The Metro at Hollywood

According to NREI, construction on the Metro at Hollywood, a 120 unit senior living complex on Hollywood and Western, is now complete.  The building features 5,500 square feet of retail space on the ground floor, and is slated to open soon.

Zara

This spring has been an exciting one for Downtown fashion.  First there was the opening of Ross on Broadway, then we heard about Brooks Brothers at the Jonathan Club on Figueroa, which was followed by news of Acne Studios leasing a space at the Eastern Columbia on 8th Street, and most recently we learned that Urban Outfitters will soon occupy the Rialto Theater.  Now, the LA Times brings us word that Zara has signed a 27,000 square foot lease at the Figat7th Shopping Center, and plans to open up shop early next year!  Can you say gentrification?

Ermagerd! Home Prices!

H-U-G-E NEWS.  The Case Schiller Home Price Index's latest numbers show a march increase of 16.6% over the previous year for Los Angeles County, the highest month-on-month gain since 2006!  It would appear that the bulls are out in full force.  Let it rain!

Star Studded Yoga

The Walk of Fame received a new addition this morning.  CorePower Yoga, a well respected national yoga chain, opened its seventy seventh location today at the corner of Hollywood and La Brea.  According to Marketwire, the studio caters to both beginners and advanced students alike.

This Week in Food

News from Eater this week:

Tuesday: The US Bank Tower's Mezzanine will soon receive a new tenant in the form of upscale coffee shop, The Barista Society, which opens its doors tomorrow.

Wednesday: Newcomer True Burger has taken over the old Umami Space on the corner of 9th and La Brea, and by the looks of it, the restaurant appears intent on maintaining the Umami tradition.

A new grilled cheese sandwich shop, going by Greenspan's Grilled Cheese, is prepping a debut for the middle of the summer on Melrose and Vista.

Friday: Maddy's Sweet and Savory Cafe, a vegan eatery, will soon open up shop on Pico and Westwood

A classy new sushi bar, by the name of Cho Oishi, has just opened on Hollywood and Highland, just south of the Hollywood Bowl.  The classy restaurants boast both an impressive menu of japanese fusion food, and a fantastic decor.

Bunker Hill Bar and Grill

Brigham Yen reports that the One Bunker Hill Office Building, at the corner of 5th and Grand, will soon receive a posh new sports bar on its second floor.  The Bunker Hill Bar and Grill will take up 3,400 square feet, and will feature a 1,000 square foot patio for outdoor dining.

Church Hotel Moving Right Along

According to Curbed, development on the Church Hotel in Silverlake is progressing at a steady pace.  Once completed, the hotel will feature 25 boutique rooms, a rooftop pool and patio, and a 'Choir Lounge' bar and restaurant.

More Metro

The Los Angeles City Council voted yesterday to fund two new metro stops, one at Leimert Park Village, and another at Hindry and Florence, along the newly announced LAX metro line.  The line is intended for completion in 2019.

More Mixed Use for Hollywood

Curbed reports that yet another Hollywood development, in the form of a modest mixed residential and retail project on Sunset and La Brea, is in the works.  The project will feature 44 apartments, 118 parking stalls, and a restaurant on the ground floor.

Condos and Retail for K-Town

According to Curbed, the abandoned lot at Wilshire and Hobart may very well soon see some action in the form of a massive mixed use development, featuring 378 condos and 8,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space.  The project is currently at the mercy of the LA Planning Department which is reviewing the proposed plan, and will issue a decision shortly.

Blossom Plaza is Back

Back in February, it was announced that construction would soon commence on the long dormant Blossom Plaza project.  Finally, after years of waiting, ground was finally broken for the development at the corner of 9th and Broadway.  The Downtown News has more on the story.

This Week in Food

It is time once again for a recap of the week's 'eatery and drinkery' openings, courtesy of LA Eater:

Monday: A Sherman Oaks shopping center, located at Ventura and Hazletine will soon feature expansions of BOTH Mendocino Farms, and Islands Fine Burgers and Drinks.

Tuesday: Having finished work on Chego's, Entrepreneur/Chef/God Roy Choi has begun concentrating his efforts on The Line, a fancy new bar and restaurant at Wilshire and Normandie.  Meanwhile, at Ventura and Noble, Blue Jam Cafe celebrated the opening of its first extension.

