DOWNTOWN: When the Medallion apartments opened a couple years ago, they certainly filled a big dead zone in the Old Bank District. The retail didn't really take off but, finally, good news: the very upscale and much-loved Sushi Zo is moving into a 1,600 square foot groundfloor space. DTLA really needs some good sushi; opening will be mid-to-late 2013.
DOWNTOWN: Eater asked some prominent local writers to pick the city's best neighborhood for food and, unsurprisingly, DTLA was the hands-down winner. But there was a second-place finisher that might surprise some.
WESTWOOD: Junior's Deli on Westwood Boulevard is sadly closing after more than 50 years of pastrami sandwiches. The reason: a rent dispute and dwindling business. The owners are planning another restaurant, but at a different location.
STUDIO CITY: A preservation battle roared over Henry's Tacos, a little Valley stand with Googie-style design. While a closure appeared imminent, the stand will now operate until at least January 10 ... and maybe longer.
· Eater LA [Official Site]
The Mt. Washington cottage that was due to be knocked down until it was discovered to be stuffed to the gills with maps has a new lease on life. The LA Times brought a little seasonal cheer when they checked back in on the house, the real estate agent involved in the sale, the librarian who's overseeing the map haul, and the house's happy new owner. Back in October, broker Matthew Greenberg was supposed to empty out the house, which had been occupied by one John Feathers until he passed away in February. The plan was to tear down the 948 square foot house, subdivide the property into two lots, and sell it on behalf of the owner's two surviving siblings. But when Greenberg arrived at the house with a dumpster, he found a collection of maps so large it would eventually fill more than 200 boxes. Feathers, it seems, had been collecting maps of all shapes and sizes nearly his whole life. Instead of dumping the trove, Greenberg called the LA Central Library's Glen Creason, who agreed to add the maps to the library's archive, making it one of the largest map archives in the country. Both men say that the whole experience has been "really positive" and "life changing."
Los Angeles may be hogging the limelight this month, but WeHo Patch checks in on where else in the county bike share fever is taking hold. West Hollywood officials have met with Beverly Hills-based SoCal Cycle Share to talk about setting up a privately-funded program there, and the transportation commission discussed the plans twice over the summer. But, not wanting to be the first city to make a move, the transportation commission affirmed their desire to bring in bike sharing, but didn't choose a provider. Meanwhile, Bike Nation, the Tustin-based company that's running LA's huge bike share program, has submitted proposals to both West Hollywood and Culver City for sharing programs there. Also in the mix is the Westside Cities Council of Governments (a group representing the Westside cities), which has been looking into a joint bike share program for more than a year now. As part of the joint effort, a staff report was presented to the Beverly Hills City Council in September noting that the average start-up cost is $46,000 per station, but that there's possible funding in "grant funding, user fees, private or non-profit sponsorship and advertising revenue." Earlier this year, Santa Monica's bike plans got a major leg up when they received a $500,000 grant for their program. [Image via WeHo Patch]
·Weho Considers Bike Sharing as L.A. Rolls Out Program [WeHo Patch]
·SaMo's Big Bike Share Program Will Have Rental Stations in LA [Curbed LA]
It's the last week in December, when according to tradition we make up a bunch of awards and hand them out to all the best, worst, and shitshowiest of things that happened in Los Angeles real estate, architecture, and neighborhoods this year. These are your 2012 Curbed Awards. [Photo by Elizabeth Daniels]
Trend of the Year
Closing down the streets to move giant objects through them. LA's best times this year were spent watching the giant LACMA boulder and the space shuttle Endeavour roll through town. God, we had fun.
Adding some much-needed flavor to the sparse end-of-year offerings is this new listing in the Echo Park hills, which looks like your classic Craftsman on the outside, and a Oaxacan restaurant on the inside. Whether it's "truly a magical retreat," as the copy asserts, we cannot say, but the property, which is sited on an 11,505 square foot lot, does seem to have plenty o' potential. Built in 1911, the 1,598 square foot house features three bedrooms, one and three-quarters baths, hardwood floors, a wood-burning fireplace, wainscoting, pocket doors, a cactus garden, and city and mountain views. There's also a separate guest house with kitchenette. Asking price for the gated compound is $884,000.
· 1119 CORONADO Ter [Zillow]
It's the last week in December, when according to tradition we make up a bunch of awards and hand them out to all the best, worst, and shitshowiest of things that happened in Los Angeles real estate, architecture, and neighborhoods this year. These are your 2012 Curbed Awards.
The plan to have a private contractor finance and build a rapid-transit connection between the Valley and the Westside via the Sepulveda Pass is further along than most people realized, the Daily News reports. It was only at Metro's board meeting this month that a motion passed to further study a private/public partnership to construct either a bus-only lane, an underground rail tunnel, or a subway/freeway combination--private entities would make back their money by collecting tolls or fares. A car/train tunnel would be a wallet-buster to the tune of $10 billion, but approximately half a dozen companies have already contacted Metro to indicate their interest in helping build it. "[Metro's Roger] Moliere added there are only about four to six private entities worldwide that are capable of taking on a project this size, and all of them have reached out to Metro." The transit agency will only have $1 billion for the project and not for many years, but Moliere believes a private entity could "accelerate the project by 30 years." With a tunnel, drivers will be charged tolls to use the faster underground option--Moliere says the fees wouldn't be that substantial since so many use the 405--while transit riders would pay fares as they do currently.
