LOS ANGELES | METRO Project Rundown 2.0 (non-downtown) - Page 55

pesto · #**1081** Posted **May 21, 2010, 5:12 PM**

LAB,, KOTH: agreed; make the first 5 floors attractive and you have won the battle. Given the size of LA's core (DT to the sea) just going from older sfh's and dated 2-story apartments to 3-8 story developments will be all the development that is ever needed to make the city dense, urban and yet livable.

A few skyscrapers and 20-40 stories where appropriate is OK, but that's not where the future of livability will come from.

BrandonJXN · #**1082** Posted **May 21, 2010, 6:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kingofthehill

More quality infill, like this piece I found in Hollywood, is what the city needs more of! Quality materials, appealing aesthetics, parking out of sight, etc. More of this, please!

http://devanwells.blogspot.com/2010/...eks-or-so.html

I've been saying this for a while and I will continue to do so: Los Angeles, especially downtown needs this sort of infill. Design wise, it's pleasing to the eye. Not urban, not suburban. Just right.

LosAngelesBeauty · #**1083** Posted **May 21, 2010, 6:27 PM**

I agree, I like the design of that condo building in Hollywood (thanks KOTH for sharing). It's appealing, and I like how the front units have doors that lead directly to the street. Who is the architect?

Perhaps we should introduce the architect to other developers in the region!

pesto · #**1084** Posted **May 21, 2010, 9:40 PM**

agreed; not urban not suburban. I first saw this sort of 'high-density light" in quantity in the center of Frankfurt about 30 years ago, but it's all over various parts of the world. Urban and dense but without oppressive crowding or cement sterility.

Translatable into the Lincoln or La Brea neighborhoods as well. If about half of Westlake and adjacent looked like this, we would have a hell of an urban locale.

DistrictDirt · #**1085** Posted **May 21, 2010, 11:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kingofthehill

More quality infill, like this piece I found in Hollywood, is what the city needs more of! Quality materials, appealing aesthetics, parking out of sight, etc. More of this, please!

http://devanwells.blogspot.com/2010/...eks-or-so.html

Have you seen the one they're finishing up in EP at the corner of Sunset and Alvarado? Quality materials (including a lot of oxidized copper), Medium density (5 stories I believe), and retail frontage. Its a winner all around, IMO.

I'll try to snap some photos this weekend, but for now:

pesto · #**1086** Posted **May 22, 2010, 12:29 AM**

DD: exactly what I thought of when I saw the new one. Great little building also with a European look.

EP on the rise. Let's extend the Bway trolley and make it part of DT.

Kingofthehill · #**1087** Posted **May 22, 2010, 12:59 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DistrictDirt

Have you seen the one they're finishing up in EP at the corner of Sunset and Alvarado? Quality materials (including a lot of oxidized copper), Medium density (5 stories I believe), and retail frontage. Its a winner all around, IMO.

I passed by it today...would've have taken a pic were it not for the fact I was kind of on a date

Also, I saw this one today:

.

Another job well done. These random infill projects in and around Sunset are giving me hope.

milquetoast · #**1088** Posted **May 25, 2010, 8:55 AM**

Being on a date is no excuse for not whipping out your cam!
If that's horizontal wood cladding, then I would say it looks like it belongs on the beach. Looks good!

milquetoast · #**1089** Posted **May 25, 2010, 9:05 AM**

I'm not recognizing my old neighborhoods here!
Where are the wood sided single fams, the adobe jobs and the bungalows?

Some of the stuff looks very clean lined but more suited to Europe in style- modern London or Berlin.

I'm gonna be shocked if there is a lot of this when I get back.

pesto · #**1090** Posted **May 25, 2010, 5:38 PM**

milq: exactly right; but LA has always been a place where the past gets superceded. Fortunately, there are more than enough examples of bungalow, cheap plaster and ranch sfh's and nondescript modern apartments and commercial to go around. Some of my former homes are now apartments that are not great but an improvement over where I lived.

