Downtown Weekly LA

DTLA WEEKLY

All rights reserved. Downtown Weekly is a news, event, LIFESTYLE & Hospitality FREE community resource. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without express written permission from the publisher. DTLA WEEKLY, in support of local residents, businesses, workers and visitors of Downtown Los Angeles, publishes DTLA WEEKLY. Readers are recommended to make appropriate inquiries before wagering any sum in relation to any ad, article or feature published herein. DTLA WEEKLY will not be liable to any person for loss or damage incurred or suffered as a result of his/her accepting, offering to accept or following any invitation or advice contained in any

Introducing FLCKN

The Future of Food Review Apps

Great online reviews are one of the most powerful brand-building tools for hospitality business owners, but only if they’re real. Real reviews from real people who’ve had real experiences with your brand. Reviews on FLCKN are verified by artificial intelligence so restaurant owners and future customers can trust that they’re genuine.

On FLCKN, Foodies share video reviews for up to 20-seconds of usergenerated “see the fajitas sizzling” satisfaction.

What’s more, FLCKN reviews are geo-targeted, which means you get the goods from real people who’ve had real dining experiences at real restaurants right in your neighborhood.

and is created

the enjoyment of those who rely upon reviews to simplify where to invest time, energy and resources. We hope experts and amateurs, global travelers and local weekend explorers will come to find FLCKN as a valuable tool in doing something we all love: dining out!”

Truth: Nothing brings people together like good food, and food shared is happiness multiplied. So FLCKN set out to create a better way to share culinary discoveries and, in so doing, spread some (yummy) joy.

FLCKN is for absolutely everyone who loves food—from food lovers who can’t tell the difference between tarragon and thyme but know what tastes great, to expert Foodies, influencers, food bloggers and critics, and the professionals who make the magic, like chefs, bakers, and restaurant owners.

But it’s more than a mobile app: FLCKN is a growing online community where food lovers of all backgrounds and from all over the globe can come together to share their favorite food, restaurants and recipes.

And where other review sites fall short, FLCKN levels up—with video! Forget standard text-only reviews.

Firstly, sign-up for free on the FLCKN website and create your profile in a few simple steps and explore—discovering great restaurants near you, connecting with other Foodies, and checking out verified video reviews. Then, during or after your next meal, show the restaurant some love and tell others about your culinary discovery by uploading photos or videos and sharing your review! Simply pull out your phone or mobile device, open the app, and capture a video of your meal! (You can also take and edit the video in another tool if you want to jazz it up, uploading the finished video to the FLCKN app.)

Note: FLCKN isn’t just for restaurant meals. You can review all the food you love, including dine-in, take-out, drinks, coffee, snacks, dessert, and your home cooking. Fancy yourself a star (or starin-the-making) home chef? Share videos of the food you make at home on FLCKN and inspire others to try your favorite ingredients and recipes!

FLCKN is for chefs and restaurant owners too.

FLCKN also provides chefs and restaurants with real-time customer feedback so you don’t have to wait to celebrate the wins, and the ability to respond immediately and directly— meaningful interactions that can create customers for life.

Chefs and restaurant owners get access to valuable analytics so you can monitor your reputation, leverage positive sentiment, build on the momentum, pinpoint emerging trends, pivot toward success, and grow.

FLCKN officially launches in 2023, but the Beta Test is on right now. Both Foodies and restaurant owners are invited to sign-up today to help us put the finishing touches on the mobile app that’s revolutionizing restaurant reviews.

www.flckn.com @flckn

Manuel Desdin co-founder of FLCKN: "FLCKN is a true international collaboration of talent that spans across three continents

for

Photo Courtesy FLCKN

THE SAUNA LAB

DTLA's HOTtest New Luxury Oasis

The Sauna Lab in Los Angeles is a luxury wellness center that offers an escape from the hustle and bustle of downtown living. Opened in September 2022, owner and Los Angeles native, Laura Weiss, designed Sauna Lab as a healthy oasis with the idea that “sweating is a science”.

Located in South Park, Downtown Los Angeles, The Sauna Lab is the only infrared sauna studio in Downtown Los Angeles.

Offering high-end infrared sauna detoxification, The Sauna Lab studio specializes in infrared sauna technology housing three separate modalities:

Used for centuries for their health benefits infrared saunas have been shown to provide a long list of proven health benefits. This studio provides its clients with a unique opportunity that is tailored to their needs. Each experience provides an array of benefits such as improved sleep quality, detoxification, boosting of the immune system, increased metabolism, reduced stress, improved heart health, repair of muscle damage, and the reversal of aging.

Another major benefit of The Sauna Lab therapy is that it aids in weight loss. A 45-minute session in any modality of infrared sauna technology can burn up to 450 calories, with an additional 100 calories called “after-burn” making it an effective addition to any fitness routine.

Infrared Sauna Box, Infrared Sauna Pod, and Infrared Sauna Blanket.

