Los Angeles Downtown News 09-27-21

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INVITATION TO ATTEND A PUBLIC INFORMATIONAL MEETING REGARDING THE RENEWAL APPLICATION OF PACIFIC RESOURCE RECOVERY SERVICES LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA Pacific Resource Recovery Services (PRRS) operates an industrial waste management facility located at 3150 East Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles. The facility is located in an area zoned heavy industrial near the Union Pacific switching yards. PRRS provides waste management services, including recycling services, to a variety of industries that generate hazardous waste, many of which are used in the paints and coatings industry. All waste received at the PRRS facility is sent to other permitted facilities for treatment, recycling and/or disposal. No hazardous waste is recycled or disposed of on-site at the facility.

PRRS is submitting an application for renewal of its existing hazardous waste facility permit to the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). The renewal application is for all existing operations as well as the following two modifications: 1) additional container storage space in the north section of the existing storage warehouse; 2) the addition of some waste codes to the facility permitted waste code list.

PRRS invites you to attend a public informational meeting to discuss the permit renewal application and the proposed changes in detail. Attendees will be required to wear a mask and must fully comply with CDC guidelines and all additional COVID-19 safety requirements.

PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETI Wednesday, November 3, 2021 6:00 PM at Pacific Resource Recovery Services Facility 3150 E Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90023 (323) 261-7145 If you have any questions regarding the meeting or the PRRS facility in general, please contact Miriam Rodriguez, Public Outreach Coordinator at PRRS at (323) 261-7145. Anyone interested in attending the public meeting who requires special access or language interpreters should contact Ms. Rodriguez no later than 72 hours in advance of the public meeting at the above mentioned phone number. To obtain more information about the DTSC, please visit their website at www.dtsc.ca.gov.

INVITACIÓN PARA ASISTIR A UNA REUNIÓN DE INFORMACIÓN PÚBLICA SOBRE LA SOLICITUD DE RENOVACIÓN DE PACIFIC RESOURCE RECOVERY SERVICES LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA Pacific Resource Recovery Services (PRRS por sus siglas en inglés) opera una instalación de manejo de desechos industriales ubicada en 3150 East Pico Boulevard en la ciudad de Los Angeles. La instalación se ubica en una zona de industria pesada cerca del patio de conexión ferroviaria de Union Pacific. PRRS provee servicios de manejo de desechos, incluyendo servicios de reciclaje, a una variedad de industrias que generan residuos peligrosos, muchos de los cuales se utilizan en la industria de la pintura y revestimiento. Todos los desechos recibidos en la instalación de PRRS son enviados a otras instalaciones permitidas para tratar, reciclar, y/o desechar.

No se desechan ni reciclan ningunos residuos peligrosos en las ubicaciones de la instalación.

PRRS está presentando una solicitud para la renovación del permiso actual del manejo de residuos peligrosos al Departamento de Control de Substancias Toxicas de California (DTSC por sus siglas en inglés.) La solicitud de renovación incluye todas las operaciones existentes, así como las siguientes dos modificaciones: 1) espacio adicional para el almacenamiento de contenedores en la sección norte del almacén existente; 2) la adición de algunos códigos a la lista de códigos de desechos permitidos en la instalación.

PRRS lo invita a asistir a una reunión de información pública para discutir en detalle la solicitud de renovación del permiso y los cambios que se están proponiendo. Todas las personas en asistencia deberán usar mascarilla y deben cumplir con las recomendaciones del CDC y todos los requisitos de seguridad adicionales referente al coronavirus.

REUNIÓN DE INFORMACIÓN PÚBLICA Miércoles 3 de Noviembre del 2021 6:00 PM En la Instalación Pacific Resource Recovery Services 3150 E Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90023 (323) 261-7145 Si usted tiene alguna pregunta sobre la reunión, o tiene preguntas en general sobre la instalación de PRRS, por favor contacte a Miriam Rodriguez, Coordinadora de Alcance Publico en PRRS, al (323) 261-7145. Cualquier persona interesada en asistir a la reunión pública que requiera acceso especial o intérpretes de idioma, por favor comunícese con la Srta. Rodriguez al número telefónico anteriormente mencionado a más tardar, 72 horas antes de la reunión. Para obtener más información sobre el DTSC, visite su sitio web en www.dtsc.ca.gov.

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Robert Vargas honored for revitalizing DTLA art scene

By Andres de Ocampo LA Downtown News Staff Writer ontemporary artist Robert Vargas says he doesn’t remember life before he started drawing and painting. The fifth-generation Angeleno’s famed work — such as murals around Los Angeles and portraits, created with anything from charcoal, ink or paint to water — have brought him worldwide recognition as a respected artist.

Most of Vargas’ murals can be viewed by the public, most notably in Venice Beach and DTLA, where his paintings promote Los Angeles’ heritage and community.

“Our Lady of DTLA” sits on Sixth and Spring streets in DTLA and features a woman, hands raised, with a yellow aura around her. Vargas’ latest and largest undertaking, “Angelus,” is a towering 14-story mural on Fifth and Hill streets meant to celebrate Los Angeles, the diversity and the people who give it meaning.

The city of Los Angeles recognized Vargas for being a “leading creative force in the revitalization of the Downtown LA art scene,” and presented him with a proclamation for “Robert Vargas Day,” which is Sept. 8.

Vargas said his hope for Robert Vargas Day is for Angelenos to “do something for young creatives to help them fulfill their dreams by sending them on their path with the tools that they will need to succeed.”

A private ceremony declaring Robert Vargas Day official was held on the TenTen Wilshire rooftop in DTLA on Sept. 16, a day after the start of Hispanic Heritage Month. The luxury apartment building’s

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roof made for a glamourous venue, with close friends and family of Vargas mingling and giving speeches with a view of the Downtown LA skyline.

Those in attendance were close friends and family members like his sister and mother. Among his friends are pro skateboarders Tony Alva, Christian Hosoi and Steve Van Doren, the son of a co-founder of Vans.

LA Councilmember Gil Cedillo, District 1, presented the framed proclamation to Vargas. The document, signed by LA city councilmembers and Mayor Eric Garcetti, serves as a proud moment and achievement for friends and family of Vargas, according to those who spoke at the event.

The same is true for Vargas, who has not forgotten his support group and those close to him through his career.

“There are so many people to thank and those who have meant so much to me along the way,” Vargas said in his speech, while proceeding to emotionally credit those who have helped him.

Among those thanked and credited are his family, his team, past teachers and close friends.

A running theme maintained by Vargas’ friends and family, and even himself, is the importance of Los Angeles in his work. Though Vargas has created world renowned works and has collaborated with brands like GQ and Vans, the artist has always been about Los Angeles.

“It’s only natural that the city would find its way onto my canvases and inform my work,” Vargas said about Los Angeles’ inspiration. “I like to combine my creative process with community, and hopefully advance humanity with these murals that I create.”

Steve Van Doren, Robert Vargas, Christian Hosoi and Tony Alva pose for a photo during the artist’s close friends and family celebration event announcing “Robert Vargas Day” for Sept. 8.

Photo courtesy of Robert Vargas

Though the LA community inspires Record for being the largest mural in the Vargas, family and authenticity seem to world painted by a single artist, according to Vargas and the city of LA’s proclaremain as a core pillar for the artist.

To this mother, Vargas said, “Thank you mation. Vargas says that he “will go right for recognizing my creativity early on, back to that” and that the mural should for supporting me and believing in me. be “unveiled in the next several months.”

Most of all, thank you for just letting me In his speech, Vargas remembered be me. You are, and will always be, my being a young creative in LA and remihero. … Many examples of your compas- nisced, saying, “I had a clear sight of the sion and generosity informed me from a Downtown LA skyline and would often very young age, and I took those quali- sit on the stoop of my house and stare at ties on.” this skyline, which for me not only repreSept. 8 was requested by Vargas as sented this DTLA but was a portal to the an homage to his father, whose birth- world.” day falls on the same day. Vargas’ father, To young creative Angelenos, and the EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski who died when Vargas was 17 years old, community at large, Vargas said, “Be true STAFF WRITERS: Andrew Checchia, Andres De Ocampo, Julia Shapero “didn’t get to share in the journey but to your work and your work will be true CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Sara Edwards, Kamala Kirk ART DIRECTORS: Arman Olivares, Stephanie has always been with me,” Vargas said. to Torres you. You get out what you put in, so PHOTOGRAPHER: Luis Chavez Vargas, whoSTAFF is named after his father, if you’re passionate about something — CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Myriam Santos said, “Through our namesake, we can go for it.

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Catherine Holloway, Michael Lamb now share inFOUNDER this moment together.”

“Los Angeles, it’s always been you. I EMERITUS: Sue Laris The completion of the 14-story “Ange- choose you. My beautiful city, time and lus” mural is Vargas’ focus. Once complet- time again, forever yours, LA, forever ed, the mural will set a Guinness World mine.”

EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

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STAFF WRITERS: Andres de Ocampo

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Victor Dominguez, Nick Griffin, Leslie Johnson, Frier McCollister, Bridgette M. Redman, Ellen Snortland CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Billy Bennight II, Camera Jesus, Lorenzo Patricio, John Shearer, David Specht ART DIRECTORS: Arman Olivares, Stephanie Torres

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Catherine Holloway (213) 308-2261 Michael Lamb (213) 453-3548 FOUNDER EMERITUS: Sue Laris

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Fellowship now includes Pérez Art Museum Miami

By LA Downtown News Staff he Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Arizona State University’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts have announced a partnership with the Pérez Art Museum Miami in the ASU-LACMA Master’s Fellowship in Art History.

