LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 4.0

[alki]

Originally Posted by blackcat23

Thanks!

My blog is Building Los Angeles.

Thanks. Its good to see how much you love LA.

[alki]

Originally Posted by HunterK

Yes thats great, as it should be.

And I do because there are so many when it comes to DTLA that people choose to ignore.

I've got news for you.........I don't think people are choosing to ignore them..........they just understand that Rome wasn't built in a day.

And I suspect DT's shortfalls irritate them as much as you.

[BrandonJXN]

Originally Posted by blackcat23

Thanks!

My blog is Building Los Angeles.

Wow amazing blog. Keep it up.

[bjornson]

Originally Posted by alki

This place may have an interesting vibe to it when it opens.....from Brigham's blog:

Kinfolk Studios from Brooklyn Opening Second U.S. Location in Downtown LA

Posted on September 12, 2013 by Brigham Yen | 2 Comments

Another exciting addition will soon be added to the urban renewal efforts along Broadway in Downtown LA. Several sources have informed me that a new bar from Brooklyn, New York called Kinfolk Studios has leased out the basement level under the architecturally stunning Eastern Columbia building at 9th and Broadway. A call to Kinfolk Studios, located in Williamsburg, confirms that they are, indeed, planning to open at the Eastern Columbia. Apparently, not only is it a bar but also a creative graphic design and bike studio. It will be interesting to see how that concept will be executed in this location.

read more..........

http://brighamyen.com/2013/09/12/kinfolk...ond-u-s-location-downtown-la/#more-10859

Whoa. Kinfolk over here is always packed. It's located on a stretch with not much else beyond the Wythe Hotel similar to the Ace. This neighborhood is going to be quite interesting in the next few years. In a good way of course.

[inSaeculaSaeculorum]

lol, southern end of broadway is gonna be infested with the worst subset of hipsters in due time. not that i'm complaining, its good for neighborhood building, but you won't catch me at these places

[alki]

Originally Posted by bjornson

Whoa. Kinfolk over here is always packed. It's located on a stretch with not much else beyond the Wythe Hotel similar to the Ace. This neighborhood is going to be quite interesting in the next few years. In a good way of course.

Nice to hear its packed.

Does the Willamsburg location have a graphic design and bike studio in the mix like the proposed LA location? If so, how does that work?

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by alki

And that's why I am saying to Brudy do not be surprised if DTLA doesn't become what he envisions.........at least not for many, many more years. The artifice that overlays DTLA's changes will not go away overnite. I think you can skip a step in the beginning but eventually you will have to go back and complete that step. Could be wrong but that's what I think.

The ppl who do live in dt, or who spend lots of time there, may have a POV that I, as an outside observer, can't relate to. so I'm not sure if that makes someone like me MORE patient or LESS patient with the pace of change.

I do know that when a forumer like brudy....who sees the hood on a 24/7 basis.....is unhappy with the idea that a new apt proj is going to be only 7 instead of 20 or 40 floors tall, in most instances that puzzles me. It puzzles me cuz this is the reality of dt, where a huge amt of space still needs to be filled in.


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^ look at how much land still is like a big gaping hole, & how even the new Marriott hotel sort of gets lost in all that emptiness. Based on current trends....& demand....we're looking at yrs & yrs & yrs....& yrs....of new construction before all those parking lots & other things are filled in.

I might react differently if some strange event occurs where huge numbers of ppl in NYC, SF, dallas, atlanta, seattle & chicago have to relocate their homes & businesses to LA. But unless that happens....or unless ppl & businesses way over towards the coast, around SaMo, also have to relocate to dtla....I'll continue to go when ppl become worried that new projs aren't taller or bigger.

otoh, I can fully understand when residents in dt complain that not enough new businesses cater to locals who don't have big expense accounts, or who are looking for something friendlier and more casual....or more organic, whatever that means. However, I'm not sure if a lack of nightclubs or trendy restaurants, or overly hipster type stores.....assuming that a lack of such things....a lack of the so called bridge & tunnel crowd....means a hood will be transforming in a more organic way....& will necessarily become a hood that's more accommodating of residents.

I know if I lived in dt, I'd welcome amenities....ho hum though they may be....like this one, even more so since growing numbers of ppl are having to watch their pennies nowadays....


