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space shuttle endeavour
STILL GETTING READY TO BLAST OFF AT CAL SCI CENTER
What goes up into space, carries astronauts to incredible heights, and has played a key role in exploring the universe?
That’s the Space Shuttle!
This remarkable spacecraft, known as the Space Transportation System (STS), was designed to conduct a variety of missions, including assembling the International Space Station and launching the Hubble Space Telescope. Equipped with two giant solid rocket boosters, the Shuttle made space travel more efficient and showcased human ingenuity by performing repairs and experiments in orbit.
The Space Shuttle program, which officially began with the launch of Columbia on April 12, 1981, marked a significant milestone in human space exploration. Over its thirty-year span, the program completed 135 missions, launching five different orbiters: Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour.
Each orbiter had its own unique contributions, with Challenger tragically lost during mission STS-51-L in 1986.
Despite this loss, the program continued to push the boundaries of what was possible in space travel. The final mission, STS-135, took place in July 2011, concluding a legacy that not only advanced scientific research but also fostered international collaboration in space exploration.
The Space Shuttle’s ability to transport astronauts and cargo to and from orbit made it a vital asset in our quest to understand the universe.
The Space Shuttle program completed 135 missions, launching five different orbiters: Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour.
Each orbiter had its unique contributions, with Challenger tragically lost during mission STS51-L in 1986. Despite this loss, the program continued to push the boundaries of space travel, culminating in the final mission, STS-135, in July 2011. This legacy not only advanced scientific research but also fostered international collaboration in space exploration.
Soon, the Space Shuttle Endeavour will make its home at the California Science Center, becoming the centerpiece of the new Commissioned to replace the lost Challenger, Endeavour was built largely from spare parts and named by a group of schoolchildren after British explorer James Cook’s ship.
Between 1995 and 2011, Endeavour completed 25 missions, achieving remarkable feats such as remedying the Hubble Space Telescope’s blurry vision, connecting the first two modules of the International Space Station, and creating a topographic map of the Earth’s surface that remains in use today.
To prepare for Endeavour’s arrival, the Science Center has acquired a flightworthy external tank and solid rocket boosters, which will complement the exhibit. A groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility took place on June 1, 2022, and the first solid rocket booster was lifted into place on November 7, 2023.
With this exciting exhibit, families will have the opportunity to learn about and celebrate the incredible journey of this historic spacecraft, making it a must-see destination for space enthusiasts of all ages.
No word when the exhibit will open as of yet, but it’s definitely coming along. Nicely. @californiasciencecenter
Photo courtesycalifornia science center
the Million Dollar Theater
Eagles, Maidens, Long Horns and Other Strange Beings
Look close enough at the facade of the Million Dollar Theater on Broadway, and sooner or later strange and wondrous creatures will appear.
However fixated the eye may be upon the theater’s elaborate gated Spanish Rococo arch with its most intricately carved concrete sea waves, ribbons, sentries, ancient symbols, eagles, and ten-pointed star, marking the entrance, as the eyes begin to wander to the left or to the right, they will eventually focus on something truly unexpected. A surprising exterior of Spanish Colonial statues hand-carved by Uruguayan-born Joseph Jacinto Mora.
Mora carved longhorn skulls, dancing maidens, brave warriors, longhorn steer skulls, a portly masked man, and... Thoft the bird-headed God of Writing from ancient Egypt?
Yup.
When the Million Dollar Theater opened in 1918, not only was it an enormous display of what money could buy, it would become the first silent movie theater in Los Angeles, paving the way for a growing number of elaborate theaters that would line up all the way down Broadway.
Voted 10 Greatest Buildings in Downtown Los Angeles in a recent poll by Downtown LA Photo Group, commenters wasted no time adding Sid Grauman, an American entrepreneur and showman who established The Million Dollar Theater, the Chinese Theatre, and the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood to the list.
So at least we know Sid’s admiration of ancient Egypt may have been the reason behind the strange bird-headed statue, while others play with the notion of hidden meanings and secret societies. Historians and theater enthusiasts claim eight Muses of the Arts exist to pay homage to the art of filmmaking.
Regardless, you’ll have to tilt your head back to admire the full grandeur of the 12-story wonder, and just when you’ve thought you’d seen it all, after taking a short trek up the side of the building on 2nd Street, even more wonders are revealed.
