MARCH 29TH, 2024

FRIDAY

FRIDAY’S VIBES

 NWSLA Forecast | Live Traffic and Conditions

🙌 GOOD FRIDAY, GOOD LOOKIN’

🚨WEB UPDATE: We are off on Monday, April 1st, for an extended Easter + Cesar Chavez Day. Not a joke, we will see everyone on Wednesday with some new features!

🚀 TRENDING 

 ⚡️THE HOV LANE

EATS

 😋 HEADLINES

• 🐔 NEW DRONE DELIVERIES: Walmart, 7-Eleven, and Chick-fil-A are piloting new drone delivery technology through a partnership with DroneUp, a leading drone services provider. The pilot program will test drone delivery of small packages from the retailers' stores to nearby customers. This represents a significant expansion of drone delivery services, which have previously been limited in scale and scope. The new drone delivery hubs, called DBX, will allow the retailers to quickly and efficiently deliver a range of products directly to customers' homes.

 🚀 OPENINGS

• 🍜 CHINATOWN THAI MARKET: Another Thai Night Market is coming to Los Angeles this weekend. Named after Thailand's famous floating market, the Damnoen Saduak night market debuts tonight and will run every Friday through Sunday from 6:00pm to midnight in the parking lot of Lax-C, also known as Thai Costco, in Chinatown.

• 🍩 NORTH HOLLYWOOD: Randy's Donuts, the legendary donut shop known for its iconic rooftop donut in Inglewood, has expanded its sugary empire with a new location in the heart of North Hollywood's vibrant Arts District. This location on Vineland Avenue will delight NoHo locals with the brand's classic lineup of over sixty donut varieties, as well as a robust menu of specialty coffee, refreshers, boba, + milkshakes infused with their famous donut flavors. | 💻️ View Website | 📸 @randysdonuts

• 🌯 LONG BEACH: A new Chipotle restaurant is currently under construction in the Bixby Knolls neighborhood of Long Beach. The new location is taking over the former space of a Carl's Jr. restaurant that had been in the area for nearly fifty years. This will be the second Chipotle location in the Bixby Knolls area, as the chain previously had an outpost at the intersection of Long Beach Boulevard and San Antonio Drive, which closed before the COVID-19 pandemic.

• 🍳 SAN FERNANDO VALLEY: A morning-only taco pop-up is making waves with its towering breakfast burritos that put the rest of the region to shame. Tucked away on Balboa Boulevard, this unassuming spot is serving up loaded breakfast tacos, crispy cheese-skirted quesadillas, and massive, hand-wrapped breakfast burritos stuffed to the gills with fluffy scrambled eggs, savory chorizo, crispy potatoes, melty cheese, and a zesty pico de gallo salsa. While the breakfast burritos are the main draw, the pop-up also offers creative spins on classic breakfast dishes, like breakfast quesadillas with a crispy cheese skirt.

• 🍺 SHERMAN OAKS: Sherman Oaks is set to welcome a fresh addition to its bustling dining and nightlife scene this spring with The Aftermath Bar & Lounge. This new 726-square-foot beer and wine bar is poised to become the neighborhood's latest hotspot, offering an inviting space for locals and visitors alike to unwind with a glass of vino or a cold craft brew. According to the bar's Instagram page, The Aftermath will feature weekend DJ entertainment, catering to those looking to dance the night away. Proposed hours of operation indicate the bar will be open from noon to midnight Sunday through Wednesday, and noon to 2:00am Thursday through Saturday.

