With development commencing at full speed in the building and conversion of condo lofts downtown, the upgrading of Koreatown and the revitalization of Hollywood, there is a very real chance that this might create a city on the very land where Los Angeles now sits.
It seems hard to believe, that the vast acres of parking lots and empty lots downtown could be lost forever, like the orange groves that once dotted the Southland. Yet, before our very eyes, a vicious cabal of real estate developers, politicians and greedy homeowners, are salivating at the idea of a making a true city where one can ride a subway from Pershing Square to Santa Monica. (We can’t get a train to LAX yet).
I experienced first hand the appalling new Hollywood yesterday when I saw a movie at the ArcLight and then went next door to Amoeba records. There were people walking from their apartment to the gym, the bookstore and the bank. The demolition of Bernard’s Luggage to make way for more apartments and economic vitality on Hollywood and Vine is tragic. What kind of a city would allow the wanton destruction of a luggage store? New lampposts along Vine added insult to injury as if to say that aesthetics were important in upgrading a district.
Neighborhood associations, especially in the San Fernando Valley, are appalled that walking and parks may replace asphalt and car exhausts. There is even talk of tearing down the distinguished shopping center at Victory and Laurel Canyon, with its bubble gum upholstered cinema seats and ten story Wells Fargo tower with the giant mural.
Mr. Mayor, hands off my backyard! I don’t want to live a city like Portland or San Francisco, run by elitists who think global warming is more important than the World Cup.
I like Los Angeles just the way it is, with nowhere to walk at night other than my kitchen. Keep the light rail and dense housing around trains out of my city of endless mini-malls.
Tell the politicians that we can’t afford any big plans, any new taxes, any more money for the over-funded police and education special interests. We already spend $3.50 a gallon for gas and have $750 a month payments on our Hummers.
I don’t want to live in New York or Chicago with elegant apartments overlooking verdant parks. I don’t want to live in Miami with its thriving street life, or Denver with its new light rail. Keep LA as it was in 1965, when everyone had just moved out here from Michigan, and bought $80,000 homes with swimming pools in Sherman Oaks and ate French Toast at DuPars and thought it was the best thing in the world.
Here in Van Nuys 
The World Cup gets a pass, because what makes it exciting is that poorer countries have a great showing, and conversely wealthier countries getting eliminated early.
And NASCAR is low-hanging fruit. You could apply this to any major-league team sport in the U.S.
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Brilliant. But I doubt elitists think that global warming is more impoirtant than the World Cup. People who belive in a liveable, dense city deny global warming and teh World Cup with equal vigor. A Nascar Race for the Cup reference would fit the bill.
Thanks for the great post.
Rick
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The vans have largely disappeared. They’ve been replaced by EZ Riders, the same vehicles LADOT uses for DASH.
The vans can be seen on 218, 214 and possibly 607 and 625/626.
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Scott-
Email me if you see this.
Andrew
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That Line 218 is a glorified van that seats about 10 people! Fun stuff. You really get cozy with your fellow riders.
Are there any other Metro bus lines that run vans like that? Where are they???
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I’m just waiting for the DuPar’s to reopen at the Farmer’s Market. It’s been closed for a year and a half for remodeling. The restaurant is completely gutted now.
While there’s no Red Line stop, a transit adventure could be had by riding Line 218 (Laurel Canyon through the canyon) to a DuPar’s on both ends of the line. One is at the Farmer’s Market, the other at Laurel Canyon and Ventura.
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The density idea for Hollywood is superb, and really long overdue. Like Scott, I can’t wait to see the finished product and to see the area’s potential become fully developed. Used to work at Capitol Records back when things were not on the upswing, so this change is a true breath of fresh air, so to speak.
Now maybe we can put a Dupar’s in the ground floor of one of these buildings and have our French toast a red line stop away.
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The Bernard’s Luggage store was a part of the Hollywood Brown Derby. But it wasn’t the main part. It was an adjacent building built at the same time, containing shops. They pretty much already screwed the pooch by knocking down the original Brown Derby building after it was damaged in the 1994 earthquake. Even, so, the developers are planning to incorporate the facade of the old building into the new development. Very sad that the Brown Derby is gone, but it’s too late now. Building a large high-rise development (hotel and condos) right there at the Red Line is a great idea.
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🙂
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Oh god no! The horror! Spaces for people to live
where they can walk to shops. Nearby the red line to boot!
Please don’t replace that ugly old parking lot with no
architectural value. I couldn’t live in an LA, especially
a valley, that wasn’t a cultural dead zone.
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