[RAlossi]

Eastern half of Block 8 now has "official" green construction fencing around the entire portion (Related's apartments and tower). There's a gigantic mound of dirt peering over the fence, as well. Maybe I'll be able to hop up to the New Otani gardens and snap a couple photos. Anyone know if that's open to the public?

[colemonkee]

^ It is. Just walk up there like you're going to the restaurant.

[RAlossi]

Have we seen this rendering yet? If so, I apologize -- but I can't find anything about it in the main threads except for the old render. This project is the former Hope Street Lofts, rebranded as LA Lofts. It looks like it's just south of the Packard Lofts and should break ground by June or July if everything goes as planned...

From the Downtown News Development Update
L.A. LOFTS

Officials at Venice Development said plans are on track for a 25-story, 250-unit condominium tower on Hope Street between 11th Street and Olympic Boulevard in South Park. Construction of the 250,000-square-foot, ground-up building is scheduled to begin by the middle of this year. The Killefer Flammang-designed project will have 10,000 square feet of retail and 400 parking spots. B8

From KFarchitects.com

http://kfarchitects.com/images/dynamiimages/projects/460.jpg

[LAMetroGuy]

Great rendering, much better than the old and glad to see the added height!!!

[BrighamYen]

I like the design of the building and how it is broken up into different sections to visually break up an otherwise bulky/dowdy tower.

[citywatch]

Have we seen this rendering yet? If so, I apologize -- but I can't find anything about it in the main threads except for the old render. This project is the former Hope Street Lofts, rebranded as LA Lofts. It looks like it's just south of the Packard Lofts and should break ground by June or July if everything goes as planned...
Considering how no one even knows what's going on with the Concerto proj----& that devlpt at least supposedly broke ground several months ago----it's a safe bet to assume almost any proj out there is pie in the sky until it can be proven otherwise, or authenticated through a DNA, fingerprint test. :cool:


L.A. LOFTS
Groundbreaking on a 25-story, 250-unit condominium tower in South Park has been pushed back and construction will begin early next year instead of the middle of this year, a spokesperson for Venice Development said. The 250,000-square-foot, ground-up project at Hope Street between 11th Street and Olympic Boulevard is designed by Killefer Flammang Architects and will have 10,000 square feet of retail and 400 parking spots. The company previously developed the Packard Lofts.

[citywatch]

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2007-05/29850789.jpg
Jenn Sherry and Matthew Wonderlich relax in the pool of the building, clad in turquoise
terra cotta and gold leaf, with its landmark clock tower.

One Landmark, Four Visions

Nancy Yoshihara and Craig Nakano
May 17, 2007

RORY CUNNINGHAM, president of the Art Deco Society of L.A., called it one of the premier Deco buildings in the country. Revered historian Robert Winter said it's a shining example of Southern California's golden age of architecture. Times critic Christopher Hawthorne recently declared it "one of the most beautiful pieces of architecture in the city, a building that would be world-famous if it were located in Manhattan or San Francisco." To about 100 Angelenos, however, the Eastern Columbia building is even more. It's home.

After two years and a reported $80-million renovation, the Kor Group has reopened the historic retail and office tower as 147 lofts. Original terra cotta tiles — a mix of sea-foam green and cerulean blue that a 1930 Times story characterized as "melting turquoise" — have been restored. The terrazzo floor of the building's old shopping arcade has been painstakingly repaired for a new Kelly Wearstler-designed lobby. But what are all those newly minted urbanites doing with their lofts?

We peeked into four units, all owned by first-time home buyers who are taking dramatically different approaches to their interiors. Whether Deco or Zen, modern or traditional, all four spaces reflect the joys — and the challenges — of living in a landmark.

— Nancy Yoshihara and Craig Nakano

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2007-05/29850802.jpg
The Eastern Columbia, one of the premier Deco buildings in the country, has reopened
in downtown Los Angeles after an $80-million renovation. The bedroom of Nichol Brad-
ford’s loft, one of the 147 condos, catches the soft glow of afternoon light.
(Ricardo DeAratanha / LAT)

Her taste runs to silk and chocolate

IF there can be such a thing as a glam Zen retreat, Nichol Bradford has tried to create it. As she lounges on a mirrored daybed, the scent of incense and calming music from the Bodhi Tree Bookstore fill the air. Beneath her feet is her ultimate vision of nirvana: a chocolate-hued concrete floor, color-matched to a Hershey's bar. "It looks like a fudge cake," Bradford says. "I love it."

The condo's exposed ventilation duct, all-stainless kitchen cabinetry and other elements of industrial chic have been softened by simple touches: the delicate lines of cut calla lilies from the wholesale flower market a few blocks away, the billowy lengths of golden silk draped here and there, even the late afternoon sun that showers the bedroom with saffron light. "I love modern, but I don't think I could do it and it not feel like a guy's place," she says. Her parakeets — Millet, Bella and Squeak — seem just as content in their new home, a cage with views of downtown's skyscrapers.

Bradford, who devises corporate strategy for a video game company, was renting in Hollywood before moving to the Eastern Columbia. Like many of her neighbors, she bought her unit sight unseen, before construction was completed, driven purely by "faith and intuition."

Though she was drawn to the building's Zigzag Moderne style of Deco, she hasn't felt confined by it. Whereas some neighbors have hung period-correct wallpaper and light fixtures, Bradford invested her time wrangling a 12-foot ficus to the 10th floor, where its canopy adds a glimpse of nature in a most unexpected setting. She says a 9-foot-tall oak door salvaged from the old Getty Villa will be turned into a dining table, and still-to-be-hung graphic prints will chronicle Africans living outside Africa in the era before slavery.

It all makes for a style that Bradford struggles to define at first, but then she settles on a fitting label: "my genie bottle."

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2007-05/29850791.jpg
Jennifer Dekoeyer Crump finds a comfortable spot
on the rooftop terrace, which includes a fireside
lounge area, cabanas and views of downtown archi-
tectural gems.

Bright, sleek and spare: a cool vibe that complements an ornate exterior

GEOFF CLARK'S pad plays out like an ode to every romantic notion of what loft living can be: open, airy, distinctly modern and very, very cool. The ceiling and walls — originally a fickle putty color that leaned toward green, gray or brown depending on the light — now glow a crisp, clean white. Windows wrapping the corner unit allow the sun to flood in, bouncing off the floor and turning the condo into a 1,390-square-foot light box that seems to float above Broadway.

"I just wanted a very cool, tranquil space," Clark says to the electro-lounge beats of Thievery Corporation on his sound system. "The building is so ornate, I didn't want an ornate unit. I wanted a neutral interior that complemented the exterior. I wanted that classic loft feel."

Indeed, Clark's mix of modern and vintage seems right at home on the sleek concrete floor. Two low-slung B&B Italia Metropolitan armchairs complement a classic Warren Platner coffee table that he scored from a Palm Springs consignment shop. Contemporary pieces such as Kartell's translucent Bourgie lamp and a Philippe Starck-designed Mademoiselle chair with transparent legs blend seamlessly with a funky red floor lamp and cast-concrete cactus planter. A wall sculpture made of rusted railroad spikes seems appropriately industrial and refined at the same time.

The vibe is young yet grown-up, classic but not cliché. The decor, much like the building itself, gives a nod to the past but lives in the present. It's the kind of space that feels perpetually primed for a cocktail party, though Clark says no parties — not yet. "Just a few Friday-drinks-at-the-pool kind of deal," he says with a smile. Before he moved from Laurel Canyon, he says, "One thing people said to me was, 'No one is going to see you.' But it's like I have a waiting list. Now friends want to come downtown."

From his perch on the seventh floor, the longtime architecture buff can see the landmark marquee of the 1926 Orpheum Theatre, not to mention the other facades of downtown's historic core. "I can just sit and look at these buildings forever," he says, waving his finger toward Broadway from a blue sofa pushed up to the windows.

Clark considered buying a condo in West Hollywood but decided the Eastern Columbia would deliver something special, "a sense of excitement every time you walk in the door." Turns out he doesn't even need to do that. On the drive home from work, eventually that blue and gold clock tower always pops into view. "I'll see it and think, 'Oh, my God. I live there.' "

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2007-05/29850793.jpg
The contemporary kitchen of Paul Gonzalez’s second-floor studio features an
island set on casters. The exposed metal air duct adds an industrial touch to
traditional style.

Designed around his baby -- grand

PAUL GONZALEZ is in a bit of a design quandary. He's not happy with his new couch — neither the Easter egg blue color nor the Naugahyde covering he specially selected for his cat, Cleo, who rarely sits on the thing. "This couch would have been perfect in the Jetsons' house," quips Gonzalez, who spent last weekend arranging to have it reupholstered in a latte-colored fabric.

Describing his second-floor studio as a work in progress, Gonzalez says he drew on the building's interior public spaces, designed by Kelly Wearstler, for inspiration. "Many of my loft's interior design choices were taken from the lobby of the building. I wanted my loft to flow from the lobby and interior of the building."

Venetian plaster lines the entryway, where the interior doorway is framed in black marble. The charcoal gray of the concrete floor is the same shade as part of the lobby floor.

Gonzalez consulted with four interior designers, but the inspiration for his traditional furniture came from his mother. The Steinway & Sons baby grand piano that she received as a birthday present in 1942 now graces his loft. "When I was a kid, the piano was always in the house," he says. "I love the color of the wood and curves of the piano. Everything is built around the piano."

A clothes-filled, mahogany, Ralph Lauren armoire, crucial in a space with no closets, stands to one side of the piano near his sleigh bed from Henredon. Across the way is another armoire, by Ethan Allen, that hides his computer. Near his kitchen is a round table that he found at Interior Devine in Pasadena. Gonzalez is mixing these traditional pieces with modern bar stools, lighting fixtures and art. He calls his style "casual sophisticate." Canvases by New Orleans painter David Harouni line the wall adjacent to windows that look into the treetops on 9th Street — a welcome bit of green for a man who rented in leafy Pasadena for 20 years. He uses the building's up-lights outside his windows as planters.

"Home in downtown has to be soothing because it is your sanctuary," says Gonzalez, who walks three blocks to his office at AT&T. "This where you restore, reenergize."

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2007-05/29850798.jpg
The stunning clock tower, lighted at night to
showcase its Deco façade, is reflected in the
swimming pool. Claude Beelman designed
the tower, which caps the Eastern’s 13 stor-
ies.

