[ksep]

danny. j lounge is open for business NOW. however, they haven't started serving dinner yet, but you can sit in the upstairs bar and lounge and order small plates from the bar menu. dinner will be served after their grand opening party. you should definitely try and check it out on thursday, just don't expect a huge crowd, since hardly anybody knows about it.

[BrighamYen]

^ I stopped by China Bistro lastnight for the free food! It was pretty good I thought. A LITTLE overpriced for Chinese food you could get in Monterey Park, but the convenience is there in downtown (and the higher rents and "grade" of course).

It'll stay open until 10PM.

[BrighamYen]

I stopped in the newly opened Library Bar (corner of 6th/Hope St.) and it is really quite nice people!

The decor is very intimate and dimly lit. It's got seating areas that are very conducive to conversation, which is the perfect place to bring a date you're really into. ;)

I was a bit disappointed to see a whole bunch of "New York" pictures on the wall, as if that would somehow validate its upscale intention. They could have easily posted wonderfully historic pictures from the LA Central Library's archives. But I mean, pictures can change.

Besides that, the bathroom was even really nice. Reminds me of something you would find in some posh restaurant in Beverly Hills. Marble floors and nice sink/fixtures.

It's definitely not meant for the party goer, which is a nice change in my opinion.

[badtz_00]

nice photos ksep! J's lounge looks awesome!!!! it's so HUGE!!!!

[Carioca]

^ I stopped by China Bistro lastnight for the free food!... A LITTLE overpriced...

Damn - And I thought I was hard to please... ;)

[BrighamYen]

^ LOL I meant to say the regularly priced items on the menu were a little overpriced!

[MapGoulet]

LIBRARY BAR update.

I went to the Library Bar last night. Turns out they opened on Thursday, 10/26. According to the bartender, Tuesday night was quite busy. Wed had about 10 people there when I arrived at around 10pm, but everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. It's not a "see and be seen place", at least not during the week. It was definitely a "neighborhood bar" crowd. People were friendly and boisterous, not reserved and pretentious - the way it ought to be!

BTW, I ran into LAB there. Tha dude was lookin' sharp. Wes, take note.

[WesTheAngelino]

^Is his meat on the menu this saturday at the meat???

Just kidding.....or am i?

[WesTheAngelino]

Ok....downtown bar rundown....

Broadway Bar

Golden Gopher

Library Bar

626 Reserve

Redwood Lounge

J Lounge

that bar on 4th across from Lost Souls

the Standard

Wieland's

the Edison

am I missing anything?

You know what would help DT bars and to create a seemless urban experience??? Extend Redline hours at least on weekends. All night bar hopping from downtown to hollywood and all pts in between

[colemonkee]

^ The bar across from Lost Souls is called Bar 107.

Don't forget Pete's Bar & Grill. And Casey's on Grand. And the bar at the Figueroa Hotel.

[WesTheAngelino]

Oh yeah, forgot about Casey's. Perhaps that's because it sucks. Seriously, the burger i got there tasted like charred ass.

[WesTheAngelino]

Oh yeah, and I seem to have heard of this place called Hank's or Hungry Hanks that is supposedly downtown...any truth to that?

And has anyone been to the Redwood lately? I went there two weeks ago after work, starving, and apparently they hadnt gotten their food liscense yet??

[logandankr]

Little Pedros!

Tuesday night jazz with the beautiful (and reeeeeeealy old) Mickey Champion.

http://img428.imageshack.us/img428/2726/cdpa4.th.jpg (http://img428.imageshack.us/my.php?image=cdpa4.jpg)

[danparker276]

Roy's has a good bar, Wilshire Grand has a bar. Holliday Inn bar with a patio overlooking LA live is ok sometimes too.

[ksep]

also, don't forget the bar at the newly opened ROYAL CLAYTON'S at the toy factory lofts. - i guess almost all restaurants and hotels have a bar.

next is MERCURY LIQUORS and SEVEN GRAND.

[Vangelist]

Yeah you can't forget about Hank's, in Stillwell Hotel, classic downtown bar that's been there forever - or the Bonavista in the Bonaventure, or the bar in the Biltmore where the Black Dahlia was last seen

And hello?! The most classic downtown bar of all time, that has been there since 1906 (oldest in LA?) and still going strong:

Cole's

[danny1100]

Went to J Lounge Tuesday night, WOW! Huge back patio, nice fire pit, huge dance floor, very well balanced urban ambience ... and the food was incredible. The only downfall was the service, probably the worst I've ever dealt with. The other negative was the fact that the place was completely empty, we were 6 of about a total 14 people in the roughly 20K square foot place. I feel bad for the Grand Ave. Loft residents facing the back patio though ... I could see a woman hanging her drapes on the windows, and we were notified by the bar tender that no loud voices or music is allowed ... not sure how that is going to play out when a huge selling point of the place is that back patio, cabanas and fire pit. All in all, inspiring! The J Lounge is going to be a big player, as long as the employees can get the hang of things.

Cheers.

Danny -

Yeah you can't forget about Hank's, in Stillwell Hotel, classic downtown bar that's been there forever - or the Bonavista in the Bonaventure, or the bar in the Biltmore where the Black Dahlia was last seen

And hello?! The most classic downtown bar of all time, that has been there since 1906 (oldest in LA?) and still going strong:

Cole's

[logandankr]

I was there this past Saturday and there was actually a good number of people there. I got there at around 10:30pm, and although the restaurant part was pretty much empty, the upstairs had about 200 people up there. The outside smoking area upstairs was packed. DJ spinning inside, people dancing. Was a fun, young crowd. Really good to see- I may go back again this weekend.

The other negative was the fact that the place was completely empty, we were 6 of about a total 14 people in the roughly 20K square foot place.

[MapGoulet]

Folks, I'm going to the Edison again tonight. Someone told me it was a pre-opening party of sorts. The Black Eyed Peas' DJ will be there. I'll give a follow up report!

:cheers:

[colemonkee]

^ I'll be there too. I'll look for ya.

[MapGoulet]

The Edison was off the hook last night. I was wary, however, that the place would look more sparse without all the Halloween decorations, but it definitely holds its own.

Colemonkee was there as were a lot of downtown leaders like Tom Gilmore, Hal Bastian and Hamid Behdad. Actually, Hamid was looking pretty hip. Not bad for a guy who's survived three mayors.

I spoke to the owner, Andrew. He is a very nice and humble guy - a relief from the hollywood scene.

All-in-all a great night. And I hooked up, to boot. Man, I love downtown.

:cool:

[colemonkee]

:psycho:
I'm gonna have to agree with MapGoulet's assessment of The Edison. In my opinion it's one of the better venues for a bar/club I've seen in a long while (many of my friends who visited last night said the same thing). One of my other friends, who promotes clubs, was practically salivating the whole time over the space. It has cavernous 35 foot ceilings, a stage for live music :drummer:, two small dancefloor areas :boogy:, several small lounge areas that feel a lot like living rooms, a hollowed out two story boiler which is now a wine room, and all of the original electric generators, all worked into a very post-industrial, 1920's design scheme.

The crowd was great as well. A great mix of people, relatively crowded, but still able to move around. The place can probably comfortably hold 300-400 people. It was great to see MapGoulet rubbing shoulders with all the downtown power brokers. :cool: Though I must say, with all the free alcohol last night, I'm sure I wasn't exactly the smoothest talker. :crazy:

They open officially in January, and I highly recommend it. I'm kind of scared, though. With that located in my building, I run the risk of being very broke, very quickly. ;)

[Vangelist]

Um, exactly where is it? Is it not open for business now, and was tonight just a promotional thing?

If it's oen, I'd like to check it out tonight..

[colemonkee]

^ It's in the basement of the Higgins Building at 2nd and Main. The entrance is in the Harlem Place alley side of the building.

It won't be open tonight, and they told me that they will be open intermitently for private parties until January, when they will open to the public. I don't know when those parties are scheduled.

[ksep]

here are some pictures of the latest addition to the higgins building. they did a pretty good job designing the place and they are open late. the food is decent. it sure is a welcome asset to downtown and i will definitely go back there again.

http://static.flickr.com/116/294832574_30af5bdc31_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/115/294830401_d93ed37055_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/101/294830404_0845304e9d_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/118/294830397_71509a4a9c_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/122/294830403_5c178ee14b_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/119/294830396_cc1e184d97_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/114/292743725_cd1bdb8bf9_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/101/294830393_235c41e4ee_o.jpg

[ksep]

...and just a very short walk from the higgins building...
http://static.flickr.com/108/294858745_7b6a4ec25a_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/102/294858744_1c4e8d5c6d_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/121/294858743_e2fa685fb8_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/102/294858749_b056ca92e5_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/107/294858746_0d207671f2_o.jpg

[dragonsky]

Little Tokyo is so pretty now.

