LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 4.0

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by HunterK

Every which way you turn theres a crane it seems.

Gary Leonard taking pics at the still seemingly untouched Regent...

For people who may not understand what we've been talking about with Broadway, I took a few pics.

Your pics really are the next best thing to actually being in dt. When browsing through them, many of them evoke the exact same mixed emotions that I often have when I'm personally in the hood. Some of that is dependent on how lively....how busy....the streets & sidewalks are. I think just about anyone will feel more positive about dt if they're observing it when lots of ppl are out & about....excepting, of course, panhandlers or street toughs looking for trouble.

however, broadway may be one of the few, if only, streets in LA....certainly in dt....where I actually would feel better if fewer ppl were moseying about....meaning fewer ppl as potential customers to all the swapmeets. Broadway also may be one of the few, if only, streets in LA....in dt....where I'd actually feel relieved if increasing number of store stalls were vacant.

One reason why the street has been such a embarrassment for so many yrs is cuz enough property owners have been able to squeeze enough $$ out of enough swapmeet owners, cuz enough ppl have been walking through the front door as customers.

When an article about the broadway arcade bldg came out a few months ago, & some of the shop owners who were interviewed said their stores, & the street overall, no longer had the crowds of shoppers of the past, I didn't exactly feel bad about that.

But many of those swapmeets....far too many of them....still manage to hang on yr after yr after yr after yr. That's why I'll be even more irritated if a business like Figaro doesn't survive in the long run.

[ByTheBay]

Originally Posted by Westsidelife

Now that that's out of the way, I think the standard for Broadway should be Chicago's State Street. What do you all think? What type of retailers would be appropriate? Ross, Walgreens, and (if true) Urban Outfitters are about right in my view. Nothing higher-end than Apple and lower-end than Ross would fit.

I've been to Chicago's State Street and although I can see the possibility, I think there's another street that I think Broadway can look at as an example. I've always looked at Broadway as LA's version of San Francisco's Powell street. They both are sort of that line that crosses from upscale to lower class. From Bunker Hill/South Park to Skid Row, and from Financial District/Union Square to Tenderloin. In Broadway's case, Spring Street sort of buffers it but beyond that is pretty much downhill. In Powell Street you have indie, souvenir and jewelry stores alongside chain retailers like Gap, Urban Outfitters, H&M, Sketchers, Sephora, DSW, Walgreens with some middle range restaurants, diners and boutique hotels. A block away are some of San Francisco's theaters and the cable car runs along the street (similar to Broadway's old trolleys) which skirts by St. Francis Hotel and Union Square (which very much resembles the Biltmore Hotel and Pershing Square). These two streets seem to have the same DNA so if you want a glimpse of Broadway's potential I think Powell Street is the best example to look at.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by HunterK

Coco lunch crowd. I could be imagining it, but there seems to be a few more people here week by week. I hope they do very well.

some of the online reviews I've seen about new restaurants in dt, including the one across from bottega & the new restaurant on broadway....figaro....posted online must be making the owners cringe. Various customers...anonymous food critics in the public....have been rather harsh. I hope it's just a case of early birth pains, since while turnover may be ok for swapmeets on broadway, that won't be a good thing for new businesses that have invested big $$ in their opening....

“People walk in here all the time and they go, ‘Which hotel lobby is this?’” says Vahe (he prefers Vincent) Terzian, owner of Coco Laurent.

“That’s exactly what I thought when I first stepped inside,” I say.

“We hear that, probably, nine out of ten times.”

Well, at least I’m not alone. Terzian, the former owner and designer of The Crocker Club at Fifth and Spring Streets, found his inspiration for the design of Coco Laurent from a hotel in Paris. So, it’s no wonder that mistake is common.


downtownexaminer.com

The 7,000-square-foot, 300-seat Parisian indoor/outdoor chic bistro at the corner of Seventh and Grand, “is something very special to me,” Terzian says. “In French, it means ‘the natural birth of things from nature.’”

This fetish for the natural is very evident in the design. The bar is made entirely of limestone, which was a cast mold that the manufacturer custom-made specifically for the restaurant. The walls and columns are made of walnut, giving the place a very earthy quality and feel to it.

“Even the paint in the bathroom has certain sparkles in it that come from the earth,” Terzian says. “Everything is born out of the earth.”

Good thing, too, because I’m sure you’re wondering, dear reader, about the food. After all, it is a restaurant. Well, the first thing that strikes me as I sit with Vincent is the brevity of the menu.

