White Boy/White Dog Move To Skid Row

Certified Beach Dude Moves To Downtown Los Angeles

This has happened a number of times in my building- dumb a** punks scribble crap with knives on the inside of the (stainless steel) doors of our elevators. Ok, I’m used to graffeti- and some is actually cool, as long as it is not defacing private property.

But what gets me pissed is the thought of some dirt-bag low-life… scratching unreadable crap in the elevator in my building that is supposed to BE SECURE. I’m sorry, but I think security in my building needs to be a little more careful in screening who goes up and down the elevators.

I am fuming over this- I will post more later, but I am very pissed that sh*theads are allowed into Higgins Building, and to go up the elevators. What kind of screening process does the front desk use?

To be continued…

I was going through some of my earlier blog posts, trying to fix images and videos that broke when I moved my blog-site to a new service provider, and I was blown away by some of the 1 year old pics and videos looking out of my window towards City Hall. 

When I moved into the Higgins Building in April 2007, there was nothing but a “big hole in the ground” to the north of me, with beautiful views of City Hall, the park in front of it with the grassy area and nice shade trees, and the mountains looming in the background. 

I honestly did not realize what I was in for, as far as construction noises and how fast my view would be blocked.  Would I have still moved into this unit?  Most definitely.  Am I grateful for the owner renting to me? Most definitely. Am I glad I don’t own this unit?  Most definitely.  (On a side note, I understand this is PROGRESS and views get taken away- at my beach house I was lucky for 9 years as the house below me was a “tear-down” waiting to happen, and block all my views… the only guarantee of a view that you have is if sand is your front yard).

In retrospect, I wish I had taken “time-lapse” photos throughout the year, with camera in a fixed position, but that did not seem too important at the time.  So these pics are rather crude, but I hope you too will marvel at this constructino project as it progresses…

On my noon White Dog walk I was heading home, W. on 2nd St. from Los Angeles St. to Main St., passing by the old cathedral/mission as I usually do to avoid the mass of dogs on the “CalTrans” or north side of 2nd St.  At the light, a group of ladies that had been following me caught up and one said “It’s obvious you live down here- where does your dog go to the bathroom?”

I was kind of taken back by the question, thinking “Is this a trick to get me to pick up dog poop somewhere?” and then I wanted to come up with a smart line (along the lines of “does a bear sh*t in the woods?”), but under pressure I simply pointed over at City Hall and said “Isis likes to go over in the grass at City Hall”.  And then she looked at me puzzled, like “your dog defiles City Hall property?”- the light changed though and I walked away from the flummoxed lady.  Meanwhile, I’m also thinking about how much human DNA her group just walked through on that grimy corridor on the south side of 2nd St.

Then when I was walking Isis later today, I’m realizing how my dog walks are tailored to where my dog will poop, and how I change my dog walk depending on whether my dog has pooped or not.

Isis has her favorite place to “get busy”- the grass on the south side of City Hall South- she owns the grass on 1st St. from Los Angeles St. to Main St., and it’s pretty much a sure thing she will take care of business there.  And then we can head out to other neighborhoods with a slim chance she will embarrass me in front of an outdoor cafe, etc. (Of course I always bring 2, if not 3, “doggie-doo bags” to pick up anything she leaves behind while we walk).

If she doesn’t go on the strip along 1st St, she probably will on a loop around City Hall- I circle it clockwise so the grass (and Isis) is always on my right, as my dog trainer decrees.  There is plenty of grass along this route, but Isis will usually stop to take a dump near the very busy bus stop at 200 N. Spring, which is always interesting to hear what comments people make (I understand that it’s busy with people there, but it’s also one of few places with grass- I feel bad for poeple that lay out in the grass there- what are they thinking?- it is a favorite doggie playground).

