The Roosevelt Construction Continues as First Sales Contracts are Accepted

Construction at the Roosevelt is getting extremely busy as the project moves closer to completion. Walking by the building, you will notice the 7th street retail store front glass windows have been installed. The elevators are now fully functional throughout the structure. Ceramic tiling has been laid down all the way up to the 8th floor as well. Kitchens and bathrooms are currently being constructed inside the loft units. In addition, all of the penthouse spaces have been erected. In other news, the developers of the Roosevelt have countersigned the first batch of sales contracts. For more information on how to apply for a unit at the Roosevelt Lofts, contact April Fissell at the Roosevelt's Sales Center.

The Downtown LA Boom Continues...

If there are rumblings in the economy of a real estate slow down across the Nation, this is certainly not the case with the Downtown LA market as Rebecca Ascher-Walsh recently wrote about in The Hollywood Reporter.

The article points out some very noteworthy statistics to consider. There were over 40,000 new residents in LA last year with only 10,000 new units added. Tom Gilmore of Gilmore Properties states that his downtown properties have been at 100% occupancy for the last four years. There are dozens of new clubs and restaurants slated for the area over the next two years, as well as the L.A. Live Complex and the new $2 billion Grand Avenue Project designed by Frank Gehry scheduled to break ground later this fall.

Carol Schatz of the BID says, "it's the most fabulous thing that LA has ever seen..." in reference to the continued growth and resounding applause from the city.

The Roosevelt Lightwell VR flythru

Experience a virtual tour of one of the magnificent lightwells with a rendering of the proposed Zen garden. The interior units of the building will overlook one of two lightwells.

Lightwell Update

As you can see, we've got some great renderings of the Roosevelt's lightwell construction. The residents of the building's interior loft units will comfortably enjoy beautiful views of this area, which will overlook a gorgeous Zen garden. As Erik Richardson from BlogDowntown noticed a few weeks ago, the lightwells at the Roosevelt are a wonderful example of blending historic architecture with modern design. It's really quite amazing how the brick facade and steel cased windows combine to bring complexity and unity to the building's secluded posterior. The proposed Zen garden will further enhance the eclectic design aesthetic being forged by the Roosevelt's development team. Stay posted for more updates, pictures, and videos of the renovation process.

One Step Closer to Santa Monica Subway Line

Great news LA, within the next few years we could actually see a subway line connecting downtown with the sunny shores of Santa Monica! A US Senate Panel unanimously voted Thursday to lift a ban on subway tunneling through Western Los Angeles. This decision followed a similar repeal by the House of Representatives back in February. Provided that the full Senate approves the measure, a study will be carried out to investigate the feasibility of extending the Purple Line past it's current terminus at Wilshire and Western. For more information on this exciting news check out the the Angelenic blog and the San Jose Mercury.

Central Library Artist

If you ever step inside the main lobby of the Los Angeles Central Library, you will experience the cornucopia of color, text and imagery interwoven in the ceiling art by Los Angeles artist Renee Petropoulos. The library offers daily tours of the various art and architecture that comprise the building.




Renee is currently exhibiting her most recent work at the Rosamund Felsen Gallery at Bergamont Station in Santa Monica, June 3 - September 1.

Study Finds Downtown LA # 3 "Bloggiest" Neighborhood in U.S.

The results for "America's Top Ten Bloggiest Neighborhoods" were released this past week by Outside.in, an online resource for tracking local internet buzz. The rankings were compiled over the last six months and based on several variables: total number of posts, total number of local bloggers, number of comments and Technorati rankings for the bloggers. With over 3,000 neighborhoods in the U.S. under review, Downtown LA took 3rd place in overall "blogginess". The frenzy of web chatter can be traced to the city's major influx of new residents, blossoming urban culture, and anticipation of continuing future development. Some of the most popular blogs behind the buzz are our good friends at blogdowntown, LAist, Curbed LA, and LA Observed.

The top spot in the country is Brooklyn NY's Clinton Hill, a neighborhood currently in a phase of mega-development, and also the home of the Pratt Institute of Art. The silver medal belongs to Shaw, DC, another recently revitalized area, considered to have been the "pre-Harlem center of African American intellectual and cultural life." For Outside.in's complete Top Ten Bloggiest Neighborhood List click here.

New Video from Construction Walk Thru

Here is another video featuring shots of the restored marble hallways as well as one of the lofts currently under construction...

L.A. Lofts - The Book by Barbara Thornburg

There is a good review of a very interesting book on ThisNext that anyone interested in loft living should check out: L.A. Lofts by Barbara Thornburg. As the Amazon review says, "Bursting with dazzling photographs and endless color, L.A. Lofts is a surprising and inspiring look into the new breed of loft. "

This is a beautiful over-sized book that features some exquisitely decorated loft spaces that provide for varied and eclectic inspiration. In addition to displaying many different styles of design from country/warm to modern/cool, it also shows some of the very best elements that downtown L.A. loft living has to offer. Definitely worth exploring...