Monthly Archives: September 2017

Bernie’s Norebang

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BN 01 Side Car

Bernie’s Coffee Shop, mural by Dionisio Ceballos

Okay, so I kind of have an obsession with Johnie’s Coffee Shop at Wilshire and Fairfax. When I was younger it was one of a number of coffee shops me and my friends used to hang at after movies or shows. It closed in 2000, and for years now I’ve been wondering if it would ever reopen.

Well, it has. Kind of.

Johnie’s isn’t a coffee shop any more. It’s morphed into something else. During last year’s presidential campaign, the owner of the restaurant offered it to a group of Bernie Sanders supporters, and it became the Sanders HQ in LA. After the campaign ended, the group continued to meet there to talk about ways to keep pressing for a progressive agenda.

BN 10 Johnies Corner

Johnie’s/Bernie’s Coffee Shop at Wilshire and Fairfax

I didn’t know about any of this until earlier this year when I was waiting at a bus stop with a friend, and we started talking to a guy about the coffee shop. He told us that it was a meeting place for the Sanders crowd. I immediately wanted to drop in and check it out.

So I was surfing the net in August, and came across a post advertising Bernie’s Norebang at Johnie’s. I knew I had to go.

I showed up at Johnie’s around seven o’ clock on a Friday night. It was early, and nobody was there yet, but the people were really friendly and I was soon deep into a discussion about how we could solve the housing crisis. One of the things that impressed me about everybody I talked to that night was that they all have a genuine desire to change things for the better.

For those of you who don’t know the word “norebang”, it’s the Korean version of karaoke. It was a blast. They asked for a twenty dollar donation at the door, but no one was turned away. Once inside, beer and food were free. I only had one plate of food. I don’t want to talk about how many beers I had.

But rather than tell you about it, let me just show you some pictures….

BN 20 Before

When I first arrived, there were just a few people setting up.

BN 30 Lights Hat

But soon the place started filling up.

BN 32 Progress

Everybody seemed to be having a good time.

BN 40 Singer

A vocalist cutting loose.

BN 42 Young Americans

Another vocalist takes a shot at Bowie’s Young Americans.

BN 60 Mural

I started wandering around, and found this mural in a corner of the restaurant.

BN 65 Counter Bottles

I wasn’t the only one drinking.

BN 70 Silhouettes

A shot taken from the corner by the mural.

I had a great time. I talked to a lot of interesting people. I sang a few songs. The only disappointment was that I didn’t get a standing ovation for my rendition of the Beatles’ Revolution. It could be that the other guests didn’t appreciate my talent. It could also be that I was on my fourth beer, and was having trouble staying on key.

Bernie’s Norebang was hosted by Ground Game LA.  They made it happen three times over the summer. Sorry I only made it to one. It was definitely one of the summer’s highlights.

BN 90 Sign

Tenants Raise Alarm at Historic Schindler Apartments

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Sachs 01 Edg Front w Screen

The speculative real estate binge that’s sweeping across LA right now has drawn a swarm of unscrupulous people willing to do whatever it takes to make a profit. In talking to community members over the past few years I’ve heard some hair-raising stories, but nothing that tops the reports I’ve heard from the tenants of the Sachs Apartments in Silverlake.

To give you some background, the Sachs Apartments (also known as Manola Court) were created by architect Rudolph Schindler for interior designer Herman Sachs. They’re a stunning example of Schindler’s work, a collection of buildings that step gracefully down a hillside, connected by steep stairways and terraced paths. The City of LA has recognized the importance of the site, naming it a Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM) in 2016.

Sachs 05 Edg Garages 2 EDITED

A view of the Sachs Apartments from Edgecliffe.

Sachs 10 Edg Garages

Another view from Edgecliffe.

Sachs 15 Edg Gate

A gate leading to a walkway between two buildings.

The Sachs Apartments were purchased by the current owners some years back. While there are three names listed on documents filed with the City, the person who has been dealing with the tenants and supervising the “restoration” is Paul Finegold. I’ve been hearing a lot about Mr. Finegold lately, and most of the comments have been pretty negative.

