SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2024

Good vibes presented by Curations

MONDAY’S VIBES

MOANDAY

WE MEET
AGAIN

• 👋 OH, HELLO: Hello, hello, and Good Monday Morning, CuratedLA Family. I hope that everyone had a wonderful week. Today’s edition is a bit more short + sweet (in comparison to other CuratedLA Editions), as we all get back to the newsroom offices. Events are a bit changed up: the highlighted portions now represent the event names, with the backlink to buy tickets/more information being that of the venue or area. New event types, including health of mind, yoga, and more intimate shindigs, have now been included. LMK what you think! And now onto today’s vibes! See you on Wednesday. You’re gonna crush this Monday morning with wins. - Wyatt.

CURATIONS

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HOV LANES

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EATS

HEADLINES

• 🥤 DIRTY SODA: Dirty soda is making waves beyond its Utah roots, and LA might be next in line. The fizzy, sugary drinks—usually mixed with creams and flavored syrups—have become a pop culture hit thanks to social media and reality TV. Jordan Myrick, who got hooked on the Dr Pepper, coconut cream, and raspberry syrup combo during a Real Housewives of Salt Lake City trip, is already asking for a Los Angeles location. With drive-through shops like Swig expanding fast, it might not be long before LA is sipping on its own dirty soda curations.

OPENINGS

• 🍕 HOLLYWOOD PARK: Social Pies, the popular pizza pop-up from Canoga Park, is heating up Inglewood with its second location, slated to open in early 2025. Set within Hollywood Park’s mega-development, the new spot will dish out pizza, wings, pasta, and more, making it a likely favorite for locals and event-goers alike. Social Pies will join other exciting tenants like Red Bay Coffee and Martin’s Cocina.

  • Website + Instagram

• 🍺 LAKE BALBOA: Garnachas and Beer is making a comeback with a new location set to open in Lake Balboa on Saticoy St., just a few blocks from Van Nuys Airport. After closing its Eagle Rock spot last year, owner Gabriela Sosa is gearing up for this exciting expansion. The new site will offer the same Guatemalan flavors—think pork, beef, and chicken dishes—plus signature beer specials like the Michelada Del Mar.

  • Website + Menu + Instagram

• 🍕 BRENTWOOD: Flour Café and Pizzeria is officially coming to Brentwood. You’ve probably seen the signs up on W San Vicente, and it’s only a matter of time before their New York-style pizzas, salads, and sandwiches start serving up local cravings. Flour Café and Pizzeria already has a successful shop in Palisades.

  • Website + Menu + Instagram

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EVENTS

TODAY

TUESDAY

FIVE FUTURES

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ACTIVITIES

• 🧑‍🌾 WEST HOLLYWOOD: TODAY, 9AM - 2PM: The Helen Albert Certified Farmers' Market in West Hollywood brings farm-to-table goodness today from 9:00am to 2:00pm at Plummer Park. Stock up on organic produce, baked goods, fresh fish, flowers, and more. Plus, if you're a Calfresh participant, you can now use your EBT card at the market and even score up to $20 in Market Match for fruits and veggies. Free parking is available for an easy in-and-out visit.

• 🔌 DOWNTOWN LA: TOMORROW, 4P—8P: As the city gears up for the World Cup and Olympics, Plug and Play is hosting a Sportstech Innovation Event that promises to unite top innovators, athletes, and sports-tech enthusiasts. Expect keynote talks, lively panels, and live demos of cutting-edge sports technology. Speakers include NBA Champ Matt Barnes, US soccer star Jozy Altidore, and tech leaders from Intel, US Soccer, and more. It's the perfect chance to network and see how tech is reshaping the future of sports. Valet parking is available, but rideshare is encouraged. This event is free. 💸 

• 🎾 WEST HOLLYWOOD: WEDNESDAY: Ladies Who Pickle is a fun, casual pickleball event for powerhouse women in male-dominated industries like law, tech, finance, and more. No partner or experience needed—just come ready to connect and play on a rooftop court! Your ticket covers court fees, gear (if needed), drinks, valet, and treats to take home. Join us Wednesday from 7:00pm-9:00pm. Venue revealed upon RSVP. Sponsored by HyperDraft, Austin Eastciders, Perfect Hydration, Unreal Snacks, and De La Calle. Paddle demos available! Feel free to invite other amazing women.