Not scary; just a refined sense of Deco irreverence

IT'S fitting that horror film director Jeremy Kasten's unit feels a bit like a movie set: an elegant Art Deco smoking lounge circa 1930, the mohair-upholstered sofa set under the gaze of a mounted deer and a pronghorn. Gold chevrons shimmer off the Bradbury & Bradbury Art Wallpaper under the chair rail. Wood floors reflect the soft light cast from vintage lamps.

"This is a more dialed down and mature look for me," says Kasten, whose new movie, "The Thirst," was released this week on DVD.

Dressed in a blue blazer with a white pocket square, the self-described Deco fanatic says he took his design cues from the historic building. He sees Deco as man and nature merged. "It's delicate and very masculine at the same time." It's also an era that works well with Kasten's eclectic antiques collection displayed throughout his one-bedroom, 880-square-foot unit on the mezzanine, which originally was part of the building's retail arcade. He wanted to recapture that arcade feeling with the ambience of an old-fashioned store.

In just 16 days, Kasten and interior designer Shannon Ggem, totally transformed the unit, which has only two windows. "Most people want lots of windows," Kasten says. "For me, I just want walls — lots of wall space." That gives him more places to mount his collection of artwork originally made for the covers of pulp novels. "Most of the things I had but never thought they could come together."

Their biggest design challenge was the low structural crossbeam between the kitchen and living area. The solution: hang an old jeweler's sign that Kasten bought for $50 from the back of an antiques shop in New Orleans when he was 21 and driving to L.A. from Baltimore. The Deco sofa and two matching chairs were maroon when Kasten received them from a friend, then were reupholstered in crème and black mohair. Matching lamps came from opposite coasts: a New York flea market and a yard sale in the California desert. A chest with a mirrored pullout bar was a gift from his mother.

In the kitchen, Ggem replaced the developer's standard kitchen pendant with a Deco-esque fixture purchased at an estate sale. To add a little more period flavor without much added expense, Kasten painted a chevron pattern on the bathroom floor and gold detailing on the ceramic tile above the living-room windows. Backless, custom shelves create a beehive-shaped entrance from the kitchen to the bedroom, where 300 vintage ties are displayed as wall decor. Placed carefully on the shelves: antique "Wizard of Oz" books, ruby slippers, 1930s nude female figurines collected from around the world, kitschy taxidermy and books whose spines sport titles such as "Eaten Alive: Italian Cannibal and Zombie Movies" and "Mr. T on Mr. T."

Kasten has long admired the Eastern Columbia, and his decorative mementos include vintage postcards of the building framed and hung in the kitchen. He turned a 1931 coin commemorating the building into his keychain. All were bought on EBay. "There's a mapable history to this place," says Kasten, who moved from Venice with his 28-pound cat, Flipper.

During the decorating process, his instinct was to fill the space with his abundant tchotchkes. Ggem, ever the diplomat, would politely suggest, "Let's just try this in the storage unit for a while."

Kasten says his housewarming party three weeks ago was the first time he's ever been nervous that someone would break something. But all went off just fine. His guests even helped to clean up. What did his friends think of his new pad? "Everyone said it's so me."

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2007-05/29850790.jpg
The terrazzo floor of the Eastern’s old shopping arcade has been restored in the elegant,
Kelly Wearstler-designed lobby.

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2007-05/29850796.jpg
Nichol Bradford personalized her 10th-floor aerie with a mirror-adorned daybed and a 12-
foot ficus. The salvaged oak door will become a dining table.

[luckyeight]

around Los Angeles to be delayed. Demand for constructions cranes
and operators are at full capacity with shortage across the board.

Commercial construction are at 14% increase from last year and climbing
rapidly as demand for high rise construction around the california, texas, florida, new york, las vegas, china and dubai are at full tilt.

:cucumber: :cucumber: :cucumber: :cucumber: :cucumber:

[colemonkee]

While I'm glad the construction industry is going strong, I wouldn't think of construction delays as good news necessarily. I'd really like to see projects like Jardin and Glass Tower start sooner rather than later.

[Carioca]

did anyone else notice that the PanAm got some power last week?
it is a baby step, but a step none the less.
they are expecting a mid july move-in, but, who knows...

[BrighamYen]

^ What do you mean they got "some" power? Did you see a few lights on or something? We're talking about the PanAm on 3rd/Broadway right?

[Carioca]

:previous:
hey lab-
yes sir, the PanAm on B'way at 3rd...
as i understand it - they got through the bulk of the city inspections and dwp energised the building enough to conduct further tests (lift and sprinklers...) i think that also includes powering the common areas. after they pass the remaining inspections, they'll connect the city side of the meters, getting it ready to start each customers service... at that point they get their temporary c of o...:yes: the latest word is a mid july move in.

[colemonkee]

^ The lights have been on in the lobby for over two months.

[Carioca]

^ Mr. CM, now that you mention it, it has probably been several months... I wonder if the lobby lights may have been powered by the wedding chapel feed that was grandfathered into the building. The developer sent us (the buyers) an email a couple weeks ago saying that they got partial power. (hmmmm, maybe 65 volts at 30 hertz???)
I have not yet heard if the fire and safety inspections have happened.

And if you anyone wants a little perspective on some of the progress in dt,
check out the L.A.Live site on Google Earth. Can't wait to get to this point at GrandAve.

[colemonkee]

Carioca, I didn't know you bought a place in Pan American. Congrats! I hope they move you in soon. It seems like it's taken forever!

As for perspective on progress downtown, I've seen it first hand for the last two years. I moved into the Higgins building in July of 2005.

[Carioca]

It seems like it's taken forever!

Oh Dear Lord- I moved out of my old place at the end of August! The month to month life has been driving me nuts... I am staying in DT now, so I feel like I finally live there, kinda.

I moved into the Higgins building in July of 2005.

Well, Howdy Neighbor! I feel like I spend half my free time in the first floor of your building. I am so looking forward for the PanAm to finally come to life and join your community.

[danparker276]

Shouldn't move out until you have a move in date.

[RAlossi]

Notice of public hearing for Blossom Plaza in Chinatown has gone out! Finally some noticeable action on this project...

The notice: http://cityplanning.lacity.org/MeetingsnHearings/dsp_viewFileDetail.cfm?filename=AAAHbZAAFAAARgfAAV

"Demolition of an existing vacant restaurant building, removal of surface parking and construction of a 247,605 square foot mixed use project to be constructed in two buildings (approximately 104 feet 2 inches high) with 169 residential dwelling units including a 10% set aside for moderate income families and 10% for working families, 43,231 square feet of commercial use, and a 17,642 square foot Cultural Plaza.

"The project will provide 169 residential parking spaces, 175 commercial and public parking spaces for a total of 344 parking spaces in a public and private, subterranean and above ground, parking structure on an 84,156 square foot site located adjacent to the Chinatown Gold Line Metro Rail Station ..."

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

about time! when is the groundbreaking suppose to be?

[LongBeachUrbanist]

I was down there a week ago, looking at the site and thinking what a waste. Good to hear this project is finally moving forward.

Every time I see the old sign on the side of Joe's, the one that says "Gold Line Grand Opening Fall 2003" or whatever, I have to laugh.

[RAlossi]

I'm interested in the project not only for its direct impact, but the Capitol Milling Building / Riverview project won't get started until Blossom is complete!

[Carioca]

The PanAm got it's TCO last week :cheers:

- from the builder; "The first scheduled move in dates - will be for the weekend of the 28th of July."

Are there any other buildings downtown that are close to move-ins?

[LA/OCman]

Can anyone tell me what is going on at the Herald Examiner Building on S. Broadway? They have demolished a building in the back. Are they going to start renovations/construction? They seem to be working very quickly.

[RAlossi]

Can anyone tell me what is going on at the Herald Examiner Building on S. Broadway? They have demolished a building in the back. Are they going to start renovations/construction? They seem to be working very quickly.

Ed Fuentes with Blogdowntown (http://www.blogdowntown.com/blog/2744) and Viewfromaloft (http://viewfromaloft.typepad.com/viewfromaloft/) posted about this here:
http://www.blogdowntown.com/blog/2744

[RAlossi]

I walked by the Medallion site, camera in hand, to see if anything was happening with groundbreaking, and there were still cars parked and didn't look like anything was happening. Either I was really early (around noon), really late, or Colemonkee was right and the Downtown News sucks with dates.

[blogdowntown]

I walked by the Medallion site, camera in hand, to see if anything was happening with groundbreaking, and there were still cars parked and didn't look like anything was happening. Either I was really early (around noon), really late, or Colemonkee was right and the Downtown News sucks with dates.

I saw a front end loader at work this morning, tearing up the side of the lot closest to 4th/Los Angeles.

[fridayinla]

DCBID's 2nd Quarter 2007 Complete Housing List:

http://www.downtownla.com/frame.asp?mainpage=pdfs/econ_residential/DT_ProjectPipeline.pdf

There are several errors and outdated info in this report, but thought I'd post it here anyway.

[Carioca]

hey kids-

a group of about ten of us closed escrow today!:cheers:
i'll be picking up my keys in the morning.:cheers:
we'll be moving in over the weekend!:cheers:

did i mention...:cheers: ???

[BrighamYen]

^ CONGRATS Carioca! Don't forget to post some pics on here of the interiors (if you can) when you get a chance.

[Carioca]

^Don't forget to post some pics on here ...

thanks, LAB.
here's a teaser from back in october!!!! my unit was mostly done at that point.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1049/905972227_b2a952248b_o.jpg

[citywatch]

^ A view from the Pan Am bldg?! Nothing better than seeing that formerly decrepit site cleaned up & made nice again, which is a condition it probably hasn't been in since over 60 yrs ago.

Still remember seeing the old rusty Giant Penny sign stuck on the Pan Am & getting :hell: over that bldg being one of many that was making the hood a big eyesore. Now that hood is becoming one of the most interesting, most classic old time places in LA.

[colemonkee]

Congrats Carioca! It's good to see people finally moving in.

[BrighamYen]

Oh very nice Caricoa! A unit facing Broadway. :) Congrats again!

[Westsidelife]

Kind of off topic...

Johnny Depp to Do Penthouse

Land Ho! Captain Jack Sparrow is sailing into a swanky loft in glamorous downtown L.A., mateys!

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tmz.com/media/2007/07/0727_depp_eastern.jpg

Johnny Depp, the super suave A-Lister has been living in France for years, and now he's just plunked down about $2 million on a penthouse loft at the newly converted Eastern Columbia (http://www.easterncolumbialofts.com/) building. TMZ spies say the Francophile's new pied-a-terre at the turquoise Art Deco landmark, features private decks, sweeping views of downtown and the San Bernardino mountains.

