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.

A long time and revered South Park business has recently changed hands.  The Hope Street Café and Bakery has been purveying coffee, sandwiches, and yummy pastries for better than seven years from its prominent location in the Luma building next to Prank.  The Café’s previous owner, known by all as Mike, is retiring from ownership to pay attention to several physical issues that need to be addressed.

This year we’re rolling out the red carpet for our South Park fur-baby celebrities to strut their stuff down the runway in their best costumes.

Meet Toni, Best Friend to South Park’s Fur Babies!

We had the exciting opportunity to try out Waymo, the self-driving electric car service, while still in its soft opening. The Waymo service is expected to launch for all users later this month.        

THANK YOU TO THE Following ATOSP SPONSORS:

Speaking in support of closing the oil well site operated by Nasco Petroleum at Pico and Broadway at the city hearing on September 28 were South Park Neighborhood Association (SPNA), Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council (DLANC), and South Park residents including Teresa Y Hillery, CD 14 City Council candidate. LA City Planning also presented on the problems and reasons for closing the oil drill site.

Mexican

Taco is now serving!

A Taste of South Park on Sept 23rd is best captured in the images on these pages. During the five-hour event, more than 800 people attended. Most live or work in South Park. Each person has their own story. For me it was about individuals stepping out of their daily routine and for one day coming together for a very happy, memorable, and beautiful day in the neighborhood.