Enthusiastically Los Angeles

How did Downtown Los Angeles go from a glorified office park to being the "coolest Downtown in America" (at least according to GQ Magazine)? Who made it happen? What makes them tick? What are their stories? Your favorite Amateur Enthusiast interviews the dreamers, makers, movers, and shakers who made it happen - and continue to move it forward. From the famous to the infamous, the well known to the unknown, we all have one thing in common: a passion for Los Angeles. And we have our share of laughs along the way, too.

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Enthusiastically Los Angeles

Sue Laris

April 06, 2020 • Glenn Gritzner/Sue Laris • Season 1 • Episode 4

Anybody who spends any time in Downtown Los Angeles has undoubtedly picked up a copy of the Downtown News. Continuously in print for nearly 50 years, the Downtown News feels almost like a small town weekly newspaper ... and that's entirely intentional.

The Downtown News' creator and original publisher is Sue Laris. How does a newly married woman with young children decide to start a newspaper from scratch serving Downtown LA ... in 1972?! Answer: don't rent office space, build your own kiosks, place them near where people already pick up the LA Times, and then just ... hustle.

You may think of the Downtown News as something you pick up and browse during lunch time ... but you'll be surprised to hear about Sue's background, the paper's beginnings, its surprising growth, and about how it scooped the mighty LA Times. Many times.

You may not know this trailblazer's story ... but I promise you'll find it fascinating.