DOWNTOWN WEEKLY THE SPIRIT OF DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES
WWW.DTLAWEEKLY.COM VOL 15. NO. 6 SEPT 2ND - SEPT 8TH, 2021
DTLA real estate empire THE SAFE WAY. THE EASY WAY.
LOFTWAY
1PE0T PGEREEVAETSEOSFT
DOWNTOWN & HOW TO GET AROUND THEM
2 SQUARE ONE: TULSI INDIAN EATERY
BY JAMIE HERRERA
VOL 16 NO 5 - AUGUST 19 - AUGUST 25, 2021 / DTLAWEEKLY.COM
THE TREMENDOUS VIEWS OF DOWNTOWN WEEKLY
VOL 16 NO 6 - SEPTEMBER - SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2021 / DTLAWEEKLY.COM VOL 15 NO 42ND - MARCH 17TH - MARCH 24TH / DTLAWEEKLY.COM 3
ON THE COVER MARKET LOFTS
PHOTO BY:
LOFTWAY LOCATION:
SOUTH PARK
THE HOME BODIES
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SQUARE ONE: CITIZEN M HOTEL.....5 THE SAFE WAY. THE EASY WAY. LOFTWAY....6 10 GREATEST PET PEEVES OF DTLA...7 tenten opens largest dtla rooftop .....9 GARY LEONARD TAKE MY PICTURE...11 DTLA WEEKLY
editor and chief KERI FREEMAN
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
jamie herrera KERI FREEMAN DAN DEVON carolyn platzman KATHERINE DELANEY
photography GARY LEONARD KERI FREEMAN
VIDEO Production
@kerieatsdtla design and layout @kerieatsdtla
social media
@kerieatsdtla
Special thanks to... MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES & THE CITY OF LA ARTS DISTRICT CHINATOWN CIVIC DISTRICT BUNKER HILL EXPO/USC HISTORIC CORE LITTLE TOKYO FASHION DISTRICT FINANCIAL DISTRICT SKID ROW SOUTH PARK WAREHOUSE DISTRICT
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DTLA SQUARE ONE: OUR WARMEST WELCOME VOL 16 NO 6 - SEPTEMBER 2ND - SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2021 / DTLAWEEKLY.COM
LESS IS MORE
C
CHANGING THE HOTEL INDUSTRY AT CITIZEN M
itizenM just opened its doors in Los Downtown Angeles marking the first of two properties planned for California this year and a revolutionary concept forever changing the traditional hotel industry. The Concept – in One Minute…
Picture this. You’ve just touched down in beautiful sunny California and it’s time to check into citizenM. With citizenM you can check in via the app on the way to the hotel, or use their one-minute checkin, self-service kiosk in the lobby. Just a few more steps from the elevator ride, open your lavish hotel suite with a few extra taps on your smartphone. There’s 315-M suites to choose from inside this 11-story hotel located on 4th and Spring in the Old Bank District, and like all citizenM hotels, the property’s entrance leads into a living-room styled lobby that feels like home. Comfortable furnishing with plenty of books, art and furniture are available to help calm your travel anxieties thanks to citizenM’s long-standing interior design partner, Vitra.
New Bar Alert!!!
In the heart of the living room is canteenM, serving food and drinks 24/7. Most food is sourced nearby, giving even those on a short Los Angeles trip a chance to taste something local.
Keys to the Palace
The bedrooms are all one style – cozy in size, and perfectly optimised for relaxation with wall-to-wall windows, an enormous XL king-size beds topped with the finest of European linens. There are jetlag-busting power showers, and an HD TVs with streaming and WiFi capabilities. Lay back and relax at citizenM, there’s a MoodPad tablet to control the ambience – from temperature to blinds to entertainment. It is also preloaded with the Brainwaves moods and citizenM’s exclusive music-and-light compositions, which are scientifically proven to alleviate the common stresses of travel: anxiety, sleeplessness, and lack of focus. The hotel offers a gym, five societyM meeting spaces, and a collectionM retail space with an unconventional assortment of travel essentials. The gym is located on the 10th floor and boasts a large terrace with spectacular views, and top-of-theline equipment from Peloton.