Pérez Art Museum Miami’s (PAMM) first fellow, Emily Valdes, joins what is now the third cohort of individuals in the program, along with five new fellows from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). The 2021 ASU-LACMA + PAMM fellows are: • Jayne Manuel, who earned her BA in art history, theory and criticism with honors from the University of California San Diego in 2015. Manuel joined LACMA’s registration department in September 2015 and currently serves as the registration administrator for the highly active outgoing loans program. Through an interdisciplinary art history-ethnic studies-transnational feminist approach,

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Manuel seeks to uplift Pilipino/a/x artists and stories of the diaspora into the institutional canon. She intends to focus on 1980s Philippine art collectives and contemporary Pilipino/a/x artists based in the United States, studying their depictions of intergenerational trauma and understanding of collective memory transmission.

• Stephanie Rouinfar, who received her BFA in art history in 2015 from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She joined LACMA in August 2015 as a social media intern in the communications department. In March 2016 she joined the Art of the Middle East department as the curatorial administrator. She has assisted with six exhibitions, including the recent exhibition “In the Fields of Empty Days: The Intersection of Past and Present in Iranian Art.” As a fellow in the ASU-LACMA program, Rouinfar plans to further study contemporary art of the Middle East, focusing on works concerning gender and feminism.

• Mariama Salia, who is from Seattle and received a BA in history and cinema studies from the University of Washington in 2014. After working in Seattle’s art scene, she moved to Los Angeles in 2018 to find more diverse creative spaces that allowed for expansion. She began working for the Balch Research Library in 2019 as an acquisitions assistant, purchasing and borrowing books for upcoming exhibitions, including special research projects. Her Ghanaian-Romanian background informs her interest in making art representative and accessible, and she plans to develop an interactive project aimed at engaging with and representing other queer artists of color. Salia intends to utilize the extensive resources within the library and the museum to trace and reassess historical boundaries facing marginalized artists who bridge the cultural divide.

• Jennifer Snow, who is manager of corporate partnerships at LACMA. Since joining the museum’s development de-

partment in 2015, she has served an integral role on the corporate partnerships team supporting LACMA’s relationships with key corporate partners, including Hyundai Motor Company, Gucci, Snap Inc., Audi, the Walt Disney Company, SpaceX and more. During her time at LACMA, she successfully launched and managed special institutional projects such as LACMA’s first Kickstarter campaign in 2017; bringing the world’s smallest contemporary art museum, NuMu, across three borders to Los Angeles; and, most recently, LACMA × Snapchat: Monumental Perspectives, a multiyear initiative that uses augmented reality to explore monuments and murals, representation and history. Snow earned her BA in art history and communications in 2012 from the University of California, San Diego, and in 2014 received her Master of Arts in humanities from the University of Chicago. She is excited to resume her studies at Arizona State University, researching the

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convergence of art and technology and the role of museums within this intersection.

• Deliasofia Zacarias, who is the snap research fellow based in the director’s office for the LACMA × Snapchat: Monumental Perspectives, an initiative that explores monuments, history and representation in public space using augmented reality. In addition to the various special projects in the director’s office, Zacarias directly supports the collaboration among the curatorial team, ar tists and technologists to realize the augmented reality lenses as part of Monumental Perspectives. Zacarias joined the museum in August 2019 as a LACMA Emerging Arts Professionals Fellow — part of the Diversifying Art Museum Leadership Initiative supported by the Walton Family Foundation and Ford Foundation. Zacarias also serves on the board of the Arts Administrators of Color Network. At Arizona State University, Zacarias intends to research the intersection of contemporary art, feminist theory and landscape architecture, and make use of LACMA’s and ASU’s rich collection. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in studio art and business administration from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, where she was the recipient of the Mach Fellowship and received an Excellence in Art Award.

• Valdes, who graduated from the Uni-

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versity of Miami with a Bachelor of Arts in art history in 2015. Since then, she has held a variety of positions at the Wolfsonian FIU, Margulies Collection at the Warehouse and Lowe Art Museum.

Today, she works collaboratively with curators, artists and preparators as assistant registrar at PAMM. There, Valdes plays an active role in the execution of a robust exhibition schedule, as well as day-to-day collections management efforts. As a first-generation Cuban American, Valdes is particularly interested in female, Latin artists who have failed to receive equal recognition to their male contemporaries or female Latin artists whose practices are deeply rooted in intersectional feminism. Though it is still nascent in conception, she is eager to produce a successful body of research significant to the advancement of Latina representation in museums and the acknowledgement of their unique contributions to the art historical canon.

The ASU-LACMA Master’s Fellowship was founded in 2018 as a partnership between ASU and LACMA with the aim to culturally diversify the leadership of art museums in the United States. The three-year degree program combines rigorous academic training with on-thejob experience to develop a new generation of diverse curators, directors and other museum professionals, with the goal of investing in the existing pipeline

of talent and accelerating the careers of individuals already working on museum staff. The fellows earn their master’s degree in art history from the ASU School of Art’s distinguished art history program in the Herberger Institute, while also working at LACMA, the ASU Art Museum or, beginning this fall, PAMM. “ We are honored to join our esteemed colleagues at LACMA and ASU,” said Franklin Sirmans, director of PAMM. “Having seen this program come into existence while working at LACMA and then watching the first cohort rise in the ranks of their institutions, we are delighted to be a part of this important scholarly endeavor and for Pérez Art Museum Miami to be represented by our first fellow, Emily Valdes.

“This transformative program is another step in the process of preparing museums for the new American future, with the diverse, innovative leadership necessary to make museums dynamic and vibrant, and integral to the lives of all.”

Michael Govan, LACMA CEO, and Wallis Annenberg, director, noted that earlier this summer, ASU and LACMA celebrated the graduation of the first LACMA-ASU Master’s fellows.

“Our graduates are already building off their academic training to curate exhibitions, further their research and inform their museum work,” Govan said.

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“Our collaboration with ASU has been deep and fruitful, and we are thrilled to expand our joint commitment to advance the careers of a new generation of museum leaders by partnering with additional institutions around the country.”

The inaugural cohort of fellows, which graduated in May 2021, included Dhyandra Lawson, assistant curator in LACMA’s Wallis Annenberg Photography Department; Celia Yang, major gift officer and head of director’s strategic initiatives, Asia at LACMA; Matthew Villar Miranda, ASU Art Museum’s curatorial fellow, now a visual arts curatorial fellow at the Walker Art Center; and Ariana Enriquez, assistant registrar at the ASU Art Museum.

Both Lawson and Yang were recently promoted, reflecting the scholarship and skill sets that each has been able to bring to their work through their engagement with the fellowship program.

Enriquez said in a recent interview with ARTnews that the fellowship program helped her become aware of “the ways that I can make transformative change within my department.”

“We’re grateful for the many contributions the fellows make in our classes and scholarly lives,” said Angélica Afanador-Pujol, program director for the ASU-LACMA Master’s Fellowship. “We are proud to continue to support them in their museum careers, and we welcome the addition of PAMM to the program.”

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Resilience, recovery and renewal in DTLA

By Nick Griffin, et. al LA Downtown News Contributing Writers ontrary to dire predictions of the demise of urban centers in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, Downtown Los Angeles has weathered the storms of 2020 and 2021 with characteristic grit and passion.

Credit goes to the Downtowners who didn’t give up — the residential community, local businesses, property owners, and civic and cultural organizations who responded to the crisis with the kind of innovation and creativity that have become part of DTLA’s identity. In the unprecedented absence of office workers, tourists and shoppers, Downtowners doubled down on their commitment to a place which has seen its share of tough times over the years — but always come back better than ever.

“In Downtown LA, you can see that the same entrepreneurial spirit and ingenuity that has carried it through the pandemic is emerging as the driving force behind its recovery,” Councilmember Kevin De Leon said.

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Rising to the challenge From Bunker Hill to South Park, the Fashion and Arts districts, Historic Core, Little Tokyo, Chinatown and Central City East, the Downtown community rose to the challenges of 2020 and into 2021 with the kind of spirit you need in a crisis.

This was particularly true for the residential community — which has grown from under 18,000 to over 85,000 in the past 20 years and now constitutes a critical mass of diverse, engaged and passionate people who love their neighborhood.

When the coronavirus hit, instead of abandoning the city center as some predicted, they stepped up to help carry it through what seemed like interminable waves of shutdowns and reopenings — punctuated by demonstrations and civil unrest.

“At the height of the pandemic, we saw firsthand how the DTLA community pulled together — in sparkly nights paying tribute to first responders, neighbors donating and even sewing masks, and younger residents shopping for elders. Our tight-knit community has come through this smarter, closer and stronger,”

said Richard Clement, Downtown resident.

When it came to cleanups and tending to those impacted by the crisis, Downtowners joined hands and got to work.

Local business improvement districts redoubled their efforts to keep their neighborhoods safe and clean, while also supporting residents and businesses with recovery resources.

The Downtown Center BID’s Clean Teams worked overtime with neighbors to help safely clear the streets and sidewalks of broken glass and debris; the South Park BID organized community cleanups with resident and stakeholder volunteers; in the Fashion District, vandalized murals were brought back to life within hours; the Historic Core BID worked with property owners to place art installations in vacant retail spaces; and in Little Tokyo, a GoFundMe campaign raised $90,000 to repair damages to the Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple.

DTLA businesses jumped in, too, innovating both to sustain their own operations and to support their community.