To start with, a number of tenants claim that Finegold has been harrassing them, and they believe he’s doing his best to get rid of them. There have been reports that he doesn’t maintain the units properly, and is slow to act when problems come up. I wanted to learn more, so last Thursday I showed up for a meeting of the Urban Design & Preservation Advisory Committee of the local neighborhood council. The only item on the agenda was the situation at the Sachs Apartments, and there was plenty to talk about. A number of tenants attended. They talked about water leaking through the ceiling, workers leaving debris on the site, and respiratory issues that may be related to dust from construction. Apparently Finegold has posted at least one unit on AirBnB, and the tenants said the guests are often out of control. One woman said she found a couple having sex right in front of her apartment.

And there’s more. According to the people at the meeting, three tenants have already been evicted by Finegold, who claimed that he, his mother, and a resident manager were moving in. But according to the current tenants, neither Finegold nor his mother nor the manager are living on the site.

Beyond all that, a lot of people are asking whether Finegold is restoring the Sachs Apartments or wrecking them. Remember, this is a Historic-Cultural Monument designed by someone who played a key role in LA’s architectural history. Having pledged to do a careful restoration of the site, Finegold is receiving substantial tax breaks under the Mills Act. But tenants say he’s made significant alterations, reconfiguring the interiors of some units and removing the bathroom from one. They also claim workers have cut down 4 mature trees and removed tiles designed by the original owner, Herman Sachs. Former tenant Judith Sheine, an authority on Schindler’s work, has expressed her concern that Finegold’s crews are doing damage to the complex.

I decided to go to the LA Department of Building & Safety (LADBS) web site to check out some of the permits that Finegold has pulled. Here are some excerpts….

“REMOVE FULL BATH ON FIRST FLOOR AND CREATE A POWDER ROOM ELSEWHERE ALSO ON FIRST FLOOR. NO CHANGE TO PLOT PLAN.”

“CONVERT A 3 UNIT APARTMENT TO A 4 UNIT APARTMENT WITH INTERIOR ALTERATIONS.”

“ADD NEW BATH; REMOVE AND REPLACE SELECTED WINDOWS; NEW ROOFING; NEW COLOR COAT EXTERIOR PLASTER”

Is it really okay to do all this with a building that’s been designated as an HCM? Was LADBS aware that this is a historic building? Obviously, any structure that’s over 80 years old is going to need some work to comply with current codes, but removing a bathroom? Converting one structure from 3 to 4 units? Remember, Finegold is getting tax breaks under the Mills Act for the work he’s doing, and that means he’s required to follow the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. Historic Resources Group, a widely respected consulting firm, helped Finegold file the Mills Act application. Do they know what’s going on at the Sachs Apartments?

Sachs 20 Luc Front 1

A view of the Sachs Apartments from Lucile.

Sachs 22 Luc Corner

Far corner of the building on Lucile.

Sachs 24 Luc Front 5 w Bin

Another view of the building from Lucile.

And to top it all off, now Finegold has applied to convert 5 of the units to a bed and breakfast. That may seem like a small number, but remember, we’re in the middle of a housing crisis. And based on their experiences with Finegold, some of the tenants are worried that he eventually plans to convert the whole complex to a bed and breakfast.

So, will the Department of City Planning (DCP) reward this guy by allowing the change of use? Seems likely. In spite of the fact that City Hall keeps telling us that we don’t have nearly enough housing, the DCP has shown itself to be more than willing to work with owners who want to remove rental units from the market. The DCP has heard all about the tenants’ concerns, and so has Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell’s office. But so far nobody from the City seems willing to stand up and ask what the hell is going on at the Sachs Apartments.

If you think somebody from the City should be asking questions, maybe you could let them know you’re concerned. Send an e-mail to DCP staffer Azeen Khanmalek, and be sure to copy Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell.

How about this for a subject line?

Investigate Possible Damage to Historic Sachs Apartments

Azeen Khanmalek, Department of City Planning
Azeen.Khanmalek@lacity.org

Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell
councilmember.ofarrell@lacity.org

Sachs 30 Luc Rising

Use Your Creative Mind

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Crenshaw Sign 1

Last night I was walking down Crenshaw at dusk.  As I came up to the onramp for the Santa Monica Freeway I saw some signs fixed to a pole.  I thought the message was cool, so I pulled out my camera and snapped a few photos..

Crenshaw Sign 2

As I was taking the pictures, I wondered who put these signs up.  I didn’t have to wonder long.  He was standing a few feet away.  He came up to me and asked me why people didn’t use their creative mind.  It was a good question, and I didn’t have an answer.  We started talking.  He told me he thought the richest soil in the world was the soil you find in a cemetery, because so many people take their thoughts to the grave.

He told me his name was Lovell.  I told him I did a blog about LA, and asked if I could take his picture.  He said fine.

Crenshaw Lovell 1

We probably talked for about ten minutes.  Then I said goodbye and moved on.  But I was really glad I met Lovell.  He’s interesting guy, and he’s an optimist.  He really believes people can make the world a better place if they just allow themselves to explore their own potential.

It was a message I needed to hear.  The world seems so scary these days.  There’s so much violence and hate.  So much poverty and fear.  At times it feels like there’s no hope at all.  So it was good to talk to someone who does have hope.  Someone who believes we can change things for the better, if only we can just change ourselves.

Crenshaw Sign 3

 

Visualizing Language: Oaxaca in LA

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Oax 01 Head

We may think of images and language as two separate things, but they’re not. They’re bound together in a million complicated ways, and it’s impossible to pull them apart. In a city like Los Angeles, we’re constantly surrounded by a swirl of words mutating into images (think the Hollywood sign, or a street artist spraypainting their name in neon colors) and images with easily recognizable meanings (a green cross, or a peace symbol).

In Visualizing Language: Oaxaca in LA, a series of murals on display at the Central Library, the artist collective Tlacolulokos takes on the endlessly complex relationship between words and images, and at the same time they explore the equally complex cultural landscape of indigenous people who have migrated to Los Angeles.

Oax 05 Crowd

This newly written visual history is meant to be a response to earlier versions of history, specifically the series of murals by Dean Cornwell that decorates the Central Library’s rotunda. Cornwell’s images tell the story that the City’s leadership wanted to hear back in 1933, the discovery of the New World, the spread of Christianity, the march of Civilization. Of course, the indigenous people represented in those murals were generally down on their knees, waiting for salvation.

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One of the murals painted by Dean Cornwell for the Library in 1933

There’s no point in me trying to write about these murals, because they speak so eloquently themselves. I’ll let the images do the talking. Just a word about the way they’re organized. The murals are conceived as three sets of diptychs, and the title for each set is given in Zapotec, the language of the indigenous people of Oaxaca.

Gal rabenee ladxuu/For the Pride of Your Hometown

Ra galumbanuu xhten guccran nii/The Way of the Elders

Ne guitenala’dxinu ca binni ma cusia’ndanu/And in Memory of the Forgotten

Oax 30 Boy Bus

Gal rabenee ladxuu/For the Pride of Your Hometown

Oax 35 Boy Bus Close

Gal rabenee ladxuu/For the Pride of Your Hometown (detail)

Oax 37 Never Forget Close

Gal rabenee ladxuu/For the Pride of Your Hometown

Oax 40 Cal Wide 01

Ra galumbanuu xhten guccran nii/The Way of the Elders

Oax 45 Cal Close

Ra galumbanuu xhten guccran nii/The Way of the Elders (detail)

Oax 47 St Sign 1

Ra galumbanuu xhten guccran nii/The Way of the Elders

Oax 50 Tattoo

Ne guitenala’dxinu ca binni ma cusia’ndanu/And in Memory of the Forgotten

Oax 60 Corona

Ne guitenala’dxinu ca binni ma cusia’ndanu/And in Memory of the Forgotten

The exhibition, a joint effort by the Library Foundation of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Public Library, is part of Pacific Standard Time. Of course, these photos don’t do the murals justice. Really you should just head on down to the Central Library and see them for yourselves.

Visualizing Language: Oaxaca in LA