he established a sort of neighborhood improvement organization he named after himself, OG’s N’ Service Association. He persuaded other men to volunteer on community projects, created a chess club, organized a weekly movie night and a Father’s Day celebration that’s been an annual event for eight years. Armed with brooms, OG and see Basketball, page 10
10 Downtown News
October 12, 2009
DowntownNews.com
Basketball Continued from page 9 his team made a habit of sweeping the trashstrewn streets. Members of OG’s N’ Service Association must be at least 40 years old and male. On the surface, it’s a neighborhood advocacy group. On a deeper level, it’s a self-empowerment exercise for low-income men, often with criminal pasts, looking for normalcy and dignity outside the realm of institutionalized recovery. “See, I know I contributed to the problem,” OG says. “What with gangbanging, going to jail and all that stuff. So it’s only fair. We are trying to be part of the solution.” The basketball league began in 2006, an effort to create an outlet for younger men in the neighborhood. It started as a tournament, and word of mouth generated a huge buzz. The whole neighborhood showed up, which was a problem, since that included the dealers and addicts. “They were still selling dope inside the park,” OG says. The gospel of OG, which he preaches at twice-a-week league meetings and seemingly anywhere else there is an opportunity, is to help others help themselves. He wanted no stake in sloppy pickup games full of egodriven fistfights, angry gangbangers threatening the referee and hung-over addicts running around with the ball and no regard for the game. Instead, he had a dream for Skid Row, a big one even if it seems modest in scope. If only for one day a week, he wanted Gladys Park to be a haven, a place for men to be men, to have fun, to get to know each other, to laugh. Then, just maybe, they might internalize what became OG’s mantra and the league’s official motto: It’s more than just a game. “You get out there and you score 20 points but you’re arguing, cussing and fighting, you ain’t no winner, man,” OG says in his sing-song, emphatic delivery. “You don’t like the ref call? What happens when you get a job and you don’t like your supervisor’s call? You don’t like your in-law’s call? You quit. You walk away and in life, you walk away from marriages and all types of stuff, so with the game of basketball now you get an opportunity to learn life skills. Man, nobody here’s going to the NBA. This really ain’t about basketball.” The General’s Court In September 2006, the LAPD and the City Attorney’s office launched the Safer Cities Initiative to crack down on crime and clean up Skid Row. Best known for deploying 50 new cops to the neighborhood to enforce low-level “quality of life” crimes, the
photos by Gary Leonard
Most people in Gladys Park on Saturday mornings focus on the basketball game, but others cycle through sets on a pull-up bar or play dominoes.
effort also included a community outreach prong focused on crime prevention. Jose Egurbide, an assistant city attorney, immediately sensed that OG’s vision for the league mirrored the city’s. “If you have a high concentration of individuals in a small area with nothing to do, then chances are they’re going to get in trouble,” Egurbide said. Egurbide put OG on a Safer Cities taskforce, and in 2007 persuaded his boss to donate uniforms to the league and help ensure its regular access to Gladys Park. The move was a catalyst for the league’s growth and helped initiate the first regular season, which would run 25 Saturdays. If OG is the architect of the league, he didn’t build it by himself. “General Jeff” Page, who spearheads his own Skid Row advocacy organization called Issues and Solutions, piggybacked on the momentum started by the city attorney’s office. He lobbied for a new court to replace the undulating, cracked concrete surface the league had been using, working the city system in scores of e-mails. Eventually, he helped work a partnership with the Department of Recreation and Parks and the LA84 Foundation, which uses leftover funds from the 1984 Olympics to pay for athletic programs throughout the city. The foundation had its own partnership with Nike, which donated a new court surface fashioned from the rubber of recycled shoes. That’s why Nike’s trademark “swoosh” is painted on the center of a court in Skid Row. Along with the new court came the bleachers and other park infrastructure upgrades. They neared completion in December 2008. Jeff took to calling it an early Christmas present for Skid Row. “At first they were all skeptical,” he said, standing on the new court, flashing a mega-
watt smile. “But we got it and bam: It made the league so much more official.” Keepin’ Score Under OG’s guidance, the league has begun to establish roots. It’s now in the middle of its third season. There are eight teams, with names like Urban Legends and Gladys Boyz. Each has about five players, most of whom are African-American. But the league is hardly exclusive; a handful of people from outside the Skid Row community have joined. After playing in Saturday morning pickup games for six months, I got on a team. Sometimes, a player won’t show up, but teams always have enough guys to play. Then there are those like Sway who, unless they’re behind bars, would never miss a game. On a recent Saturday, the sweat-drenched and tattoo-covered Sway pinballed around the court. As an opponent cut to the basket and went up for a layup, Sway leapt from behind and swatted the ball, rifling it out of bounds. He punctuated the block with a primal scream, then bellowed at his opponent: “Get that shit out of here.” That kind of devoted, hustling play is what made OG take an interest in the former track star from Inglewood. Now 27, Sway, whose real name is Terrell Ford, has lived in Skid Row for about eight years, staying in different residential hotels. The drug game lured him here. “We used to come out here and try to make fast money, I guess you can say,” he says. “Things don’t always happen as you plan. I got incarcerated a couple times after that, so all money ain’t good money.” Sway made Gladys Park a home within a home years ago, showing up to ball at least three days a week. In the early days of the league, OG started assigning titles and roles to men willing to dedicate themselves to the
project. Sway became the president, a title he carries proudly. “I’m not going to say, ‘I never thought it would happen,’ but it’s a one in a million opportunity to be the president of an organization, a league,” he says. “Who would have thought? I wouldn’t have pictured it. It feels good though, I guess you could say, to have my name known. It makes me feel like I did something. Because there’s a lot I haven’t done or will probably ever do.” Just last month, a kid recognized Sway on a street corner about a mile from the park and asked him for his autograph. To be recognized, he says, “as that baller from Gladys Park was pretty cool, man.” Sway knows what it’s like to look up to someone. He has his own mentors, OG chief among them. “OG, he’s a great father figure,” he says. “He knows what to say at the right times and though sometimes you might not want to hear it, he has good advice. He’s been through everything I’ve been through.” OG is flattered that some of the men in the league consider him a mentor. Yet he’s conflicted too. Helping others turn their lives around has been a personal goal, but what about his sons? There are four of them. One is still a child, living with OG’s eldest daughter. The other three are behind bars. Just like their father was. “The league has been successful, and I guess that means I have been too,” he says. “I feel flattered by success and then when I think about success, I think about my kids, so am I successful? I wonder about that sometimes. “I know that if I can turn my life around though, my sons can turn their life around, and the league players too.”
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October 12, 2009
Downtown News 11 photo by Gary Leonard
DowntownNews.com
photos by Gary Leonard
(above) Manuel Compito, left, counsels Terrell “Sway� Ford. Compito, who some consider a father-like figure, named Sway president of the league. (right) “General Jeff� Page is a dominant player in the league. Off the court, he’s a Skid Row activist who spearheaded an effort to replace the park’s old court with a new one partially sponsored by Nike.
Most of the players in the league take winning and losing seriously. Opponents talk smack in the streets all week, leading up to Saturday. Losing at Gladys Park stings. But it’s clear that OG isn’t stretching the truth when he says the league isn’t really about the game, much less the score. After a recent day’s games were over, he slumped in his seat at a picnic table, facing away from the court, which was fitting since during the year I have known him, I’ve never seen OG so much as dribble a basketball. Instead, he sat grinning at the giggles of two youngsters playing tag, at the now tired ballers joking with each other in the bleachers and, most notably, at what wasn’t there: no dealers and no troublemakers. The only person sleeping on the ground was a lone man laying on the grass, soaking in the afternoon sunshine, a newspaper folded at his side.
Q&A
1 Downtown News
Q&A
“Look at this man,� OG says, scanning the park, then pausing just long enough to accentuate his smile. “This? Man, this is a beautiful thing.� Next week: Part two of “More Than Just a Game� charts the evolution of the league and the story of George “Quik� Hogan. Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com. About This Series: For “More Than Just a Game,� Los Angeles Downtown News staff writer Ryan Vaillancourt spent more than a year chronicling the Skid Row 3-on-3 Streetball League. He conducted more than 50 interviews, and also became part of the league, joining a team in its third season.
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I never know whether to take an antihistamine or a decongestant, so I end up getting a product with both. Is that a good idea?
Answered by Dr. John Smith, Anytown Medical Group: It depends on your symptoms. Antihistamines generally relieve allergy-type symptoms like itchy and watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing, and itchy throat. Decongestants are helpful to relieve sinus congestion and pressure, as well as nasal congestion. Rule of thumb: You want to take the smallest number of medications to treat most of your symptoms and to minimize the number of potential side effects. So if you have runny nose and watery eyes, and no congestion, an antihistamine-only product is a good choice. If you ever have questions about which over-the-counter medication to choose, ask your pharmacist. I have dry sinuses. What OTC products will be the most helpful? Answered by Dr. John Smith, Anytown Medical Group: Saline nasal sprays or mists can be applied to the nasal cavity. Avoid sharing spray bottles with other members of the family. There are many types of nasal sprays available in the OTC aisle; be sure to ask your pharmacist for help with product selection. What can I take for allergic conjunctivitis? Answered by Dr. John Smith, Anytown Medical Group: Allergic conjunctivitis, one of the conditions that causes “pinkeye,� requires a diagnosis from your health care provider as well as a prescription for treatment (steroids, antihistamines, decongestants). There are no over-the-counter products I recommend. Non-treatment tips include good hand-washing hygiene, avoid rubbing your eyes, and avoid sharing eye products (makeup, contact lenses).
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Is it alright to take both Claritin-D and Tylenol or Advil at the same time? Is there anything in the medications that should not be mixed? Answered by Dr. John Smith, Anytown Medical Group: There is no problem taking Claritin-D with Tylenol or Claritin-D with Advil. In fact, combination products (i.e. Advil Allergy Sinus) exist with the same ingredient or same class of ingredients as the ingredients within these individual products. As with any over-the-counter (OTC) products, read and follow dosage directions. Also, pay particular attention when taking other OTC products containing Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Advil (ibuprofen) because taking more than the recommended dose or other products containing the same ingredients can cause toxicity and overdose and lead to liver damage. If you ever have questions about over-the-counter medications, be sure to ask your pharmacist.
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Answered by Dr. John Smith, Anytown Medical Group: You haven’t been on one medication long enough for it to get into your system to work. Diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in antihistamines like Benadryl, would be a last resort due to the side effects that include a “hangover� feeling, dry mouth, constipation, and dizziness. Do you tune into your weather forecast to check the pollen counts? If they are high, you will continue to have your symptoms. Stay on one product during the allergy season and if after a week or so you do not seem to be getting better, see your doctor or health care provider; you may need prescription medication. This is an example of something you can talk to your pharmacist about.
