MUSIC CENTER
HISTORIC PLACES
MUSEUMS
Jerry Moss Plaza is site of first live performance of the season May 26 .
New book tells of lesserknown and hidden treasures throughout the region.
Enjoy the art inside, and the grounds outside, at the sites on Museum Row.
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REAL ESTATE MUSEUMS, LIBRARIES HOME & GARDEN
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VIEW
Section 2
LARCHMONT CHRONICLE
MAY 2021
HANCOCK PARK • WINDSOR SQUARE • FREMONT PLACE • GREATER WILSHIRE • MIRACLE MILE • PARK LA BREA • LARCHMONT
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By Suzan Filipek The Town & Country on Third St. at Fairfax Ave. will be a little bit city and a little bit country — and a good friend to its neighboring elementary school — if all goes according to plan. The mixed-use development recently ended a 45-day public comment period for its Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR), and the City Planning Dept. is reviewing the comments. The eight-story, mixed-use complex of housing units over retail space with tree-lined pedestrian walkways will replace an outdated shopping center at the site, which had been home to a Kmart for many years. Both the Mid City West Community Council (MCWCC) and Friends of Hancock Park School have expressed support in letters to the City Planning Dept. and Councilmember Nithya Raman’s office. The MCWCC board voted overwhelmingly on March 9 to support the proposed project with several agreed-to community benefits, including creating public open space, planting mature shade trees, and creating 15-foot-wide sidewalks where possible.
Larchmont Chronicle
MAY 2021
SECTION TWO
A MID-RISE, MIXED-USE project proposed for Third St. east of Fairfax Ave. recently completed a 45-day comment period for its draft Environmental Impact Report. View is east on Third St.
The Council also was pleased that the project is a mid-rise structure of eight stories down from its original 26 stories. Friends of Hancock Park School, the booster club for Hancock Park Elementary, will receive a benefits package totaling $3.5 million as part of the agreement. School improvements include a 10-foot wall on the south side of the alley separating the school and the project, along with an additional fivefoot sound wall to be main-
322 S. Rossmore| $5,750,000 5 Bed+5 Bath|Hancock Park
tained during construction. Other benefits include new computer hardware, new basketball courts and soccer field and a striping plan for Colgate Ave. to increase student safety during pick-up and drop-off times. “The applicant has resolved the concerns that we initially expressed. Thus, we now support the project without hesitation,” wrote Shanon Dawn Trygstad in a March 29 letter on behalf of Friends of Hancock Park School.
In an email to the Chronicle, Thomas Warren, Holland Partner Group’s executive managing director, development, Southern California, wrote: “As part of our commitment to the neighborhood and our long-standing support for schools, Holland is proud to be working collaboratively with the Hancock Park Elementary School community to provide meaningful funding for school site improvements and educational enhancements valued at over $3.5 million.”
The 490,682 square foot Regency Centers development includes 331 studio, one-, twoand three-bedroom apartment units, new commercial space and two levels of subterranean parking. There are 996 parking spaces. An existing Whole Foods Market and CVS Pharmacy on the western portion of the block will remain open during construction. The DEIR for the project was released Feb. 11, and public comment was accepted through March 29, all after developer Holland Partner Group had spent nearly three years working with neighbors and community members to refine the project. A company spokesman said that the team is pleased with the support the project received from the communityat-large and its immediate neighbors. A community working group assisted Holland in reducing the scale of the project and agreeing to the community benefits. These include improved pedestrian circulation and safety with the addition of two new crosswalks, widening the existing sidewalks along Third and Fairfax where feasible, adding publicly accessible (Please turn to page 15)
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Larchmont Chronicle
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Plan for $1.25 billion expansion of TV City marked by some controversy By Helene Seifer Renderings of the proposed expansion of CBS Television City were recently released by Hackman Capital Partners, which purchased the iconic property for a purported $750 million in 2018. The plans are not without controversy. CBS Television City opened in 1952 as the first studio facility built exclusively for the television industry. The William Pereira-designed structure was the site of such ground-breaking television series as “The Carol Burnett Show,” “The Ed Sullivan Show” and “All in the Family.” Still an active production center, it is home to “The Price is Right” and “The Late Late Show with James Corden,” among others. When CBS announced its intent to sell the historic property in 2017, rumors posited that it would be replaced with a commercial/residential behemoth. The Los Angeles Conservancy reacted immediately, leading the charge to have the familiar building designated a City of Los Angeles HistoricCultural Monument, which was done in 2018, before the sale. Monument status offers some protection from overzealous developers. According to the “Discussion of Findings” section of
the Cultural Heritage Commission report that was adopted by the City Council: “The CBS Television City proposed Historic-Cultural Monument is limited to the exterior of the original 1952 buildings (the “Studio Building” on the west, and the “Service Building” on the east) and the CBS logo tiles in the main entry lobby and adjacent corridor.” The site plans presented on March 26, 2021 by Hackman, a real estate investment firm known for developing entertainment and creative workspace properties, are for a $1.25 billion investment that adds more than one million square feet of studios and production offices. Hackman has not included any residential, hotel or shopping uses in what it is proposing to the City Planning Dept. as the “Television City 2050 Specific Plan.” The main controversy is that the new images presented to the city and the public show that the original structure will stay, but that a new multi-story office building literally will sit on top of the windowless studio portion of the original building. The Conservancy believes that the proposed plan might jeopardize the building’s landmark status by obscuring Pereira’s design. Concern has
CONTROVERSIAL portion of the proposed TV City expansion is above the Historic-Cultural Monument portions of the 1952 Television City buildings.
