Area
Newsletter
September
20 17
Westside
Community News Brentwood shopping center due for renovation
national downsizing trends and, in some cases, are expanding. Experts indicate that these trends may soon be tempered by the revitalization of
The shopping center at 11819 Wilshire Blvd., near Granville Ave. in Brentwood, is expected to be renovated, converting it into a more pedestrianfriendly retail destination. The owners plan to replace the central parking lot with an outdoor plaza, as well as adding a pedestrian bridge across the property. CorePower Yoga, a current tenant at the mall is expected to remain in the new plaza and represent the type of businesses that the owners hope to attract going forward. The project isn’t the only pending construction in the area as a 34-story residential tower is planned for 11750 Wilshire, about half a block away.
downtown Los Angeles, where monthly rents are about $1.40/sqft cheaper and vacancy rates hover around 16%.
Century City office vacancies are down Office vacancy rates in Century City have dropped dramatically, from 14% to 9%, between 2016 and 2017. Experts attribute the change to growth in the entertainment and technology sectors on the Westside. Century City has long been a prime location for entertainment offices, but has recently seen the startup boom spill over from the Silicon Beach area, as businesses finding scarcity on the coast look eastward to fill their needs. Similarly, the entertainment litigation firms that occupy many Century City offices have been able to resist
Erewhon Market coming to Santa Monica Erewhon Market, the popular natural food chain is expanding on the westside, with plans to open a location in Santa Monica. Located at 2800 Wilshire Blvd., the renovated store will feature approximately 10,500 square feet of retail space, as well as dining areas and a courtyard. The market will take over an empty building between Harvard and Yale Streets, a location that was once considered for a Fresh and Easy store, before that chain went out of business. A pioneer in the natural food movement, Erewhon was founded in the Boston area in 1966, and opened their first LA location in 1969. Currently, Erewhon operates three retail stores: in Los Angeles, Venice, and Calabasas. The Santa Monica location is expected to open in 2018.
Community News New apartments proposed in Beverly Hills
If you thought there were an abundance of construction cranes on the horizon lately, you were right. A recent survey has concluded that Los Angeles has the second busiest city in the U.S. for commercial construction, with 36 projects underway, as of July 2017. However, L.A.’s standing near the top of the leaderboard is a bit misleading, as Seattle is far-and-away the busiest city with 58 crane projects, and Toronto is tops on the continent with 81 projects. Other top U.S. cities include Denver (35 cranes), Chicago (34) and Portland, Oregon (32).
In what would be the first large apartment building constructed in Beverly Hills in 30 years, developers are proposing to build a six story building at 9200 Wilshire Blvd., near Doheny Drive. If approved by city officials, the new structure would include 90 residential units of various sizes, with one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts. Plans call for an expansive building divided into two wings, with a striking glass exterior and a central courtyard. Approximately 5,700 square feet of ground floor retail space would be available, adding commercial space to an area that is primarily populated by single family residences and office buildings. The building would also include three levels of subterranean parking.
Expo Line ridership goals ahead of schedule
LA second busiest city for commercial construction
A recent report from the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority indicates that the Expo Line has reached an average daily ridership of 64,000 people, a goal they hoped to reach by 2030. The Expo Line extension to Downtown Santa Monica was opened in May 2016 and was seeing record numbers of riders before reaching its first anniversary. The early popularity initially resulted in overcrowded and late trains in Santa Monica, but LA Metro responded by ordering an increased number of cars, allowing the Expo Line growth to continue. Ironically, ridership on Metro buses is down overall, following a nationwide trend in cities that expand light rail without revamping their bus lines.
Restaurant
Spotlight
Erven
Nighthawk: Breakfast Bar
Chez Tex
514-516 Santa Monica Blvd Santa Monica
417 Washington Blvd Venice
218 Main Street Venice
This plant-based spot in Santa Monica serves lunch and dinner, both sit-down and grab-and-go. Here you’ll find things like Tuscan bean soup with green harissa; white gazpacho; a beer-battered tofu sandwich with celery slaw; and several salads, like beets and avocado with arugula, carrot-ginger dressing and crispy lentils. Le Cordon Bleutrained chef Nick Erven opened the minimalist restaurant in July after leaving Fundamental LA. His vegan plates like chickpea fritters, and saffron risotto will make you rethink your own meat-filled diet. Erven is open Sunday – Thursday from 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., 5 – 10 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., 5 p.m. – 12 a.m., and Saturday
Nighthawk: Breakfast Bar is a latenight bar & restaurant in Venice that serves late-night breakfastthemed food and cocktails. The menu includes items such as benedict fries, a duck confit hash, an award-winning breakfast burger, homemade brandy-infused french toast and chicken and biscuits. The cocktail list includes spiked cereal milks in fruity, chocolate, and honey-nut flavors, a slushy bloody mary, and alcoholic coffee drinks. The vibe here is lively and showcases a DJ playing a mix of nostalgic old school hip-hop on vinyl. Nighthawk: Breakfast Bar is open Monday – Friday from 5 p.m. – 1 a.m., and Saturday & Sunday from 11 a.m. – 1 a.m.
This chic little neighborhood bistro aims to please with an eventual all-day menu, from Counter Culture coffee in the morning to seasonally focused fare into the evenings. Its seasonal California cuisine menu includes simple-sounding but surely delicious dishes like whole grain risotto with sunchoke and parmesan, and kielbasa with sauerkraut, onion, and mustard. The restaurant also offers a wellcurated wine and beer menu with all of the mostly French wines available by the glass or bottle. Owned by husband-and-wife duo Hayley and Jesse, this place is named after Jesse’s grandfather “Tex” and boasts the former sous chef of Republique, Ashkan “Ash” Ghassemzadeh. Chez Tex is open Tuesday – Thursday from 5:30 – 10 p.m., and Friday – Saturday from 5:30 p.m. – 11 p.m.
SIGHTS & SOUNDS in LOS ANGELES
J. Paul Getty Museum
LACMA
1200 Getty Center Drive Los Angeles, CA 90049
5905 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90036
CURRENT EXHIBITION:
CURRENT EXHIBITION:
Happy Birthday, Mr. Hockney July 18 - November 26, 2017
Japanese Painting: A Walk in Nature May 13 - September 10, 2017
In honor of David Hockney’s 80th birthday, the Getty is exhibiting a two-part retrospective of his career, focusing on self-portrait paintings than span 65 years of his life, as well as photographs and Polaroid photocollages from the 1980’s.
In contrast with a western tradition that often depicts nature as a force to be feared or conquered, the pieces featured in this exhibit often depict the natural world as a place of tranquility. This exhibition includes 24 paintings created by Japanese artists of the 16th to 20th centuries, including work from the Maruyama, Rinpa, and Literati schools.
Annenberg Space for Photography 2000 Avenue of the Stars #10, Los Angeles, CA 90067 CURRENT EXHIBITION: Cuba Is September 9, 2017 – March 4, 2018 Cuba has long held the fascination of many Americans, and even as travel restrictions have decreased in recent years, few have seen what life is actually like on the island. This exhibit features over 120 photos depicting a wide range of Cuban subjects, as well as an original film documenting how the photographers captured the images.
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