viewfromaloft

At the site of the Art Walk accident . . .

QUIET SPRING AT 4TH:  Flowers and candles have been placed on the spot where a car jumped the curb last night, injuring pedesterians and placing an infant in critical condition. At 2:25 am, the two-month old was declared dead, according to LAPD. [via DowntownNews]

ADD 1:20pm: Vigil being planned for this evening. Details to come.

ADD 1:47pm [LAT] + Paul Vernon (LAPD)

Photo shot and tweeted by @pezzillo

Car Jumps Curb During Art Walk: Infant Fatality Reported **

The early tweets came in around 9:22 pm.  A beige car jumped a curb on Spring, steps from 4th, during Downtown Art Walk. Anywhere from 6 to 10 people were struck, say witnesses. One account reported the sidewalk crowd that the car ran into included a mother with a child in a stroller.

KTLA is now reporting that a 6 to 8 month-year-old infant died enroute to the hospital, and the mother sustained injuries (at the same time, a infant male was reported "grave condition," according to LAFD).

The accident investigation is ongoing at this time, in front of the El Dorado at 416 S Spring. Driver under the influence of alcohol is not suspected. At this moment, helicopters, likely from news outlets, are hovering over the scene of the accident.

* ADD: 10:49pm twitter from LAPD's Paul Veron:  "baby + TC. Baby in critical cond. No apparent intoxication by driver. Tragic accident. Say a prayer. Almost any prob pales in comparison"

ADD: LAPD contact says infant may be as young as two months.

ADD: CBS reports infant was female.

Last Add: It is reported by LAPD contact that infant has died.

** Morning add: Tribune's KTLA and LAT now report infant struck at Art Walk in critical condition. NBC Los Angeles reports infant is "on life support at a hospital today and is not expected to survive, police said Friday."

Above: Screen shot KTLA report:  Below: Moments after accident at Downtown Art Walk: Photo by Sterling Davis / Sterling Davis Photo.

 

Nice Catch for Downtown Diners

Tuna Catch Brought Downtown: There is always a plethora of places to dine during Downtown Art Walk, but a recent catch adds a choice worth mentioning (but not much longer). Water Grill are serving fillets cut from 110 lb. Wild Bluefin Tuna caught off Catalina Island. Writes Water Grill Tuna-Catch spokesperson: "Although Bluefin Tuna are not strangers to this area, tunas this large surprised the local sardine fisherman that spotted and pulled them in. A catch like this is very unusual and special because large Bluefin Tunas are often netted by huge vessels in the North Pacific."

The wayward Bluefin Tuna, usually fished from Mexican waters and sent directly to Japan for the sushi grade catch, got lost and will end up on Downtown plates.

A sushi restaurant loss is Downtown's gain: The limited time menu includes Wild Catalina Island Bluefin Tuna Nicoise Salad Grilled, with white anchovy, haricot vert, and egg (available at lunch); Wild Catalina Island Bluefin Tuna, seared rare, with baby artichokes, Ozette potatoes, and Fremont tangerines (available at dinner); and Wild Catalina Island Bluefin Tuna Tartare, with Thai red chili and green papaya (available for lunch and dinner)

 

Water Grill (544 South Grand) and Ocean Avenue Seafood in Santa Monica.

 

Art Walk Preview for 7.14.11: Hello Chaos

Downtown LA Art Walk is upon us, and the monthly night out has the Art Walk Lounge using the summer night by taking over the Paragon Parking Lot at 434 S Spring, between 4^th and 5^th. That is where you can get a t-shirt made, pick up a map, and get some “freebies.” Also, featured on the lounge grounds is a custom-painted 1962 International Scout created by The Art of Chase, and the debut of ART SQuare, a new vendor space showcasing crafts.

ADD 5:30pm on Wed: Grand Central Market rep says 95% of vendors will be open until 9pm. Parking lot is open until 9pm with $3 flat rate.

But frankly, it will always be the art that makes Art Walk. That is what brought Congresswoman Roybal-Allard Downtown to wander through June's Art Walk on a private tour. Now, it may have been too much to hope that the royal couple extended their schedule so they can take in CB1 Gallery before hitting the Nickel Diner for a bacon donut, but one can speculate the news of Downtown’s creative culture has reached other shores.

The walk official hours are 6pm to 10pm, but regulars know you can make it a full day with the galleries and museums open throughout the day. This July 2011 look at the committed folks who bring you art for Art Walk is sponsored by DTLATonight, whom I refer to as the official Bar Stalker of Downtown Los Angeles. (Follow me on twitter for any updates @viewfromaloft.) Now, here is the bait for art stalkers. It's after the jump.