also been raised that the density of the expanded complex is inconsistent with the neighborhood and will overwhelm its 25-acre site. The Conservancy is continuing its dialogue with the developers to find a mutually agreeable design solution. Public comments will be solicited once the city has issued a Notice of Preparation for an Environmental Impact Report. For details about the developer’s plans, go to TVC2050. com.
of its project, highlighting what the developer says is the protected city monument portion. Images from Television City
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Larchmont Chronicle
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SECTION TWO
Excitement builds for ‘The Grand’ opening By John Welborne For those who regularly work downtown and/or visit the Bunker Hill cultural venues on Grand Avenue — but who have not ventured to that part of town for more than a year because of COVID-19 — a big surprise is in store. Just as though magically dropped from the sky — on the site of the infamous, former “tinker toy” parking structure directly across Grand Ave. from Frank Gehry’s Walt Disney Concert Hall — there are two new, topped-out highrise buildings! At their base is a rapidly-evolving restaurant and retail hub, all on top of a through-block carriageway for arriving and departing vehicles. This is “The Grand” (sometimes being marketed as “The Grand LA”). It is what was to be the first part of The Related Companies’ multi-parcel re-imagining of the remaining vacant real estate on Bunker Hill. But as most people know, real estate economics led to delay of this, the primary project, while local politics managed to obtain what was to be the finalé — Grand Park — first. So, the public has been enjoying Grand Park since 2012, while the developers were waiting for funding that finally materialized in time for a February, 2019 groundbreaking for the full block of mixed-use construction now underway. Last month, the intricacies of the development project were shared with members and guests of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Urban Land Institute (ULI). Attendees enjoyed a virtual site tour and learned about the project that will have
opening at Jerry Moss Plaza
THE GRAND features a multi-level “Center Plaza” with shops and restaurants between the two new towers with their hotel and residences, all directly across Grand Avenue from the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Rendering from Related Cos.
a transformational effect on downtown Los Angeles. Moderated by Clare De Briere, participants in the ULI seminar heard from three key representatives from The Related Group’s development team and Tensho Takemori of Gehry Partners. The speakers described the planned 176,000 square feet of available retail and restaurant locations. A main feature of the design is public space. A centerpiece is the 20-story,
309-room Equinox Hotel on the corner of First and Grand. There also will be residences in the two towers, including the taller at 39 stories. The 400 total residences not only will include premium units built to condominium specifications (although all residences will be rental for the foreseeable future), they also will include 20 percent affordable units. Anticipated completion of The Grand is sometime in 2022.
Spring is busting out all over, including in downtown Los Angeles, where the Music Center will kick off its first live performance of the season for the 18th annual “Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at the Music Center,” at Jerry Moss Plaza, 135 N. Grand Ave. For this year’s series, “Dance at Dusk,” patrons can buy a pod of four tickets for safe socially distanced seats to watch the performance live. The series will begin with a debut of “The Super Villainz:
A Tap Dance Act for the Modern Age,” featuring tap dancers with a jazz trio Wed., May 26 to Sun., May 30, with other performances to follow in June and July. Advance reservations will be required. Each pod accommodates up to four people, one household per pod. Masks are required. Outside food and beverages will not be allowed in, and no food and beverages will be available for purchase on site. Water will be available. (Please turn to page 14)
SERIES OPENER “And Still You Must Swing” features tap dancers and a jazz trio in May.
Hollywood Bowl, Ford to reopen for 2021 season The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association has reopened its two outdoor venues, the Hollywood Bowl and the John Anson Ford Theater, for the 2021 season. The Bowl will kick off the season with four free concerts for healthcare workers, first responders and essential workers, while the Ford will make the first six shows of its season free to the public.
