DOWNTOWN WEEKLY THE SPIRIT OF DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES
WWW.DTLAWEEKLY.COM VOL 15. NO. 2 FEB 11 - FEB 17
FALL IN LOVE with
DTLA HWH LUXURY LIVING
LOVE WHERE YOU live SANDAST ART STUDIO
e r ou A
Y
Not e n o l A6 Page
annie's soul delicious I gary leonard: take my picture FHEDESH: kiss of a dtla vampire I map inside
2
3
THE BITTERSWEET ROMANCE OF DOWNTOWN WEEKLY
ON THE COVER
VOL 15 NO 2 - FEBRUARY 11TH - FEBRUARY 17TH / DTLAWEEKLY.COM 3
HWH LUXURY LIVING PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY HWH LUXURY LIVING
HWH LUXURY LIVING LOCATION:
OLD BANK DISTRICT - DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES
YOU ARE NOT ALONE: SANDAST ART STUDIO.....5 HWH luxury living: LOVE WHERE YOU LIVE.....6 DT APPETITE: ANNIE’S SOUL DELICIOUS ......7 FHEDESH: KISS OF A DTLA VAMPIRE ............9 GARY LEONARD: TAKE MY PICTURE.....14 ADVERTISE - 888-732-DTLA (3852) OR EDITOR@DTLA-WEEKLY.COM
THE BRIDES & GROOMS
DTLA WEEKLY
editor and chief KERI FREEMAN
<<
EDITOR@DTLAWEEKLY.COM
Special thanks to...
THE MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES & THE CITY OF LA ARTS DISTRICT CHINATOWN CIVIC DISTRICT KELLIE ALDRICH BUNKER HILL EXPO/USC CAROLYN PLATZMAN HISTORIC CORE AMANDA NICHOLAS LITTLE TOKYO LUCY KARILO FASHION DISTRICT FINANCIAL DISTRICT SKID ROW SOUTH PARK ERIC EPPERSON WAREHOUSE DISTRICT GARY LEONARD THEGRAWN ARTWALK NEWS HWH LUXURY LIVING SANDAST ART STUDIO COCODEALERS @kerieatsdtla BOZU LA Robeks dtla design and layout DTLA2021 FHEDESH @kerieatsdtla ANNIE’S SOUL DELICIOUS CALIFORNIA FLOWER MALL CALAjo catering @kerieatsdtla KAPOOR’S AKBAR & Loftway FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA #DTLAWEEKLY
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
photography VIDEO Production
social media
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
DOWNTOWN WEEKLY LA
any ad, article or feature published herein.
DTLA NEWS l EVENTS l LIFESTYLE I HOSPITALITY P.O. BOX 86601 - DTLA CA 90086 - WWW.DTLAWEEKLY.COM 888-732-DTLA (3852) @DTLAWEEKLY
DTLA ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE: SANDAST by Caroline
VOL 15 NO 2 - FEBRUARY 11TH - FEBRUARY 17TH / DTLAWEEKLY.COM 5
You are not alone
I
leathersmith chris pak opens ART studio to help residents cope with depression
nspired by his own pursuit of peace through painting, CHRIS PAK, owner of Sandast Studio in Downtown Los Angeles, has generously opened up his massive gallery space to host free weekly art classes to local residents.
The classes are designed to encourage anyone and everyone to use art to conquer feelings of depression and isolation in the midst of an ongoing pandemic; “If you feel the same way I do, art is the best remedy”, says Chris. Over the past year, as the energetic streets of Downtown Los Angeles dwindled down to an emptier, eerier sight, Chris found himself struggling to cope. In talking to his friends and loved ones about it, he realized a lot of people felt the same as he did. When Chris eventually found joy in turning an old, graffitied-up wall into a pleasant painting, he recognized he was not the only one who could benefit from the feeling that painting gave him. Thus, the idea to promote free weekly art classes out of his studio to others appeared to be the most advantageous next step for the Downtown community.
Chris wants residents to know and feel that they are not alone; Sandast Studio opens its doors to all in an effort to inspire others to find peace, explore their creativity, and build connections through art. Whether you are just starting out or have been painting for years, Sandast Studio offers a pleasant, peaceful space for anyone to utilize art as a meaningful coping tool. Despite the ongoing pandemic and issues Downtown Los Angeles has faced even before that, it has always had eclectic life and soul. Chris hopes to give us all a reason to get out of the house (safely, of course), because he understands art can be used to not only replenish the soul, but put life back into the streets of Downtown once again.
