Transit Village a Go!

The Eastsider reports that, on Wednesday, the City Council voted unanimously to reject an appeal brought by opponents to the Highland Park Transit Village project, and back measures that would  expedite the projects development.  Once completed, the project will feature 20 condominiums, and 60 rental units, and will run along the Figueroa Corridor, between North Avenue 52 and 56.

Apartments for Filipinotown

Apparently, three new apartment projects are headed to Filipinotown, with a combined total of 168 units!  Read more on the story at Curbed.

Little Tokyo's Rec Center

According to the Downtown News, The Budokan project, an effort to develop a rec center in Little Tokyo, received a $1.3 million dollar donation this week, bringing the total funding to $11 million, about half of what is needed.  Assuming the additional funding comes through, groundbreaking will begin in 2015.

This Week in Fashion

Friday: Chic men's boutique, MRKT, is now open at Sunset and Hyperion, on the border of Silverlake and Los Feliz.  The 800 square foot store features ware from both local and international labels alike, all with a very edgy feel.

NYC based florist, Spruce, debuted its first ever LA store at the intersection of Fountain and Sunset in Los Feliz.

Monday: Online fashion flash sale broker, HauteLook, is moving its corporate headquarters into 7,500 square feet of space at downtown's Alameda Square, on 7th Street.

Tuesday: Come September 5th, local designer For Love & Lemons, is converting its downtown studio, at 7th and Santa Fe, into a semi retail space that will serve customers every Thursday.

The Walk to Union Station

Curbed reports that city authorities are in the process of widening the walkways connecting downtown to Union Station.  Additionally, artistic arches will be installed on Main Street, similar to those already in place on Los Angeles Street.

This Week in Food

Monday: Easton Gym, located at Beverly and Crescent Heights, is getting a new juice bar by the name of Mojo sometime next month.

Boba/coffee house MangoSix is headed to the corner of 3rd and Croft, on the BH/LA/WH border.

Tuesday: L.E.N.O. Juice Bar debuted today at 27th and Figueroa, near USC.

A fancy new jazz club, by the name of Wolf & Crane, is setting up shop at Little Tokyo Village on 2nd, near Central.  When it debuts this fall, it will be the first full service bar to open in Little Tokyo in over a decade.

A new bar, bearing the historic name of General Lee's, is headed to Old Chinatown Plaza, between Hill and Broadway.  By the sound of it, we should expect big things.

Businessman/Chef/God Josef Centeno (father of both Baco Mercat and Bar Ama) is getting ready to open his third restaurant in the Historic Core.  Orsa & Winston, located on 4th between Spring and Main, will soft open September 24th.

Wednesday: Whoa!  Sustainable meat butcher, Belcampo, is headed to downtown's Grand Central Market on 3rd, between Hill and Broadway.  Gentrify, baby, gentrify.

Thursday: Laguna Beach's very hip Zinc Cafe & Market is expanding to the Arts District.  The new store, located at Willow and Mateo, will open sometime this fall.

Ramen house, Daikokuya, at Olympic and Sawtelle, is now open (albeit ever so softly).

Friday: Up and coming Andante Coffee Roasters is opening up shop on the western corner of Beverly and The Grove Drive (near The Farmer's Market), at the former Buzz Coffee space.

Room Service for Your Home

Following in the footsteps of other online services, such as Amazon's 'grocery-delivering' Fresh, or the 'we-are-not-a-taxi-service' Lyft and Uber, comes Handybook, an online housecleaning/handyman broker that connects users with local professionals at the click of a button.  Find more info at Racked.

Hotels for North Hollywood and Westwood

Curbed brings word that a new 43 room luxury boutique hotel is in the work's for NoHo's Arts District at Weddington and Tujunga.  Meanwhile, it appears that, after nearly four years, construction on Westwood's La Reina Hotel at Lindbrook and Tiverton has finally resumed.

More Mixed Use for Little Tokyo

According to Curbed, work has finally begun on a long planned 240 unit mixed use development on the corner of 2nd and San Pedro.  In addition to a pool, spa, and two story gymnasium, the project will feature 16,000 square feet of retail space and public parking.  An opening is planned for sometime in August of 2015.

Teo-Chew Association

Brigham Yen reports that the Southern California Teo-Chew Association, a nonprofit organization which seeks to support and encourage the Teo-Chew population, is building a new community center just north of the newly constructed New Jia Apartments, at Ord and Broadway.  Check out his blog for more info.

