Every week in Los Angeles there are tons of great things to do (even before the weekend gets started) that we think you ought to have on your radar. With that in mind, we put together a list every Monday morning to keep you in the know about what’s happening in the city you love (or maybe just like). This week, from Monday, Feb. 27 to Friday, Mar. 3, features Lebowski Fest, Food Fare 2017, a Great Horror Movie Night in Griffith Park, and LOTS more. Hope you find the rundown useful and, as always, enjoy your week! The Old LA Zoo. Credit: Omar Bárcena via flickr cc
Monday February 27th, 20171. Plasticity is a multi-media infused one-man show that combines family drama with a thoroughly scientific investigation of neurological function to produce something unlike you’ve ever seen before., Performances take place Saturday, Sunday, and Monday evenings at the Hudson Theatres. Highly recommended! 2. Catch L.A.’s longest running weekly burlesque show Monday Night Tease at Three Clubs in Hollywood on Mondays. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 3. Hot Tub With Kurt And Kristen at The Virgil is one of the most popular weekly variety shows happening on a Monday in Los Angeles. 4. The Alchemist’s Lab is an escape room experience putting you right in the shoes of a junior detective at Scotland Yard in the 19th century. Do you have what it takes to uncover the devious plans of the alchemist? Happening throughout the week. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) Tuesday February 28th, 20175. Hollywood’s Franklin & Company is launching a new weekly Free Movie Night. Every Tuesday the gastropub will play a movie over their TVs and offer a different specialty cocktail, themed to the film for just $6. This week it’s LA Confidential. 6. The Standard, Hollywood and Cinefamily presents All About Almodóvar a month long of free Almodóvar screenings. This week, All About My Mother. FREE 7. 28th Annual Mardi Gras At Farmers Market Los Angeles’ will host a family-friendly celebration, with live music, arts and crafts, a strolling parade with New Orleans-style bands, bead throwing and lots of gumbo, jambalaya and other tasty treats. 8. Olvera Street will celebrate Fat Tuesday with Brazilian singing and dancing, student group mask making, and a festive parade. FREE 9. Amoeba Music in Hollywood will host their annual Mardi Gras party, starting at 3 p.m. with DJ Bennet, followed by a parade with masks, beads, musicians and as put in their description, “mayhem.” FREE 10. The Skirball will host “March Forth” an event featuring dynamic spoken word performances from female artists and musicians in celebration of Women’s History Month. 11. Tackle the Tuesday slump with a dinner break at food truck night in Santa Monica. The Santa Monica Food Truck Lot hosts gourmet food trucks every Tuesday night from 5:30 – 9:30 p.m. at the California Heritage Museum on Main Street. 12. The Broadway hit, Finding Neverland tells the magical story behind the beloved characters of Peter Pan. Playing at the Hollywood Pantages. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 13. The Wallis presents 946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips a heartfelt story based set in the time of World War II showing how the human spirit prevails even in a time of destruction and death. The Times of London called it “A wonderfully life-affirming piece of theatre… touchingly and gloriously imaginative.” Check for discounted tickets on Goldstar while supplies last all week. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 14. The Alternative Facts Comedy Show is hosted by the JB and Benny Blue Review and will have some of the best in comedy take the stage as well as Music by DJ Hydroe the proceeds will go to the Community Foundation of Flint in support of the water crisis. Tickets are just $10. 15. The Lincoln presents “For the Record,” a weekly series where guests bring in their own vinyl for a unique DJ set from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. This week’s theme is Mardi Gras/ ‘80’s! with DJ HOE. FREE Wednesday March 1st, 201716. Standing Tall for Tribal Rights at the Hammer Museum is a forum to discuss politics, policies and history of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and Dakota Access Pipeline. UCLA law professors Carole Goldberg and Angela R. Riley will discuss the fight for tribal sovereignty and Indian rights. FREE 17. For the first time ever, Political Gabfest will be live in Los Angeles. Listen to debates around today’s hot topics, such as the Trump administration, current events and more, followed by a live Q & A session after the show. Panel participants include Emily Bazelon of The New York Times Magazine, John Dickerson of Face the Nation, and David Plotz of Atlas Obscura. 18. Every Wednesday night is Drag Queen Bingo at Hamburger Mary’s in West Hollywood. It’s a comedic event featuring transgender hosts, celebrity guests, and fabulous prizes. 19. L.A. Urban Adventures invites you to relive Old Hollywood by taking a stroll down the Hollywood Walk of Fame while stopping to hear stories about historic spots, sample drinks made famous during the Golden Age and try out local street food. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 20. Get your sun salutations on during Grand Park’s lunch time free yoga class stop by at 12:15 p.m. yoga runs till 1 p.m. FREE 21. Step into Angel City Brewery in DTLA this Wednesday for Karaoke Night with KJ Beerbra Streisand. Fun happens from 7 to 9 p.m. FREE Thursday March 2nd, 201722. The New York Times Feminist Reading Group event invites readers, writers and normal bystanders to review and discuss the iconic newspaper while using feminist techniques to investigate journalistic bias. Happening at The Hammer. FREE 23. Food Fare 2017 unites more than 100 of Los Angeles’ best eateries, caterers, chefs and libation purveyors for a foodie extravaganza that is also Planned Parenthood Los Angeles’ biggest fundraising event of the year. 24. Experience the food and culture of East Hollywood’s ethnic neighborhoods through a four hour foodie tour this Thursday. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 25. Throwback Thursdays at NoHo cinema screens Dirty Harry this week. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 26. Free admission days this Thursday for: MOCA Grand & MOCA Geffen, Skirball Cultural Center, Japanese American National Museum and Long Beach Museum of Art. Friday March 3rd, 201727. Lebowski Fest returns to Los Angeles on March 3 and 4 for a weekend, of all things The Big Lebowski. Fans can celebrate the cult classic film with live music, special guest appearances, costume contests and more. Discount tickets are available via Goldstar while supplies last. DISCOUNTED (via Godstar) 28. The Great Horror Movie Nights at the Old Zoo in Griffith Park will screen John Carpenters cult favorite The Thing. The event will feature plenty of pre-show entertainment including games, prizes, and roaming scare-actors. Discount tickets are available via Goldstar while supplies last. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 29. The Griffith Observatory hosts a monthly forum where some of the most amazing phenomena in the known universe are explained and discussed. It’s called All Space Considered and it takes place on the first Friday of every month. FREE 30. Thrones!, a hilarious musical parody of Game of Thrones is playing at The Hudson Theatre in Hollywood all weekend. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 31. The Natural History Museum’s First Fridays returns for after hours at the museum, special music performances and interesting themed panel discussions. This year the talks will be centered around the science behind food. 32. Since it’s the first Friday of the month check out all the cool events happening around town including block parties and art walks for First Fridays. 33. It’s music month at The Odyssey Theatre and they’ll be hosting a wide variety of local musicians all through the month of March. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 34. Acclaimed for her mixes of “meditative synths and organic instrumentation” combined with mesmerizing vocals, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith will perform a dreamy meditative synths induced set at Los Angeles’ Union Station this Friday at 9:30 p.m. in the Historic Ticketing Hall. FREE 35. Free admission days this Friday for: Norton Simon Museum (5 to 8 p.m.), Pasadena Museum of California Art (noon to 5 pm), Long Beach Museum of Art (3 – 8 p.m.) FREE Article by We Like LA.
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Stock markets extend streak of record highs – Stock markets closed the week higher for the 5th straight week. About 2/3 of companies that have reported earnings have beat estimates, which has helped fuel the rally. International stocks have also rose as Europe and Asia have seen an improvement in their economies, which were sluggish last year. European manufacturing data also beat expectations. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed the week at 20,821.76, another record high and up from last week’s close of 20,624.05. The S&P 500 ended the week at 2,367.34, up from its close of 2,351.16 last week. The NASDAQ closed the week at 5,845.31, up from last week’s close of 5,838.58.
U.S. Treasury Bond yields drop this week – The 10-year U.S. Treasury Bond closed the week yielding 2.31%, down from 2.42% last Friday. The 30-year Treasury Bond yield closed the week at 2.95%, down from 3.03% last week. Mortgage rates follow bond yields, so we watch treasury bonds closely. Mortgage rates hold steady – The Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Survey released on February 23, j2017 reported that average mortgage rates from lenders surveyed for the most popular mortgage products were as follows: The 30-year fixed rate average was 4.16%. The 15-year fixed average rate was 3.37%. The 5/1 ARM average rate was 3.16%. U.S. Home sales jump in January – The National Association of Realtors reported that January 2017 home sales increased to the fastest pace in almost a decade. Closed escrows increased 3.3% in January from December, and were 3.8% higher than last January’s number. The nationwide median price also increased, up 7.1% from January 2016. U.S. Existing home sales numbers up in January – The National Association of Realtors reported that sales of existing homes nationally increased 3.3% from the number of closed sales last January. 2016 marked a decade high number of sales, so any increase is very positive. Numbers used are closed re-sales of detached single family homes, condominiums, town homes, and co-ops. The median price paid for a home in the United States increased 7.1% from last January. January was the 59th consecutive month of year over year gains in prices. The number of homes for sale in January declined 7.1% from the number of homes on the market last January. That marked the 20th straight month of year over year declines in inventory levels. Pending sales decline slightly in California, yet increase in Southern California – The California Association of Realtors reported that sales for homes reported to MLS systems throughout the state declined 9.2% month over month from December. Statewide pending sales slowed just 0.2% from last January, but we have been seeing large year over year increases for many months as the number of sales has been increasing. Fortunately, Southern California was the only region that showed an increase in contract signings. Pending sales in Southern California rose 8.1% from last January and were 10.5% higher than last month. The Los Angeles region posted a 7.1% year over year increase. We watch pending sales closely because it’s an indicator of future closed sales. Some at CAR felt that the lower statewide numbers indicate some softening. I feel exactly the opposite. I’m surprised to see the numbers as strong as they are given the amount of rain we had in January. Most states are far more seasonal than California because of weather. Look at Washington! We don’t see a lot of rain here which makes our market much less seasonal and more consistent than most of he country. I’m thinking that if this many people are out buying in the rain we better “fasten our seat belts” because it looks like we are in for a fantastic year! Author Syd Leibovitch Alan Diaz, AP