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Herbalife Continued from page 1 as a monthly function space for our distributor activity. Thousands will come through the facility.” Wall of History Herbalife was launched in 1980 by Mark Hughes. Similar to Avon and Tupperware, the company encourages people to start their own franchise. It quickly attracted thousands of distributors who sold the products door to door or to friends rather than at retail stores. Hughes died in 2000 at the age of 44, following a prescription drug and alcohol overdose. But the company has continued to grow and in 2003 Johnson, a former president of Walt Disney International, was hired to run Herbalife. Since then net sales have jumped, from $1.2 billion to $2.4 billion in 2008. The Herbalife history is on display at their offices at L.A. Live. A company timeline and several pictures of Hughes greet visitors in the lobby. Johnson, an avid cyclist and triathetle who often rides his bike from his home in Malibu to Downtown, is also prominently featured in the photos. In many he is wearing athletic gear. The lobby also holds plaques with the names of dozens of the company’s top distributors, as well as valuables they can earn for their accomplishments. Those include Movado watches and diamond-encrusted pins. Perhaps not surprisingly for a company that also sponsors the L.A. Galaxy (the soccer team’s uniforms say “Herbalife” across the chest), there is a gym in the headquarters building. Thus, it is not unusual to see employee in workout gear walking around. Johnson said it is all tied to the company’s healthful focus, but also to the sports-oriented vibe of L.A. Live. Ted Tanner, senior vice president for real estate at AEG, said Herbalife fits in with the active environment of the campus. “They were a perfect fit for us, as a major headquarters office tenant who would activate and patronize many elements of our campus,” said Tanner in an email to Los Angeles Downtown News. “It is great to have them as a major player and active participant in the life of our entertainment district.” Pyramid Allegations Although Herbalife has a new home and a fresh focus, the company continues to be dogged by questions about its business practices. Herbalife has been criticized, and sued several times for its marketing techniques as well as its products.
Some have described Herbalife as a pyramid scheme, asserting that distributors make money by recruiting new distributors and selling their merchandise to them, rather than to actual customers. In the 1980s the Food and Drug Administration and the California attorney general’s office sued the company over alleged false health claims for its products and questionable marketing tactics. Herbalife settled with the agencies in 1986. This past August a U.S. District Court judge ruled that Herbalife would have to go to trial to face allegations in a countersuit by a group of top distributors who claim the company runs a pyramid scheme. Herbalife had earlier sued the group for allegedly stealing trade secrets. Company officials emphatically deny the pyramid scheme charges. “Herbalife and other legitimate multilevel marketing companies provide high-value products to distributors and consumers,” said George Fischer, vice president of worldwide corporate communications for Herbalife. “Rewards to its distributors are based on the sale of these high-value products to the consumer. There is no gain merely from recruiting or being recruited. “At Herbalife, there is no entry fee or investment required; no obligation to order or to sell; no obligation to sponsor; no financial rewards for mere sponsoring. Built-in protections against excessive stocking, supervision, and the benefits are directly linked to the sale of products.” Relocation Celebration Despite the controversy, Downtown leaders are celebrating the company’s move. For years, Downtown had seen corporations flee the area, rather than relocate here. “We thought it was an extremely important statement that they had been on the Westside and were choosing to make their headquarters Downtown,” said Carol Schatz, president of the Central City Association. “The Westside has this cachet of being a better place to work, which we don’t agree with, and they moved their operations down here, recognizing that what’s going on in Downtown L.A. is very important for the city as a whole.” Johnson said many employees were hesitant at first about the move, but most have found the commute easier than getting to the Westside. They also enjoy the Downtown vibe. “It’s proven to be a very central location,” he said. Schatz said that Herbalife has become an important member of the Downtown business community. The company has offered the CCA the use of its headquarters for meetings and other events, though the CCA has
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CEO Michael Johnson says Downtown is a perfect fit for Herbalife’s business model. The company relocated from Century City last year and is the second-largest office tenant in L.A. Live.
yet to take them up on it. Herbalife employees are reaching out in other ways too. Johnson is among the company officials who volunteer at the Union Rescue Mission during their Thanksgiving program, serving meals to the needy. “Hopefully we’re fitting in pretty well. Our goal is always to be more active,” he said. A couple times a week Johnson bicycles the 29.6 miles from his Malibu home to Downtown. He said he is interested in work-
ing with the city on initiatives to encourage more cycling in Downtown. For now though, the company will continue to push its health-conscious products from Downtown. Still, Johnson, had something else on his mind: the impending pingpong tournament. “I’ve never made it past the quarter finals, to my deep, deep, regret,” he said. Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downownnews.com.
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October 12, 2009
Downtown News 13
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Leader of the Pack Downtown Challenge Turns a Reporter Into an Alpha Dog by RichaRd Guzmán city editoR
I
was calm and assertive. I was the alpha dog. The pack leader. Cesar Milan better watch his back, because I just might be the new and improved dog whisperer. OK, I’m really tooting my own horn here, maybe barking up my own tree, but as part of the Downtown Challenge, where I embark on tasks or jobs other Downtowners handle with ease, I actually found something I’m really good at: walking a pack of dogs. It may not be a big deal, and I have to admit that claiming I’m really good at walking dogs sounds kind of sad, but considering the ever growing pet population and their busy owners in Downtown, the lack of backyards and the importance of a good walk for a dog’s health and behavior, being an excellent dog walker could make me a hot commodity here. On a recent Friday evening, I teamed up with David Cerwonka, owner of Walk Fido, which takes an average of 50 dogs a day through the streets of Downtown for exercise, socialization and, well, some bladder relief while their owners are at work. Walk Fido’s five employees walk dogs seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. They pick up their clients at residential buildings and take them on group walks, usually with about six canines at a time. Walk Fido also does private consultations to deal with behavioral issues, in-house dog sitting, and they take dogs to the vets and groomers. Pre-Walk Prep I’m no stranger to dogs, and I’ve had a couple of well-behaved dogs in the past. But my current dog, Mugs, who is super adorable, is also possibly the dumbest dog alive. He has made me doubt my dog handling skills. No matter how much I try to calm him down during walks, Mugs, a 65-pound Boxer, is like a runaway train every time we go out. He pulls, tugs, runs and chases everything in sight, and just when I’m about to lose it he usually turns to me, jumps up and gives me a big kiss. That calms me down. While I’m a sucker for his affection, I didn’t want to be that easy with other people’s dogs, so I decided to prepare for my outing as a professional dog walker by calling the master himself, Cesar Milan, for some tips. He didn’t return my calls — he was probably busy whispering — but his website did offer some great dog walking advice. Position Matters: According to Milan, the key to being the pack leader is to walk in front and control the pace. “Conversely, if your dog controls you on the walk, he’s the pack leader,” Milan whispered to me through his website. Use a Short Leash: This allows you to have more control and makes it easier to commu-
nicate, lead and correct the dog. Well, that sounds obvious. Define Exploration Time: After the dog has “achieved the right state of mind,” Milan advises that you reward him by allowing him to sniff around and relieve himself. Which is sort of like what guys do when they travel in packs to bars. David’s advice was pretty much like Milan’s, though he delivered it in a normal vocal tone. “Imagine being a kindergarten teacher on a field trip. We’re going to have fun, but there are rules and we dictate when things are going to happen,” he said. “It’s very important you walk comfortably, that you’re relaxed. We don’t want tension on the leashes so the dogs will relax and not pull, which is the biggest problem for most people — they are led around by their dogs.” How did he know about me and Mugs? Max, not So Mad We had seven dogs during our walk. Since it was a large pack, and for all they knew I might need as much guidance as the pets, David had Daniel Mensuri, another Walk Fido walker, join us for his regular two-hour shift. Our pack included Johnny, a huge bullmastiff; Titus, a German shepherd mix whose job that day was to carry a backpack with some water and doggie bags (having a job to do helps focus the dog’s natural instinct, said Cerwonka; it also helps the walkers carry some of the tools of the trade); Honey, a cute pitbull who lives in the appropriately named Barker Block; and Rocco, another friendly pitbull who I was told sometimes has issues with strange dogs. I was in charge of three dogs: Derby, a wheaten terrier who I was warned could get a little aggressive when she sees other dogs; Abby, a lovable chocolate lab; and Max, a Boston terrier. Although Max weighed no more than 10 pounds and was easily the smallest dog in the pack, she was also the most strong-headed of the bunch. She would challenge me for dominance, David said. I felt prepared. I knew if it came down to it, my bark would overwhelm Max’s bite. Our route was through the Arts District and Little Tokyo, and right away I felt good. I walked ahead and my pack followed. My arms were relaxed; tension on the leash was minimal. We stopped at intersections and my charges all sat down, waiting for my command. When on the move, we walked at a brisk pace; no dogs lagged behind too much or pulled ahead. It was a big change from my usual walks with Mugs, which usually end up with me chasing him as he bolts to mark his territory on another tree or chase some poor squirrel.
photo by Gary Leonard
Man vs. Beast: A Downtown News reporter rises to the challenge of walking strange canines through the Arts District. The biggest rival was Max, a 10-pound Boston Terrier who loves to be the alpha dog.
photo by Gary Leonard
David Cerwonka, the owner of Walk Fido, and walker Daniel Mensuri demonstrate how to keep control of the pack.
Although Max did try to get ahead of me a couple times, a quick and gentle tug of the leash was all it took to remind her who the leader was. She fell behind a couple of times as well, but in every instance a slight correction got her back on track. Take that, you 10 pounds of potential terror. The biggest challenge for me was the potty breaks. In addition to Mugs, I have a 2-yearold daughter, so I’m used to what arises when poop happens. Still, I don’t like to deal with it any more than I have to. But, when Derby, Johnny and Titus all did number twos on the sidewalk, we went to work. Luckily, I only had to pick up Derby’s mess, and it was considerably smaller than that of the other two dogs. Being in an urban setting, we also had to avoid some broken glass on the sidewalk. Other times we smiled at the cars, the drivers staring at the pack of animals and their human companions. We also had to deal with a bark-
ing Chihuahua who tried to bully our group. While he managed to agitate Derby and Max a little, our dogs mostly ignored the barking rat. Which was a good thing, considering that Johnny the bullmastiff could have made him an appetizer in about six seconds. The dogs seemed content after the twomile trek, and I felt pretty good from the exercise and from not having lost anyone’s pet. “You’re hired,” David said as we turned toward home. Just before I left, I got a big wet kiss from Abby, and when I picked up Max to say goodbye she gave me some crazy and wild kisses too. Yeah, the ladies know who’s in charge, at least when Mugs isn’t around. Walk Fido is at (213) 479-2426 or walkfido. com. Have a task for the Downtown Challenge? Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.
