Beverly Green

Learning About Decorative Sun Screens On Mid Century Modern Homes In Las Vegas

May 26th, 2008 Categories: Beverly Green, Decorative Concrete Block Designs, Mid Century Modern

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This pattern used to drive me crazy because it was so “bland”. The shape was good, but it never quite felt right to me. I always see it in a block wall as I turned the corner just behind the Boulevard Mall on my way into Paradise Palms.

I never saw it anywhere else, so I thought it was real rare.

 

 

 

Then one day I went to show one of the Mid Century Modern homes over in Winterwood (way out east past Nellis, off of Sahara Ave.) It had a beautiful stone screen made of the 8 pointed stars that was set all the way out at the front edge of the home to create a courtyard.

There’s a lot of interesting things such as the beamed ceiling, pool in the private backyard, the roofline, the skylite and a lot of other mid mod elements.

 

But it’s what I saw when I was leaving that made me slap my forehead.

That blandness is really just the backside of one of my favorite patterns.

Almost every pattern we’ve looked at so far looks the same from either side of the block. It’s obviously not possible with such a  deeply carved design.

  

 

 

 

Here it is again, as it’s used in one of my favorite “Tiki” homes at Canosa and Beverly Way in the Beverly Green Neighborhood.

 

Yes, we’re getting close to the end of this series as this is  pattern 37. I’ll know the exact number when the folder is empty.

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Tiki Culture Played A Small Part In The Mid Century Modernism Of Post War America

March 18th, 2008 Categories: Beverly Green, Crestview, Historic Preservation, John S Park Historic Neighborhood

Yesterday I mentioned the yard art which is now prominently on display at a Tiki Styled Home in Beverly Green. Of course, someone asked me about Tiki, so I’m compelled to show some other examples from the Vintage Vegas Neighborhoods and to talk a little about the subject.

One of the great examples of Tiki influence is on the “Jackie Gaughan” house on Chapman, at the corner of Bonita. It also sports one of the few pairs of round doors in all of Las Vegas.

 

 

 

The “Jimmy The Greek” home on 6^th Street South of Charleston is also Tiki Themed. Some of the prominent features are roof lines that slope upwards at the end, and beams that protrude past the facia boards, to resemble the bow of a ship.

 

When I was a kid in Columbus Ohio, I got my first “taste” of Tiki at the world famous Kahiki Supper Club. It was renowned as one of the best examples in the world of Tiki Culture taken over the top.

Alas, it’s a Walgreen now. Oh Well, so much for historic preservation.

Wikipedia has an article on the whole subject of Tiki culture in the United States

“Tiki Culture began in 1934 with the opening of Don the Beachcomber, a Polynesian-themed bar and restaurant in Hollywood. The proprietor was Ernest Raymond Beaumont-Gantt, a young man from Louisiana who had sailed throughout the South Pacific; later he legally changed his name to Donn Beach. His restaurant featured Cantonese cuisine and exotic rum punches, with a decor of flaming torches, rattan furniture, flower leis, and brightly colored fabrics. Three years later, Victor Bergeron, better known as Trader Vic, adopted a Tiki theme for his restaurant in Oakland, which eventually grew to become a worldwide chain.[1],

When American soldiers returned home from World War II, they brought with them stories and souvenirs from the South Pacific. James Michener won the 1948 Pulitzer Prize for his collection of short stories, Tales of the South Pacific, which in turn was the basis for South Pacific, the 1949 musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein, also a Pulitzer Prize winner. Hawaiian Statehood further drove interest in the area and Americans fell in love with their romanticized version of an exotic culture. Polynesian design began to infuse every aspect of the country’s visual aesthetic, from home accessories to architecture.”

It’s also easy to spot a touch of tiki in the Cinderella Ranches on both the east and west side neighborhoods of Vintage Vegas.

Of course, if you want to learn more, or to join a revival movement there’s the Tiki Magazine or just google Tiki, and spend a few hours sipping a Mai Tai while getting educated on a major cultural phenomena of Post War America

PS: The outcry was huge in Columbus when the Kahiki was torn down to become a Walgreens, but the powers that be, and the big money wouldn’t listen. Another drug store was much more important, it seems.

We have lots of stories here in Las Vegas about our lost heritage, history and architecture. That’s why we’re so hell bent on preserving the Huntrudge, Maude Frazier Hall, La Concha, and what little is left that’s worth fighting to preserve.