Downtown's Virtual Golf Experience

High end professional golf simulators, Execugolf, announced today the opening of their very first Los Angeles location, in the heart of downtown at the Paul Hastings Building on 5th and Flower.  The full service simulator comes complete with training, driving, chipping, and putting scenarios, and features eighty virtual championship courses.

Co-Op 28/Apt 2B Los Feliz

Home good, furniture, and handcrafted clothing boutiques Co-Op 28 and Apt 2B have expanded to Prospect and Vermont in Los Feliz.  Check out the story on Racked for more info.

This Week in Food

Monday: A chic new italian gastropub, by the name of 643 North, is headed to Cesar Chavez and Spring later this month.

Plan Check is opening a second location at Oakwood and Fairfax later this summer.

Tuesday: A new farm to table eatery, by the name of Faith & Flower, will debut later this fall at 9th and Flower.

9 Olives, a restaurant at Sunset and Havenhurst, is currently being transformed into a sexy new lounge by called Punks.

Helm's Bakery is on its way to Venice and Hutchison early next year.

Wednesday: A new artisanal desert shop by the name of Creme Caramel LA, from Kristine De La Cruz of farmer's market fame, is on its way to Sherman Oaks at Burbank and Kester.

Thursday: When it finally opens, it looks like the new Acne Studios space at 9th and Broadway will feature a Il Caffe Coffee Bar.

Friday: The newly remodeled/rebranded Squirl + LOU is now open for business.

A new pizza shop by the name of 800 Degrees To-Go will soon open at Westwood and Lindbrook.

Boyle Heights City Hall

The Wave reports that, as of last week, the newly constructed Boyle Heights City Hall, at the corner of 1st and Chicago, is now open.  In addition to acting as the central headquarters for Councilman Huizar's offices, the building will house several public and nonprofit organizations, including the Bureau of Street Services, College Track, the Housing and Community Investment Department, the Economic and Workforce Development Department, Lucille Roybal Family Source Center, Hollenbeck Police Athletic League, the Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council, El Centro de Ayuda, Abuelitos de Boyle Heights, Maravilla Foundation, Fuego Tech, Los Angeles Youth Opportunity Movement and Girls Today, and Women Tomorrow.

The Kooples on Robertson

Racked reports that french clothier, The Kooples, will open its first US store on Robertson, near Beverly, and the tri-city (can we call it that?) border.

Mulholland Monument Garden

According to Curbed, the Mulholland Monument, located at the intersection of Los Feliz and Riverside, is about to get a major facelift.  To commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, the monument, which was constructed in honor of William Mulhooland, the aqueduct's designer, and the (spiritual) founding father of the Department of Water and Power, will be encircled by a park, complete with footpaths, park benches, and educational signs, and will be be rechristened the Los Angeles Aqueduct Centennial Garden.

MyFigueroa

The Downtown News reports that the Environmental Impact Report for the MyFigueroa streetscape plan has been completed.  The plan is intended to make the three mile Figueroa corridor, between 7th Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, more pedestrian friendly by adding wider sidewalks, bike lanes, and street curbs.

Jordan Downs Redevelopment a Go!

Great news from the Times; it looks like that ambitious plan to revitalize Watt's Jordan Downs neighborhood into an urban village received official approval from the City Council.  The $1 billion dollar project will include a well maintained central park, 1,400 luxury apartments, retail stores, and more.

Rag & Bone Brentwood

According to Racked, New York based clothier Rag & Bone will soon open a second LA store in Brentwood on San Vicente, near Barrington.

This Week in Food

Monday: The tastefully named Moon Juice juice bar, is gearing up to open its second location at Sunset and Silverlake.

A new 'cereal-centric' cafe, by the name of Another Kind of Sunrise, is coming to the corner of Venice and Abbot Kinney later this month.

The dairy free M Cafe de Chaya is on its way to the corner of San Vicente and Barrington in Brentwood.

Tuesday: More sushi for Sawtelle.  Kula Revolving Sushi will soon debut between Olympic and Mississippi.

Wednesday: Square One at the Boathouse, fun new eatery on Echo Park Lake, is now serving both breakfast and lunch.

Lady M Confections, a fantastic new cakery on 3rd and Robertson, is now open for business.

Studio City's Starlight Room, at Moorpark and Tujunga, is being reborn as Star Lite Cantina.  The new incarnation will feature food as well as drink.

Thursday: Hollywood and Vine will soon receive a fancy new sports bar (40 HD TVs) in the form of 33 Taps.

