I had the privilege and full pleasure to have eaten lunch and celebrated my anniversary dinner recently at The Capital Grille on 700 W. 9th Street at Figueroa. My experience is the same as other highly rated reviews. I love the restaurant for its food, service, and ambiance. I spoke with Britney Gregoire, its delightful and charismatic Managing Director. I am happy to share our exchange below.

Highlights from the Downtown Market Report for the first quarter of 2023 shows a strong recovery of people visiting downtown as convention business continues to bounce back to pre-pandemic levels.

Lots of news and new businesses in DTLA

The richness and vibrancy of downtown LA stems from its historic architecture and reuse of this architecture as it mingles with the newly built modern skyscrapers. South Park has benefited greatly from the renovation of historic properties that are now The Proper Hotel, The Hoxton Hotel, and the home of ASU. The Grand Lofts condos at Grand and 11th built for George Pepperdine, founder of Pepperdine University in Malibu, as the headquarters for his Western Auto Supply Company is now celebrating its 100th birthday. We love the Apple store in a transformed Broadway Street theater. The Eastern Columbia Building is an icon in downtown. And the list continues. The renovations, rehabs, and reuse did not happen without help from the 1999 Mills Act. And now proposed changes could have a chilling effect on the future of our historic buildings.

All South Park residents and businesses are invited to A Taste of South Park on Saturday, September 23. Mark your calendar - save the date!

It’s no secret that there are probably almost as many dogs in South Park as there are residents!  The South Park BID (Business Improvement District) has recognized this and is taking steps to help your dog find a suitable place to do what every dog has got to do.

Starting Friday, June 16, you can hop on a train at the Pico Station and exit in Pasadena or the Arts District or East LA without changing trains. Trains departing Pico Station will now continue through Metro Center at 7th Street with the A Line coming from Long Beach and continuing to Pasadena, and the L Line coming from Santa Monica and heading to East LA.

“Life is a combination of magic and coffee” is the message on the wall at Ideology Coffee at 1115 S. Hope (formerly Nimbus which also had some magic). I agree. For me, coffee has always been magic - it wakes me up, increases my energy levels, improves my mood, and stimulates my thinking. Plus, there are the magical health properties of coffee!

It started with Earth Day. How can YOU save the earth from climate changes and create a beautiful place to live? One way is to plant – plant a tree, plant flowers, plant anything green. Trees and plants are miracle workers – they clean the air, reduce pollution, provide oxygen, cool down neighborhoods, filter water by removing pollutants, absorb sounds and reduce noise pollution, boost mental health with a drop in anxiety and depression, and create a beautiful space. There is no downside to planting!

Over the past year, we have featured articles related to South Park. Here are a few updates:

The anticipated Moxy and AC Hotel opened this month in South Park. We had the pleasure of meeting with Courtney Nichols, the Experiential Marketing Director of the new structure that boasts two hotels with a combined 727 rooms and will soon house an impressive roster of 13 restaurants, bars, and a night club.

You’ll soon have more choices as to where you source your morning cup of Joe in the neighborhood - from uptown and hard edged to relaxed and kicked back.  All offer more than just coffee!

Bowls, vases, pots, mugs, espresso cups, unique whiskey low-ball glasses, bowls depicting the universe, and cow-pattern miniature cups are for sale at Throw Clay LA’s Open Studio + Member Pottery Sale on Saturday, May 20 from 10 - 3 pm at 1006 S. Olive Street (Olive and Olympic). Let me introduce you to three potters who will be selling their work.

Last month I shared five suggestions of what each of us can do to help save our only planet Earth. Often, as a group we can do simple things that multiply into huge results. All it takes is a little thought and a little discipline! Here are a few more ideas… and there are hundreds more where these come from.

SPNA (South Park Neighborhood Association) brought 250 South Park neighbors from 11 residential buildings together in Wishbone Park on Earth Day to celebrate the Earth, to learn more about what WE can do to help save the planet, and to grow a better neighborhood.

The first Earth Day was April 1970. Now 53 years later, we are still working to save our Earth.  Invest in Our Planet. What Will You Do? is the 2023 theme for Earth Day.

Despite the pandemic being in the rearview mirror, downtown stakeholders are pessimistic that downtown is moving in the right direction, according to a survey conducted in February by the Downtown Center Business Improvement District. Survey analysts suggest a key factor is a perceived lack of progress on key challenges such as homelessness and violent crime.