· Tunnel beneath Sepulveda Pass or widen 405 Freeway? It could happen quicker with private money [Daily News]
· Toll Lanes Could Help Fund the 405 Transit Corridor Project [Curbed LA]
It's the last week in December, when according to tradition we make up a bunch of awards and hand them out to all the best, worst, and shitshowiest of things that happened in Los Angeles real estate, architecture, and neighborhoods this year. These are your 2012 Curbed Awards.
Oh, renderings: so exciting, so often misleading. Here are the 10 renderings (of things that will actually probably be built) that thrilled us most this year--meet us back here in a decade or so and we can discuss just how cruelly they led us astray. Update: How could we forget the new Sixth Street Viaduct??
· Curbed Awards 2012 [Curbed LA]
It's one more win for the under-construction Chinatown Walmart: the city has denied an appeal of the project's building permits (meaning the store can keep on constructing). Add that one to the failure of the Chinatown chain store ban and a judge's denial of a work stoppage at the site, on the ground floor of the Grand Plaza apartments. The LA Times reports that a zoning administrator "found that the Department of Building and Safety did not err or abuse its discretion when it gave Wal-Mart permission to upgrade an existing retail space at the corner of Cesar Chavez and Grand avenues." Opponents of the store, a smaller-sized Neighborhood Market, said the city rushed permits before the proposed chain store ban could come to a vote and argued that the permits "should be invalidated because Grand Plaza's developer did not complete key environmental measures required by the city when the 302-unit building was approved two decades ago." They now say they'll probably file an appeal of this latest decision. The Walmart is set to open by the end of March.
· L.A. city official hands new victory to Chinatown Wal-Mart [LAT]
· Chinatown Walmart Wars Archives [Curbed LA]
We're down to the final four in the Curbed Cup, our annual award to the Los Angeles neighborhood of the year. The polls will be left open for 24 hours; the final showdown for the prestigious fake trophy will begin Friday. Let the eliminations continue!
The presents are unwrapped. Patrón Tequila wants to know what made you happier—giving or receiving? The Patrón Happiness Experiment looks at the way gift giving makes us feel around the holidays. When you participate, you'll be eligible to get great prizes like a Patrón Drink Maker book, with over 125 unique cocktail recipes.
Want in? All you have to do is head here, answer a few simple questions, and you'll be entered. Once you've had your say, you can see the results from around the country. There are some really interesting outcomes in there. You can also get cocktail recipes, see how Patrón is made, and get tips for the perfect party.
Downtown's Grand Central Market seemed like one of those little pockets of old schoolness that would slide under the gentrification radar, but NOPE: it's getting a big, trendy makeover. The market, built in 1917, sits at the bottom of the Homer Laughlin Building, right between Angel's Flight and the up-and-coming Broadway, so it was probably inevitable. Consultants brought in to oversee the overhaul "said they hope to install local chefs and entrepreneurs, including retailers of bread, coffee, cheese and wine as well as sustainably raised meat and fish and farmers market produce, while keeping as many current vendors as possible" (about 30 stalls are currently occupied), reports the LA Times. They also want to completely makeover the Hill Street seating area, turning it into what they describe as "downtown's living room"--meaning free WiFi, power outlets, and "maybe low couches." The basement will become a "food crafting space" with an exhibition kitchen in the center to be called Basement at Grand Central Market (chic!). The market will also get longer hours (right now it's open until 6 pm). But first up: a "deep cleaning" and repainting already underway. Architecture firm BCV, which worked on San Francisco's enormously successful Ferry Building Marketplace, will handle design work. [Image via army.arch / Curbed LA flickr pool]
· Major update planned for Grand Central Market [LAT]
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Los Angeles may be 
It's one more win for the under-construction Chinatown Walmart: the city has denied an appeal of the project's building permits (meaning the store can keep on constructing). Add that one to the failure of the 
Quiet little Atwater Village shocked everyone in round two with its 
Downtown's Grand Central Market seemed like one of those little pockets of old schoolness that would slide under the gentrification radar, but NOPE: it's getting a big, trendy makeover. The market, built in 1917, sits at the bottom of the Homer Laughlin Building, right between Angel's Flight and the up-and-coming Broadway, so it was probably inevitable. Consultants brought in to oversee the overhaul "said they hope to install local chefs and entrepreneurs, including retailers of bread, coffee, cheese and wine as well as sustainably raised meat and fish and farmers market produce, while keeping as many current vendors as possible" (about 30 stalls are currently occupied), reports the LA Times. They also want to completely makeover the Hill Street seating area, turning it into what they describe as "downtown's living room"--meaning free WiFi, power outlets, and "maybe low couches." The basement will become a "food crafting space" with an exhibition kitchen in the center to be called Basement at Grand Central Market (chic!). The market will also get longer hours (right now it's open until 6 pm). But first up: a "deep cleaning" and repainting already underway. Architecture firm BCV, which worked on San Francisco's enormously successful Ferry Building Marketplace, will handle design work. 
