FEBRUARY 19TH, 2024

MONDAY’S VIBES

👋 HAPPY MONDAY, CUTIE!

🇺🇸 AND HAPPY PRESIDENTS DAY

• 🇺🇸 PRESIDENTS DAY: Today is Presidents Day. A reminder that many offices and brands will be closed in celebration of the Federal Holiday.

• ⛈️ FLOOD WATCH: We will see moderate to heavy rain today, making our LA streets a bit soggy. For tomorrow + Wednesday, expect heavy showers. This week’s rain, in combination with the rain that we have been seeing, puts us in a flood watch for portions of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. There is currently a risk of mudslides in both the Santa Monica Mountains and Ventura County Mountains. Please continue to monitor the forecast as we are expecting back-to-back storms this week. Please also note that the following resources are available to us within Los Angeles and Ventura Counties:

  • SANDBAGS: from both Los Angeles County + Ventura County.

    • Additional information regarding sandbags from LAFD.

  • OF INTEREST: Los Angeles County Rainfall Totals.

  • INCIDENT MAP: QuickMap of road incidents + chain checkpoints.

• COVERAGE:

  • AXIOS: Storm-hit California faces fresh atmospheric river flood threat

  • LA DAILY NEWS: Flood watch for Southern California as another storm approaches

  • LOS ANGELES TIMES: New Storm to Bring Rain across LA County

  • WEATHER: Flood Threat Returns To California This Week

  • FURTHER COVERAGE: Local, National and X Outlets with Live Updates via Google News

• SANDBAGGING TECHNIQUES: 

⚡️THE HOV LANE

 ℹ️* Information with no link, media or article
🐇* Politics without opinions; an in-the-know

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EATS

😋 HEADLINES

• 🍕 BEST 100 PIZZA SPOTS IN AMERICA: Yelp has published the one-hundred best pizza spots in America, as ranked from Yelp users. California has ten of the best pizza eats in America, with our Bestia receiving silver-medal pizza honors.

• 🗺️ CURATEDLA MAPS: I am excited to announce two new CuratedLA Maps. Though these Maps were made in Apple Maps, they are compatible with other devices within a browser; the links below are actually all browser-based but can be opened on Apple Devices.

  • 😋 Newly Opened February Eats

  • ☕️ Best Coffee Spots for a Rainy Day

🚀 OPENINGS

• 🍣 KOREATOWN: Yama Sushi, Sake & Attitude will occupy the ground floor retail space at The Bora in Koreatown, according to a recently liquor license application obtained by What Now: Los Angeles. The group behind the sushi eat, Yama Seafood, has been a San Gabriel staple for over four decades.

• ☕️ LOS FELIZ: Quentin Tarantino just opened Pam’s Coffy, a Los Feliz Coffee Shop. The name of the shop is an ode to Pam Grier who starred in the 1973 film Coffy. Pam’s Coffy is attached to Vista Theatre, which Tarantino also owns. We certainly love the branding of Pam’s Coffy | 📸 @pamscoffy

• ☕️ LONG BEACH: Coffee Drunk opened their third location in Long Beach’s Bixby Knolls on Saturday. The menu features bacon, eggs, and queso tacos, roasted sweet potatoes and soyrizo, and a quesa-birria taco with scrambled eggs, crema and cilantro | View Online Menu | 📸 @coffeedrunklbc

🧭 GUIDES

• 🪙 LAIST: A Guide For Cheap Fast Eats: Chow Down in Historic Boyle Heights for $10

EVENTS

🔮 TRENDING FUTURES

• 🧘 8:00am: YOGA - Pivot Dynamic Vinyasa Flow with Carli

  • Flow Healing Body & Soul

• 🎈9:30am - 3:00pm: Presidents Day Art Camp 1-4 Days

  • Robertson Art Zone

• 🎞️ 11:00am - 2:30pm: Arthur The King Dog & Family Festival. Special invitation from LIONSGATE. Activities include: pet adoption area, rock climbing, VR mountain bike course, kayak photo op, dog obstacle course + more

  • Westfield Century City

• 🤼 4:30pm: WWE Monday Night RAW

  • Honda Center

• 📚️ 6:00pm: Photo-op with Prince Royce to celebrate the release of LLAMADA PERDIDA!

  • Barnes & Noble: The Grove

• 🎸 7:00pm: Max

  • The Troubadour

• 🎨 6:00pm: Canvas & Cabernet: A Sip and Paint Affair

  • Echo Park Art

• 🎤 7:00pm: Potluck Pop Ins with 40 Comics + Huge Surprises Guests!

  • The Comedy Store

• 🎤 7:00pm: Harold Night: Ghost & Lohan

  • UCB Theatre

• 🎤 8:00pm: Bear with Me with Jordan Jensen, Rick Glassman, Steph Tolev, Nicole Aimee Schreiber, Laura Peek + more!