Fashion designers, such as haute couturi-

er Michael Costello, began producing face masks for local health care facilities; Spirit Guild Distillery pivoted from making gin to hand sanitizer; LA Cleantech Incubator manufactured 200,000 face shields; Pizza Sociale was among the many restaurants that donated free food to front-line workers at hospitals and police stations, while Nickel Diner shifted its business model by providing thousands of meals each week to local nonprofits supporting those in need.

Perseverance Like many cities, Downtown LA lost a number of its small businesses — but most persevered. Through a mix of determination and ingenuity, adapting to shifting conditions, and doing whatever it took to retain their employees and serve their customers, their efforts were rewarded by loyal patrons who heeded calls to shop local.

Pez Cantina started a residential appreciation program that helped landlords feed its tenants and helped the restaurant keep as many of its staff on as possible.

Water fountains at Grant Park Photo by Lorenzo Patricio

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“The Downtown community has been extremely supportive throughout the pandemic. We discovered an entirely new community of DTLA residents who live near Pez and soon became regulars,” said Bret Thompson, chef/owner of Pez Cantina.

The Historic Downtown Farmers Market kept operating throughout the shutdowns, supporting growers and other small businesses while continuing to serve the needs of the local community.

In the Jewelry District, the tight-knit community of property owners and retail tenants banded together to stay open while addressing challenges ranging from public health restrictions to security considerations. Jewelers expanded into e-commerce on the internet, and restaurateurs expanded into al fresco dining on historic St. Vincent Alley.

Amazingly, there were audacious newcomers who saw opportunity in DTLA’s loyal local community and against all odds opened their doors in the middle of the pandemic.

Small-business success stories like Petite Peso, which launched its authentic, approachable Filipino eatery in a tiny storefront on Seventh Street; Donut Man, which brought its crowd-pleasing handmade inspirations to a high-profile spot in Grand Central Market; and Cha Cha Cha, which arrived — via Mexico City — to set up shop in a midcentury modern Acapul-

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co-and-Palm Springs-inspired space in the Arts District. In the spirit of Downtown’s diverse and dynamic food scene, these businesses are independent and BIPOC owned.

And it wasn’t just restaurants. Buru Fashion opened during the initial lockdown and continued making clothes throughout the pandemic; Throw Clay LA opened its pottery studio right before the virus hit, and still managed to build up a strong following, fill its classes and expand its offerings; DTLA Fitness and John Reed Fitness both opened mid-crisis, while Orangetheory moved its classes into the park; and HiDef Brewing started making and serving its “mighty fine beers” in a brand-new tap room and beer garden.

Community focused Community organizations sprang into action as well. The Downtown YMCA, which has been supporting residents and workers for more than 130 years, leveraged donations from major companies, foundations and individuals to help neighbors in need: families facing food insecurity, students for whom “safer at home” wasn’t true, and first responders needing child care.

“DTLA was not empty, it was full — full of heart and full of commitment. Full of CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

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RESILIENCE, RECOVERY AND RENEWAL IN DTLA, 7 neighbors who became friends at the dog park, became allies in support of Black Lives Matter, became family at socially distanced rooftop dinners,” said Carol Pfannkuche, executive director of the Ketchum-Downtown YMCA. The city of LA provided essential emergency services throughout the pandemic, but it also took advantage of the unique moment to advance much-needed public realm improvement projects. New bike and bus lanes, made possible by empty streets during the shutdowns, will improve traffic flow and safety as we open back up. A temporary alfresco dining program allowing restaurants to expand onto sidewalks provided a lifeline to businesses struggling with public health restrictions.

That crisis innovation will become a permanent fixture of the city as it looks to the future.

Arts and culture are the lifeblood of Downtown, and its venues were hit especially hard by the shutdowns. They too met the challenge with commitment and imagination. Both MOCA and The Broad launched inventive and interactive online programming to keep their audiences engaged.

The Broad’s social media-based family workshops featured playful at-home arts-and-crafts projects, while MOCA launched MOCA Mornings, a series of Instagram Live conversations between museum Director Klaus Biesenbach and various artists. Efforts such as these affirmed their deep connection to the community, which, in return, supported them throughout. This mutual appreciation was

clear during recent reopening weekends when museums welcomed back eager crowds of in-person visitors for the first time in more than a year.

Cultural innovation “We have been thrilled to see the enthusiasm of visitors returning to engage with arts and culture at The Broad and our neighboring cultural institutions,” said Stacey Lieberman, The Broad’s deputy director.

“You can feel the Downtown community poised to once again be a hub of innovative energy and opportunity, and that’s very exciting for all of us.”

Cultural innovation took place offline as well, with projects like NOW Art’s LUMINEX, featuring the work of six internationally acclaimed Los Angeles artists projected across a series of parking lot facades, all within walking distance in South Park.

The event struck a perfect balance between IRL interactivity and socially distancing, attracting over 16,000 attendees and providing a glimpse of what the future of public art activations might look like in DTLA. The Arts District got into the act with its own groundbreaking “cultural” experience: a drive-thru “Stranger Things” activation. Series-obsessed fans traveled back in time to 1985 and lived the excitement and terror of everything from the “Upside Down” to Hawkin’s Starcourt Mall — all from the safety of their car. The innovative event became an instant success and made headlines

Little Tokyo Photo by Billy Bennight II

across the country.

“The crowd that turned out to experience LUMINEX proved that Angelenos from all over the city are more than ready to return to the cultural mecca that is our city’s center — and Downtown is ready to welcome them back,” said Ellen Riotto of the South Park Business Improvement District.

Community, culture and creativity sustained DTLA through the pandemic and will be the defining forces in its revitalization as the city reopens. Those three Cs help attract two more — commerce and capital — that have fueled its growth for the past two decades.

Betting on Downtown Investors bet big on Downtown’s renaissance, and the pandemic hasn’t scared them away any more than it has many of our residents. With apartment occupancy rates already exceeding preCOVID-19 levels, that optimism seems to be well-founded. Throughout the shutdown periods of the last year, developers continued construction on a host of major projects across DTLA while business and property owners took the opportunity to renovate their retail spaces and upgrade existing office buildings in preparation for reopening.

On Bunker Hill alone, The Related Companies’ $1 billion The Grand LA continues the transformation of the venerable cultural and business center into a true mixed-use neighborhood, introducing a Frank Gehry-designed hotel, residential tower, and much-needed retail and restaurant space.

Last year, Brookfield Properties introduced Halo at Wells Fargo Center, jump-starting the evolution with a curated mix of dining and retail options, public art installations and special event programming to meet the needs of the growing district. Patrons of Grand Performances recently celebrated the opening of The Yard at the California Plaza complex bringing back the popular free outdoor concert series, which recently kicked off its 35th season.

“Downtown LA has always been a place where people come together to experience the best in arts and culture, to be at the forefront of what is new and innovative,” said Rick Vogel, senior vice president of The Related Companies.

“As we emerge from the pandemic, we have found even more interest in urban destinations that offer entertainment, hospitality, restaurants and retail like The Grand LA due to a reinvigorated appreciation for in-person experiences and human connection.”

In Downtown Center’s Figueroa Financial Corridor, Brookfield Properties’ 64-sto-

ry residential tower adds the final piece of the FIGat7th superblock, and Mitsui Fudosan’s 41-story apartment tower across the street at Eighth & Figueroa completes what will be one of the most dynamic mixed-use corridors in the city.

In South Park’s sports and entertainment district, work on the Fig+Pico project, featuring Moxy and AC Hotels serving the LA Convention Center and LA Live, made rapid progress. Condo sales began at Perla, a newly opened residential property in the Historic Core, near where construction was also completed on the new CitizenM hotel.

Progress on numerous other projects across Downtown affirm the continued appeal of the market: new office buildings and a creative retrofit in the Arts District, a major reinvention of CMC (the California Market Center) in the Fashion District, multiple affordable housing developments in Central City East, and new residential projects in both Little Tokyo and Chinatown. These projects represent billions of dollars of investment and a huge vote of confidence for Downtown’s future.

Force to be reckoned with Cities are shaped by their intersections, not just of streets but of sectors and forces, ideas and trends — the capital and commerce that drive their development, the culture and creativity that define their character, and the communities that connect and give them meaning. As we attempt to divine the future of Downtown post-pandemic, it is at those intersections that we will find the most dynamic energy and some of the most impactful new projects in DTLA. Two of those projects — the new ASU DTLA campus and the new Apple Tower Theater — embody that dynamism in their reinvention of historic properties for forward-looking uses.

Drawn to Downtown as a global hub of innovation and creativity, Arizona State University is converting the iconic Herald Examiner building on Broadway and 11th Street — directly across from hip hotel newcomers the Hoxton and the Proper — as the future home of its Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and its Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. These programs feature partnerships with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Zocalo Public Square, with a vision of the mini campus as a cutting-edge “ideas exchange.”

And just a few blocks north at Broadway and Eighth Street, Apple has completed its much-anticipated restoration and reimagining of the landmark Tower Theater — not just as its newest flagship retail location but as a center for the creative community of DTLA and home to Today

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at Apple Creative Studios, a global initiative supporting under-represented young creatives.

“At every corner, Los Angeles bursts with creativity across the arts, music and entertainment, and we are thrilled to build on our relationship with this special city,” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple senior vice president of retail + people.

Other recent DTLA openings, including Paul Smith on Broadway, Lululemon at The Bloc, and Sephora at FIGat7th, suggest that while the pandemic may have been a boon to e-commerce, it did not crush the appeal of in-person shopping.