Based on Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Health guidance, the Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave., initially will be able to open up to a limited capacity of approximately 4,000 attendees per performance in May and June. After the four free concerts scheduled for front line workers Saturdays May 15, 22, June 12 and 26, 14 weeks of concerts will
follow, including a Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular. The Ford, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd., will open in late July and operate for 15 weeks. The Hollywood Bowl is one of the largest natural amphitheaters in the world, with a seating capacity of nearly 18,000, and it has been the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since its
official opening in 1922. The Ford is one of the oldest performing arts venues in Los Angeles, with an outdoor 1,200seat amphitheater and a rich history dating back to 1920. Programs, dates and ticketing will be announced Tues., May 11 for the Hollywood Bowl and Tues., May 25 for the Ford Theater. Visit hollywoodbowl.com and theford.com.
Larchmont Chronicle
MAY 2021
SECTION TWO
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Larchmont Chronicle
MAY 2021
SECTION TWO
Alchemy of gardens in new book, ‘Under Western Skies’ In the last few months, desperate, like everyone else, for some change, I thought about selling my house and starting over, yet again. I looked at a too-expensive house for sale; then I went to a plant nursery, and loaded up the Volvo with blooming annuals. Three hours into working on my terrace, I looked up and around me and thought about the thesis of Jennifer Jewell’s newest book (photographed by Caitlin Atkinson), “Under Western Skies: Visionary Gardens from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast” (Timber Press, 2021), and of her podcast series, “Cultivating Place.” Jewell underscores an understanding each gardener has with herself, yet is often unarticulated: “Gardens help people to know where they are in the world.” This understanding and knowing can take years. “To my mind and experience,” Jewell writes, “most gardens are a three-part alchemy between the riches and constraints of the natural and/or cultural history of the place, the individual creativity and personality of the gardener, and the gardening culture in which both the garden and the gardener exist.” Readers can watch this al-
Home Ground by
Paula Panich
chemy unfold within the 36 gardens found throughout the West in this well-illustrated and well-written book. Jewell is sharp, articulate (listen to a few of her “Cultivating Place” podcasts) and succinct. Each chapter has a tripartite organization: place, people and plants. Six are public gardens; the remainder are anchored by passionate gardeners, not ordinary at all, but with a couple of exceptions, not zillionaires either. (I particularly admire the selection.) In Southern California, three of the seven gardens are public: The much-admired Nature Garden of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County; the Native Gathering Garden and Chumash Indian Museum in Thousand Oaks (its ethnobotanical garden and replica Chumash Village were destroyed by the Woolsey Fire in 2018, and are under restoration); and Isamu Noguchi’s modernist, abstract courtyard landscape at South
Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. The latter is an unusual choice; when I asked Jewell about it, she said that the space “poses a philosophical question: What is a garden?” I liked the answer; for, by extension, it underscores that all places, including the personal, are “political and moral statements,” as Jewell has said. Two gardens in the Southern California section of the book are in Echo Park, which has a vibrant cultural and gardening history stretching from the end of the 19th century, and was the cradle of the film industry more than a century ago. And the cradle of so much else in Los Angeles, long before it was in the Hipster Triangle. (It’s worth poking around the Internet to read about the neighborhood’s history.) Landscape architect David
Godshall’s richly textured hillside garden looks modernist to my eye, with an old jacaranda providing shade and structure. He and his architect wife Lauren began building this garden in 2013. “It’s a living design in process,” writes Jewell. Godshall’s philosophy is interesting (you’ll have to read about it), and he holds that “Native and nonnative species can co-exist … ,” which is another STAIRS BUILT into the hillside run along the prevailing theme Photo: Caitlin Atkinson, Under Western Skies, of the book. copyright 2021 Jenny Jones, also a landscape architect, lives with her fam- in the book: “The connection ily on “Red Hill,” the section is so strong here. There is an of Echo Park steeped in the open flow of people, plants, memory and history of the wildlife, produce.” Her garden radical politics of many of the looks charming. artists and thinkers who began I loved this book, and “thank settling there in the late 19th you,” Jenny Jones. I’m not gocentury. The upper half of her ing anywhere. My cherry tree terraced garden is open to the is blooming, and I am opening neighboring seven gardens up my garden to neighbors for on either side. She is quoted afternoon tea.
