Tonight is Melrose Night, the once-a-month evening event when stores stay open late and offer special promotions, while food trucks line Melrose and provide tempting treats.
It all takes place tonight (Thursday, June 6, 2013), from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm, on Melrose Avenue between Fairfax and Stanley. See you there.
In yesterday’s election, the people of Los Angeles overwhelmingly voted to limit the number of marijuana storefronts in the city to 130 by passing Proposition D. They also overwhelmingly voted against Proposition F, which would have allowed an unlimited number of pot stores.
This vote comes just two weeks after the California Supreme Court ruled that cities can regulate and even completely ban marijuana storefronts.
So now the time has finally come to shut down the dozen or so illegal marijuana storefronts on Melrose Avenue between Fairfax Avenue and Highland Avenue. All of these profiteering storefronts opened after the 2007 moratorium was in place, making them patently illegal. They have used a flood of lawsuits and legal loopholes to remain open, but these tactics should now prove ineffective. The businesses have also claimed that they had popular support for staying open. That was never true, as has now been proven by a citywide election.
The pot storefronts have been a blight on our neighborhood, bringing in obnoxious users and intoxicated drivers. And they have pushed away many other retailers who did not want to be located next to drug-dealing operations. It’s beyond time for the city to shutter these nuisance businesses.
People who want access to marijuana will still be able to go to the older storefronts on La Brea Avenue, as well as to the nearby well-regulated dispensaries in the City of West Hollywood on Santa Monica Boulevard.
There are hundreds of illegal pot stores in the City of Los Angeles that now need to be shut down. The city should start right here on Melrose Avenue.
We have heard that the real estate market is heating up again. Even so, we were a bit surprised to see that a house on the 700 block of Martel just went on sale with a listing price of $2,699,000.
Of course, it is a new house – and a very big and nice-looking house at that. It’s at 720 N. Martel Avenue, just north of Melrose Avenue (up from where The Village Idiot is located). The realtor describes the house this way:
Amazing architectural, brand new construction home. This modern property boasts 4,600 sq ft of living space on an oversized 8,200 sq ft lot. It features 4 bedrooms, 5 designer bathrooms, a formal living room, expansive public spaces, multiple terraces and balconies, and a rooftop deck providing city and mountain views. Open floor plan seamlessly combines the gourmet kitchen with the oversized family room. The backyard is an entertainer’s dream, featuring pool, spa, fire-pit, full privacy and meticulous landscaping. This home also features Lutron smart systems which integrate lights, climate, and home audio. Located on a tree-lined street, just steps away from trendy Melrose.
For those of us who own homes in the neighborhood, all we can say is: We hope you get your price.
West Hollywood, our neighboring city, is planning to start work on a La Brea Avenue Streetscape Project in the near future.
This project includes the construction of planted tree wells, street trees, medians with planting and pedestrian street lighting along La Brea Avenue from Fountain Avenue to Romaine Street. The concept is to create streetscape enhancements on La Brea Ave. similar to those on Santa Monica Blvd., including sidewalks, landscaped parkways (the green space between the sidewalk and the street), removal and replacement of street trees, other pedestrian enhancements and planted median islands. The picture below shows a section of Santa Monica Blvd. as an example.
Included in the design of the median islands will be considerations of left-turn pockets as needed, driveways to businesses, crosswalk visibility, and visibility for vehicles both day and night.
As the three projects under construction on La Brea Ave. in West Hollywood get to their next phases, West Hollywood is preparing to award contracts for the streetscape improvements. If all goes as planned, this work will start sometime in June to be completed in September.
There is an important city election on Tuesday (May 21, 2013), and the Melrose Village Blog strongly encourages you to vote.
The location of your polling place is listed on the back of the Official Sample Ballot you should have received in the mail. For many Melrose Village residents, our polling place is the Poinsettia Park gym. Polling places are open Tuesday from 7:00 am until 8:00 pm.
Because of the importance of this election, the Melrose Village Blog makes the following endorsements:
For Mayor: Eric Garcetti. Former City Council President Garcetti knows how to get things done, and he is a better choice than Wendy Greuel, who is too beholden to special interest groups such as the DWP union and other city employee unions.
For City Attorney: Mike Feuer. Mike knows our neighborhood and its concerns, and he would do a better job than current officeholder Carmen Trutanich.
For City Controller: Ron Galperin. Ron is an expert on the city budget and would make an excellent Controller. He is a far better choice than Dennis Zine, who has been an undistinguished City Council member and seems to be running primarily because he was termed-out of that job and is looking for another one.
