LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 4.0

[alki]

Originally Posted by Kingofthehill

Still very Central American and Oaxacan, and poor. It still has significant quality of life issues (moreso than other, poor, ungentrified Latino neighborhoods) and suffers from a lack of investment or enforcement of basic city codes. However, among my friends, and on online urbanity/real estate circles, awareness of the nabe is on the rise, and many are realizing just how much the nabe has to offer. A central location (sandwiched between Koreatown, Silverlake/Echo Park, and DTLA), two subline lines, most dense neighborhood after Koreatown, and a robust, relatively intact stock of 1910s-1930s architecture. It is only a matter of time until a slick, trendy coffee shop or restaurant opens there; something that will serve as a catalyst and attract outsiders to the nabe. If a few cool new places opened up, and the city got off its ass and starting enforcing housing and street vending regulations, there would be no stopping the area.

I suspect you are right. It would piss me off that landlords would load up tenants in those buildings while only doing minimal maintenance...........and the city would turn its back and do very little enforcement.

And despite the negatives....including crime, the neighborhood remains vital. The 'why it remains vital' is something city planners should look at very closely. There is something about the neighborhood and the park that is very appealing IMO.

[alki]

Originally Posted by citywatch

You're correct. If you didn't read the LA Times article as I just did, then I give you kudos for figuring it out on your own....

Knew that from my construction background..........like I said in a previous post, one of the worst enemies of older buildings was the city of LA. They developed earthquake provisions that made little effort to enhance the look of a building.........after all, they are old bldgs so who cares what they look like. Only idiots like me would take on the city.....and trust, it was no fun.

As for the topic of wood in construction, never underestimate the flexibility of wood and the ability of plywood to defuse seismic waves during a quake. During the 1994 quake, the second floor of my house, a pic of which I posted on this site, was at nearly a 90º angle with the first floor.......and not one 2 by 4 cracked.

[alki]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

It's not really their fault. Historic buildings to them in the sixties are sort of what PoMo buildings are to us in the 2010s. They were outdated. They were even a little ugly. Every architectural style goes through this process. Think about mid-century modernism. There was a period where no one liked it, and now everyone wants to live in a mid-century house. It's simply the nature of architecture.

They were doing the same thing to those bldgs in the 90s. It was only by the late 90s did LA begin to appreciate its extraordinary architectural legacy. As late as the late 80s, one of the more beautiful auditoriums in DTLA was torn down for a new gas blding that never got built......a site that was a parking lot when I left LA. I wish I had a photo to post...........the building was frigging amazing.

[colemonkee]

More development in the OBD. Simply Salad has leased up part of the Main Street commercial space in The Medallion. They've subdivided the space, and this is just north of the lobby. There's still a decent-sized space immediately to the north of this that also abuts terrace above the sunken plaza. That will be a perfect spot for a cafe with outdoor dining.


Image courtesy of my iPhone

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

More development in the OBD. Simply Salad has leased up part of the Main Street commercial space in The Medallion. They've subdivided the space, and this is just north of the lobby. There's still a decent-sized space immediately to the north of this that also abuts terrace above the sunken plaza. That will be a perfect spot for a cafe with outdoor dining.

But.... Medallion... ugh. I hate that building more then any other building downtown. I truly believe that the OBD is the most perfect area in downtown. It is everything the rest of downtown could be, with the high-end retail, dining, little markets, and more. Medallion, next to all of this, looks so out of place and ugly. It hurts every time I see it.

[colemonkee]

Agreed, The Medallion is a disappointment in every architectural respect, but it did activate a total dead zone. And the sunken plaza isn't really that bad. I just wish it were used more outside of Art Walk.

[JDRCRASH]

I added Clifton's to Page 1.

And this article is pretty interesting:

Plan to Spiff the Area Around the LA River Rolling Right Along

Friday, February 10, 2012, by James Brasuell

The City Planning Commission yesterday approved the LA River Improvement Overlay, the plan that creates a new set of urban design guidelines for all property within 2,500 feet of the river--new projects would be required to meet design standards with regard to "setbacks, fencing and native landscaping," not to mention that familiar sticky issue, parking, reports the LA Daily News. The ordinance now goes to a joint committee of the City Council's Planning and Land Use Management Committee and the Ad Hoc River Committee. As Curbed reported back in December, the city hopes that the LA RIO will inspire the Army Corps of Engineers to start funding programs to remove the cement that lines the river bed.

. . . Read More

Source: http://la.curbed.com/archives/2012/02/pl...und_the_la_river_rolling_right_along.php

[DistrictDirt]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

Agreed, The Medallion is a disappointment in every architectural respect, but it did activate a total dead zone. And the sunken plaza isn't really that bad. I just wish it were used more outside of Art Walk.

