The Ostrich Feeder — A South Pasadena Blog » Real Estate

What to Do With the City Yard?

Cheyne Gateley — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 07:21:30 +0000

Petting zoo? Shuttle lot for Trader Joe’s? Tiki bar? What would you like to see there?

From the city:

The City Council of South Pasadena is interested in receiving your input on the best use of the City-owned property at 825 Mission Street. This site is currently used as the City Yard housing the Public Works Department vehicles and supplies. In April 2009, a fire caused extensive damage to the City Yard. Although no one was hurt, two-thirds of the west garage was destroyed. At this point, the City Council wants your input and suggestions on the best utilization of this property, whether it may be to rebuild the City Yard or consider other uses. Please submit your suggestions to the City Manager’s Office by December 31, 2009 via letter, fax, email, or in person at:
City Hall-City Manager’s Office
1414 Mission Street
South Pasadena, CA 91030
(626) 403-7210
Fax (626) 403-7211
Email

Catching Up 08.06.09

Cheyne Gateley — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:14:26 +0000

I’ll be away from my computer for the next couple weeks.

South Pas fashion designer Richard Tyler decided the best way for Scientologists to overcome their sinister image is to have them wear black capes and sorting hats.
Our firefighters were among those battling the blaze off the 134.
Us and them: “I think the people of El Sereno should pay attention to their own community. We’ll pay attention to ours.”
Black and white: “In a six-month period, I was stopped three times in a tony, South Pasadena neighborhood in 1988 by the same officer who made me, clad in my best ‘Carlton Banks’ outfit (white button down, yellow sweater, khakis and penny loafers), sit on a curb while he ran my driver’s license … ALL THREE TIMES.”
One man’s fight for a little peace and quiet.
Driving home on the 110 might get a little easier once a “dynamic-lane” system is installed.

Remaining Lofts Being Auctioned Online

Cheyne Gateley — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:42:16 +0000

The leftovers from the March 22 auction go back on the block in a few hours, but this time it’s an online auction, and the bidding doesn’t end till Monday. You can register here. It looks like all three units have the same starting bids as last time.

Ostrich Farm Lofts: The Final Numbers

Cheyne Gateley — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 23:58:40 +0000

Here’s what I have for the auction’s final sales numbers. If you know otherwise, please drop me a line. You can click on a column header to sort the table.

Loft #	Bath	Sq. Ft.	Starting Bid	Previously Valued At	Sold For
302	2	2,165	$519,000	$1,200,000	$675,000*
216	2	2,110	$449,000	$1,091,000	$600,000
220	2	2,010	$469,000	$1,125,000	$660,000*
304	2	1,955	$359,000	$1,012,000	$540,000
308	2	2,055	$349,000	$1,174,000	$500,000
218	1	2,010	$389,000	$968,000	$500,000
307	2	1,445	$349,000	$825,000	$405,000
305	2	1,715	$299,000	$973,000	$480,000
306	2	1,960	$359,000	$1,126,000	$505,000
314	1	1,370	$299,000	$785,000	$400,000
107	2	1,760	$259,000	$700,000	$395,000
214	1	1,370	$299,000	$774,000	$400,000
116	1	1,355	$239,000	$758,000	$385,000
203	1	995	$199,000	$545,000	$325,000
119	1	1,380	$199,000	$629,000	$375,000
210	1	950	$179,000	$519,000	$320,000
206	1	1,075	$179,000	$604,000	$345,000
309	2	2,165	$519,000	$1,238,000	$675,000*
301	2	2,185	$469,000	$1,203,000	$570,000
219	2	1,980	$369,000	$954,000	$495,000
303	2	1,715	$349,000	$973,000	$440,000
215	1	1,365	$299,000	$763,000	$375,000
109	1	1,460	$259,000	$696,000	$375,000
204	1	1,080	$199,000	$604,000	$320,000

*Units 220, 302 and 309 did not sell, so the numbers listed in the “Sold For” column is the new asking price.

Three Lofts Left

Cheyne Gateley — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 02:57:20 +0000

That’s what Curbed LA has been told, but some of the commenters who attended Sunday’s auction are calling bullshit. Of the three that are left, two (units 302 and 309) are 2,165 square feet. The auction brochure has them previously valued at $1.2 million, the starting bid was $519,000, and now they’re a firm $675,000. The third unit (220) is 2,010 square feet, previously valued at $1.1 million, starting bid of $469,000, and now a firm $660,000.

Ostrich Farm Loft Auction Today

Cheyne Gateley — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 18:39:27 +0000

There’s been a whole lot of interest in those Ostrich Farm Lofts, and today we’ll see if that interest translates into sales. The opening prices are impressive, but with a mysterious hidden reserve and a 5% buyer’s premium added to all winning bids … we’ll see. Here’s some pros and cons we took away from a tour yesterday:

PROS:

Directly across the street from the arroyo
Easy 110 access
South Pasadena schools

CONS:

Close to Gold Line (not the station, just the tracks)
Outdoor parking
Feels more remote than it is

If you’re still interested, here’s the info:

When: Today.
Where: Hilton Pasadena, 168 South Los Robles Ave., Pasadena
Time: Registration begins at noon. Auction starts promptly at 1 p.m.

And if you do decide to go, I’d love to hear about it.

Ostrich Farm Lofts on the Block

Cheyne Gateley — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:39:47 +0000

Curbed LA picks up on the upcoming auction to unload The Ostrich Farm lofts at 1010 Sycamore Ave. While the prices sound nice (starting bids of $179,000 on a couple of units), some commenters have chimed in that there is an unspecified reserve price.

In the L.A. Times

Cheyne Gateley — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 17:03:57 +0000

Mamma’s Brick Oven Pizza dishes on the seedy underbelly of Yelp.
Home prices dropped 3.4% in South Pasadena for 2008, making it one of the most stable ZIP Codes in L.A. County. San Marino and Arcadia also cracked the top 20.

Catching Up

Cheyne Gateley — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 06:16:16 +0000

House for sale. Bed pan and Sterno not included.
Westways, the AAA mag, heaped more praise on Gus’s Barbecue in the October edition. There’s no direct link to the article, but it’s another feather in the restaurant’s chef hat.
South Pasadena Middle School students raised $12,155 in the 14th annual “Pasta for Pennies” program sponsored by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.