• 🥯 LOS FELIZ: The Bay Area's beloved Boichik Bagels is heading south to Los Feliz. Known for crafting some of the region's most lauded bagels, Boichik has quickly expanded across Northern California, with six shops now open from Berkeley to Palo Alto. While an opening date has not yet been set for Los Feliz, Boichik is currently in the process of securing a lease for it’s location. This expansion marks the latest addition to the city's rapidly growing bagel scene, which has welcomed several standout newcomers like Layla's, Courage Bagels, and Uncle Stevey’s in recent years. Angelenos can soon look forward to sinking their teeth into Boichik's classic bagel varieties, from everything to egg to salt, as well as their signature lox sandwiches. | 💻️ View Website | 📸 @boichikbagels

• 🥐 WEST HOLLYWOOD: Coucou, a California French bistro originally located in Venice, recently opened a second location this week in West Hollywood. Situated at the south end of the Norma Triangle, this new location offers a blend of traditional French dishes prepared by Chef Jacob Wetherington, who previously worked at Bouchon. The owners, Jesse and Hayley Feldman, chose this location due to its proximity to the Troubadour concert venue and the vibrant neighborhood where West Hollywood meets Beverly Hills and the Sunset Strip. The restaurant features mahogany wood decor, a marble-topped bar, custom banquettes, and retractable glass windows. With seating for seventy-five in the main room and another seventy-five on the patio, Coucou in West Hollywood aims to cater to post-show crowds from Troubadour and provide a cozy escape for bar hoppers, operating from 5:00pm to 11:00pm on weekdays and until midnight on weekends. | 🖥️ View Menu Online | 📸 @bar.coucou

EVENTS

 🔥TRENDING 

• 📥️ ADD YOUR EVENTS: To add your event, simply send a calendar invitation to [email protected]. Upon approval, your event will show up within our Big List of Events Calendar and/or our Trending Calendar. Regular content can be submitted using this form, or by using the Catfish text/voicemail: 747-200-5740.

 📆 BIG LIST OF EVENTS

ACTIVITIES

• 🐰 EASTER LINKS: Guides, Events, Eats + Celebration Easter:

  • 💎 MODERN LUXURY: The fifty-seven best Easter Brunches in Los Angeles.

  • 🎈MOMS LA: Over eighty fun ways to celebrate Easter in Los Angeles in 2024.

  • 🥚 MOMMY POPPINS: Thirty-six Easter Egg Hunts in Los Angeles.

  • 🎡 SANTA MONICA DAILY PRESS: Around Town: Easter weekend events.

  • 🌴 SOCAL PULSE: Easter 2024 in Los Angeles, celebrations and dining guide.

  • 🙈 SECRET LOS ANGELES: Egg hunts, festivals, and things to do this Easter in Los Angeles.

  • 💯 SECRET LOS ANGELES: Ten best restaurants for a perfect Easter Brunch in Los Angeles.

  • 😋 TIMEOUT LA: Best Easter Brunch restaurants in Los Angeles in 2024.

• 🎈 CAYTON CHILDREN’S MUSEUM: Children can enhance their social, creative, and cognitive abilities through immersive play experiences tailored to their age at the Cayton Children's Museum. Led by experienced Play Guides and specialists, these interactive classes offer children a supportive environment to learn and grow. Play not only fosters critical thinking and problem-solving skills but also promotes empathy, understanding of different cultures, and a sense of belonging. The museum provides hands-on exhibits like a real-life helicopter, fire truck, veterinary clinic, and community market, along with sensory, arts, and movement activities to spark curiosity and ignite imaginations.

• 🎤 SANTA MONICA: The Bergamot Comedy Fest, founded by comedian Nicole Blaine, is set to bring a much-needed dose of diversity and fresh perspectives to the Los Angeles stand-up comedy The festival, which will take place next week from April 1st - April 6th at Bergamot’s The Crow, features a lineup emphasizing female and non-binary identifying comedians.

COMMUNITY

• ⛪️ EASTER CELEBRATIONS: Churches across Los Angeles will spread a message of hope and resilience to their congregations this weekend. At Hollywood United Methodist Church, Reverend Kathy Cooper-Ledesma described Easter as the triumph of life over death, a reminder that even in the darkest times, love and faith can prevail. Similarly, Reverend Doan Pham of the Cathedral Chapel of St. Vibiana said Easter represents a time to persevere amid global conflicts and challenges. At All Saints' Episcopal Church, Reverend Andrea McMillin emphasized the church's welcoming and affirming environment, where worshippers can explore their faith and community through both traditional and fresh expressions of the Episcopal tradition. Music plays a central role, with a special Easter Proclamation service beginning in darkness before each person lights a candle to celebrate the resurrection.

