FEBRUARY 12TH, 2024

CURATEDLA: GOOD L.A. VIBES

👋 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12TH 2024 

TODAY IS NATIONAL HUG DAY 🤗 

 ⚜️TOMORROW IS FAT TUESDAY

• 😎 WEEKLY FORECAST: We will see a much better week in Los Angeles with mild temperatures and clearer skies. Rain is possible by the weekend.

• 🏈 BIGGEST SUPER BOWL EVER: Yesterday’s Super Bowl 58 has already been predicted by many experts to be the most watched Super Bowl in history. The Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl 58 over the 49ers, 25-22 in a thrilling overtime. The Chiefs are now just the fourth organization to win three Super Bowls in a five-year span, joining the New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The game also marked the seventh longest Super Bowl in history.

• 🇺🇸 OFFICIAL CLOSINGS: A friendly reminder that many government offices and some businesses will be closed today in observance of Lincoln’s Birthday. Offices and businesses will also be closed next Monday, February 19th, in observance of Washington’s Birthday. My birthday is July 31st and we will be publishing because it is a Wednesday this year.

*NEW: ℹ️ Indicates no link or article. Content is either a reminder or a link was not applicable.

⚡️THE HOV LANE

EATS

😋 HEADLINES

• 🚚 STREET VENDORS: Street vendors can now set shop at some of our city’s favorite tourist destinations after a unanimous 15-0 vote last week. The passing vote eliminates ‘no-vending’ zones that were previously set by the city, allowing us to all partake on some great dishes in popular pedestrian areas such as the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The ordinance will become law after Mayor Bass signs the new legality, which should be no longer than two months from now.

• 🧀 TACO BELL: Taco Bell (HQ: Irvine) is adding Cheez-It Crunchwraps to their menus at all Taco Bell locations. Irvine locals have had a taste of Cheez-It Crunchwraps (when they are not sold out) for some time now. And because of their popularity in Irvine, Cheez-It Crunchwraps are hitting menus nationwide.

• 🏨 BEVERLY HILLS ROOFTOP: The City of Beverly Hills approved a new rooftop restaurant at L’Ermitage Hotel. The approval was unanimous and also allows for the expansion of a ground floor restaurant. Though there are rooftop restaurants in Beverly Hills, L’Ermitage had to receive zoning approval as the hotel is within a residential area. The approval comes with thirty-three conditions, including practices to mitigate noise to surrounding areas.

🚀 OPENINGS

• 🍨 EAGLE ROCK: A new ice creamery is opening up in Eagle Rock, Ice Cream Luv. What Now: Los Angeles reported that the ice cream shop is currently in the works to obtain the appropriate permits from the city. Owner Ray Williams told What Now that the opening timeline of his new Eagle Rock ice creamery all depends on permit approvals from the city. When the opening does happen, Ice Cream Luv will be found in Eagle Rock’s Townsend Crossing Shopping Center. We’ve bookmarked this opening to provide further information as we get info | 📘 Townsend Crossing Leasing Package

• 🍻 DTLA: 33 Taps, a popular sports bar with locations in both Silver Lake and Culver City, just opened up a new location in DTLA, directly across from Crypto.com Arena. The sports tap is located on the ground floor of the Moxy/AC Hotel. On the menu at 33 Taps: pizza, nachos, chicken + cauliflower wings, mozzarella sticks + fish ‘n chips | View Online Menus | 📸 @33taps

• 🐖 KOREATOWN: Origin Korean BBQ opens in the former Baekjeong Space in Koreatown. This Korean eat provides a throwback to 1960s Seoul, South Korea with garlic short ribs, homemade kimchi, and more | Restaurant Website | 📸 @originkbbq

• ☕️ PASADENA: Stumptown Coffee Roasters is opening a Pasadena location this Saturday, February 17th. The cafe is known for its renowned hand-crafted coffees. The company partnered a with local design studio, Wrk Shp, to curate a record-store ambiance | Stumptown Website | 📸 @stumptowncoffee

