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Warner Center Expansion Goes Into Overdrive

Friday, March 28, 2014 / No Comments
Image courtesy Rich Krugel Facebook
There has been a barrage of Warner Center development news hitting the newswire in the past month which doesnt seem to stop. The latest is the $3 billion conversion of the old Rockedyne site which is nothing new but is becoming closer to fruition. Take into consideration the following:
  1. Westfield drops hotel plans at Village at Wesfield Topanga published on February 28, 2014.
  2. Westfield Village Project Gets $59 Million Tax Break from Los Angeles City Council published on March 4, 2014. 
  3. Westfield Village at Topanga in Warner Set for 2015 Opening published on March 6, 2014.
  4. Lawsuit Over The Village at Westfield Topanga Resolved published on March 19, 2014. 
  5. Westfield Topanga Breaks Ground on $350 Million Village Project published on March 24, 2014. 
  6. Warner Center's Rocketdyne Site Slated for $3 Billion Project published on March 26, 2014. 
My favorite articles above are the hotel being dropped and the tax credit. Why would Westfield drop a hotel now? What happened to their previous projections that showed it would work? Isnt more hotels in the area the solution? 

And the same with tax credits. Why cant we offer tax credits to manufacturing companies that increase the local GDP and provide high paying jobs? Why is it limited to these retail type corporations that really only hire minimum wage teenagers and a few adult managers? 

Moving onto the picture above which I dont know who generated it, is a great picture that really captures all the activity taking place in a very finite area which also highlights the corporate stores already in existence that it begs the question, do we really need more? Is "more" going to really add more jobs or destroy jobs at other areas as people flock to this shopping center behemoth? And are these jobs high paying jobs that can support a family purchasing an average $500K single family home in Winnetka? Remember when this area used to house manufacturing centers along with highly skilled and paid jobs.

This project has been a sensitive area for me that I have been highly critical which I first talked about it in 2011 in one of my very first posts on this blog and continued to provide coverage with each new development. You can read some of those old posts shown below: 
  1. Small Creek Threatened near Topanga Mall.....March 3, 2011.
  2. BTTF Series #5: The Promenade Mall at Woodland Hills....May 19, 2011.
  3. Voice Your Concerns for the Proposed Village at Westfield Topanga.....August 2, 2011. 
  4. The Village at Westfield Topanga is Coming....Hang Onto Your Hats....March 1, 2012.
  5. Woodland Hills Homeowners File Lawsuit over Westfield Topanga Village.....April 17, 2012.
  6. Westfield Begins Preparation for The Village at Topanga.....January 29, 2013. 
  7. Demolition Underway for The Village at Westfield Topanga......August 2, 2013
  8. Historic Rocketdyne Engine Moves Down the Street to Nordhoff and De Soto....October 6, 2013.
My opinion hasnt changed one bit for this project and I continue to question the purpose behind these massive projects and wonder what will happen once completed, to traffic, small businesses, and the massive increase in available housing.  Those questions seemed to have already been answered by the City Council, Westfield, and other developers as not being an issue or already resolved. Obviously, at this point, nothing can be done and the projects are full steam ahead. I guess time will only tell to who wins and loses with these projects. But there cant be all winners and somebody will take a hit. 

One of the early victims of this project was the old Home Savings Millard Sheets inspired mural by Marlo Bartels and Astrid Preston that was most recently occupied by a Fedex Office store. It was demolished without preservation but I hope I am wrong. If it was completely demolished, than you know that negligence and ignorance has already started. Below you can find a picture of it that I took before razing commenced. 



And dont forget all the apartment activity taking place. In addition to the The Village, there will be 2000 new apartment units added which I talked about previously taking place nearby the Orange line, at the former Valley Music Theatre (click here for updated pic), and former Catalina Yachts manufacturing site which are all shown in the map below. 


View Woodland Hills Development in a larger map

Here are some random pictures I found on Facebook of the old Warner Center.

Image courtesy Dean Field Facebook
Image courtesy Gordon Ross Facebook
You can view more SFV Architecture and Real Estate here.

Modern Burbank Aerial Postcard

Tuesday, March 25, 2014 / No Comments


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Burbank Aerial Postcards

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St. Francis X Cabrini Chapel at Villa Cabrini Academy in Burbank Postcard

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Olive Street in Burbank Postcard

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Burbank Post Office Postcard

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Paul's French Cuisine in Burbank Postcard

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Ramada Inn in Burbank Postcard

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Burbank City Hall Postcards

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Celeb R.E. Catching Up on SFV Celeb R.E.

Friday, March 21, 2014 / No Comments
[Update May 11, 2014]: The Brent Goldberg home sold for $1,442,500 on May 1, 2014.

