Posted by Annalisa Burgos | June 3, 2010
The first game in the NBA Finals is tonight, with a much-anticipated match-up of legendary rivals: the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics.
As an LA native, I was born and raised a Laker fan. I grew up watching Magic Johnson and Larry Bird duke it out. As an NYC transplant, I was surprised by the anti-Laker sentiment pervasive on the East Coast. Even New Yorkers who despise Boston would rather root for the Celtics than the Lakers. Weird.
That said, while the outcome of the series may be a topic for debate over the next few days, one thing is not debatable: Los Angeles is a better place to live than Boston. Sure we have mad traffic, but I’ve got one word for you. WEATHER. Enough said.
If you’re a sports junkie, both cities made our list of 10 Great Places for Sports Fans. Learn more about what it’s like to live in a sports city.
For those of you who are not the least bit interested in basketball, you may be interested in learning about these two very interesting and vastly different cities. Check out HGTV FrontDoor’s city guides and decide which one you’d rather call home.
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | September 18, 2009
Looking for a diverse, family-friendly neighborhood with a thriving arts and music scene? Then look no further than Garvanza in Highland Park, an urban community that offers a suburban feel, just north of downtown Los Angeles.
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | September 3, 2009
Looking for an eclectic, pedestrian-friendly neighborhood with tons of history, culture and architecture? Then look no further than Echo Park, a diverse community in the heart of Los Angeles.
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | June 23, 2009
Wanted: Architecture buff with deep pockets willing to put in some elbow grease.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous and endangered Ennis House in Los Angeles is on the market for $15 million.
The 6,000-square-foot Mayan-inspired estate, which lies on a hilltop in the Los Feliz neighborhood north of downtown L.A., is falling apart from earthquake and rain damage and desperately needs restoration.
The legendary architect built the home in 1924 in the experimental “textile block” style using 27,000 16-inch concrete blocks.
The current owner, the Ennis House Foundation, has already invested $6.5 million to stabilize the property. The new owner would need to put in an estimated $5 million to $7 million to restore the home, in addition to the $15 million purchase price. One condition of the sale will be a conservation easement to ensure that the public has access to the house a few days each year.
The main house features three bedrooms, an elevated dining room with massive fireplace, high ceilings, numerous art-glass windows, a rare Wright-signature glass-tile mosaic fireplace, billiards room, pool and small Japanese garden.
The sale is being handled by Hilton & Hyland and Dilbeck Realtors, with marketing services by Christie’s Great Estates.
The Ennis House has appeared in film and TV, including “Blade Runner,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Twin Peaks.”
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | April 7, 2009
If you’ve got $150 million to burn and you’re a huge fan of classic TV series like “Dynasty” and “Beverly Hills 90210″, we’ve got a home for you.
The widow of legendary TV producer Aaron Spelling is downsizing and has listed their 56,000-square-foot monster mansion in Los Angeles at a whopping $150 million.
Dubbed “The Manor,” the estate spans nearly 5 acres on South Mapleton Drive in the exclusive Holmby Hills neighborhood. The three-story home features a dozen bedrooms, two dozen bathrooms, a high-tech screening room (for watching all those great episodes of 90210!), library, gym, doll museum, bowling alley, wine cellar and a beauty salon/barber shop in the finished attic. The estate includes 16 car ports, a tennis court, pool/spa complex and several gardens. And best of all, the Playboy Mansion is nearby!
You’d think that with a recession going on, buyers would bulk at the price tag. But that doesn’t seem to be the case.
“We already have interest from both local and foreign buyers, even though it is very early in the process,” said Sally Forster Jones of Coldwell Banker Previews International, who shares the listing with Hilton & Hyland/Christie’s Great Estates. “The Manor is a property unlike any other. A property of this pedigree comes on the market once a decade, if not, once in a century. For that reason alone, discriminating buyers recognize it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
If this McMansion is out of your price range, Candy Spelling is selling another property in nearby Century City for a mere $4.8 million. The more “modest” home in the gated Century Woods community has 5 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms.
If that one isn’t for you, check out thousands of other homes for sale in Los Angeles. With home prices in the City of Angels falling (as they are in many markets), you’re sure to find a home perfect for your price range.
And if you’re not buying but are just really into cool homes, check out “Cool Houses Daily” on FrontDoor.com. These homes are too cool to miss and they’re for sale!
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