Life in LA

Life in LA

Wonderful Tour of the LA in the 1920s through Architecture

Recently a July 2024 article written by Deborah Netburn and Christopher Reynolds, with contributions by Lisa Boone, popped up on my LA Times app. As they noted “A startling number of L.A. County’s most inspiring and entertaining structures went up in 1920s.” The county’s population grew exponentially from under one million to more than […]
Life in LA

A.I. Fortunes Drive Luxury San Francisco Real Estate

The Robb Report says AI fortunes are driving surging luxury sales. Here is India Brown’s report: “San Francisco’s luxury real-estate market went from ghost town to gold rush. After a period of post-pandemic urban decline, the city is now experiencing a renaissance at the highest echelons of the housing market, largely credited to the explosive […]
Life in LA

New Michelin Stars Shimmer in LA

I was very excited to read Jim Dobson’s coverage of the new Michelin starred restaurants in Forbes. Below is his piece edited to feature the Los Angeles area winners: “This week, the Michelin Guide California 2025 spotlighted nine newly starred restaurants across the state. Among the most notable highlights: Providence in Hollywood earned its third […]
Life in LA

May Flowers in Fashion – Chelsea in Bloom

I look forward to this time of year when my Instagram feed is taken over with some jaw-dropping floral displays in the streets of London. It’s Chelsea in Bloom, a world class alternative floral art show. Back for its 20th anniversary, the streets of Chelsea are transformed with breathtaking displays made of fresh flowers from […]

Life in LA Wonderful Tour of the LA in the 1920s through Architecture Recently a July 2024 article written by Deborah Netburn and Christopher Reynolds, with contributions by Lisa Boone, popped up on my LA Times app. As they noted “A startling number of L.A. County’s most inspiring and entertaining structures went up in 1920s.” The county’s population grew exponentially from under one million to more than […]

Life in LA A.I. Fortunes Drive Luxury San Francisco Real Estate The Robb Report says AI fortunes are driving surging luxury sales. Here is India Brown’s report: “San Francisco’s luxury real-estate market went from ghost town to gold rush. After a period of post-pandemic urban decline, the city is now experiencing a renaissance at the highest echelons of the housing market, largely credited to the explosive […]

Life in LA New Michelin Stars Shimmer in LA I was very excited to read Jim Dobson’s coverage of the new Michelin starred restaurants in Forbes. Below is his piece edited to feature the Los Angeles area winners: “This week, the Michelin Guide California 2025 spotlighted nine newly starred restaurants across the state. Among the most notable highlights: Providence in Hollywood earned its third […]

Life in LA May Flowers in Fashion – Chelsea in Bloom I look forward to this time of year when my Instagram feed is taken over with some jaw-dropping floral displays in the streets of London. It’s Chelsea in Bloom, a world class alternative floral art show. Back for its 20th anniversary, the streets of Chelsea are transformed with breathtaking displays made of fresh flowers from […]

Life in LA Meet the Nonprofit Chronicling L.A.’s Endangered Buildings—One Instagram Post at a Time “We want to be stewards of carrying the California spirit forward into the 21st-century.” As California grapples with its most devastating fire season yet, the tolls are adding up: to date, more than 16,000 structures have been destroyed, 28 lives have been lost, and countless architectural treasures are hanging in the balance. Among the destroyed […]

Life in LA A master of light: Interview with famed architectural photographer Tim Street-Porter Architectural photographer Tim Street-Porter has made a career of capturing Los Angeles’ wildly varied built environment in its best light and form. A British ex-pat, he’s made Los Angeles his home since 1978 where he continues to write, photograph and collaborate with his wife, design writer and decorator, Annie Kelly. He’s the author and photographer […]

Life in LA Will $5 Million Plus Homes Flood the Market in November? In the City of Los Angeles, a flood of inventory of $5 million + homes is a real possibility if Measure ULA passes November 8th. Measure ULA proposes to add a special tax when high-end properties sell to raise funds to build and acquire properties for the homeless population, as well as provide funds for […]

Life in LA Is Residential Real Estate In A Deep Freeze? Here’s the current scenario for today’s residential real estate market: Buyers are talking about waiting for the big price drop to come. Some even say there will be a 15-20% decline. Sellers, on the other hand, bring up their property’s Zestimate on Zillow and the multiple offers the house across the street got last month. It’s become […]

Life in LA Tips on creating a drought tolerant landscape from an expert California leads the nation in water conservation and cultivating drought tolerant landscaping. With a predicted major wildfire season upon us, we may have to conserve even more water than usual. For more than 27 years landscape architect and designer Jeff Smith of JMS Design Associates has created beautiful landscapes while considering water use. His full-service, […]

Life in LA COMPOSTING – IT’S NOW THE LAW Did you know that households in California must now contribute actively to a greener future? As of January 2022, Californians are required to compost their food waste and food soiled paper (think pizza boxes and coffee filters). These efforts will divert tons of food waste from local landfills, reducing methane gas and creating organic compost, […]

Life in LA Residential historic preservation buzzwords explained There are some tax advantages available to property owners who buy and restore historic homes and commercial buildings in Los Angeles. I’ve developed a primer to explain these common terms associated with historic preservation in California. These terms are often misunderstood: the Ellis Act, Mills Act, Mello-Roos and adaptive reuse. As always, if you have […]