South Park Neighborhood Association (SPNA) was created in March 2022 as a volunteer organization to be a voice and advocate for residents of South Park. As SPNA completes its 2nd calendar year, we look back with pride of our accomplishments. 2023 saw major advancement in the organization and within our community.

Crossing bells ringing, a train horn blaring, red lights blinking, doors slamming open. The “A” train rumbles out of the Pico Metro Station. A few moments later the “E” train brakes squeakily as it pulls to a stop enroute to Santa Monica. Ah, the sights and sounds of urban living! And across the Metro entrance on Flower St, just south of CVS on 12th, owner and barista, James Fastiggi, opened Virtu Coffee in October, 2023.

It is a new year; January is the month to refocus your priorities. Have you been dealing with too much anxiety? Have you been ignoring a nagging injury? Are you finding your lateral mobility being limited? If you answer yes to any of those questions, check out Athlete Within (previously Urban Med) located next to Starbucks on 11th, west of Grand Ave. They are offering a free tour, a free cold plunge, and a compression boot experience. 

“I had a good time. I believe I made 3-4 new friends!” according to Hope & Flower resident, May, at the end of the Aprés-Ski Holiday event at HiDef Brewing on December 17.

South Park pet owners have long been  challenged in locating convenient local veterinary care for their dogs and cats.  The recent opening of Modern Animal at 301 West Olympic Blvd. between Olive and Hill has solved this challenging aspect of South Park life with a bright new cheerful facility and an excellent program that offers the best health care for Fido or Tiger. I recently visited Modern Animal with my Chihuahua/Terrier mix Elizabeth, and I was completely satisfied and impressed. Let me tell you about Modern Animal and my first experience.

This is going to be a Holiday Bash. Come on out an ENJOY!

Laden with turkey, ham, potatoes, gravy, sweets, and treats, all of us are going to be thinking about some much-needed healthy eating and some physical activity come January. 

L.A. Comic Con is a three-day multi-genre convention held annually in downtown Los Angeles, California. L.A. Comic Con is one of the largest independent conventions in the United States and encompasses several categories, including comic, horror, sci-fi, anime, gaming, and pop culture, with a particular focus on the local Los Angeles community. Thousands of Comic Com visitors made for an exciting and active South Park this last weekend!

The French call it APRÈS-SKI. We call it AFTER SKI PARTY! Think cozy by the fireplace, snow falling outside, warm sweaters, just hanging and relaxing with friends and neighbors. You will not want to miss this SPNA Themed Holiday event at HiDef Brewing on Sunday evening, December 17th. from 5:00 to 9:00-pm. Dress in theme, or as you wish, and join us for food, creative drinks and brews, music, icebreakers, engaging conversations, competitively fun contests, awesome prizes, stocking stuffers, snow, a visitor from the North Pole, and more.  

Winter holidays in LA feature warm temperatures and no snow. If you are looking for a more wintery experience, check out the Lazy Dog restaurant at LA Live. The restaurant was designed to draw inspiration from Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Lazy Dog’s grand interior is complete with lodge-inspired furnishings such as ledge stone, a chandelier crafted from Aspen logs, a wall crafted from 150-year-old barn wood siding, as well as heavy timber ceiling elements. The rustic elements allow diners to experience the spirit of the mountains. Also now, you can step outside to ice skating and a gigantic Christmas tree in the center of the rink at LA Live.

Hope for the Holidays Toy Drive is underway in South Park. We are asking for toy/gift donations for children 0-18 years of age served by the Hope Street Margolis Family Center at Hope and Venice in the South Park neighborhood. We need 2,500 toys!

Bisnow, the world’s leading B2B platform serving the U.S. commercial real estate industry, recently published an article regarding Downtown Los Angeles’s struggle to recover from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.  It is no secret that DTLA’s life as a 9 to 5 business district has been greatly challenged in the last few years with commercial occupancies falling dramatically.  The silver lining of future growth and greatness for DTLA is now found in a flourishing residential market.

For a candidate’s name to appear on the March 2024 primary ballot for CD14 Council District, each candidate must file a Nominating Petition with the City Clerk containing signatures from 1,000 registered voters in the CD 14 district.

The fur monsters of South Park came out on Sunday, October 29th for our second annual Howl-O-Ween event. Over 50 dogs showed up in costume for a paw-some afternoon filled with contests, photos, and treats.

Lazy Dog Restaurant had its ribbon cutting ceremony on Oct 10th and representatives from SPNA, SPBID, DLANC, L.A. LIVE and other prominent community organizations were invited to participate in the ceremonial opening followed by an intimate reception. Lazy Dog management was very hospitable, and the South Park Neighborhood officially welcomes Lazy Dog to DTLA.

The South Park Farmers Market provides a great opportunity to connect with local vendors and to support local businesses. In this month’s vendor spotlight, I aim to highlight two vendors at South Park’s Farmers Market, Californica and Radicle Roots.

Laura Wang and Jim Madsen were elected to the South Park Stakeholders Group Board, which operates the South Park Business Improvement District (SPBID), at its October 25 meeting. They will each serve a three-year term beginning January 1, 2024.

Hope for the Holidays Toy Drive will provide 2,500 toys for children 0-18 years of age who are served by the Hope Street Margolis Family Center at Hope and Venice in the South Park neighborhood. Approximately 40% of the households in our geographic service area earn less than $25,000 a year, and the Hope Street Margolis Family Center serves 5,000 very low-income children. SPNA encourages all to help our neighbors through California Hospital Medical Center Foundation’s holiday toy drive – a part of our neighborhood for 135 years.

Enlightened city planners have realized the major way to promote a more viable city experience is throttling back on the local automobile access and replacing more cars with more walkability.

Onni Group, one of DTLA’s most active developers, is making great progress on their new residential tower at the corner of Olympic and Hill Streets on the northeastern edge of South Park. When last checked, at least 20 floors of concrete structure had been completed along with windows on a couple of floors.