MARCH 4TH, 2024

Monday

MONDAY’S VIBES

 NWSLA Forecast | Live Traffic and Conditions 

🌸 HAPPY MONDAY,
MARCH MALLOW

• 🚣 REMINDER: We are being reminded to continue with the imaginary belief that we drive cars, and that we are not a captain of a boat, while we are out on the roads. With all the rain that we have been receiving this year, there are still flooded areas. And of additional importance: watch for mudslides in high-triggered areas such as Malibu, Santa Monica, and throughout our beautiful mountains.

• 🔵 NOT GETTING SICK… As I write this, I feel as if I am getting a tad-bit sick. But I am hoping to publish Wednesday by manifesting good vibes + suppressing any body aches…jk, I’ll get vitamin c, doc! Just FWIW bc I will miss you all briefly if so. xx - Wyatt

*💌 submitted by a Curator. Submit your content, free 

⚡️THE HOV LANE

EATS

😋 HEADLINES

• 🍕 NEW KFC ITEM: I don’t know how I feel about this one, but let’s write it…Kentucky Fried Chicken has announced a new menu item, Chizza: two white meat pieces of fried chicken filets topped with zesty marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni. Chizza first debuted in the Philippines in 2015 and now has made way to the United States at all participating locations.

• 🌭 PINK’S HOT DOGS: Pink’s Hot Dogs on La Brea has curated hot dogs for celebrities Diane Warren and the YouTube Comedy Team of Rhett & Link. Warren is an Academy Award nominated songwriter whose best known for ‘The Fire Inside’ from the film, ‘Flamin’ Hot,’ while comedic YouTube duo Rhett & Link have more than twenty-five million views on social media.  | 🖥️ View Menu | 📸 @pinkshotdogs

• 🍔 IRV’S BURGERS + PRINCE STREET PIZZA: Forbes recently sat down with food entrepreneur Lawrence Longo, the brains that brought Prince Street Pizza to Los Angeles and the creative engineer that helped revive Irv’s Burgers, about his hungry ventures. In his creative talks, Longo discusses the future of Irv’s Burgers plus his intentions of capturing international exposure for Prince City Pizza with hypebeast marketing and collaborations.

• 🍔 ALAMEDA: It is Restaurant Week in Alameda! Over thirty-six eateries are curating their favorites for us from now until March 10th, with much of these curations including specials: 50% off any ticket to a show at Alameda Comedy Club during restaurant week, a complimentary glass of house wine with purchase of a cheese+ charcuterie board at The Preacher's Daughter, BOGOs at Donut Petit, free Salted Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie with a $15 purchase at Signal Coffee, and much more! Bon Appétit, Alameda Restaurant Week patrons!

• 🎉 POP-UPS: Here are this week’s hottest food pop-ups that are currently ongoing or upcoming via Eater Los Angeles.

🚀 OPENINGS

• 🎂 SWEET LADY JANE REOPENS: Sweet Lady Jane, known for its beloved triple berry cake, is reopening all its locations under new ownership. The bakery had closed all six locations on December 31st in a surprising move but is now making a comeback with the return of its famous triple berry cake.

• 🍧 WEST HOLLYWOOD: The Urban Dessert Lab, known for its innovative oat milk-based ice cream, has opened its new location in West Hollywood, offering a unique selection of oat milk soft-serve cones and other delightful treats. This Black woman-owned ice cream shop, originally from Brooklyn, has gained popularity for being the world's first oat milk soft-serve ice cream shop. Their menu includes a variety of products like cookies, Brûléesants™ (Brûléed Croissants), truffles, tartès, cakes, and both soft and hard ice crème made from oat milk | 🖥️ View Menu | 📸 @urbandessertlab

• 🍣 PASADENA: Jeremy Fall, a nightlife and hospitality veteran, is set to open a new gourmet mini-mart named SUPERMARKET in Pasadena's Playhouse District, inspired by Japanese and Taiwanese convenience store culture. The concept will feature high-quality grab-and-go options like salads, grain bowls, and other handheld food items, all made in-house and drawing inspiration from Japanese 7-Eleven and Family Mart. Additionally, the back of SUPERMARKET will house an 'innovation kitchen' where limited-edition dishes will be created to generate excitement akin to streetwear drops.