[ksep]

the food was reeeaalllly good and the place was pretty busy.

http://static.flickr.com/107/295132706_02674bcefb_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/104/295130141_ac3f8d8906_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/115/295130930_7456f87b55_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/112/295130138_d641d28ed4_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/107/295130133_09eca4d5d5_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/115/295130136_9cfc758323_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/108/295130135_ecb8c09f29_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/106/295129025_a11cf4a569_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/112/295129021_f6b5c9fb07_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/119/295129018_aeb17c1edb_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/100/295130933_d2db0333b9_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/105/295130935_9203aaae8d_o.jpg

[citywatch]

^ I appreciate seeing the various new businesses for food or hanging out, & what they're like at night. BTW, for those keeping track of things, the last place is in the Toy factory lofts bldg, which is near 6th St a few blocks east of Alameda. That bldg is right next to the old Nabisco bldg, which is now being converted to lofts & was just featured on KCET on a show hosted by Huell Howser.

http://www.royalclaytonspub.com/

[ChrisLA]

I can't see any of the pictures, what gives? :shrug:

[Carioca]

...& was just featured on KCET on a show hosted by Huell Howser...

Hey kids,
I don't have TEVO and can never make it home in time to catch Huell's Downtown show.
Does anyone know of another way to see them?
(I tried youtube/itunes to no avail)
paz~d

[citywatch]

^ I can only suggest you check out that show's web site:

http://www.calgold.com/downtown/

Since the producer (meaning Huell Howser or others on his staff) sells vids of the program, they prob wouldn't be too happy seeing free distribution of them on the net. Besides that, I'm sure the shows will be repeated on KCET for quite awhile into the future.

[hesed]

^ I appreciate seeing the various new businesses for food or hanging out, & what they're like at night. BTW, for those keeping track of things, the last place is in the Toy factory lofts bldg, which is near 6th St a few blocks east of Alameda. That bldg is right next to the old Nabisco bldg, which is now being converted to lofts & was just featured on KCET on a show hosted by Huell Howser.

http://www.royalclaytonspub.com/

This has to be the most positive citywatch post EVER!

BTW, thanks for posting the link to that pub. I'm going to have to check it out soon.

[MapGoulet]

This has to be the most positive citywatch post EVER!

BTW, thanks for posting the link to that pub. I'm going to have to check it out soon.

Wow, someone with 8 postings already knew Citywatch's reputation. The positive post was a start, but it will be like turning a battleship around. We're all behind you! Deadzone's be gone!

[WesTheAngelino]

I just found out the root of Citywatch's psychosis.......

His/her father died by driving headlong into a telephone pole that was situated aside a parking lot. All the "hicks in the sticks" emerged from their stucco houses, peered over their chain linked fences and laughed.

[Codex Borgia]

Now the hicks in the sticks all are in 1950's attire, so assuming that this occured during CityWatch's formative years 5-15yrs. He is about 55-65 yrs old now. Sorry CityWatch you wont be around to see the the eradication of all the deadzones, can you pick a diff'rent subject to harp about now?

On a sidenote, I am in Orlando on business for a couple of weeks..... (YAWN!!!) :slob: I'll gladly trade the PLENTY OF DEADZONES, swamps, canals, the MouseHouse, and tourists galore, for L.A.'s hodgepodge of styles, people and telephone poles

[MapGoulet]

Nice pics of Royal Claytons! It looks like a cross between Pete's Cafe and Cafe Metropol. Seems appropriately "industrial" for the area.

Well, I'm a sucker for a new downtown watering hole and grub station, so I'll be there soon.

:cheers:

[hesed]

Wow, someone with 8 postings already knew Citywatch's reputation. The positive post was a start, but it will be like turning a battleship around. We're all behind you! Deadzone's be gone!


I've been lurking for a while. Long enough to know that your assessment is likely correct.

[citywatch]

Sorry CityWatch you wont be around to see the the eradication of all the deadzones, can you pick a diff'rent subject to harp about now?Codex, you just worry about tourists from, for example, India who think there's "nothing much" to LA, & that it therefore can be dropped from ppl's travel plans, & you're getting strangely all squishy over that particular opinion. I'll worry about the subjs, diff'rent or otherwise.


Long enough to know that your assessment is likely correct.His prediction that "deadzones be gone"?! Oh, good! Because those have sapped the life out of various hoods.

And I don't know how much "lurking" you've managed or are managing nowadays since SSP's server has become really clogged & slow over the past several months. That means time spent here is more fleeting & less accessible than before. All the better to now say that if new ppl are gonna make the effort to post here, how about inserting new photos of DT & giving us eyewitness accounts of what's going on there?

[MapGoulet]

[/b]Codex, you just worry about tourists from, for example, India who think there's "nothing much" to LA, & that it therefore can be dropped from ppl's travel plans, & you're getting strangely all squishy over that particular opinion. I'll worry about the subjs, diff'rent or otherwise.


[/b]His prediction that "deadzones be gone"?! Oh, good! Because those have sapped the life out of various hoods.

And I don't know how much "lurking" you've managed or are managing nowadays since SSP's server has become really clogged & slow over the past several months. That means time spent here is more fleeting & less accessible than before. All the better to now say that if new ppl are gonna make the effort to post here, how about inserting new photos of DT & giving us eyewitness accounts of what's going on there?

Citywatch, I just spent the past 5 hours in downtown. I was downtown everyday for the past 4 days. I'm back in the office in Encino and it's almost 1am. I'm going back to downtown on Thursday. But I aint takin no downtown photos for nobody.

Please, get yo butt down to downtown and take some photos for us. I'll buy you a drink for it.

:whip:

[Steve2726]

2 articles from the L.A. Times:

http://www.calendarlive.com/nightlife/clubs/cl-wk-cover14dec14,0,1323430.story?coll=cl-home-top-blurb-right
and
http://www.calendarlive.com/dining/cl-wk-critic14dec14,0,6832802.story?coll=cl-home-more-channels

NIGHT LIFE
Destination downtown
Los Angeles’ core is becoming party central, as a new wave of bars and clubs packs in the crowds
By Jessica Gelt
Times Staff Writer

December 14, 2006

With clubs and bars popping up in the land of office cubicles, there are lots of places downtown for play.It's happy hour at funky Bar 107 in downtown Los Angeles. "Johnny Hit and Run Pauline" by the iconic punk band X plays on the stereo as bartender Felicia Cox, her chest and arms covered in intricate tattoos, pours stiff vodka tonics for several members of the burgeoning inner-city hip set. A homeless man shambles in, sits at the end of the long wooden bar and carefully lays down three crumpled dollar bills. The regulars watch with interest as Cox sets a Schlitz tall boy in front of the man, who nods thankfully and takes a big swig. Despite its loft-inspired leaps toward gentrification, downtown remains an area of glorious contrast.

Known not long ago as a nighttime no-man's-land, the concrete landscape bordered by the Los Angeles River and the 101, 10 and 110 freeways finds itself at the center of an extraordinary bar and nightclub explosion fueled by a who's-who of L.A.'s thriving after-dark empire.

By the middle of next year, some 20 venues — including bars, boutique drinking establishments and live music houses — will have opened (or undergone makeovers) in roughly a two-year span. The phenomenon owes much to the success of the area's residential market. But as its entertainment options multiply and the sight of dog-walking locals allays concerns about safety, downtown is increasingly becoming a nightlife destination.

"Until the Standard opened downtown, there was nothing much to do," says Jason71, a 35-year-old musician and visual artist who has lived downtown for six years. "Now there are more boutique-y bars and other places that have opened up and are attracting people to come on down."

Indeed, entrepreneurs are using downtown's growing residential base as a foundation for their ventures. The number of market-rate residential units has more than doubled since 1998 and stands at nearly 7,500, according to the Downtown Center Business Improvement District. Eight thousand more units are under construction. Officials project that by 2013, downtown's current population of roughly 30,000 will have doubled.

And in a twist on the cheesy "Field of Dreams" catchphrase, it might be said that if they come, someone will build a bar.

Getting started

Three or four years ago, downtown nightlife lacked cohesion and most folks left before it got too late. What little scene existed was kept afloat by pockets of activity in distinctly separate areas serving disparate clienteles. There were devotees of the sushi and sake bars of Little Tokyo, as well as the low-key lounges and galleries of Chinatown. There were partyers at the often-illicit warehouse raves. There were the white-collar happy-hour crowd at restaurant bars, the out-of-towners cloistered at hotel bars, the sports hordes that came to Staples Center and its Fox Sports Sky Box, and the patrons of the fine art venues who suspected downtown began and ended with the Patina Group and its upscale eateries. Then there were the regulars, who tippled at legendary places such as Cole's, Hank's and Little Pedro's, or divey options like Crabby Joe's and King Edward's.