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Larchmont Chronicle
MAY 2021
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Larchmont Chronicle
MAY 2021
SECTION TWO
Nightmare on Wilton Place: Another historic home lost There is a disturbance in the atmosphere of the leafy community of Wilton Place. A house has been brutally vandalized. Tragically, it is a familiar story: 215 S. Wilton Pl., a treasured historic home, built in 1907 and designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1992, and also within the Wilton Place National Historic District, was sold by its devoted owner to a new buyer who, the seller and her real estate agent believed, also loved the home and only planned to add a bathroom and renovate the kitchen. Well, the reality turned out to be something different, as concerned neighbors in early April began to see demolition activity removing hardwood floors, mahogany details etc. Further investigation revealed that the majority of the historic interior had been brought down to the 100-yearold studs, causing an irreparable loss of historic fabric, a monument plundered. Good steward As a preservationist, I am always filled with a little bit of dread when I drive through our neighborhoods and see construction dumpsters, porta-potties, or fencing around a newly purchased histor-
On Preservation by
Brian Curran
ic home. While I know that change is always part of the life of any house, especially old ones, and new owners will make their mark, you never know quite what you are going to get. Most work involves kitchens and bathrooms that need updating, rooms that require alteration, and in some cases, additions constructed for the needs of modern living. Purchasers of historic homes, however, tend to buy them for their traditional or unique design, solid construction and fine details. They intend to be good stewards of a historic resource. Philistines There are other purchasers, however, like Reuven Gradon at 361 N. Citrus Ave., who demolished that beautiful home after wantonly lying to the sellers, or developer-flipper Kaya Milalya, who “modernized” 184 S. Hudson Ave. by removing character-defining features and making it ineligible for landmark status.
But it takes a special kind of philistine to purchase a designated property in an historic district and then proceed to wreck it so that it cancels the Mills Act contract on the house that has been in place since 1998. Mills Act contracts significantly reduce the property tax burden on owners of designated properties — to incentivize and underwrite preservation. Breaking the contract through unapproved alterations can lead to the loss of the tax benefit and a 12.5 percent penalty fee on the fair market value of the property, in this case a penalty of nearly $250,000! Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. K-pop Another twist in the story is that the new owner of the property is the 19-year-old K-pop singer Samuel Arrendondo, aka Punch of the hip hop duo 1Punch and now known simply as Samuel. Apparently, Mr. Arrendondo wanted the cachet of living in an historic house in an historic district, but not the atmosphere of a historic interior. He and his mother Ms. Kyung Ju Kim, as well as a Mr. Roy Yun, are the addressees of a letter sent by the
215 SOUTH WILTON PLACE, as the historic home looked when sold on March 1, 2021.
City of Los Angeles Office of Historic Resources giving 30 days notice to correct the violations and the unauthorized
demolitions or face the cancellation of the Mills Act contract. The letter further states (Please turn to page 9)
AS-SOLD LIVING ROOM of the Historic-Cultural Monument at 215 S. Wilton Pl.
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Larchmont Chronicle
MAY 2021
SECTION TWO
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JUDSON STAINED GLASS in local Memorial Branch Library.
History of family’s work in stained glass to be told at talk
UPSTAIRS HALL, as sold.
DEMOLISHED living room.
On Preservation (Continued from page 8)
that, “In order to bring the Property into compliance and avoid cancellation of the Contract, the pre-demolition condition of the Property shall be restored in conformance with the Secretary of the Interi-
or’s Standards and Guidelines for the Treatment of Historic Properties.” This requires the property owners to secure a team of qualified preservation experts to create a scope of work to accomplish the remediation to be approved by the Office of Historic Resources. Let’s hope the new owners
HISTORIC FLOORING was illegally removed throughout the protected Wilton Pl. landmark.
follow the law and that this nightmare will conclude with a happy ending. Perhaps the moral of the story is not simply caveat emptor (let the buyer beware) because most real estate agents are trained to
disclose preservation responsibilities required of their clients, but cave ergo venditor (let the seller beware) because you never know the real plans of your buyer until after the deal is done.
Hear a talk on “Judson: Innovations in Stained Glass” by authors David Judson and Steffie Nelson on Wed., May 12 at 7 p.m. via Zoom. The talk, hosted by the Windsor Square-Hancock Park Historical Society, will focus on the work in stained glass of five generations of the Judson family, including Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House. The Judsons also created the stained glass windows at the Memorial Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library, across from Los Angeles High School. Tickets are $10 for members, $15 for non-members, or $60 including an autographed copy of the book. For more information on this and other talks in the series, visit windsorsquarehancockpark.com.
