JANUARY 8TH, 2025

WEDNESDAY’S VIBES

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FIRST RESPONDERS

LATE NIGHT EDITION 🔽 Information for Tonight/Today:

ON THIS DAY ⏪️ Los Angeles History

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HOV LANES

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EATS

OPENINGS

BEVERLY HILLS 🥟 Dumpling Dynasty Expands to Beverly Hills:

• Luscious Dumplings, the Michelin Bib Gourmand favorite, is bringing its celebrated dumplings to Beverly Hills later this year. Known for its Monrovia flagship and casual offshoots like Mason’s Dumpling Shop, the family-run restaurant continues its expansion with a second Los Angeles location and plans for a San Diego debut in Chula Vista. Founded in 2001 by Michelle Wu’s family in Shenyang, Luscious Dumplings has earned acclaim for its fresh, handcrafted dumplings and traditional recipes, securing its place as a standout in the culinary scene.

  • Website + Menu + Instagram

PICO-ROBERTSON 🍔 Buns N Roses Hits the High Notes:

• Buns N Roses, a rock and hip-hop-themed burger joint, has opened its doors in Pico-Robertson, serving bold flavors and legendary vibes. The menu takes center stage with hits like Limp Brisket, a slow-smoked brisket burger with chili arbol mayo, and To Rib and Die in LA, featuring short rib, onion marmalade, and bacon on a classic burger. Other standouts include the Beefy Boys, a triple-patty indulgence with a runny egg, and The Cheazy E, a gooey, cheesy delight. With a menu as creative as its name, Buns N Roses delivers a dining experience that’s anything but ordinary.

  • Website + Menu + Instagram

SILVER LAKE 🥟 More Dumplings, PLZ:

• Xibei Dumpling, a celebrated name in Northwestern Chinese cuisine since 1988, has opened its first U.S. location in Silver Lake. Known for their signature Shaomai dumplings, featuring delicate handmade wrappers and savory lamb fillings, Xibei brings the bold and hearty tastes of the region to Los Angeles. With a focus on fresh, natural ingredients, this new spot offers an authentic culinary experience steeped in tradition.

  • Website + Instagram

GLASSELL PARK 🥔 Spud Guys Brings UK-Style Loaded Potatoes to LA:

• Craving a taste of the UK in LA? Look no further than Spud Guys, the latest culinary hotspot in Glassell Park. Located at 3150 N. San Fernando Road, this food stand elevates the humble baked potato into a gourmet experience. With operating hours from 6:00pm to 12:00am, Sunday through Friday (closed Saturdays), it's the perfect evening destination for comfort food enthusiasts. From classic toppings like cheese and bacon to inventive combinations, each spud is a masterpiece of flavor and texture.

  • Instagram

GLENDALE 🍞 Nicko’s Italian Sandwiches Brings Bold Flavors to Glendale:

• Located at 201 N. Verdugo Road, Nicko’s Italian Sandwiches serves handcrafted delights that celebrate quality and simplicity. This food trailer offers freshly baked bread filled with premium deli meats like prosciutto and mortadella, complemented by fresh toppings. Their breakfast options, such as the Pastrami Breakfast with eggs and hash browns, or the Spinach Feta Breakfast on flatbread, start the day strong, while lunch features favorites like The Press with ricotta and balsamic glaze. Whether for a quick bite or a leisurely meal, Nicko’s promises thoughtfully crafted Italian-inspired sandwiches for every craving.

  • Website + Menu + Instagram

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EVENTS

*Events curated prior to yesterday’s fires. Please double-check venues for any cancellations.

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FIVE FUTURES

*No Five Futures for today due to fires. This content feature will be included on Friday, subject to collective cancellations throughout Los Angeles.

*No Activities for today.

GUIDES

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ACTIVITIES

FRIDAY 🔮 Plan is for Activities Within Friday’s Publication:

• No activities listed today. The plan is to include activities for Friday’s publication.

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COMMUNITY

Last Updated: 12:48am, Wednesday

Live Wind Radar | CAL FIRE Active Incidents | @ReadyLA

EVACUATION 🛏️ For Palisades Fire Areas:

• EVACUATION/SHELTER CENTER: Westwood Recreation Center.
  1350 S. Sepulveda Boulevard, 90025. [310-473-3610]. Open for evacuees + accepts small animals. It is now also serving as a shelter, allowing residents to remain overnight.

• LARGE ANIMAL EVACUATION: Los Angeles Equestrian Center.
  480 Riverside Drive, Burbank, 91506. [818-840-9063]. Open for evacuation of large animals.

