Downtown's Trinity Towers project (though there's only one tower by our count) is heading for a Planning Department hearing on May 21. Hey, by the time these get built the housing market should be just fine, right? What we know: The 18-story, 64-unit condominium building on the southeast corner of 8th and Garland has 144 parking spaces and is being designed by GDS Architects. The developer bills itself as "AEG Downtown," though that stands for American Eastern Group and not Anschutz Entertainment Group (the developers of nearby LA Live). Unsubstantiated rumor has it that AEG chairman Philip Anschutz's son is developing the Trinity Towers. Any clarification from the audience?
· Residences at LA Live: Moving Like Hotcakes, Says Developer [Curbed]
PriceSpotter misses new frenemy Americana at Brand. So it's back to Glendale. We’re giving you pictures, location, and specifications of a property. You’re putting them together and giving us the asking price. Submit your guesses in the comments, and Monday we’ll reveal the asking price. BONUS: Guess the price of the furry toilet cover.
What/Where: Two bedroom, two bath, "Spanish style house nestled in the Glendale Hills." Size: 1,789 square foot home on 5,910 square foot lot. Additional details: 1930, One-level in Glendale-Chevy Chase/East Glen Oaks Guesses for home and toilet cover in the comments.
The latest Los Angeles CityBeat features an interview with new Congresswoman Laura Richardson, a young politician who reps South LA, Long Beach, Carson, Compton, and Signal Hill (in September, Richardson took over the vacancy left by the death of Representative Juanita Millender-McDonald). The ambitious Democrat is hard at work trying to fix your commute, saying "the possibilities for federal funding for the subway to the sea are strong... there is also a discussion of connecting the Westside to the Los Angeles Airport... I would also like to see improvements to the 710." Way to hit the ground running. [CityBeat]
As just noted, a two bedroom, two bathroom unit in the now-condo-converted "Strathmore Apartments," designed by architect Richard Neutra in 1937, hit the market. The building is located at 11005 Strathmore and the unit, which is 1,224 square feet, is listed at $795,000, and these are the fresh interior shots. Yes, do go look around.
· New To Market: Neutra-Designed Strathmore Apartments [Curbed LA]
· Neutra's Strathmore Apartments [VOA]
Curbed National is our weekly look at architecture and design happenings in other Curbed cities as reported by our sister blogs, Curbed NYC and Curbed SF.
Fresh to the MLS - this two-bedroom, two-bath 1910 Victoria/Craftsman hybrid in Silver Lake is pretty charming. Especially the saltwater pool and hot tub in the backyard. If you buy it, you'll invite us for barbeques, right? If only they posted photos of the remodeled kitchen. From the listing: "Remodeled kitchen and baths, and updated systems. An upstairs office overlooks backyard, plus there is a adjacent bonus attic space with dormer." Asking price: $799,000.
· 1169 N Commonwealth Ave Los Angeles, CA 90029 [Redfin]
Proving even the smallest city projects are deserving of a party, a ground-breaking ceremony was held this morning for the Vermont Triangle park, the small patch of cement aka median island at Vermont and Hollywood undergoing a transformation. When finished by October, the $800,000 project will see improvements like landscaping, benches, and trash bins. Both Council President Eric Garcetti and Councilmember Tom LaBonge were on hand to talk up the project in front of a crowd of about 15-20 people. In his remarks, Garcetti called the project an instance of "urban acupuncture," i.e., small efforts made in the city. Yes, more urban acupuncture, please.
The boneheadedness of Los Angeles has finally hit home. A preferential parking district is being proposed for our neighborhood in Bronson Canyon which would restrict parking on Canyon Drive to the homeowners of the area, wiping out parking for renters like us. And why is this happening? The blame rests squarely upon the smooth, supple shoulders of Brangelina (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, for the non-US Weekly readers). Actually, the blame rests on greedy homeowners who think they own the street and are using Brangelina as an excuse. Via FranklinVillage.org:
"After speaking with D.O.T. representative Brian Gallagher and field deputy Jullian Harris-Calvin from Councilman LaBonge's office, the residents of Canyon Drive are requesting this due to a heavy media presence (paparazzi) because of a high profile couple who own property in the area [ED:Brangelina are rumoured to own a house in the hood]. This couple is unaware of how their name is being used to further this parking plan. They are out of the country for an extended period of time at the moment and have been in another state for the last few months filming a movie."
A rep from another Council Office informed us that the Upright Citizens Brigade is also opposed to the PPD, as it will eliminate parking for area businesses along Franklin Avenue. Two meetings are being held next week where residents will have the chance to speak out against the PPD. We'll be there!
· Parking Problems [Franklin Village]
· Large Image: Read the flyer [Curbed LA]
After Katan Khaimov was stabbed in Poinsettia Park two months ago, the 70-year-old West Hollywood man cried for help for over an hour. Neighbors heard but ignored him, chalking up the moaning to the recent influx of prostitutes, drug addicts, and mentally ill that have descended on the area, reports the Los Angeles Times. Via the paper: "Some homeless and mentally ill people have begun drifting here from downtown L.A., which is undergoing rapid change with new, pricey lofts and new enforcement of loitering laws. Drug addicts have followed, some drawn by a nonprofit food kitchen and needle exchange program off Santa Monica Boulevard, on the other side of Poinsettia Park from Khaimov's apartment." One positive thing to come from Khaimov's unsolved murder is a resurgence of neighborhood civic pride: more than 300 people turned out for a recent public meeting to talk about crime, there's a new neighborhood watch program, and activists have started enlisting block captains to help keep tabs on criminal activity.
· Stabbing death shakes up neighborhood [LA Times]
Anyone with even a nominal understanding of global flows knows that cultural borrowing and translation is intrinsic to the process of globalization. So appropriation of architectural styles isn't exactly new. Nor is it surprising that China (natch) has its own gated community outside of Beijing called...Orange County, complete with California-style ranch houses and Hummers in the driveway. According to GOOD magazine: "The project, whose 143-unit first phase opened in 2001 at a ceremony including American diplomats and McDonald’s cheeseburgers, was designed by a trio of design firms from California’s Orange County, headed by Bassenian Lagoni Architects, a leading designer of McMansions that has been dubbed one of the most influential architects you’ve never heard of by The Wall Street Journal." Until they also import suburban malaise, meth labs, and mild temps, Orange County still has a ways to go. However, there's always Vancouver Forest just down the road. [Photo via Good magazine]
·Welcome to the O.C. [GOOD]
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The 
After Katan Khaimov was stabbed in Poinsettia Park two months ago, the 70-year-old West Hollywood man cried for help for over an hour. Neighbors heard but ignored him, chalking up the moaning to the recent influx of prostitutes, drug addicts, and mentally ill that have descended on the area, 
