The 234 Apartment

EXPAND The new USC Village is dominated by dorms and apartments that will house 2,500 students — but it also has a Trader Joe's. Hillel Aron The University of Southern California has long been criticized for being an inward-looking institution, one that insulates itself from the surrounding neighborhoods of South Los Angeles . Its new expansion project, USC Village, is hailed for changing that. The 15-acre, $ 700 million housing and retail development brings a Trader Joe's to South L.A. for the first time, as well as a Target, with many other businesses (15 restaurants and nearly as many shops) to come — and with them, jobs. A recent New York Times piece lavished praise upon the development, which has its official groundbreaking on Saturday, saying the project "brings together one of California’s poorest areas and one of its wealthiest universities." Indeed, as part of the project, the university contributed $20 million to the city's affordable housing trust fu...

The Riveter: This one was my favorite. Steve Korn S eattle has the fourth-fastest- growing freelance economy in the country, which explains why there are almost as many coworking spaces opening up as luxury apartment buildings . Since I'll never be able to afford a luxury apartment , I thought maybe I can at least work at a place where the sink actually drains and the coffee is always fresh. So I checked out some coworking spaces and brought my laptop with me. I didn't tell them I was coming. I wanted to see what these places were like inside, without any PR hoopla. Clearly, we are living in the age of the remote worker. By 2020, 40 percent of the US workforce will be freelancers, temps, independent contractors, or "solopreneurs," according to a 2010 study by Intuit. According to the 2017 Global Coworking Survey , nearly 1. 2 million people worldwide will have tried coworking by the end of next year, and around 14, 000 coworking spaces will be in operation. Sixt...

We are looking back at what is now part of the “Entertainment District,” the 500 block of Third Street, so I will try to compare the then and now if I can as we take our walk on the east side which are the odd numbers. Starting at the corner which is now Wine on Third at 501 Third, which has taken over the next three individual store fronts at that address, we first find the McClure’s Drug Store owned by James McClure who lived in Lewiston with wife Janet. David Gleason, DDS occupied 503 Third and he and Lois lived at 808 Ashland Ave. In the same building was Joseph Puerner, MD who resided at 1235 Norwood Ave. with wife Annabelle. Next door at 505 Third we find Billings Mutual Insurance Agency and Remington Rand , Inc. William E. Billings, the manager, was well known for many years in the insurance business . Their advertising read: “Call Us Before You Need Us” which is very appropriate for this type of business. He and Thelma lived in LaSalle at 215 60th St. Remington Rand sold off...

Google Fiber (Photo: Custom) Last week, U.S. District Judge David J. Hale dismissed what became known in Louisville as the " Google Fiber case ," possibly setting a precedent for similar cases across the country. The case was brought by BellSouth Telecommunications LLC , which operates as AT&T Kentucky, because of Louisville Metro Government 's " One Touch Make Ready " ordinance. It passed in February 2016. The legislation gave third- party internet service providers (Google Fiber, specifically) unfettered access to utility poles in the city — including those owned by AT&T — so the companies could run fiber and other cable for their own networks. The city saw the legislation as an important step toward improving Louisville's internet landscape . AT&T sued Metro Government , contending that it was inappropriate and unfair for the city to make such an ordinance because AT&T (BellSouth) owned the poles and therefore controlled the right of w...

“And suddenly they were able to help us and to buy things that we cannot buy,” he said. “It was like a housekeeper buying your house. That is awkward.” The conditions in both countries created a perfect match: As Portugal reeled from a financial crisis a few years ago, Angolans were enjoying an oil boom that provided enormous opportunities for self-enrichment by the elite, particularly the president’s family and inner circle. Angola is often listed as one of the world’s most corrupt nations. And Portugal has been singled out for its laxness in reining in money laundering and bribery, particularly in its dealings with Angolans, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the research and policy organization of the world’s richest countries. “In Angola, they call Portugal the laundromat,” said Ana Gomes, a Portuguese lawmaker in the European Parliament and a member of Portugal’s governing Socialist Party . “It’s because it is.” But the two nations’ relationsh...

THREE OAKS, Mich. (WNDU) - UPDATE People who escaped an apartment fire in Three Oaks are going back to save any belongings they can carry. 14 families had to evacuate as Hidden Harbor Villas caught fire early Saturday morning . A Michigan State Police fire investigator says the fire started in a vacant apartment on the second floor near the utility closet but he says it's not suspicious and he doesn't believe it was arson. That's not much comfort to the families, only two of whom had renters insurance. Melissa Lawson, one of those affected, said, "We were running to just get out the door. She had some clothes in the diaper bag, but she was just in her diaper and we grabbed a blanket. Nobody had shoes, no one. " Peter Trigg, another person affected, said, "Honestly, I'm not worried about what I can save. I thought everything was a loss, and everything I can find is just a blessing. It's absolutely a blessing." Neighbors say t...

The population in Cherry Creek North is set to grow exponentially as development hits a crescendo. Can the area seamlessly transition from a retail destination to a mixed-use neighborhood? Cherry Creek has come a long way from its origins as a farming community established as the town of Harman in 1886. During the early 20th century , it was just a few houses, small farms and greenhouses on 320 acres. It was considered an economical place to live.  Fast forward to today, and the town's founder, Edwin Preston Harman , likely wouldn't recognize the area, which has evolved as Denver's premier shopping and dining district and one of the priciest neighborhoods in the region to call home. Cherry Creek is is undergoing yet another transformation with the development of new apartments, condos, office space, retail projects and a new hotel. The tony shopping district is experiencing the biggest construction boom it's seen in decades, fueled by developers wan...