Downtown Vid Pick: Stan, and Ollie, in the Arts District

 

 

Berth Marks (1929) Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Directed by Lewis Foster

DOUBLE FEATURE: It's been pointed out how Downtown's role as a film location dates back to the slient era, and includes the Arts District. The long lost Santa Fe station along the Los Angeles River now makes a double bill for Stan and Ollie fans.

As the opening title card for "Berth Marks" reads: “Mr. Hardy told Mr. Laurel to meet him at the Santa Fe Station.“  The film location is the Santa Fe Le Grande Station, the passenger depot once on Santa Fe at 2^nd that first opened in 1893 and stayed in operation until Sante Fe moved passenger services to the newly completed Union Station in 1939

Now the site is the Metro rail yard, and the lost depot footprint will be part of the northern section of the Michael Maltzan designed One Sante Fe, the mixed-use development waiting to break ground in fall.

What is interesting about this Hal Roach produced short, director Lewis Foster angles the camera to show the First Street Bridge in the background (where you can see street cars passing by). Since the bridge is on the record as being completed in 1929, and "Berth Marks" was filmed in April of that same year,  this may possibly be the screen debut of the iconic Los Angeles bridge, now seen in countless film, television productions, and videos. The other Arts District show business diva, the Fourth Street Bridge and Viaduct, would not be completed until 1931.

The comedy short, one of the first talkies for Stan and Ollie, was also released as a silent film.

A decade earlier, when Stan Laurel was still a solo act, the Santa Fe Grande Depot and the iron arches of the passenger terminal were used in the opening scenes for “Hustling for Health,” filmed in 1918 and released in 1919.

[Berth Marks (Part 1)] (Noted July 17. The link has been disabled by the distributor)

[Hustling For Health]

ADD 1.13: A colorized version of the opening is on YouTube. [Berth Marks]

 

 

 

Below: Stan as "The Man" running into the Sante Fe Le Grande Station in the opening frames of "Hustling for Health."

 

Below: Passenger rail yard behind the Santa Fe Le Grande Depot in 1899, shot from the old First Street bridge.

 

 

Below: The Santa Fe "Le Grande" Station on Santa Fe, showing 2nd as the road directly leading to the station, in 1939.  The dome, seen in the shot above, was dismantled after the 1933 Long Beach earthquake. Photo via LA Times / Daily Mirror

 

Top Ten Things to wake up to after a Downtown Weekend Hangover

Monday morning's line at the new Downtown Los Angeles Hooters, across from the L.A. Convention Center. The first 100 people get free wings for a year. Says my own brother, who lives in San Diego near a Hooters: "They have wings?" Photo: Amanda Leon.

Yes, a list. Top Ten Things to wake up to after a busy weekend.

10: Newlywed British royal couple forgot they were to steer clear of undesirable Downtown locations.

9: Sequel to 500 Days of Summer to be titled 500 Days of Damage Control.

8: Los Angeles Lakers' Shannon Brown and singer Monica have back to back wedding vows .

7: Los Angeles Sparks hire Kobe Byrant's father as head coach.

6: Armed troublemakers misread memo. They thought Looters opens Monday in South Park.

5: ESPY Awards expecting to be hacked and results altered.

4: YouTube reveals Der Führer lives in the Valley and considers Metro use hyped by people "busy going to speak-easy's and art-walks."

3: Zooey responds to Patt Morrison.

2: Frank McCourt is still owner of the Dodgers.

1: You won wings for a year.

Workshop: Your Chance To Talk Walking and Biking in The Arts District.

Courtesy of SCI-Arc.

After 100 years of seeing their neighborhood chipped away and altered, Little Tokyo responds with a sense of urgency when it comes to possible change. The Arts District, while no shrinking flower, tend to consider workshops a conceptual brainstorming phase, part of their everyday work process.

Nola's Sends Word on Soft Opening

Arts District locals are looking forward to NOLA's restaurant and bar "inspired by everything that is magical about New Orleans."  Jazz is expected to be on the bill often. It's located at 734 E. 3rd St, the former East 3rd Steakhouse and Lounge owned by Jason Ha (He is a joint partner in this venture). 

Nola's / Facebook / Twitter.

Presenting: a Bloomfest billboard.

It has come to this. A billboard touting BloomfestLA 2011 is next to California Market Center.

Murals: What about this City of LA sign code?

A conversation about murals leads to a look at sign codes.  Meet the young city employee assigned to review ordinances. [Before Paint Comes Paperwork]