area newsletter MARCH 2019 • WESTSIDE
20 19
Community News Construction begins on new tower in Century City
Affordable housing planned for Santa Monica
After nearly 15 years of false starts, construction has begun on a residential tower project at the intersection of Constellation Blvd. and Avenue of the Stars in Century City. Constellation Park, as the project is called, involves the construction of two towers, rising 45 and 41 stories, but the developers are only building one tower at this time. JMB Realty Corp., the owners of the property, originally sought to build on the site in 2004 but were hamstrung by the Great Recession before any progress could be made. An alternate plan, to build a 37-story office building on the lot, was abandoned in 2015. Once construction is completed on the current plan, the development will provide 483 residential units as well as a 2-story amenity center, a landscaped outdoor deck, and a pocket park. The property is also situated next to the future location of the Century City station of the Purple Line extension, which is expected to be completed by 2028. No timeline for the Constellation Park construction has been announced.
Community Corporation of Santa Monica has announced plans to build a new affordable housing project on 14th Street in Santa Monica. The development involves the construction of a 3-story structure containing 55 residential units, in one-, two- and three-bedroom configurations, and will replace 4 existing low-rise commercial buildings. In order to fund the purchase of the property, CCSM has requested a $15 million loan from the City of Santa Monica. CCSM is a non-profit organization that has been involved in building, renovating, and managing housing projects in the area and recently opened The Arroyo, a 64-unit affordable housing development at 1626 Lincoln Blvd.
Community News Development to expand in Culver City
being treated at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center for hyperparathyroidism, a condition that affects the parathyroid glands and which likely contributed to his death in 2016. UCLA has subsequently named a multipurpose room in Geffen Hall in his honor.
More wildflowers anticipated after fire and rain
A local firm has filed plans to build a new apartment building at the intersection of Venice Blvd. and Dunn Dr., expanding upon a development they recently finished building. California Landmark Group recently purchased the property at 3812-3818 Dunn Dr., which is adjacent to their “3838” apartments, with the intention of building a companion building for their project. The new structure would stand 7 stories tall and hold 42 units which, when combined with the 86 existing units, would create a 128-unit apartment complex. The previous owners of the property, Napa Industries, had proposed a narrow, 19-story tower that would contain only 17 apartments.
Shandling estate gives to UCLA medical school The estate of Gary Shandling recently effectuated a $15.2 million donation to the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. The late comedian’s gift will establish four research funds in his name, in the areas of endocrinology, infectious diseases, pancreatic diseases, and general medical research. Shandling took special interest in those areas after
Local biologists are looking forward to a super bloom of wildflowers this spring, following the plentiful rains we’ve experienced this winter. The effect will be more pronounced in the Santa Monica Mountains, where the Woolsey Fire burned through 88% of the land managed by the National Park Service. According to experts, the seeds of certain species of flowers lie dormant in the soil and only sprout after the heat of a fire triggers their germination. Other seeds only grow when other plants competing for daylight and soil nutrition have been removed, in this case by a destructive fire. Among the species expected to be plentiful this spring are Plummer’s mariposa lily and cliff aster, two wildflowers that can only be found in California.
Restaurant
Spotlight
Bay Cities Italian Deli
Estate Restaurant + Bar
Swingers
1517 Lincoln Boulevard Santa Monica
1519 Wilshire Boulevard Santa Monica
802 Broadway Santa Monica
Bay Cities specializes in homemade, authentic Italian specialties, like freshly made pasta, bread, and rolls. This Italian deli makes more than 20 different kinds of sandwiches and is known for its ‘Godmother,’ an Italian sub with a stack of Genoa salami, mortadella, capicola, ham, and prosciutto. When you dine here you can expect the highest quality food made with the freshest ingredients, along with friendly, personal customer service. In addition to being a deli, Bay Cities is also a gourmet market. You can find domestic and imported groceries, including wine, cheese, and housewares.
This stylish eatery is known for its upscale Asian-fusion fare, unique craft cocktails and its swanky dining room. Estate brings globally inspired farm-totable cuisine to Santa Monica. Its downstairs bar and lounge has Santa Monica’s best nonbasic happy hour, which is seven days a week from 5 - 7 p.m. The bar offers twists on the classic American cocktails as well as specialty drinks, which are wellpriced. The menu here includes an eclectic selection of crisp, pankobreaded shrimp, filet mignon skewers, and grilled salmon salad.
This hip, throwback coffee shop offers classic diner fare with vegetarian options. The ‘60s-style diner also serves alcohol, but it is best known for staying open late until 3 a.m. Thursday - Saturday. Here you can enjoy tuna melts, French fries, milkshakes, as well as Tofu chilaquiles, house-made veggie burgers, and a soy shake with peanut butter. If you live on the Westside, chances are you’ve ended up in a booth at this classic diner after a night out!
SIGHTS & SOUNDS in LOS ANGELES
J. Paul Getty Museum 1200 Getty Center Drive Los Angeles, CA 90049
LACMA
6060 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90036 CURRENT EXHIBITION:
CURRENT EXHIBITION:
CURRENT EXHIBITION:
Auto-Didactic: The Juxtapoz School September 29, 2018 - June 2019
Eighteenth-Century Pastel Portraits August 28, 2018 – October 13, 2019
3D: Double Vision July 15, 2018 - March 31, 2019
Juxtapoz Magazine, known for featuring “lowbrow” and pop surrealist artists that would otherwise be considered as outside of the mainstream art world, has teamed with the Petersen Auto Museum to create a group show of artists whose work is often inspired by hot rod culture. The exhibit features many car-centric paintings and sculptures, as well as a number of vehicles that converted into moving works of work. The exhibit includes work by Robert Crumb, Ed “Big Daddy” Roth and Robert Williams.
Celebrating a medium that is often overlooked in other time periods, this exhibit delves into the favored form of portraiture in late 18th century Europe. Pastels allowed the artist to create classically beautiful works without the arduous process that oil painting often requires. This flexibility coincided with the growing class of people who patronized portrait artists, creating a unique body of work that represented both an evolving craft and an evolving society.
This exhibition explores the art of stereoscopy, the technique that allows a two-dimensional image to create the illusion that it occupies three dimensions of space. Following the history of the technology from the experimental photographs of the 1830’s to the sophisticated digital films of modern day, the exhibit creates a hands-on experience, allowing viewers to use various devices to view 3-D art from artists such as Marcel Duchamp and Ed Ruscha, and features over 60 photographs, videos, and holographic sculptures.
Petersen Automotive Museum
5905 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90036
RodeoRE.com