Thank you to everyone who submitted a question this week. We knew you still cared. If you have an answer or inkling suspicion in regards to one of these fine questions please leave a comment or email us at la@curbed.com. Answers Thursday.
1) Cahuenga Pass: Work on the site on the east side of the Cahuenga Pass appears to be under the direction of the Department of Water & Power as there is a big "DWP" sign with an arrow adjacent to the project entry point. We will investigate further.
2) Hollywood/Little Armenia: Regarding the Armenian mural and former cultural center at Lexington and Vermont, commenter Semprini says: "There's just one little condo project on Lexington and no formal applications for anything at the cultural center site. Also, the owner of the latter is Armenian so calm down." Also, via Building Permits, it appears they are replacing the roof of the building.
3) Beverly Hills: Regarding that huge hole at Beverly and Dayton, via the comments: "Beverly Drive/Dayton is the future home of the William Morris Agency. Building is completely eco-friendly. Finally all the agents join together under one green roof with a parking lot full of gas guzzlers. move in date sometime in 2009." Renderings are here.
BEVERLY HILLS: The fine people behind Blu, that very pricey rental building, have launched a campaign aimed at grown-up Smurfs: They've jimmied the entrance with eyeless, blue mannequins. Press release after the jump, but here's an excerpt: "And the mannequins are yielding results. Commented Rhonda Slavik, Director of Marketing for blü: 'Within the first two days, the phones were already ringing with locals and realtors that suddenly saw the building for what it truly is—a sleek, sexy residence.'" Seriously? [Curbed InBox]
SANTA MONICA: If we're not mistaken, that looks like the construction (photo after jump) of the Annenberg Community Beach House, the $28 million renovation of the former Marion Davies estate in Santa Monica, a project that'll result in a public pool for all to enjoy. Last reports indicated an early 2009 opening. [Curbed Staff]
Thank you to everyone who submitted a question this week. We knew you still cared. If you have an answer or inkling suspicion in regards to one of these fine questions please leave a comment or email us at la@curbed.com. Answers Thursday.
1) Cahuenga Pass: "Hey! there are a few bulldozers and trucks now moving around on the eastern slope of the Cahuenga Pass where it plateaus a bit. Any idea what's being built?"
2) Hollywood/Little Armenia: "...does anyone know what's going on with the former Armenian cultural center on the corner of Vermont and Lexington? They kicked out the retail tenants, the scaffolding went up, the Armenian history mural came down. This, along with the planned condos on Lexington, is making me begin to suspect that the Los Feliz-fication of Little Armenia may be underway."
3) Beverly Hills: "There is a huge hole on the northwest corner of Beverly Drive and Dayton Way in Beverly Hills. What’s being built?"
4) Koreatown: "What's going on near Western and 2nd in Koreatown? A concrete parking lot on the west side of Western--often used for film crews--was demolished recently and now is being torn up from the floor up. Something fun comin'?" [pictured above]
5) Hollywood/Melrose: "Do you know what is being put in on the NW corner of La Cienega and Melrose? It has been boarded up for a couple months now."
Friday's downtown foreclosure post prompted an interesting comment from reader and real estate agent David Kean: "Downtown's condo prices are on par with the rest of the city. WeHo, West LA, BH, Hancock Park are all about the same price per square foot. Downtown’s prices were artificially pushed up by ill flippers and investors." All the same price per square foot, you say? If that's the case, here's a listing for an open house this weekend in each one of those neighborhoods. BONUS: Fantasy real estate poll. If things cost about the same, what neighborhood would you purchase a condo in? Stipulation: This condo has to be your only residence. But let's also say you have unlimited income to buy. Happy weekend.
The latest dish from Eater LA, Curbed's hedonistic eating and drinking blog...
CULVER CITY: After a little tease inside new Culver City's Rush Street on Washington, sister Eater gets a better look. We're told it's a Chicago-style bar and restaurant.
HOLLYWOOD BLVD: Say hello to Kress: Four stories and 38,000 square feet of nightclub, restaurant and lounge, holy smokes! After some delay, it's here: The restaurant and basement nightclub soft opened earlier this week and the third-floor lounge and roof open tonight.
BEVERLY HILLS: Biggest restaurant news of the summer: Next year, Thomas Keller will open an outpost of Bouchon in the Gardens Building next to the new Montage Beverly Hills on Canon Drive. The 11,000 square foot restaurant will cover two stories and be designed by Adam Tihany. Go check out the floor plans.
What market collapse? Cities like WeHo and Beverly Hills have seen their assessed value of property continue to climb upward. A press release from the city of West Hollywood declares the assessed valuation of all WeHo properties increased 9.8 percent this year. Other tony towns are seeing their property value rise—Beverly Hills (11.8 percent increase), Santa Monica (10.8 percent), Pasadena (10.2 percent), and Malibu (9.6 percent). No word yet on LA, but double digits seems like a stretch.
In the heady days of the real estate market, one of our favorite agents, Connie De Groot, had big hair. And why not? There were big commissions to be made. But as the market deflated, so has Connie's hair, and back in April, she debuted a sleeker, straighter style, leading us to call it: Connie's hair is a market indicator. She was recently on Fox news (her latest bright spot: Riverside County) and it's even straighter. Almost there, people.
Another day, anotherNeighborhoodCouncilin turmoil. The elections for the Mid City West NC (covering the Miracle Mile, Fairfax, Beverly Grove areas) have been challenged, a reader reports. Following helpful prodding from Curbed, a board member provides further details. Lots of talk of bylaws and notifications and associations. "This year, the board decided to put forward a motion to change the bylaws to eliminate the need for residential association approval. When it was voted on, it appears that the noticing requirements were not followed; therefore, Jim O'Sullivan from the Miracle Mile Residential Association has challenged the election." Read the full complaint here. [Curbed Inbox]
The latest dish from Eater LA, Curbed's hedonistic eating and drinking blog... [Pictured: Loteria Grill from Eater LA]
HOLLYWOOD: Helping to fill a niche between overpriced clubs masquerading as restaurants and cheap pizza places for the tourists, Loteria Grill opens its first outpost from the 3rd Street Farmer's Market on Hollywood Blvd. Cochinita pibil plus booze. We're in.
