Arroyo Property of the Week - Highland Park View Home

There's a phrase real estate agents use from time to time with their buyers. It goes something like this: Don't curb appraise the house when you drive by.

This sweet Highland Park view home built in 1911 is a great example of this adage. The exterior of this home is well-maintained but nothing to get excited about, which is why I haven't posted a photo here.

But once you get inside, it's a charming bungalow with upgraded  kitchen with granite countertops, a bonus room, and flat, useable backyard.

Did I mention that this 1128 sq foot 2 bedroom, 1 bath home on a 5620 sq ft lot is located just south of Yosemite Drive and can be yours for $375,000?

A large front porch to enjoy those views, hardwood floors, full bath with tub, detached garage and a 100 sq ft studio at the rear of the property enhance this cozy home.

In addition, the steps up to the front door are lined with Arroyo rock from my beloved Arroyo Seco stream, which was commonly used in homes built just after the turn of the 20th Century.

Best of all, this is a standard sale - no lenders, REO departments or lawyers to deal with - just nice sellers who are looking for the right buyer.

Interested? This gem is shown by appointment only, so give me a call at 323-230-9749 and I'll be happy to arrange a showing.

Arroyo Property of the Week - Highland Park Exclusive!

Nestled in the foothills of Highland Park, with amazing unobstructed views of the San Gabriel Mountains, this darling 3 bedroom, 1.75 bath home on a terraced lot makes it public debut on Thursday, March 10, 2011.

Built in 1923, the property heating, air conditioning, electrical, plumbing and foundation retrofitting were all updated within the past three years. The home features 1128 square feet of living space on a 5280 square foot lot with a detached two car garage.

The warm, cozy feel of this home is augmented with expansive views from both the living room picture windows and the upper terrace backyard.

The property also features a bonus space - basement under the house that could be finished for an office or rec room.

Best of all, this is a standard sale (meaning: not a lender owned property or short sale) at an amazing list price of $379,000.

Located just a few blocks south of York Blvd, this property boasts a 75 walkability score, close to all the trendy shops and galleries that NELA denizens love, including The York, MorYork Gallery, and Cafe de Leche with LA's first bicycle corral!

Come on by, check out this charmer, and say hello to me and Keller Williams co-agent James Pitcher on Thursday, March 10th, 10am to 2pm, 5106 Hub Street, Highland Park or call for a private showing at 323-230-9749.

Arroyo Property of the Week

Highland Park along the Arroyo Seco seems to be the place to be these days for terrific rehabs of residential properties, adding upgrades and hip modern touches.

This week we get to look at a great 'pocket listing' nestled in the hills north of York Boulevard. That's right. It's not in the multiple listing service (MLS) but you can learn about it here!

This recently refurbished property features a terraced hillside footprint with unobstructed views.

The main house, located on the upper terrace, includes a wrap-around terrace for entertaining and to take in those fabulous views. The property is full of the lush urban nature ambiance so loved in the Arroyo Culture of Northeast Los Angeles.

The studio on the lower terrace is the perfect writer's retreat, quiet with bucolic views.

Both the main house and the studio boast open floor plans with sleek detailing. The kichen- dining area great room is perfect for both casual dining and parties.

Enticed so far? Check out lots of property photos here: http://www.1843upperton.com/

This adorable 3 bedroom, 2 bath property plus studio can be yours for $649,000.

And don't worry. Just because the property is not being promoted via the MLS doesn't mean that you can't see it, because it will be open this Sunday, January 30th, from 1-4pm.

Just remember when you stop by to mention that you found out about this terrific property from the Arroyo Lover!

Visioning the Future: The Arroyo Seco-Highland Park LA-RIO Design Plan

Imagine what is possible if the Arroyo Seco became a designated

 LA-RIO (Los Angeles River Improvement Overlay)

Special District under the City of Los Angeles  proposed ordinance.

That's just what a team of Cal Poly Pomona Urban & Regional Planning graduate students did, under the direction of my humble tutelage in the fall of 2009, when they created the Arroyo Seco Highland Park LA-RIO Conceptual Design Plan.

The LA-RIO Ordinance is designed to bring watershed principles to real estate development and redevelopment along one-half mile on each side of the Los Angeles River Corridor.  Here's the LA-RIO Ordinance factsheet: http://planning.lacity.org/Code_Studies/Rioproject/factsheet.pdf.

The Ordinance also provides the major tributaries, including the Arroyo Seco, the opportunity to participate as an LA-RIO district.  The Ordinance was approved in principle by the LA City Council last year and is currently under legal review and amendment to comply with municipal law. River lovers hope that this ordinance, along with the recently passed Low Impact Development (LID) Ordinance, will be formally enacted in 2011.

Follow this link to view the entire Arroyo Seco Highland Park LA-RIO Conceptual Design Plan:  http://www.arroyoseco.org/asrio.htm

What do YOU think? Should the Arroyo Seco become an LA-RIO District?

The Mom & Pop Shop Lives on at Galco's Soda Pop Stop

When I first stepped through the doors of the building that houses Galco's Old World Grocery on York Boulevard at Avenue 57 in the Highland Park neighborhood of Northeast Los Angeles, I felt that I was walking back in history. The interior is reminiscent of 1950s grocery stores, complete with checkout stations with the old-style conveyor belts and the meat counter deli case along the back wall where sandwiches are made to order.

But instead of groceries lining the food aisles, patrons find the most amazing collection of soda pop bottles and beers imaginable!

The only Los Angeles business to be profiled in the recently released book, The Mom & Pop Store, http://www.robertspector.com/momandpop.cfm, Galco's Soda Pop Stop is more than just a David v. Goliath story of small grocer v. big food chain. Rather, owner John Nese, son of the grocery's founder, has transformed this market with a 53 year history in the neighborhood into a bastion for small, independent bottling plants around the country whose product has been pushed off the shelves of the 'chains' by the Coca-Cola and Pepsi empires.

According to Nese, there were once over 3,500 bottlers in the country. Now, just a handful remain, and thanks to Galco's, there is shelf life for their product ~ everything from Dad's to Grape NEHI ~ from Nesbitt's Orange to Route 66 Root Beer (the famous route passes by less than a mile away).

I also found it interesting that virtually all these sodas (as we West Coasters call them) or pops (as the East Coast-Midwesterners say) are made with cane sugar, not corn syrup, and I must admit, you immediately notice the difference in the smooth, clean taste.
In addition to almost 350 varieties of soda pop, Galco's also carries almost 500 varieties of artisan beers from around the world, which I'll return to sample another day.

Best of all, Galco's offers the warm feeling of a family business where John immediately comes over to help and introduce himself while his grandsons help stock product on the 'low' shelves. John and I even shared a couple tall tales about the nearby Arroyo Seco River, where he caught crawfish when he was a child, before the City channelized the stream in concrete.

Heading to a music jam at York Studios? Joining the hipsters at Johnny's? Looking for a great beverage to go with that taco truck meal? Galco's Soda Pop Shop has the perfect drink for you, available either in a six-pack or individual bottle.

Don't live in LA? No worries, because Galco's will ship their soda pop to you anywhere (sorry, no beer online orders). http://www.sodapopstop.com/home.cfm.