FEBRUARY 16TH, 2024

FRIDAY VIBES

👋 GOOD MORNING, CUTIE

I took Wednesday off to work on backend nerd stuff b/c Google News wants us. And we want them. And they want us to be serious with design. And words. But we are back, ok?! Serious face after GIF hi craig robinson

Good morning, here are your headlines for Los Angeles…today, Friday, February 16th 2024. I’m Wyatt Stephens with CuratedLA….(hey Google News)…

• 💸 TAX RELIEF FOR NATURAL DISASTERS: Rain totals from last week’s storm systems saw historical rain for our area. It marked the third wettest day over a two-day period since 1877. Those who had property damaged or destroyed by storms can now file for tax relief. They can do so on the Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office Official Website.

• ⛑️ IN-PERSON LOCAL ASSISTANCE CENTERS: Yesterday, the City announced the opening of Local Assistance Centers (LACs) for homeowners, renters, and business owners impacted by the recent February storms. These centers will be a one-stop shop where we can ask questions and obtain information regarding services and assistance available from government agencies and local nonprofits. We must bring appropriate documentation if we have been impacted from the storms. I would suggest pictures: go above-and-beyond, and other relevant information on damaged property. Below is a list of Local Assistance Centers. Please note the appropriate times, with the first one today at noon:

  • South Los Angeles Sports Activity Center Friday, February 16, 2024 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM 7020 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90003

  • Pan Pacific Senior Center Saturday, February 17, 2024 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM 141 S Gardner St, Los Angeles, CA 90036

  • More information on the LACS, and additional recovery resources from the February storms, can be found online at emergency.lacity.gov/recovery. To report mudslides or debris in the street, please call 311 or submit a request for service with the MyLA311 App. 

• 🛣️ PCH IN MALIBU TO CLOSE NIGHTLY: The Pacific Coast Highway will be closed in both directions, all lanes, nightly from 6:00pm - 7:00am, or later, from Sycamore Canyon Road to Las Posas Road. The PCH closure is in a section of Malibu and Ventura Counties. The closure will be in effect until further notice. The closing is due to storm erosion. 

• 🇺🇸 PRESIDENTS DAY: A reminder that this Monday, February 19th, is Presidents Day. Here are government offices and other services that might be affected.

ℹ️ Denotes no link, just information.

⚡️THE HOV LANE

BAY AREA TIMES

Visual-based newsletter on business and tech

We explain the latest business, finance, and tech news with visuals and data. 📊

All in one free newsletter that takes < 5 minutes to read. 🗞

Save time and become more informed today.👇

EATS

😋 HEADLINES

• 📸 AS SEEN ON TIKTOK: Creators' Kitchen has opened new locations in Los Angeles, including one at 1000 Universal Studios Boulevard. This new concept is a virtual restaurant where people can order trending TikTok dishes for pickup or delivery. The restaurant is part of a trend where influencers and creators are getting into the restaurant business, offering dishes that have gained popularity on social media platforms.

• 😋 NEW LA WINE + FOOD FESTIVAL: Taste the best of Los Angeles in Santa Monica on March 1st - March 3rd. The festival includes over ninety chefs, sixteen headliners, and good eats + vibes.

• ⭐CELEBRITY-OWNED EATS: Ryan Gosling, Travis Barker, Billie Ellish, Woody Harrelson, and others are some of our local neighborhood celebrities that own restaurants in LA. But who's considered to have the best celebrity-owned restaurant? Secret Los Angeles takes a deep dive on what industry experts are saying.

• 🍟 WENDY’S: Wendy’s is adding Sweet Cinnabon Pull-Aparts to its breakfast menu. This limited-time offering is a unique twist on a classic cinnamon roll that is reminiscent of monkey break. Wendy’s Cinnabon Pull-Aparts will land on nationwide menus, Monday February 26th.

