Curbed LA: All Posts by jrohmerLove where you live2006-10-12T10:40:25-07:00https://la.curbed.com/authors/jrohmer6494286/rss2006-10-12T10:40:25-07:002006-10-12T10:40:25-07:00USC (hearts) Downtown: True Love Forever
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<p><em>LAT</em> commemorates the opening of <strong>USC’s Galen Center</strong> by highlighting the many developments that are beginning to link Downtown and USC’s University Park campus. Projects like LA Live, Geoff Palmer’s new project at <a href="http://press.arrivenet.com/health/article.php/824442.html">Orthopaedic Hospital</a> (Palazzo Orthopaedica a la Toscano, anyone?), and University Gateway are just a few of the bigger signs that USC and Downtown are merging into one urban cluster of housing, institutions, and office and retail space.</p>
<p> Is it just us, or does this read like <strong>real estate’s version of a John Hughes movie</strong>? Two awkward neighborhoods (played by USC and Downtown), long to hang out with the kids in the elite clique (played by Westwood, SaMo, WeHo, and Silver Lake). They are routinely snubbed: they live on the other side of the tracks, their clothes are, like, totally lame, and they don’t wash often enough. But over the summer, Downtown hits a pubescent growth spurt that makes him start to look like a real catch. USC, too, is changing and learning to show off her assets. As the big dance approaches, they realize they are a match made in real estate heaven. That is, until that slag Los Feliz catches Downtown's eye.</p>
<p> ·<a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-usc12oct12,1,6341924.story?page=1&coll=la-headlines-california">USC Seeks Downtown Admission</a> [LA Times]</p>
https://la.curbed.com/2006/10/12/10601488/usc-hearts-downjrohmer2006-10-09T10:54:16-07:002006-10-09T10:54:16-07:00Naming Your Subdivision, Made Easy!
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<p>Memo to suburban tract developers: Curbed LA has your number. While others might be impressed by the evocative names with which you christen your exurban subdivisions (i.e. "Olive Grove at Perris Lake", or "Rancho Sin Vacas at Catalina Foothills," we know all about your <strong>prefab naming methods</strong>. A blogger at <a href="http://www.denverinfill.com/blog/2006/09/guide-to-suburban-denver-subdivision.html">DenverInfill Blog</a> provides a cheeky naming manual for the Denver region, excerpted above. It's only a matter of time until the SoCal version is leaked, with all it's neo-Mediterranean flava. <br>·<a href="http://www.denverinfill.com/blog/2006/09/guide-to-suburban-denver-subdivision.html">Guide to Suburban Denver Subdivision Names</a>[DenverInfill Blog]</p>
https://la.curbed.com/2006/10/9/10601642/memo-to-suburbjrohmer2006-10-09T10:47:40-07:002006-10-09T10:47:40-07:00Third Degree re: Park La Brea
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<p>While jogging up Fairfax each morning, we marvel at <strong>the anomaly that is <a href="%E2%80%9D" http:="">Park La Brea</a></strong>. In a landscape dominated by single-family homes and small apartment buildings, PLB’s apartment towers contain 4,000 units in a Le Corbusier-inspired model of urban density. And while the grey towers may have once resembled Cabrini Green, a late-‘90s rehab spiffed the joint into an apartment village suitable for more than just Eastern Bloc expats. </p>
<p> But then, we spy the “90 Degree Turns. 180 Degrees Different” billboards, and <strong>everything goes awry</strong>. We spend the rest of the day asking: “what could this branding campaign possibly mean?” Like, unless our man Gehry is in the hizzy, 90 degree angles are standard. Common, even. So who cares? Are the ads meant to refer to the diagonal orientation of the streets and towers? If so, someone in marketing better get out their protractor: PLB is arranged at a 45 degree angle to the LA street grid. </p>
<p> Can someone please ‘splain? Anyone? <br>·<a href="http://www.parklabrea.com/">Discover Park La Brea</a> [Park La Brea]</p>
https://la.curbed.com/2006/10/9/10601646/third-degree-rejrohmer2006-09-22T10:17:14-07:002006-09-22T10:17:14-07:00They Say the LED Lights are Bright...
