angelenic: downtown los angeles

Long known as the Transamerica Center, this lone-standing icon of 1960s architecture holds the title for being the LA’s first modern skyscraper.

The 32-story tower, built for insurance giant Transamerica, was the first in the city to rival the height of the 454-foot City Hall when it was opened in 1965 at 1150 S. Olive Street, breaking through a 150-foot height limit enforced on building construction through the 1950s.

The three-building complex — which also includes two connected 11-story structures for a total of 1.4 million square-feet — was designed by Los Angeles architect William Pereira, whose portfolio includes the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco and 611 Place here in Downtown.

All there is to know and before/after photos after the jump…

New to Downtown LA? angelenic.com is the neighborhood resource for those living, working and visiting Downtown Los Angeles.

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Hoping to grow the supply of professional sushi chefs in Los Angeles, sushi master Katsuya Uechi of the Katsuya restaurant chain and the president of a Japanese food purveyor are collaborating to open a new sushi school in Downtown, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The Sushi Institute of America will arrive next month inside a modest two-story office structure on 4th Street (near Alameda) in the Arts District, chosen for its location near a warehouse equipped with powerful super-freezers necessary for raw fish preparation.

According to Uechi, who is bringing his ultra-chic restaurant concept to LA Live later this year, there is a shortage of well-trained sushi chefs around the country as Japanese cuisine becomes more popular in North America.

More info after the jump…

The exciting scavenger hunt adventure is back in Downtown for a third round! If you missed the initial CityRace/LA contests for Downtown last year and this spring, this is your chance to explore our central city as you crack codes, solve tricky puzzles and research little-known facts:

From the heart of Downtown’s historic core to the “village” of Little Tokyo, this challenging hunt will take you through some of the city’s most historic neighborhoods. You’ll discover some of the oldest - and newest - sites in downtown L.A. as you solve cryptic clues and brainteasing puzzles in this iconic urban adventure through L.A.’s past, present and future!

Teams of 2 to 4 players compete on foot in a challenging 3-hour hunt for a shot at the grand prize and scores of bragging rights. Reservations are now being taken for dates in October.

Space is limited, so be sure to register early!

CityRace/LA - Upside-Downtown
Saturday, October 4 @ 10:00 am
Saturday, October 18 @ 10:00 am
Schedule & Registration Form
Entry Fee: $35 per person

Yes, it’s already been two more weeks, and this time we’re mustering the biggest crowd possible!

The Hideaway is back tonight, introducing its new sponsor Lotus Vodka over a free tasting during the first hour of the night from 9:30pm to 10:30pm.

We’ll be bringing in an ice luge to chill the complimentary shots and new dance lighting effects to bring a little zest to the party.

A drink specials menu featuring Lotus will be available all night with prices starting at $6, giving everyone a reason to stick around after the sampling.

We’re expecting a big turnout, so come out ready to have a good time!

And as always, no cover.

Event postcard after the jump…

South Park’s soon-to-be tallest has hit its first major milestone.

Last week, constructions crew framed the 26th-floor pool deck of the LA Live JW Marriott Hotel, meaning that wing of the 54-story tower has completely topped out.

According to a project rep, construction framing on the Ritz Carlton portion of the structure will now double, speeding up to two floors per week.

The official website already set up for the JW Marriott Hotel claims a spring 2010 arrival.

717 Ninth reaching for the sky, JW Marriott lobby renderings after the jump…

Filmed entirely on location in Downtown Los Angeles, a new pop culture reality series hosted by fashion icon Vivica A. Fox, aptly titled Glam God with Vivica A. Fox, premieres tonight on VH1 at 10:00pm.

In the series twelve stylists will duke it out Project Runway-style for $100,000 and the title of “Glam God” — a competition based around the world of celebrity style and the small names who make it all happen, inspired by the pages of US Weekly magazine.

Production crews took over a large loft in the Arts District near Barker Block, and a preview of the tonight’s episode shows clips of Downtown streetscapes woven into a world of glamor and fashion — positive exposure we think could help cure Downtown’s deep-seated perception issues.

Though other reality series have been set locally — such as NBC’s Age of Love, SciFi’s Who Wants to Be A SuperHero?, Fox’s American Idol and a season of Bravo TV’s Top Chef — Glam God could be the first to show off our neighborhoods as more than just an urban backdrop.

If you tune in, expect to see lots red carpet, step and repeat walls, and high-strung drama.

-could pop-culture exposure cure downtown’s perception issues?

Eric Richardson of blogdowntown makes a surprising announcement this morning that his editorial partner and well-known Downtown blogger Ed Fuentes is moving on to different pursuits in life.

For personal reasons, Ed Fuentes is leaving Downtown and will no longer be writing for blogdowntown… Since joining the site on May 26, 2007, Ed’s written 270 stories for blogdowntown, and has been an enormous help and resource for me as I’ve tried to figure out what this site is supposed to become.

Over the last couple of years, Fuentes has become a recognizable character around town, always equipped with his camera that has put a face on Downtown’s oft-cited population statistics and provided intimate looks into life on skid row. He has also been a big inspiration to angelenic’s own Rich Alossi when blogging was just a trivial pastime.

While his mark on the blogosphere is irreplaceable, this should only be a temporary setback for Eric and blogdowntown.

Ed, your work and mentorship is appreciated and will be missed.

No word whether Fuentes’ personal blog site viewfromaloft will stay active.

Photograph courtesy of Eric Richardson via flckr.

Not a fan of overpriced supermarkets? Afternoon farmers’ markets too inconvenient? Grand Central Market looking a little less grand these days?

Back in April, angelenic introduced the alternative of a Community Supported Agriculture Farmshare Program (CSA) to the Downtown community — a neighborhood arrangement where residents can pay to receive fresh produce (organic fruits, veggies, and herbs) direct from growers in tidy little boxes delivered every two weeks at set pickup points.

Just two weeks prior, Eastern Columbia resident Peter Johnson and some of his neighbors had already spearheaded an effort through Tierra Miguel Foundation to bring a CSA program to his building, which recently finished its first summer season with about 10 subscribers.

An opportunity to get involved after the jump…