• 🐔 VENICE: New York Chicken & Gyro will open its fourth location on Lincoln Blvd in Venice. The eatery is 100% halal and serves a variety of New York style gyros including falafel, lamb and chicken, in addition to burgers, crispy chicken sandwiches, fish and chips, wings, fries, and more. New York Chicken & Gyro is a family-owned restaurant and has other locations throughout Los Angeles in Pasadena, West L.A., and Canoga Park. Sara Rosenthal of What Now: Los Angeles broke this eat opening | View Online Menus | 📸 @nyc_gyro

🧭 GUIDES

• ❤️ HOOP LA: The Most Romantic Valentine’s Day Ideas in Los Angeles

• 🙈 SECRET LOS ANGELES: Thirty Fantastic Things To Do Around Los Angeles This February

• 💜 CAMBER: How to have a cute AF day | Camber’s Happenings

• 🚀 YOUR GUIDE HERE: Submit content + events, completely free

EVENTS

🔮 TRENDING FUTURES

• 🚃 8am: Scavenger Hunt + Walking Tour Union Station

• 🔭 10:00am - 5:00pm: Free Admission Monday The California Science Center 💸 

• ✏️ 6:00pm: Figure Drawing at Heavy Manners w/ Kris Chau Heavy Manners Library

• 🎛️ 7:00pm: It’s A School Night! w/ Ber, Odetta Hartman, Wingtip, Stoop Lee, & The Toxhards Bardot Hollywood

• 🎷 7:00pm: SBCC Big Band Jazz SOhO Restaurant & Music Club

• 🎷 7:00pm: Celebrating ‘James Brown: Say It Loud’ w/ Deborah Riley Draper, Jimmy Jam, & Gail Mitchell The Grammy Museum

• 🎞️ 7:00pm: “The Vince Staples Show” (Early Screening) Brain Dead Studios 💸 

• 🥷 7:00pm: Harold Night: Keanu & GAG UCB Theatre

• 🎤 7:15pm: Tonight at the Improv ft: ft. Nikki Glaser, Craig Robinson, Andrew Santino, Cristela Alonzo, Ian Fidance, Jay Washington and more TBA! Hollywood Improv

• 🪕 7:30pm: The Dirty Dozen Brass Band w/ Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Chas The Mint

• 🎤 9:30pm: MONDERAYS with Lewis Belt ft: Glorelys Mora, Ellis Whistle, Tanjareen, & Malcom Hall Hollywood Improv

• 👋 10:00pm: UCB Cagematch: Lemon Pepper Wet vs. Old Milk UCB Theatre 🪙 

• ⏩️ MORE EVENTS FOR TODAY 

 🧭 GUIDES

• 🥳 MOMMY POPPINS: Fun Indoor Birthday Party Places for Kids

• 🎬️ ANOTHER: Brilliant Things To Do in Hollywood

• 💪 LA2050: Twenty date ideas that make a positive impact by supporting local nonprofits + small businesses

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

ACTIVITIES

• 🎨 LA ART SHOW: The LA Art Show 2024 will take place this Wednesday thru Sunday at the LA Convention Center West Hall. Wednesday’s opening night will showcase gallerist talks, and the event will include a gala benefiting the American Heart Association, featuring fine art, entertainment, and food from top LA restaurants. Additionally, DIVERSEartLA will offer performance art, installations, exhibits, and programs curated by major museums and arts organizations. The show promises to be a cultural highlight, reflecting the ever-burgeoning art scene in Los Angeles, with world-class exhibitions and the presence of major galleries and cultural institutions.

• 🖥️ WEST HOLLYWOOD: Friends of Wikipedia will host a general interest meeting + meetup, ‘West Hollywood Edit-a-Thon.’ In addition to saying hello to all those interested in Wikipedia (regardless of Wikipedia experience), the group will celebrate Wikipedia’s 23rd Birthday. The meetup takes place this Saturday, February 17th from 12pm - 4pm at the West Hollywood Library.

• 🎭️ ROMEO + JULIET WITH CABARET: LoveStruck Cinema will present Romeo + Juliet with a Cabaret Performance on Valentine’s Day. Cabaret Versatile, based here locally, is the only company to authentically represent the culture of French Cabaret in California with traditional showgirls entertainment. The performance will take place at The Million Dollar Theater: doors at 5:30pm, followed by a 7:10pm trivia, a Cabaret performance at 7:30pm and a screening of Romeo + Juliet at 8:00pm. This is a 21+ event.