Art Abound at Citizen M
Each citizenM property comes complete with an art collection thanks to independent curator Lauren Mackler,
who most recently co-curated the Los Angeles biennial – Made in LA 2020 – at the Hammer Museum. The hotel will also boast an enormous living room mural by Friedrich Kunath, and the communal spaces and five societyM meeting rooms will feature works from the citizenM collection, curated by the hotel’s Executive Chairman Rattan Chadha. To mark the brand’s arrival in Los Angeles, citizenM partnered with Downtown Los Angeles photographer Corinne Schiavone to fill each hotel window with polaroid-style portraits of locals, transforming the seven-story property into a public gallery in the days leading up to its opening.
Called citizens of Los Angeles, the photographic campaign
captures the diversity and energy of the surrounding community and is meant to spotlight artists, activists, and business owners from the neighborhood. Building upon the brand’s commitment to the United States, this opening will complement the existing citizenM US portfolio in Boston, New York, Seattle, and Washington, DC, bringing the total offering to 10 hotels in the U.S. >>p.11
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DTLA REAL ESTATE EMPIRE: LOFTWAY VOL 16 NO 6 - SEPTEMBER 2ND - SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2021 / DTLAWEEKLY.COM
. Y A W E F A S E TH LOFTWAY . . . Y A W Y S A THE E
was founded by Christiano Sampaio on the principles of customization and personal service and has been catering to LOFT dwellers since 2003. LOFTWAY is a unique real estate boutique with offices in South Park and West LA where agents share knowledge and resources, turning away from the usual model of cut-throat teams of agents always competing against each other. Loftway is well known for being quick and trustworthy. They show their appreciation to their clients with honesty, loyalty, understanding, accountability, and a particular brand of creativity that makes LOFTWAY so different from the rest. Both Downtown and West LA offices assist BUYERS, SELLERS, LANDLORDS, RENTERS, and DEVELOPERS with their LOFT and ARCHITECTURAL needs throughout Los Angeles. Loftway services extend from MARINA DEL REY to PASADENA and range from starter lofts to million-dollar architectural homes or multiunit loft development. Loftway is currently recruiting experienced agents that share the same passion for LOFTS and Architectural homes, looking for partners in other areas that would like to open a Loftway office; they provide all training support and systems to ensure office success. @loftwayla
#SURVIVING DTLA BY KERI FREEMAN
VOL 16 NO 6 - SEPTEMBER 2ND - SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2021 / DTLAWEEKLY.COM
n w o t n w o d f o s e v e e p t e p t s e t a e r 10 g m e h t d n u o r a t e & how to g
L
et’s face it, living in Downtown has its ups and downs. Despite its troubles, Downtown living is pretty cool, if you know how to survive DTLA. Here’s a list of our 10 GREATEST PET PEEVES of living in DTLA and how to get around them.
your scooter with the proper stance, you can even look kind of cool. Introduced a few years ago, scooting became indoctrinated in our downtown city lifestyle almost overnight. However, our pet peeve is when people leave their scooters in the middle of the sidewalk, when scooters ride in the middle of traffic, or when some people scoot on the sidewalks, demanding pedestrians move or face destruction. There’s plenty of room in the city for all of us, especially if the “scooter people” would follow the scooter rules.
8. The Price of Parking
10. Lights, Camera... Infraction!
Let’s just come out to say it. Almost everybody in downtown Los Angeles has gotten at least one parking ticket. Or even worse, they had a car towed and accumulated hundreds of dollars in citation and towing fees. It’s an embarrassing moment coupled with anger, disbelief, and helplessness that a few simple steps can avoid. Firstly, read the signs!
Whoever said it was OK to film in downtown Los Angeles every day while blocking the streets, taking up sidewalks, and sometimes stopping us dead in our tracts so that film crews can get the perfect shot? Well, there’s an old adage, “whoever rules the money makes the rules.” And Hollywood rules the money. On any given day, a film shoot can pay anywhere from $20,000-$20 million. That being said, the city, local business and private venues will see no problem in inconveniencing anyone, so don’t try to fight it.