🚀 OPENINGS

• 🫐 SANTA MONICA: Oakberry, a Brazilian açaí company will open their second Santa Monica location on Montana Avenue. Oakberry has raised $67 million as a company, capturing America’s continual trend of açaí bowl enjoyment. According to What Now Los Angeles, the new Santa Monica Store is expected to open by May. Additional Oakberry locations will also land in L.A by the end of the year in Larchmont, Sherman Oaks, Culver City, West Lake and Hollywood | 📚️ View Online Menu | 📸 @oakberryusa

• 🍞 SILVER LAKE: Bravo Toast is opening today in Silver Lake. This toasty-comfort of an eatery has wine, desserts, cocktails, evening bites, salads, coffee, and of course, toast. This is the second location for Bravo Toast with the first location being found in West Hollywood | 📚️View Online Menu | 📸 @bravo.toast

🧭 GUIDES

1. 💃 HAPPENINGS BY CAMBER: Mady Maio is the LA insider for insiders. Here is what Mady suggests that we recommend today thru Sunday

2. 🙈 SECRET LOS ANGELES: Ten Sizzling L.A. Steakhouses Where You Can Dine Like Royalty

3. 🍜 VEGOUT: Seven Places to Get Vegan Ramen in Los Angeles

EVENTS

🔮 TRENDING FUTURES

• 🎻 11:00am: Schubert and Beethoven

  • Walt Disney Concert Hall

• 🪩 12:00pm + onward: Hip Hop Till Infinity: An Immersive Hip Hop Journey In A Larger-Than-Life Experience

  • Hip Hop Til Infinity

• 🎤 7:00pm: Jo Koy: Jo Koy World Tour

  • The Kia Forum

• 🎸 7:00pm: Bailen

  • Troubadour

• 🎸 8:00pm: Mayer Hawthorne: Hawthorne Rides Again

  • The Bellwether

• 🏳️‍🌈 8:00pm: RuPaul’s Drag Race Viewing Party

  • Redline Bar & Lounge

• 🎤 9:00pm: Drunk Theatre LA: Valentine’s Special | The Wildest Improv Comedy Show

  • Santa Monica Playhouse

• 🎛️ 10:00pm: Wilkinson with Grafix

  • Belasco Theater

👋 FAVOR: Hi CuratedLA Family! With recent CuratedLA growth comes a tough decision personally: should I risk it all on CuratedLA for the next couple of months? And the answer was simple: yes. That said, I am taking this weekend to learn more about Google News integration and event web schema (geek talk for high visibility in online search for both Event Masters and this newsletter).

So, favor: if you enjoy CuratedLA, can you please forward this to a friend?

This community is unique: I link to what others would call as CuratedLA’s ‘competition.’ But, it’s not: we are all creative curators that love Los Angeles. There are also 280k active businesses within the City of Los Angeles…that’s a lot of content that could be used for Good. I’d even argue that we need more platforms like Secret Los Angeles, We Like LA, Eater, Camber, The LA Girl…I’m sure that I missed others.

I also want to hire people. People like you, or people that you might know. So, full throttle on CuratedLA, we go!

Events will be back on Monday. I am a one man show and I want to do this right with current momentum. Please share if you wish! Thank you. More Good Vibes below.

🧭 GUIDES

• 👋 WE LIKE LA: Things To This Presidents Day + Weekend in Los Angeles

• 📰 LA MAG: What’s On in L.A. This Weekend: Tool, LA Art Show, Sweeney Todd

➡️ Event Masters ⬅️ 
 🔖 Bookmark Event Masters for Daily Events
Our newsletter runs 6:00am MWF, events daily

ACTIVITIES

• 🌼 2024 CALIFORNIA POPPY FESTIVAL: The 2024 California Poppy Festival, scheduled for April 19th to 21st, is set to attract around 40,000 visitors over the weekend. The event will feature live entertainment, workshops, a parade, and activities for children, making it a vibrant celebration of the state flower, the California Poppy. Attendees can also explore nearby attractions such as the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve and the Joshua Tree National Park, as well as enjoy the diverse culinary offerings in nearby Lancaster.

