Archive for May, 2014

West Adams lavish history, architecture told in iBook
Before there was Beverly Hills, the wealthy and the elite settled in West Adams, the original wealthy area of the city. In the 1880s bankers, doctors, attorneys and politicians rode the street car downtown from their lavish Craftsman, Tudor and Victorian homes, the best seen this side of the Mississippi, says photographer Jett Loe. He […]

Residents seek actions to stop illegal activity in home on Highland Avenue
Hancock Park residents have been frustrated in their attempts to stop illegal activity at 508 N. Highland Ave. that has become a haven for drug dealing and squatters. Other violations include suspected use as a boarding house, frequent yard sales, an illegal fence and general lack of maintenance. “We have contacted our Council office, city […]

Family-owned firm Lester Carpet boasts three generations
When a customer went to Lester Carpet for a floor covering in a small area in his house, he was treated as if he were furnishing a castle. He is among the many satisfied clients who have been served by three generations of the Lester family, beginning with Larry Lester, founder of the carpet company […]

CIM Group says ‘no plans for hotel’ in Park Mile area; protest letters attached
Community outrage at plans to ignore the Park Mile zoning and build a hotel on the newly acquired Farmers Insurance property has halted the development. Residents petitioned the Fourth District Council office and the homeowners association to protest the planned project. A group from Brookside Homeowners Association recently met with executives of CIM Group which […]

Angel City Chorale to sing at Wilshire United Methodist Church fresh from Carnegie Hall
Shaiya Rahman found Angel City Chorale through a Google search three seasons ago, and has been singing ever since. She is busy rehearsing for the group’s spring concert: “Elements” on Sat., June 7 and Sun., June 8 at 7 p.m. at the Wilshire United Methodist Church, 4350 Wilshire Blvd. The chorale celebrates its 21st […]

Variety of choices to make garden drought-tolerant
Neighborhood front yards are looking different these days, and it’s not because the David statues on the lawn of a house on Muirfield Road are gone. It’s because homeowners are finding new elements of design in drought-tolerant landscaping. Ornamental grasses, succulents, even dirt and rocks are being used as part of water-saving designs, and it’s […]