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Friday, September 29, 2006

Patrolling L.A.'s Skid Row



The downtown housing boom has helped finally turn more attention toward the problems of Skid Row -- but few of us really know what it's like down there, other than ocassionally driving or walking on nearby streets. Mack Reed at LAVoice wanted to learn more, and set up an LAPD ride-along with Senior Lead Officer Deon Joseph. Mack's account of his time with Ofc. Joseph is a compelling read.

I'll resist the urge to repost it all, but a few highlights:

--The influx of new officers on the streets seems to be having a major, solid effect: "On virtually every block we cruise, it seems, young, new-looking officers are on patrol."

--The 9th Circuit ruling on the ACLU's challenge to the city's vagrancy law, on the other hand, has led to more violence on the street, the Officer says.

--Money that was supposed to pour in courtesy Prop. 63 - earmarked for California's mental health system -- hasn't made it to skid row, he says.

--According to Ofc. Joseph, Skid Row's ground zero appears to bethe Huntington Hotel. (Uh, no, not the Pasadena one.), where "pretty much everything goes on in there - gun sales, drug deals, prostitution, counterfeit money exchange, even rumors of kiddie prostitution."

In one of the most interesting tidbits, Mack reports that some of the new downtown loft dwellers themselves are a part of the problem. The new downtown residents have given drug dealers a solid new clientel:

"The dealers figure, 'We charge a crackhead $5 for a rock, we can charge them 10.' 'Lofties, they call 'em.'"

Not long ago, he saw a little Asian guy come out of a loft and start shoving around a huge 250-pound black parolee - a violent repeat offender known as "Knockout" - because the man had supposedly shortchanged him on a drug deal.

"Anyone else, he wouldn't have let 'em push him around," he said. "But he let this guy push him around because the lofties pay them good money."

Go -- read it all.

L.A.'s Big Free Weekend: Trees, Museums, Movies, Cans



:: The city of Los Angeles launches its Million Trees LA campaign this Saturday, Sept. 30, by handing out free five-gallon trees at locations in the city's 15 council districts (click here for where to go).



:: Meanwhile, the second annual "Museums Free-For-All" takes place this Sunday, Oct. 1, with free admission at twenty area museums (including the LACMA, above).

Participating museums also include the Armory Center for the Arts, Autry National Center's Museum of the American West, the California Heritage Museum, the California Science Center, the Fowler Museum at UCLA, the Getty Center, the Hammer Museum, the Japanese American National Museum, The Museum of Television & Radio, the MOCA, the
Norton Simon Museum, the Pacific Asia Museum, the Skirball Cultural Center and the Southwest Museum of the American Indian.

As several other sites have mentioned, some of these museums are either always free (The Getty Center, for example) or frequently free. So do your homework and find one that is actually opening its doors for a rare free day.



:: As noted by the LACityNerd, starting today you can check out elaborate designs created with tons of cans at Sherman Oaks' Westfield Fashion Square mall.

The exhibit comes courtesy of Canstruction, benefiting the LA Regional Food Bank.

What's it all about? From the Canstruction website:

Canstruction combines the competitive spirit of a design/build competition with a unique way to help feed hungry people. Competing teams, lead by architects and engineers, showcase their talents by designing giant sculptures made entirely out of canned foods. At the close of the exhibitions all of the food used in the structures is donated to local food banks for distribution to pantries, shelters, soup kitchens, elderly and day care centers.



:: Hoping to promote a car-free L.A. environment, C.I.C.L.E. ("Ciclists Inciting Change through Live Exchange") is throwing a free event Saturday at the brand new Los Angeles State Historic Park. Details are here.

"Life Can Be So Car-Free" will take place from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the park (where last year's "Not a Cornfield" exhibition took place, 1245 N. Spring St. -- next to the Gold Line's Chinatown Station). C.I.C.L.E. promises "a night of film, live music, interpretive walks, rides and fun celebrating and demonstrating Car-Free transportation choices. Bring a blanket, a picnic, and a friend and watch the sun go down behind the Los Angeles skyline."

:: Meanwhile, we'll see you Friday night at Atwater Village's Red Car River Park for Atwater Movie Night!

Thursday, September 28, 2006

Pat Boone's Sale Is Your Gain... Unless You're Screech



Looks like shlocky Orange County TV station KDOC-TV (Channel 56) has cleaned up its act somewhat, focusing its schedule on cheap, classic TV shows under the tagline "Endless Classics" (an obvious play on "Endless Summer," even aping the visuals of that classic surf movie).

As we wrote back in April, the owners of KDOC -- including Pat Boone -- recently sold the station for $150 million to Atlanta-based Ellis Communications.

KDOC was known best through the years as the home for "Hot Seat with Wally George" and eccentric televangelist Dr. Gene Scott. We wondered at the time whether Ellis planned to alter the station's schedule, which included three hours of "Saved by the Bell."

Sad to say, Screech fans, that those "Bell" reruns are gone. As are the repeats of Gene Scott, who passed away earlier this year. And rather than show informericals for most of the day, the new KDOC is actually airing programming. Here's a glimpse of the station's primetime lineup:



An interesting history of KDOC's bizarre broadcast past is on the station's revamped website here. The roundup lists some of KDOC's notorious programs through the years, including this one from KROQ alum Jim "Poorman" Trenton:

Perhaps the most controversial of all KDOC program hosts was Jim “Poorman” Trenton, who hosted “Request Video” and the short-lived “Adventures With The Poorman.” He’ll be most remembered for his 1994 live call in show, “The LoveChannel,” where viewers called in to receive advice about their love problems. On what became his last night, Poorman decided to tape “his” show in the nude. KDOC management reminded Poorman that although it might be his show it was their air and that was the last airdate for “The Love Channel."