“We didn’t want something overly exaggerated, like most restaurants tend to be, with pages and pages of items. So, we’ve specifically and selectively chosen what we want,” Terzian says.

“We’ve been tracking to see which items don’t sell, but we haven’t found any. Every item on our menu sells,” Terzian says. “But another thing we’ve done,” he adds, “is we’ve taken an American tradition (brunch), and we’ve franchised it and made it our own.”

“....We practically can’t order enough to keep up with demand. But don’t get me started on our pancakes,” Terzian says.

He’s referring to their lavender and wildflower honey-infused pancakes that “practically fly off the griddle” Saturdays and Sundays. “The feedback we’ve received from our clients so far is that we now have a chic, sexy adult bar,” Terzian says. But he’s not stopping there.

As we sit and talk, Vincent tells me about the impending design and menu updates that will be rolling out in the next three to six months. They will soon be featuring a “champagne au chocolat” bar on the other side of the restaurant, where patrons will be able to sip on their favorite glass of champagne while nesting at an all-glass bar with chocolate desserts sitting inside the glass case. They will also be coming out with a boutique deli in that time as well, and they’ll soon be making their own homemade croissants and chocolate croissants.

And let’s not forget about their dog-friendly outdoor patio. “We’ll be supporting local businesses and getting water bowls with ‘Coco Laurent’ written on the side of them,” Terzian says as he smiles.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by Westsidelife

The Ross Dress for Less is a perfect example of how you can clean up the shittiness of Broadway while still keeping it affordable.

the new sign on the bldg on broadway that once housed a woolworths....a looong time ago....would fit in better if its color were similar to that of the original woolworths signs, which were sort of like metallic gold lettering. In comparison, the Ross sign is blue & clashes with the cleaned up, restored bldg. But I shouldn't quibble since it took forever to finally....finally!.....get that bldg fixed up.

I anxiously await to see what will be done to the facade of cliftons.

[Quixote]

Originally Posted by citywatch

the new sign on the bldg on broadway that once housed a woolworths....a looong time ago....would fit in better if its color were similar to that of the original woolworths signs, which were sort of like metallic gold lettering. In comparison, the Ross sign is blue & clashes with the cleaned up, restored bldg. But I shouldn't quibble since it took forever to finally....finally!.....get that bldg fixed up.

I anxiously await to see what will be done to the facade of cliftons.

I don't see what the big deal is. That's the same signage they use for all of their stores. For me personally, I think blue and peach complement each other quite well. It certainly makes the signage stand out.

Parisian hotel lobby... I guess they were successful at implementing their vision, because that was my first impression of the decor.

[Kingofthehill]

Where does the Persian/Armenian influence in Downtown's French restos come from? Somewhat odd/out of the ordinary

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by Kingofthehill

Where does the Persian/Armenian influence in Downtown's French restos come from? Somewhat odd/out of the ordinary

From all the persians in L.A., I suppose.

[Quixote]

All this Broadway talk got me thinking about the vast transformative potential there is for the street to become the hub of a thriving theater district, certainly the second largest in the country and probably one of the largest in the world. I personally have no desire for these historic movie palaces to be used for movie screenings/premieres (what a waste that would be) and live comedy acts. I want actual live theatrical performances, both touring Broadway shows and local productions. Think a dozen Pantages Theaters all concentrated on 7 city blocks, plus another eight within neighboring blocks.

Million Dollar
Roxie
Cameo
Arcade
Los Angeles
Palace
State
Globe
Tower
Rialto
Orpheum
United Artists

Nearby:

Warner Bros.
Olympic
Mayan
Belasco
Regent
Los Angeles Theater Centre
Ahmanson
Mark Taper Forum
Redcat

Between those 21 venues, there are approximately 30,000 seats. By comparison, NYC's Broadway has 40 venues and 50,000 seats. London's West End has 42 venues and about 50,000 seats.

The possibilities are endless. My hope is that organizations like the Shubert and Nederlander will recognize this potential and snatch up most of those venues to showcase some of their Broadway productions.

Do you guys share the same aspirations for Broadway?

[Kingofthehill]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

From all the persians in L.A., I suppose.

Ha. I guess. Kind of random, given both groups aren't known for French food, even if France does have a decent-sized Armenian community. French restaurants owned by Persians/Armenians is definitely one of those quirky, oddball arrangements that makes LA unique and largely unparalleled place.