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[Wilcal]

Originally Posted by ThreeHundred

You don't see this often. And by this I mean something tall:





http://www.ladowntownnews.com/news/veter...1f8f20c-1c98-11e3-b468-001a4bcf887a.html

What do most forumers think about the design of this tower? One of of you commented that it looked somewhat like Aqua in Chicago. To me Aqua is truly a "wow" building, while this project by Hellen looks nice based upon one rendering, is not a "wow" for me. I like the undulating facade, and when checking the architect's website (which this project is not yet posted), the project seems to be their most daring. Overall, based upon their posted portfolio, the bulk of their work appears to be very "humdrum." It's interesting that a developer like Hellen and others (like Meruelo Maddox who built the partly ugly Watermarke tower--meaning the podium and the weird water fall feature), would choose a somewhat mediocre architectural firm. Hellen, especially since he was quoted as saying that LosAngeles should exhibit world-class highrises. Is it a matter of bad taste or limited budget. Opinions?

[alki]

Originally Posted by citywatch

I do know that when a forumer like brudy....who sees the hood on a 24/7 basis.....is unhappy with the idea that a new apt proj is going to be only 7 instead of 20 or 40 floors tall, in most instances that puzzles me. It puzzles me cuz this is the reality of dt, where a huge amt of space still needs to be filled in.

^ look at how much land still is like a big gaping hole, & how even the new Marriott hotel sort of gets lost in all that emptiness. Based on current trends....& demand....we're looking at yrs & yrs & yrs....& yrs....of new construction before all those parking lots & other

DTLA can't escape the fact that a lot of its land is devoted to parking lots like you point out. Typically open land attracts smaller developments. That's true of every DT, including NYC, where you can see 10 story bldgs next to 40 story ones. The infill process is part of the developmental process that eventually leads to a taller and bigger DT. I am not sure you can legislate that step away.

But Brudy is also talking about something else.......a sense of neighborhood.........which is a bit different. There are neighborhood places where people like to hang out.....the food is decent and cheap and the ambience is fun. One of my friends' fav place.......is a small hole in the wall in a warehouse district. It serves some of the best chili and fries, the place is noisy but not too noisy.......there are some flat panels up so you can watch a game.........its a great place to hang out and its been there forever. And the only way I found out about it is one of my friends lives in the area and discovered it. I am not sure but I think that's the kind of place Brudy is looking for in DTLA.

[alki]

Originally Posted by Wilcal

What do most forumers think about the design of this tower? One of of you commented that it looked somewhat like Aqua in Chicago. To me Aqua is truly a "wow" building, while this project by Hellen looks nice based upon one rendering, is not a "wow" for me. I like the undulating facade, and when checking the architect's website (which this project is not yet posted), the project seems to be their most daring. Overall, based upon their posted portfolio, the bulk of their work appears to be very "humdrum." It's interesting that a developer like Hellen and others (like Meruelo Maddox who built the "fourth-ugly Watermarke tower), would choose a somewhat mediocre architectural firm. Hellen, especially since he was quoted as saying that LosAngeles should exibit world-class highrises. Is it a matter of bad taste or limited budget. Opinions?

As I said, I like the design..........is it incredible/wow architecture? IMO no. But I think it would look great on the LA skyline. I just don't like the bldg in the historic core.

[ThomJames]

Originally Posted by alki

As I said, I like the design..........is it incredible/wow architecture? IMO no. But I think it would look great on the LA skyline. I just don't like the bldg in the historic core.

I love this building in the Historic Core. I love to see the contrast between old and new.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Originally Posted by ThomJames

I love this building in the Historic Core. I love to see the contrast between old and new.

Same here. it adds a layer to the urban fabric

[Mojeda101]

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for this tower. Just notice how far it is from the main bulk of skyscrapers. It's going to stick out like the JW, and that I love

[Wilcal]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

Same here. it adds a layer to the urban fabric

I'm with both of you on that point. I don't know why, but I find the design which incorporates modern architecture with vintage (or historic) architecture to be more intriguing than say a large cluster of all modern structures

[Wilcal]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

Same here. it adds a layer to the urban fabric

Originally Posted by Mojeda101

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for this tower. Just notice how far it is from the main bulk of skyscrapers. It's going to stick out like the JW, and that I love

I know that there is a fellow forumer who is very artistic and skilled with the computer. How about making me happy and insert a reasonable facsimile of the tower at the correct scale of about 420 to 450 ft. Thank you.

[StethJeff]

Originally Posted by ThomJames

I love this building in the Historic Core. I love to see the contrast between old and new.

Count me in as someone else who doesn't mind a few newer and taller buildings intermixed with the historic core. With the exception of the Pueblo, DTLAs development and height shouldn't be limited in any neighborhood.

[brudy]

Originally Posted by ThomJames

Have to say I completely disagree. There could always be more reasonable dining options, but I think there already is a wide range of reasonably priced places. Tons in Little Tokyo; just at the food court at 7th/ Fig, which I thought was very well done for that type of thing. The list goes on and on. In fact we probably already have the most restaurants per square mile than anywhere else in the city.

