sunset strip

Sunset Strip Shines at 9200 Sunset

I've often described Los Angeles as a city in search of its center. Downtown Los Angeles with its cluster of skyscrapers is slowly undergoing a resurgence (the L.A. Live complex is helping that along) but it could be argued that the Sunset Strip is really the heart of what the city represents. The section of Sunset Boulevard between Beverly Hills and Hollywood has been getting a lot of love lately. A recent initiative has installed larger-than-life guitars designed by celebrities in front of buildings along the street. The Strip has also been the site of several concerts this summer at various venues like the Roxy being filmed for an upcoming documentary on the Sunset Strip music scene.

But there's more than music going on here. There's also serious business and serious money on the scene. I stopped by the other day to check out one of the hottest commercial buildings in the area, 9200 Sunset. The building is a Sunset Strip classic, 9200 Sunset's three-story 50,000 square-foot office building was built in 1964 and the 14-story high rise was built in the early 1970s both by renowned American architect Charles Luckman. Luckman is a fascinating figure, not just an architect but a business man who was named the president of the Pepsodent toothpaste company in 1939 at the tender age of thirty and later became the president of Lever Brothers. After helping to plan the Lever Brothers' New York skyscraper, Lever House, he rediscovered his childhood love of architecture, resigned the presidency of Lever Brothers, moved to Los Angeles and began a second career in architecture. Luckman's firm went on to design the Prudential Tower in Boston, Madison Square Garden in New York City and the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston.

Tags: 9200 sunset, sunset strip, west hollywood, west hollywood real estate

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Steven Cojocaru Above the Sunset Strip, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

The Real Estalker alerted us to the fact that fashion critic Steven Cojocaru has listed his Hollywood Hills home. Cojocaru, a former fashion editor for People Magazine and currently a fashion correspondent for a variety of outlets was famously fired from the Today Show weeks after he underwent kidney surgery in 2005. He ended up having two kidney transplants and later wrote a book, " Glamour, Interrupted" about the experience.

He bought today's home in 2007 paying $3.8 million according to records on Property Shark. The butterfly-roofed home is a mid-century modern built in 1955. It is 3,850 square feet and has three bedrooms. The California cool home includes a screening room and wet bar and an office. Pitched roof ceilings and sliding glass doors contribute to an expansive sense of space. The home is calmly and tastefully decorated with neutral simple furniture that suits the era of the house. One cute note is Steve McQueen's mug shot hanging in the bathroom. One bedroom has a sliding glass door and an orb fireplace, another also opens directly to the patio. The bathrooms are modernized with features like an egg-shaped bath tub and long raised sinks. The small lot includes an infinity pool and modest yard. This home is listed with Judy Feder of Nourmand & Associates, Beverly Hills for $3.95 million or can be rented for $20,000 a month. The property website by Val Riolo is here.

Gallery: Steven Cojocaru Above the Sunset Strip

Tags: celebrity real estate, estate of the day, hollywood hills, steven cojocaru, sunset strip

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James Franco in the Hollywood Hills, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

What is going on with James Franco recently? First the young movie star raised eyebrows with the news that he would be starring on the soap opera "General Hospitial" and now he has put his Sunset-Strip area home on the market. The LA Times Hot Property column reports that Franco has listed his Sunset Strip-area compound for $3.695 million. The Spanish-style villa located very near Chateau Marmont was built in 1923 and has three bedrooms. The home, which has vaulted and beamed ceilings and an open floor plan has had a major renovation. It looks to be extremely well-staged for maximum appeal so I don't think this decor reflects Franco's tastes. The home was bought through a trust in 2006 for $2.325 million. The master bedroom suite includes views of the city and a large bathroom with a striking 19th century marble bathtub. There is a pool and a small guest house on the property. The listing is here.

Gallery: James Franco In Hollywood

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Tags: celebrity real estate, CelebrityRealEstate, chateau marmont, ChateauMarmont, estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, james franco, JamesFranco, sunset strip, SunsetStrip

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Frankie Muniz Above the Sunset Strip, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

Young Frankie Muniz may just be 22 but he's quite experienced in the buying and selling of homes. I've been watching Frankie's moves since 2005 when he went on an epic buying and selling spree which including selling a house on North Doheny Drive to Halle Berry. Celebrity Big Time Listings reports that Muniz paid $3,499,000 for the home at the end of 2005. We haven't heard much from him the last couple of years as he turned his attention to race car driving but now the LA Times broke the story that he's selling this home in the Sunset Strip area which is listed at $3.875 million.

The traditional-style 1941 home is all on one story and has been given a bright white renovation that makes me wonder how much of the original charm has been erased. There are five bedrooms total including a master bedroom that has skylights, walk-in closets and a bath with an infinity tub. The home is on a small plot of land but has a pool, spa, outdoor dining area and a charming outdoor fireplace. The decor isn't bad. Muniz seems to have a bit of a pop culture/pop art fetish, art featuring Mick Jagger, Bob Marley, Charlie Chaplin and other icons line the walls. The kitchen seems to have a strange layout but there are some beautiful fireplaces. I'm sure some young celeb will snap this one up in a heartbeat.

Gallery: Frankie Muniz in the Hills

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Tags: california real estate, estate of the day, frankie muniz, FrankieMuniz, los angeles, los angeles real estate, luxury real estate, sunset strip

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Rock Hudson's House, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Today's estate comes from the LA TImes Hot Property section. The two-bedroom house above Sunset Strip does not have a pool and it's positively tiny by Los Angeles standards but it does have a Hollywood pedigree and a charming cottage style. The home, which was built in 1949 was bought by movie star Rock Hudson as a newlywed in 1954. The home has a den, an eat-in kitchen, hardwood floors, French doors and city views. After the jump, cute, compact and cozy.

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Tags: estate of the day, hollywood hills, los angeles, rock hudson, RockHudson, sunset strip

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