Americans shrugged off rising mortgage rates and bought existing homes in January at the fastest pace since 2007. That has set off bidding wars that have pushed up prices as the supply of available homes has dwindled to record lows. Home sales rose 3.3% in January from December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.69 million, the National Assn. of Realtors said Wednesday. Steady job gains, modest pay raises and rising consumer confidence are spurring healthy home buying even though borrowing costs have risen since last fall. Some potential buyers may be accelerating their home purchases to get ahead of any further increases in mortgage rates. With few homes available for sale, buyers feel pressure to rapidly close a deal when they find a suitable property. The typical house for sale was on the market for just 50 days last month, down from 64 days a year earlier. Strong demand is pushing up the median home price, which jumped 7.1% from a year earlier to $228,900. Just 1.69 million homes were on the market nationwide in January, near the lowest level since records began in 1999. It would take 3.6 months to deplete that supply at the current pace of sales, matching a record low reached in December. In a balanced housing market, supply is usually equal to about six months’ worth of sales. The supply crunch probably will get worse during the upcoming spring buying season, economists say, because demand typically rises by more than supply during that time. “Relative to the number of households, the number of homes for sale is well through prior historic lows,” said Ted Wieseman, an economist at Morgan Stanley. “The level of inventories could be a much bigger challenge moving into much higher sales in the spring and summer.” That, combined with higher mortgage rates, soon could restrain sales. “We are a bit less gloomy about housing than a couple of months ago, but sales will not continue to rise at their recent pace,” said Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics. The bulk of the stronger buying is occurring among higher-priced properties, the Realtors group said. Sales among homes and condominiums priced at $100,000 and below fell nearly 10% in January compared with a year earlier. They rose slightly in the $100,000 to $250,000 bracket and jumped roughly 20% in homes priced at higher levels. Last year, low mortgage rates helped offset rising home prices. Now, both are rising. Mortgage rates have climbed since November’s presidential election. Investors are anticipating that tax cuts, deregulation and infrastructure spending will accelerate growth and push up inflation. That has caused investors to cut back on their bond holdings, pushing up yields. The average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage was 4.15% last week, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac. Although that has slipped since earlier this month, it is much higher than last year’s average rate of 3.65%. By some measures, the housing market has fully recovered from the bust that began in 2006. Yet its newfound health is creating another set of challenges. In high-demand areas, mostly on the West Coast, homes are being bought after less than a month on the market, according to real estate brokerage Redfin. Denver was the fastest market last month, Redfin found, with purchase contracts signed just 23 days after listing for a typical home — far faster than the 43 days that was typical a year earlier. Seattle was the second-fastest, with 26 days on the market, followed by Oakland, at 27 days. The strength in sales should lift growth, as new homeowners buy furniture and appliances and spend more on landscaping and outdoor equipment. Home sales also tend to spur renovations, which helps to update aging properties and generates additional construction work for the broader economy. Article by Associated Press. Mark Lennihan / Associated Press
Stocks are opening higher on Wall Street as investors return from the holiday weekend in a buying mood. Energy companies and banks posted some of the biggest gains in early trading Tuesday. Hess rose 2% and Northern Trust rose 1%. The gains sent indexes further into record territory. U.S. markets were closed Monday for Presidents Day. Several companies were rising after reporting better results than analysts expected. Wal-Mart jumped 2.6% and Home Depot rose 1%. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 7 points, or 0.3%, to 2,358. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 71 points, or 0.4%, to 20,699. The Nasdaq composite rose 18 points, or 0.3%, to 5,856. Article by Associated Press. Culver City has really blossomed over the last few years, thanks to the redevelopment of Downtown Culver City and the arrival of the Metro Expo Line. Highly pedestrian-friendly, it’s a destination that offers a multitude of options every single day. Whether you want to tour a classic movie studio, explore great shopping or dining, or want to enjoy some culture in your spare time, here, in no particular order, are super some fun things to do in Culver City. Enjoy! Lobby at the Culver Hotel. Image via Culver Hotel 1. The Culver HotelA focal point of Culver City, the Culver Hotel is a historic landmark that offers a grand estate feel in their recently renovated 46-room-hotel. The grand lobby’s carefully detailed ambiance, complete with high ceilings, vintage armchairs, and classic movie projections, offers nightly live music from up-and-coming artists. Through the lobby and up the stairs, you’ll find the hotel’s magical Velvet Lounge, perfectly reminiscent of a 1920s speakeasy with a twist of Parisian boudoir. Open Thursdays through Saturdays after 8 p.m., it holds plenty of secluded corners to enjoy an aperitif or bottle service. More information here 2. Museum of Jurassic TechnologyTechnically located in the Palms area, on the corner of Venice and Bagley Avenue, the Museum of Jurassic Technology was founded by husband and wife David Hildebrand Wilson and Diana Drake Wilson in 1988. Hidden behind a windowless storefront, the museum contains an unusual collection of exhibits and objects with varying, uncertain degrees of authenticity. The museum challenges the very nature of what a museum is, while its Tula Tea Room, a Russian-style tea spot, offers Georgian tea, cookies, and crackers to patrons. More information here Outside the Museum of Jurassic Technology. Photo by Sascha Pohflepp via flickr cc 3. PLATFORMPLATFORM, part of the Hayden Tract in Culver City, offers a collection of 120,000 square feet of curated merchants, chefs, and creative companies from around the world. Offering L.A. the perfect wellness experience, you can look no further than this local neighborhood for a blissful day. Begin your morning with a fresh juice at Juice Served Here before you endure a coveted SoulCycle class for a killer sweat sesh. Then head over to Aesop for a refreshing facial and a manicure at Tenoverten. Cap off your perfect day with a healthy lunch at Sweetgreen or an acai bowl at São Acai. More information 4. Baldwin Hills Scenic OverlookFrom 8 a.m. to sunset, adventurers are welcome to take on the 282 steep, concrete stairs to the top of Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook. Before embarking on the hike up to the peak (you can also drive it, if you’re not feeling as adventurous), check out the exhibits telling the story of this once drilled and exploited land. At the 500-foot peak, sit on a park bench and take in the 360-degree city views of the entire Los Angeles Basin, the