Episode #125: A Farewell to the Caravan Book Store & The Challenges Facing L.A.

You Can't Eat the Sunshine

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Join us this month as we talk with Donald Spivack, former Deputy Director of Policy & Operations for the CRA-LA, about the two biggest challenges facing Los Angeles: Homelessness and Open Space. We’ll also visit with Leonard Bernstein, second-generation proprietor of Caravan Book Store, which is closing at the end of this month after nearly 56 years. It is the last shop left on Downtown’s historic Booksellers Row.

We’ll also discuss the unwelcome sale of the Japanese-American landmark Historic Wintersburg for a possible self-storage facility, the Vermonica problem, big changes at the Los Angeles Times as the reporters unionize and a new era of local ownership begins, with the Save 7500 Sunset petition the community rallies to save Parisian Florist and other historic Sunset Boulevard small businesses from an out-of-scale redevelopment project, Tom Bergin’s on the ropes again, hope for retaining some of William Pereira influence in the new development proposed for his Metropolitan Water District HQ, sleuthing the shock demolition of Lawrence Halprin’s taxpayer-funded Crocker Court on Bunker Hill, Malibu’s surfing zone is added to the National Register and we hope this is good news for the neglected Adamson House, outrage and organizing as the Port of L.A.’s redevelopment arm breaks promises made to the Ports O’ Call tenants and San Pedro community and changes to San Gabriel’s outdated preservation policies.

UPCOMING EVENTS

February Sunday LAVA Salon: Poem Noir

March Sunday LAVA Salon: The Los Angeles Mall Reconsidered

LAVA Forensic Science Seminar: Wrongful Convictions: Investigatory Case Studies From the California Innocence Project

URLS FOR GUESTS AND CLOSELY WATCHED TRAINS

RIP Caravan Book Store (1954-2018). The last survivor of Downtown L.A.’s bookseller’s row is closing on 2/24, and with it goes a big piece of Los Angeles’ literary heart. See the 3-D scan.

Caravan Books

Betrayal of preservation promises at Historic Wintersburg, a significant Japanese-American landmark in Huntington Beach.

Can Street Art Be Moved Without Destroying It? Atlas Obscura tackles the Vermonica problem. The Cranky Preservationist stops by, too: Episode 15: Not Vermonica Blues.

Big changes at the Los Angeles Times: the reporters have unionized, then the inept Chicago owners sold the paper to a local owner. The looming question: will the Times be able to remain in its namesake building, which it no longer owns?

A petition is launched to “Save 7500 Sunset” seeking to preserve two blocks of small businesses in Hollywood, including Parisian Florist, one of the finest vintage storefronts we’ve got.

Tom Bergin’s is on the ropes, again.

Renderings released for proposed redevelopment of William Pereira’s Metropolitan Water District HQ: much demolition, but also partial restoration of the low-rise building at the heart of the complex. The sunscreens, removed, we believe, to stymie the landmark nomination, are back.

A civic disgrace: Department of Building and Safety issued a demolition permit in TWO DAYS just before Christmas, then Lawrence Halprin’s significant, taxpayer-funded Crocker Court was destroyed with no public notice. And of course the Cranky Preservationist has something to say about it: Episode 14: Bunker Hill Re-Redevelopment Blues.

Southern California culture spreads its influence around the globe. And now Malibu’s surfing zone is on the National Register, for layers of significance ancient to modern. Maybe now the state will invest in proper restoration of the magnificent tiled Adamson House, which needs some love.

Outrage and organizing as the Port of L.A.’s redevelopment arm breaks promises made to the Ports O’ Call tenants and San Pedro community

San Gabriel, rich with history, gets L.A. Conservancy recognition for beefing up its outdated preservation policies.