Come join the fun every Saturday evening from 5:00pm-8:00pm PST! Art classes are held on a first come, first serve basis. Bring your own set and be Chris aims to give his fellow sure to book your spot in advance-there Downtown Los Angeles residents a is a maximum of 10 spots per class to sense of community and connection when comply with social distancing. they enter his vibrant studio, in a way he For more info please visit understands a lot of people need at this www.sandaststudio.com time.
6 FALL IN LOVE WITH DTLA: HWH LUXURY LIVING by Keri
VOL 15 NO 2 - FEBRUARY 11TH - FEBRUARY 17TH / DTLAWEEKLY.COM
hwh luxury living apartments
I
n 1903, The Herman Wolf Hellman Building was not only visually stunning, with its row of fang faring wolf head sculptures, hard wood floors, heavy mahogany doors, Tiffany and stained glass, natural lighting and dual marble staircase, it was also a technological advancement the likes LA had never seen, leading the way to how buildings would be constructed until this day. Being the first to develop a high rise office building with foundation beams forged from steel in Los Angeles, Herman Wolf Hellman's HWH Building, the LA Times reported, was "the biggest and most luxurious building in Los Angeles at that time."
HWH Building was a pillar of finance, marking the beginning of the banking era on Spring Street later famed as “the Wall Street the West”.
would host retail while the upper floors would provide exceptional apartment living to its residents, creating one of the best apartments in Downtown LA.
In the 70s the building was acquired by Banco Popular financial services who put up a neon marquee to establish their dominion and during the 90s, the City occupied the building covering much of the high ceilings with insulation, fluorescent lights, installing intercoms systems and covering the old wooden floors, windows and doors with layers of linoleum, paint, and cheap carpeting.
The HWH Luxury Living Apartments quietly re-opened in late 2019 as one of the most sought after apartments in downtown Los Angeles with all the luxury and grandeur of the 1900s plus a few suave technological add-ons that take smart home technology to a whole new level.
WHERE PAST AND FUTURE COLLIDE In 2010, the property was acquired by Standard Development with the sincere intention of restoring it to its former grandeur and placing it on the National Register of Historic Places, designated as a federal monument. Standard Development restored this treasure by preserving the historic fabric of the building, while providing all modern living amenities of today.
Each unit is equipped with Google Home, built-in bluetooth speakers, Nest Thermostats, Ring Video Doorbells, and Z-Wave connected outlets and switches which allow the residents to control their apartment features through their smart phones or verbally. You can say, play “Dancing Queen” and in your apartment magically “Dancing Queen” plays.
Bosch stainless steel, state-of-theart appliances, including washers and dryers also come with each unit. Epic Italian Marble countertops may be illuminated by purposely set lighting, During the process, the developers decided and European contemporary sliding walls the HWH Luxury Living would be slated separate the kitchen and living quarters for mixed-use, meaning the ground floors from the office space and secret bedrooms.
FALL IN LOVE WITH DTLA: HWH LUXURY LIVING by Keri Free-
VOL 15 NO 2 - FEBRUARY 11TH - FEBRUARY 17TH / DTLAWEEKLY.COM 7
love where you live
The view from huge apartment windows allow the surveying of Spring and 4th Streets but nothing matches the view from Hellman’s new rooftop.
The rooftop is riddled with intimate lounges, beautiful olive trees with twinkle-lights and fire pits under the night sky with endless romantic views of Downtown. Facing the sunrise, looking out to the distance, tenants work out on Technogym from Italy, a state of the art exercise facility complete with their own personalized Health and Wellness App that recognizes them as they approach and programs and tracks each work out.
The 360 degree views from the HWH Luxury High Rise Apartments in Downtown LA are unobstructed from all sides, revealing the city’s vast scape of industrial buildings to the east, its mountain view's of the north, and its spectacular views of the financial district With floraled pathways leading from edge to edge, HWH Luxury buildings to the west; so close you can Living rooftop is a downtown labyrinth almost reach out and touch them. on top of one of the largest rooftop amenity decks in downtown Los Gone are the spinning vents, water Angeles. tanks, cables and tarred rooftop flooring. Instead, the HWH Luxury HWH sets the bar with one of Living rooftop has been replaced with the best luxury apartments in an atmosphere that’s youthful and Downtown LA. Surrounded by chill with plenty of encouragement for two new hotels, trendy restaurants, friendly conversations with neighbors. transportation hubs, and local dog parks, the building sits as a Tenants at HWH Luxury Living cornerstone for the Old Bank District. enjoy basking in the sun’s rays all day long, salt water jacuzzi dips and Onsite parking concierge and valet swimming in a salt water pool with services are available as well. For more underwater speakers that makes them info visit www.hwhluxuryliving.com feel like they’re afloat on top of the city.