Pacific Ocean, and surrounding mountains. More information Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook Trail. Photo Credit: Brian Champlin / We Like L.A. 5. Sony Pictures Studio TourWant to feel like a star for a couple of hours? Sony Pictures in Culver City offers a two-hour guided walking studio tour which gives guests the real experience of a working movie studio. Tours run Mondays through Fridays and tickets, which must be reserved, are $45 per person. Guests can visit the famed sets of game shows Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, along with sound stages where iconic movies like The Wizard of Oz were filmed. More information 6. Helms Bakery DistrictHelms Bakery, built in 1931, operated as a bakery until going out of business in 1969. It sat empty for a few years but was eventually restored. This adaptive reuse of a historic structure is filled with award-winning restaurants, design and home furnishings stores, and more. Located just one block east of the Metro Expo Line, this is a great spot to meet friends for a day of food, furniture shopping, and fun. More information A view of downtown from Kenneth Hahn Recreational Area. Credit: Brian Champlin / We Like L.A.
13. Wende MuseumEstablished in 2002, the Wende Museum is a Cold War art museum, historical archive, and educational institution located in the former United States National Guard Armory building. The museum’s collection includes over 100,000 objects, propaganda posters, and more from the Soviet Union and the former Eastern Bloc. More information Article by We Like LA. Every week in Los Angeles there are tons of great things to do (even before the weekend gets started) that we think you ought to have on your radar. With that in mind, we put together a list every Monday morning to keep you in the know about what’s happening in the city you love (or maybe just like). This week, from Monday, Feb. 20 to Friday, Feb. 24, features a free day at LACMA, Pop-Up Magazine at Ace, the LA Art Book Fair, The Slurring Bee at The Virgil, and LOTS more. Hope you find the rundown useful and, as always, enjoy your week Monday February 20th, 20171. Free admission day this Monday for: Los Angeles County Museum of Art is free on President’s Day.
2. Dine Out Long Beach Restaurant Week returns with a 2.0 version, Feb. 19-25. Guests will have a chance to savor prix fixe lunches and dinners at a special price. 3. Angel City Brewery presents a special smokey edition of Ale Academy featuring the new Warehouse Collection brew, Rauchbier. Explore the smoked flavors of Rauchbier through food pairings from local vendors, including smoked almonds, beef jerky, and BBQ. Tickets cost $5. 4. Catch L.A.’s longest running weekly burlesque show Monday Night Tease at Three Clubs in Hollywood on Mondays. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 5. Hot Tub With Kurt And Kristen turns 12 this Monday! The anniversary special will feature some of the best and worst sketches from the past. Happening at The Virgil, special guests include Cameron Esposito, Rivers Langley, Karl Herlinger, Dave Ross, Ryan Singer and Scott Thompson. Tickets cost $8. 6. The Alchemist’s Lab is an escape room experience putting you right in the shoes of a junior detective at Scotland Yard in the 19th century. Do you have what it takes to uncover the devious plans of the alchemist? Happening this week. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 7. “A comatose man recreates his identity by delving deeply into his memories, while a panoply of family members and loved ones form scheming camps over grave neurological decisions” in Plasticity, a new one-man show now playing at the Hudson Theatres. Performances take place Saturday, Sunday, and Monday evenings. 8. On Monday The Abbey Food & Bar, will host a Not My President’s Day. Catch The Abbey’s dancers painted orange with blonde wigs, a drag queen MC and themed cocktails such as Make America Gay Again and The Alternative Fact. Guests will have an opportunity to donate to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) that night as well. 9. Come to The Victorian in Santa Monica for the monthly Basement Comedy Show, featuring this month’s special guest Jon Rudnitsky. FREE 10. Pan African Film & Arts Festival (Feb. 9-20) will showcase over 150 new films, along with special programs aimed towards students and the community. Tuesday February 21st, 201711. The Standard, Hollywood and Cinefamily presents All About Almodóvar a month long of free Almodóvar screenings this week, Matador. FREE 12. L.A. Urban Adventures invites you to relive Old Hollywood by taking a stroll down the Hollywood Walk of Fame while stopping to hear stories about historic spots, sample drinks made famous during the Golden Age and try out local street food. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 13. Play Indiana Jones for a day with Escape Room LA: The Cavern. Find clues and solve puzzles to get your hands on a lost civilization’s ancient treasures hundreds of feet below Downtown Los Angeles! Happening Tuesday and Wednesday. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 14. Hollywood’s Franklin & Company is launching a new weekly Free Movie Night. Every Tuesday the gastropub will play a movie over their TVs and offer a different specialty cocktail, themed to the film for just $6. This week it’s Taxi Driver. 15. Escape Room LA The Alchemist has you locked in a room forced to uncover the hidden power of the Philosopher’s Stone in order to escape from the mad Alchemist. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 16. Escape Room LA: The Detective has you inside a 1940’s film noir set up where you have to solve a slew of mysteries in order to escape. Happening Tuesday and Wednesday. DISCOUNTED via Goldstar. 17. The Wallis presents 946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips a heartfelt story based set in the time of World War II showing how the human spirit prevails even in a time of destruction and death. The Times of London called it “A wonderfully life-affirming piece of theatre… touchingly and gloriously imaginative.” Check for discounted tickets on Goldstar while supplies last all week. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 18. Free admission days this Tuesday for: Los Angeles County Arboretum, South Coast Botanic Garden and Descanso Gardens. Wednesday February 22nd, 201719. Every Wednesday night is Drag Queen Bingo at Hamburger Mary’s in West Hollywood. It’s a comedic event featuring transgender hosts, celebrity guests, and fabulous prizes. 