Ben Lee Properties — November 2021 Newsletter
This Month's Article
By Ben Lee H as this year just flown by as quickly for you as it has for me?
Sitting down to write our November issue is just baffling to me.
It feels as though the year just started and now we’re rounding the bend to the end.
But regardless, November always has a warm spot in my heart as Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday and this year should, I hope, be no exception.
The food, the family, the cozy, homey aspect of having everyone around.
The aroma of turkey roasting in the oven, a midmorning hike with my boys followed by a lazy afternoon watching football, taking a nap and staying out of my wife’s way in the kitchen.
Growing up, my family always hosted and my mother set the bar extremely high.
The side eyeroll she’d slyly give if a guest contributed something that didn’t pass muster.
Perhaps a store-bought pie or deli counter side.
And G-forbid you were tasked with appetizers but wandered in late.
This was basically an unforgivable sin that would be talked about the rest of the holiday season and beyond.
She wasn’t usually super snobbish but if she had spent the better part of a week shopping, preparing and making everything from scratch, the last thing she wanted was to muck up the offerings with something that didn’t live up to her nearly impossible standards.
So, if someone insisted on bringing something and it didn’t meet or exceed expectations, it might be relegated to the buffet background (no man’s land) or ‘accidentally’ forgotten in the kitchen with profuse apologies if that person happened to notice its absence.
The following year that same guest may arrive with flowers or wine but certainly not trusted with anything crucial to the menu.
You basically had one chance to get it right and it was a pass/fail test.
Just imagine the pressure my wife and I faced when we took over the Thanksgiving hosting duties 12 or so years ago.
On the one hand, my mom was extremely grateful we were willing to take the reins since her health had made it impossible for her to do it anymore; but after decades of making the meal a certain way, there were many questions that had to be answered correctly.
Was the turkey fresh not frozen? Check. Was every relative, friend and stray expecting an invite included?
Yes. Of course, the first year we hosted also included my wife’s family, too, so their needs also had to be satisfied.
Green bean casserole with crunchy onions on top?
Check. Two different sweet potatoes because some like nuts and others prefer marshmallows?
Yes. Then, there was the balancing of everyone else’s tastes and expectations.
Luckily only two out of our three boys crave the drumsticks but in order to get them, they basically had to sneak those enormous turkey legs off the platter mid-carve and eat them clean before anyone else who might have wanted one noticed.
When it comes to pies, there’s just no excuse for the overabundance other than it’s imperative we offer what everyone has dreamt about and probably deprived themselves all year long.
Pumpkin, obviously. But I, for one, need pecan.
My mom always had a cranberry tart that is iconic to the celebrations of my youth so we make at least one or two of those.
And my eldest loves apple so we definitely need that kind, too.
I think last year, when the pandemic made it unsafe to gather in large numbers, there were eight people in attendance and we had five pies.
No one judged each other negatively or saw anything wrong with that over-the-top level of gluttony.
It just is what it is when it comes to this holiday.
This year I’m hoping to see our living and dining room filled with as hearty and bountiful a crowd as we’ve had in the before times.
We’ll gather and recall the year before when it was so small and while fun, not nearly as loud and festive.
Maybe we’ll chat about who’s had their third booster or how we managed to get all the ingredients to make everyone’s favorite dishes despite hiccups in the supply chain.
And if that jagged supply chain really does mean we can’t have all the usual foods we’ve come to want and expect, maybe we’ll say that the food matters less than family togetherness and canned cranberry sauce is just as delicious as fresh.
Or, who REALLY cares about creamed corn and turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy and three different kinds of stuffing and grandma’s famous jello-mold?
And then we’ll watch as everyone here revolts and leaves in a huff if the one food item he was looking forward to all year didn’t get made.
Not proud to say, I may be the one leading the revolt!
OK, yes, it’s still my favorite holiday but it’s also freaking exhausting keeping everyone happy, myself included.
I know I’m supposed to say that the only thing that really matters is our health and being together and all of that and while it’s true, but I unabashedly love the food, too.
We’ve all sacrificed and put up with a lot over the last few years, I have no guilt in saying that I love my family and am so happy we will be spending Thanksgiving together but I also really, truly want pecan pie, too.
I’m grateful for every person working overtime to make all of our holidays as happy and joyous as can be.
I’m also thankful for you, my neighbors, for reading this newsletter every month and for using me for your real estate needs.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones- may your tables be full of laughter and delicious foods that please everyone in your house.
Keep your eye out for those rascally turkey drumstick smugglers, though.