354 South Spring Street Los Angeles CA
8 ANNIE’ S SOUL DELICIOUS by Amanda Nicholas
VOL 15 NO 2 - FEBRUARY 11TH - FEBRUARY 17TH / DTLAWEEKLY.COM
DOWNTOWN APPETITE
S U O I C I L E D L U O S ANNIE'S
A
nnalisa Mastoianni-Johnson, Annie for short, owner of Annie’s Soul Delicious spends her days serving memorable dishes of fried catfish, red beans and rice, oxtails and banana pudding.
A
midst several Ethiopian restaurants along the Carthay of West Los Angeles sits Annie's Soul Delicious, bringing southern favorites the way old folk use to make to all of Los Angeles.
M
eals she's been told so often were, So Delicious, that she decided to name her restaurant after the comment.
recording studio and walls adorned with Teena Marie’s gold records and achievements.
It is with this So, just how did an halfsoulful-funk Italian, half-Swedish girl go background from turning a corporate where Annie catering gig into one of Los built the Angeles' most successful Soul culinary Food Restaurants? expertise that has shaped her Well, Annie's godmother, career of making Penny Johnson, younger sister food for the soul. to Rick James, was her first southern comfort food mentor. By 1997, Annie had secured Johnson was also legendary a succesful singer Teena Marie’s gourmet manager and roommate, food delivery making vocal, instrumental, and catering writing, and management business with contributions on Teena Marie’s high-profile clients catalog of hits starting in the purely through word mid-80s through the rest of of mouth, but the her career. menu was not Southern soul food at the time. Soul food and soul music mixed nicely inside their During its 16-year run, legendary Encino home that Annie's Soul Food Sundays featured a living room turned had grown rapidly coupled
with a new found success of running corporate lunch popups. But Annie knew something was missing, so she asked her clientele what cuisine they wished was available and soul food was the answer.
Starting with one day a week, Annie sta rted introducing soul food to the menu. Soon, Annie's Soul Food Sundays pop-up expanded into more days and more hours with customer demand. By the summer of 2019, doors opened at the first permanent location in Carthay.
ADVERTISE WITH DTLA WEEKLY - 888-732-DTLA (3852) editor@dtlaweekly.com VOL 15 NO 2 - FEB 11TH - FEB 17TH / DTLAWEEKLY.COM
T
oday, customers rave about dishes like candied yams, fried chicken, smothered pork chops, and blackened salmon and fried lobster tails nonstop. The lobster tails are decadent and fried to crispy, crunchy perfection in their house cornmeal mix. This flavorful breading carries over to the fried jumbo shrimp and catfish. The fried jumbo shrimp are like jumbo nuggets of seafood gold. The perfectly seasoned potato salad is sprinkled with paprika and topped with fresh parsley. Even plant-based customers can enjoy buffalo or hennessy coated cauliflower. Plus, Soul Delicious offers an array of desserts and refreshing drinks like the Deja Blue, a colorful blue raspberry-lemonade. Annie's Soul Delicious offers a menu popping with southern comfort flavor and love from the heart. Just don't make any plans after your meal because you might have a well-deserved food coma. On average, Annie's Soul Delicious goes through 250 lbs of oxtails, 100 lbs of yams, and 9 pans of macaroni and cheese in a week. There is a new special weekly and entrees come with three generous sides that can cover lunch and dinner in one sitting. Unity & Community The mutual connection between Annie and the community has only grown more since she opened doors to her Fairfax location, with loyal customers supporting in any way they can. Most recently, their coat drive had a successful turn out in the first two days. The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on Annie’s Soul Delicious, bringing catering to a halt. But Annie remains grateful for community support and hopeful for expansion to a food truck in the future. Annie's Soul Delicious is located at 1066 S Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA, for more info visit www.souldelicious.com
aRTS & CULTURE DT:A
FHEDESH KISS OF A DTLA VAMPIRE
I
n the last days of two-thousand and twenty, Downtown Weekly accepted an invitation to visit and interview the underworld Goth artist known as Fhedesh. Once inside, we found ourselves surrounded by the darkness of a colossal space. From end to end, we toured a series of themed sections adorned with vintage collectibles, dark fabrics, handcrafted tables, and tufted sofas and chairs. The dark arts were evident; complete with pentagrams, melted wax-covered skulls, ironworks, a pair of 6ft glowing upsidedown crosses, and what looked to be an empty blood-stained porcelain bathtub. Peculiarly interested, we gingerly explored several positions upon leather-strapped BDSM mechanisms. Shortly after, we involved ourselves by stepping inside a fully built Catholic confessional upon which we had no problem avowing some dark secrets of our own.
