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Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles

@esotouric.bsky.social

2.1K followers 1K following 4K posts

Just a couple of lifers looking out for Los Angeles. Join us for architecture, crime, literature & history tours, preservation battles. Newsletter: http://esotouric.substack.com

esotouric.substack.com

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Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles @esotouric.bsky.social · Nov 22

Los Angeles is confounding, by design, but it is not unknowable. These folks are telling real L.A. stories if you want to listen.
go.bsky.app/zi1abc

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Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles @esotouric.bsky.social · 25m

Palisades fire complaint USA v. JONATHAN RINDERKNECHT alleges 1/1/25 blaze intentionally set by Uber driver in a bad mood. Digital activity the gov't considers suspicious: generating dystopian AI art, watching a French rap video with fire starting scenes. archive.org/details/pali...

Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles @esotouric.bsky.social · 17h

The good houses are all being snapped up for more than they're worth to be upzoned and demo'd, this one by Lindon Shiao of unsecured, burned down Hollywood cottage infamy. esotouric.substack.com/wilton

2219 Wellesley is a great candidate to move to Altadena. planning.lacity.gov/pdiscaseinfo...

Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles @esotouric.bsky.social · 17h

Los Angeles is lousy with derelict, vacant buildings and City Hall knows it. Here's a motion, not to compel owners to fix and lease them, but to find ways to wrap them in GIANT FREAKING BILLBOARDS. Come on! We need vacancy tax, eminent domain, restoration, reactivation--not ads!

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Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles @esotouric.bsky.social · 18h

New date just added for Know Your Downtown Los Angeles, with the Dutch Chocolate Shop and basements of yore. Join us on Saturday, October 25 for a time travel trip esotouric.com/event/know-y...

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Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles @esotouric.bsky.social · 20h

Prosecutors say Brian K. Williams was desperate to get out of an ongoing virtual meeting with senior Los Angeles City Hall colleagues when he made the false bomb threat... and who amongst us Spring Street watchdogs can't relate? laist.com/news/politic...

Former LA deputy mayor gets probation for fake City Hall bomb threat

Brian Williams called in the bomb threat during a stressful meeting he wanted to get out of, prosecutors say.

laist.com

Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles @esotouric.bsky.social · 22h

Westwood Memorial Park seeks to demolish the much altered 1924 office building next to the chapel to free up more room for burials. How about moving it to Altadena? planning.lacity.gov/plndoc/Staff...
To be heard by the CHC on 10/16 ens.lacity.org/pln/heritage...

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Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles @esotouric.bsky.social · 22h

Westwood Memorial Park seeks to demolish the much altered 1924 office building next to the chapel to free up more room for burials. How about moving it to Altdena? planning.lacity.gov/plndoc/Staff...
To be heard by the CHC on 10/16 ens.lacity.org/pln/heritage...

Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles @esotouric.bsky.social · 23h

Kind of a shock to see the BRADBUR Building at 3rd and Broadway... did the Y just flake off after 132 years?

Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles @esotouric.bsky.social · 1d

Help us honor Warren Zevon with a City Square in the heart of Hollywood, at the real life Hollywood Hawaiian Hotel site.

Sign it, share it, howl at the moon!

www.change.org/p/help-us-ho...

Sign the Petition

Help us honor Warren Zevon with a City Square!

www.change.org

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Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles @esotouric.bsky.social · 1d

Now the project is on ice, and these beautiful and important buildings remain mostly vacant, with no plan for redevelopment. The Civic Center would be much improved if they were rented out--or sold to a local owner who cared about them and about Los Angeles.

Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles @esotouric.bsky.social · 1d

Finally the nomination was submitted and accepted by the Cultural Heritage Commission, only to be rewritten before the PLUM Committee vote by confessed racketeer councilmember Jose Huizar, to make it possible to demolish the Pereira addition for one of two towers.

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Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles @esotouric.bsky.social · 1d

So we put a dream team together to work on the expanded nomination--then hit the pause button after a threat was conveyed to the group.

Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles @esotouric.bsky.social · 1d

We only wanted to nominate the Art Deco building, but the city refused to accept a nomination that didn't include the Mirror tower and William Pereira's modernist addition.

Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles @esotouric.bsky.social · 1d

In case you missed all the drama, buckle up. This was the only landmark designation we ever took on ourselves, at the request of the city's Office of Historic Resources.

Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles @esotouric.bsky.social · 1d

Onni Group tells the Wall Street Journal www.wsj.com/real-estate/... what we predicted after they sued Nexstar to get out of the 222 W. 2nd St deal last August: the Times Mirror Square project is DOA. How about getting some tenants for these great buildings? esotouric.com/pereira/

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Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles @esotouric.bsky.social · 1d

We've noticed the massive crow's nests around the heads of the saints at Blessed Sacrament, Hollywood for years, but this is the first time we've seen birds in them!

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Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles @esotouric.bsky.social · 1d

310-14 S. Crescent Heights, the Charles Walter Sahland Apartments (Milton Black, 1936) which sold 75% empty earlier this year
www.loopnet.com/Listing/310-...
are coming back online as rentals with an extremely loud interior remodel. www.zillow.com/homedetails/...?

We'll call it a win!

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Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles @esotouric.bsky.social · 1d

LA Taco picks up our post about Shelby C. Eidson's shocking public comment to the Board of Supervisors based on her independent investigation into the Eaton Fire, but misses the follow up question: if JPL did not make a call about explosion risk, who did? lataco.com/eaton-fire-j...

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Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles @esotouric.bsky.social · 2d

There are many mysteries surrounding the breakdown of public safety in Los Angeles City Hall and deputy mayor Brian K. Williams' bomb threat is a big one. You can attend his sentencing hearing this afternoon at Roybal and maybe get some answers. RIP 90272.
mynewsla.com/crime/2025/1...

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Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles @esotouric.bsky.social · 2d

Out of business--along with most of the once lively, quirky Hollywood Blvd. business corridor: Supply Sergeant (1968-2025). On Alison Martino's Vintage Los Angeles, the last manager put out a call seeking a new operator. Don't anyone "save"/take the sign! www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1...

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Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles @esotouric.bsky.social · 2d

Charles Bukowski's old block is LA tenants' line in the sand. After approval of demolition of many historic RSO units for a luxury apartment/co-working project, EHNC’s Colter Carlisle @colterforcd13 throws his hat in the CD13 ring.
esotouric.substack.com/carltonway
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhfK...

Neighbors fight the Carlton Way evictions in Bukowski's East Hollywood

Gentle reader,

esotouric.substack.com

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Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles @esotouric.bsky.social · 4d

This is neat! A train car with a crane attachment and a crew clearing brush on the 10 West and the 101 Connector.

Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles @esotouric.bsky.social · 4d

Walk ups are welcome to join the Charles Bukowski's Westlake walking tour, departing 10:30am from the historic Olympic Hotel behind Langer's. You've seen it in Bosch--come dig the vintage safe, jazz age tile and moody views. esotouric.com/event/bukows...

CHARLES BUKOWSKI’S WESTLAKE WALKING TOUR

Visit the post for more.

esotouric.com

Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles @esotouric.bsky.social · 4d

Let’s crank it on up for Sweet Beaulyland, may this home place last another century and change—and how about restoring and turning it back into apartments instead of just tearing it down?

YOU can help!
esotouric.substack.com/beaulyland3

The City of Los Angeles is doing Beaulyland dirty and citizens hold the soap

Plus a Charles Bukowski walking tour preview of the lovely 1950s street where he became a serious poet

esotouric.substack.com

Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles @esotouric.bsky.social · 4d

The nearly identical phrase Beulah Land comes from Isaiah 62:4, a passage about finding a home place where one feels welcome and protected by a power greater than oneself. And there’s even a rousing gospel song about it. youtu.be/bwzs-yxSX3E

"Beulah Land" The Legendary Ingramettes | Richmond Folk Festival 2017

YouTube video by vafolklife

youtu.be