2020-03-26 The Hollywood Reporter

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER 44 MARCH 26, 2020

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Real Estate

Style

Sheltering

in the Heart of

Los Angeles

Hollywood is discovering West Adams, one of L.A.’s oldest neighborhoods, where a 30-story tower

will bring sleek condos to the area’s historic Craftsmans and Victorians By Peter Kiefer

I

n Los Angeles, foodie

culture usually swims

upstream from real estate,

so when chef Travis Lett decided

earlier this year to sell his stake

in Venice restaurants Gjelina,

Gjusta and MTN to pursue a proj-

ect in West Adams, it felt like a

page had turned in the city’s his-

tory. The 2008 opening of Gjelina

helped reshape the beachside

community, and Lett’s departure

to reopen the Johnny’s Pastrami

on West Adams Boulevard has

warmed the hearts of locals while

leaving Venetians

feeling like yester-

day ’s news.

“We’re not going

to be Abbot Kinney

in a year or two —

that’s going to take

a while longer,”

says Claire Lissone,

founder of the Real

Estate Collective,

which focuses on West Adams,

the 1.5-square-mile neighbor-

hood in South L.A. that is home to

charming Craftsman bungalows,

Victorian mansions and Spanish

revival homes. Lissone estimates

that half her clients who are eye-

ing West Adams live in Venice

Beach or Brooklyn. “A lot of people

missed what ‘old’ Venice was

really like, and that’s why they’re

interested,” says Lissone.

When Lett’s new venture opens

later this year, it will join an

already robust scene for restau-

rants (see map) — none of which

are currently accepting anything

other than pickups or deliveries

because of the coronavirus ban.

The impending foodie destina-

tion will tie into a residential real

estate market that has exploded

over the past six years, in large

part thanks to the opening of the

Expo Line. The 15-mile light rail

system runs between Downtown

L.A. and Santa Monica and

demarks the southern border of

West Adams, making it easily

accessible to residents. The Expo

has spurred interest from young

homeowners who are priced out

of the Westside and eager to ditch

their cars, as well as from some

of the city’s biggest developers

who are looking to capitalize on

Mayor Eric Garcetti’s push for

transit-oriented development.

According to data from MLS, the

median home price in the area is

$770,000, a 10 percent increase

from the same period last year.

The entertainment industry

has a foothold in the area. The

studio Broadcast West has been

operating there for 10 years, and

NBA All Star turned producer

Baron Davis recently opened an

office. Reality producer Vincent

Rutherford and his wife, writer

Kristen Rutherford, live there,

as does actor DaJuan Johnson

(Bosch, Narcos). Brokers say they

have seen a surge in interest from

production companies that are

curious if it’s the right fit.

One of L.A.’s oldest neighbor-

hoods, West Adams is bordered

by Crenshaw, Pico, La Cienega and

Jefferson boulevards. During the

1940s, a section known as Sugar

Hill became home to affluent

black Angelenos, including Gone

With the Wind actress Hattie

McDaniel. In recent decades,

West Adams has been a satellite

neighborhood of USC. Much of

the architecture is protected by

several historic districts that have

Davis

Johnson

Top: A rendering of the 30-story apartment

tower at the 11-acre Cumulus District on

the corner of La Cienega and Jefferson

boulevards. Developer Carmel Partners

expects leasing to start in June (rents start at

$2,800), with a September move-in. Inset: A

rendering of Cumulus’ 1-acre central park.

FIRS

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LOOK

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1 234

WEST ADAMS

C R E N S HAW

C U LV E R

CITY

MIRACLE MILE KOR EATOWN

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icent
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.
HOT RE S T OS
FOR TAKEOUT
1 B e e Ta q u e r i a
Seven-month-old spot
serving tacos (like slow-
braised lamb) and ceviches.
2 Delicious Pizza
Hip-hop-themed pizza shop
founded in 2015.
3 Mizlala West Adams
Popular Middle Eastern
restaurant founded by
chef Danny Elmaleh.
4 Alta Adams
California soul food restaurant
founded by chef Keith Corbin.
5 Mel’s Fish Shack
Hole-in-the-wall for fried
snapper and catfish, plus
fresh fish by the pound.
5
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