BRIEF 🔥 Palisades Fire and Continuing Winds:

• The City of Los Angeles has declared a state of emergency, activating a Level 2 Emergency Operations Center and mobilizing over 250 LAFD firefighters and LAPD personnel for fire suppression, evacuation, and traffic control. Power outages are affecting over 86,000 LADWP customers, while shelters for evacuees and animals are open. Road closures include Pacific Coast Highway and sections of Sunset Boulevard. Angelenos are urged to follow evacuation orders, avoid affected areas, and stay updated via notifyla.org and local resources.

  • 🔗 RELATED: 9:15pm update: City of Los Angeles provides update regarding Palisades Fire and continuing wind event, via Mayor’s Office Presser, hosted on CuratedLA (as sent via email). 💌 

APPS + OUTLETS 🔥 iPhone, Android, Laptop/Desktop:

• ALERTCalifornia Live Cameras: ALERTCalifornia provides state-of-the-art technology that supports data-driven decisions (with AI) to prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural disasters.

• Palisades Fire - CAL FIRE: Incident management from CAL FIRE, an official service from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

• Eaton Fire - CAL FIRE: Between Pasadena / Sierra Made.

• Hurst Fire - CAL FIRE: Sylmar, interchange of 5/14 Freeways.

  • All current and active incidents, via CAL FIRE.

• /r/LosAngeles: The Official Subreddit of Los Angeles.

• Watch Duty - Wildfire Maps & Alerts: Stay safe from wildfires when seconds count. Watch Duty alerts of nearby wildfires and firefighting efforts in real-time.

YOUTUBE STREAMS 📺️ Live Coverage + Worthy Channels (Updated: 12:29am, Wednesday 8th January)
^{*if stream has ended, check ‘Live’ tab. Otherwise, could be worthy of a subscribe.}

• Scanner Feed: Los Angeles County Fire, EMS & Police, various ongoing live streams - LIVE, via LA Captain.

• Pacific Palisades Fire & Eaton Fire in LA County - LIVE, via Agenda Free TV.

• Two huge brush fires breakout in Pacific Palisades & Altadena - LIVE, via Smoke N’ Scan.

• A brush fire is burning the Pacific Palisades area - LIVE, via NBC4.

• Three LA County fires torch Palisades, Malibu, Pasadena, Sylmar - LIVE, via FOX 11 Los Angeles.

• Live Wind Coverage: Brushfires erupt as powerful windstorm slams SoCal - LIVE, via ABC7.

• Pacific Palisades, Malibu fires in California - LIVE, via AXN News Los Angeles.

• Santa Monica Beach Cam - LIVE, via Explore Zen Den.

• Brush fire burning in the Eaton Canyon near Altadena - LIVE, via NBC4.

• Live wildfire tracking, Palisades LA County - LIVE, via Kathryn’s World - Wildfire Tracking.

• Evacuations underway in Southern California wildfires - LIVE, via Mercado Media.

• LA wildfire in California, Palisades evacuated, Eaton fire, Pasadena homes burn, news updates - REPLAYS/LIVE , via Live NOW From FOX.

OFFICIAL/OF INTEREST CHANNELS 💬 On X/Twitter:
^{*from active, posting accounts}

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DEVELOPMENT

SANTA MONICA 🎡 A Bold Vision for Santa Monica’s Skyline:

• Updated plans for a 24-story high-rise on Colorado Avenue were unveiled to the Santa Monica Architectural Review Board, offering a sleek glass-clad design by Ottinger Architects. The proposed development near the E Line’s western terminus features 264 apartments, including forty reserved for low-to moderate-income households, alongside ground-floor retail and a rooftop pool. At 254 feet tall, the project exceeds the city's height limits under a Builder’s Remedy agreement, part of Madison Realty Capital’s portfolio inherited from NMS Properties.

WESTWOOD 🎒 Vertical Living Takes Shape Near UCLA:

• Chatsworth-based developer Uncommon is reshaping Westwood with plans for a 12-story residential building on W. Strathmore Drive. The project, designed by JZA Architecture, replaces 21 existing rental units with 88 new apartments, utilizing state housing legislation AB 2334 and AB 1287 to secure density bonuses. The design nods to Spanish Revival and Tudor Revival styles, with white stucco facades, arched openings, and masonry accents.

COUNTY EXPANSION 🚇️ Metro’s A Line Expansion Nears Completion:

• The $1.5bn Foothill Gold Line extension, stretching 9.1 miles from Glendora to Pomona, is officially completed on time and budget. This transformative project, part of the world’s longest light rail system, adds four new stations and includes 19 bridges, 21 street crossings, and over 10 miles of sound walls using recycled materials. Funded by Measure M and Measure R, the line now enters testing and safety preparations before opening later this year. A final 3.2-mile segment to Montclair is set to break ground soon, further enhancing connectivity into the Inland Empire.

