The Counter's newest flagship location now open in Downtown LA
We’ve waited eagerly for about a year since we first discovered that The Counter was coming to Downtown LA, and finally this past weekend, the popular LA-based chain served up its first burgers to a packed house. It was a perfect weekend to get the ball rolling for The Counter as the highly anticipated Expo Line also began its inaugural train service from Downtown LA.
The Expo Line grand opening this past weekend as seen from the La Cienega station with LA's second skyline, Century City, in the background (Photo: Steve Hymon)
It was a strange but wonderful sight to see this past weekend as Expo Line trains carrying hundreds of passengers crisscrossed LA from Downtown to La Cienega Blvd. For an urban and transit advocate like myself, it was very exciting to see LA take another step forward toward urban maturity as Angelenos are now given another alternative option to get around this city car-free. With the opening of the Expo Line, it will help shed our embarrassing reputation as the suburban-dominated city handicapped without our cars.
The Expo Line to Culver City, opening this weekend, adds to LA's expanding metro system (Photo: Steven Harris)
This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for!
Tomorrow will be an exciting day for Angelenos as LA’s newest rail line, the Expo Line, begins service from Downtown LA to La Cienega (along Exposition Blvd) with eventual service to Culver City by mid-summer.
Painters added the finishing touches to Two Boots Pizza's new mural sign as the restaurant prepares to open next week
On Thursday afternoon, two painters (or artists) were perched high on a mechanical lifter adding the finishing touches to the new Two Boots Pizza mural signage set against a bright yellow facade. The final prep work was an exciting moment to witness as Two Boots is only days away from opening on Broadway (LA’s second location after Echo Park), adding to the revival of LA’s architecturally grandest thoroughfare.
Buttons & Bows is a new buy/sell shop in the Historic Core offering high-end designers such as Alexander Wang and Marc Jacobs
Buttons & Bows is a new buy/sell and consignment retail store that opened a couple of weeks ago in the Historic Core, bringing to Downtown LA’s growing fashion scene some of today’s hottest designers. What started off as an online eBay store has become Monique Aquino’s and Karen Marley’s (yes, Bob Marley’s daughter!) first brick and mortar retail shop carrying designers like Alexander Wang, Jason Wu, Dior, and Marc Jacobs.
These white construction walls were put up this week as Starbucks begins construction at the Skyline Condos in South Park
Back in Jan 2012, it was reported that a Starbucks was replacing the former Minute Man Press retail space at the Skyline Condominiums in South Park at the corner of 9th/Flower. For about 4 months, the space has sat dormant waiting for permits to be approved by the city. This week, construction has finally begun with a temporary white wall erected around the future patio seating area of Starbucks. The coffee chain will be a welcome addition to this corner as it will activate it bringing more life to this area. Construction is moving full steam ahead and should be done by the end of June.
(Click image to enlarge) A preliminary rendering of The Broadway Mall, a new ground up shopping center proposed for the NE corner of 4th/Broadway (Photo: Sassony Group)
Back in 2007, you may remember that the short nondescript building that stands at the corner of 4th and Broadway (NE corner) caught on fire in the wee hours of the night. For over 5 years since the fire, the tattered structure has stood empty surrounded by scaffolds waiting for the right time to be redeveloped. Could we be close to seeing some development activity as momentum is gaining on Broadway after both Umamicatessen and Famima have recently opened?
Angelena at 8th and Grand will be a critical connector between South Park, the Financial District, and the Historic Core (Photo: Astani Enterprises)
One of the most important mixed-use developments in Downtown LA is one step closer to becoming a reality. Astani’s office — the developer — provides us with the exclusive first look at what the exciting new Angelena project will look like with a Grand Ave facing view. The new apartment project was scaled back from its original 875-unit complex with three buildings (15 to 38 stories) to a 7-story mixed use project all the way through.
Kyoto Grand Hotel is now actively being converted into a DoubleTree by Hilton
Some exciting new changes are coming to Kyoto Grand Hotel in Downtown LA’s Little Tokyo district. Reported last year that Kyoto Grand would become a DoubleTree by Hilton, the renovations have now started in earnest on the 21-story hotel with a planned completion in November 2012.
Posted in downtown los angeles, hotels, little tokyo, parks, pedestrian oriented, public spaces
Tagged double tree by hilton los angeles, double tree hotel downtown la, double tree hotel little tokyo, kyoto grand becomes double tree, kyoto grand downtown la, kyoto grand little tokyo, kyoto grand los angeles, kyoto grand wedding
Famima on Broadway is now open (24 hours a day)
Just a couple of weeks ago, we saw Famima still building out their newest and sixth location in Downtown LA on Broadway. It is now officially open and has given us yet another glimpse into the future of what Broadway could look like: a beautiful street that is clean and well taken care of instead of the dilapidated condition that most of the buildings and shops are in today.