As cool as it is to see a TV station in this day and age air "Alfred Hitchock" into "The Twilight Zone" into "Night Gallery," I'd love to see KDOC go back to dabbling a little bit more in low-budget, crazy local programming. Of course, I guess that's what public access TV is for.

Stephanie Edwards, Send In Your Resume: Lucky's Back (Kinda)



As pointed out to me by several people in recent weeks, the old Lucky grocery store nameplate is making a comeback -- in a limited fashion.

Lucky was once a key player in the Southern California grocery store scene -- but they all disappeared by the turn of this century, as American Stores and Albertsons merged -- and Albertsons took over the Lucky stores.

Mitch at Paradox Unbound did a thorough job explaining the how and why of Lucky's sudden reappearance:

Lucky was acquired by American Stores, a Salt Lake City-based retail conglomerate, in 1988. American Stores, in turn, was merged into Albertsons, based in Boise, Idaho, ten years later. While Albertsons kept American Stores' Jewel-Osco banner in Chicago and its ACME banner in Philadelphia, it decided to dump the Lucky name in California and Nevada and re-brand the units as Albertsons because the company already operated its namesame stores in those markets. The 1999 "marriage" of Lucky and Albertsons proved to be a marketing blunder, as Lucky had a stronger market position in most of the markets the two chains had shared.

The once high-flying Albertsons, having grown into the second largest supermarket chain in the nation, encountered severe problems due to the same type of mismanagement that led to the arrogant dismissal of the Lucky brand. After speculation that the company would sell out to Kroger, its largest competitior, earlier this year Albertsons management announced a complicated deal in which it would be sold to three seperate entities. CVS gained the Osco and Sav-On drug store chains while Supervalu acquired most of the supermarkets, including ACME, Bristol Farms, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, and Star Markets...

While the dismantling of Albertsons was underway, "extreme value retailer" Grocery Outlet decided to place the Lucky name on its store in Rocklin in Northern California, taking advantage of the brand's reputation for low prices. Albertsons quickly filed a lawsuit, claiming it owned the Lucky name and that Grocery Outlet was breeding confusion; Grocery Outlet countered that Albertsons had abandoned the name 6 years prior and that copyright law dictated the name was fair game after 3 years. Desperate, Albertsons put the Lucky logo back on its Web Site, asked employees to scout shopping carts and stockrooms for any mention of the name, and announced plans to open new stores with the old banner. Many observers felt that Albertsons had blundered again, including rights to the Lucky name as part of its sale to Supervalu when it didn't actually own them.

The Courts have decided that Supervalu (nee Albertsons), and not Grocery Outlet, can use the Lucky name while the legal drama is sorted out. The Lucky name was quickly hoisted over 5 Supervalu stores previously known as MaxFoods (Albertsons' "low price" banner), including 2 Southland units in Alhambra and Montebello. Quite literally, the jury's still out on whether this move is a genuine effort to reinvigorate the Lucky brand as a new discount format or if it is simply a legal ploy to gain the upper hand over Grocery Outlet.

Mitch says he hopes that Lucky is here to stay, and I'd agree -- it'd be nice to see the namplate re-enter the marketplace. Then there's old spokeswoman Stephanie Edwards (who you remember was also canned from hosting the regular portion of KTLA's Rose Bowl coverage this past year), who I'm sure wouldn't mind a steady paycheck as well. I certainly hope that Lucky is here to stay, as its optimistic name and distinctive logo still resonate after nearly 7 years of absence from the local retail scene.

(Pic courtesy Roadside Pictures.)

Today's (Country) Music Alternative?



Could disappointed L.A. country music fans, still bemoaning the loss of 93.9 KZLA, soon have reason to dry those tears off their beers?

The hot rumor swirling around L.A. radio circles the past few weeks -- that Star 98.7 (KYSR-FM) would switch to country -- has gained steam in recent days. Star 98.7 hasn't been a big ratings performer for some time, and perhaps would be a logical choice to make the switch. Clear Channel, which owns the station, could also conceivably switch KBIG (104.3), since that station competes a little too closely with Star and KOST.

Would a flip to country finally silence morning host Jamie White? What would become of L.A.'s legendary Richard Blade, who only recently took over the 7 p.m. to midnight slot on Star?

Stay tuned...

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Los Angeles, You're On Notice



(As created by the unauthorized Colbert Report "On Notice" random generator.)

(Update: Link corrected.)

Tour Some of Glendale's Historic Homes



In celebration of Glendale's 100th anniversary, the Glendale Historical Society will open the doors of some of the city's top architecturally significant homes (so reports the new Valley News website).

The tour, which takes place Oct. 7 and 8 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., will include Frank Lloyd Wright Jr.'s Derby House (above):

The self-driving tour on Saturday, Oct. 7 and Sun., Oct. 8 will showcase outstanding residential architecture from various eras in Glendale history. Some of the homes included are:

1. The 1927 Derby House, designed by Lloyd Wright, son of Frank Lloyd Wright *
2. The 1941 Rodriquez House, designed by Rudolph Schindler
3. The 1993 award winning Rice Residence, a glass and concrete house by local architect Jerrold Lomax
4. Two outstanding landmark Craftsman homes, Hewitt-Baker House* / Elliott House.
5. The 1903 Ard Eevin House, by the architect of Brand Castle, Nathaniel Dryden (both days).
6. The 1928 Peterson House, a Spanish Colonial Revival.*

Tour committee chairperson Patricia Messina decided it was appropriate to showcase Glendale's architectural diversity and open up various styles of houses that would have been built over the last 100 years.

