LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 4.0

[DtlaCuriousity]

Originally Posted by SD_Phil

I think this shouldn't be overlooked. I doubt many out of state or international tourists will be drawn by the Space Shuttle. If they're out of state (and not from the midwest...) then they probably have a shuttle closer to them than Los Angeles.

If they're international tourists then air and space likely isn't their main reason for visiting LA. That being said this should be a HUGE local draw from the So-Cal area.

Still ecstatic about it. Can't wait to see it.

Really? Are space shuttles that common? Anyways, that's simplifying way too much. It is about the pluralism of the tourist attraction. This just adds to the cultural draw of the city - especially its core. This shouldn't be seen as an either or, or in discreet isolated units, the space shuttle is a big deal in a larger comprehensive view. Maybe those tourists won't come here specifically for the shuttle, but it probably will be something they see while they're here.

[djlx2]

Originally Posted by DtlaCuriousity

Really? Are space shuttles that common? Anyways, that's simplifying way too much. It is about the pluralism of the tourist attraction. This just adds to the cultural draw of the city - especially its core. This shouldn't be seen as an either or, or in discreet isolated units, the space shuttle is a big deal in a larger comprehensive view. Maybe those tourists won't come here specifically for the shuttle, but it probably will be something they see while they're here.

It's about pluralism but it's also about fitting spaces. You have the the draw, but dynamic is figuring out how to fit the shuttle within the larger comprehensive view.

[djlx2]

Originally Posted by djlx2

It's about pluralism but it's also about fitting spaces. You have the the draw, but dynamic is figuring out how to fit the shuttle within the larger comprehensive view.

Sorry, was that too "dry?" Maybe what I meant is that the larger comprehensive view has to be visible to tourists if they need to see the space shuttle within it. Otherwise, they won't even see the shuttle, let alone know what to make of it.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Walking around downtown today, and i noticed something that really could change Downtown visually. There are so many great historic buildings that have had their first floors ruined by crap facades. for example, if you walk on 6th between grand and olive, you have one side of the street that has the pacific center building (the one with the starbucks and famima) which has a great looking facade and it extends all the way to the sidewalk. across the street, you have a good looking building that has the first couple floors ruined by crap. Whomever thought that adding stucco and faux marble was going to enhance the building was probably blind.

there are many other instances in Downtown. The Athletic club on 7th is another and thats not even mentioning the 50 buildings on broadway and 7th that have been ruined. if building owners can be persuaded to remove these added on facades, it will really enhance the way Downtown LA feels and looks on a pedestrian level.

Lastly, i really wish the sidewalks downtown were rebuilt. man what a disaster.

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

Walking around downtown today, and i noticed something that really could change Downtown visually. There are so many great historic buildings that have had their first floors ruined by crap facades. for example, if you walk on 6th between grand and olive, you have one side of the street that has the pacific center building (the one with the starbucks and famima) which has a great looking facade and it extends all the way to the sidewalk. across the street, you have a good looking building that has the first couple floors ruined by crap. Whomever thought that adding stucco and faux marble was going to enhance the building was probably blind.

there are many other instances in Downtown. The Athletic club on 7th is another and thats not even mentioning the 50 buildings on broadway and 7th that have been ruined. if building owners can be persuaded to remove these added on facades, it will really enhance the way Downtown LA feels and looks on a pedestrian level.

Lastly, i really wish the sidewalks downtown were rebuilt. man what a disaster.

Concerning the historic buildings, a couple things. L.A. is not alone in this problem. San Fransisco has this, too. When I was wandering around, I saw many historic buildings with their ground floors gutted. Even Paris has this problem. However, much of the time, when a historic building in downtown undergoes an Adaptive Reuse, the refurbish the ground floor to its original splendor. As Broadway gentrifies, I would expect to see many of these buildings having their ground floors fixed up.

On the topic of sidewalks, I was reading through the list of projects the CRA wants to complete with the money they are trying to save from Jerry Brown. I saw at least a dozen streets in Downtown with sidewalks they want to fix. If they successfully save the billion dollars that they want to save, I would suspect that many of the sidewalks would be fixed.

