Monthly Archives: March 2011

New Wilshire Grand Towers Approved Will Add to Downtown LA Skyline

Posted on March 30, 2011 by | 10 Comments

A rendering of the dramatic new towers that will add a substantial presence to an evolving Los Angeles skyline (Photo courtesy of Wilshire Grand Redevelopment)

I have been following the proposed redevelopment of the Wilshire Grand Hotel ever since I first learned about it back in early 2009. And I am very excited about the future of Downtown LA and that things are definitely moving forward as the Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved (yesterday) the proposed plans to redevelop the aging hotel by replacing it with two brand new towers.

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Posted in architecture, downtown los angeles, mixed-use development, pedestrian oriented, real estate

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New Traffic Signal in Pasadena Aides Pedestrians Crossing Street

Posted on March 28, 2011 by | 2 Comments

A new traffic signal in the Playhouse District will make it safer for pedestrians to cross the street

I’m always glad to see investments by the city when it comes to pedestrian oriented development. In the Playhouse District, a new traffic signal has gone up at the intersection of Union and Oakland, which can get pretty busy with pedestrians as the area has become more of a destination over the years.

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Posted in pedestrian oriented

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Ideas for Downtown LA: Make Union Station a Destination (Not Just a Transfer Point)

Posted on March 25, 2011 by | 16 Comments

Los Angeles Union Station has been getting busier and busier over the years as multiple train lines and bus routes have converged here

It was officially announced last month that the Los Angeles County transportation agency, Metro, was purchasing the beautiful but underutilized Union Station from a private owner. Even though it is underutilized (ridership could be higher) and has so much more potential (more varied uses on site), Union Station is still the undisputed hub of transit on the entire West Coast (west of Chicago to be exact).

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Posted in architecture, downtown los angeles, Ideas for Downtown LA, mass transportation, pedestrian oriented, smart growth

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Tender Greens Coming Soon to Pasadena

Posted on March 24, 2011 by | 10 Comments

Tender Greens replaces the Japanese store Famima in the Playhouse District

The popular eatery, Tender Greens, serving “health-conscious foods” that started in Culver City has expanded across LA from Hollywood to West Hollywood to Santa Monica and now Pasadena (it is also rumored that Tender Greens is actively looking for a space in Downtown LA as well). The small but growing LA-based chain focuses on the “conscious connection between the one who eats the food and the source of that sustenance.”

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Posted in food, restaurants

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A Glimpse at the Future of Clifton’s Cafeteria in Downtown LA

Posted on March 23, 2011 by | 7 Comments

The redwood forest theme of Clifton's Cafeteria is apparently where Walt Disney got his idea for what later became Disneyland as he planned his "next big move" (Photo courtesy of Flickr member beastandbean)

By now, most people have heard that one of LA’s oldest surviving restaurants, Clifton’s Cafeteria and the helm of its future direction, was transferred over recently (late last year) to successful bar operator, Andrew Meieran, who according to the LA Weekly, “took out a 50-year lease (10 years with four 10-year options, with an option to buy) on the restaurant.”

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Posted in architecture, downtown los angeles, food, restaurants

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[Video] Downtown LA 2011 Survey: What Do You Want to See Open in DTLA?

Posted on March 21, 2011 by | 5 Comments


Watch this 1-minute video on the Downtown LA 2011 survey

The Downtown Center Business Improvement District (DCBID) wants to know what presses your button about DTLA. Local bars and restaurants? Artwalk? Historic buildings? What made you first fall in love with Downtown? In conjunction with the 2011 Downtown demographic survey, the Downtown Center BID is sponsoring a Downtown LA “Love Button” at www.facebook.com/DTLAsurvey, which links people directly to the survey.

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Posted in downtown los angeles, events, video

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Restaurant Update in Old Pasadena

Posted on March 18, 2011 by | 9 Comments

Himalayan Cafe, one of many new restaurants, opening soon in Old Pasadena

A bunch of new restaurant signs (four total) have gone up recently in Old Pasadena. None of the restaurants have actually opened yet, but the new signs do announce their eventual arrival into the ever changing restaurant scene here in Pasadena. In a few weeks and/or months, we’ll be seeing a new group of restaurants opening up and serving food from Himalayan to Ukrainian.

Check out the pictures below.

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Posted in food, restaurants

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Salvage Lounge Coming to Downtown LA

Posted on March 16, 2011 by | 5 Comments

Salvage Lounge will be opening in Downtown LA on the ground floor of the Roosevelt Lofts on 7th Street in the heart of Downtown LA

Another new lounge is coming soon to the continuously evolving, and relatively new, “Restaurant Row of Downtown LA” along 7th Street. Within the past 5 years, 7th Street has seen multiple new restaurants open along 4 blocks that stretch from Figueroa to Olive St. Restaurants like Wokcano, Dublin’s Irish Pub, Sugar Fish Sushi, Bottega Louie, Soi 7, and Mas Malo are just some of the names that have put Downtown LA on the foodie map.

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Posted in downtown los angeles, restaurants

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[Video] Ideas for Pasadena: Build Train Shelters on Freeway Platforms to Protect Riders from Noise and Noxious Fumes

Posted on March 15, 2011 by | 11 Comments

All you need to do is watch the video (above) I recorded on the Lake Ave Gold Line station to understand (and hear) how loud the cars and trucks are as they zoom by the train platform–constantly–assaulting the ears from both sides. Transit riders wait on these platforms embedded in the middle of freeways on the Gold and Green Lines and are subjected, helplessly, to deafening noise and exhaust fumes. Very unpleasant.

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Posted in mass transportation, pedestrian oriented, video

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Public School No. 612 Now Open in Downtown LA

Posted on March 14, 2011 by | 2 Comments

Public School No. 612 is a unique and completely new bar concept at Daily Grill located at 612 S Flower in Downtown LA (across from the Standard Hotel)

One of the first newer restaurants to open in Downtown LA during the renaissance of the last few years was Daily Grill at 6th/Flower back in 2005. The restaurant quickly shot up to one of the highest grossing locations in the entire chain as the demand from the lunch crowd kept the restaurant busier than ever.

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Posted in downtown los angeles, food, restaurants

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