Many years ago when I lived in New York, my gym looked out on a low-rise building that housed the Tower Records on the Upper West Side. At some point they decided to replace it with a high-rise, and I noticed that one person with a balcony was going to lose their wide open view and be closed in by the new building. I remember thinking how lousy that was. Well, the same thing is happening to me, except it is worse: first, because it is happened to me, and also because I am losing my beloved view of the Hollywood sign.
Construction started this summer on an apartment building in the parking lot behind the old Desmond’s Department Store on Miracle Mile. The new building will be as tall or taller than my building, which means my view will be gone. Here is what the new building may end up looking like, according to the fine blog Building Los Angeles:
But this is what it looks like now:
It actually hasn’t been terrible living next to a construction site, except that they start at 7am. It has not been terribly noisy; a little noisy obviously, but not as bad as I thought. I’m sure it will get worse. That’s something to look forward to!
But I am not looking forward to losing my view. I have always loved the Hollywood sign. I am not sure why, but it has always made me happy to see it. When I was looking for this apartment and saw the view, I took the place on the spot. I look at the sign every day and it makes me smile. I’ve got some time before the new building eclipses mine, but when that day comes, you can bet I will not be smiling.