Featured Listings
Santa Monica - NEW LISTING! 141 Hollister Ave for lease at $35,000/month 5 Beds/6 Baths 5,000 Sq. Ft. S teps from Prime Santa Monica Beach! Gorgeous new 2020 construction, state-of-the-art masterpiece mere moments from the beach. Approx. 5,000 sq. ft. open floor plan allows an easy flow from Great Room to formal dining to magnificent entertainer’s kitchen that includes top tier Wolf and Subzero appliances and over-sized island. The kitchen opens to the sophisticated and drought-resistant landscaped backyard. There are sliding pocket doors that completely open to an outdoor side deck dining area, ideal for parties al fresco. This ground level of the home also has a guest room and powder room. Downstairs features guest room, laundry room, gym/media room, kitchenette, an enormous storage room and access to the 3-car subterranean garage. Second floor with 3 en suite bedrooms + laundry rm. Luxe master has treetop views, walk-in closet and 5-star bath. 900 sq. ft. rooftop deck with firepit and hot tub.
Cheviot Hills - FOR SALE! – LORENZO – Best Location in the Neighborhood! 6 Beds/TBD Bath 7,500 Sq. Ft., 8,500 Sq. Ft. Lot Y ou may be curious about the new construction homes being built on Glenbarr and Lorenzo. Call Ben (310-704-6580) or send him an email (ben@benleeproperties.com) to learn more about these spectacular properties that will undoubtedly be the crown jewels of the neighborhood. 3232 S. Beverly Drive $1,595,000 3 Bed / 2 Bath 1,356 Sq. Ft.
Westwood - GREAT NEW PRICE! 10345 Wilkins Ave #203 $1,099,000 2 Beds/2.5 Bath 1,446 Sq. Ft. E fficient yet stylish and exuding a smart use of space, this 2 bedroom/2.5 bath 1,446 sq ft condominium situated in a luxury building on the Westside is an ideal living solution. Only 16 units in a building built in 2011, this unit offers high end finishes and flooring, stone fireplace in the formal living room, sun-dappled treetop views, a Master Bedroom with large walk-in closet and attached bath with two sinks in the vanity. The welcoming kitchen has a pass through opening to the living room, ideal for entertaining. It also offers granite countertops, stone backsplash, state-of-the-art stainless steel appliances including a Bosch dishwasher, oven & microwave and brand new Whirlpool refrigerator. With balconies, washer/dryer, ample closet and storage spaces, 2-car tandem parking with EV charger in secure garage and a stone’s throw from the shops and restaurants of Westwood, Beverly Hills and Century City, this sophisticated condominium is a sight to behold!
Miracle Mile - FOR SALE! 1230 Hi Point St. $2,049,000 Duplex with 3 Beds/2 Bath Each 3,818 Sq. Ft., 6,520 Sq. Ft. Lot A Spanish style duplex in a residential neighborhood conveniently located near the mid-city/Pico-Robertson area, these homes embody the integrity of their era without sacrificing ease of modern living. Original details include: hard wood floors, thick adobe walls, coved ceilings, crystal fixtures and doorknobs, oversized windows that overlook flowering Bougainvillea and flood the interior spaces with light. Each unit is roughly 1900 square feet and offers 3 big bedrooms/2 bathrooms. The bathrooms are a designer’s dream: original, colorful tile work reminiscent of old Hollywood. These units offer the best of both worlds: charm and character of yesteryear with today’s most useful feature: a fully remodeled kitchen. New cabinetry for extra storage and stainless, high-end appliances will make any at-home chef happy. With plenty of surrounding space and situated in a pleasing location mere steps from shops and restaurants of Pico, these homes are city living at its finest.
Beverlywood - IN ESCROW 869 S Wooster St #309 $799,000 2 Beds/2.5 Baths W ith impossibly high ceilings and wall to wall glass doors/windows that bask the entire space in glorious natural light, this split-level condominium is the essence of smart and stylish city living. Ideally located on a quiet residential street near Beverly Hills, make this fabulous condo your next home!
Cheviot Hills - FOR SALE! – GLENBARR – Best Location in the Neighborhood! 6 Beds/TBD Bath 7,500 Sq. Ft., 8,500 Sq. Ft. Lot Y ou may be curious about the new construction homes being built on Glenbarr and Lorenzo. Call Ben (310-704-6580) or send him an email (ben@benleeproperties.com) to learn more about these spectacular properties that will undoubtedly be the crown jewels of the neighborhood. 9820 Burgen Ave. $2,600,000 3 Beds/3 Baths 2,942 Sq. Ft., 9,749 Sq. Ft. Lot
Community & More
Beverlywood happenings By Ben Lee T hank you to everyone who entered our raffle to Ludivine, the newest Parisian bakery/coffee spot on Pico.
