LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 4.0

[colemonkee]

^ It depends on where there is more demand for a luxury extended stay hotel (1 week or longer stay). I'd imagine downtown would have a decent demand for something like that, but I'm no expert in hotel demand.

In other downtown news, LA Reflections, the restaurant on the south side of the Police HQ building on the corner of 2nd and Main is having a private tasting event today (right now, actually), so opening should be soon. This should help further activate this corner at night, as they plan on having outdoor seating until at least 10:00 or 11:00 p.m. most nights. Frankly, I can't wait to have another spot to try out in the neighborhood.

[LosAngelesDreamin]

I <3 LA

Spent time there this past whole weekend up there for performances, enjoyed every moment, now im back in SD -___-''

[alki]

Originally Posted by pesto

Agree with this. My experience is that out of town visitors think LA Live is cool at Christmas and very plastic the rest of the year. It's a place where you go because you HAVE to go there to see the Lakers, a concert, etc. For something that really sticks in tourist's or LA people's minds as a nice evening out, the trolley into the rest of DT is critical. Gets you in touch with a real street scene, whether it's Bway, Jtown, 7th St., or hoped for further development.

That's where the media steps in and fills the void. Word is getting out that there is life in DTLA. Its appearing in the travel sections of newspapers and magazines throughout the country. Case in point:

I was with some friends the other nite. A couple mentioned they had read the article about DTLA in the Seattle Times and wondered if it was worth checking out. They are planning a trip to LA this winter. So I told them about the things I have learned from this blog.....artwalk, the new restaurant, clubs etc.

LA Live is a big draw. The DT people need to have a plan to get people from LA Live to other parts of DT.

Unless I am really confused, a sports arena, football stadium and convention center are not going to get people to say, "Hey, this is a cool place to live". Clean, attractive urban streets with people and transit and activity day and evening will bring this kind of reaction. Once LA Live gets them to DT, something has to keep them there.

You're right.........they are too generic to accomplish that. But again, those facilities get them DT.........then its up to DT people to sell the rest of DT and get people to want to live there.

[alki]

Originally Posted by LA/OCman

I see a lot of European tourists walking near City Hall, the LAPD HQ and the Caltrans building. interestingly I see a lot on the Red Line. You see working class people, students and white Europeans taking the Red Line. Sadly you do not see many professionals unless they are headed to Union Station to catch the Metrolink to the burbs. I think it will change with the Expo Line but it seems like when young professionals take the train it is like they are doing it for the first time and act like it is some big adventure.

Your comment implies you don't see white Angelenos on the Red Line. Is that true?

[alki]

Originally Posted by Westsidelife

2) On that note, I wish Related would go back to the drawing board and rethink their plans for Phases I and III. Do we really need another Gehry building? How about getting Calatrava to design something more understated?

I really like Calatrava's work. In 2008, a German friend was supposed go work for him but then the recession cut back on his projects. The Europeans are doing some really interesting stuff in architecture these days.......

[JDRCRASH]

Originally Posted by alki

Your comment implies you don't see white Angelenos on the Red Line. Is that true?

Unless they're tourists, probably so.

[alki]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

I would do terrible things for a Calatrava building. Terrible, terrible things.

LOL. And I would help you.......

There is another Euro architect I really like a lot but can't remember his name. I'll ask my German friend......he will know the name.

[alki]

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

Unless they're tourists, probably so.

Really? That surprises me.

[all of the trash]

Originally Posted by alki

I was with some friends the other nite. A couple mentioned they had read the article about DTLA in the Seattle Times and wondered if it was worth checking out. They are planning a trip to LA this winter. So I told them about the things I have learned from this blog.....artwalk, the new restaurant, clubs etc.

LA Live is a big draw. The DT people need to have a plan to get people from LA Live to other parts of DT.

Whats with the fixation with out-of-towners? It's almost like you care more about what LA can be for tourists than its own residents. It's like you guys have your egos so intertwined with city promotion that approval of LA is approval of yourselves. You guys have a weird obsession with what tourists think. It's a fixation I've noticed on the board and it really comes off very dependent.

[colemonkee]

Originally Posted by alki

Your comment implies you don't see white Angelenos on the Red Line. Is that true?

I'm white, an Angeleno, and ride the Red Line from time to time. Local white people are by no means the majority on the Red Line, but I have and do see them pretty regularly.

[bobcat]

Originally Posted by all of the trash

Whats with the fixation with out-of-towners?

Simple--tourism is the strongest part of the economy right now. Nearly all the major projects with a chance of starting construction in the near future are tourism related: Farmers Field, Wilshire Grand, the Broad Museum, Downtown Streetcar, Marriott Courtyard/Residence Inn. If Farmers Field gets built many experts predict a hotel boom for South Park.

That's just the economic cycle. A few years ago it was all about condos.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Originally Posted by alki

Your comment implies you don't see white Angelenos on the Red Line. Is that true?

no its not true. the diversity on the trains is a great sight. I usually ride the red, purple and gold lines about 10 times a month and there are all kinds of people on the trains.

[Kingofthehill]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

no its not true. the diversity on the trains is a great sight. I usually ride the red, purple and gold lines about 10 times a month and there are all kinds of people on the trains.

yeah, but white "choice" riders (i.e, people who use mass transit out of convenience, and not necessity) are still a small minority. this is especially true when transit ridership demographics in other cities is looked out. something like 2/3rds of metro's ridership comprises of people without driver's licenses. i will say that you are starting to see more and more professionals (of any color, but primarily white) ride the metro, especially around rush hour. overall, though, the number still pales when looked at on a national level. i often host friends from nyc, australia, europe, etc, and one of the things they always ask is "how come there are no white people on the bus/train?"

