[Image courtesy of David Bullock aka eecue]
DOWNTOWN - blogdowntown takes a peek inside Elevate Lounge, the new restaurant and lounge atop 811 Wilshire that opens tonight. The adjoining Takami Sushi makes its debut next week, but blogdowntown has the scoop on the space: "The restaurant and lounge sit in a 14,000 square foot space that includes 7,000 square feet of patio. At Elevate, patio and indoor space really merge together as 150 feet of glass door opens up and slides away. The lounge features two bars and a sound system that's tuned to keep the music loud on the dance floor while allowing a more mellow conversation to those on the patio." [blogdowntown]
LOS ANGELES - They're back in the Saddle (Ranch) again! The Real World returns to Los Angeles, 14 years after it first unleashed innocent cowpokes like Jon into the big bad city. The first house was located near Venice Beach on 30th Street. No word yet on where this season's house will be, but we do know its going green: "'The Real World' house will include everything from solar energy solutions to bamboo flooring, recycled glass counters, some sustainable furniture and recycled vintage décor, energy star appliances, a solar heated swimming pool and energy efficient lighting." That will be useful when the new batch of castmates puke all over the environment-friendly decor. [Defamer/Franklin Ave]
COACHELLA VALLEY - If you slept through Tuesday night's earthquake, don't worry. The LA Times holds its own in the fearmongering-and-apocalypse department. Let's sum up this cheery article, "Scientist makes dire earthquake prediction." We are all going to die. We're about 3 centuries overdue for a Really Big One, where "there will be several thousand dead and billions of dollars in damage," according to Lucy Jones, a seismologist at the U.S. Geological Survey. So go ahead, have that second dessert. We're all doomed anyway. Doomed, we tells ya! [LA Times]