LaFayette Square consists of eight blocks, centered on St. Charles Place, and situated between Venice Boulevard on the north, Washington Boulevard on the south, Crenshaw Boulevard on the east and West Blvd on the west. It was founded in 1913 and developed during the early 20th century.
Today, Wrought-iron gates surround the neighborhood and help to eliminate commuter traffic; currently the only way into the neighborhood is through St. Charles Place.
There are 236 homes in the neighborhood. It is immediately south of Victoria Park, southeast of West Los Angeles (Crestview and Picfair Village) and immediately north of Wellington Square.
This early developed neighborhood in Los Angeles has a European flair and it was designed as an elegant residential park centered on St. Charles Place—a broad palm tree-lined avenue with a landscaped median. The houses in Lafayette Square reflect residential styles popular during the 1910s and 1920s such as Tudor Revival Architecture, Italianate, Mediterranean Revival, Neo-Federalist, American Craftsman, Spanish Colonial Revival, and American Colonial Revival. Several houses, were designed in the Modern style, exemplifying an important trend in Los Angeles’ architectural development.
Originally, the neighborhood was designed for wealthy families and now-historic houses regularly have 5,000 to 6,000 square feet (600 m2) floor plans, today the average home size is 3,600 square feet (330 m2). Today the neighborhood is a mix of large and medium size homes.
Most of the original properties have period details. Such as, Juliet balconies, mahogany staircases and libraries, sitting rooms, stained glass windows, triple crown molding, soaring ceilings—even four-car garages.
Despite its directly-next-to-Downtown location, Mid-City manages to feel strikingly suburban. For quiet palm-tree promenades, Mid-City is the place to be.
Mid-City is within Mid-Wilshire in the north, bordered by Westlake to the east, Culver City lies to the west, and to the south is West Adams.
Smaller named areas within the Mid-City neighborhood are Brookside, Crestview, Fremont Place, Lafayette Square, Little Ethiopia, Picfair Village,Wellington Square, and Victoria Park.
Cultural heritage infuses Mid-Wilshire’s museums, music venues, and multitudinous communities. Often referred to as Midtown by LA locals, Mid-Wilshire comprises dozens of neighborhood enclaves, including Koreatown, Little Ethiopia, and contemporary American malls. Walk through first-class farmers’ markets, contemplate art at the LACMA, and marvel at your central location between the Hollywood stars and Downtown’s soaring skyscrapers. Mid-Wilshire’s name says it all—it’s mostly in the middle of everything.
Spanish Revival-style stucco bungalows predominate Mid City. Most were built in the late 1920s or 1930s and have two or three bedrooms. They intermingle with an eclectic assortment of pitch-roofed cottages and tract houses, many painted in rainbow hues or earth tones. Most residences are still single-story, but one also encounters the occasional grandiose two-story replacement for a teardown. A number of remodels, including some second-story additions have been made.
Original houses are replete with details such as hardwood floors, crown moldings, arched doorways, curved ceilings. Many owners have replaced their front lawns with Mediterranean or cactus-and-succulent gardens.
Camarillo is primarily a bedroom community and is a mere hour north of Los Angeles and only a half hour away from the beach, Camarillo is nestled below the Conejo foothills amongst green fields cooled by sea breezes. Where more than 300 days of sunshine a year beckon you outdoors, everything from shopping and concerts to weddings and dining is done alfresco here. A town with a rich history extending centuries, Camarillo melds old world charm with new sights, sounds and flavors that will lure you to stay awhile to explore and enjoy so much, so close.
Camarillo is located in Pleasant Valley at the eastern end of the Oxnard Plain, with the Santa Susana Mountains to the north, the Camarillo Hills to the northwest, the Conejo Valley to the east, and the western reaches of the Santa Monica Mountains to the south.
Camarillo and the surrounding area has a temperate, Mediterranean-type climate. Its location in a coastal valley brings mild ocean breezes and temperatures in the 70s throughout most of the year.
In the mid-1990s, multiple large retail centers, including one of California’s largest outlet malls and movie theater were built south of US 101 and west of Carmen Drive. These new retail centers have provided a large influx of cash to the city; from 1993 to 1998 sales tax revenues nearly doubled from approximately $3.5 million to approximately $6.5 million.On April 23, 2009, several new shops and restaurants opened at the Camarillo Premium Outlets, designated “The Promenade”.