[StethJeff]

Originally Posted by LAofAnaheim

Embarassing? Those people who travel from New Zealand, Australia, China, etc.. are way more interested in seeing Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Disneyland, and LA's beaches than seeing a space shuttle. Sorry, but I don't see the enthusiasm about this. People who come to Los Angeles still come for the glitz and glamour. After all, LA is THE entertainment capital of the world. Science will always be overshadowed. It's great to have the space shuttle...but it won't attract any more visitors than Disneyland, Hollywood, Santa Monica or Venice Beach.

By the way, any city would kill for the ability to have the Hollywood sign, Beverly Hills and Walk of Fame as their tourist drawing ability. Los Angeles has it.....other cities don't. That's what makes us unique. You can see space shuttles in Florida, Ohio, DC, other countries, etc... but you will NEVER see the Hollywood sign or Walk of Fame anymore. Don't de-value the current LA tourist spots over a space shuttle.

I don't think that all of our tourist attractions are embarrassing, certainly not the beaches. However, despite the fact that they are iconic, some are still somewhat silly to me if only because they are the primary things that people associate with our city and region.

The Hollywood Sign is just that, a sign. Beverly Hills is a collection of nice suburban homes. The Walk of Fame is a sidewalk. Again, all are iconic and people obviously travel very far sometimes to see these attractions. Like you said, as the entertainment capital, people expect to see these things that they've been hearing about on Access Hollywood and other fine programing. In my opinion though, we can do better. La Brea, Griffith Observatory, the Getty, the WDCH, and now Endeavour offer a lot more substance, culture, and history to the region than the other random crap that we have that is only famous because its part of celebrity idolatry.

I enjoy all of the above places that I basically ripped, I just wish they weren't the first (and often times only) places that sprang to people's minds when they think of "Los Angeles." Something like Endeavour will hopefully elevate the city's image to something other than just The Ivy and Cantinflas' cemented footprints.

[StethJeff]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesDreamin

i COMPLETELY AGREE!!... Maybe to the older generation this shuttle thing is like a nostalgic hing to them?? but my generation and younger, im only 20, don't really see this as like "ZOMG THIS IS SOOOOOOO AMAZING!!"... its a space shuttle ok?? yea there's history to it and all but i don't really care, i'd rather go to hollywood multiple times than stand and stare at a space shuttle, although i would go and learn about it just to get some knowledge bout it, other than that i'll move on to something else right away. But i'm glad they chose LA as a place to put that thing, it'll help LA be more up there.

the shuttle thing is probably one of the most important human artifacts ever. at the time it was absolutely the symbol of human innovation and achievement. and it will always be viewed that way the same way that the Wright Flyer, printing press, Hubble, etc similarly represent something more than simple objects.

im not that much older than you and similarly did not grow up during the height of the Cold War or infancy of space exploration. nonetheless, i can appreciate the fact that the shuttle will probably be one of the most famous images of the US and the 20th century. it won't displace Hollywood, but itll certainly be important enough to some people to merit a visit.

[pesto]

Originally Posted by StethJeff

the shuttle thing is probably one of the most important human artifacts ever. at the time it was absolutely the symbol of human innovation and achievement. and it will always be viewed that way the same way that the Wright Flyer, printing press, Hubble, etc similarly represent something more than simple objects.

im not that much older than you and similarly did not grow up during the height of the Cold War or infancy of space exploration. nonetheless, i can appreciate the fact that the shuttle will probably be one of the most famous images of the US and the 20th century. it won't displace Hollywood, but itll certainly be important enough to some people to merit a visit.

Sounds pretty generational all right. What typically happens is young people start with liking stuff that requires no breadth or depth of knowledge or effort. Partying, the beach, watching TV. Eventually they develop interests in some areas and hopefully an understanding of the basics of many fields: science, the arts, foreign countries, psychology, law, business, etc. I guess you could say that this is what constitutes being an adult, or at least a fully-functional adult in an urban society.

I would hope that at least some of LA's tourists could relate to science, art, architecture, live theater, Hollywood as skilled and creative people (as opposed to clubs) and other parts of human experience. Of course, this doesn't mean you can't do the beach also.