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HEALTH Managing the Pain Game Finding Tools to Help Relieve Constant Suffering by Linda Pescatore
B
y any measure, it was stressful to be Matt Saathoff in July 2008. The 31-year-old Omaha, Neb., banker and law student and his wife, Cat, had their first child, son Jamison, one month before. Work, school, family — it would be stressful for anyone. But Saathoff did it all while in constant pain from a car accident two years earlier. “I forced myself never to miss school, never to miss work, so I just burned myself out,” Saathoff said. “I’d come home and I’d pretty much just have to sit on the couch and do nothing.” According to the American Pain Foundation, 50 million Americans experi-
ence chronic pain that interferes with their daily activities. Chronic pain is defined as any pain that lasts six months or more; it can come and go, or it can be constant. With a herniated disc, splintered vertebrae and damage to a cervical nerve root, Saathoff was taking strong painkillers that made studying difficult. It was hard to sit for extended periods. “I was always shifting, always moving, never getting comfortable,” he said. The pain and discomfort affected his marriage. He later learned his wife was “at her wits’ end” because he was miserable all the time, he said. But just a month later, Saathoff had his life back. “As Cat described it, I was a 180% dif-
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four-week pain management program at The Nebraska Medical Center, where he learned to enjoy life again and end his physical dependency on drugs. While opioid drugs such as Oxycodone, which Saathoff was taking, have their place in treating acute pain, they can make matters worse for the chronic pain patient, according to Dr. Barry Cole, executive director of the American Society of Pain Educators. “We’re beginning to think that opioids for some people cause their nervous system to eventually misprocess pain,” Cole said. “The more opioids they take, they’re getting worse and worse, not better and better.” Comprehensive care teaches patients to cope “without having to rely on something given to you — that you reach inward instead of outward,” Cole said. “We have to treat the whole person; it’s not just a neck, a shoulder, a head, a toe,” said Dr. Jim Willcockson, manager of the Nebraska program. With this philosophy, he even requires spouses and family to participate. His program’s psychologists, physical therapists and nurses help a maximum of six patients address the physical, mental and emotional aspects of pain. Massage and stretching loosen and lengthen muscles.Find Cognitive out
behavioral therapy helps patients to manage their daily exertion, teaching them to pace themselves. With self-hypnosis and visual imagery, patients put mind over matter. Saathoff was skeptical that he could function without painkillers. “You’re on these drugs, and the drugs aren’t even helping,” he said. “How is using your mind and getting active going to actually work?” Despite his initial skepticism, Saathoff “was great with visualization,” Willcockson said. Because Saathoff described his shoulder pain as burning, while hypnotized he was guided to imagine the pain as hot as the sun, then it would change to a jet engine, to a blowtorch, to a Bunsen burner, to a candle, to a match. “By the time it was a match in his mind, he reaches up and wets his fingertips and then makes a ‘sss’ sound, and he basically extinguishes his pain,” Willcockson said. Another patient eliminated her pain solely through her guided imagery, although she needs periodic “booster shots,” Willcockson said. Although the Nebraska program is new, similar pain management programs abounded in the 1980s, said Cole. At their peak, there were about 3,000 in the U.S., but it is believed they’re down to 300. Cole blames managed care. “It was more cost-effective to drug people or stick needles into people than it was to provide comprehensive care, even though if you looked at the numbers, comprehensive care in the long run was cheaper and actually was proven to be more effective,” Cole said. The Nebraska Medical Center program costs roughly $20,000, Willcockson said. Weeks after finishing the program, Saathoff was a new man. No longer collapsing on the couch, he learned to take smaller bites of exertion — mowing the lawn in thirds, for example — and even revisited sports such as table tennis, which he played competitively before his injuries. “I’m nowhere near the level I was before the accident, but I’ve been playing one night a week for about two hours, which is way more than I ever expected,” he said. Additional information is at nationalpainfoundation.org. Article Creators Service. what tobyeat andNews where to eat
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October 12, 2009
Downtown News 15
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RESTAURANTS Restaurant Buzz
Lemonade at the Museum, the Food Trucks Keep Coming, And Plenty of Beer by Richard Guzmán city editor
n When Life Serves You Lemonade, Try Lemonade: While the summer heat may finally be over, Downtown folks can still find lemonade with a new restaurant called, well, Lemonade. It opened in late September at MOCA Grand Avenue and is the fourth in the small Los Angeles chain. The new eatery is a cafeteria-style spot that serves salads, sandwiches, soups and desserts, as well as housemade lemonades in mixed flavors such as cucumber mint, ginger peach and pear tarragon. “Lemonade at MOCA encapsulates my approach to food and catering perfectly: modern and artistic with a creative edge,” said Alan Jackson, owner of the restaurant, in a statement. Lemonade is open during regular museum hours and will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday. At 250 S. Grand Ave., (213) 628-0200 or lemonadela.com. n Her Name Is Rio: Restaurant Buzz is old enough to remember when the music video for Duran Duran’s “Rio” was all over MTV, with Simon LeBon and friends dressed in sharp suits on a yacht on the open seas. Although Restaurant Buzz was never cool enough or had enough money to sail the ocean in that sort of style, that doesn’t mean we can’t get a taste of Rio in Downtown, with a little help from Point Moorea at the Wilshire Grand hotel. Every Tuesday from 5-9 p.m. the restaurant is hosting Taste of Rio, with price cuts on food items that can
be enjoyed in a tropical or urban setting. Bay shrimp ceviche is $4; carne asada tacos are two for $5; taquitos de pollo are five for $4; chicken quesadillas are $4; and cocktails like mojitos and Island Sunset are $10. It may not as fun as yachting, but at least the menu is something Restaurant Buzz can afford. At the Wilshire Grand, 930 photo by Gary Leonard Wilshire Blvd., (213) 833- MOCA Grand Avenue has a new restaurant, the cafeteria-style Lemonade. It is the fourth installment 5100 or wilshiregrand.com. of the mini-chain. n Where’s The Truck?: It used to be that if you wanted a taco from a roach coach, you would go to the corner where your favorite truck faithfully parked every day and order a taco con todo (with everything). But now that middle class hipsters have discovered the wonders of truck food, and even hipper chefs have come up with all sorts of fusion and specialty trucks while blowing up Twitter with posts about where they’ll stop next, following your favorite truck is like following a rock band. So it’s not surprising that someone launched a grub-tracking website. Findlafoodtrucks.com lists the locations of dozens of the trendy trucks as well as links to their Twitter accounts. So far the site has details on more than 30 trucks, including frequent Downtown visitors like the Kogi Korean barbecue truck, the Border Grill truck, Fishlips sushi, and even Coolhaus, the ice cream truck for grown ups. At findlafoodtrucks.com.
in the area, from a sports-themed restaurant to a sciencethemed food lab. The newest addition is Urbnmrkt, which debuted in September on the ground floor of the building at 3434 S. Grand Ave. Filling a former loading dock, it has high ceilings, concrete floors and some booths made out of the original truck bays. Breakfast items include scrambled eggs, potatoes, bacon, muffins and croissants. Among the lunch options are BBQ pork shoulder with crunchy slaw and hot pastrami with spicy mustard. There are sandwiches too. At 3434 S. Grand Ave., (213) 821-8001 or urbnmrkt.com. n Beer!: The three greatest things about October, in reverse order: 3) Halloween; 2) you get to call it Rocktober! and 1) Oktoberfest. If it were up to Restaurant Buzz, even though it’s a German celebration, Oktoberfest would also be a national holiday here. Luckily some bars in Downtown respect that point of view and contribute to global unity by celebrating it locally. Weiland Brewery Restaurant is one such establishment, and has specials on German beer all month, including the brewery’s own WBR Marzen on draft for $5. Other specials include imported German beers such as Erdinger Oktoberfest for $4, Paulaner Oktoberfest for $5 and Schwarze Weisse for $6. The brewery will also have live music every Friday in October, along with German food and a beer garden in the patio. It’s so great that it makes Restaurant Buzz want to scream the only other German word it knows: Gesundheit! At 400 E. First St., (213) 680-2881 or weilandbrewery.net. Got any food news? Email Richard Guzmán at richard@ downtownnews.com.
n Here’s Another Truck: One truck you won’t find yet on Findlafoodtrucks.com is Kabob Express, a new addition to the truck fusion trend. Owner Joe Mercado is no newcomer to the game, and boasts more than 20 years of experience as a food truck owner and operator. Still, he was hesitant to change his menu, even after seeing the success of other trucks. But the thought of experimenting with Mediterranean flavors and Mexican traditions helped change his mind, and Kabob Express was born. The menu includes the Mediterranean burrito, with hummus, basmati rice and a Mediterranean pico de gallo, which is made with olive oil, lemon and Mediterranean herbs. The hummus tacos are also popular. Kabob Express has no website, and just got a Twitter feed, and Mercado admits that since he’s still getting the hang of texting, Twitter updates may take a while. But in Downtown you can catch the Kabob Express daily from 3:30-6:30 p.m. at the DWP building at Hope Street between First and Temple streets. At (213) 407-9255 or email mykabobexpress@yahoo.com.
photo by Gary Leonard
Weiland Brewery is celebrating Oktoberfest with beer specials all month long.
