CULVER CITY — TikTok today announced the company is moving into a brand new home… a 120,000-square foot office in Culver City. The move further deepens TikTok’s connection and commitment to the greater Los Angeles area as it continues to grow its U.S. team, including key leaders. 

The new TikTok office spans five floors, which were designed from the ground up to embody TikTok’s fun and joyful personality. Creativity is synonymous with TikTok, so having a space that inspires everyone who walks through the door was a driving force behind the move. The heart of the space is a bright pink staircase that runs through each floor and follows a bespoke mural designed by TikTok’s internal design team.

“Located between the innovative tech companies in Silicon Beach and the streaming content companies at Hayden tract, TikTok truly sits at the intersection of technology and entertainment, physically and figuratively,” said Vanessa Pappas, general manager, TikTok U.S. “While we are a global company, having a permanent office in LA speaks to our commitment to the U.S. market and deepens our bonds with the city, and the talent and companies, that call it home.” 

The new office features a fully open floor plan interspersed with conference rooms, private phone booths, a stadium-style presentation and gathering space, and terraces to support indoor-outdoor work. A TikTok content-creation studio will be completed by the summer of 2020, providing even more opportunities for immersive and entertaining videos from TikTok creators and partners. The office is also dog-friendly, allowing TikTok’s beloved canine creators to visit as well. 

The office was designed in collaboration with global architecture and design firm, Gensler. “The new TikTok LA office is the result of two creative companies out to build a space that was inclusive, collaborative, and fun,” said Chris Mitchell, Design Director, Gensler. “We hope the space gives TikTok’s employees a home to be proud of and a place to inspire more of the entertaining content the app is known for.”

As part of TikTok’s commitment to inspire and encourage a new generation to have a positive impact on the planet, the company selected a LEED Gold-certified building that exceeds California standards. The new office features design and building strategies aimed at energy and water conservation, reducing C02 emissions, and improving indoor environmental quality. 

TikTok continues to be committed to building and growing the app experience for its diverse and growing mix of users, creators, and brands. Last year, the company built out its U.S.-based leadership team with key hires across functions including product, safety, content, music, sales, and operations. TikTok now employs over 400 employees in offices across the U.S., including Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, and New York. TikTok will also continue to invest in supporting both local and national initiatives relevant to its community.

WEST HOLLYWOOD (LAist) — Leon Massoth has owned and operated XOTX Tropico nursery in West Hollywood for over 30 years. A beloved West Hollywood nursery that specializes in rare species has to shut down by the end of the month, but it appears to have found a new home.

Late last year, Leon Massoth was instructed to vacate XOTX Tropico (“exotics”) nursery—a business he started over 30 years ago. The owner of the property it sat on had sold the land.

Massoth was supposed to be out by the end of December, but gave up his security deposit to stay a little longer.

“We’re severely under the gun,” he told […]

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WEST HOLLYWOOD (Vice) — Something is going on over at Lisa Vanderpump’s famed LA restaurants.

In the last week, the star of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, matriarch of the unswervingly-glossy-skinned narcissists on Vanderpump Rules, and business mogul has dealt with a series of unfortunate events befalling her establishments.

The rule of threes suggests that when weird things strike thrice, let alone all in the same place, it probably means something shady is happening—at least if you buy into conspiracy theories. And in the case of anything Vanderpump-related, it’s much more fun if you do. Let’s dive in!

On January 5, a Ferrari crashed into PUMP, her West Hollywood restaurant/bar known for its kind of gross food and ridiculous cocktail names […]

Continue reading at www.vice.com