Since Vacation Days are upon us, the
blog postings will resume in August. Have a great summer.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Thursday, May 16, 2013
The Roaring Twenties and Its Architecture
Oh how funny! Our May Board Meeting
had originally contained a Presentation by our Historical Society Liaison,
Karen Clements, and I had chosen a Great Gatsby theme for the Reception
following. Though Karen had to cancel due to a scheduling conflict with another
Long Beach Landmark, (The Bembridge House), I just noticed they had also
decided to do the same theme:
The Roaring Twenties produced an
abundance of housing styles including “Art Deco,” which incorporated a
vertically oriented, linear design that became popular after a Paris exhibition
in 1925. The “Craftsman’s” architecture was designed around a central living
area with the exterior being showcased with wide porches and low, gabled roofs
that stone columns held in place. The “Mediterranean Revival,” built along the
California coastal regions was reminiscent of the seaside villas in Italy.
Symmetrical facades, arches, and large keystones, were often design elements
employed, as well as, stucco walls and tile roofs. Though area landmarks such
as The Lafayette are almost entirely designed around one style (Art Deco), our
building is a combination of several styles. The beautiful tile work seen near
the fireplace mantel in the lobby, denotes a rather famous local artisan at the
time and was done in the Craftsman style. Other elements and embellishments in
the St. Regis borrow from all three of the above styles. The homes were often
built using reinforced concrete or precast concrete panels, and Twenties homes
are sought after today by professionals who want to restore the beautiful
character of these well-made gems.
Ms. Clements’ On-Site visit last
week has served to move along our own restorative process; our Historical
Architect is finalizing the paperwork to be submitted to the City for approval
in July, on our own projects of new front doors, new lighting, etc. In
addition, Mr. Glasgow is continuing the process of meeting with City officials
to determine the feasibility of re-opening the Solarium.
We will continue to study our own Restorative
Plan and we hope to have an overview of these choices by August. Ms. Clements
and the Historical Society are very encouraged by the St. Regis progress,
including the soon-to-be restoration of our second elevator, and she explained
that as we develop a master plan for the restoration, they can continue to help
with this process. She also explained that anything of this magnitude is a long
process requiring time and patience.
You can visit Bembridge House (or
their website) at:
953 N Park Circle Drive, Long Beach, CA 90813
In the Drake Park, Willmore City Historic District of Long Beach California
In the Drake Park, Willmore City Historic District of Long Beach California
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Honoring Our Past; Preparing For Tomorrow
We continue to navigate through the
process of preservation and restoration of the St. Regis. The paperwork the
Historical Architect needed has been completed; this allows him to start the
process with the City on our behalf. We are hoping to get checked off on all
the Second Place Entrance 'Certificates of Appropriateness', and also hoping
for help with a possible clearance to re-open our beautiful Solarium (at least
for filming so that we can generate income for the restoration of it).
In addition to the Grant providing
the award for help with the entrance and the architect, we also were appointed
a Site Liaison with the Long Beach Historical Society. We are so fortunate to
have such a warm and informed liaison in Karen Clements. Karen made a site
visit this past Monday and she was quite familiar with our building and its
history. She told me she had been here many times and had served on an Advocacy
Committee defending eight area historical buildings during a difficult 'seismic
retrofitting' project in 1985. She stated that often a major decision by the
City concerning historical buildings can hang on the interpretation of the
wording of any city law. Several buildings that she and her group helped to
save with retrofitting included the Villa Riviera, The Blackstone, The Sovereign,
The Artaban, The Lafayette, and The St. Regis.
Joseph Halstead Roberts, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1898. In 1903, he moved to Long Beach with his father. He attended Long Beach Poly and graduated in 1916. Mr. Roberts studied architecture and engineering before working as a superintendent, engineer and draftsman.
Mr. Roberts originally opened his architectural offices downtown at the Marine Bank Building. In 1930 he opened his studio at 501 Termino Avenue where he lived with his wife and child. In 1932 Mr. Roberts died, he was only 32 years old. During his short life he designed many beautiful buildings in Long Beach. These include the St. Regis at 1030 E. Ocean and The Californian at 325 W. Third Street.
Karen will be giving a short
Presentation about the history and benefits of the LB Historical Society at our
Board meeting on May 17th. Karen explained that she and the Society are all
very encouraged by the progress of the St. Regis. We hope to continue to work
with Karen and the Society on future projects.
LB
Historical Society News
You can visit the Society’s website
at http://hslb.org. The St. Regis survived intact this 1933
shaker:
Joseph H.