• 🏫 NEW USC SCHOOL OF LAW DEAN: Franita Tolson has been appointed as the new dean of the USC Gould School of Law, making history as the first Black dean and second female dean at the law school. Tolson, who previously served as the law school's Vice Dean from 2019 to 2022, is a nationally recognized expert in election law, voting rights, constitutional law, + legal history. During her time as Vice Dean, Tolson co-chaired the Academic Affairs subcommittee that developed the Race, Racism, and the Law course, a first-of-its-kind required course among top law schools. She was also instrumental in launching the Visiting Assistant Professor program, which helps create a pipeline for prospective law faculty, including many from underrepresented backgrounds. Tolson's appointment comes as the previous dean, Andrew T. Guzman, has been named USC's next provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.

• ☕️ COFFEE WITH A BEVERLY HILLS COP: Join the Beverly Hills Police Department for Coffee with a Cop on Wednesday, April 3, between 9-11 a.m. at Beverly Hills Market and Deli. This event provides a chance to meet with officers, share a cup of coffee, and participate in casual conversations. Attendees can interact with the community's law enforcement personnel, ask questions, and discover more about BHPD initiatives and services. Visit 303 N. Crescent Drive or check out beverlyhills.org/bhpdconnect for more information.

• ❤️‍🩹 VAN NUYS: The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is organizing a community meeting to address concerns about the harm reduction syringe services program. The meeting will be held on today from 9:00am to 11:00am Zev Yaroslavsky Family Support Center in Van Nuys, CA. Residents can attend in person or virtually through Zoom. Comments can be submitted online for those attending virtually, while those attending in-person today can provide comments during the public comment portion.

DEVELOPMENT

• 💎 BEVERLY HILLS: The City of Beverly Hills is experiencing a surge of new large-scale housing developments in 2024, as developers seek to transform the city's skyline and address the growing demand for housing. Among the notable projects are a nine-story, thirty-unit mixed-use building on Olympic Boulevard, two twelve-story, mixed-use buildings with a combined 228 dwelling units on Wilshire Boulevard, and the highly anticipated One Beverly Hills, a nearly five billion condominium and hotel complex with two towers reaching twenty-six and thirty-two stories.

• 👮 LANCASTER’S NEW POLICE STATION: The City of Lancaster recently announced its first-ever police station. Slated for completion in Fall 2024, the new police station will serve as a beacon of security and innovation, with Lancaster recently introducing the Digital Shield Initiative back in 2023. The Digital Shield Initiative utilizes AI-powered predictive policing systems to forecast and prevent criminal activity before it occurs. The technology also incorporates proactive safety measures such as real-time oversight through drones, cameras, and gunshot detection.

• 👨 SANTA MONICA’S NEW HEAD SCULPTURE: David Lynch, the renowned filmmaker and artist, has expanded his creative repertoire with the installation of his latest sculpture, Head, in the heart of Santa Monica. This striking bronze sculpture, part of a public art initiative, has captivated the local community with its surreal and thought-provoking presence. This artistic exploration aligns with Lynch's broader body of work, showcasing his ability to push boundaries and challenge perceptions through various mediums.

• 🎬️ HOLLYWOOD: A new multifamily residential development in Hollywood on W. Hawthorn Avenue has been fully framed The project replaces a smaller 1940s building with a striking seven-story structure that will soon be home to sixty apartments. The development features a mix of unit types, including twelve below market-rate units, seven of which are priced at the very low-income level, three at the low-income level, and two at the moderate-income level.

• 🗽 COMPTON: A statue has been unveiled at a church in Compton commemorating a special moment in 1961 when late Los Angeles County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn welcomed civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. at LAX. The artwork depicts a picture captured when Hahn, the only elected official to show up that day, met with MLK on the tarmac and the two men shook hands. They spent the afternoon together, with Hahn showing King around his South Los Angeles district, visiting the L.A. Calvary Community Church of Compton and talking in his downtown office.

