Pay-to-play preservation. I’d love to see if the City falls all over itself to protect a historic resource in a poor neighborhood where rich connected people can’t make phone calls to assert their agenda. Happy this lesser Paul Williams will be saved, but discouraged by the lack of similar action in less affluent areas. Robert Iger, if you care about preservation so much (and not just what gets built next door to you), how about opening that check book up and doing some good in Boyle Heights or South LA…
I hope this one is saved. If it gets demolished, then there will only be one Paul Williams designed home left on this street. I was heart broken to discover that 25 Oakmont was torn down, and that place was an absolute stunner!
Mapping Los Angeles's groundbreaking role in LGBT history
DRAGSTRIP 66 (1993-2013). For an unprecedented 20 years, the club provided a safe, welcoming, all-invited space for dancing, performance, and self-expression. It helped define the "alternative" Silver Lake scene and was a huge community marker, especially during the time when the HIV "cocktail" was giving people the chance to live and celebrate life again. A bit more info and background is here – http://kck.st/SpH1hN
Poor LA Landlords Only Making 5.4% Return Off Your Rent
Linda AZ, yes that’s how it works due to proposition 13. A lot of elderly folks were getting squeezed out of their homes b/c taxes were rising too fast during rises home values. The proposition was passed with good intention but a unintended consequence (like most market manipulation) was apartment owners who bought in 1985 have an absurdly low tax basis. It is a bit of an odd situation
Bel Air Megamansion Liongate Hitting the Market for $65 Million
I actually don’t think this house is distasteful when compared with some of the monstrosities in the "Platinum Triangle" (Bel Air, Beverly Hills and Holmby Hills). It also looks like whoever did the additions to the house kept pretty much in syle to the original Paul Williams design. My biggest problem with the house is the ratio of the structure to it’s lot size. As @LA Noir has alluded to, the house definately seems to be hemmed in by its neighbors, and thus "too close for comfort".
Inside Connie Stevens's Fabulous Holmby Hills Paul Williams, Asking $18.5 Million
Another Paul Williams masterpiece going down the drain. What a shame. Anything newer in the Platnium Triangle always seems to be some over the top, hideous, tacky, monstrosity. Wealthy people today have the worst taste. Just look at N Roxbury north of Sunset. Jiimmy Stewarts’ home along with Rosemary Clooney’s and others torn down and replaced with horrible marble ‘wedding cake’ madness!
Inside Connie Stevens's Fabulous Holmby Hills Paul Williams, Asking $18.5 Million
The property is in a fantastic location and of a good size. Unfortunately, the house is not so fantastic; its sad deferred state and inappropriate alterations have taken away any historic/cultural value to the original Paul Williams design. I’m sure a lot of potential buyers will be looking at this house as a teardown.
Inside Connie Stevens's Fabulous Holmby Hills Paul Williams, Asking $18.5 Million
Why are the architectural styles mismatched? The large white structure looks like it is from the ’70’s. The beige structure looks like the Paul Williams creation. I may be wrong, but I am just saying…
Inside Connie Stevens's Fabulous Holmby Hills Paul Williams, Asking $18.5 Million
Nice sized property in a great location, but the original Paul Williams designed house has been severly altered as to question whether it makes any sence in attempting to salvage it for historical/cultural purposes. In addition, both the landscaping, tennis court and house interior seems to have suffered from deferred maintenance, making me think that anyone who buys this property will be doing so with a planned teardown in mind.