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Originally Posted by Just-In-Cali
There is a knee jerk reaction in many minority communities that any kind of change to ones neighborhood for the better means that it is being "whitened" up for tourists. Im sure it can be true at times...however, it speaks more to the generally negative way said minorities view their own culture...as if they arent supposed to have things new or cleaned up. That is what needs to change first before the renovation of the neighborhood does.
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Here's an example of what you're referring to. Or a change in ppl's tude, not the change in something as superficial or meaningless as their ethnicity or race.
A New Wave at Fifth and Broadway
A Pair of Clothing Boutiques Are Dressing Up an Area Known More for Swap Meets
by Evan George
On many blocks of Broadway, $75 could buy three pairs of faux designer jeans, a dusty Dodgers cap, an alarm clock, some used Cumbia cassette tapes and an unstrung guitar. But at the corner of Fifth Street and Broadway, it brings you just one expertly stitched, high-fashion hoodie sweatshirt.
Believe it or not, window shoppers are flocking.
Unlike the swap meet-style retail that for decades has ruled Broadway's kiosks, storefronts and even historic theaters, two designer boutiques at the base of the ShyBarry Lofts have quietly opened and fostered a new clientele. The chic women's dress shop called Aluma at 304 W. Fifth St. and Rocco, a men's streetwear boutique at 308 W. Fifth St., both opened in May 2006.
The stores' owners, Jose Fajardo and Raul Espinoza, respectively, are cousins whose parents patronized Broadway's emporiums.
"When we were little, we used to come here all the time. We'd come to get our back-to-school clothes," said Fajardo, who operates Aluma. "We've made our stores a little more modern, different styles, brighter colors."
Fajardo, 25, points out another important difference separating the two well-coifed boutiques from the competition: None of the clothes hang from the exterior of the shop.
Aluma and Rocco boast simple, sleek signage. Inside the loft-sized stores, alternative rock and hip-hop floats from hidden speakers amid rows of pricey "bling" belts and wooly urban sweaters. The most expensive item in Rocco recently was a $75 sweatshirt that zips all the way up across the face, forming a bizarre facemask hood.
"It's really big right now, a lot of designers are doing it," said a Rocco employee. He said the fashions are what you might find in a hip shopping mall or boutiques on Melrose, though not as expensive.
Neighborhood leaders like what they see. "That's the future of Broadway," said Brady Westwater, vice president of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council. "These are the new entrepreneurs."
Fashion Police
Many, including Westwater, are engaged in the struggle to transform the discount shopping district into a more modern thoroughfare with diverse retail and restored historic landmarks.
There has been little success, so far. Westwater said the idea of encouraging new, mainstream businesses does not mean the goal is to push out Latino-oriented stores that have operated for decades.
"People sort of see it as, 'Oh, they only have swap meets.' But the children of the people who shop on Broadway are now opening stores that appeal to the next generation," he said.
Westwater pointed to two other high-end clothing shops within blocks of Rocco and Aluma, as well as one more that is not yet open.
The Fifth Street shops have also pleased building developer Barry Shy, who rents the retail space. So much so that Fajardo and Espinoza are considering expanding to a much larger second location below another Shy project.
"Our stores changed this side of the street and they really liked it," said Espinoza. "They said it has even attracted a lot of buyers to their lofts."
Espinoza, 38, began scouting for store locations two years ago after moving to the nearby Metro 417 apartments. He immediately noticed the foot traffic from Pershing Square and approached Shy about renting in the building's ground floor. At the time, Fajardo was a security guard in the ShyBarry building and Espinoza was a financial director for Ford Motor Co.
In January 2006, a clothing outlet that had been operating on the ground floor closed. But Espinoza still had trouble securing the space. "It was really hard to convince them that I wasn't going to open a swap meet or 99-cent store," he said.
They finally opened the stores in May 2006 and have seen business slowly grow. "I have tourists, people who live Downtown who are running around looking for a dress, people on their way to work," said Fajardo, who also operates a dry cleaning business next door.
They said at least two-thirds of their customers come from Downtown Los Angeles and that their business plans reflect that. They expect growth to come slowly, but naturally, as the neighborhood gains residents. "I know that this location is going to be great," said Espinoza. "I'm in it for the long haul."
Aluma is at 304 W. Fifth St., (213) 489-9003; Rocco is at 308 W. Fifth St., (213) 627-1094.
So things have been in a bind either because a part of DT has a swapmeet reputation or cuz there still aren't enough customers to go around. Just 2 more big reasons why I hope the gaps are filled in ASAP with alot more new housing, & hopefully enough buyers & renters to occupy all the new space.