Wednesday: A wonderful new vegan eatery, going by the name of Dr. J's Vibrant Cafe, will soon open on the corner of 4th and Main, in the heart of the old bank district.  The all organic menu will feature gluten free items as well.  In other news, a somewhat mysterious eatery named Roadside is slated to open this fall at the Dome Theater on Sunset and Vine.  Also, it appears that La Brea will soon see yet another bakery in the form of Twist, located near 4th.

Thursday: The Lucky Tiki, a newly announced bar and restaurant, will soon open its doors at Venice and Overland.

Friday: It appears that salad champion Tender Greens will soon open new expansions in both Marina Del Rey and Westwood.  Also, Eaglerock's Four Cafe is prepping an expansion for the recently vacated Black Cat Bakery space on Fairfax, near 6th.

Lifestyles of Hollywood's Elite - Penthouses at the W

According to the LA Times, the W, located on Hollywood and Argyle, is adding the final touches to its penthouse suites, and already begun marketing several of the units for sale.  The luxury apartments range in price from between just over $1 Million and $45 Million (for a spacious 25,000 square foot unit on the 15th floor), and feature a host of luxury amenities including valet parking and 24 hour concierge service.

Ross for Midtown Crossing

According to Racked, the Midtown Crossing Shopping Center located on Pico, near San Vincente, will soon receive a new addition to its lineup in the form of discount clothier Ross.  The retailer is currently in the process of moving in, and should open up shop any day now.

College Projects

This month saw some exciting developments for two of our city's smaller colleges.  Last week, The Valley Star announced the commencement of construction on the Valley College Community Service Center at the corner of Hatteras and Ethel.  The center will feature a dance floor, computer lab, and rock climbing wall.  And, according to the Daily News, construction on the L.A. Mission College Arts Center has officially recommenced after nearly two years in limbo.

One (Almost) Red Hot Economy

Following on the heels of yesterday's announcement regarding the rise in median home sales prices, comes more positive news for the economy.  The Times reports that the index used by the National Association of Home Builders to measure developer confidence climbed three percentage points this last month.  This rise is due to an increase in new home purchases, which the paper attributes to a short supply of resale inventory.

New Adventures in Housing

This morning brings us some excellent headlines from Curbed.  First off, it appears that construction on the new 40 unit Argyle Apartments project at Carlton and Western has officially commenced.  The development is one of the first real attempts, in a while, to revitalize Hollywood's (semi) dilapidated east side.  In other news, the median home sales price in LA County rose 23% last month.  Goodbye recession, hello boom!

Hilton Coming to South Park?

Brigham Yen brings us some exciting news regarding that empty lot on Olympic and Grand.  According to DTLA Rising, the property is currently in escrow, and the purchaser is rumored to be none other than Hilton, the world's fourth largest hotelier.  If speculation is confirmed, this acquisition would mark Hilton's third downtown venture.

Asian Fusion, Tacos, a Little Italian, and Some Steak

LA Eater's week in review yields some exciting info on several new restaurant openings.  First up is Stella Barra, a high end italian sit-down by chef/genius/god Jeff Mahin (Stella Rosa), located on Sunset and Vine, where fresh farmers market ingredients garnish hand crafted pizza.  Next in line is Petty Cash, a charming new taqueria and bar on Beverly and Fuller.  Then there's the announcement that Chipotle's asian fusion cousin, Shop House Kitchen, will be opening up shop in Westwood Village on Broxton.  Finally, it appears that the owners of Coral Tree Cafe will be opening a new Steakhouse at San Vicente and Barrington.

The Sci-Arc Project

On Thursday, Legendary Development presented the initial renderings for its massive residential project planned for the large empty lot that abuts the Southern California Institute of Architecture, between 3rd and 4th street, to the Arts District Business Improvement District.  According to the Downtown News, the development, unofficially titled the 'Sci-Arc Project', due to its proximity to the institute, calls for 449 rental units, and 23 lofts, and is slated to finish sometime within the next three years.

New Pershing Apartments

Curbed brings us some juicy news on the New Pershing Square Apartments, which began redevelopment this week.  The former three story building, located on the corner of 5th and Main, will acquire two additional floors, and will feature 65 studio studios, 4 one bedroom units, and 2 commercial spaces on the ground floor.

