Westlake: From gritty roots to the new chic
Artistic visions
Nightlife isn't all that's buzzing in the neighborhood. A new artistic culture is gaining prominence in the form of the Hayworth Theatre and a little-gallery-that-could, RampART.
For the last year and a half the Hayworth, housed in a 1926 Stiles O. Clements building, has hosted live productions on three stages. Their current main-stage show, a comedy cobbled together from various Shakespeare scripts, is called "Stories of the Night Told Over." On Saturday, Circus Theatricals will throw its third annual Salsa Party & Cabaret hosted by actor Alfred Molina.
John M. Sofio, the owner of RampART, says that the Hayworth draws an across-town crowd that will also swing by his gallery. Sofio relocated his design company Built Inc. to Westlake because he believes the area is "an icon of L.A.'s past and present being built for the future. It is also the gateway to the downtown scene."
RampART is currently presenting a yearlong photography show featuring a different photographer's take on Los Angeles each month. The Cinco de Mayo opening was a hit, Sofio says, with revelers "drinking, smoking and partying in the streets." (In MacArthur Park, it seems, some things never change.)
RampART's current exhibition features the work of Cement building loft-dweller Robert Todd Williamson. That Wilshire structure, a concrete honeycomb buzzing with a hive of youthful arty types, is also home to Kelly Architects — the firm of choice for downtown nightlife baron Cedd Moses (Broadway Bar, Seven Grand). Similarly conspicuous in the tenant directory: Jet Pack Design, Dance Loft, Blackspot and Monkey Boy.
Still, the new Westlake artistic culture isn't limited to literal castles in the sky. Beginning in August, MacArthur Park's formerly neglected band shell will reopen with a significant face-lift and a five-night-per-week summer concert series.
As of now, Westlake's public life is a genuine mix of its residents' cultures. Time and real estate prices will determine if it stays that way.