• 🐉 LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION WITH VOLVO + EST MEDIA: Vvvrrrrooooooommmm into this weekend with Volvo and EST Media at The Bloc for a vibrant Lunar New Year celebration. Revel in live performances by Juliet Ivy, meet The CrunchBros, and enjoy family portraits by Emanuel Hahn. Also in an adventure-sport mode: Kung Fu & Lion Dances, boba from Boba Guys, and beats by Jasmine Solano. Plus, experience the thrill of driving the latest Volvo Cars' models, the XC40 and C40 Recharge.

• 🎞️ CULVER CITY: The Ivy Station Night Market is happening tonight. Folks can shop local handmade + artisan goods from over twenty-five vendors. Tonight’s market will also have food trucks, homemade ice cream, craft beer, a photo booth, balloon art, adoptable dogs, games, music, and much more! 

• 🎉 PASADENA: The City of Pasadena commemorates Black HIstory Month this Saturday with the 42nd Annual Black History Parade and Festival. The festival is Southern California’s largest + longest-running Black history parade and will include pomp, bands, drill and drum teams, community organizations and celebrity appearances. All the fun begins tomorrow at 10:00am.

• 🍫 WONKA FREE HOT CHOCOLATE TRUCK:

• 🎸 LIONEL RICHIE + DIANA ROSS: Lionel Richie and Diana Ross are set to headline the inaugural Fool in Love Festival at Hollywood Park in Inglewood on August 31st. The festival will also feature performances from other legendary artists such as Santana, Al Green, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, The Isley Brothers, and more. The event promises to bring together pop, soul, and R&B greats for a day of iconic performances. Starting ticket prices are $275 for General Admission, $595 for General Admission Plus, $695 for VIPs, and various layaway payment plans are available. The festival is expected to be a celebration of love and music, featuring a further lineup of renowned artists from the 1980s era and beyond. Tickets go on sale today, in about four hours from this publication, at 10:00am.

COMMUNITY

• 🌳 BEVERLYWOOD: A recent Wall Street Journal article, 'Why the Heck Is Everyone Moving to Beverlywood?' provides an insight as to why Beverlywood is becoming the hottest real estate destination. From tree-lined streets to trendy cafes, it offers prime access to entertainment, charming mid-century homes, a welcoming community, and investment potential.

• 🚀 METRO: LA Metro is leading the pack among US transit agencies, with ridership nearly reaching 80% of pre-pandemic levels. The Metro continues to show impressive year-on-year growth for several months in a row.

• 🎨 ART MEETS AI: This year's LA Art Show is not just a feast for the eyes, but also a thought-provoking exploration of the intersection of art and artificial intelligence. The show aims to be 'Educational for Everybody', offering attendees a unique opportunity to delve into the fascinating world where creativity meets technology.

DEVELOPMENT

• 🏨 CELEBRITY DEVELOPER: Arya Group, one of our LA-based developers, filed plans with the City of Inglewood to develop a fifteen story boutique hotel with 174 rooms. Arya Group is known locally for curating super mansions throughout Bel Air and Beverly Hills. The group’s hotel will be located right next to the L.A. Clippers’ Intuit Dome, Hollywood Park, and SoFi Stadium. The filing comes in perfect timing for the Super Bowl in 2027 and the Olympics in 2028. This is a developing news story and I’ll stay on-top of this. ℹ️

• 🏡 HOLLYWOOD: Developer Leeor Maciborski is proposing the replacement of two small multifamily complexes to merge with into one big development. Maciborski has proposed that doing so will build 131 new apartments along Carlton Way.

• 🛍️ BEVERLY HILLS: LVMH, the parent company of Louis Vuitton, is planning to build a mega-flagship store for Louis Vuitton in Beverly Hills. The proposed superstore would replace plans for the Cheval Blanc Hotel on Rodeo Drive. This move comes after LVMH’s previous plan for a luxury hotel was rejected by Beverly Hills voters. 

