His Name is Bob

My office is located at the Mockingbird Central Shopping Center directly across from Mockingbird Station. It is the center with Jason's Deli and Whole Earth Provision. If you have spent much time here over the past several years you probably have met Bob Crawford.

Bob is a quirky, moody, unkempt and yet fascinating man. Bob plays the keyboard and spends almost every single day at the shopping center visiting with shoppers and staffers. It is not uncommon to walk into our office and see Bob sitting at the front desk (you might mistake him for a homeless man) on the phone or computer. He is often overheard calling people and telling them he is at work up at the office. Most days he will ask someone in our office or elsewhere in the center for a ride to his AA meeting or Deep Ellum to "work".

An interesting checkered past would be putting it lightly when describing Bob's life and you can meet Bob tonight at the Angelika Theater when his documentary debuts at the USA Film Festival.

Mid-Century Modern for Sale

Check out this updated "Green" mid-century modern home at 7120 Santa Fe just a few houses in from Lindsley Park.

You have cash

Recently I heard a story on a local television station about unclaimed monies that the state of Texas holds on your behalf. I didn't think there was any chance that I would be on that list but merely out of curiosity I decided to go check it. Lo and behold, I had cash! There was $253 from Homecomings Mortgage (now GMAC) for a refund check that was sent to a bad address after I sold a home. But it was the other chunk of change that I was really hoping to find (insert sarcasm here)...I had a whopping .02 cents from my alma mater Texas A&M for some overpaid fees back in the late 80's.

Businesses that have an outstanding credit for a customer must escheat those funds (revert to the state) after a certain period of time. The state holds those monies until you claim them.

After winning what felt like the lottery I determined that it was just a fluke and I decided to type in the names of several of my relatives. Guess what, they had cash too. It must be fairly common so check it out and find out if you have a similar new found fortune.

Do I have unclaimed cash?

Restaurant Review - El Fenix at Casa Linda

Last night after working at the Hollywood Home Tour at 7001 Vivian I went to the 50+ year old El Fenix at Casa Linda.

As you walk into this classic restaurant you can't help but feel like you are in an "ol school" type of place. The front area with the walkway through the middle of the dining room feels like you are in Mexico but the back room - not so much. It feels more like an old Furr's with the bright lights and an open cafeteria feel. Throughout the rooms the old plastic pink chair pads and table clothes definitely need to be brought up to the 21st century. This is the old ambiance I understand but there are some great products out there that don't look like a school dining hall.

But the most important thing was that our service and the food were good. As always the chips are crisp and tasty. The salsa was much milder than what you would find in their proprietary jars. The waiter brought a "fajita sauce" with a little more pep and it was excellent with onions, jalapenos and I think a touch of tomatillo.

The chili relleno poblano was tasty and there was no heat. The meat sauce was incredible and my guess is that it was about the fattiest ground beef on the market which is why it tasted so great. We substituted the ranchero sauce for a verde sauce which was nice along with some of the tastiest re-fried beans that made my arteries instantly clog.

The Maximilian's Delight with the puff taco and fresh avocado was perfect. The shell was crispy (not that common in some other local places) and the sour cream chicken enchilada and beef enchilada were exceptional as well.

Bottom line, while the chili relleno could be crispier the meal was great.

Oh and one last thing....the margarita's are pretty darn good!

Hollywood Santa Monica Home Tour

The home tour is tomorrow and Sunday from Noon to 6 pm. Tickets are on sale at Curiosities on Abrams and at Lindsley Park on tour days.

On Sunday there are usually numerous other homes that are open for viewing in addition to the tour homes. For a list of available homes for sale Hollywood for Sale.