Johnny's new downtown neighbors include "Grey's Anatomy" Star T.R. Knight and Oscar nominee Ryan Gosling.

A rep for Depp did not immediately return our request for comment.

http://www.tmz.com/2007/07/27/johnny-depp-to-do-penthouse/

[BrighamYen]

Wow, this is completely news to me. The EC has units purchased by T.R. Knight and Ryan Gosling? How come that wasn't known before? I'm sure many successful actors (with a lot of money) are being advised to purchase in Downtown for investment purposes. Who knows, within a few years, perhaps Downtown LA will be attractive enough for celebrities to actually LIVE in Downtown as their primary residence.

Wow! Johnny Depp! I just saw him at Disneyland a few weeks ago (sitting with a pile of treasures ;))

[LA/OCman]

Wow, this is completely news to me. The EC has units purchased by T.R. Knight and Ryan Gosling? How come that wasn't known before? I'm sure many successful actors (with a lot of money) are being advised to purchase in Downtown for investment purposes. Who knows, within a few years, perhaps Downtown LA will be attractive enough for celebrities to actually LIVE in Downtown as their primary residence.

Wow! Johnny Depp! I just saw him at Disneyland a few weeks ago (sitting with a pile of treasures ;))

The article only says T.R. and Ryan Gosling are neighbors Downtown LA, not in the same building..

[fridayinla]

I visited the GLO leasing center today and viewed a couple of the 1 bedroom units there. Here's what I found out:

-Phase I (southern-most building off Wilshire) is already leasing with at least 30 units of 210 total to be occupied by the end of the month.

-Phase II (building on Wilshire) will be ready for occupancy by October 1st.

-Starbucks (which will be located in Phase II on the corner of Bixel on Wilshire) will receive their keys on Wed, with opening expected by October 1st.

-Other retail tenants currently under negotiations include a drycleaners and restaurant

-All units come with stainless steel appliances, and the finishes are decent but not incredible. Some units have carpet and others have polished concrete floors

-Common areas and hallways are very nice. The fitness center is 2-levels and fairly large. Phase II will include the pool, hot tub and a roof-top deck.

-An enclosed pedestrian bridge will connect Phases I & II

GLO Kitchen
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1204/934361356_ca7a50ec7c_b.jpg

GLO Bathroom
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1060/933515223_b65329ae6c_b.jpg

Polished Concrete Floor
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1295/934366276_e5282e8c57_b.jpg

Phase I Common Area
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1304/934362486_5125f40ba9_b.jpg

Looking over to Phase II's pool deck - you can see where the pedestrian bridge will connect just to the left of center
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1183/934364270_ea430e247f_b.jpg

According to the leasing agents at GLO, the project's developer Holland Partners is planning to move its headquarters to downtown Los Angeles from Vancouver, Washington. The 40-story tower they have planned at 1111 Wilshire (http://www.ladowntownnews.com/articles/2007/07/16/news/news02.txt) (Wilshire & Bixel) is expected to begin construction next year. Apparently, a historic brick building adjacent to the site (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fridayinla/751032025/in/set-72157600378713172/) will be renovated and integrated into the development as low income housing.

[suga]

^ A view from the Pan Am bldg?! Nothing better than seeing that formerly decrepit site cleaned up & made nice again, which is a condition it probably hasn't been in since over 60 yrs ago.

Still remember seeing the old rusty Giant Penny sign stuck on the Pan Am & getting :hell: over that bldg being one of many that was making the hood a big eyesore. Now that hood is becoming one of the most interesting, most classic old time places in LA.


Although I too appreciate the upgrades to the building and surroundings (which our civic entities have managed to neglect when occupied by working class patrons) I must ask you (and many others here) about the contradiction between supporting street vibrancy/activity and gentrification/cleaning. I seems like the only "dead spots" along the main broadway strip are where supposed "hot spots" like the Bway bar/orpheum are located, otherwise the area is packed, and only seems vacant around where gentrified buildings are sitting, why is that? Why is the infusion of well-to-do people in DTLA also the death of LA street vendors, an obviously essential enitity to maintaining street life (and allowed in other major cities where it is not solely the business of poor minorities)?

It seems like what you guys want contradicts what you guys want. I am not asking you DTLA promoters to fix the equity issues personally, but I do expect people who are dieing for some street life to not scoff at the people currently providing it, just becuase they are not your preferred demographic. Can someone explain this " I want some street activity, but not from them" attitude? You know, wealthy folks in say Paris or NYV deal with street vendors and cafe patrons not dressed in Gucci all the time, I'd hope the same can be said in the city with a majority of working calss immigrants.

So can someone answer my question? and please no anger or shit talking, I am being sincere. I am sick of people on here calling valid questions "whining" becuase they cannot answer them.

[RAlossi]

I seems like the only "dead spots" along the main broadway strip are where supposed "hot spots" like the Bway bar/orpheum are located, otherwise the area is packed, and only seems vacant around where gentrified buildings are sitting, why is that? Why is the infusion of well-to-do people in DTLA also the death of LA street vendors, an obviously essential enitity to maintaining street life (and allowed in other major cities where it is not solely the business of poor minorities)?

Broadway Bar/Orpheum/Eastern Columbia aren't deadzones -- ChrisLA and I were there a couple weekends ago and though it wasn't as lively as further north on Broadway, I think that's attributable to its being at the very end of the main Broadway strip. Look at a Google satellite view -- it's mostly parking lots around those buildings.

Same goes for the PanAmerican building. It's got parking lots around it and is almost in the Civic Center, a deadzone in and of itself.

I'm not a Broadway expert, but I do spend a lot of time there, and it's part of the reason I moved Downtown -- to be closer to the activity there. I love the street vendors and the hectic pace of walking up Broadway. I make it a habit to eat as many hot dogs wrapped in bacon as I can and eat at Grand Central Market all the time.

But I hate that the old movie palaces are churches and jewelry sales floors. There are enough non-movie palace storefronts on Broadway that if all the significant historic buildings were put back to their proper use (movie or performance spaces) that Broadway wouldn't lose its current charm or its historic character. All I want is for the historic elements to be retained and not ripped out.

I don't know anyone Downtown who dislikes Broadway. It may not hold much in their interest, but they don't express opinions as to whether the immigrant businesses should be kicked out or whether the street vendors should be banned. Most of my friends LOVE the street vendors. I really think the City Council should do more to encourage legal street vendors and expand the areas they're allowed to work in.

[suga]

Good points RAlossi, and I salute your support of DTLA street vendors (it takes balls to eat that stuff I must admit). Plus I agree with you on the uses being reconverted. But directly across from the Orpheum is that street fronting building with some steps across the front that is quite bustling, although I agree that becuase Broadway's gentrification is just beginning that it is premature to place total judgement.

I would love to see a mix of normal-upper end retail mixed with what exists today, but the disappearance of the once ubiquitous stroller cart food vendors on Broadway has made me resign to the fact that the upgrades to Broadway (and many folks moving in) will not allow a smooth transition or even mixing. Because of this resignation I was thinking that maybe the best thing for the working class Latino community currently using most of b'way is to move the discount swapmeet/underwear district to another nearby strip of DTLA, complete with a vendor zone (and signs noting the risk of the food for liability), so that this community is not organically moved to some stretch of south or east LA (organic only in the vendor/patron move, but coerced by civic/institutional actions) that is much less inferior and central. My only issue with this idea is that part of Broadway's working class success is that many folks are waiting for the many bus lines that terminate on the strip, which is why I think it should be moved to a nearby location. I only hope that upwardly mobile new DTangelinos can mix with the current locals/patrons in a seamless transition, not everyone can be as coll as RAlossi. I think most folks can handle a few low budget stores as long as the presence of a starbuck/famima/etc. balances out the situation, which is probably why many folks here scoff at the current Broadway. I scoff at the neglect more than the folks stuck in the neglect.

Anyways, thanks RAlossi, I dig your comments.

[BrighamYen]

I personally do not like the shops on Broadway at all. They look ratty and dirty. I am all for getting rid of them (most of them at least) and replaced by whatever business decides to make an effort to be clean and somewhat aesthetically pleasing. There's nothing impressive about street life when it's patronizing a bunch of swapmeet shops. Plus, Broadway is probably the most significant historic street in LA (if not one of the most important in America because of it is historic theatres). To have it remain a swap meet is hardly something I want for LA.

Anyway, all you wonderful people who feel so connected to the current Broadway, would be surprised to find out that even merchants who run businesses on Broadway KNOW it's ratty and would rather see it cleaned up. I talked to a lady who runs a taco/Mexican food shop and said even her own business was embarrassing and "shitty" (quoted word). She actually wanted to open up a new business inside one of the converted buildings and make it nice this time!

I'm not against any of the restaurants that would open up in the recently converted buildings and be clean and nice. The other swapmeet, sock-selling stores I can do without.

[suga]

^
Thanks for proving my point. I respect and understand your opinion, but it should not dictate how Broadway's transition into a cleaner safer environment should be handled, and most people who understand planning and sociology would agree (thankfully those in LA's planning dept do, but unfortunately not most developers and loft dwellers). Most folks can handle a few discount stores and taco stands/street vendors, and your opinion on what is acceptable for a vibrant street's demographic can either be considered elitist/racist (or IMO) ignorant.

Although i dont mind the street stands and sidewalk storefront accentuation stands (especially considering the high rents and tiny spaces), I agree that the buildings and public infrastructure deserves to be spruced up, but it is naive to think that the curent merchants must all be booted for some park avenue west.

It's naive to think this area should exclusively become a strip for the wealthy becuase 2/3rds of the locals(and city of LA) are working class immigrants, who deserve to have some (but not all) commercial representation/service in the area they congregate in too. It's naive to think this when the DTLA area cannot even got anything above a payless shoesource (where's the targets, food 4 less, old navy, jamba juice, medium-end stores?)beyond the isolated yuppie pockets in the area, a healthy functional downtown that is a local destination includes stores and restaraunts for people of all demographics. Basically put, LAB's exclusively yuppified version of what DTLA should be will never exist because there are to many working class people using the area (and not enough rich folks no matter how many more loftsters move in, DTLA is still not the westside and will never be because the westide is an enclave of wealth in an otherwise working class city). I recognize this and note that some smooth transition/happy mingling of both high, mid and low end stores be facilitated before we either have : a) a strip of empty storefronts b) a 1992-esque civil unrest (which is noted as being partially caused by civic/private neglect of minority communities while pandering to the wealthy, how quickly we forget). People like Brigham dont understand this, i will not delve into what fuels overcompensatory consumption and elitist behavior, but to ignore what facets are needed to sustain a healthy vibrant DTLA in lieu of some non-realistic dream of exclusive wealth concentration is not in the best interest of a better and functional DTLA my friends, especially when that area is currently still a neglected ghetto and most of the city are poor immigrants.