  • 🔗 RELATED: A Line light-rail extension from Azusa to Pomona set to open in late summer, via San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

BALDWIN HILLS 🏡 New Residential Vision at West Helms Place:

• A five-story, multi-family residential building is proposed for West Helms Place in Baldwin Hills, Los Angeles. Set to replace three single-story homes, the project will offer 78 units, including twelve designated as affordable housing for very low- and extremely low-income residents. Designed by The Albert Group Architects with landscaping by Plac-E, the 48,432-square-foot building will feature recreation rooms, a roof deck, private balconies, and parking for cars and bicycles. The project’s public hearing is set for this Thursday, the 9th, with further details yet to be disclosed.

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BUSINESS

EL SEGUNDO 💰️ Independent Growth in a Crowded Field:

• El Segundo-based Curated Wealth Partners is charting its own path, prioritizing organic growth over private equity trends dominating the wealth management sector. With assets under management soaring from $545m in 2021 to $1.4bn today—a 96% increase in two years—the firm credits its independence for fostering client-first relationships and tailored advice. Leaders like CEO Lee Hutter and CIO Richard Ward emphasize the importance of avoiding conflicts of interest, maintaining fiduciary standards, and offering customized portfolios, particularly for first-generation wealth creators. As private equity investments in asset management escalate, Curated Wealth remains committed to its ‘graceful growth path,’ building trust one client at a time.
  *CuratedLA // Curated Wealth Partners have no affiliation.

BURBANK 🏰 Disney Teams Up with Fubo in a Game-Changing Streaming Deal:

• Disney announced a major shakeup in the streaming world by merging Hulu Live TV with Fubo, creating a formidable competitor to YouTube TV. Disney will own 70% of Fubo, with both platforms remaining available separately. The deal, which resolves a legal dispute between Fubo and ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros., includes a $220m settlement and a $145m loan from Disney. With a combined 6.2m subscribers, the partnership positions the new entity as a live TV powerhouse, offering sports fans a robust alternative to traditional cable and existing streaming giants.

WEST HOLLYWOOD 🎞️ Miramax Finds a New Home at The Lot at Formosa:

• Miramax is relocating its headquarters to The Lot at Formosa, a historic West Hollywood production campus with deep ties to Hollywood’s golden age. The 16,000-square-foot space, part of an eleven-acre campus owned by CIM Group, boasts seven soundstages, modern office buildings, and iconic facilities once used by legends like Howard Hughes and George Lucas. Known for producing classics like Some Like It Hot and contemporary hits like Big Little Lies, the campus merges history with cutting-edge production. This move marks Miramax’s departure from Century City to a site that continues to shape entertainment history.

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ENTERTAINMENT

STREAMING DEBUT 🤼 WWE Enters The Streaming Arena with Netflix Deal:

• Netflix’s first WWE broadcast debuted with Monday Night Raw at the Intuit Dome here in Los Angeles, marking a $5bn partnership aiming to globalize wrestling’s fanbase. Iconic wrestlers like The Rock and John Cena highlighted the show, blending Hollywood appeal with WWE’s theatrical spectacle. Celebrity attendees—including Ashton Kutcher and Vanessa Hudgens—cheered alongside fans as storylines of family rivalries and love triangles unfolded in the ring. WWE’s move to Netflix signals a strategic pivot to reach the platform’s 282m subscribers, leveraging its unmatched brand loyalty. For newcomers and die-hard fans alike, the glitz and drama are undeniably captivating.

FYC 🗳️ The Race to the Oscars:

• The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has unveiled the 323 feature films eligible for the 97th Academy Awards, including 207 vying for Best Picture. To qualify, films must meet stringent theatrical release criteria across major U.S. markets and adhere to expanded inclusion standards for Best Picture consideration. Voting kicked off today, with nominations announced on Friday, January 17th, ahead of the Oscars ceremony on March 2nd at the Dolby Theatre. Eligibility details + the reminder list are available at Oscars.org. 💌 

  • 🔗 RELATED: Best Picture Reminder List for the 97th Academy Awards, via Oscars Publicity Team. 💌 

APPLE TV+ 💼 Severance Season 2: A Surreal Return Worth the Wait:

• Apple TV+'s Severance dives back into its eerie, split-consciousness world with a season that sustains its trademark surrealism and intrigue. Picking up from the explosive Season 1 finale, the new chapters deepen the emotional complexity of its characters—both “innies” and “outies”—while adding fresh faces, like Alia Shawkat and Gwendoline Christie. Despite a lengthy hiatus, the Ben Stiller-directed drama delivers its hypnotic mood and sharp critique of corporate control with finesse, offering glimpses into Lumon’s secrets and expanding its strange, cult-like universe. Season 2 premieres next Friday, January 17th, with episodes streaming weekly.

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SEE YOU FRIDAY, LA

🤙 Take care of yourself and others today. We are LA.

💜 

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