9. Scooters, Scooters, Scooters, Both a Blessing and a Curse.
Just watch. It’s kind of cool actually, when our city hits the big screen, especially when the film features major celebrities like Tom Cruise, the Rock, and Denzel Washington. We’re going to keep it real with you; Downtown really loves our scooters. The next time you’re watching a mov- Scooting is one way we can get from one ie, supposedly filmed in New York, or set district to another quickly without having back in time, but easily recognize Downto worry about traffic, crime, or stuffy air. town and realize it’s all Hollywood magic, Plus, it’s cheaper than ride-share. you’ll be grateful our humble metropolis made the BIG SCREEN. Downtown LA has a whole new set of bike lanes, and at 15 miles an hour, if you ride
Did we say “simple step”? We might have to take that back. Some of the parking signs are hella confusing. But after living here for an extended period, you begin to learn how to interpret them. Between the circling shark patrol and the vulture tows, it’s unlikely that your car will get away from a citation if you are more than a few minutes late. Our meter maids and tow trucks live for this __, so you’ll do best just out to think them. Get in the simple habit of setting your cell phone timer whenever you leave your vehicle. It works better than being shark bait. Or, to avoid the headache of downtown parking, park in a paid lot, or use a parking garage attached to a shopping center, buy an item, and get your parking ticket validated. Some parking lots allow up to 3 hours for as little as $3. Be warned, some of our parking lots do monitor your whereabouts. If you’re going to leave the premises – Don’t get caught.
8 #SURVIVING DTLA BY KERI FREEMAN
VOL 16 NO 6 - SEPTEMBER 2ND - SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2021 / DTLAWEEKLY.COM
7. Street Noise
Good pet owners, however, adhere to 3 simple rules that keep our pet community thriving. Good pet owners keep their pets on the leash to ensure they don’t get in the way of passersby’s, run over by cars, bite other pets, or poop in undesignated areas. Two, good pet owners always pick up their pet’s poop and wash away urine. Three, good pet owners wipe their pet’s feet when they get home. Miss any of these steps, and it could turn out to be a pet catastrophe.
The trick to living downtown aurally undisturbed is to rent a luxury loft high above the city. Anywhere above the 15th floor with tightly fitted windows works nicely; anywhere below, you’ll still be taking a risk, especially if your building is anywhere near a club or concert hall. Maybe rent an apartment that doesn’t face the street. If that doesn’t work, you might want to invest in a pair of earplugs or white noise headphones.
Pet wiping and pet shoe-wearing may seem like much, but shoes and doggie paws collect residue from the gritty downtown streets.
6. Price of Rent
4. Riding On The Metro
Ask any downtown dweller. Downtown is a major metropolis, and there will be NOISE. Depending on where you live, you may be exposed to urban noise pollution 24/7. Downtown ears will ring from car alarms and horns, reverse caution signals, metro bus intercom announcements, revved-up engines, screeching tires, ambulances, and fire truck sirens, and even loud bombs or gun shots.
Well, if you have to ask…you can’t afford it. In Downtown, you’re not going to avoid paying high rents unless you’ve secured subsidized low-income housing or a nice tent. Thanks to the market-rate housing boom and just our overall urbanized vibe, living in the city is still very attractive, with people from all over the world still willing to pay top dollar to be here. We’re just not paying for bragging rights. Most of our apartments and condos come with security, state-of-the-art gyms, communal areas, heated pools and jacuzzis, modern-day appliances, and beautiful views that you just can’t find anywhere else. Luxury, calm, and safety come with a price, and you’re going to pay for it in downtown LA.
We’re talking spit, vomit, poop, urine, mites, bug legs – you name it. If your feet aren’t properly washed, contaminates can easily find their way onto your bedsheets, making Bad Pet Owners one of Downtown’s top pet peeves.
Metro sometimes gets a bad rap. Considering all the people who take the trains, buses, and rental bikes to and fro every year and considering Metro is one of the top employers of minority workers, Metro Transit Authority is pretty cool, actually. And these days, most rides are free. But, what’s not so cool about Metro, is some of the people who ride Metro. Space is tight during rush hour, the stations have reports of violence and no amount of mask will hide the smell of the unwashed feet of public transportation. If only there were safety monitors or sanitation workers for each metro train to observe the impolite and throw away the unwanted trash and liquid drinks that can leave you in a sticky situation. But there isn’t. So for now, we’ll have to depend on each other.