I also have another “sure-fire poop route” that takes me through the back alleys of Little Tokyo.  There is a little dirt road that wonders behind a Japanese garden, and into the parking lot of a Japanese senior housing project.  But this walk must be timed right as it is a few blocks from my place and if Isis decides the sidewalk on the way looks like dumping ground, then there’s not much I can do.  Once there, it is a nice, quiet place, except for the feral cats that taunt my little girl.  The parking lot takes us out on 3rd St., which is also “dog poop friendly” as it has the “tree boxes” every 20 feet or so, filled with dirt for every dogs pleasure.

So those are my 2 favorite ways to start my dog walks, to make sure White Dog gets busy right away, so that then we can head to more populated places and (hopefully) she will not need to go again. 

I think I’m going to do a custom Google Map with dog-walks mapped out, with emphasis on keeping grass on the right side for proper leash behavior, and “strike zones” for good places to encourage your dog to “get busy”.  Maybe I can enlist some of you other downtown folk to tell me where the small, teeny-tiny patches of grass or dirt are in your neighborhood, where your dog likes to GO. 

I must admit, for the first 6 months or so that I lived here, I did not cook once- didn’t even unpack my pots and pans.  I enjoyed trying all the local places, from delis, to chains, greasy-spoons, sushi bars, steak houses, you name it.  But when I started dieting, I needed to get real groceries- and lots of heavy things (gallons of milk, water, gatorade, etc).  So I was very happy to find that Albertson’s grocery store delivered downtown.

At first glance, their delivery service might seem pricey- $9.95, and according to store policy “Albertsons customer delivery representatives do not accept tips, only your gratitude” (although I think they may accept “green” gratitude too…).

But they offer a great web site- many items have the nutritional information available on-line, which is important for me.  Also, in almost every instance, I have placed an order one day and been able to schedule a delivery time on the very next day (they book in 1 1/2 hour time “windows” which works for me, but beware, as they have often delivered early, and when I was not home, left food at front desk, which cause me to throw a fit with both front desk for allowing and customer service for coming early without warning).

Just think of not having to make all those trips back and forth from car, up elevator, etc. 

A few things to note- they do not accept cash or checks (must pay by credit/debit card on-line), you cannot use manufacturer coupons, and check prices frequently as they change like the stock market (one item I like has fluctuated from $3.99 to $3.33 to $2.50 to $2.00- and no, it was not about to expire).

In keeping with the new downtown blogging trend of having guest authors on blogs, I am posting (with her permission) a great piece of prose that was sent to the Higgins Building mailing list by Debbie Kim.  Debbie is a resident of the Higgins, and an “early adopter” of living downtown.  From time-to-time she will send out pieces of poetry to our Higgins mailing list, and it all is great, but I wanted to share this piece with you here, as I think many of you longer-term downtown dwellers will appreciate her sentiments.  Without further ado, here’s what Debbie wrote:

We have been excited for a long time. Yet, for those of us who have been here for a while, some of that shine and the novelty of living, working, and playing may have lost its luster.  But, I think this is the time to reflect on how far we’ve come as a community and as individuals and see how much we have collectively and individually contributed to the growth and expansion around us. And own it.How often do we talk about wanting to be part of a start up and here we are right in the center of it.   The Civic Center of it.  I’m reminded of the woman who worked as a masseuse at Google when it was a start up, and how she cashed in years after and made millions with her company’s shares.   Patience and perseverance have their rewards.I wonder and ask, has the Higgins building met its full potential? 

An architect friend told me that a life of a building in Los Angeles is typically about 50 years.  Our building has lasted a lot longer than that.  Why?  What have we got here? Why are we here? Do we know what we own?  When I look out my window, I see our building reflected in the glass panes of the new LAPD building. 

This building for me represents our new city, the new Los Angeles. 

The old City Hall stands behind it as the reminder of the old Los Angeles.

And our building faces this changing of the guard, as a constant representative of our new community.  The Higgins Building is the headquarters of the people of the New Downtown Los Angeles.   And behind us is the rest of the new downtown neighbors looking to us for leadership.  We are at the helm, the driver seat of our growing neighborhood.  We have huge influence over what happens here for decades to come.  That’s quite a charge. 

