Monthly Archives: February 2012

FIDM: Gaining Prestige Along with Downtown LA’s Urban Renaissance

FIDM sits within the burgeoning South Park neighborhood of Downtown LA

A wonderful phenomenon happens when you have urban revitalization like the one Downtown LA has been experiencing for the last decade. As more businesses and residents have been added to Downtown LA, more amenities and better care of our city have increased throughout the area as well. As that progression continues, we’re beginning to reach a tipping point, or critical mass, that results in an ever-increasing synergistic energy within Downtown LA among its many amazing attributes including educational and creative institutions like FIDM (the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising). We’ve all heard of the old saying: “One hand washes the other.” In this case, when Downtown LA rises, so does FIDM and vice versa.

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[Video] Walmart Neighborhood Market Coming to LA’s Chinatown in 2013


What will Chinatown LA’s new Walmart Neighborhood Market look like?

First the rumors of Walmart coming to Chinatown in Downtown LA and now the confirmation (via Curbed LA) from last week. Instead of the new smaller urban concept, Walmart Express, that I had initially guessed would open in Chinatown, it will actually be a larger (but still a lot smaller than a regular Walmart) called the “Walmart Neighborhood Market.” At 33,000 square feet, it will focus heavily on groceries and from the pictures on the Walmart LA website, look very similar to a Fresh & Easy market. According to Curbed LA, the market will begin construction this summer and open in early 2013.

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Mr. Pizza (from South Korea) Now Open in Little Tokyo in Downtown LA

Mr. Pizza is now open at the Japanese Village Plaza in Little Tokyo

Six months later, Mr. Pizza is now officially open in Little Tokyo in Downtown LA at the Japanese Village Plaza on 1st Street. The popular Seoul-based pizza chain (with 350 locations throughout South Korea) is only the second one to open in Los Angeles (and the United States for that matter) and continues to add more variety to an exciting growing culinary list in Little Tokyo.

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Downtown LA’s Fourth 7-Eleven Planned for 9th and Broadway

A 7-Eleven convenience store is planned for 9th and Broadway near Umamicatessen and the future Ace Hotel

The last 7-Eleven convenience store to open in Downtown LA was back in July 2011 in the Financial District on 7th Street. As I explained in that post, I was very glad to see more convenience stores open in Downtown LA–whether they’re 7-Elevens or Famimas–as I believe they are one of the everyday-kind-of-businesses that pedestrians come to depend on when they need a convenient respite spot to refuel from walking. Just like the proliferation of gas stations throughout suburbia to refuel cars–taking up valuable corner intersections–convenience stores are ubiquitous in pedestrian-oriented centers from Manhattan to Taipei.

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Umamicatessen Sign Now Up and Soft Opening Announced on Broadway in Downtown LA

The new sign for Umamicatessen was installed this week for Umami Burger's new flagship restaurant in Downtown LA

We have all been waiting eagerly for this day to happen: the opening of Umami Burger’s flagship location, called Umamicatessen, at 9th and Broadway–in the midst of some of the most exciting urban redevelopment in LA history. According to an email sent out by BringingBackBroadway, the soft opening for the new restaurant is set for March 3 (that’s next Saturday) with an official ribbon-cutting grand opening not long after.

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[Video] Ideas for Downtown LA: A Look at La Cañada’s 210 Freeway Cap Park


Watch a video of La Cañada’s freeway cap park over the 210 freeway

Last week, I attended the Friends of Park 101 meeting in El Pueblo where a panel of city planning experts and an urban conscious audience converged to discuss the exciting future of capping the 101 freeway through Downtown LA with a park.

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Water Grill’s $1.5 Million Renovation Results in Huge Success in Downtown LA

Fresh seafood displayed at the bar counter at the newly renovated Water Grill

It’s been a little over a month since I first posted about Water Grill’s amazing $1.5 million renovation, which sped through construction at lightning speed transforming the restaurant from a dated 90′s era version to the modern classic look it is today. Well, after stopping in on Saturday night this past weekend, I can say with great excitement that the renovation was a huge success as the restaurant was teeming with energy. It was so wonderful to see the place packed with happy diners. Truly a beautiful sight for those who dream of LA becoming a vibrant urban city. We are so much closer than ever before.

Take a look for yourself (below).

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Coffee Lounge, OZERO, Now Open in Little Tokyo in Downtown LA

OZERO Tea and Desserts is now open in Little Tokyo

A new cafe lounge called OZERO by Cofftea is now open in Little Tokyo in Downtown LA on the ground floor of the Hikari Apartments. With its original location in Alhambra in the San Gabriel Valley (an area known to have some of the best Chinese food on this side of the Pacific Ocean), OZERO brings to Little Tokyo coffee, tea, desserts, and boba. The new cafe with a modern design opens up next to Johnny Rockets and Flying Pig and across from Yogurtland and Shin Sen Gumi.

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Did You Know? Downtown LA’s Aon Center is the Second Tallest Skyscraper in California

The Aon Center Tower is the second tallest building in California

For those of you into skyscrapers (like I am), you are likely aware that the tallest building west of Chicago stands here in Downtown LA: the Library Tower (aka US Bank Tower) featured in countless movies and TV shows. But perhaps you didn’t know that the second tallest building in California is also here in Downtown LA. The Aon Center Tower, with its stealthy black slender look, was completed in 1973 and held the title of the tallest building west of Chicago until 1982, but remained the tallest in Los Angeles until the Library Tower (1,018 feet) was completed in 1989. Standing at 858 feet tall, it is 5 feet taller than the Transamerica building in Downtown San Francisco.

Historic Millennium Biltmore Hotel Begins Multi-Phase Renovation in Downtown LA

The Millennium Biltmore Hotel, an early home for the Oscars, has begun a multi-phase renovation plan aimed at keeping the hotel relevant in Downtown LA

The Millennium Biltmore Hotel–one of the most beautiful historic hotels in Los Angeles–is gearing up for a multi-phase renovation aimed at keeping the hotel competitive within Downtown LA, which is increasing in relevancy within the region as Downtown LA continues to evolve into an attractive destination for visitors and tourists.

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