Still There

So much of Los Angeles is being torn down. A great comfort to me is when I drive down streets where I grew up and see buildings that are still standing! One such building is below!

Freda and Sam Katz, Elm Drive, Beverly Hills, 1956

341-343 South Elm Drive, Beverly Hills. My grandfather, Sam Katz, built this apartment building in 1955. Jules Salkin was the architect. Salkin (a close friend of my Dad's) was one of the architects instrumental in the founding and designing of the legendary Crestwood Hills project in Brentwood.
Grandpa built this apartment after selling their home on Beverwil Drive in Beverly Hills. I remember the owner's apartment, upstairs, being very large and spacious. Since there are three addresses at this building, I'm assuming that the owner's apartment is the entire second floor and that there are two apartments downstairs.
The building looks much the same today, except that the decorative grill-work on the front is gone and the plants have grown up a bit. Also, there are apartment buildings on either side of the Katz residence instead of single family homes. This is a building for the ages. It still looks great! Good design is good design.

341-343 So. Elm Drive, Beverly Hills, 2010, Google Maps Photo

This building is one block south of Beverly Vista Elementary School. When we were young, my cousin Janet and I would walk to Grandma's and Grandpa's place after school most days for snacks and to hang-out until one of our mother's picked us up.....built-in baby sitters!
Below, after Grandma and Grandpa returned from a trip to Hawaii with goodies for all, my brother, Ken and I model our Hawaiian togs with Mom in the middle, in front of that very same apartment building.

Modeling our new Hawaiian togs, Ellen, Roz and Ken Bloom, Elm Dr., Beverly Hills, 1956

These days of Quarantine, we're not supposed to travel far from our neighborhoods except for groceries and other necessities.  I find it necessary to just get out and drive around to see what's going on in the neighborhood. This is essential for my mental health!! Hope you are doing OK during this time of sheltering.