BLOG: Hollywood Development Isn't Going Away, But It Shouldn't Be 'Runaway'

Hello fellow Patchers!

I'd like to introduce myself:  Philip (or Felix, for that matter) is the name, and history is my game.  I am the creator and owner of The Felix In Hollywood Tour Company and we give a 90 minute (ish) historical walking tour of the entertainment industry of Old Hollywood.

I have lived in many places and have traveled all around the world.  After seeing all that this great world has to offer, I chose Hollywood to be my home.  And home it has been for over 25 years.

Being a long time resident and loving the place as I do, it gives me the right to do a little griping.  Don't worry, it's going to be very little.  Actually only one little thing....

The respect for history in this town is - let me be kind here - somewhat lacking. 

There are many places in this country and certainly all over Europe where there exists an unwritten understanding of responsibility and good stewardship involved in the buying and owning of historic properties.  That, sadly, seems to be the very rare exception here.  I know that, in the grand scheme of things, we are a very young place, but we'll never develop a sense of our historical contributions if we keep knocking stuff down!  Never have I seen a city (and really I'm talking all of the greater LA area) with more of an unyielding hunger to systematically destroy structures of beauty, structures of architectural importance, and structures where amazing events and projects have taken place.  All in order for developers to spin the wheel and hit a bigger jackpot.  Somewhere along the way, making a lot of money has translated into not making enough money. 

Before you get the wrong idea here, I am not anti-progress and I'm not anti-business.  In fact the balance of new and old architecture allows one to appreciate both even more!  The idea of preservation and restoration of older sites to accomodate new businesses can be a very workable one.  Yes it is the more expensive way to do things, but the increase in community awareness and pride is an invaluable payoff.  

I do sense a shift in conciousness on this issue and I've recently heard more of a public voice being sounded than ever before in my time here.  Keep it up folks!  Our voices and desires need not be bulldozed into rubble and neither do the buildings.

Now, if your not sure of what history we have here in Hollywood - then come see us on the tour.....