2008 In Downtown L.A. is sure to be GREAT!
I'll be updating this page with my downtown adventures, sightings and
thoughts. For now I've written a Q&A with some of the questions I get about
living here. If you have a question, please contact me! And don't forget to
check back often for updates!
Why did I move from Huntington Beach to downtown L.A.?
Downtown is experiencing a re-gentrification and I almost feel that I "owe it
to downtown" to live here. Downtown has been a part of my life forever. I
grew up shopping at mart sample sales and the cooper building in the 80's,
my mom was way ahead of her time. I went to school here, FIDM class of
1990! I watched them build the new FIDM campus and what was then the
1st Interstate tower (the tallest building west of the Mississippi). I worked in
the Cal Mart and New Mart for way too many years! I visited contractors,
shopped for trims and was at Michael Levine every week for years. Oh, and
not to mention the fact that my husband was commuting to downtown from
HB for over 7 years! So... we finally decided to "live where he works". Now
he skateboards to work in under a minute! Our cars barely move! We have
lunch together and he comes home without "commuter stress". It is
working out quite nicely and I am enjoying getting re-acquainted with my
downtown.
What's up with my neighbors and the Packard building? All my
neighbors are fantastic. With the 15' high ceilings and concrete floors there
is relitively no noise from neighbors. We are only the 2nd tenants to rent
this space. All the appliances are GE and fixtures are Grohe. We have our
own washer/dryer in our unit (talk about life changing!). There are FIDM
students that live here as well as couples, families, singles, businesses and
retirees. The cars in the lot here are quite impressive. There is everything!!!
(I won't get into details to protect my neighbors privacy.) And, of course
there is Blue Moon who makes the old Packard lot look very stylish! They
preserved the old tracks in the parking lot, it is a really historic and cool
building. It reminds me of my grandpa. My dad told me that my great
grandpa owned a Packard. He probably bought it from this showroom! The
building was the Packard Car showroom and then a broadcasting station
for KFI. I wish we would have known we were going to live here when they
had the grand opening, they had a big party with Packards! The
management had a nice Chirstmas party for the residents and also a fun
Halloween party and periodic "get togethers" up on the 5th floor. The
downtown resident demographic is between 25-35 and professional. The
lofts that are for sale at the other buildings are between $400,000 and up to
over a million!
Isn't it dirty and noisy? We have our own "South Park District
Maintenance" crew who walk around with brooms and buckets cleaning up
the streets, even on the weekend. Bridget and I are always sure to say
"Thank you" when we pass them. We also have a "District Safety" crew
who ride around on bikes. It is remarkably quiet in the loft, once you shut
the double paned 10' high sliding door, it is like a seal. You do hear the
buses and sirens, but it doesn't interfere with sleep or the day. Just normal
sounds of life. I enjoy watching the FIDM girls park and walk to school and
love to check out their "in-fits". That's what my dad used to call my outfits
that were a little different. Like I said, South Park has been described as the
"Beverly Hills of downtown", we are located at Olympic and Hope. I have a
view of the Cal Mart, Gavin's building and FIDM! It is kind of ironic. G
watched them build this building while he was doing his early morning
workouts after driving from HB at 4 in the morning. I am so proud of the way
he handled and planned our move. He made the transition very easy for me
and Bridget and Bandt. I love waking up to the sun coming up over the Cal
Mart every day! Quite impressive.
Where do you shop? Ralphs Fresh Fare opened up the same day we
moved in,July 20, 2007 and it is nice! They have a great selection of meats
and organic products. They don't have quinoa yet, but I should ask. They
have Laura's natural beef and organic chickens. It is one block away and I
walk there almost every day! I think the store is already among the top
performing Ralphs stores. We also drive to Trader Joes up on Hyperion
about every 2 weeks, 12 miles round trip. There is also the Grand Central
Market which I am very familiar and comfortable with. It is a market center
full of stall style vendors selling everything from pig heads to beets. I skip
the pig head and go for the produce. I take the Dash here and have even
walked home, it is a bit far, especially with produce! There are great deals
and you can pick out your own fruits and veggies. There are also food
vendors and Gav loves the tacos from Tacos Toma de Tomas (or
something close to that). I like the ceviche from the fish place. For clothes I
go to the FIDM scholarship store, it benefits the students and they have
amazing deals on brand name garments. If you have a sewing machine
you can get even better deals on "damages". Macy's Plaza and 7th St.