The Standard's L.A.-noir rooftop lounge, which opened in 2002, turned the heads of a few Hollywood players. "The last couple of years we're always packed," says the bar's manager, Steven Sué. "It's a destination bar, for sure."

Dotting downtown are other venues revealing a changing scene.

Bar 107 was a gay dive before L.A. (roller) Derby Girl Vianey Delgadillo and her manager, a onetime king of low-brow Hollywood after-hour parties, Brian Traynam, turned it into a raucous neighborhood spot where a little person named O-Dawg could occasionally be spotted doing back flips and inverted push-ups on the bar.

The saloon has the good fortune of being located near the 6-year-old lofts above Pete's Cafe & Bar at 4th and Main, a corner widely considered the birthplace of the downtown "renaissance." The lofts and their in-house restaurant were developed by charismatic New York expat Tom Gilmore, who says that his decision to be the first to convert downtown office space into residences — shortly after the 1999 adaptive reuse ordinance proposed by the Central City Assn. made the endeavor possible — was "a no-brainer."

"It shocked me that the second-largest city in America didn't have a workable downtown," Gilmore says. "I wanted to reintroduce urbanism."

"Tom Gilmore did a really smart thing," Jason71 says. "He got three buildings in the same neighborhood. Instant community."

Says Gilmore: "Pete's came about because we needed Pete's. My residents were like, 'This is a really good loft, but where are we going to eat and drink?' "

Moving it forward

If Gilmore gave the loft and restaurant movement wings, then downtown prodigy Cedd Moses is the granddaddy of the nascent bar scene.

Tall, slender, with an air of unstudied distraction and a droning voice, Moses, the son of abstract artist Ed Moses, is the source of inspiration most frequently cited by new bar owners. After all, it was Moses who in 2004 opened the hugely successful Golden Gopher on 8th Street between Olive and Hill in a space once known for being one of the most dangerous bars downtown. A year later, he cut the ribbon for the Broadway Bar next to the Orpheum Theatre. Now he is poised to unveil a plush whiskey bar named Seven Grand in the old Clifton's Silver Spoon Cafeteria on 7th Street. Seven Grand highlights will include a pool table, a smoking deck, more than a dozen draft beers, live music and whiskey-friendly, extra-slow-melting ice cubes.

"In 24 hours a half million people work down here," Moses says, leaning over a color-coded map of downtown in his 213 Inc. offices above Seven Grand. "We want to create neighborhood bars out of beautiful buildings. Once there's critical mass in terms of bars down here, we'll create a destination."

In fact, Moses and his partner, design guru Ricki Kline, seem to be willing to create critical mass all by themselves. Moses just bought the classic 1908 Cole's Pacific Electric Buffet on 6th Street. "Cole's is brilliant already," Moses says. "It just needs cleaning and a little paint and a big improvement in the food department." He is also working on a lavish private club specializing in mixology called Petroleum in the old Petroleum building at Olympic and Flower. And he is partnering with Spaceland Productions' Mitchell Frank to acquire a historic downtown theater with designs on making it a live music venue. The undisclosed space is in escrow.

"I tried to get investors five or six years ago and nobody would listen," Frank says. "Now they all listen."

Future plans

Other entrepreneurs have felt downtown's siren call too. Take the folks behind the new Library Bar, cater-cornered from the Standard on Hope Street. Co-owner Michael Leko, the mastermind behind L.A.'s Eat Well restaurant chain (he sold the last one in his arsenal to open the Library Bar), says that tourists' reactions to downtown provide a litmus test for the health of the area.

"People have been saying, 'Oh my gosh, I've been doing business here for years and I usually go to the Westside at night.' But now they're saying, 'I stayed downtown all week,' " Leko says.

Leko and his partner, Will Shamlian, who has a stake in Eagle Rock's Chalet and Silver Lake's 4100 bar, have created a classy neighborhood hangout with the Library Bar. Brick walls, wooden shutters, herringbone wood floors, dim candles in brown glass holders, club chairs and wall-to-wall bookcases put the bar in the same class as Moses' ventures. Although Moses creates faithful retro renderings of interiors based on the historical context of the buildings his bars occupy, Leko and Shamlian have added modern twists to theirs, like nailing sheets of shiny zinc to the tops of wooden tables.

That almost artistic attention to detail sets this generation of entrepreneurs apart from the cavalier L.A. development pack. Many work within the delicate framework of buildings that are close to a century old; they see it as their duty to reinvigorate them. Kline points out that because parts of downtown had fallen so tragically down on their luck, they were largely ignored during the ravenous demolition derby that laid much of L.A.'s architectural heritage to waste beginning in the late 1950s.

Cindy Olnick, the communications manager at the Los Angeles Conservancy agrees: "You've heard of demolition by neglect? Well, this is preservation by neglect."

The conservancy is particularly excited about the future of the 1876, baroque-inspired St. Vibiana's Cathedral at 2nd and Main streets, which it fought desperately to save. With help from the conservancy and state politicians, Gilmore has rejuvenated the structure and began using it as a special-events venue last year.

Gilmore has also taken out a 20-year lease on the Regent Theater on Main Street, which he will open as a 450-seat rock 'n' roll venue next year. Additional blueprints reveal plans for a tapas restaurant called La Puerta at 4th and Spring streets, and next door another restaurant: Sushi on Spring.

More to come

Far from being worried about competition from other corners, Gilmore and his fellow downtown bar owners welcome it. "We all frequent each other's bars," Moses says.

Gilmore praises a number of his competitors, including Elizabeth Peterson, the brains behind Industrial Street's new watering hole the Royal Claytons pub. In addition to partnering with former Derby co-owner Tony Gower and others to remake Little Pedro's as the lush Bordello, Peterson will unveil an English beer garden named Bridge Tavern (in the old Studio Cafe) in February. The mostly outdoor venue will have "serious food and a boutique beer list," Peterson says.

Finally, Peterson plans to open a "speak-easy-style jazz club" named Dietrich's (after one of the original downtown party girls, Marlene) in the basement of the Hellman Building, directly below another Gilmore favorite, Lost Souls Cafe.

Still, the endeavor Gilmore effuses about the most isn't his own. It's the Edison, the dreamlike creation of Marc Smith and Andrew Meieran. "It'll rip your head off, it's so cool," Gilmore says.

The Edison is in the basement of the historic Higgins Building, with an entrance off the Harlem Place alley on 2nd Street between Main and Spring. "There was this incredible, almost surreal Jules Verne-esque space — it was under water and abandoned for 20-some years and my imagination went wild," Meieran says. He preserved a giant boiler — now home to a cozy wine bar — and four ancient generators, displayed behind low-slung chains.

The duo is also pairing up on another venture called Mercury Liquors, which will be located in the vaults of an old bank near 6th and Spring. The centerpiece will be the bank's 38-ton solid-steel vault door, which Smith (whose other interests include Hollywood's Three Clubs) says you can still swing open with your pinkie.

DCBID and CCA President Carol Schatz considers adaptive re-use essential to the future of downtown. She speaks in terms of "pillars of revitalization" and cites Staples Center and Walt Disney Concert Hall as the catalysts for a boom that eventually will include L.A. Live near Staples and the Grand Avenue Project near the performing arts centers. "Suddenly people had a reason to come downtown that had no reason before," she says.

"It's almost as if the city fled its center as far as possible, but like ripples in a pond spreading outwards, eventually those ripples are going to hit the bank and head back to the center," Meieran says. "Malls like the Grand Avenue Project and L.A. Live will create hubs to pull people into the area. It's starting on polar sides and filling in block by block."

Community feeling

Nobody has felt the filling-in phenomenon more acutely than Bert Green, the owner of Bert Green Fine Art on 5th near Main and the organizer of the Downtown Art Walk. In two years, the number of participating galleries has grown from eight to 28, and on the second Thursday of every month, the event draws between 1,000 and 2,000 browsers. "People discover the area and come back," he says. "Restaurants within walking distance have told me that's it's their busiest day of the month."

Artists worry that those most vital to the authentic inner-city workings of the district will be priced out. Others point out in a c'est la vie manner that revitalization gives as much as it takes away.

"It's pretty much gentrified now," says sculptor and musician Liz McGrath, who has lived downtown for a decade, since the days starving artists could actually barter for their rent. "It's nice to go to a restaurant or coffee shop and have a conversation with people who aren't asking you for money."