🧭 GUIDES

• 🥘 EATER LA: Four restaurants LA Eater recommends from this past weekend

• 🚀 LA TIMES: New restaurants and pop-ups to try in Los Angeles this March

• 😋 CURATEDLA GUIDES: Recommend some of your favorite new openings for a future CuratedLA Guide

EVENTS

🔮 TRENDING FUTURES

📆 TODAY

*Yes, I am working on a new event layout. It’s the most challenging portion of the newsletter. But so worth it for all of us.

🧭 GUIDES

• 🛝 SAN BERNARDINO SUN: Free stuff to do in Southern California in March that’s actually fun

ACTIVITIES

• 💪 NYAD OCEAN WALK: EverWALK, Plastic Pollution Coalition, and the Great Los Angeles Walk invite us all to join Diana Nyad and Bonnie Stoll for a 10k walk in Santa Monica to reduce single-plastic use. As portrayed in the Oscar-nominated Netflix movie NYAD (Annette Bening, Jodie Foster), the hearts of EverWALK Founders Diana Nyad and Bonnie Stoll beat with awe for our magical, blue oceans. The walk takes places on Sunday, March 24th at 8:00am. This is also a chance to celebrate the Netflix film Nyad as many will be on-hand for photos and fellowship. Registrations can be found online.

• 🏡 BEVERLY HILLS: March events and offerings have been announced for Greystone Mansion and Gardens. The Greystone Mansion, located in Beverly Hills, has been featured in various movies and is one of Los Angeles’ most popular attractions. This Sunday, March 10th, Greystone will open their doors to the public for ‘Music in the Masion,’ where we can enjoy chamber music in the grand living room from viola Daniel Miles at 2:00pm, followed by the Boyle Williams Duo at 4:00pm. The Greystone Gardens will also play host to a free event on Friday, March 15th hosting a Friday Morning Club, followed by a Seed Starting Party on Sunday, March 24th from 10:00am - 11:30am.

• 🇬🇷 CULVER CITY: A first performance of Mama Mia! will take place on March 7th at Culver City High School. This year’s musical special includes a large cast with content for non-stop laughs and explosive dance numbers. The play runs from March 7th - 10th + March 14th - 17th. Tickets are now on-sale.

• 🏃‍♂️ ELYSIAN HEIGHTS: Sprint, run, jog, walk, or stroll with EHAM! The event takes place this Saturday on Baxter Street from 7:30am - 10:30am. The event is to honor beloved former EHAM student, Donnovan Castellanos, who passed away as a result of an asthma attack in 2015, every year the EHAM fam comes together for this fun and healthy fundraising event. The proceeds from this fundraiser support EHAM's arts programming and field trips.  A portion of the proceeds from registration fees will be donated to the American Lung Association in honor of Donnovan.  ALL proceeds go directly to a GREAT (and tax-deductible) cause! While anyone may participate in the 5K for free, you must register to receive an official runner’s bib, the exclusive 2024 Donnovan’s Run T-Shirt, and a Medal for completing the race! 💌 

• 🦖 FIRST FRIDAYS FOR APRIL: The Natural History Musuem has announced details for April 5’s First Friday. The event will feature live music, a DJ set from Mini Bear, a discussion with Ambika Kamath and Jann Vendetti, paneled by Dr. Yewande Pearse. The Sensory Lounge will feature LAVA (Los Angeles Video Artist), Femme House, Albert’s Petite Sweets, Herbalaria, and more! Tickets are now on-sale and are $20 for non-members.