MALIBU: Just in time for the holiday weekend, The Beachcomber Cafedebuts today on the Malibu pier. Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and brunch just off the sand, with a shake shack set to open at the other end of the pier later this summer.
BEVERLYGROVE: Food Court LA is no more. Case dismissed. The 3rd Street eatery with the awful name has closed after six months. Money woes, bad economy, Joan's on Third -- all seem to share the blame. We blame the name.
We almost posted this one as a "New To Market" feature and thought we could give the hideousness a pass. After all, to quote our high school latin teacher, de gustibus non est disputandum (there's no accounting for taste). But then we came to the kitchen in this newly constructed 6-bedroom, 9-bath estate in Beverly Hills and realized there was absolutely no way one could remain silent on the topic of faux-stone, decoratively carved oven hoods. This house is the perfect storm of fug: bad trompe l'oeil, fake mouldings, too much marble (real or faux), wrought iron and elaborate (but new) fireplaces. We even hate the bar. And we never hate the bar.
Two high-rise residential towers that would be part of a remodeled Beverly Connection mall have bitten the dust after catching the ire of two community groups, reports the Los Angeles Times' Martha Grove. The Burton Way Foundation and the Beverly Wilshire Homes Association both sued BC owner Vornado Realty Trust, saying Vornado didn't conduct an environmental impact report on their plan to build a 177-unit assisted-living center and 62 luxury condos on top of BC. The groups' main argument was that traffic at La Cienega, between Beverly and 3rd, is already intolerable and cannot withstand the added car trips the project would bring. As part of a settlement, Vornado agreed to drop the towers but will continue to remodel BC which, as of late, has seen some modern touches applied to its '80s aesthetic. Vornado also agreed to make 100 parking spaces available on West 3rd Street, an area that's all but impossible to park in. Blame Joan's on Third for that.
· Beverly Connection owner drops plans for towers [LA Times]
· Sports Chalet not leading to Bev Connection success [Curbed LA]
Actor Jamie Fox is selling his three-bedroom Tarzana home. It's listed at $2.23 million. The actor already lives in a Thousand Oaks home on 40 acres. Listing site for the home--reportedly the place of many a raging Foxx party--is here. In 2006, neighbors famously called the police to complain about a naked basketball game being played on the basketball court. Photos of home in gallery. [Real Estalker]
Pete Sampras may have sold his $23 million Beverly Hills home to "Will and Grace" co-creator Max Mutchnick and attorney Erik Hyman. [Real Estalker]
The details of John Stamos's purchase in the Eastern Columbia have become available. The actor moved into the 10th floor and purchased a unit for $900,000. [Big Time Listings]
It's not easy to keep up with all the construction happenings and neighborhood changes going on, so here's a round-up of photos; all these pictures were taken within the last week or so, but didn't make it onto the Curbed site. Join the Curbed LA Flickr pool if you want to contribute.
1,2: Would one call this a hotel crowning? The Montage, a new hotel in Beverly Hills, reveals a colorful, golden top. 3. Construction continues: Brick action going up at 7950 Sunset. 4. It's not pretty to watch, but the destruction of the Frank Gehry-designed Santa Monica Place continues. 5. Element Lofts, yet another under-construction project near the Glencoe Lofts in Marina Del Rey. 6. Our total obsession with the Arts District continues. This is another Linear City project, a building on Industrial right next to Biscuit Company Lofts that is being rented out as work-only studio/office spaces. 7, etc. More shots from yesterday's freeway park project display. Blogdowntown has more detailed coverage, including this fact: $700 million to build.
The latest dish from Eater LA, Curbed's hedonistic eating and drinking blog... [The other Wolfgang's Steakhouse, not owned by Puck]
BEVERLY HILLS: Hamilton vs. Burr. Stalin vs. Trotsky. Ali vs. Frazier. And Wolfgang vs. Wolfgang. What looked like a potential contender for a great feud has been settled in court - and Wolfgang wins! Zwiener, that is. He gets to keep the restaurant name and current signage on Canon Drive and the other Wolfgang can suck it.
DOWNTOWN: Walter Manzke, formerly of Bastide, has landed downtown. Rumor has it Manzke will be the chef de cuisine for a new restaurant from Celestino Drago, with front of the house run by Cut and Valentino alums Matteo Ferdinandi and Giuseppe Mollica, respectively.
MALIBU/SANTA MONICA: Do all beachside restaurants suck? The consensus is...sorta. But Eater's poll shows Santa Monica's The Lobster taking a wide lead against all comers.
HOLLYWOOD: Unless we are mistaken, there are even more cranes now rising at the Hollywood W site. And here's a close-up of the red sign on one of the cranes. [Curbed Staff]
SILVER LAKE: More sign drama, and a weeding party this week in Silver Lake. "We'll be weeding the up and over at Armstrong and Silver Lake Blvd. on Wednesday evening June 25th from 6:00 to 8:00 PM." We hear there are promises of wine, but there's also this:"Two of our 3 path signs have disappeared, so it seems someone doesn't want us out there. Please let everyone know that we will be out there to take care of our path." [Curbed InBox]
BEVERLY HILLS: And even more aqua blue, this time in Beverly Hills. Latest shot of renovations of the Beverly Robertson Design Center on Beverly. Shot after jump. [Curbed Staff]
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