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10
By John Welborne At a wonderful late-April book launch event attended by 497 people via Zoom, author Ken Bernstein and photographer Stephen Shafer discussed their new book, “Preserving Los Angeles,” with award-winning local author and National Trust for Historic Preservation trustee Lisa See. Bernstein is a principal city planner in the City Planning Department, and he directs the city’s Office of Historic Resources. Previously, he was the director of preservation issues for the Los Angeles Conservancy. I had the privilege of reviewing an advance copy of the book, and it truly is worth reading (and owning!). It is 256 pages long, with more than 300 full-color images. Architectural photographer Shafer makes a major contribution to Bernstein’s story, one that touches less on the
Larchmont Chronicle
MAY 2021
SECTION TWO
Real Estate Sales
(center) introduces his new book, “Preserving Los Angeles” at a Zoom book launch moderated by award-winning local author and National Trust for Historic Preservation trustee Lisa See, at which photographer Stephen Schafer also discussed his odyssey obtaining the contemporary photographs in the book.
“old reliable” monuments that we locals generally know, and more on the less-known and even hidden historic treasures throughout the region. Many of these contributors to our collective history were overlooked until the completion of “SurveyLA,” the first citywide survey of local historic resources, done in partnership with the J. Paul Get-
ty Trust. The introducer of the speakers at the April 20 book launch was Tim Whalen, Director of the Getty Conservation Institute (and current chair of the National Trust for Historic Preservation). The wonderful new book will be available widely, including at Chevalier’s Books, which held a virtual book talk the (Please turn to page 13)
SOLD: This Windsor Square home at 137 S. Larchmont Blvd. was sold in March for $2,843,560.
Single family homes 141 S. Las Palmas St. 530 N. Martel Ave. 238 Lorraine Blvd. 262 S. Arden Blvd. 112 N. Edinburgh Ave. 547 N. Gardner St. 329 S. Mansfield Ave. 101 N. Arden Blvd. 137 S. Larchmont Blvd. 251 S. Wilton Pl. 144 N. Van Ness Ave. 321 N. Laurel Ave. 135 N. Beachwood Dr. 359 S. Mansfield Ave. 842 Muirfield Rd. 620 N. Highland Ave. 256 S. Lucerne Blvd. 342 N. Windsor Blvd. 167 N. Fuller Ave. 520 N. Formosa Ave. 121 S. Martel Ave. 515 S. Van Ness Ave. 117 S. Martel Ave. 516 N. Mansfield Ave. 826 S. Spaulding Ave. 575 N. Arden Blvd. 517 N. Arden Blvd. 642 N. Curson Ave. 946 S. Highland Ave. 584 N. Lucerne Blvd. 118 N. Martel Ave. 850 S. Bronson Ave. 638 N. Las Palmas Ave. 423 N. Irving Blvd. 860 S. Bronson Ave. 915 S. Cochran Ave. 102 S. Wilton Pl. 255 S. Gramercy Pl. 610 N. Poinsettia Pl. 268 S. Larchmont Blvd. 862 S. Wilton Pl. 4956 Clinton St.
$6,000,000 4,325,000 4,085,000 3,635,000 3,341,000 3,165,000 3,125,000 2,850,000 2,843,560 2,826,400 2,825,476 2,815,000 2,675,000 2,615,000 2,550,000 2,455,000 2,450,000 2,442,000 2,395,000 2,385,000 2,350,000 2,275,000 2,120,000 1,983,250 1,900,000 1,895,000 1,895,000 1,880,000 1,793,500 1,755,000 1,720,000 1,610,000 1,600,000 1,565,000 1,525,000 1,520,000 1,437,175 1,355,000 1,210,000 1,175,000 911,500 749,000
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Larchmont Chronicle
MAY 2021
JOHN C. FREMONT 6121 Melrose Ave. 323-962-3521 MEMORIAL 4625 W. Olympic Blvd. 323-938-2732 WILSHIRE 149 N. St. Andrews Pl. 323-957-4550 ASK A LIBRARIAN 213-228-7272 infonow@lapl.org HOURS *Thirty-eight branches are now open for limited hours and service. Library-to-Go will continue at Fairfax and other select libraries: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30 to 7:30 p.m. Closed Fri., May 28 and Mon., May 31. For information, ask a librarian or visit lapl. org.
FAMILY MEMBERS at Los Feliz branch library pick up their Library-To-Go items.
Beginning Mon., May 3, many branches of the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL), 38 in all, will go through a phased reopening, offering limited indoor services to patrons. The branches will offer some in-person services such as computer use and inside holds pick-up and check-out. Outside Library-To-Go contactless pick up will also continue. Other services may also increase in the coming weeks. “We look forward to further expanding library services as the rolling reopening continues,” says Monica Valencia, LAPL public relations specialist. Visit lapl.org.
