The City Hall lawn cracked open its gates last week for a private debut of the freshly madeover green space (banner week for Downtown parks: part of the huge new Grand Park also opened). The 1.7-acre City Hall park, which lines three sides of the building, was trampled by democracy last fall during Occupy LA's two-month-long encampment (which included hundreds of tents, a library, some food service, a meditation tent, and security). After the city raided the camp, it closed off the lawn and began a thorough renovation. While there're still grassy areas on the First Street side (the city needs a place to hold press conferences), good luck finding a spot to sit (let alone set up a tent, not that that would be legal) along Spring Street or on the Temple side (during Occupy it was known as "Manhattan" or "Westwood"). The LA Times reported that "there are two places in the park -- on the Spring Street and 1st Street steps of City Hall -- where activists will be allowed to demonstrate." Meanwhile, the chain link fence is going to stay up for "at least the next few weeks, a move meant to remind people that it closes at night," according to the Daily News. The park is open from 5 am until 10:30 pm or the achievement of economic justice, whichever comes first.
· City Hall Lawn Archives [Curbed LA]
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