Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Would You Want to Be JLo's Next Door Neighbor?

Okay children, let's talk about new mommy of twins Jennifer Lopez and that disturbingly thin huzband of hers Marc Anthony. Just between us chickens, Your Mama admits that we are not a big fan of either Miz Lopez or Mister Lopez, even though we do confess to getting a strange and guilty pleasure from that one song of his that gets played on the radio a thousand times a day. We do, however and whole heartedly, credit the Bronx bred Booty Queen for pulling herself up by her In Living Color bootstraps and transforming herself into an international icon of style and celebrity even if we do think her greatest talent is that of self-promotion.

Anyhoo, we're not here to discuss the obvious merits of Miz Lopez's bodacious booty, to debate her talents as a singer or actor or to discuss her unquestionable ability to mint money, we're here to discuss the real estate, and it appears than her current next door neighbors on both coasts no longer want to be living up next door to La Lopez and the frightening phalanx of security goons that surround her and her homes.

Yesterday we learned from the celebrity real estate gossip gurls at Newsday that the 2.25 acre property next door neighbors to La Lopez and Mister Anthony's sprawling Long Island estate has been plopped on to the market with an asking price of $2,299,000.
Access to the 5 bedroom and 4.5 bathroom waspy white Colonial style house (above) is through the very same gates and down the very same blue stone drive that La Lopez and Mister Anthony recently and reportedly spent millions to fortify to better protect them now that they have babies...and Your Mama does not need to tell any of the children, that along with her trio of 24/7 security guards, La Lopez will protect those babies of hers with her claws all out and scratching. At least she will as soon as she cashes that six million dollar check she's reportedly getting from People for the exclusive rights to photos of the newborns.

Here's what Your Mama really wants to know though...Why didn't the owner offer to sell the property directly to La Lopez and Mister Anthony? Even though the Lopez/Anthony casa measures in at an impressive 10,084 square feet, surely the singing and dancing duo could use a few more thousand square feet to house the numerous nannies and body guards that are required to be on site and ready at a moments notice, right? And what could be better than to house all their "people" in another house just spitting distance away.

When in Calee-fornia, La Lopez and her family bunk up in a big Bel Air mansion on swanky St. Pierre Road which property records reveal the couple purchased in January of 2005 . Records indicate the heavily guarded Mediterranean style house measures 7,357 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms and includes several out buildings.
Property records also indicate that since August of 1996 the house next door (shown above) to JLo's Bel Air spread has been owned by executive producer Jordan Kerner (Charlottes' Web, and the Inspector Gadget and George of the Jungle franchises). Presumably Mister Kerner has elected to sell his long time home because he's taken a gig as the dean of the North Carolina School of the Arts School of Film making and not because he was exasperated by JLo's security giving all his guests the shakedown. We kid. Your Mama doesn't have any idea if Miz JLo's security gives the neighbors the evil and and third degree, but it's fun to think they do.

Mister Kerner's 9 bedroom and 9 bathroom house is currently on the market with an asking price of $6,995,000. However, as well located as this house may be in Bel Air, you couldn't pay Your Mama and the Dr. Cooter $6,95,000 to live next to the Fort Knox that is the West Coast home of La Lopez and Mister Anthony. We' be constantly paranoid that her security goons were peering in our gates and over our hedges trying to make sure we weren't trying to catch a glimpse of La Lopez sunning her brobdingnagian buns pool side.

65 comments:

Anonymous said...

The window placement on that New York colonial looks wall-eyed to me.

St. Pierre is the entry point to Bel-Air from Beverly Glen Boulevard, which this house (which is a weird remodel/expansion) backs up to, so there's going to be a fair bit of traffic on both sides of the property. But if JLo can handle it, I imagine I could, too.

Anonymous said...

If her security guards are anything like Brittany's, then you are better off not being a neighbor. Armed & Dangerous........

Anonymous said...

Does La Lopez own a place in the city? She used to go to my gym last year on 23rd and 7th. I know she's got a place in Miami. Anywhere else?

Anonymous said...

OMG, the Kerner house is horrible!!! If I owned it, I would sell it!!! LOL

Alessandra said...

So, the question is, if you're selling these properties, do you disclose who your neighbors are? I know CA has extensive disclosure requirements and if part of the reason why you were selling was to escape the insanity of living next to La Familia Lopez and you failed to disclose that to the new buyer, I don't even have to imagine the legal fun that would ensue.