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16 Downtown News
October 12, 2009
DowntownNews.com
by AnnA Scott StAff writer
W
hen Los Angeles Fashion Week kicks off on Monday, Oct. 12, it will mark a milestone for Downtown. Local garment industry leaders and activists have pushed for several years to make Downtown the dominant Fashion Week host, a role it lost after the high-profile runway shows that define the biannual event fled the area in 2003. Starting this week, Downtown will see its biggest and most varied Fashion Week schedule in years. “There’s so much going on,” said Kent Smith, executive director of the Fashion District business improvement district. “Hopefully it will translate into some great marketing and some great business.” In addition to Fashion Week, Downtown this month is hosting two “market weeks,” behind-the-scenes events where store buyers stock up on inventory from local wholesalers. The first one, catering to major department stores, took place last week at the California Market Center and drew more than 750 buyers, according to the California Fashion Association. The second will begin this week and is expected to attract up to 4,000 buyers from small- and mid-sized retailers. While Fashion Week is not a major economic generator, CFA President Ilse Metchek said its media-studded runway shows and industry parties can help feed On Oct. 6 a group of designers and models joined Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Downtown fashion industry leaders to promote L.A. Fashion Week. The the Fashion District’s true cash cow, its event begins Monday, Oct. 12. market weeks. The Fashion District’s market weeks attract 53,000 buyers ree, hosted by Fashion Group International of Los Angeles, Broadway,” two nights of runway shows on Wednesday and and exhibitors each year and generate $50 million in hotel, is open to the public and requires a minimum $50 donation. Thursday. The 10 local designers who will be featured include restaurant and transportation revenues for the city, Mayor Attendees will have the opportunity to mingle with several Maxine Dillon, whose edgy but pretty women’s collections can Antonio Villaraigosa said during an Oct. 6 press conference L.A.-based designers. be found at stores across town, and Fremont, a chic and sporty to promote Fashion Week. Also at the event was designer Subsequent highlights include the Fashion Angel Awards line created by three young designers. Max Azria of the label BCBG. Emerging Designer Show on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 5 p.m. at the The Broadway shows aim not only to raise the profile of the “They come here because the talent and hard work of lo- Geffen Contemporary at MOCA. The event will feature run- designers, but also to bolster 14th District City Councilman José cal designers has put the 90 blocks that comprise the Fashion way presentations by three local designers including Skin.Graft, Huizar’s Bringing Back Broadway initiative, an effort to revitalDistrict on the international fashion map,” Villaraigosa said. which creates and sells gothic, avant-garde looks out of a space ize the street, said organizer Lasia Casil. Filling a Vacuum on Fourth Street. Additional runway shows will take place at “My first goal is to get the designers out there,” she said. L.A. Fashion Week takes place twice a year: in March, when MOCA Wednesday and Thursday evenings. “Our goal is also to bring fashion and retail to the Broadway designers showcase collections for the upcoming fall season, The Los Angeles Theatre will host “L.A. Fashion on- historic core.” and in October, when they unveil spring styles. Also on the schedule is the Downtown Fashion Walk on The major attraction at L.A. Fashion Week in past years Thursday, Oct. 15. The monthly block party-type event, an efwas an event within the event known as Mercedes-Benz fort to build upon the momentum of the Downtown Art Walk, Fashion Week. The five days of celebrity-filled runway shows will feature local boutiques, designers and pop-up stores operatby top designers was held at Downtown’s Standard hotel in ing in and around the Historic Core from noon until 10 p.m. 2003, but then moved to Culver City’s Smashbox Studios, This month the Fashion Walk is designed to supplement where it continued until event producer IMG and Smashbox the Fashion Week events, said Fashion Walk founder Brady severed their partnership last year. Westwater. The dissolution of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week left a hole The Fashion Walk will include a pop-up store at the Spring that Downtown was ready to fill, industry officials say. Arts Tower at 453 S. Spring St., featuring at least seven small “All these shows were going on in Downtown anyway, but labels. There will also be a fashion show with multiple lines at they didn’t make as much noise because Smashbox got a lot the Pacific Electric Lofts at 610 S. Main St. and a party at the of press in the trades,” said Metchek. “When IMG left, it left Continental Gallery at Fourth and Spring streets with DJs and a wonderful vacuum for all these entrepreneurs to create their live screen printing of custom T-shirts, among other attractions. own events, and that’s exactly what’s happened.” “You’re going to be able to see some of the fashions you Fashion Festivities couldn’t see at the runway shows,” said Westwater. L.A. Fashion Week actually lasts nearly three weeks, Information about the MOCA events is at downtownlafashfrom Oct. 12-31. All of the major events are scheduled for ionweek.com; the Los Angeles Theatre shows are at lafashiononDowntown or Hollywood. broadway.com; Fashion Walk information is at downtownfashphoto courtesy of Ben Cope The Downtown festivities start with a “Meet the Designers” Highlights of Fashion Week include runway fashion shows, like this ionwalk.com. cocktail party at the Standard on Monday, Oct. 12. The soi- one that took place at Vibiana in 2007. Contact Anna Scott at anna@downtownnews.com.
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October 12, 2009
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Downtown News 17
Second Time Is the Charm A Sleek and Scary ‘Parade’ Dominates the Taper by Jeff Favre contributing writer
T
he name Leo Frank would lay mostly forgotten if not for playwright Alfred Uhry and composer-lyricist Jason Robert Brown. Frank, a meek Jewish factory manager from New York, was lynched in Georgia in 1914. In 1998, his grave, unjust fate was resurrected on Broadway in the musical Parade. His story became a symbol about the evils of racism, anti-Semitism and the deep divide between North and South. Though a Tony winner, Parade was widely considered a “near miss” at excellence, and closed just a few months after opening. A revised, leaner version debuted two years ago in London. Staged and choreographed by Robert Ashford, with changes implemented by Uhry and Brown, the London revival has been imported to the Mark Taper Forum stage. Parade plays in Downtown Los Angeles though Nov. 15. Yes, it took Parade a decade to make an appearance on a major Los Angeles stage, but that turns out to be a good thing because this new version is dark, scary and compelling. Anchored by T.R. Knight’s captivating lead performance, Parade doesn’t need the element of surprise to elicit jawdropping moment after moment for nearly all of its two-anda-half hours. The major challenge for Parade is its lack of humor. Even Les Misérables has comic relief, and Sweeney Todd finds humor in violent mayhem. But there are no laughs in the true life rape and murder of Mary Phagan (Rose Sezniak), a 13-year-old who worked in the Atlanta pencil factory managed by Frank (Knight), a Jew originally from Brooklyn. Suspicion lands on Frank, fueled by yellow journalist Britt Craig (Michael Berresse) and corrupt prosecutor Hugh Dorsey (Christian Hoff). Frank’s only ally is his wife Lucille (Lara Pulver, the only holdover from the London cast), who is willing to do anything, including beg Gov. Slaton (Berresse in one of his three roles) to examine the case.
The governor’s investigation proves witness tampering and perjury. It also IDs a likely culprit, Jim Conley (David St. Louis), who testified that Frank ordered him to help move Phagan’s body. Brown and Uhry, aware that the story is well known, don’t try to fake out the audience with false hope. Even when the Franks meet for a picnic at the prison and discuss how Leo may come home soon, any optimism is overshadowed by the finality of Brown’s somber photo by Craig Schwartz duet “All the Wasted Time.” T.R. Knight plays a falsely accused man and Lara Pulver is his loyal wife in Parade (Michael Berresse, Instead of plot twists, Parade as the guard, is one of several actors who plays multiple roles). The show at the Mark Taper Forum is fueled by tapping into the runs through Nov. 15. pervasive fear of being wrongly accused. From the moment of Mary’s funeral, Brown’s music Perhaps the most important song is the second act opener, shifts into more dissonance and hyper-tempo, like a nightmare “A Rumblin’ and a Rollin.’” Sung by two African American that’s spinning out of control. domestics (St. Louis, in another role, and Deidre Henry), it That spiral hits overdrive in the first act finale, particularly ponders how much fuss people would make if the wrongly the show’s most memorable paired songs, “The Factory Girls/ accused man and the victim were black. Come Up to My Office,” during which Leo lives out the lurid Though there are a few dances, Ashford’s skill with movefantasies painted by Mary’s co-workers. A junk joint jazz ment is clean in the intricate blocking, which includes several song, “Come Up to My Office” allows Knight to un-spool his moments of carefully constructed chaos. tightly wound portrayal of Frank and slink around the stage Through it all, Christopher Oram’s decaying wood plank making crude advances toward the girls. set and Neil Austin’s shadow-filled lighting maintain a night Knight’s layered performance allows Frank to be sympa- marish essence. It’s as though the story has appeared in the thetic and courageous, while also standoffish and annoying. mist, only to vanish again with the last strains of Brown’s His deeply expressive vocals in “How Can I Call This Home?” score. pit him as a loner against the rest of the community. Parade in its original form may have been considered a near The other standout is St. Louis as the shady Conley. Brown miss. This vibrant revival will change that reputation. specializes in soulful piano-driven songs, and St. Louis deliv- Parade runs through Nov. 15 at the Mark Taper Forum, 135 ers a powerful rendition of his “Blues: Feel the Rain Fall.” N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or centertheatregroup.org.
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18 Downtown News
SponSored LiStingS Public Safety Appreciation BBQ 7+Fig, 735 S. Figueroa St., (213) 417-8884 or downtownla.com/public-safety-bbq. Oct. 16, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.: Enjoy a complete lunch for $7, served by Morton’s the Steakhouse and California Pizza Kitchen, while supporting the Sheriff’s Youth Foundation. Public Safety Officers eat for free (bring ID or badge). Cheer for Life Rummage Sale Harlem Alley, Fourth Street between Main and Spring streets, cheerla.org. Oct. 24, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.: This neighborhood alley rummage sale will feature donated items, from clothes to furniture to random knick knacks. The proceeds will support the Cheer For Life Fund, which supports charities like Aid for Aids, Aids Healthcare Foundation and Aids Project LA. Unsold goods will be donated to the Downtown Women’s Center. All donations (except underwear or broken items) are welcome. Monday, october 12 Author Visit: Danny Senna USC, Leavey Library Auditorium, 3551 Trousdale Pkwy, RSVP: mpw@college.usc.edu. 7 p.m.: Danzy Senna, daughter of civil rights activists Carl Senna and Fanny Howe, will discuss her latest work, “Where Did You Sleep Last Night? A Personal History.” It reconstructs a long-buried family mystery that illuminates her childhood, the power and failure of her parents’ union and the forces of history. tuesday, october 13 ALOUD at the Central Library 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7025 or aloudla.org. 7 p.m.: Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon stops by to talk with L.A. Times Book Editor David Ulin about his latest book “Manhood for Amateurs: The Pleasures and Regrets of a Husband, Father and Son.” Free the Slaves Freedom Awards USC, Bovard Auditorium, 3551 Trousdale Pkwy, thefreedomawards.net. 7 p.m.: They go undercover to expose slave traffickers. They risk their lives to rescue girls from brothels. They’ve been tortured and told they’ll be murdered. They are the heroes of the modern antislavery movement, and their courage will be honored at the annual Free the Slaves Freedom Awards. Wednesday, october 14 ALOUD at the Central Library 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7025 or aloudla.org. 7 p.m.: Track Kidder, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “Mountains Beyond Mountains,” tells the tale of Deogratias, a young medical student from the mountains of Burundi, who narrowly survived civil war and genocide before seeking a new life in America. SCI-Arc Lecture Series 960 E. Third St., (213) 356-5328 or sciarc.edu. In the W. M. Keck Lecture Hall. 7 p.m.: Laurie Olin is a teacher, author and one of the most renowned landscape architects today. In this talk, she argues that, “It’s Called Landscape Architecture, Not Landscape Gardening for a Reason.” Technolink Forum Omni Hotel, 251 S. Olive St., (949) 443-4026 or technolinkassoc.org. 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.: This forum, billed as a CEO roundtable for technology and energy industry workers, will address issues like cyberspace and security and the use of smart technologies for sustainable development. thursday, october 15 Town Hall Los Angeles Visit townhall-la.org. Venues vary, but all listed take place Downtown. 11:30 a.m.: Masaaki Tanaka, president and CEO of UnionBanCal and its primary subsidiary, Union Bank, delivers an address on “Weathering the Financial Storm.” Thursdays at Central Central Library, 630 W. Fifth St., meeting room A, (213) 228-7241 or lapl.org. 12:15-1 p.m.: Always wanted to write, but didn’t know how to get started? Learn about a truly unique, worldwide event, National Novel Writing Month. Japanese American Cultural & Community Center JACCC Plaza or Aratani/Japan America Theatre, 244 S. San Pedro St., (213) 628-3700 or jaccc.org. 2 and 8 p.m.: “Kabuki: Backstage to Hanamichi” gives a behind-the-scenes look at the color, magic and drama of the centuries old theater tradition
LISTINGS
The ‘Don’T Miss’ LisT T
he Los Angeles Master Chorale opens its 46th season on Sunday, Oct. 18, with a performance pairing two dramatically different works: Mozart’s final composition, “Requiem,” and composer John Adams’ “Choruses From the Death of Klinghoffer.” The latter is a 30-minute piece based on Adams’ 1991 opera The Death of Klinghoffer, about the hijacking of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro by four Palestinian commandos and the subsequent murder of wheelchairbound, Jewish-American passenger Leon Klinghoffer. The concert begins at Walt Disney Concert Hall at 7 p.m. KUSC’s Alan Chapman will host a discussion at 6 p.m. At 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 9727282 or lamc.org.