Busy tables at lunch favorite Joey, elusive reservations at iconic Redbird, long lines outside the Exchange nightclub, and huge crowds at the much-anticipated reopening of Smorgasburg at RowDTLA make it clear that the crisis did not dampen enthusiasm for Downtown’s dining and nightlife scene either.

And while Downtown’s huge office population has yet to return en masse, the owners of its Class A towers have made significant investments in upgrading and reconfiguring their properties to accommodate the evolving needs of their tenants as they prepare to welcome them back.

“We’re now seeing office occupancies steadily rising as our tenants reinforce the power of in-person collaboration,” said Bert Dezzutti, executive vice president,

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Western region, U.S. office division, Brookfield Properties.

“The office is reemerging as the center of gravity for companies and their employees — especially in dynamic urban places like DTLA.” Downtown LA has shown great resilience and resourcefulness in the face of COVID-19 and the myriad challenges over the past year and a half. It also proved itself a place that people care deeply about — a community of residents, workers, and business and property owners who defied the conventional wisdom that urban environments are not safe in a crisis.

They proved, once again, that these environments are in fact among the strongest, most agile and adaptable of places.

People, businesses and investors are attracted to great cities for exactly the kind of energy and creativity that propelled Downtown through the crisis. Those fundamental qualities not only haven’t changed but were underscored by the pandemic. And as the city turns to recovery and revitalization and begins to blossom anew, those same qualities are helping DTLA reimagine and reinvent its future yet again. We got this.

This article was written by Nick Griffin of the Downtown Center BID, with support from the BIDs of Fashion District, South Park, Historic Core, Little Tokyo, Arts District, Central City East and Chinatown.

Broadway Photo by Lorenzo Patricio

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SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

Covered GUEST California COLUMN will help

Undercounted, but not forgotten

By Victor Dominguez and Leslie Johnson LA Downtown News Guest Columnists ecently, we learned that our efforts to ensure the best possible count of our community members in the 2020 census fell short.

The undercounts in high-poverty neighborhoods like South Los Angeles, Northeast Los Angeles and Unincorporated East Los Angeles have left us with no other option than to mobilize our communities to ensure that their political voices do not get silenced.

To do that, Community Coalition (CoCo) convened the People’s Bloc, an alliance consisting of 34 organizations across Los Angeles County that serve diverse communities of Latinx, API and Black residents.

The purpose of the People’s Bloc is to ensure that the principles of solidarity and racial equity guide the redistricting process, resulting in increased power and representation for Black, brown and Indigenous communities. The YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles stands in solidarity with CoCo and the People’s Bloc to ensure that community members are heard in this redistricting cycle.

From the local to the federal level, playing a role in the redistricting process is critical to preserving the social and economic gains made in the last few years.

Most important for our communities is having fair representation and true advo-

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cates on the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education. The massive census undercount inherently impacts the redistricting process and the ability to draw boundaries for LAUSD as equally as possible so that communities have access to political representation on the board as well as equity in funding for our highest-needs schools.

Access to well-resourced, free public schools and accountability of board members to represent our educational needs and opportunities is vital to the success of our children and the social and economic well-being of any community.

Professor Paul Ong, a research professor at UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs, and Jonathan Ong, of Ong and Associates, a public-interest consulting firm, shared their findings after combing through 2020 census data.

They concluded that drawing lines with the apparent abnormal deviations in population counts would have dire consequences. Professor Ong was quoted in the Long Beach Post as saying, “Essentially what (the undercount) means is that those who were left out of the census will be robbed of their political voice.”

The tremendous undercount in the Latino and African American communities means that we must continue to mobilize past the initial public hearings. We are working to educate our communities to use the new mapping tools available to

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Covered California CONSIDER THIS will help

It’s time for new standards

By Ellen Snortland LA Downtown News Columnist an we move on, please? Over the years, I’ve written thousands of words about reproductive rights in this barely modern country of ours.

Ireland and Mexico are now more progressive than we are when it comes to abortion.

This week, I’m not devoting another column to the most basic human right

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of all: bodily autonomy. However, before I get into the meat of my main topic, last week I promised specifics about upcoming protests centered on preserving Roe v. Wade. They are happening on Saturday, Oct. 2, two days before the Supreme Court goes back into session.

If you are in the San Gabriel Valley, RSVP at https://bit.ly/pasadenacaravan; everywhere else, go to womensmarch.

them, in order for them to draw and share their own maps that will help make sure their political voices are not stolen. While Latinos are still the majority minority of the school district and African Americans are the true minority, we stand unified to highlight communities of interest so that they are not divided during the redistricting process.

Our families understand that a lot can change in 10 years. Historically, that has meant decade upon decade of disinvestment and a loss of services and opportunities for our neighborhoods We are working hard to make sure that parents know their rights to engage in this once in a decade moment in order to make sure that they are represented fairly and that better opportunities and resources will be within reach for their children.

About the authors Dominguez is the executive vice president and chief mission advancement of-

ficer for the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles (Metro LA). Prior to working for the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, Dominguez was the executive director for the YMCA of greater Long Beach.

The YMCA of metro LA has been making a positive impact for nearly 140 years.

Its 26 branches stretch across over 100 miles of Los Angeles County, from the Antelope Valley to San Pedro, and serve more than 500,000 members.

Johnson is the interim president and chief executive officer of Community Coalition, a nonprofit organization based in South Los Angeles that empowers residents to transform their communities, improve education and reimagine public safety. Since joining Community Coalition in 2007, Johnson has coordinated fundraising strategies that have helped the organization raise more than $100 million in funding from government, foundations, corporations and individual donors.

Pre-Final Map Public Input Hearings 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 4 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 6 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 9 Zoom: bit.ly/redistrictlausd Telephone: 1-669-254-5252 Meeting ID: 161 077 4991

com and find the one closest to you.

Let’s get out there and create a colossal turnout that blows the media away and breaks the internet. A visceral reminder that most Americans believe a woman’s right to determine what happens with her own body is fundamental.

And now for something completely different. Here’s a radical proposal: Women should set the design standards for industries that ignore them and instead base everything on men’s needs.

To wit: I was in a dark, multilevel parking lot in DTLA that had an automated parking machine for entry and exit.

I rolled down the window, and lo and behold, I couldn’t reach the slot to push in my parking ticket or my payment. I backed up my Prius, angled back in as close as possible and still couldn’t reach the slot.

The cars behind me started honking because they were as impatient to

leave as I was. The car horns echoed off the structure’s cement surfaces, jangling me further. Let’s face it: I’m not the coolest ice cube in the tray, even under calm circumstances. I finally had to get out of my car so I could reach the slot. Voilá! My victory was short-lived: By the time I got back in my car and re-buckled up, the exit arm had gone up and back down again. I now couldn’t get out, even though I had paid.

Because taller people tend to have longer arms (i.e., males), the designers of this automated parking machine obviously didn’t take people with shorter arms (i.e., females) into account. If they’d used a shorter-armed woman as their design standard… you see the common sense of it, right? Whoever designed this gender-unconscious machine did not take any of this into account.

Oh, here’s another Oldie But Baddy. The only car I owned that ever had

SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

enough room for my purse was my beloved Royal Blue 1959 El Camino. It had a column shift and bench seats, so no extraneous automobile real estate was taking up valuable floor space.

Over several decades, car designers have chipped away at this aspect of interior auto design, starting with ditching bench seats for bucket seats. The people who designed my Prius — and every other car I’ve driven since the early ’70s — apparently didn’t consider female drivers because there is no room for my purse except to crowd the floor of the passenger seat with whatever I am carrying. And if you’re thinking, “Why doesn’t she simply put it in the back seat?” I say, “Why don’t you zip it! Like I never thought of that?” Why don’t car designers have women do “real-world” testing of their vehicles, including whatever they need to access quickly during whatever phase of life they’re in? Just because most men don’t carry purses doesn’t mean auto designers can blithely ignore the needs of one-half of the planet. So. Annoying.

And here’s one that truly ticks me off.

When I’m in the bathroom at places like an airport or a Costco, they now have toilets featuring water-efficient automatic flush systems. You know, the ones that use “movement sensors.” Water efficient, my wet butt! As soon as

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I move, it flushes. Forget that I’m not ready. Flush mechanism designers need to go into a stall with women’s clothing on — or better yet, hire real live women — and see how much longer it takes for a woman to manage her clothing, whether it’s a pair of trousers, a dress or whatever. Do a contest between a man simply unzipping and a woman in post-elimination mode and time it. These things are designed with Mr. Average Guy Everyman in mind, not a busy mom juggling a toddler, her purse and her clothes. Said mommy often ends up causing four auto-flushes with her circus act.

I have a growing collection of these design gaffes. Shocking, I know. Email me if you have any that you’d like to share if I put together an anthology of design flaws that favor men.

Here’s one more plug for the march on Saturday, Oct. 2, which is happening all over the Unites States. Please attend!

And bring the boys: husbands, brothers, sons, nephews. We need more men to break their silence and stand in solidarity with us. Hey guys — I double-dogdare you! You are conspicuous in your absence.

Ellen Snortland has written commentary for decades. She also teaches creative writing and can be reached at ellen@ authorbitebybite.com.

DUFFY’S OPINION

Hey you! Speak up!

Downtown News wants to hear from people in the community. If you like or dislike a story, let us know, or weigh in on something you feel is important to the community.

Participation is easy. Go to downtownnews.com, scroll to the bottom of the page and click the “Letter to the Editor” link. For guest opinion proposals, please email christina@timespublications.com.

