realtor – SoCal Home Blog

March 2, 2016

Burbank Homes For Sale

BURBANK HOMES FOR SALE | NEW LISTINGS | UNLISTED HOMES

Home to most of LA’s major movie studios – including Warner Bros, Disney and Universal – ‘the Valley’ is an exercise in sprawl. Car culture was also basically invented in the Valley, which claims to have given birth to the mini-mall, the drive-in movie theater, the drive-in bank and the drive-in restaurant.

Attractions are few and scattered about; Burbank has the studios, and North Hollywood, west of here, is home to a growing arts scene. Studio City, west of Universal, has some superb sushi on Ventura Blvd. At last count there were 21 sushi bars within a six-block radius, which is why some call it LA’s Sushi Row. Studio City’s grooviest shopping and cafe strip can be found on leafy Tujunga Blvd.

Note that temperatures here are usually 20°F (11°C) higher – and pollution levels worse – than in areas further south. But it’s not all bad. In fact, with lower-cost housing and the lack of congestion, the Valley is more laidback and down to earth than elsewhere in the city.

Burbank consists of two distinct areas: a downtown, in the foothills of the Verdugo Mountains, and flatlands, at the east end of the San Fernando Valley.

The neighborhood within Burbank set at the foothills of the Verdugo Mountains has a more upscale feeling than the communities to the West of the 5. The yards tend to be spacious, remodeled and many have been added onto. You will also find newer homes which were built after tearing down the original home. West of the 5 is flatter, and feels more middle income. A great community for bike riding, pushing strollers and walking. There is a 2 mile running/biking path along Chandler Blvd. In the Southwest corner of Burbank is the Equestrian community which is well-treed and has many charming homes.

Entertainment has generally replaced the defense industry as the primary employer, who are attracted by the relative safety and security offered by its own police and fire departments, highly rated schools and hospital. Other reasons cited are its small town feel while located only 10 minutes away by car to the hip clubs and restaurants of Hollywood.

The revitalized downtown Burbank provides an urban mix of shopping, dining, and entertainment. The San Fernando Strip is an exclusive mall designed to be a modern urban village, with apartments above the mall. An upscale shopping district is located in the state-of-the-art Empire Center neighborhood. The Burbank Town Center is a retail complex adjacent to the downtown core that was built in two phases between 1991 and 1992.

BURBANK HOMES FOR SALE | NEW LISTINGS | UNLISTED HOMES

Corey Chambers, Realty Source Inc, BRE#01889449

January 6, 2016

Floral Park Santa Ana Homes For Sale

FLORAL PARK HOMES FOR SALE | NEW LISTINGS | UNLISTED

Located in the northern tip of Santa Ana, the Floral Park neighborhood is a community of more than 600 vintage homes, most of which were built from the 1920s through the 1950s. Recognized as one of Orange County’s most established neighborhoods, the neighborhood is representative of a bygone era—one of gracious tree-shaded streets, abundant lawns and flowers, unique and stylish homes and, most importantly, friendly neighbors! Once blanketed by orange, avocado and walnut groves, the neighborhood features original farmhouses and the sweet smell of orange blossoms still fills the air.

The Floral Park Neighborhood Association actively works to preserve the character and beauty of the neighborhood and to provide a sense of community and tradition to its residents. Over 100 homes in Floral Park are on the Santa Ana Register of Historic Properties.

Floral Park was the recipient of the 2005 Neighborhood of the Year Award awarded by Neighborhood, USA, and ranked as the Number One Neighborhood in 2007 in the Orange County Register’s Best of Orange County rankings.

FLORAL PARK HOMES FOR SALE | NEW LISTINGS | UNLISTED
Corey Chambers, Realty Source Inc, BRE#01889449

December 30, 2015

Manhattan Beach Homes For Sale

MANHATTAN BEACH HOMES FOR SALE | NEW LISTINGS | UNLISTED

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.

MANHATTAN BEACH HOMES FOR SALE | NEW LISTINGS | UNLISTED

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.

MANHATTAN BEACH HOMES FOR SALE | NEW LISTINGS | UNLISTED

Corey Chambers, Realty Source Inc, BRE#01889449

December 30, 2015

Redondo Beach Homes For Sale

REDONDO BEACH HOMES FOR SALE | NEW LISTINGS | UNLISTED

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.

REDONDO BEACH HOMES FOR SALE | NEW LISTINGS | UNLISTED

Corey Chambers, Realty Source Inc, BRE#01889449

December 29, 2015

Venice Homes For Sale

VENICE HOMES FOR SALE | NEW LISTINGS | UNLISTED

Venice is a boho beach town and has been longtime haven for artists, new agers, road-weary tramps, freaks and free spirits. This is where Jim Morrison and the Doors lit their fire, where Arnold Schwarzenegger pumped himself to stardom, and the place the late Dennis Hopper once called home.