As Leko from the Library Bar points out, downtown's multicultural, multi-economic nature — including Broadway's Latino swap meets and storefront churches, Little Tokyo and skid row's homeless population — guarantees that, for the time being at least, downtown will remain diversified. "Try as much as you want, swing for the fence, but you won't lose that gritty sex appeal," Leko says.

Old will continue to commingle with new. Take La Cita, the Hill Street bar adjacent to Grand Central Market that long has been a destination for downtown's working-class Latino population. When new investors took over the bar this summer, they retained the popular norteno, cumbia and tejano entertainment on weekends; on weeknights, La Cita draws a decidedly different crowd, with street artist Shepard Fairey DJing on Thursdays and hipster kids Part Time Punks throwing a party on Fridays. But La Cita still retains its old look.

"We refurbished the original furnishings, lowered the lights, cleaned it up a bit, and that's it," one of the new owners, Carl Lofgren, says of the bar's classic plush-red interior and cozy open-air patio.

Just around the corner on 2nd Street, the new owners of the Redwood Bar & Grill, Dev Dugal and Christian Frizzell (ex-GM of the Golden Gopher), have taken a different tack. For years the Redwood was the dive bar of choice for Los Angeles Times staffers. A red phone legendarily connected the bar to the news desk. When Dugal and Frizzell bought the space in May, they remade it with a nautical theme and a menu of gastro-pub fare.

Dugal believes so much in downtown that he bought a 25-passenger shuttle bus for the Redwood. He plans to recruit other bar owners to start a free shuttle service through a new venture, Downtown Bar Hopper.

Bar-hopping corridor or not, most entrepreneurs are aiming for a neighborhood feel that is distinctly anti-Hollywood. "If Lindsay Lohan doesn't ever pay a visit to this place, it'll be fine by me," the Library Bar's Leko jokes.

That's not to say glitz and glamour are absent.

Ralph Verdugo's Club 740, with its multiple levels, glass walls, light shows, go-go dancers and VIP rooms, is a Hollywood-worthy mega-club that brings the kind of glitter often delivered by promoters at the nearby Mayan Theatre. After the New Year, Verdugo plans a mellower lounge on the street level of his Broadway club called Heaven 4rty.

And closer to Staples, Sergio Dovarro's J Restaurant & Lounge takes a similar approach with a more elegant sensibility. Boasting 25,000 square feet of space over two levels, J's includes a cigar patio, dance floor, restaurant, three full bars (with wine hand-picked by former L'Orangerie sommelier Fréderic Hémon), VIP rooms and a patio with cabanas and fire pits.

Standing on the patio, Dovarro looks out over the changing downtown skyline. "Look around at all the cranes," he exclaims. "How can you not get excited?" Despite the fact that Dovarro hosts celebrity bashes, such as one for the Black Eyed Peas earlier this month, he still feels a kinship with his live-in neighbors, allowing some to leave through the emergency exits and go straight to their units.

"I used to see a dog a month, now it's dog row," he says. "It's become a community."

Look who's moved in
Currently open:

Vertigos, 801 W. Temple St., (213) 977-0888. vertigos.com. A bar for party people. Goth nights mix with cover band nights, guest DJs and go-go dancers.

Bordello, 901 E. 1st St., (213) 687-3766. Formerly Little Pedro's, which claims to be the oldest bar in L.A. Once edgy, cavernous and concrete; poised to reopen with more postured style.

The Redwood Bar & Grill, 316 W. 2nd St., (213) 680-2600, theredwoodbar.com. A nautically themed bar with gastro-pub fare.

The Edison, 108 W. 2nd St., No. 101 (in Harlem Place alley), (213) 613-0000. edisondowntown.com. Surreal study in adaptive reuse. Could be the set for a Dario Argento horror film, except it's too up-and-coming to be scary.

Vibiana Place, 210 S. Main St., (213) 622-4949. vibianala.com. Formerly St. Vibiana's Cathedral. A priceless piece of L.A. history fully restored, with promoters booking the likes of Snoop Dogg. You've gotta see it to believe it. Special events and performing arts shows are also staged.

La Cita, 336 S. Hill St., (213) 687-7111. lacitabar.com. South of the border spice without the drive. Hip DJs and lively Mexican dance music complete the scene.

Bar 107, 107 W. 4th St., (213) 625-7382. myspace.com. Doesn't everybody dig a Christmas tree decorated with tall-boy cans?

Lost Souls Cafe, 124 W. 4th St., (213) 617-7006. lostsouls.com. An ambient cafe featuring local art, music and poetry, as well as panini sandwiches.

Pete's Cafe & Bar, 400 S. Main St., (213) 617-1000. petescafe.com. On the bustling, swiftly changing corner of 4th and Main, this East Coast style bistro packs 'em in at all hours.

King Edward Saloon, 131 E. 5th St., (213) 629-2023. Old-school downtown dive in all its hard-luck glory. Working stiffs mingle with the down and out and those just looking for fun.

Casey's Irish Bar & Grille, 613. S. Grand Ave., (213) 629-2353. bigcaseys.com. A subterranean after-work hangout with a 35-year history in downtown.

Rooftop Bar at the Standard, 550 S. Flower St., (213) 892-8080. www.standardhotel.com. With a pool, stunning views of downtown and waterbed pods, this is the rooftop bar in L.A. Hollywood waits in line here.

Library Bar, 630 W. 6th St. (at Hope), (213) 614-0053. librarybarla.com. Low-key class, quality selection of drinks and friendly ambience make this a neighborhood bar to visit.

Cole's Pacific Electric Buffet, 118 E. 6th St., (213) 622-4090. colespebuffet.com. One of downtown's oldest, most revered hangouts. Due for a mini-Moses makeover in 2007.

626 Reserve, 626 S. Spring St., (213) 627-9800. 626reserve.com. A quaint fine wine and small plates bar with ties to the gallery scene.

Royal Claytons, 1855 Industrial St., (213) 622-0512. royalclaytonspub.com. A destination day and night. Large, airy environment; affordable food and drink.

Golden Gopher, 417 W. 8th St., (213) 614-8001. goldengopherbar.com. One of L.A.'s oldest liquor licenses allows you to buy liquor to go.

Broadway Bar, 830 S. Broadway, (213) 614-9909. thebroadwaybar.net. The bar's designer Ricki Kline says, "The theme is glam — as in New York Dolls rock 'n' roll glam." Say no more.

Club 740 and Heaven 4rty, 740 S. Broadway, (213) 627-6277. 740la.com. Mega-nightclub with go-go dancers and a Vegas-style laser light show. Mellower Heaven 4rty opens after the New Year.

J Restaurant & Lounge, 1119 S. Olive St., (213) 746-7746. jloungela.com. Mediterranean-inspired food, three bars, and a patio with fire pits and cabanas.

On the way

Seven Grand, 515 W. 7th St., twoonethree.com. Cozy whiskey bar with a pool table, live music and a smoking patio.

Petroleum, 714 W. Olympic Blvd., twoonethree.com. Lavish private club specializing in mixology.

Regent Theater, 448 S. Main St. Live music venue focusing on rock, with a restaurant downstairs and a bar and club upstairs.

Mercury Liquors, 215 W. 6th St. In an old bank vault with a blown-out wall housing "the Thieves Bar."

Dietrich's, 116 W. 4th St. A 500-seat jazz club in planned for the basement of the Hellman Building.

Bridge Tavern, 1356 Palmetto. Former Studio Cafe morphs into an English beer garden in February.

— J.G.

[BrighamYen]

^ Wow! This makes me excited about downtown again!

I'm particularly curious about the theater "in escrow." Could it be one of the well-known theaters on Broadway? Perhaps the Tower Theatre? :) Or could it be something off the path a little bit like the Olympic Theatre on 8th Street?

I hope every single one of the remaining theaters on Broadway that haven't been FULLY restored (which is pretty much all of them except Steve Needleman's Orpheum) will be in the future. I am ambivalent about Club 740 being in the Globe Theatre.

What do you guys think about a successful nightclub like Club 740 being in an historic movie palace. Do you think it's a good "consolation business" to replace a potential working theater? For some reason I feel uncomfortable because I wish all the theaters could be brought back to life.

[Wright Concept]

Some could be brought back to life. I feel others should and could be re-used for other viable Non-theater outlets. And clubs, lounges and even a book store would be good uses for those spaces because they're internal in nature not needing natural light and can clean up those theaters.

