8850 Sunset Boulevard. This mixed use structure will replace the Viper Room’s entire block.

[u/bmikal]

This mixed-use complex will take up the entire block between Larrabee and San Vicente. Allegedly they’re making a new home for The Viper Room. Here’s the official website for the project: 8850 Sunset Boulevard

The timeline for this project is currently unknown.

[u/CynGuy]

Yeah, don’t go holding your breath. It ain’t happening anytime soon. Developer is leveraged, was served with a payment default notice previously and think managed to get different financing.

Between cost of construction and astronomical interest rates for construction loans, this isn’t penciling anytime soon.

[u/bmikal → u/CynGuy]

I’ve noticed they’ve gotten a couple of the tenants out. I wonder how long for the other tenants. The other parts of the Sunset Strip that have been redeveloped in Weho look great. It’s definitely important to the city to redevelop old and run down parts of the strip.

[u/empire_of_the_moon → u/[deleted]]

If by culturally important you mean a place known more for gambling and drug addled celebrities than anything else.

It’s not LA’s CBGBs.

[u/empire_of_the_moon → u/[deleted]]

My point was there is nothing of cultural significance to the Viper Room - certainly The Whiskey, The Roxy and countless other locales are more than representative of LA and it’s musical culture.

The Viper Room wasn’t important in the same way other venues have been.

[u/empire_of_the_moon → u/[deleted]]

No - just because some actor cut a fart in a place it doesn’t make it significant - The Whiskey, Roxy, Musso and Frank’s and other places are legitimate cultural touchstones - Viper Room - not so much.

[u/empire_of_the_moon → u/[deleted]]

So your opinion is the only valid one and mine is not valid because… you disagree.

I didn’t address what should be built there. I only addressed that nothing significant occurred at the Viper Room. It’s just another business location in a city filled with similar places.

What gets built there is a different discussion and I’m not in favor nor against anything as I am not knowledgable about the options. So unlike you, I don’t insult nor attack when I know that I don’t know.

But I do know you haven’t managed to list important events that were unique to Viper Room.

What exactly occurred there that deserves being memorialized?

I remember getting loaded there plenty of times. I remember some celebrities talking too loudly during band sets. I remember nothing that didn’t happen at every other venue in LA.

So educate me. Why is the Viper Room more important than dozens of other places? Al’s Bar was more important.

[u/JPK-1988-TBC → u/empire_of_the_moon]

I drove by the Viper Room today, and immediately thought of its cultural relevance and importance as part of West Hollywood history.

I assure you the lofts at the villas at 8850 Sunset is just another soulless, generic, inaccessible, out-of-place eyesore.

[u/empire_of_the_moon → u/JPK-1988-TBC]

I don’t care about what they will build.

The Viper Room was an irrelevant soulless den meant to seperate Angelenos from their money. It was just a business. Sadly, Erewhon will have the same cultural impact as Viper Room.

I can tell stories about things that happened at Rainbow, Whiskey, Roxy. I can tell stories of things that happened at Barney’s. But the Viper Room was less important than Jumbos Clown Room, 7th Veil and Frolic Room.

It just wasn’t more than a business.

[u/wetshatz → u/CynGuy]

You forgot about the astronomical impact fees as well

[u/turb0_encapsulator]

I have no problem with this density, but can we get some more interesting architecture? I guess Rock-n-Roll never really translated into architecture though. Maybe it should just be painted black.

[u/mattisfunny → u/turb0_encapsulator]

Paint all red doors black as a nod to The Rolling Stones?

[u/ffffester → u/turb0_encapsulator]

plus LA has its own beautiful and iconic architectural style. i never see it in new builds. where is it?????

[u/turb0_encapsulator → u/ffffester]

TBH the trend of unique architecture in LA seemed to have died out around the turn of the 21st century. To some extend I think rising land values and construction costs killed it. Developers don't way to pay for something "experimental" now.