1401 North Ogden Drive Co-listed with Bryant \ Reichling
1531 North Sierra Bonita Ave
Amazon series also in works In late 2019, it was announced that Bardugo’s adult novel “Ninth House” was in development as an original series at Amazon. Bardugo is attached to the project as writer and executive producer. For more information, visit leighbardugo.com.
Stunning Mediterranean unit in a Tenants-In-Common fourplex, offers the best of LA Living. All the charm & period details of the 1920’s combined with all modern conveniences. Please contact me if you’re thinking about purchasing or selling in Hancock Park!
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Compass is a licensed real estate broker (01991628) in the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdraw without notice.
Sold I Multiple Offers I Rep. Sellers Spaulding Square
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Lovely 1920s Mediterranean Unit In A Hancock Park Fourplex (TIC)
Photo by Ryan Schude
38 public library branches to reopen by May 3
er Alina Starkov as she helps her country Ravka fight the Shadow Fold, while also discovering her own Sun Summoning powers. Bardugo, who grew up in Windsor Square and attended Marlborough School, is executive producer on the series and has said that she is excited about the adaptation.
ali.jack@compass.com @thealijack TheAliJack.com
1927 Classic Hollywood Hills Spanish
statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate.
FAIRFAX 161 S. Gardner St. 323-936-6191
“Shadow and Bone,” the title of the first of Leigh Bardugo’s seven books in her Grishaverse series, also is the title of an original TV series that premiered on Netflix last month. The TV story, based mostly on the first book, but also integrating elements of the other books, follows mapmak-
Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01991628. All material presented herein is intended
LIBRARIES*
SECTION TWO
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Larchmont Chronicle
MAY 2021
SECTION TWO
Craft Contemporary is about to open alongside its neighbors By Suzan Filipek Craft Contemporary is poised to open its doors Sun.,
May 9 with three new exhibits by Los Angeles-based artists: “Cathy Cooper: Dramatis
Personae,” “Tomoshibi: Glass Works by Kazuki Takizawa” and “Making Time,” a group show. Costumes and sculpture merge in new works by artist, performer and costume designer Cathy Cooper. In his first solo exhibit, Takizawa creates works to help destigmatize mental illness. Works that mark time by artists who have had solo exhibitions at the museum in the past 10 years are featured in the group show. The artists are: Tanya Aguiñiga, Uzumaki Cepeda, Beatriz Cortez, Keiko
NEW EXHIBITS at the Craft Contemporary include “Tomoshibi: Glass Works by Kazuki Takizawa.”
Fukazawa, Katherine Gray, Gronk, Sherin Guirguis, Betye Saar, Timothy Washington and Ann Weber.
The exhibits are on view at 5814 Wilshire Blvd. through Sept. 12, 2021. Visit craftcontemporary.org.
LA BREA TAR PITS in Hancock Park. Photo by Gina Cholick, courtesy of the Natural History Museums of LA County
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Craft Contemporary will soon join its neighbors, which all opened last month. All sites require masks, social distancing and other safety protocols. Advance timed tickets and reservations are required. Check the websites for more information. Tar Pits The exhibit “Mammoths and Mastodons” is on view at the La Brea Tar Pits, 5801 Wilshire Blvd. Explore the world of these Ice Age animals, whose fossils have been found at the Tar Pits and at sites around the world. Visit tarpits.org. Petersen “Supercars: A Century of Spectacle and Speed,” “Extreme Conditions” and “Porsche: Redefining Performance” are at the Petersen
Automotive Museum, 6060 Wilshire Blvd. “The Aesthetic of Motoring: 90 Years of Pininfarina” features four vehicles by the storied Italian car design firm and coachbuilder. Visit Petersen.org. LACMA Exhibits on display at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., are: “Yoshitomo Nara,” “Cauleen Smith: Give It Or Leave It,” “NOT I: Throwing Voices (1500 BCE to 2020 CE),” “Bill Viola: Slowly Turning Narrative,” “Vera Lutter: Museum in the Camera” and “View From Here: Recent Acquisitions.” Ray’s and Stark Bar, for casual dining indoors and outdoors, is back open for business. Reservations are recommended. Visit lacma.org.
