What would I do for a living (room)?

Everyday I receive a newsletter in my mailbox from this website: Curbed LA. It's a blog about the Los Angeles neighborhoods and real estate. Sometimes it's not interesting, but last Wednesday, a small article struck me: it was about a new 5-unit project developped on San Vicente Boulevard in West Hollywood. The pictures looked nice so I decided to go see it by myself.

Three weeks ago, my friend Efren and I had already gone to visit new condos on Santa Monica Boulevard (901 Hancock Avenue, WeHo), but it turned out they were not that great and rather overpriced. Yes there was a common swimming pool, yes there was a nice fountain, but that was it! Who would pay nearly $1 million to get a 1,000 sqft (around 100 m2) and have a carwash by the window, one of the busiest/noisiest street in front of the unit, a view of the A/C units on the top of the next building, a giant commercial for Aussiebum right accross the street (ok the ad was nice to look at, but what if they change it for an ad about an hemorrhoid ointment?) and on top of that would have to pay monthly charges of $600 for a 3,5 feet-deep pool (1m)?

Not me!

But the project I visited with Efren yesterday, The Vue, was quite more interesting. Located at the 912 on San Vicente Boulevard in West Hollywood, this 5-unit development features a much better view (at least from the living areas), is much less noisy (you actually can open the window and rest on the balcony), is bigger (around 1,800 sqft or 170m2) and is hardly more expensive: $1.2 million... The only flaw I can see now is the fact that it's a totally vertical unit: 5 floors, only stairs! You don't wanna break your leg while living there...

2 bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor, a master bedroom including a private bathroom on the 2nd floor, kitchen, living room and mezzanine on the 3rd and 4th floors and a private rooftop deck on the 5th floor, waiting for the jacuzzi! Better to take a look at the pictures:

The building----------------------------------------------------- Entrance

1st floor bedroom -----------------------------------1st floor bathroom

Master bedroom --------------------------------------View from the master bedroom

Master bedroom's bathroom-------------------------------------Living room----------

View from the living room on the Pacific Design Center------------------- Kitchen-------------------

Mezzanine------------------------------------------------- Rooftop deck

I literally fell in love with this condo... Who wants to help me buy it? ;)

House's facades - Mulholland Drive

House's facades - Mulholland Drive

I took a drive on Mulholland Drive last week, trying to find some nice houses there.

It is a windy road up on the mountains north of Los Angeles, with an incredible view of the valley and of course, some nice properties.

This road is also a good spot to see the famous Hollywood sign.

I especially like the gate in the 5th picture, which fits perfectly with the house's shape.

House's facade - Beverly Hills

Beverly Hills is a very green neighborhood. It's actually a real city surrounded by the city of Los Angeles. As soon as you get into it, you know it. The landscape radically changes to become greener and cosier.

I took a drive on the hills to glance at the houses there. All big, but well hidden also. I managed to get some interesting photos but I'm sure I missed some nice houses.

And when you hear that there are actually more house employees than residents in Beverly Hills, I guess it's true as the only human beings I happened to see there were gardeners, and not a few...

House's facades - Santa Monica

Santa Monica house's facades

Those are some of the photos I took while living in Santa Monica.
The first row shows houses from the beach front, stucked between the sand on one side and the freeway n the other side...
In the second row, I particularly like the middle one with the garage that looks like a painting.
I let you appreciate the other pictures by yourself; feel free to leave comments about them!

Store on Roberston: H-L-N-R

H-L-N-R

I was on Robertson yesterday, still exploring the "Avenues of Art & Design" neighborhood, when I saw this store. I had to have a look at it, all the more so as both the clerks were kind of cute. The store was very nice and well but I didn't know at that time that part of the attraction was.... the bathroom! Have a look at this.

It also appears that this store is "one of the world’s first eco-concept retailers".

If you want to understand why H.Lorenzo has chosen this place, you can read this.
(H-L-N-R stands for H.Lorenzo North Robertson)

House's facades - Eagle Rock

Eagle rock house's facades

Here are some of the house's facades I could see while staying at my cousin's place in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles.
I will give you regularly a look at the different house's facades I can have a glimpse at here and there.
My camera's ready!

Melrose Avenue - Avenues of Art & Design

Melrose Avenue - Avenues of Art & Design

There is a neigborhood in West Hollywood called Avenues of Art & Design. I have walked along Melrose Avenue to get the feeling of this neighborhood. The photos above are a sample of what you can find on that street.
Fancy stores and galleries about fashion, interior design, furniture, the decorative arts, food and spirits... You will also find the famous Pacific Design Center, "the West Coast's leading resource for fine traditional and contemporary contract and residential furniture and design needs".

Main streets to be a part of Avenues of Art & Design are Melrose Avenue, Beverly Boulevard and North Robertson Boulevard.

I will explore for you Beverly Boulevard and North Robertson Boulevard.