[LAofAnaheim]

@StephJeff...have you been to Ohio to see the Wright Brothers Aviation Museum? Did you know that Ohio is not even a top-tier international tourism draw such as New York, Miami, Los Angeles or San Francisco? International and domestic tourism is HEAVILY revolved around entertainment tourism. Hence the reason that Orlando, Las Vegas, New York, LA, Miami, etc.. are usually your top spots.

Los Angeles = ENTERTAINMENT. We will never be known for a space shuttle, nor do the ads of LA in magazines highlight science as a cultural draw. It does highlight the Getty Museum, but that's after the mentions of Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, etc.. the "glitz and glamour" of LA. Every city is unique and has its own cultural attractions. You may say the Hollywood sign is "just a sign"...same as the Statue of Liberty..oh it's just a "statue". Or the London Tower is "just a clock". You know the first thing my international and domestic guests want to see when they come to Los Angeles? The Hollywood sign. The 2nd thing? Hollywood (Walk of Fame...not a "sidewalk"), Chinese Theater, and Beverly Hills. To them the Getty Center is "nice", but they'll do it if they have time after 3 days.

Let's not put our current attractions which draw millions of people a year against the Endeavor. The Endeavor will be nice to have, but will not be a prime attraction in LA. You think Ohio would rather have their Wright museum or "just a sign"?

[DistrictDirt]

Originally Posted by LAofAnaheim

Los Angeles = ENTERTAINMENT. We will never be known for a space shuttle, nor do the ads of LA in magazines highlight science as a cultural draw. It does highlight the Getty Museum, but that's after the mentions of Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, etc.. the "glitz and glamour" of LA. Every city is unique and has its own cultural attractions. You may say the Hollywood sign is "just a sign"...same as the Statue of Liberty..oh it's just a "statue". Or the London Tower is "just a clock". You know the first thing my international and domestic guests want to see when they come to Los Angeles? The Hollywood sign. The 2nd thing? Hollywood (Walk of Fame...not a "sidewalk"), Chinese Theater, and Beverly Hills. To them the Getty Center is "nice", but they'll do it if they have time after 3 days.

You're taking an extremely unnuanced view of why people visit LA. Yes the entertainment industry is here. But there is also great weather. And history. and culture. And fashion. And restaurants. And awesome geography. Before I lived here, I visited LA once, and it definitely wasn't for reasons pertaining to the entertainment industry. I didn't even make it to Hollywood during that trip. I don't think I'm alone.

[LosAngelesDreamin]

Originally Posted by StethJeff

the shuttle thing is probably one of the most important human artifacts ever. at the time it was absolutely the symbol of human innovation and achievement. and it will always be viewed that way the same way that the Wright Flyer, printing press, Hubble, etc similarly represent something more than simple objects.

im not that much older than you and similarly did not grow up during the height of the Cold War or infancy of space exploration. nonetheless, i can appreciate the fact that the shuttle will probably be one of the most famous images of the US and the 20th century. it won't displace Hollywood, but itll certainly be important enough to some people to merit a visit.

well of course, you know i understand its a symbol of this and that and its not just some bulky thing... i dont mean to disrespect anyone, sorry if i did. im just sayin for me i would take a day to learn about it and see it, but thats about it.. i wont go there everytime i visit LA. I appreciate history too, maybe i just don't know of anything about this space shuttle thing, and when i do maybe i will appreciate it more... we'll see.

[LosAngelesDreamin]

Originally Posted by LAofAnaheim

@StephJeff...have you been to Ohio to see the Wright Brothers Aviation Museum? Did you know that Ohio is not even a top-tier international tourism draw such as New York, Miami, Los Angeles or San Francisco? International and domestic tourism is HEAVILY revolved around entertainment tourism. Hence the reason that Orlando, Las Vegas, New York, LA, Miami, etc.. are usually your top spots.