The Pleasant Valley Recreation & Park District is located in and around the City of Camarillo, serves a population of over 70,000 and covers an area approximately 45 square miles. It has grown from one park and 30 acres to 27 parks and over 300 acres since its inception in 1962.
Parks
The single most important reason to live in Camarillo is the city’s park and community resources that make Camarillo one of the best cities in which to live. With excellent schools, low crime, and local business growth, the highlight is the overwhelming number of parks and locations for recreation.
Aldolfo Park
Arneill Ranch Park
Birchview Park
Bob Kildee Community Park
Calleguas Creek
Camarillo Grove Park
Carmenita Park
Charter Oak Park
Community Center Park
Dos Caminos Park
Encanto Park
Foothill Park
Freedom Park
Heritage Park
Laurelwood Park
Lokker Park
Mission Oaks Park
Nancy Bush Park
Pitts Ranch Park
Pleasant Valley Fields
Quito Park
Springville Park
Trailside Park
Valle Lindo Park
Woodcreek Park
Woodside Park
Facilities
Aquatic Center
Auditorium
Classrooms
Community Center
Dirt BMX Track
Equestrian Center
Freedom Center
Freedom Gym
Roller Hockey Rink
R/C Track
Senior Center
Skatepark
Within the District, a variety of recreational facilities exist including:
Senior Center
Only Public Indoor Aquatic Center in Ventura County
Downtown L.A. Property Webcast on Periscope #dtla #condo
LIVE show Wednesday, November 9 at 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
LOS ANGELES, CA (L.A. Loft Blog) — Corey Chambers, the real estate agent known for buying Downtown Los Angeles lofts for cash, broadcasted Downtown’s real estate open house LIVE tour on Periscope and Twitter. Co-star actress Brandi Price is out of town on location for a film shoot.
“The show shares the latest on what the Downtown L.A. renaissance is all about,” Chambers said. “As a live TV show, viewers worldwide got the chance to see what is really happening right now in the most exciting place on Earth.”
Chambers believes that most real estate agents just do the ABC’s of real estate, and they don’t implement the latest technologies to their fullest. He noticed that a popular loft listed by another agent recently took more than 100 days to sell because the real estate agent Multiple Listing Service was the only significant marketing tool, which is a “notoriously lazy way to market real estate” according to Chambers. In addition to the live open house TV show on Periscope, Chambers, who is a veteran computer and satellite systems specialist in the U.S. Air Force, publishes the L.A. Loft Blog, provides the largest number of unlisted lofts and condos for sale in
Brandi Price – Co-host of Downtown Scope
Downtown, and offers the latest technology to buyers and sellers (at no cost to buyers) such as heat map software that instantly shows which homes have positive cash flows, which unlisted properties are likely to sell next, and which properties are in distress and are likely to sell for a bargain price.
As for agents to simply upload their seller clients property to the MLS and then throw a lockbox on the door, “This is total nonsense,” Chambers concluded. Don’t real estate agents get paid enough to do more for their clients? Chambers actually guarantees the sale of homes, and also guarantees in writing that home buyers will love their new home or he will buy it back. The seller and Corey must agree on price and time of possession.
Sponsored by the SoCal Home Blog, the LIVE open house tour broadcast, which viewers tuned in to watch at www.DowntownScope.com, dramatized this aggressive style. It took place inside the 23rd floor of a Downtown highrise condominium with a panoramic view of Downtown to the Hollywood sign. It’s not, however, merely a show and tell about a single home for sale. The show called “Downtown Scope” also revealed how to avoid the 5 biggest mistakes in Downtown real estate, as well as tips on how to make the most of the hot Downtown L.A. market.
Interview requests should be directed to Corey Chambers scope@laloft.org with Downtown Scope in the subject line, or call 213-478-0499 www.DowntownScope.com
Downtown Luxury High-rise Condo with Pool, Tennis, Fitness Centers
Hundreds tune in on the net to take a look at the panoramic views of Downtown Los Angeles Financial District to the Disney Concert Hall. Behold the resort style pool and tennis courts from the comfort of the awesome 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom updated condominium unit in Downtown’s original highrise, Bunker Hill Tower.
Buy This Home, I’ll Buy Yours*
NO Gimmicks! For information on my exclusive Guaranteed Sale Program, order a Free Report by visiting www.GuaranteedSaleSoCal.com
Call Corey Chambers 888-240-3500 and start packing!