Plaza also with a Macy's are both in walking distance. For pet supplies we
go to the Petco in Glendale, again, not very far, and since I fix Bridget's food
from "real food", I don't have to go that often. There is a Rite Aid also in
walking distance for drug store purchases. I always take my own bags
everywhere I shop!!! Please do the same.
You walk everywhere? Not everywhere, but every day we get out and
walk at least one place. I like walking up to the Farmer's Market on
Wednesdays. It is amazing what you see when you walk! I notice the little
green sprouts coming up out of the bases of the trees, I notice the
maintenance workers and the police men and always wave and smile. I
notice the little birdies, yes there are birdies downtown! And I get to meet
other downtown residents and doggies too! We do need more grass! And
to that they are building a "pocket park" by the Mart which will be fantastic!
The FIDM park doesn't allow dogs, which I should work on changing!!
It is hard to "conserve" downtown, but I realized we are conserving by just
living here. No more commuting, we hardly ever fill our cars up with gas! It
is a different and very convenient way of living. We are sure to put our
empty recyclable outside of the dumpster and they are always picked up by
someone! Check back for more updates and stories! Thank you, Shannon.
I'll be updating this page with my downtown adventures, sightings and
thoughts. For now I've written a Q&A with some of the questions I get about
living here. If you have a question, please contact me! And don't forget to
check back often for updates!
Why did I move from Huntington Beach to downtown L.A.?
Downtown is experiencing a re-gentrification and I almost feel that I "owe it
to downtown" to live here. Downtown has been a part of my life forever. I
grew up shopping at mart sample sales and the cooper building in the 80's,
my mom was way ahead of her time. I went to school here, FIDM class of
1990! I watched them build the new FIDM campus and what was then the
1st Interstate tower (the tallest building west of the Mississippi). I worked in
the Cal Mart and New Mart for way too many years! I visited contractors,
shopped for trims and was at Michael Levine every week for years. Oh, and
not to mention the fact that my husband was commuting to downtown from
HB for over 7 years! So... we finally decided to "live where he works". Now
he skateboards to work in under a minute! Our cars barely move! We have
lunch together and he comes home without "commuter stress". It is
working out quite nicely and I am enjoying getting re-acquainted with my
downtown.
What's up with my neighbors and the Packard building? All my
neighbors are fantastic. With the 15' high ceilings and concrete floors there
is relitively no noise from neighbors. We are only the 2nd tenants to rent
this space. All the appliances are GE and fixtures are Grohe. We have our
own washer/dryer in our unit (talk about life changing!). There are FIDM
students that live here as well as couples, families, singles, businesses and
retirees. The cars in the lot here are quite impressive. There is everything!!!
(I won't get into details to protect my neighbors privacy.) And, of course
there is Blue Moon who makes the old Packard lot look very stylish! They
preserved the old tracks in the parking lot, it is a really historic and cool
building. It reminds me of my grandpa. My dad told me that my great
grandpa owned a Packard. He probably bought it from this showroom! The
building was the Packard Car showroom and then a broadcasting station
for KFI. I wish we would have known we were going to live here when they
had the grand opening, they had a big party with Packards! The
management had a nice Chirstmas party for the residents and also a fun
Halloween party and periodic "get togethers" up on the 5th floor. The
downtown resident demographic is between 25-35 and professional. The
lofts that are for sale at the other buildings are between $400,000 and up to
over a million!
Isn't it dirty and noisy? We have our own "South Park District
Maintenance" crew who walk around with brooms and buckets cleaning up
the streets, even on the weekend. Bridget and I are always sure to say
"Thank you" when we pass them. We also have a "District Safety" crew
who ride around on bikes. It is remarkably quiet in the loft, once you shut
the double paned 10' high sliding door, it is like a seal. You do hear the
buses and sirens, but it doesn't interfere with sleep or the day. Just normal
sounds of life. I enjoy watching the FIDM girls park and walk to school and
love to check out their "in-fits". That's what my dad used to call my outfits
that were a little different. Like I said, South Park has been described as the
"Beverly Hills of downtown", we are located at Olympic and Hope. I have a
view of the Cal Mart, Gavin's building and FIDM! It is kind of ironic. G
watched them build this building while he was doing his early morning
workouts after driving from HB at 4 in the morning. I am so proud of the way
he handled and planned our move. He made the transition very easy for me
and Bridget and Bandt. I love waking up to the sun coming up over the Cal
Mart every day! Quite impressive.
