South Park Los Angeles

-posted by martin cavanaugh porter

There is so much positive activity beginning to emerge in South Park L.A: It seems like a transfusion of fresh blood has pumped into it’s steely veins.

On Hope Street, Hygge Bakery is close to opening it’s doors: a speciality, gourmand, value-priced, authentically Danish Bakery serving light, airy, flaky pastry,  and strong coffee (there is so much to tell about Henrik (master-baker) and Rasmus, it’s founder-their stories and the story of opening the bakery-all the travails and petty road-blocks put in front of them before they could open to provide South Park L.A’s residents-Luma’s residents, Evo’s residents, FIDM’s students, The ATT Business Center’s tenants, and the entire adjoining area). The South Park Development Group is so pleased to count Rasmus as a friend a bona-fide cowboy (thanks for the title Mr. Shaer) who has literally burnt his bridged to build his dreams.

On the corner of Hope and 11 Street, movement is being made by The South Park Development Group to turn a shimmering dream into a reality: A bricks and mortar establishment called: South Park Sustainability Shop providing Los Angeles with affordable zero-emission vehicles, fleet vehicles, from base scooters to full scale delivery vans-that run off electricity, and do not emit any pollutants.

On that same corner, for the first time since 1961, there is the glittering hope of opening a full scale workshop developed by the South Park  Group called: The South Park Work Shop, with mentors and acolytes, artisans and craftsmen, creating one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture, stamped SPWS (South Park Work Shop), built in cabinetry for your lofts, and providing upholstery services. What does this represent-a living  fact amidst the glitter of our residencies that the age of fine, hand crafted workshops is not dead-that, by force of will, personality, compassion, and powerful advocacy forces, as well as the out of the box thinking of major stake holders like Rasmus Lee, Eve Yun, Martin Cavanaugh Porter, Jeffrey Chung, Brett Tomich, Francis Paul Langlois, Alan Gastelum, LEED Specialist,  Stef Sung, Biljana Lovrinovic, Jorge Corallejo and Bob Holguin from the Chamber, Jean Chang from East-West Bank, and so many other important individuals, institutions, and forces big projects are capable of going from conception to reality.

In southern South Park, Richard Snook, thirty year veteran of the bicycle industry: a true pioneer, and producer: one of those rare few who could survive the end-of-times with a degree of aplomb, has founded Wabi Cycles (www.wabicycles.com). Wabi Cycles produces fixed gear, city-safe cycles with brakes-perfect for getting around down town. There are two line: the Wabi Classic ($650.00-worth a grand) and the Wabi Lightning ($800.00-worth $1200.00, at least). The South Park Development Group is so pleased and honored to have him as a client: he is a treasure-a living personification of excellence-he is, a producer.

Then there is EYD Organic Contemporary Furniture (and a wonderful, scented, beautifully wrapped candle line)-which is undergoing full human-safe certification-organic, value-priced, designed by Eve Yun,  an internationally renowned designer, who has relocated to South Park Los Angeles, which the South Park Development Group is developing and bringing to market by September.

Then there is  South Park Revive: A full scale, Health and Wellness Center dedicated to the residents of South Park-to exponentially making our lives better. Dr Ravinder Singh, a neurologist, is undertaking this project, and The South Park Development Group is working closely with Luma’s director to make this a shining fact on-the-ground, and another added value service to the residents of South Park L.A.

Finally: The South Park Organic Cooperative. This Wednesday, The South Park Development Group’s founder Martin Cavanaugh Porter toured Kirby Watson with Just Ripened Farms through South Park L.A and he has agreed to use his USDA organic certification and over fifty years knowledge of organic farming (his hands cracked, his skin bitten and broken by the wind and the sun-a giant straight out of a John Steinbeck novel) to assist the The South Park Development Group open either a farmer’s market for our residents or a small, gift-box store teeming over with organic produce, wonderful flowers, providing our residents with a just-walk-to shop to get vegetables, fruit, produce-all organic to enrich their families’ lives.

What are we seeing here? Value change. A gradual approach which leads inevitably to one thing: positive transformation.

Is this a chimera? No-it’s happening-daily monies pour into the projects and a small team works 16-18 hours a day, happy-warriors, 100% united to make real what other claimed-and we quote-”impossible.”

We  must not allow guards of the rusted, creaking, crackling gates, to prevent new, vitalized, ground-up, added-value services and industries from prevailing in South Park L.A. Interestingly, happily, powerful forces are aligning themselves with The South Park Development Group and it’s allies to turn the tide-to engage in renewal, and to bring elan, hope, and joy to our neighborhood.

“To our friends-thank you. To our foes: We will be implacable in resisting you, and to all the residents of  South Park Los Angeles-for all of you who have directly (thousands of emails and phone calls-and now, even letters of support) encouraged us in our endeavors, we  will not let you down. It’s beyond business-it’s also a mission,  within the framework of profit, added-services, and social justice.”-Martin Cavanaugh Porter, c.e.o South Park Development Group/Forbes Legacy Ventures LLC.