Baker and Grocer

According to DTLA Rising, Downtown will soon receive two new additions to its retail lineup, aimed squarely at its growing residential population.  Grocer Smart and Final is preparing to move into 25,000 square feet of space on the corner of 8th Place and Figueroa, while Belgian bakery, Le Pain Quotidien, will occupy a smaller 2,100 square foot space within the PacMutual Building at 6th and Grand.

Friendly (and Hip) Neighborhood Grocer(s)

Hipster-Hippie-Indie-Vegan-Raw-Organic-Artistans rejoice!  Whole Foods and Urban Radish are on their way to Silverlake and the Arts District respectively.  The Eastsider brings us news of the health food heavyweight's impending takeover of what is now a Ralph's on Glendale Boulevard, near Fletcher.  And, according to the Downtown News, the much hyped independent grocer, which has been in development for what feels like forever, has finally set an opening date of May 29th.

Eat, Drink, and Open

This last week has been a busy one for food + drink openings in our beloved city.  LA Eater brings us the following:  First up is Village Tavern, a well decorated barbacoa gastropub in the heart of Atwater Village, on Edenhurst and Glendale, which opened last week.  Next in line comes Donut Friend, a gourmet donut shop by former punk rock producer Mark Trombino, springing up on York and Avenue 51.  Then there is Blue C Sushi, the latest addition to the sunset strip--between Vine and Cahuenga, to be specific.  Downtowner indian foodies were no doubt excited on Monday for the grand opening of Badmaash on 2nd and Main.  And lets not forget the Scratch Bar, on the corner of Hollywood and La Brea, which saw its first soft open yesterday.  Rounding out the week is an announcement that Valerie Gordon will be opening another bakery at Lucretia and Echo Park Avenue.  Last, but certainly not least, is news that Cedd Moses will soon open BOTH a 17,000 square foot pizza parlor and brewery on Traction Avenue, near 4th Place, AND a modern speakeasy, christened Honeycut, beneath the O'Hotel at 7th and Flower.

City Park, Hollywood and Wine

According to the Downtown News, the City is in negotiations to purchase the vacant lot just west of City Hall, at 1st and Broadway, and transform it into a park.  Good news for a street that is already rapidly exchanging its decaying buildings for shiny new residential and retail developments.  In other news Los Angeles Magazine reports that the Hollywood Bowl will soon receive a new addition in the form of a Patina Wine Bar, slated to open sometime next month.

Palihouse Downtown

DTLA Rising's Brigham Yen, who broke the news last year, brought us an exciting update this weekend on the boutique hotel planned for the corner of Pico and Flower.  According to Yen, the original 122 SRO units will be converted by developer Paligroup into a chic 90 room hotel, and rechristened the Palihouse.  If all goes well, the hotel will open sometime next year.

Chego in Chinatown

Kogi's taco truck owner, Roy Choi, has finally reopened his famed fusion restaurant, Chego, this time in the heart of Chinatown on Broadway and Alpine.  Check it out when you get a chance.  You won't be dissapointed.  Thanks to the Downtown News for the tip.

City West Again

For those of you curious about the empty office building on Wilshire and Lucas, wonder no further.  The Downtown News announced yesterday the groundbreaking of a new 600 + unit apartment complex by the same developer who brought us 1111 Wilshire.  Some details on the 'Good Samaritan Project', as it is tentatively named, are still unclear.  Purported architect on the project, Nadel, claims that the project will contain 648 residential units, and 40,000 square feet of retail.

Urban Outfitters for Broadway

The Downtown News confirms that Urban Outfitters will indeed be coming to the Rialto Theater, located at 7th and Broadway.  The Philadelphia based retailer will undoubtedly help to revitalize the dilapidated street, alongside several other newly opened businesses including Ross, and Les Noces Du Figaro.  This is fantastic news for downtowners.

Skirball

According to Curbed, construction on the new Skirball Cultural Center, located on 50 acres at Sepulveda Boulevard, just west of the 405, is nearing completion.  Once finished, center will feature over 60,000 square feet of event space.

Museum and Metro

The Times reports today that the Los Angeles County Museum of Art will receive a $690 million dollar remodel to its Wilshire Campus, designed by famed architect Peter Zumthor.  A timeline is still being worked out, and will probably be revealed when the news is 'officially' announced next month.  Additionally, Metro's website, The Source, has published models for the proposed alternative designs to Union Station.  It is anticipated that one of the alternatives, or at least a modification thereto, will be selected to upgrade the existing station.