Join Us. Get involved with the Atomic Age Alliance, or Classic Las Vegas, or the Neon Museum or any of the other museums in Las Vegas. We need your help, and you’ll meet some remarkable people.

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Spring Time Yard Clean Up Reveals Hidden Yard Art - Historic Las Vegas Neighborhoods Have Lots Of Folk Art On Display

March 17th, 2008 Categories: ART, Beverly Green

One of the things I love to do is give tours of the classic homes and historic neighborhoods of Las Vegas. One of the many “show off” homes that I drive by is this TIKI home on the corner of Beverly and Canosa, in the Beverly Green Neighborhood.

The owners have just done a major pruning and cleaning of the yard.  We used to have to get out and really look to see the folk art that adorns the property.  

Pictures are fun, but take a drive to see it yourself. Beverly Way is one street west of 6^th Street, and runs between St. Louis Ave. and Oakey.

There’s great yard art all over Vintage Vegas, and if you know of some, send me a picture, or email me an address. I don’t think I’ve published any on the new blog, but here’s some of the other posts I did on “yard art” at the old blog

 

 

There’s more pictures below the fold.

 

 

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Neighborhood Services Code Enforcement Officer To Speak At Beverly Green Meeting Tonight

March 17th, 2008 Categories: Beverly Green

Pam Hines, one of the “code enforcement” officers from the City of Las Vegas Department of Neighborhood Services will be the guest speaker tonight at the quarterly meeting of the Beverly Green Neighborhood Association.

The meeting is tonight, March 17 at 7pm in the Reformation Lutheran Church at the corner of St. Louis and 6^th Street (580 E. St Louis).

Even if you don’t live in Beverly Green, (which is 6^th Street to Las Vegas Blvd, and Sahara to Oakey, YOUR INVITED TO ATTEND, especially if you’d like an opportunity to find out about code enforcement issues.

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Las Vegas Planning Commission Sides With Residents Of Historic Neighborhoods

March 14th, 2008 Categories: 6th & Sahara Hi-Rise, Beverly Green, Southridge

The planning commission turned down the 47 Story hi rise development at 6^th and Sahara. About 40 neighbors from the Southridge, Beverly Green, Huntridge, and John S. Park Neighborhood Associations came to the hearing and spoke their opposition.

Of course, being turned down by planning gives the developer the right to plead their case to the City Council on April 13. So we’ll be calling once again for bodies and voices to attend the City Council meeting.

Steve Evans, the commissioner for ward 3 really read the riot act to the developers. His most important point is that they did everything backwards, by presenting a plan to the neighbors FIRST and asking us to just accept their grand design, instead of meeting with the neighborhoods that would be affected to find out what would be acceptable, and then designing based on having our support.

The city and especially Mayor Goodman and Councilman Gary Reese have been tellings me publicly and privately that viable, energetic, and continually improving historic neighborhoods are a top priority.

We applaud the commission for drawing a line in the sand between the single family neighborhoods and the developers who want to build with no concern for the impact on the neighborhoods.

Posted by Jack LeVine | Currently 1 Comment »

Planning Commission Hearing POSTPONED

January 10th, 2008 Categories: Beverly Green, Southridge

Tonight’s hearing in front of the planning commission about the 47 story Hi Rise for 6^th and Sahara has been postponed at the applicant’s request. The new date is Feb. 14^th.

We’ll keep you posted.

Greg Brown posted a comment on the previous post, but it’s worth repeating it here.

“I just got a call from the Planning department that it was abeyed at the applicant’s request. It is rescheduled for February 14th, though who knows if it will be heard that night.

 

Presumably they will hold another “neighborhood” meeting though the developer has told me he has no interest in holding an open meeting (which would only produce “complaints”), no interest in conforming to the Neighborhood Plan, and no interest in conforming to existing adjancy standards.

 

Clearly, they are trying to make an end-run around us.”

 

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This Is How Neighborhood Associations Help

January 10th, 2008 Categories: Beverly Green, Southridge

All of the really good, and potentially great Neighborhoods Associations came about because of proposed development or political controversy that impacted the adjacent homes.

I started the Southridge Neighborhood Association in 2001 in response to the Stratosphere’s Scorpian Tail Roller Coaster Ride. Later, we split it into two groups and the Beverly Green Association became a separate group.

John S. Park got organized because of the “Titanic” hotel project which had been proposed for where the Aruba and Holiday Inn sit on LVBS. The Huntridge East and West Associations have rekindled themselves over the issue of the closure of Circle Park.