BUSINESS

• 🛫 AIR TAXI: An electric aircraft start-up company, Archer Aviation, is planning to operate air taxi services from the Santa Monica Airport by 2025. Archer Aviation is based here locally in LA and announced its intention to begin the development of infrastructure at the Santa Monica Municipal Airport, with an expectation to commence flying operations by 2025. 

• 🎮️ IGN LIVE: IGN announced the launch of IGN Live this week. This in-person fan event will take place this June in Los Angeles. The three-day experience will bring together the best of gaming and entertainment, featuring world-class talent, exclusive previews, live shows, and more.

• 🃏MANTEL: LA's own Brent Montgomery has partnered with Alexis Ohanian to launch Mantel, a content platform specifically designed for collectors of various items such as sports cards, memorabilia, comics, cars, watches, and more. The platform, which was launched in beta, aims to serve as a social media platform focusing initially on sports cards and memorabilia, with plans to expand to other collectibles such as comics, stamps, watches, coins, toys, cars, art, and NFTs. The site will feature real-time discussions and connectivity with experts in the collecting space, creating a one-stop shop for collectors and investors.

• 📺️ IRVINE’S VIZIO: Walmart is reportedly in negotiations to purchase smart TV maker Vizio (HQ: Irvine) for around two billion. The deal would potentially allow Walmart to compete more effectively in the smart TV market and gain access to Vizio's customer data and advertising revenue. Vizio, known for its value-priced smart TVs, could provide Walmart with a significant position in the connected-TV advertising business, potentially competing with companies like Roku, Amazon, and Google/YouTube. The potential acquisition is seen as a strategic move for Walmart to strengthen its presence in the smart TV industry and enhance its advertising capabilities |💲NYSE: VZIO 

• 🌿 SETH ROGEN’S SIP AND BAKE: Seth Rogen has launched a new coffee line called Houseplant Coffee in partnership with Cometeer. The collaboration aims to offer two new flash-frozen coffee roasts, enhancing the wake and bake experience, which is a term often associated with waking up and using cannabis. Rogen, known for his association with cannabis, expressed that the new coffee line helps destigmatize weed altogether. The launch of this coffee line is part of Rogen's broader involvement in the cannabis industry and his efforts to create a more open conversation around cannabis use.

• 💰️ ACCELERATOR PROGRAM: Warner Bros. Discovery and Acme Innovation announced yesterday their inaugural cohort for their new accelerator program, Collider On The Lot. This accelerator program provides entrepreneurs with connections to investors, executive-level education, and the opportunity to partner with Warner Bros. Discovery and Acme to explore new business models and investment opportunities. Thirteen companies were chosen for the inaugural cohort, ranging from media platforms, software developers, digital marketplaces, and other brands that have future-forward strategies |💲NASDAQ: WBD

ENTERTAINMENT

🎬️ HEADLINES

• 🙏 HAVE FAITH: Amazon's move into the faith-based film and TV genre, as well as the success of Angel Studios, suggests a growing interest in this Faith-based content. Amazon MGM Studios has partnered with The Wonder Project to produce faith-based films and series, with the first project being House of David, a series based on the biblical story of David and King Saul. The Wonder Project, led by veteran producer Jon Erwin and former Netflix executive Kelly Merryman Hoogstraten, aims to tell stories rooted in spirituality and restore Faith in things worth believing in.

• 🏈 TRAVIS KELCIE, PRODUCER: Travis Kelcie can now add 'Executive Producer' to his IMDB. The football star will have a world premiere of his film, My Dead Friend Zoe, this March at SXSW in Austin. The film is a dark-comedy that follows a U.S. Army Veteran, the dead best friend that she can't let go, and her estranged grandfather. My Dead Friend Zoe stars Ed Harris, Sonequa Martin-Green and Natalie Morales. The film was written by Kyle Hausmann-Strokes.