With the ability to bypass the skin and center heat within the body, heat from infrared saunas increases the production of white blood cells, which can help boost the immune system and improve overall health.

The Sauna Lab Infrared saunas promote muscle relaxation and increase circulation, which aid in the reduction of muscle soreness after exercise and help improve recovery time. They can also help clients feel energized and help loosen tension in the body.

The Sauna Lab Infrared Pod Module offers 45-minute sessions and has all of the same benefits as the sauna pod with the addition of terahertz therapy. This therapy repairs cells instantaneously while attacking the buildup of toxins, drawing them out of your pores. Clients lay in a cocoon-like pod with their heads outside the pod.

This allows for constant cooling and higher core body temperatures. This is also a much more effective method for the entire perspiration of the body.

It’s another way to relax and reduce stress while burning calories.

As an elevated experience, their wellness coordinator monitors the pod, bringing cold compresses sprayed with rose water and seaweed, slowly adjusting the heat of the saunas, and doing aroma therapy.

In addition to their state-of-the-art infrared sauna boxes and pods, The Sauna Lab also offers infrared sauna blankets.

The sauna blankets are designed to target specific areas of the body, aid in weight loss, and detoxification, and provide relaxation.

This 45- minute sauna blanket: experience” is in their beautiful cinema room with big screen TVs meditate to your favorite YouTube, Spotify, Pandora, or movie. @thesaunalab

Photo by Eric Epperson

Friends, Family, Coaches and Teammates CFP Championship Brings A-List Festivities to DTLA

DTLA Weekly,

Events to celebrate this year’s championship competitors, Texas Christian University Horned Frog Horns and Georgia Bulldogs, kicked-off at The Los Angeles Convention Center with Playoff Fan Central (PFC), a free fan festival event where thousands of fans got one heck of a reminder of just how much they love the game thanks to live entertainment, pep rallies, band performances, and a 300,000 sq ft convention hall full of interactive exhibits celebrating college football and its history.

Y’all Having a Good Time Out There?

Just short of a mile south, CFP AT&T Playoff Playlist Live took to the stage of Banc of California Stadium with an entertaining lineup two nights in a row beginning Saturday, January 7th, ending Sunday, January 8th.

The weekend of music served as the soundtrack for the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship with two free massive concerts with musical performances by multi-platinum-selling global superstars, the Jonas Brothers, and GRAMMY®-award winner Pitbull, among others.

Lesson Learned

The CFP Foundation hosted a free professional development summit for teachers local and nationwide, at the LA Convention Center Saturday afternoon, complete with speakers, interactive panels, mini workshops, and celebrity hosts – all focused on supporting teachers and education.

PARTY TO THE CORE

Saturday night brought ESPN personalities, special guests, and celebrities to the Blue Carpet as they arrived at Allstate Party at the Playoff held at the beautiful Majestic on the Spring Street Strip.

Going the Extra Mile

On Sunday, January 9th, The Extra Yard 5K family-friendly 3.1-mile run/walk as hosted in conjunction with the national championship game.

Taste the Championship

Also on Sunday, Taste of the Championship premium dining experience and fundraising event offered attendees the opportunity to indulge in gourmet food and drink prepared by chefs.

So what’s more exciting, the game or the events that surrounded it? We’ll let fans be the judge.

This Week in Sports brings the College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, but not before a slew of pre-game weekend events, which took place in Downtown Los Angeles.

Ryan Allen Hall, CFP Senior Director of Public Events told

“It’s like throwing a party for 100,000 of my closest friends in a town I’ve never been in, and I love it”.

Photo Courtesy Mayer Brown

Ryan Allen Hall, CFP Senior Director of Public Events

10 GREAT PLACES FOR FREE WORKOUTS IN THE DT

This season, if we don’t want to wait until springtime DTLA can move, stretch and bend through a 60-minute Community Yoga and Meditation Class with Constance Hartwell.

Four. Walking the Dog for Healthy Community Relationships

Workouts in Downtown LA...

There’s no previous experience necessary. The class is indoors for the winter; just bring your yoga mat. Hartwell is an experienced yoga teacher with plenty of mats under her belt you’ll find her yoga class located at California African American Museum in Exposition Park.

Dog walking improves Cardiovascular, lowers blood pressure, builds strong muscles and bones, and relieves stress. It’s good for both the dog and the dog walker. Regular walking burns calories and keeps the joints moving. Dog walkers are easy to talk with others about their pooches discovering mutually fun things in common. Relating to other dog walkers builds a sense of community.

One. Swim Like an Olympiad.

Although there are only a few gyms in downtown LA that offer swimming pools with membership, it’s not difficult to find a free swimming pool if swimming is the preferred way of exercising. Understanding the fluidity of water, studies show swimming does wonders for the respiratory system, mobility, muscle building and stamina. And with the right swim regimen downtown can accomplish all four goals (strength endurance flexibility and balance) at once with less stress on the joints and ligaments. To swim free, visit A 84 Foundation's John C Arque Swim Stadium in Expo/USC.