But I want the best for DTLA in a realistic manner.

[danparker276]

Broadway will never change. People renting those shops make to much money cus of the traffic they get. Rent there is 2nd highest in LA right?

There are to many other new parts of downtown a business would rather go to.

[BrighamYen]

Say what you will but citywatch is right about hypocrisy when it comes to people who claim "it's all about the 'genuine' urban vibe" or whatever you want to call it. Who say the ratty conditions on Broadway (and elsewhere downtown) are "cool" and "functional." But yet, one only has to walk on Broadway to realize that the shops cater only to a specific group (as opposed to a more general appeal). Basically, people will say "Broadway's cool" but continue to shop in the suburbs. If more people thought it was so cool, they would be there all the time since it is a very lively scene. You won't find me there for long except to traverse thru to get to another area. And that goes for most of the new downtown dwellers who are obviously absent from Broadway's retail scene.

Please don't bring up the race-card. I don't care what race patronizes an area. If it's dirty and unkept, I'm gonna be against it. I have nothing against "cheap shops" (for heaven's sake, I love the 99 cent Only store!) but I have something against squalor.

And I'll repeat, IMO, I think the significance of Broadway as an historic center makes it necessary to change its current character from ratty/shitty to elegant/refined. All the swap meet shops currently on Broadway SHOULD have a place downtown, but just not on our most beautiful street in the city.

[LAMetroGuy]

To suggest that someone wanting a clean street with vendors respecting the historic nature of the structures as being elitist behavior is a bit much. Broadway's status quo is an insult to the city and its residents. Nothing about Broadway is authentic, the shops and signage is pathetic at best. To clean something up does not mean to turn Broadway into Rodeo Drive. It means turning Broadway into a mix of restaruants, reatil, and entertainment venues. Why is this so bad? Whether it will happen or not (I believe it will sooner than later) is not the issue. Broadway can be a west coast version of 42nd street but better. These swap meet crap stores need to go!

[Echo Park]

The problem is the displacement of the employees and working class latino clientele that would be pushed into more concentrated and more neglected areas of the city. Where do you guys suggest all those swap meet places relocate? I do not care to rehabilitate Broadway. If whites, the middle class and yuppie elites don't like it, their forefathers should not have abandoned it all those years ago. Gentrification is colonization.

[ThreeHundred]

Say what you will but citywatch is right about hypocrisy when it comes to people who claim "it's all about the 'genuine' urban vibe" or whatever you want to call it. Who say the ratty conditions on Broadway (and elsewhere downtown) are "cool" and "functional." But yet, one only has to walk on Broadway to realize that the shops cater only to a specific group (as opposed to a more general appeal). Basically, people will say "Broadway's cool" but continue to shop in the suburbs. If more people thought it was so cool, they would be there all the time since it is a very lively scene. You won't find me there for long except to traverse thru to get to another area. And that goes for most of the new downtown dwellers who are obviously absent from Broadway's retail scene.

Please don't bring up the race-card. I don't care what race patronizes an area. If it's dirty and unkept, I'm gonna be against it. I have nothing against "cheap shops" (for heaven's sake, I love the 99 cent Only store!) but I have something against squalor.

And I'll repeat, IMO, I think the significance of Broadway as an historic center makes it necessary to change its current character from ratty/shitty to elegant/refined. All the swap meet shops currently on Broadway SHOULD have a place downtown, but just not on our most beautiful street in the city.

I 100% agree. As I always say when talking about Broadway: There isn't a market for bacon wrapped hotdogs and fried grease.

:gtfo2:

[BrighamYen]

The problem is the displacement of the employees and working class latino clientele that would be pushed into more concentrated and more neglected areas of the city. Where do you guys suggest all those swap meet places relocate? I do not care to rehabilitate Broadway. If whites, the middle class and yuppie elites don't like it, their forefathers should not have abandoned it all those years ago. Gentrification is colonization.


Actually, my guess is the current latino clientele would probably switch to Westlake/MacArthur Park since Broadway is so similar to that area (lotsa swap meets). Is it any more neglected than Broadway? Not really. But don't get me wrong, I don't really recommend those swap meet places relocate ANYWHERE to be honest. I don't condone squalor and so I definitely would not be enthused to see more squalor just "transferred" to another area. :yuck: However, if those businesses were to decide to CLEAN UP, then I wouldn't have an issue with them.

As for your comments about not caring about what "whites and middle class" people think: THAT'S REVERSE DISCRIMINATION. If anyone is fighting for "equality" or demands respect for Broadway in its current squalor state, you sure as hell can't turn around and say you don't give a crap about ethnic whites or middle class people (the reverse of elitisim). Middle class people in LA include Latinos, Asians, blacks, and whites just to remind you. :koko: The "gentrification" of Broadway is going to be a natural evolution of Downtown LA as more residents move in.

If everyone was so concerned about neighborhood demographics changing (as Echo Park strongly states), we should all be worried that many whites and blacks are fleeing the city as more Latinos and Asians are populating Southern California and replacing neighborhoods that were once white.

Why the double standard? :rolleyes:

[danparker276]

Why would you want to change if you're renting out that retail space?
Pay money for renovation, repairs, street cleaning, security... and for what? So you can charge less rent.

[RAlossi]

One thing that really does bother me about businesses on Broadway is that when I used to work in retail as a student, the owner(s) would have me sweep the sidewalk in front of the store at least twice daily with the occasional hosing down in the mornings. This doesn't happen on Broadway and if just a few businesses did, I think it would make an impact.

Then you get into the whole "why isn't the city doing this?" issue. Eh.

[LA/OCman]

One thing that really does bother me about businesses on Broadway is that when I used to work in retail as a student, the owner(s) would have me sweep the sidewalk in front of the store at least twice daily with the occasional hosing down in the mornings. This doesn't happen on Broadway and if just a few businesses did, I think it would make an impact.

Then you get into the whole "why isn't the city doing this?" issue. Eh.


Actually, it is happening at our end of Broadway (9th and Broadway). This part will be changing even more. The Tower Theater, the Chapman, the Eastern Columbia, Broadway Bar, the Union (actually 8th and Hill) have started the renaissance. There is supposedly a Coffee and Tea place going in just south of the Orpheum. The Chapman has two retail spaces coming in including Kelly's Coffee and Fudge and a Day Spa/Acupuncturist. The Tower is changing their tenants aiming at a higher quality tenant and cleaning up their exterior. BTW, the tenants in front of the old May Co building and across the street at the Orpheum all wash down their sidewalks daily. How about the BID doing some powerwashing!

If the planning dept (Gail Goldberg) treats this area like she did the Gaslamp District in San Diego, we are in for a great future. 9th is becoming a little restaurant row...some have remodeled near Broadway...and the Eastern Columbia will likely draw quality tenants in the future.

I have to say, I am really amazed at the vibrancy of 9th near Broadway. Lots of foot traffic heading to the fashion district and now a lot of people walking down 9th to Ralphs. Swap meets are for weekend parking lots..not for historic structures. Now, about those steel garage doors fronting Broadway...

[suga]

Actually, my guess is the current latino clientele would probably switch to Westlake/MacArthur Park since Broadway is so similar to that area (lotsa swap meets). Is it any more neglected than Broadway? Not really. But don't get me wrong, I don't really recommend those swap meet places relocate ANYWHERE to be honest. I don't condone squalor and so I definitely would not be enthused to see more squalor just "transferred" to another area. :yuck: However, if those businesses were to decide to CLEAN UP, then I wouldn't have an issue with them.

As for your comments about not caring about what "whites and middle class" people think: THAT'S REVERSE DISCRIMINATION. If anyone is fighting for "equality" or demands respect for Broadway in its current squalor state, you sure as hell can't turn around and say you don't give a crap about ethnic whites or middle class people (the reverse of elitisim). Middle class people in LA include Latinos, Asians, blacks, and whites just to remind you. :koko: The "gentrification" of Broadway is going to be a natural evolution of Downtown LA as more residents move in.

If everyone was so concerned about neighborhood demographics changing (as Echo Park strongly states), we should all be worried that many whites and blacks are fleeing the city as more Latinos and Asians are populating Southern California and replacing neighborhoods that were once white.

Why the double standard? :rolleyes:


See, Brigham, I totally agree with you. Your brazen talk previously just smacked of "they can go to hell for all I care" elitism, which is what my comments are directed. I personally think, from an economically realistic perspective, that hi-mid-lo end stores can all complement DTLA and will need to because we do not have quite the concentration of wealth needed. You know, there are plenty of letters between A and Z. I guess I was being devil's advocate to the DT boosters, but they are genuine questions, not an attempt to rain on your parade.

But then stupid shit like this is said:

There isn't a market for bacon wrapped hotdogs and fried grease.

Yes there is, which is why they operated so prevalently before police intervention. Your opinion is just that, your opinion, and should not be forced upon people who actually use and exist in DTLA. By the way, arent you from the IE or riverside? come now man, LOL! Hot dog vendors are a social aspect of the city, cater to a certain clientele, supply an array of immenities in otherwise large voids, and supply some of our poorest citizesn with an honest means of making money. Oh, but some snobbish yuppie doesnt like the smell, you know what plenty probably like hot dogs too!

[BrighamYen]

Why would you want to change if you're renting out that retail space?
Pay money for renovation, repairs, street cleaning, security... and for what? So you can charge less rent.

Because Broadway DOESN'T have the "2nd highest rent" in LA. That's the biggest fucking fallacy in Downtown LA. Broadway retail spaces are at about $5-8 a square foot, which is definitely high, but it isn't the "second highest." Even 3rd Street Promenade gets higher rent (anywhere from $6-12 a square foot). Melrose Place, where Oscar De La Renta and Marc Jacobs are stationed, command up to $15 a square foot (cheap compared to Rodeo Drive which is around $28 a square foot).

My point? These building owners DO have an incentive to clean their crap up and make even more money than they do today ($5 to $8 a square foot). Why not charge as high as 3rd Street Promenade? :rolleyes:

[BrighamYen]

I personally think, from an economically realistic perspective, that hi-mid-lo end stores can all complement DTLA and will need to because we do not have quite the concentration of wealth needed.

