LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 4.0

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Originally Posted by LA/OCman

Yesterday the city broke ground on the Spring St. Park...one less parking lot Downtown!

I also called LAHSA..Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority about a guy who has set up camp at 3rd and Main. They put the homeless into housing. They were quick to respond and send out a team...this is what they responded to me:


On October 5, 2011, Senior ERT Member Kenon Joseph and I responded to the southeast corner of 3rd Street and Main Street, Lo Angeles, due to the request for service. We found the aforementioned homeless’ possessions but he was not located in the immediate vicinity. This homeless appears to be the same homeless I dealt with during my time performing outreach in the downtown area. His name is Bill and he is highly resistant to any forms of assistance offered by outreach teams. I have dealt with him on numerous occasions and each time I have dealt with him, in the past, he has openly mocked attempts to house him. He believes there is no reason pay money to be housed when he can have all his money sleep on the street. We will attempt to contact Bill on another day and engage him when the weather is more favorable.

I commend LAHSA but we need all homeless off the streets. It is dangerous, unhealthy and many will die...But "Bill" should not be given a choice...we should insist that he live in housing.

oh i didnt know there was a service we could call about the chronically homeless! theres a guy that sleeps on the street on grand between 7th and 8th.

[travanx]

What an interesting thread this has become.

To stir the pot a bit more on the whole artist thing. Art Walk has become something very different than what it's original intentions were. That is basically happening in the exact area where the gentrifying is currently happening. All of the best bars and restaurants are over in that area. Not to mention the cool lofts to live in.

The problem I see is that rent is insanely high almost no matter where you go. Not sure where all of these artists are who can afford basically $2000/month rent to live in the scummy looking areas with no parking with that pricing. Parking is insane whether you are at a meter or a parking lot. I don't see any of this encouraging people to come to DTLA. So either the city concentrates on the locals living here, or concentrates on bringing outsiders in. Or maybe even both. But parking prices in itself seems like a barrier to coming down here.

Something like Target would be nice. And maybe 1 more supermarket. As the Ralphs basically gets people coming from all over the place. Seems like a small sized market to serve an entire Downtown.

After I finish my rush projects I need to go take a walk and see what is going on down here. Yesterday, we went over to the garment district right after the rain, and that place was dead. There was one dirty dog cart open on Maple instead of the usual every 10 feet of them.

[LosAngelesDreamin]

Originally Posted by Vangelist

Jesus. Did I ever say I want downtown to "not develop" ? No

I specifically was responding to a poster - Pesto - who directly said it would be better if downtown went completely upscale, lost the diversity, and that the artists moved out to make it a "premiere shopping/dining," district like Soho...

...which he said in response to Curbed LA - CURBED LA! - hailing the news about the artist development project as being "good," to PREVENT the dreaded culture-killing "Soho Effect"

Curbed LA agrees with me: it's about balance, diversity and wanting to preserve the essential character of a place, not anything about "preserving swap meets" or catering to the wealthiest amongst us...

...some of you guys see things in such polarized black & white terms, extreme this or that; sigh. It really gives justification to ed luva's complaints that we're not all playing with a full deck here, mentally speaking

sorry.. i was thinking you wanted broadway to stay the way it is today and thats it -__-'' my apologies.

btw.. i read i think on curbed la about santa monica blvd in weho was considered a great street?? and read about how artists and gays are who beautify a city street =P what do you guys think?? IMO... i say yes i know it's not downtown but just wanted to point it out there.. i think its true.. for some reason gay communities are always one of the most pedestrian friendly with some of the best restaurants and bars in town and awesome thrift stores

[alki]

Originally Posted by Vangelist

Turn downtown into a wannabe Beverly Hills, then you'll finally get the respect from the East Coast as a legitimate "world city" right? Wrong

The only edge Los Angeles even HAS on New York (and San Francisco), aside from the weather, is the fact that it's NOT gentrified completely. Particularly its most stunning center city, with all that architecture, those theaters, that 1910s built environment; we should be preserving the eclectic mix that is there right now. It causes great envy in New Yorkers, since (barring some calamity) Manhattan is never going to be artistically exciting and hungry like that again, and many say that about the cultural relevancy of NYC as a whole. Art is being sold there but constructed elsewhere, and our downtown's affordability is probably its greatest asset at the moment.