Larchmont Chronicle
MAY 2021
SECTION TWO
13
Monumental Perspectives widely available through technology By John Welborne A fascinating, lively online discussion of the future of monuments “with an eye toward the ways in which artists can create bold and interactive virtual memorials” took place in late April at a Zoom event organized in conjunction with a new initiative of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and Snap Inc., creator of Snapchat and other
tech products. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, LACMA CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director Michael Govan, Snap Inc. CEO and co-founder Evan Spiegel, and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation president Elizabeth Alexander spoke with one another for over an hour in a program moderated by LACMA vice president of education and public programs Naima J.
Bernstein book
with Bernstein on Saturday, May 8 at 1 p.m. All are virtual, and the links are listed on a KPCC “Air Talk” page at: tinyurl.com/n52aht3r
(Continued from page 10)
night before this issue of the Larchmont Chronicle was delivered to our readers. The Los Angeles Central Library hosts an event at 5:30 p.m. on April 29; the Los Angeles Conservancy (LAC) presents a conversation between Bernstein and LAC president Linda Dishman at noon on May 5; and the Society of Architectural Historians has an event NEW BOOK: published in April.
Keith. They discussed “LACMA x Snapchat: Monumental Perspectives,” a new undertaking “to bring together artists and technologists to create virtual monuments that explore just some of the histories of Los Angeles communities in an effort to highlight perspectives from across the region.” What does all that mean? Well, “augmented reality” has a lot to do with it, and you can learn more — not here — but at LACMA’s introduction to how to experience the monuments at tinyurl.com/ tuacccwv
MONUMENTAL dialogue took place in late April among (counterclockwise from upper left): Naima J. Keith, Mayor Eric Garcetti, Michael Govan, Evan Spiegel and Elizabeth Alexander. Christal Klinger provided American Sign Language interpretation.
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Larchmont Chronicle
MAY 2021
SECTION TWO
POLICE BEAT
Lock doors and windows; residential burglaries are increasing pect, who then fled. BURGLARIES: A suspect used a tool to open the garage door of a home on the 100 block of N. Detroit St. on March 31 between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. and stole property including a bicycle. Unknown property was stolen from inside the Le Pain Quotidien on Larchmont Boulevard after a suspect smashed the front window on March 30 at 2:10 a.m. A laptop was stolen from a home on March 31 at 3:50 p.m. after a suspect entered property on the 700 block of S. Orange Dr. while the homeowner was inside.
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Tools and other property were stolen from the basement of a home on the 300 block of S. Lucerne Blvd. between March 29 at 4:30 p.m. and March 30 at 8 a.m. Watches and jewelry were among the items stolen from
a home on the 100 block of S. Las Palmas Ave. after a suspect entered through a rear door, ransacked the interior and fled with property on April 4 between noon and 3:15 p.m. Money was stolen from inside a home on the 200 block of S. Rimpau Blvd. after a suspect jumped the gate and entered through a rear entrance before ransacking the master bedroom and closet and then fleeing on April 10 between 7:50 and 8 p.m. OLYMPIC DIVISION ATTEMPTED MURDER: Officers responded to a call on the 300 block of S. Manhattan Pl. on April 7 at 3:15 p.m. where they found a victim bleeding from multiple stab wounds and a completely nude suspect who, upon seeing the police, locked himself inside a bathroom and was later arrested after the officers breached the bathroom door. BURGLARIES: Two suspects smashed the window to a residence on Melrose Ave-
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WILSHIRE DIVISION ROBBERIES: A man was walking on the 500 block of Wilcox Ave. on March 29 at 8:14 p.m. when a suspect approached the victim from behind, pushed him to the ground, and stole the mobile phone in his hands. A victim walked out to his driveway on the 200 block of S. Rossmore Ave. to find a suspect sitting in his car on March 28 at 12:35 p.m. When the victim approached the suspect and asked her to get out of the car, the suspect pulled out a gun. After a confrontation, the victim was able to grab the gun from the sus-
Each performance begins at 7:30 p.m. and runs approximately one hour without intermission. Audiences also can watch a free livestream of each Sunday evening program at home at musiccenter.org. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit musiccenter.org.