I think what is really missing on Broadway isn't retail but Sit down resturants. Think about it. If there was a medium priced resturant starting with a chain like TGI Fridays or better and simple yet extending the hours to 8 or even 9pm to make Grand Central Market and actually becoming a Market. That would lure middle level retailers Not upscale but simple amenities for the Downtown market such as Pet-stores, Sporting Goods etc. Then that would extend the shop time for business on Broadway.

Then that would be a place for shoppers, workers and near-by tenants in Historic Core buildings with authentic Mom-Pop style food at the little kiosks and with the actual Supermarket feature can provide some incentive or potential theater goers to go before and after the show.

[BrighamYen]

...and just a very short walk from the higgins building...
http://static.flickr.com/108/294858745_7b6a4ec25a_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/107/294858746_0d207671f2_o.jpg


It doesn't really matter if it's a "short walk" because it's not the distance that matters to those in Downtown LA right now (unless it's right across the street from you), but the STUFF that's missing or gross walking to your destination.

For instance, I live in the Pegasus, and sometimes I wanna eat Blossom (my favorite restaurant in downtown at Winston/Main St.). Even though sometimes I'm REALLY hungry, I'll decide not to go just because it's such an unpleasant walk to get there--walking on unlit streets, smelling urine, dodging human feces (perhaps now doggie ones too) on the floor, being accosted by either homeless or hooligans, walking thru aesthetically unpleasing Broadway, etc.

In the Higgins' case, walking to LT is probably less gross, but you still have to go thru an energy-LESS zone at Block 8 and Weller Court to get there.

God! Downtown LA has a long ways to go! :haha:

[colemonkee]

I'm particularly curious about the theater "in escrow." Could it be one of the well-known theaters on Broadway? Perhaps the Tower Theatre? :)
Well I do know the Tower Theater was just purchased, because the guy who purchased it came up to my friend to gloat about it when we were eating breakfast a couple weeks ago. I honestly don't know who the guy was, but he said they're still figuring out exactly what to do with it, but that it will be used for some kind of events in the near future.

[BrighamYen]

^ Hopefully it'll be renovated up to par with the Orpheum Theatre. The Tower is probably MY FAVORITE theater from the outside (never been inside before though). The facade is so pretty and I'm assuming that the new owners, if they are planning on doing special events like the Orpheum, will refurbish and clean the dirty facade.

[WesTheAngelino]

^ Wow! This makes me excited about downtown again!

I'm particularly curious about the theater "in escrow." Could it be one of the well-known theaters on Broadway? Perhaps the Tower Theatre? :) Or could it be something off the path a little bit like the Olympic Theatre on 8th Street?

I hope every single one of the remaining theaters on Broadway that haven't been FULLY restored (which is pretty much all of them except Steve Needleman's Orpheum) will be in the future. I am ambivalent about Club 740 being in the Globe Theatre.

What do you guys think about a successful nightclub like Club 740 being in an historic movie palace. Do you think it's a good "consolation business" to replace a potential working theater? For some reason I feel uncomfortable because I wish all the theaters could be brought back to life.



I don't see it as a consolation business at all. Given the fact that people actually going to see movies in theatres is in decline everywhere, I don't see the movie palaces being restored to their orignal purpose any time soon. Plus most people who go see movies now are pretty young, which is why I think the one screeners by UCLA have survived this long.

[jessie_sanchez]

Zencu in Little Tokyo can get pretty busy on a weeknight. Anybody have any pics?

[ThreeHundred]

For anyone who doesn't know already, Giant Village 2007 is going to be on the huge parking lot that Metroplolis is slated to rise on.

Now just pray that it doesn't rain.

[ksep]

it is not called giant village anymore, but GIANT MAXIMUS instead. they are going to put up three large (as in giant) circus tents to ensure rain will not be a problem this time around. it's just a few steps away from met lofts. i'm gonna get sooo fucked up... :drunk: :D

http://www.giantclub.com/

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

so what upscale or moderate to upscale restaurants would everyone recommend in downtown? i've been to Roys, Engine Company, Liberty Grill, Water Grill, McCormick's and Shmits, and a couple others, and im going to J's for my birthday later on this month, but i curious to what everyone else recommends. i want to take my mom for her birthday. Maybe Noe's, Cicada, Patina? any insight would be nice.

[Westsidelife]

^Cafe Pinot?

[BrighamYen]

LA Prime is good too.

[colemonkee]

I'm a fan of Ciudad and Roy's. You might want to check Downtown News Restaurant Guide (http://www.downtownladining.com/) too. It's a tad outdated, but most of the good ones are in there too. I've heard good things about J Lounge as well, if you mom is into the hip, swanky places.

[bobcat]

Blue Velvet (http://www.wholelifetimes.com/2006/11/food0611.html) at The Flat has been getting a lot of positive reviews.

[ksep]

zucca is amazing.
http://www.patinagroup.com/zuccaRistorante/

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

cool, thank you very much guys. my girlfriend booked at Asia de Cuba in WeHo, so i guess these choices will be for a different time.

[MapGoulet]

cool, thank you very much guys. my girlfriend booked at Asia de Cuba in WeHo, so i guess these choices will be for a different time.

Great. More breeders coming to WeHo. What's next? Gays in Fontana? Shouldn't this be in the zoning?


Seriously though, I think J Lounge would be a great place -- it's got the class of the Westside with the urban vibe of downtown -- and it's got a zero cheese factor which many of the hotel restaurants often suffer.

[RAlossi]

Great. More breeders coming to WeHo. What's next? Gays in Fontana? Shouldn't this be in the zoning?



Actually, Asia de Cuba is on the Strip... the "Straight District" =)

I've never been to Asia de Cuba, but I do like Katana right across the street.

[colemonkee]

Asia de Cuba is very nice, right next to the Skybar. It's a great place to people watch and the food is pretty good. Enjoy your dinner, sir!

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Thanks! i will definitley try.

[MapGoulet]

Asia de Cuba is very nice, right next to the Skybar. It's a great place to people watch and the food is pretty good. Enjoy your dinner, sir!

Yeah, I gotta admit. I'm as much of an urbanist as the next guy on this forum, but dining on the Strip over looking the city is sexy as hell. It's the LA I knew when I moved here so it has some nostalgia.

[The Baz]

Anyone know about the opening of the Edision downtown? http://www.edisondowntown.com

Looks like this will be a classy place, currently only open for special events according to a friend.

[MapGoulet]

Anyone know about the opening of the Edision downtown? http://www.edisiondowntown.com

Looks like this will be a classy place, currently only open for special events according to a friend.

Grand Opening is the 25th (next Thursday). It's on the website. I'm not sure if it's open to the public, but I think grand opening means open to the public otherwise they have to have ANOTHER "grand opening" for when they let the public in!

Edison kicks serious bar butt. Best bar or nightclub interior I've ever seen in the USA. Period.

I'll be at the opening. Hope to see other forumers there too!

:cheers:

[MapGoulet]

By the way, I wrote a real estate forecast that is being presented tomorrow morning to the Southern California Development Forum (SCDF). I've included a lot on the upcoming neighborhood amenities in downtown LA with an emphasis on the accelerating nightlife and the nightlife concentrations that are developing in the city. Gotta spread the good word!

[colemonkee]

^ Looking forward to reading that!

Funny story about the Edison. As some of you know, I live in the Higgins, where the Edison is located. This Saturday, as I was in the lobby heading out for the night and a nicely-dressed couple walked in and asked if I knew where the Edison was. I let them know that it hadn't officially opened yet and they said "Damn. We're out here from New York, and this was one of the places on our list to see."

So it looks like the word is getting around...

[MapGoulet]

^ Looking forward to reading that!

It will be posted to our website this afternoon.

www.kosmont.com

Sorry, I'm an idiot with links. I need to take a posting course from one of you guys!

[cookiejarvis]

Welcome Baz. Go Lions!

[logandankr]

Has anyone heard of Trifecta Lounge? corner of 2nd Street & Hill Street. This is the first I'm hearing of it.

www.trifectalounge.com

www.urbandaddy.com/articles/440/trifecta_los_angeles_la_downtown_sports_lounge_food

Per the article, they've already has their "soft opening." Sounds like another J Lounge.

Anyone been?

[The Baz]

Thanks for the info MapGoulet, cannot believe I missed that. My friends are certainly buzzing about the Edison.

Thanks for the welcome cookiejarvis. Go Lions! :cheers:

[citywatch]

As some of you know, I live in the Higgins, where the Edison is located.
That's one of the unique aspects of DT, where there's an interweaving of residences & businesses, inc restaurants & bars. I think only a few parts of Hollywood or Westwood, or maybe even a smaller number of hoods in Pasadena or some coastal cities offer a similar setup. But even in those instances it's mostly a case of single family homes that are on residential streets located behind a main commercial drag fronted by stores or hangout spots. IOW, the various uses in those hoods aren't as intergrated as they are (or can be) in parts of DT or in a bldg like the Higgins.

