Everyday Living

Ecuadorian Parade Coming to Broadway

By Eric Richardson — August 07, 2009
2 Comments

head dress

Downtowners will either want to head toward Broadway to see the sights or figure out how to navigate around it on Sunday, as the Ecuadorian Independence Day Parade is scheduled to make its way up the street at 10:30am.


Potential Jumper Shuts Down 110 Traffic

By Eric Richardson with Ed Fuentes — August 04, 2009 — 28 Comments

IMGP5525 Ed Fuentes

A potential jumper perched on the Wilshire overpass shut down traffic on the 110 freeway for over an hour today before being taken into police custody at 1:25pm.

Emergency responders scrambled to deploy airbags on the freeway below as the male stood on the railing above, appearing to taunt police with the threat to jump. — Continued Inside...


X Games 15: Day 2 from Staples Center

By Eric Richardson — August 03, 2009
1 Comment

Big Air Rail Jam

|Photo Gallery| ESPN X Games 15 wrapped up action at Staples Center on Friday night, with events continuing at the Home Depot Center through Sunday. The arena hosted another trio of events on day two, with Skateboard Big Air Rail Jam, BMX Big Air and Moto X Best Trick.


Inaugural Lesley Gilb Taplin Scholarships Awarded

By Eric Richardson — August 03, 2009

100_3346 Don Garza

Art Share Los Angeles this morning announced the first two recipients of the Lesley Gilb Taplin Scholarship. Ana De La Rosa of Oscar De La Hoya Animo Charter High School and Evelyn Martinez of Roosevelt High School will each receive $2,000 toward their first year of college.

The fund was set up after Taplin was killed in a freeway accident this April. She had been an early supporter of Art Share and was very involved in the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council's education committee. — Continued Inside...


X Games 15: Day 1 from Staples Center

By Eric Richardson — July 31, 2009

Moto X Best Whip Eric Richardson

|Photo Gallery| Action got underway at ESPN X Games 15 on Thursday afternoon, with two of three events inside Staples Center belonging to the moto bikes.

In between, skateboarder Jake Brown returned to the scene of his nasty 48-foot fall two years ago to claim the gold medal in the Big Air Finals, unseating two-time defending champ Bob Burnquist. — Continued Inside...


ESPN X Games 15 Kicks Off at Staples Center and Home Depot Center

By Eric Richardson — July 30, 2009 — 1 Comment

Practice Eric Richardson

On Wednesday afternoon, athletes from BMX and skateboarding got their first chance to make runs down the Big Air Ramp inside Staples Center. They are in town for ESPN X Games 15, which kicks off this afternoon at Staples Center and Home Depot Center.

The massive ramp made its X Games debut in 2004, when the nine-story structure was constructed in a parking lot across the street from Staples Center, towering over the corner of Figueroa and Olympic. — Continued Inside...


Downtown Dog Day Afternoon Draws Over 360 Canines to the Cathedral

By Ed Fuentes — July 29, 2009

Crowd Two

|Photo Gallery| Over 360 dogs, including a few from out of town, joined pups who live Downtown to network and gossip on Tuesday at the third Dog Day Afternoon at the Cathedral. Buddy would have been proud. He's the late golden retriever who is considered a pioneer for pups living in Downtown's Historic Core, and the annual event the furry host helped launch two years ago has...


Case of Slain Teen Cracked by Oft-Criticized Quality of Life Arrest

By Eric Richardson with Ed Fuentes — July 27, 2009 — 103 Comments

IMGP3065 Ed Fuentes

A 50-year-old man with a history of violent crime and drug abuse was charged this morning in the death of Lily Burk, a 17-year-old whose body and car were found at 5th and Alameda on Saturday morning.

The suspect, Charlie Samuel, was in custody hours before Burk was found. Police officers arrested Samuel on Friday night for drinking in public and possession of drug paraphernalia, the sort of "quality of life" offenses targeted by LAPD's Safer Cities initiative. — Continued Inside...


Pair of Downtown Teams Hoping to Compete in Red Bull Soapbox Race

By Eric Richardson — July 24, 2009 — 1 Comment

Team Crocker & Jones

Will a home court advantage help propel Team Crocker & Jones or Team El Duderino to victory this September in the Red Bull Soapbox Race?

The two teams haven't made it into the final field just yet, but the Downtown-based designs are among 80 teams competing for 40 spots on race day. While they wait to hear their fate, blogdowntown emailed a few questions to Ryan Jones of Team Crocker & Jones and Erik Thoreen of Team El Duderino. — Continued Inside...


Saturday: All About the New Los Angeles Theatre Center

By Eric Richardson — July 24, 2009
1 Comment

The LATC

The Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation's All About series takes a small detour off Broadway tomorrow to visit the New Los Angeles Theatre Center at 514 S. Spring. The presentation will include history on the complex and a tour of its spaces, as well as a presentation on the Cameo and Arcade theatres and a peek inside the Alexandria Hotel.