• 🎻 CULVER CITY: The Culver City Chamber Orchestra is set to present a double Concerto Concert Sunday, March 17th at 4:00pm. The series will feature concerto soloists Sara Andon, Flute, Cristina Montes, Mateo, Harp, Kevin Anderson, Harpsichord and Deborah H. How. Musicians and soloists will perform .S. Bach: Concerto in C Minor for Two Harpsichords, BWV 1060, Tchaikovsky: Serenade in C Major for String Orchestra, Op. 48, Mozart: Concerto in C Major for Flute and Harp, K.299, Mozart: Symphony No. 29 in A Major, K. 201. Tickets are $30.00 for adults, $20 for seniors, and $10 for students. All tickets can now be purchased online or by calling (310) 397-2490.

• 👓️ DOWNTOWN: Tomorrow, an immersive free AR art exhibit will be on display, running through May 4th. The exhibit, ‘An EyeJack Experience,’ is a spectacular augmented reality (AR) exhibit by art and technology company EyeJack. It features sixteen digital works with accompanying music that appears outdoors on Jerry Moss Plaza + inside the Plaza Gallery. This unique and free AR exhibit can be viewed through our smartphones and includes never before seen artworks in LA with one of the artworks making its world debut.

• ✖️X-FILES COLLECTION: The Chris Carter Collection runs until March 10th in Boyle Heights. Known as The X-Files Preservation Collection, this exhibit showcases the beginnings of The X-Files series, detailing aspects like logo creation, soundtrack composer selection, casting, and more. Chris Carter, the creator of The X-Files, began his career as a screenwriter in 1985 and achieved significant success with the series in 1993, winning multiple awards for his work. The collection includes items like the laptop used to write the pilot episode, storyboard cards from every episode, and various memorabilia from The X-Files.

COMMUNITY

• 📰 SCREEN GRAB: I would like to let you know about Screen Grab, a newsletter from my entertainment, film + TV friends over at Los Angeles Times. Screen Grab provides expertise on both the shows and films that should really grab our attention with industry insights, insider-looks, interviews, and much more!

• 💪 METRO SERVICE COUNCIL: The Gateway Cities Council of Governments (COG) is actively seeking nominations for their Gateway Cities (GWC) Service Council. The Service Councils meet monthly to provide the public with opportunities to share their feedback on Metro programs, policies, and service. They also hold public hearings for major bus and rail service changes, and send bus service change recommendations to the Metro Board of Directors. Councilmembers get a badge for unlimited use of Metro Rail and Bus, and a $100 stipend per meeting for up to two meetings per month. More information on this great opportunity can be found online, deadline is 4:00pm on Thursday, March 14th.

• 🏡 AFFORDABLE NEIGHBORHOODS: The ten most affordable neighborhoods in Los Angeles according to The Travel.

• 🏃‍♂️A NAVY’S RUN FROM LA TO NYC: Navy Lieutenant Paul Johnson is undertaking a remarkable journey, running from LA to NYC, raising awareness about health of mind. Lt. Johnson also has an ambitious goal, attempting to break the world record for the transcontinental run while shining a light on a better health of mind. While on his journey, Lt. Johnson aims to engage in conversations about well-being and encourage support for those facing struggles.

• 🖼️ MUSEUMS FREE-FOR-ALL: SoCal Museums has announced their annual museum free-for-all, to take place on Saturday, March 23rd. Over thirty area museums will offer free general admission that showcases art, cultural heritage, film, natural history, and science. The full list and further information can be found online at SoCal’s Museums’ website.

• 🏆️ OSCARS STREET CLOSURES: All lanes of Hollywood Blvd are closed from Orange Drive to Highland Avenue until Wednesday, March 13th for the Oscars. MTA will re-route bus traffic while subway trains will bypass the Ovation Hollywood station after the last regularly scheduled train this Saturday, March 9th, until 6:00am + Monday, March 11th. Please also take note of additional streets and sidewalks that will be closed for various periods until March 10th with this official PDF from the City + Academy Awards.

