One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
New Player In Town - The Edison
When exactly The Edison started their soft opening, we don't know - what we do know is that we've haven't seen a bar like this in Los Angeles, well, ever. In major East Coast cities this is a trend we've seen before - taking over an old space be it a bank vault or power plant and making it a lounge, but this is the first we've seen in Los Angeles and it's guaranteed to be the talk of the town. When we made it down to the new hotspot Saturday night at 11:30, there was a massive line outside. We sweet-talked our way inside, capacity at this venue is 400 people afterall, so plenty of room for everyone but once inside we heard the line was moving fast and, gasp, the door guys weren't half bad.
The first original power plant is Los Angeles, The Edison is inside the Higgins building. It has been a three-year and $2 million dollar renovation led by Andrew Meieran and the result is Metropolis where everything is dark and twisty. A lot of the original pieces of the power plant remain and around every turn (and there are quite a few) there are amazing homages to the power plant that once habitated this space.
The official opening is Friday night! It's sure to be a madhouse, but if you're so inclined it's RSVP only. Read up on the hype while you're at it.
The Edison
Second St and Main St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 613-0044
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