[BrighamYen]

Has anyone heard of Trifecta Lounge? corner of 2nd Street & Hill Street. This is the first I'm hearing of it.

www.trifectalounge.com

www.urbandaddy.com/articles/440/trifecta_los_angeles_la_downtown_sports_lounge_food

Per the article, they've already has their "soft opening." Sounds like another J Lounge.

Anyone been?


Never heard of this before...

Could it be part of the Kawada Hotel? Or is it right next to the Redwood? :shrug:

[blogdowntown]

Has anyone heard of Trifecta Lounge? corner of 2nd Street & Hill Street. This is the first I'm hearing of it.

www.trifectalounge.com

www.urbandaddy.com/articles/440/trifecta_los_angeles_la_downtown_sports_lounge_food

Per the article, they've already has their "soft opening." Sounds like another J Lounge.

Anyone been?

This is in the space formerly occupied by Epicenter (in the Kawada). I didn't realize they were up and open already, though I guess if Epicenter already had their licenses in place that speeds up the process tremendously.

[MapGoulet]

This is in the space formerly occupied by Epicenter (in the Kawada). I didn't realize they were up and open already, though I guess if Epicenter already had their licenses in place that speeds up the process tremendously.

It's all in a recent issue of the downtown news. SOrry I don't have the link.

Yeah, its development was pretty under the radar.

[danny1100]

Got this from digg ....

"Red Butler now offering 2007 Discount Cards for FREE! ......"

So they're offering their discount cards again for 2007. This time discounts are offered not only in downtown, but all over the nation. I heard they're getting the Edison, J Lounge & Redwood for us locals too!

Here's the info:

http://www.redbutler.com/images/redfreecard.jpg



Click on image above, or here is the link to get the card:

http://redbutler.com/page.asp?id=15906

Cheers!

Danny -

[JRinSoCal]

A Comedy Club Walks Into a Downtown Bar...



Laughter is often credited with helping to heal the body, but according to a new crop of Downtown comedians, laughter can also revitalize a community. The new weekly comedy jam Underground Comedy kicks off Tuesday, Jan. 23 at Casey's Irish Pub and Grille at 613 S. Grand Ave. "We are bringing something to an area that doesn't have much in the way of entertainment yet," said co-founder and funnyman Anthony Dominguez. According to Dominguez and his partner Francisco "Cisco," residents of Downtown shouldn't have to head to Hollywood for a good side splitting. What's more, they'd like to see comedy fans from Orange County and Long Beach stop off in Downtown instead of driving all the way to Hollywood clubs. The weekly comedy night will take place every Tuesday at 8 p.m. and the duo say comics from DefJam Comedy Jam and Comedy Central will appear regularly. It follows in the still-fresh footsteps of the Downtown Comedy Club at Charlie O's in the Alexandria Hotel, which began hosting comedians Jan. 6.



page 2, 1/22/2007
Los Angeles Downtown News

[colemonkee]

I ate at Lilya again last night and I really think they're starting to hit their stride there. Prices are still kind of high, but the quality of the food is very good. I had the Honey Walnut Shrimp and it was excellent. They also have a Tomato soup that's like nothing I've had anywhere else. It's a light tomato broth with onions, celery, cabage and tomatoes. Very good!

Oh, and if anyone wants to go to Edison this weekend, send me a PM. I cut my snowboard trip due to less-than-favorable conditions (re: no fresh powder and thinning coverage at lower elevations - bleh!!), so I'll be around.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

had my birthday event at J Lounge last weekend. Very cool place, good food, and the whole party was very impressed with the outdoor patio and that there was a cool place like this in DT LA.

[WesTheAngelino]

I took one look at that place [J Lounge] and said "...uh-uh". BUT that is the beauty of the new downtown, there really does seem to be something for everyone.

[MapGoulet]

I took one look at that place [J Lounge] and said "...uh-uh". BUT that is the beauty of the new downtown, there really does seem to be something for everyone.

Yeah, J-Lounge is kinda like "La Cienega meets Downtown". You know, westside chic with exposed brick. I like it, but I'm glad it's not the norm.

[colemonkee]

westside chic with exposed brick.
:haha: If you mispronounce "chic", this is an amazingly cheesy slogan for a club or restaurant...

[MapGoulet]

:haha: If you mispronounce "chic", this is an amazingly cheesy slogan for a club or restaurant...

"Chic as a Brick" (with apologies to Jethro Tull)

[Steve2726]

I'm not sure if this is the correct thread, but since it happened downtown, at night.....

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16812384/

Nicole Kidman Involved In Car Crash On Movie Set


KNBC-TV
1:18 p.m. PST January 25, 2007

LOS ANGELES - Actress Nicole Kidman was one of eight people involved in a car crash early Thursday morning on the set of a movie in downtown Los Angeles.

The crash occurred on the set at West Sixth Street and Broadway. The crew was shooting a scene for the upcoming science fiction movie "Invasion."

Investigators said the 39-year-old Kidman and a boy, possibly a stuntman, were in a Jaguar that was being towed by a camera rig. The rig entered a skid as it rounded a corner at about 45 mph and the car crashed into a pole, investigators said.

"The stunt driver apparently went off course and hit a light post at about 1 a.m.," police Officer Karen Smith said.

Kidman and the boy were wearing seat belts, according to investigators.

The eight people involved in the crash were hospitalized and released.

"I think she's OK," said Kidman's publicist Catherine Olim, adding that it was unclear if the actress went home or returned to the set to resume shooting of the Warner Bros. movie.

A jewelry store was damaged in the collision.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

look at all the restaurants opening in DT LA!!!!

The Retail-Restaurant Explosion

High Rents and Bidding Wars Hit Downtown; Get Ready for Pinkberry And a $4 Million Sushi Joint

by Kathryn Maese

It'll be hotter than the Standard's rooftop bar, pump out pricier meals than the Water Grill and draw more celebrities than a Lakers playoff game at Staples Center.
Emil Eyvazoff is opening a $4 million restaurant and nightclub atop the 811 Wilshire Building. It is one of the dozens of new establishments that are driving Downtown's retail market. Photo by Gary Leonard.

At least, that's how Emil Eyvazoff of the Downtown Entertainment Group sees his new $4 million sushi restaurant and lounge, which dazzles with wall-to-wall glass atop the entire 21st floor of the 811 Wilshire Building. When it opens in May, Eyvazoff hopes the ultra-modern venture will draw a celebrity clientele along the lines of the Sunset Strip's posh Katana.

"This restaurant will offer outdoor dining high above Downtown for the first time," said Eyvazoff, one of three partners behind the Takami Sushi and Robata Restaurant and the Elevate Lounge. "This is very New York, very Tokyo. Those are the places you find an establishment like this."

Eyvazoff is just one of dozens of restaurant and retail investors who are flooding Downtown Los Angeles, and have begun to radically transform the business landscape over the last year. And while fierce bidding wars may be a thing of the past in the housing market, local brokers and real estate experts say Downtown's long-dormant retail spaces are fielding multiple offers from national retailers like Walgreens and smaller chains such as Pinkberry frozen yogurt.

The scenario is playing out across Downtown, not just hot spots like South Park near the active Staples Center. The notoriously hard-to-fill ground floors of residential buildings are steadily signing tenants who plan to open everything from galleries to furniture boutiques to mid-sized restaurants. Likewise, square footage in areas such as the Financial District, which has drawn relatively little attention from after-hours users, is now a hot commodity.

Take, for example, the Pacific Center next to the Biltmore Hotel. For more than a decade real estate firm CB Richard Ellis carried the listing on the 12,200-square-foot space, with little more than passing interest from would-be renters. Today, the landlord has offers from two tenants who want in and are willing to pay rents pushing $3.50 a square foot per month - about $1.50 higher than last year for the area.
*

"In just the last two to three years there has been over a 100% increase in activity," said Derrick Moore, who heads retail for CB Richard Ellis' Urban Redevelopment Group. "It's not uncommon to have half a dozen letters of interest for each and every space whether it's in the Central Business District, South Park or projects in Little Tokyo like the Hikari, which is getting some of the highest [residential] rents."

Frenzied Atmosphere


Moore, who has dozens of retail listings in Downtown, said many of the area's available spaces are already in play. That shortage is creating a frenzy of sorts.