I have no problem with low end stores. Like I said before, I love the 99 Cent Only store. And don't knock on me and call me "elitist" for expressing my opinion when you have posters on this board who say they "don't give a crap what happens to the whites or middle class." - Echo Park

I have a problem with squalor and I'm not cool with having one of the densest collection of everyday-swapmeets continue to tarnish one of LA's most architecturally beautiful streets. LA needs to aim higher than that. :frog:

[citywatch]

^a 1992-esque civil unrest (which is noted as being partially caused by civic/private neglect of minority communities while pandering to the wealthy, how quickly we forget).
I've sometimes wondered if LA has been the scene of 2 riots, in 1965 & 1992, because alot of ppl, inc the ones living in the city, think way too many of its hoods are such dives & dumps, they can't help but say, hey, a little destruction, fire & mayhem may not be such a bad thing. Yea, I know that's a really sarcastic observation, but if you've ever gotten stuck with a lemon----for instance, a fugly car or cheap household appliance that's always breaking down, or bad computer----the reaction of a lot of ppl is to thrash the thing & then toss it out ASAP. :cool:

[suga]

I have no problem with low end stores. Like I said before, I love the 99 Cent Only store. And don't knock on me and call me "elitist" for expressing my opinion when you have posters on this board who say they "don't give a crap what happens to the whites or middle class." - Echo Park

This sounds pretty elitist to me:
I personally do not like the shops on Broadway at all. They look ratty and dirty. I am all for getting rid of them (most of them at least) and replaced by whatever business decides to make an effort to be clean and somewhat aesthetically pleasing. There's nothing impressive about street life when it's patronizing a bunch of swapmeet shops.

So, if these same merchants were to clean up their store's cluter yet sell the same cheap good you'd be supportive of them (with the inclusion of higher end stores as well I presume)? What is so squalid about racks and tables of unused goods being presented in front of a store that is 8' wide? I have a feeling you'd see no problem is Prada had tables of bags and socks in front of their stores, and you seem to be confusing dirty sidewalks and facades as well as a lack of public toilets and trees/furniture with the tenants and merchants making a living on the strip. these merchants and patrons can be doing a better job of cleaning the area too, but the bigest culprit is the agency in charge of Broadway's maintenance, the city of LA.

I have a problem with squalor and I'm not cool with having one of the densest collection of everyday-swapmeets continue to tarnish one of LA's most architecturally beautiful streets. LA needs to aim higher than that.

What is so squalid about racks and tables of unused goods being presented in front of a store that is 8' wide? I have a feeling you'd see no problem is Prada had tables of bags and socks in front of their stores, and you seem to be confusing dirty sidewalks and facades as well as a lack of public toilets and trees/furniture with the tenants and merchants making a living on the strip. these merchants and patrons can be doing a better job of cleaning the area too, but the bigest culprit is the agency in charge of Broadway's maintenance, the city of LA. The signs and dirty buildings I can agree with.


Although I agree that inclusion of everyone is essential, there is a big difference between not caring about the poor and middle class/white. The last group mentioned has been catered to by our private and public institutions for centuries whereas the poor have been generally neglected (and Broadway's condition should be a major example). The middle class/white have more resources and capital to correct or address issues amongst them the poor generally do not (which is why california's Latino population still does not control politics in the state).

People tend to think that when issues of social equity or race/class is brought up that overarching ideals like equity apply evenly to everyone, which is only partially true. Everyone is entitled to equity and freedom, but not everyone is given or earns that equity, and civic policies exist to address that inequity. So on an uneven playing field it is naive to talk about things like social equity oriented policy needing to be applied to everyone, because not everyone is recieving an equal amount of equity to begin with. It is like giving a welfare check to everyone, incuding multimillionaire CEOs, which does not make sense. It is like woman or homosexual or minority asserting their rights to a someone complaining about "where's my preference" when they in fact came from a place of privelege to begin with, that privelege now being pursued by the woman or gay or minority.

Simply put: things arent even, and to talk about subjects about as if everything is even is ignorant. Our private market is taking care of providing lofts and other amenities to wealthier angelinos, our civic entities are magically cleaning DTLA after 60 years of neglect now that the poor people have new neighbors. Thes are reasons why talking about social equity is not the same for poor and middle class people.

[citywatch]

Say what you will but citywatch is right about hypocrisy when it comes to people who claim "it's all about the 'genuine' urban vibe" or whatever you want to call it.
To be more precise, what irks me is when ppl are very idealistic, although (to give them credit) in the beginning at least living on the front lines (example: their buying a loft in a very urbanized hood), but then eventually finding themselves so tired of the grit, grime & crime that they too pack their bags & move out to the burbs or some other nice, comfy location. What really makes me go :gaah: is when, from the safety of that location, they continue to preach the message of "let's accept everything & anything, who are we to judge?, & the condition of a street like Broadway, good or bad, is altogether in the eye of the beholder".

Similarly, there's someone in my family who's a big fan of stopping global warming, of keeping the planet green, of promoting rapid transit. And yet several months ago she decided to move even farther away from where she works, making her commute even longer than before, &, in turn, adding another layer of congestion. Worse of all, when I suggested we try to carpool on at least a few occasions, she resisted the idea, implying it would be too much of a nuisance. Only good thing I can say about her is she decided last yr to stick with her current smaller car instead of buying-----yep, ya got it----a big gas guzzler; she told me she had gone to a few car dealers & was looking at various SUVs.

[citywatch]

I just came across this blog (http://wong-potter.blogspot.com/2007/07/chinatown.html) & thought of the various comments posted here about DT becoming too gentrified. For so many ppl, living either in LA or elsewhere, the idea of parts of the hood becoming too nice & cleaned up is sort of like a 500 lb woman, with super high cholesterol, worrying that she may become too healthy & skinny.

And I still remember the blogger from India----from India, no less!!----who visited CA last yr & said LA, unlike SF, didn't have a spark to it, & recommended that travelers on a tight schedule bypass LA altogether.

after walking for awhile took some pics again then took a bus down to Chinatown..Chinatown is ok..not say very nice..maybe coz its near downtown and downtown LA is not famous for being clean..its not even safe to be there after 6pm coz there's a lot of homeless ppl around..i thought the Chinatown in San Francisco was much nicer..

But to return this thread to its original topic, here's a pic I found on a blog at shainla.typepad.com. It's a great bird's eye view of the South Group's 3 condo bldgs, elleven, Luma & evo. It also hints at all the land around there that still could use some fixing up.

http://shainla.typepad.com/./photos/uncategorized/2007/07/25/img_0517.jpg

[BrighamYen]

Thank you citywatch.

Yes, to repeat myself: "Broadway screams of squalor!" It's definitely NOT cool to me in its current state. I don't shop there and I don't think very many people moving to downtown LA do either (including future visitors to Downtown). It's not JUST about the cheap everyday swap meets and dirty signs and sidewalks. Something about it just doesn't feel relevant. And that feeling is shared by pretty much most of those who move to Downtown LA (otherwise you'd see them more frequently shopping - there are hundreds and hundreds of new residents).

IMO, I'd prefer to see it changed/evolved into something much more diversified (ethnically and socioeconomically). Give me Prada and give me Walgreens. It's gotta become cleaned up. And it's gotta become more relevant to ALL the people of LA, so everyone can enjoy it. Not just a single demographic that currently dominates the street.

[ThreeHundred]

Yes there is, which is why they operated so prevalently before police intervention. Your opinion is just that, your opinion, and should not be forced upon people who actually use and exist in DTLA. By the way, arent you from the IE or riverside? come now man, LOL! Hot dog vendors are a social aspect of the city, cater to a certain clientele, supply an array of immenities in otherwise large voids, and supply some of our poorest citizesn with an honest means of making money. Oh, but some snobbish yuppie doesnt like the smell, you know what plenty probably like hot dogs too!

What does me living in Riverside have to do with anything?

[danparker276]

I've heard different things about the rent on Broadway. $5-8 a sq foot sounds about right, but other people/publications say it's more. Most good restuarnts in downtown pay around $3-4 a sq foot? Is that right?

[suga]

What does me living in Riverside have to do with anything?

It means you do not know squat about the demand for greasy hot dogs in downtown. Did you not read the last 2 sentences thoat you quoted off me or something? Before the recent police busts, the corner of LA and 6th streets was an organic food court rivaling any other local eatery in terms of vibrance and foot traffic.

And LABeauty, let me get this straight, your concern for economic equity is somehow segregated to wealthy and middle class people? I figure "relevance" means relevance to the wealthy, as a strip of low end stores that cater to poor Latinos located along a corridor where most central city busses terminate or meet (in a city that is mostly working class Latinos east of La Brea) seems pretty darn relevant to me. Civic officials/entities/newbies to the area wanting it to soeley serve their needs, in lieu of the demographics living near DTLA and fact that these mentioned folks were the ones to initially abandon and neglect DTLA, seems a heck of a lot more irrelevant to me.

And this comment striked me (amongst others);

Not just a single demographic that currently dominates the street.

I dont know, your lack of any regard for the people that kept this area from being a parking lot for the past 50 years seems a little crass and arrogant to me. I dont expect you to be Mr. PC, but the negative manner and descriptive words you use to talk about DTLA's current patrons seems a little negative and outright ill willed. These people dominate Broadway becuase nobody else did for decades, and have made a vibrant functioning strip out of civic and corporate neglect, as well as neglect from people like yourself. The department stores left the area becuase of that very elitist behavior, and it should definitely not guide the future of the area.

Yes to the new wealth in DTLA, yes to maintaining an equitable (and realistic) diversity in commerical ammenities. You know what I'd really like? Some damn way to get more middle class families into the area as well, it really cannot be just poor and wealthy.

[BrighamYen]

I've heard different things about the rent on Broadway. $5-8 a sq foot sounds about right, but other people/publications say it's more. Most good restuarnts in downtown pay around $3-4 a sq foot? Is that right?


"Other people/publications" are obviously perpetuating a damaging fallacy about Broadway's "highest" rent. It's NOT the second highest in the city. It's not exactly CHEAP, but it sure as hell doesn't hold a candle to anything established on the Westside. It's damaging because people may think it really does cost way too much and completely forgo the area or have less bargaining power with the landlord. But actually, Broadway could become a very nice street and be charged WAY MORE. If Robertson is getting $20, Broadway could get as much if the right kind of retail tenant occupied its spaces.