• 🚌 SEPULVEDA: New bus priority lanes on Sepulveda Boulevard can now be found in the San Fernando Valley. The project, delivered through a collaboration between Metro + LADOT, spans close to six miles of Sepulveda Boulevard between the neighborhoods of Panorama City, Van Nuys, and Sherman Oaks. The new bus lanes are expected to speed up buses, which move more than fifty thousand weekly riders (including nine thousand daily passengers on Line 234), by fifteen percent according to LADOT. The Sepulveda Boulevard bus priority lanes project hits key destinations in the area, including the Sherman Oaks Galleria, and intersects with the G Line's Sepulveda Station.

BUSINESS

• 🎨 CANVA ACQUIRES AFFINITY: Creative news for those Creative Curators: Canva, the popular web-based design platform, acquired the Affinity creative software suite yesterday. The software suite is comprised of Affinity Designer, Photo, and Publisher. This strategic move positions Canva as a formidable competitor to Adobe in the digital design realm. Affinity's suite, offering features akin to Adobe's key products but with a one-time purchase model, boasts over three-million users globally. While Canva plans to maintain the Affinity applications as distinct offerings with potential integrations in the future, this acquisition signals Canva's intent to expand its appeal to professional designers and challenge Adobe's market dominance in creative software. 💌 

• 👜 LOUIS VUITTON: Louis Vuitton is reportedly considering a new flagship store on N. Rodeo Drive, following the overturning of the Cheval Blanc Beverly Hills hotel project. The property, owned by LVMH, is currently unused, and plans for the store have not been confirmed by LVMH. This potential project comes after Louis Vuitton opened a cultural destination in Paris called LV DREAM, featuring a café and chocolate shop in collaboration with Pastry Chef Maxime Frédéric.

• 🖋️ MARK MAHONEY: Mark Mahoney, a revered figure in the tattoo industry, renowned for his iconic single-needle black-and-gray style and his significant influence on tattoo culture over the decades, has taken his legendary Shamrock Social Club to new heights. Moving from its original Sunset Strip location to a fresh space just off the Strip on Horn St., Mahoney's shop is not just about ink anymore. Alongside his highly sought-after tattoo appointments, which are typically booked well in advance, he has introduced the Shamrock Social Club Collective, a new clothing line that embodies his distinctive style.With a clientele that includes A-listers like Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, and David Beckham, Mahoney's reputation precedes him.

• 🚀 ROCKET GROWTH FOR LA SPACE STARTUPS: The Space Investment Quarterly Report by Space Capital highlights the significant rise in space economy investments, with the U.S. dominating global infrastructure investment. Los Angeles-based companies have been attracting significant funding for satellite and space ventures. K2 Space raised fifty million in new funding to build large satellites designed to match the capabilities of massive rockets entering the market. Additionally, Auriga Space secured an initial five million to deploy electromagnetic technology for space launch and expand its facilities in Los Angeles. Pixxel, a leader in hyperspectral earth-imaging technology, raised thirty-six million in Series B funding to advance its satellite constellation and data platform, with participation from new investors like Google.

• 📈 JOB GROWTH: L.A. County adds 28,000 jobs in February.

ENTERTAINMENT

 🎬️ HEADLINES

• 💃 BEYONCÉ’S NEW ALBUM DROPS TODAY: Beyoncé's highly anticipated new album Cowboy Carter dropped today. The twenty-seven track album includes collaborations with Miley Cyrus, Post Malone, Dolly Parton, Tanner Adell and Willie Nelson. The album is presented as a broadcast by the fictional Texas radio station KNTRY, and also features contributions from Black country artists like Rhiannon Giddens and Americana artist Shaboozey. Cowboy Carter is a continuation of Beyoncé's 2022 album Renaissance, and marks her foray into the country music genre.

• 🏖️ BEACH BOYS DOCUMENTARY: Hawthorne’s very own Beach Boys will be the subject of a new documentary premiering on Disney+ on May 24th. The documentary will feature never-before-seen footage and new interviews with current and former members of the band, including Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, David Marks, Bruce Johnston, Blondie Chaplin, and Ricky Fataar. The film will also include interviews with other music luminaries such as Lindsey Buckingham, Janelle Monáe, Ryan Tedder, and Don Was. An official soundtrack featuring songs from the film will be available to stream on the same day as the documentary's release.

