Last week began with three days of nonstop rain that challenged the concrete walls of the Los Angeles River. As the rains started, we also started to see graffiti pieces on the tall, abandoned Oceanwide towers across from Staples Center (I refuse to use its current official name).
As the unveiling of the Kobe Bryant statue at Staples Center neared, I began wondering how I was going to find the time to write separate posts about each of these events. But when the earthquake hit, I realized this week was so L.A. that I had to write about it as a whole rather than in pieces.
So grab a drink and get comfy as we break down the week of February 5, 2024 — the most L.A. week of recent memory.
Is That Rain?
Los Angeles is constantly referred to as the place where it never rains. Angelenos know that’s not the truth. We have a rainy season with most of it coming in January and February. Some years bring more water than others and because of the fluctuation, those wet years wreak havoc.
River Activated
The first European settlers in Los Angeles didn’t know what the Tongva and other natives did and many of them set up homes along the Los Angeles River believing the dry bed to be a remnant of a river that no longer flowed. Each rainy season, the newcomers’ homes were washed away as the river roared through. It was a lesson learned until a new batch of settlers would make the same mistake each year.
The city’s solution was to encase the river in concrete. Today, you can cross over the channel and not even see a small stream of water in the driest months. Last week, however, the river was awakened again.
In many places, the violent current was dangerously close to the top of the concrete channel as it carried debris on its way to the Pacific Ocean. L.A. transplants wondered how this was possible but in a city built on controlling water, the channel held and the river cut through the city as intended.
Flooded Intersections
The flooding was not destructive. At least I didn’t hear of hillsides crumbling or homes dropping into the ocean. This time the flooding was at intersections across the city. Cars that were low to the ground ran risks of getting stuck and in this city, that’s a lot of cars.
Leaky Roofs
Where this storm did show its effects was on rooftops. If you visited any business, big or small, chances are there was a bucket somewhere along with missing or damaged ceiling tiles. The same was true in apartments and homes. My place had a leak for the first time in 20 years and my aunt’s roof in neighboring Orange County gave out in their kitchen and one of the bedrooms.
So while last week’s three-day storm didn’t do any major damage, it did make for an eventful start to the week. Traffic slowed to a crawl in several places and several schools shut down unexpectedly.
Graffiti Towers
Officially, it’s called Oceanwide Plaza. It’s an abandoned high-cost, high-rise, and high-rent complex that was abandoned in 2019 after the China-based developer ran out of money and was embroiled in corruption scandals with similar projects in San Francisco and New York.
The parking structure and three towers directly across the Staples Center on Figueroa have sat unfinished since then. As the rain approached, the towers started changing. Each morning, more floors were covered in graffiti. And each morning, the structures gained color and a unique L.A. personality they were sorely lacking.
Los Angeles Corruption
Oceanwide Plaza broke ground thanks to the development company putting money in the pockets of various city officials. The most notable being Boyle Heights’ own Jose Huizar, who was sentenced to 13 years in prison for corruption charges at the end of January.
It seems Huizar and other city officials accepted bribes for years to change the landscape of the city into what it’s become. The bribes came in the form of cash, concert tickets, all-expenses-paid trips to Vegas, and more.
Developers paid their way to deals and permits to turn what was already an expensive city into one overloaded with luxury apartment buildings that seldom reach 100% capacity while countless others sleep in tents struggling to survive.
Graffiti Is L.A. — Deal With It
As more windows and walls of the towers got hit each night, affluent downtown residents, city officials, and the LAPD started shouting about vandalism — referring to graffiti towers as eyesores. To this I have to ask, exactly what were they before the street artists turned them into the largest canvas in the city?
Residents called for stronger security and graffiti cleanup. The LAPD mobilized swaths of teams to patrol and apprehend artists entering or exiting the premises. This included the use of police helicopters shining lights into the higher floors of the towers.
Here’s the thing: graffiti is part of Los Angeles. Los Angeles graffiti is a major reason why people around the world took to honor Kobe Bryant through murals after his death in 2020.
Look to almost any neighborhood throughout Los Angeles and you’re bound to see art on walls. One area I recall vividly that is now gone is the old Belmont Red Car tunnel where the Beverly boulevard overpass goes over the Glendale / Lucas / 2nd street intersection.
After the Red Car shut down, the tunnel originally leading all the way to the Hill Street underground station was shuttered but the area remained accessible and as the years passed, it became an ever-changing canvas for street art.
This was until the area was purchased and turned into the Belmont Station Apartments. All that remains of this historic Los Angeles art spot is a small memorial to the tunnel accessible only to residents of the complex.
The Real Problem
The graffiti now visible on every corner of the three towers across from Staples Center is the most Los Angeles thing that could’ve happened to Oceanwide Plaza. The real eyesore is that they sit abandoned, a daily reminder of the corruption that created them.
If the city really wants to fix the problem, they should take ownership of Oceanwide Plaza to complete it and turn it into affordable housing. The city has done this several times before in the name of urban progress. The only difference is this would benefit, rather than hurt, marginalized communities.
Kobe Gets First Statue
The first of THREE Kobe Bryant statues to be erected at Staples Center was unveiled Thursday evening prior to the Lakers tipping off against the Denver Nuggets. That game may have ended in a loss but it was a time of celebration and respect for all Laker fans.
Friday morning, I walked along Figueroa to Staples Center similar to the trek I made on the day Kobe Bryant passed.
This is when the events of the week blended into one. Proof of the storm earlier in the week was still everywhere: fallen palms, muddy and blocked storm drains, and tarp-covered rooftops. As I reached Washington boulevard on Fig, I caught my first glance of Oceanwide Plaza.
At the Pico and Figueroa intersection, the smell of grilling bacon-wrapped hot dogs, peppers, and onions reached my nose. On the opposite corners, people coming out of the train on Flower street were walking in clusters of purple and gold heading to Star Plaza for their first look at the Kobe statue among other Laker greats like Magic, Shaq, and Kareem.
The pose Kobe himself chose prior to his death comes from Kobe’s historic 81-point game against the Toronto Raptors. As that game concluded, Kobe walked off the court with his hand raised pointing to the sky or perhaps claiming a number 1 spot. I prefer to think it’s the latter.
This is the moment now immortalized at Star Plaza with five NBA championship trophies at his feet and the following quote engraved on the triangle-shaped pedestal:
And a Quake to Top It Off
After spending the morning walking around Los Angeles taking pictures of statues, fans, murals, graffiti, and trains, I had to pick up my youngest daughter at school. When we walked in the house, my oldest daughter was already home and checking something on her phone. As we walked in she uttered, “Oh, I guess that was an earthquake.”
At 1:45 pm on Friday, a 4.7 earthquake started in Malibu and sent its waves throughout Los Angeles. In typical Angeleno fashion, many of us didn’t realize it until we were asked about it. And those who did feel it, took it in stride.
I missed it altogether. My daughter said she thought it was our furnace kicking in and when I spoke to my wife later in the day, she said she noticed plants rolling and windows shaking a little. But my favorite reaction to the quake came from the Los Angeles Public Library’s TikTok page:
Yes, Los Angeles had a busy week that began with rain and ended with a quake. Throw in the convoluted story of the Oceanwide Plaza and the bittersweet unveiling of the Kobe Bryant statue, and you can’t deny it was the most Los Angeles week of recent history.
Los Angeles Noise 