nue at the corner of Irving Boulevard and attempted to enter on April 6 at 12:10 a.m. resulting in $5,000 in damage. A suspect pried open the front door to a residence on the 300 block of N. Bronson Ave. on April 16 at 3:15 a.m. The suspect then entered the residence, while the elderly resident was asleep inside, and stole money before fleeing the location, leaving a pry bar at the scene. Two suspects were caught on CCTV using a tool to pry open a building’s storage room on the 500 block of N. Wilton Pl. on April 19 at 11:04 a.m. and stole two bicycles. A young girl was sleeping at home on the 100 block of S. Norton Ave. on April 20 at 5 a.m. when a suspect pried open the side door to the home and stole jewelry before fleeing the location. GRAND THEFTS AUTO: A green 1996 Chevy Suburban was stolen while parked on the 300 block of S. Windsor Blvd. on April 6 between 1:30 and 8:30 a.m. A 2019 Hyundai Sonata was stolen on April 7 at 11 a.m. from inside the parking garage of the victim’s building at the 300 block of S. Gramercy Pl. A 2017 black Lexus NX2 was stolen on April 8 between 7:15 and 7:40 p.m. while parked on the 600 block of S. Gramercy Pl. A 2016 black Kia Soul was stolen between April 9 at 8:30 p.m. and April 10 at 8 a.m. while parked near the corner of Manhattan Place and Fifth Street. A 2016 white Fiat 500 was stolen on April 16 at 8:20 a.m. while parked on the 500 block of N. Norton Ave.
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Larchmont Chronicle
MAY 2021
SECTION TWO
15
Strategies and tactics — a tall order to win bigger pots, Part 1 As you develop your poker skills, you are bound to realize the importance of strategies and tactics to achieve your goal — to win as often as possible, along with bigger pots. Briefly, strategies are plans of action; tactics are the steps needed to execute your strategies. Considering the multitude of hands and situations possible, this is a tall order. Playing limit hold’em at a full table of nine players, you are in a middle position. You look down on A–K offsuit in the
hole, a premium drawing hand. You will certainly stay to see the flop, but there is more to it. What is the best strategy? Your opponents are a mix of tight and loose players; some are also aggressive. The texture of the game is generally loose-aggressive. An early-position limps in. Preflop, with your A-K in the hole, you consider raising to thin the playing field but realize it would be wiser to see what the flop brings before investing more chips than neces-
Best Friends’ tips for kitty season Kitty season is anything but cute for animal shelters. It’s that time of year — spring through fall — when unspayed female cats have most of their litters, and animal shelters are inundated with orphaned kittens, who need intensive care. Best Friends Animal Society offers a few tips on how you can help: Spay or neuter your pet; adopt from a shelter or rescue group; and support local efforts to trap/neuter/return community cats. Visit nkla. org/get-involved/kittens.
Kitty Bungalow gala raised over $50k
Kitty Bungalow’s 11th “Annimeowsary” virtual gala raised more than $50,000 last month — $26,700 through donations and a raffle matched by $25,000 from the Pet Care Foundation. Proceeds raised go toward a trap, neuter and release program, kitten care and socializing cats for future adoption and work programs. Visit kittybungalow.org.
KITTY season isn’t cute for animal shelters.
Poker for All by
George Epstein sary to see the flop. (With the flop, you see over 70 percent of your final hand.) Our rule is that your starting hand must (1) satisfy the Hold’em Algorithm criteria depending on position, and (2) improve on the flop. What are the probabilities? Two out of three times, you can expect to pair one of your hole cards. In that case, depending on the situation, use your judgment whether to: open bet; raise to thin the field against you; or play to build the size of the pot. Example With A-K in the hole, the flop is A-5-5. Your hand has improved to two-pair, Aces
and fives — likely the favorite to win the pot at this point, especially with the King kicker. The Big Blind (BB) comes out betting. Try to get a read on his hand. You know he is a loose-aggressive player. Using logic, your best guess is that he holds an Ace (A-x). Any pair is also within his range. Raising would likely force out several other opponents. Then, they would not be available to help build the pot on the turn and river when the bets are doubled. Just call along. The pot grows. Now your tactics are to slow-play and/or check-raise on the turn and possibly on the river. Three opponents remain. The turn is a deuce — not likely to help anyone. BB makes a continuation bet — no surprise, considering he is a loose-aggressive player. Glancing to your left for tells, none of the other players seems about to fold. Once again, you elect to wait
until the river before making it a 2-bet to get more chips in the pot. So, all four of you get to see the river. It is a second deuce. Studying the board, it does not appear likely anyone can beat your Aces-up. True to form, the BB opens the betting. You raise it up. A late-position and the BB call your 2-bet. As you turn up your hole cards, both opponents muck their hands. You welcome a good-size pot. Our next column will examine other good examples of the vital importance of strategies and tactics. George “The Engineer” Epstein, a long-time local resident, is the author of three poker books, including “The Art of Bluffing” and “Hold’em or Fold’em – An Algorithm for Making the Key Decision.” Our life / poker quote of the month: “Fortunate are the people whose roots are deep.” – Agnes Meyer
Photo courtesy of Best Friends Animal Society
Town & Country (Continued from page 2)
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Larchmont Chronicle
MAY 2021
SECTION TWO
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