At the Hikari apartments on Second and Central, Moore was besieged with interest, despite rents north of $3 per square foot. A new casual Italian restaurant chain called Pastagina inked a deal to open its first Downtown location in the building this spring, with two more planned by next summer. Baja Fresh, La Salsa and a Hawaiian eatery are gunning for the remaining 1,200 square feet.

"We believe that Downtown is growing and we've seen how fast they are building," said Danilo Terribili, a partner in the Pastagina chain. "A lot of single people are living in Downtown and you have all those lofts going up that are selling very fast. It's a great opportunity. Plus you have all the office workers."

Even established restaurants are reaping the rewards of a re-energized marketplace, fueled by a workforce of half a million people and an ever-growing resident base of about 30,000. The Palm steakhouse, for example, racked up a 10% increase in business over the last year, and is the third busiest in the chain, while the upscale Roy's Hawaiian fusion restaurant finished its first year $2 million over projections.

Numbers like that are pushing interest in retail leasing to the tipping point. Armed with demographic figures from the Downtown Center Business Improvement District touting the area's median household income of $90,000, retailers - particularly restaurants and bars - are making the move in droves.

The DCBID will soon release its second demographic study, which officials from the business group said would offer even more surprising statistics on the Downtown market.

"It will make even more of a compelling case," said Carol Schatz, president and chief executive of the DCBID and the Central City Association. "The average income level of the new residents is even higher than indicated in the first study. That's what retailers need to hear."

Schatz said the influx of nightclubs and bars marks a major transformation in the retail sector, with name chefs and prominent investors - including a few celebrity partnerships - backing projects. Eyvazoff of Takami didn't hesitate to sign a 20-year lease for the 14,000-square-foot space. In fact, the Downtown resident had scouted the area for some time, looking at about 50 locations before committing to the Financial District spot.

He said he has no doubt the multi-million dollar investment will become an instant destination. "I have a database of 300,000 customers and at any point I can send out a mailer and if less than 1% respond I'm over capacity and I've got a line down the street," said Eyvazoff, who operates two nightclubs in Southern California. "So it's not about filling the place up, it's about filling it with the right people at the right time."

A Downtown Pig?


A few blocks from Takami, the new retail mix is expanding with as many as 10 deals in the Financial District, specifically along Seventh Street between Olive and Figueroa. The corridor, which was a thriving retail hub before it was crippled by Westside expansion, recession and years of subway construction, is set to host a diverse slate of restaurants, stores and nightclubs.

One of those newcomers will occupy 10,000 square feet on the ground floor of the 76-unit Brockman Building. Called Duci Italian, the mid-priced to high-end eatery will include a gourmet market similar to New York's Dean & Deluca, Moore said.

Others hunting around in the district include the proprietors of the famed Pig 'n Whistle pub, who are looking to open a location on Seventh Street - possibly in the Fine Arts Building. The Hollywood Boulevard restaurant has a hopping bar scene and eclectic menu. Barney's Beanery, the hipster-adopted old-school eatery in West Hollywood, is also hoping to set up shop in Downtown, Moore noted.

Though brokers say the market for the non-food sector is slower, several notable tenants are coming into the area or even changing their policy on locating Downtown - Walgreens (likely in the Financial District) and CVS are looking to establish a presence in the market, according to several brokers who were interviewed. Opening late this year is Bo Concept, an upscale Scandinavian furniture store with locations around the world. The high-design showroom will occupy space in the 617 Building at 617 W. Seventh St.

Smaller clusters are also cropping up, like one on a stretch of Fifth Street off Broadway that includes an edgy hip-hop clothing store, two cafes and a cleaners. Meanwhile, Little Tokyo's active street scene is drawing plenty of newcomers, including a Pinkberry yogurt shop on Second Street across from Japanese Village Plaza.

"The really traditional users have not really come back again but other firms are looking to open in Downtown," said Amy Raine, senior director of retail for Cushman & Wakefield. "There's a certain amount of watching and waiting but there are a lot more users looking, especially mom-and-pop stores."

These smaller retailers have been finding their way into the dozens of residential buildings now coming online, many attracted by the built-in customer base. Leasing agent Frank DeFoe of Ramsey Shilling Co. said the 50-unit Douglas Building at Third and Spring streets has fully leased its retail, with four tenants that include the 3,789-square-foot Ma Petite Bakery and Café, the 3,367-square-foot Origami Bistro and Bar, as well as a photo gallery and coffee and tea bar. Likewise, 801 Grand, an office and residential development, has snagged Tranquility Base, a 3,166-square-foot American restaurant set to open this year.

"Retail as a component of these projects is a very important part of marketing and revenue generation," said Chris Maling, senior director of Marcus & Millichap's National Retail Group. "People are saying if I have a dry cleaners, hair salon or place where I can get coffee, I'll patronize it because it's convenient. This is the mom-and-pop concept that will evolve out of what's happening Downtown."

With Ralphs supermarket opening this summer and Downtown's two mega projects taking shape - the L.A. Live entertainment district and the Grand Avenue cultural hub - thousands of square feet of retail are hitting the market. But the sudden retail rush is creating a few snags and even some concerns, including the lack of affordable visitor parking, poor logistical infrastructure such as loading docks, and the need for retail diversity.

"We need some space for a brave retail entrepreneur to address the contemporary scene," said Ilse Metchek, who heads the California Fashion Association. "We need to replicate what Silver Lake and Echo Park are doing with their retail boutiques that sets them apart, not the same standard fare like Chicos, Ann Taylor and Talbots. We need a developer with that brainpower."

But the biggest problem, business owners say, is the slow city permitting and approval process. It can take developers as long as nine months to receive a conditional use permit to house a restaurant or a bar in their building, and even longer for the tenant to move forward.

"I think because of the number of projects happening at the same time, along with all of the residential, it's a combination of the city not being prepared for it, delays, and the Zoning Department had a lot of turnover," Eyvazoff said. "If you want to open up a restaurant or a lounge or nightclub tomorrow, it's not going to happen. You've got about a two-year wait. There are some growing pains that this area will feel, but the people who really want to do an outstanding project will do it."

Contact Kathryn Maese at kathryn@downtownnews.com.

page 1, 2/5/2007

[LAMetroGuy]

Went to the edison last night, no words can describe how AMAZING it turned out! Very nice, uber cool/trendy/swanky/funky/bootylicious~! It had a good crowd, I got there at around 12:30 am and noticed a lot of people leaving the edison and heading south on 1st??? Anyway, very nice and highly recommended!

[MapGoulet]

Went to the edison last night, no words can describe how AMAZING it turned out! Very nice, uber cool/trendy/swanky/funky/bootylicious~! It had a good crowd, I got there at around 12:30 am and noticed a lot of people leaving the edison and heading south on 1st??? Anyway, very nice and highly recommended!


I second that! You should have been there before midnight -- open bar! I've never ordered so many Grey Goose and Blue Label drinks in one night. I asked for Louis X111 ($300 a shot) but they respectfully declined. Oh well ,open bar has its limits.

It was a GREAT crowd and everyone was cool and friendly. The promoters and downtown leaders mixed with us regular people -- even the bouncers were cool. I saw Cedd Moses and Marc Smith. Tom Gilmore was taking Huell Howser around! I got to meet him and Huell told me that he's thinking of doing a segment on places like the Edison. Tom then took him over to the Bordello.

They had a great live band too. The Edison is now open 6 days a week! Time to get poor!

:cheers:

[LAMetroGuy]

Open bar, wow... that explains why so many people were drunk outside... I thought that was funny.

[ksep]

pictures don't do it justice...but i tried. :D

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/183/387610823_aac1491e22_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/165/387610822_964d4f53e2_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/188/387610821_77565e9b39_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/164/387609880_4b9512e9ae_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/158/387609873_54bc57c462_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/128/387609871_4e7da51317_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/176/387609869_061d6bbe3a_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/170/387608053_92a97a818c_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/153/387665939_30d41914c9_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/187/387608051_b705d674a5_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/185/387608046_6644035b3b_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/174/387608047_6fcd5c31ba_o.jpg


while everything about the edison is great, the fact that they are enforcing a dresscode is a little bit of a turn-off. no hooties , no sneakers...wtf?

try some of their signature cocktails from the menu. they're fantabulous. :cheers:

[RAlossi]

^I'm always cautious going to straight bars because of the dress code thing (there may be gay bars with dress codes, but I have never been to one)!

I don't go out looking like trash, but come on.. it's So Cal, and we love our jeans and sneakers.

[BrighamYen]

^ Exactly, I guess I won't be going to the Edison anymore! lol

[colemonkee]

My understanding was that the dress code - and the open bar - were only for the opening party.