[Original Post]:
I have had less time lately to blog so below is a quick summary of the latest Celebrity R.E. in the SFV captured from other sites: 


Way back on November 12, 2013, the always hilarious Your Mama at the Realestalker posted about Soap Star John Aniston listing his mansion in Bell Canyon (shown above). Although Bell Canyon is in Ventura County and technically not a part of the SFV, the only way to access it is through Valley Circle Blvd that it might as well be part of the SFV. Aniston is best known for his role as "Victor Kiriakis" on Days of our Lives but probably more famous for being Jennifer Aniston's father who was born in Sherman Oaks and as a result can be qualified as a Valley Girl although she didnt spend all of her time growing up in the SFV.  Back to the home which measures 5 Beds/4.5 Baths on 4,466 sqft on a total lot size of 1.52 acres built in 1988. The home was first listed on November 11, 2013 for $1,699,000 and hasnt budged since then. Aniston purchased this property on December 14, 2004 so he stands to make a decent profit at the current asking price. This home was previously owned by Fleetwood Mac bass guitarist John McVie who purchased brand new on October 25, 1988 for $950,000. Image courtesy Coldwell Banker.


On December 13, 2013, the always informative Lauren Beale at LA Times Hot Property disclosed that celebrity couple house flippers, Amanda Pays and Corbin Bernsen hoisted a Valley Village home (shown above) on December 18, 2013 for $925,000 which sold for $900,000 on March 3, 2014. They originally paid $685,000 on July 17, 2013. The home measures 3 Beds/2.25 Baths on 2,036 sqft on a total lot size of 7,219 sqft built in 1954. Corbin Bernsen is an actor best known for his role as divorce attorney Arnold Becker on L.A. Law. Bernsen is a SFV native born in North Hollywood. Bernsen's wife, Amanda Pays, is also an actress with variou TV and film roles. Bernsen and Pays have owned homes in Valley Glen, Encino, Sherman Oaks, and possibly Studio City, Burbank, Van Nuys, and Glendale. Image courtesy Berkshire Hathaway Homeservices.



On February 19, 2014, the always informative Lauren Beale at LA Times Hot Property revealed that the late Emmy Award winning film editor, Marco Zappia, who worked on numerous TV shows like All in the Family, Who's the Boss, and Home Improvement had his Burbank home (shown above) listed for $2.199 million on February 25, 2014. The home measures 5 Beds/5 Baths on 7,850 sqft on a total lot size of 0.27 acres built in 1998 that was designed by Zappia who envisioned it for decades. The home contains many unique features like a finished basement with media room, billiard room, playroom, gym, gift-wrapping room, and a secret room hidden by a retractable bookcase. The home was purchased on June 21, 1993 for $330,000 and I have no idea how much Zappia spent to renovate for his dream home. Zappia previously owned other homes in the Burbank area. Images courtesy Rizzotti Real Estate


On February 27, 2014, the always informative Lauren Beale at LA Times Hot Property revealed that screenwriter, Brent Goldberg, who is known for films like Van Wilder and the The Girl Next Door, has listed his Sherman Oaks home for $1,449,000 on February 22, 2014. The home measures 4 Beds/3.5 Baths on 2,800 sqft on a total lot size of 0.27 acres built in 1950. The home was originally purchased for $1.5 million on August 2, 2006 so Goldberg will apparently be taking a loss on this one. Images courtesy John Aaroe Group

You can view more SFV Celeb R.E. here

Celeb R.E.: Big Bang Theory Star, Kaley Cuoco, Lists Sherman Oaks Home After Purchasing Kardashian/Odom Tarzana Mansion

Tuesday, March 18, 2014 / No Comments


Images courtesy Keller Williams Realty 
Well, that didnt take long! After purchasing the former home of Kardashian/Odom in Tarzana for $5.499 million on March 3, 2014, Big Bang Theory star, Kaley Cuoco, has decided to sell her Sherman Oaks home. 

Cuoco is no stranger to the SFV as we talked about her previous Sherman Oaks home that recorded a $500K loss in August 2011 and more recently, the purchase of the Kardashian/Odom which we questioned in that post, "Does this mean Kaley will be selling this home in the near future after moving to Tarzana?" And the answer was yes, as of being listed on March 17, 2014 which the listing description also states, "Celebrity Owned," which might imply a seller motivated quick sale. 

The home measures 5 Beds/4.25 Baths on 5,233 sqft on a total lot size of 10,751 sqft built in 2004. The listing description states:
Stunning and gated S of the Blvd in prime Sherman Oaks. Celebrity Owned. Remarkable Tuscan Estate. Custom iron and glass doors open to a beautifully executed floor plant. Separated by appealing archways the formal dining room and living room are open and bright - ideal for entertaining. Incredible gourmet kitchen with every amenity imaginable including a 48" Viking double oven and stove, wine captain, stainless commercial refrigerator & huge center island with breakfast bar and breakfast area that opens to the private backyard. The extraordinary kitchen opens to the spacious family room - great for gatherings. Outdoor living room with dual bamboo fans, airy drapes and fireplace along with outdoor kitchen complete with eat at island/bar, bbq and refrigerator. All this to enjoy while relaxing by the pool and spa. Retreat upstairs to the master suite with a grand balcony/patio, amazing bath and walk in closet. The other 3 bedrooms upstairs are all en-suite and the front suite has been convereted into a salon/dressing room complete with built ins, shoe racks and a bathroom with a professional shampoo bowl and 2 private balconies. A guest suite downstairs completes this home.
Image courtesy Coldwell Banker 
As was discussed, Cuoco, first purchased a Sherman Oaks home (shown above) on October 7, 2005 for $1,355,000 and later sold on August 2011 for $822,500 for a massive $532,500 loss. You can read more details here discussed on this blog. 

