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Around the December Art Walk

By Ed Fuentes — December 12, 2008 — 4 Comments

Photo + Shadow Ed Fuentes

|Photo Gallery| The last Downtown Art Walk of 2008 took to the streets last night. The quieter night saw some changes, some bigger than others. At 6th and Main, a new hub took shape, complementing the Art Walk's traditional center one block north. Up the street, adhoc sales took a slightly more structured shape, while to the west a park showed signs of expanding the event across Downtown. — Continued Inside...


Everyday

Shop Local at "UNIQUE Los Angeles"

By Sophia Kercher — December 12, 2008

Unique Los Angeles

‘Tis the season for giving. This weekend “UNIQUE Los Angeles” hosts a shopping event to nab all your holiday gifts with over 165 local and independent designers featuring their goods for sale.


Everyday

Touring Downtown WIFI: 7+Fig

By Eric Richardson — December 12, 2008

7+Fig

An inverted shopping mall may not be the first place you think of when looking for a WIFI spot Downtown, but 7+Fig is actually one of the better places to plug in and get some work done. With a food court, Starbucks, newsstand and plenty of seating, there's a enough variety to find something to suit your needs.


Etc

Crane Operators: How Do They Get Up There?

By Eric Richardson — December 12, 2008
1 Comment

Crane Access

Back in 2006, the Downtown News profiled Jim Allen, operator of L.A. Live's Tower Crane One. The article told of his daily 288 foot climb up 22 stories of stairs. So now that the tower crane is fifty-something stories, does Allen still have to climb that whole way?


Growth

Lower Angels Knoll Quietly Opens at Foot of Bunker Hill

By Eric Richardson — December 12, 2008
2 Comments

Lower Angels Knoll

Back in August, blogdowntown joked that the massive L.A. Live complex would open before modest Lower Angels Knoll park, then two months behind schedule. L.A. Live's second phase officially kicked off on December 4, with the tree lighting ceremony and opening of the Conga Room. The park? It opened on Wednesday, December 10, a mere five and a half months after...


Etc

Oliver and the Final Beam

By Stan Lerner — December 11, 2008
9 Comments

“Oliver, the NSA tells me that you’re not writing at your usual Starbucks. Is everything okay?” asked President Elect Obama. “I’m fine. I’ve just been writing a lot about L.A. Live so I’ve been working out of the Starbucks over there. I like to totally immerse myself in my subject matter.” “Yeah, I thought that might be the case. The piece about the architecture...


Food/Nightlife

'The Must' Makes Sure to Open for Art Walk

By Eric Richardson — December 11, 2008
4 Comments

The Must

The Must, a new Historic Core bar offering a wide range of wine and beers, held a soft-opening yesterday evening in preparation for an Art Walk debut. The space, formerly Lime and before that the Red Dot Bistro, features the same basic bones but a new aesthetic highlighted by lots of wood.


Play Dates: Not Just for the Suburbs

By Susana Benavidez — December 11, 2008 — 11 Comments

Pumpkin Patch Ed Fuentes

Since the 1999 Adaptive Reuse Ordinance breathed new life into our once-sleepy urban center, Downtown has become quite the booming neighborhood. Our streets no longer go to sleep at 6pm, and new restaurants, bars and lounges are now keeping us up late. Instead of hiding our residences in shame, Downtowners can now be proud of our neighborhood and invite friends to come gawk at how much Downtown has changed.

Those changes are rapidly including more and more families. Hang out around one of our plentiful coffee shops and you're likely to see a neighbor walking by pushing a stroller. — Continued Inside...


Everyday

Walmart Announces $150,000 Gift to Homeboy Industries

By Eric Richardson — December 11, 2008

Wal-Mart Presents Check to Homeboy Industries

The Wal-Mart Foundation today announced a $150,000 donation to Homeboy Industries, the Downtown organization dedicated to helping former gang members through jobs and services. The gift was presented this morning at Homeboy's Chinatown headquarters.


Everyday

Normalcy Returns to South Park Starbucks

By Eric Richardson — December 11, 2008

Starbucks @ 11th/Grand

After a barren month, the Starbucks at 11th and Grand got its furniture back on Wednesday evening. It may not be the highest profile development for Downtown life, but the missing seating was the talk off the neighborhood for the weeks it was gone.