VENUE
No. 21
Permanent Resident WITH ECLECTIC PROGRAMMING AND A LUSH GARDEN OASIS, RESIDENT PAYS A MODERN HOMAGE TO THE ORIGINAL SPIRIT OF THE ARTS DISTRICT
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SOPHIE HE TYLER ALLEN
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You know the building. 428 S. Hewitt Street is a stand-alone loft in the Arts District—the one with the impressive rooftop garden and ghostly lighting. Its innards have been a mystery for a minute, but as of press time, the bewitching structure will be open to the public. Meet Resident, your new favorite Downtown LA haunt. Helmed by a team of eclectic professionals, Resident fuses the sensibilities of its five partners: Tim Krehbiel and Bridget Vagedes, a classic car restorer and a fine artist, respectively; 18-year music industry vet Larry Little of Fortress Music (The Orwells, Mystery Skulls); architect Jacek Ostoya, partner at LA-based firm Gold Grenade; and designer Paul Oberman, the former owner of Kung Pao Kitty. Together, the collaborators held a comprehensive vision for the venue that took both the personality of the neighborhood and the needs of the music industry into account. Tim Krehbiel and Bridget Vagedes had owned and lived on the property since 2000, back when the Arts District was still a veritable no man’s land. Ostoya and Little wanted to pay homage to that heritage. With its exposed steel beams and brick wall interior, Resident’s indoor bar still resembles a mixed-use creative loft, and even with the addition of several modern amenities—a sleek new backlit bar, a parking area for food trucks, and a sound stage—the space still maintains much of its former identity. Out in the backyard, string lights, bougainvillea,
and cacti line the 300-capacity garden and picnic area, and a converted Spartan trailer serves as an outdoor bar. “Our space is an honest extension of what was started 15 years ago: a home for artists,” says Ostoya. “ Just as the Arts District allowed artists large, inexpensive spaces to create art, we allow artists and bands to ply their trade.” Resident’s integrity to the original essence of the neighborhood shines through in its programming, one that revolves around experimentation and community, not just ticket sales. So far, the venue has hosted the likes of Mystery Skulls, Wes Period, and Burger Records’ Cherry Glazerr. This month’s roster continues to feature a similarly eclectic mix of programming, including blues/R&B dance nights, local bands like psych-soul duo Brainstorm, and a sex-positive band night curated by adult film stars. As it stands, Resident is currently one of the only intimate-size venues in the Arts District, one that provides a breath of fresh air from the scene’s usual Echo Park and Silver Lake venues. “We don’t want to be seen as carpetbaggers,” says Little. “ Instead of taking from the neighborhood, we’re adding to it. We want to be good neighbors.”
RESIDENT 428 S. HEWITT ST. LOS ANGELES, CA 90013 residentdtla . com
RESIDENT