Inside the Million Dollar Theater
The theater’s interior is designed by William Lee Woollett and architect Albert C. Martin Sr.
The Million Dollar Theater seats roughly 2000 people within its auditorium, decorated in a similar style to the exterior, and has a curved proscenium arch to support its long, plush velvet curtains.
The ceiling has a coffered dome, and there are numerous statues, and the organ grilles on the side walls are in the style of Spanish Colonial altar screens that still remain.
Like many of the Broadway theaters, history has seen them in disarray and in need of refurbishment. Over the century, it had been host to many guests, performances, and even a Spanish church.
In October 2005, the Million Dollar Theatre was restored by Robert Voskanian. In July of 2019, the Million Dollar Theatre was declared a HistoricCultural Monument by the City of Los Angeles.
Photo by keri freeman
VIP AESTHETICS
A New Med Spa Dedicated to Your Well-Being
It’s always good news when a new med spa opens in DTLA, especially when the new spa is one that not only offers the latest cutting-edge services, but is owned and operated by healthcare professionals who have a passion for ethics and the highest standard of patient care.
VIP Aesthetics opened in late 2023 under the ownership of board-certified nurse practitioner Robert Baker, with Dr. Shawn Abrishamy MD, a leader in noninvasive aesthetic medicine and cosmetic dermatology, as Medical Director.
With over two decades as a critical care nurse, Baker earned his BSN, MSN, and MHA from the University of Phoenix, and his post-graduate APRN, and AGNP-C from the University of Massachusetts in Boston.
When the opportunity presented itself, Baker took serendipity by the reigns to open VIP Aesthetics at the Downtown Medical Center with a clear vision and purpose: to offer medical aesthetics to the downtown and surrounding communities with the promise of a personalized and holistic approach to whole body rejuvenation utilizing best practices, the highest-quality equipment and products, and the beauty of life lived with balance and integrity.
As a comprehensive center for skin and body rejuvenation, VIP Aesthetics offers not only the latest in non-surgical cosmetic enhancements such as facial fillers, laser and radio frequency skin rejuvenation and body sculpting with the latest technology, but therapies to improve overall health and quality of life.
These include HRT for men, IV vitamin infusion and shots, and medically prescribed and supervised weight loss.
All performed in a luxurious and comfortable environment staffed by highly trained professionals who offer continuous support, guidance, and encouragement while you pursue your aesthetic of health goals.
Downtown Weekly had the opportunity to speak with owner Robert Baker about what makes VIP Aesthetics unique and the too-good-to-be-true membership special mentioned above.
You have an amazing membership special of $249 a month which includes a Hydrafacial and Botox each month. Can you elaborate?
People should be lining up at the door, because you are essentially getting Botox for free. If you purchase a Hydrafacial on its own it’s is $325. If you purchase 30 units of Botox, it cost over $300. Plus, you receive 10% off all skincare products.
Who performs most of the injections? We have a wonderful RN named Yen who administers our injections.
In addition to injections, you offer many advanced skin and body rejuvenation treatments and IV therapies. Do you have a favorite?
What I really love, and it sounds kind of basic, is our line of skincare. We use medical grade Solutions ZO® by Dr. Obagi.
It’s absolutely amazing and it makes a 100% difference. I use it every day, and everybody asks me, “what do you use, Robert?”
You see a lot of very over injected people here in Los Angeles, so do you have a particular philosophy when customers come in who want injections or skin treatments?
As a med spa, we treat people medically. We do not do or recommend an excessive amount of injections. We are not the place for that. For the advanced therapies, such as Potenza or Skin Pen micro-needling, we do not sell less than three sessions because you will not see the desired results with less than that.
Is there anything else you want our readers to know?
We are open Saturdays and there is abundant free parking.
When most of the city’s med spas are clustered in Beverly Hills and the Westside, with its convenient location, expert team, and affordable membership, VIP Aesthetics is poised to become a go-to destination for those seeking beauty and wellness in DTLA.
VIP Aesthetics is located at 1711 W. Temple St., Ste 1082, Los Angeles, CA 90026. @vipaestheticsla
Photo courtesy - vip aesthetics
CICLAVIA - ride like the wind
Through the Heart of the City
Hang up the car keys and forget about your rideshare apps, CicLAvia—Heart of LA returns to downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, October 13, and between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., the streets will belong to the riders.