Images courtesy Partners Trust Beverly Hills
Cuoco later acquired the Sherman Oaks home (shown above) featured in this post on November 19, 2010 for $2.4 million and hoping to gain $395,000 before any expenses currently asking $2,795,000. 

Images courtesy Ewing & Associates Sotheby's International Realty
Lastly, Cuoco purchased the Kardashian/Odom home in Tarzana for $5.499 million in March 2014 with more details can be found here

You can read more SFV Celeb R.E. here

Filming Locations: Earth Girls Are Easy (1988)

Monday, March 17, 2014 / No Comments




Earth Girls Are Easy is a 1988 American musical comedy film directed by Julien Temple and stars Geena DavisJulie BrownJim CarreyDamon Wayans, and Jeff Goldblum. The plot is based on the song "Earth Girls Are Easy" from Julie Brown's 1984 mini-album Goddess In Progress.

The film begins with three furry aliens Wiploc (red alien, played by Carrey), Zeebo (yellow alien, played by Wayans) and Mac (blue alien, played by Goldblum) traveling in a space ship. It's been a long time since they've had female companionship and they receive a broadcast showing human females. They are titillated by these "hairless", shapely creatures and discover that the broadcast came from Earth, so they set off toward Earth and southern California. Valerie Gail (Davis) is a valley girl manicurist who works for the "Curl Up & Dye" hair salon.....(Wikipedia). 

Aside from being a Valley based film, there were many real life Valley connections in this film starting with the writer, producer, and actress, Julie Brown who was born in Van Nuys. She attended an Catholic elementary school (probably in Van Nuys), Van Nuys High School, and Valley College. Her career was based on making fun of the Valley as described in this LA Times article published on February 8, 1990 titled, Valley Girl Is Only One Sade of Julie Brown

Also, the director, Julien Temple, who is not from the Valley but ended up directing many music videos of people from the Valley like Tom Petty's Free Fallin' and Janet Jackson in addition to directing numerous music videos. 

You can also read a good review of the film at JimCarreyonline.com

You can view more SFV Filming Locations here

The discovery of the SFV locations was already found at the Jennytonic.com site which also includes LA locations so thanks to that website for sharing. 


The home belonging to Valerie and Dr. Ted is located at 19625 Bryant Street, Northridge, CA 91324. The movie starts with an aerial view showing parts of the SFV specifically Northridge with the Northridge mall seen in the background. You can also see a Lucky's supermarket that no longer exists and is replaced by a Office Depot. 















Briefly cruising down Van Nuys Blvd at the intersection of Vanowen Blvd in Van Nuys.  




I am not sure where this Tiny Naylors restaurant was located but wanted to share it since it appeared in the film.  

Although not from the SFV, the original Johnies Broiler at 7447 Firestone Blvd Downey Blvd that was illegally demolished in 2007 but has been restored since. 



The former Studio City Theatre at 12136 Ventura Blvd Studio City CA 91604 which at the time of filming was showing the James Bond film, The Living Daylights. This movie theatre no longer exists and is now a bookstore but fortunately the facade and ticket booth remain. 


The scene where the aliens hanging out with Woody at the 76 gas station and car wash takes place at the corner of Laurel Canyon and Ventura Blvds. This site no longer exists along with Tiny Naylors that was demolished to make way for a mini-mall. The only thing that remains is the giant steel support structure which is at a Pick-U-Parts in Sun Valley. You can see close up pics here and here as well as an LA Times article about preservationists trying to save the car wash titled, Should a Studio City Carwash Be Preserved as a Cultural Monument on June 25, 1989. 















Driving by the Circus Liquor at 5600 Vineland Avenue North Hollywood CA 91601 which was also featured in Clueless and Alpha Dog



The Our Lady of The Valley hospital was filmed at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center at 14445 Olive View Dr Sylmar CA 91342. The irony here is that there is a Our Lady of the Valley Church and School in Canoga Park which I attended as a child. 











The Cadillac shaped building at 19611 Ventura Blvd Tarzana CA 91356.




Lastly, the DVD has a bonus feature that I have no idea why but shows a TV set with commercials of fake Valley based businesses but uses 818 numbers as well as some of the Valley streets. Very strange and cool at the same time. 










And the trailer: