Letters to the Editor: The employees were as good as the pancakes at Original Pantry Cafe
I stand in solidarity with the staff and their union for fighting for stability and job security. Such a shame that an agreement couldn't be reached, but again, we see that profit triumphed over people. The dedicated and hardworking staff and servers, many of whom worked there for decades, made the restaurant what it was.
For my family, the Original Pantry was a staple. My dad had been a patron for over 50 years, and he made me a regular for the past 20. Like countless Angelenos and tourists, I'll miss the Pantry's pancakes, portions and, most of all, the people.
Tyler Renner, San Diego
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Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
Finally, a smart solution for downtown L.A.'s empty skyscrapers
Los Angeles faces two land use crises. On one hand, L.A. is beset by a desperate housing shortage in the hundreds of thousands of units, born mostly by beleaguered low-income and moderate-income Angelenos for whom renting and homeownership is increasingly out of reach. Meanwhile, our downtown is afflicted by increasing emptiness, with 28% of office space sitting vacant due to pandemic-era changes in the structure of work, and flight to Culver City and Century City. Angelenos may want to come home to downtown, but too few want to work there. These twin challenges may dovetail, conveniently, into one solution: convert those empty towers into housing. Indeed, a recent report from BAE Urban Economics makes the case that vacant offices should be redeveloped to create a new generation of apartments and condos. The conditions are particularly ripe for these in conversions in L.A. The city already has a nation-leading 'adaptive reuse' ordinance that smooths the path for conversions like these, state and local leaders are eagerly reviewing other regulatory changes to further support these conversions, and a growing fiscal crisis could be ameliorated by breathing life into downtown. Not so fast. While authors from Downtown Works LA — a nonprofit that aims to expand the city's economic opportunities and 'uplift its reputation as a dynamic, inclusive and welcoming urban center' — correctly point out the considerable fiscal benefits of stabilizing property values and bringing new foot traffic to the area, they don't fully understand the cost. Without public subsidy, 'conversion projects are largely financially infeasible,' the group concedes, calling for additional research into the size of subsidy needed. It's likely that a sizable share of the steep costs would come from the city and state to ultimately make these projects pencil, raising the question of whether they're the best use of finite public funds. And in an odd twist, prices for the higher-end and luxury units that these conversions would most often produce have actually fallen by 15% downtown since the onset of the pandemic, undermining the private investment case as well. There's a better way, one that offers significantly greater bang for the city's buck. According to a February report by the architecture firm Gensler and Pew Charitable Trusts, 'co-living' conversions can outcompete with apartments and condos by about a third of the cost per square foot while producing about three times as many units. These co-living spaces, sometimes referred to as 'dorms for adults,' are made up of small studio apartments featuring single beds, desks and closets, with tenants sharing communal kitchens and bathrooms. That means they're significantly more affordable to the renter. Under Pew's design, dwellings would clock in at just $1,000 per month, putting them within reach for any Angeleno making at least $40,000 annually. Under this plan, the public and private sector would split a more modest cost of about $225,000 per unit, a steal compared to the average affordable studio. These savings originate from some boring but fairly consistent facts about tall office buildings. The bathrooms and kitchens of these towers tend to be concentrated in the center of each floor; extending plumbing to the dozens of new bathrooms and kitchens needed across each floor of the building is increasingly expensive. Additionally, the depth of these buildings' floor plates (in other words, the distance from the elevator to the window) makes them awkward to divvy up into apartments, further driving up costs. Co-living solves both problems, keeping plumbing in the middle of the floor and using deep floor plates to create common space. These new homes would be small, with little to no frills. Each floor would be designed to host up to 48 beds, and each would include four kitchens, two central bathrooms with six toilets and four showers each, and two shared community rooms for lounging and entertainment. But they offer something precious: an affordable, private resting space in the heart of our city's walkable, jobs-rich center. And the low sticker price even includes some amenities, like multiple laundry rooms on each floor, a gym, utilities and basic furnishings. Especially for recent immigrants, college students or young grads, service workers, and those who have fallen on hard times — often, unfortunately, including veterans and seniors — these homes could be a valuable stepping stone or safety net. In fact, the eradication of such cheap and small options, starting in the 1970s, is speculated by experts to have contributed to the rise of modern homelessness. To be sure, these types of conversion projects aren't without challenges. Relative to the residential alternatives, they're less tested and can be expensive to manage — developers prefer to take on lower-risk, cookie-cutter projects. Converting just a few floors thus might be a good start to prove the model. But leaders across the city should step in to help and broaden the horizons of our ambition; philanthropy, universities, nonprofits and city government can all help make these projects less risky, whether by facilitating property purchase, serving as anchor tenants or offering loan guarantees. Indeed, this could be a reenergizing moment for L.A.'s civic life in a painful and deflating year. Of course, the tens of thousands of new homes that could be unlocked by this work, while life-changing for many of their tenants, will still be a drop in the bucket of what's needed. Wonky reforms on whether city building codes still serve our needs must follow, as must difficult conversations around the strictness of L.A.'s residential zoning. But at the present juncture, downtown's moment of land use crisis calls for a straightforward and potentially unifying answer: co-living over condos. Joshua Seawell is the head of policy at the Inclusive Abundance Initiative and lives in Los Feliz.
