October 29, 2009
The cell-phone war brewing between Droid and iPhone – really between Verizon and AT&T – has served as excellent entertainment over the last few weeks. Personally, this Hot Sheet writer loves a little competition, and it is about time that Verizon fights back. My Verizon service has always been excellent, but the phone options have been less than appealing. And I have wondered why Verizon hasn’t been able to compete on the phone-technology level like other providers have. Well, now is their chance.
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October 29, 2009
What’s it like to be Candy Spelling? A few members of ULI Los Angeles got a sense at the only official tour to-date of The Century, the new residential tower in Los Angeles’ Century City by Robert A.M. Stern Architects. The building opens to residents in early 2010. The Urban Land Institute visitors didn’t see Spelling’s $47 million penthouse, but they are the first group to behold two model units: one designed by Stern and the other by Modernists Marmol Radziner. Both are sleek expressions of The Century concept: highrise “estates” drenched in amenities, swaddled in seclusion, with super ocean and urban views. The verdict? “Ultra gorgeous,” said one guest. Of course, you’d expect that at prices pushing beyond $1,400 per square foot. “That’s easily the highest in Los Angeles,” said Century developer Bill Witte, president of The Related Group. (Spelling’s pad is even more, reportedly $2,848 per foot.) At the same time, however, Witte confessed that Read More
October 27, 2009
Los Angeles International Airport is devoting tens of millions of dollars to improve its international terminal. So why hasn’t the self-proclaimed “Greenest City in the U.S.” come up with a more sustainable design? John Quiter, Chairman of Cuningham Group Architecture, reports his recent experience in a recent blog post for Good magazine: “Something was wrong here. Just six or so feet above that dropped ceiling, the brilliant skies of Los Angeles glowed with the 10,000 foot-candle power of the sun. None of that light found its way through the ceiling and into the remodeled gate area. At noon every light fixture was turned on. The well-detailed space looked good, but can it be called good design? Is it even acceptable design?”
New York Times Columnist Thomas L. Friedman recently observed that “landing at Kennedy Airport from Hong Kong [is] like going from the Jetsons to the Flintstones.” Quiter’s post has similar implications for LAX.
October 20, 2009
Vic Mizzy was a composer who captured a huge share of the 60s and 70s zeitgeist by writing the theme songs and soundtracks for the Addams Family, Green Acres, and the most of the Universal movies starring Don Knotts, including The Ghost and Mr. Chicken. He has died at the age of 93. In addition to those popular shows, he also composed dozens of other scores and songs. This Hot Sheet writer has always appreciated his work, and even co-dedicated an album by Lawndale (Jack Skelley, Dave Childs, Steve Housden and Rick Lawndale) to Mizzy. (Rick Lawndale’s song “Atta Boy, Luther,” on Lawndale’s Beyond Barbecue album is inspired by the Don Knotts character in The Ghost and Mr. Chicken.) The unique instrumentation Mizzy used in Green Acres and The Ghost and Mr. Chicken lifted his work above typical theme songs. It included bass harmonica and fuzz guitar. In contrast, the Addams Family themes – including complete and separate motifs for Morticia and Gomez Addams – are based on the harpsichord. Mizzy owned the publishing rights to the Addams Family theme, and its contagious simplicity found its way into thousands of major-league baseball games, helping to make Mizzy a huge success. Here is the Los Angeles Times obituary.
October 12, 2009
Housing sales are finally experiencing positive momentum, and the glut of unsold inventory is starting to shrink. But new-home construction is emerging in an entirely new landscape. Who is buying the assets of collapsed builders, who will build new neighborhoods, and how will they fund and organize their operations? The Los Angeles District Council of the Urban Land Institute will explore the dynamics of the post-bubble market in a panel discussion with Los Angeles’ leading or new residential developers and thinkers. Beyond the Bubble: New Homebuilding Solutions, is 6:30-8 p.m., Thursday, October 22, 2009, at SPF:a Gallery, 8609 Washington Blvd., Culver City, 90232 (map). To Register: Visit ULI-Los Angeles or call (213) 213-2245.
ULI Los Angeles’ panel includes Paul Jennings, Principal of PCS Development; Joseph Miller, President of The Runyon Group; Casey Lynch of Pelican Holdings, LLC; and Robert J. Gardner, Managing Director at Robert Charles Lesser & Company. The discussion will be moderated by Jack Skelley, Senior Vice President with Roddan Paolucci.
ULI Los Angeles’ Beyond the Bubble is sponsored by PCS Development, Roddan Paolucci and SPF: architects.
October 12, 2009
Last week, golf legend and internationally renowned golf course designer Arnold Palmer visited Rolling Hills Country Club to discuss his proposed new 18-hole golf course. (He also explained the origin of the Arnold Palmer drink.) While golf club members and public officials met with Arnie at a brief, private gathering, Roddan Paolucci public relations worked with the club and Palmer’s team to coordinate a few, select meetings with the media. This resulted in coverage that included KCBS’ Sports Central with Jim Hill, a column by Bill Dwyre of the Los Angeles Times, an article in the South Bay Daily Breeze by Josh Grossberg, as well as a photo essay in the same publication (by Sean Hiller), as well as coverage in the Palos Verdes Peninsula News.
In his interview with Jim Hill, Palmer predicted that the proposed new course will be “beautiful,” and will make Rolling Hills Country Club “one of the outstanding clubs in the L.A. area.”