*seller and Corey must agree on price and time of possession. Realty Source Inc BRE#01889449
With an exploding food scene, unique retail developments, as well as a growing entertainment hub, Downtown Santa Ana, or Historical Downtown, is one of America’s Coolest Cities.
Historical Downtown Santa Ana has been revitalized and the beautify of the Downtown’s retail section continues to attract new businesses, entrepreneurs, and locals looking for a true Southern California urban destination.
A simulation of a street car in Downtown Santa Ana
The Historical Downtown area contains the Santa Ana Civic Center, which includes the Old Orange County Courthouse, the Ronald Reagan Federal Building, the United States Courthouse, and the California Court of Appeal.
The restaurant and retail sections of Historical Downtown Santa Ana have three distinct business districts namely the Artists Village,Calle Cuatro Marketplace and the West and East End.
The Artists Village corridor is a thriving area of art galleries, studios, creative offices, as well as home to several popular restaurants. Located on Second Street at Broadway, in the heart of historic downtown Santa Ana. The village extends from First Street to Fourth Street, and Bush Street to Birch, surrounding the Second Street Mall between Broadway and Sycamore Street.
Originally proposed in the mid-1980s, the village was meant to revitalize one of Orange County’s oldest cities and bring back part of a once-thriving downtown, with dozens of historical buildings, most vacant for years.
The Grand Central Art Center is an anchor and catalyst for a ten-square block area in the heart of downtown designated as the Artists Village. The subsequent success of the Artists Village has helped spawn a cultural and economic renewal.
Lofts were built in the Artist’s Village in theearly 2000s, several live-work loft developments came to the downtown including Main Street Studio Lofts and the Santa Ana Lofts, East Village Lofts as well as Artists Village lofts. These artist-centric developments allowed homeowners to experience downtown living while providing them an opportunity to help the flourishing art movement continue to move forward.
An example of the modern interior of the modern lofts include the Santa Ana Lofts. Interior finishes at Santa Ana Lofts include modern kitchen cabinetry, granite kitchen counter tops and undercounted stainless steel sinks. Commercial grade steel stairs reduce maintenance over long term ownership. Energy Efficient Milgard Low-E Fiberglass windows for reduced outside sound and improved durability over vinyl and steel competitors. Historically influenced brick veneer and brick pavers.
Today, the Artists Village is the home to various restaurants, shops, artist galleries, as well as art institutions, including Cal State Fullerton Grand Central Art Center and the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art.
East 4th Street (Calle Quatro) (bounded by French Street and Broadway) is a .3 mile corridor lined with a variety of boutique shops, restaurants, as well as various other retail shops and services.
The centerpiece of Historic 4th Street is the East End known as The Fiesta Marketplace. The East End is a pedestrian-friendly outdoor mall that markets to both the local community and a wider socioeconomic demographic in an effort to retain and attract an audience looking for an alternative to indoor malls and chain restaurants.
The newest refurbished amenity is The Frida Cinema; a two-screen theater converted to an art-house theater showcasing independent film and film related progrmaming, community-building, and education.
In February 2015, The 4th Street Market opened, introducing an indoor food market to compliment the expanding food scene. Similar to the Grand Central Market in Downtown Los Angeles or the Boston Public Market, the 4th Street Market includes a variety of tenants including Portola Coffee, Electric City Butcher, as well as host an incubator/accelerator kitchens where up-and-coming food producers can utilize the Market’s facilities to prepare, package, and sell their goods.
The West End (located between Ross Street and Broadway and West 4th Street) is a unique corridor home to many historic buildings and is located directly across the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and United States Courthouse.
Over the past years, this section of the downtown has successfully blossomed into a cultural and entertainment hub for Orange County’s LGBT population, with notable LGBT-friendly destinations including Theater Out, VLVT Lounge, as well as the West 4th Street corridor playing host to the annual Orange County Pride Festival.
Located less than a quarter mile away on Civic Center Drive is the Santa Ana Civic Center, home to several institutional City and County buildings including:
Santa Ana City Hall (Civic Center Plaza)
Santa Ana Civic Center Plaza (Ross, Civic Center, Santa Ana Blvd, Flower)
Santa Ana Public Library (Civic Center Dr. & Ross)
Santa Ana Transit Terminal – OCTA (Santa Ana Blvd & Ross)
Old Orange County Courthouse (Civic Center, Broadway, Sycamore, Santa Ana Blvd.)