Singing, History, and Writing the Great American Novel
by AnnA Scott, StAff writer
C
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photos courtesy of USC Libraries
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One
alling all Southern California history buffs: On Saturday, Oct. 17, you can browse rare collections, consult with experts and learn about online research tools for delving into the region’s storied past, all in one place at the free, fourth annual Los Angeles Archives Bazaar. Hosted by USC Libraries, the event will take place at the campus’ Davidson Conference Center from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. It will include exhibits lo culled from 60 historical collections, archives, loorgani cal universities, libraries and community organizations. Educational programs, discussions with authors and documentary film screenings will take place throughout the day. At 3415 S. Figueroa St., (213) 740-2070 or usc.edu/libraries/lasubject.
4
Have you fantasized about writing the Great American Novel, but worried whether you have the chops? Join the club. Then get your pen out, because November happens to be National Novel Writing Month, when quantity comes before quality in book writing. The Central Library on Thursday, Oct. 15, will host a lunchtime seminar about everything you need to know to take part in NaNoWriMo, which challenges participants to write 175 pages in 30 days. The event, which runs from 12:15-1 p.m., is part of the library’s Thursdays at Central series of 45-minute afternoon lectures and demonstrations. At 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7000 or lapl.org.
Five
G
et ready to drown your liver in Guinness, because The Pogues play Club Nokia on Saturday, Oct. 17 — exactly five months before St. Patrick’s Day. The band will appear with its full original lineup, reunited despite a troubled history and a breakup in the 1990s. They will perform their unique brand of Irish punk-rock jigs with openers The Aggrolites, who play reggae and ska tunes. At 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-7000 or clubnokia.com. Contact Anna Scott at anna@downtownnews.com. photo courtesy of Goldenvoice
photo by Lee Salem
EVENTS
October 12, 2009
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October 12, 2009
Downtown News 19
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DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM/CALENDAR : EVENTS | ROCK, POP & JAZZ | CLASSICAL MUSIC | THEATER, OPERA & DANCE ART SPACES | FILM | BARS & CLUBS | MUSEUMS | FARMERS MARKETS | TOURS that is kabuki. MOCA Grand Avenue 250 S. Grand Ave., visit moca.org. 6:30 p.m.: Marnie Weber’s bear icon has played a strong role in her work and is featured in “Collecting History: Highlighting Recent Acquisitions.” The artist will discuss her work, the blurred line between performance and visual art and the place where make-believe and fantasy come to life. Friday, October 16 Farmlab Public Salons 1745 N. Spring St. #4, (323) 226-1158 or farmlab.org. Noon: Filmmaker Suma Josson will screen and discuss “I Want My Father Back,” her 60-minute film on the suicide of farmers in Vidarbha, India, where cotton is king. Saturday, October 17 California African American Museum 600 State Drive, (213) 744-2024 or caamuseum.org. 1 p.m.: An integral part of jazz culture is the art inspired by the music. Create your own work of art with jazz as your muse and artist Milton Loupe as your guide. Must be 15 years old or older. RSVP required. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 900 Exposition Blvd., (213) 763-DINO or visit nhm.org. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.: As part of its Art + Science series, the museum explains the science behind the art of camouflage. Take part in the day’s activities, in which you make your own “leaf bug” out of leaves and see some animal impostors up close, then witness the magic of a “disappearing” cuttlefish. Los Angeles Archives Bazaar USC Davidson Conference Center, 3415 S. Figueroa St., (213) 740-2070 or usc.edu/libraries/lasubject. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.: Southern California history comes alive through 60 collections from L.A.-area universities, libraries and community organizations. Browse rare collections, consult with experts and learn about family genealogy, online research tools, preserving your own history and other topics. Educational programs, discussions about history with local authors, and documentary films about the hidden stories of Los Angeles communities are scheduled throughout the day.
ROCK, POP & JAZZ 2nd Street Jazz 366 E. Second St., (213) 680-0047, 2ndstjazz.com or myspace.com/2ndstreetlivejazz. Tuesdays: Jazz jam session. Music usually starts at 9 or 10 p.m. 626 Reserve 626 S. Spring St., (213) 627-9800 or 626reserve.com. Tuesdays, 6 p.m.: Live music with Goh Kurosawa. Thursdays, 6 p.m.: More live sounds, this time with Jessie Torrez. Blue Velvet 750 S. Garland Ave., (213) 239-0061. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 p.m.: Live music and DJs. Café Metropol 923 E. Third St., (213) 613-1537 or cafemetropol.com. Oct. 16, 8-10 p.m.: Vocalist Kathleen Grace. Oct. 17, 8-10 p.m.: Neo-soul singer and guitarist Jacob Lutrell. Chop Suey Café 347 E. First St., (213) 617-9990 or chopsueycafe.com. Thursdays, 7:30-9:30 p.m.: Live jazz on the patio of the restored landmark. Cicada Cicada Restaurant, 617 S. Olive St., (213) 488-9488 or cicadarestaurant.com. Thursdays, 8-11 p.m.: The velvet-voiced Max Vontaine recreates the sounds and styles of rat packers Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. His smoking jackets and tunes are vintage; his bawdy repartee is less so. Keep a close eye on the unlit cigarette. Sundays, 6-11 p.m.: The restaurant is transformed into a vintage, old Hollywood-style dance club every Sunday. Come out to appreciate the big band, swank costumes, dinner and cocktails. Visit cicadaclub.com. Club Nokia Corner of Olympic Blvd. and Figueroa St., clubnokia.com. Oct. 12, 8 p.m.: Part “High School Musical,” part “Romeo & Juliet” with a dose of hip-hop and Spanish melodies, “Phi’LA” addresses racial contention and its effect on friendships and family among a diverse group of teens in L.A. Oct. 13, 8:30 p.m.: Sean Kingston and Flo Rida show the Sunshine State’s got flow. Oct. 15, 9 p.m.: British wordsmiths The Streets team up with Gift of Gab from Blackalicious and Mickey from Factz. Oct. 16, 8:30 p.m.: KMFDM is what happens
when you mate techo dance beats with heavy metal. Oct. 17, 8 p.m.: Embrace your inner Jimmy McNulty, swig some Jameson and do your best rock and roll jig with the Pogues. Oct. 18, 9 p.m.: Hang ten, Texas psychedelia hard core-style, with the Butthole Surfers. Conga Room L.A. Live, 800 W. Olympic, (213) 749-0445 or congaroom.com. Oct. 10, 9 p.m.: Los Angeles salseros Son Mayor. Grammy Museum L.A. Live, corner of Olympic Blvd and Figueroa St., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org. Oct. 14, 8 p.m.: Argentine-American rocker Kevin Johansen gives an intimate onstage interview and performance as part of the museum’s new Latin music series. Johansen will field questions about his music, influences and recording career, then perform. J Restaurant and Lounge 1119 S. Olive St., (213) 746-7746 or jloungela.com. Tuesdays: Live acoustic performances in the lounge. Wednesdays: Salsa in the City features complimentary salsa lessons at 8 p.m. At 9 p.m., a batch of live musicians takes over for a jam session. Nokia Theatre 777 Chick Hearn Court, (213) 763-6000 or nokiatheatrelalive.com. 8 p.m.: Last seen on the big screen playing a gifted homeless musician in Los Angeles, Jamie Foxx shows off his own vocal chops. Orpheum Theatre 842 S. Broadway, (213) 622-1939 or laorpheum.com. Oct. 17, 8 p.m.: Who? Roger Daltrey. That’s who. Oct. 18, 7 p.m.: This benefit for Aid for AIDS is called “Best in Drag Show.” Pete’s Café and Bar 400 N. Main St., (213) 618-1759 or petescafe.com. Tuesdays, 10 p.m.-1 a.m.: Pablo Calogero and Fabiano Nacimento play Brazilian jazz. Redwood Bar & Grill 316 W. Second St., (213) 680-2600 or theredwoodbar.com. Oct. 12, 10 p.m.: The Eye presents Delaney Davidson and His Ghost Orchestra with Rev Deadeye. Oct. 13, 10 p.m.: Jail, Mojomatics (from Italy) and Pipsqueak Oct. 14, 10 p.m.: Delaney Davidson and His Ghost Orchestra with Dos Hermanos. Oct. 15, 10 p.m.: Delaney Davidson and His Ghost Orchestra, with Becky Oct. 16, 10 p.m.: Mike Watt and His Secondmen with Champagne Velvet. Oct. 17, 10 p.m.: The Choke share the bill with Peachfuzz. Oct. 18, noon: Brunch Americana with Jesse Dayton, Sarah Gayle Meech and more. Rerax Fridays at Señor Fish 422 E. First St., (213) 625-0566 or senorfishla.com. Fridays, 9 p.m.-3 a.m.: Music, art, VJ performances, silk screening and photos. Royale 2619 Wilshire Blvd., (213) 388-8488 or royaleonwilshire.com. Mondays, 9 p.m.-2 a.m.: A live musical showcase with bands, a DJ and an Eastside vibe. Tuesdays, 9 p.m.-2 a.m.: An acoustic live set in the historic Royale lounge. A DJ spins between sets. Wednesday (second of every month), 9 p.m.-2 a.m.: A fusion of spoken word and acoustic musical melodies. Sundays, 9 p.m.-midnight: Rat pack protégé Max Vontaine. Sheraton L.A. Downtown Hotel 711 S. Hope St., (310) 216-5861. Fridays: The hotel presents a weekly live jazz night. Walt Disney Concert Hall 111 S. Grand Ave., visit musiccenter.org. Oct. 14, 8 p.m.: Ramsey Lewis visits with Ann Hampton Callaway.