Kerner's house probably lives better than it looks, i.e., once you're inside you love it. At least I hope that's the case.

Anonymous said...

http://www.w-e-agency.com/preview_flash.php?id=659&ctr=1

Here's the virtual tour if anyone is so inclined. Just a normal kind of house I think.

Anonymous said...

I'd imagine they didn't offer up the property to the new parents for one simple reason - not the brightest sales person in the world was involved. Just becasue you have lisitngs in Bel Air doesn't mean you have the smarts to fetch the highest price or the ability to connect with "more then willing, able and ready buyers."

We all know how frustrating it is dealing with low tier agents etc. Yes some agents know how to operate on a professional levelk while others try to close you in the first 2 min.

Just the other day I was inquiring about some income property and the agent talked to me like he was my red headed step mother.

Anonymous said...

Alessandra brings up a good point. The disclosures these days are intense! When I bought a house a year ago, the disclosure included congested traffic on weekday mornings because of a local high school. It's not a stretch to imagine a disclosure of congested traffic due to paparazzi stalking a neighbor.

Anonymous said...

No. Never. Not in a million years.

Also on the never-to-be-neighbor list:

Britney Spears
Denise Richards
Brangelina
Any aging rock star
Any alleged actor/actress from "The Hills"
Anne Heche
Colin Farrel
Paris Hilton
Nicole Ritchie
Michael Jackson
Tara Reid

I'm sure there are others that I haven't thought of!

Anonymous said...

Something tells me these two get in some pretty spicy arguments. I don't think I would want to subject myself to that or any of J. Lo's horribly tone deaf pop songs. Love me some Salsa though!

Anonymous said...

Brookville? Of all the Brookvilles they could have afforded, this is probably the worst choice.

There is Old Brookville (I live on the border, literally, across the street is my town), which is still dotted with farms and large estates, although there are many "communities" as well, usually the northwestern corner, made up of former farms and estates. Northeast of that Is Upper Brookville, a much smaller enclave of nouveaux riches in mostly garish homes that combine contemporary and colonial details on 2 to 10+ acre lots. These are mostly private, although not gated; a simple "Private Road - No Tresspassing" sign is enough to keep the riff raff out.

Developed after Robert Moses divided the Gold Coast with the Northern State Parkway, Northern Blvd. and the LIE, he forever changed the social structure of the area; NSP turns south for a mile or more at this point, called "Objector's Bend" to save Mr. Moses "friends" estates at the time. One either lives north of them - in Old or Upper, or south of them, which encompasses a good third of Brookville. Hence the fugly house. The neighbor's house is typical of a subdivided property being re-subdivided to make room for J Lo's place.

Although the aerial view gives the impression that she may be north of Northern Blvd., the closer one lives to it, the lower down the rungs of the social ladder one travels. Or it could be that personal hell, a strip of land between Northern Blvd. and the LIE, a no man's land that can only be accessed from the service roads along the LIE (for example, Victoria Gotti's offensive dump on the landscape is between the LIE and Brookville's eastern edge.)

I won't bore you any longer with the details, just to say that the Brookvilles, and surrounding communities like Muttontown, Lattingtown, Mill Neck and Oyster Bay Cove are filled with the rich a famous; because of the makeup of the roads in the area, like Cedar Swamp Rd. or Skunk's Misery Rd., the paparazzi have never been a problem; not only do they get lost too easily, but because of the nature of the land, the area is full of ancient trees and dense vegetation, relics of the old properties they were built upon (those of "arboretum quality", as Alessandra hopes to use one day).

There is rarely a home one can catch more than a glimpse of, let alone catch J Lo or the Mr. carrying out the trash; it's all private carting firms here.

so_chic_darling said...

Ive said it before and I'll say it again,people in the "entertainment" industry are not from the best families or the nicer parts of any town in general.Fame hungry insecure trash,and that's what you'll get next door if you don't do some research.

Parker said...

so-chic, you forgot to mention greedy and vain.

Anonymous said...

But what do you really think of us, So Chic and Parker?

:)

Anonymous said...

Never. We've had celebrity neighbors before in L.A. and Northern California and would never put up with it again. We love seeing the photos of the high-end houses (such fun!), but would never live next door, or even down the street again.

