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My World: Looking at Los Angeles and Surrounding Communities: Beverly Hills: Housing with Class

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
In the world of Beverly Hills, everyone who resides there, one room renters to one person occupant of an estate, can send their children to the fine Beverly Hills School system, use the fabullous well-endowed library, are protected by the best trained police force with 1 minute respeonse time and can drink tap water that is refined better than bottled water even in glass!

However the architecture is very different.

Orignally all was small summer bungalos for the affluent of Los angeles to escape the oppressive summer heat.

Gradually the city has evolved to become a jewel of real estate with a vibrant multiethnic community drawn from all over the planet.

Here are some of the houses North of Santa Monica Blvd, but South of Sunset Blvd, meaning the folk are well off but not more money than God in the estates just North!

All the houses that a remodeled on existing lots start with a totally flat lot as the previous cottages were demolished completely.

South of Santa Monica Blvd, about 30% of the new houses are merely giant cubes built to fit in best as possible with the style of the orignal cottage or bungalo on the street side of the smaller lots.

Now, however, I will focus on architecture of hte houses above Santa Monica Blvd and Below sunset where homes spacious homes are planned by presitigious architects and built under the stirct eyes of the Beverly Hills Building Inspectors.


These homes often have a presigious entry hall, often a maids rooom, garage for 3 cars and in addition to Dining Room, Living Room and Kitchen, a large family room opening to the landscaped garden with pool.


Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Here I have representative buildings, each follows a style copied from some French, English, Spanish or Modern Bauhuas style, being the most popular.




DSF1808__DSF1809-2_900.jpg


Asher Kelman: South of Sunset# 1





DSF1787__DSF1790_900.jpg


Asher Kelman: South of Sunset# 2




Asher
 

James Lemon

Well-known member
Here I have representative buildings, each follows a style copied from some French, English, Spanish or Modern Bauhuas style, being the most popular.



DSF1808__DSF1809-2_900.jpg


Asher Kelman: South of Sunset# 1



DSF1787__DSF1790_900.jpg


Asher Kelman: South of Sunset# 2




Asher

Asher

Yes these are great neighbourhoods unlike the residential districts out in the urban sprawl.Locations that don't have libraries and parents have to drive miles to go shopping or take the kids to school.

I really like those wrap around driveways! I stayed in a funky hotel between Sunset blvd & Santa-Monica blvd for several days a few years ago as you might recall. I walked for miles and miles everyday from Beverly Hills to the Hollywood hills through the streets and back alleys.

James
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
My guess is that this large majestic home was built some 50 years ago. In front there is a large mature tree obstructing the view. This presents a challenge for simple photography, as a wide angle shot would have most of the key architecture obscured. So we have to approach the house from one side of the circular driveway.


You dont want too go close when there are subjects to stitch nearby and far away.

This home required an awful lof of shots, as I had to get close to see past obstructions. Getting close, also means risk of parallax error and they came in misallignment of rows of bricks in the driveway which I repaired. Otherwise, AitoPanoGiga did a fine job of assembling the panorama.




[Group 2]-_DSF1723__DSF1741-19_900.jpg


Asher Kelman: South of Sunset# 4



Enjoy!

But dont tell me I made a mistake in some grout, LOL!

Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Asher

Yes these are great neighbourhoods unlike the residential districts out in the urban sprawl.Locations that don't have libraries and parents have to drive miles to go shopping or take the kids to school.

I really like those wrap around driveways! I stayed in a funky hotel between Sunset blvd & Santa-Monica blvd for several days a few years ago as you might recall. I walked for miles and miles everyday from Beverly Hills to the Hollywood hills through the streets and back alleys.


Thanks for visitng now ......and then, years back too!

Back alleys are an interesting feature in this city. They are designed to allow trash barrels and collection to be at the rear of the properties. One shouldn't observe the blight of trash or workman with mess in the front of these homes. Ideally, the tradesmen should park in the alleyways!

Of course, folk leave trash in the alley that to others are valuable, from empty soda cans to record players, TV sets lamps and even sofas. So, there are regualr scavenger trucks with folk going through trash and reclaiming whatever they fancy. They are tolerated as long as they dont actually tip out the barrels in their quest for the very last aluminum can!

In addition, on occasions, the private alleys provide shielding for unwanted activity.

In rare cases, those who suffer lawsuits or investigation for illegal or risky activity, might even have their trash stolen by police detectives or private investigators, who have to then to sort garbage to discover private letters and bank statements amongst food! such is life!

We are not alllowed to shoot anyone messing with our stuff unless we are directly threatened, for example the stranger staring at us! No that is not true, and almost no one here has firearms excpet a 98 year old, Mr Goldman. who shot a robber on New Years Eve some 5 years back. The judge said he was fed up with his shennanings and insisted he get a license for the damn thing if he is going to actually take the law in hios own hands!