ART SPACES 7+Fig Art Space 735 S. Figueroa St., Suite 217, (213) 955-7150. Acuna-Hansen Gallery 427 Bernard St., (323) 441-1624 or ahgallery.com. Automat 936 Chung King Road, (213) 617-0422. Bert Green Fine Art 102 W. Fifth St., (213) 624-6212 or bgfa.us. Bonelli Contemporary 943 N. Hill St., (213) 617-8180 or bonellicontemporaryla.com. Box Gallery 977 Chung King Road, (213) 625-1747 or theboxla.com. Through Oct. 24: Rachel Khedoori presents two new projects: “The Iraq Book Project, 2009,” and “Cave Model, 2009.” The former consists of a collec-
tion of news articles compiled into large books. The articles are dated with the start date of the Iraq war, March 20, 2003, and continue for roughly six years. “Cave Model 2009” is a small-scale representation of a primitive living space. Charlie James Gallery 975 Chung King Road, (213) 687-0488 or cjamesgallery.com. China Art Objects 933 Chung King Road, (213) 613-0384 or chinaartobjects.com. Chinese Historical Society of Southern California 415 Bernard St., (323) 222-0856 or chssc.org. Ongoing: An exhibition about the history of immigration from China to the United States. Chung King Project 510 Bernard St. (323) 221-2300 or chungkingproject.com. Opening June 13: George Bolster’s “High on Christ.” Cirrus Gallery 542 S. Alameda St., (213) 680-3474 or cirrusgallery.com. Through Oct. 31: “The Awful Parenthesis” is a group exhibition of works by six Los Angeles-based artists. It presents a selection of emerging artists without prior relationship to the space or its history. The Company 946 Yale St., (213) 221-7082 or thecompanyart.com. Through Nov. 14: Margo Victor’s solo show features paintings, collage and the Los Angeles premiere of the film “The Rotten Riotous West.” Cottage Home 410 Cottage Home Road, cottagehomela.com. Crewest 110 Winston St., (213) 627-8272, crewest.com or thelabellab.com. Through Oct. 31: The gallery pays tribute to graffiti writer Man One with a solo exhibition and retrospective called “Graffiti Spirits.” Dalessio Gallery 838 S. Spring St., (213) 471-2977 or dalessiogallery.com. David Salow Gallery 977 S. Hill St., (213) 620-0240 or davidsalowgallery.com. Through Oct. 17: New paintings by abstract expressionist Heather Carroll. The Distributed Gallery 972B Chung King Rd. (213) 344-6137 or dg.telic.info. Doheny Memorial Library USC, 3550 Trousdale Parkway, (213) 740-2070 or usc.edu/libraries. Downtown Art Center Gallery 828 S. Main St., dacgallery.com. Oct. 17, 5-9 p.m.: Hundreds of fine art pieces will be on sale. All proceeds benefit the Exceptional Children’s Foundation Art Center Program, which supports adult artists with developmental disabilities. Downtown Art Gallery 1611 S. Hope St., (213) 255-2067 or downtownag.com. Tuesdays, 7:30-10:30 p.m.: Figure drawing classes are $12; bring your own materials. Ongoing: Large format drawings and different pieces by gallery artists. Edgar Varela Fine Arts 542 S. Alameda St., second floor, (213) 494-7608 or edgarvarelafinearts.com. Through Oct. 16: The gallery presents “Patterned Spaces,” a new body of work by artist Christina M. Felice. Felice’s latest collage series combines vintage illustrations and sewing patterns, fused with cutouts of the human form. They blur the lines between irony, kitsch and subtext. El Nopal Press 109 W. Fifth St., (213) 239-0417 or fauxpop.com/nopalpress. Farmlab 1745 N. Spring St. #4, (323) 226-1158 or farmlab.org. Fifth Floor 502 Chung King Court, (213) 687-8443 or fifthfloorgallery.com. g727 727 S. Spring St., (213) 627-9563 or gallery727losangeles.com. Gary Leonard 860 S. Broadway, takemypicture.com. Ongoing: “The Billboard Show: Selling the SoCal Lifestyle” features photographic landscapes of the 1950s and 1960s. George J. Doizaki Gallery Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, 244 S. San Pedro St., (213) 628-2725 or jaccc.org. Happy Lion 963 Chung King Road, (213) 625-1360 or thehappylion.com. Helen Lindhurst Fine Arts Gallery Watt Hall 104, USC University Park Campus, (213) 740-2787 or roski.usc.edu. Hive Gallery and Studios 729 S. Spring St., (213) 955-9051 or thehivegallery.com.
Listings for additional concerts, exhibits and more in Downtown Los Angeles can be found on our website. Go to downtownnews.com/calendar for full information, including time and location, for all the happenings in Downtown. Through October 31: The gallery presents a group show inspired by Tarot. I-5 Gallery 2100 N. Main St. #A9, (323) 342-0717 or breweryartwalk.com. Jail 965 Vignes St., Suite 5A, (213) 621-9567 or thejailgallery.com. Julie Rico Gallery 500 S. Spring St. and 116 W. Fifth St., (213) 817-6002 or weeneez.com. Katalyst Foundation for the Arts 450 S. Main St., (213) 604-3634 or kffta.org. Kathryn Brennan Gallery 955 Chung King Road, 213 628 7000 or kathrynbrennan.com Oct. 17-Nov. 14: Solo show by Danica Phelps. KGB Studio and Gallery 1640 N. Spring St., (323) 224-1900 or kgbla.com. Through Nov. 14: “Time Refocused” is a photography exhibition featuring portraits by Luis C. Garza. L2kontemporary 990 N. Hill St. #205, (626) 319-3661 or l2kontemporary.com. Oct. 17-Nov. 14: New works by the Los Angelesbased collective After Image, exploring perception, consciousness and neuroscience. LADWP John Ferraro Office Building, 111 N. Hope St., (213) 481-5411 or ladwp.com. Ongoing: A salute to William Mulholland with historic photos, artifacts and memorabilia. Open Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-4 p.m. This is the first installment of what will be a permanent exhibition showcasing the water and power of Los Angeles. La Mano Press 1749 N. Main St., (323) 227-0650 or lamanopress.com. Lamp Community Art Project 452 S. Main St., lampcommunity.org or lampartproject.org. Latino Museum of History, Art and Culture At the New LATC, 514 S. Spring St., (213) 626-7600. Library of Congress/Ira Gershwin Gallery At Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 972-4399 or musiccenter.org. LM Projects 125 W. Fourth St. #103, (213) 621-4055 or bank-art.com. The former gallery called Bank is set to re-open in the fall. Los Angeles Center for Digital Art 107 W. Fifth St., (323) 646-9427 or lacda.com. Lot 44 257 S. Spring St., (213) 626-4646 or lot44coffee.com. Through Nov. 3: Artist Johnny Nicoloro’s “LA Virgin” features in-camera, multi-exposed images of the Virgin Mary found throughout Los Angeles, with imagery from East L.A. to Venice Beach. Los Angeles Artcore Brewery Annex 650A S. Ave. 21, (323) 276-9320. Through Oct. 31: “Organic Minimalism: New Bodies of Knowledge” brings together seven compelling artistic voices from across Canada. Through Nov. 29: Ken Colorado gets a twomonth show. Colorado’s use of ice, snow, corrugated paper, steel and giant stone to create site-specific sculptures has taken him to the Patagonian ice fields, Antarctica, France, Mexico, the Czech Republic and South America. Los Angeles Public Library Central Library, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7500 or lapl.org/events. Through Nov. 1: “Richard Neutra, Architect: Sketches & Drawings,” features a selection of travel sketches, figure drawings and building renderings from one of modernism’s most important architects. Through Jan. 23, 2010: In celebration of the 100th birthday of renowned photographer Yousuf Karsh (1908-2002), the Los Angeles Public Library and Library Foundation of Los Angeles are hosting an exhibition of the great portraitist’s work. Karsh made a career photographing the world’s most distinguished statesmen, artists, literary figures, musicians, scientists, actors, and actresses, from Churchill to Einstein to Hemingway.
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October 12, 2009
Downtown News 21
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Milano Lofts Now Leasing! • Gorgeous Layouts • 10-15’ Ceilings • Fitness Center • Wi-Fi Rooftop Lounge • Amazing Views 6th + Grand Ave. • 213.627.1900 milanoloftsla.com
rooms
Low-Income Single Room Occupancy Units #202, 211, 411, 412 and 418. Available $290/mo. Shared kitchen and bath. Please call Norbo Hotel (213) 624-8024
Condominiums Amazing Views! This 3+2 condo on the 31st floor is rarely available. BHT is a full service bldg with every amenity. $3300/ mo includes pkg, electric, internet,cable. Great value. 213 6870258 Loft/Unfurnished
FREE RENT SPECIALS (O.A.C.) New downtown luxury apartments with granite kitchens, marble baths, pool, spa, saunas & free parking. 888-736-7471.
Old Bank District The original Live/Work Lofts
FREE RENT SPECIALS Panoramic downtown views. 1 bed/1 bath starting at $1398. Washer dryer in unit, gated,Pool, spa and sauna. 888-265-1707.
Call 213.253.4777 LAloft.com
Duplexes DON’T DOWNSIZE, right size. 2Br. hdwd flrs, quiet, historic neighborhood, low-no commute time. $975/mo. 323-734-0809.
REAL ARTIST LOFTS 12002000 Sq. Ft., $1600-$2100/mo. High ceilings, hardwood floors, fireplace, pool/spa, gated parking, laundry, sorry no dogs, Open House Sundays 12-3pm @ 1250 Long Beach Ave. 213629-5539 WORK ONLY - NOT LIVE IN Downtown Art Studio. 490 sq. ft. 12 foot ceilings. Enclosed. Part larger studio. Productive atmosphere. $400/mo. + sec. 213-509-4403.
We've got what you're searching for! DowntownNews.com
EMPLOYMENT Computers/IT ATTN: COMPUTER WORK. Work from anywhere 24/7. Up to $1,500 Part Time to $7,500/ mo. Full Time. Training provided. www.KTPGlobal.com or call 1-800-330-8446. (Cal-SCAN) OWN A COMPUTER, Work From Anywhere. Two Step Process. Request Online Info, Review. Set-up phone interview. $1500PT / $5000FT. Serious people ONLY! Training Provided: www.rjdglobal.com. (Cal-SCAN) Continued on next page
THE ANSWER TO LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE
from $1,100 Cafes, Bars, Shops, Galleries, Parking adjacent. Pets no charge
ARTIST LOFT SPACE 900 Sqft. Enclosed Pkg. Skylights. Very light. $1150/mo 1 year lease (310) 390-8708
CROSSWORD PUZZLE
22 Downtown News
October 12, 2009
DowntownNews.com
Continued from previous page
EMPLOYMENT Drivers ANDRUS TRANSPORTATION Seeking Team Drivers for fast turning freight lanes! Also Hiring Solo OTR drivers - West states exp/hazmat end, great miles/ hometime. Stable Family owned 35 yrs+ 1-800-888-5838, 1-866806-5119 x1402. (Cal-SCAN)
General
Retail/Sales
HELP WANTED, Movie Extras. Earn up to $150/day. People needed for background in a major film production. Exp. not required. 888-366-0843
OVER 18? AVAILABLE to Travel? Earn Above Average $$$ with Fun Successful Business Group! No Experience Necessary. 2wks Paid Training. Lodging, Transportation Provided. 1-877-646-5050. (CalSCAN)
JOBS. JOBS, JOBS! No experience. Get paid to train. California Army National Guard. High School JR/SR & Grads/GED. Up to 100% tuition assistance. Part-time work with full-time benefits. www.NationalGuard.com/ Careers or 1-800-GO-GUARD. (Cal-SCAN)
SLT - IMMEDIATE OPENINGS for CDLA teams, O/OPs welcome and paid percentage. $1,000 bonus. $1100 week average pay for company teams. Hazmat & 2 yrs experience. 1-800-835-9471. (Cal-SCAN)
Massage therapy
Star Holistic Spa Massage/Acupressure $40 (1 Hour) 2551 W. Beverly Blvd. LA, CA, 90057 (Beverly Rampart)
Hollywood Foot Spa Massage
Housekeeping
$14.95 • Free Parking
MAID SERVICE $40 cleaning special, expires 11/1/2009. References available. All major credit cards accepted. Licensed & Insured. (213) 489-9401.
5226 W. Sunset, Los Angeles 323.666.1216
7 Days a Week • 10am-11pm
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Living Outrageously For Today!®
NEWS RELEASE? Cost-efficient service. The California Press Release Service has 500 current daily, weekly and college newspaper contacts in California. Free email brochure. Call (916) 288-6010. www.CaliforniaPressReleaseService.com. (Cal-SCAN)
Cleaning Monte Carlo Cleaners offering Free Pick Up & Delivery 7 Days a Week on Dry Cleaning,Laundry,& Alterations. Call for specials. (213)489-9400 CONCEPTO’S CLEANING Crew. Professional, experienced, cleans apartments, homes, offices and restaurants. Call for a quote. 323-459-3067 or 818-409-9183.
Music Lessons Misc. Services DISH NETWORK. $19.99/mo. Why Pay More for TV? 100+ Channels - Free! 4-Room Install - Free! HD-DVR Plus $600 Signup BONUS. Call Now! 1-866747-9773. (Cal-SCAN)
S e e k s S t y l i s h M at e
DRE #01706351
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213.623.1464
www.haywardapts.com
NOW LEASING
• BUYING • LIVING RENTING • BUYING FROM• LIVING $1,300’s/Mo.RENTING Free Parking
RENTING • BUYING • LIVING
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Bunker Hill Real Estate8C 7o7,-I4ncL.AEstablished - L O F T1984 S
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For sale: bunker Hill Tower ❏ 1 Bedroom, 1 Bath. Elegant. Ready To Move In. South City Lights View. Recently Refurbished. Offered At $315,000.
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8Visit7us7online - 4atLwww.LoftLivingLA.com A- LO F TS Guess Ted’s Favorite Frozen Yogurt Hang-Out and WIN!
Top floor of 11 story (18,000 SF) historic building available now! Perfect for corporate hqtrs. Features separate executive suite(s). Stunning views of LA two blocks away from Staples Center and across the street from the new LA Live complex. We have approximately 7,800 square feet of space open with offices along the exterior. Full kitchen with dishwasher, high exposed ceilings and stained floors. The building also has approx 4,000 sq ft of beautiful contiguous space and some small offices available. These spaces BUYING • LIVING can beRENTING viewed by•appointment.
Since 2001, LoftLivingLA.com has
been helping people live in Downtown’s Information available best condos, lofts & apartments! to qualified prospective tenants. 8 7Email 7 - 4request L A - LtoO F T S Visit us online at www.LoftLivingLA.com mdavis@shammasgroup.com or Guess where Lance Buys $2 call in (213) 746-6300and WIN! Books Downtown
213-892-9100 • chapmanf lats.com Pricing subject to change without notice.
The Alexandria at 501 S. Spring St.
is Now Leasing!
Mirza Alli
Broker/Realtor Leasing-SalesLoans-Refinance
the loft expert! group
(213) 680-1720
e-mail us: Info@bunkerhillrealestate.com
On-site laundry, free utilities, indiv. bathrooms, 24 hr. security & pet friendly. Free Internet. Close to metro, restaurants, farmers market & supermarket. Units starting at
TM
www.Bunkerhillrealestate.com
Monthly from $695 utilities paid. (213) 627-1151
$775/month
Downtown since 2002
Don't settle for anyone less experienced! Call us today! Bill Cooper • 213.598.7555 • TheLoftExpertGroup.com
Oct. Move In Special: ½ Off 1st & 2nd Month’s Rent income & other restrictions apply. Must move-in by Oct. 31
Call 213.626.1743 or stop by for a tour
madison hotel Clean furnished single rooms. 24-hour desk clerk service. •Daily, $25.00 •Weekly, $99.00 •Monthly, $295.00 (213) 622-1508 423 East 7th St.
(2 blocks west of San Pedro St.)
Furnished single unit with kitchenette, bathroom. Excellent location. Downtown LA. Weekly rate $275 inc.
Construction Living Outrageously
$98
For Today!®
s.f.
Architectural Plans + Permit Included GC# 308729
Established 1975
details 323-960-5792
FOR LEASE DRE #01706351
DRE #01706351
n Wi-Fi Lobby Lounge n On-Site Laundry n Controlled Access
Available Immediately
Living Outrageously For Today!®
DRE #01706351
I c o n i c B e au t y
all utilities paid
Fully furnished with TV, telephone, microwave, refrigerator. Full bathroom. Excellent location. Downtown LA. Weekly maid service.
Advertising
DRE #01706351
DRE #01706351
Seniors & S-8 Welcome
Call us for other condos for sale or lease Dwntwn & surrounding areas!!
Law Office of H. Douglas Daniel Esq., (213) 689-1710
Living Outrageously For Today!®
Living Outrageously For Today!®
Downtown L.A.
2 Houses on the lot. Remodeled & ready to move-in. One 2 bed w/1 bath. One three bedroom w/2 baths. Easy care yard, gated & fenced. 2 Car garage. Offered at $629,000
Get your GREEN CARD or CITIZENSHIP
DISPLAY ADVERTISING in 140 Cal-SDAN newspapers statewide for $1,550! Reach over 3 million Californians! Free email brochure. Call (916) 288-6019. www.Cal-SDAN.com. (CalSCAN)
home improvement
Studios Full bath & kitchenette Corner of 6th & Spring St.
Bank foreclosure-Pasadena
Family, Criminal, P.I. for more than 20 yrs! Child Support / Custody Necesita Permiso de trabajo? Tagalog / Español / Korean
DowntownNews.com
Hayward Manor Apartments Living Outrageously $695-$795/ mo. For Today!®
n New Remodeled Rooms n 24-Hour Doorman n Cable/Internet Ready
ABOGADO DE IMMIGRACION!
Tel: 213-383-7676
SERVICES
DowntownNews.com
attorneys
FILMING/RETAIL/ OFFICE/TELECOM
Spaces from RENTING • BUYING • LIVING 300 sfLoftLivingLA.com to 10,000 sf has Since 2001, been helping people live in Downtown’s Build to suit, Wilshire best condos, lofts & apartments! 8 7 7in- heart 4 L Adowntown - LO F TS Blvd, Visit us online at www.LoftLivingLA.com Guess where Candy bought six 2 Redmonths Velvet Cupcakes for $5. free rent with a 5 year lease • On site Parking • Secured Building
611 Wilshire and 700 Wilshire Blvd 213-622-7188 x210 Donna Ferrell Property Manager
Monthly from $595 utilities paid. (213) 612-0348
Do you have something to sell?
Ad Copy: _________________________________________
Ad Prices
________________________________________________
(Marketplace and Automotive Categories ONLY) • Items under $300 • Items $301 to $500 • Items $501 to $1200 • Items $1201 to $2000 • Items $2001+…
Name: Address: City Phone: Cash $ Credit card #: Exp. Date:
FREE! $11.50 $14.00 $16.50 $19.00
12 words, 2 weeks 15 words, only 15 words, only 15 words, only 15 words, only
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All ads run for 2 weeks. Ads may be renewed after two weeks for 50% off the original price of the ad.
With a circulation of 49,000 , our classifieds get results!
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
Restrictions: Offer good on private party ads only. Ads must be pre-paid by cash, check or credit card. Certain classifications excluded. Deadline: Thursday at noon for next issue.
October 12, 2009
崔Roof michael Choi Roofing
Since 1972 • fREE Estimate Reroof, Repairs • Lic. #C-39-588045
323-229-3320 (C) 323-722-1646 (B)
DONATe yOUR VeHICLe! Receive Free Vacation Voucher. United Breast Cancer Foundation. Free Mammograms, Breast Cancer Info www.ubcf. info Free Towing, Tax Deductible, Non-Runners Accepted, 1-888468-5964. (Cal-sCAN)
ITEMS FOR SALE
Real estate CALCO Property Management **Commercial **Residential **HOA The quality of service you want, the management company you need. 213-9854128 / www.calcopm.net
AUTOS & RECREATIONAL domestic autos 1993 TOyOTA PAseO. $1,000. Runs very well. Call Lenard at 626-201-9227. autos Wanted DONATe yOUR CAR: Children’s Cancer Fund! Help save A Child’s Life Through Research & support! Free Vacation Package. Fast, easy & Tax Deductible. Call 1-800-252-0615. (CalsCAN)
Downtown News 23
DowntownNews.com
misc. items LA TIMes “OBAMA” Inaguration edition! (7) available $20 each O.B.O. 213-687-7118
ANNOUNCEMENTS VolunteeR oppoRtunities Helping kids heal. Free Arts for Abused Children is looking for volunteers to integrate the healing power of the arts into the lives of abused and at-risk children and their families. Today is the day to get involved! Contact Annie at volunteers@freearts. org or 310-313-4278 for more information.
Sell your items under $300… 12 words, 2 weeks it’s FREE!
notices DIVORCe with or without Children $95.00. With Free name change documents (wife only) and marital settlement agreement. Fast and easy. Call us 24hrs/7days. 1-888-789-0198. (Cal-sCAN)
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Business oppoRtunities ALL CAsH VeNDING! Be your Own Boss! your Own Local Vending Route. Includes 25 Machines and Candy for $9,995. MultiVend LLC, 1-888-625-2405. (Cal-sCAN)
LEGAL ciVil summons LOS ANGELES COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT CASE NO. BC391815 PLAINTIff: WACHOVIA BANK CROSS-COmPLAINT: ING BANK, fSB
VS CROSS-DEfENDANTS: EDVIN DANTA VERDIAN GONARAKI, AN INDIVIDUAL, ET AL Notice to Cross Defendants: all persons unknown, claiming any legal or equitable right, title, estate, lien, or interest in that real property located in the City of Los Angeles, commonly described as 3751 Prestwick Drive, which claim would be adverse to crosscomplainant’s title to or interest in said property, or any cloud on cross-complainant’s title to or interest in said property, named herein as ROes 1 to 50, inclusive. you have 30 CALeNDAR DAys after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the cross-complainant. A letter or phone call will not protect you. your written response must be in proper legal form, if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online self-Help Center (www. courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), your county law library, or the court-
Historic Bldg. Offices Starting at $500
Spring Tower Lofts:
2300 sqft. w/3 bdrm 2 bath LOFT $2,800/mo. • Live/Work space • 14 story bldg. • Rooftop garden terrace w/city view • Pet friendly
services program. you can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online self-Help Center (www. courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association. The name and address of the court is: Los Angeles County superior Court Central District 111 N. Hill street Los Angeles, CA 90012-3014 Case Number: BC391815
Dated: August 7, 2009 John A. Clarke, Clerk Dawn Alexander, Deputy The name, address, telephone number, and fax number of cross-complainant Plaintiff’s attorney is: shulman Bunn LLP stephanie J. shulman state Bar: 108556 20341 sW Birch street, suite 320 Newport Beach, CA 92660 Telephone: 949-679-1800 Fax: 949-679-1802 Pub. 10/5, 10/12, 10/19, 10/26/09
Free Rent! ELEGANT WORLD CLASS RESORT BRAND NEW APARTMENT HOMES
Orsini
IMMEDIATE OCCUPANCY! studios from $1,685* • 1 bedroom from $1,818* • 2 bedroom from $2,212* *Availability and prices are subject to change at any time.
Creative
On Spring St.
house nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court. There are other legal requirements. you may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal
• Lavish Fountains and Sculptures • Free Tanning Rooms • Concierge Service • 24 Hour Doorman • 24/7 On-site Management • Free DSL Computer Use Available • Free Wi-Fi • Magnificent City Views • On-Site Private Resident Park with Sand Volleyball Court, Workout Stations, BBQ’s and Jogging Track
• Brunswick Four Lane Virtual Bowling • Full Swing Virtual Golf • 3100 Square Foot Cybex Fitness Facility • Massage Room, Sauna and Steam Room • Rooftop Pools with Dressing Room • Free Abundant Gated and Garage Parking • Business Center, Conference Room • Directors Screening Room
UNITS FEATURE: Private Washer and Dryer • Fully Equipped Gourmet Kitchens Maple European Style Cabinetry • Granite Counter Tops Natural Stone Marble Counter Baths
Utilities Included
Premiere Towers:
2 bdrm/2 bath, $1550/mo. • Rooftop garden terrace/GYM w/city view • 24 hr. doorman • free (1) parking
Tel: 213-624-6600 HISTORIC UNITED BLDG
City Lofts:
900 sqft, 13 ft ceilings, $1500/mo. • Granite marble top • Stainless steel appliances/ refrigerator etc. • Pet friendly We are located in a prime area in Downtown LA nice neighborhood w/ salon, market, café etc. Wired for high speed internet & cable, central heat & A/C
Please call 213.627.6913
707 s. Broadway st #1214, Los Angeles, CA 90014 unitedcompany@sbcglobal.net
Offices • Offices • Offices • Offices
www.cityloftsquare.com
Luxury Rooms in Downtown
Burbank • Brentwood Century City • Downtown L.A. Woodland Hills
Monthly Rents Start at $780 1 & 2 Rooms Available
Locations Nationwide
• Fully Furnished • 100% Utilities Paid • • Refrigerator, Microwave & TV In Each Room • • Wireless Access Throughout Bldg. • Gym • • Close to USC & Loyola Law School • • Presidential Suite with Kitchen • Parking Available Onsite
Special STUDeNT RaTe! $690 1 person
50 Channels Direct TV
Mayfair Hotel 1256 West 7th street
Simin (213) 484-9789 Ext. 555 or (213) 632-1111
MILANO LOFTS Now Leasing! • Gorgeous Layouts • 10-15’ Ceilings • Fitness Center • Wi-Fi Rooftop Lounge • Amazing Views
6th+Grand Ave. • milanoloftsla.com • 213.627.1900
Beautiful Offices For As Little As $400 Fully Furnished/Corporate ID Programs Flexible Terms/All New Suites Services Include: • Reception • Mail • T-1 • State-of-the-Art Voice Mail & Telephone • Westlaw • Fax • Photocopy • More Additional Features: Kitchen Facilities, All Support Services, Great Views, Free Conference Room Hours, Fully Trained Staff, Cost Effective.
Jenny Ahn (213) 996-8301
Orsini
550 NORTH FIGUEROA ST. LOS ANGELES, CA 90012 OPEN DAILY
Low Move in Special
HELP WANTED
Unfurnished bachelor rooms with shared bath at $550/mo. with private bath $695/mo.
Assistant Vice President, Change Manager (Los Angeles, CA) Req.’s Bach. deg. in Bus. Admin., Accounting, Finance, Econ., or rel. field, & 3 yrs.’ exp. in an institutional investment firm, spec. w/in the alternate asset mgmt. arena analyzing non-IT business needs & managing projects. Exp. must incl. 2 yrs.’ exp. in the following: collaborating w/ business units to define project scope, objectives, value proposition, & impacted organizational functions & systems; preparing & communicating project status updates & issues logs to the Project Sponsor & Exec. Mgmt.; developing & executing training materials; gathering, documenting, analyzing & drawing conclusions regarding complex data & information; developing analyses & reporting to track & assess performance; documenting current & future state processes; coordinating & executing User Acceptance Testing; using Sarbanes-Oxley best practice risk mgmt. & control frameworks; using MS Visio, Access, & Excel, incl. v-look ups & macros. Resp. for leading small- to large-sized complex projects in the areas of fund accounting, investment performance, portfolio reporting, &/or alternative asset types, that have a long-term impact on Bus. Unit ops. across each phase of the Project Mgmt. lifecycle. Apply w/ res. @ www.oaktreecapital.com <http://www. oaktreecapital.com>. See “Careers” tab, “All Posted Jobs”, Job # 2009045. NO PHONE CALLS OR THIRD PARTY AGENCIES PLEASE. EOE.
Includes utilities, basic cable channels, laundry room on site. Gated building in a good area. 208 W. 14th st. at Hill st. Downtown LA
For English Call Pierre or Terri 213.744.9911 For Spanish Call Susana 213.749.0306
jahn@regentBC.com www.regentbc.com
Children’s Performing Group
Sunshine Generation Singing, dancing, performing and fun! For boys & girls ages 3 and up!
SunshineGenerationLA.com 909-861-4433
For Rent Multi-level 5 bdrms. 3 bath Townhome in LA Blocks from USC.
$3750/mo Plenty of on site pkg.
310-678-8710
Weekend: 310-678-4233
877-267-5911
WWW.THEORSINI.COM
FOR RENT? FOR LEASE? FOR SALE? People are looking here, shouldn’t your ad should be here?
(213) 481-1448
24 Downtown News
October 12, 2009
DowntownNews.com
We Got Games Dodgers Try to Advance, and Puck Fans Rejoice Los Angeles Dodgers Dodger Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park Ave., (213) 224-1400 or dodgers.mlb.com. Oct. 13, if necessary; also potentially Oct. 15 and 16, time TBA: Propelled by the bat of center fielder Matt Kemp, the Dodgers won game one of their playoff series against the St. Louis Cardinals, then captured game two in dramatic fashion. Game three was decided after press time, but if a fifth game is necessary, the teams will return to the Ravine. If the Dodgers get by the Cardinals, they would take on the winner of the Philadelphia-Colorado series, and once again would have home field advantage.
Los Angeles Lakers Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7100 or nba.com/lakers. Oct. 17, 7:30 p.m.; Kobe and the purple and gold host the Charlotte Bobcats for another preseason tuneup. The starters likely won’t play many minutes, but the second unit, anchored by Lamar Odom, Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown, can be electric. Los Angeles Clippers Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7100 or nba.com/clippers. Oct. 12, 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 17, 4:30 p.m.: The Clippers sharpen their game in pre-season matchups against
Golden State and Utah. Rookie Blake Griffin, sidelined for much of training camp with an injured knee, is expected to play. Los Angeles Kings Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., 1 (888) KINGS-LA or kings.nhl.com. The Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brownled Kings are out of town all week. After losing their home opener, they pulled off an upset victory over the San Jose Sharks in their second game. USC Trojans Football L.A. Coliseum, 3911 S Figueroa St., (213) 747-7111 or usctrojans.com. Oct. 17, 12:30 p.m. The Trojans, still feeling the loss of injured Stafon Johnson, add another chapter to one of college football’s great rivalries, travelling to South Bend to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. —Ryan Vaillancourt
photo by Gary Leonard
Matt Kemp looks to power the Dodgers through the playoffs.
Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore!
Grand Tower 255 south Grand avenue Leasing Information 213 229 9777
Promenade Towers 123 south Figueroa street Leasing Information 213 617 3777
Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Concierge ~ Pool / Spa / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Gas BBQ Grills ~ Recreation Room
Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Pool / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Covered Parking
Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove, Microwave & Dishwasher (most units) ~ Central Air Conditioning & Heating ~ Balconies (most units)
On-site: ~ Dry Cleaners / Dental Office / Restaurants
Now For Call n Specials Move-I
8 7 7 - 2 65 - 714 6
museum Tower 225 south olive street Leasing Information 213 626 1500
Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove & Dishwasher ~ Central Air & Heating ~ Solariums and/or Balconies
On Site: ~ Convenience Store / Coffee House / Yogurt Shop / Beauty Salon
Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Concierge ~ Pool / Spa / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Gas BBQ Grills ~ Recreation Room
Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove, Microwave & Dish washer (most units) ~ Central Air & Heating ~ Balconies (most units)
It’s our business to make you comfortable... at home, downtown. Corporate and long term residency is accommodated in high style at the Towers Apartments. Contemporary singles, studio, one bedroom and two bedroom apartment homes provide fortunate residents with a courteous full service lobby attendant, heated pool, spa, complete fitness center, sauna and recreation room with kitchen. Beautiful views extend from the Towers’ lofty homes in the sky. Mountain vistas and slender skyscrapers provide an incredible back drop to complement your decor. Far below are a host of businesses ready to support your pampered downtown lifestyle. With spectacular cultural events nearby, even the most demanding tastes are satisfied. Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore. Visit the Towers Apartments today.
TOWERS T H E
A PA RT M E N T S
www.TowersApartmentsLA.com
MAID SERVICE • FURNITURE • HOUSEWARES • CABLE • UTILITIES • PARKING RESIDENCES: SINGLES • STUDIO • ONE BEDROOM • TWO BEDROOM