20. The Slurring Bee makes its way to The Virgil this Wednesday for a bar spelling bee where participants pay $5 to compete, take a first Slurring Bee Shot and spell. From there on it keeps going until a queen or king bee is crowned. Winner receives half the pot, bee-themed prizes and their picture immortalized on The Slurring Bees Wall of Fame, plus automatic placement in the Tournament of Champions! 21. Tales from Tinseltown is a new storytelling show hosted by Megan Hayes (Hunger Games, Sleepy Hollow) and Oscar Sagastume (Multiple Moth Winner, Buzzfeed). Performers share some of Hollywood’s dirty secrets and maybe a few of their own. The lineup includes Maria Howell (Hidden Figures, The Color Purple), Greg Walloch (Moth Host, NPR) Moses Storm (Last Comic Standing, Comedy Central’s), Brittany Ross (‘SMOSH: The Movie’, ‘The Middle’) Scott Turner Schofield (The Bold and the Beautiful, TED Talk). Tickets cost $5. 22. Get your sun salutations on during Grand Park’s lunch time free yoga class stop by at 12:15 p.m. yoga runs till 1 p.m. FREE Thursday February 23rd, 201723. Come browse books, art catalogs, zines and more by local and national artists at the 5th Annual LA Art Book Fair taking place at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA Feb. 23-26. FREE 24. The New York Times Feminist Reading Group event invites readers, writers and normal bystanders to review and discuss the iconic newspaper while using feminist techniques to investigate journalistic bias. Happening at The Hammer. FREE 25. Throwback Thursdays at NoHo cinema screens Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind this week. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 26. Upstairs at Ace Hotel will be hosting the official after hours parties for Printed Matter’s LA Art Book Fair February 23 – 26. Each night a different publisher will host the free 21+ party starting at 8:30 p.m. FREE 27. Enjoy dinner and a movie when the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles in Beverly Hills screens Hidden Figures. The movie is preceded by a three-course prix-fixe dinner at Culina. Cost of the experience is $69. Reservations can be made by calling 310.860.4000. 28. Performance Lab at The Skirball Cultural Center presents Lionel Popkin-Inflatable Trio performed on and around an ever changing inflatable plastic living room set. 29. HUMANS! a comedy show hosted by a real live Robot will take place at Amplyfi this Thursday. The show cost $5. 30. Liam McEneaney brings his NYC stand-up showcase Tell Your Friends! to the West Coast at NerdMelt. Expect an eclectic selection of some of the best comedians to take the stage. Tickets cost $10. 31. Free admission days this Thursday for: MOCA Grand & MOCA Geffen (from 5 to 8 p.m.), Skirball Cultural Center, Japanese American National Museum (all day) and Pasadena Museum of California Art (from 5 to 8 p.m.) Friday February 24th, 201732. Pop-Up Magazine is a night filled with true, multimedia storytelling with stunning visuals, film, and live music. Listen to writers, filmmakers, photographers and producers share true stories at the Theatre at The Ace. 33. As part of their culinary series of thematic pop-up dinners, The Autry is hosting a farm-to-table food experience called Flavors: Future of Food. Guests will enjoy a specialty meal made of ingredients harkening back to California’s past, such as Longhorn cattle and Churro sheep. 34. Experience the food, culture and history of Downtown Los Angeles through a three hour foodie tour this Friday. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 35. Late-Night Lichtenstein at The Skirball is a rare opportunity to see the exhibit Pop for the People: Roy Lichtenstein in L.A. at night for free! At this time organizers tell us the waitlist is at capacity so if you don’t make the cut this Friday, try checking out the exhibit before March 12 when it comes to a close. 36. The Groundlings: The Completely Different Late Show is a hilarious improv show by the cast of the Groundlings’ Main Company. Audience shout suggestions throughout the night for improvisational scenes performed by some of the best in the business. It’s also a testing ground for brand new material for the Groundlings’ main show. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 37. Every Friday in February Greenbar Distillery in Downtown Los Angeles will host cocktail classes featuring seasonal and themed drinks. This week’s theme is Seasonal Produce Cocktails made with vodka and whiskey. 38. Thrones!, a hilarious musical parody of Game of Thrones is playing at The Hudson Theatre in Hollywood. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 39. Every Friday in February, the Norton Science Museum in Pasadena will host “Unexpected Romance” a film series centered around romance. This week the 1971 film Harold and Maude will be screened. 40. Free admission days this Friday for: Long Beach Museum of Art (3 – 8 p.m.) FREE Article by We Like LA. Stocks markets end week at record highs – Stocks surged again this week after reports of stronger retail sales and inflation showed that the U.S. economy was stronger than expected. Europe and Asia also have seen results showing their economies are growing. Their economies had been slowing the last couple of years, which had dragged our stocks down. Oil also has improved. It’s more than $53 a barrel, up from just $28 a barrel last February, a 20-year low. That also dragged down energy, oil, and mining stocks, which are showing strong gains again and economies in oil producing regions. For the week, markets gained 1.5%, which followed a 1% gain last week. The S&P is up over 5% this year. That’s just 45 days! The owner of Rodeo Realty said, “Since the election stock markets are up about 14%. That’s a huge gain. It’s largely based on expectations of a better economy, with higher corporate profits as a result of lower taxes, less regulation, and higher infrastructure and defense spending. While we all expect those things to improve the economy and profits, I find it hard to believe that it will give a big enough boost to sustain these huge stock gains. I’m sticking with Real Estate. I think we have a good way to go. Prices have had a good run, but compared to the highs of 2007, adjusted for even the pathetically low inflation we have had, considering the 10 years of wage growth, even if at such low levels, and that interest rates were around 6% in 2007, home affordability is much higher now.” The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed the week at 20,624.05, up from last week’s close of 20,296.27. The S&P 500 ended the week at 2,351.16, up from its close of 2,316.10 last week. The NASDAQ closed the week at 5,838.58, up from last week’s close of 5,734.13.