Los Angeles = ENTERTAINMENT. We will never be known for a space shuttle, nor do the ads of LA in magazines highlight science as a cultural draw. It does highlight the Getty Museum, but that's after the mentions of Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, etc.. the "glitz and glamour" of LA. Every city is unique and has its own cultural attractions. You may say the Hollywood sign is "just a sign"...same as the Statue of Liberty..oh it's just a "statue". Or the London Tower is "just a clock". You know the first thing my international and domestic guests want to see when they come to Los Angeles? The Hollywood sign. The 2nd thing? Hollywood (Walk of Fame...not a "sidewalk"), Chinese Theater, and Beverly Hills. To them the Getty Center is "nice", but they'll do it if they have time after 3 days.

Let's not put our current attractions which draw millions of people a year against the Endeavor. The Endeavor will be nice to have, but will not be a prime attraction in LA. You think Ohio would rather have their Wright museum or "just a sign"?

or San Francisco's Golden Gate bridge... its just a suspension bridge like many around the world, just a different color, length and height.... why is it so famous??

i know why its famous and is a landmark, im just adding to what you're saying lol

[RAlossi]

From Curbed:

As rumored, AEG has just sent out a press release stating that tomorrow an announcement will be made for a new hotel at 901 West Olympic Boulevard, right across from its Marriott Hotel at LA Live. Plans call for a 22-story, 377-room hotel tower featuring two hotel brands. And the deal is being done with Portland, Oregon-based Williams/Dame & Associates, the same group that was part of the South Group Evo and Elleven team.

http://la.curbed.com/archives/2011/04/aeg_to_announce_new_downtown_hotel_deal_tommorrow.php

[BrandonJXN]

From Curbed:

According to an undated web site launched by American Life Inc., a Seattle-based development and investment company involved in AEG's new hotel, the new LA Live hotel will Marriott-branded. From the web site, seemingly launched to seek investors: "A brand new Marriott Hotel L.A. is being developed by American Life Inc., the Marriott Corporation and William & Dame Development. This co-branded hotel project consists of 180 Courtyard by Marriott hotel rooms and 197 Residence Inn by Marriott rooms, extended-stay accommodations with kitchen and business office. This $118 U.S. million project is scheduled to open March of 2014....The location of the hotel is in a neighborhood commonly referred to as "LA Live" entertainment center." There's also a tiny rendering. A rep for AEG declined to comment. Reached on his cell phone, Henry Liebman, co-founder of American Life Inc, declined to comment on the site.

[LAMetroGuy]

I'm sure LA will be getting a Hard Rock Hotel soon, Hard Rock Cafe International USA, Inc. already registered the domain name of HARDROCKHOTELLOSANGELES.COM

Same owners of HARDROCKHOTELCHICAGO.COM and HARDROCKHOTELSD.COM. How soon and where

[Illithid Dude]

That's such a bummer. That rendering oozes stucco.

[LosAngelesBeauty]

Originally Posted by LAMetroGuy

I'm sure LA will be getting a Hard Rock Hotel soon, Hard Rock Cafe International USA, Inc. already registered the domain name of HARDROCKHOTELLOSANGELES.COM

Same owners of HARDROCKHOTELCHICAGO.COM and HARDROCKHOTELSD.COM. How soon and where

Yeah you're right! In fact, I remember that AEG had mentioned that Hard Rock Hotel would take up a spot right next to this other proposed dual hotel across the street from LA Live.

IIRC, the Hard Rock Hotel would also be in a building that had a studio for another TV network of some sort?

[bobcat]

I guess Marriott must be pleased with the performance of the JW and Ritz. Regardless of the brand I'm happy to see the hotels represent other market segments besides luxury. The Residence Inn will become DTLA's first upscale extended stay brand.

[JDRCRASH]

I'll update page 1.

BTW, does anyone know how many stories it'll be?

EDIT: Nevermind.

[sopas ej]

Question for you guys; do you like these new street signs that have been popping up downtown? I'm not sure if I like them:

signaltraffic.com

I realize the shape is emulating an older style of street sign from the pre and during WWII era, but the sign itself is otherwise flimsy looking, and I don't like the font.

I don't see why LA can't stick with the old school shotgun signs that you see in many LA films noirs:

signaltraffic.com