Javier’s – Finest Foods of Mexico - opens its sixth restaurant and first in downtown LA on May 2 in the Circa property at the corner of 12th and Flower in South Park.

Truly an iconic South Park fixture, Hygge Bakery & Café, and then under new ownership, Dreads Caribbean on Hope at 11th, was a charming place that had miraculously stood the test of time in a neighborhood where many businesses have come and gone. Now after a 16-year legacy, they’ve closed shop.

Join us at the Home and Garden Park Market in Wishbone Park (on Grand between 11th and 12thStreets) on Sunday, May 18 from 11 am to 4 pm presented by Just Buy the Thing Market and South Park Neighborhood Association (SPNA).

SPNA’s The Scene newsletter photographer, John Nilsson, is featured at the Los Angeles Center of Photography

In LA at 2 am, every bar must legally stop selling alcohol. Matt Haney State Representative from San Francisco, has proposed a bill in the California legislature (AB 342) for local governments to establish “hospitality zones” where a 4 am liquor license would be allowed on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and certain state holidays. Haney said the bill aims to revitalize downtown areas.

Forty-five + South Park residents and several downtown residents attended CD14 Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s Drop-In event on Monday, March 24 at the South Park BID office from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.

Déjà vu. On March 10 at 1:43 am, 100 LAFD firefighters returned to the scene of a November 25, 2024, fire on Flower Street south of Pico to tackle another fire. The new fire included two unoccupied buildings, heavy flames, and smoke resulted in shutting down the Metro Blue (A) and Gold (E) lines running through Pico Station. Debris from the fire caused the Metro lines to remain closed the rest of the day after the fire was contained.

The Los Angeles Police Department reports crime is down, but issues related to quality of life have increased. The report came at the March 20, meeting of the Central Area Community Police Advisory Board (CPAB) held at the Central Station near Skid Row attended by four South Park residents and the LAPD senior lead officer covering South Park, Silvia Padilla.

Ysabel Jurado, CD14 LA City Council Member, speaking at the State of the Neighborhood hosted by the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council (DLANC), noted that downtown is “not as vibrant as it used to be.” She asked the audience to “share with me your vision of the future.” With a $1 billion deficit in the LA budget due to the wildfires, Jurado said we need to form partnerships and “think outside the box.” She is currently on a listening tour in neighborhoods in her district. She was in South Park on March 24. See related article in this newsletter.

  Local businesses are what define a neighborhood.  Taking out-of-town visitors to your favorite neighborhood restaurant or running errands close to home are literally what define a neighborhood. 

The South Park neighborhood is rapidly growing in population density while experiencing a shortage of green space for residents. South Park desperately needs its namesake: A Park – actually it needs Parks - multiple parks.  With the new leadership at CD14 headed by Ysabel Jurado, now is the time to press for more open space for South Park – The Social District.

The sparkling new Olympic + Hill Residential Tower by Onni at Olympic and Hill is nearing completion and is now accepting lease inquiries.  Certificate of Occupancy and first move-ins are projected for July 1, 2025.

  Did you attend the amazing Frost and Fir Holiday Market last December on the patio at Audiograph on 12th at Olive? An amazing experience – trees and lights and snow and vendors with holiday gifts and foods with amazing scents and children’s activities and Santa. It was a winter wonderful enjoyed by all. Well….

Voting in the DLANC election is different than voting in other LA elections. Below is how to register to vote and then how to vote.

  Nine candidates running for 3 seats for a South Park resident position on the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council (DLANC) were asked to contribute answers to the following questions. Their answers are as submitted – no edits.

When voting for Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council (DLANC) candidates in the April 22 election, in addition to voting for South Park representatives, you will also vote for three representatives for downtown-wide positions. You will vote for two area-wide representatives, one at-large representative, and two social service provider representatives for the Downtown Council. Below are the candidates running for these positions.

A recent survey of Downtown Stakeholders show that 67 percent of the respondents say they love downtown LA, but only 44 percent think downtown is moving in the right direction. The survey was conducted by the Downtown LA Alliance, formerly known as the Downtown Center Business Improvement District.

The Scene, SPNA’s monthly newsletter, pays tribute this issue to Virginia Wexman who died in mid-March. Virginia was a contributor to The Scene from the very first issue. She wrote articles about transportation. She was an advocate and user of the bus and rail system and chaired the Transportation Committee for the League of Women Voters.

The LA City Council recently received a community impact statement supporting a postponement of the Los Angeles Convention Center expansion until after the 2028 Olympic Games. The reason for the postponement centered on the massive damage from recent wildfires which will put a strain on city resources also needed for the convention center expansion.