Roberts – The St. Regis’Architect (from http://www.brownscourtapartments.com/index.php/historic-people)
Re-Opening
the Game Room
Progress also continues with the
Re-Opening of the Game Room. Eli and I continue to meet with Theresa to work
out the specifics of the care and use of the Room. This is a big boon to the
residents, and they are so thrilled about it, that many residents have
volunteered to help us clean and paint the room. We have some of the nicest
people living here and they all help to make it a really warm home and
community. Making full use of the amenities we do have, helps us retain our
good neighbors and good, long-term neighbors helps to protect our beautiful
building and the people who make the St. Regis home.
Gary, a 'long-timer' here, thinks we
should paint one wall white (for projecting movies). He has really good ideas
and Eli and I are always asking him to help with something; he helped us fix up
the older bench that was on the upper patio. He creatively put bottle corks in
the structural holes, and it now works like new; check it out on the lower
patio.
The Game Room could also be used for
meetings, if need be. Eli and I hope to clean it up, paint it up, and I got
several prints of older movies. We hope to have it up and running very soon. We
have to give a shout out to our Board; we couldn't do any of these beneficial
projects without our Board. The Board has worked very hard to be supportive,
and we do appreciate all the positive changes, especially in the last year.
Friday, May 3, 2013
New York State of Mind
I Love New York!
My husband, Jon and I have been in the Big Apple this past week on business (a little) and pleasure (a LOT)! There is so much to see and do, that it is hard to know where to begin, but I will try.
Like our lovely Long Beach, there is a lot of filming, walking to shops/restaurants, street musicians, and bicycle riders in NY. It also has an 'old world' feel; the gorgeous architecture, the attention to detail, the wrought iron encircling the trees out front, etc.
First Stop: Jackie Kennedy’s Fifth Avenue/Central Park Apartment
Jackie was the Preservation/Restoration Queen of NY, so we had to stop here. Across the street at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met), crowds were thrilled at the Temple of Dendur (from Egypt) that she helped to facilitate. She was also instrumental in facilitating the preservation of Grand Central Station. Saving this elegant jewel of NY will serve to enrich thousands of future little city dwellers for many years to come.
Of course, I have always thought that our beautiful St. Regis looked very much like the NY buildings, and the LB Heritage Association also works very hard to ensure the preservation and continuity of our city’s history and her beautiful architecture.
Lots of “walk-ups”
The Turn of the Century spawned many buildings in the ‘walk-up’ style of entrance and the use of wrought iron embellishment. Of course, our St. Regis also employs this European style; our 1922 edifice was designed by a LB architect named John Roberts. A prolific area professional at the time, he also designed “The Californian” in the 300 block of Third Street in downtown LB. You may have noticed a similarity with our façade; a recent grant allowed them a cut-glass canopy at the entrance (similar to the one at the Cooper Arms, which was so popular at the time). These canopies were also used at entrances to movie theaters, and are suspended with the help of large, stabilizing chains. You also see a lot of these icons in the historical districts in downtown LA (on Main) and in NY everywhere.
We visited The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Fifth Avenue, Park Avenue, Broadway, Central Park, etc. Walking through the Met was amazing; really iconic pieces of world-class art are housed here. In fact, if you look closely at the piece "Repose", by John White Alexander (1856–1915). Date: 1895, you will see the original painting from which our own mantel art is derived!
Recognize Me? “Repose” (John Alexander White, 1895)
The people are really wonderfully unique and helpful and NY is a world-class city in every way. The subways felt safe too; locals all credit Mayor Guiliani with the gains in safety; they said he and the Police Commissioner followed 'The Broken Window' Study that cracked down on small things such as graffiti and minor drug violations to help ensure safer streets and compliance to rules. We stayed in a newly remodeled fourth floor walk-up in the East Village (at First Ave. and Ninth St.) and really had no trouble at all no matter what time of day (or night) we went out. The East Village has a young vibe with older buildings being refurbished with a loft-like feel. Everyone bicycles, walks, or takes public transportation; in fact, the bike lanes are almost as busy as the roads.
Jon was also here on business; we were to meet with Dr. Helen Fisher, of Match.com fame. She is the famed anthropologist and the leading expert on romantic love; you may have seen her on 20/20, Oprah, etc. and she has written a number of best-selling books and continues to teach at Rutgers University. Jon has worked for her for a number of years; they jointly created the test used by Chemistry.com. She has a gorgeous apartment overlooking Central Park, and we had a nice walk and lunch in the park with her.