Dead of Night
Downtown eateries, retail outlets short on customers when work crowd heads home
By Drew Combs
Staff Reporter
Sushi restaurant Wokcano used to close at 10 p.m. at its previous downtown site, a building that was torn down. It was popular among USC students and the area's growing residential community. When the chain reopens next month at the corner of Flower and 7th streets, the new restaurant will test a 2 a.m. closing time. "More is going on in downtown now. More night life and more people living down there," said Michael Kwan, who owns the restaurant with his brother, Marcus.
Wokcano will join a growing list of new retail establishments trying to amp up the downtown late-night scene. But with the downward slide in the real estate market and reluctance of retailers to be pioneers in the 24/7 concept, converting the area into Times Square West may be a long, hard struggle.
As the construction boom began, downtown was a ghost town after 6 p.m. when office workers left for their nighttime commute. With thousands of new residents, though, area boosters have been promising a livelier after-dark scene. One example is Mode restaurant, which has joined the iconic Pantry as a 24-hour downtown restaurant.
"There is a lot to be excited about with all the new restaurants and stores," said Rich Alossi, a downtown resident who publishes a blog about living there. "But some have limited hours, which is a frustration.
And those that do stay open later can look empty. It is going to take some time before it becomes a 24-hour active zone."
Many retail outlets still view downtown workers as their primary customers. "The biggest reason we are in downtown is that there is so many people commuting into downtown and working in the office buildings," said Hidenari Sato, vice president of operations for Japanese convenience store Famina. It has opened three locations in downtown since last year, the latest one in California Plaza.
The chain's locations in Hollywood, Santa Monica and even Torrance operate from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m., but the downtown locations close at 9 p.m. most days. Sato said the company arrived at its closing times for the downtown stores after conducting a survey. The chain extended hours at its Figueroa Street location to 11 p.m.
Ralph's at first stayed open until midnight, but now closes at 2 a.m. due to shoppers' requests.
Early coffee
Even if Wokcano finds success staying open until 2 in the morning, it will be the exception. Most of the establishments around it will still go dark earlier. A restaurant down the block closes at 3:30 p.m. most days. The Coffee Bean across the street shutters at 6 every night, except Sundays when it closes at 2 p.m.
Starbucks is the dominant coffee chain downtown with 20 locations, most of which close shop as downtown workers head home. "Store openings are based on regional customer needs and are determined on a per-store basis," Starbucks spokesman Montey Dunn said in an e-mail. "The majority of Starbucks store locations downtown close between the hours of 6 p.m. and 8 p.m."
Some retail executives say that the residential community still lacks the critical mass to support longer hours of operation.
The population in downtown L.A. has grown over the past two years by 20 percent to 28,878 residents. That tally is expected to grow to more than 40,000 by the end of next year. In contrast, downtown's payroll force totals over 400,000.
"We are in downtown for a combination of reasons, but mainly for the business crowd," said Philip Gay, chief executive at the Daily Grill restaurant chain. He also said his nighttime customers include ticket holders for the Music Center and Staples Center.
To much fanfare, the Daily Grill opened a 6,000-square-food restaurant on the ground floor of the Pegasus apartments in 2005. But those staying above the restaurant can't grab lunch there on the weekend, because it doesn't open until 5 p.m. Most of the other restaurants in the chain open at 11 a.m. on the weekend. "Although you have more people, we haven't felt that the business is there," Gay said. "It is something we are keeping an eye on trying down the road."
Gourment Wines & Spirits is open until 7:30 p.m. on weekdays and 6 on Staurday nights, but is closed on Sunday. Co-owner Erick Tecson said he would consider longer hours, but only if the number of people downtown continues to rise.
The real estate slowdown may be a hurdle to the 24/7 transformation. Several residential developments originally intended as condominiums have been turned into apartment units, such as 1010 Wilshire or the Mozaic complex near Union Station. Some condominium developments have turned to marketing gimmicks. Santee Village, which includes 216 lofts in three buildings, is offering buyers a three-year lease on a Mini Cooper. Other developers are offering trips and plasma televisions, while some are simply cutting prices.
But downtown boosters predicted the softening real estate market would not slow the evolution of the area's retail scene. Alossi, the blogger, pointed out that "demand for rental housing is still very high." And Carol Schatz, chief executive of the Los Angeles Downtown Center Business Improvement District, said: "We have much pent-up demand for all kinds of retail from our new residents. Those people need retail services. We don't expect to see any slacking off."
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....what a dummy.
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