Homes will be open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on both days and docents will be available to take small groups through at each home. Tickets will be available for purchase starting at 9 a.m. on each day of the tour at Ard Eevin House, 851 W. Mountain St., Glendale. (Ard Eevin is the only house that will be open at 9 a.m. and receive visitiors on both days.)...

TGHS believes this tour will illuminate Glendale's architectural evolution throughout the past 100 years by showcasing houses that are historically significant or illustrative of an architectural movement.

Tix are $20 for Glendale Historical Society members, and $25 for non-members (for both days and all homes). Half of the homes will be open on Saturday, and half on Sunday.

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

The Vanishing Downtown Department Store



Now that the Macy's consumption of Robinsons-May is complete, Eric at blogdowntown.com wonders why Macy's decided to keep (for now) both its store and the Robinsons-May (now Macy's as well) store open downtown, when they're just a block apart:

When Macy's flipped the switch last week and changed all its Robinsons-May stores to the Macy's name it found itself in a situation Downtown that it's been in once before. For the second time in a decade Macy's has stores in both the 7+Fig marketplace (7th & Figueroa) and Macy's Plaza (7th & Flower). They've announced no plans for what they intend to do with the two stores; all we know so far is that neither got closed in the just passed round of cuts.

As recently as the late 1980s Downtown had four large department stores: Robinson's, Bullock's, Broadway and May Co. By this point they had moved away from Broadway and were all on 7th between the 110 and Grand.

Then came the mergers, a trend that's continued into last year's purchase of Robinson's May by Federated, Macy's corporate parent. And somehow in the course of a decade Macy's ended up with double stores, twice...

In 1993 Macy's was going through tough times and announced plans to close the Bullock's store at 7+Fig. They were dissuaded, though, after an intense lobbying campaign by Mayor Bradley, the CRA and the owners of the complex. Downtown kept its three department stores.

Then in 1995 Federated bought Broadway and decided to rename everything to the Macy's brand (with some Bloomingdale's thrown in for good measure). The 7+Fig Bullock's never made the switch. Instead it was closed in March of 1997, months after the Broadway at 7th/Flower changed over to Macy's.

So while this is indeed the first time there have been two Macy's nameplates in Downtown LA, it's not the first time Macy's has owned two stores just one block from each other. What they'll do this time remains to be seen.

Eric also did some fun investigative work on the origins of a fading sign on the side of a building on Broadway promoting "Goodman's Department Store":



What was this phantom department store, which never gets mentioned in talk of L.A.'s historic downtown stores? Well, as Eric discovered, there's a reason for that. Goodman's didn't survive for long:

If you look closely at the western side of the building you can make out a bit of text and a hand pointing people inside. For picking out the text the view is actually better from Broadway than it is from closer in. In my passings, though, I had been able to make out that it advertised the "??? Market in the Basement of Goodman's Department Store." Broadway, Robinson's, May... I've heard of all those. But Goodman's?

Turns out that if you blinked too long around the turn of 1923, you might well have missed it.

Check out his post for some interesting sleuthing on a phantom Los Angeles department store.

Atwater Goes to the Movies



Now that Cinespia at the Hollywood Forever cemetery has become an overcrowded scene, here's an alternate outdoor movie experience for you eastsiders: Atwater Movie Night launches this Friday,

"E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial" will screen at 8 p.m. (although the event starts at 7) at the Red Car River Park in Atwater Village (close to the Hyperion Bridge and the L.A. river) on Friday, Sept. 29. The movie's free, and so is the popcorn. The event will also include a "not-free raffle." Attendees can bring picnic dinner -- and now that it's getting chilly at night, blankets are recommended.

Monday, September 25, 2006

Desperate Home Sellers, Part Two



You remember my post about the hungry Los Feliz home flippers willing to cover the expense of six months mortgage if someone, anyone would close escrow. The gaudy part? Hanging a banner on the front of the house to pimp that fact.



Well, eagle-eyed reader SSD discovered that the home owner is trying a new tactic on Craigslist: a new car!

TASTEFULLY & COMPLETELY REMODELED HOME NEIGHBORING SHAKESPEARE BRIDGE AND FRANKLIN HILLS. THIS BEAUTIFUL HOME IS A 4BED 2BATH, 1,900SQ.FT WITH NEW HARDWOOD FLOORS, PAINT, CARPET, CUSTOM KITCHEN CABINETS WITH STAINLESS STEEL APPLIANCES, COPPER PLUMBING, UPGRADED ELECTRICAL, WINDOWS, ROOF, CENTRAL A/C, AND LANDSCAPE. IMAGINE WITH THE PURCHASE OF THIS HOME ~ AT CLOSE OF ESCROW YOU GET A NEW CAR. HOW PRACTICAL IS THIS ~ A 2ND CAR OR FOR YOUR TEENAGER GETTING READY TO DRIVE.


I spoke to the Realtor, who told me that it was true: The seller will spring for a new Nissan, or a Toyota Carolla, as soon as escrow closes.

Of course, the MSRP for the top-end Carolla is $15,415. And we calculated that 6 months of mortgage would be worth $31,716. Take the mortage money.

Meanwhile, Sunday's L.A. Times Real Estate section picked up on the trend toward outlandish seller incentive ploys in this story:

Stopping short of installing glue traps to ensure that prospective buyers can't get away, sellers, builders and real estate agents have been reaching deeper into their bag of tricks in their efforts to move the ever-increasing homes-for-sale inventory.