Orange County Courthouse (Civic Center Plaza)
Orange County Public Law Library (Civic Center Plaza)
Ronald Reagan Federal Building and United States Courthouse (4th & Broadway)
Santa Ana has a number of perks that provide an improved quality of life for the residents. Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm amusement parks are located northeast of Santa Ana, several miles away. Beaches are located around 20 minutes to the south, accessible by the 55 freeway. Huntington Beach and Newport Beach as well as other coastal communities offer world-class shopping, dining, boating, swimming and surfing opportunities.
Santa Ana has several distinct districts. The core of the city is the downtown area, which contains both retail and housing, as well as the Santa Ana Civic Center which is a dense campus of administrative buildings for both the city and the county of Orange.
The Civic Center is also home to the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and Courthouse. Several historic homes dating from the late 1800s can be found as well, and their preservation is a key issue as development of the downtown area continues.
North of downtown is the “Midtown” district along Main St., home to entertainment destinations such as the Bowers Museum, Main Place Mall, and the Discovery Science Center.
Discovery Cube – Santa Ana
Near the intersection of the Santa Ana Freeway and the Costa Mesa Freeway is the newly designated “Metro East” area, which the city council has envisioned as a secondary mixed-use development district.
Also on the east side of the city is the Santa Ana Zoo, notable for its collection of monkeys and species from South and Central America.
The south end of the city is home to the South Coast Plaza, a major shopping center, which is the primary destination of this area.
If Manhattan Beach has classy beachside cottages, bougainvillea-lined walk-streets, bustling sidewalk patios, friendly boutiques, surfers silhouetted against the setting sun, and all within half a mile of a portrait-worthy pier. It’s that impossibly perfect.
A bastion of surf music and the birthplace of beach volleyball, Manhattan Beach has gone chic. Its downtown area along Manhattan Beach Blvd has seen an explosion of trendy restaurants, boutiques and hotels. Yet, even with this Hollywood-ification, it remains a serene seaside enclave with prime surf on either side of the pier.
There’s a Friday farmers market near city hall, metered parking at the base of the pier and a public parking garage on Valley Dr between Manhattan Beach Blvd and 13th St.
The Perks of Manhattan Beach
Manhattan Beach benefits from ocean breezes that provide clean air and summer temperatures that are 10 to 20 °F (5.6 to 11.1 °C) cooler than the inland regions of Southern California.
The Manhattan Beach Unified School District has test scores ranked #3 in the State of California according to California Department of Education statistics. Forbes Magazine ranked Manhattan Beach Unified as the sixth best School District in the U.S.
According to a July 5, 2014, article in the Beach Reporter newspaper, the city of Manhattan Beach has the most educated residents (according to percentage of residents with bachelor’s degree or higher) than any other city in California.
Manhattan Beach Neighborhoods
Residents have divided the city into several distinct neighborhoods, including the “Sand Section”, “Hill Section”, “Tree Section”, “Gas Lamp Section”, “The Village”, “Manhattan Heights”, “The Knolls”(East Manhattan Beach), “Liberty Village”, “Poet’s Section” (Shelley, Tennyson, Longfellow, Keats), and “El Porto” (North Manhattan Beach).
The “Hill Section” is known for its high priced homes where many of the residences are remodeled or newly constructed. The steep hills allow panoramic ocean and city views.
The nearby “Sand Section” is notable for its quiet walk-street neighborhoods adjacent to the ocean. Oceanfront homes stretch along the bike path and walking lane of “The Strand”.
“Downtown” Manhattan Beach is considered the heart of the city. The area runs along Manhattan Beach Boulevard and the streets perpendicular to the Manhattan Beach Pier and Valley Drive. There are many Zagat rated casual-fine dining restaurants, specialty boutiques and retailers that create a pedestrian friendly, mixed-use downtown center. The new Metlox site includes a luxury boutique hotel, spa, restaurants, shops and underground parking.
The “Rosecrans corridor” is located on the south side of Rosecrans Avenue, east of Sepulveda, and west of Aviation. The Manhattan Beach Country Club, the Marriott Hotel and Golf Course, Fry’s electronics, retail stores, restaurants, supermarkets, and shopping centers border the Rosecrans corridor between Sepulveda and Aviation Boulevards.