Its extraordinary. When I moved to LA, I was stunned. This city which builds and rebuilds nearly every 5 years had a DT that was preserved in formaldehyde. Incredible buildings, extraordinary theaters, intriguing spaces........and no one cared......except for the historic preservationists. When I brought up DT in conversation with friends, they would laugh......DT is dead; may it RIP.

Don't believe me?

Look at New Yorker Magazine already taking potshots at DTLA's gentrification, desperate that it will turn into exactly WHAT you guys WANT to do to it: a pseudo-Soho

Its a tough one. I don't know how you stop it especially in a place like LA. The chance to glitterize something is just too appealing. Its what LA is famous for.

In the last 60 years, Americans have become more interested in their cities and now recognize their value........but its hard for them to leave well enough alone. Our approach to interacting with our urban areas has become formulaic. We call it gentrifying but what it really is is turning out cities into eye candy.

Having said that, DTLA needed work......needed some glittering. It would be nice if there was some restraint with the glittering but I wouldn't bet the ranch.

[alki]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesDreamin

you wanna preserve all the swap meets on broadway??? but even before all the artists and everything you see today, downtown LA was exactly what new york was.. just smaller... with the rich and the department stores and all that stuff... bringing gucci, Lord & Taylor, Bergdorf Goodman, Forever XXI, Guess and some other non chain stores is just simply bringing the rich and prosperous downtown back from the early 1900's when downtown was THE center and place to be before going west. Bringing all those varied stores you see in suburban malls today(Sephora, Apple, Vans, H&M, Gamestop, etc) back to the city center. It works in Tokyo, SF, Chicago, NY etc.. why not?? if it'll bring more money and people then i'm all for it. Broadway was Los Angeles' premiere SHOPPING and theatre district during it's hey days... why not bring it's original character as the retail hub of downtown back?? not as a dirty swap meet center. Even San Diego wasn't afraid to open up a Coach, Louis Vuitton, and BCBG MAX AZRIA in downtown. The city now has a Macy's and Nordstrom

That's just it, LA Dreamin'. Cities don't have to be all about Gucci, Apple and Barney's; all about glamour; all about trendiness and sleek design. The great neighborhoods in the great cities of the world frequently are devoid of all those things. Besides there is not enough wealthy people to remake DTLA into a glitterized extended Beverly Hills........and who would want that.........BH is one of my least favorite places in LA.

Its unfortunate.......we don't think of our DTs as successful until they land a Nordstrom's or a Neiman Marcus. I disagree with that vision. The DTs that cater to a wide range of people are the ones that will do the best and survive the longest. The rich are fickled....and will move on to the next new toy.

And to the poster who finds the homeless disturbing. Let me point out......they are not vermin to be swept away. They are people who have lost their way for a whole variety of different reasons and have very little power. I would suggest they don't need your disgust.......but rather your blessing. And then, consider yourself fortunate that you are not one of them and move along.

[alki]

"I have seen several violent arguments, many extremely crazy people and I would never be surprised if someone pulled a gun and started shooting," wrote Dan, who rides the Red Line regularly from North Hollywood to Staples Center.

"If you have any sense, you should be afraid and wary," he wrote. The Red Line "is the Wild West."

So, apparently, is the Green Line, according to a reader who feels the need to carry pepper spray and a stun gun on his rides from Norwalk to Redondo Beach. A few months back, a fellow passenger tried to push him from his seat. "I punch him in his face and spray him," he wrote. "He jumped off the train at the next stop."

"You have no idea what we have to put up with a daily basis."