[Quixote]

Originally Posted by Kingofthehill

Ha. I guess. Kind of random, given both groups aren't known for French food, even if France does have a decent-sized Armenian community. French restaurants owned by Persians/Armenians is definitely one of those quirky, oddball arrangements that makes LA unique and largely unparalleled place.

What are some other examples besides Coco Laurent and Figaro Bistro?

[DJM19]

I think many of the Broadway theaters are not really suitable for live productions. They were mostly built as movie palaces with small stages. Perhaps if there were modifications made to the stages and the set area. Or they can have plays that are not set-heavy/large productions.

[Quixote]

^ I just want it to become a vibrant entertainment district that isn't all about concerts, live comedy acts, and movie screenings. These (historic) properties are in a prime location and they are deserving of regular nightly programming. They don't deserve to be treated as the prewar versions of Club Nokia.

To your point, I'm sure the Regent and Olympic are certainly too small for Broadway productions. But how about local, low-budget skits? And who's to say these venues are still suitable for cinema (sound effects/acoustics)?

[Quixote]

I'm speculating of course, but based on what I can see in photos, the following have stages big enough to put on live productions:

Million Dollar (big stage)
Los Angeles (huge stage)
Palace (big enough, could even expand it)
State (hard to tell how much space is behind that wall, but the stage could be expanded toward the audience)
Tower (smaller production, maybe)
Orpheum (big stage)
United Artists (big enough)

I can't find photos of the others.

Of course, I'm also forgetting backstage hair/makeup and costume storage. Doubt these exist (since they were built as movie palaces), but it's not like they can't be constructed.

...

One more thing before I finally retire:

This is NYC's Majestic Theatre, home to Broadway's longest-running production (The Phantom of the Opera). Not exactly a massive stage.


http://img2.findthebest.com/sites/default/files/416/media/images/Majestic_Theatre_Broadway.jpg

[Illithid Dude]

Personally, I would like to see something like the Alamo Drafthouse- who are known for restoring old downtown theaters- set up shop on Broadway. Either that or a Landmark.

[brudy]

Originally Posted by Westsidelife

^ I just want it to become a vibrant entertainment district that isn't all about concerts, live comedy acts, and movie screenings. These (historic) properties are in a prime location and they are deserving of regular nightly programming. They don't deserve to be treated as the prewar versions of Club Nokia.

To your point, I'm sure the Regent and Olympic are certainly too small for Broadway productions. But how about local, low-budget skits? And who's to say these venues are still suitable for cinema (sound effects/acoustics)?

I've read that the family that owns some of those theaters is rehabbing them and then trying to increase activity, which is awesome, but I think it would be tough to activate and maintain so many theaters. They would have to compete against established places like Pantages and the Music Center (which has at least three theaters). I do think LA could support more live productions and there are all those little playhouses off of Santa Monica (I think) that could use a more glamourous location for sure. If NYC had 50m tourists last year and LA 41.4m, we should be able to support a lot more live theaters (given that those large Broadway productions draw mostly tourists).

But I would love a small independent theater downtown. Yes, we have the Downtown Independent, but it is really inconsistent in its programming. If I had the dough I'd open a small theater that focused on mostly foreign films, with guest curators like someone from the Goethe Institute for German films, for example. The lobby would be active all the time as a small store that had choice books, records, hipster doodads, cool gifts and cards. Maybe coffee as well. I've been thinking about that for the last few days, but just no way to get that much money together.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by HunterK

Even got photos of the guys putting a window back in at Cliftons. Was cool to watch!

in a case of perfect timing, this story was published yesterday....

Andrew Meieran has ambitious vision for Clifton's Cafeteria

Developer-filmmaker Andrew Meieran is putting $5 million into renovating Clifton's Cafeteria in downtown L.A.


Allen J. Schaben, Los Angeles Times
Andrew Meieran examines a 70-year-old neon light behind a wall at Clifton’s Cafeteria in downtown L.A.
He is putting painstaking care into refurbishing the venue.

By Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times
February 16, 2013

The gig: Real estate developer and moviemaker Andrew Meieran, 46, is staking his reputation and millions of dollars on an attempt to revive one of the most beloved restaurants in Los Angeles history — Clifton's Cafeteria on Broadway.

Known for its Disney-like forest theme, Clifton's Brookdale Cafeteria served an estimated 170 million meals starting in 1935 but lost traction in recent decades as the city's historic core fell out of favor. Meieran took it over in 2010 and closed it the following year to begin its renovation.