Highlights of NY
…a walk across the amazing Brooklyn Bridge (view Ellis Island and the Stature of Liberty)
…taking the subways at rush hour
…a visit to Rockefeller Square
…walking down Mulberry in Little Italy and Chinatown
…a glass of wine at the Algonquin, a 1902 Hotel that housed the Round Table, a collection of writers, artists, and critics that met daily before Vanity Fair publications. It was also the scene of the film noir classic, ‘Laura’ with Gene Tierney
…a tour of Radio City Music Hall
…a visit to Ground Zero
…(across the street from Ground Zero) St. Paul’s Church, built in 1775, George Washington attended church here and site of make-shift shelter for 9/11 workers
…a visit to Grand Central Station
…a walk (or carriage ride) through Central Park
St. Regis News
Of course, when you leave home, there is always something needing attention in our absence. If you have visited our lovely garden in the last six months, you know that wonderful changes have occurred there. After removing the dried and dead plants, Rodney and I began a small ‘restoration’ of the upper patio and slope. Eli has always kept the lower patio raked and clean from cigarette butts and trash. As some of you may know, I have been watering the garden since last summer; I am happy to say that life is now returning to our lovely garden. So many residents now enjoy sitting out there, especially in the evenings when the birds feed, just watching the surf roll in or reading and relaxing. We have such a spectacular, ‘one of a kind’ view and location on our patios; completing and caring for our garden is a great investment in the St. Regis for the residents and the owners. On any given day, you can see butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and all manner of birds. Combined with our new patio furniture, it really is beautiful out there now, and to make it feel ‘homey’, I have planted tomato plants in the side garden, that are growing like weeds and we already have several tomatoes. While I have been gone, Eli and our son, Sean, have stepped in to make sure everything is watered, so a big Thank You. Katerina offered to fill the bird feeder; another generous offer from our young residents, that helps to keep the St. Regis a home. Getting these young people involved in the St. Regis, ensures continuity and the future of the St. Regis for many years to come.
Another big Thank You to Lisa and Rodney, who have arranged to have Mr. Lau install a series of tubing or pipes that will entirely cover the slope and side garden with sprinklers and automatic timers that will provide the care the garden requires. Having these systems in place for daily maintenance will help relieve the residents, and puts the building on a beautifying and self-sustaining course that ensures the care and maintenance of our building for years to come.
Our Board for 2013 is:
Rodney Hilburn, President
Jodi Rich, Vice-President
Bruce Peterson, Secretary
Lisa Chin, Treasurer
Mercedes Julian, Member at Large
Alternate, Eli Guzman
I’ll close with the story of Matilda, the thoroughly modern, independent cat that lives at the Algonquin Hotel. She (and her ghostwriter) on Facebook (Matilda-The Algonquin Cat) and Twitter (@Algonqueen) will answer all manner of question or give any type of advice.
“What do you do when your heart is broken?”
Matilda’s answer, “Act more catlike and just ignore it.”
Have a PURRfect day.
My husband, Jon and I have been in the Big Apple this past week on business (a little) and pleasure (a LOT)! There is so much to see and do, that it is hard to know where to begin, but I will try.
Like our lovely Long Beach, there is a lot of filming, walking to shops/restaurants, street musicians, and bicycle riders in NY. It also has an 'old world' feel; the gorgeous architecture, the attention to detail, the wrought iron encircling the trees out front, etc.
First Stop: Jackie Kennedy’s Fifth Avenue/Central Park Apartment
Jackie was the Preservation/Restoration Queen of NY, so we had to stop here. Across the street at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met), crowds were thrilled at the Temple of Dendur (from Egypt) that she helped to facilitate. She was also instrumental in facilitating the preservation of Grand Central Station. Saving this elegant jewel of NY will serve to enrich thousands of future little city dwellers for many years to come.
Of course, I have always thought that our beautiful St. Regis looked very much like the NY buildings, and the LB Heritage Association also works very hard to ensure the preservation and continuity of our city’s history and her beautiful architecture.
Lots of “walk-ups”
The Turn of the Century spawned many buildings in the ‘walk-up’ style of entrance and the use of wrought iron embellishment. Of course, our St. Regis also employs this European style; our 1922 edifice was designed by a LB architect named John Roberts. A prolific area professional at the time, he also designed “The Californian” in the 300 block of Third Street in downtown LB. You may have noticed a similarity with our façade; a recent grant allowed them a cut-glass canopy at the entrance (similar to the one at the Cooper Arms, which was so popular at the time). These canopies were also used at entrances to movie theaters, and are suspended with the help of large, stabilizing chains. You also see a lot of these icons in the historical districts in downtown LA (on Main) and in NY everywhere.