That's just the crazies of LA. When I rode the bus, I never saw anything truly violent but you would have to deal regularly with people who are poorly socialized. One guy would get on the bus and proceed to bop people on the head as he went to his seat. And then repeated the process on his way back off the bus. The regulars knew who he was and what to expect and ignored him. The bops didn't hurt and it was his very weird way of connecting.

[alki]

Originally Posted by travanx

After I finish my rush projects I need to go take a walk and see what is going on down here. Yesterday, we went over to the garment district right after the rain, and that place was dead. There was one dirty dog cart open on Maple instead of the usual every 10 feet of them.

Wow. You guys had rain yesterday. That's early. We just got our first rains last week.......and we usually proceed LA by at least a month.

My favorite time of the year would be when the rains came back to LA.

[bobcat]

Originally Posted by alki

That's just it, LA Dreamin'. Cities don't have to be all about Gucci, Apple and Barney's; all about glamour; all about trendiness and sleek design. The great neighborhoods in the great cities of the world frequently are devoid of all those things. Besides there is not enough wealthy people to remake DTLA into a glitterized extended Beverly Hills........and who would want that.........BH is one of my least favorite places in LA.

I don't think Beverly Hills is a very good comparison because it will never be a major urban center. OTOH if we look at someplace like Chicago's N Michigan Ave you do have businesses which cater to a variety of incomes, yet rents are still too high for struggling artists to live there.

I'm sure many will call N Michigan Ave "boring" and "sterile," but IMO that's perfectly appropriate for the center of a major international city.

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by alki

Wow. You guys had rain yesterday. That's early. We just got our first rains last week.......and we usually proceed LA by at least a month.

My favorite time of the year would be when the rains came back to LA.

Don't worry, it's gone now. L.A. is normal again.

Originally Posted by bobcat

I don't think Beverly Hills is a very good comparison because it will never be a major urban center. OTOH if we look at someplace like Chicago's N Michigan Ave you do have businesses which cater to a variety of incomes, yet rents are still too high for struggling artists to live there.

I'm sure many will call N Michigan Ave "boring" and "sterile," but IMO that's perfectly appropriate for the center of a major international city.

In spite of how everyone is down on SoHo at the moment, I gotta say, I really like that model of retail for downtown L.A. SoHo is a good mix of international, high-end stores, sporadic big-box, and dozens of only in NY boutiques. Something along those lines is what I would hope for Downtown L.A.

On another note, anyone going to cycLAvia this weekend?

[travanx]

Keeping all of the crazy homeless people down here will not encourage the amount of new development or new business needed to come in. People are taking some huge risks right now opening up the current bars, restaurants and other assorted business needed to keep the locals doing business in the DT.

They are not vermin, but does the Mission and new laws giving super rights to the homeless, really help the situation? Have you been to that area lately? And have you seen this area say 2 years ago? It is very different. Have you been to the Ralphs on 9th/Flower when you have to pass by more than just a couple of homeless who get up in your face when you are trying to buy food? And then get back in your face when leaving?

I am curious what people think that live down here and try to not drive and get around the city. The projects I mentioned earlier were for low income families. Which were basically going to demo some nasty vacant looking buildings to make way for some nice new buildings with somewhat affordable rent. So I feel like there are some plans to fix the situation with good construction and removing the blight.

To get back on track, I took a pretty awful picture of HStudio on Flower and Olympic. They moved from Flower and 9th a month or so ago. Curious if they are making their way back to DTLA?

http://bwengr.com/blog/2011/10/07/hstudio-move-2/

Originally Posted by alki

And to the poster who finds the homeless disturbing. Let me point out......they are not vermin to be swept away. They are people who have lost their way for a whole variety of different reasons and have very little power. I would suggest they don't need your disgust.......but rather your blessing. And then, consider yourself fortunate that you are not one of them and move along.

[LosAngelesDreamin]

Originally Posted by alki

That's just it, LA Dreamin'. Cities don't have to be all about Gucci, Apple and Barney's; all about glamour; all about trendiness and sleek design. The great neighborhoods in the great cities of the world frequently are devoid of all those things. Besides there is not enough wealthy people to remake DTLA into a glitterized extended Beverly Hills........and who would want that.........BH is one of my least favorite places in LA.

