+ News
     + LA Downtown News

+ Metro Rail Gold Line Eastside Extension — Phase 1 of the construction is complete, and Metro Rail has been making test runs with their spiffy new trains. So the good news is that the all-night construction noise has sopped for now.

Unfortunately, the next phase — the widening of the 1st Street Bridge — has yet to begin. This phase has the potential to create even more noise as the piles for the bridge addition are driven.

If you're concerned about the project, here's where to get more information and how to contact the People In Charge (note especially the RAC, which holds monthly meetings):
    + Metro's project page
    + Fact Sheet (PDF)
    + Construction Information
        + Construction Notices
        + Construction Activities Overview
NEW:  + Environmental Impact Statement (index of PDFs)
           — Highly technical, but can be understood with
               patience. Of particular interest: the Noise
               chapter (the particle acceleration tables make
               for a positively gripping read.)
    + Community Review Advisory Committee (RAC)
    + Contact Metro Community Relations

+ Organizations
    + LARABA: LA River Artists and Business Association
        + LARABA Bylaws
    + DLANC: Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council
        + AAC: Committee on Arts, Aesthetics & Culture
            — This DLANC committee is conducting a project
                with the HCNC that relates directly to
                affordable housing for artists in
                downtown LA and the coexistence of AIR and
                AR (Adaptive Reuse) neighborhoods. Same
                people who brought you Gallery Row.
            — Regular meetings the third Tuesday of
                every month, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM at City Hall
                200 North Spring Street, Room 1040
        + Gallery Row
            — Meetings held every Wednesday at 7pm, at
                Inshallah Gallery, 244 S. Main St. More info:
                (213) 380-5969.
    + HCNC: Historic Cultural Neighborhood Council
        — Represents community members of the Arts
            District, Chinatown, El Pueblo, Little Tokyo, Solano
            Canyon, and Victor Heights neighborhoods.
    + LA Civic Park
        — Working for a civic park at 1st, 2nd, Spring & Main

+ Housing info
    + California Department of Consumer Affairs
        + California Tenants - A Guide to Residential
           Tenants’ and Landlords’ Rights and Responsibilities
           (...2003 Edition, with 2004 Updates, in HTML)
            + Of interest: Notice of rent increase (scroll down)
            + Full 2003 edition (PDF)
            + 2004 Companion (PDF with updates to the law)
            — This booklet contains information on proper
                notice of rent increase; for increases of 10%
                or more, state law requires 60 days' personally-
                delivered written notice or 65 days from date
                of mailing.
    + City of Los Angeles
        + Live-Work Ordinance (PDF)
        + Artist-In-Residence Ordinance (from city code; PDF)
        + Adaptive Reuse Program (AR or ARP)
            + ARP Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
            + ARP Legislation
        + Rent Stabilization Ordinance (is 900 east first
            considered to be made up of "dwelling units" or
            "live/work units"? If the latter, are live/work
            units covered by the RSO?)
        + Search LA City Ordinances
        + Search LA City website
    + Other sources
        + Rent stabilization info (coverage? Legal Aid; PDF)

+ Miscellaneous Government links
    + Search LA City ordinances
    + LA City Councilwoman Jan Perry (9th Dist.)

+ Calendars
     + Downtown LA News Calendar
    + Los Angeles Downtown Arts District Calendar
    + Downtown LA Business Improvement District Calendar
    + Experience LA: LA County Cultural Calendar
    + Los Angeles Times: CalendarLive

+ Deals
    + Coupons from downtown merchants. Over 90 special offers from restaurants, shops, attractions and much more. Offers expire (August 31, 2005, as of this posting).

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