Hughes Aircraft Company - Playa Vista - Horizons

Mar Vista Metro made a visit to the Horizons Office Campus in Playa Vista in November 2009 to see what is happening down there now that most of the site is open to the public.

If you didn't know, the site is located off of Jefferson at the end of Centinela in Los Angeles, CA. The area used to be owned and occupied by Hughes Aircraft Company. And, based on conversations with people we met during our walking tour, Howard Hughes had an office there and it still exists in one of the remaining buildings on the campus. Many buildings from the HAC days are still there including offices, cafeterias and hangers.

Fox Interactive Media did plan to move in to the office campus that was developed but pulled out in July 2009 and seem to be looking for a sub leaser now. It's a pretty formidable campus with a mix of old and new. The older Hughes offices that are left are made for a small incubator to do something with 'em but there is quite a bit of work to be done. It's good that they've at least kept some of the buildings where historic aerospace work was done that Hughes gets little true recognition for.

Hughes Aircraft Cafeteria

Hughes Aircraft Fire Station

Fox Interactive Media empty offices - Horizons at Playa Vista

Cargo Building for Hughes Flying Boat

    

Hughes Aircraft Company Offices

    

Howard Hughes' office (2nd floor, eastern building, most southern part)

More info - including aerial shot of HAC in action (note: # of cars / runway)

Scattergood-Olympic Line 1

LADWP were at the Mar Vista Farmer's Market on October 25 2009 showing a map, handing out an FAQ document and answering questions about an additional 12 mile electrical circuit that they are planning to build from the El Segundo area up to a station on Olympic between 2010 and 2012. The line will be built underground using an open trench method on many Mar Vista streets including Bundy, National, Jefferson and Inglewood Monday - Saturday 7am - 5pm.

See more of the documentation they have put together at the LADWP site including a presentation (PDF) which has a map of the route. LADWP Board hearing is planned for 12/1/09. You are encouraged to send your comments to the project manager, Adrene Briones. Email is adrene.briones@ladwp.com

20th Anniversary - Scary Halloween house on Friday and Saturday night

www.insanehouseofpain.com

Starts: Friday October 30, 2009 at 7:00pm

Ends: Saturday October 31, 2009 at 10:00pm

Location: Corner of Ocean View and Charnock Road

Street: 3607 Ocean View (Corner of Ocean View & Charnock Rd.)

City/Town: Los Angeles, CA 90066

"Twenty years ago a local home owner started what would soon become a Mar Vista tradition in his dining room with some props, a fog machine and some strobe lights. Soon after, another neighbor and his friends joined the team and together they began creating haunts on a grand scale.

Having never repeated a theme, this year the creators (now a crew of about 10) decided to bring back one of their most beloved haunts, "The Insane House of Pain" or Circus gone awry (now with more blood and clowns).

We hope that you will be able to join us either on the 30th or 31st (or both) from 7-10pm (we most likely will run a bit past 10).

Come early as we traditionally put over 1000 people through on Halloween and the line can get long.

There are also plenty of neighboring houses to Trick-or-Treat at in the area.

**UPDATE** This year they are conducting a toy drive to help get toys to a bunch of children who could use a fun holiday. Please bring a new unwrapped toy for a child ages 2-12 with you and put it in our box that will be located at the entrance. As always the haunt is free to all toy or no toy.

Thank you for giving a little care before your scare!"

More here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=151902532399

Beethoven Elementary - Bear Scare - 10/31/09

Spent a few hours with other parents cleaning up the local elementary school - Beethoven Elementary School - on Saturday 10/24 in preparation for Beethoven's Halloween fundraiser, Bear Scare. Food, games and fun will be had by all. Jamba Juice should be in effect. 11-3.

Mar Vista Metro returns!

Hi, outside.in and other hyperlocal blogs out there - http://la.metblogs.com/ , for example.

I know this thing hasn't been updated but that was when people didn't think hyperlocal was anything worth pursuing and that the local newspaper - The LA Times - would sort it all out with their pumping new online site.

Now, I do think the LA Times have improved their site by leaps and bounds since a year ago.

But... a few weeks ago, late into the night, I heard the most sirens I've heard in a long, long time with a new set of sirens starting up after the others had reached the scene which didn't seem that far from my house. Woken up by these sirens, I thought I'd try and find out what was going on. First, I went to the LA Times site and their L.A. Now section - nothing. Thought about local newspapers in the area like The Argonaut. They'd not be doing anything as it wasn't between the hours of 9 and 5. So, I thought I'd try Twitter search (Venice) and finally came across a glimpse of an accident that had happened on Venice near someone's apartment. Whole road was closed off but there wasn't much more than that. Read a bit more about it in the morning but really no specifics. No specifics like it involved a police car and another car. That was discovered when I somehow stumbled across a story similar to this one in LAist.

It made me think more about another event recently where Bundy/Centinela and the 10 Freeway area were closed off while police tracked down a couple of guys who were in trouble with the law.

I want to know more about what's happening in my community NOW and know there are enough people in Mar Vista who can easily publish and share the information about what's happened and happening in the community.

General topics I hope to cover in the future in no particular order:

• The office development down near Playa Vista
• Resurfaced tennis courts at Penmar
• Santa Monica Airport - crashes and development.
• Santa Monica City College's new campus
• The changing Mar Vista shopping district on Venice
• Medicinal marijuana dispensaries
• Our local schools
• The old firestation
• Etc., etc.

If anyone feels like taking a few of these topics and taking some photos, talking to a few people and writing some words, I will post it.

Along with these topics, I do hope to gather and publish as much news that I come across and hear about.