LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 6.0

[Radio5]

Originally Posted by CaliNative

I'm convinced "Nimbyism" is rooted heavily in economic self interest. "Nimbys" are mostly property owners, who want to keep new housing scarce so their own home values keep rising. NIMBYs fear new supply, since new supply will dampen price appreciation. What NIMBYs don't factor in is that scarce supply and high prices and rents will drive up homelessness, and some of those homeless will live in their neighborhoods. Maybe in front of their homes. As homelessness soars, nobody will want to buy the NIMBY's home. The NIMBY dilemma.

I really don't think NIMBY's are thinking in that way. Maybe some, but I think the majority just don't like change. And so if you are changing what they know, they are up in arms about it. What boggles my mind, is when you ask them what makes you have the right to have housing and not others? And also, what do you think was there before this house? Someone had to develop this house you are living in and disrupt that current landscape, but someone else can't simply because you now live there???

[ocman]

Theres also the feeling that if u rent, you’re only a guest in this city and have no say in how the neighborhood develops, and that the feelings of homeowners take precedent over all others. No homeowner is ever going to say we need to make room for more people in this area. That would be too selfless. The fact that their home values skyrocket due to their resistance while burdening renters to pay more of their income to skyrocketing rent while never building equity shows the hypocrisy of wealthy progessive angelenos who rail against Trump’s treatment of outsiders and never see the connection at the local level of how they burden struggling families by their resistance to higher density development.

[scania]

Originally Posted by Radio5

I only tried the one in Seattle, and while it was over priced, I thought it was on par with Intellgensia, Blue Bottle, etc. Better than a normal one.

It’s comical when people rave on how they dislike Starbucks. It’s like saying, I don’t have much going on in my life, let me b#]*h about something and try to sound cool. To hate Starbucks??? It’s not that serious. Let’s not pretend every fine dine restaurant has great coffee, and especially when you compare to Starbucks.

[scania]

Originally Posted by ocman

Theres also the feeling that if u rent, you’re only a guest in this city and have no say in how the neighborhood develops, and that the feelings of homeowners take precedent over all others. No homeowner is ever going to say we need to make room for more people in this area. That would be too selfless. The fact that their home values skyrocket due to their resistance while burdening renters to pay more of their income to skyrocketing rent while never building equity shows the hypocrisy of wealthy progessive angelenos who rail against Trump’s treatment of outsiders and never see the connection at the local level of how they burden struggling families by their resistance to higher density development.

This isn’t always the case. There are a plethora of homeowners who love density and the benefits of density. Be it retail, restaurants, etc. A lot of times it’s the ones that oppose things that makes the most noise. Doesn’t always mean that the popular opinion of a group.

[sportbiker]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

I would be more excited about a La Monarca opening in downtown LA...

It ain't exactly DTLA, but there is a La Monarca at the corner of SMB and Western.

[CaliNative]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

Yeah me too, totally agree.

I live in South Pasadena, a city of only a little less than 3.5 square miles, yet there are three Starbucks in South Pas, four if you count the one inside the Pavilions supermarket. I don't go to ANY of them, I never liked their coffee.

I would be more excited about a La Monarca opening in downtown LA... in fact I go to the one in South Pas often for their coffee and their very good pastries.

delete

[CaliNative]

Any new images of 820 S. Olive? Surely must be topped out by now, and the crown almost complete.

[CaliNative]

I would still say City Hall. Maybe others would say US Bank or Wilshire Grand or something else. But City Hall is it for me. Been there for over 90 years. Been in scads of movies and TV shows. Superman (The Daily Planet). Dragnet. War of the Worlds (1953 version). It is an icon, and a pretty good design for a govt. building. DWP building is also iconic modernist tower, but much shorter that City Hall. They used to light it up at night. If Richfield tower was still there, I might put that on the list (alas, gone since 1969). Thankfully blue Eastern Columbia is still there. But City Hall is still numero uno icon in my opinion, with perhaps US Bank a close second. If they did more to light up USBank & Wilshire Grand at night like they do the Empire State Building in shifting lighting schemes for the various holidays, that might help icon status for those.

[ziggy331]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesBeauty

First Downtown LA Starbucks Reserve to Open at Atelier Tower

http://brighamyen.com/2018/07/10/fir...atelier-tower/

Tocaya Organica though.

That place is awesome, and will totally bring energy to the Olive side.

[BigCityOfDreams]

Originally Posted by dktshb

Yes I am sure about that. I am not trying to romanticize anything but you're trying to dismiss its past. Downtown's population was about 50% of the entire population of the City of Los Angeles in in the late teens and early twenties. The City of Los Angeles had a population in 1920 of about 570K people.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_in_the_1920s

In 1919, the community living in the downtown area formed 50% of the population of Los Angeles, and mostly Anglo-Saxon Protestants. Very few people lived in the hills and the suburbs were sparsely populated

Thank you for clearing this up and defending LA. It is pretty tiresome to constantly hear transplants to LA talk about how this is the first time LA has been a big deal (and when I say LA I mean Downtown LA, because that's what people that are from here have always called Downtown LA). Citywatch, no offense but you are the biggest offender, and to be honest, are you even from LA? I am a third generation angeleno, (some distant family dates back to the region as late as the 1850s), and I will tell you straight up that you are wrong. Stop talking down about our City as if you are some expert.

