Two stories this weekend took a look at the changing face of our Hollywood. The glory days of teenage runaways beating up tourists and hanging with prostitutes appears to be over for the time being as asshole producers and vapid starlets return to Hollywood & Vine to nest. The USA Today story gives a rundown of the various developments from CIM Group and KOR going up around Hollywood, including the controversy swirling around the Legacy Partners development at Hollywood & VIne that promises to replace Bernard's Luggage and 22 other small businesses with a W Hotel. Bob Blue of Bernard's, who is fighting the eminent domain taking of his property, is quoted as saying he plans to restore the building himself and put lofts in - uhh, sure, Bob.
The LA Times tells basically the same story but names Charlize Theron and Lindsay Lohan as potential residents of a new hip, Hollywood. As for the rest of us? The Times says, "Rents now run as much as $2,400 a month for an 800-square-foot apartment, compared to about $800 a decade ago." So where's the new affordable hot spot? We're moving there.
· Aging Hollywood getting face lift [USA Today]
· Hollywood Beckons As LA's Hot New ZIP Code [LA Times]