They are giving away new cars, trucks, plasma TVs and chances to win expensive vacations to those who buy, refer a buyer or, in the case of Coldwell Banker, even just agree to chat with them without using a pseudonym.

The market's slowdown has spurred a flurry of buyer incentives — and some creativity — on the part of people trying to sell homes, new or otherwise.

Rate-A-Restaurant, #113 in a series


Pic: beverlyhillspeople.com

Restaurant: Cube

Location: 615 N La Brea Ave (Melrose/La Brea district)

Type of restaurant: Italian (cheese, pasta)

We stipulated: Looking for a new but closeby spot for a business lunch, it was time to try Cube. I was originally looking to find a quick spot without table service to grab a bite -- but was too curious about Cube to pass it up. And I'm glad we didn't: Having told the waitress of our time constraints, the whole lunch lasted just 45 minutes.


Pic: la.com

They stipulated: You oughta have a soft spot for cheese. Once the home to Divine Pasta Co., the spot recently morphed into Cube. The owner's the same, and Divine Pasta pasta is still available. But Cube's key focus is its extensive cheese bar. (Oh, and BYOB -- there's no liquor license yet at Cube.)

What we ordered: Bruschetta ($4.95); Chicken Panino ($8.95); Gnocchi/garlic pesto ($9.95); limonata ($2.00)

High point: The chicken panino was quite delicious -- and large enough to save half for an afternoon snack. The waitress also gave us a sample of their cheese of the day -- a sharp, 8 month aged cheddar that was nice, particularly for someone like me (I'm not a big cheese fan).

Low point: The bruschetta was terribly disappointing -- there was nothing special about the bread or even the tomatoes.

Overall impression: I was pleasantly surprised by the space, which is nicely designed and a step up from the old Divine Pasta place. I'm not sure why the sign out front lists Divine Pasta and a host of other names I'd never head of ("U.S. Fish" and others). Was the owner originally planning on opening a new restaurant with several different food themes, before scrapping that idea and going with Cube?

Chance we will go back: Very possible. Cube seems like a fast lunch alternative to the other hot La Brea spots (which have become rather stale).

(For a full roster of Franklin Avenue's restaurant reviews, check out our companion Rate-A-Restaurant site.)

Still No Dunkin'



I noticed a spike in the Franklin Avenue traffic late last week for people looking for info about Dunkin' Donuts in Los Angeles. So I decided to investigate and see if there was any movement in plans to bring the chain here.

Last December, we wrote that the new Dunkin' Brands owners (Bain Capital Partners, Thomas H. Lee Partners and the Carlyle Group) were planning an aggressive expansion across the U.S. for its Dunkin' Donuts, Baskin-Robbins and Togo's chains.

Baskin-Robbins and Togo's are both well represented here, but Dunkin' Donuts has been out of the L.A. market for well over a decade. Sadly, that won't be changing anytime soon.

According to a Dunkin' spokesman, the company's national expansion plans include Southern California -- eventually. His words: "It's not going to be for some time."

In other words, don't get your hopes up yet. And I'm sure Krispy Kreme's collapse here hasn't helped. L.A. is already saturated (pun intended) with mom-and-pop donut shops, as well as chains such as Yum Yum and Winchell's.

Friday, September 22, 2006

Beneath Los Angeles



YouTube-er Ken Goldstein edited together these pics of Southern California graves from Steve Goldstein's excellent website Beneath Los Angeles.

Goldstein has put together an exhaustive collection of gravesite photos on his site -- celebs and notorious figures are featured (and conveniently alphabetized), as well as just plain bizarre headstones from cemeteries across SoCal.

Goldstein compiled the pics for his upcoming book "BENEATH LOS ANGELES: Southern California's Graves of the Famous, the Infamous, and the Just Plain Dead." He writes:

People come to L.A. from all over. The only folks who were born here will tell you it's not the same as it used to be, and they're leaving. In L.A. everybody's always coming or going. Except the dead. They're the only permanent residents here. This is their home page.

Here's one of my favorites, Jack Lemmon's tongue-in-cheek gravestone:

Wonder If This Guy Has A Show Pitch For The Crocodile Hunter As Well



Best email I've seen in a while: Joe actually received this from someone (who obviously isn't familiar with spell check... or how to keep up with current events) hoping that he'd forward this message to Aaron Spelling:

From: [redacted] @aol.com
Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2006 8:18 AM
Subject: Aaron Spelling

I just wanted to submitt a show pitch.I have been with you since 90210 keep up the good work! Okay here's the idea stars tired of poperattzi stay in a house together turn over there startam for 4 weeks to become poperattzi and film night and day actuall poperattzi to give them a taste of there own medicine. Please consider thank you.

Pope Rattzi? Isn't that this guy?

Rash on Assignment



Reporter Robert La Franco (above) got more than he bargained for when he agreed to spend a few nights at downtown's supposedly revitalized Hotel Cecil. Here's how he begins his piece:

The bravest of the three doctors attending me at County General reached out gingerly with a latex-covered finger and prodded the large, red bumps on my arm. "Rashes are always a bit of a mystery," he said before quickly stepping back in line with the others. They simultaneously snapped off their rubber gloves and shook their heads, sending me off with a tube of pesticide. "Rub it head to toe before you go to bed and leave it on for at least eight hours. It smells, but it should kill anything living in there."

I thought back to a woman I encountered a few days before while staying at the Cecil Hotel. We met in an alcove next to the hotel laundry room, a small area filled with plastic furniture and the heavy scent of detergent. She stood at the table next to me, dipping a plastic fork into a sardine tin with her frail, bony fingers. "I think it's the fancy quilt," the woman whispered to me as she slowly lifted a shaking hand to her lips. "The new owners moved me to a new room a little while ago and fixed up my old one. It's nice. I've got a television and these fancy new sheets, but ever since I've been scratching like crazy. My skin is just burning up. I just hope they don't ever find out. I don't want to cause no trouble."