• 🖥️ SANTA MONICA: TUESDAY, OCT. 8TH: Get ready for the Growth Hacking Insider Conference—where the sharpest minds in scaling and sales collide! Connect with top growth hackers, dive into interactive roundtables, and discover the latest hacks driving real results. Special guest Jay Baer will lead an exclusive tequila tasting, while branding expert Kate DiLeo hosts a TEDx-style talk on building revenue-driving brand messages. Networking, knowledge, and a marketing party to cap it off. Hosted by Expert Dojo, one of the world's leading early-stage investors.

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COMMUNITY

• 🍁 FALL FORECAST: Temperatures are expected to soar into the triple digits in some areas early this week, with highs like 88°F in downtown LA, 96°F in Burbank, and 101°F in Santa Clarita on Monday. By Tuesday and Wednesday, expect it to get even hotter as a high-pressure system drives the heat up. While no official advisories have been issued yet, the National Weather Service warns that heat precautions may be needed later in the week.

• 🛣️ PCH CAMERAS: Malibu is stepping up safety on the PCH with the addition of speed cameras, thanks to a bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Following a tragic toll of over sixty fatalities since 2010, SB 1297 will install cameras along a 21-mile stretch to catch and fine speeding drivers. The move comes after the city declared a local emergency, pushing the CHP to ramp up patrols. While the cameras won’t be active until January, locals like Kristal Moffett are relieved, urging drivers to ease off the gas: ‘This shouldn’t be a freeway.’

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DEVELOPMENT

• 🏡 BALDWIN HILLS: Harridge Development is bringing a fresh new look to Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza with a 290-home project, transforming surface parking into a mix of duplexes and single-family homes. Designed by Danielian Associates and landscaped by Border, the three-story modern residences will include two- and three-bedroom floor plans, with 10% of units set aside for affordable housing. This is part of a larger overhaul that includes future shops, restaurants, offices, a hotel, and nearly one thousand homes across the 42-acre site. The latest proposal is currently under review by the Planning Department.

• 🏡 HOLLYWOOD: Construction is underway on a new mixed-use development at 6007 W. Sunset Boulevard, just across from Emerson College in Hollywood. The seven-story project, led by CIM Group, will bring 109 apartments (including 14 affordable units) plus 14,600 square feet of retail space to the area. Designed by ShubinDonaldson, with Lahmon Architects overseeing, the contemporary building will feature a courtyard and amenity decks. It's part of a growing wave of development along Sunset, joining nearby projects like the $1bn Star on Sunset and the expansion of Sunset Gower Studios.

• 🏡 SOUTH LA: Affordable housing is getting a big boost in South LA with Domus Ambrosia, a new ninety-unit development rising at 800 West 85th Street. Brought to life by Domus Development and designed by KFA Architecture, the four-story building will offer a mix of studios and two-bedroom apartments, with a focus on permanent supportive housing for households earning up to 50% of the area’s median income. The project will feature two courtyards, with street-front and interior spaces, plus surface parking for fourteen vehicles.

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BUSINESS

• 👾 AI GRANTS: Runway, the generative AI company behind a groundbreaking deal with Lionsgate, is launching The Hundred Film Fund—offering filmmakers grants up to $1m for AI-powered projects. The fund aims to support up to one hundred films, from shorts to features, with decisions made within two weeks of submission. Runway is also dishing out $2m in AI credits to use its generative tools, while promising no ownership over the intellectual property created. Advisors include Tribeca co-founder Jane Rosenthal and will.i.am, with an eye on projects that push boundaries.

• 📺️ PASADENA: Pasadena's ElementalTV is shaking up the connected TV (CTV) ad game with its new AI-driven platform, 1Audience. Launched last week, the platform helps publishers sell targeted ad audiences directly to brands, skipping the middleman. By analyzing billions of data points, 1Audience enables hyper-focused ads for streaming viewers, where CTV ad spend is projected to grow 32% faster than the rest of media. With partners like Fremantle (‘America’s Got Talent’) and competition heating up from local startups like tvScientific and OpenX, ElementalTV is pushing LA's role in the booming CTV advertising space to new heights.