New York Post
4 days ago
- New York Post
How downtown Los Angeles became a boarded-up ghost-town with hoards of drug-smoking vagrants and dozens of shuttered storefronts
LOS ANGELES — Downtown in the City of Angels is looking more and more like a ghost town. The famed Los Angeles neighborhood has become a shadow of its former glory — with rows of boarded up shops, chain stores leaving in droves and hoards of drug-using vagrants sparking major safety concerns for shoppers and business owners alike. The Post can reveal that there are more than 100 vacant storefronts in the area's Historic Core, which was the rip-roaring heart of the downtown shopping and entertainment district. Advertisement 17 A homeless encampment seen in downtown Los Angeles on Aug. 16, 2025. Ruaridh Connellan for NY Post 17 A map of business closures in the Historic Core of LA. Donald Pearsall / NY Post Design The area's Art Deco buildings and lavish theater marquees are still there, but they now overlook busted windows, boarded-up storefronts, and throngs of homeless people smoking drugs from glass pipes in broad daylight. Advertisement Around one-third of commercial spaces sits empty, according to research firm Avison Young — a higher vacancy rate than Detroit. Even the most stalwart businesses are being driven out by crime, record-high rents and an ever-shrinking pool of Angelenos with any reason to be downtown, according to business owners. 'Many historical independent restaurants are struggling under the weight of these issues and have already closed, while those remaining are fighting to survive,' wrote the LA's oldest eatery, Cole's French Dip, when it announced its forthcoming closure. And it's not just mom-and-pop joints — chain stores have also been closing downtown locations at a disastrous clip. Macy's shuttered earlier this year as part of a massive corporate downsizing, leaving downtown without a department store for the first time in 150 years, according to LA Magazine. 17 Cole's French Dip announced its closure in DTLA. Ruaridh Connellan for NY Post Advertisement 17 A barefoot homeless man seen walking outside of Cole's French Dip. Ruaridh Connellan for NY Post Retailers Vans, Theory, Paul Smith and Acne have also vacated the nabe. In 2022, Starbucks closed one of its downtown locations, citing safety concerns. Other big-name brands like the Adidas and Apple stores fell victim to looters — both during the Black Lives Matter riots of 2020 and the anti-ICE protests this summer, though they continue operating. Each month, the streets of downtown get a little emptier — save for the homeless wandering into downtown from Skid Row in ever greater numbers. Advertisement 'They're coming all the way up to Spring Street now,' said one barber who works in the city's 'Historic Core.' The day before speaking to The Post, the barber, who asked not to be named, had to call the cops when a homeless man stormed into the shop and barricaded himself inside. 'Everything is different now,' he said. 'You used to have people partying in the street. Students would come in from the colleges. They'd get a haircut and go out and have fun.' 17 Homeless people sleeping in the entranceway of a shuttered storefront in DTLA. Ruaridh Connellan for NY Post 17 A homeless man pushing a cart outside of the Hotel Barclay. Ruaridh Connellan for NY Post 17 An abandoned storefront seen in DTLA. Ruaridh Connellan for NY Post Before the pandemic, downtown LA was in the middle of a renaissance the likes of which it hadn't seen since the Roaring Twenties, when playboys and flappers perused the boutiques and glittering movie palaces of Broadway Street, according to historian William Deverell, author of 'Whitewashed Adobe: The Rise of Los Angeles.' 'There was a high-water mark around 2015 to 2020. It was a period of energy and redevelopment in the Arts District, in addition to the Historic Core,' Deverell said. But COVID-19 dealt a blow that downtown is still reeling from — and not just because people stopped going out. Advertisement 17 Protesters looting and vandalizing a Starbucks in downtown LA during the BLM protests on May 29, 2020. AP Photo/Christian Monterrosa,File 17 National Guard troops protecting a boarded up business in LA on June 6, 2020. Photo byRioters smashed and looted dozens of shops and restaurants during the BLM protests, and many businesses either never reopened or went under within the year. Today, many street-level businesses leave their windows boarded up as a standard precaution. And some of the neighborhood's most famous landmarks have become the biggest eyesores — including the empty former headquarters of the Los Angeles Times and the boarded-up Morrison Hotel, featured on the cover of the namesake Doors album. A skyscraper sits empty: The abandoned 677-foot Oceanwide Plaza tower has become a giant playground for hooligans and vandals. Advertisement 17 The abandoned Oceanwide Plaza seen on Aug. 16, 2025. Ruaridh Connellan for NY Post 17 Graffiti seen on the side of Oceanwide Plaza. Ruaridh Connellan for NY Post Down on the ground, criminals run roughshod, locals complain. Violent crime is down in the city overall, but downtown LA feels like a huge exception, said the owner of Benny Jewelry Behzad on Broadway. Advertisement 'It's been a 180-degree change here,' said Benny, adding that he's been held up at gunpoint twice in recent years. Benny said his real problem is rent, which has gone up 2-5% each year since the pandemic. 