U.S. Treasury Bond yields stable this week – The 10-year U.S. Treasury Bond closed the week yielding 2.42%, unchanged from 2.41% last Friday. The 30-year Treasury Bond yield closed the week at 3.03%, almost unchanged from 3.01% last week. Mortgage rates follow bond yields, so we watch treasury bonds closely. Mortgage rates hold steady – The Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Survey released on February 16, 2017, reported that average mortgage rates from lenders surveyed for the most popular mortgage products were as follows: The 30-year fixed rate average was 4.15%. The 15-year fixed average rate was 3.35%. The 5/1 ARM average rate was 3.18%. Economy shows signs of inflation picking up – The prices Americans pay for goods and services surged in January by the largest amount in four years, mostly reflecting a rebound in the cost of gasoline that’s taking a bigger chunk out of household incomes. The government’s reported consumer price index (CPI) showed that consumer prices rose 2.5 percent in January from a year earlier, the highest rate since March 2012. About 1/2 of the rise was attributed to higher gas prices. Rent and medical costs also saw a spike from a year earlier. The seasonally adjusted 0.6% rise in January was double the 0.3% economists predicted. Core inflation which strips out gasoline and food prices rose 0.3% in January and was up 2.3% from last January. We watch inflation because when inflation rises it causes interest rates to rise. Fortunately rates have risen on the expectation of higher inflation, so rates remained steady despite the higher CPI report. California home closed escrows higher in January – The California Association of Realtors reported that home sales totaled 420,100 in January on a seasonally adjusted basis. The number of sales increased 2.1% from December’s sales pace and 4.4% from last January. Although the median price dropped slightly from December, it was up 4.8% from January 2016’s median. Inventory levels rose to a 3.7 month supply in January from a 2.7 month supply in December as more homeowners put their homes on the market. There was a 4.3 month supply last January. Author Syd Leibovitch Los Angeles provides no limit of things to do, some awesome and some not so awesome. Since time is precious in this fast paced city, we decided to curate a list of things to do in Los Angeles every week end that’ll help you decide how you want to spend your limited supply of attention (not to mention dollars!). This weekend (Feb. 17 to Feb. 19) includes the Chocolate & Art Show, the LA Cookie Con, Air+Style, the Santa Anita Chili Cook-Off, an opening party of White Boy Tacos, and LOTS more to choose from. Enjoy! Jason Rhoades: Installations, 1994-2006. Image via Hauser Wirth & Schimmel
Friday February 17th, 20171. The Chocolate and Art Show (Feb. 17-18) comes to The Vortex in Downtown Los Angeles for two nights of fine art, tasteful music, and delicious chocolate. Check for Discount tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 2. Every Friday in February Greenbar Distillery in Downtown Los Angeles will host cocktail classesfeaturing seasonal and themed drinks. This weeks theme is a City Series of HAVANA. 3. L.A. Urban Adventures invites you to relive Old Hollywood by taking a stroll down the Hollywood Walk of Fame while stopping to hear stories about historic spots, sample drinks made famous during the Golden Age and try out local street food. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 4. Thrones!, a hilarious musical parody of Game of Thrones is playing at The Hudson Theatre in Hollywood all weekend. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 5. The Alchemist’s Lab is an escape room experience putting you right in the shoes of a junior detective at Scotland Yard in the 19th century. Do you have what it takes to uncover the devious plans of the alchemist? Happening all weekend. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 6. Every Friday in February, the Norton Science Museum in Pasadena will host “Unexpected Romance” a film series centered around romance. This week the 1967 film Barefoot in the Park will be screened. 7. Lady & The Tramp is back on the big screen at the El Capitan Theatre (Feb. 10-19) Moviegoers can enjoy this classic love story of two pups falling in love while sharing a delicious plate of spaghetti and meatballs for a limited time only! Check for discounted tickets on Goldstar while supplies last this weekend. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 8. The Wallis presents 946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips a heartfelt story based set in the time of World War II showing how the human spirit prevails even in a time of destruction and death. The Times of London called it “A wonderfully life-affirming piece of theatre… touchingly and gloriously imaginative.” Check for discounted tickets on Goldstar while supplies last all weekend. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 9. Pan African Film & Arts Festival (Feb. 9-20) will showcase over 150 new films, along with special programs aimed towards students and the community. 10. The Virus: An Immersive Escape Room Experience happening all weekend. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 11. Get your sun salutations on during Grand Park’s lunch time free yoga class stop by at 12:15 p.m. yoga runs till 1 p.m. FREE 12. Free admission days this Friday for: Long Beach Museum of Art (3 – 8 p.m.) FREE Saturday February 18th, 201713. Electric Dusk Drive-In, LA’s only drive-in movie will screen two love stories this weekend. Crazy Stupid Love and The Notebook. Take your pick! 14. The LA Cookie Con & Sweets Show (Feb. 18-19) returns as the West Coast’s largest baking and pastry expo. Guests will enjoy samples from over 275 local shops and brands, a kids’ zone, and the Decorators’ Showcase competition. 