  • The Comedy Store

• 🎤 10:00pm: Lloyd Night: Hi Baby Gorgeous! & Sorry, I’m in London

  • UCB Theatre

⏩️ MORE EVENTS FOR TODAY

🧭 GUIDES

• 🧭 ROAM AROUND: The Ultimate Seven Day Los Angeles Adventure Itinerary

• 🎈MOMMY POPPINS: 27 Free Things To Do Indoors on Cold and Rainy Days

• 🌧️ KFI AM 640: Fifteen Affordable Activities For Rainy Days in SoCal

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

ACTIVITIES

• 🖼️ FRIEZE PREVIEW: The Frieze Los Angeles art fair, known for its focus on contemporary art, is set to bring together over 95 LA-based and international galleries, celebrating the dynamic culture of Los Angeles. The event will feature an ambitious program of activations and will include a ‘Focus’ section curated by Essence Harden, welcoming participants from across the US. Frieze will take place at the Santa Monica Airport from February 29th to March 3rd.

• 🏫 NIXON LIBRARY: Admission at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library & Museum in Yorba Linda will be half-price today. The library will also mark Presidents Day by having presidential actors representing George Washington, Andrew Jackson, and others. The first 500 visitors will receive a free cherry pie shooter (wtf is that?). The library will open today at 10:00am.

COMMUNITY

• 🤖 FREE GENERATIVE AI GOOGLE WORKSHOP: Hi CuratedLA! As a Grow with Google Volunteer, I am excited to provide details of an upcoming Google Generative AI Workshop. This sixty minute workshop will allow us to learn about: Generative AI Foundations, The Art of Prompt Design, Generative AI in Action, and Practical Scenarios + Prompting Best Practices. This event is free + virtual, register today! 

  • 💻️ March 6th, 11:00am: Unlock the Power of Generative AI in Google Workspace: Best Practices for Effective Prompting | Online Event

• 🚛 CULVER CITY: Culver City would like to invite us to join them at the Mental Wellness Resource Fair next Tuesday, February 27th from 11:00am - 3:00pm at Culver City’s Hall Courtyard. Culver City will announce the Culver City Mobile Crisis Team (MCT). Members of this new team will be on-hand to meet community members. In addition, partnering mental and behavioral health providers will be present with informative booths, offering resources and insights to enhance the community’s health of mind. Activities will include yoga, mindfulness, meditation, and art.

• 🪸 MALIBU: Sgt. Lopez of the California Highway Patrol provided the City of Malibu with a PCH safety update. From January 23rd - 28th, CHP officers issued 88 citations. Overall, Lopez said that the speed of drivers on PCH has decreased. Lopez also praised the work of Caltrans who have been very swift with any PCH incidents. We are additionally reminded to use caution throughout as our area will see back-to-back storms.

• 🇺🇸 POTUS VISIT: President Biden will be in our area throughout this week. Though further details have not yet been released, the President’s itinerary is set for Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Los Altos Hills between tomorrow, February 20th thru Thursday, February 22nd. 🐇 

• 🚧 405 OFF-RAMP CLOSED: The 405 off-ramp for the Skirball Center and Mulholland Drive exit will be closed for a month due to a large sinkhole that has formed. Caltrans has advised motorists to use the off-ramp at the Circle Drive exit instead. Signage will be posted throughout the area to remind drivers to avoid the Skirball Center + Mulholland Drive exit ℹ️ 

• 🏰 DISNEY’S AFFORDABLE HOUSING: Disney's Affordable Housing Plan, located in Anaheim, California, has overcome a significant obstacle, advancing one step closer to realization. The plan, aimed at addressing the housing crisis in the region, narrowly cleared a hurdle, signaling progress in its development.

DEVELOPMENT

• 🚈 HYDROGEN-POWERED PASSENGER RAIL: Caltrans announced a $127 million agreement with Stadler Rail, Inc. for six more zero-emission, hydrogen-powered passenger trainsets, bringing the total number of hydrogen trains to ten. This expansion further solidifies California's commitment to building a climate-resilient and sustainable transportation system. The state aims to convert its full fleet of intercity locomotives to zero emission by 2035, with plans to launch a two-year hydrogen pilot program by 2025.

• 🌳 NORWALK TRANSIT VILLAGE: The Norwalk Transit Village, a proposed redevelopment project set is one step closer to moving forward after receiving approvals. The plan for the village includes the construction of mid-rise buildings, a hotel, a commercial center, and up to 770 residential units, with 40% designated for low- and very low-income households.

• 🌴 ARROYO TRAIL: The Arroyo Trail project has received a $500,000 grant from the California State Parks, aimed at improving the experience at the Arroyo Seco by restoring about 3.5 miles of the area's trails. This project seeks to enhance public access and the overall quality of the trail system, contributing to the enjoyment of the natural environment for residents and visitors alike. Additionally, the opening of the Arroyo Quemado Trail at Baron Ranch, located northwest of Goleta, provides a new and scenic public trail for exploration, further enriching the outdoor recreational opportunities in the region.

• 💎 BEVERLY HILLS: The Beverly Hills mixed-used development that we reported on recently (International Pizza Day to be exact), has been approved and is moving forward. The project features fifty-six residential units and retail space, all planned near a future subway station on Wilshire Blvd.

