Toastique, at Olympic and Olive, debuted at A Taste of South Park last Saturday to rave reviews! Previously I had talked with owners Ail and Mounir as they were working on the interior of Toastique, and I was enthralled with their love of toast!!!! Here is part of our conversation.

This event is a favorite South Park treat – for dogs, dog owners, and non-dog owners. Come for the dog parade, costumes worn by both dogs and dog owners, and the competition for prizes. The 5th annual Howl-O-Ween event will be Saturday, November 1, from 1-4 pm at First Draft Taproom and Kitchen on Olive at Pico.

It was a spectacular Southern California afternoon – not too hot, not to cool, just right.  So… Enid and I decided to take our live-in family members Noodle and Elizbeth on a stroll to see what was happening at DTLA DOG DAY in the beautiful McGuire Gardens on the Flower Street side of the LA Public Library.  This once-a-year Dog Expo is produced by DTLA Alliance and definitely did not disappoint!

LA’s grand 2028 Olympic production is now only three summers away.  What seemed to be the distant future is now right on our doorstep!  The city has been quietly preparing for the summer of 2028, and little has been heard on the effort – until now!  The main theoretical approach to pulling off the LA Olympics has been to improve and use existing infrastructure instead of creating completely new facilities. 

Our neighborhood businesses depend on us. A convention in town, a game at Crypto.com, a concert or event at Belasco is welcomed by every business. But day in and day out, our local businesses need us to visit and promote them. With that in mind, I asked residents and workers what South Park eateries, services, stores, and other spaces local residents would like to promote and to see thrive.

One of the most prominent companies offering robot food delivery services is Serve Robotics. I enjoyed a great sit-down with Serve’s local representative, Vignesh Ran (call me Vigi)  the other day to get a little history and insight on this operation that is rapidly growing in popularity in South Park.

The South Park Neighborhood Association (SPNA) will host the sixth annual event on September 27th from 1-5 pm at the corner of Grand and 11th on the Desmond AEG lot. As in previous years, the event will include food and drink samples from 15 local restaurants and bars, live music and a DJ, raffles, and a kids’ activity table.

SPNA’s LynxEye initiative is requesting support from HOAs, residential buildings, and businesses. The test pilot aims to establish a network of external-facing cameras and security patrol to aid in crime prevention, collect data on crime, and enhance safety for residents and employees. The pilot will be implemented in a specific area with defined objectives, and if it demonstrates effectiveness, it may be considered for broader application in South Park and potentially serve as a model for other districts within DTLA. 

 DTLA RA (Downtown Los Angeles Residents Association) is championing the recovery of downtown LA. Downtown vibrancy, development, and activity were on the rise before COVID. During COVID workers left downtown and have not returned to the rate before COVID. With that, residents moved out, businesses left or failed.  It is time to bring back downtown LA and its growth back NOW. 

With the World Cup Soccer Championships next year and the much-anticipated 2028 Summer Olympics, alarms have been going off in the business and political communities about the negative effects of the graffiti-tarnished towers and activities planned for these two world class events which will occur in the immediate neighborhood.

“Five of the anticipated facilities serving OpenAI (in California) could collectively use more electricity than three million households,” from a report from the California Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications.

Kennedy Wilson is a major presence in the South Park real estate market as well as the global markets. Their portfolio includes all aspects of real estate from commercial to condos/apartments and investment management. Justin Weiss of Kennedy Wilson is a fixture in the neighborhood. Weiss is known for his expertise in the downtown market. He joined Kennedy Wilson in 2014 to lead its downtown platform with partner Lee Shapiro. Recently I spoke with Justin to get his insights regarding the real estate market and anything newsworthy in our area.

With much excitement and anticipation, The Wine Station below Hope and Flower residences, opened for business on August 11th.  I met owner, Thibaud Duccini, who is from the South of France but has been on the scene in LA previously as General Manager of Wally’s in Beverly Hills. He has lived downtown for 15 years, so he knows downtown and South Park.

South Park neighbors gathered – 230+ residents – under the evening skies on Tuesday, August 5 at Audio Graph to enjoy the food, drink, raffles, and information about our neighborhood including SPNA’s security pilot initiative and DLANC’s (Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council) newly elected representatives explaining their work and vision. Kids and dogs and families and young and old-er residents enjoyed a beautiful summer evening in the neighborhood.

In the original Sinai Temple building built in 1909, Pico Union Projects which abuts the South Park neighborhood and located less than 1 mile west of Crypto.com, will host High Holy Day Services. Craig Taunman, Founder of PUP, writes, as we prepare for the Jewish Holy Days, we return to the essence of the Pico Union Project: unconditional hospitality. Our tradition asks us to love the stranger, yet here, no one is a stranger. Every person who enters belongs.

I’m one of those people who after about four hours of sleep, wake up, and stay up for about an hour before returning to bed. That was my routine on August 8 when I woke up, moved into the living space to do a little reading. From my window, I can see a good deal of Hope, some of Flower, Figueroa, Olympic, and 11th. I asked myself, why is there all this traffic at 2:30 in the morning? It’s too late. All events should be over?

Do you remember 2017 when shared scooters appeared out of nowhere on city streets across North America?  These controversial conveyances were immediately branded as a pariah that would never last.

Living in one of the greatest cities in the world means that you will inevitably have visitors from out of town. We love them, but people who aren’t local to Los Angeles don’t know the first thing about planning a fun day here. Let me help you entertain in our neighborhood and a bit beyond!

South Park is set to launch a two-month pilot of LynxEye, a resident-driven CCTV pilot with security patrols to enhance neighborhood safety. Nolan Marshall, Executive Director of The Social District, has committed to fund one-third to one-half of the $50,000 budget. The project awaits essential funding from participating Homeowners’ Associations (HOAs) and local businesses. 

Downtown is a very walkable area with a plethora of restaurants, bars, grocery stores, entertainment revenues, and LA Live events. But late at night, you might feel more comfortable to have a Safe Walk from the SPBID/Social District.