West Los Angeles loses another dingbat to make way for a 26-unit condominium development, but must the tree die too? The adjacent olive tree at 1331 S Amherst Ave is offered for free on Craigslist: "FREEEEEE olive tree slated for demolition along with its home. The home is half gone. the tree is available immediately. speak to demol. manager on site for clearance OK. 1331 S.amherst 90025. Its 25 ft high and BEAUTIFUL." We can think of a few folks in Hollywoodland who might be in need of some extra trees.
·West L.A. dingbat coming down - anyone want the tree? [Lottaliving]
We're unimpressed. Beverly Glen, not Beverly Grove, sorry. Golden Mile, Wilshire Corridor. Also, sorry. We gave you a property that's for sale, and you tried to give us what you thought the ASKING price is. Now the answer to last Friday's Mediocre Condo on Golden Mile...
Sale Price: $799,000 Listing: Slip covered chairs summed this one up pretty well. Somebody needs to get this thing staged right quick. Located on the 10th floor of the Wilshire Thayer condo building, the unit does feature some views but as several of you noted, is in need of an update.
This week's award goes to guesser Gray #2 who guessed the listing price. This week everyone did pretty well. No wild swings, except for the 200k guess. Guesses averaged $5,195.00 above the actual price.
· 10550 Wilshire Blvd. Unit #1003 [Official Site]
PriceSpotter is going west where the prices never drop. Today, 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 listing.
What/Where: 2 BR, 2 BA condo on Wilshire (west of Beverly Grove) Size: 1,770+ sq. ft Additional details: Nice upper floor condo with views of Century City and the mountains. Hardwood floors throughout the condo, gas fireplace, two walk in closets in the master bedroom.
Each week ListingsWire mentions notable movements on the MLS: New listings, price chops, flips, and more. Spy movement? Email us.
BOYLE HEIGHTS: Take a chance, as ABBA says. Why not. Turn this Boyle Heights fixer into something fabulous. "Great Opportunity, Lot size 7797 sq. ft., Price to sell. Neighborhood up and coming." It's a two-bedroom on Murchison listed at $290,000. [Redfin]
DOWNTOWN: Sure, prices in downtown are dropping, but this one is quick: A unit in Elleven (1111 Grand Ave, #1118) hit the market on July 12 listed at $499,000. Just today it dropped to $475,000. All told, there are 18 other units listed in the building. [Redfin]
WESTWOOD: Hello, lovely. This Craftsman has had some work done--but who hasn't--so it's not easy to know what exactly the end result was, but it seems very good-looking. It's located in the Little Holmby area of Westwood: "Extensively restored and updated Craftsman inspired home in a premiere Little Holmby location.Exquisite detail work throughout including hardwood floors, wood paneling and exposed beam ceilings." A four-bedroom on Comstock Avenue, it's listed at $4.195 million. [Redfin]
· Listings Wire Archives [Curbed LA]
This three-bedroom, three-bath condo in Westwood confuses us. It might be the use of the fisheye lens that is inducing vertigo. It might be the extreme close up of the finishes. It might be the suspiciously large square footage listed (12,664 sq ft) and incredibly low price per square foot ($55/sq ft in a neighborhood where the average is $667/sq ft) - in a building with 8 units. Wethinks someone is lying, and using fisheye photos to distort the size of the space. Sneaky brokers -- don't they know the fisheye setting is only really acceptable in rap videos and Kubrick films?
· 1717 Malcolm Ave #202 Los Angeles, CA 90024 [Redfin]
One doesn't see a lot of new development going up in Brentwood, so go scrutinize Las Ventanas at 11937 W. Sunset Boulevard. What you get: Three-bedrooms ranging from 3,100-3,500 square feet, and priced at $2.2 million and up. Some of the details and fixtures looked pleasing and authentic to us; others, the reaction was: "Hell, no." But decide for yourself; meanwhile, the listing shows the model unit. Takeways: You'll get a lot of space and can skip the hassle of taking care of a home, but you're also fighting that Sunset Blvd afternoon traffic. Project and floor plans at official web site.
Las Ventanas
1937 W. Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, California
Chopped again: The Ray Kappe-designed LivingHomes pad aka the Wired Home in Brentwood hit the market last year for $4.15 million. Despite the interior gadgets and Kappe's name, there was lots of buzz about the small lot. So it was eventually re-staged and the price dropped to $3.75 million. And after another whack it's down to $3.295 million. Wasn't there someone doing construction right next door, a factor that may have deterred buyers? Is that done? We hope so.
