sugacane lounge fills in hill street restaurant space
Back in February, I commented on the advancement of new retail and restaurants in the eastern South Park area, which has benefited from an influx of residents in new buildings such as Luma, Elleven, and Met Lofts.
Continuing that trend is SugaCane Lounge, which had a soft opening June 30 at 1053 South Hill Street. The space formerly housed La Adelita Mexican Restaurant.
Described as authentic Caribbean food by owner Smitty, eats include Jamaican staples such as jerk chicken, oxtail, and curry goat. Check the full menu for more info.
Are we finally getting an alternative to Cha Cha Cha in Silver Lake?
UPDATE: Off-menu vegetarian items are available and will be added to the main menu soon. Ask for mac & cheese or jerk tofu.
spring arts tower takes steps back in time while looking forward
Besides two recent retail announcements and the approaching premiere of underground speakeasy Crocker Club, much more is happening inside the stone and brick edifice at 453 S. Spring Street.
Over the last few years, the Spring Arts Tower has become a headquarters for creativity — establishing a community of artistic professionals and organizations, many of which have received recognition in some the nation’s biggest publications.
Offices for photographers, jewelry makers, painters, architecture firms and fashion designers can be found throughout the historic hallways, behind original wood and frosted glass entryways straight out of a 1940s detective film.
Restoration efforts and eco-friendly installations after the jump…
new bookstore/art gallery shows downtown’s eccentric side
Lately, each new Art Walk event has brought something new and compelling to the circuit, but on July 10, Todd Browning Gallery — filling a small space inside the Spring Arts Tower — will top them all.
Even though a lease for the space was executed just five days ago, Bill Eisman, a long-time gallery owner from Australia, says his venue should be online by next Thursday after relocating from Fairfax in West Hollywood.
Emerging and mid-career artists from all over world specializing in vintage and contemporary photography will be represented at Eisman’s venue — named not after himself, but after the early twentieth-century filmmaker of horror classics such as Dracula, Freaks and The Unholy Three.
That affinity for the macabre will extend to the larger use of the space, a bookstore called Polyester, where patrons can pick up a variety of reads spanning from natural human deformities to medical texts.
bixel at fifth debuts, strange marketing ensues
Yesterday was a new day for the City West district of Downtown as Bixel at Fifth, an apartment complex at… Bixel and Fifth… opened for move-ins.
At 80 or so units, the complex is facing a corner that’s one part tree-lined avenue, another part post-industrial wasteland. Still, the area has been spurred on by the addition of both market-rate and affordable housing, new schools and the LA Center Studios.
So has Bixel at Fifth embraced the evolving nature of City West? Actually, they’re choosing to rename it. More commonly associated with wealthy Westside homeowners’ associations seeking a boost in property values (Beverlygrove?), the team over Apex Realty is now calling the area the “Studio District.”
That’s not inclusive enough of the whole neighborhood — I think angelenic readers can think of a better name to help them out.
I’ve already got a few: Bixshire Village (after Bixel and Wilshire, naturally), LAUSD Adjacent, and my favorite, Freeway West.
senior housing complex lures unexpected retailer
Teramachi, the new senior housing development anchoring the southern edge of Little Tokyo, just welcomed a new tenant to its corner commercial space at 3rd and San Pedro.
No, it’s not a pharmacy or life insurance company — Teramachi is the new headquarters of MulTEEpurpose, a progressive casual clothing company with an agenda to promote humanity.
Founded on the simple observation that tee shirts can serve as walking billboards, the company fuses style with messages that advocate social, environmental and ideological issues around the world. Animal rights, genocide prevention and universal respect are the themes of some collections.
summer tourism season picks up, but downtown still can’t hail a cab
As Los Angeles enters the traditional summer tourism season, Downtown is a much different place from years past, with new restaurants and cultural institutions opening up.
Still, some visitors may continue to be left standing on the curb wondering why they can’t catch a cab.
The so-called Hail-a-Taxi initiative was widely reported on back in May when the city’s Taxi Cab Commission approved a pilot program to allow taxi cabs to pick up passengers in Downtown Los Angeles regardless of the curbside parking designation. Currently cabs are only allowed to pick up passengers in designated taxi areas and in legal parking spots.
Though the anticipated implementation date was July 1st, Councilwoman Jan Perry tells us that the Hail-a-Taxi proposal is still in committee. The proposal should be scheduled for a vote before the City Council within the next few weeks, but no date has been set.
baker hotel demolition looms; ritz tower getting clad
Following up a preliminary report in early April, pending demolition of the historic Baker Apartments Hotel in South Park has taken another step forward.
Scaffolding erected around the abandoned property indicates plans for razing may be sooner than later. Built in 1913, the four-story building has been used for squad drills by the Los Angeles Fire Department since it was earmarked to come down.
No official plans have been announced for the site, although with its coveted location across from LA Live, it’s no surprise the current owner is moving forward with demolition in hopes of positioning the land (coupled with the adjoining rear surface lot) to a developer.
Ritz Carlton/JW Marriott tower news, more photos after the jump…