Highly entertaining in movies, TV, magazines, but celebrities make AWFUL neighbors. Living right next to them gives you constant, highly annoying insight into their amazing narcissism. They are the center of their universe and they typically express dismay that not everyone may love being constantly inconvenienced by the noise and endless entourage, security, parties, crowds, sometimes paparazzi. I'm sure there are some truly well-mannered celebrity neighbors out there (every celebrity reading that would immediately think they fit that category), but we haven't encountered them. It's all about their career, their exposure, their popularity, their opportunities and their lives and homes are all geared toward that - not about a nice, quiet normal every day life.

Normal people make the best normal neighbors. Oh, gosh. I guess you can tell this hit some long-frayed nerves because I'm going on and on.

AWFUL AWFUL !!!

so_chic_darling said...

Maybe I should have said "entertainers" rather that implicate the entire industry.

Anonymous said...

Personally I think you'd have to further separate "personalities" from "entertainers".

Legitimate actors (celebrity, not unknown extras) live all over Los Angeles in relative anonymity and can make great neighbors (and in my experience, tenants).

People who are famous for being famous (Paris, Nicole, Zsa Zsa & and that crazy guy she is married to, etc.) would be a complete pain in the butt to live near because they do need constant reminders that they are famous.

I can imagine I’d be bothered by an old rock star leering at the teen girls in the neighborhood but haven’t had that experience (yet).

I've been more annoyed by neighbors in the industry who work behind the camera (producers, directors, set designers, writers) who feel a constant need to remind everyone what they do for a living. That someone designed the dress a supporting actress (not even the star of the show) wore on the final episode of a sitcom is really a story that only need be told once.

Anonymous said...

Funny because it's true, 6:12. Makes me think of a family friend, a composer, who manages to work his best song oscar into almost any conversation...seriously, you can ask him for directions, and it will somehow remind him of his oscar.

Alessandra said...

Sandpiper, can we agree that in no universe is Marc Anthony hot? He really looks like a smack-addicted zombie (enjoy his music, though...he does have a sexy voice).

I am always amused by the self-absorption factor in LA. It's actually no different than a lot of places, but it feels somewhat more magnified here.

And how on earth did JLo end up buying a property that shares a driveway with another house? She's so security conscious. It makes no sense to me. They should buy it and house all their various attendants. Have a compound, JLo. It's the only classy thing to do.

Anonymous said...

I'm afraid, as ill-mannered as it sounds, it goes back to breeding.

I know, I know, some of you may think I'm a snob, but at the same time that J Lo and the Mr. bought their house in Brookville, there was a lovely old estate for sale at the same time, just blocks from where I live.

Built in the '20s, it sits on 15 acres, with a pool and tennis court, and semi private access - the only entry to the property was through a service road through Rothkamf Farm, one of the oldest operating farms in the area, and even though there had been built a huge McMansion along the same road that you'd have to pass every day, the house in question sits nestled in a grove of ancient trees and is not visible from the public street the access road led off of (McCoun's Lane). No paparazzi problem there - they never would have found it (hell, I live three blocks away and had to use Google earth to locate it).

Just about the same price, it is a lovely neo-Georgian masterpiece, on a hill overlooking a densely treed vale along route 107 (no access from this moderately busy two lane road), which winds past horse farms and old estates, the main thoroughfare to the "'towns" as they are known.

Gravel entry court, 6-car garage, 7 bedrooms/baths, servant's rooms, black & white checkered marble entry hall, and utter privacy for the same amount as the vacuous, brick-veneer hovel they call home in Brookville.

Not to mention that the taxes in Old Brookville are lower, owing largely to the location of the Villa Banfi world headquarters and vineyard on the site of the old Savage estate, "Rynwood", the main house of which serves as their world corporate headquarters, and is located just down the road from this beautiful property they passed up.

Typical tacky no account purchase for Mr. & Mrs. J Lo.

Anonymous said...

Dr. Cooter - "Coolest" name ever.

Anonymous said...

Mr J LO looks like a coke head....with all due respect...

Anonymous said...

That's "THE Dr. Cooter". ;-)

Anonymous said...

Personally, I wouldn't want to live next door to any celebrity in these tabloid/paparazzi obsessed time...I'm just a little confused, though, as I swear I read numerous reports that J.LO and Marc A had purchased the former Jimmy Stewart estate at 918 North Roxbury in Beverly Hills, and not the home on St. Pierre Road in Bel-Air, but I'll defer to Mama on this one...

Anonymous said...