15. Air + Style returns to Exposition Park in LA February 18 and 19 for two days of music and big air snowboarding competitions. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 16. Ace Hotel in Downtown LA is the setting for Wikipedia Day Los Angeles. This festive day of presentations and discussions is a celebration of the crowdsourced encyclopedia’s 16th birthday. FREE 17. Hauser Wirth & Schimmel is bringing an exciting new exhibit to their gallery in Downtown Los Angeles’ Arts District. Jason Rhoades: Installations, 1994-2006 will be on view from February 18 through May 21. FREE 18. If you’re planning a big trip for 2017 or simply need some inspiration, check out the Travel & Adventure Show for a taste of cultures around the world! Happening Feb 18-19. Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 19. ScotsFestival at the Queen Mary (Feb. 18-19) is a two-day fest that celebrates the cultural history of the epic ship through authentic athletics, competitions, dancing, cuisine and more! Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 20. White Boy Tacos grand opening party will feature a full day of events which include comedy, music and face painting! All tacos are $1 until they sell out! 21. Long Beach Comic Expo at Long Beach Convention Center (Feb. 18-19) celebrates comic books and pop culture with notable guest appearances, meet and greets, various panels, and even a cosplay competition! Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 22. 2nd Annual Santa Anita Chili Cook-Off will include lots of chili tastings, craft beer, wine and world-class live racing.Check for discounted tickets before making your purchase. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 23. Nothin’ But Sand Beach Cleanup is this Saturday at the Venice Beach Pier. These monthly beach cleanups are a great way to give back to our beaches. Simply show up, and bring a bucket if you can.FREE 24. Second City Tours presents a Santa Monica Seafood Crawl this Saturday. The two hour walking tour will have you dining at the neighborhoods most loved spots. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 25. The LA Music Show happening at Think Tank Gallery will feature live performances by indie bands, airbrush tattoos by a famous L.A. Artist, Cirque De Wunderland, craft vendors, food, a bar and more. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 26. UCB’s monthly show MY DIARY returns for one night of LOL’s, nostalgia and maybe even some tears as Lindsay Ames brings together a diverse group of comedians, actors, artists, athletes and more to dive deep into their diaries and share them through stand up, storytelling, sketch, videos and other performance outlets. 27. New Filmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) is celebrating Black History Month with a one-day film festival. The festival, will be held at South Park Center in DTLA and will focus on films produced by members of the black community that cover a wide range of stories and cultures. 28. “A comatose man recreates his identity by delving deeply into his memories, while a panoply of family members and loved ones form scheming camps over grave neurological decisions” in Plasticity, a new one-man show now playing at the Hudson Theatres. Performances take place Saturday, Sunday, and Monday evenings. 29. Top comics will be doing stand-up at L.A.’s legendary Comedy Store on the Sunset Strip. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) Sunday February 19th, 201730. Dine Out Long Beach Restaurant Week returns with a 2.0 version, Feb. 19 to 25. Guest will have a chance to savor prix fixe lunches and dinners at a special price. 31. Spend the day being pampered at the Spa-cation event presented by Los Angeles Travel Magazine. Your ticket gets you a menu of miniature spa treatments like manicures, pedicures, facials and spray tanning. Passed snacks, wine and mimosas are also included. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 32. One week before the Academy Awards, Larry Mantle and the film critics of KPCC’s AirTalk convene on the stage of the historic Theatre at the Ace Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles to discuss and debate this year’s Oscar nominees for a special taping in front of a live audience. 33. Second City Tours presents a Hollywood Food Crawl this Sunday. The walking tour will have you dining at the neighborhoods eclectic spots from pizza to tacos. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 34. Take in a few laughs at the end of the weekend at Cool Beans Comedy at the Ice House in Pasadena. FREE 35. Second City Tours presents the Los Angeles Wine and Cheese Walk where you’ll stop by three excellent spots to sample eight or more varietals of reds, whites and sparkling wines, paired with an assortment of cheeses and breads. DISCOUNTED (via Goldstar) 36. Storey Productions presents their annual event, “The Best of SHINE” this Sunday featuring seven of their favorite stories voted on by audiences and staff in the last year. Story topics range from stories about family, life events to climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. 37. Free admission days this Sunday for: Museum of Latin American Art and Craft and Folk Art Museum (pay what you can) Article courtesy of We Like LA. Mark Lennihan / Associated Press
