The Daily Dose is hosting its first coffee cupping on Sunday, March 10 starting at 10:00 AM (until, according to chef/owner Sarkis Vartanian, everyone gets cranked out on caffeine). Beans imported from all over the world and roasted by Augie’s Coffee Roasters will be featured for this inaugural event by brewmasters Robert Rybak and Austin Amento, who share that “you can drink your coffee any way you like it so long as you ENJOY it … milk, sugar, and honey available in abundance!”

I’m always happy to learn about great things happening in the Arts District, especially when they involve people who have long believed in the neighborhood. Word on the street is that two commercial spaces along 3rd St. were recently acquired separately by long-time business owners.

Factory Place Arts Complex owner HBK Investments confirmed its purchase of the corner building at 707 E. 4th Pl., Los Angeles 90013, which formerly housed Shojikiya Bookstore and offices for Dale K. Ogawa Accounting. According to Matt Klein, the decision on how the space will be utilized is not confirmed as of yet. Since this project is being developed with the assistance of Creative Space (which recently moved to the Arts District), I’m looking forward to whatever is conceived since the firm’s motto is “urban transformation should serve its community” and since HBK Investments is known for recreating amazing spaces. As a side note, let’s also hope that the murals surrounding the property survive the transformation. On the 3rd St. wall, the stunning black-and-white “Celebration of Elephants” mural by artist Damon Martin was created in 2012 to heighten awareness of the plight of elephants with the support of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). On 4th Pl., an otherwise dismal-looking wall was given a much-needed vibrant palette of color and life this past July through an untitled East Coast/West Coast collaboration by artists SEEN and RISK organized by the L.A. Freewalls project.

According to the realtor representing the property, Mosaic Artspace is not renewing the lease for its Arts District location that ends this coming May. The good news is that a local business owner (who asked to be unnamed for the time being) has taken over the lease for use as either office or retail space.

Details on both newly announced ventures will follow as they become available. P.S. Of course, I’m among the many locals eagerly awaiting the Spring 2013 opening of Urban Radish, an eco-conscious grocery store located at 660 Mateo St. owned by residents Carolyn Paxton and Keri Aivazis.

Word on the street is that Zinc Cafe & Market will open its fourth Southern California location in the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles during 2013. According to founder and third-generation vegetarian John Secretan, his organic eatery will open late this fall at 580 Mateo St., a building that formerly housed a packaging company, across Willow St. from Handsome Coffee Roasters. Expanding on the aesthetics and menus of other Zinc locations in Laguna Beach, Solana Beach, and Corona del Mar, the Arts District location will start by offering breakfast and lunch only, eventually dinner. It will also offer take-out meal options and retail items through an onsite marketplace. Plans also include having a pizza oven, an afternoon beer garden, and hopefully, a full bar.

Known for using only the finest in-season fruits and vegetables at his cafes, Secretan says, “It’s just how I eat.”

P.S. Why the name Zinc? Apparently, sometimes European corner cafes are called “le zinc,” referring to their zinc-covered tables and counters.

MORE ABOUT ZINC
Stu News Laguna article
Coastline Pilot article
Corona del Mar BID newsletter article

Photo © Estevan Oriol

On Friday, February 8, 2013, there were two reported sightings of fugitive Christopher Dorner in Downtown Los Angeles; both of which were false alarms that turned up nothing. In addition to one near the Twin Towers jail in the morning, the second took place near 7th Place and Santa Fe late last night. Around 10:45 p.m., local residents, followed by ABC7, California Fire News, and others, reported that police were searching Amtrak trains parked in the Metro Red Line storage yards along the east bank of the Los Angeles River. The search resulted in finding a man with a duffel bag reportedly who resembled Dorner, but was not him. Click HERE for a photo by photographer Estevan Oriol.