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Covered ARTS & California CULTUREwill help

The Los Angeles Ballet performs “The Nutcracker” featuring Principal Ballerina Petra Conti this season.

Photo courtesy of Reed Hutchinson for Los Angeles Ballet

Performing arts dances back to the stage

By Bridgette M. Redman LA Downtown News Contributing Writer lanning for a performing arts season has become more complicated and challenging.

Typically, by this time of year, not only have seasons been announced, but they are often well underway. In 2021, that’s not the case.

Some organizations have unveiled their seasons, while others may be a bit gun-shy after more than a year and a half of having to cancel in-person shows.

As of late September, the LA Philharmonic has the most ambitious season,

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with other organizations planning to present holiday classics such as “The Nutcracker,” Handel’s “Messiah,” and “A Christmas Carol.” The Mark Taper will offer “Slave Play” but hasn’t set dates.

Meanwhile, the East West Players, the Robey Theatre Company, ArtsUp LA and the Playwright’s Arena have yet to announce their seasons. The LA Dance Project performed “Romeo and Juliet” earlier this month and hasn’t released what’s next.

With each performance space, check ahead for COVID-19 precautions. Most require masks and many require proof of vaccination.

Ahmanson Theatre 135 N. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles 213-628-2772, centertheatregroup.org One of the four main resident organizations that make up the Music Center, Ahmanson Theatre will start its live season with a holiday classic before picking up speed next year with big-name shows. It is continuing its digital season.

It plans to wow its crowds from Nov. 30 to Jan. 1 with an immersive version of “A Christmas Carol,” which features Tony winners Jack Thorne as playwright (“Harry Potter and the Cursed

Child”) and Matthew Warchus as director (“Matilda”). It stars three-time Emmy winner Bradley Whitford (“The Handmaid’s Tale,” “The West Wing,” “Get Out,” “The Post”). It includes 12 Christmas carols.

LA Opera 135 N. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles 213-972-8001, laopera.org The nation’s fourth-largest opera company, LA Opera has a no-holds-barred season bringing epic and new takes on classic operas to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

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It presents the new-to-LA production of “Il Trovatore,” in which two brothers fight on opposite sides of a war and try to win the love of the same woman. It is a classic tale of revenge, passion and fatal mistakes.

Next up is “Tannhauser,” a Wagnerian tale of a hero who escapes the erotic entrapment of the goddess of love so that he can try to gain the love of a moral woman. “Tannhauser” is sung by Issachah Savage in the opera that runs from Oct. 16 to Nov. 6.

Closing 2021 is a comedy based on a story known to all but a version that is new to Los Angeles. “Cinderella/La Cenerentola” is a spin on Rossini’s fairy tale.

It features Serena Malfi and Levy Sekgapane as Cinderella and her prince, respectively. Rossini master Alessandro Corbelli is the stepfather who tries to take away Cinderella’s happy ending.

Casa 0101 aims to bring art and live theater programs to Boyle Heights.

Their fall shows have intense LGBTQ+ themes. Running from Oct. 22 to Nov. 7, “The Nun and the Countess” follows the story of Mexican nun Sor Juana, considered the first feminist of the New World.

She wooed a countess with her poetry.

The next show in the season has a heavy Los Angeles theme, with 1990s music from the legendary Arena Nightclub. “Arena: A House MUSIC-al” hits the stage from Nov. 26 to Dec. 19. It shows the explosive revelation of a church music minister whose parents are the pastors of the church. The revelation?

He’s having a gay relationship with the church’s guitarist.

Casa 0101 Theater 2102 E. First Street, Los Angeles 323-263-7684, casa0101.org

This internationally renowned orchestra, led by Gustavo Dudamel, has weekly shows ranging from classics to festivals to recitals. They perform in the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Founded in 2000 by Josefina Lopez, the author of “Real Women Have Curves,”

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LA Philharmonic 111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles 323-850-2000, laphil.com

Los Angeles Master Chorale will perform four holiday concerts starting at the end of November and continue until mid-December.

Submitted photo

Three-time Emmy winner Bradley Whitford will star in Ahmanson Theatre’s production of “A Christmas Carol,” running from Nov. 30 to Jan. 1.

Photo courtesy of Ahmanson Theatre

A selection of concerts: • Dudamel conducts Strauss, Oct. 14 to Oct. 17.

• Cameron Carpenter, Oct. 17.

• Mahler, Montgomery and Mackey, Oct. 21 to Oct. 24.

• Tchaikovsky and Saariaho with Malkki, Oct. 29 to Oct. 31.

• Halloween, Organ, Film and Music, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Oct. 31.

• Reich, Adams and Rachmaninoff, Nov. 6 to Nov. 7.

• Mozart and Ravel, Nov. 12 to Nov. 14.

• Reel Change, Nov. 19 to Nov. 21.

• Brahms and Korngold, Nov. 26 and Nov. 28.

• Flamenco, Nov. 27.

• Beethoven and Julia Adolphe, Dec. 3 to Dec. 5.

• Home Alone in Concert, Dec. 11 to Dec. 12.

• A Chanticleer Christmas, Dec. 14.

• CeCe Winans, the Kingdom Choir, Dec. 17.

• Holiday singalong, Dec. 18.

• Arturo Sandoval Big Band Swinging Holiday, Dec. 21.

• The Doo Wop Project, Dec. 22.

The Colburn School 200 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles 213-621-2200, colburnschool.edu Nestled in DTLA’s cultural corridor, the Colburn School is a performing arts school that hosts orchestra, chamber music, vocal performance and dance recitals.

Colburn Orchestra • Yehuda Gilad conducts Mendelssohn, Oct. 16.

• Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts Bruckner, Nov. 13.

• Concerto Forum, Dec. 5.

Colburn Chamber Music Society • Demarre McGill, flute, Oct. 3.

• Geraldine Walther, viola, Oct. 24.

• Marc Coppey, cello, Nov. 21.

Los Angeles Master Chorale 111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles 213-972-7282, lamasterchorale.org A founding resident company of the Music Center and a choir-in-residence at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Los AngeCONTINUED ON PAGE 14

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PERFORMING ARTS DANCES BACK TO THE STAGE, 13 les Master Chorale committed to scheduling at least 50 of each future season to works by composers from groups that have been historically excluded in classical music.

They opened in late September with a work called “Invitation.” They then pause until the end of November, where they will launch their holiday concerts: • Rachmaninoff’s “All-Night Vigil,” Nov. 20 to Nov. 21.

• “Festival of Carols,” Dec. 4 and Dec. 11.

• Handel’s “Messiah,” Dec. 19.

• 40th annual “Messiah: singalong, Dec. 20.

LA Ballet 11755 Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles 310-477-7411, losangelesballet.org Under the direction of Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary, LA Ballet is a resident, professional dance company that focuses on the Balanchine repertory and other classical ballet. “The Nutcracker,” which runs from Dec. 4 to Dec. 26, is a holiday tradition set in 1912 Los Angeles and is filled with the flavor of Southern California. It begins in November with a “Nutcracker” tour and then

hits theaters across Southern California.

The Microsoft Theater 777 Chick Hearn Court, Los Angeles 213-763-6020, microsofttheater.com Home to a wide array of award shows, Microsoft Theater hosts more than 120 events each year. Some of the biggest names in entertainment perform on its stages, with more than 500,000 guests passing through each year.

Highlights performing in the 7,100seat theater this fall include: • Judas Priest: 50 Heavy Metal Years, Oct. 6.

• Hasan Minhaj, Oct. 15 to Oct. 16.

• In Real Life Comedy Tour, Oct. 22.

• Final Fantasy VII Remake Orchestra World Tour, Oct. 23.

• Carin Leon, Nov. 5.

• The Go-Go’s, Dec. 29.

Staples Center 1111 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles 1-888-929-7849, staplescenter.com Home to four professional sports teams, the Staples Center hosts high-profile events and performances throughout the year. In between the fall

ACM Award winner Tenille Townes will discuss her debut album, “The Lemonade Stand,” and perform at the Grammy Museum on Monday, Oct. 11, at 7:30 p.m.

Photo by John Shearer

basketball games, fans can catch one of these concerts: • Kane Brown, Oct. 2.

• Luke Bryan, Oct. 8.

• Pepe Aguilar, Oct. 17 and Nov. 6.

• Enrique Iglesias & Ricky Martin, Nov. 18 and Nov. 19.

• “Disney on Ice Presents Dream Big,” Dec. 16 to Dec. 19.

The Fonda Theatre 6126 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles 323-464-6269, fondatheatre.com

LA Opera will close 2021 with “Cinderlla/La Cenerentola,” featuring Serena Malfi as the lead and Levy Sekgapane as her prince.

Photo courtesy of LA Opera

The tours have returned to the historic Fonda Theatre, built in the 1920s.

Hosting a variety of acts, the theater has an exciting schedule of shows for the next three months: • The Front Bottoms with Oso Oso & Sydney Sprague, Oct. 3.

• Princess Nokia, Oct. 6.

• Black Midi with Slauson Malone 1 and Patti Harrison, Oct. 7.

• Tennis, Oct. 11 and Oct. 12.

• Badflower with Teenage Wrist & Dead Poet Society, Oct. 16.

• Candlebox with the Dead Deads and Whole Damn Mess, Oct. 24.

• Soccer Mommy with Emily Reo, Oct. 28.

• Idles with Lithics, Nov. 3 to Nov. 5.

• The Black Angels with LA Witch, Nov. 15.

• The Aces, Nov. 18 and Nov. 19.

• Beabadoobee with Christian Leave and • Blackstarkids, Nov. 21 and Nov. 22.