If there are any real gems in the area or consistent neighborhoods in good condition, that is a different matter. Otherwise I'm OK with some neighborhoods looking trendy in a Europen way. In fact, I prefer that approach to the anonymous high-rise towers of many cities.

dktshb · #**1091** Posted **May 26, 2010, 4:52 AM**

LOL, you have 4 ssp tabs open there:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kingofthehill

I passed by it today...would've have taken a pic were it not for the fact I was kind of on a date

Also, I saw this one today:

.

Another job well done. These random infill projects in and around Sunset are giving me hope.

This development on Branson is coming along nicely since I last saw it. There are a few good modern structures going up In Hollywood east of Vine.

milquetoast · #**1092** Posted **May 26, 2010, 7:57 AM**

BOOM!! stupid birds ...

Kingofthehill · #**1093** Posted **May 26, 2010, 1:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by dktshb

LOL, you have 4 ssp tabs open there

LOL, I had just got home; the first thing I do when going on the internet is to check gmail - facebook - ssp.

And yes, I saw some really nice infill in and around the area bounded by Vine to the west, the 101 to the east, Hollywood to the north, and Sunset to the south. I'll be back there this Friday...with my camera in hand.

BTW, speaking of infill, I took a few pictures in Venice this weekend:

and one from the Silverlake/EHO/Rampart junction.

Busy Bee · #**1094** Posted **May 26, 2010, 4:07 PM**

^What is that building? Almost looks like it would be a garage. It would be a pretty good looking garage if it was.

Kingofthehill · #**1095** Posted **May 26, 2010, 5:11 PM**

It's a high school

pesto · #**1096** Posted **May 26, 2010, 5:40 PM**

looks like deconstructed geometric is the rage in Venice. Anjelica Huston's place at 64 Windward is in the same mode (but it's hard to call a house listed at 16M "infill").

It's good to see the Vine-101-Hollywood Sunset area and areas further east on Hollywood and Sunset modernizing. It's a good area for some taller and more modern stuff without raising too many NIMBY issues since the existing housing is already very mixed and largely deteriorated.

Hopefully a few strip malls will go as well. How about a change of zoning to require landscaping of the strip mall parking lots on the main street, and the establishment of hidden (back alley?) parking areas or structures?

DistrictDirt · #**1097** Posted **May 27, 2010, 5:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by pesto

Hopefully a few strip malls will go as well. How about a change of zoning to require landscaping of the strip mall parking lots on the main street, and the establishment of hidden (back alley?) parking areas or structures?

I was shocked by all the strip mall/street facing parking when I first got here. Its 2010, I can't believe it hasn't been zoned out yet in LA. I can think of 2 strip malls in my previous city. Just 2- in the whole of Washington DC.

No one is saying get rid of the autocentric, sedentary lifestyle here. That would be too much to ask.

But lets at least stick the parking in the rear. Cars are ugly. Parking is ugly. Lets at least try to hide it.

pesto · #**1098** Posted **May 27, 2010, 9:05 PM**

DD: This is classic LA noir: you try to hide the dirt but it keeps coming after you. There's usually a dame involved too.

Actually I agree; the strip malls are a boon in the sense of providing some open space, but the key is to move parking to the back, as a transition to the multi-story residential. Then the former parking area becomes a mini-plaza.

This is too much to ask for in the suburbs, but in core LA, it has to be the rule.

DistrictDirt · #**1099** Posted **May 27, 2010, 10:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by pesto

the key is to move parking to the back, as a transition to the multi-story residential. Then the former parking area becomes a mini-plaza.

Your idea reminds me of the Urban Sprawl Repair Kit that was published a couple years back. We need to be doing this in LA:

StethJeff · #**1100** Posted **May 27, 2010, 10:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DistrictDirt

I was shocked by all the strip mall/street facing parking when I first got here. Its 2010, I can't believe it hasn't been zoned out yet in LA. I can think of 2 strip malls in my previous city. Just 2- in the whole of Washington DC.

No one is saying get rid of the autocentric, sedentary lifestyle here. That would be too much to ask.

But lets at least stick the parking in the rear. Cars are ugly. Parking is ugly. Lets at least try to hide it.

A special exception has to be made for In-N-Out. The place just wouldn't look right without bitchin' cars parked in front.