[citywatch]

I wonder how many bldgs in LA or all of So CA contain apts or condos on the upper floors & businesses like an Edison nightclub on the 1st or lower floor? Not many.

I think it's the synergy & convenience found in a setup like that that's contributing to reactions like this (http://shainla.typepad.com/sha_in_la/2007/02/eps_at_e3rd.html):


On our walk back to their loft Phil proclaimed for like the 10th time how much he loved living in Downtown and we all agreed. Even though I'm an interloper, wishing I could truly call Downtown home, I feel his joy.

[The Baz]

Good to hear the hype about the Edison was true. Cannot wait to check it out. :cheers:

[citywatch]

Here's a brief review of the Edison (http://la.eater.com/archives/2007/02/12/a_beacon_of_light_the_edison.php):


We're not saying we've been everywhere, but Eater's been to a lot of places in this town. And we still feel confident saying that The Edison, the new downtown nightspot in the historic Higgins building, is the most unique, sexy, attractive, must-go-every-night spot in LA. We're sure we'll regret this for fear of never getting in with ease again, but there is absolutely nothing like it around, and it puts every contrived, overly designed hot spot to shame.

[Vidiot]

**NEW FAMIMA!! STORE LOCATION OPEN IN DOWNTOWN**

If you haven't heard already, Famima!! opened their newest store on the NE corner of 6th & Grand last week. It is open 7 days a week, mon-fri 6a-10p, and sat-sun 7a-9p. If you have never visited a Famima!! store before, your life is not complete otherwise. Seriously. Premium food and convenience products in a modern upscale setting. "Bringing civilization to downtown LA", as one of our customers said.

(most of this was a mini promotion for my store.. come see me at work, the name's Eric) :tup:

[edluva]

don't mean to rain on anyone's parade, but how's famima doing? their stores don't seem all that busy when I pass them.

[BrighamYen]

**NEW FAMIMA!! STORE LOCATION OPEN IN DOWNTOWN**

If you haven't heard already, Famima!! opened their newest store on the NE corner of 6th & Grand last week. It is open 7 days a week, mon-fri 6a-10p, and sat-sun 7a-9p. If you have never visited a Famima!! store before, your life is not complete otherwise. Seriously. Premium food and convenience products in a modern upscale setting. "Bringing civilization to downtown LA", as one of our customers said.

(most of this was a mini promotion for my store.. come see me at work, the name's Eric) :tup:

I shall take you up on ur offer! ;-)

I love famimas! The one in Pasadena on Raymond was actually very busy last Saturday night. It had a bunch of people using their standardized silver tables and chairs and browsing over the magazines. I hope 7-Eleven sees this as a way to improve their image with their new urban stores in the USA. A little variety never hurt! :)

[Vidiot]

don't mean to rain on anyone's parade, but how's famima doing? their stores don't seem all that busy when I pass them.

well, it depends on the location and the time it's been around. The Famima corp. was founded barely 2 1/2 years ago with its first store in West Hollywood.. the Figueroa store sees a huge lunch rush along with the new Pacific Center store in downtown. (we made $1000 in an hour the other day)
----------------------------------------------------------------
From Wikipedia:

Famima!! is a chain of small convenience stores based on and owned by the widely successful FamilyMart stores of Japan. Founded on September 17, 2004, the stores bring the Japanese model of premium convenience stores, targeting the Middle and Upper level income 21 - 41 years of age, to the United States. Famima Corporation is currently testing stores out on the American consumer segment by building 30 stores in California. These 30 stores will be followed by 220 additional stores by 2009.

Famima!! stores feature upscale design and premium foods, packaging deli style "lunch boxes" (sandwiches, panini, sushi), International and American goods popular in the United States, magazines, etc.

Most stores are open from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. and are located in urban or suburban areas.

Locations

(as of February 7, 2007)

* West Hollywood, California
* Torrance, California
* Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica, California
* Westwood, Los Angeles, California
* Pasadena, California
* Hollywood, California
* Pasadena, California
* Long Beach, California
* Los Angeles, California - downtown at Figueroa Blvd. and 9th St.
* Culver City, California - at Overland Ave and Venice Boulevard
* Glendale, California
* Los Angeles, California - downtown near Pershing Square at Grand Ave.
and 6th St.

[ChrisLA]

well, it depends on the location and the time it's been around. The Famima corp. was founded barely 2 1/2 years ago with its first store in West Hollywood.. the Figueroa store sees a huge lunch rush along with the new Pacific Center store in downtown. (we made $1000 in an hour the other day)
----------------------------------------------------------------
From Wikipedia:

Famima!! is a chain of small convenience stores based on and owned by the widely successful FamilyMart stores of Japan. Founded on September 17, 2004, the stores bring the Japanese model of premium convenience stores, targeting the Middle and Upper level income 21 - 41 years of age, to the United States. Famima Corporation is currently testing stores out on the American consumer segment by building 30 stores in California. These 30 stores will be followed by 220 additional stores by 2009.

Famima!! stores feature upscale design and premium foods, packaging deli style "lunch boxes" (sandwiches, panini, sushi), International and American goods popular in the United States, magazines, etc.

Most stores are open from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. and are located in urban or suburban areas.

Locations

(as of February 7, 2007)

* West Hollywood, California
* Torrance, California
* Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica, California
* Westwood, Los Angeles, California
* Pasadena, California
* Hollywood, California
* Pasadena, California
* Long Beach, California
* Los Angeles, California - downtown at Figueroa Blvd. and 9th St.
* Culver City, California - at Overland Ave and Venice Boulevard
* Glendale, California
* Los Angeles, California - downtown near Pershing Square at Grand Ave.
and 6th St.

The one I've been to in Hollywood seem very busy, and so did the one in Santa Monica. I've also stopped at the one downtown on Figuroa and it wasn't super busy, but still there were people coming and going. It was also well past the lunch hour too. I was just a little offended by the rudeness of one cashier when I ask for the key to use the restroom. She yelled its for customers only. I was like don't you see this bag in my hand? I had just finish eating and came back to the counter to the restroom and I don't look like some bum. :shrug:

Anyway we stopped (ColDayMan, Segun, Paradox, and Jose) at the one in Santa Monica when they were visiting LA. Some of the guys look like they went grocery shopping in there, I think they liked it. My co-worker mom came from Australia and liked the store. Another Philipino co-worker thinks its over priced. Me personally I like their products, and stop in when I'm near one.

I have to say the new one in Long Beach seemed rather empty when I stopped in. The intersection where is at doesn't make it easy to reach if you not on the side of the street where the store is. I had to do some illegal stuff to get into the lot. Personally I think they picked a bad location and it should have been downtown on Pine Avenue near my condo. I know there is another store opening in Belmont Shores on 2nd Street. I suspect this one will do well because of the high pedestrian traffic.

The one at the Pacific Center in downtown LA, I remember passing by and seeing the sign when the mid-western forumers where here visiting. I planned on stopping downtown later today over at the new Ground Works Coffee since I will be in the area. Perhaps I'll stop by and say hello and pick up something to eat.

[ChrisLA]

Well I visited the new Ground Works coffeehouse in the Higgins Buildings at 2nd & Main Wednesday. I have to say I was very impressed with their cappuccino. As some of you know I'm a big fan of Peets Coffee, but I have to say they beat out Peets in taste.

I ordered a wet cappuccino, and the barista made it so well, it look like a piece of art. I almost didn't want to drink it because it look so nice I hated to mess up this piece of art (lol).

After I also looked around at the displays of coffee products I went upstairs and sat down, and I was the only customer in afternoon around 2pm. There were several people behind the counter, and I think they were having a training session. I watched below as the guys practice their craft at making cappiccinos.

Anyway this asian guy who made my drink (I think he could have been the manager, or owner) came upstairs and handed me some napkins and started talking. I complimented him on how good this drink was, and he told me about the different beans they sell. He left and came back with a huge menu of coffee they sell. Well I ended up buying a pound of espresso beans for home, and tried it out today. Already I've told my cousin about their coffee and she's looking forward to trying it. I've finally ween her off of Starbucks after several years of telling her Peets was better.

So guys/gals I highly recommend you try this place, I told them I'll be back as well. Right now they are only open from about 7am til 7 pm 7 days a week. About my only complaint was it was a bit stuffy inside the coffeehouse, the a/c needed to be on, or at least open a few windows. Hopefully that won't be the case when summer does arrive. I know yesterday was a bit warm, so perhaps being winter and all they weren't ready to run a/c this early.

EDIT: We should do a meet at this place for all the coffee lovers, and then go check out all of the new changes happening in downtown. I have some free time this Saturday if anyone is interested.