Repainting Downtown LA’s Spring Street Bike Lane Again: Third Time’s a Charm, Hopefully

Posted on February 7, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Spring Street bike lane will be tested with 6 new types of paints this weekend to see which ones "stick the best" after two failed prior attempts

According to DLANC, on the morning of Feb 12, the LADOT will be out yet again to repaint portions of the Spring Street bike lane that were washed away almost immediately after they were painted the second time. This time, they plan to test out 6 different types of paint to see which one(s) stick the best. A follow-up analysis will take place afterward, choosing the best and most cost effective paint to go with. Weather.com predicts Feb 12 will be warm and sunny.

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Posted in bicycle oriented, downtown los angeles, events, public spaces, smart growth

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Silo Vodka Bar Expanding Space and Menu in Downtown LA

Posted on February 7, 2012 by | 6 Comments

Silo Vodka Bar took over Flames Mediterranean Grill next door and is changing it to Silo Slider Bar

Co-owner of 8 month old Silo Vodka Bar, Boris Mayzels, informs me of some exciting changes coming to the nightlife hot spot located at 7th and Broadway in the historic Haas Building. The lounge, which is known for its variety of delicious cocktails (vodka is their forte obviously), will be “moving forward with a gourmet chef driven concept,” Mayzels tells me. “Chef Gustavo Rodriquez, ala Tart and Ford’s Filling Station, is taking over run of the kitchen for Silo starting February 1 and is already tinkering with our existing menu, adding an amazing French onion soup, and improving the rest of the items.”

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Posted in downtown los angeles, food, nightlife, restaurants

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Wood Partner’s 22-Story “iHope” Tower Files for City Permits in Downtown LA

Posted on February 3, 2012 by | 8 Comments

An older rendering of the 22-story iHope tower proposed for South Park (Photo: CIM Group)

Thanks to reader Patrick Z for pointing out that one of Downtown LA’s long-stalled mixed-use projects at 8th and Hope St in South Park may be getting some new legs soon. LA city permits were filed late last year (12/15/11) with the Dept of Building and Safety for a new, ground-up “22-STORY TYPE I-FR MIXED USED BUILDING OVER 2 LEVEL BASEMENT: 290-UNIT APARTMENT [5TH - 22ND FLOOR], PARKING GARAGE [B1-B2, 1ST-4TH FLOOR], AND RETAIL/OFFICE [1ST FLOOR].”

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Posted in architecture, downtown los angeles, mixed-use development, real estate, smart growth

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Los Angeles Subway Station Portals Getting New Modern Canopies

Posted on February 2, 2012 by | 13 Comments

When the new Civic Center park reopens this summer, we should have new subway portal canopies, giving our rail network a much stronger identity (Photo: Behance Network)

I always love to see investments in our public transit infrastructure here in Los Angeles. For a city known more for suburban sprawl and so embarrassingly tied to the automobile, it’s always nice to see improvements made to our growing rail network. Thanks to reader Steven Harris for sending in these renderings of modern portal canopies, taken from Behance Network, that will apparently be implemented at many of our subway station portals along the Red and Purple Lines.

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Posted in architecture, downtown los angeles, mass transportation, pedestrian oriented

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Tell Yummy.com Fresh Market You Want Them in Downtown LA

Posted on February 1, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Thanks to readers Alan House and Lauren Phillips for alerting me to Yummy.com Fresh Market’s plan to expand with a new and fourth location in LA. Downtown LA is being considered as a possible expansion location along with Silver Lake/Los Feliz, Westwood/Century City, and the San Fernando Valley. As Downtown LA continues to add more new residents, more grocery options can’t hurt.

Vote 4 Downtown LA: CLICK HERE

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Posted in downtown los angeles, food

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Open House: Regional Connector Rail Project Through Downtown LA

Posted on February 1, 2012 by | Leave a comment

If you don’t already know what the Regional Connector in Downtown LA is, then I highly recommend that you attend the upcoming open house events scheduled for next week (see below) where Metro staff will be on hand to present info about the Final EIR and answer any questions regarding this extremely significant, game-changing rail line slated to begin construction in 2013.

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Posted in downtown los angeles, education, events, mass transportation, pedestrian oriented, smart growth

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Industriel Restaurant Plans to Open by March 2012 in Downtown LA

Posted on January 27, 2012 by | 3 Comments

Industriel replaces Carl's Jr and is slated to open within the next month or two contingent on passing the city's tough inspection process

It’s been exactly one year since Industriel was announced to replace Carl’s Jr at the corner of 6th and Grand on the ground floor of the historic Milano Lofts building. Then last October, the dark metallic “Industriel signs” were installed over the front door (way before opening) giving us a sneak peek at what was to come. Now, the signs have been lit up at night and new black and white posters have gone up over the front windows.

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Posted in downtown los angeles, food, restaurants

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Walmart Express Rumored to be Coming to Chinatown in Downtown LA

Posted on January 26, 2012 by | 4 Comments

Walmart's new urban concept called "Walmart Express" is rumored to be looking in Chinatown in Downtown LA

Late last year, a source informed me that a new urban-Walmart concept called “Walmart Express” was looking to open one of its first West Coast locations somewhere in Downtown LA. This new urban concept would be a lot smaller than their usual big box locations that are as large as 185,000 square feet–try a mere 15,000 square feet according to the WSJ.

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Posted in downtown los angeles, retail

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Clark’s Gallery Now Open in the Financial District in Downtown LA

Posted on January 26, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Clark's Gallery recently opened for business and is located by Wilshire/Grand Ave in the Financial District in Downtown LA

Back in Nov 2011, I posted about the arrival of Clark’s Gallery in the Financial District replacing the DowntownLAGallery, which apparently used to be a Jack in the Box fast food restaurant sometime in the 90s. Located by Wilshire/Grand Ave directly next to popular hang out spot Casey’s Irish Pub and not far from the future Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Clark’s Gallery is now open after relocating from its former location near the Bradbury Building in the Biddy Mason Park.

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Posted in art and culture, downtown los angeles, retail

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Downtown LA’s Water Grill Seafood Restaurant Reopens for Dinner on Tuesday, Jan 24, 2012

Posted on January 21, 2012 by | Leave a comment

The newly remodeled Water Grill reopens for business this Tuesday (Jan 24, 2012) for dinner at 5 pm

It was less than two weeks ago that I got a sneak peek of all the construction going on inside the Water Grill, located in the heart of LA’s financial district. The seafood restaurant’s interior was being transformed from the dated 90′s decor it was well-known for since it first opened in 1991 to an updated classic retro vintage design that pulled from the restaurant’s original art deco elements.

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Posted in downtown los angeles, food, restaurants

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