An old auto shop, on the corner of Lincoln and Marco, in Venice, is being transformed into a fascinating new restaurant by the name of Superba Food & Bread.

Friday: Newly opened Kettled Glazed Doughnuts is making a name for itself with a unique spin on the croughnut.

Welcome to Larchmont

According to Curbed, the quiet stretch of Larchmont Boulevard between Beverly and Melrose, is getting a facelift.  Metro is adding medians, plantings, and a welcome tower.  The additions should be completed come fall.

Paseo Plaza

More resurrection news from Curbed.  If all goes well, Continental Development Group will break ground later this year on Paseo Plaza, a mixed use project containing 437 residential units, at Santa Monica and Saint Andrews.

The Lexington Project

According to Curbed, the massive mixed use Lexington project on Santa Monica and Las Palmas, with a planned 11 buildings (containing up to 6 stories a piece), 786 residential units, 22,000 square feet of commercial space, an arena, 3 nightclubs, a pool, several open public spaces, and 1,612 parking spaces, is back from the dead.  Whew!  If all goes well, construction will begin sometime in 2017.

Museum, Gangnam Style

Oh goodie!  Curbed reports that SM Entertainment (the korean record label equivalent of Warren Buffet) has announced plans to build a museum dedicated entirely to K-pop.  The building, located at 6th and Oxford will help to promote the best that korean music has to offer, and in addition to many other features, will "showcase SM's new content through holograms ..."  Get excited.

Diptyque Larchmont

Refinery29 reports that Paris based luxury candlemaker Diptyque will open a new store on North Larchmont near Beverly, in November.  In addition to candles, the store will carry Diptyque's signature perfumes, soaps, lotions, and more.

Historic Wienerschnitzel

According to Curbed, the very first Wienerschnitzel drive up, located in Wilmington at the Gulf Avenue/PCH intersection, is on its way to becoming a historic landmark.  Let's hear it for hotdogs.

This Week in Food

Tuesday: After being closed for nearly five months, the much lauded Cowboys & Turbans (at Sunset and Silverlake), has finally reopened its doors.

Euro street food faire is coming to Cahuenga Boulevard in Studio City.  Spitz will open up shop sometime in the next couple of months.

Gary Arabia, founding chef of Global Cuisine Catering, is launching a new market on Cahuenga and Oakshire, complete with 22 foot vaulted dealings.  GC Marketplace is slated to open in June of next year.

Wednesday: After closing up shop earlier this year, Dillon's Restaurant & Irish Pub is reopening on Hollywood and Ivar.

And one block south, at Sunset and Ivar, the people behind City Tavern are planning to open a new southern style sandwich and salad shop under the name of Roadside Eats.

Spin the Bottle Wine Studio is now serving customers at Riverside and Talofa.

3 Square Cafe, an austrian influenced bakery and restaurant, will begin serving customers at the BW on Wilshire and Barrington, on September 15th.

Thursday:  Ebanos Crossing, that highly anticipated new restaurant and bar at 2nd and Hill, is now open.

Valerie's, that excellent bakery and eatery that has been serving Grand Central Market patrons for the last couple months, has opened a second location at Lucretia and Echo Park today.

Wendell Bar is planning to take over the old Craby Joe's space at 7th and Main.

Marina Del Rey's newly opened Hilton Garden Inn features a new ground floor bar and grill, appropriately named the Marina Grill and Bar.

K2LA

Curbed brings us word on the groundbreaking for the second phase of Century West Partner's impressive K2LA apartment project in Korea Town, just off of Wilshire on San Borendo.  Grading and engineering is slated to begin on September 1st, and, once completed (sometime in 2015), the project will feature 478 luxury rental units.

Park and Water Wheel in Lincoln Heights

According to Curbed, Lincoln Heights will soon get both a new park (at Griffith and Broadway) and a water wheel (next to the Los Angeles River).  The park, which comes complete with a stream and waterfall, is slated to open in a couple months, while the water wheel is still awaiting final approval.

April Showers Bring May Flowers ...

... And may flowers bring a year on year increase of 19.2% for Los Angeles home prices (a 2.6% increase over the previous month), according to the Case Schiller Index.

Whole Foods Downtown

In a statement issued by Councilman Huizar's office yesterday, it was announced that Whole Foods had signed a lease on 42,000 square feet of ground floor space in the forthcoming Carmel Project on 8th Street, between Grand and Olive.  The Downtown News reports that the grocer plans to open its doors sometime in 2015.