What does the Future Hold for the Griffith Park Tea House?

If you would like to visit Griffith Park’s brand new tea house, you should probably do it soon. The art project, which was installed a month ago, has a very uncertain future.

At 5 am on June 30, a few dozen people gathered in the pre-dawn darkness in response to simple wooden invitations, asking them to meet in Griffith Park for tea and wishes. Upon arrival, the guests found tea cups, LED lights and a map, directing them along the path to Mt. Bell.

The map lead to the freshly installed Griffith Park Tea House, brought into existence by an artist’s collective. No official permission for the project has been granted, so the artist wish to remain anonymous.

Participants enjoyed a tea ceremony to open the Tea House as the sun rose, enjoying the spots incredible views of the Verdugos and the San Gabriel mountains.

The Tea House is only 80 square feet and is made from the singed wood of trees devastated in the 2007 Griffith Park fire. The structure was left after the ceremony, a gift from the artists to the people of LA.

The Tea House was designed with the help of professional craftspeople, ensuring that the structure is sound. It makes use of an old concrete foundation found at the spot, likely the remnants of an old utility shack.

The inspiration came from frequent trips into the park, a visit to Japan and a love of tea. The wood for the structure came from trees killed in the fire as well as redwoods that the park has removed because they are a non-native species that require a lot of water. The design of the Tea House was dependent on the amount and size of the wood that was available. No trees were cut down for the project, instead the group used wood which was already dead and on the ground.

The roof is inspired by Japanese lines, the structure has many windows to ensure a good view of the surrounding park and mountains. The finishing touch, carvings of griffins, partially inspired by the parks red-tailed hawks. A small bell can be rung for ceremony or fun.

At the opening ceremony, guests were given small pieces of wood, to write a wish for the city. The pieces are hung all over the Tea House, with wishes for peace, love, happiness and all the Lego sets. Some bear pictures instead of words, some are memorials, making beautiful and moving decorations for a unique little house.

The Department of Recreation and Parks is still unsure of the fate of the Tea House. It may stay where it is, be moved to another part of the park or become a travelling art piece. A petition to allow it to remain has been launched. [link to petition: https://www.change.org/p/david-e-ryu-tom-labonge-eric-garcetti-la-city-parks-la-mayor-s-office-keep-the-griffith-park-tea-house-standing]

In the mean time, visitors are enjoying the Tea House. One has left a small jar of oolong tea

with a note for others to help themselves. It is clear that this piece of guerrilla art is quickly becoming a favourite of visitors to Griffith Park.

Katy Perry and the archdiocese of Los Angeles get into a dispute with a group of nuns and a restaurateur.

Katy Perry and the archdiocese of Los Angeles get into a dispute with a group of nuns and a restaurateur. It may sound like the opening line of a bad joke, but it’s true.

The dispute is over one of the hottest pieces of real estate in LA, an 8 acre property with hilltop villa in the Los Feliz neighborhood. It overlooks downtown Los Angeles and the San Gabriel mountains. It also happens to be a former convent.

The archdiocese and two nuns who used to live at the property are fighting over who owns it, which would determine who has the ability to make the sale.

The former convent was once home to 52 sisters of the Immaculate Heart, who were moved to other locations by the diocese in 2011. Time has also taken it’s toll with only five sisters still living, two of whom are claiming ownership of the villa.

The nuns, unsurprisingly, are not impressed that Perry may be the new owner of their former home. Sister Sister Catherine Rose Holzman made her objection clear to the archdiocese in a letter on May 22, "In selling to Katy Perry, we feel we are being forced to violate our canonical vows to the Catholic Church."

Sister Rita Callanan from the Los Feliz Convet reportedly told the LA Times , "Well, I found Katy Perry and I found her videos … if it's alright to say, I wasn't happy with any of it.”

Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez is said to have accepted Perry’s offer on the property, stressing that the land belongs to the archdiocese rather than the nuns. Furthermore, the archdiocese has taken issue with the buyer the nuns found, restaurateur Dana Hollister.

The archdiocese is claiming that Hollister took advantage of the sisters, saying that the deal they made may be unenforceable. In a lawsuit filed by the archdiocese, it claims that Hollister made a down payment of $44,000 to the nuns and left a note agreeing to pay the rest of the $15.5 million sale price.

The lawyer for the archdiocese, J. Michael Hennigan, says, "What Dana Hollister did in this transaction was take their principal asset, give them next to no money, with a flaky promise to pay in three years,"

Hollister has plans to turn the villa into a 60 bedroom boutique hotel, including a restaurant and bar. Hollister is confident in the nuns’ ability to negotiate a deal, saying "Those ladies know what they're doing, they are by no means fragile."

The Archbishop has given his assent to a $14.5 million cash deal, reached with Perry which was arranged before the sale to Hollister by the nuns.

Perry, the daughter of a pastor who released a Christian album before achieving her current fame, wants to buy the property as a retreat to take care of her mother and grandmother. She tried to win over the nuns in a meeting, singing “Oh Happy Day” and showing them her “Jesus” tattoo on her wrist. The nuns were not impressed.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge James Chalfant is set to hear the case to stop the sale on June 30, 2015. A second hearing in October will determine who has the legal authority to sell the property.

The Morrison Pub in Los Feliz Now Welcomes you and your Pooch!

As a successful Los Feliz Real Estate Agent, it’s one of my jobs not only to know the real estate market, but also to know the community. A dream house is only a true dream house if it is in the right location with all the expected amenities. With that in mind, it may be of interest of those looking in the Los Feliz area to know that it is extremely dog friendly!

The Morrison Pub, one of the most popular bar and grills in Los Feliz, now has a front patio dog friendly atmosphere. Los Feliz is known for its dazzlingly beautiful weather, and as a Los Feliz Real Estate Agent, I know that you want to enjoy it as much as possible. The Morrison Pub allows you to enjoy the beautiful Los Feliz weather along with your dog. The owner, Marc Kreiner, even says, “You can bring your dog and eat…and if you have to go run an errand, we’ll watch your dog for you”. The Morrison Pub is even creating a menu especially for four-legged customers with special found they’re bound to love. Currently, there are three options for dogs: ground beef, shredded chicken, and hot dogs. All dishes, of course, are served with a bowl of water and a side of milk bones. This kind of service, community, and kindness seems to be a special cornerstone in Los Feliz.

As a Los Feliz real estate agent, keeping up to date on all the going-ons of the community, whether they be a new ice-cream shop or a quirky addition to a long-adored pub, is fundamental to finding a home that each individual prospective homebuyer will love. Knowing the latest information, whether it is quirky, interesting, or necessary, is part of being a great real estate agent. Being able to convey the community of Los Feliz, which welcomes both people and dogs alike, is fundamental in helping prospective-buyers locate their perfect home, and allowing home to be something more than a building with four walls and a roof.