Monthly Archives: November 2011

“Apolis: Common Gallery” Flagship Boutique Now Open in the Arts District in Downtown LA

Posted on November 30, 2011 by | 2 Comments

Apolis: Common Gallery opened their new flagship boutique earlier this month in Downtown LA's Arts District

Apolis: Common Gallery window display

Earlier this month, November 10th to be exact, a new and exciting men’s fashion boutique called “Apolis: Common Gallery” had their grand opening in Downtown LA’s Arts District. Why is it exciting? For one thing, if you haven’t been to the Arts District lately (a wonderfully gritty and urban enclave sandwiched between Little Tokyo and the LA River), you would be pleasantly surprised just how active the neighborhood has become over the past several years not only with all the new residents moving into those amazing industrial lofts but also with all the new businesses opening up catering to that new influx of permanent residents (and their friends and families coming to visit them too of course!).

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Posted in downtown los angeles, fashion, retail

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Spring Street Green Bike Lane Will Get Re-Painted this Sunday in Downtown LA

Posted on November 29, 2011 by | 7 Comments

Due to smudging of the green paint on the bike lane down Spring Street, the lane will be repainted green this Sunday

It’s hard to believe but the image you see above (with the smudged and missing green paint) is a completely brand new bike lane on Spring Street that is a little more than a week old. The bike lane, which stretches from Cesar Chavez to the north to 9th Street to the south, was painted green over the weekend before Thanksgiving, but because of two reasons (explained below), the bike lane ended up a tattered version from something we all envisioned with much higher expectations. It really just broke my heart when I saw how destroyed the bike lane looked only after one day.

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Posted in bicycle oriented, downtown los angeles, environmentally green

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First Republic Bank to Relocate into Promerica Bank Location in Downtown LA

Posted on November 27, 2011 by | 1 Comment

As a result of the Wilshire Grand Hotel redevelopment, First Republic Bank will relocate to the Promerica Bank location at 9th and Figueroa just down the street from its current location at 7th and Figueora at the Wilshire Grand Hotel

As the Wilshire Grand Hotel prepares to be demolished early next year (2012) to make way for a $1 billion duo high-rise development including offices and hotels and possibly condos, the businesses that are currently on the ground floor must leave by the time the hotel gets “the wrecking ball” around April 2012. One of those businesses that has found a new home is First Republic Bank, which is one of the nation’s leading private banking institutions with select locations in the country like New York, San Francisco, Boston, and 6 branches here in LA including their flagship downtown location.

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Posted in downtown los angeles, economic development, real estate, retail

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Fresh & Easy Express Market: A Perfect Fit for Downtown LA

Posted on November 25, 2011 by | 12 Comments

The first Fresh & Easy Express opened on La Cienega on the Westside on Nov 1, 2011

Earlier this month, Curbed LA reported that Fresh & Easy Express opened on La Cienega on the Westside, so I had to go check it out myself to see if it would be a good fit for Downtown LA, and sure enough after visiting the store, I thought it would be a perfect fit in LA’s densest urban context (Downtown LA) where parking is much less of a concern because most residents walk to their local stores. At only 3,000 square feet, the mini Fresh & Easy could easily lease one of the many vacant spaces still dotting Downtown LA’s vast urban landscape, especially the Historic Core where the densest population is centered.

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Posted in downtown los angeles, economic development, food, retail

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Michael Antonio Flagship Store Opening on 7th Street in Downtown LA

Posted on November 23, 2011 by | 2 Comments

Michael Antonio launch party took place last night on 7th Street in Downtown LA

Remember the chic transformation of the former long shuttered Okada Japanese restaurant building on 7th Street that I covered a few weeks ago? If you don’t remember, check out the amazing transformation. There was also some speculation about what would eventually take over the retail space on the ground floor, but signs pointed to the building owner’s women’s shoe company, Michael Antonio, as a possible tenant.

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A Look at Westin Bonaventure’s $35 Million Renovation in Downtown LA

Posted on November 22, 2011 by | 10 Comments

The Westin Bonaventure in Downtown LA (Photo: Flickr rpa2101)

The Westin Bonaventure Hotel is a “love it and hate it” kind of building in Downtown LA. You hate it because you wish the hotel was designed to be more interactive with the sidewalks surrounding it. You wish there were retail and restaurants on the ground floor to help activate the area, contributing to the urban energy we all love about cities. Maybe one day we’ll find some way to ameliorate the deficiency.

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Posted in architecture, downtown los angeles, hotels

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Ruth’s Chris Steak House Rumored to Replace Bank of America in Downtown LA

Posted on November 21, 2011 by | 10 Comments

It is rumored that Ruth's Chris Steak House will replace the former Bank of America branch at Wilshire and Grand in Downtown LA

There are three different sources who all wish to remain anonymous that have informed me that Ruth’s Chris Steak House will be replacing the former Bank of America branch located at 600 Wilshire Blvd. The approximately 9,000 square foot space is currently vacant and sits in the middle of a growing restaurant scene at Wilshire/Grand Ave where the extremely popular Bottega Louie is only one block south at 7th/Grand and the soon-to-open Industriel is only one block north at 6th/Grand. This means that if/when this space is activated by a restaurant, it will act as a solid bridge and pedestrian connection between all the activity on 7th Street with 6th Street to the north making this stretch of Grand Ave much more vibrant than it is today.

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Pho Citi Flagship Location Now Open in Downtown LA

Posted on November 21, 2011 by | Leave a comment

Pho Citi Vietnamese restaurant had their grand opening this past weekend in Downtown LA

Pho Citi, a local LA Vietnamese restaurant chain known for being open 24 hours, opened their new flagship location in Downtown LA at 2nd and Hill right next to night life hot spot Redwood Bar and Grill. I spoke to Roger Fan, the VP of Pho Citi, this past rainy Saturday night while slurping a hot bowl of “Combo Pho” and he told me their newest and largest location here in Downtown LA (at about 6,000 square feet) is almost twice as large as their highest performing location at La Brea and Sunset (close to all the Hollywood bars and clubs).

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Spring Street Green Bike Lane Painted Over the Weekend in Downtown LA

Posted on November 21, 2011 by | 1 Comment

A fresh new green bike lane was painted on Spring Street this past weekend (Photo: LADOT Bike Program)

Starting late Friday evening and into early Saturday morning, a beautiful new green bike lane was painted on Spring Street that stretches from Cesar Chavez in the north to 9th Street in the south. It was less than a month ago when I had reported that Spring Street was getting a new bike lane and now it’s already happening. The picture above was taken by the LADOT Bike Program and they also have some great short video clips of the green paint being sprayed on.

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

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Bob Hope Patriotic Hall Closed for $48 Million Renovation in Downtown LA

Posted on November 17, 2011 by | 5 Comments

Bob Hope Patriotic Hall has been closed since 2006 and will finally reopen in mid-to-late 2012 after undergoing a $48 million renovation

Bob Hope Patriotic Hall (built in 1926) is one of the most significant historic structures south of the 10 freeway in Downtown LA. Located on Figueroa St right next to the new North American headquarters of Chinese automaker BYD, the 10-story Italian Romanesque structure–originally built for veterans and now owned by Los Angeles County–has been closed since 2006 in preparation for a $48 million renovation to update the entire aging building.

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Posted in architecture, downtown los angeles, real estate

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