We're really enjoying the knowledge you readers have and your willingness to spill it to our Web site. We'll give thanks for you at our staff Thanksgiving dinner. Remember, we're always anonymous unless you demand your name be printed. Please email your new or old questions or to us at la@curbed.com. Thank you.
1) Gutter: We've been told The Gutter will be back in due time. *Cough*rehab*Cough*
2) Westchester:The Furama Hotel generates a few responses including one to our supersecret anonymity line: "I can't tell you exactly what's going on and I'm not sure exactly what the question is. Deeron Properties Corp. sold the 250-room hotel to Palisades Development Group last spring. Palisades is on something of a condo-hotel, extended stay campaign, but I'm not sure that's what they're doing there. Deeron is developing the rest of the property around the hotel into apartments and retail.
Some background on the hotel: the tower was designed by Welton Beckett, responsible for the Capitol Records building, the Cinerama Dome, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, and the Beverly Hilton, among other local icons." So may we expect a Palihouse Westchester??
3) Downtown/Mid-Wilshire: We used Google and saw no news that Vince Vaughn bought a condo on Wilshire Blvd. But it might be in US Weekly or People or something and we don't read those magazines.
4) Pico: Via the comments, AngelNDisguise reports the following: "According to a close friend who's deeply involved with his neighborhood association, Herb Wesson spent a considerable amount of time trying to convince the execs at Trader Joes to consider putting a store in the Pico/San Vicente development. Apparently he was pissed off when told point blank that there was no need to put a TJ there when all of the residents of that area travel to their other locales (they are notorious for collecting zip code info from customers)." AND an emailer states: "Regarding the development at Pico/San Vicente: We live a few blocks from it and LAUSD just slipped a piece of paper though our mailslot indicating that -- instead of building a high school at Pico/Vicente -- it had solved the overcrowed school problem at neighboring schools by a few clever methods, including changing the enrollment bounderies of one school. We are just happy that they are not coming. And hey, at the west end of the development, around the Santa Monica Bus Depot, a Starbucks IS coming. Along with a Panda Express and a Wells Fargo Bank. Two or three empty stores left though. Not sure when or with who they will be filled."
5) Hollywood: Have we become so jaded that a vacant lot in Hollywood deserves not one insider response? Perhaps Eric Garcetti will use the lots to build affordable housing with yards once Prop H passes. Yay! Housing and grassy yards for all!
Thanks for keeping us informed. Please email your questions and comments to us and we'll do this again on Tuesday.