The “Sepulveda Corridor” occupies the commercial zone, and is the city’s main north-south highway. The area includes the Manhattan Village Mall, which is located east of Sepulveda Boulevard between Marine and Rosecrans Avenues. The mall, built in the early 1980s, was remodeled in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The mall is anchored by Macy’s on both ends and tenants include Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, Williams-Sonoma, and the Apple Store.
The “Aviation Corridor” is located along Aviation Boulevard, the zone includes several major entertainment and aerospace complexes, including Manhattan Beach Studios and the Northrop Grumman Space Park Complex. Manhattan Beach Media Campus is home to the production of many popular releases in movies and entertainment, including the Marvel pictures “Thor” and “Iron Man 2” and both sequels to James Cameron’s “Avatar” movie.
Redondo Beach is one of the three Beach Cities located in Los Angeles County. Redondo Beach is a working-class beach town – it’s also the largest in the South Bay, as it wanders inland and bleeds into neighboring Torrance. Its heart is at King’s Harbor, where the dated pier is still a Southern California icon.
The ocean side of Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) has restaurants and boating activities while inland of PCH is largely residential. Redondo Breakwall is a well-known surf spot in the South Bay.
Many original homes still stand in Redondo Beach neighborhoods, but many small Arts and Crafts style homes have been demolished and replaced with new modern houses. Zoning allowed properties within two to three blocks of the beach to be developed as large, two to three-unit luxury townhomes; inland areas are more likely to have single-family homes.
A revitalized downtown area affectionately termed “Riviera Village” provides locals an opportunity to eat, shop and commune in a quiet atmosphere. Since 2004 several new or newly renovated restaurants have made a positive impact on local options for an on-the-town experience. Downtown also supports a number of independent boutiques and shops specializing in clothing and fashion, as well as at least three wine-tasting galleries.
The Marina, Harbor and Pier complexes are large, planned centers of activity that host Korean seafood restaurants, touristy bars, smaller shops and a games arcade. The pier is a common spot for anglers to cast for a local catch; many residents of inland Los Angeles drive to Redondo Beach to take advantage of the long and unique shape of this pier. The adjacent Marina, located just north of the Pier, is home to another half-dozen restaurants, a seafood shop, and a pub with almost 100 beers on tap. The large, monolithic concrete structures that make up the pier and harbor area stand in stark contrast to the venerable cozy feel of the rest of the South Bay’s neighborhood-style street front architecture; the city continues to consider options for the area as new entertainment and dining chooses to locate in other areas of the Beach Cities.
Lifestyle
Much of the Redondo Beach lifestyle is a blend of the neighborhoods, activities and people of the three Beach Cities of Southern California’s South Bay. Like its sister cities of Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach, Redondo’s draw is the beach that links the three cities. Redondo was described as “The Gem Of The Continent” in the Los Angeles Daily Herald in 1887.
The beach starts below the bluffs of Palos Verdes in the south (after Torrance Beach) and carries north to the Redondo Pier. The area of the beach that starts in Palos Verdes is known as “RAT (Right After Torrance) Beach.”
A paved path, called The Strand runs from Torrance through South Redondo, north to Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, and eventually to Santa Monica. The path is broken by the Redondo Beach King Harbor Marina and Pier complex, where it veers away from water and onto dedicated lanes of surface streets for about a mile before again turning to the ocean in Hermosa Beach. Continuing north from Manhattan Beach, the path stretches to Marina Del Rey.
Surfing is an element of the South Bay lifestyle year-round. Winter storms in the Pacific Ocean sometimes turn typically placid and rolling South Bay waves into large and occasionally dangerous waves, a draw for surfers. Wave heights in December 2005 were some of the largest on record at 15 feet (4.6 m) to 20 feet (6.1 m).
Beach volleyball is another aspect of Redondo Beach’s lifestyle. The wide and flat sand beaches provide the perfect venue for the sport and permanent poles and nets are placed and maintained by the city year-round. Professional tournaments managed by the AVP take place in neighboring Hermosa and Manhattan Beach. Redondo Beach is home to Gold Medalist Kerri Walsh and AVP Pro Casey Jennings.
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2015 annual report for the SoCal Home Blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 6,100 times in 2015. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 5 trips to carry that many people.
Buy This Home, I’ll Buy Yours*