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<p><a href="http://www.lyricsdepot.com/george-benson/on-broadway.html">George Benson</a>'s gonna be totally <em>jazzed</em>! The Downtown BID intends to reinvent the historic entertainment district along Broadway and Spring Streets with a <strong>master plan to illuminate the currently grotty facades of theaters and other historic buildings</strong>. OC lighting designer Tom Ruzika's plan will begin with the Story Building at 610 Broadway, a 1908 building that currently houses the West Coast Jewelry Center, a.k.a. "House of Cheap Bling".</p>
<p> The <em>LA Downtown News</em> enthuses over the various lighting designs:</p>
<p>The designs are works of art in themselves, and have the capability to turn faded buildings into vibrant fantasies of blue, purple, green and gold. Ruzika drew on decades of experience engineering similar lightscapes for clients such as Disneyland, Universal Studios and the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. He has also designed lighting for about a dozen historic Downtown structures, including the restored clock tower on the turquoise Eastern Columbia Building.Sign us up for some of those vibrant fantasies.<br>·<a href="http://www.downtownnews.com/articles/2005/07/04/news/news03.txt">Everything is Illuminated</a> [ LA Downtown News]</p>
https://la.curbed.com/2006/9/22/10602092/the-led-lightsjrohmer2006-09-13T10:45:55-07:002006-09-13T10:45:55-07:00Industrial Arts in Long Beach
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<p>Everyone knows about Long Beach's gritty, industrial side: the harbor, the oil derricks, the mountains of shipping containers. But what about LB's more urbane, arty side? <em>LAT</em>, thinking the 'Beach's artistic flair has gone unnoticed for too long, goes on record with today's piece on the <strong>"fantasy oil islands of Long Beach Harbor"</strong>.</p>
<p> These "fantastic" islands are actually a set of four man-made islands just offshore. The islands house 1,100 oil derricks disguised by <em>It's A Small World</em> curvilinear forms, landscaping, and waterfalls. The only things missing are a cast of international animatronic dolls and a saccharine theme song. At night, the islands are lit like a Polynesian bordello, easily seen from shore. Such whimsy! </p>
<p> The architecture and landscaping of the oil islands is the subject of an exhibit at the University Art Museum at Cal State Long Beach through October 15.<br>·<a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-islands13sep13,1,2359350.story?coll=la-headlines-california">Toasting Industry as Art</a> [LA Times]</p>
https://la.curbed.com/2006/9/13/10602426/industrial-artsjrohmer2006-08-25T12:24:00-07:002006-08-25T12:24:00-07:00Beware the Horsetail!
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<p> LA Weekly’s David Zahniser does a bang-up job dissecting <strong>the double-edged sword of gentrification</strong>. His extensive article focuses on many of the region’s tasty li’l hot-pockets of infill activity (Echo Park, Manhattan Beach, Venice), and assesses the social, political, and economic facets of gentrification in a clear-eyed, balanced way. And we’re using Webster’s definition of “balanced”, not Fox News'.</p>
<p> ”With so many contradictory demands, it’s hard not to ask: Can’t the city’s civic elites — its policymakers and its politicians, community groups and business leaders — just make up their minds? After all, they want to boost the city’s rate of home ownership, but not necessarily at the expense of rental units. They want neighborhoods to improve, then blanch when those communities improve too quickly, making it economically prohibitive to stay. They spend years voicing anxiety about middle-class flight, then they are shocked to discover that a reverse migration might displace the working poor.” Fave Feature: A clever sidebar identifies some of the tell-tale signs that your ‘hood may be going upmarket. Beware gelato, artists, and horsetail grass.<br>·<a href="http://www.laweekly.com/general/features/welcome-to-gentrification-city/14285/"> Welcome to Gentrification City</a> [LA Weekly]<br>·<a href="http://www.laweekly.com/general/features/the-evidence-room-five-signs-youre-gentrifying/14286/"> The Evidence Room: Five Signs You're Gentrifying</a> [LA Weekly]</p>
https://la.curbed.com/2006/8/25/10602746/beware-the-horsjrohmer2006-08-25T10:06:15-07:002006-08-25T10:06:15-07:00Where the Streets are Paved with CorianTM
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<p>Beverly Hills City Manager Rod Wood [real name, not porno name] has developed a plan to ensure that Beverly Hills maintains its cache for wealthy shoppers: install sidewalks fit for Wolfgang Puck’s kitchen countertops. City staff has proposed a sidewalk repaving plan where any commercial improvement costing more than $250,000 must include replacement of the fronting sidewalk with Kenoran Sage granite pavers. The pavers are sparkly and greenish, evoking a post-purge Nicole Richie.</p>