Its unfortunate.......we don't think of our DTs as successful until they land a Nordstrom's or a Neiman Marcus. I disagree with that vision. The DTs that cater to a wide range of people are the ones that will do the best and survive the longest. The rich are fickled....and will move on to the next new toy.

And to the poster who finds the homeless disturbing. Let me point out......they are not vermin to be swept away. They are people who have lost their way for a whole variety of different reasons and have very little power. I would suggest they don't need your disgust.......but rather your blessing. And then, consider yourself fortunate that you are not one of them and move along.

I understand what you mean by great neighborhoods in cities in the world are devoid of all the rich stores, but im just talking about the section of broadway, not all of downtown... and i do not like BH AT ALL as well, i don't shop at gucci, dior, or louis vuitton also.. i just wanted to point out the glamour part.. and i didn't mean all of downtown should be expensive stores.. just a small part of downtown to serve those who do shop there.

im just saying, for me at least.. when i do become a resident of dtla in the future.. i want stores that'll cater to me and others like me also... if you guys dont want downtown to have stores like ones i mentioned then that wouldn't make downtown a neighborhood for everybody because you guys are afraid of that sort of retail, basically a nimby-ish-like attitude towards chain stores, retail that i mentioned isn't allowed because you're afraid it'll ruin the city's charm... making it harder for me and have to travel out to the westside or nearby malls to go to those stores instead of just walking to them if they were available downtown. do i have to move to the westside to be happy??? idk i guess im gonna lose this one here... -__-'' ok im sorry.

[pesto]

Nobody is right or wrong on these issues. But if DT develops demand enough for high-end housing and shopping, the city shouldn't "protect" the homeless or edgy or secondhand shopping. Let the market work. As has been said before, there is no shortage of places where institutions for the homeless can be established and downmarket shopping can flourish.

Also, we shouldn't assume that upscale crowds out everyone else. Two blocks east of SoHo the shopping is very mixed, independent and edgy. Clubs open all night long. Even rundown in parts. Knish shops mixed in with cupcakes.

[colemonkee]

Work on the Spring Street Park has indeed commenced. Apologies for the quality of the photo. This was taken by squeezing my phone between the wrought iron on the fence.


(Photo credit: me)

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

best news in months! thanks Cole

[mello]

Al Davis is dead... Welcome home LA Raiders! Excellent news for Southern California. Your little brothers down South get to keep the Chargers (who are celebrating their 50 year anniversary) and the Silver & Black are back. Congrats guys

[ocman]

Originally Posted by mello

Al Davis is dead... Welcome home LA Raiders! Excellent news for Southern California. Your little brothers down South get to keep the Chargers (who are celebrating their 50 year anniversary) and the Silver & Black are back. Congrats guys

No no no no no! Worst case scenario. The city should hold out and be patient rather than settling for the worst.


From wiki:

Hunter S. Thompson, a Raider fan in the last years of his life, wrote, "The massive Raider Nation is beyond doubt the sleaziest and rudest and most sinister mob of thugs and wackos ever assembled."

[bobcat]

The Raiders would be perfect for Grand Crossing.

[Easy]

Having the Raiders as tenants would negatively impact condo sales, hotel bookings, and general LA Live attendance. I doubt that they are even under consideration.

[RuFFy]

I'm inclined to believe the team best suited for Farmers Field are the Chargers.. However, the Jaguars are in dire need of life support. SO, if I were placing bets the LA Jags would be where I'd place my money.

[pesto]

I'm not sure how the death of Al Davis makes it more likely that they will move to LA. The live choices are LA and Santa Clara, and Santa Clara would seem to have gotten more of a boost since Al would not have wanted to share with the Niners.

I have long thought that the Raiders are perfect for Industry. Conversely, the idea of 70k insane, drunk and largely armed Raiders fans descending on downtown after a game has to give LAPD and residents nightmares.