• Beach Bunny with Miloe & Derek Ted, Dec. 9.

• The Garden, Dec. 13 and Dec. 14.

Grammy Museum 888 S. Figueroa Street, Suite 600, Los Angeles grammymuseum.org Recently reopened, the Grammy Museum shares with the public some of the coolest events, including intimate conversations with musicians and other entertainers. This fall is no different.

• A Conversation with Danny Elfman, Sept. 28 (sold out).

• The Drop: The Marías, Sept. 29 (sold out).

• An Evening with Lang Lang, Oct. 6.

• “Reel to Reel: Show Me the Picture: The Story of Jim Marshall,” Oct. 7.

• Spotlight: Tenille Townes, Oct. 11.

• “All Things Must Pass Away: Harrison, Clapton and Other Assorted Love Songs with Kenneth Womack and Jason Kruppa,” Oct. 18.

• “The O.N. Klub & Birth of the LA Ska Boom,” Oct. 23

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SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

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Covered ARTS & California CULTUREwill help

Arrested Youth’s Ian Johnson is an ‘indie hipster at heart’

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski LA Downtown News Executive Editor usician Ian Johnson did not let his brain go to mush during the COVID-19 pandemic, nor did he wallow in his sorrows about not being able to tour.

He took a proactive approach, writing a song a day.

“I focused on my craft,” said Johnson, who records under the moniker Arrested Youth. “I built on the dream that I started three years ago. I had a few setbacks and struggled. I’d like to think I kept my energy and movement looking forward.”

Now that the entertainment industry has resumed performances, Johnson took advantage of it. He said he was one of the first bands on the road. His upcoming shows include gigs opening for Twenty One Pilots on Wednesday, Sept. 29, at The Wiltern, Thursday, Sept. 30, at The Greek and Saturday, Oct. 2, at The Forum.

“We’re in a pocket, keeping things very safe,” he said. “We have good preventative

measures. I feel lucky. I feel like we’re in a small group of artists getting to move forward.”

Johnson and Arrested Youth recently released his first studio LP, “Nonfiction,” on Lowly/Big Noise. The album was produced in LA by Goldfinger’s John Feldmann and sees Johnson at his most vulnerable, offering fans a glimpse into his recent struggles and triumphs — tackling everything from mental health to relationships. Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus is on the focal single “Find My Own Way,” a coming-of-stage story that sees Johnson grapple with understanding his motives.

He’s known for his uplifting music, however, as a direct reaction to the “darkness in the world.”

One focus is the importance of engaging his fanbase. Johnson wrote and released a collaborative EP with his fans during quarantine.

Writing music throughout the pandemic challenged Johnson to think more positively about life itself.

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a Advertising is Keep Great Way to rs Your Custome Informed The Los Angeles Downtown News publishes a wide array of special sections and quarterlies throughout the year on topics like Health, Education, Nightlife and Residential Living.

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Johnson has seven tattoos — all of which reflect important moments in his career — and recently woke up considering another.

“I haven’t gotten a tattoo in two years,” he said. “I want to commemorate this new cycle of music. When I was starting music, I got a couple tattoos on my right arm, that is. I got them while I was thinking about starting Arrested Youth to remind myself if I didn’t go for

it and try it, I would always have to reflect on that. I made it super symbolic.”

To keep his mind and body healthy, he runs 8 miles a day, as he “loves to run.”

“I love to explore the town we’re in,” he said. “I also love coffee. We all like a good beer, and we’re checking out cool breweries. I do all the things that you would expect from hipster musicians. I’m an industry artist, but an indie hipster at heart.”

Twenty One Pilots w/Arrested Youth WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29 WHERE: The Wiltern, 2790 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles COST: Sold out WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 30 WHERE: Greek Theatre, 2700 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles COST: Sold out WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29 WHERE: The Wiltern, 2790 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles COST: Sold out WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2 WHERE: The Forum, 2900 W. Manchester, Inglewood COST: Tickets start at $59.50 INFO: ticketmaster.com

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Covered COVERCalifornia STORY will help

Pop star Taylor Upsahl is no ‘lunatic’

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski LA Downtown News Executive Editor aylor Upsahl is living her best life.

She lent her pen to a variety of future hits, like Dua Lipa’s Grammy Award-winning “Good in Bed” and “Happy Endings” with Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park and Iann Dior, which went Top 10 at alt radio.

In addition, Upsahl covered Dominic Fike’s “3 Nights” for Amazon’s “Original” series that’s featured on Amazon Music.

Now, she’s preparing to release her full-length debut album, “Lady Jesus,” on Oct. 8. She’s celebrating with a 9 p.m. livestream celebration from Pico Union Project. The all-encompassing evening will feature Upsahl and her three-piece band performing “Lady Jesus” in its entirety. Fans can tune into the livestream on her YouTube channel, https://bit.ly/ UpsahlLivestreamLADN. “We’re doing it at this old church,” she said. “The album is called ‘Lady Jesus,’ so it’s only right to throw an album release party in a church.

“I thought there wasn’t a way for this to happen — having a bar in a church and put on a punk show. But Pico Union Project is a nonprofit. They do a lot for the Downtown community. It’s also a venue.”

Her latest single is “Lunatic,” a pop-driven anthem that channels her anger about an ex.

“I try to always write from personal experience,” she said.

“The day we wrote ‘Lunatic,’ I saw something online. I didn’t want to see it. I almost canceled the session. I wanted to lie in bed and be angry at the world.

“Instead, I stormed into the studio with tears running down my face. I said, ‘We’re writing a banger today. I want to scream in the vocal booth.’ We finished writing the song in an hour.

My whole day was turned around. The day started with me crying in the car to the session. It’s the perfect example of how music or writing a song can fully turn the day around.”

The song is a reaction to seeing her ex, whom she did not identify, on social media. They broke up in the beginning of the quarantine. “Lady Jesus” travels with Upsahl on her journey from the breakup (“Douchebag”) to her personal rebirth (“Lady Jesus”). “‘Lunatic’ is very early on in the healing process for me,” she said.

The writing of “Lady Jesus” was cathartic to Upsahl, a Phoenix native who lives in LA. “I would have no other way to get my feelings out otherwise,” Upsahl said. “It’s very much autobiographical. Whatever I was going through I would write about in a song.

“I think I just got over being sad. It was way too long. ‘Lady Jesus’ was a clarity moment. It was such a therapeutic, vulnerable process.”

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Taylor Upsahl will release her full-length album “Lady Jesus” on Oct. 8, celebrating with a livestream performance at 9 p.m. from Pico Union Project.

Photo courtesy of Kohl Murdock and Aubree Estrella

SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

DOWNTOWN NEWS 17

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

The LAGRANT Foundation (TLF) is hiring!

TLF is looking to fill the following roles at its Downtown L.A. office: • Programs & Outreach Associate • Senior Programs & Outreach Associate • Programs & Outreach Manager $1,500 - $2,500 Sign On Bonus!

For more information and to apply, please contact: Mr. Kim L. Hunter, Chairman & CEO Email: kimhunter@lagrant.com Phone: 323-469-8680 Ext. 225

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Our Mission: The LAGRANT Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to increase the number of ethnic minorities in the fields of advertising, marketing and public relations by providing scholarships, career & professional development workshops, mentors and internships to African American/Black, Alaska Native/Native American, Asian American/ Pacific Islander and Hispanic/Latino undergraduate and graduate students.

Our goal is to open the proverbial “door” for minorities by providing the necessary resources and tools not commonly available to many minorities entering the fields of advertising, marketing and public relations.

Learn more about The LAGRANT Foundation at www.lagrantfoundation.org

18 DOWNTOWN NEWS

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TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

Covered ARTS & California CULTUREwill help

DJ Minx brings her ‘high-tech soul’ to DTLA

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski LA Downtown News Executive Editor J Minx is skilled at sharing stories through her mixes and music.

But when she decided it was time to come out during Pride month, she was at a loss.

“I knew it was more accepting these days,” said DJ Minx, born Jennifer Witcher. “I didn’t know how to go about speaking on it. I was so concerned about what other people thought.”

In the end, she didn’t have to worry. Fans and others had her back. She was one of the faces of Spotify’s U.S. pride campaign, which included her immortalization on a mural and curating a Pride Detroit playlist.

“I felt embarrassed,” she said about coming out. “Then, I got a message from Spotify asking if I would be a part of this project, putting a mural on an LGBTQ center. I couldn’t figure out why they would ask me to do this.

“I had always been so secretive. I mentioned it to my agent and said, ‘They must know something.’”

She revealed her preference via social media posts on June 2. She called it “very, very, very, very stressful.”

“It turned out pretty awesome,” she said. “All the support was huge and people were calling me and crying to me, telling me how they felt and how emotional I must have felt about it. Some were even saying, ‘You helped me come out. I’m glad you finally said something.’ I started getting a bunch of other gigs. It blew up. The weight of the world was off of me at that point.”

Among her gigs is Secret Project Presents: One Project Los Angeles on Oct. 2 and Oct. 3 at 516 S. Anderson Street. She’ll perform with Ash Lauryn, Ben Böhmer Live, Carlita, Corey Sizemore b2b Richie Panic, Denis Sulta, DJ Tennis, FJAAK (DJ Set), Floorplan, Krystal Klear, Maceo Plex, Nina Kraviz, Stacy Christine and SURROUND (Heidi Lawden, Jeniluv, Masha Mar).

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DJ Minx was named one of the “20 Women Who Shaped the History of Dance Music” by Mixmag and one of the “Best house music DJs of all time,” by TimeOut New York.

Photo by Camera Jesus

Inspired to spin DJ Minx was inspired to spin at The Music Institute in 1989, where some of Detroit’s leading dance music DJs helped to hone her skills.

For two years, she engineered and hosted “Deep Space Radio,” an electronic music show on Detroit’s WGPR radio station, and later the weekly radio program on CJAM 91.5 FM “Steamy Windows.” DJ Minx later became a resident of Motor Lounge in Hamtramck, Michigan, just outside of Detroit. In 2000, she was a featured performer at the first Detroit Electronic Music Festival, and has since become a regular fixture at Detroit’s iconic Movement Festival.

In December 1996 Minx founded Women on Wax, a collective of female DJs from the Metro Detroit area. In 2001, DJ Minx established her own record label called Women on Wax Recordings, which has become a platform for her own productions (including the 2003 classic, “A Walk In The Park”) and an outlet for local talent. The label remains active, consistently releasing new music from DJ Minx and others.

She was named one of the “20 Women Who Shaped the History of Dance Music”

by Mixmag and one of the “Best house music DJs of all time” by TimeOut New York. In 2018, she was presented with the Spirit of Detroit Award for “exceptional achievement, outstanding leadership and dedication to improving the quality of life.”

She has been prolific since Jun 2. Her song “Purse First” was created for Pride month.

It was inspired by a drag queen on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” TV show who advised to enter a room “purse first.” She is releasing even more music for the likes of tech godfathers Carl Craig and Kevin Saunderson.

“It’s about being a queen and holding your head high,” she said. “I had a lot of people supporting me because of that as well. I also did this EP called ‘Queendom’ on the He She They label.”

Saunderson and Juan Atkins prepared DJ Minx for success while working for WGPR in Detroit for four hours on Saturdays.

“They’re big brothers,” she said. “They’ve always been there for me.”

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SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

DOWNTOWN NEWS 19

Covered California will help BUSINESS

George Esquivel’s new project is in the bag

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski LA Downtown News Executive Editor spiring designers, actors and musicians head to LA with their dreams of becoming famous in their back pocket.

Designer George Esquivel fought fervently to make his dreams come true, rising above his abusive, drug dealer father to make custom shoes for Hollywood’s biggest names.

“At 19, I kicked my dad out of the house and became the head of the household,” said Esquivel, who has four siblings. “He was threatening to kill my mom. We had restraining orders against him. He passed away six or seven years ago, and we take care of my mom. She’s always telling us how proud she is always telling us how proud she is of us. She sees what we could have turned out to be, but she taught us the right of life.”

Esquivel’s resilience led him to his successful career making custom shoes for the likes of Brad Pitt, Madonna, LeBron James, Emma Stone and Janelle Monae.

Recently, he opened an atelier in DTLA’s Historical Arts District called Esquivel House and designed the Aerrem bag, and everyday tote with an environmental mission.

Aerrem is customizable with an array of colors and reclaimed leather strap. It is the first tote specially designed to carry two refillable bottles or tumblers, allowing people to refuse single-use plastics while away from home.

“The Aerrem bag can help save the average person 720 plastic bottles, 250 coffee cups and 684 pounds of carbon dioxide,” he said.

Esquivel created the bag for Paul Kradin and Steve Bauerfeind.

“I loved how they said, ‘This is what we want the bag to look like,’” Esquivel said.

“It was in development for about a year. The guys are great. You come across people who aren’t genuine, and say, ‘This is a great idea. We can make a ton of money.’

“This is going to do good.”

The journey to the Aerrem bag and Esquivel’s successful business was a rocky one. He attended 13 schools in LA and Orange County as a child. His father went to jail, the family lived in motels and “a shack.”

The summer before his sophomore year, Esquivel’s father was jailed for murder.

“When he left us, things were really good,” he said. “We tried leaving him, but he’d threaten to kill my mom. When he was finally incarcerated, we started thriving.

“My mother would tell me, ‘Don’t be like your dad.’”

Initially, he thought his father could have anything he wanted instead of understanding that he was a thief. Esquivel’s mother told him thieves have everything taken away when they are jailed. “‘When you work for something, it’s yours,’” he recalled his mother saying. “‘Nobody’s going to take it from you.’ That’s when I realized, this is the secret. I understand you have to work hard and that’s my strongest suit. I’m blessed I love what I do. It’s not hard to work hard when you love what you do.”

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George Esquivel’s resilience led him to a successful career making custom shows for the likes of Brad Pitt, Madonna, Lebron James, Emma Stone and Janelle Monae.

Photo courtesy of George Esquivel

Aerrem is the first tote specifically desgned to carry two refillable bottles or tumblers allowing people to refuse single-use plastics while away from home.

Photo courtesy of George Esquivel

Esquivel House By appointment only esquivelshoes.com The Aerrem bag can help save the avaerage person 20 plastic bottles, 250 coffee cups and 684 pounds of carbon dioxide according to creator George Esquivel.

Photo courtesy of George Esquivel

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20 DOWNTOWN NEWS

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

Covered California will help BUSINESS

Kika Keith is the first Black woman to own a dispensary in LA. Her brand is Gorilla Rx Wellness.

Photo courtesy of Kika Keith

Kika Keith: Gorilla Rx is creating a legacy

By Andres de Ocampo LA Downtown News Staff Writer orilla Rx Wellness is a cannabis-lover’s dream with bright, color-coordinated hues of orange, yellow, green and blue that stimulate the eyes.

Staff calls it an “adult candy shop,” which speaks to the bright atmosphere and open floorplan.

Gorilla Rx Wellness owner Kika Keith said she attributes the store’s personality to its community feel.

“I opened Gorilla Rx with the community,” she said about the store that opened its doors in February.

“I call this, ‘the building that the people built,’ because the community contributed to making sure this place opened. That’s the joy and elation you feel when you come in here.”

While shopping and viewing the wide variety of cannabis products, it isn’t uncommon to speak with a someone who lives in the Leimert community or one of Keith’s family members, who staff the store.

“I didn’t have to do any recruiting for my employees, they all come from the community,” she said. “All of my family has gone through my businesses with me. Some of them are now part of the top management team.”

Gorilla Rx is the first Black woman-owned dispensary in Los Angeles and it has grown substantially. The dispensary went viral on social media, leading to customers from Leimert and beyond.

Keith has three daughters, who inspired her entrepreneurial spirit and motivated her to

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become a role model. She hopes Gorilla Rx continues to manufacture brand products. Going forward, she hopes to offer delivery.

‘Long, hard road’ The road to Gorilla Rx was a “long, hard road.” Keith’s business is a part of the city of Los Angeles’ Social Equity Program that serves as a way, “to promote equitable ownership and employment opportunities in the cannabis industry in order to decrease disparities in life outcomes for marginalized communities, and to address the disproportionate impacts of the war on drugs in those communities,” according to the Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) website.

The DCR was created to administer cannabis-related business licensing and regulation after the passing of Measure M in 2017, which gave authority to LA City Council and the mayor to regulate cannabis activity in Los Angeles County. DCR also oversees and implements the Social Equity Program.

In 2019, the DCR announced that a first-round of social equity applicants would be able to receive priority processing for 100 commercial cannabis licenses on a first-come, firstserve basis. The DCR, city of Los Angeles and Cat Packer, executive director of the DCR, were criticized about the social equity application process.

The slow rollout of processing social equity applications left many in a financially compromising situation, as they tried to maintain rent on properties required to qualify for a license. Criteria of being a social equity applicant are having a cannabis-related California conviction or arrest, being low-income, as defined by the DCR, and living in a dispropor-

SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

DOWNTOWN NEWS 21

Gorilla Rx Wellness is inviting, with its bright, color-coordinated hues of orange, yellow, green and blue that stimulate the eyes.

Photo courtesy of Kika Keith

tionately impacted area during the war on drugs.

Keith felt the shortcomings of the Social Equity Program. She saw flaws in the program from the beginning and advocated for herself and other social equity entrepreneurs.

“This was a historic moment,” she said. “There was no other time, from the time of slavery, that we were able to be a part of an industry. I would be damned if I would be a part of sitting back and watching it happen.”

Community and social equity applicant advocacy, organizing and activism became a part of Keith’s motivation. From that, Keith joined other social equity applicants in starting a grassroots organization called Life Development Group (LDG) and Social Equity Owner and Worker Association (SEOWA), a union comprised and organized by social equity applicants.

“As I was learning the regulations, (regarding the Social Equity Program), we would create notes, roundtables and workshops in the community and share this information,” she said. “We were helping people get verified (for the Social Equity Program) in this very building, when all of the walls were white. I had to pay $12,000 in rent in an empty building and we decided to make this our classroom.”

Keith initially entered the cannabis industry to provide for her children and family and create a community reinvestment plan by creating jobs and sales from Gorilla Rx. But, she said, that if she showed fight and conviction in helping other social equity applicants get their licenses, then maybe they would do the same for others.

“That’s when you start talking about cooperative economics and that’s real justice,” she said.

“That’s where this cannabis industry should be so effective on repairing the damage (from the war of drugs). I’ve spent 90% of my hours fighting for this, not just my business, but to make sure that there are droves of us that cross the finish line along with me.”

A training center for social equity applicants is being built next door to the Gorilla Rx dispensary as a part of the Life Development Group. The objective is to help educate social equity applicants on policies and navigating the Social Equity Program.

