AWARD-WINNING DESIGN
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The LUR E of
SILICON BEACH September 16 - September 22, 2017 LOS ANGELES, SANTA BARBARA & VENTURA COUNTIES Cover Represented by JANA JONES DUFFY Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
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INSIDE LOS ANGELES A Look into Luxury Homes Southern California’s Leading Real Estate Magazine
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CALIFORNIA STYLE:
Tech Companies Flock South
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Choose Your Agent and Brokerage Wisely
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CALENDAR What’s haute and happening in the L.A. arts scene.
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OPEN HOUSE DIRECTORY Featured open houses this weekend; see more open houses at ColdwellBankerHomes.com.
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COMMUNITY FEATURE Downtown Los Angeles
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FEATURED PROPERTIES The latest dream listings by top agents in the Greater Los Angeles area.
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BRANCH DIRECTORY Los Angeles Westside, South Bay, San Gabriel Valley, San Fernando Valley, Ventura County/Conejo Valley, Santa Barbara County
PUBLISHER
Randy Bragdon ADVERTISING MANAGER
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A collection of homes hand-picked by real estate specialists.
Tatiana Mora
DESKTOP PUBLISHER
Tom Sylwester
CREATIVE MANAGER
Moraima Randazzo
PROPERTIES BY AREA
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ARCHITECTURAL PROPERTIES Featuring the work of leading architects and designers, as well as the best in style, culture and interior design.
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Leonardo Castro Alin Ebrahimi Ryan Kueser Shawna Milanovic Jhomarie Schirle
ADVERTISING COORDINATOR
Shaan Hassan
COLDWELLBANKERHOMES.COM 9300 WILSHIRE BLVD. SUITE 500 BEVERLY HILLS, CA 90212
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Tech Companies Flock South
Photography by Kim Gordon Designs
Silicon Beach luring more start-ups. How does a charming beach community that is
But it took the arrival of two tech moguls — Scott
set up shop in Venice. Earlier this year, Snapchat
known for a 1970s counterculture movement,
Painter, CEO and founder of online car sales
went public, making Spiegel one of the youngest
gained notoriety for its Bohemian lifestyle and
platform TrueCar, Inc., and Evan Spiegel, the young
billionaires in the world and the most successful
developed the skateboard and surf movement
co-founder and CEO of social media company
CEO to date from Silicon Beach.
become a global nirvana for the tech industry?
Snapchat — to elevate the area to the forefront of the tech world.
Amid the rugged surf and glorious sunsets of
Silicon Beach’s astounding growth rivals its Northern California big brother, Silicon Valley, as
the Southern California coastline, techies have
TrueCar, Inc., which went public in 2014 and has
the country’s premier tech hub. And while the area’s
been busy building their own California style in
grown to become a billion-dollar-plus company,
real-estate prices are climbing, tech companies
Silicon Beach, located in Los Angeles’ Westside
is one of Santa Monica’s largest employers. The
continue to move to the area in droves. Silicon
region, which includes Playa Vista, Playa Del Rey,
company’s headquarters are so close to the beach
Beach designer Kim Gordon knows this crowd
Westchester, Santa Monica and Venice. When
that Painter can watch the waves crash from his
firsthand and sheds some light on the area’s allure.
Google opened its Venice campus in 2011 across
corner office. When Painter was urged to move
three buildings — including architect Frank Gehry’s
TrueCar’s headquarters to Silicon Valley, he
“I think that young adults (aka, millennials) want to
iconic Binoculars Building on Main Street — the
ignored them. Which is also what Silicon Beach’s
live a full life. They want to walk or bike to work
area was in an upswing.
other famous CEO did. In 2011, Spiegel decided to
through a pretty setting. Silicon Beach is a rare place
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where the city and the beach can be easily and
prices in Silicon Beach. The average tech worker
allow for creativity. That’s also why larger houses
quickly accessed. Think about how far the beach
in their mid-20s to early 30s is willing to shell out
are more in demand; people want to have inspiring
is usually from businesses around California: cliffs,
between $2 million and $3 million on average,
meetings in spaces that feel like home. These are
major roads. Not Venice, it’s right there. The air is
sometimes paid upfront in cash, on a new place
very social and creative beings. Their environment
fresher, restaurants kept getting better. And Uber
close to their employer.
means a lot to them, so we’re seeing a demand for things like open floor plans, flexible spaces.”
has made the infamously impossible beachside parking a no-brainer for those who don’t want to
Gordon described the Silicon Beach lifestyle and
walk, or who live too far away. It just snowballed.
shared her insights into why she thinks the area has
Unlike Silicon Valley, where the overall economy
Now the rents and prices have pushed demand to
a California style all its own.
is geared toward technology, Silicon Beach has a more diversified economy in which tourism,
get closer to work. A shorter commute means more available time to work and play.”
“Venice is a melting pot of times and cultures.
finance, design and Hollywood play a major role,
I thought about the traveler culture of everyone
offering young talent a lifestyle and a community,
According to real estate website Trulia, the median
these days, bringing vacation back with you. Layering
not just a job.
value of a home in Venice was $1,200 per square
a home or office with objects collected from trips.
foot in 2016 — up sharply from $718 per square
This feels to me like how people live, surrounded
And that’s how a charming California beach
foot a decade ago — so it’s no surprise that locals
by things that carry a special meaning. That’s why
community bloomed into a mega hub for the
have been feeling the pain of rising real estate
offices are changing, too. More creative spaces that
tech industry.
WRITTEN BY
Maggy Siegel
A Los Angeles-based designer and founder of the prestigious West Los Angeles design fi rm “The Siegel Group” (TSG). She is a popular lifestyle writer, collects rare books and an avid gardener. Contact information: maggy@maggysiegelcaliforniastyle.com
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