Alessandra,

The house most likely shares the driveway with another house in this area, because what usually happens is that an estate of 40 or more acres gets subdivided into various sized lots, depending upon the layout of the estate.

It thus becomes its own private gated community, sharing common charges for shared areas such as the driveway and gates; the main drive to the original structure, which is unfortunately usually torn down, becomes the main thoroughfare for the community, whose lot sizes will vary from 2 acres on up (2 acre zoning is the minimum).

So you will have a home that is constructed on, say 12 acres, and they will sell off 6 of them for new construction. This appears to be the case here.

My guess is that the residents who share the community with the Antonys don't want to share in the expense and upkeep of what for them is unnecessarily tight security, or they strong-armed the community association into allowing them to pay for the construction themselves, thus giving them certain privileges that the residents may resent (such as having to have their own visitors "cleared" by security before gaining access).

It may also be that this adjacent house is the only one standing on the property, with the other lots still undeveloped. It's a great maneuver to gain access to a lot of land without actually having to purchase it.

My guess is they'll make an offer, tear down this all-too-common colonial style (at least for LI) house and in effect have their own private estate without having to purchase the entire property.

Anonymous said...

Anon 10:06,

You need to understand the history of "breeding" of residents of LI's North Shore to fully appreciate the nuances; after all, just to the west of J Lo's property is Locust Valley, home of the odd phenomenon of what we call "Locust Valley Lockjaw," a manner of speaking that defies logic or description . . .

If you've ever heard of the term, you'd understand the social hierarchy that accompanies it.

Anonymous said...

I also heard that JLo had purchased the property that was formerly owned by Jimmy Stuart.Just wondering if Mama knows who lives there.

Anonymous said...

OKAY...LGB has now officially gotten on my nerves.

Anonymous said...

LGB: "Breed this!"

Anonymous said...

Good grief LGB, why don't you just write a book about the nuances of Long Island lock jaws and robber baron estates? Oh wait, you already did. Right here in the comments section.

You couldn't pay me to live on Long Island or anywhere near JLo and her outsized ego. But then again, I'm not in the price range to live in JLo's hood anyway.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I do go on about it too much - it's just so damn fascinating to see up close . . .

As for the Kerner house, seems like a nice spread; still wouldn't care for HER as a neighbor, though.

Someone must have something to say about the social pecking order of the LA communities . . . Bel Air vs Beverly Hills, Hancock Park, Trousdale Estates, etc.?

Anonymous said...

Pavlov's Dogs, I swear to God. Get over it. I much prefer LGB's insights to your petulant, sanctimonious bullshit that really says nothing, zero. He's verbose, he's character, and as far as the bizarre, disconnected world of blog relationships are, he seems like a nice, sweet, caring and frankly very knowledgeable guy. Stop cutting him down.

I have no right to do this, but I feel it's my civic duty as someone who really likes this blog. There is one person who holds this right, it's not me and it's none of you "Anons."

I am NOT saying this to boast, but I am very close to the world LGB talks about, albeit not Long Island. It's fucked up, it's vapid, and it's warped. It can make you so completely disconnected from the world that if you can't bust out of it (which is no easy feat, I assure you), you turn into a gin and tonic. That's about the depth of it.

Yes, there is a blue-blood language just as assuredly as there is any industry language, ghetto patois and neighborhood lingo. Your disdain smacks of petty jealousy, to be perfectly honest.

Woo!

The Kerner house looks like a motel, ugh.

Conrad

Anonymous said...

Greetings all. Someone bring Bentley a glass of water. I love the tangents this blog veers off to. The core subject of celebrities is not interesting enough to sustain much comment, but with the chilruns it's just a jumping off point. So much fun! The phenomenom of these virtual communities is that the people become intimate so quickly because of shared interests and ideas. Can you imagine having these conversations with any other group in your social sphere? Neither can I. I'm sure if we were all in the same room we'd be very uncomfortable with each other. It's not really that we're anonymous either, because once we identify ourselves we are a person who can be loved, hated, ridiculed and admired. And so the social constraints of polite discourse still pertain because we are "virtually real". Class dismissed.

Alessandra said...

I think Bentley needs a good scotch or bourbon. Well said, old chap.

LGB is exactly correct in regards to the social nuances in various parts of NY. And understanding those nuances helps understand why certain people buy in certain areas.