We visited The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Fifth Avenue, Park Avenue, Broadway, Central Park, etc. Walking through the Met was amazing; really iconic pieces of world-class art are housed here. In fact, if you look closely at the piece "Repose", by John White Alexander (1856–1915). Date: 1895, you will see the original painting from which our own mantel art is derived!
Recognize Me? “Repose” (John Alexander White, 1895)
The people are really wonderfully unique and helpful and NY is a world-class city in every way. The subways felt safe too; locals all credit Mayor Guiliani with the gains in safety; they said he and the Police Commissioner followed 'The Broken Window' Study that cracked down on small things such as graffiti and minor drug violations to help ensure safer streets and compliance to rules. We stayed in a newly remodeled fourth floor walk-up in the East Village (at First Ave. and Ninth St.) and really had no trouble at all no matter what time of day (or night) we went out. The East Village has a young vibe with older buildings being refurbished with a loft-like feel. Everyone bicycles, walks, or takes public transportation; in fact, the bike lanes are almost as busy as the roads.
Jon was also here on business; we were to meet with Dr. Helen Fisher, of Match.com fame. She is the famed anthropologist and the leading expert on romantic love; you may have seen her on 20/20, Oprah, etc. and she has written a number of best-selling books and continues to teach at Rutgers University. Jon has worked for her for a number of years; they jointly created the test used by Chemistry.com. She has a gorgeous apartment overlooking Central Park, and we had a nice walk and lunch in the park with her.
Highlights of NY
…a walk across the amazing Brooklyn Bridge (view Ellis Island and the Stature of Liberty)
…taking the subways at rush hour
…a visit to Rockefeller Square
…walking down Mulberry in Little Italy and Chinatown
…a glass of wine at the Algonquin, a 1902 Hotel that housed the Round Table, a collection of writers, artists, and critics that met daily before Vanity Fair publications. It was also the scene of the film noir classic, ‘Laura’ with Gene Tierney
…a tour of Radio City Music Hall
…a visit to Ground Zero
…(across the street from Ground Zero) St. Paul’s Church, built in 1775, George Washington attended church here and site of make-shift shelter for 9/11 workers
…a visit to Grand Central Station
…a walk (or carriage ride) through Central Park
St. Regis News
Of course, when you leave home, there is always something needing attention in our absence. If you have visited our lovely garden in the last six months, you know that wonderful changes have occurred there. After removing the dried and dead plants, Rodney and I began a small ‘restoration’ of the upper patio and slope. Eli has always kept the lower patio raked and clean from cigarette butts and trash. As some of you may know, I have been watering the garden since last summer; I am happy to say that life is now returning to our lovely garden. So many residents now enjoy sitting out there, especially in the evenings when the birds feed, just watching the surf roll in or reading and relaxing. We have such a spectacular, ‘one of a kind’ view and location on our patios; completing and caring for our garden is a great investment in the St. Regis for the residents and the owners. On any given day, you can see butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and all manner of birds. Combined with our new patio furniture, it really is beautiful out there now, and to make it feel ‘homey’, I have planted tomato plants in the side garden, that are growing like weeds and we already have several tomatoes. While I have been gone, Eli and our son, Sean, have stepped in to make sure everything is watered, so a big Thank You. Katerina offered to fill the bird feeder; another generous offer from our young residents, that helps to keep the St. Regis a home. Getting these young people involved in the St. Regis, ensures continuity and the future of the St. Regis for many years to come.
Another big Thank You to Lisa and Rodney, who have arranged to have Mr. Lau install a series of tubing or pipes that will entirely cover the slope and side garden with sprinklers and automatic timers that will provide the care the garden requires. Having these systems in place for daily maintenance will help relieve the residents, and puts the building on a beautifying and self-sustaining course that ensures the care and maintenance of our building for years to come.
Our Board for 2013 is:
Rodney Hilburn, President
Jodi Rich, Vice-President
Bruce Peterson, Secretary
Lisa Chin, Treasurer
Mercedes Julian, Member at Large
Alternate, Eli Guzman
I’ll close with the story of Matilda, the thoroughly modern, independent cat that lives at the Algonquin Hotel. She (and her ghostwriter) on Facebook (Matilda-The Algonquin Cat) and Twitter (@Algonqueen) will answer all manner of question or give any type of advice.
“What do you do when your heart is broken?”
Matilda’s answer, “Act more catlike and just ignore it.”
Have a PURRfect day.
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