All weekend long, we kept thinking we were missing something. We had that nagging feeling we had something to do. We woke up with night terrors some time around 4am and realized it wasn't the impending sense of apocalyptic doom brought on by a collapsing housing market , the threat of nuclear annihilation, or the specter of a sixth Rocky unleashed upon the world. No, it was the rumblings & bumblings. Somehow the week got away from us and we missed posting your responses to R&B on Thursday. So post haste, here they are. Mea Culpa, apologies, and my bad.
1) Beverly Center: You have no idea what this guy is talking about: "I have been to the Beverly Center twice over the last month and wasn't charged my standard $1. Is The Beverly Center dropping pay parking?" He might be smoking rock because everyone else has had to pony up that buck lately.
2) Culver City/Palms: an inquiring reader wants to know: "Have a question about Victor on Venice. Do you or your readers know if people are actually renting the units? Website looks cool, but the rents!!???? Who spends that much money in Palms? You can get a two bedroom for the price of one of their studios and have money leftover." You pass along rumors and innuendo: "Of course they're overpriced, as rumor has it they don't actually want to RENT out the units. Instead, they got permits and what not to build rental units, which was easier than getting the paperwork to build condos, and then built everything to condo spec. Now, having spent a lot of money, they'll need to charge a lot for these premium units, which, obviously, the market won't bear. So, now they go back to the zoning board for a variance to sell them as condos, and since it's already built, it's harder to say no.Then, they change the paint scheme from Death Star Grey to a more pleasant shade and up they go for sale, just in time for the GREAT LOS ANGELES CONDO SALE of 2007-2008." Pretty sneaky, sis.
3) West Hollywood: One concerned reader writes in to verify he will still be able to cruise and booze in Weho: "Bar Lubitsch (the old Parlour Room) is nearing completion. And what was the deal with the open-and-then closing thing? What are these projects? When can I drink there? And will they even remotely be gay?" Fear not, dear reader. You say: The Jones guy must have figured he had nothing to lose by doing major renos w/out a permit (major, like enclosing the former outdoor smoking area out back and tearing out the roof 15ft back from the facade), since pesky accessibility upgrades were at stake (pesky, like adding lots of bathroom fixtures and negotiating a level change inside the bar, amongst other things). Too bad the facade was unreinforced masonry and good thing one of the first patrons was a former patron AND a WEHO building inspector. 'Gosh, this looks all different.' It's really beautiful inside tho. Crazy to see all the construction work going on in there (construction work, like ripping out floors and excavating for new foundations) with upholstered furniture, hand-painted glass, and a full bar (full bar, like pissloads of vodka). Next door there's a 12k sf traditional russian spa set to open in a few months. Basically take crumbling CitySpa (pool and all) and update it & make it bigger but keep it just as hardcore - not your girlfriend/boyfriend's burke williams. THAT building was a packard dealership and then a mortuary until the new renters took it over." A source in Weho's planning dept confirmed the work-without-permits and this was included in the staff report: "The alterations to the bar at 7702 Santa Monica Boulevard were deemed substantial by the Director of Community Development; therefore, a conditional use permit is required for the continued operation of the bar." However, rumor has it the bar will be open by New Year's.
4) Downtown: You had some concerns about the new LAPD headquarters being built downtown in lieu of a park: "Is this development going forward? Is there any way for the people of Los Angeles to stop it?" You tell us we're posting this several months too late: "If you had posted a few months ago that the possibility existed that the new LAPD headquarters might be moved to another locale in order to accomodate a civic park, I may have believed you but at this point it too late. I work a couple of blocks away from the site and construction is finally in full swing. The site is full of cranes, bulldozers and pile drivers." The City Planning Commission was scheduled to make a final decision last week. If anyone attended that meeting or has any more info, we'll post an update in this week's R&B.
More questions? Email us here.