Lisa Burks Online

Second Lease on Life

It appears that the eulogy I wrote for 334 E. Cypress last month was premature and altogether incorrect.

I"m thrilled to report that this adorable 87-year-old fire damaged house will not be razed!

Every time I walk by this little charmer, I expect to see its demolished remains. Instead, on a recent walk to downtown I literally jumped for joy when I noticed that a new roof was being put on.

A neighbor who lives in the back apartment was sitting near her open window when I stopped to snap photos.  She told me that it was determined that the structure was still sound and its internal wounds were not fatal, so the owners opted to fix 'er up rather than tear her down.

I absolutely love it that, against the odds, this landmark vintage dwelling is getting a second lease on life!

Sitting Pretty

I spotted this little guy enjoying a shady ledge on a mirrored building near the Buena Vista Library the other day.

Loved how the reflection made it look like he was sitting in the nearby tree.  See more snaps here.

Sidewalk Bingo ~ 1928

Found not one, not two, but three count 'em three Hunt Bros. Constructor logos in the 100 block of Glenoaks Blvd. today, all dated 1928.

They appear on the sidewalk in front of Olive Market, located at 130 S. Glenoaks Blvd. near Olive Ave. 

The diamond shaped one is located in front of the store's doorway and the other two flank either end of the building, itself the original 1928 structure.

What sets these Hunt Bros. stamps apart from the 1930 and 1933 versions I've previously documented is that they are the oldest and also the first I've found at a commercial property.

You're Fired

Some of my favorite houses in Burbank are the oldsters that still stand proud among the modern development.

When I see them, my mind wanders back in time to wonder what the area was like when they were new.

The house that stands at 334 E. Cypress, down by the Media Center Mall, was gutted by fire in the past year.  

Boarded up and cleaned out ~ snapped on April 1, 2009

This particular house was built in 1922 during the initial residential building boom when Burbank's population was about 3,000.  Today there's more like 110,000 of us.

Burbank circa 1922 (Burbank Public Library Collection)

Demolition has begun on the grand little lady 334.  I noticed today that the roof was gone.

Looks like they will be taking her apart bit by bit.  I hope so. It always kills me when the bulldozers arrive to start mauling buildings apart.

No dignity.

No respect for the ghosts that live there, or so I imagine whenever I witness this ritual, which happens more in the name of progress around these parts lately, not post-flames euthanasia.

Rest in peace, 334 E. Cypress. Thank you for 87 years.

'Graveside Companion' Comes To Burbank

My pal Steve Goldstein has been on a very successful whirlwind publicity tour for his hot new book LA's Graveside Companion: Where The VIPs RIP. 

This weekend he'll be in my neck of the woods, good ole Burbank!

Meet Steve at a book signing this Sunday, April 19th at 2pm at Dark Delicacies, the only all horror book store in America, located 4213 Burbank Blvd.

Caffeinated Laughs

After the traditional Tax Day fleecing today I was sorely in need of a good laugh on a shoestring budget.

Luckily for me (and about two dozen other peeps) I found plenty of both tonight with The Comic Buzz crew at Romancing The Bean in Burbank.

The Comic Buzz Comedians Jerry Rocha, Bryan Erwin,
Neil Edwards and Heather Thompson

Word is starting to get around about this midweek stand-up showcase, now on its fourth consecutive week.  This is thanks in part to a featured write up last week in The Burbank Leader.

But it also has a lot to do with the energetic enthusiasm of it's creator and host, Bryan Erwin, who spends his pre-show warm-up time at the door, humorously enticing passers-by in off the boulevard.

For the price of a very affordable and super delish latte, I spent close to two hours laughing at seven comedians tonight who each presented their unique brand of clever, witty and sometimes downright weird musings on the coffee house's corner stage.

Topics ranged from facial hair, travel and dating to death, cultural oddities and bar soap, with some edgy Nazi, sex and depression jokes thrown in for good measure.  All very, very funny.

Each week the line up consists of up-and-coming comedians who you have probably seen on late night television or at some of the more pricey comedy clubs in Los Angeles.

Tonight's roster included Kyle Kinane, Heather Thompson, Danny Vermont, The Walsh Brothers, Jerry Rocha and Neil Edwards.

The Comic Buzz happens every Wednesday evening starting at 8pm.