Presented by Metro, CicLAvia is a 56thcar-free open streets event connecting several of the most important and historic Los Angeles neighborhoods, which include Boyle Heights, Chinatown, Downtown LA, Echo Park, the Arts District, and Little Tokyo.
Imagine riding, skating, or drifting over the 6th Street Viaduct en route to Echo Park Lake through the Historic Core of DTLA, alongside 100,000 or so fellow participants. Some may jog, some may ride, skate, run, or walk the 7.5-mile route, with five hubs filled with plenty of activities and programs along the route, this is CicLAvia—Heart of LA.
Always free, CicLAvia participants just show up anywhere along the route at any time to enjoy the open streets and to take the time to explore the ‘Heart of LA.’
Hubs offer family-friendly activities, restrooms, free water refilling stations, free basic bike repair, bike parking, and first aid. Free pedicab rides are also available at each information booth.
Hubs are walking zones (bike dismounts) and meeting points along the route with the Chinatown Hub located on North Broadway near Chinatown’s historic Central Plaza.
Visit the Downtown Weekly booth at the Chinatown Hub to pick up a copy of the latest issue and for chances to win great prizes and special discounts from our DT Kingdom Members.
“Heart of LA is CicLAvia’s anchor route,” says CicLAvia Executive Director Romel Pascual. “It’s where the inaugural CicLAvia took place in October 2010, and the route we return to every fall. Each year the route varies slightly to see more of our beautiful city from outside the confines of a car.
For 2024 we’ll be going back over the spectacular 6th Street Viaduct, one of LA’s most celebrated and iconic landmarks. We will also travel a bit farther into Boyle Heights along E Cesar Chavez Ave. We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Metro and LADOT for this 56th CicLAvia, the 14th Heart of LA (HOLA) route.LA.
Inspired by Bogotá’s weekly ciclovía, CicLAvia has been temporarily closing streets to car traffic and opening them as public parks in Los Angeles since 2010. Now, with more than 319 miles of open streets, these beloved, always free to attend events are a celebration of L.A.’s diverse and vibrant communities.
Active participants at CicLAvia use people-powered mobility to navigate public streets in a safe and joyful way. Along the way there is shopping at local businesses, access to cultural and architectural gems, using open streets as spaces to connect with each other, and making a positive impact on the environment by creating a more sustainable and climate resilient city and region. Over the past 14 years CicLAvia has helped communities re-imagine a greener and cleaner Los Angeles, while also promoting equitable transportation options, healthier lifestyles, and closer connections to community.
Only people-powered vehicles are allowed. No electric scooters, electric skateboards, hoverboards, electric unicycles, motorcycles and other nonpeople-powered vehicles are allowed at CicLAvia. Class 1 e-bike pedal-assist allowed. Class 2 e-bikes are allowed when the throttle is powered off. Class 3 e-bikes are allowed when pedal-assist is powered off. Motorized wheelchairs are allowed. @CicLAvia
CicLAvia car-free streets connect all of us to the neighborhoods where we live, work, shop, learn, and play.
Photo courtesy - gary leonard
SOLD! waterbridge capital buys iconic union bank tower for $80mil
Southwest Carpenters Pension Trust has just purchased the iconic 40-story Union Bank Plaza at 445 South Figueroa Street for $80 million from Waterbridge Capital.
The sale was facilitated by Newmark and marks the second time in just two and a half years that Union Bank Plaza has been up for sale.
Union Bank Plaza was also acquired by Waterbridge Capital for roughly $110,000,000 in March 2023 last year, which puts the sale at somewhat of a loss.
The property was named for the formerly Los Angeles-based Union Bank & Trust Company, which leased 14 floors for their corporate headquarters
but has since moved, although the enormous branding still remains.
Designed collaboratively by Harrison & Abramovitz and A.C. Martin & Associates, the building was completed in 1968 as the first skyscraper built in on Bunker Hill.
The Class A 675,000 square foot property designated for office space and 27,000 square feet of street-level retail space sits on 3.6 acres spanning an entire city block.
Union Bank Plaza underwent $65 million in renovations in 2021 with lobby renovations, conference rooms, and a state-of-the-art fitness center, all with major technological advances. In 2020, Union Bank Plaza became the first downtown skyscraper to be designated a Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM).