• 🍿 NETFLIX + SAG: Netflix will livestream the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on February 24, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. The event will be available for global streaming on Netflix, and it will take place at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall. The ceremony will feature the biggest names in film and television, including the red carpet and stage performances. Barbra Streisand is set to receive the SAG Life Achievement Award during the event.

• 💯 BEST MOVIES + TV: The best movies + shows to stream in 2024 according to The LA Girl.

• 🧙 WICKED TRAILER DROPS:

🏈 SUPER BOWL

• 🏈 SUPER BOWL VIEWERSHIP: As predicted, Sunday’s Super Bowl was the most watched Super Bowl. Super Bowl 58 also set a new record for a live TV event with a viewership of 123.4 million worldwide. The most watched broadcast (live or recorded) was the Apollo 11 Moon Landing on July 20th, 1969. The Moon Landing had an average viewership of 125 million to 150 million. Super Bowl 58 saw a seven percent increase from last year’s Super Bowl 57, which previously held the record with 115.1 million views.

• 🎬️ BEST ADS: System1, a creative effectiveness platform, released their analysis of consumer reactions to this year’s Super Bowl ads. The analysis is based on ten thousand U.S consumers and contains the ranks (tabled below) of best ads for long-term brand effectiveness and short-term sales potential.

👏 BRAND EFFECTIVENESS

📈 SHORT-TERM SALES POTENTIAL

SPORTS

• 🏆 CHAMPIONSHIP INCENTIVE: Spencer Dinwiddie’s contract with Lakers has an unusual incentive: a one dollar bonus if the team wins the 2024 NBA championship. This unique bonus is actually an inside joke between Dinwiddie and his agent, Jason Glushon, which originated from a previous contract with the Washington Wizards. Despite being on a team with championship aspirations, Dinwiddie decided to maintain this tradition as a personal bond with his agent.

• 🏀 LAKERS OVER JAZZ, CAREER HIGH: The Lakers beat the Utah Jazz Wednesday, 138-122 in Utah. With LeBron James sidelined due to an ankle injury, Rui Hachimura was able to have a career high of thirty-six points. The twenty-six year-old was 13-of-19 from the field, with a personal best six three-pointers. The next game for the Lakers is Thursday, February 22nd as the NBA’s All-Star Game is this weekend | 📦️ Jazz Box Score | ⏪️ Lakers at Jazz Recap

• 🪽CLIPPERS BEAT WARRIORS: The Clippers traveled to San Francisco and beat the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, 130-125. Both Paul George and Norman Powerll were able to lead the Clippers to victory with a fourth-quarter comeback. The Clippers will also be off for a week with next play commencing in Oklahoma City against the Thunder on February 22nd | 📦️Golden State Box Score

• 👟BRONNY JAMES: Sources indicate that the Los Angeles Lakers are open to landing LeBron James’ son, Bronny James, in order to keep LeBron happy and with the Lakers as James’ contract is close to ending with the Lakers.

• 🟥 TIGER’S CLOTHING LINE: Tiger Woods has unveiled his new lifestyle brand and clothing line, called Sun Day Red, in collaboration with TaylorMade Golf. The brand will offer men's apparel, including golf shirts, hoodies, and outerwear, and will be available online in the US and Canada starting May 1st, 2024. The line will later expand to include footwear, women's, and children's clothing. Prices for Sun Day Red clothing will range from $115 to $350, with polos costing $115 to $175 and cashmere sweaters ranging from $250 to $350. The logo of Sun Day Red incorporates Woods’ 15 major championships into a tiger stretched motif, and the brand is described as a premium active lifestyle brand, suitable for both performance on the golf course and comfort in everyday life. The launch of Sun Day Red comes after Woods ended his twenty-seven-year partnership with Nike.

• 🧢 OMG, AND SPEAKING OF CLOTHES: The Dodgers just dropped their new uniform patches for the 2024 season:

TIGER OR DODGERS?

Data for this poll, and last week’s polls, coming on Monday!

DID WE DO IT RIGHT, GOOGLE?