I've found that the West Coast is far more merit-based in its overall assessment of one's character and worth. This is something that I can appreciate, even though I can claim some ties that would make a proper East Coaster envious. That said, should we ever move back to the Midwest or th East Coast, I will know exactly what is expected of me. And I will drink a lot of gin.

Anonymous said...

I second Bentley's sentiments on LGB, my little buddy. He has a heart of gold.

Alessandra, we agree! I do find the cultural aspects of physical attraction to be interesting. In JLo's eyes, he must be attractive. Guess that's all that counts.

The comments about full disclosure make me wonder. I always thought it pertained to faults within the structure and property. At what point does disclosure become too much info? The mention about church traffic congestion seems overboard. There was something in the paper years back about a couple that noticed cat "odor" when touring a prospective home for sale. The owner assured she once had a cat. So, the couple bought the house, thinking they could treat the smell. It turned into a nightmare. Over the following months, they tore out carpet, replaced drywall etc. But the odor didn't let up. They pressed and learned the previous owner had dozens of cats. The pet urine was absorbed into the sub floors. The new owners sued on the disclosure issue, got their money back, and moved.

Alessandra said...

In CA, sellers are advised to disclose anything that positively or, more pertinent, negatively impacts their enjoyment of their home.

Neighbors' incessant barking dogs, heavy traffic due to a nearby church or school, a dispute with a neighbor over a boundary, construction noise, all of these are ripe for disclosure. And then of course, all the "standard" disclosures, such as problems with the house or repairs you have made.

Marc Anthony used to be better looking. He was always sort of scrawny and wiry, but he looked healthy up until about five years ago. Maybe he just isn't aging well. But yes, if JLo is happy, that's good for her.

Anonymous said...

A very good friend of mine, who has as illustrious a New York provenance as it gets, determines how chummy she'll get with a new acquaintance based on their use of U or non-U vocab. I tease her on this point, because it hardly matters if someone says sofa or couch, or house or home. But she's steadfast in her conviction that she won't have much in common with people who use the "wrong" words. She draws the line, though, at people who size up new acquaintances with the question: "Where's your country?" and don't mean nationality. They're completely serious -- the exact location of a country house matters very much to them -- and my point is that LGB knows what he's talking about. (I'd call it silly snobbery, not good breeding, but that's just me.)

Anonymous said...

Like the man said, "If we go to battle, I'll be right behind you!" I'm with Bentley and the rest. All you anonymous "anons;" keep attacking LGB or Bentley or sandpiper or any of the dozen or so folks who've been writing here since the early days. Your petulant anger and borderline creepy level of pissed-offedness at someone's opinions is a nice break. It's always interesting to see how mad you get, and equally interesting to wonder why. It's just someone's opinion for Christ's sake. As my uncle David used to say, "Buy a dog. Name it 'Life.' Than you'll have one."

Anonymous said...

Mama got quoted in Real LI
http://blogs.trb.com/realestate/blog/2008/03/security_tightens_around_jlos.html
Mama ROCKS!

Anonymous said...

Another voice in defense of LGB. I don't find him snobbish at all...just knowledgable and humorous. A great combination as far as I am concerned. So, please back off! If you don't like what he says, don't read it!

As for LA pecking order, as a 25+ year resident, I find it's an ever-evolving thing. While some of it is certainly driven by neighborhood, I think more of it is driven by the #1 movie or the #1 series at any given time. As seen on this site, there are certain neighborhoods that elicit a certain kind of respect, like Bel Air, Holmby Hills, Pacific Palisades, San Marino, etc. But they all have unique personalities and a complete incomprehensible infrastructure of "the ladies who lunch." Then there are communities that look awesome on paper, and even better from a cold winter state in the middle of the mid-west, mostly the beach cities like Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach etc. And there are certainly some very nice properties there. However, what is not often discussed is the amount of apartments and condos in those areas that belie the external image of the cities as a whole as elite areas. It's good that they make them more accessible, but these towns definitely have more distinct neighborhoods.

What makes LA more unique, I think, outside of the real estate, is the cars on the road. I've not travelled anywhere in the country where I can see, in any given week, a Maserati and a Bentley driving down the road. The funniest part of this is the number of luxury cars you will see parked in the garages at apartment houses throughout Los Angeles and its suburbs.

so_chic_darling said...

Leave LGB alone,it's just that you can't write about anything,because you know nothing,that you feel you have to constantly attack him.

Anonymous said...

I'm falling in line behind Bentley, Sanpiper, E.J., et. al.

