Huge USC pep rally at The Grove! GO TROJANS!!

In anticipation of this big game against historic rivals Ohio State, USC fans are invited to celebrate and show their Trojan pride at The Grove. The event will feature the Spirit of Troy Marching Band, Song Girls, USC mascot Traveler, appearances by former Trojan greats and NFL stars, Marcus Allen, Curtis Conway, Anthony Davis, John Jackson and Petros Papadakis. Also attending, Larsen Jensen, Erik Vendt, Klete Keller and Ous Mellouli, all medalists in swimming at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and Trojan alumnae.

The Grove
189 The Grove Drive – Stage by the fountain
Fairfax District in Los Angeles http://www.thegrovela.com/

Thursday, September 11
7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m,

Johnson Fain Founders Win Gold Medal From AIA

Architects Scott Johnson FAIA and William H. Fain, Jr. FAIA will receive the Gold Medal -- the highest honor presented to individuals and given by the American Institute of Architects Los Angeles (AIA/LA) for their design contributions to the profession of architecture. Johnson and Fain are partners of Johnson Fain, the Los Angeles-based architecture, urban design + planning and interiors firm that they co-founded in 1989. The Gold Medal will be presented at the 2008 AIA/LA Design Awards event on June 4, 2008, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

“Scott and I are very grateful for the wonderful recognition. We would like to also acknowledge the many dedicated and gifted architects in our organization who have supported our efforts over the past two decades. Scott and I share a passion for Los Angeles and are committed to enhancing the vibrancy and civic life of our city through our professional work,” says Fain, partner and director of urban design + planning for Johnson Fain.

Replica Of Simon Wiesenthal Vienna Office New At Museum Of Tolerance

Alan and Susan Casden have contributed a recreation of the office of Simon Wiesenthal, the famed Nazi hunter, at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles where it will be a major interactive multimedia exhibit. The office is exactly as it was at the Jewish Documentation Center in Vienna that Wiesenthal founded. It includes all of Wiesenthal’s personal library, documents and furniture as well as his many honors including the Legion of Honor and the Congressional Gold Medal. Wiesenthal, a survivor of the Nazi death camps, dedicated his life to documenting the crimes of the Holocaust and to hunting down the perpetrators still at large. "When history looks back," Wiesenthal explained, "I want people to know the Nazis weren’t able to kill millions of people and get away with it."

This is awesome and inspiring!

New Civic Park For Downtown Unveiled

Last night's Grand Avenue Civic Park meeting was a first look into a Downtown LA version of Chicago's Millennium Park. The 16-acre park, which will lie between City Hall and the Music Center in Downtown's Civic Center, will be surrounded by County administrative buildings to the north and south and the abandoned footprint of the old State Office Building to the southeast. The budget of this park is $56 million ($50 million being funded by Related Cos., the developer of the Grand Avenue Project to the south). This amazing park will include:

1) Fountain Plaza: Two new terraced stairways will cover the existing spiral parking ramps on Grand Avenue, dramatically increasing access to the park from the west. The politically untouchable fountain will nonetheless be reworked as a "more interactive, programmed" piece with upgraded infrastructure and a new pedestrian bridge over the water. Walls will be removed and a restaurant/cafe option is being explored.

2) Civic Garden: Parking ramps will be covered by a "vine trellis," giving the park a larger presence on Hill Street. Barrier walls will be removed and a performance lawn will be created. Despite all these changes, the JPA says this will be where they will use their "lightest hand" in the redesign.

3) Community Terrace: More usable space will be made available at the Court of Flags, with the flags being moved to the edges of the parcel. The current stairway is slated for demolition and will become a broader terraced staircase with improved accessibility. Multi-colored movable shaders would frame views of City Hall, creating an "outdoor living room" for public dinners, galas, fundraisers and so forth.

4) The Green: Award for most dramatically changed parcel goes to the Green, a large events lawn at the foot of City Hall that's replacing a parking lot. A "viewing bridge" will span Broadway, leading to a multi-use marketplace for more farmers' markets and a restaurant at the end of the Green. If more funding is secured, the old State Building footprint will be integrated as more open space.

Little Shop of Horrors!

The Fangocon is Coming to L.A. This should be totally fun! http://www.fangoria.com/woh.php

Welcome to The Americana at Brand

First New Apartments In Venice In A Decade!!!

Finally!  Abbot Lofts, the first new apartments available for rent in Venice in over a decade, are opening in late spring on the iconic Abbot Kinney Boulevard at the corner of Venice Boulevard.  Everyone loves to shop and eat on Abbot Kinney and now there will be 22 luxury apartments for rent with on-site parking -- a total bonus.  There's also a ground floor retail space, it will be interesting to see who moves in there.  Possible new restaurant for the neighborhood?  Stay tuned!