• 🏔️ SANTA CLARITA: The 2024 Newhallywood Silent Film Festival beings this Friday, February 16th. The festival celebrates the early days of silent film and the role the Santa Clarita Valley played within its history. This year’s festival honors two titans of early American film, Douglas Fairbanks Sr., and Thomas Ince. Newhallywood runs until Sunday.

COMMUNITY

• 🪸 MALIBU: The City of Malibu will have a City Council meeting tonight at 4:30pm. Those interested can either attend in-person or virtually. On docket for tonight: fiscal year 2023-2024 second quarter financial report, Malibu Little League fee waiver, community outreach, Malibu’s Farmer Market, advocacy for changes to the California State Vehicle Code to deter excessive speeding on P.C.H.

• 📰 LOS ANGELES TIMES: The Los Angeles Times announced the appointment of Maria L. La Ganga as the Deputy Managing Editor for California and Metro. In her new role, La Ganga will oversee the largest department of the Los Angeles Times’ newsroom. La Ganga graduated from Granada Hills High School in SFV and majored in English Literature + Journalism at Cal State Northridge. La Ganga has been with the LA Times since 1981.

• 📷️ CAMERA SNAPS STEPS OF ENDEAVOUR: Stephen Silberkraus, a local Space Buff, took the opportunity to take pictures of Endeavor, from when it was first moved out of the Vehicle Assembly Building, on the streets of LA, to it’s final take-off-resting destination at our California Science Center.

DEVELOPMENT

• 🚈 GOLD LINE: The Gold Line to Pomona is on-track to open in early 2025. Work is being finished on the stations, power and control systems, crossings, and parking areas.

• 🎯 EL MONTE: BISNOW reported that the construction of a new Target in El Monte is underway and should be completed by this October. The Target will be located in the former Sears Outlet building. The El Monte Target location will consist of 128,000 square feet of retail and can house 372 cars for parking. Additional Target locations to be on the lookout for: Lomita (Pacific Coast Highway, 33k sq. ft.), Los Angeles (Southeast Corner of W. Olympic + S. Vermont, 50k sq. ft.), and San Fernando (Foothill Blvd, 103k sq.ft.).

• 🛣️ SAN DIEGO: An initial concept is being rolled out to our neighbors in that of San Diego, which could impact some here in LA with their commute. The concept is adding some two-hundred miles of new freeway lanes under an early version of a regional transportation plan from the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). In this concept, improvements would be made to the region’s bus and rail infrastructure, including a rail connection to San Diego’s International Airport. Additionally, the project would allow for greater capacity on the rail corridor to Los Angeles and the long-awaited Purple Line that would take riders from the San Ysidro border crossing to Kearny Mesa. The improvements would not come until after 2035 when San Diego has a deadline for their self-imposed carbon neutrality achievement goal.

• 🏩 RENDERINGS: ONE BEVERLY HILLS: Linked below are more renderings for the One Beverly Hills Project that we discussed on Friday. More renderings from e-architect.

BUSINESS

• 🛍️ LARCHMONT: Topo Designs has opened a store on N. Larchmont Blvd. The store offers outdoor accessories, bags, and clothing. This is the third location for the Denver, Colorado-based company. Topo Designs is open daily, Monday thru Sunday from 10am to 6pm.

• 🤖 BURBANK: Art Boutique Cellular recently opened in Burbank on San Fernando Blvd. The store is a gadget-lover’s paradise with their unique take on cell phone gadgets, outdoor gear, electronic accessories and more.

• 🚀 YOUR BUSINESS HERE: We want to celebrate what you, your team, and your brand are doing. Submit an opening or special, free!

ENTERTAINMENT

🎬️ HEADLINES

• 🙏 THE CHOSEN: Season Four of The Chosen hit big at the box office for Fathom Events. Episodes one - three of the fourth season landed in second place over the weekend with $7.4m, more than a million above Sunday estimates.

• 🖥️ BLUESKY SOCIAL: Bluesky, a popular alternative to X (formerly known as Twitter) launched to the public late last week. Bluesky was created by the original creator of Twitter, Jack Dorsey.

• 🕺 MICHAEL JACKSON: Sony Music Group has been reported to pay $600m for half of Michael Jackson’s music catalogue. The deal marks the biggest ever for the work of a single musician.

