View from Beverly Hills

Snow-Capped Mountains in the distance,
seen from the flats of Beverly Hills

It's been cold and foggy in Los Angeles for the past few days. Last week though, after the rain cleared, you could see the snow on the mountains from the middle of Beverly Hills. My Mom and Step-Dad recently moved back to Beverly Hills from Marina del Rey. From their 5th floor apartment, the views are stunning!

Classic Duplexes and Apartments,
looking north toward Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA

Beverly Hilton Hotel

You can see the Beverly Hilton Hotel from their balcony. This beautiful mid-century hotel, designed by architect Welton Becket's firm (1955), might be a goner soon. There are plans to erect a new hotel, a branch of the Waldorf Astoria, and two condominium towers. It would be a shame to lose this beautiful hotel, home to so many many historic events in the past 50 years. The City of Beverly Hills has NO preservation laws. It's quite sad. Some of the most innovative architectural masterpieces have been bull-dozed over the years. BH is a City that is constantly re-inventing itself.
I grew up in this south/west corner of BH. It's sad to see so many changes. Many people say that change is progress. I believe we can have change and progress while being sensitive to what came before. Maybe the BH City Council should read about adaptive re-use in the City of Los Angeles.
Okay, enough complaining for now. I'm heading over to the John Muir School Swap Meet in Santa Monica, Lincoln & Pine St. This little swap is held on the first Saturday of every month. I'll bet it's empty today!!! There are many January and February birthdays to prepare for! Enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend!