area newsletter MAY 2018 • LOS ANGELES
20 18 TM
Community News Renovated downtown hotels to reopen under boutique banner
A pair of classic hotels in downtown Los Angeles, which have shuttered for years, will reopen soon as part of the Journal Hotels brand. Trinity Hotel and Hotel Clark are owned by New York-based Chetrit Group and will be operated jointly with Journal, which also operates the Hollywood Roosevelt and Two Bunch Palms in Palm Springs. Trinity Hotel, which began a conversion from the Trinity Auditorium/Embasssy Hotel complex nearly a decade ago, and Hotel Clark were originally set to be re-opened in 2016 with a different operator. Both hotels are now expected to open in Fall 2018. It is not known how much of the past renovations will remain when the hotels finally open, but the Trinity is expected to have 183 guest rooms, a rooftop pool, and an outdoor patio, while the Clark will contain 347 Mod-styled rooms and multiple restaurant spaces. They are located at 831 S. Grand Ave. and 426 S. Hill St., respectively.
Live/work loft project under construction in Arts District After months of site prep and subterranean construction, an expansive loft project is rising above ground in the Arts District. Located at the intersection of 7th St. and Santa Fe Ave., the AMP Lofts will feature 320 live/work apartments, 20,000 square feet of retail
space, and a parking garage for 420 vehicles. The project’s amenities include a clubhouse, a fitness center and an elevated courtyard. The project is being developed by Greystar Real Estate Partners, which is also building the live/work project at 330 S. Alameda St.
Chinatown project slowly moving forward
City officials recently released a draft environmental report for College Station, a longplanned development set for the Chinatown area of downtown Los Angeles. The project, which has been in the works for more than 3 years, would include 770 apartments and over 51,000 square feet of commercial space. Although the original plans for the project included two 20-story towers, the latest proposal features six 5-story structures situated on a two-story podium. Once approved, construction of the development is expected to take nearly 4 years.
Community News Green space gaining in Koreatown
Apartments planned for Crescent Heights
Seeking to beautify one of the most densely populated areas of town, city officials are moving forward with a plan to build a new pocket park in Koreatown. Located in front of the Pio Pico branch of the Los Angeles Public Library, at Oxford Ave. and 7th St., the project calls for a subterranean parking garage topped by a grassy area, a dog park, a playground, and a performance space. Meanwhile, an effort to build a 36-story tower on a privately-owned green space at 3700 Wilshire encountered a hurdle when the City Council granted historical-cultural monument status to the property. Known as “Liberty Park,� the area is a grassy 315 foot setback that has often become a gathering space for local residents over the years. With protected status imposed on the property, the owners will now be obligated to approval of the Cultural Heritage Commission before undertaking any development. A recent study by County officials found that Koreatown had only .1 acres of park space per 1,000 residents, compared to the countywide average of 3.3 acres per 1,000 residents.
A proposal has been submitted to the City of West Hollywood to construct a three-story apartment building on two parcels on Crescent Heights Blvd. Located just south of Santa Monica Blvd., the building would contain 12 apartments in one- and twobedroom configurations, with off-street parking for 20 vehicles. The submitted design calls for a U-shaped structure with an internal courtyard and top floor units that include outdoor decks.
Restaurant
Spotlight
Spago
Howlin’ Ray’s
Estate Restaurant + Bar
176 N. Canon Drive Beverly Hills
727 N. Broadway #128 Downtown LA
1519 Wilshire Boulevard Santa Monica
This restaurant is located in the heart of Beverly Hills along Canon Drive. Spago is the flagship restaurant of the Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group and offers fresh, relevant Cali-fornia cuisine. The menu here is elegant, sometimes even extravagant with touches of Italy, China, as well as California classics. Diners can enjoy a dishes including a blue fish tuna poke and grilled veal chop. An eight-course chef ’s tasting menu is also available here and is delivered one course at a time. To drink, just choose from one of the 30,000 bottles inside their wine closet. Spago is also a great place to spot celebrities, as well as feel like a celebrity yourself! This slick bistro is open seven days a week and stays open until 10 p.m. most nights.
If you love fried chicken, then Howlin’ Ray’s is a place you have to try! This place boasts some of the longest wait lines, so if you want to try it, we suggest you get there early! This Nashville hot chicken can be found in a Chinatown minimall. Here you can get wings, sandwiches, half and whole birds, spicy crinkle-cut fries or collard greens. You have the option of going heatless or choosing hot, extra hot, or even howlin’—which is super spicy! If you plan on stopping by on a weekend, go for the chicken and waffles. To drink, make sure to try their lemonade or their peach tea. Howlin’ Ray’s is open Tuesday – Friday from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., and Saturday – Sunday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
If you’re making a trip to the Westside, this restaurant brings globally inspired farm-to-table cuisine to Santa Monica. Menu highlights include scallops nestled in a spun potato weave, a misoglazed eggplant, ahi tuna tacos with ginger guacamole, and Brussels sprouts with sweet potatoes in a maple balsamic glaze. Desserts include a warm flourless chocolate soufflé with Frangelico and mocha ice cream, and a banana cake with banana ice cream. The full-bar offers twists on the classic American cocktail as well as specialty drinks featuring kitchen inspired flavor profiles. Estate is open seven nights a week starting at 5 p.m.
SIGHTS & SOUNDS in LOS ANGELES
Annenberg Space for Photography 2000 Avenue of the Stars #10 Los Angeles, CA 90067 CURRENT EXHIBITION: Not An Ostrich: and Other Images From America’s Library April 21 - September 9, 2018 Noted curator Anne Wilkes Tucker has displays nearly 500 images selected from the archives of the U.S. Library of Congress including photos that are rarely seen by the public as well as iconic portraits of Abraham Lincoln, Cesar Chavez, and Elizabeth Taylor. The exhibit shows a vivid cross-section of the history the United States in photographic form.
LACMA
MOCA Grand Avenue
5905 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90036
152 North Central Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90012
CURRENT EXHIBITION:
CURRENT EXHIBITION:
A Universal History of Infamy: Those of This America January 27 - October 6, 2018
Jackson Pollock’s Number 1, 1949: A Conservation Treatment March 4 - September 7, 2018
As part of LACMA’s community art education program, this exhibition is presented at their satellite gallery at Charles White Elementary School, featuring the work of contemporary Latino artists, writers, and activists, alongside pieces from LACMA’s permanent collection. Public hours are on Saturdays, 1-4 pm.
In collaboration with the Getty Conservation Institute, MOCA is undertaking an extensive restoration of a Jackson Pollock painting in a gallery that will be open to the public. Three other Pollocks from the MOCA collection will also be displayed.
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