And although many may claim the high price of rent is a pet peeve, most buildings have elaborate pet walks, along with a list of other reasons to never have to leave your And where are the bathrooms? Or is building. Speaking of pets… that asking too much? Overall, downtown riders see Metro as taking care of the big things, such as providing us with decent public transportation, Ugh – Bad dog owners are everybody’s regional connectors, jobs, and reliable bus pet peeve. If you’ve ever stepped in a pile service. With a new CEO, there’s new hope of poop in the middle of the city or had to and changes on the horizon. An added step over a line of urine, you know that plus, Metro bus rides come with a free some pet owners sometimes – don’t give a mask dispenser with drivers urging pasdoggie biscuit about the needs of others. sengers to take as many as they want.
5. Bad Pet Owners
DTLA REAL ESTATE EMPIRE
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TENTEN WILSHIRE OPENS LARGEST DTLA ROOFTOP WITH 1027 EXPANSION
T
ENTEN Wilshire, a luxury building in downtown Los Angeles that has always embodied the “Live, Work, Play” under one roof mentality, just opened 1027 Wilshire, an expansion to the current building, 1010 Wilshire, which is located just across the street.
T
“We are thrilled to be opening the expansion on TENTEN Wilshire,” says Rahim Amidi, CEO and developer of TENTEN Wilshire and The Amidi Group. “Our hope is that this location becomes the community hub for Downtown Los Angeles and the greatThe 88,000 square feet rooftop features er Silicon Beach community. We want over 350 mature trees, a walking path, dog to see families, entrepreneurs, local park, indoor gym & outdoor fitness staartists, and more coming together at tions, rooftop bar, grill stations with seat- our building to create a real sense of ing for outdoor gatherings, game areas, community and purpose for Los Angeand pool area with nearby private cabanas les.” and fire pits. In addition, The Amidi Group’s global The building also includes a main ground incubator, Plug and Play will be located floor restaurant & bar, coffee shop, lowat the 1027 Expansion and will have 100 er-level spa, convenience store, and an ex- units for office spaces. Currently, they are panded business services area. A portion accepting applications for their Corpoof the roof will be reserved for residents rate Innovation Program and awarding 10 only and the remainder will be open to the startups free office space for six months. community by reservation. “The opening of 1027 is an extension of The new expansion improves the “TENTEN 1010 Wilshire and the TENTEN Life menLife” and positions the building as a place tality. It’s about building community and that brings together working professionals bringing entrepreneurship and investments back into the city to help us revifrom downtown and members of the local talize and recover from the effects of the community for both business networking pandemic,” says William Chun, who most and leisure activities. recently served as Deputy Mayor of Economic Development for Mayor Eric Garcetti. his expansion adds 376 new luxury living/workspaces and many new amenity features including the largest rooftop with green space in the United States.
“The TENTEN communities have always been the home to entrepreneurs across technology, entertainment, and vital industries. In fact, TENTEN also housed many traveling healthcare professionals who were critical to the recovery of our city during this time. We look forward to this expansion and the promise it holds for Los Angeles.” The TENTEN lifestyle includes living space with property amenities that are convenient for both day-to-day life and business. Both buildings also include large conference and meeting rooms, theater screening rooms, and regularly hosts community events. The 1010 Wilshire building also features a rooftop private helipad. The TENTEN buildings are located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. The properties are just a few minutes away from dining, shopping, and entertainment venues, as well as the business and entertainment industry districts. 1010Wilshire.com
10 #SURVIVING DTLA BY KERI FREEMAN
3. Mentally Ill Vagrants
Well, here’s something that’s not going away anytime soon. It’s a 100-year-old problem that seems to be getting worse. And if you ask the people who live Downtown, some districts are just better than others. The reality is, while living Downtown, you will be exposed to the mentally ill. You might even be traumatized by some of their behavior at one time or another.
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Skid Row is known for its tremendous humanitarian outreach. So the largest population of needy people may frequent the area for its life-giving social services, shelters, and a rotating cast of caregivers. Still, even this area seems poorly equipped when it comes to developing stand alone mental health facilities.
It doesn’t mean it’s okay to get all bent out of shape to the point of road rage because you think you own the road, and everything is always supposed to go perfect every time you get behind the wheel. Learn the freeways! Certain junctions will get clogged from time to time, and knowing those times, is what’s going to keep you out of traffic.