• 🚇️ FREE RIDES: Metro is offering free bus and train rides on the primary election day to help voters get to the polls for the California primary election. The free rides will continue until midnight, covering various races and measures on the ballot ℹ️

• 🚧 LOS ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST: Angeles Forest Highway will have road closures starting today until March 22nd. The areas impacted are Big Tujunga Canyon Road, County Boundary to Angeles Forest Highway from 8:00am - 2:00pm, Monday through Friday. Only residents and emergency vehicles will have access to this area as these closures are for planned maintenance activities. ℹ️

DEVELOPMENT

• 🏗️ LINCOLN HEIGHTS: The mixed-use complex at 141 N. Avenue 34 in Lincoln Heights has recently made significant progress within the area. The new complex will include 468 residential units comprised of studio, one, and two-bedroom apartments. As previously reported, there will also be 16,00 square feet of ground-floor retail space and parking for 311 vehicles. Congratulations to all working on the recent developments of this project!

• 🌌 GEORGE LUCAS’ BILLION DOLLAR MUSEUM: George Lucas' Billion Dollar Museum of Narrative Art, set to open next year, is not solely focused on Star Wars, but aims to explore the impact of mass-produced images that have influenced how we perceive each other. The museum was financed by Lucas for about one billion along with a $400mm endowment. Inside the museum, Lucas will house his collection of around ten thousand paintings, books, magazines, illustrations, and over 500,000 Star Wars artifacts alongside fine art by renowned artists like Normal Rockwell and Edgard Degas. 

• 🚴‍♀️ HOLLYWOOD/DTLA: City Council approved a plan on Friday to create Integrated Mobility Hubs in Hollywood, offering services for bike rentals, car rentals, secure bike parking, and on-demand micro-transit services. These hubs, operated by transit firm Tranzito, will provide last-mile connections between Metro rail stations and commuters' destinations in Hollywood, Downtown LA + Long Beach. The project includes the establishment of thirteen centers within a quarter mile of Metro rail stations, along with a minimum of thirty bike-share kiosks in Hollywood. The hubs are expected to offer annual subscriptions, one-way trips, and day passes, with funding coming from the cities of LA and Long Beach as well as Metro.

• 🏫 ROSEMEAD: The Pasadena Area Community College District is expanding with a new satellite campus in Rosemead, offering students a range of educational opportunities including classrooms, science and computer labs, and student services. This new campus is part of Pasadena City College's broader network of satellite campuses, which includes the Foothill campus (formerly the Community Education Center), the Rosemead campus, and the Northwest campus at John Muir High School.

• 🚧 TOPANGA CANYON BLVD: A construction project that stretches eighteen miles on Topanga Canyon Boulevard from Chatsworth to PCH starts to take place today. The construction will close on lane of Topanga Canyon Boulevard in each direction from 7:00pm to 6:00am on weeknights, Monday through Friday. ℹ️ 

BUSINESS

• 🎒 CALIFORNIA APPROVES WAYMO IN LA: Alphabet’s Waymo robotaxi service is back to operating here in Los Angeles after receiving the green flag from local regulators. We are the second biggest city in the United States to have autonomous taxis, behind San Franscico. Though Waymo has been approved back on the streets, there is not yet a confirmed date of when these driverless cars will be back on the road.

• 🏎️ RIVIAN R2: Irvine’s Rivian Automotive is expected to unveil Rivian RV, an electric SUV, this Thursday, March 7th. It has been rumored that the electric SUV will cost within the ranges of $40k - $60k. model, Rivian R2. The reveal will be livestreamed at 10:00am, with potential buyers having the opportunity to secure an R2 with a fully refundable deposit |📍 HQ: Irvine | 💲 NASDAQ: RIVN 

• 🪀 POP MART OPENS: Pop Mart, the renowned designer toy and entertainment brand, recently opened stores at Westfield Century City and the Glendale Galleria. These new stores mark the sixth and seventh permanent locations for Pop Mart in the U.S., following the success of its first U.S. store at New Jersey's American Dream Mall in September of last year. The Westfield Century City flagship store hosted a grand opening event on February 10th, featuring designer Libby Frame, known for creating the popular series Peach Riot. Pop Mart's presence in here at home aims to cater to its growing fan base on the west coast, offering collectors exclusive product releases, limited-edition items, and unique collaborations.