Keith is the first social equity applicant to open her commercial cannabis business from a settlement reached by SEOWA and the city of LA. A condition of the settlement allowed for an extra 100 social equity applicants, on top of the initial 100 applicants, the ability to obtain a commercial cannabis license, effectively allowing to open their doors for business.

“I pushed so hard to be the first (from the settlement),” she said. “Not to have accolades of being the first, but I did it so that I could be modeled for other social equity applicants that are facing predatory investments or deals.”

Keith hopes to inspire other social equity applicants and those pursuing entrepreneurial ventures who were disproportionately affected by the war on drugs to seek “legacy.”

“Legacy isn’t in (Gorilla Rx’s) doors; legacy is in the brand and all of the things that I can create,” Keith said. “Other stores, other products, that is where you have generational wealth. It is not to open your dispensary doors and take these deals from investors and multistate operators who want to build their brand and their equity.”

Keith said being the first Black woman to own a cannabis dispensary is important.

“Inclusivity is imperative in this compliant industry because that’s what the cannabis industry was,” she said.

“Cannabis was an inclusive commodity and a market built off Black and brown trade then it became demonized by the American government. Then suddenly, the government locked up all of the people who were bringing the joy and healing into the market and they destroyed communities and families because of it. Then, it became and industry.”

A draft Senate bill titled, Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, was introduced in July by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sens. Cory Booker and Ron Wyden to remove federal penalties on cannabis, expunge prior federal cannabis convictions, give authority to states to decide if and how to legalize cannabis, etc.

The 163-page draft bill is still in its early days, however, Keith referenced the bill and the war on drugs, saying people of color, especially Black residents of disproportionately affected ZIP codes, should see some justice and reparations.

“We all know the history and the damage that the (war on drugs) has caused, which was deliberately inflicted by the government,” she said.

As the government is trying to legalize cannabis and collect the taxes, they have an obligation to social justice and investing the money back to repairing the affected communities and their infrastructure, like schools, streets, internet access and public transit… Equally, we have to close the economic wealth gap, which comes from the hiring opportunities and licensing opportunities (apart of legalizing cannabis).”

Keith hopes that with Gorilla Rx’s growth, customers and residents of LA will become more familiar with stories like hers and other social equity entrepreneurs who are advocating for more than legalization of cannabis.

“This has been our fight. (Customers and residents of LA) are learning our stories and they will become our grassroots lobbyists,” Keith said.

“Once the city starts to rally behind us, that’s when you will see inclusivity in the cannabis industry thrive.”

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22 DOWNTOWN NEWS

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

Covered DINING California will help

Pearl River Deli: Johnny Lee’s Chinatown conquest

By Frier McCollister LA Downtown News Contributing Writer hen Pearl River Deli popped up in Chinatown’s Far East Plaza in February of last year, it represented a culmination of a journey for chef Johnny Lee. Lee had been quietly working in the background of LA’s madly percolating avant-dining scene for several years. He consulted with the group behind Side Chick, the Hainan chicken rice specialists in Arcadia. Lee was also chef-de-cuisine for Alvin Cailan, when Eggslut moved into Grand Central Market.

Lee’s first independent venture — Pearl River Deli — quickly assumed a place of prominence in Far East Plaza. Sharing the wide spotlight there with other Downtown culinary stars, including Howlin’ Ray’s, Cailan’s Amboy Quality Meats & Delicious Burgers and Lasita, Lee’s Pearl River Deli was a perfect fit.

Lee spent his early years in Lincoln Heights and Highland Park. His uncles and other family members worked in Chinatown and San Gabriel Valley restaurants, but they weren’t the owners. Lee graduated from UC Riverside with a degree in business administration in 2008, in the depths of the economic downturn.

“I graduated at a pretty terrible time, when the housing crash happened,” Lee said.

“I ended up working for a family friend who had opened a restaurant, in of all places, the state of Colorado. It lasted less than a year, but I really enjoyed working in hospitality.

I decided to come back to LA and pursue the cooking side of it.”

Pearl River Deli began as a pop-up in its space at Far East Plaza. Opening in anticipation of Chinese New Year, just weeks before the onset of the pandemic, Lee credits Far East’s landlord and property manager George Yu for supporting the fledgling operation and for helping to revitalize Chinatown.

“He’s been keeping Chinatown alive,” Lee said.

“George offers resources and help and support. He helps to navigate the legacy businesses there to stay relevant, stay alive. I spent a lot of my youth in Chinatown. My parents and I noticed everybody left for the SGV. It took resources and community out of Chinatown. There hasn’t been much reinvestment from the community itself.”

Yu maintained flexible terms with Lee as the business launched.

“We popped up around the end of February,” Lee said. “We went month to month. We didn’t know how it was going to play out. Once we figured out the pandemic, we had a little more confidence to sign a lease.”

Apparently, the strategy works. Lee and his colleagues at Far East Plaza all appear to be thriving.

Pearl River Deli’s Cantonese-centric menu is sparse but thorough in its attention to classic plates. Lee’s irresistibly succulent char-siu barbecue preparation opens the show with the char siu neck plate ($12) served with steamed vegetables — typically yu choy (Chinese broccoli) — and a choice of rice or noodles.

If pork isn’t the plan, the soy sauce chicken plate ($12) features chicken thighs prepared in classic Cantonese fashion with a seasoned soy sauce braise and is served with vegetables and rice or noodles.

The two-item combo plate ($15) includes generous paired portions of the char siu pork and soy sauce chicken, served with the same choice of accompaniments.

The aptly named chow fun ($11/$14) tosses beef or mushrooms in a stir fry with wide rice noodles and can be prepared for vegans.

Wonton soup noodle ($12) combines yu choy and egg noodles with five handmade wontons stuffed with pork and shrimp. The Macau pork chop bun ($10) stands as the lone sandwich option.

The pork can also be purchased in half-pound portions ($9) to take home. Two leg and thigh portions of the soy sauce chicken are the same price. Mapo tofu ($11) prepped with either beef or mushroom is also available a la carte. A recently added offering is Hainan chicken rice ($16), which is available Saturdays and Sundays only. Given Lee’s background with Side Chick, it’s likely worth a weekend trip to the plaza.

In addition to local adulation for his food, Lee is making a reputation as a fair employ-

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Pearl River deli is Johnny Lee’s first independent venture, and it quickly assumed a place of prominence in Far East Plaza.

Photo courtesy of Pearl River Deli

SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

er, who maintains an ethical workplace.

“I’ve worked in a couple other restaurants, where there was toxic management,” Lee said.

“They were never supportive of the cooks. I’ve always been one to champion the line cooks because we’re the ones making the food. If you pay them a respectful wage, you’ll get a respectful product in the end. In this day and age, I’ve seen too many people burn out and leave the industry. I want to make sure we all have some quality of life, a work/ life balance.”

Ultimately, he acknowledged the interest and support of the Downtown scene and its vibrant community for his success.

“I just want to express that I’m very grateful that Downtown has been very supportive of us and open-minded,” said Lee, remarking on the challenge of opening a new Cantonese restaurant in Chinatown.

“Everybody comes with preconceived notions of what the food should be. We don’t do fried rice and we don’t have egg rolls. We just don’t want to do those things and we don’t have the ability to do those things, even if we wanted to. It goes to show, and it reflects the diversity of the diners in Downtown and the surrounding areas. I’ve met so many people from all walks of life and all professions. For me, it’s the most interesting group of people to see. They’re coming because they actually want to eat the food.”

Specializing in mindfully rendered and slightly elevated but accessible takes on classic Cantonese cuisine, Pearl River Deli has been so successful that Lee is looking to expand.

Lee recently said he will open a more formal sit-down restaurant on nearby Mei Ling Way, in the space previously occupied by Vivienne Ku’s popular Taiwanese breakfast popup Today Starts Here. Lee affirmed the move with a proviso.

“We will be keeping our space at Far East Plaza, as well,” he said.

As to the name and approach of the new venue, much remains to be seen.

“We haven’t decided yet,” Lee said. “Initially, we’re just going to do a couple test runs and get a feel for the space, before we decide on how we want to brand it. It’s going to be more of a dinner restaurant, a place where you can actually have people sit down and serve alcohol.”

He cited Ku’s Pine & Crane as a service model for more informal counter ordering.

“We’re probably not going to take possession of the space until sometime next month (October),” Lee said. “At the earliest, I would estimate sometime in November we’ll start doing a soft opening or limited test runs.”

The new venue’s menu will stay focused on Cantonese cuisine, but Lee hopes to take advantage of a larger kitchen and an indoor dining room.

“When we were doing our Friday dinners outside of Pearl River Deli, we realized the challenges of running that kind of menu out of that space,” Lee said.

“It feels a bit difficult because we have a very small kitchen. The outdoor (format) was not ideal for what we’re trying to do with the communal shared area that we share with other tenants. I just want a space, where I can more closely control the experience and provide an environment that is aesthetically pleasing and actually has air conditioning.

“There were certain things we avoided serving in the summer outside because nobody wants a steaming, bubbling hot clay pot in the middle of summer. Also having more space and a larger kitchen allows us to (expand the menu). It gives us more confidence to serve special items like lobster and crab.”

Pearl River Deli 727 N. Broadway, Los Angeles 626-688-9507, pearlriverdeli.com

DOWNTOWN NEWS 23

The Macau pork chop bun ($10) stands as the lone sandwich option at Pearl River Deli.

Photo courtesy of Pearl River Deli

The char siu neck plate ($12) features barbecue pork, vegetables and choice of rice or egg noodles.

Photo courtesy of Pearl River Deli

24 DOWNTOWN NEWS

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SEPTEMBER 27, 2021