LOS ANGELES METRO | Project Rundown 2.0 (non-downtown)

[pesto]

As you come through the Cahuenga Pass on 101 you get a view of a number of Hollywood buildings in older styles that are quite eye-catching (although admitedly in a bit of disrepair). It would be nice to add something that keeps up the architectural interest, which this does only slightly.

Maybe the sign gives it a little deco-ish style. If it's visible from the freeway, you would think that they would want to put the name on top.

Is it possible that that area will have a dozen of these between Vine and Western? What a triumph for transit and redevelopment.

[pesto]

Musing some more about development: If Purple/Pink Lines are in place, East Holywood is 15 minutes or less from NoHo, Hollywood, DT, Ktown, Beverly Center, WeHo, BH and just a bit longer to CC and Westwood. Could be a great affordable urban living area with access to work, entertainment and shopping.

High rises on Hollywood and Sunset and 3-8 on the side streets?

[LosAngelesBeauty]

I had a chance to stop by Century City today and snapped this shot of the Century, which looks pretty much done by now.

[pesto]

So in theory this view will be mostly blocked by the 2 towers replacing the Century Plaza (which is the curved structure barely seen toward the left). And the Bloomingdale's tower will be out of frame to the left with the Purple Line station in it? (in maybe 5-8 years if Mayor V gets his way).

Westfield logos are getting a little old; time for some revamping. A little more glass, metal and glitz might be nice instead of the concrete. The wooden benches and general look are a bit dated. I guess that's why they're talking about major renovations. Maybe make the whole place look like Pink Taco and RockSugar.

[Westsidelife]

^ Save the Century Plaza!

[betawest]

Originally Posted by Westsidelife

^ Save the Century Plaza!

Yes!! The Century Plaza is mad Mod and too important to let go. Cram them two shiny dullards somewhere else!

[sopas ej]

I haven't driven through Century City at night in quite a while. Is the Century Plaza Hotel still lit up on the outside with those awful yellow lights in the balconies? I hope so, it added to the whole hideousness of it all.

Remember the dorky beefeater costumes they used to make the doormen wear? Or do they still wear them?

[LosAngelesBeauty]

^ I saw Ryan Phillipe there before! (Second time total, once while waiting in line at Heathrow before take off) So it makes the hotel good in my book LOL

[pesto]

All right, I’ll play bad guy. The CP is a low-rise, car-oriented, pedestrian-non-oriented, building. It is too young to be historic and just not that good architecturally. You can see versions of it in many resort areas of the world.

It will be replaced by high-rise residences (which is what CC is missing) with outside retail and direct, attractive pedestrian connections to the mall.

The mall itself will be redone to add street retail (SM Blvd, Ave. of the Stars) and make it more pedestrian friendly. A subway station will be put on the ground floor of a high-rise containing Bloomingdale’s and more residential housing. And this is all being done with zero financial commitment of any sort from the city. How can you beat this deal?

And, besides, I never saw Ryan Philippe there.

[LosAngelesBeauty]

^ You're right pesto, get rid of that thing and replace it with the two towers

[Westsidelife]

Anything built in Century City will be auto-oriented.

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by Westsidelife

Anything built in Century City will be auto-oriented.

Well yeah, Century City itself is auto-oriented. Avenue of the Stars is as wide as a freeway and there's no on-street parking allowed anywhere in CC. There are high-rise residential towers in CC towards the Pico Blvd. end, but you never see people walking in Century City. It's very sterile and almost eerie, especially at night; to me it always had the look out of a science-fiction movie where somehow a bomb killed all the people and made them disappear but left the buildings and landscaping intact.

I doubt it'll become pedestrian-oriented anytime soon, and if it does, it'll only be along the Santa Monica Blvd. end because of the retail. Santa Monica Blvd., itself along that stretch is also as wide as a freeway with the same speeding traffic.

[Kingofthehill]

I'll never understand the people in LA who are staunch advocates of tearing down what little skyscrapers we have -- even if they are 'ugly' -- in favor of another one, when there are literally tons of adjacent lots...as if a block or 2 over is going to make a big difference; since most of the traffic to these new towers will be automobile (i.e don't have to worry about the building being too far from mass transit), an additional minute or 2 isn't going to spell the end of the world. All those underutilized/empty parcels and they want to go after the one with a fully-functioning, *historic* building...no wonder why this city has no history left!

And the touted successors for the CP building....2 more impersonal glass towers? yawn.

[pesto]

I agree that CC will never be pedestrian friendly like DT or other real urban areas. But bringing in residences next to offices and shopping, density, a subway and on-street retail are all good things in any neighborhood, right?

I expect that CC will have a boom in pedestrian traffic after this, precisely in the areas of the subway, mall and Century Plaza. I expect that the CC subway stop will be one of the most heavily used in LA.

The CP is not exactly a historic high-rise. It’s 15 stories or so and only 40 years old. It will be replaced by two 40 plus story buildings with greenery and connections to the mall and subway. Similarly, I do not mourn the Wilshire Grand or the Beverly Hilton (if and when they get "renovated"). Nice, but not that nice; historical, but not that historical.

[dktshb]

Fitting for Hollywood and I am glad to see another yet another theatre on Hollywood Blvd being redeveloped:

Supperclub Launches Spring 2010 in Vogue Theatre

Tuesday, October 6, 2009, by Kat Odell
With worldwide outposts in Amsterdam, London, Singapore, Istanbul, and San Francisco, the Supperclub is headed for LA, slated to open March 2010 in the Vogue Theatre on Hollywood Blvd. Concrete Architectural Associates are heading the 15,000 square foot spacial remodel that will meld the current vintage feel of the theatre with the oddities that encompass other Supperclub locations (red and white rooms, dominatrixes, opera singers, midgets on bicycles, etc.). The end result will be a multi-purpose venue featuring an ultra-modern amphitheater as the main dining room with a bar/lounge/club. [EaterWire]·Supperclub Bringing "Midget on Bicycles" To Vogue Theatre [~ELA~]

[pesto]

Ah, a little bit of Amsterdam or Berlin right here in LA.

I have no problem with transvestites, bicycling midgets, dominatrices and perverted cabaret as long as its done in good taste.