Here's an excerpt from an article bjornson posted just today in the Southern California Retail thread:

"The new neighbors are some of the fashion world’s blue-chip names, and the rents are relatively cheap compared tenants to other shopping locales in the city. A square foot of commercial space goes for $15 at Melrose Place, according to Dembo. A square foot of commercial space on Rodeo Drive is $40. And on the most sought-after blocks of Robertson Boulevard, rents go for about $20 per square foot."


And regarding what other spaces are charging, it varies depending on building and location. Some landlords are charging up to $4, while some are at $2.50. Corner spaces are going to cost more than ones away from the corner. Also, you have to ask how much TI is the landlord giving? How much CAM is the tenant responsible for?

[BrighamYen]

It means you do not know squat about the demand for greasy hot dogs in downtown. Did you not read the last 2 sentences thoat you quoted off me or something? Before the recent police busts, the corner of LA and 6th streets was an organic food court rivaling any other local eatery in terms of vibrance and foot traffic.

And LABeauty, let me get this straight, your concern for economic equity is somehow segregated to wealthy and middle class people? I figure "relevance" means relevance to the wealthy, as a strip of low end stores that cater to poor Latinos located along a corridor where most central city busses terminate or meet (in a city that is mostly working class Latinos east of La Brea) seems pretty darn relevant to me. Civic officials/entities/newbies to the area wanting it to soeley serve their needs, in lieu of the demographics living near DTLA and fact that these mentioned folks were the ones to initially abandon and neglect DTLA, seems a heck of a lot more irrelevant to me.

And this comment striked me (amongst others);

Not just a single demographic that currently dominates the street.

I dont know, your lack of any regard for the people that kept this area from being a parking lot for the past 50 years seems a little crass and arrogant to me. I dont expect you to be Mr. PC, but the negative manner and descriptive words you use to talk about DTLA's current patrons seems a little negative and outright ill willed. These people dominate Broadway becuase nobody else did for decades, and have made a vibrant functioning strip out of civic and corporate neglect, as well as neglect from people like yourself. The department stores left the area becuase of that very elitist behavior, and it should definitely not guide the future of the area.

Yes to the new wealth in DTLA, yes to maintaining an equitable (and realistic) diversity in commerical ammenities. You know what I'd really like? Some damn way to get more middle class families into the area as well, it really cannot be just poor and wealthy.

This is beating a dead horse. You have your opinion, I have mine. I think Broadway should/will evolve into something very, very different from what it is today. Just because the people who patronize Broadway today are there, doesn't mean neighborhoods and cities do not evolve. Old Town Pasadena was once an area for seedy activity. Hollywood was once completely abandoned. Santa Monica used to have cars traverse through 3rd St. Monterey Park used to be white. Boyle Heights used to have a large population of Jews. If you think Broadway will always remain this way, then YOU are the one who is naive and ignorant. You should already know that with Downtown LA becoming more focal in the region, it is only a matter of time before the area changes to reflect a new relevancy for new visitors and residents. It doesn't mean all poor, Latino immigrants will be squeezed out, it just means other groups will be sharing the space along with them. Take a look at Manhattan. You have poor, Latino immigrants riding their bikes right past Chanel and Prada.

[sopas ej]

This is beating a dead horse. You have your opinion, I have mine. I think Broadway should/will evolve into something very, very different from what it is today. Just because the people who patronize Broadway today are there, doesn't mean neighborhoods and cities do not evolve. Old Town Pasadena was once an area for seedy activity. Hollywood was once completely abandoned. Santa Monica used to have cars traverse through 3rd St. Monterey Park used to be white. Boyle Heights used to have a large population of Jews. If you think Broadway will always remain this way, then YOU are the one who is naive and ignorant. You should already know that with Downtown LA becoming more focal in the region, it is only a matter of time before the area changes to reflect a new relevancy for new visitors and residents. It doesn't mean all poor, Latino immigrants will be squeezed out, it just means other groups will be sharing the space along with them. Take a look at Manhattan. You have poor, Latino immigrants riding their bikes right past Chanel and Prada.

If I may add, also, the Broadway businesses and the people who patronize them have already begun shifting to other areas anyway, probably from the mid 1990s, way before the "newer" residents of downtown LA started arriving. From what I've read (and seen firsthand), the new Latino center of commerce has begun to shift (or might have already shifted) to downtown Huntington Park, along Pacific Boulevard.

I'm hoping that Broadway DOES become a nicer place to visit once again. Broadway/DTLA supposedly has the highest concentration of Beaux-Arts architecture anywhere in the US... that alone should make it a destination. Plus all the old movie palaces... it would be great if those were restored too, for visitors and for the downtown residents.

[Echo Park]

http://shainla.typepad.com/./photos/uncategorized/2007/07/25/img_0517.jpg

Man look at the size of that block between 12th and 11th. In my opinion this hampers DTLA's efforts to become very urbanized. Imagine in the photo above a narrow street running between Evo and Elleven. Walking down a street like that would feel very urban to me having the appearnce of density seem more immediate. I guess nothing can be done about DTLA's block size situation. Developers could spend less money and maybe jump fewer hurdles if they wanted to build on something smaller like that.

[BrighamYen]

^ Astani is one of the developers who are cutting a path for pedestrians thru his projects, including Concerto and the proposed Opus at 8th/Grand. Basically there would be a pedestrian promenade that would slice thru the center of the loooong block and also have retail thru it as well! I believe Medallion will have a similar idea.

Even so, DTLA is very similar to Manhattan's street grid layout in this regard. To traverse thru Manhattan from west-to-east (the avenues) is a more arduous walk because the blocks are so long (just like DTLA from north-to-south). Manhattan has shorter blocks going north-to-south (the numbered streets) but DTLA has longer blocks in this case (our numbered streets).

I think it'll be awesome if developers do what Astani is planning for the Concerto, by slicing thru the middle of the block. But even if they didn't, the solution to this problem would be to add plenty of retail so the perception of time for the pedestrian is shortened because he/she is walking past window storefronts. :)

[danparker276]

Just my opinion but, Broadway is to far away from staples center to get the foot traffice to make it worth the change. What's going to bring people over to Broadway??? Some old theaters? Even if they cleaned them up, I'd rather go to the new ones at LA Live, or disney concert hall.

If I were a business I wouldn't move there just because it used to be a big street. There is a larger concentration of new lofts around south park, city west, or little tokyo.

If I was going to pay top dollar, I'd want to be on Fig.

[BrighamYen]

^ You're not being consistent with your "logic." You say that Broadway is "too far" from Staples, yet you mention a "larger" concentration of lofts around LT (much further away from Staples) as a place businesses should consider. That is totally and completely INACCURATE, since most of the new units added to DTLA's housing stock exist in the adaptive-reuse conversions, which last time I checked, the bulk of them are in the HISTORIC CORE. ;) Broadway is sandwiched by Hill and Spring and Broadway itself is seeing major conversion activity (Eastern Columbia, Orpheum Lofts, Blackstone, Chapman, Pan Am, Victor Clothing, Judson Rives Lofts, Arcade, Barry Lofts, Jewelry Trade Lofts, etc.). Plus, the west-to-east corridors have the best possibility of high retail activity because they actually already EXIST! They were built at a time when zero-set-backs were the norm and pedestrians ruled. Seventh Street is the main corridor that would tie the FiDi to the Historic Core and funnel pedestrians back and forth between Broadway and the Fidi/South Park. Any person looking down 7th Street in either direction can see it is amazing. Whether you're at 7th/Flower looking east, or standing at Broadway looking west.

So to say that Broadway is a lost cause and what in the world is going to bring people over to Broadway is probably the most retarded thing I've heard in awhile on this board. lol! Los Angeles needs a much substantially larger 3-dimensional pedestrian realm larger than JUST South Park to become a world-class downtown.

[danparker276]

Well the part of broadway that has the most stuff, theaters/foot traffic is around eastern columbia 8th and 9th.
You got a few small lofts spead all over the place.

Blackstone 82 units
Chapman 168
Orphean 43

Barry Lofts up on 5th has 208 units
There are a few lofts on spring between 7th and 6th, but no density like southpark or city west. Just look at the map on downtownla.com

City west has density
1234 Wilshire 100+
1111 Wilshire 40+ stories
1100 Wilshire 228 units
1050 Wilshire 200 units
1010 Wilshire 402 units
1027 Wilshire 40 stories

40 and 13 story buildings planned between Wilshire and Medici

Pierro 228
PierroII 300
Medici 630

[sopas ej]

I wouldn't doubt that Broadway will become nicer, I mean, downtown in general is a lot nicer than it was even 5 years ago. I don't see why downtown redevelopment would bypass Broadway.

About a year or two ago, my friend and I walked up and down Broadway on a weekday, and as I recall there was plenty of foot traffic up and down the street. We did go into an interesting botanica on 3rd and Broadway... I assume it still exists? Anyway, I wouldn't mind the little interesting shops like that staying and the swap meets leaving.

[fridayinla]

This week a colleague and I went to tour the new condos at Santee Village's Cornell Building (Phase II). I took a lot of photos of the building and some model units. The prices are decent - the cheapest being a 659 SF unit on 7th Floor (alley view) for $320,400. HOA dues range from $450 - $650 / month, but tons of amenities including pool/hot tub, fitness center, basketball court, bbq areas, putting green, driving range, door walk area and many on-site retail tenants (including a mini-market and RiteAID) - and there's a lot more. They're also supposed to be getting a new mid-scale restaurant facing the interior courtyard. All residences in the Cornell Building come with 1 subterranean parking space, but you have to buy your own refrigerator.

Santee Village Courtyard Area - This is actually the patio view from the North side-facing units
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1271/988898221_7f1615b482_b.jpg

Common Area Fountain
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1137/988904523_ff8ba91d09_b.jpg

Hallway
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1254/989756858_5d892a3b58_b.jpg

Original Marble Staircase in Cornell Building Lobby
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1287/988895455_548e366908_b.jpg

Typical Unit's Ceiling
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1110/989756526_a676447461_b.jpg

All Model Units Photos
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1344/988895817_0e8056a0f3_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1367/989749828_e163ec2f43_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1398/988897215_aa272fd593_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1419/988897711_c76cb87564_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1282/989752370_4b1f7b16c0_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1168/989752752_9fe4dde284_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1223/989753322_c46ca3533e_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1022/989754302_c090f8cb8d_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1432/988901167_f2fd89e9fc_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1137/989755136_2161cd0ecf_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1402/989755428_ed383837fb_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1100/988904053_a30cb996eb_b.jpg

View from Units along Los Angeles Street
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1072/989757164_efd5ff2d68_b.jpg

Views from Units along South Side
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1385/989755792_3c6182000b_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1317/989756234_191bfe4585_b.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1135/989750348_0800b4c632_b.jpg

[BrighamYen]

^^^ Suuure, you're including proposals for buildings that haven't even received entitlements yet and using Palmer's fortresses as positive examples? Give it up, we all know City West is years away from being the pedestrian-oriented neighborhood the Historic Core already provides today. The Historic Core is about the only part of LA that was built with people in mind. If you're including tower proposals, I might as well toss in the projects like Zen, St. Vibiana Lofts, Barry Shy's tower at 6th/Main. As well as the Barry Shy Lofts ready to come online in a few.

