I have to abandon my usual policy of not making ad hominem remarks, but these "treesavers" are idiots. Mature ficus trees are hugely destructive to city sidewalks. In L.A., which has a poor record of repairing sidewalks, it's very easy to find heaved, buckled concrete wherever these trees are planted. They are a hazard, to say nothing of how difficult and dangerous passage becomes for the elderly or people with physical disabilities. I'm glad there are Jerry Rubins around ready to tie themselves to trees or otherwise put themselves on the line for a cause, but in this case I say "good riddance" to the trees.
Given that there were tear-downs in Venice going for $700-800,000 a year ago, $400,000 sounds low.
However, it's not at the end of Abbot Kinney, but across the street from a public parking lot and catty-corner to the Venice library. A few years ago, there was an unsuccessful effort to get it from the city for a community garden, which made a certain amount of sense symmetry-wise because the parking lot is the site of the Venice Farmers Market. Whoever buys is likely to put up condos, since its already zoned multi-family.
Let's see here. Two internationally-famous, ostensibly well-to-do artists have been using public property in Venice for their private workspace. The city now proposes to put that property to a use that will benefit the entire community, and we're supposed to be outraged on behalf of the artists???
Despite the obvious pedestrian-unfriendliness of auto repair shops, to say nothing of the aesthetic blight of billboards and power lines, Lincoln Blvd. is slowly changing, at least in Venice. A couple of new restaurants within the past year, a Whole Foods set to open soon, and a new wine shop with very good selection and prices. An Italian deli to open soon, and a couple of new restaurants in the permitting stages. If you're one of those people still active in the Peace and Freedom party, this is probably bad; if you've moved to Venice in the past ten years, it's probably good.
Hmmm. People go out and gather signatures for a ballot initiative that would limit development. Democracy? People deciding, for better or worse, what kind of city they want? No, no, these decisions are far too important to be left up to the citizenry. These decisions should be reserved to developers and architects. In fact, all architects should start protesting, by wearing armband swastikas when they go to city hall to submit their projects.
I have to abandon my usual policy of not making ad hominem remarks, but these "treesavers" are idiots. Mature ficus trees are hugely destructive to city sidewalks. In L.A., which has a poor record of repairing sidewalks, it's very easy to find heaved, buckled concrete wherever these trees are planted. They are a hazard, to say nothing of how difficult and dangerous passage becomes for the elderly or people with physical disabilities. I'm glad there are Jerry Rubins around ready to tie themselves to trees or otherwise put themselves on the line for a cause, but in this case I say "good riddance" to the trees.
Given that there were tear-downs in Venice going for $700-800,000 a year ago, $400,000 sounds low.
However, it's not at the end of Abbot Kinney, but across the street from a public parking lot and catty-corner to the Venice library. A few years ago, there was an unsuccessful effort to get it from the city for a community garden, which made a certain amount of sense symmetry-wise because the parking lot is the site of the Venice Farmers Market. Whoever buys is likely to put up condos, since its already zoned multi-family.
Let's see here. Two internationally-famous, ostensibly well-to-do artists have been using public property in Venice for their private workspace. The city now proposes to put that property to a use that will benefit the entire community, and we're supposed to be outraged on behalf of the artists???
Despite the obvious pedestrian-unfriendliness of auto repair shops, to say nothing of the aesthetic blight of billboards and power lines, Lincoln Blvd. is slowly changing, at least in Venice. A couple of new restaurants within the past year, a Whole Foods set to open soon, and a new wine shop with very good selection and prices. An Italian deli to open soon, and a couple of new restaurants in the permitting stages. If you're one of those people still active in the Peace and Freedom party, this is probably bad; if you've moved to Venice in the past ten years, it's probably good.
Hmmm. People go out and gather signatures for a ballot initiative that would limit development. Democracy? People deciding, for better or worse, what kind of city they want? No, no, these decisions are far too important to be left up to the citizenry. These decisions should be reserved to developers and architects. In fact, all architects should start protesting, by wearing armband swastikas when they go to city hall to submit their projects.