White Boy/White Dog Move To Skid Row

Certified Beach Dude Moves To Downtown Los Angeles

…for at least another year, as I finalized the year lease in my same unit. I was planning on having to move, and had looked at many places, as the owner of my unit had expressed that he wanted to move back in. Then in June he contacted me and said he was comfortable where he was, and would I like to extend lease for a year.

At first my head was so set on moving- lots of inventory downtown, with some deals (Title Guarantee Building giving 3 months free rent on year, plus they included membership at LA Athletic Club which was a pretty good deal). But I really wanted a building with a pool, and perhaps a balcony. Then I started thinking- in all honesty, I did not want to move, and after looking at other buildings, and the people hanging around the outside of them (not tenants, but “street folks”), I realized how much I loved Higgins. Everytime I came home after looking at other lofts, I opened the door to this bright, airy loft with the most amazing view of any I had seen… the other lofts paled in comparison.

While the building may not have much in the way of ammenities, and has it share of problems (no hot water for a couple of days once, construction noise, etc), the PEOPLE really make this building special. On my floor alone, there is a triathelete, headquarters for a clothing company, the president of the HOA, and a beautiful empty loft that YOU can rent if you are in the market. On other floors there are many actors/actresses, writers, artists, a translator for the courts, an aspiring recording artist, editors for The LA Times- just many creative, interesting people. And the guys that work at the front desk are the best - George, Yao, Anthony, and Lauro all bend over backwards to help me (there is a lady who also has the 10pm - 6am shift but I don’t see much of her- no slight intended but I don’t know her). Anthony was even going to bring me my glasses and cell phone charger when I was in the hospital.

Even though I lost a beautiful view of City Hall w/ new LAPD HQ construction, I still have 6 huge windows facing west towards the skyline, and everytime I open the door to my unit the view takes my breath away- no units I looked at compared to the bright, open feeling my place has. Hopefully the construction noises are tapering off now and I will not have to use the phone in the bathroom anymore…