Nevertheless, I'm not here to pit one area of Downtown against another. My point is to raise the importance of the Historic Core to mentally-challenged folks who fail to see how important Broadway is to DTLA's future success as an important urban center.

[fridayinla]

^The Historic Core and City West (and I speak as a resident of Vero) have great potential, but are years away from being great urban neighborhoods. If all the projects in City West get built as scheduled (and I believe most will), it will become one of the most desirable and pedestrian-friendly neigherhoods in downtown. Broadway (and the HC in general) gives downtown its urban spirit. The developments/projects are less clustered, comparatively speaking, but it has undeniable intrinsic value to our city.

[danparker276]

Well the argument I'm making is, in order for those shops to go away, there needs to be a big draw to go over there. I'm talking about broadway from 7th to 9th.

People up on 5th/6th street and main are gonna to walk other directions. Why would anyone walk down to where those old theaters are?
What high end shop is going to pay more per sq foot than those shops to move in there?

Nothing will change there for 20 years.

[BrighamYen]

^ I think the whole debate we've been having on this thread has been theoretical urban plans for Broadway. I posted rents from the region to refute the fallacy that Broadway gets "the second highest rents" in the LA area. The point is Broadway has great potential to become a hub for retail in the future from 2nd street all the way down to Olympic Blvd. If you don't consider that a significant asset to DTLA's urban future, then you're obviously still ignorant.

[PeterJ]

Dan, I am surprised at your skepticism about the southern end of Broadway.

The section of Broadway between 7th and 9th is like the section of the historic core around Pete's except 10 times better. It's going to be the nexus of a kind of urban, cool, historic LA thing. What will make people travel to that section of DT? Restaurants, bars, and concerts. Unique, non-chain experiences and content that you can't get anywhere else in the city.

On top of that you have the residential density from the Orpheum, EC, Chapman, and Blackstone, not to mention the buildings under rehab on Main and Spring. This will provide the baseline population that will create and sustain an active vibe on the street.

During the day, you have the cultural vibrancy and added foot traffic provided by the fashion district and some of the most beautiful and interesting looking people in LA. Trend setters in a town obsessed with trends.

At 9th and Broadway, Kor is going to put some fabulous, one-of-kind retail in the ground floor and basement of the EC. We're talking a destination restaurant and a bar. The kind of places people will drive to from the Westside, let alone Central City West.

Across the street, you have the Broadway Bar which is already a happening and -- with it's patio on Broadway itself -- well-designed spot.

Then you have the Orpheum which is doing more and more concerts. Super smart in my book. On the marquee, right now, they are advertising 8 concerts. All of which will be sold out. Why will people living at 1100 Wilshire go to Broadway? Because they want to see Ben Harper or Stars or whomever. There is strong market for bands and artists who are too big for spaceland and too small for nokia. and the people who dig these bands are often the kind of people who will dig Broadway and flip over the Orpheum; they won't be scared off by the shadier aspects and they will fall in love with the architecture and history.

I think that LA LIVE and, perhaps, in the future, Central City West will provide a more corporate/chain experience for residents and pedestrians. The historic core is more Woodspoon and LA LIVE is more Wolfgang Puck. Each has its place and each has its draw. In the end, though, I think Broadway, starting with the nexus at 9th street, will evolve into a vibrant and in demand destination because of its uniqueness and style. I mean, Johnny Depp just bought a penthouse at the Eastern Columbia ;).

[Echo Park]

The section of broadway between 7th and 9th also happens to be the most dead. :yuck:

[Carioca]

Well the argument I'm making is...
Nothing will change there for 20 years.

Mr. Parker-
When I moved to Old Town Pasadena in '89 my friends from the valley were saying the same thing, That place is a slum, nothing will change there for 20 years. It changed. Things are happening here in the Historic Core at a speed they could've only dreamed about in Pasadena. (The Valley, on the other hand. is exactly the same...) The inventory of eminently usable, historically relevant, completely unreproducible buildings all along Broadway make this a no brainer. LA Live will be great for tourist, and the City Walk crowd, but that is not for everyone. Los Angeles has a huge diverse population. Look at what has happened to Los Feliz and Silverlake. To write off Broadway because the buildings are filled with swap meet shops seems naive to me. Sure you can get more density from forty plus stories, but that in no way diminishes the potential of a street like Broadway.

[BrighamYen]

The section of broadway between 7th and 9th also happens to be the most dead. :yuck:

#1) 7th and Broadway is probably the most busy intersection in DTLA in terms of foot traffic (at least during the day).

#2) There is a lack of foot traffic south of 8th St. because you start to see a sharp decrease in swap meet stores. In other words, the "edge of the cliff" for shoppers is right there. So of course you're not going to get the bulk of activity, same goes for anything north of 3rd/2nd streets on Broadway.

#3) Also, another reason why you don't see huge crowds yet below 8th street on Broadway is because it's a (very) nascent retail scene that attracts a different kind of crowd than the immigrant Latinos that currently patronize the swap meets. Obviously, Broadway Bar is not geared toward immigrant Latinos (everyone has their own scene) and is geared toward the same kind of crowds you'd find in Silver Lake/Los Feliz or Santa Monica. In other words, 8th thru 9th St. has yet to develop a critical mass of "Broadway Bar-style retail establishments," hence the lack of pedestrian activity at this time. The lack of pedestrian activity will change once there is a critical mass of stores geared toward the new Downtown LA. That entails getting rid of the swamp meets in the Broadway Exchange Building and replacing them with broader appeal stores. I could see a Target or even a few other large tenants lease out of that HUUUGE building! :)



Here are a couple of photos I took in NYC to illustrate my point about the possibilities for the Broadway Exchange Building:

http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/6185/img7748kz4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Notice TJ Maxx and Bed Bath & Beyond
http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/1639/img7749rn2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


Here's an historic picture of our beautiful Brdwy EX Blding:

http://www.mitchglaser.com/journal/uploaded_images/hamburger-766626.jpg
Image from mitchglaser.com

[PeterJ]

I live at the corner of 9th and Broadway and it is far from dead. It is just a different crowd than the rest of Broadway. At night, it is one of more active stretches of Broadway because of the Broadway bar (the rest of Broadway is a ghost town at night) and, when there is a show at the Orpheum, it is by far the most active stretch. Frankly, it's packed. A beautiful sight.

The problem with the sections of Broadway populated by the swap meets is that the shops close at 7. They roll down the metal gates and the street dies. That is not a healthy use of the streetscape. It is neighborhood killing. That is why the swap meets need to go or evolve into something more dynamic.

The absence of the swap meet stores in the EC, Orpheum, Chapman and Blackstone and Tower will make it the easiest to turn around.

Right now, there is a coffee and tea shop under construction in the building opposite the EC. Another coffee shop is going into the Chapman. And Kor is going to put some amazing Avalon/Viceroy type retail in the EC.

Combine all those things (the residential density, the shops, restaurants, bars, theatre) and you have the begins of a thriving neighborhood.

[BrighamYen]

That is why the swap meets need to go or evolve into something more dynamic.

Exactly. The swap meets need to evolve into retail similar to anything else you'd find elsewhere somewhere in LA. Plus, going off what you said in your post, future stores should not have "garage door" security gates to cover window displays. There should be dynamic and interesting window displays that you find on streets like Melrose Ave. or wherever there are interesting/nice window displays. :tup:

[danparker276]

All I'm saying if rent is $5-10 a sq foot on broadway, those stores have no reason to change when the rest of downtown is $2-4 a sq foot. It's going to take some time for the prices to catch up to it.

[Wright Concept]

Exactly. The swap meets need to evolve into retail similar to anything else you'd find elsewhere somewhere in LA. Plus, going off what you said in your post, future stores should not have "garage door" security gates to cover window displays. There should be dynamic and interesting window displays that you find on streets like Melrose Ave. or wherever there are interesting/nice window displays. :tup:

How late do the following open;

Rite Aid on 5th/Broadway?

Grand Central Market?

Clifton's Cafeteria?

This might pose an idea as to why those gates come down sooner rather than later.

In addition, what if these store were a botique shop that closes at 6-7pm, would we even be discussing this issue?

[citywatch]

Nothing will change there for 20 years.
Based on the economics & slow pace of change, that unfortunately probably is a realistic assumption. However, I hope it's a prediction that's not made happily. That's cuz when I see views of the hood like these, taken by fangorangutang in the my city photos forum, I'm reminded of how much of DT still has that deadzone type of sketchiness about it. That's where the sight of a nice bldg----like the library tower----or a decent store or restaurant is way off in the distance, & between that & the point where you're currently standing or driving by is mostly just grit & grunge, way too funky for most ppl.

And a sense of just how much improvement still needs to be done is realizing these stores----with the "liqidation" & "everyting" signs----aren't even as bad as quite a few of the ones along Broadway.

http://www.pbase.com/fangorangutang/image/83145387.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/fangorangutang/image/83145297.jpg

[citywatch]

BTW, the first new housing on Bunker Hill in about 15 yrs, since the Museum tower apt bldg was completed in 1992, will be opening in the next few wks. It may be student housing, or just dorms (or "residential suites"), but it will help add some life to the hood:


MOVE-IN DAY at the RESIDENTIAL SUITES
WELCOME HOME!

Saturday, August 18, 2007
Check-in between 9:00am and 6:00pm

WHAT TO EXPECT ON MOVE-IN WEEKEND

You’ll be greeted on Move-In Day (Saturday) by the Residential Life staff and other School community members. You will need to fill out all of your housing and insurance forms before picking up the keys to your new suite and bedroom. You’ll also be getting a new student ID card—which is encoded with your meal plan balance, your access to the building and your suite, and your library privileges. The process of checking-in will take approximately 20 minutes, and your patience is appreciated.

When you’re finished with the check-in process and all of your paperwork, a staff member will escort you to your new suite.