• 🖥️ STARTUP DIVERSITY: Plug In South LA, a startup incubator that helps aspiring entrepreneurs learn the basics of startups and running a business, was featured in TechCrunch yesterday.

• 💰️$100K JOBS: Some of the best jobs that pay $100k or more in Los Angeles via SimplyHired.

ENTERTAINMENT

🎬️ HEADLINES

• 💰️ DUNE 2: Dune 2 has been the biggest box office opening of the early year, ranking in $81.5m domestically. Critics are singing the movie’s praises online with a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and an overall A-Grade from CinemaScore. The sci-fi movie starts Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya on a sequel that is packed with brainy big-screen spectacles that are appealing to a wide-general audience.

🍿 TOP STREAMED LAST WEEK VIA THE DALLIES

🏆️ AWARD SEASON

• 🍥 CRUNCHYROLL ANIME AWARDS: The 2024 Crunchyroll Anime Awards took place in Japan, concluding Saturday morning local time. The award show featured global celebrity presenters with exciting musical performances, all to honor anime curators, musicians, and performers, powering the global love of anime over community. The event was livestreamed from Japan and was hosted by voice actress Sally Amaki and popular entertainer Jon Kabira. Presenters of the night included three-time GRAMMY-winning recording artist Megan Thee Stallion, Japanese singer-songwriter LiSA, recording artist Labrinth, and many more. A full list of winners can be found on the Anime Awards website with a recording of the show available on Crunchyroll’s Official YouTube Channel 💌 

• 🏫 SCRIPTER AWARDS: The 36th Annual USC Libraries Scripter Awards took place Saturday. The Scripter Awards honor the year’s best film and television adaptations, as well as the works on which they are based. These awards are often predictive of the Oscar Winner for Adaptive Screenplay. Those that vote for USC Libraries Scripter Awards include academia, industry professionals and critics.

🔗 CULTURAL LINKS

• 🎬️ OSCARS: Where to stream all the movies that have been nominated for Best Picture for this year’s Oscars via HiddenRmote.

• 👀 OSCAR PREDICTIONS: Predictions for this year’s 96th Academy Awards for every category that will be presented at the Oscars on Sunday via Awards Daily.

• 🎞️ OSCARS COMEBACK: An Oscars comeback? How the film academy went global and found its footing again via The San Diego Union-Tribune.

• 🎩 ROBERT DOWNEY JR. + LEO: Robert Downey Jr. rocks a bucket hat and Leonardo DiCaprio goes incognito at Frieze LA on Friday via The Hollywood Reporter.

• 💸 CROWDFUNDING HOLLYWOOD: CNBC’s Sarah Whitten takes a look at Legion M’s strategy of crowdfunding Hollywood movies, allowing fans-turned-investors to make movies and have a seat at the table.

SPORTS

📰 HEADLINES

• 🏀 LEBRON JAMES: On Saturday, LeBron James became the first player in NBA history to score 40,000 career points. James’ record came in-front of a sold-out crowd at Crypto Arena, with James receiving a standing ovation after the layup when he went to the bench at the next game break. Watch below:

• ⚽️ GALAXY OVER SAN JOSE: Our LA Galaxy cruised past the San Jose Earthquakes in San Jose on Saturday. The Galaxy’s first goal came quick in the eighteenth minute of play from Paintsil, Delgado assisting. Joveljic would score in the 43rd minute, Paintsil with the assist, followed by a forty-eighth minute goal in the second-half from Puig with Joveljic assisting. San Jose’s only goal would come in the sixty-ninth minute, providing too little time for any comeback as the Galaxy would secure the W, 3-1.

• 🏈 BIG TEN RUMORS: The new college football playoff landscape is shaking up talks. Reports indicate that executives within the Big Ten have started ground-level conversations about leaving the NCAA.

YOU LOOKING FIRE, LA