Sure, downtown isn't perfect yet, will it ever be? But progress takes time, comes in fits and starts, and as a resident of over 10 years, I love to watch it. You can live in staid, already developed areas of the city, in which nothing much really changes, or have a constant slate of new business and new adventures.

I prefer the later, and try to support the continued success of downtown. I think when you move here, you know what you are getting into. If you think there is a lack of services, diners, retail, move to fricking Larchmont or BH.

I have quite of few friends that have moved here from other large cities, and really like it here.

So much to say to here.

1 - Little Tokyo is great if you want Sushi or ramen every night. Also, like Hunter said, the walk sucks from anywhere else.

2 - TASTE is ok, and it suits a purpose. But the atmosphere is pretty bad. It's a glorified food court. Also, many of those restaurants have other locations. I love Mendocino Farms, but you can only eat there so often. And some of those places there still aren't open at night.

3 - I knew exactly what I was getting into when moving downtown. But what we're seeing is a proliferation of high end restaurants. We need more medium, cool fast casual places. Downtown is on the upward swing, but it's all high and low, very little medium. If you move to BH or Larchmont, you move there with expectations as well. If you think we have a lot of restaurants you haven't been to west hollywood or santa monica, where they have a ton of casual cafes/restos and other types of places.

[brudy]

Originally Posted by citywatch

brudy, when you say what you said about bldgs being too short....that they're a disease.....that implies to me that the hood you're dealing with must be in fairly good shape.

I can see ppl in a highly rated, attractive city in europe or one of the applauded hipster cities of america complaining or worrying about new projs being too small or too short....being only 7 floors in height....but to feel that way about new devlpt in a hood that has long been full of....& still is stuck with....so many rundown properties & soulless parking lots??! That does make me think of a person getting into a car that has 3 flat tires & complaining that the upholstery is vinyl instead of leather.

but in one way....& since you do live in dt....your POV is good since it gives the casual outsider the impression that dt is so far along in being turned into a nice place, that locals can now worry about new projs being too modest in size.

Here are my points distilled:
1 - We live in a highly walkable, transit rich environment. We should build as big as possible
2 - Quality architecture. A city can be defined by its built environment. Why would we want these throw away structures more suited to the valley than in the cultural core of the city? Downtown is destined to be the center, but only if we have the density and quality that it deserves. I get that these crappy buildings get people here, but we will have to live with them for decades? Do we want whole blocks defined by this garbage? I'm actually ok if the buildings are 7 stories if they are well designed and built. What we're getting lately is not that. And the legacy of these developments will be that LA couldn't get it together to foster responsible, quality development.

That said, I'm extremely hopeful with Huizar's motion to block these very type of developments in certain sections of downtown.

[brudy]

Originally Posted by Wilcal

What do most forumers think about the design of this tower? One of of you commented that it looked somewhat like Aqua in Chicago. To me Aqua is truly a "wow" building, while this project by Hellen looks nice based upon one rendering, is not a "wow" for me. I like the undulating facade, and when checking the architect's website (which this project is not yet posted), the project seems to be their most daring. Overall, based upon their posted portfolio, the bulk of their work appears to be very "humdrum." It's interesting that a developer like Hellen and others (like Meruelo Maddox who built the partly ugly Watermarke tower--meaning the podium and the weird water fall feature), would choose a somewhat mediocre architectural firm. Hellen, especially since he was quoted as saying that LosAngeles should exhibit world-class highrises. Is it a matter of bad taste or limited budget. Opinions?

There have been questions of taste about Hellen, especially regarding some of the exterior decisions around Spring Arcade.

I think the design looks pretty good, but not jaw dropping. I like the undulating facade a lot, and gives some nice movement. I'm not sure it'd call it world class exactly, but it's definitely acceptable.

[brudy]

Originally Posted by DistrictDirt

Its not that DTLA isn't evolving, its just that it was economically depressed for decades, and is now evolving so quickly that its skipping right over the phase of mid-priced neighborhood bars, restaurants, and shops. For better or for worse, DTLA has jumped straight to its "destination neighborhood" phase, and I don't see that changing.

Perfectly said. We're missing out on that period of organic growth. The Williamsburg of the late 90s. It's gone from zero to 100 in less than 10 years. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next 5 years - if it becomes more expensive from here or balances out a bit. There has to be a middle between low income housing and the Luma. Perhaps us middle class types will be in city west/macarthur park in 10 years. Or down past the convention center.