But as I assess the individuals and the qualities of those individuals that inhabit our building, it’s clear to me that it’s no coincidence that those individuals who live here, are here to help shape and define our new city. 

We are a great opportunity.  We, who live in this building have enormous talents, skills, and abilities, especially in the area of leadership.  We are leaders, and it makes sense that we live here with this purpose.  This is bigger than amenities. 

This is the birth of a new city. 

I plan to live out a healthy, creative, dynamic, passionate, fulfilling and prosperous life.   I think we all do.  I want that for all of us.  I believe that for all of us.  And I’m proud of us for courageously living in the frontline for our growing community now and for later. 

I know that I will have many highlights in my life. 

And I have no doubt that the time I spend here at the Higgins building will be one of those highlights.  I know it, because it already is.  Sometimes I think we forget our worth.  Let’s remind ourselves of what we are.  We are the heart of downtown. 

We keep the beat.  That’s what we’re worth!



Debbie Kim is an Emmy-nominated Producer at Fox 11 Los Angeles and blogs at MyFoxLA.com.  She is currently working on a show called “Asian Heritage Special: A Celebration” that will feature a show on the ImaginAsian Theater.  The show will be broadcast Friday, May 11th at 10:30 on Fox Channel 11

Google Maps provides a cool feature called “Street View” where given a point on a map, you can see a panoramic view of that location- and in the “Street View” you can use the mouse to pan up, pan down, rotate left or right, or continue “walking” down the street via mouse clicks.  Of course, most of the U.S. has not been completely photographed for Street View, but in downtown Los Angeles, most every street is available on Street View.

So I added this feature to my Filming Locations application.  Now when you click on a filming location, you will get the Street View of that location below the map.  While not too incredible for us that live here, as we’ve seen many of these locations first-hand, it may be interesting for out-of-town folks to see what buildings are being used in what TV shows, movies, and commercials.

As always, your comments/bugs would be appreciated here! I’m not real happy with the interface yet as it seems kind of “clunky” but I will probably make the Street View as a draggable overlay on the regular map- but suggestions would be great too.

(Film Locations is the button in the upper right hand portion of every page of my blog)

I just got back from my 6pm White Dog walk, as the “May Day Immigration March” was winding down (they have a permit until 8pm at the 1st and Broadway site, but it appears it will be over by then).  The streets were opening up, traffic was bad, but not too much worse than a normal rush hour.  There were still TONS of police cars, many lined up on the side streets blocks away from the actual march, and half-a-dozen or so helicopters buzzing overhead still (police and TV), but it was peaceful, and everyone seemed to have a smile on their face.

It put a smile on my face too- this is the way a protest march should work.  It seems like the immense planning of both the LAPD and the march coordinators, and the communications between them, payed-off in spades.  It’s still unclear to me as to why this massive street closure event was allowed on a weekday.  Oh, and I was affected terribly- I tried to get a haircut today but my stylist didn’t open his shop due to thinking he might not be able to leave until 9pm or so like previous events- poor me.

Of course the turnout was lower than anticipated (it always is for any event or march in the year I’ve lived here- but it doesn’t take many people to cause a problem).  LAPD is reporting around 6,000 people, organizers claim 50,000, and the truth will never be known for sure.  Even the Mayor did not show; 2 years ago he made a huge speach to the crowd, last year I think he may have waved at the crowd, and this year he hibernated in his office doing “important things” while many of his constituants were outside asking for change in the immigration process- something that would allow many of these folks to vote for the first time.

I am all for immigration- in a controlled and legal fashion.  And I am not against finding a fair and reasonable way for some of the “undocumented workers” to become legal citizens.  But I don’t think people that are here illegally should jump ahead of the people who are waiting patiently in their country for their number to be called, so that they can move to the U.S. and become citizens.  I feel strongly about this- my last 3 serious girlfriends have all been born outside the U.S. (Phillapines, China, and Vietnam).  Their parents struggled to get to the U.S.- their families were seperated, at times for years, but they persevered, learned the language, started business or got jobs, and followed the rules.

