We're down to the Final Four in the 2013 Curbed Cup race for the Los Angeles Neighborhood of the Year. We'll have two matchups today and voting will begin Monday to pick the winner of the prestigious golden jpeg. Voting for each poll ends 24 hours after opening (and will be watched closely for any shenanigans). Let the eliminations continue!
It's a year that started with a prediction that the Arts District would become LA's version of New York's Meatpacking District and ended with news that a park is on the way to Hewitt Street, and in between, the Urban Radish grocery store opened: The AD is without a doubt the neighborhood to beat this year (still, it just narrowly slid by fan favorite Highland Park in the last round). Work on the sinewy One Santa Fe--a signature project for the neighborhood--is well underway, the huge Megatoys project returned with very pedestrian-friendly plans, as did another huge mixed-user, Barker Block is getting ready to deliver its last phase of development with lofts and townhouses, and the city announced an "iconic" new Sixth Street Viaduct (that will also include plenty of public spaces for the AD). Signature AD celebrity Vincent Gallo opened the door for button-down types when he sold his fabulous penthouse unit at the Biscuit Lofts to a Fox executive, and there are even rumors of a Soho House. Meanwhile, Bestia was the hottest restaurant of the year, beloved Stumptown and Umami both opened, and the adorable boutiques have begun to move in. On the downside, the Business Improvement District--which was responsible for trash collection, security, and PR efforts--was shut down courtesy of a lawsuit.
Koreatown squeaked out a win over neighbor Hollywood in the last round; while the latter battled NIMBYs all year long, it's getting to be that there are always cranes in Ktown: this year there were undead mixed-use developments, apartment groundbreakings, new YMCA construction, massive and fancy apartment renovations, and the nearly-finished twin towers of The Vermont. Plus a boutique reno of the historic Hotel Normandie, a new bus-only lane, and, keeping the neighborhood close to its roots, a proposed K-Pop museum. Both the Hotel Normandie and the forthcoming The Line hotel will have super-trendy dining options, and the neighborhood remains a restaurant hotspot.