Read on from there. Let's just say the Hotel Cecil isn't going to score high on the Trip Advisory website anytime soon.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Most Intentionally Unfortunate Business Name



Down the street from our fave coffee shop in Eagle Rock, the recently opened art boutique F*Art is pronounced just as it looks -- "fart."

The LA Alternative wrote about F*Art earlier this year:

F*art, a new boutique opened by Karina Macias and Steve Cindoyan just a few doors from Colorado Wine Company, is daring Eagle Rock to run with scissors. Hip and cool, but definitely not strip-mined to appeal to the lowest common denominator, the little shop with its attached sidewalk-garden and its candy-colored consumables is bringing the serrated edge and pointy teeth of the underground to this well-fed hamlet.

Sounds like a gas.

When Do We Get to Eat Spinach Again?



Maria and I live on Trader Joe's bagged spinach. We put it in pizza. In salads. We stir fry it for veggies. It's the easiest, most convenient veggie out there -- in three minutes you can stir fry it in olive oil and you're done.

We usually have several bags of TJ spinach in our fridge, which is why it was odd that we happened to be out of it when the E. coli scare erupted late last week.

Now, with the shelves remaining empty, I wonder when or if it will be safe again anytime soon to eat from a bag of spinach. Of course, my dietary woes are nothing compared to how the E. coli illnesses have devastated the farming community in central California, the L.A. Times reports:

Now, with fresh spinach linked to an unusually virulent outbreak that has killed one and sickened 130, the region has vaulted to new fame: E. coli capital of America.

In a mere five days, a whirlwind of health warnings and media reports has tarnished the reputation of its growers and processors so severely that experts predict some farms with large spinach crops may fail. Though they have tentatively linked some of the illnesses to Natural Selection, federal regulators have, in an abundance of caution, recommended against eating any fresh spinach, organic or otherwise. That has brought the spinach harvest to an abrupt halt.

Television crews have crisscrossed the valley, filming the heavily guarded gates at Natural Selection and scenes of verdant spinach fields soon to be plowed under.

They zoomed in this week on the two-story Popeye mural outside River Ranch Fresh Foods, a Salinas firm that was forced to recall three kinds of spinach-laced spring mix it purchased from Natural Selection.

Above, an infographic from the L.A. Times on how spinach is processed.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

One Day to H&M



I don't think I've seen a media frenzy like this for the arrival of a chain store since Krispy Kreme came to town (and that was in the PBE -- the Pre-Blog Era).

So let us add to the hype: Yup, H&M opens tomorrow in Pasadena. Fans rave over the stylish store's low prices -- yup, it's the Two-Buck Chuck of the retail world.

Get there early tomorrow: The first 100 customers in Pasadena will receive gift cards worth $10 to $300. The line will likely snake down Colorado Blvd. in Old Town early Thursday.

The LA Times weighs in:

&M — and its aggressive competitors, including L.A.-based Forever 21, the Spanish chain Zara and Target — are the vanguard of a retail revolution that is changing the way Americans think about and shop for clothes. While big department stores and elite designers struggle, stores like these, which quickly deliver runway trends at bargain-basement prices, are winning the hearts and wallets of both well-heeled clotheshorses and thrifty wannabes.

The signs are everywhere: Forever 21 now inhabits the former Saks Fifth Avenue in Pasadena. The respected designer of Barneys New York's private label, Behnaz Sarafpour, is now creating another exclusive collection — for Target. Fashion glossies such as Marie Claire feature a $2,500 Ralph Lauren black cape alongside a $59.99 version from H&M. And H&M, which began its U.S. invasion just six years ago, will have 108 stores in this country when the Old Pasadena outpost opens at noon Thursday.


Curbed LA has been aggressively covering H&M's march to SoCal, while the tongue-in-cheeksters over at Losanjealous have added a clock to their site, counting down the minutes until the Pasadena store opens.

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day!



No relation, of course, but check out an exhaustive history of L.A.'s old Pirate Radio, which briefly rode to the top of the local Arbitron ratings thanks to its heavy dose of hair band anthems. The station launched to great fanfare in March 1989, but only held on until December 1992.

The Streets of Los Angeles



Shannon at Sha In LA (who recently adopted the "Blog-LA-Sphere" term!) recently conducted a "brief tribute to a few of those streets that I truly love":

6th Street - Eastbound anywhere from Fairfax to Downtown

Temple - Westbound from Downtown to Virgil

Virgil - the entire length

San Fernando Road - for when you happen to be driving from the Burbank Trader Joes to Los Feliz during rush hour

Glenoaks - ditto and you want less warehouses, more fast food

Riverside Drive -Southbound or Northbound alongside the 5

Stadium Way/Academy Drive - for cutting thru Elysian Park and actually feeling like you've temporarily stepped into another world

Zoo Drive - Southbound thru Griffith Park from Burbank to Los Feliz for the same reason as above

Cahuenga - thru the pass, both sides

Rimpau - North and Southbound, I think I just like saying the name

Olympic - all of it, both ways, from Downtown to West LA


I wrote in that I would add Wilton, between Sunset and Wilshire, to the list. It's a perfect cross section of L.A. -- you get an almost-completed brand spanking new high school; apartments and small homes; beautiful Craftsman homes close to Hancock Park; Russian, Latino, Korean businesses; a cool curve half-way through the drive; and it's the best North-South shortcut going from Los Feliz to Mid-Wilshire and back again.