•  🎧️ NEW SERIES OF SERIAL: The highly acclaimed podcast Serial returned to podcast streams yesterday for it’s fourth season. Fans of the show have been eagerly awaiting this moment, as the series has captivated audiences with its gripping true-crime narratives and meticulous investigative journalism. This time around, host Sarah Koenig, alongside producer Dana Chivvis, are delving into the complex and often controversial history of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. Through personal accounts from those who have experienced the inner workings of this improvised justice system, the new season promises to shed light on the lesser-known aspects of this long-standing institution.

• 📺️ TELLY TV: Telly, the company behind a unique free 55-inch 4K dual-screen television, has begun shipping the second wave of TVs to households that signed up for the public beta program. Telly's business model provides consumers with a free flatscreen TV in exchange for allowing their viewing data to be accessed and used by advertisers. Over two-thirds of Telly registrants are Gen Z and millennial households. The dual-screen design features a thinner secondary display that serves as a dedicated ad space, forming the basis of Telly's ad-supported model. Consumers must agree to have their viewing data used by advertisers to use the TV.

• 🛍️ VALENTINO: Valentino, the iconic Italian luxury fashion house, has confirmed that Alessandro Michele will be its new creative director, succeeding Pierpaolo Piccioli who departed the brand after twenty-five years. Michele, the former creative director of Gucci, will be based in Rome, which is to be considered to be the creative heart of Valentino. Michele’s first collection for Valentino will be for the Spring 2025 season.

• 🥣 UNFROSTED: The official trailer for Jerry Seinfeld's upcoming Netflix comedy film Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story dropped yesterday. Unfrosted is a fictionalized account of the real-life race between Kellogg's and Post in the 1960s to create the first shelf-stable breakfast pastry that would become the iconic Pop-Tart. Set in 1963 in Battle Creek, Michigan, the film depicts the cutthroat, breakneck race between the two cereal giants to invent the Pop-Tart, with Seinfeld and Melissa McCarthy playing Kellogg's employees trying to beat Post, represented by Amy Schumer's character. The star-studded cast also includes Hugh Grant as a frustrated actor playing the Tony the Tiger character, as well as Jim Gaffigan, Bill Burr, Dan Levy, and many other comedic talents. Seinfeld, who is making his feature directorial debut, has described the film as a ‘wildly imaginative tale of ambition, betrayal, and menacing milkmen’ that takes creative license with the true events surrounding the Pop-Tart's origins. Unfrosted premieres May 3rd on Netflix. | 📺️ Watch Unfrosted Trailer Below:

• 🎤 COMEDY PODCAST BRACKET: Joke WRLD’s March Madness of Comedy Podcasts has reached their Final Four, with CuratedLA’s own (and best friend, via Court Order), Rick Glassman for Take Your Shoes Off vs. Matt & Shane Secret Pod + We Might Be Drunk vs. Legion of Skanks. Votes are now being submitted for the Comedic National Championship until this Monday, April 1st at 4pm local.

SPORTS

• 🎙️ JAMES BROWN: Revered sports broadcasting icon James ‘JB’ Brown is set to receive the ultimate accolade, as the three-time Emmy winner will be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 45th Annual Sports Emmy® Awards. Brown's illustrious thirty-plus year career has cemented his status as one of the most influential and respected figures in the industry, from his acclaimed work hosting CBS's flagship NFL pregame show ‘The NFL Today’ to his record-setting twelve Super Bowl broadcasts. The Harvard alum and ordained minister has also made his mark as a special correspondent for CBS News, earning a slew of prestigious honors along the way, including the prestigious Pete Rozelle Award and being named ‘Best Studio Host of the Decade’ by Sports Illustrated. 💌 

• 🌭 DODGER EATS: The LAist Guide to the best places to eat before a Dodgers Game (and still have room for a Dodger Dog!).

HAVE A GREAT WKND, LA!