85 Unit Condo Planned to Replace 1908 Home and 1962 Apartment in Studio City

85 Unit Condo Planned to Replace 1908 Home and 1962 Apartment in Studio City

Thursday, January 28, 2016 / No Comments

4215 Vineland Ave. Image courtesy Citywalk Apartments

11015 Aqua Vista Street. Image courtesy LA Conservancy

This latest hearing scheduled for next Tuesday is the demolition of a 1962 era 32 unit apartment as well as a 1908 Studio City home (that was discussed on this blog back in August) planned for demolition to build a new 4-story 85 unit condo with 7 units reserved for low income. The project also calls for 192 parking spaces on a total 49,357 sqft property. 

The apartment is known as Citywalk located directly across the street from the Garland Hotel while the 1908 home is possibly known as the "oldest extant residence in Studio City." The apartment was purchased by Joseph & Clara Hurley Trust back on July 22, 1988 for $2 million who later sold it to Citywalk Apartments LLC on September 14, 2010 for $4,650,046.  

You can view more SFV Architecture and R.E. here. 

Citywalk Studio City Apartments

Images courtesy Citywalk Apartments

Unique Fickett Home in Studio City's Fryman Canyon Sells

Unique Fickett Home in Studio City's Fryman Canyon Sells

Tuesday, November 3, 2015 / No Comments

Images courtesy Wish Sotheby's International Realty

 11927 Ashdale Lane

4 Beds/2.25 Baths on 3,347 sqft on a total lot size of 0.37 acres built in 1975. This home recently sold in Studio City for $3,225,000 on July 8, 2015 after being listed at $3,225,000. Prior to the sale, the home was last purchased on August 9, 1974 for $21,000 which may have been a land purchase.  

The listing describes this home as a Mid Century Modern by Ed Fickett but it looks different compared to other Ficketts in the SFV. Fickett was dubbed the "creator of the San Fernando Valley" and the "Frank Lloyd Wrigt of the 50's." He has designed more than 60,000 structures including the pool complex at the Van Nuys-Sherman Oaks Park, the extension of the Nethercutt Antique Car Museum in Sylmar, the original Sands Hotel in Las Vegas, the passenger and cargo terminals at the Port of Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium, the Los Angeles Police Academy, and devised the master plans for the Edwards and Norton Air Force bases (LA Times and Daily News). Examples of other Fickett homes in the SFV can be found here, here, and here. 

The listing description states: 

Architect to the Stars, Edward H. Fickett, FAIA, brilliantly bridges the aesthetic divide between structure & nature in this iconic exemplification of the Mid Century Modern. The privileged venue is Fryman Estates; magical woodlands of hallowed ground, moments from major studios, the Westside, famed Ventura Blvd, & in the Carpenter Charter School District. A sweeping renovation emphasized only the finest natural materials to deepen the connection between house & site. The 3-year installation of imported ledgestone & hand cut quartzite placed inside & out create full continuity of the elements. Expansions of glass disappear into the walls; the home extending into open air. Indoor & outdoor living are seamlessly blended. Sumptuous minimalism gracefully unifies living areas bathed in translucent light. The kitchen is outfitted with Italian cabinetry & Meile appliances. Interiors feature a meditation atrium, wine room, stone & marble clad baths, & an office. The rear terrace presents as a refined modernist sanctuary with salt water Pebble Tec pool & spa, outdoor shower, fireplace, & Viking BBQ; an idyllic Zen retreat, where stresses & extremes are put into a comforting balance. An extraordinary lifestyle, combined with the beauty of undisturbed nature awaits!

You can view more SFV Architecture and R.E. here.

BTTF# 30: Michael Hutchence's North Hollywood Home Before Becoming INXS' Lead Singer

BTTF# 30: Michael Hutchence's North Hollywood Home Before Becoming INXS' Lead Singer

Thursday, October 22, 2015 / 2 Comments

Map image courtesy Google Maps

Marty McFly here to take you on a special journey to explore the former home of INXS frontman, Michael Hutchence, located at 4950 Laurel Canyon Blvd North Hollywood (also referred to as Studio City).  The Delorean has the required plutonium plus some random garbage in the Mr. Fusion reactor ready for this trip. The time circuits are set to sometime in 1976 and the flux capacitor is......fluxxing. The engine is running (not stalled this time) so we need to hurry. Hang on, as the ride can be a little bumpy as we travel back in time.

I am always amazed at the richness of SFV history when I learned through the fine folks at the Valley Film Festival that Michael Hutchence actually lived in North Hollywood for a very brief period during his teenage years where he attended North Hollywood High School. For those that dont know, Hutchence is an Australian native who lived most of his life in the land of down under. So to discover that there was a connection to the SFV, that completely blew me away and I was hungry for more details.

Hutchence was a founding member of the rock band, INXS, who grew to fame in the 80's becoming one of the better underrated bands of that era. Part of the success of INXS was Hutchence, who was a natural on the screen with his looks, voice, and persona. 

