The latest dish from Eater LA, Curbed's hedonistic eating and drinking blog...
WESTWOOD: We mentioned that the Hotel Palomar was slated to open this week, but Eater got to take a spin around Blvd 16, the restaurant opening in the hotel tomorrow.
WEST HOLLYWOOD: The big news in restaurant gossip this week. Just six months after bringing on Walter Manzke as executive chef for the reopening of Bastide, we find Manzke's out and some dude named Paul Shoemaker is in.
SANTA MONICA: One of the most anticipated restaurant openings is chugging along, and Alain Giraud's Anisette is scheduled to begin serving breakfast in a week or two. Eater offers us a sneak peak inside the brasserie.
The best posts usually originate in our comments. To give appreciation to our amazing (and sometimes angry) commenters we feature their broad strokes of wisdom in a tidy comment roundup.
1) Americana at Brand: The Final Push I walked through with my friend from Portland, who is not a planning/development nerd like the rest of us. The dancing fountain display was on full blast, with a throng of observers. When it was over, they erupted into applause. He turned to me increduously and said, "These people are applauding water hoses that are on timers. I'm scared. Can we leave?"
2) Neighborhood Council Dispatch: Silver Lake's Heron Debate "The herons were the first to realize that Silver Lake is sooo over."
3) Getty Goat Munch "Suggesting that goats (which you ignorantly confused with sheep, young goats are referred to as kids) should be slaughtered in such a cavalier manner bespeaks a distinct anti-goat bigotry that has no place on this website. Disgraceful. Get back to the usual thinly veiled race-baiting, and leave these speciesist comments out of the discussion."
4) Think Pink, Says Metro "By the time this subway is completed, there will be no more gays in West Hollywood anyway. The older ones are cashing out and moving to Palm Springs. The younger ones are all in Silver Lake and surrounding areas. So, Pink Line, no way."
The boneheadedness of Los Angeles has finally hit home. A preferential parking district is being proposed for our neighborhood in Bronson Canyon which would restrict parking on Canyon Drive to the homeowners of the area, wiping out parking for renters like us. And why is this happening? The blame rests squarely upon the smooth, supple shoulders of Brangelina (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, for the non-US Weekly readers). Actually, the blame rests on greedy homeowners who think they own the street and are using Brangelina as an excuse. Via FranklinVillage.org:
"After speaking with D.O.T. representative Brian Gallagher and field deputy Jullian Harris-Calvin from Councilman LaBonge's office, the residents of Canyon Drive are requesting this due to a heavy media presence (paparazzi) because of a high profile couple who own property in the area [ED:Brangelina are rumoured to own a house in the hood]. This couple is unaware of how their name is being used to further this parking plan. They are out of the country for an extended period of time at the moment and have been in another state for the last few months filming a movie."
A rep from another Council Office informed us that the Upright Citizens Brigade is also opposed to the PPD, as it will eliminate parking for area businesses along Franklin Avenue. Two meetings are being held next week where residents will have the chance to speak out against the PPD. We'll be there!
· Parking Problems [Franklin Village]
· Large Image: Read the flyer [Curbed LA]
After Katan Khaimov was stabbed in Poinsettia Park two months ago, the 70-year-old West Hollywood man cried for help for over an hour. Neighbors heard but ignored him, chalking up the moaning to the recent influx of prostitutes, drug addicts, and mentally ill that have descended on the area, reports the Los Angeles Times. Via the paper: "Some homeless and mentally ill people have begun drifting here from downtown L.A., which is undergoing rapid change with new, pricey lofts and new enforcement of loitering laws. Drug addicts have followed, some drawn by a nonprofit food kitchen and needle exchange program off Santa Monica Boulevard, on the other side of Poinsettia Park from Khaimov's apartment." One positive thing to come from Khaimov's unsolved murder is a resurgence of neighborhood civic pride: more than 300 people turned out for a recent public meeting to talk about crime, there's a new neighborhood watch program, and activists have started enlisting block captains to help keep tabs on criminal activity.