Two. Yoga at the Museum.

Springtime is the right time for yoga in the park. Yogis and Food trucks collide with Grant Park’s seasonal food and yoga lunch breaks that shine like the sun.

Three. Urban Hiking the Concrete Jungle.

Hiking has been free since the dawn of mankind. For a long vigorous workout, walk no further than downtown Los Angeles. Downtown is a concrete jungle filled with tall structures that surround and ground the minds of hikers.

Downtown’s Ribbon of Light offers a steady incline over a mile, to and fro both ways. When returning into the sunset atop the newly erected viaduct, urban hikers can revel in the calming scenes of the LA River, train rails and serine downtown Los Angeles skyline. For concrete jungle trails with a steeper incline, Grand Ave from Pershing Square is a grand climb that raises heartbeats to the pace of the city.

STAY HEALTHY DTLA 2023

Together they share the city’s numerous pet events and dog parks. Popular DTLA dog parks exist in the Arts District, Courts District, South Park and in the Historic Core.

Five. Stair Climb to Heaven.

Ever wonder why climbing the stairs produces such heavenly results? It’s because stair climbing burns fat, improves cardio, and quickly raises the heartbeat while building strong bones and muscles. Outdoor stair climbs exist in plain sight around the city. Across from the LA Library; a curvy set of Venetian steps lead to Hope. Just north, Grand Park provides a stair trail from City Hall to the top of the Music Center. Seeing as the average stair climb from story to story is 21 steps. Taking the stairs to and from an apartment or office, instead of the lift, could easily become the most challenging fitness routine depending on how high the stepper is willing to go; 21 steps could turn into as much as 1491.

Photo Courtesy Vezbi

Katt Williams @Microsoft Theater

Sushi & Clubbing @elevatelounge

The Orpheum Theater @vitavondeese

Rooftop with ABBA @Spire73

Fulfilling your New Year’s resolution to Stay Healthy in DTLA doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag. Here are 10 Great Places for Free

Photo Courtesy LA PARKS.org

Photo Courtesy Michael Maltzan Architecture.

Photo Courtesy LA PARKS.org

Six. Dance the Night Away in a Speakeasy Basement Bar.

Need to lose weight and build stamina.? Put on your boggy shoes, and let our DJs of nighttime fitness set the pace. Downtown boast the highest number of basement bars in the city. Keeping true to the tradition of speakeasy culture, most historic buildings of DTLA come with historic basements below. Bar owners are quick to recreate the original speakeasy feel that once ruled the days of prohibition when a bit of nighttime exercise could cost you days of recovery in the slammer. Thanks to our basement bars, today’s G-Men and flappers can still enjoy the forbidden excitement in the form of onceforbidden dances.

Of course, DT Weekly isn’t suggesting you visit each gym every day free, for the four years, slyly making your way out the door before signing the contract. No, we suggest as our local fitness centers do, that health enthusiasts try out the gyms as a courtesy provided until they find the one that best fits them.

Eight. Be a Homebody.

Downtown LA has some of the most luxurious high-rises in the world. For the price of luxury, surely all Downtown Condos come equipped with fitness centers. Some offer state-of-the-art fitness rooms that are exposed to sunrises and sunsets while others may be found down in the dank basements below. Regardless of the fees to use these facilities in the outside world, as well as communal

Nine. Run for Your Life.

How healthy can Downtown get? Healthy enough to run circles around DTLA. Whether it’s base, speed, interval, or a slow jog, running is the best way to put your body to the test. Start and end whenever you like, then ask yourself, how many miles it takes to get to the center of a healthy heart, and don’t stop until you’ve gone all the way.

Ten. Ride with the Mob

If you ever look out of the window and witness a league of bikers, sometimes 3 or 4 hundred in mass most likely you live in downtown LA. Every month various bike clubs get together and swarm our city streets. Some bikers swarm at night while others join their bike club in the morning or mid-afternoon. Unless you’re

Seven. Gym Hopping –It’s a Thing.

There are a variety of gyms and sports clubs in Downtown Los Angeles. Today, Downtown can kick, box, lift, Zumba, play ball, and tackle their fitness goals at over 300 local facilities.

To cater to our needs and find out exactly what fitness atmosphere is right, many gyms offer free trial periods.

spaces, pools, and barbecue decks Downtown Lofts have these amenities included in the lease.

For those who prefer to stay at home and exercise in their units, there are plenty of at-home personal fitness equipment choices on the market like stationary bikes, stair climbers, treadmills, hot tubs, and even infrared saunas being used at home.

one of the gang, you’ll never know when you’re gonna witness a hyped-up parade of cyclists. Taking over the road is the statement the cyclists make but making yourself a healthy human being is the course we’d like to see most traveled. For those of you who like to ride with an entire city by your side downtown host one of the largest City bike events known to a man, twice a year.

Pangea Sound @Ace Hotel

Photo Courtesy the Queensbury

Photo Courtesy Perla on Broadway

Photo Courtesy CicLAvia