Ask Downtown

AskDowntown: How Would You Prioritize Parks?

By Ed Fuentes — January 25, 2008 — 5 Comments

Ed Fuentes

AskDowntown is a weekly Friday feature where we pass your questions on to the Downtown crowd. Got a question? Send it to ask@blogdowntown.com.

Parks are a favorite topic here at blogdowntown, and it wasn’t too long ago that we asked where to put some spaces for play. The city’s Department of Recreation and Parks is currently holding a Citywide Parks Needs Assessment with workshops in recreation centers around the city. This Wednesday the show comes Downtown, with a 6:30pm session in the DWP cafeteria (111 N. Hope).

You may have ideas about green space or how to use a vacant lot. Is a dog park a need over a place for kids? Should Pershing Square invest in more summer concerts or mount theater productions?

Forget about Qumby funds for a moment, and tap into your personal wisdom to talk about ideas. If you are unable to attend the workshop Jan 30, there’s a survey you can fill out on the site.

So with that, this week’s AskDowntown question: When it comes to park and green space, what does Downtown need?

Pictured: 2nd District Councilmember Wendy Gruel at the Pershing Square Ice Rink on Dec 21, 2007.

Ask Downtown: How Do You Deal with Dirty Windows?

By Eric Richardson — January 18, 2008
11 Comments

Jon writes in with a question on window cleaning: I live in a loft at 6th and Spring. I was curious if there was some kind of stature or law that building owners must have the windows cleaned in residential living buildings? I heard something that sounded like there was. I have been here since Oct and they have never been cleaned and due to the industrial...

AskDowntown: Cats always a Bridesmaid. Never a Bride.

By Ed Fuentes — January 04, 2008
15 Comments

AskDowntown is a weekly Friday feature where we pass your questions on to the Downtown crowd. Got a question? Send it to ask@blogdowntown.com. In the dog-eat-dog world of Downtown, there’s little left over for cat lovers. Everyone talks about the preponderance...

AskDowntown: What Gym's Best for Working Off the Holiday Goodness?

By Ed Fuentes — December 26, 2007
33 Comments

The 2007 Holiday season is now in its final run toward New Year’s Eve. Around Downtown, folks were seen lined up to pick up masa and tamales in East L.A., fresh poultry in Chinatown and turkey dinners (with apple pie) at The Pantry. Ralph’s Fresh Fare was packed Christmas Day with people buying “last minute hams,” according to a checker. The Original Texas Barbeque...

Ask Downtown: Cat Care for the Holidays

By Eric Richardson — November 14, 2007
10 Comments

My friend Michael of Super Lucky Cat clothing emailed just now with a question that I thought was good to pass on to you pet owners in the audience. They’re heading out of town for Thanksgiving and need someone to come by their loft to feed their cats a couple times each day. The pet-sitting services he can find don’t service the 90013 zip code. ...

Ask Downtown: Ideas for an Office Party?

By Eric Richardson — August 16, 2007
3 Comments

Joshman left this as a off-topic comment in the Main street meeting post, but I thought it worthy of tapping into your collective wisdom: I have to plan an end of year party for my office (14 people). We work in Downtown and I want to keep us in downtown. We have about 4 hours to kill in the afternoon. I was thinking about a good lunch and then a tour of something...

Did You Find a Downtown Doctor?

By Eric Richardson — June 28, 2007
18 Comments

A reader who’s new to Downtown sent me an email asking what others have found when looking for a doctor. She’s newly from the westside, and would love to find someone a little more convenient to her new locale. When I chose a doctor, I looked up the site for my insurance and made my choice based pretty much solely on geographic location. I ended...

How Would You Summarize Downtown?

By Eric Richardson — January 12, 2007
28 Comments

I get a fair amount of email from people with questions about Downtown. Yesterday, though, I got a request I don’t think I’ve received before: to summarize Downtown in a few sentences. I am getting married this summer at Union Station – my fiance and I lived in New York for many years and wanted to have a true “city” wedding even...

Question about Downtown Lunch Options

By Eric Richardson — February 24, 2006
7 Comments

So here’s a good Friday afternoon question: what are your favorite places for Downtown lunch delivery? At work we get Friday lunch delivered in, and each time we choose where to get food from I feel like there have to be all these great little places that I just don’t know about. Twice recently we’ve ordered from Arda’s Cafe, on 6th just...

What's It Like Living Downtown?

By Eric Richardson — July 12, 2005
3 Comments

I got an email today with some questions that I thought really captured what I hear people asking about Downtown LA. I answered it; and also asked if I could post the question and answer on the website. He agreed, and here it is. I’d love to hear how others would answer the same questions. I am a native Los Angelino (grew up around the Fairfax / Melrose...