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

agreed, but i think its more important to look at how there are now more professionals taking the train, regardless of color. also, once we get rail to the westside, we will see more whites using the system. its not as thought the gold line is lacking white folk.

[LAofAnaheim]

Originally Posted by all of the trash

Whats with the fixation with out-of-towners? It's almost like you care more about what LA can be for tourists than its own residents. It's like you guys have your egos so intertwined with city promotion that approval of LA is approval of yourselves. You guys have a weird obsession with what tourists think. It's a fixation I've noticed on the board and it really comes off very dependent.

AlltheTrash - It's not just approval of the City we seek, but that we are generally proud of the direction LA is moving towards. There's been a huge culture change in LA, especially since 2005. There's more bicyclists on the road than ever before, more bike lanes, more transit, etc.... There's been a greater focus on pedestrian elements and the city core itself. Compare LA's policies to pre-2005 and today and you'll see. Could LA be better? Yes. There's always room for improvement. But I'm liking the change we are seeing.

Now, why do we market ourselves for tourists? Simple. Tourism is HUGE for Los Angeles. We're not Houston, TX, where tourism can be an afterthought. You cannot tell me that New York, London, SF, Paris, etc... don't think about the tourism aspect as well in their development plans in regards to conventions/hotels. South Park is THE sports/entertainment/convention center area of LA. So tourism is a HUGE factor, just like the convention areas of those aforementioned cities.

Now, when we're talking about planning for Culver City, Fullerton, Whittier...they may not have the tourist view in mind (i.e. hotels).

Also, isn't it kinda ironic that where most of the tourists who come to LA want to go is the same places we are looking to connect via transit? So are we really solely looking at tourists or the tourist's destinations are the same as the locals (i.e. Beverly Hills, Wilshire/Fairfax, Santa Monica, Westwood, etc..).

[LAofAnaheim]

^ Oh, and to add onto your claim that LA is "fixated on out-of-towners". If that was true, then why are we working on the Orange Line in the Valley? Or the Gold Line to Asuza? Or even having stops in South LA on the Crenshaw Line?

You're taking one aspect of development and generalizing it to say that we are looking for the out of towners benefit. NO. That's not the case. It's just that the places we talk primarily of are the same places that ironically tourists want to visit as well (LA Live!, South Park, Hollywood, Santa Monica, Venice, etc...). LA is a heavy tourism city; one of the largest in the world. It's just that their destinations do overlap with where me and my friends want to hang out in LA or where our cultural events happen. LA residents WANT to go to the Getty, Walt Disney Concert Hall, LA Live! (yes, we do want to go there), Staples Center, Venice, LACMA, Hollywood boulevard, etc...

We are a city of attractions.

[LA/OCman]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

agreed, but i think its more important to look at how there are now more professionals taking the train, regardless of color. also, once we get rail to the westside, we will see more whites using the system. its not as thought the gold line is lacking white folk.

I would say the white ridership in general on the Red Line is 20%. It is the choice (or necessity) of the working class right now. If you take it from Downtown to the Hollywood Bowl, more whites. It really is very convenient if you live Downtown and need to get to Hollywood. The demographics change on the Gold Line and during commute hours. Lots of kids as well. LA City College also has a lot of commuters. I am now seeing more Trader Joes bags..people who shop at the Hollywood location. I take it to TJs a couple of times a month from Downtown. The Expo line will connect USC, Leimert Park area, Culver City and eventually Santa Monica which will give the commute more diversity. I am so bullish on Downtown because of the rail options.

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by LA/OCman

I would say the white ridership in general on the Red Line is 20%. It is the choice (or necessity) of the working class right now. If you take it from Downtown to the Hollywood Bowl, more whites. It really is very convenient if you live Downtown and need to get to Hollywood. The demographics change on the Gold Line and during commute hours. Lots of kids as well. LA City College also has a lot of commuters. I am now seeing more Trader Joes bags..people who shop at the Hollywood location. I take it to TJs a couple of times a month from Downtown. The Expo line will connect USC, Leimert Park area, Culver City and eventually Santa Monica which will give the commute more diversity. I am so bullish on Downtown because of the rail options.

I'm sure when the Expo Line finishes you'll be seeing a lot more white people. Same with the Purple, and whatever line ends up hitting West Hollywood. The question is, though, why does it matter? L.A. is great for being such a diverse city. If anything, the dearth of white people just show how diverse our city is.

[LosAngelesBeauty]

Originally Posted by ziggy331

I was just randomly doing some internet research on hotels and came across this: http://www.hotelaka.com/

"AKA, the next generation of luxury extended stay hotel residences, is located in exclusive urban centers: New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC, with plans for Los Angeles and London."

I wonder if they would be looking to be downtown or more towards west LA (Beverly Hills? ). It would be a pretty cool addition downtown IMO.

In addition to what dtla already has, I would imagine with an expanded convention center bringing in more business people (*crossing fingers*) and with more companies starting to move into dt, there will be a need for something like this.

I contacted AKA about 3 years ago about their expansion plans into LA. They had initially chosen a location that they didn't disclose but it fell through. Ever since then, they've been looking at different locations. When the NFL situation first popped up, I immediately forwarded that info to my contact there and he was very surprised and seemed "grateful" for the info (even though the NFL coming back to LA would eventually be national news obviously). Anyway, I stopped inside the AKA in Midtown last week just to check it out because I wanted to see what we would get if they do finally end up in LA and it's definitely a nicer/trendy/boutique-y hotel that would fit perfectly in Downtown LA. I hope they eventually choose Downtown.

[LosAngelesBeauty]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

agreed, but i think its more important to look at how there are now more professionals taking the train, regardless of color. also, once we get rail to the westside, we will see more whites using the system. its not as thought the gold line is lacking white folk.

Bingo! It's about who is professional/middle class (and up) not the color of the skin.