Guns aren't needed, as Beverly Hills Police arrive within 20 seconds to 1.5 minutes and all are athletic, well mannered and superbly disciplined and trained. If you are fat, your gun is your only option as you have otherwise no confidence in your worth as an arresting offcer, I guess.

We have no incidences of residents getting shot by police. So they don't have to claim that some individual was reach to their belt and the officers "feared" for their lives.

Even racial sterotopical incidents, arec extraordinarilly rare here as criminals knowc the police wil lbe there in too short a time and other folk are not simply accosted and assaulted by frightened xenophobic porrl trained cops as in other areas.

Asher
 
Last edited:

James Lemon

Well-known member
My guess is that this large majestic home was built some 50 years ago. In front there is a large mature tree obstructing the view. This presents a challenge for simple photography, as a wide angle shot would have most of the key architecture obscured. So we have to approach the house from one side of the circular driveway.


You dont want too go close when there are subjects to stitch nearby and far away.

This home required an awful lof of shots, as I had to get close to see past obstructions. Getting close, also means risk of parallax error and they came in misallignment of rows of bricks in the driveway which I repaired. Otherwise, AitoPanoGiga did a fine job of assembling the panorama.




[Group 2]-_DSF1723__DSF1741-19_900.jpg


Asher Kelman: South of Sunset# 4



Enjoy!

But dont tell me I made a mistake in some grout, LOL!

Asher

Asher

Do folks still burn wood in there fire place or have they been converted to natural gas? Do you have laws prohibiting burning wood? It does get chilly there at night during the winter months.The roof has a steep pitches, but I can't image you folks getting much snow in Beverley Hills. A beautiful home and again another wrap around drive way.

James
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
James,

We still have wood fireplaces. Old ladies who have lost their husbands simplify life by ignoring the fireplaces or putting some electric substitute with dancing lights. Others have no idea how to maintain their chimneys or set the chmney flue flapper right so every so often someone ruins their New Years party with smoke from a log fire billowing all over the surprised guests?

Usually some fellow recognizes the issue and corrects it while the folk wait in the hardly every used giant man's cave with a bar and wall TV while the maids hold back dinner!

OK, admittedly tge soup tastes a little smiley, but folk are well mannered and still consume it!

Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Shots taken are so properly done. I really liked them Sir.

Thanks Roshni for the visit. I love examining architecture and how folk live in these giant boxes in an artificially planted diverse forest of Californian Oak, palms, Sycamore, Maples, olive and citrus fruit trees, magnolia trees, ficus, spike covered flowering trees and more. These provide shade and places for birds to add to their ecosystems.

Unfortunately, the City arborist only is expert on palm trees, critical because some foreign microbe from Africa is threatening them. Meanwhile we have Cuban Trip insects which lay eggs between the layers of leaves of the ficus leaves and Oak Root Fungus, which seems to infest 2/3 of deciduous trees on the planet, has spread from City trees to my ficus hedge.

So I used my own knowledge of biology. Instead of insectasides and fungicides, which would end up in my swimming pool and the grass onwhich kids play, I simply removed 1/3 of the threatened focus, cutvtge water, and allowed them to fill in and grow from 3 meters high to 6 meters, giving each remaining tree at least double the leaf surface area. That altered the balance of power, and first the fungus was controlled and next, the Cuban thrips are hardly able to thrive these days.


Asher
 

James Lemon

Well-known member
Here I have representative buildings, each follows a style copied from some French, English, Spanish or Modern Bauhuas style, being the most popular.




DSF1808__DSF1809-2_900.jpg


Asher Kelman: South of Sunset# 1





DSF1787__DSF1790_900.jpg


Asher Kelman: South of Sunset# 2




Asher

Asher

This one appears that it would require substantial maintenance and up keep compared to the others due to it's large size. A much flatter roof design but again another wrap around driveway.

James
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Asher

This one appears that it would require substantial maintenance and up keep compared to the others due to it's large size. A much flatter roof design but again another wrap around driveway.

James

James,

A good observation. But notice the roof appears to be genuine slate. Such roofs here are made with all the best materials and no galvanized fittings but actual copper! Such work is good for another 100-209 years. Work here is done to extraordinary high standards. On an $8,000,000 building lot, one does not build track houses.

Asher
 

James Lemon

Well-known member
James,

A good observation. But notice the roof appears to be genuine slate. Such roofs here are made with all the best materials and no galvanized fittings but actual copper! Such work is good for another 100-209 years. Work here is done to extraordinary high standards. On an $8,000,000 building lot, one does not build track houses.

Asher

Asher you might recall this home? I really like this style of modular type of architecture. Do you notice many folks using green technology in your travels? It would also be cool to see the inside of some of the homes!

i-7NdR4N7-L.jpg
 
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