Also, knowing what alternate routes to take besides our rush hour traffic lanes can help you get to your destination South Park has invested heavily in a quicker. This could take years to learn, dynamic security team that seems to but it’s worth it. Construction can always The trick to avoiding trauma is to avoid be everywhere simultaneously, while the Historic Core appears to have fumbled the be a factor, so the best advice to counterliving in areas that have high transient balance this pet peeve is to be patient and ratios. This will determine whether you’re mentally ill, transient ball. figure out what roads, freeways, and onegoing to see one vagrant or whether you’re Bordering the unhoused capital of America way streets are clear to use, at whatever going to see dozens. For instance, if Buntime you may need them. Or talk radio. and embracing the intoxicating debauchker Hill is where you’ve made your home, chances are you’ll be exposed to museums ery of Spring Street Strip probably doesn’t help lessen the vagrant to tax payer ratio and acceptable dining way before you’ll ever come across a hobo. Not to say you’ll of the Historic Core. There are more reanever see a hobo on Temple or First Street, sons for the underserved population to How in the heck is the price of gas so high dwell in this area than most the others, but we think there’s something about the Downtown? ranging from subsidized housing, access climb up Bunker Hill that just sways the to metro stations, easily accessible trash hobos away. You can go to a gas station anywhere cans to a high concentration of compaswithin the freeway borders of the city, and sionate business owners and party-goers There aren’t the same amenities for the they will charge what seems a 20-30% on any given day. Shade trees and safety hobos in specific areas like Bunker Hill mark up. What are they putting in their and the Arts District that attract the tran- in numbers may attract some; this district gasoline, gold? sient population. For example, the Historic also has the most vagrant “celebrity sightings,” with many of the same transients Core might fill with five to ten to twenty, Yet, drive east, and the price of a gallon touching down day after day at their favor- begins to stabilize. Penny pinchers choose sometimes 30 mentally ill transients on ite posts. every block, while Chinatown will hardly Valero on Alameda and forth, while true see a vagrant ever. OGs choose Arco on Valley Blvd in El Sereno. Echo Park has long been gasoline Typically, areas where happy hours and gentrified so don’t try it, while Expo/USC mega parties, bus stops, open trash cans, What can we say about traffic that hasn’t Figueroa stations keep their price of gas already been said? We recommend drivers dark enclaves, and warm, wide streets moderately low to help out students, no go with the flow. That doesn’t mean stopcoupled with people willing to share with doubt. #SurvivingDTLA ping at waiting for the lane next to you to the less fortunate can be the determining clear up, and it doesn’t mean driving too factor. fast and putting other drivers in danger.
1. Price of Gas
2. Horrific Traffic!
ADVERTISE WITH US! CALL 888-732-DTLA (3852) editor@dtlaweekly.com
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Rattan Chadha was inspired to create a hotel for the modern travellers, saying,
LESS IS MORE AT CITIZEN M p. 3>>
Less is More
To alleviate the health and safety concerns of global travelers, In 2020, citizenM launched its award-winning app for iOS and Android devices, giving guests more control over their stay than ever before.
“We’re giving our guest everything they need and nothing they don’t. This means central locations in the world’s most exciting cities, but at an affordable price. Not just a place to sleep, but somewhere to work, relax and play – just like home. Somewhere with superfast free Wi-Fi, tech that makes life easy, and a great bed to crash in at the end of a long day. Rattan Chadha called this philosophy ‘affordable luxury for the people.” The first citizenM opened at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport in 2008. Today, citizenM’s portfolio includes 22 hotels in 15 exciting cities: London, Glasgow, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Paris, Copenhagen, Zurich, Geneva, New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Seattle, Washington DC, Taipei and Kuala Lumpur.
Through the app chat function, guests are able to request services like extra pillows and toiletries, report faults in the room and book wake-up calls. Daily food and beverage menus are viewable in the app, with full order-placing functionality as well as a cybernetic neighborhood concierge. At citizen M, guests will enjoy an affordable contact-free hotel stay powered Rates at citizenM Los Angeles Downton by superior technology. The new standard start from $109. Affordable luxury is smart luxury for all. @citizenm gets smart with citizenM’s contactless experience.