Where do you think that all of these buildings that are being refurbished came from? They are masterpieces and they are from a hayday that was stolen from LA by speculators selling the false dream of an auto utopia and the transplants that bought in to that false dream and reshaped the City as they saw fit. The amazing building being refurbished today were significantly more in number and all surrounded by the dense neighborhoods that surround LA today (Wilshire Center, MacArthur Park, University Park, Historic South Central, etc), but as LA leadership became supplanted by the transplants that moved here seeking autotopia, they abandoned the core, buildings were condemned, and parking lots followed. This process continued for decades. Now we are having a reawakening. But for the last time, this is not the best that LA has ever been, so please stop spewing that like it's a fact. And I mean that with utmost respect, because I enjoy much of what you post.

[Illithid Dude]

Reposting this from Facebook, but here is a wonderful renovation of a small three-story structure on Broadway. More than any Chinese-money megaproject, it's transformations like this that really turn downtown in to a cohesive, attractive neighborhood.





And before:

[Quixote]

I think that looks kind of cheesy.

[scania]

Originally Posted by BigCityOfDreams

Thank you for clearing this up and defending LA. It is pretty tiresome to constantly hear transplants to LA talk about how this is the first time LA has been a big deal (and when I say LA I mean Downtown LA, because that's what people that are from here have always called Downtown LA). Citywatch, no offense but you are the biggest offender, and to be honest, are you even from LA? I am a third generation angeleno, (some distant family dates back to the region as late as the 1850s), and I will tell you straight up that you are wrong. Stop talking down about our City as if you are some expert.

Where do you think that all of these buildings that are being refurbished came from? They are masterpieces and they are from a hayday that was stolen from LA by speculators selling the false dream of an auto utopia and the transplants that bought in to that false dream and reshaped the City as they saw fit. The amazing building being refurbished today were significantly more in number and all surrounded by the dense neighborhoods that surround LA today (Wilshire Center, MacArthur Park, University Park, Historic South Central, etc), but as LA leadership became supplanted by the transplants that moved here seeking autotopia, they abandoned the core, buildings were condemned, and parking lots followed. This process continued for decades. Now we are having a reawakening. But for the last time, this is not the best that LA has ever been, so please stop spewing that like it's a fact. And I mean that with utmost respect, because I enjoy much of what you post.

You make some great points and I agree with most...I do want to say that this auto utopia is not a false dream. A lot of people love what the automobile has done for not only the city, but the entire country. It's so easy for urbanist to think that the auto industry has messed up so many things, but fact is...most people still prefer to drive than to walk and catch some form of public transportation. I love being as urban as I can...but having a car provides so many different options of places to go and things to do. With that being said, one of the things that makes LA such a great city, is that its so much bigger than a Downtown. From the beach to the canyons, and yes, that's a California Dream (Auto utopia), that millions of people around the world aspire to have.

[scania]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

Reposting this from Facebook, but here is a wonderful renovation of a small three-story structure on Broadway. More than any Chinese-money megaproject, it's transformations like this that really turn downtown in to a cohesive, attractive neighborhood.





And before:

I totally agree. One of my friends last night stated that one thing San Fran has is a downtown that feels complete...the most of the old buildings seem to be preserved. Once most of the older buildings, especially Broadway have been renovated...DTLA along with the newer skyscrapers would take it to another level.

[Wilcal]

Originally Posted by scania

I totally agree. One of my friends last night stated that one thing San Fran has is a downtown that feels complete...the most of the old buildings seem to be preserved. Once most of the older buildings, especially Broadway have been renovated...DTLA along with the newer skyscrapers would take it to another level.

I'm afraid that I don't agree with the "cheesy" assessment made by Quixote.The renovation of Broadway is obviously slow and peicemeal, but each step, each building are taking in block by block. In my opinion any gentle touch of renovation is better than a slap of negligence. And God knows downtown Los Angeles has been slapped around for many years. Concerning the observation by Scandia, as a former intern with the San Francisco city Planning department (1979-1981), I can tell you that the city then as well as historically was very contentious about the preservation of history and the importance of design. These were things that historically were not cared about especially in DTLA. And now we are paying the piper so to speak. I believe that DTLA has some truly magnificent buildings, especially theaters which has San Francisco beat, but it will take time, patience and investment to restore them. This process would happen much faster if were not for the fact that the current billions being in vested in DTLA were not so dispersed.

[llamaorama]

Was that stuff buried under the old facade? I've never seen anything quite like those gold relief things before. How interesting.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by Quixote

I think that looks kind of cheesy.

I'd rather have that than something as bad as this....on 7th St across from the old robinson's dept store bldg. It housed a restaurant not too long ago.

what a disgrace!


facebook.com


speaking of which, the spring arcade bldg was not all that much better just a few yrs ago....a swapmeet embarrassment...it finally has some dignity back in it.....


• Video Link


dtla had so much wall to wall dilapidation over the past 10 yrs, that it was hurting the reputation of the city. DT was dangerously similar to all the tired smaller cities in the midwest or east that no one likes talking about.

the motto of LA in 2018 should be: never again!

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by llamaorama

Was that stuff buried under the old facade? I've never seen anything quite like those gold relief things before. How interesting.

Apparently it was. A lot of older buildings were originally painted non-neutral colors. There's another great restoration in Koreatown where a modernized pre-war building was restored to its original facade and color, replete with bright orange tiled accents.

[headcheckjj]

Anyone have updates for:

- the 4th/Hill proposal
- the Jenga tower
- the 9th/Hill proposal

Thanks!

[CaliNative]

Originally Posted by headcheckjj

Anyone have updates for:

- the 4th/Hill proposal
- the Jenga tower
- the 9th/Hill proposal

Thanks!

If any of those are Chinese funded, they may not be built this cycle. Chinese funds have really dried up in recent months as many have observed. The Canadians are still there.