Photo courtesy - union bank plaza
Page 9: Anticipated Fast Food Fest at ROWDTLA Leaves Some Attendees with a Bitter Taste
The world’s first gourmet chain food festival was initially met with immense anticipation.
And why wouldn’t it?
Billed the world’s first and largest fast food chain festival with a gourmet twist thanks to collaborations from America’s favorite Michelin starred Chefs, ChainFEST is in part the brainchild of Chef Timothy Hollingsworth, renowned for his acclaimed downtown Los Angeles restaurant Otium. Despite a spike in cholesterol, the event promised a unique gastronomic experience that would elevate fast-food chains to gourmet heights set atop a rooftop maze at ROWDTLA.
However, despite a star-studded lineup featuring Chrissy Teigen and gourmet concoctions like… Pizza Hut slices topped with smoked salmon, mushrooms, and ricotta cheese or Panda Express meats on a Kabob, before the last wrappers could hit the ground, minions of dissatisfied foodies, reporters, and VIP visitors burned off the extra calories with a negative review workout across social media, Reddit, and even made an article in the LA Times with reporter Todd Martins saying,
“It was a bust, an uncomfortable gathering of trash food scattered among scorching-hot asphalt grounds. The event failed so drastically in its understanding of food culture that it essentially mocked the lower class.”
So what happened?
Well, once inside, reports say the culinary offerings proved to be a mixed bag. While some items, such as the flavor infusedPepsi or Wagyu beef tacos from Jack in the Box, were intriguing, many attendees found the quality of other options to be lacking, and with VIP entry upwards of $350, simply not worth the saturated price tag.
Most likely, taking a food so familiar and changing it in any shape or form is likened to changing the words of a top 40 song during a Karaoke session. It’s just not going to end well.
Adding to the disappointment was the discovery that the perception of "allyou-can-eat" really meant one sample per station, as guests were given a list of booths to visit upon leaving they could not return.
A first blow for ROWDTLA as antidowntown sentiment continues to grow. The industrialized hipster haven is still one of downtown’s least complained about open-air lifestyle malls.
The event marks a second blow in less than a month for Chef Timothy Hollingsworth of Otium, who just days after closing his popular Bunker Hill kitchen faced public ridicule with an online roast that made Eater LA, stemming from a group of former employees claiming they’d been shorted checks and not paid for their work when the doors shuttered.
Topping our plate of fun events in October, overall, the event gets an A for effort, and another A for originality from the DT Weekly News crew. Our only complaint would have been the $20 parking charge at ROWDTLA that locals know is usually free up to two hours. la.chainfest.com
Photo courtesy - ROWDTLA
ANGEL'S FLIGHT A HAUNTED LOVE STORY
The legend of Angel's Flight, the iconic red cable cars that ascend Bunker Hill in downtown Los Angeles, is steeped in a peculiar blend of history and the supernatural. The railway was built on sacred ground, a place imbued with ancient power.
In 1901, Colonel J.W. Eddy, a visionary entrepreneur, constructed the railway as a convenient means of transportation between the historic core and the burgeoning Bunker Hill district. The twin cars, Sinai and Olivet, were a marvel of engineering at the time, offering a unique and scenic ride.
While the railway was a technological marvel, it also became the setting for a tragic love story. Two lovers, whose names have been lost to time, met and fell deeply in love while riding the cable cars. Their passion was as enduring as the hills themselves.
When fate cruelly separated them, their spirits remained intertwined, forever connected to the place where their love blossomed. It is said that every evening, as the twin cars, Sinai and Olivet, ascend the steep incline, the ghosts of the lovers can be seen in the windows.
Passengers often report feeling a strange warmth, a sense of peace, as the cars pass. Some claim to hear a faint whisper, a love song carried on the wind. And others swear they can see the lovers' ghostly forms, their hands reaching out as if to touch each other across the divide.
The legend of Angel's Flight continues, a poignant tale of love that transcends the boundaries of life and death. For those who dare to ride the red cable cars, there's always the chance that they might witness a glimpse of this eternal love story, a reminder that even in the face of tragedy, love can endure. And perhaps, on this sacred ground, their love finds a sanctuary, a place where it can forever flourish. Based on a fairy tale. @ angelsflightrailway