Unfortunately, all the “Immigration Reform” talk I hear is about primarily helping Mexican citizens, and then about other Central and South American citizens.  I think reform should take into account all countries- I’m sure there are many people in Vietnam that would love to come here, and would take employment for minimum wage to get started, but they don’t have the luxury of just crossing an imaginary line drawn in the desert- our southern border.

Ok- I’m off my soapbox.  But another way this protest affects downtown residents is that civil disturbance or violence downtown will affect property values- this is not hard to figure out.  It actually made me proud to be a downtown resident today, seeing such coorporation from LAPD and a potentially militant protest march.

 EDIT:  Go check out the amazing photos that Don Garzila posted on his site Central City East. 

Now I hope “Central Division Cop” will see this and leave a comment or two about his experiences today…

Please don’t take this as bragging, as I did nothing to deserve this, and there are many better blogs about downtown/Skid Row than mine that were not mentioned, but I still want to let you know that some people on the East Coast may even be checking this site out (according to refererals from www.newyorker.com, this is true).

There is a story in this month’s New Yorker Magazine about how downtown Los Angeles is the 3rd “bloggiest” neighborhood in the U.S., and the author ran into a few blogs referencing Skid Row specifically. While I live technically about 4 blocks from Skid Row, I chose the name of the site for it’s shock value, as my friends and associates just assumed I had moved to Skid Row. For these folks, any place downtown is “Skid Row”- unless you live or work downtown, many people think it’s all a cesspool (I used to too, when I used to commute downtown for years, but never ventured past the parking structure unless I was in my car).

After my move, I was sending e-mails to various groups of people with pics and stories, and someone said “set up a blog” and so I did, with the idea of conveying how cool “near Skid Row” really is (well, at first I was not sure, but a year later I am love with this area).

Here’s a link to the article (thanks to author Dana Goodyear for including my site!)

New Yorker Magazine Article On Skid Row Blogs

White Dog is very vocal lately when she wants her tummy scratched or to play. I tried to lie on my bed to relax my back, but Isis would have none of that. After 5 min. or so of her moaning, growling, yipping, and nudging my arm, I decided I might as well try to film her- so I go get camera, lay down again, and she continues to be an attention-whore… so I give up and take her on a walk. She wins (which is bad according to her trainer, but I’m a “softy” for women).

…that does not help much when it falls (jumps?) out of an 8-story window.  This morning there was a cryptic e-mail sent to the building’s mailing list at 12:01 a.m., asking simply:

does anyone know what that was? is everyone okay? that was scary sounding…

I was curious, as we’ve had some drunks playing with fire extinguishers in the halls and cops called on tenents, etc, but I had not heard anything- it was quiet as Edison was closed Monday night.  Then the next e-mail comes, explaning a little more- it was a cat that fell from 8th floor.  Not much more info- I don’t need to know, I just feel terrible for the owner(s). 

This is the 2nd cat that has died from jumping out a window since I’ve lived here, and it brings chills to me to think of White Dog doing something stupid with the large, low windows in my loft.  I’m surprised that I haven’t heard of any dogs jumping- I thought they were not as smart as cats when it comes to height.

I have a problem where I get too emotional over injured/killed dogs and cats- If there’s a house fire or car wreck and a family perishes, I’m always thinking about the pets.  My latest dog trainer tells me I have to stop talking to and treating White Dog like she has human instincts and traits.  He keeps telling me it’s an animal, and needs to be treated like one.  I understand his reasoning, but it’s a hard habit to break, as this is my 4th dog.

Dogs did not get known as “man’s best friend” for naught.  And to my neighbor who lost his/her pet early today, you are in my thoughts.