As if drawn to Fhedesh like a magnet, we found the artist to be as alluring as he was talented. At one point we joined him side by side while he commanded the keys of his vintage piano. There under the flickering shadow of candlelight, we began to notice, Fhedesh had grown fangs. Wake Up! It’s a Bloodbath. Fhedesh is an American dark frequency artist and producer based in DTLA. His industrial trap sound and experimental visuals, inspired by elements of vampirism, provide a musical backdrop that inspires the freedom to bend and not only break, but demolish the rules. Talented musician turned vampire, Fhedesh is an artist in his own caliber. Fhedesh’s music explores facets of an underground lifestyle, one that embraces unapologetic creative exploration. He emerged on the scene of late night DTLA after packing out after hours parties in warehouses across Southern California and has since established himself as an artist. His sound evokes the desire to welcome darkness rather than run from it, as Fhedesh explores concepts of immorality, sexuality, mystery, and luxury in ways no other local artist has. -CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
10 MUSIC TO YOUR EARS: FHEDESH by Caroline Platzman
VOL 15 NO 2 - FEBRUARY 11TH - FEBRUARY 17TH / DTLAWEEKLY.COM
MUSIC TO YOUR EARS
S
DT:A
WAKE UP! IT'S A BLOODBATH
ince the pandemic, Fhedesh has begun to channel his creative energy into his music videos rather than live performances. Fhedesh just released a new single and music video called “Wake Up! It’s A Bloodbath”, a hard-hitting, edgy tune inspired by the current state of the world in all its misery.
When asked about his musical inspirations, Fhedesh references a wide range of artists like Delta-9, Gesaffelstein, 3teeth, Panther Modern, Mozart, Arnaud rebotini, Ghoste Mane, and Wings-Paul McCartney just to name a few. “If you took Industrial – Goth Trap & electronic music, packaged it up and sent it to the underworld. You would have then delivered and embodied my avant-garde,” he said.
Fhedesh has always been a procurer of dark art music, and since coming to “Oh yes, “Wake Up! It’s A Bloodbath” DTLA he has been able to express dark was derived from my current state as a art on multiple levels; “I’m learning that society and completely pandemic driven. my sound is what’s called experimental, These trying times have been frustrating and I think that fits with my fans for me and my dark art community. It because they are all about having an has been a mental bloodbath during experience, and I think that my shows these pandemic times,” Fhedesh tells really do that,” he continues. me. “This video is a pure reflection of our hypocrisy within our local and state governments. Many of us are feeling suffocated and can literally feel the pressure of our surrounding society moving in closer while ripping our identity and financial means away.” BBeeBe sure to stream “Wake Up, It’s A Bloodbath” on Spotify, Apple Music and Google Play and watch the music video on YouTube. Fhedesh’s music and theatrical dark expression draws parallels and inspiration from a variety of genres including rock, industrial EDM, witch house, trap, and more.
“After dark people feel more free to explore their mischievous desires, freeing themselves from the weight of their day and routine. I would like to think my music plays a role in freeing people by providing a melodious, yet dark and aggressive musical backdrop for their experience.” Fhedesh’s listener base is quickly growing not only in the DTLA goth and dark art community, but among fans of EDM, Rock, and Hip-Hop who are also taking notice of his unique sound. For more information on Fhedesh, be sure to follow him on all social media platforms @fhedesh
ADVERTISE WITH US! CALL 888-732-DTLA (3852)
TO BE OR NOT TO BE? ADD VIRTUAL EVENTS www.dtlaweekly.com for FREE shout outs on the GRAM
@dtlaweekly
FOLLOW LIKE SHARE
VOL 15 NO 2 - FEBRUARY 11TH - FEBRUARY 17TH / DTLAWEEKLY.COM 11