Post #427936 by Tiki Shaker on Fri, Jan 9, 2009 12:15 AM

I don't recall ever defending developers in the past.. maybe I did, I don't remember. Yes, I am in real estate, but nothing amazing. I'm a simple real estate broker who sells affordable housing to senior citizens. (most of the homes were built in the 60's)

Yes, I am aware that Costa Mesa was a dirt field in the 1800s. That's why I used New York as the example.

As for Eichler, of course the homes are gorgeous. Unfortunately the rest of the world preferred poorly designed garbage. Otherwise things wouldn't look the way they do. Yes, I know his homes are as popular now than ever before... but they are popular to only a select few. Ask the average person on the street.. they would laugh at it or mock it as being something their grandparents had. You have to remember, our taste is the minority. Most people do not have our taste.

I totally agree that most things now suck. It's just that I don't know how anyone is supposed to be able to afford to do what use to be done. How could any business person trying to make a living afford to have that kind of amazing signage or architecture created today? Like I said.... I wish it all looked amazing. I just feel that it is inevitable that things are going to be cookie cutter. It costs too much for it not be. I don't like it, sure... but how is it going to change? I agree that we should encourage the people who are lucky enough to own some of this amazing stuff to preserve it. I fully support that and encourage it.

That's why I think the owners of these properties should be educated by people like us and encouraged to respect what they have. Even if the business is failing, they need to learn how to change their business and at least reuse the property and try and keep the flavor of what was originally intended. It's awesome when a business can reuse a space. Like when a restaurant moves into and old bank and keeps the old mosaic tile and reuses the counters. It's awesome when a person finds a 40's gas station and turns it into an art gallery. It's all about us encouraging and motivating these property owners. As tragic as the loss of Kona Lanes is... there is at least that small glimmer knowing that it sounds like the city council has admitted that they made a mistake. Hopefully that will encourage them to take a second look the next time something is slated to be torn down.

The intended point of my comments in my earlier post was me trying to state that we have to at least try and understand it from these peoples perspectives. We don't have to agree with it, but we have to look at it from their point of view. Once we understand why they think they way they think, then we can hopefully come up with a way that will benefit them AND us.

I admit, I know nothing about what happened at Kona Lanes. For all I know, the bowling alley was losing money, it was infested with asbestos, it would cost millions to clean up, they were afraid of lawsuits, someone gave them the bright idea to tear it down and build something that made them money. That ended up not working about, but it is costing them less to pay taxes on a vacant lot than what was going on before.

Yes, what I just wrote was made up, but things like this do happen. Would that be greed for them to do that? Is it bad that they wouldn't want to lose money?

Sooo many bowling alleys have shut down. Why? They don't make money. If the business plan no longer works, they should be encouraged to preserve the signage and hopefully reuse the building. Someone like us should show them what could be done with it.

What we need to do is let current owners know why we like them, Tell an owner that you frequent their establishment because of the design. Encourage others to do the same. I have stopped at so many random places just because I saw a kick ass sign. There have been plenty of times when I stopped at some highway dive and have had the person behind the counter ask "first time here?" My response is "yep, i stopped cuz your neon sign was so damn cool." People have to learn why people like us support their establishments.

I've stopped and taken pictures of tiki apartment buildings. I have had managers ask what I was doing. I'd tell them I thought the place looked amazing and i wanted to document it. I told them so many have been lost, I was worried that perhaps their building was going to be next.

Tikiyaki, when you posted that horrible generic sign with the current businesses and compare them to the old signage, it obviously shows your point.. which I totally agree with. Obviously it doesn't compare. But now look at each business. Imagine how much it would cost to create amazing signage for each one? Sure.. who needs another McD's or Starbucks or Kinkos? Well, obviously the public does.. otherwise it wouldn't be built. This is SoCal... we want to cram people in here like a New York, but we expect one business... like a bowling alley to take up as much space as it does? We wont' build vertical here.. how do we cope? Unfortunately it's those damn strip malls.. I know. What is the solution? Besides trying to reuse older buildings?.. I don't know.

Believe me.. I had dreams as a kid that I would become as rich as someone like Bill Gates and buy every cool building I ever saw.. just so it could be preserved. Just so someone would leave it alone. Just so another damn Walgreen's wouldn't come and tear it down. Unfortunately, if we don't educate people better, we are going to have to bank on us buying everyone of these amazing properties out there so we can control it.