· Stabbing death shakes up neighborhood [LA Times]
SILVER LAKE: "This cybernetic beast works with internet support like a receiver that projects information in public spaces. Since it can be transported to any place, viewers can experience its collected information in the context of different scenes." Ooh, sexy cybernetic beast. It's the work of artist Giacomo Casagnola, whose "traveling module" work hits design/architecture firm Materials & Applications on May 31. We really have no idea what we just wrote about. [Curbed InBox] HOLLYWOOD: More Speed Racer! A reader has an update on the report of that crazy subway viral marketing thing at the Metro. "I think they're using a series of LCD screens to display an animated ad when the subway rolls past. I think this is the only spot they have it. I think they put this up on Monday." And here is the video of it. Boy, this thing is making people excited. And the link at Loft LA. [Curbed Inbox]
LA JOLLA : Hell, let's head south for a random CurbedWire MAD LIB edition. A reader writes: "This listing promotes that there is private access to Black’s Beach, which is a, well, nude beach. Surely their must be a funny post to be made out of this along the lines of “$39 million and all the ____ you can handle!”. I’ll leave it to you fill in the blank." [Curbed InBox]
This four-bedroom, three-bath "grand 1924 Spanish mini-estate" must be rather mini, right? Well, it's not that small: The home is 2,368 square feet, according to Zillow. More via the listing: "Rolling, grassy lawns draped in a park like setting; patios & balconies overlook the hills and city...1920's tiles on stairs & in baths..Timeless touches grace this home in historic Whitley Heights purportedly once owned by legendary actor Harold Lloyd." All that lovely tile is your for $1.45 million.UPDATE: Yes, it is very close to the 101, as readers have pointed out.
· 6801 Iris Circle [Official Site]
· 6801 Iris Circle [Redfin]
This week's news that mixed-use development Madrone had finally hit the MLS prompted the question: "What can one expect the HOA [home owner association] dues to be?" Ask and ye shall receive, gray box commenter. From Madrone's spokesperson: "Madrone's HOA dues range from $567 up to $781, and are based upon each residence’s square footage. To ease concerns for readers who may think those numbers are high, here is a sampling of the many services provided and maintained by the HOA..."
A reader noticed the city's Ugliest Building has recently gotten just a bit uglier: "The black terrazzo ( I think it's terrazzo) sidewalks in front of Hollywood and highland are severely buckling everywhere. They've had to patch them all over the place and even put up cones and parking barriers. Started quite a while ago but has gotten worse and worse over the past year. What's happening? Is H & H finally sinking to its grave?" One could blame all those plus-size Midwestern tourists staring slack jawed at Spongebob Squarepants every day, but we won't point the finger. We will have to investigate and get to the bottom of this buckling mystery.
· Ugly Building Contest [Curbed LA]
The latest store info, retail gossip and sidewalk scenes from street-obsessed Racked LA, the newest member of the Curbed family. Photo via Arash in LA on Flickr
WEST 3rd Street: Yup, the Whole Foods is doubling in size, adding 10,000 plus square feet. And a tipster writes: "I went to whole foods this morning and they already started. They are taking over the wigs and things, Anna’s linens, and the Thai patio restaurant. This will go a long way to the continued clean up of that strip mall."
DOWNTOWN: Loft dwellers, rejoice. The South Park Flea market is now getting a farmer's market. Per the newsletter: "It took some doing but the South Park Farmers' Market got official approval today! Pharmaka Gallery will be the sponsor of the market and we are currently in the process of lining up the 15 farmers we need to launch to market."
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From the studio lots to the downtown lofts. From the beachfront bungalows to the canyon views. From the south bay to the valley, from the westside to the eastside—Curbed LA covers our sense of place, and the neighborhoods we call home. Read more about Curbed LA...
After Katan Khaimov was stabbed in Poinsettia Park two months ago, the 70-year-old West Hollywood man cried for help for over an hour. Neighbors heard but ignored him, chalking up the moaning to the recent influx of prostitutes, drug addicts, and mentally ill that have descended on the area, 