Bond yields climbed again on Wednesday and U.S. stocks held close to their record highs after more reports showed the economy continues to strengthen. The encouraging data could push the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates sooner rather than later in its gradual move away from record-low rates during the Great Recession. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 2 points, or 0.1%, to 23,340 as of 10:45 a.m. Eastern time. The index closed at a record high Tuesday after rising for the sixth straight day. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 63 points, or 0.3%, to 20,567. The Nasdaq composite rose 11 points, or 0.2%, to 5,793. Slightly more stocks fell than rose on the New York Stock Exchange. ENCOURAGING ECONOMIC GAINS: Wednesday’s economic reports give the Federal Reserve more encouragement to raise interest rates, and economists said the possibility is increasing that it may happen in March at the central bank’s next meeting. Retailers had stronger sales in January than economists expected, and inflation at the consumer level was the highest in years. Consumer prices rose 2.5% in January from a year earlier, the highest rate since March 2012. Fed chief Janet Yellen said in testimony before a Senate committee on Tuesday that the strengthening job market and a modest move higher in inflation should warrant continued, gradual increases in interest rates. The central bank raised rates in December for just the second time in a decade, after keeping rates near zero to help lift the economy out of the Great Recession. Yellen is speaking before a House committee Wednesday. BOND YIELDS: Treasury yields jumped immediately after the release of the reports on retail sales and inflation. The 10-year yield rose to 2.51% from Tuesday’s 2.47%. The 30-year yield rose to 3.10% from 3.06%. DAMPENED DIVIDEND DEMAND: When bonds are paying more in interest, it can mean less demand from income investors for stocks that pay big dividends. Utility stocks, which are some of the biggest dividend payers, fell 1.1%, the largest loss among the 11 sectors that make up the S&P 500. Real-estate investment trusts, which are also go-to buys for dividend seekers, were weak as well. POPPING: Procter & Gamble rose 3.1% to $90.60 after activist investor Nelson Peltz’s Trian Fund Management disclosed in a regulatory filing that it owns a stake in the company. ALIGHTING: Airline stocks rose after Warren Buffett‘s Berkshire Hathaway disclosed that it added to its investments in several of them. Southwest Airlines rose 3% to $56.96, Delta Air Lines rose 2.6% to $51.14, United Continental rose 1.8% to $75.06 and American Airlines rose 1.6% to $47.34. SINKING: American International Group sank 9.1% to $60.79, the biggest loss in the S&P 500, after reporting a larger operating loss for the fourth quarter than analysts expected. PETRIFIED: Fossil Group plunged 17.6% to $18.85. The watch and accessories company gave a profit forecast for 2017 that fell well short of analysts’ predictions, and it said it may lose money. GLOBAL MARKETS: In Europe, the German DAX index rose 0.1%, while the French CAC 40 rose 0.6% and Britain’s FTSE 100 added 0.4%. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index rose 1%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 1.2% and the Kospi in South Korea gained 0.4%. CURRENCIES: The strong U.S. economic reports helped lift the value of the dollar against many of its rivals. The dollar ticked up to 114.64 Japanese yen from Tuesday’s 114.22 yen. The euro fell to $1.0557 from $1.0572, and the British pound slipped to $1.2411 from $1.2465. COMMODITIES: Benchmark U.S. crude rose 20 cents to $53.44 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, rose 21 cents to $56.16 a barrel in London. Natural gas rose 4 cents to $2.95 per 1,000 cubic feet. Gold slipped 30 cents to $1,225.10 an ounce, silver was flat at $17.89 an ounce and copper was flat at $2.74 a pound. Article by Associated Press. Portland-based ice cream purveyor Salt & Straw is set to open their West Hollywood scoop shop this Friday. This will be the fifth L.A. outpost for the artisanal ice creamery, which has been slowly taking over the city since they opened their first L.A. location on Larchmont in 2014. They also have locations in Venice, Studio City and the Arts District.
“We’ve been continually inspired by all the communities like West Hollywood that make this city so vibrant, and are looking forward to becoming a part of the neighborhood fabric,” Kim Malek, who founded Salt & Straw in Portland with her cousin, Tyler, in 2011, said in a statement. The 965-square-foot West Hollywood location was designed by Andee Hess of Osmose Design. Like the other L.A. locales, the new West Hollywood shop will offer staple Salt & Straw flavors like freckled woodblock chocolate, along with L.A.-specific flavors, like avocado and strawberry sherbet. As an introduction to their new neighborhood, Salt & Straw will be hosting pre-opening fundraisers this week for The Trevor Project with their ice cream truck and pop-up station. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the truck will be at 8921 Santa Monica Boulevard (just down the street from the new store) from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. offering $1 scoops. They will also be hosting a pop-up ice cream station at the West Hollywood Guisados on Thursday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Full and partial proceeds, respectively, will go toward crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ young people ages 13 to 24. Salt & Straw’s newest outpost will be located at 8949 Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood. Once they open on Friday, they’ll be scooping daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Article by LAist. |
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February 2020
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