The story of Hollywood/Santa Monica begins in the 1920s when J.B. Salmon acquired this former dairy farm and formed the Hollywood Company to subdivide and improve the land. Also known as the developer of Kessler Highlands in Oak Cliff, Mr. Salmon was exceedingly careful in the planning of his property. So thoughtfully conceived was his development that he could allow other developers to build in diverse styles as long as they stayed within the deed restrictions. These styles include the predominant Tudor Cottage, as well as Spanish Eclectic, French Eclectic, Minimal Traditional, Craftsman, Monterrey, and two rare examples of the flatroofed Pueblo Revival style. We may suppose that Mr. Salmon was pleased by the outcome because he made his home within the development. Much has been said of the architecture to be found in Hollywood and Santa Monica, and the neighborhood may well be the largest collection of stone-embellished Tudor cottages in the nation. Indeed, it's because of the attention paid to the aesthetic beauty of the area and its historical significance that in 1989 the neighborhood association succeeded in having Hollywood/Santa Monica declared a local Conservation District. This classification is shared by only a few other neighborhoods in the Dallas area.

The unique character of this neighborhood comes not only from the bricks and stones but also from the many people who have added their own unique and personal presence. For the visionary Mr. Salmon or the doughboy returning from Europe, it was a place for new beginnings. For the young family or the single factory worker, it was a place to grow and gain strength. For so many years, Hollywood/Santa Monica has been lovingly referred to as home. As you walk through our neighborhood, try to imagine those who have stood there before you. Will you see the garage aviator taxiing his airplane up and down the street? Or do you see the men talking on the corner - waiting for the streetcar to take them downtown? If you're lucky, maybe you'll catch sight of a few young rascals soaping the rails so that the conductor will be unable to get the streetcar back up the hill to Valencia! Or maybe you'll see the ladies headed down the block to the new grocery that the Minyard family had just opened. You might also envision more recent settlers of the neighborhood. Young men and women, smitten by this rare vision of yesterday, renovating and reinvigorating, building their lives and families much the same as their predecessors did before them. These new neighbors hold the same values that the original community held so many years ago. Armed with these values, they have strived to preserve the neighborhood and the community that thrives here.

Remodeling Horror

As everyone knows keeping up with an old tudor built in the 1930's is a never ending battle. We want the home to stay true to it's historical architecture but also have 21st century amenities.

We recently updated our kitchen and bathroom and if you have ever done a remodel in your home (and don't forget we have conservation district rules) you may recognize some of the battles we encountered in this video. The editing was done by our French neighbor so disregard the subtitles.

Got any pictures or fun stories of your own?

Bicycle Road Rage??

ESPN's Tony Kornheiser recently urged listeners to be violent toward cyclists and since we live so close to the lake and the presence of cyclists can't be ignored for better or worse, I thought I'd do a little unscientific research....Feel free to respond, Bikers: Good or Bad?

To be fair I must disclose that I am a biker and have some strong opinions of my own......

http://bicycling.com/blogs/roadrights/2010/04/15/kornheiser/

Home Tour Raises Money for Neighborhood Improvements & Charity

The Hollywood Santa Monica home tour is April 24th and 25th.  Both days from 12:00pm until 6:00pm. Tour tickets are $10 each and you can purchase in advance at Curiosities (2025 Abrams Rd) or at Lindsley Park on tour days.. 

Most people probably never think about where the proceeds for these local home tours goes but you probably should.

I believe that Hollywood Santa Monica is one of the most special neighborhoods in the area.  As a Realtor who has worked all over DFW, I have had the occasion of seeing numerous neighborhood associations with mandatory and volunteer membership and dues.  Our neighborhood has voluntary membership and the dues are nominal even though the work that the association does is costly.  The home tour helps to subsidize activities and improvements.

Have you noticed the Easter Parade and street party, the Christmas party and Halloween parties?  Have you ever noticed the entrance to the neighborhood and the landscape?  Have you ever noticed the park like medians throughout the neighborhood and their landscape?  Have you ever read the newsletter that is delivered to your door?  Have you ever noticed that we have an additional police presence?  Well you should.  You should also know that these things don't come for free nor do your property taxes pay for it.  Your dues and home tour proceeds do.

This year the home tour and preview party will provide necessary funds for these and other amenities but also contribute to local charities.  In the past, the home tour has contributed to Shakespeare in the Park, JL Long Middle School and Woodrow Wilson High School among other things.

Come out, see the homes and continue to make our 'hood special.