Opinion & Commentary

Rumblings of Getting Older with Kids

By Susana Benavidez — February 06, 2009
5 Comments

Last week was my birthday! I know - how could you not know? The world must have felt a shiver of delight at knowing that such a wonderful being as myself turned another year older. The positive outcome of my increasing age is that I don’t feel uncomfortable when people ask how old I am, how old I was when I had my kids or why I look too young to have kids...


Neighborhood Comparison, or Hit Piece on a Competitor?

By Eric Richardson — January 26, 2009 — 11 Comments

In a guest story on LAist today titled "Urban Design: A Tale of Two Downtowns," Jack Skelley paints a comparison between two Downtown development projects:

How hard has the housing slump hit Downtown L.A.? Two buildings tell two different stories. The Rowan in the Old Bank District has scheduled an auction to unload 79 lofts on February 8. Whereas Evo in South Park has closed sales on a dozen condos in the last eight weeks: This includes a $3 million, all-cash penthouse deal last week - the largest purchase price for a single residential unit in Downtown, ever.

The problem? Skelley's a spokesman for the Evo development, and the piece includes no mention of his conflict of interest. — Continued Inside...


'Art' Review: Untitled Statue of Liberty 1969

By Ed Fuentes — January 22, 2009
12 Comments

wheat paste

Super-graphics manufacturer Michael McNeilly isn’t fooling anyone. His images of the Statue of Liberty with 1969, now squatting on buildings around Los Angeles, have no connection to legitimate political art––other than that of exploiting it. His constant use of the monochromatic Lady Liberty is executed with no craftsmanship or clear message.


A Resolution for Restaurants: Post Your Hours, and Stick to Them!

By Eric Richardson — January 07, 2009 — 14 Comments

New Menu at LA Cafe Eric Richardson

I've lived on Spring street for a touch under five years now, and for two of those I've enjoyed having a pair of great eateries flanking my building. On the one side, California Fresh, offering great salads and pizza. On the other, L.A. Cafe, where I'm a sucker for the chipotle chicken panini and the L.A. Sliders.

And yet, ask me what the hours are for these two cafes and I'll shake my head. Plenty of times I've walked downstairs planning to grab a bite and been foiled by an incorrect idea of who would be open when. — Continued Inside...


L.A. Live: Not Quite 'Downtown's Mecca,' But Still Full of Potential

By Ed Fuentes — December 30, 2008 — 20 Comments

Menorah Ed Fuentes

|Photo Gallery| At a Menorah lighting on Sunday evening, Vic "The Brick" Jacobs claimed that "L.A. Live is Downtown's Mecca." That's a claim that would find plenty of disagreement. The highly-anticipated complex and plaza have their share of detractors, who say the space fails as a public gathering space and doesn't integrate into the community.

It's not for lack of variety. Since November, L.A. Live's Nokia Plaza has been invaded by children waiting for Santa Claus, fans waiting for Britney Spears and fans waiting to get into a Lakers, Clippers, or Kings game. — Continued Inside...


Broadway Critique Lacks Big Picture View

By Eric Richardson — December 05, 2008 — 7 Comments

558 S. Broadway Eric Richardson

Running today on New Geography is a Broadway critique by the Garment and Citizen's Jerry Sullivan, who scolds the Bringing Back Broadway effort for announcing redevelopment funds and not working to fix the street's increasing vacancy for ground floor retail.

Yet the Broadway effort has put a focus on exactly that, in both programs announced and those in the works. Sullivan's criticism attempts to indict one program for not addressing all of the street's needs, but fails to recognize many parts of the effort that speak directly to his concerns. — Continued Inside...


Getting Ready for Showtime

By Ed Fuentes — December 01, 2008
1 Comment

LALive_1

Paying a visit to L.A. Live on Sunday, one saw a complex getting set for showtime. Crews were testing lights on the plaza's tree, getting set for Thursday's real debut. Wrapped presents, like ESPNZone (opening today, December 1), the Conga Room (opening December 4), and the Grammy Museum (opening December 6) are placed tenderly with care near the unwrapped...


Dear BID

By Eric Richardson — November 30, 2008
3 Comments

BID Maintenance

Dear Business Improvement District, I appreciate the services you provide for my neighborhood. You pick up trash, trim trees and generally make for a nicer place to live. I'm a bit puzzled, though, why you would choose to operate a pressure washer at 11pm on a Sunday just a few feet away from my window.


Guest Opinion: "Ladies' Night" in Skid Row

By General Jeff — November 14, 2008

Although it was the same night as Downtown Art Walk, there was an equally, if not more, important event held in the heart of Skid Row last night. Simply titled "Ladies Night," it was anything but simple as ALL of Skid Row's women were invited to a women-only function that included presentations focusing on topics such as victims of domestic violence issues and...


When Holding a Colorful Broadway Parade, Please Invite Downtown

By Ed Fuentes — October 13, 2008 — 21 Comments

head dress Ed Fuentes

|Photo Gallery| Downtowners may have mostly noticed the traffic impacts, but Sunday's Desfile de la Hispanidad en Los Angeles offered colorful sights on Broadway.

We would love to tell you exactly what the parade was for, but the official website is only in Spanish and organizer All Access Entertainment only says that the parade was "an international and multicultural celebration drawing huge numbers of your Latino customers." — Continued Inside...