Congratulations, Ellen Doyle! You are the lucky winner of a $50 gift certificate to this fabulous new neighborhood gem.
To all those who entered but didn’t win this month, don’t worry!
There’s always a new raffle around the corner.
For November we are offering a $50 gift card to Vons for all your last minute holiday ingredient needs!
As an added bonus of good cheer, for every entry we get, we’ll make a donation to their charity and purchase a holiday bag of food for a family in need.
To enter, simply send an email to me: ben@ benleeproperties.com and write VONS in the subject.
That’s it! We’ll pick a winner at random at the end of the month.
Good luck! – Raffle – Ludivine By Lili Lee H i, neighbors!
Thank you to those who contacted me regarding the lips/bumps/jagged edges of your property’s sidewalk.
I think it’s fair to say we share a frustration with the growing (and hazardous) sidewalk problems going on in our neighborhood.
I have formally registered and entered each of your complaints with the city.
Everything has been put in a queue/waitlist and at some point (hopefully sooner rather than later) an inspector will take a look at each complaint in person and deem whether or not to award a permit in an effort to legally proceed with a licensed contractor to fix the problem.
I’d prefer this to move a lot faster since we are tripping over these sidewalks (in an often publicly humiliating fashion, I might add!) but am unfortunately anchored by a bureaucratic procedure that may take a little bit of time.
Speaking of time, it’s not too late to contact me about your sidewalk problems.
Maybe if we continue to register each issue, it will be harder for the city to ignore?
Shoot me an email with your address if you have a particularly nasty sidewalk that’s causing headaches for pedestrians, cyclists, etc. and I’ll follow up with the paperwork and a hopeful resolution! lillijlee@yahoo.com Sidewalk Talk Continued By Michael Harris T he developer of the Cheviot Hills Country Club Estates in the early 1950’s was Sanford Adler who bought the golf course property through the bankruptcy court.
Sanford Adler was the immediate successor to Bugsy Siegel as the manager of the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas.
You can imagine what guts it takes to work for the mob that apparently eradicated Mr.
Siegel in a hail of bullets when Mr. Siegel was fired from his position at the hotel.
In any event Mr. Adler left the employment at the Flamingo after a brief tenure.
He bought some downtown hotels in Los Angeles and then developed the Country Club Estates.
Whether or not he used mob money to do so, we do not know but the development was a success and Mr.
Adler, to his credit, did not have racial restrictions on the purchase of lots.
Sandford Adler By Ben Lee S ince its inception in 1938, the philanthropic organization Las Floristas has raised an astounding $16 million dollars to benefit children in Los Angeles County.
One of the beneficiaries is the pediatric program at Rancho Los Amigos Rehabilitation Center, ensuring that any child, many victims of spinal cord injuries, can get medical assistance regardless of income.
Programs there include (but not limited to): wheelchair sports, scholarships/educational grants, art programs, recreational therapy and adaptive driving lessons.
One of Las Floristas’ largest fundraisers is coming up: the annual Holiday Luncheon on December 2.
Not only does the price of admission include knowing you are supporting a worthy and necessary cause, but you also would be enjoying a delicious meal and silent auction, otherwise known as a one-stop shop for many/most of your holiday needs!
If attending the luncheon is not something you are able to do but would still be interested in checking out the auction items or making a donation, you can visit the website: lasfloristas.org or contact my wife Lilli for further details: lillijlee@yahoo.com Las Floristas IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ MORE OF MICHAEL HARRIS’S OBSERVATIONS ON LOS ANGELES AND ITS ENVIRONS, PLEASE ORDER HIS NEW BOOK, WESTSIDE STORIES TOO, FROM HIS PUBLISHER AT 310 476 6374 OR FROM AMAZON .
HIS FIRST BOOK, WESTSIDE STORIES, IS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AS WELL.
Just a small token of our appreciation for your on-going support of me and my real estate team.
In the past you’ve gotten salt & pepper shakers, pie servers, potato peelers, tongs, ice cream scoopers, pot holders and more.
Handy helpers to assist with all your holiday cooking needs.
We hope you’ll find this year’s offering a fun addition to the rest of your Ben Lee Property utensils.
If (for whatever reason) your house is accidentally skipped, please send me an email so I can bring a gift by.
Sure it’s a little cheesy but it’s also pretty grate and no kitchen should be without it!
HOLIDAY GIFT IS COMING! FOR DELICIOUS PIE RECIPES AND MORE, PLEASE VISIT MY WEBSITE: https://benleeproperties.com/recipes/
