Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
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.
Magnolia Bakery's Arrival Spotlights City's Parking Shortage
Photo by Peggy Archer via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
At long last, New York City's Magnolia Bakery (of SNL "Lazy Sunday" and Sex and the City fame) is poised to open up shop here in Los Angeles. But the arrival of the new sweet destination has brought to light just how many parking spaces our city doesn't have, according to the LA Times."The problem is phantom, or fictitious, parking," explains the Times, meaning that when new businesses need to prove that they have a certain amount of parking immediately available, they often claim parking spots neighboring businesses have called their own. And when there isn't enough metered street parking, people park illegally in the alleys, or take up the coveted residential street spaces that apartment-dwellers want for themselves, since their units were built without consideration to parking saturation.
Even if you find a metered spot, chances are it's been vandalized, which, Mott Smith, a planning consultant with Civic Enterprise Associates, believes is to aid the valets who operate in the area: "The suspicion [...] is that valets disable the meters so that they can use the spaces."
So when Magnolia owner Steve Abrams expected a warm welcome for his bakery, he wound up not only stepping into the tense city politics of parking, but having to invest money in a valet service just so his customers can enjoy a cupcake like Carrie Bradshaw or a rapping Andy Samberg.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