17 Burn marks seen on the windows of the Morrison Hotel in LA. Ruaridh Connellan for NY Post 17 A fence seen outside the abandoned LA Times headquarters. Ruaridh Connellan for NY Post Advertisement He isn't alone: Commercial rent in downtown reached a record high this year, with businesses shelling out almost $50 per square foot just for office space, according to Avison Young By comparison, the average office rent in downtown Manhattan in New York City is $57 per square foot, and nearly $90 per square foot in Midtown — areas that have seen a boom from post-pandemic return-to-office policies. 'Landlords need lower rents instead of just holding onto empty spaces,' said Michael Backlinder, whose coffee shop features one of the only outdoor dining spaces left on Broadway. 'Landlords need to understand they aren't sitting on a gold mine,' he said. 17 A closure message on the marquee of The Mayan seen on Aug. 16, 2025. Ruaridh Connellan for NY Post 17 A message to customers outside of The Mayan. Ruaridh Connellan for NY Post Yet Backlinder believes downtown remains a decent place for those who live there, thanks to a core of local watering holes, community art galleries, yoga studios and other services catering to neighborhood folk. Glen Proctor, who moved from New York with his husband after the pandemic, said they like the quieter streets — even if those streets come with graffiti and hooligans. 'Our life from New York is much more relaxed,' he said. 'It can get crazy with the unhoused around, but you get a lot more space for something you would pay a lot more for in Hollywood.' 17 A homeless person sleeping on a bench at a bus stop in DTLA. Ruaridh Connellan for NY Post 17 A homeless person sleeping outside of an abandoned building in DTLA. Ruaridh Connellan for NY Post Proctor and his husband aren't alone: More Angelenos are choosing to live downtown rather than vie for space in ritzier neighborhoods. Apartment occupancy is currently around 90%, according to the DTLA Alliance, which is higher than pre-pandemic levels. Backlinder believes neighborhood is due for a comeback, but it won't get one by trying to be the next Greenwich Village. 'After the pandemic, you had corporate stuff coming in, high-end retail. High-end retail is what people buy online. We need landlords to activate the streets and invest in services for the people who live here.' But for downtown to change, the city has to invest in it — and change the faded perception of the nabe. 'Everyone thinks people are dying downtown, but that's not the case,' he said. 'People just need to talk more positively.'
Los Angeles Times
13-08-2025
- Los Angeles Times
How did the Rams become L.A.'s most valuable sports franchise, soaring past $10 billion?
A decade ago, the languishing St. Louis Rams were ranked dead last in the NFL with a franchise valuation of $930 million. Today, according to Sportico rankings released Wednesday, the Rams are valued at $10.43 billion, second only to the Dallas Cowboys at $12.88 billion. The Rams, owned by developer Stan Kroenke, saw a 34% value increase from a year ago, tying them with the New York Giants for the biggest year-over-year jump. 'As we enter our 10th season back in Los Angeles, Stan Kroenke's vision to create the world's greatest sports and entertainment district at Hollywood Park — and to build one of the NFL's greatest stadiums — continues to help build the profile of the Rams and the NFL,' said Kevin Demoff, president of team and media operations for Kroenke Sports and Entertainment. 'While these rankings may reflect that, the focus remains on building great teams and a district that Angelenos can enjoy, more than focusing on valuations.' The Rams join the Lakers as the city's second sports franchise with a valuation of at least $10 billion. The Chargers, who are tenants at the Kroenke-owned SoFi Stadium, are 21st on the list at $6.2 billion, one spot up from last year. The valuations are based on the team itself, along with any businesses and real estate holdings related to the team. David Carter, principal at The Sports Business Group and adjunct professor of sports business at USC, said teams are usually valued based on a multiple of their annual revenue, and that valuation also takes into account the likelihood of future revenue growth. 'For Kroenke and the Rams, this has always meant monetizing SoFi in as many ways possible, while simultaneously positioning the venue as a global leader in sports and entertainment. Having accomplished this, and with the team's strong fan bases — both traditional and corporate — the recipe is in place to continue to achieve high valuations, especially when you also consider the team's competitiveness of late.' Attaching a number to these teams is largely an academic exercise, because the only true test comes when they are sold — and those sales are rare. Three NFL franchises have changed hands in the past 10 years: the Washington Commanders (2023), Denver Broncos (2022) and Carolina Panthers (2018). Writes Sportico's Kurt Badenhausen: 'Scarcity is a major driver in pushing team values higher, as more billionaires are minted each year and franchises are rarely added.' Check back soon for updates on this developing news story.