· It Lives Again: Brentwood's LivingHomes House PriceChopped, Re-Staged, and Back on Market [Curbed LA]
· 12321 ROCHEDALE LANE [redfin]
The transition from LA's car culture to a city utilizing a mishmash of bikes, buses, and autos promises to be bumpy. On July 4, a disastrous accident on Brentwood's Mandeville Canyon Road sent two cyclists to the hospital with serious injuries. The bikers claim a driver, Brentwood doctor Christopher Thomas Thompson, stopped suddenly in front of them on purpose. On Saturday, the Los Angeles Times broke the news that the doctor was allegedly involved in a previous "road rage" incident with bikers. Westside city councilman Bill Rosendahl scheduled a meeting tonight to address biking and safety, but that was abruptly canceled because, as a Rosendahl press release states, "In response to escalating tensions over a July 4 incident that sent two cyclists to the hospital, Councilmember Bill Rosendahl is replacing a public Town Hall meeting with a task force on how cyclists and residents can better and more safely share Mandeville Canyon Road." Residents were worried the meeting could get out of hand. As part of the task force, four cycling clubs, the LA Bicycle Advisory Committee, the LA Department of Transportation, and the LAPD are coming up with proposals to make it safer for both drivers and cyclists on Mandeville Canyon. UPDATE: According to bicycle.net, Thompson has been arraigned and charged today. Six felonies. More after jump.
WESTWOOD: This Sunday the Hammer Museum kicks off its latest exhibition, "Between Earth and Heaven: The Architecture of John Lautner." More via the web site: "Curated by historian Nicholas Olsberg and architect Frank Escher, Between Earth and Heaven will feature an exhibition design that is as visceral an experience as Lautner’s buildings themselves. Photo: Marbrisa, Acapulco, 1973, by Sara Sackner [Hammer Museum]
DOWNTOWN: What is up with your $99 move-in sign, Chapman Flats? As noted by Garment & Citizen, the downtown rental building has a sign on its building advertising move-ins for $99. And? Via the sales office: "If you have good credit, you can just pay $99 and the first month is free." We want a 99 cents deal. [Curbed Staff]
A kind soul with a big heart is trying to help out a friend and for some reason thinks the libertarians, Paultards, and cranks who populate this site might be able to offer some advice:
"I’ve been helping my friend and her 8 month old daughter look for a 1 bedroom apartment in the Westside since she is a student at SMC, has childcare in the Westside, and doesn’t have a car. She has a section 8 voucher which covers more than enough for the types of places we’ve been looking at. I’ve called over 150 landlords, and have been flatly rejected by nearly all of them. I understand the challenges associated to section 8 (I used to be a social worker) but I’m wondering if it is a lost cause to even continue trying. My friend defies any kind of section 8 stereotype and I know she would be a great tenant."
For the last 16 weekends, a handful of veterans have been gathering at San Vicente and Wilshire boulevards to protest the Veterans Park Conservancy's decision to develop a memorial park on this sixteen acre plot of land. The land was deeded as a "home" for soldiers, and the vets believe the land should solely be used for veterans and not open to the public. "Veterans returning from war need a quiet space like this" is the sentiment; one protester told me he believes the land could be used as a tent city for homeless vets. On the other side: Gary Maier, Board Member and Vice President of the Veterans Park Conservancy, who says his group fought off development of this land to keep it a memorial park; and he points out that "many memorial park in D.C. are open to the public." Maier: "I feel bad, but I don't understand what their intentions or counterproposals are."
More than a year after the building was dedicated, the new I.M. Pei-designed UCLA Medical Center has completed its patient transfers. Housed within the medical center, the complex consists of the Ronald Reagan Medical Center, the Mattel Children's Hospital and the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital. The hospital had faced a few delays and skyrocketing costs, growing from $597.7 million to $829.3 million, but should be able to withstand an 8.0 magnitude earthquake. The hospital has flat screen TVs, all of the patient rooms are singles, and "amenities include hotel-style room service, with meals carried to each room by waiters wearing bow ties." Fabulous, darling. Reagan would approve.
· UCLA Medical Center makes its move [LA Times]
· I.M. Pei's New Reagan Hospital [Curbed LA]
The LA Times reports the Shell station on Santa Monica Blvd and Federal is the first in the state to offer hydrogen alongside regular gasoline. But there are a couple of bumps in the road to hydrogen: it costs the same as premium gas, the fuel is difficult to store, the fuel cells are often made from precious metals, stations take forever to build due to permitting potholes, and the cars themselves cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. So nice PR coup, Shell, as you offer us the least useful gas pump ever. [Image of hydrogen gas pump by flickr user Bob n Renee.] [LA Times]
About Curbed LA
From the studio lots to the downtown lofts. From the beachfront bungalows to the canyon views. From the south bay to the valley, from the westside to the eastside—Curbed LA covers our sense of place, and the neighborhoods we call home. Read more about Curbed LA...
Comments
The transition from LA's car culture to a city utilizing a mishmash of bikes, buses, and autos promises to be bumpy. On July 4, a disastrous accident on Brentwood's Mandeville Canyon Road 
A kind soul with a big heart is trying to help out a friend and for some reason thinks the libertarians, 
