viewfromaloft

Night Shot

View of downtown. June 15, 2013.

Good Few Days for Parks

Echo Park I Photo by Sterling Davis

 

Echo Park Lake reopens after two-year makeover [LAT]

Why Maria the Goose won't return to Echo Park Lake. [John Rabe / KPCC]

The waters of Echo Park are not true blue [The Eastsider LA]

 

 

L.A. gets new park in heart of Downtown [LAT]

Spring Street Park Opens in Downtown LA [LAist]

Spring Street park opens, but wait, there's more. [blogdowntown]

LAFF Hits Town

Helen Ly / VFaL Contributor

This fest has made itself a home downtown.

For the third year of it’s downtown Los Angeles residency, the 19^th Annual Los Angeles Film Festival has a full schedule of features, documentaries and music videos, plus free outdoor picnic-friendly community screenings, industry panels, and events that has families dancing.

As in previous years, LAFF extends beyond L.A. Live’s Regal Cinema headquarters.

The grassy mall of FigAt7th was the setting for Richard Linklater's 1993 "Daze and Confused,” the classic about a pack of teens in 1976. The screening marked the 20^th anniversary of the film's release. (Filmgoers dressed in 70's attire had the chance to win LAFF movie vouchers).  Actor Adam Golberg joined Maggie Mackay, LAFF Senior Programmer, for a pre-screening Q&A. Hopefully there wouldn't be any spoilers, said MacKay of the cult film. Goldberg revealed his spoiler; that "people get stoned” in the film. Then he looked over to the picnicking hipsters beneath the trees. "I don't trust the people there in the grassy knoll," he said. "I don't know what they're concealing".

Metro Driver Killed in Crash

The early words were grim when the phrase “bus driver was found ‘face-down in water’” was recanted early this morning. Authorities are now reporting the Metro bus driver, 47, died Wednesday morning from the collision with a flatbed tow truck. The truck ran into the bus at an estimated 60 mph at 5th and Broadway. A fire hydrant was sheared, and the tow truck plowed into the front entrance of the corner 7-11. The driver of the truck and a store employee were injured.

Metro writes:

Metro is saddened to learn of the passing of one of our family members this morning as a result of a horrific accident in downtown Los Angeles. Our thoughts and prayers are with the bus operator’s family and friends during this difficult time. A thorough investigation of the accident is underway.

 

 

Later in the evening, Metro employees left messages in memory of the driver. Olivia Gamboa,  who died earlier that day.

[CBSLosAngeles]

[LAT]

[The Source]

(Earlier reports cited the driver's age as 35.)

Tow Truck driver in bus crash didn't have valid driver's license, reports abc7 [view]

 

Photos: Helen Ly / VFaL

Art Walk is June 13, 2013.

The monthly Art Walk preview is up. KCET Checklist. [view]

 

If VFaL is not on your mailing list, send your Art Walk exhibition info to ed (at) viewfromaloft.org.

Jubilee at the 6th Street Bridge

DWNTWN at the Jubilee Music & Arts Festival.

By Helen Ly

With Arts District residents flustered over Arts District Bid dissolved and Bloomfest changing course, trash and music were tested with the Jubilee Arts and Music Festival in the Arts District, a frothy title to say the least.

It carried on as well as could be imagined for a first time in a new location, and carrying a new name. Once called the Silver Lake Jubilee, this version of the festival was neatly tucked away within a fenced-off triangular strip of land. No in-an-out privileges, you hipsters. Across the way, Villains Tavern who provided a "Rooftop Retreat" with no cover charge.

The mostly outdoor event featured local bands which was the power of Bloomfest’s draw, and if anyone who worked with the event will tell you, ran like clockwork. Jubilee will get their timing down once they get used to the location.

On the map, an art gallery was listed. I asked several people where it was and they all gave different directions. It was found soon enough. A good touch was the line-up of readings from authors, as presented by Pen Center USA.

But the most striking thing about the venue was the 6^th Street Bridge working as a backdrop. With the Arts District look becoming more polished, the peeling and cracking legs of the bridge must have been a visual throwback to an older Arts District.

Photo by Ly. A few more photos to be posted later.