Blackburn + Sweetzer Has Moved

13 responses so far ↓

• 1 alex the sea turtle // May 20, 2008 at 2:25 pm

  I think you mean just east of La Cienega.

• 2 James McMath // May 21, 2008 at 10:41 am

  Who designs these things? There’s no proportion or aesthetic consistency whatsoever. Looks like something designed by a child out of building blocks. Ugh.

• 3 Anonymous // May 21, 2008 at 3:04 pm

  Alex we miss you on the curbed.la blog. Come and visit sometime soon.

• 4 alex the sea turtle // May 22, 2008 at 7:45 am

  I am on curbed everyday – unless I am travelling. Just haven’t felt compeled to respond to any of the posts lately.

  Thanks for the encouragement.

• 5 Todd on Blackburn // May 22, 2008 at 9:43 am

  One of the “finer” points of that new condo building is the $4 light fixtures featured on the exterior. Very nice touch! They really add to the faux-Italian (?) style of the building.

  I’ve seen the dude who built this place. He was driving an Aston Martin DB9. I think that car sells for abt. $250,000. Couldn’t he spring for decent lights? No, I guess not.

  Sigh…

• 6 alex the sea turtle // May 22, 2008 at 2:54 pm

  Nice catch Todd. I haven’t gotten close enough to the place in reality to notice that. But after you pointed it out I see what you mean.

• 7 Chaz (former Blackburnite) // May 22, 2008 at 5:40 pm

  Another older buildings with character replaced with a poorly designed “Grove-esque” condo. I do hope that residents will speak up to defend the area’s older buildings before it turns into West L.A.

• 8 Miss Teresa // May 22, 2008 at 6:05 pm

  There’s nothing that can be done to stop the teardowns unless they are considered historic for some reason. Anything zoned above R2 (duplex) has the potential to be much taller and bigger per the City’s zoning code. Unless the whole area is downsized or put into an HPOZ, you’re out of luck.

  One way to go is to push Planning for design standards; this will allow new development, while limiting the fugly.

• 9 Miss Teresa // May 22, 2008 at 6:06 pm

  Regarding the style of the condo – just wait until the first visitor/pizza delivery guy slips and falls on the marble steps in front. There goes the $250,000 car.

• 10 alex the sea turtle // May 23, 2008 at 9:39 am

  Miss Teresa you are so right. Unfortunately I know all two well from working on the ICO for the single family homes that there is way to much resistance to an HPOZ to ever see that happen let alone design standards.

  The neighborhood is changing. Remember that there are people here who love their historic homes/duplexes and restore and remodel them in ways that keep the original charm and increase their value.

  Unfortunately I think there are maybe a near equal number who don’t.

• 11 Anonymous // May 23, 2008 at 1:23 pm

  I own property in both that area as well as the Miracle Mile HPOZ area. I wholeheartedly agree with the teardowns being atrocious, but seeing the HPOZ in action I would say anything BUT an HPOZ is a good solution. HPOZ’s are so awful, I have seen people with good intentions on how they want to fix up their property shot down by the HPOZ.

• 12 Todd on Blackburn // May 24, 2008 at 12:31 am

  L.A.’s post-teardown-fest motto:

  “Los Angeles: Pretty Ugly!”

• 13 Todd on Blackburn // May 24, 2008 at 12:43 am

  I’m not an absolute n0-new-development type; I just hate the (to my eyes) awful styles that are permitted in the area. Why are design restrictions so hard to achieve, and are they so evil? I know Southern California’s rep is about freedom to do as one wishes; I just wish the developers’ wishes included trying to coordinate with what is already in the area.

  And, no matter what, I despise the box-to-the-lot-lines designs. Can’t we have some space between our buildings, and maybe a few trees and sunlight. That thing going up at Santa Monica & Hancock in WeHo is a great example. They’re making a dark canyon out of that street.

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