I also really like the Medallion's approach to retail. The whole Los Angeles street side as well as the "arcade" on the inside is chopped up into ultra small retail spaces; much smaller than those found in the Historic Core, but perfect for the kind of niche wholesalers you find in the Toy District. The developer actually put some thought into the the project's location, and realized on the Los Angeles side at least, wholesale tenants are a better fit than a Starbucks or a Jamba Juice.

[all of the trash]

I would rather have a surface parking lot than the Medallion! Thats how horrible it is! That building has been nothing but an unmitigated, runaway DISASTER! Someone DEFINATELY had to lose their job whether it was the developer or architect or whatever. It is worst than NAzi germany IMHO

[all of the trash]

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

I added Clifton's to Page 1.

And this article is pretty interesting:



Source: http://la.curbed.com/archives/2012/02/pl...und_the_la_river_rolling_right_along.php

Hmm fencing? Does the Sienne have fencing? The riverwalk? Maybe some elegantly designed barriers, but I don't trust LA city planners to do anything right. Also I'm glad la.curbed provided a quote from an Encino NIMBY. We definitely need more NIMBY voices in city planning. Can't get enough of them. Oh the oppressed NIMBY! As if their vision hasn't been guiding LA into city planning chaos for the past several decades. We shoulda just let those bastards secede while they had the chance. thumbs up if you agree!

[DistrictDirt]

Originally Posted by all of the trash

I would rather have a surface parking lot than the Medallion! Thats how horrible it is! That building has been nothing but an unmitigated, runaway DISASTER! Someone DEFINATELY had to lose their job whether it was the developer or architect or whatever. It is worst than NAzi germany IMHO

Speaking of nazis, I'm not usually a spelling/grammer nazi, but the above paragraph makes me want to shoot myself in the head in a bunker.

[citywatch]

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[citywatch]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

But.... Medallion... ugh. I hate that building more then any other building downtown. I truly believe that the OBD is the most perfect area in downtown. It is everything the rest of downtown could be, with the high-end retail, dining, little markets, and more.

illithid, not sure if your POV means that the hood in general isn't too , cuz if the medallion really is the bldg you hate the most, than no other bldg in dtla is as bad or something that makes you go as much?

I hate this bldg more....


maps.google.com

Does the OBD today really have any high end stores or any little mkt worth mentioning? I get the feeling it's still very much a work in progress, & most of the newer stores that have opened up around there aren't exactly SRO with customers. But I don't know the full answer to that since I don't live there....maybe someone like districtdirt can answer that.

I know not too many yrs ago there was not much beyond pete's cafe. TG some other stores & restaurants have followed, but the OBD still seems like it could use many more layers of support. I did read a review from someone who visited one of the newer restaurants in the hood a few days ago, the one next to Pete's, & he said the hood still is sketchy. Many of the reviews of the Artisan House a few blocks south have been very , with one person implying that nearby skid row & homelessness still make the hood dicey for a visitor. Unlike bottega louie from the beginning, the Artisan house seems to be starting off with lots of shaky word of mouth .

My only problem with the medallion is that it does remind me of a medical bldg from the 1960s. other than that, the vertical uprights of the parking garage along LA st would have popped if they were painted bright red instead of that orangey red. Only real issue I have is that the 2nd phase of the original proj, or any other new devlpt on that block, has yet to connect 4th st with 3rd st......

I bet the average person-----& far more ppl----are more likely to drop by the hood & go over parts of it that are still like this & take forever to get better.....


maps.google.com

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by citywatch

illithid, not sure if your POV means that the hood in general isn't too , cuz if the medallion really is the bldg you hate the most, than no other bldg in dtla is as bad or something that makes you go as much?

Does the OBD today really have any high end stores or any little mkt worth mentioning?

Dilapidated older buildings and parking lots don't bother me too much. Older buildings can (and will) be renovated, and parking lots can (and will) be built upon. It's when built buildings turn out terrible that I get upset.

And there are plenty of boutique-y stores in the Old Bank District. There's Freemont Apparel Co. (http://www.fremontapparelco.com/), SkinGraft (http://skingraftdesigns.com/), and Blends (http://www.blendsus.com/). And, BTW, last time I was there, Blends had a huge line out the door. Not really a clothing store, but Old Bank DVD is a DVD store that had to recently expand it was doing so well.

You say there are no neighborhood markets? OBD Market and Deli disagrees. It's a classic New-York style market, with a little deli, grocery supplies, and pharmaceuticals to boot.

OBD even has a museum, the museum of Neon Art. If you say that OBD doesn't have any high-end stores or markets worth mentioning, be prepared to back up your claims.

EDIT: Freemont Apparel Co actually needed a bigger space and expanded to w. 7th Street, and Skingraft toke over their space.

[colemonkee]

^ I would include Buzz Wine & Beer Shop, 6th Street Market, and Two Bits Market in that list as well. The OBD actually has a pretty good selection of local markets.