I also love Micheltorena -- because it's fun to say, and steep to boot. Also, Martel/Hauser is great to quickly cut through the Fairfax area -- particularly because it goes through Park La Brea. Rossmore, before it turns into Vine, boasts such beautiful apartment buildings, I can't help but take my eyes off the road everytime I drive through.

And of course, how could I forget our blog namesake, Franklin Avenue?!

Now, feel free to leave an ode to your fave Los Angeles street below.

Most Unfortunate Business Slogan of All Times?



Don't worry about it, Culver City Meat Company.

Monday, September 18, 2006

Most Desperate Sign Yet That The Housing Market Has Tumbled



Located near the intersection of Franklin and Talmadge in Los Feliz (1865 Talmadge, to be exact), this four bedroom/2 bath is beautiful inside. New kitchen, spacious dining room, large master suite. Whoever flipped the home did a great job.

Zillow says the home is worth $1,091,637.

The home is being offered for $869,900.

Even last year at this time, I think it would have sold quickly. It's Los Feliz, afterall. Yet here it is, September 2006, and this home isn't getting any bites.

And apparently the seller is getting so desperate that they've hung this gaudy banner on the front. "Seller Will Pay 6 Mos. of Mortgage Payments," it reads (in case you can't make it out, or the picture isn't popping up).

Doing the math, that's a chunk of change: According to this L.A. Times mortgage calculator, if you put down 20% on the purchase and secure a 6.125% loan, that's still a monthly $5,286 mortgage. Over six months, that's $31,716.

Clearly they want this home sold, now. But will anyone still go for it?

So I Take It He's Not a Fan



One of the joys for journalists opening their mail is the ocassional crazy letter from some one who's either (a) a certifiable nutjob or (b) really angry, for no justifable reason. Old pal Mayrav, now busy blogging it up at Fishbowl L.A., recently scored a letter from someone who appears to harbor both traits.

What spurred the guy to write was Mayrav's recent Orange County register column focusing on the death of "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin. While tragic, Mayrav noted that at least he went out in a cool way -- and that her last moments in this mortal coil won't be nearly as dramatic:

I don't have a cool way that I want to die. There's nothing I could be doing that – should I give up the ghost halfway through – would make my friends say, "Well, at least she died doing what she loved."

I don't do anything that I love, dangerous or otherwise. It's dismal. I'm sure I'm not alone in living a passionless life devoid of crocodiles and life-threatening humanitarian work. And I'm perfectly content to waste the days allotted me contributing absolutely nothing to this world; I'm American. But I'd really like my death to be more spectacular than all that.


That elicited this response from a reader:

I think it is great that you can admit you have a passionless and sad existence. Equally impressive is that you go on record as being content to waste your allotted days contributing absolutely nothing to the world. Just don't do it the name of being American. Do it in the name of being the sad and pathetic person that you are (you know, personal responsibility). Please emigrate to another country as soon as possible, America doesn't need people like you here; sad and pathetic with nothing to contribute.

Sincerely,
Dwight Gergens

As far as I know, Mayrav's staying put.

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Farewell to the WB



The WB goes off the air after once last hurrah tonight, as the network replays the pilots of its signature shows -- "Felicity," "Angel," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and of course, "Dawson's Creek" (ahh, has it really been that long since Katie Holmes was normal?).

Ten years ago, when I moved out to Los Angeles to cover TV (for Electronic Media, now known as TV Week), my very first day on the job I was sent to cover a WB affiliates meeting at the Warner Bros. lot.

I was 22 at the time, which, believe it or not, still put me below the WB's median age (which I believe was 25 at the time). I got older -- but so did the WB, which to the very end managed to outpace me in age (its final median age was around 35 or so).

Back then, the Frog network's calling card was "urban" comedies (industry code for African American-starring sitcoms), the cheesy Aaron Spelling soap opera "Savannah"... and well, that was about it. UPN appeared to have trumped them in ratings and stations -- but there was a swagger about the WB folk, like they knew things were about to change.

At the meeting, the executives talked about this vampire show they had in development called "Slayer." (Like the heavy metal band? Thankfully, that name changed.) And a year later, things did start to change. I've still seen few series launch campaigns better executed than "Dawson's Creek," which managed to turn the WB into the "it" network. Things just fell into place after that, as the network developed the most defined brand in broadcast TV.

Of course, that possibly also led to the WB's ultimate downfall. When you're so specifically defined, it's hard to break out beyond that. Also, success doesn't last forever in TV, and as the WB's viewership aged, so did the WB. The whole business also changed, and it just didn't make sense in the eyes of Warner Bros. -- which didn't own any of the WB's stations -- to keep it going.

So the WB disappears from the air after tonight (UPN officially vanished last Friday with absolutely no fanfare). And the CW begins tomorrow. A moment of silence for the Frog, and even for UPN, both of which now join Dumont under the list of deceased broadcast networks.

More Love for the Blog-LA-Sphere



Add Diglounge.net to the fine folks attempting to add "Blog-LA-Sphere" to the lexicon! Drop us a line if you too have started using the phrase. Remember, the goal is to get it uttered or written in passing by some one in the local mainstream media!

Friday, September 15, 2006

Press Release of the Day: One-Hit Wonders The Knack Crawl Out From The Rock They've Been Living Under For the Past 20 Years Edition



Isn't there a statute of limitations for getting upset over a vaguely lifted sample? I guess not. The Knack -- wait, what have they been up to for the last 25 years? -- have crawled out of obscurity to sue Run DMC, arguing that the rap group stole the riff to "My Sharona" for "It's Tricky."

