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Hi neighbors,
Ask anyone in Koreatown what the key issues facing the neighborhood are, and they’ll likely point to affordable housing and parking.
So, it’s no surprise that those issues would overlap when a landlord decides to convert a carport into a set of five accessory dwelling units, or ADUs.
Residents at the Kingsley Apartments find themselves in a unique situation and have waged a protest in their parking spots over the last several months. Then the whole episode blew up when their landlord towed their cars last week.
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‘This isn’t about parking’: Koreatown renters protest construction to convert carport into ADUs
By Hanna Kang
The Kingsley tenants say their lease agreements guarantee them parking spaces, and for months, they’ve staged a sit-in protest to block construction crews.
Resident Lauren Seeley said she and her neighbors consider the construction to be a form of violence against tenants and an attempt to displace them from their homes.
A majority of residents in Koreatown are renters, and street parking is limited. But the fight goes beyond that.
“This isn’t about parking,” Seeley said. “This is about what is happening in our city to people that have affordable housing. Those people are being targeted and being pushed out of their homes.”
Property owner Mark Nassab said the Los Angeles Police Department advised him to tow his tenants’ cars after he gave them notice about the construction project. A spokesperson for the LAPD could not be reached to verify his claim.
Nassab said the construction was approved by the city, and he added tenants will be credited $200 on their monthly rent for the loss of parking.
“They’re upset, but they’ve had ample opportunity to comply,” Nassab said. “These people are saying, ‘Put a roof over my car,’ while LA is saying, ‘Put a roof over people’s heads.’”
The Los Angeles Housing Department said it approved the project’s “tenant habitability plan” in June and upheld its approval on an appeal filed by the tenants.
While the tenants have asked the state Supreme Court to review their case, with a hearing set for Jan. 30, Nassab said that isn’t enough for him to stop construction. He claims under a state law that went into effect last year, he has the authority to alter a tenant’s lease and remove a parking spot if the space is converted into an ADU.
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🍇 Free groceries will be distributed on Wednesday at Options for Youth charter school in Koreatown. Groceries will be available while supplies last, and the pop-up starts at 10 a.m. at 2322 W. 3rd St.. Call 213-482-8618 for more information.
🎶 Jazz in an intimate space can set the mood for a good night out. The Jeff Walton Quartet will continue their residency at Koreatown’s The Earl Gallery on Wednesday. The jazz band will also celebrate Walton’s birthday, and they’ll be joined by trumpeter Julien Knowles. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., and showtime is 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 to $30.
🎄 Sometimes the holiday classics need a refresh. “How the Grinch Stole the Posada” is just the right amount of Christmas cheer with a new take on the neighborhood posada. Monseñor Oscar Romero Charter Middle School invites the public to their holiday event on Thursday, which will include karaoke, raffle prizes and crafts for children. The event goes from 3:45- 5:30 p.m. More information can be found here.
🍲 A warm bowl of samgyetang is a reward in and of itself. But what if you could enter a raffle every time you got a meal at Jook Hyang in Pico Union? Now through Dec. 24, the Korean comfort food restaurant will allow customers to write their name on a ticket and hang it on a Christmas tree for a chance to win a free menu item.
❄️ What does a “Muppet Christmas Carol” look like without the Muppets? Well, you are in luck, because the “Muppet Scriptmas Carol” is a live reading of the Christmas classic with a cast of actors who will embody the titular characters. They include Paul Williams, David Dastmalchian, Erika Ishii, Marc Evan Jackson, Paul F. Tompkins, Kelly Marie Tran, Kimia Behpoornia and so many more. There will be two performances Saturday at Dynasty Typewriter in Westlake. The performance will be raising funds for One Simple Wish, which raises funds for kids and young adults impacted by foster care and crisis. Advance tickets are $25, and day-of tickets are $30 with performances at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
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Hanna Kang / The LA Local |
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Little Bangladesh celebrates its 15th anniversary, Victory Day
By Hanna Kang
Near the Alexandria Lodge Motel, where a Korean hair salon and a Bangladeshi grocery store sit next to a Latino barbershop, waves of red and green overtook the street Sunday as LA’s Bangladeshi community celebrated the neighborhood’s 15th anniversary.
Friends and strangers met on the 3rd Street corridor to celebrate Little Bangladesh’s birthday and to mark the 55th anniversary of their home country’s independence.
The caravan of cars adorned with U.S. and Bangladeshi flags rolled down the street as energetic Bangladeshi music floated over the roar of a group of motorcycles. The friend group has led the event's signature car parade for the past several years.
Women in red and green saris and men in long tunics posed for photos with bikers and their neighbors.
“This (celebration) has happened since Little Bangladesh in LA was established,” said M. Abdul Basit, chairman of Banglar Bijoy Bohor, the group organizing the event.
Little Bangladesh received its official designation in 2010, recognizing a community that began growing in the area in the late 1980s and 1990s.
The parade kicked off the event and moved into a community lunch, where volunteers handed out hundreds of free meals.
“We try to bring all other communities together as well,” parade organizer Mikayeel Khan said. “We also invite city officials and guests from different communities, like the Korean community, Spanish community, Indian community, Pakistani community.”
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It’s hard to believe, but 2026 is right around the corner. What will be coming up in your neighborhood over the next year? Reply to this email and let us know what we should keep an eye out for.
Ándale pues,
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Nathan Solis
Editor
The LA Local |
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P.S. Did you know you can now tell Google which news outlets you want to see first in your search results? Adding The LA Local (and other local nonprofit outlets) helps make sure our community’s stories stay visible. Here’s a link to add us.
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