As longtime fans of the cafeteria wait, Meieran is laboring on a $5-million makeover that he hopes will make Clifton's an elaborate dining and drinking establishment unlike any other in the city and bring back crowds.

The vision: Plans call for Clifton's to have multiple bars and restaurants in markedly divergent styles throughout the four-story building. Each is to be crafted with the sophisticated attention to detail that Meieran brought to the nearby Edison, the Jules Verne-like subterranean nightclub he created deep under a century-old building on 2nd Street.

How to stand out: A memorable bar or restaurant must stay intriguing even on repeat visits, he said. "If you come back, I want you to notice more," Meieran said. "If we don't get the details right, we have a huge potential to miss the mark with our audience."

Defined spaces: There will be distinct venues throughout the building, much of it rarely visited by the public in years past. The basement will house a bar full of historic local relics intended to transport visitors back in time. The ground floor and mezzanine-like second floor will remain a forest-themed cafeteria, with added details such as an old-fashioned soda fountain.

The third floor, which most recently held Gay '90s-themed banquet rooms, is being turned into a sit-down restaurant with classic food, Meieran said, but "not fine dining." It will also house a museum that he would not describe other than to call it "a cabinet of curiosities."

The fourth floor — Clifton's old offices — will get a Polynesian-themed restaurant and bar called South Seas, named after a Clifton's cafeteria on Olive Street that was popular in the 1940s and 1950s.

Also on that floor will be a second historic-themed bar and restaurant, this one Art Deco style. It's intended to be an upscale yet casual joint where diners can get a steak or chili.

Speed bumps: Renovation of the building, which opened in 1915 as a Boos Brothers cafeteria, has been far more costly and time-consuming than anticipated. At first, Meieran hoped to keep Clifton's open during construction. Then he closed it in fall 2011 for what he hoped would be a $3-million rehabilitation lasting three to six months.

Now he aims to finally reopen by Halloween, and even then some of the venues won't be complete. He's trying to keep the final tab under $5 million.

^ the owner has alot riding on his investment. Even more so than figaro down the street, this place had better succeed....definitely, absolutely, certainly. Failure is not an option.

[ChelseaFC]

Originally Posted by citywatch

the new sign on the bldg on broadway that once housed a woolworths....a looong time ago....would fit in better if its color were similar to that of the original woolworths signs, which were sort of like metallic gold lettering. In comparison, the Ross sign is blue & clashes with the cleaned up, restored bldg. But I shouldn't quibble since it took forever to finally....finally!.....get that bldg fixed up.

I anxiously await to see what will be done to the facade of cliftons.

LOL they can always change the color of the sign. It's one of the less important details. The fact that it's there is enough for now.

[ConstructDTLA]

There have been "plans" to restore The Los Angeles, The Palace, The Tower, and a couple others. It's anyones guess whether or not that will actually happen. The massive & beautiful Orpheum has been restored and look how many shows they get (barely any). So I don't think theres much motivation to move forward for other theater owners.

Lots of amazing information on downtown theaters here;
https://sites.google.com/site/downtownlosangelestheatres/Home

[ChelseaFC]

Originally Posted by Westsidelife

^ I just want it to become a vibrant entertainment district that isn't all about concerts, live comedy acts, and movie screenings. These (historic) properties are in a prime location and they are deserving of regular nightly programming. They don't deserve to be treated as the prewar versions of Club Nokia.

To your point, I'm sure the Regent and Olympic are certainly too small for Broadway productions. But how about local, low-budget skits? And who's to say these venues are still suitable for cinema (sound effects/acoustics)?

There has to be a market for it. People have to be willing to go downtown to watch these productions. Cost, convenience, and peripheral amenities are going to be crucial for something like that. Remember, restoration work takes a lot of money, and there has to be a return for the developer. I'd prefer to focus first on retail, restaurants, the streetcar, Regional Connector, etc. Once more of the appropriate clientele are actually in the area, then it might make more sense. As it stands, I would take more movie screenings, live comedy, and concerts in a heartbeat. A heartbeat.

[ChelseaFC]

Originally Posted by brudy

If NYC had 50m tourists last year and LA 41.4m, we should be able to support a lot more live theaters (given that those large Broadway productions draw mostly tourists).

Problem is NYC's tourists are spending all their time in Manhattan. LA...well. So not exactly congruous.