But before he became rich and famous, he lived in NoHo for one year in 1976 as described by Michaelhutchenceinfo.com:

At the age of 15 Michael and his mother left for California. He has said that with the breakup of his parents' marriage he felt that she needed someone and it pained him to think of her alone. He and his mother joined his sister Tina, and her son Brent in a house in Studio City. While his mother continued her work in motion pictures, Michael enrolled into North Hollywood High where he found the student population and instructor/student relationship liberating. He was quite introspective and began to write poetry with a passion. He continued to visit his mother on sets and soaked in the down to earth basics of movie making which possibly helped him later on when it came time to make videos with INXS.

Image courtesy Historicaerials.com

Through careful research, I tracked the address of Hutchence's NoHo home to be a small apartment (shown above) located at 4950 Laurel Canyon that was demolished in 1984 and replaced with a condo complex (shown at the very top of this post). I was able to confirm this address through the owners of that apartment complex who easily remembered the Hutchence family thanks to the magic of Facebook (shown below). 

After one year of living in NoHo, Hutchence returned to the motherland and founded INXS in 1977 with the rest being history selling over 45 million records worldwide. Unfortunately, like all great legendary musicians, Hutchence committed suicide by hanging on November 22, 1997 in a Sydney hotel. The news shocked the world as fans mourned his death by laying flowers in front of the hotel's entrance. Another fact that surprised me is that a portion of Hutchence's remains are buried at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills next to the Warner Bros. Studio lot which is obviously in the SFV.  

Image courtesy Valley Film Festival

Image courtesy Wikipedia/Andwhatsnext

I leave with one of INXS' best songs (but then again there are so many).

You can view more SFV Back to the Future series here. 

Celeb R.E.: 80's Head of the Class Star Brian Robbins Lists Encino Compound

Celeb R.E.: 80's Head of the Class Star Brian Robbins Lists Encino Compound

Thursday, September 17, 2015 / No Comments

Robbins image courtesy Snakkle.com

Images courtesy Partners Trust Beverly Hills

Back on May 5, 2015, the always hilarious Your Mama at Realestalker Variety revealed that actor/writer/director, Brian Robbins listed his Encino mansion for $5,995,000 on April 2, 2015 which is still available at the time of this writing and was recently reduced to $5,699,000 on September 9, 2015. 

Robbins has a long and diverse career in Hollywood with origins in acting going back to 1982. He was best known as "Eric Mardian" the ABC TV Show, Head of the Class. He guest starred in numerous popular 80's TV shows like Growing Pains, Knight Rider, and Full House to name a few. He even starred opposite Jennifer Aniston in 1990's made for TV movie, Camp Cucamonga. Robbins graduated from acting in the early 90's and started directing mostly sports films including 1999's Varsity Blues and 2001's Hardball in addition to several other non-sports films. Robbins also has executive producer credits and is the founder of AwesomenessTV, a Youtube channel aimed at teenagers that was later acquired by Dreamworks Animation in 2013. 

The home measures 5 Beds/7.5 Baths on 7,087 sqft on a total lot size of 1.16 acres built in 1953. The listing description states:

Stunning Mid Century Masterpiece Exquisitely and Extensively remodeled in Prestigious Royal Oaks. Gourmet Kitchen/ Family Room Have Floor to Ceiling Sliding Pocket Doors overlooking spacious yard w/ pool. Guest House, Screening Room and N/S Tennis Court only add to this magnificent estate located on over an acre of property. 

Robbins purchased this home on November 4, 2010 for $4,170,000 which translates into a profit of $1,529,000 not factoring expenses at the current asking price. This home was previously owned Frederic (WWII P-38 Pilot) and Natalie Arnold who were featured in a 2003 LA Times article regarding the installation of a putting green with a good image of the home taken by Getty Images. 

Robbins has owned a number of homes primarily in the Studio City area which is discussed below.

Starting with a Studio City home (shown below) that he currently owns which was purchased on July 27, 2001 for $520K. 

Image courtesy Google Maps

Another longtime home owned in Studio City, this time a mansion (shown below) that was purchased on March 18, 1999 for $3,250,000 and recently sold on February 26, 2014 for $4,740,000. 

Image courtesy Bing Maps

Slightly outside the SFV with a Malibu property (shown below) steps away from the beach that was purchased on May 12, 2005 for $3,950,000 and sold on October 12, 2011 for $4.2 million. 

Image courtesy Partners Trust Malibu

Another Studio City home (shown below) that was purchased on June 19, 1996 for $860K and later sold on May 20, 1999 for $1.1 million. 

Image courtesy Sotheby's International Realty

A one story commercial building (shown below) that is now home to Dakota Pictures on Lankershim Blvd that was purchased on April 2, 1996 for $135K and sold on October 1, 2003 for $900k. 

Image courtesy Google Maps

Lastly, what appears to be Robbins first home purchase also in Studio City (shown below) that was purchased on July 1, 1988 for $290K and sold for an unknown amount on October 4, 1999. 

Image courtesy Google Maps

You can view more SFV Celeb R.E. here.