I've never been to LI but can appreciate LGB's contributions to discussion on this blog. That is what we are all here for - DISCUSSION. The insults say more about the person typing them than they do about the person being insulted.

e.j. - LOVE your Uncle Dave's line. Can I borrow it? :-)

Alessandra - I'm not from the midwest but have friends whose families are still there. Any trip to visit the family involves a mandatory stop between the airport and the homestead for cocktail supplies.

Quite Contrary - Agree with your assesment of LA.

We seem to be much more of a melting pot than the descriptions of our friends back east. Using Trousdale as an example, we have original owners on limited incomes still in their homes, middle easterners, celebrities, plain old non-celebrity rich people and everyday people who like midcentury architecture who managed to get a hold of a fixer when the original owner passed or moved into a retirement home. Oh..and that notorious RE broker facing those legal problems. All living side by side. A similar mixing pot exists in almost every upscale LA neighborhood.

The class lines are not as clearly drawn in Southern California as it appears they are in New York.

Anonymous said...

Coming from Philadelphia, perhaps historically the most caste/class-structured metropolitan-area in the country, I must say the times they are a changing, and the best neighborhoods have definitely taken a turn towards meritocracy since about the late 1980's...there was a time when old money WASP's lived and guarded the main line, and even older-money WASP's looked down on the main line from ultra-exclusive Chestnut Hill, and wealthy Jews had to live in the Northern Suburbs, while wealthy Italians had to live in nicer parts of Delaware county south of the "real" Main Line, but now pretty much anyone with money lives anywhere they want to...in fact, the Main Line is now not only rife with Jewish families, but also black celebrities and atheletes, etc...same can be said for staid old-money Chestnut Hill...nowadays, you can live wherever your money will buy...
(and I don't mean to be demeaning to black or Jewish folks, just telling the way it used to be here in Philadelphia, where we believe in God...LOL)

Anonymous said...

Case in point being the fate of the last two truly large Suburban estates in the area, Hope Montgomery Scott's "Ardrossan" on the Main Line, and the Widener family estate in Whitemarsh township (just outside of Chestnut Hill)...the recent deaths of Robert Montgomery Scott (Ardrossan) and F. Eugene Dixon (Widener), the last two heirs wealthy enough to own and maintain these massive working farms as the country estates they are meant to be has left both estates in flux and likely to be subdivided or worse, though at least Mr. Dixon had the forethought to leave a plan for the preservations of the majority of the Widener farm, the only problem now is if the non-profits he gave first option to can raise the money needed to purchase and preserve the various tracts of the estate...

Anonymous said...

For the uninitiated, Ardrossan was the longtime home of Hope Montgomery Scott...both she and Ardrossan itself were the inspiration for "The Philadelphia Story"...I'm done now, promise ;-)

Anonymous said...

OK, I lied, I forgot to address the topic at hand (La 'hoods)...I was always under the impression that Holmby Hills and East-Gate lower Bel-Air were hands down THE most prestigious address in all of LA-LA-Land...and that San Marino and Pasadena (but moreso San Marino) was the bastion of old money WASP wealth in LA, but that it is slowly being taken over by the wealthy Asian set...times change, times change...

Anonymous said...

Just in case, I should clarify my parenthetical about silly snobbery and good breeding was applied to the people who are overly concerned with their address -- not LGB, who also strikes me as a "nice, sweet, caring and frankly very knowledgeable guy."

Anonymous said...

this blog appears to be LGB's lifeline to the outside.

and if commenting 20-40 times a day is what it takes to prevent him from falling into a vat of lonliness and despair, well so be it.

perhaps he's a shut-in? we don't know.

so just leave the poor guy alone.

Anonymous said...

Poor little penith,

If your opinion only mattered, but read and weep. It doesn't.

Anonymous said...

my penith is little but if you pet it....

Anonymous said...

Dear friends!

You're all so nice to say the things you have - I don't deserve it.

Today was a busy day and I didn't think to check this link until just now; I'm glad I came to the party with such nice folks - I think I'll stay awhile.

Love, LGB

Anonymous said...

Sorry,
Who gives a shit about Long Island? It's not the only place in the country with a rich social history, yet LGB writes of it as such. Maybe LGB can start a LI blog for those who are interested?

His posts are boring and pretentious. Yes, the insights are sometimes interesting, but many times his posts read like a google search of TMI.

I think he writes of many places he's never been, only visited on google earth.

Anonymous said...