• 🍿 STEWART RETURNS: Jon Stewart returns to The Daily Show on Comedy Central tonight. As previously reported, Stewart’s return to Comedy Central is in-sync with the current presidential election cycle. New episodes of The Daily Show air every weeknight, with Stewart making appearances every Monday, at 11pm ET/PT on Comedy Central. Episodes stream the next day on Paramount+ | ℹ️ 

• 🏀 ESPN STREAMER: ESPN announced that they are launching a stand-alone streamer by Fall 2025.

• 🕺 RYAN REYNOLDS: Paramount Pictures has renewed its first look development deal with Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort Productions for an additional three-years.

• 🎸 THANK YOU, GOODNIGHT: The story of Jon Bon Jovi is streaming on Hulu in April. This four-part, all access docuseries chronicles the epic past and uncertain future of one of the most recognizable bands in the world and its front man, Jon Bon Jovi.

• 🏆️ CHRISTOPHER NOLAN: After five nominations throughout his career, Director Christopher Nolan has finally won a DGA Award from the Directors Guild of America for his role on Oppenheimer. The Directors Guild of America Awards are the first official industry guild awards to be announced and took place Saturday night in Beverly Hills.

🏈 SUPER BOWL FUN

• 📈 GAMBLING: The American Gaming Association expected a record-breaking $23.1bn in wagers from last night’s Super Bowl game. This is a 35% increase in bettors from the previous year. Some 67.8 million Americans were projected to have placed a bet, or around a quarter of the country’s adult population. Responsibility in gaming disclaimer.

• 🤑 COST OF ADS: Super Bowl ads cost seven-million for a thirty-second spot, with networks projected to collectively earn over $650m in advertising revenue.

• 🎟️ COST PER TICKET: As of noon yesterday (three hours to kickoff), the average ticket price for a single Super Bowl ticket was in the range of $6500, ranging from $6260 - $196,857. Data via StubHub, link could be archived post-game.

• 🏟️ VEGAS BENEFITS: This year’s Super Bowl was the first time ever that Las Vegas hosted the Big Game. The Super Bowl is anticipated to generate a gross economic impact of $1.1bn for Vegas (upwards of $700m profit). Sin City drew an estimated 150,000 visitors with the City of Las Vegas spending an estimated $215m on various activities, reinforcing the city’s position as a hub for both sports, entertainment, and gambling.

SPORTS

• 🏈 UCLA EXIT: Chip Kelly has left the football program at UCLA to become the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Ohio State. Kelly led the Bruins for six seasons, left with a 35-34 record, and an even 26-26 play in Pac 12 competition.

• 🏒 NEW KINGS COACH: Read how new Los Angeles Kings Coach Jim Hiller looks to help our Kings regain their confidence on the ice.

• ⛳️ GENESIS INVITATIONAL: The PGA TOUR returns to Los Angeles with the Genesis Invitational taking place this week at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades. Tournament host Tiger Woods welcomes an elite field to Los Angeles. Tournament play takes places this Thursday thru Sunday.

• 🏌️ CHARLEY HOFFMAN: It was the biggest weekend in sports and Southern California played a role as San Diego native Charley Hoffman came close to winning the WM Phoenix Open, losing to Nick Taylor in a playoff on Sunday. NOTABLES: T5 Sahith Theegala (Pepperdine - 2020 + Orange County), T22 Justin Suh (USC - 2019) and, T28 Jake Knapp (Los Angeles State - 2016, Costa Mesa).

• 🐏 RAMBLIN’ FAN: Bret Stuter of Rams’ fan platform, Ramblin’ Fan, believes that the LA Rams have a real chance to win the NFC West in 2024.

• ⚽️ LA GALAXY: Preseason is in full swing for the Galaxy. The return of injured players and new signings could mark the best roster yet.

• 🏀 LAKERS: Brooklyn Nets Point Guard Spencer Dinwiddie signed this weekend with the Los Angeles Lakers. Dinwiddie averaged 12.6 points with six assists for the Nets. Dinwiddie was born in Los Angeles and graduated from William Howard Taft High School in 2011 and received the John R. Wooden California High School player that same year.

SUPER BOWL?

CU WEDNESDAY, LA!