<p> Local merchants are not quite as enthusiastic. Manijeh Messa, manager of the Bijan designer men’s store diplomatically opined: </p>
<p>"The tile looks like something from a shower stall. It is very ugly. I told the gentleman from City Hall I wasn't in favor of it." The cost of $850 per linear foot is even more difficult to swallow.<br>· <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-granite25aug25,0,6214417.story?coll=la-home-headlines">Seeing Granite as a Paving Grace</a> [LA Times]</p>
https://la.curbed.com/2006/8/25/10602760/where-the-streejrohmer2006-08-24T10:36:03-07:002006-08-24T10:36:03-07:00Anaheim Classin’ Up This Joint
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<p>Anaheim City Council voted this week to <strong>replace a mobile home park</strong> in the Anaheim Resort with 1,300 condo and 200 affordable rental units. First of all, let’s discuss the flippant use of the term “resort.” Last time we checked, “resort” meant margaritas and ceviche on the beach, not churros and orange drink while queuing for the Jungle Cruise, MK? Nevertheless, “Anaheim Resort” is the official name given to the area in a <a href="http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/abox/article_1193593.php">specific plan</a> governing uses near the Disneyland theme parks</p>
<p> But also, when did Anaheim get too klassy for affordable housing? Up to 9,500 residential units are planned for the nearby Platinum Triangle, all skewing toward the luxury end of the spectrum. So what’s so bad about a few affordable rentals in a city defined until recently by <a href="%E2%80%9Dhttp://anaheimvacationland.com/gallary.html%22">themed motels</a>? </p>
<p> · <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-affordable24aug24,1,6889461.story?coll=la-headlines-california">Anaheim Gives Initial Nod to Low-Cost Housing Plan in Disney Resort Area</a> [LA Times]</p>
https://la.curbed.com/2006/8/24/10602794/anaheim-classinjrohmer2006-08-03T11:59:22-07:002006-08-03T11:59:22-07:00Southland Cities Compete for "Biggest Ho" Title
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<p>In an effort to support LA County cities that foster business-friendly development environments, the LA County Economic Development Corporation is awarding a title that we've affectionately termed <strong>"The Big Ho"</strong>. So sez the Los Angeles Business Journal:<br>"L.A. area cities are often criticized for being hostile to business. Now, in a bid to get cities to be more responsive to business, the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. wants to recognize cities that do go out of their way to put out the welcome mat for business."Curious about what form the proverbial "welcome mat" takes, we dug deeper. Are finalists Burbank, El Segundo, Lancaster, Long Beach, and Santa Clarita wooing the judges with lap dances and Cristal? <strong>Which cities would prove to be the biggest sluts for development</strong>, like Sandy and Cha Cha competing for Danny's affection with sluttier-than-thou outfits? Tell us about it, stud! Sadly, LAEDC has criteria other than big hair and spandex bottoms. Rather, taxes, economic development programs, and other incentives as cited as measures of comparison. Yawn.<br>· <a href="http://cra/publicaffairs/newsclips/2006_Newsclips/Aug32006/Business.htm">Business-Friendly Cities Lauded</a> [Los Angeles Business Journal]</p>
https://la.curbed.com/2006/8/3/10603454/southland-citiejrohmer2006-08-01T16:57:27-07:002006-08-01T16:57:27-07:00Rose Bowl: What’s in Your Wallet?
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<p>According to the Los Angeles Business Journal, Rose Bowl officials have been sniffing around town, asking residents and business owners <strong>how much they’d be willing to pay for upgraded luxury boxes at the historic stadium</strong>.<br>"Would your company be willing to spend $75,500 a year for a luxury suite at a renovated Rose Bowl? How about $60,000? Or if that’s way out of your league, how about $2,500 for outdoor club seating?" Forgive us for suggesting that responses might be a tad skewed toward the <s>cheapo</s> southern end of the price spectrum. At least, here’s how the convo would go if Rose Bowl officials sidled up to us at the impressive Curbed Corporate Headquarters:<br> <br><strong>Rose Bowl:</strong> “Hey, Curbed.com… how much extra would you offer to pay us for posher seats?”<br><strong>Curbed (slyly):</strong> “How about $7?”</p>
<p> We’re not cheap, we’re just utility-maximizers with a careful watch on our pocketbook. This is not to say we’re not thrilled with the idea of a spiffed up Bowl. But perhaps they could spring for a good old-fashioned market study?<br>· <a href="%E2%80%9Dhttp://cra/publicaffairs/newsclips/2006_Newsclips/Aug12006/Rose.htm%E2%80%9D"> Input Sought on Rose Bowl Plans For Renovation</a> [Los Angeles Business Journal]<br>· <a href="http://www.preservela.com/archives/000356.html">Rose Bowl Renovation</a> [PreserveLA.com]</p>
https://la.curbed.com/2006/8/1/10603540/rose-bowl-whatsjrohmer