Who does? We do.

Anonymous said...

Who does?

I don't. Sorry. But I don't.

Long Island scares me. At least the parts between Brooklyn and Quogue.

Anonymous said...

Barren Karen,

As well it should - after all, it produced a creature like Joey Buttafucco . . .

Parker said...

anon 5:36, people are interested in much of what LGB says. He adds insight, unlike the venom that you spew.

Additional comments about social structure of L.A.: many old-school Hancock Park families are fleeing for Pasadena because Pasadena will always be totally WASP-y, whereas HP is being invaded by the entertainment set. And yes, San Marino is becoming heavily Asian. That's sending even more people to Pasadena (and to South Pas for the schools).

West L.A. is now a league unto its own. Bring on the materialism and vanity. Our beach club has become overrun with what seems to be new money Westsiders and they actually 'dress' for a day at the beach, complete with full make-up, stilettos, huge jewelry, all the latest Tory Burch tunics, complete with fake boobs bursting through. It's sad that some of the beach communities are changing so much from being about the beach lifestyle.

Anonymous said...

Sigh. East AND West-coasters always make fun of the midwest, but I love Chicago and I refuse to apologize for it. It's a wonderful city, and I think it more than holds its own.

I've been to many great cities, and I'm never ashamed to come to my adopted home on the shores of Lake Michigan.

Hmmph.

pch said...

I have nothing against Long Island except the accent...forgot how excruciating it could be until I caught the premiere of that New York Housewives show.

Lucy, I actually like Chicago a lot. But my inner 15-year-old (who lives alarming close to the surface) always has to chuckle when I ask the driver to take me to Wacker Drive.

Anonymous said...

The North Shore suburbs of Chicago...Love 'Em! Some of the most beautiful communities anywhere in the country...

Anonymous said...

And another area to rightly earn the moniker of "Gold Coast".

Beautiful, beautiful spot.

Anonymous said...

lol, i got the drippy and neurotic sandpiper to say "penith!"

victory is mine, sayeth the lord!

Alessandra said...

Parker, Pasadena is incredibly WASP-y. It's a mere twenty or so miles from West LA, but it feels distinctly different. Granted, it was settled by prosperous Midwesterners, hence Gamble House and Wrigley Mansion, but even a hundred years later, it holds itself apart. When I moved from Marina Del Rey to Pasadena, it felt like I'd moved back to OH in some ways.

San Marino has an excellent school system and plenty of gorgeous architecture/estate homes. I don't get the fuss over the Asian influx, aside from some of the wacky decorating choices that get made, like wall-to-wall jewel toned carpeting. Arcadia is becoming even more of an Asian enclave, as their school system is also excellent. My only complaint with that is buyers who tear down some lovely mid-century traditionals and moderns in the Upper Rancho area to build behemoth McMansions. Arcadia is much like Beverly Hills in its free-for-all approach to development.

Anonymous said...

Lucy - Chicago is a great city. I love how the waterfront has been incorporated so beautifully with the downtown core. Toronto and Chicago have very similar vibes, but some knob decided to build a raised, Jetson-esque freeway that severs TO's downtown from our waterfront. A shame, as the underbelly of the highway is a gnarly urban wasteland. Very short-sighted city planning.

Don't get down about the Midwest, I just think most folks here are coastal.

Ahh, Wacker Drive. There is a popular ski area about 2 hours north of Toronto, and en route we pass Belcher, Downer and Stalker St's. What were they thinking?

Anonymous said...

Anon 11:40,

" . . . i got the drippy and neurotic sandpiper . . . ",

Hey, watch it; that's my sister your talking about there, and I don't mean sistah, I mean family.

;-)

Lucy,

How could anyone not love Chicago, home of the skyscraper after the Great Fire, not to mention Frank Lloyd Wright, the rest of the Prairie School of architects, and Hemmingway?

Anonymous said...

As long as we're praising heartland cities...another city you may be surprised is quite beautiful and has quite a diversity of great architecture (particularly mid-century and current modern architecture) is Pittsburgh and its environs...a few years ago I almost had to transfer their for work, and I was shocked not only by how beautiful the city was (lots of hills and valleys), and not only the great value the home were, but also the incredible amount of architectural diversity their was, even in some mundane suburban subdivisions, there were tons of mid-century modern gems, elaborate tudors, etc...in a neighborhood that here in Philly would be nothing else but the same three designs over and over again...