Thanks again for keeping the questions coming. You're all keeping us busy. Answers to this weeks questions? Questions for next weeks questions? Answers to questions from questions long ago? Email them to us at la@curbed.com.
First an Update: We actually received this weeks ago but forgot to post it. 'Scuse us for trying to have a social life. This is an update from a reader on the project at the corner of Santa Monica and Westbourne in WeHo. "According to a guy who works in the planning department of West Hollywood, the owners of the property intend to "build to suit," but are still seeking tenants. Depending on who the ground floor tenant is, the owners will build either a Licorice Pizza or a Gap or a KFC. So, until the owners know what they're ultimately building, construction is stalled."
And now for the new stuff...
1) Silverlake Adj.: Some old history in a weird building. "There’s a Public Storage building just off the 101 where Temple, Beverly, Virgil and Sliver Lake Blvd run into one another (@ 3636 Beverly Blvd). It’s an old building (built in the 20s perhaps?) and one of the tallest in the area (probably around 10 stories). In the early 70s while employed with Pac Bell, my uncle worked in this building and found out this interesting bit of apocryphal history about it. The elevator operator, an old man, would tell him that during Prohibition the top floor was used as a speakeasy. (Notice the sort of “penthouse” look of the roof next time you drive by the building) Also, the freight elevator was apparently used to bring up patrons in their cars. My uncle recalled that while exploring the top floor, the “bandstand” still remained, somewhat verifying the old man’s claims.
Maybe some one at Curbed L.A. or one of your readers can shed some light on the history of this building (Google doesn’t turn up much) and the veracity of what my uncle was told."
2) South LA: An expat connects to the City he left behind through this blog. Terrible! He has a question about work on the Harbor freeway mentioned in a Daily News article. "This article (http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_3796824) mentions a double-decker Harbour Freeway. Since I've been out of the country all year, this is the first I'm hearing about it. Do you have a Curbed-notes version to educate me and another reader or two?" For those not clicking through, the article says: "Then there are various government investments such as the $498 million double-decking of the Harbor Freeway and the $640 million Exposition Line from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority."
3) Laurel Canyon: House hunting in the Valley? Here's a place to look at. "So what the heck has been going on with that broken-ass home on Laurel Canyon (Valley side, near the top of the canyon)? I pass by it every time I'm on my way to get drunk, and I think to myself, "I gotta remember to ask Curbed about that!" Of course, seeing as how I was going there to get drunk in the first place, I never do remember. Any answer?"
4) LAX: As one drives down Vista del Mar, with LAX on one side and Dockweiler State Beach on the other, one can see a bunch of concrete driveways on the LAX side that have been fenced off, with weeds growing in them. Between two of these driveways sits a grassy park, which is pretty ridiculous because the beach is right there. Looking on the satellite mode of Google Maps, there appears to be a whole grid of streets between VdM and Pershing Drive. I'm guessing that this is an old residential neighborhood that was condemned for LAX expansion, probably many years ago. What is the history there? Also, has anyone ever proposed turning this old area into community garden space, baseball fields, or something of that sort?"
5) Downtown: Downtown denizens, here's a question for you. "Does your crack staff have any idea when that bar is going to open at 6th and Spring in downtown la. I think it was going to be called, the Bills or Big Bills."
6) Beverly Grove: Where are those empty trucks going and can we blame this on the terrorists? "On my commute to the Westside every morning there are fleets and fleets of empty dump trucks at the Intersection of 3rd and Fairfax La Cienega. It has been like this on and off for about a year, and because I leave the area for the day I am not able to snoop around to investigate where there might be a big dig or excavation. This morning was especially busy, maybe up to 30 empty double loader dump trucks. There is a nursery there, so this might be a false alarm depending on the scale of projects that the nursery does, but it doesn't seem like it???"
Hope that's enough questions to keep you all busy until Thursday. Please let us know if you have any answers to these q's because we don't.