Keep in mind: "It's Tricky" was released in 1986. Twenty years ago. I was 12. Where have they been? The Knacksters, who I guess were too busy doing nothing all these years, claim they just heard the track recently... and they're steamed:

MY SHARONA; NOT YOURS!

80s rock band The Knack takes on Run DMC for unauthorized sampling


Los Angeles – September 15, 2006 - Members of the 80s rock band The Knack today filed a lawsuit against the members of Run DMC, and Run DMC’s producers, distributors, publishers and record companies, over Run DMC’s use of an unlicensed sample of The Knack ’s 1979 platinum hit “My Sharona” in Run DMC’s song, “It’s Tricky.”

The Knack’s Doug Fieger and Berton Averre filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Run DMC today in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. The complaint alleges that members of Run DMC and their manager, producers, publishers, and record label unlawfully appropriated portions of “My Sharona,” including the song’s signature guitar riff, for use in “It’s Tricky,” which first appeared on Run DMC’s 1986 Raising Hell album. The suit also names several companies involved in the distribution of the allegedly infringing albums. Fieger and Averre wrote “My Sharona” and obtained a copyright registration for it in 1979. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and attorneys’ fees.

Fieger and Averre only recently learned that Run DMC’s smash hit from the mid-80s sampled the illustrious guitar riff from The Knack’s classic “My Sharona.” “That sound is not only the essence of ‘My Sharona,’ it is one of the most recognizable sounds in rock ‘n’ roll,” says Fieger, lead singer and front man of the band. Fieger and Averre are seeking damages for the alleged unauthorized use of “My Sharona” in numerous Run DMC albums that contain the song “It’s Tricky,” including albums released as far back as 1986. According to the complaint, each of the allegedly infringing albums containing the song “It’s Tricky” are still being sold and distributed.

I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to find a riff on an even older song that "My Sharona" might have borrowed. Elvis Costello's "Pump It Up," perhaps?

Yet Another Wilshire Building Turns to Dust



Demolition has begun (above) on the 1949 Mullen and Bluett building located on the Miracle Mile -- just the latest in a string of recent Wilshire losses (not as heartbreaking, of course, as the loss of the Ambassador Hotel, or even Perino's. But every loss stings).



We've written several times about the debate over whether the building should be saved, most recently last year. The Mullen and Bluett building has been empty since May 28, 2005, when the last tenant moved out. Until recently, Office Depot and Sav-on Drugs took up most of the building.



Above, the Mullen and Bluett building in its prime. The structure, originally home to the men's clothing shop, is believed to have been designed by Stiles Clements, who was also behind the famed Wiltern Theatre, as well as several classic Los Angeles buildings that are sadly long gone: The Miracle Mile's Coulter's Department Store, built in 1938 and razed in 1980 (and still just a pit today); the 1929 Richfield Building downtown, razed in 1969; and the 1936 KFI studios, torn down by the LAUSD in 2003.

But as the Los Angeles Times noted in 2003, there's some debate over whether Clements actually designed the Mullen and Bluett building. Legacy Partners, which is developing the land, aggressively pursued that theory in order to silence preservationists:

One side says the sprawling two-story building is a historic gem of a Miracle Mile department store that today is one of the last remaining examples of mid-century "California design" by acclaimed Los Angeles architect Stiles Clements.

The other asserts that the building was never a department store, that it suffers from humdrum architecture that is out of character with rest of the famed retail boulevard — and that it probably wasn't even designed by Stiles Clements at all.

It's an odd dispute, because many of Clements' certified architectural landmarks have been unceremoniously torn down in the past with people scarcely batting an eye...

Preservationist Eric Lynxwiler was doing research a few months ago for a planned book on Wilshire Boulevard for writer Kevin Roderick, author of "The San Fernando Valley: America's Suburb," when he learned that the boulevard's Mullen & Bluett building was next on the hit list.

Irvine-based Legacy Partners had filed plans with the city to demolish the building and a smaller structure next door. The development firm proposed building 197 apartment units and ground-level retail storefronts on Wilshire between Burnside Avenue and Ridgeley.

"The design of Mullen & Bluett is amazing. It's a style that is just now being appreciated. It's a 1949 structure that looks like it's from the '70s," Lynxwiler said.

With a brick facade balanced by first-floor flagstone, the store featured men's furnishings on the first floor and a women's section on the second. "This was the first architectural style after World War II, a 'late Moderne.' This is what led to the '50s and '60s modern that everybody's familiar with," he said.

Lynxwiler hurriedly organized other preservationists in a campaign to persuade Legacy Partners to preserve the Mullen & Bluett building — now occupied by an Office Depot and a Sav-On Drugs. He urged that the apartments be designed in a style that complements Clements' structure and be built behind the retail structure...

Legacy Partners responded by hiring Los Angeles Art Deco architecture expert Mitzi March Mogul to evaluate the Miracle Mile building. Her findings, filed two weeks ago, caused jaws to drop.

"Although Clements may have designed some excellent buildings, [this] building is not one of these. It's demolition will not damage Clements' oeuvre," the report concluded.

The building was never a department store, it was only a men's clothing store, Mogul reported. Its architectural style exhibits "no particular design identity" and doesn't really fit in with the overall Art Deco-look of the Miracle Mile area.

Mogul questioned whether Clements even designed the 1949 structure.

"The building does not appear representative of Clements' personal style and appears more likely the work of a younger person, schooled in a different attitude toward ornamentation. The building may not have been executed by Clements, but only approved by him."

