Won’t You Be My Neighbor
Hello you,
Quarantine got you down?
Are you thinking of shaking things up?
Have you ever considered moving to Koreatown? It’s centrally located in the heart of sunny Los Angeles meaning you’re 20* minutes from EVERYWHERE IN LA! (*that’s a Clueless reference: actual driving times will vary). Just two blocks south of the Wilshire/Western intersection where there’s the iconic Wiltern Theater and a Metro Purple Line Station, you’ll get the walk ability of a city, but still have that safe quiet neighborhood feel (and more Korean BBQ options than you could count). Since quarantine, a family across the street has started setting up a stand selling deep fried empanadas on weekends so you don’t even have to walk the two blocks to get something delicious to eat!
Why am I saying all this? An AMAZING 1 bedroom in my streamline modern building (of only 7 units. Build my Milton Black in 1936) will have a vacancy at the end of this month. This massive 966 square foot 2nd floor unit has two entrances, a private garage, and 4 big closets, built-in storage in the hallway wall and dining room bar, a vanity room, a standing shower stall, a big tub, and easy access to on site laundry. The until has character and style already built into it, and with all the big windows, you'll get SO much sunlight as well as a balcony overlooking the courtyard that opens up to James M Wood Blvd.
I’m advertising not only an apartment, but also community. LA gets a bad wrap for everyone being fakes and users, but I think people who see it that way never tried to make their literal neighbors part of their lives. Joining West Hollywood Dodgeball really connected me and Mike with so many genuine great people around us. Actually, Mike and I lived a block away from each other when we met, and I think living close to one another was critical to the success of our relationship. Yes, long distance relationships (both romantic and platonic) are possible, and you can travel to see each other, but convenience really makes building bonds that much easier. When we left WeHo and moved to Ktown, it felt like we were worlds away from any friends, but once we discovered some cookies on our doorstep (baked by your future downstairs neighbors Jake and Joleen), we quickly made friends. Since I started giving our crushed cans to an abuela who lives next door, we’re even friend with the families in the next building and most of them don’t even speak English. Since then, Jason, Stanley, Cody, Hannah, Jen, and finally Kim moved in, and we’ve become something more with our neighbors. Stanley even got everyone to start walking down the street to R Bar for his monthly DJ sets. We all probably chat with each other at least once a week (some of us daily) and have family dinner nights every few weeks. Before the shutdown, we’d host big 4th of July parties to watch all the illegal fireworks around the city from the rooftop, and hopefully will be able to return to those days soon. In the meantime, we’re committed to being there for each other and are always willing to lend a hand, a ladder, or the preverbal cup of sugar. Though the available apartment doesn’t have giant outdoor patio like some of the other apartments, Kim has used the gated courtyard to host a big party and Hannah and I have discussed how if we can get you (aka someone cool) into the vacant apartment, you’d be welcome to come on up our patios during those times when the quarantine might be weighing down on you.
Jason and Stanley have access to the apartment until the end of the month, so if you want an in-person tour, please don’t hesitate to message me. Their previous rent was $1850, but considering the space (with a parking space which is crucial to one’s sanity here in Ktown), it’s still a good price by Los Angeles standards. If times are tough and you’re willing to have a roommate, there’s definitely enough space to either covert the vanity room or partition part of the living room into a makeshift 2nd bedroom.
I am forever grateful that Cody and Hannah (and Jen) moved in. They’re a part of my family now and having people willing to be in each other's quarantine bubble has been one of the major things that has kept me as happy as I am while cut off from so much of the city. While we’re devastated to see Jason and Stanley go, we’re also desperate to get someone as equally cool in here with us, so, in the immortal words of the great Mr. Fred Rogers, “Won’t you be my neighbor?"
