From the Newsroom

Commercial Reuse Task Force Gets Council OK

By Eric Richardson — November 05, 2008 — 9 Comments

558 S. Broadway Eric Richardson

Councilman Jose Huizar hopes that new rules for Broadway's million square feet of vacant commercial space will bring the next great phase of Downtown's revitalization. "We all know the wonders that Adaptive Reuse did for residential," Huizar told the Council this morning. "Let's do the same for [commercial] spaces." — Continued Inside...


Movement

Pay Stations Not DOT's Only New High-Tech Trick

By Eric Richardson — November 05, 2008

New Meters on 5th

|Photo Gallery| Pay stations aren't the only new parking tech to make a recent debut Downtown. Around the same time the multi-space stations began their impressive rollout, solar-powered single-space meters were installed in a one-block trial just off Broadway.


Election Night at 4th and Main

By Ed Fuentes — November 05, 2008 — 2 Comments

Tim Gilmore Ed Fuentes
4th and Main Ed Fuentes
IMGP4710_2 Ed Fuentes

Those inside the Farmers and Merchants Bank last night will remember how Downtown's Obama supporters watched CNN’s coverage of the 2008 presidential elections together. In years to come, they will talk about the cheers when Barack Obama was projected to win, and again when Senator John McCain came out to concede.

They will remember how a Downtown community listened to Obama’s victory speech as its sharp, crisp cadence echoed inside the former bank with words like "if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.” — Continued Inside...


Politics

Around the Halls: November 6 - 7

By Eric Richardson — November 05, 2008

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It's Wednesday, November 5, and even as the country lets election results sink in, it's time to get back to the business of local government. Transportation committee is holding a special Thursday meeting, and will be talking Downtown DASH, both daytime and nighttime.


Politics

Not So Fast There, Officer

By Ed Fuentes — November 04, 2008

voters

Election day prompted Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to develop an initiative with LADOT and the City Clerk's Election Division to ease parking restrictions one block around polling stations for today’s Presidential election. Not everyone got the memo on what exactly that meant.


Everyday

Downtown Goes to the Polls

By Eric Richardson — November 04, 2008
5 Comments

I Voted Sticker

Downtowners went to the polls this morning, stirring up a flurry of tweets on Twitter and photos on flickr. Lines were long early, but appear to have gotten much more manageable as the day has progressed. For those of you who've made it to the polls already, what was your Downtown election experience?


Halloween Party for Kids Shows Downtown's Changing Demographics

By Ed Fuentes and Eric Richardson — November 04, 2008 — 1 Comment

Pumpkin Patch Ed Fuentes

|Photo Gallery| On Friday night, hundreds of Downtown children and their parents made their way to Grand Hope Park for the first "Halloween Party for Downtown L.A. Kids." The event, hosted by the Downtown Center BID and sponsored by FIDM, exceeded all expectations for attendance.

The night also gave visibility to a demographic that's increasingly a part of Downtown's fabric. Turns out, Downtown's got kids. — Continued Inside...


Everyday

Despite the Law, Pigeon Feeding Abounds

By Eric Richardson — November 04, 2008
2 Comments

Pigeons

Saturday morning at 11:30am, an older Asian man walked through the small park next to Lower Angels Knoll carrying a bag. He came to a concrete ledge curving around the sidewalk and poured a steady stream of birdseed about eight feet long before walking away, barely breaking stride the whole time. It took a couple minutes for any nearby birds to notice, but...


After the Election, What Next?

By Eric Richardson — November 03, 2008 — 2 Comments

verbdowntown forum

In just a little over 24 hours, the polls will close and the country will have elected a new President. After being enveloped in political rhetoric for more than a year, surely November 5th is going to feel strangely quiet.

Regardless of who gets elected President tomorrow, liberals and conservatives don't get much respect these days. On Thursday, November 13, take some time out of your Art Walk to join author Tom Waldman for "What's Next for the Left and the Right?: A Post-Election Dialogue," a free event taking place at the historic Farmers & Merchants Bank. — Continued Inside...


Etc

Introducing Downtown Oliver Brown

By Eric Richardson — November 03, 2008

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This afternoon we published the first chapter of "The Adventures of Downtown Oliver Brown," a semi-fictional tale of Downtown nightlife written by author Stan Lerner. It's very different than our typical content, but a series that I think will turn out to be a lot of fun.