Romancing The Bean is located at 150 S. San Fernando Blvd., between Olive and Angeleno. At least for the next few weeks. Word there tonight was that it's losing the space at the end of the month, but plans are to stay in the immediate area.

Here's hoping!  What a lovely coffee house environment and some of the best comedy I've seen in a long time.  The Bean also hosts Open Mic Night, which adds music and poetry to the mix, every 2nd and 4th Tuesday night.

Sidewalk Bingo ~ 1930

Another Sidewalk Bingo success!   

On this afternoon's walk I actually found several stamps in the sidewalks between home and Ikea, but only the Hunt Bros. seemed to date their work.

Nice touch. That officially makes them my favorites.

Today I found one from 1930 on the sidewalk of the house at 501 E. Cypress. 

According to the Los Angeles County Assessor's records, this home was built the very same year.  I especially love the stone wall that borders the entire property.

So far, I've gotten a 1930 and a 1933.  That means there's probably at the very least 1931 and 1932 out there, yay!

Leaving Their Mark

The Hunt Brothers construction company was apparently very busy in my neighborhood back in the 1930s.

I've noticed their moniker stamped on residential sidewalks here, there and yonder.

Had my camera with me when I spied this beauty from 1933.  It's held up well over the past 76 years.  Lettering still sharp, no cracks in the cement.

It's located on N. 5th St. between Magnolia and Palm, on a sidewalk between two of three side-by-side-by-side bungalows that were built there in 1929.

I know I've seen others around but with different years noted. With limited research, I haven't found anything significant to tell me who they were and how long they operated in Burbank.  They sure seemed to do quality work, though!

I'm going to try to find more, from different years, to photograph and see if I can piece together a time line.  Sidewalk Bingo!  At the very least, it's one way to make my daily walks a bit more interesting.

The Old Neighborhood

I live on San Jose Ave. in Burbank, an area of the city that saw a lot of development in the 1940s.  My garden apartment, for instance, was built in 1947.

A few blocks down from my place are lots of small shops on Glenoaks Blvd.  Most occupy original buildings from that boom era.

While many houses and apartments have been demolished to make room for condos in recent years, it's great to see the mom-and-pop storefronts surviving.

Today on my daily walk I took along my camera to investigate 501 Glenoaks after spying this May 26, 1940 news clipping. Amazingly enough, I also found an undated photo of this exact building on the select photographs page on the Burbank Historical Society website.

Photo courtesy of the Burbank Historical Society.

While the neighborhood looks a lot different today, the building has retained much of it's original art deco flavor.  The once open-air market in now enclosed and divided into three storefronts that are currently occupied by a jeweler, a camera shop and H & R Block.

An awning covers the original sign-supporting border, once painted dual tone and now all black. 

A shoe repair and keysmith currently occupies the corner on the alley where Suzy's Home Bakery once filled the neighborhood with warm, sweet smells.  Suzy's neon sign may be long gone, but it's power source outlet is still there.

The retail space at the corner of San Jose and Glenoaks, the home of Andy's Finest Furniture for the past decade or so, is now empty.

Burbank or Bust

Earlier this month I visited the grave of our city's founding father Dr. David Burbank at Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery in Los Angeles.  Today I stopped by the Burbank Central Library to photograph his bust, which has been on display there since 1978.

Dr. David Burbank by Rick Dorary

After last night's rains the good dentist's likeness had some leaves and other thingies stuck to it, so he need some minor grooming.

The 21" bronze bust, created by artist Rick Doray, sits atop a cement structure that contains four time capsules that were sealed on July 4, 1977 by the Burbank Bicentennial Committee.  Each has separate opening dates, Independence Day 2001, 2026, 2051 and 2076.

Read about the capsule contents at WesClark.com.

Eric and Wendell

Eric and Wendell, two park bench regulars at the library, who I had a wonderful conversation with (thanks for sharing your Cheetos, guys!) told me word on the street is that when the 2001 time capsule was opened it was empty.

Another bronze sculpture of Dr. Burbank will be unveiled later this year, in slightly larger-than-life form, as the intersection of Burbank and Victory boulevards.

Created by artist Andrea Favilli, it is part of the $10-million improvement project covering 2.2 miles of Burbank Blvd. that also includes 11 landscaped medians, 401 trees and 54 benches.

See more photos of Dr. Burbank's bust on my Flickr page.