We’ll have snacks available for you and your friends/family, and guided tours of the new building will leave on the hour every hour between 10am and 5pm from the 3rd floor reception area. On Saturday evening, we’ll have some fun events planned.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q – What is a “suite”? How many people share each suite?

A – A suite is like an apartment. The Colburn Residential Suites consist of a furnished common living area and small kitchenette. Each suite has 2, 3, or 4 single bedrooms (for one person each), and there is a shared bathroom (or two bathrooms in the 4-bedroom suites). The kitchenette contains a small sink, mini-refrigerator and microwave. There is also counter space and cabinets for storage.

Q – Where will I do my laundry?

A – There is a spacious coin laundry facility on the second floor, fairly close to the elevators.

Q – Is there really a gym in the new building?

A – Absolutely! A brand new, state-of-the-art fitness center awaits you, and we encourage you to take advantage of the array of equipment in the room, which is located on the second floor. JUST ADDED: We’ve purchased a nice new ping pong table and foosball table for the second floor lounge, as well!

Q – Can we really practice 24 hours a day?

A – Absolutely! At most times, there are Conservatory-specific practice rooms that can be reserved and accessed 24/7. The corridors and practice rooms have been equipped with safety and security equipment to help students feel comfortable moving about the building at any hour. Security staff is on-duty 24/7, as well. Note: So that everyone can study and sleep in peace, there is no practicing in student living space.

Q – Why aren’t we calling the new building a “dorm”?

A – The word “dorm” refers to the old fashioned institutional buildings made of concrete blocks where students merely went to sleep (the Latin root “dorm” actually means sleep!). We don’t want you to just sleep in your new home – we want you to study, socialize, live, learn, and explore new things. We’ll be referring to our new home as a residence hall, or as “the residential suites.” But never a “dorm.”

[PeterJ]

A residential district, which is what the southern end of Broadway is rapidly becoming, needs a blend of retail/services to be a healthy neighborhood. If everything closes at 6, the street and neighborhood will die an empty, dark death.

It's not about the "class" of the shop so much as it is about the services it provides and the hours it keeps. I used to live next to Macarthur park on 6th street and that area didn't have any fancy stores, but it did have a nice array of services that stayed open into the evening so that street was never empty. It certainly wasn't high-end but it was alive. The key was the variety of amenities and the hours that shops and restaurants were open. If the swap meet shops on Broadway operated more like that, the street would be a lot healthier.

The southern section (most specifically the stretch between 8th and 9th) of Broadway is going to get gentrified. The swap meet stores have already been cleared out of many of the buildings on and around that block. The developers (Kor, the Chapman people, the owners of the Orpheum, Blackstone) are going to put higher-end services in their buildings. To me, the stretch there has reached the tipping point. When the services on that block arrive in the next year or two, it's going to create a pocket neighborhood, like the Gilmore section around Pete's, except far superior because there is less of a homeless population on that area of Broadway, the architecture is more remarkable, the Orpheum theatre is a gem, and Kor is going to produce something splashy on the ground floor of the Eastern Columbia.

The last element necessary to create a successful neighborhood there will be the design of the ground floor retail. The stores, restaurants, and bars need to follow the lead of the Broadway Bar, Pete's, Banquette and do everything in their power to open up to the street. If people can't be seated on the sidewalk to enjoy their coffee or dinner, then they should be seated in the window. As I'm walking down the street, I want to see people browsing in a gallery and I want them to be able to see me as well. This is how you create a thriving urban neighborhood. No more fortresses.

[danparker276]

That's true, if a few of those stores stayed open later, it could help a lot.

[DowntownCharlieBrown]

Visited the Santee Village this weekend. The block is really turning out nice. I really like the way this building cleaned up.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1312/1034409409_c31802e98a_b.jpg

Also took a tour of several units. This one had a killer view.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1349/1034409533_544c42dc7b.jpg

[Carioca]

Hey Kids-
As promised, here just are a few pix from inside the Pan Am.
Night one.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1227/1044765718_7b3be2be29_b.jpg
First things first, coffee...
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1398/1044734424_ef5ce5a84f_b.jpg
... or - juice.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1365/1044734466_1ef3c85e19_b.jpg
In the glow of the Bradbury.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1087/1044788654_a1a7dc4367_b.jpg
I'll post more once I get settled...

[DowntownCharlieBrown]

:previous: Very nice. I really like the arched windows and the exposed brick. Congrats!:cheers:

[LongBeachUrbanist]

There is a limit to how much you can 'encourage' or demand in an area like Lower Broadway. I'll be honest: if I were looking to start a business on Broadway, I'd be very nervous about the perceived inertia of the street, which has been negative for so very long.

Revitalization requires a reversal of that inertia. I would argue, the key to revitalizing Lower Broadway (south of Seventh) is the same as it has been for the rest of Downtown's districts. The key is residential.

And residential development is coming. From the Eastern to the Chapman, lots of conversions will be coming on line soon. And it is the residents of these buildings that will drive the changes in the neighborhood.

The Broadway Bar and Orpheum are good anchors. And the numerous restaurants (e.g. Tiara, Angeliques, WoodSpoon) have gotten a head start. But the real cleanup will begin once the residents arrive. As in other areas (like the OBD), they will demand higher standards.

Clean streets and sidewalks. Cleaner storefronts. Limits on decibel levels. This is what residents will bring. And this will, in turn, attract the stores and restaurants that we'd like to see in Lower Broadway.

[colemonkee]

Carioca, great place! Congrats!

[danparker276]

Sorry, I'm guessing to put it in this thread, but I'm wondering how much a property managment company should charge for my building. $100k per month seems a little high for 228 condo complex. In our orignal HOA estimate it was $50k per month, but doubled after we got in. Anyone else know their monthly cost? Have thoughts? Since the property management company is in bed with the developer, I have my doubts.
>Edit: Sorry I ment 100k a year, but I need to get a copy of the budget. I heard it should be around 5-10k a month.

[citywatch]

Hey Kids-
As promised, here just are a few pix from inside the Pan Am.That's a welcome sight, from both inside & outside that bldg.

The person who wrote this, which was published in the DT news, may have even been referring to her view of your condo's windows:



As I got home, my two friends went on to have a glass of wine near Fourth and Main - another area that wasn't always the most pedestrian-friendly. These days, it's standing room only in the bars and restaurants there, particularly during the monthly Art Walk. Last week, they even planned to have hula hoop girls on the corners attracting attention and tour guides on the DASH buses. Go figure.

Inside my condo I lifted my window shades to discover the long dormant building across from me finally has signs of life. The once grimy and vacant Pan American Building, which had been delayed since early this year, now has tenants. I have new neighbors. Refrigerator boxes were being delivered, painters were customizing walls and shades were getting installed.

For years the corner looked like a burned out shell, but after a long renovation, its façade sparkles, the sidewalks don't stink like urine and security patrols the corner.

Another light was on in Downtown and one more block was activated. Add Third and Broadway to the list of streets that have been taken back.

[fridayinla]

Here are some photos of the Little Tokyo and Main Mercantile Lofts from Saturday's downtown housing tour.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fridayinla/sets/72157601983416205/

[fridayinla]

Delano Lofts photo set a couple weeks ago. Too many to post individually:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fridayinla/sets/72157601718253429/

[colemonkee]

Sorry, I'm guessing to put it in this thread, but I'm wondering how much a property managment company should charge for my building. $100k per month seems a little high for 228 condo complex. In our orignal HOA estimate it was $50k per month, but doubled after we got in. Anyone else know their monthly cost? Have thoughts? Since the property management company is in bed with the developer, I have my doubts.
>Edit: Sorry I ment 100k a year, but I need to get a copy of the budget. I heard it should be around 5-10k a month.
Dan, 5-10K per month for a building of your size would be way too little for a good management company. You should expect to pay at least $15K-$20K/ month. Who's your current management company?

[danparker276]

Actually I got more info. We have Prime who is tied in with Forrest City (getting all their new projects). I think that's all they do. They're charging around 11k, but I got a quote from LB property managment (They do molina, library ct, textile...). They would charge around 9k, 1500-2000 cheaper. Anyone know much about LB? I've heard bad things about Action (I think they do Luma and Eastern) from people who lived at Higgins.

Biggest problem with them is they represnet Forrest City instead of the homeowners.

[DowntownCharlieBrown]

Futures traders see deeper, longer U.S. housing slump
Fri Sep 21, 2007 2:56pm EDT
By Al Yoon
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Traders are betting U.S. house prices will fall further, more than 20 percent in San Francisco and Miami, and remain weak through 2011, according to futures contracts that started trading this week.
New futures contracts on CME Group exchange on Friday indicated traders expected price declines of more than 10 percent across major U.S. metropolitan areas over the next four years, with drops in some cities exceeding 20 percent. The contracts were made available beyond a year by the CME at traders' requests.
The contracts are benchmarked to the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller Home Price indexes, which last month indicated home values suffered their worst decline in the second quarter since the data series began 20 years ago. Rising inventories of homes for sale and foreclosures due to poorly written mortgages have led many economists to push back predictions of recovery to 2009.
"You have a lot of homes that are on the market and nobody is buying because they already bought" during the housing boom and in anticipation of rising interest rates, said Eugenio Aleman, senior economist at Wells Fargo & Co. in Minneapolis. "We expect home prices to continue to go down this year and probably next year, and then a period of stability."
A recent pullback in mortgage credit available from commercial and investment banks which were burned as loose underwriting practices collided with falling house prices is also hurting sales, economists said.
The CME futures show traders expect Miami will prove the worst regional market over the next four years, with prices falling 29.1 percent by November 2011, from June 2006, the latest monthly S&P/Case-Shiller data available. San Francisco and Washington prices are seen down 26.2 percent and 20.7 percent in the period.
Prices in the Chicago, Las Vegas and the New York metropolitan areas will be down between 4 percent and 13 percent by November 2011, though they should be rebounding by then, the contracts show.
The Chicago-based CME began listing housing futures and options in May 2006. The extension of contracts to as long as five years on Monday did not provide a boost to trading, a CME spokeswoman said.
"As liquidity grows over time, this market may become the focal point for national discussions on the direction of the U.S. housing market," said Fritz Siebel, of the Tradition Financial Services' property derivatives group, in an e-mail.


I guess it is a good thing L.A. is not mentioned in this article, and I did hear prices in LA went up last month, but that was mainly due to higher-end homes holding up the market. I was surprised about the prediction for San Francisco. I had not heard that the housing market there was not doing well.