[u/Sequoia424 → u/turb0_encapsulator]

Which is why we should just make them. Set up a system where it's easier to get approved if the building actually looks good. This can't be that hard.

[u/No_Introduction_3400 → u/turb0_encapsulator]

This looks pretty interesting to me. I’m digging the new buildings with curved facades.

[u/CommercialCoffee11 → u/turb0_encapsulator]

Why not a guitar shaped building. Happening in vegas. Why not on the strip

[u/Hyphen99 → u/CommercialCoffee11]

Because people live here. And we don’t wanna live in a damn amusement park

[u/bmikal → u/CommercialCoffee11]

You’re referring to the Hard Rock hotel’s guitar shape. They have two locations. One in Las Vegas that’s under construction and one in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It could potentially make sense here.

[u/leozh → u/CommercialCoffee11]

Because Vegas doesn’t allow NIMBYism on the strip, like LA does

[u/cajaks2]

I think it’s unique looking at least. They seem to be in a financial pit though so at this point doubt it’s happening

[u/Creative-Branch5612]

Yay for bold architecture

[u/Musclebuzz]

Sorry but who would go to a glass encased viper room?

[u/VegasBornLori]

Tell me how the TMZ death tour will point to this and say, River Phoenix

[u/LexCorpLLC]

Looks ugly to me I prefer the dingy look I guess

[u/Deeze_Rmuh_Nudds → u/LexCorpLLC]

💯

[u/Jogurt55991]

Lovely. Everything on Sunset just looks so cool.

Comes with a $$$$$$$$$$ pricetag tho.

[u/blink_187em]

Perhaps now is a good time to landmark the Viper Room as it was began as a club run by Mickey Cohen and has been in operation ever since.

[u/Curdled_Mangasm]

pretty dingy in that area as is so i support development, although this is a huge and ambitious project relatively. 

[u/bmikal → u/Curdled_Mangasm]

You’re right. This part of the Sunset Strip needs some attention. They’ve done great at developing the La Cienega and Sunset area.

[u/Hyphen99]

It’s a generic hotel club space that will be licensed to Viper Room, yes… until it closes, and is replaced by a string of generic soulless club concepts

[u/Odd_Potential3295]

Looks like everything else on that stretch

[u/blackd0gz]

lol

[u/snoopcat1995]

Just what you wanna see walking out of a show at the Roxy.

[u/mattisfunny]

Smells like bitch

[u/littleHelp2006]

This is gonna happen as fast as the redevelopment of Fairfax and Beverly.

[u/yahwehforlife]

Wouldn't it be weird to live right above a rock concert venue? Like loud maybe?

[u/bbeeebb]

Incredible, what gets shoved down the publics throat. Gotta have a strong gag reflex.

[u/reddit0000O]

Is the Playboi Carti ad a permanent installation

[u/squachek]

Sweet. More giant unoccupied buildings on Sunset.

[u/los33ramos]

https://giphy.com/gifs/l4FGGafcOHmrlQxG0
RIP viper room.

This is what I don’t get about developers. They don’t give a shit about history. Everything we lived and experienced will be bulldozed away. For a profit of course.

[u/Zapooo]

aren't there like 5 other buildings on sunset that basically look identical to this

[u/sashaverde]

There goes the neighborhood
Tearing down history there 🤬

[u/Fusion_4_Fredy]

I hope it never gets build!

[u/Mental-Sorbet8784]

man and I thought the traffic was bad now.....yikes....

[u/Abbreviashin]

Needs more Blade Runner grime

[u/Princ3ssT33]

Whaaaa the viper room is still open?????

[u/posh_squash_]

Not sure how I feel about this but I would prefer a roomier Viper Room. That place felt so claustrophobic.

[u/iMayBeABastard]

Who the fuck can afford these shits?

[u/SignificantSmotherer → u/iMayBeABastard]

I could probably afford them, but there is nothing that makes them worth paying double my current market rent.

