Restored Deco Grandeur Downtown The former Los Angeles Stock Exchange building reopened in June after a $5 million restoration as Exchange LA, a nightlife and event venue. The space is available for buyout for 1,000 people; special permitting can increase that number by several hundred. The building sits along downtown’s gallery row, and its room names pay homage to its past: The main event space and dance floor is called the Trading Floor, the reservation-only mezzanine is known as the Federal Reserve, and the private fourth-floor area is the Board Room. The 25,000-square-foot venue includes four stories, four bars, and private access to the Board Room via a restored vintage elevator with a ’30s-style-clad operator. (618 South Spring St., 213.627.8070)
By ALESANDRA DUBIN
A Silverlake Bourbon Bar Opened in April in the space formerly occupied by Stinker’s Truck Stop in Silverlake, the Thirsty Crow is the latest effort from 1933 Group, creators of Bigfoot Lodge, Little Cave, and Saints and Sinners. The venue, whose name comes from one of Aesop’s fables, focuses on the tradition of American small-batch bourbons. The Thirsty Crow states its goal as bucking the trend toward complicated cocktails in favor of straightforward offerings like whiskey shots. Nevertheless, classic cocktails made from organic, locally sourced ingredients are available. The diminutive space holds about 80, and may be available for buyout on a case-by-case basis. (2939 West Sunset Blvd., 323.661.6007)
A Club With a Built-in Burger Bar SBE opened new nightclub Industry in March in the former Area space. The interior has a modern look with Art Deco touches and a seamlessly integrated outdoor lounge. A walk-up bar serves comfort food, including burgers and fries. Full-service catering is available for events. There are plush banquettes and performance poles in the space, which has three bars in the intimate main room. Two additional private rooms have their own full bars. The space has a DJ booth with built-in Serato and LED lighting on the dance floor. Industry has room for 500 with a wall removed, or can be split up for groupings of 400 and 100. An adjacent parking lot can accommodate a tent for larger events. (643 North La Cienega Blvd., 310.652.2012)
A Reinvented Studio Back Lot A June 2008 fire consumed Universal Studios’ back-lot areas known as Courthouse Square and New York Street, where such memorable movies as To Kill a Mockingbird and Back to the Future were filmed. Turning an obstacle into a stepping stone, the studio reopened a new and improved New York Street a year later, this time with distinctive neighborhoods carved out of its four acres. The generic old city streets have been transformed into urban areas resembling New York neighborhoods, complete with contemporary glass-and-steel buildings. To lend more of a big-city feel, facade heights are now 40 to 50 feet. Event possibilities include renting one block or booking the entire area for about 5,000. Outdoor and tented seating is available. (100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, 818.777.9466) —Irene Lacher
36 bizbash.com july/august 2010
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF INDUSTRY, ALEN LIN (THIRSTY CROW), COURESTY OF EXCHANGE LA, COURTESY OF NBC UNIVERSAL STUDIO SPECIAL EVENTS
Venues
Los Angeles