LAist.com published a new entry in their “Recession Obsession” low-cost eating series, this time focusing on options along the Metro’s Purple Line (the subway service between downtown and Koreatown that overlays portions of the Red Line):
Westlake / MacArthur Park
Los Angeles Downtown News has an interesting story on the new Gold Line extension into East Los Angeles and references the local impact potential by recalling how the Red Line opening in the early 1990s transformed the fortunes of nearby businesses – including Langer’s:
When the Metropolitan Transportation Authority opened the first segment of the Red Line subway in 1993, the agency expected it to support two rush hours. But the line that now connects Downtown with North Hollywood, and has a stop in MacArthur Park, generated three peak usage times: In addition to the morning and evening work commutes, a lunchtime rush resulted, said Art Leahy, Metro’s CEO.
“With the Red Line, everyone was getting on the train to go to lunch, to go to Langer’s,” Leahy said, referring to the famous deli at Seventh and Alvarado streets.
MosaikaDesign.com has an interesting visual collection of the many tiles created by artist Sonia Romero for the Westlake Metro station. Her work includes a great one of Norm and Al Langer, sitting in a booth at the restaurant.
Sonia Romero is an accomplished local artist who created an absolutely beautiful piece of art featuring Norm Langer and his late father Al in a classic Langer’s booth as part of the artwork featured at the Westlake Metro subway station.
She now has received a commission from the Los Angeles County Arts Commission to design and oversee the installation of a series of new murals surrounding four East Los Angeles Pool sites. We want to send Sonia a hearty congratulations for this great accomplishment! Truly, well deserved. Sonia will be designing the color and graphic schemes for all four sites, leading a group of youth from Los Angeles Conservation Corps in the fabrication of the murals. The murals are slated to be completed by December 1, 2008.
Congratulations, Sonia!