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

^ I would include Buzz Wine & Beer Shop, 6th Street Market, and Two Bits Market in that list as well. The OBD actually has a pretty good selection of local markets.

Does that count as OBD? I always consider OBD to be the blocks around 4th and Main, and not much else. The markets you say I consider to be in the general Historic Core.

[LA/OCman]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

Does that count as OBD? I always consider OBD to be the blocks around 4th and Main, and not much else. The markets you say I consider to be in the general Historic Core.

The Continental Bldg is at 4th and Spring. Next to it is the El Dorado and Rowan Lofts which all connect into Harlem Alley...I would say it is all considered the OBD. The Park next to the Rowan is possibly going to be called the OBD Park...or something like that. Personally, I am very happy to have the Medallion with the park and bottom floor retail. Plus, the scale fits in nicely...and it isn't trying to be a faux historic bldg...it is not beautiful...but not bad. BTW, the Museum of Neon Art moved to the Valley. Baco Mercat is next to Pete's...from the excellent chef of the Lazy Ox. The Times gave it 2.5 stars this week. Another nice restaurant from the owners of the OBD Market opens soon between Baco and the ever popular restaurant Blossom. You also have a dry cleaners, Big Man Bakes cupcakes, the soon to be revived Regent Theater, and Art Supply store, Urban Noodle Asian Cuisine, Rocket Pizza, Bar 107, an art Gallery in the Continental Bldg fronting Spring and an upscale furniture store in the Rosslyn Retail space on 5th and Main

Citiwatch, it is really one the most vibrant and pedestrian friendly areas in Los Angeles. It is also one of the most filmed areas in the city. So much activity....and it is slowly connecting to the hot area at 6th and Main. Nickel Diner was one of the first spots to open between 5th and 6th.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

Dilapidated older buildings and parking lots don't bother me too much.

I guess that's a good thing cuz you'll have more patience than I ever will over the presence of such & not be as over nothing being done about all that yr after yr after yr. But it's also bad in that your pov may be one reason that slumlords get away with what they do yr after yr. Or why I think the really bad parts of the hood never get the criticism they deserve.

what's really silly is when ppl in the past said that the grit of broadway was authentic & honest & real. but such ppl wouldn't necessarily ever spend much time on the street, or would rarely if ever shop there. In the meantime, ppl like you & me don't live in dtla, but instead miles away.

I generally always defer to ppl like colemonkee, districtdirt or la/ocman (if you also now live in dtla), since they have to deal full time with what we're talking about, or know more about what the nitty gritty is really like.

I notice that things sometimes seem worse as viewed only on certain occasions or from a distance & don't seem so bad when dealing with them up close. but things sometimes also seem better as viewed from a distance & don't seem quite so good when dealing with them on a closer, first hand basis.

btw, the museum of neon art has moved to glendale, & I'm surprised that ppl tuned into the OBD----or dt in general----didn't come across the news some time ago about the museum leaving dtla for a place farther north.

Among mkts that I'd say deserve special mention cuz of the quality they're supposed to represent, the nod would go to the Two Bits Market on 5th St. But I think they're far enough south to not really fall into the boundaries of the OBD. But YMMV.

I'd place little bodega type mkts that are too much like corner liquor stores into a different category.....not sure if they necessarily deserve special mention. That's even more the case when a bigger business like trader joes is still the missing link not just in the OBD but in dtla overall. If TJ's ever moved into one of the ground spaces of the Medallion, that to me would be a long overdue sign that the hood finally has moved up to the next level.

[pesto]

Originally Posted by colemonkee

Agreed, The Medallion is a disappointment in every architectural respect, but it did activate a total dead zone. And the sunken plaza isn't really that bad. I just wish it were used more outside of Art Walk.

Have to disagree. Medallion fits nicely with all the buildings surrounding it (the Reagan, Barclay, etc.) in mass, style and decor. It is about as close as you can get in the contemporary idiom to the modern, deco and beaux arts buildings that surround it. A pretty strong job of updating the look of the area without jarring. Plus it added badly needed open space (assuming the remaining parking lots eventually are buildings).

Personally I would ditch modern and contemporary altogether, but since that isn't going to happen, this is what you need to fit without jarring.

[pesto]

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

I added Clifton's to Page 1.

And this article is pretty interesting:



Source: http://la.curbed.com/archives/2012/02/pl...und_the_la_river_rolling_right_along.php

If this were the wild west somebody would be grabbing a rope and looking for a tree.

In what way is this a "plan"? What exactly is the city doing? Just telling deli's and greengrocers that if they want to change anything they need to go downtown, spend money and get a permit. You will recall that the LA River is for most of its route a narrow concrete basin with sheer vertical walls and fences with barbed wire. How is Jerry's affecting this by anything it does?