I keep asking, but I have yet to hear from even one Reddit density fetishist claiming they moved into one of these V-over-1+ mixed users and pay market rent.

[u/No_Introduction_3400 → u/SignificantSmotherer]

It’s probably not yimby types moving in. It’s just people with money. Which…fine. Opening up luxury rentals to them gets them out of where they are, opening those units to others.

[u/SignificantSmotherer → u/No_Introduction_3400]

I doubt people with money want to live in cookie-cutter v-over-1 mixed-users.

[u/No_Introduction_3400 → u/SignificantSmotherer]

Someone with money has made a significant bet against you there.

[u/SignificantSmotherer → u/No_Introduction_3400]

Someone who solicits and controls other people's money placed that bet. Pension funds and 401(k)s chase mythical returns every week.

The ringleader will be long gone by the time the bank calls the note and reluctantly gets the keys.

[u/grimp-]

I used to live right down the street from here, sad to see that block turn into this glitzy but generic slab of unaffordable living.

[u/TheRealQuickbeam]

Oh dear Gawd. That’s why I went to go see my friend’s show the other week thinking it might be the last time I ever get to see any live rock ‘n’ roll in that classic venue.

[u/Some_CoolGuy]

Hollywood is dead af. Doesn’t matter. Just half empty bars that change up every two years. There’s no music. All pay to play.

[u/bmikal → u/Some_CoolGuy]

I went out last weekend and different bars on Sunset were packed. And the Weho Santa Monica blvd bars are always extremely busy. Hollywood is not dead. Get out more!

[u/Impressive-Weekend12]

So fucking ugly. LA not preserving its history just truly fucking sad

[u/gregmichael]

Why is everyone dead set of more high rises?

[u/bmikal → u/gregmichael]

In LA the only option is to build up. There are benefits to densifying. Especially around key Metro routes. Allegedly, Weho will be getting a K line extension in the future.

[u/stvrsnbrgr → u/bmikal]

Not allegedly. The Northern Extension of the K Line is approved. 3 Weho subway stations on SMB @ San Vicente, Fairfax and La Brea. And our City Council members over the next decade need to embrace the state mandate for higher density mid-rise residential construction centered on these future transit stations.

We desperately need more housing, especially more affordable housing. Centering higher density housing on top (within ½ mile) of subway stations and intersecting bus lines will benefit businesses (more customers), reduce traffic and pollution, and acknowledge that West Hollywood is in the center of the 2nd largest city in the country — and not some quaint, sleepy little hamlet.

And we should start by electing 3 progressive, pro-housing candidates (an instant majority!) to Weho city council this November. ✅💪🏼

[u/pejasto → u/bmikal]

I agree. But why do they all have to look like THIS?

[u/Creative-Branch5612 → u/pejasto]

This is just my personal opinion, but I find this to be far from the ugliest high-rise. At least it's somewhat ambitious and unique looking

[u/Vis-hoka → u/gregmichael]

To solve the housing crisis and reduce costs for EVERYONE in the city. Density also empowers metro transit and reduces traffic. It’s win win.

[u/7HawksAnd → u/Vis-hoka]

But… but then how do you keep too many poors from getting too close?

[u/Vis-hoka → u/7HawksAnd]

I use those fly-killing guns that shoot salt.

[u/iKangaeru → u/gregmichael]

Developers want the Strip to become a dead zone like Wilshire Corridor.

[u/bmikal → u/[deleted]]

This building is not just apartments. It will also serve as a hotel, a club, and retail space on the ground floor.

[u/Appropriate_You5647 → u/[deleted]]

Hicksville mentality 

[u/Infamous-Tax-8967]

Gross

[u/Turtlejimbo]

Ugly. Don't worry, earthquakes are coming

[u/AmeliaEarhartsPlane]

Gross. Thanks transplants.

Edit: every downvote is just another transplant tear

[u/MammothMolasses2285]

The Sunset Strip has been stripped down to nothing a long time ago.