"Wicked" Says Good-bye To L.A.

January 11, 2009 will be the final performance of the musical "Wicked" now playing at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. After a very successful run -- according to broadwayworld.com the play earned nearly $2 million -- the show has decided to pack it's bags and head east. If you haven't seen it yet, you must. www.PantagesTheaterTickets.com

Milken Institute Hold Global Conference

Leaders from the world's capital markets will gather to discuss the latest developments in the turbulent global economy. If you're worried about where the markets are heading and want to hear real-world, independent analysis that puts it all in perspective, you need to attend. You'll also hear from a wide range of experts, activists and decision-makers in education, health care, energy and philanthropy who will discuss current trends and how we can shape the future to increase global prosperity.

World Water Day

Take a Minute Tomorrow When You Turn on the Tap to Consider the 1.1 Billion People in the World Without Safe Water. The Hilton Foundation is urging people to think about how fortunate we are (even here in LA) to have safe drinking water. Every time we turn on the shower, some poor child is crossing 3 miles of desert in Africa in search of water for her family to drink. Please take the time tomorrow to think about that when you are in the shower.

Source: Huffington Post

The Garagemahal Is Still Undergoing It's Facelift

According to Curbed LA, the multi-leveled garage construction on Doheny (just above Sunset) is still causing outrage among the surrounding homeowners! I love the audacity of someone who feels that over 2 years of construction is acceptable, even in LA. There are now rumblings that it might not be a garage at all but in fact permitted garage turned add-on! The only way to tell is to wait and see.

Nike and the LA84 Foundation Pledge $4 million to LA Area Youths

This is such a wonderful story. Nike and the LA84 Foundation is pledging 4 million dollars to rejuvenate 84 play surfaces to benefit young sports enthusiasts in Los Angeles. Serena Williams and skateboard sensation Paul Rodriguez, Jr. will announce the donation.

This event is taking place Thursday, March 13, 2008 between 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn (pool deck): 1020 S. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90015

Source: lavoice.org

Say No To L.A. H20?

This is, unfortunately, not shocking. According to dailybreeze.com we have drugs in our tap water. "A vast array of pharmaceuticals - including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones - have been found in the drinking water supplies..." Los Angeles water contained specifically meprobamate (a tranquilizer) and phenytoin (to treat epilepsy) in our tap.

All I can say is yikes. Just want to make those of you out there aware of this tragic information. Hopefully, we can still all support World Water Day which is March 22 - the only thing worse is the people who have no water at all.

Rose Bowl to Showcase First So Cal NCAA Division One Women's Lacrosse Tournement

This is very exciting! The nation's top women's lacrosse teams will take part in the first-ever East West Lacrosse Challenge and will take place at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena this Sat. (March 8). Here's the schedule:

11:00 a.m. -- UCLA vs. USC

1:00 p.m. -- Notre Dame vs. UC Berkley

4:00 p.m. -- Temple vs. Oregan

For more information about this cool event, check out there website www.eastwestchallenge.com

Source: lavoice.org

Breakfast at Tiffanys

So I just read that Tiffany & Co. was going to be a new tenant at the Americana at Brand!  And I guess since they are going to this trendy location, they are getting a new look!  Tiffany is starting a "concept" store, which means instead of selling million dollar pieces we can't afford, Tiffany jewelry will be priced for the people.  This is very exciting news for my jewelry box!  Pictured below is a rendering of the highly anticipated Rick Caruso (the man who brought us The Grove) project, Americana at Brand.

Who Would Have Thunk It?

I was downtown recently and stopped in to visit the hot neighborhood everyone has been talking about. Industrial Street. Holy cow! It's gorgeous! There's a couple of boutique clothing stores, a chocolate shop and an art gallery. I walked into the Toy Lofts hoping to get a peek and everyone there is super nice. They let me check out the gym and wander around. I even got to go up to the roof and dip my toe in the Toy Lofts pool. Wow, what a view. Who wants to meet me there for an apple-tini? I would definately say that Industrial Street is fierce! Thanks to http://linear-city.com/ for the pic.

Oscar De La Hoya Gives Back!

This is a total knock out for South Gate!  Oscar De La Hoya (co-founder of Golden Boy Partners) has broken ground on a new "community," Tierra del Rey.   It will have 107 town home units for working families.  The first homes are expected to be finished by March 2009.  The gated community will offer extensive landscaping and family amenities including two parks, barbecues and sun shelters.  It also promises that some homes will have views of downtown.