Where do you shop? Ralphs Fresh Fare opened up the same day we
moved in,July 20, 2007 and it is nice! They have a great selection of meats
and organic products. They don't have quinoa yet, but I should ask. They
have Laura's natural beef and organic chickens. It is one block away and I
walk there almost every day! I think the store is already among the top
performing Ralphs stores. We also drive to Trader Joes up on Hyperion
about every 2 weeks, 12 miles round trip. There is also the Grand Central
Market which I am very familiar and comfortable with. It is a market center
full of stall style vendors selling everything from pig heads to beets. I skip
the pig head and go for the produce. I take the Dash here and have even
walked home, it is a bit far, especially with produce! There are great deals
and you can pick out your own fruits and veggies. There are also food
vendors and Gav loves the tacos from Tacos Toma de Tomas (or
something close to that). I like the ceviche from the fish place. For clothes I
go to the FIDM scholarship store, it benefits the students and they have
amazing deals on brand name garments. If you have a sewing machine
you can get even better deals on "damages". Macy's Plaza and 7th St.
Plaza also with a Macy's are both in walking distance. For pet supplies we
go to the Petco in Glendale, again, not very far, and since I fix Bridget's food
from "real food", I don't have to go that often. There is a Rite Aid also in
walking distance for drug store purchases. I always take my own bags
everywhere I shop!!! Please do the same.
You walk everywhere? Not everywhere, but every day we get out and
walk at least one place. I like walking up to the Farmer's Market on
Wednesdays. It is amazing what you see when you walk! I notice the little
green sprouts coming up out of the bases of the trees, I notice the
maintenance workers and the police men and always wave and smile. I
notice the little birdies, yes there are birdies downtown! And I get to meet
other downtown residents and doggies too! We do need more grass! And
to that they are building a "pocket park" by the Mart which will be fantastic!
The FIDM park doesn't allow dogs, which I should work on changing!!
It is hard to "conserve" downtown, but I realized we are conserving by just
living here. No more commuting, we hardly ever fill our cars up with gas! It
is a different and very convenient way of living. We are sure to put our
empty recyclable outside of the dumpster and they are always picked up by
someone! Check back for more updates and stories! Thank you, Shannon.
Downtown Loft Livin'
This is where you'll get the whole scoop on my "Lofty" Downtown L.A. Lifestyle
This is where you'll get the whole scoop on my "Lofty" Downtown L.A. Lifestyle
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| Future fashion designers of America |
| This is the tuna poke. Raw tuna (gorgeous!), super cold tofu chunks, fresh lettuce, scallions and a lite dressing! Super YUM! The best thing I had. $5. It was from Berth 55 Seafood, I think they are in Long Beach. |
| Cold tofu salad with soy and chili garlic sauce from Lee Kum Kee, those noodles are sooooo good! And they are like zero calories. |
| 12th Annual - let's hope it's not the last! save the fofu fest! |
| Little Tokyo Tofu Fest August 18-19, 2007 Downtown L.A. |
THE LATEST SCOOP IS ON MY DAILY BLOG PAGE! DON'T MISS IT!
Don't miss my St. Patrick's Day page. A new downtown tradition. I even made corned beef brisket & cabbage!
Scroll down for pictures from the Little Tokyo Tofu Fest - mmm mmm & fun fun!
Scroll down for pictures from the Little Tokyo Tofu Fest - mmm mmm & fun fun!
MY RESTAURANT
22nd St. Landing
Aloha Steak House - Ventura
El Comau
Fisherman's Outlet
King's Fish House
Hurricane's - Huntington Beach
Papa Cristo's
Regent China Inn
Saddle Peak Lodge
Sixth Street Cafe
Tu Tacos