If Clements did design it, the building may "have been just a bread and butter commission" for "an architect near the end of his career" at age 64, she said.


Here's the design of the building that will take its place. Lynxwiler refers to buildings similar to this as "fake art deco" -- a style that appears to be growing on Wilshire, particularly the Miracle Mile.

Your Link Here: Just Spead the "Blog-LA-Sphere" Word!



Yay, Atwater Village Newbie! The Newbie becomes the first to reclassify their roster of local blogs as the "Blog-LA-Sphere."

Any one else out there rename your blogroll? Let me know, and I'll give you a shout out as well.

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Los Angeles Resumes Dotting Its "i"s on City Streets



I've started noticing a new look on certain street signs, including the ones at the intersection of Wilshire and Western (above) and Olympic and Western. The font is different -- it's a thinner, more modern-looking sans serif, on a deeper blue background.

But something even more dramatic caught my eye: The "i"s are dotted.

Yup, the dots have returned. If you haven't noticed, the most recent edition of Los Angeles' street name signs had strangely avoided placing dots in lower-case "i"s. Last year, blogging.la guest contributor Jogannes Grenzfurthner (visiting from Vienna) noticed:

Where are the dots on the 'i's?
Saving money?
Fancy font?
Mysterious pattern conspiracy?

Here's a street name sign for Wilshire without the dotted "i"s:



I tried calling the city to ask them -- but they had no idea what I was talking about. Actually, the woman on the other end at first thought I was referring to an intersection in West Hollywood. ("I'm sorry sir, but I don't think that intersection is in Los Angeles.")

I guess we'll have to live with the mystery for now. Is Los Angeles introducing a new style for its street name signs? Did the city indeed conciously bring back the dotted "i"? And most importantly, why am I so interested in geeky stuff like this?

I'm about to get even geekier on you. I've for years wondered about the chronology of what appears to be the three different style of street name signs in Los Angeles. (If there are more, please let me know... but it seems as if these are the three I see everywhere).


The classic, all-caps street name sign. This is the one on top of Franklin Avenue, obviously. It's the oldest style, boasting all caps and a deep, dark blue background. It's my favorite of the three.


The multi-level street name sign. Of the three, I probably see these the least. Nothing too special here, other than the fact that the street name and the block numbering are printed on two separate signs that are attached , or can be removed individually.


The modern, dot-less street name sign. The one in most common use today. Boasts the cool flair design, in which the edge of the street name sign is cut at an angle.

Anyone (as usual, LA City Nerd, I'm looking at you) know the history/chronology of L.A.'s three street name signs? Please share!

Ambassador Cam, #34


Ambassador Hotel, 9:45 am, Sept. 13, 2006

The tractors are busy at the Ambassador site, clearing out the grassy field that was once in front of the building.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

'Round the Blog-LA-Sphere

Looks like my ridiculous "Blog-LA-Sphere" term -- coined earlier this month -- is catching on.

And by "catching on," I mean two other bloggers have picked up on it: Mayor Sam and Atwater Village Newbie. I've now decided that rather than hog this term all to myself, I want to spread the "Blog-LA-Sphere" gospel.

The end game? To get a mainstream L.A. publication or TV outlet to use the term "Blog-LA-Sphere" with a straight face. (You can almost hear Paul Moyer's voice: "Tonight, the local blog scene -- some call it the 'Blog-LA-Sphere.' Are your children in danger of falling prey to L.A.'s blog predators? Channel 4 investigates.")

So c'mon, L.A. bloggers! Next time you talk about our fine city's world of blogs, drop some knowledge: It's part of the Blog-LA-Sphere.

Now, for this edition of 'Round the Blog-LA-Sphere, let's look at the two early "Blog-LA-Sphere" adopters:



:: Over at Mayor Sam's Sister City, local gadfly and chief City Council annoyer Zuma Dogg (above, meeting KTLA's Eric Spillman) has been added to the roster of contributors.

Zuma Dogg is definitely growing on me. Look past the hip-hop parody, and you'll notice the Dogg is well-versed in local politics. And hysterical. In one post, ZD notes that the City Council seems to be softening toward him as well: Councilman Bernard Parks even threw a compliment his way.

Meanwhile, now that we know that folks from the Phil Angelides camp were the source of the tape that featured Ahnuld the Governator talking about how hot a Latino Assemblywoman was, Mayor Sam contributor Jennifer Solis has coined a new nickname for the struggling Democratic Gubernatorial candidate: "Scandalides."

I have no hope for Angelides, who is running the most dull and inept campaign I've seen. He makes Gray Davis look like a master showman. Just a year ago Schwarzenegger looked vulnerable. This was the best the Dems could do? When Angelides gets creamed in November, the powers that be will only have themselves to blame.



:: Over in Atwater Village, the Newbie noticed that either someone screwed up, or a portion of State Route 2 (the Glendale Freeway) is trying to pass itself off as an interstate (see above).

Notes the AVN:

The red, white and blue shield indicates an Interstate Highway, like I-5 or I-10, a freeway in the national system serving major US cities. The problem with this shield for I-2? According to many sources - Wikipedia, Interstate-Guide.com, the Feds - I-2 does not exist.

Every other Highway 2 sign along Riverside Drive shows the familiar green hut of California's state highway system. Could this be another example of Donald Trump-related sign mischief? Could freeway installation artist Richard Ankrom be up to a new stunt? Or is California's lowly state Glendale Freeway en route to a Interstate highway upgrade?



The Atwater Village Newbie also notes that Canele, the restaurant that is taking over the space occupied for 17 years by neighborhood fave Osteria Nonni, opens its doors this Friday.