angelenic: downtown los angeles

Earlier this year a request for proposal (RFP) meeting was held for a development team to secure the right to develop the city-owned ten-acre Mangrove parcel. The long-vacant site sits at the northeast corner of First and Alameda streets in Little Tokyo.

Three teams presented distinct ideas for the property: The Nikkei Center, a mid-rise, mixed-use development with a “friendship garden”; an unnamed model by Niemann Properties focusing on residents of the Arts District; and the Tokyo Artpark Crossing, a massive project led by Portland-based Williams & Dame.

Out of the three teams, the Nikkei Center was recommended for approval by the Office of the Chief Legislative Analyst, according to Little Tokyo UnBlogged, and the project now heads to the City Council for approval. Information on a development timeline and funding are unavailable at this time.

Nikkei Center would provide 390 apartment units (20% affordable), 80,000 square feet of Japanese-themed retail, 166,500 square feet of office space and 1,286 parking slots. Design work is being handled by the Jerde Partnership, and past experience includes much in Japan: Tokyo’s Roppongi Hills development, Riverwalk Kitakyushu and Canal City Hakata in Fukuoka. (Click links for images)

More information after the jump…

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Falafel Express (Glatt Kosher) opened its doors this past Wednesday, adding some activity to an otherwise vacant stretch of Spring Street between 4th and 5th streets.

Their small menu offers Mediterranean food standards like falafel, shawarma, kabob, salads, hummus and dips.

For now the Historic Core space will be open Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm — but plans call for expanded hours after two months, according to restaurant partner Bobby Shethia.

Restaurant info after the jump…

Looking for an affordable Sunday brunch in Downtown LA? Weeneez, the Historic Core hot dog eatery, will start offering brunch fare Sunday, July 13 [ed: Date fixed].

For all you skeptics who think that brunch and hot dogs don’t mix, don’t worry: The brunch menu is full of traditional options. In fact, the only thing that resembles a hot dog on the menu is the Vienna sausage omelette — though it is highly recommended by owner Julie Rico.

While I may stick with banana pancakes, French toast, or biscuits & homemade gravy, it will be great to have a close-to-home solution for an affordable brunch — but I’ll be paying special attention to their mimosas.

Store information and hours after the jump…

Warung Cafe, the Asian fusion (read: tiny plates) eatery in the Old Bank District, is following Rocket Pizza’s recent move to expand late-night and Saturday hours. Though Warung will remain closed on Sundays, one additional hour per evening has been added.

Warung is part of the Old Bank District Restaurant Group, which also includes Rocket Pizza Lounge and Pete’s Cafe. There are no plans in place to expand operating hours at Pete’s Cafe beyond their 2:00am closing time.

Hours and location after the jump…

The last time angelenic checked in with Eugenia Chung and Klaus Schmidt about their new German restaurant — then called Brauhaus — back in March, a lease had just been signed for a 7,600 square-foot space at the corner of Olympic and Olive. The storefront was formerly occupied by Discount Tire Centers.

Since then, details have emerged and a new name has been chosen: Schmidt’s Brauhaus. Plans call for an indoor beer garden on one side of the space and “cozy German-style restaurant” on the other, said Chung.

Traditional German fare will be offered — sausage, pretzels, schnitzel and roasts — along with salads and vegetarian entrees. Chung and Schmidt hope to create a lively venue for watching soccer games and celebrating German cultural festivals such as Oktoberfest, Karneval and Maifest. For those dying to know, yes, that does include a selection of German beers.

The restaurant is slated to debut later this year, and more details should be forthcoming.

Address after the jump…

With over 1.4 million garments produced per week, American Apparel is the largest clothing manufacturer in the United States.

In this era of outsourcing and profits above all else, the company has made waves because of its high quality-control standards and efficiency, not to mention generous employee wages and benefits.

Sweeter still is that it’s based right here in Downtown Los Angeles, employing over 4,000 at its factory headquarters at 7th and Alameda streets and nearly 7,000 worldwide.

Angelenic was offered an insider tour of the manufacturing center this week, and new contributor Bryan Higgins and I jumped at the chance to introduce a prominent Downtown industrial leader to our readers.

Many may be familiar with the slogan “Made Sweatshop-Free in Downtown LA” — not to mention their provocative billboard ads — but may not know what it takes to produce those soft cotton-blend hoodies, t-shirts and undies that populate the wardrobes of so many throughout the nation.

One thing’s for certain: I’ll never look at a t-shirt the same way again.

Job opportunities and an inside look at the American Apparel manufacturing center after the jump…

Los Angeles’ Chinatown passes a historic milestone this Saturday, June 28 as the Central Plaza marks its 70th anniversary.

In celebration of the event, DSR Design, Inc. and the Museum of Neon Art (MONA), have paired up to restore rooftop neon to some of the Central Plaza’s most prominent buildings.

An 8:30pm lighting ceremony will be the first time the public will see the restored neon lighting that was once lost to the years — but not forgotten by neon enthusiasts. It is unknown when and why the lighting was removed in the first place.

As part of the ceremonies, MONA has sponsored an exhibit titled Historic Chinatown Neon in Postcards at the plaza’s Hong Office Building. The exhibit brings forward a number of postcards displaying the original look of Chinatown’s iconic neon lighting.

Another Chinatown celebration after the jump…