Gentle reader,
We tried to go live via the Substack app at the December 4 Cultural Heritage Commission hearing where the Hollywood Center Motel landmark nomination was under consideration, and technically, it was kind of a mess. The video stream went out sideways, and the audio was choppy.
Sorry about that, preservation pals. It was a productive and interesting meeting that deserved better live documentation.
We’ve turned the video back to the proper orientation above, and the City’s clean audio feed from the microphones is available on the updated agenda.
Here’s General Public Comment, including our Richard Schave talking about the the just begun demolition of French Hospital (shout out to C.C. de Vere of Empty Los Angeles), an 1860s cultural landmark that the City is allowing to be brought down with no historic review.
CHC President Barry Milofsky is sadly mistaken that an archeologist is required to be on site. We wish the CHC would take a greater interest in the development loopholes through which heritage is being lost forever, because it doesn’t have to be this way.
Here’s audio for the second landmarking hearing for the stone Elmer Reavis House, initiated by Little Landers Historical Society.
And audio of the first hearing about Hollywood Center Motel, initiated by Hollywood Heritage, is here. If you want to mute the choppy audio and watch the presentation and discussion with the City’s feed playing, this section begins about 36 minutes into the video.
Sorry about the technical issues, but thanks for your attention, we remain…
Yours for Los Angeles,
Kim & Richard
Esotouric
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• For the holiday season, we’ve got a special offer that’s just the thing for the L.A. lover who already has everything: purchase four walking tour gift certificates, and get an additional ticket for free, which you can gift or use yourself.
Our work—leading tours and historic preservation and cultural landmark advocacy—is about building a bridge between Los Angeles’ past and its future, and not allowing the corrupt, greedy, inept and misguided players who hold present power to destroy the city’s soul and body. If you’d like to support our efforts to be the voice of places worth preserving, we have a tip jar, vintage Los Angeles webinars available to stream, in-person tours and a souvenir shop you can browse in. We’ve also got recommended reading bookshelves on Amazon and the Bookshop indie bookstore site. And did you know we offer private versions of our walking tours for groups big or small? Or just share this link with other people who care.
UPCOMING WALKING TOURS
• Know Your Downtown L.A. (Saturday, 12/20) • Miracle Mile Marvels & Madness (Sunday, 12/21) • Human Sacrifice: The Black Dahlia, Elisa Lam, Heidi Planck & Skid Row Slasher Cases (12/27) • Evergreen Cemetery, 1877 (1/24) • Alvarado Terrace & South Bonnie Brae Tract (1/31) • Hollywood Noir (2/7) • Angelino Heights & Carroll Avenue (2/14) • Raymond Chandler’s Noir Downtown L.A. (2/21) • Weird West Adams & Elmer McCurdy Museum Visit (2/28) • Film Noir / Real Noir (3/7) • Bunker Hill, Dead and Alive (3/21) • Christine Sterling & Leo Politi: Angels of Los Angeles (4/4) • John Fante’s Downtown L.A. (4/11) • Early Hollywood’s Silent Comedy Legends (4/18) • Downtown Los Angeles is for Book Lovers (4/25)
