Deeply distressing article about David Milch forthcoming in the New Yorker.

For 3 decades he and his wife and children lived in the 1930s Spanish house in Brentwood I lived in through the 1970s. They enlarged it and added a pool that went almost lot to lot. They had to sell it and now the house is a $5,100,000 vacant lot, the last I looked. For years I consoled myself on the loss of the study by thinking that another writer was using it.

Now the expanded house and study are no more.

Here is an ad before the teardown.
627 Moreno Avenue Brentwood--the $5,100,000 teardown--all gone now

First time on the open market in over 30 years! Fantastic land value opportunity on the sunny, west side of extremely desirable Moreno Avenue -one of the Westside's very finest streets. 13,200 square feet of land (per assessor's map) and 80 feet of frontage, affording the best Brentwood lifestyle within close proximity to the Brentwood Country Mart, Montana Avenue and the Brentwood Country Club. Available with architectural plans for a gorgeous Traditional Estate with over 7500 Square feet of living area and every imaginable amenity on 3 levels that are partially through the plan check process. Very rare opportunity!

Sunday, February 21, 2016

A TEARDOWN--$83,500 in 1968, $5,100,000 in 2015--627 Moreno Avenue--A Dirt Lot Now

Very strange feelings this week. For three decades when I thought of my study I visualized a TV writer working there, continuing a writer's California life. I wished him well, and now see the house, much extended, with a pool on the west (26th Street) side, and yet another family owning the house. No--not another family owning the house. I learn instead that the new owner who paid $4, 900,000 razed it, house and study and every tree. $5,100,000 for a teardown.
I loved my study.
Part of the strange feelings, of course, are about addiction--and in this case addiction of an almost inconceivable magnitude. In the mid-80s the heroin addiction was acknowledged, so I was always a little edgy in thinking about the LA house, but I wanted them to be happy, and wanted David Milch to appreciate the study.