Proposition C: No. This is a purely symbolic vote about national campaign finance reform. The City of Los Angeles does not have any control over national campaign finance laws, and these types of meaningless symbolic measures are a waste of time and money.
Proposition D (Marijuana Regulation): Yes. This is the best of the marijuana regulation proposals. It was co-written by our City Council member, Paul Koretz. We are certainly wary of how well the measure would be implemented, considering the city’s many screw-ups with marijuana regulations over recent years. Still, this proposition strikes the best balance between providing marijuana to people who want access to it, while protecting neighborhoods from being inundated by pot stores and the problems they can cause.
Propositions E and F (Marijuana Regulation): No. Proposition F is being pushed by marijuana stores that opened illegally and that have used lawsuits and loopholes to remain open ever since. The measure places no limits on the number of pot stores allowed in neighborhoods or throughout the city – meaning that it would allow thousands more pot stores to open. That’s a very bad idea. Proposition E is no longer being endorsed by the people who placed it on the ballot, who have instead thrown their support behind Proposition D.
Whether you agree with our endorsements or not, do vote. This will be a low-turnout election, so your vote will have a real impact.
Voting is also the least you can do if you have any concerns about how our city is run. And if you don’t vote, then don’t expect us to listen to your complaints about city services or problems with city government – ever. Because if you don’t vote, you literally don’t count.
Did you know that you can learn how to dance at our local park? The City of Los Angeles sponsors dance classes – including beginning Flamenco, tap and belly dance – at Poinsettia Park on Monday and Thursday evenings.
It only costs $30.00 a month for one class per week, or $60.00 for two classes per week. That’s less than half the price you would be charged at a dance studio. The classes are taught by Carolyn Berger, who has specialized in percussion dance throughout her career.
For more information and to sign up, call the Poinsettia Park office at (323) 876-5014, or call Carolyn directly at (213) 382-6928.
Melrose Avenue recently received a visit from Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, a Japanese pop star who is also the nation’s official “Ambassador of Cuteness.” Here is an article about the visit from City Council member Paul Koretz‘s HI 5 Newsletter:
Many Japanese tourists make a point of visiting Melrose Avenue, drawn by its tremendous reputation for cutting-edge fashion and entertainment.
Similarly, a fashion district in Tokyo’s Shibuya District called “Harajuku” attracts young, fashion-conscious tourists and designers from all over the world. One case in particular would be Gwen Stefani’s fashion enterprises, which are not only Harajuku-inspired but are named after the district.
In recent years, Japanese fashion and popular culture have taken the world by storm. In an attempt to harness this boom and deepen understanding of Japan among young people around the world, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan appoints a young leader to serve as “Kawaii Ambassador” (Ambassador of Cuteness). This person’s role is to represent Japan’s vibrant popular culture overseas.
In April, the current Kawaii Ambassador – one of Japan’s biggest pop stars, 20-year-old Kyary Pamyu Pamyu – toured Melrose Avenue, accompanied by Japan’s national media, the Office of Councilmember Koretz, and representatives from the Melrose Avenue Property Owner’s Association. The Consul General of Japan in Los Angeles then hosted a press event to highlight Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s visit to Melrose Avenue. A huge room packed with Japanese TV crews and other reporters (and some Los Angeles tourism, music and fashion experts) heard from Kyary, as she narrated a slide show of images taken when she visited various stores on Melrose and ate at Pink’s Hot Dogs.
This media event was viewed, listened to and read about by millions of people in Japan, and it is said that adoring fans will now be eager to come and shop at the sites that were publicized during this pop star’s fun journey along Melrose. Kyary, who headlined in a show at Nokia Theatre the next night, was presented with a certificate of commendation from the City of Los Angeles (photo above) in order to welcome her and help forge a lasting relationship. Kyary’s team is contemplating establishing operations in the United States, and in particular on Melrose Avenue.
This is particularly exciting and timely for all concerned. That’s because, during the past two years, the Melrose Avenue Property Owner’s Association has worked with the Fifth Council District to create a Business Improvement District. Soon, ballots will be mailed to property owners so that they can vote on this proposal. If it is enacted, the operations of the Business Improvement District will begin in January 2014, and a major focus will be on marketing and promotions. Councilmember Koretz is always eager to find innovative ways to boost the 5th District’s business centers, and so he looks forward to working with both the country of Japan and the property owners of Melrose Avenue to bring more tourism to the City, and thus improve our local economy.
If you have any questions about the Melrose Business Improvement District, please contact John Darnell at john.darnell@lacity.org or (310) 289-0353.