Every home in the county or the city is eligible to be part of a neighborhood association. The City and County both have people in their planning departments to help get them going, or to help make them better.

If you don’t have one, then you can start one.  Energized citizens, who organize can create change as well as preserve what we have. I encourage you to get involved, and to come to the Planning Commission Meeting Tonight.

 

I’m cutting and pasting some of the comments about the 6^th and Sahara Hi Rise project that have been flying thru the tubes in email messages from many of the leaders of the Southridge and Beverly Green Neighborhood Associations.

I’m offering  the comments section for this post to all the people on the list that have been email each other to use it as a forum until we get a myspace or yahoogroups or whatever started to deal with the 6^th and Sahara project.

If you want to read some of the comments, or add your own, just click on the “read the rest of the post” link below.

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47 Story Tower At 6th And Sahara To Be Presented To Planning Commission

January 7th, 2008 Categories: 6th & Sahara Hi-Rise, Beverly Green, Las Vegas Real Estate News, Southridge

Greg Brown, from the Beverly Green Neighborhood Association wrote the following, and encourages anyone with something to say about this project to attend the planning commission meeting where it will be introduced. The meeting will be Thursday 1/10 6pm.

This has the biggest impact on Beverly Green and Southridge Neighborhoods, but in light of it being an excellent example of how development affects ALL of our neighborhoods, the more involvement from our neighbors that we have, the better prepared we’ll be for what ever the next development project is. We reported on the proposal and gave our opinion last month.

Here’s Greg’s Summary of the issues and details.

Dear Neighbors,

On Saturday you should have received in the mail a series of cards from the City’s Planning Department giving official notice of a the Planning Commission hearing on the evening of January 10 of the proposed high-rise commercial/residential tower on Sixth Street. The cards asked for responses in support or opposition to the project. Because its become clear in talking to many neighbors over the weekend that the cards were not sent out to everyone in the neighborhood, and since so many people are away from home for the holiday, I’m sending the information via email — and encouraging everyone to please pass this information along to anyone else in the neighborhood who has an opinion on this project.

The project, as presented earlier this month, is for a 500-foot tower that would occupy the sites that are currently the Sixth & Sahara shopping center, the vacant lot to the north of the shopping center, and the Christian radio station on Sixth. The building would include approximately 1100 residential units and 180,000 square feet of commercial use. The portion of the building that would run along Sixth would be 12 stories high and all vehicles would enter and exit on Sixth.

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Hi Rise Proposal Provokes Mixed Feelings From The Adjacent Neighborhoods

December 13th, 2007 Categories: 6th & Sahara Hi-Rise, Beverly Green, Downtown Las Vegas, Southridge

A new proposal was introduced last night to build a 44 story condo/office/retail mixed use tower at the corner of 6^th Street and Sahara. Tony Romas, Marie Calendars and the small shopping center would be replaced if the plan ever goes forward.

The biggest objection is that the parcel and site plan would be in the back yard of homes on Alhambra Circle in Town and Country Estates, and right across the street from a dozen homes on 6^th Street. The neighborhood Associations have always objected to commercial intrusion into the neighborhoods.

(As with all photos on VVV, you can click the picture to see it full sized)

The developers own most of the land already, and there’s no stopping them from redeveloping it, but the leaders of the neighborhoods that are most affected, Southridge and Beverly Green, gave the project mixed reviews. With out a doubt, everyone wants to see Sahara Avenue cleaned up and redeveloped, but everyone I spoke to objected strongly to the 44 story height of the tower. Opinions were also very strong that the preliminary drawing showed a building with no artistic merit, or even the least bit of homage to the 1950’s mid century buildings surrounding the site.

They claim the target market for the condos will be local working people, but the stated price range is from 300k’s to 1.2million. Granted new shops and offices with workers who will go out for lunch, shop on their lunch hour, and lots of residence will be good for the single family homes nearby. However, last night they didn’t discuss traffic problems that would be generated with all the traffic for the project having to use 6^th street.

There will be more sit down meetings with the neighborhood associations, and they’ll need to get zoning variances, which we think will start with planning commission meetings in January.

In general, we think it’s much to big of a project for that corner, and that it’s out of character for the surrounding neighborhoods. We always believed that medium rise mixed use would be much better than a 44 story tower, and would have no problem with it if it was mid rise instead of hi rise. Of course, if the design incorporated a lot of mid century modern styling it would help appease us a lot.