In the early twentieth century, crowds thronged to this ‘Coney Island on the Pacific’ to be poled around by imported gondoliers, walk among Renaissance-style arcaded buildings and listen to Benny Goodman tooting his horn in clubs.

These days, tech and entertainment dollars have fueled a hard charging gentrification that is changing this once low-key enclave with a strong sense of community. Still there are more indie boutiques and cafes than chains, and there’s plenty of innovative architecture and public art.

The Boardwalk, the bike path and the beach are the traditional attractions here, but the whole area’s worth a wander.

Residences and streets

Many of Venice’s houses have their principal entries from pedestrian-only streets and have house numbers on these footpaths. (Automobile access is by alleys in the rear.) The inland walk streets are made up primarily of around 620 single-family homes.

It lies 2 miles away from the nearest freeway, and its unusually dense network of narrow streets was not planned for modern traffic. Mindful of the tourist nature of much of the district’s vehicle traffic, its residents have successfully fought numerous attempts to extend the Marina Freeway (SR 90) into southern Venice.

The Venice Canal Historic District is noteworthy for its man-made canals built in 1905 by developer Abbot Kinney as part of his Venice of America plan. Kinney sought to recreate the appearance and feel of Venice, Italy, in Southern California.

The canals are roughly bounded by Eastern Court on the east, Court A on the south, Strongs Drive on the west, and Court E on the north. There are four east-west canals (Carroll Canal, Linnie Canal, Howland Canal, and Sherman Canal) and two north-south canals (Eastern Canal and Grand Canal). The beautifully lit canals with gondoliers and arched bridges drew widespread publicity and helped sell lots in the development.

The canals were renovated in 1992, with the canals being drained and new sidewalks and walls being built. The canals re-opened in 1993 and have become a desirable and expensive residential section of the city.

The residential district surrounding the remaining canals was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. However, in recent years, there has been extensive renovation work on many of the old houses, and many large, modern houses have been built.

VENICE HOMES FOR SALE | NEW LISTINGS | UNLISTED

Corey Chambers, Realty Source Inc, BRE#01889449

December 24, 2015

Mount Washington Homes For Sale

MOUNT WASHINGTON HOMES FOR SALE | NEW LISTINGS | UNLISTED

Mount Washington is a neighborhood in the San Rafael Hills of Northeast Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1909, it is a historic area with one high-achieving elementary school within it. It includes the Southwest Museum, the world headquarters of the Self-Realization Fellowship, and Eldred Street, one of the three steepest streets in Los Angeles.

The district is generally considered the most affluent area of the East Side. The “beauty and the quirky nature of Mount Washington” has inspired songs. In recent years, many homebuyers have become attracted to the area as a relatively affordable alternative to the Westside.

San Rafael Hills

The San Rafael Hills define the valley area of Pasadena and San Marino, and retain a large aquifer on the hills’ north side, from the San Gabriel Valley.

They were the homeland, with settlements, of the Tongva Native American people for over 8,000 years before the Spanish invasion and colonization of the late 18th century. They are named after the Rancho San Rafael, an 1874 Spanish land grant beyond the hills to the west. The rancho was later acquired by Henry E. Huntington for his residence, gardens, and library, and real estate development.

The Southwest Museum of the American Indian is a museum, library, and archive located in the Mt. Washington area . It is part of the Autry National Center. Its collections deal mainly with Native Americans.

Major collections include rooms devoted to 1) American Indians of the Great Plains, 2) American Indians of California, and 3) American Indians of the Northwest Coast.

Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) is a worldwide spiritual non-profit religious organization for the preservation and worldwide dissemination of writings and teachings, including Kriya Yoga.

Elvis Presley reportedly visited the Self-Realization Fellowship in the late 1960s, commenting to the founder, a monk who had left an acting career to devote his life to the fellowship, “Man, you made the right choice. People don’t know my life or that I sometimes cry myself to sleep because I don’t know God.”

SRF_Headquarters_at_3880_San_Rafael_Dr. — Self-Realization Fellowship

Eldred and Baxter Streets

Eldred Street was constructed in 1912. On clear days, it offers a commanding view of Highland Park against a backdrop of Mt. Wilson and Mt. Baldy to the east.

Baxter Street was laid out in 1884. Parts of it are paved with grooved concrete designed to improve traction in rainy weather.

They don’t make streets like these anymore in Los Angeles; 32% grades that climbs a ridge east of the Silver Lake Reservoir, crosses over the top of the hill and immediately drops off on the other side.

Unsuspecting motorists gasp when they reach the crest and discover the roadway in front of them has dropped out of sight and there is nothing but empty space in front of their car’s hood.

eldred-street-los-angeles — Eldred Street

MOUNT WASHINGTON HOMES FOR SALE | NEW LISTINGS | UNLISTED