Ben Lee Properties — December 2019 Newsletter
This Month's Article
By Ben Lee I t’s December and tis’ the season for being busier than ever.
Anyone with school-aged kids will agree that this time of year is a whirlwind of extra commitments and obligations.
The to-do list is a little longer and the brain seems to be taxed a little more in December than other months.
Remembering to buy gifts, arrange and attend parties, contribute to holiday potlucks, teachers’ gifts, choral performances, sports banquets, conferences and tipping all those wonderful, supportive people in our lives who help us keep all the proverbial balls in the air.
Last year we put out a small table of snacks and drinks for the mail carriers, UPS and Amazon delivery folks who have to put up with our hysterically barking dogs every other day of the year and even more so this month.
Extra deliveries mean extra crazy dogs at the door but hopefully the mini oranges, granola bars and sparkling water bottles help ease their annoyance a bit (for the delivery guys, not the dogs!).
One December tradition that never gets overlooked is our annual trek to the world famous Candy Cane Lane.
Ever since our boys were babies, we have made an annual pilgrimage down to El Segundo to witness in person the thousand-watt glory and Vegas-like spectacle that is an entire neighborhood dressed up in head-totoe Christmas lights.
We begin our trek (and trust me, it’s a commitment to drive anywhere past the airport this time of year.
Traffic is usually at a standstill for no other reason than it’s December) with a stop at Dinah’s restaurant in Culver City.
We meet up with our good friends and start the evening off right with a casual gift exchange over the best fried chicken dinner on the Westside (Honey Kettle runs a close second but Dinah’s has that kitchy appeal that we enjoy.
They also have one of those claw toy vending machines that the boys loved when they were younger).
From Dinah’s, it’s on to the main event.
We always get a little turned around trying to find CCL.
Navigating before satellite navigation was even more challenging.
Now we generally are able to stumble upon it yet typically after the inevitable questions of: “Are you sure it’s this far?
I don’t remember driving this far last year.” Parking is usually a challenge but in the spirit of neighborhood civility, no one gets too crazy or road ragey here.
The throngs of strolling, bundled up locals appear blocks before the actual Lane.
Since the destination has gained in popularity, other nearby streets have tried to match the splendor of the original and decorate all their houses, too.
So, even if you park a ways away, you can still see plenty of lights as you make your way to the actual hub of the community. (Helpful hint: use the bathroom at Dinah’s before you make the trip!) Candy Cane Lane is located on Acacia Avenue and for a few weeks every year in December, the street gets closed off to cars while every house up, down and around the cul-de-sac gets in to the holiday spirit by outdoing each other with a more ornate light display than the guy next door.
It’s free of charge but there are bins collecting canned food for voluntary donations.
The crazy light displays aren’t just limited to the actual houses.
Often the front yards will be transformed into fairy tale snow scenes; rooftops will be adorned with Santa’s red sled; enormous model train sets and inflatable reindeer will decorate driveways.
There are even outdoor, big, blow up screens showing favorite classic holiday movies.
If you think the décor is limited to just Christmas, though, think again.
There is always that one house fully decked out in blue and white lights, presumably a nod to Hanukkah.
But definitely don’t go expecting equal time for each December holiday.
With a long line of kids waiting to chat and take a picture with Santa, ambient music blasting Jingle Bells and families snapping photos by the giant Christmas tree, you’re definitely not going to be basking in the beauty that is Kwanza or Hanukkah.
This activity is a pure and utter departure from the current climate of impeachment hearings, reds vs. blues, angry politics, global warming woes, busy supermarkets, overspending on-line shopping, endof-school headaches and even tricky real estate deals.
And no matter how old the boys get or how cynical we may be, there’s something really nice about this tradition.
After an evening emerged in the tacky, idyllic world of a joyful holiday light show, it feels as though everyone is nice to each other and all is right in the world, even if only for an hour or so.
If that’s not worth battling traffic and driving to El Segundo following a tasty fried chicken dinner, what is?
Happy holidays, neighbors. Hope it’s a great month!
Featured Listings
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Community & More
By Ben Lee I f you’re in the midst of holiday shopping, treat yourself to uncovering a multitude of treasures while helping out a great cause.
The Lange Foundation has been saving animals-in-need for over thirty years and their annual Estate Sale, which is their single major fundraiser of the year, will be open through January.
With new donations arriving daily, every time you enter the pop up store located at 2272 Westwood Blvd, you will discover something truly one-of-a-kind!
And you can feel good about your purchases because every dollar spent helps the Lange Foundation save, care for and place thousands of companion animals in the Los Angeles area.
And speaking of shopping, the bi-monthly Neighborhood Ladies’ Wine Night will be held at the fabulous D.L.
Rhein store (3303 Motor Avenue) on December 12 at 7pm.
Enjoy light bites, drinks and a generous 20% off merchandise.
If you would like to join and/or be added to the invite list for future gatherings, please email my wife: lillijlee@yahoo.com.
Beverlywood happenings By Ben Lee W e hope you enjoyed receiving your state-of-the-art measuring spoons last month!
As attractive as they are useful (because no one should have to guestimate baking soda), we delivered these handy kitchen helpers to 9,000 neighbors just before Thanksgiving and were so happy to hear from so many of you saying that you liked receiving such a cute yet practical tool.
We have a few extras so if by chance you didn’t receive one or if you would like one to give to a friend, drop me a line and let me know: ben@ benleeproperties.com It’s tough to make those Christmas cookies without measuring spoons so let me know if you’d like one and I’ll send it out today.
Happy baking! Neighborhood Gift Westside Stories If you enjoy reading these vignettes each month, you may want to check out my father-in-law’s book, Westside Stories.
It’s a memoir/history of growing up on the Westside of Los Angeles in the 1940s and 1950s with great photos, anecdotes and stories.
Perfect for the history buff/enthusiast in your family!
It’s available for purchase at http://www.americasgroup.com/Westside-Stories-Book.html Holiday Shopping for a Cause By Ben Lee I t’s a new raffle for a new year!
Every month we try to bring attention to a local restaurant or business by raffling off a gift card.
All you have to do to enter is send me an email and then we pick a winner at random from all the entries we get.
This month we will be raffling off a $50 gift card to Factor’s Famous Deli on Pico.
To enter, send an email to: ben@benleeproperties.com and write DELI in the subject line.
That’s it! We’ll pick a winner at the end of the month and let you know via email if you’ve won.
Then, enjoy all the matzo ball soup and corned beef sandwiches $50 can buy!
If you have suggestions for future raffles, please let me know.
We’re always on the look out for new businesses to feature.
Good luck! Raffle By Michael Harris T he Casa De Cadillac building at 14401 Van Nuys Blvd. is still selling cars.
It was designed in 1948 by Randall Duell in a glass box modernist look that has the wonderful script name still in tact.
It has been an example of Googie architecture.
Movies filmed here include “Transformers” and “Commando.” Further east at 4211 Riverside Dr is the original Bob’s Big Boy.
Wayne McAllister who designed Las Vegas strip hotels, was responsible for the Bob’s design called Late Moderne but again an example of Googie design.
It has the neon and the same car centric vibe that it was originally designed for, that is shakes and car hops.
It was featured in the 1995 heist film, “Heat.”