BUSINESS

• ❤️ TINDER: Faye Iosotaluno has been named Tinder’s new Chief Executive Officer. Tinder has been swipping left (or right? IDK) with CEOs as of late: Iosotaluno marks the eighth CEO for Tinder since their three billion dollar merger with Match Group in 2017. | 📍 West Hollywood 💲 NASDAQ: MTCH

• 🗳️ NOMINATE BEST PLACES TO WORK: The Los Angeles Business Journal is seeking nominations for The Best Places to Work in Los Angeles. The nomination deadline is Friday, March 22nd with winners announced in August.

• 👟 SKECHERS: Nearly thirty years after Skechers opened their first store in Manhattan Beach, the company is opening its 5,000th store in Bogotá, Colombia. Skechers plans to open 10,000 stores with a plan to add between 140-160 stores in 2024. | 📍 Manhattan Beach 💲 NYSE:SKX

• 🍻 L.A. COMPANIES REVOLUTIONIZING DRINKS: There is a rising trend in zero-proof drinks + mocktails. And we are locally seeing that play out with various LA-based companies that are bringing the charm + fun to a sober life.

🪩 JUST FUN

• ☎️ LIVE REPRESENTATIVE: Google is testing a new feature for non-Pixel (iPhone + others) owners, ‘Talk to a Live Representative.’ This beta feature allows Google to call a company on our behalf and notify us when a company representative is on the line.

ENTERTAINMENT

🎬️ HEADLINES

• 🥇 OPPENHEIMER: Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer was the big winner at this weekend’s BAFTA awards, securing seven out of the thirteen awards it was nominated for, including best film, best director, and best actor for Cillian Murphy, who portrayed the title role. The movie's success at the BAFTAs made it one of the most triumphant films of the event, overshadowing other nominees such as Barbie and Maestro.

• 🤹 PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS: Billie Eilish won the People's Choice Award for her acting debut. The event, hosted by Simu Liu, featured forty-five categories across various pop culture genres, including movies, music, television, and more. Notable winners included Barbie for Movie of the Year, Adam Sandler, who received the People's Icon Award, and Lenny Kravitz, who was honored with the Music Icon Award.

🪩 JUST FUN

• 🔭 NASA: The Hubble Space Telescope is viewing a massive star forming, IRAS 16562-3959, which lies within our Milky Way as is about 5,900 light-years from Earth in the constellation Scorpius.

• 🐶 AI IMAGINES NEW DOG BREEDS: My Modern Met asked AI to curate new dog breeds, representing each fifty states. And it did. The list of all fifty dog breeds is very cute and cartoony, with each AI breed providing relativity to each state.

• 🍿 NETFLIX: Forty-six new movies and series added to Netflix for Presidents Day Weekend via What’s On Netflix.

• 💯 MORE NETFLIX: Four of the biggest and best Netflix new releases that we need to watch, like Avatar: The Last Airbender.

• 📊 MICROSOFT EXCEL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: I found the Microsoft Excel World Championship on YouTube this weekend. So, here’s the link. How was your weekend?

🍿 WKND BOX OFFICE + STREAMING

📺️ STREAMING: TV

🎞️ STREAMING: MOVIES

SPORTS

• ⛳️ THE GENESIS INVITATIONAL: Hideki Matsuyama won The Genesis Invitational yesterday at The Riviera Country Club in LA. Matsuyama collectively shot a 17-under par, posting 9-under for his final Sunday round. Tiger Woods withdrew citing flu symptoms. Local notables: T4: Patrick Cantlay (UCLA - 2012, Long Beach), Xander Schauffele (2015 - San Diego State University, La Jolla), T10: Tommy Fleetwood (LAGC), Eric Cole (Palm Springs), T16: Max Homa (Burbank), and T19: Collin Morikawa (Los Angeles). View full leaderboard via PGATOUR.COM.

• 🐏 LOS ANGELES RAMS: Two ESPN analysts have predicted that the Los Angeles Rams will come out of the NFC as Champions and reach Super Bowl LIX next season.

• 🏆️ LOS ANGELES CHARGERS: Now that the Super Bowl is over, the betting markets are turning to sports futures. A trending bet: who is favored to win NFL’s Coach of The Year? The current favorite is Chargers’ Jim Harbaugh at +550. At these odds, a $10 bet would win $65 total.

• ⚾️ ANGELS RUMORS: Rumors from Bleacher Report: Angels are pursuing Cody Bellinger, Blake Snell, and Jordan Montgomery.

• 🏒 KINGS AT PENGUINS: The Los Angeles Kings beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh yesterday, 2-1. Adrian Kempe had two goals while Cam Talbot had twenty-nine saves off of thirty attempts.

SORA

Past Polls:

1. 58% of you chose that you’d wear the Dodgers’ new jersey patch over Tiger Woods’ new brand.

2. 78% of you watched the Super Bowl.

Today’s poll is simple…

PEACE OUT, LA!