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ENTERTAINMENT

• 🎤 SNL SEASON 50: Saturday Night Live wasted no time bringing back political impersonations as it kicked off its 50th season. Jim Gaffigan took the spotlight as Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and Andy Samberg returned as Doug Emhoff, the Second Gentleman, in a cold open alongside Maya Rudolph, reprising her role as Kamala Harris. Dana Carvey also stepped in with a new Joe Biden impression, adding his signature humor. The sketch played off classic SNL satire, with Gaffigan’s Walz delivering Minnesota charm, Samberg’s Emhoff cracking Hanukkah jokes, and Carvey’s Biden hilariously forgetting he's president.

• 🍿 BOX OFFICE: It was a mixed bag at the box office this weekend. DreamWorks Animation's The Wild Robot crushed it with a $35m debut, capturing hearts with its charming tale of a shipwrecked robot raising an orphaned gosling. Meanwhile, Francis Ford Coppola's long-gestating Megalopolis didn’t find its footing, stumbling to a $4m debut despite its $120m budget. While critics were divided on Coppola’s grand vision, audiences handed it a rough D+ CinemaScore. Elsewhere, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice continued its strong run, and the indie darling Saturday Night made a solid splash in limited release.

• 🍿 YOUTUBE DOMINANCE: Hollywood’s movie promo game has shifted big time. Gone are the days when press tours were dominated by late-night TV appearances. Now, stars are turning to YouTube shows for massive reach. From Ryan Reynolds eating spicy wings on Hot Ones to Daisy Edgar-Jones playing with puppies for BuzzFeed, A-listers are opting for viral, online-first content to promote their latest films. The results? For blockbusters like Deadpool & Wolverine and Twisters, YouTube-driven promo clips outperformed late-night TV by a landslide. While late-night isn’t dead yet—Beetlejuice 2 leaned on it for nostalgic appeal—it’s clear that YouTube reigns in the attention economy.

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SPORTS

• ⚡️ CHIEFS 17, CHARGERS 10: The Los Angeles Chargers had a rough Sunday, falling 17-10 to the Kansas City Chiefs at SoFi Stadium. Despite an early 10-0 lead, the Chargers couldn’t hold off Patrick Mahomes and Co., marking their sixth straight loss to their AFC West rivals. Justin Herbert, battling through limited mobility and an injury-riddled offensive line, was sacked twice and pressured consistently. The Bolts struggled to get their ground game going, posting just 55 rushing yards. The Chargers now sit at 2-2 and will regroup during their bye week before visiting the Denver Broncos on October 14. Keep your eyes on how LA bounces back — Herbert and the crew have a chance to hit reset and make a push in the second half of the season.

• 🐏 BEARS 24, RAMS 18: The Rams fell to the Chicago Bears, 24-18, after a slow start and a missed field goal by Joshua Karty, who later nailed a 52-yarder to keep LA in the game. Despite Matthew Stafford’s fourth-quarter touchdown, a failed two-point conversion kept them trailing, and his late interception sealed the loss. Chris Shula’s defense had moments but couldn’t stop the Bears’ key drives. Now at 1-3, the Rams will look to bounce back against the Green Bay Packers in Week 5.

• ⚾️ RANGERS 8, ANGELS 0: The Angels closed their season with a tough 8-0 loss to the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium. Rookie Jack Kochanowicz put up a solid effort, allowing just three runs over seven innings, but the Angels’ offense struggled to break through against Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi, who delivered seven scoreless innings. Despite some close calls, including a near run by Matt Thaiss in the seventh inning, the Angels couldn't capitalize on opportunities. With the loss, the Angels ended their season with a 63-99 record, the most losses in franchise history, but Manager Ron Washington remains optimistic about the team's development and future progress for the 2025 season.

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CU WEDNESDAY, LA!

🤙 Remember to say, ‘Rabbit, Rabbit,’ first thing tomorrow morning.
They say it brings good luck.

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