Monthly Archives: October 2011

The Chic Transformation of the Okada Restaurant Building in Downtown LA

Posted on October 31, 2011 by | 6 Comments

"Okada building" before construction commenced in March 2011

"Okada building" after tarp came down this past weekend

Over the weekend, the scaffolding and green tarp came down from the long-shuttered Okada Japanese restaurant building on 7th Street revealing an exciting new look, and amazingly, giving the block a noticeably fresher feeling–another “jolt in the arm” you could say. The combination of different materials on the building’s facade including creamy beige tiles and a metallic second floor balcony along with reflective bluish windows forms a chic and modern design (by Killefer Flammang) that complements the historic structures adjacent on both sides.

Continue reading →

→ 6 Comments

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

Tagged , , , , , ,

Happy Halloween from Downtown LA!

Posted on October 31, 2011 by | Leave a comment

Downtown LA celebrates 2011 Halloween as seen here at Salvage Lounge in the Financial District

Downtown LA has been growing so fast with each passing year that it has gotten more and more festive, and as a result, contributes to a feeling of “normalcy” or stability that I feel is so important for building a livable community. For example, all these new businesses opening up recently (including restaurants, retailers, etc.) are getting into the spooky holiday spirit this year for Halloween. Even last year, I don’t recall it being as festive as this year walking around seeing as many decorations in these new businesses. Pumpkins, ghosts, and witches “haunt” Downtown LA as much as any other established community in Greater Los Angeles. Being that Halloween (and the month of October leading up to it) is one of my favorite times of the year, it is something that makes me love Downtown LA that much more!

→ Leave a comment

Posted in art and culture, downtown los angeles

Tagged , , , , ,

[Video] City Target Construction Update at the New FIGat7th in Downtown LA

Posted on October 28, 2011 by | 3 Comments

That's me and Ron (the Director of Construction for SoCal) standing inside the cavernous space that will become City Target, while we both point at the new staircase off of Figueroa

It’s amazing for me to think about what it’s going to be like in exactly one year when the newly remodeled FIGat7th re-opens in Downtown LA along with the very much anticipated arrival of City Target as the first announced anchor tenant in the revamped shopping center.

Continue reading →

→ 3 Comments

Posted in downtown los angeles, real estate, retail, video

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Buffered Green-Painted Bike Lane Coming Soon to Spring St in Downtown LA

Posted on October 27, 2011 by | 12 Comments

A conceptual rendering of what the protected bike lane down Spring St may look like as the design is being close to finalized with a ground breaking planned for early December 2011 (Photo: DLANC)

Valerie Watson, the At-Large Director of DLANC (Downtown LA Neighborhood Council), who has been heavily involved with making the Historic Core in Downtown LA a much more pedestrian and bike friendly community, sends me this rendering (and more info) of a fully separated bike lane down Spring St that will also be painted green (like those coveted ones in bike-friendly Portland or New York).

Continue reading →

→ 12 Comments

Posted in bicycle oriented, community involvement, downtown los angeles, environmentally green, smart growth

Tagged , , , , ,

Ideas for Los Angeles: Upgrade Metro with Cleaner Plastic Seats and Easier-to-Read Countdown Timers

Posted on October 25, 2011 by | 30 Comments

As Los Angeles continues to centralize into a more compact city (into Downtown LA and environs) and the metro system continues to attract a higher and higher ridership, we must continue to upgrade and modernize our system to make it as comfortable and clean as possible as other mature urban cities have done with their metro systems

A couple of weeks ago I attended the ARA (AIDS Research Alliance) fundraiser in Downtown LA hosted at Cicada Restaurant on the ground floor of the beautiful historic 1927 Oviatt Building. I met a gentleman from San Francisco named Steve Villano who flew down to LA just for this fundraiser.

Continue reading →

→ 30 Comments

Posted in downtown los angeles, environmentally green, Ideas for Downtown LA, mass transportation, pedestrian oriented

Tagged , , , , ,

Ocho Mexican Grill Opening Second Location on Bunker Hill in Downtown LA

Posted on October 21, 2011 by | 1 Comment

Ocho Mexican Grill will replace the long-shuttered Koo Koo Roo space on Bunker Hill in Downtown LA

Ocho Mexican Grill restaurant owner, Chris Zuber, sent me an email yesterday with some exciting news that he plans to open a second location in Downtown LA. Zuber has signed a lease taking over the long-shuttered Koo Koo Roo space at the Grand Promenade Tower on Bunker Hill (just down the street from the under construction Broad contemporary art museum). And for his second location, he’ll be applying for a beer and wine license.

Continue reading →

→ 1 Comment

Posted in downtown los angeles, food, restaurants

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

$1 Dogs (Thursday 10/20/11) to Celebrate 1-Year Anniversary of Dog Haus in Pasadena

Posted on October 19, 2011 by | Leave a comment


Watch me devour my two favorite dogs (the Downtown Dog and Soo Cali) in my video interview above!

You may remember my interview back in January 2011 with Hagop Giragossian, the owner of Dog Haus in Pasadena (near Pasadena City College). Well, it’s been a year since Dog Haus has opened and they’re celebrating by offering $1 dogs tomorrow on Thursday, October 20, 2011!

And two more new locations?

Continue reading →

→ Leave a comment

Posted in discounts, events, food, restaurants

Tagged , , ,

Industriel Restaurant Installs New Signs in Downtown LA

Posted on October 18, 2011 by | Leave a comment

Industriel, a new upscale French restaurant that replaces Carl's Jr, gets new signs earlier today as the restaurant space continues to build out (Photo: Joshua Levi)

Usually it seems like permanent signs go up after the opening of a new restaurant, but the new restaurant Industriel–located at the corner of 6th and Grand in the Financial District–decided to do things a little differently. Downtown supporter and resident, Joshua Levi, sends in the picture above taken earlier today when the distressed metallic and black signs were being installed by the front entrance. Construction build out has been on and off for the past year since it replaced Carl’s Jr and hopefully this is also a sign that construction will begin in earnest with an opening in 2012.

Here is some more information about Industriel (and renderings) from Long Beach-based FLO Design Studio that is handling the space:

Continue reading →

→ Leave a comment

Posted in downtown los angeles, food, restaurants

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Artisan House Restaurant Comes to the Pacific Electric Lofts in Downtown LA

Posted on October 14, 2011 by | 9 Comments

Artisan House is an exciting restaurant concept coming to LA's Historic Core at 6th and Main in the Pacific Electric Lofts (Photo: Francis Aquino)

Back in July 2011, we talked about a new “gourmet market” coming to LA’s Historic Core that would later be code named “Fuse.” Well, a reader by the name of Francis Aquino sends in these trusty iPhone pictures taken today (Friday), and it looks like the final name for the very much anticipated new “Bottega Louie of the Historic Core” will be Artisan House.

Continue reading →

→ 9 Comments

Posted in downtown los angeles, food, restaurants

Tagged , , , , ,

Update on The Counter Burger Opening in Downtown LA

Posted on October 14, 2011 by | 1 Comment

The Counter Burger window signs went up this week and its arrival adds another exciting popular restaurant to 7th Street's growing Restaurant Row

Last week, I reported that The Counter Burger would begin construction this week on 7th Street in Downtown LA on the ground floor of the Roosevelt Lofts. Well, I’m glad to report again that the popular restaurant chain put up their nice looking window sign announcement this week, which I snapped a few pics of last night. The signs in the window definitely add a sense of excitement that another great restaurant is opening in Downtown LA soon.

Continue reading →

→ 1 Comment

Posted in downtown los angeles, food, restaurants

Tagged , , , , ,