Culver City Times

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that the 14-acre, 13-soundstage Culver Studios has been sold to Hackman Capital Partners. A Hackman Capital investment summary indicates obtained by the Times indicates that the company plans to continue to maintain the property as a studio, while adding creative office space and a parking structure. 

But other sources such as Deadline.com are speculating that the company will shutter the studio permanently in the next 18 month -- and that the property will be turned into office space or…

Helms Design District Vintage Boutique will hold a Vintage Summer Bargain Boutique this Saturday, March 8, from 10 am to 4 pm -- at the LightSpace Studio at 8755 Washington Boulevard in Culver City.

The Helms Design District Vintage Boutique, part pop-up shop, part clothing expo -- a 5,000-square-foot studio with displays of classic, designer and repurposed vintage clothes and accessories. 

Entry to the event is $5; however, free and discounted ticket specials are available here on a first-come, first-served basis. The event is produced by Dave C. Temple, who owns Clever Vintage, the vintage fashion showroom in downtown Los Angeles.

The boutique is on the Washington Blvd side of the Helms complex closest to National, near to VITRA, Stone Candles, and Surface. Look for the white and orange banners. There's plenty of free lot and metered street parking in the…

The Ballona Land Trust is hosting a free bird-watching tour of the Ballona Creek and Ballona Wetlands area this Saturday. The group will meet at the Duquesne Avenue bridge at 10 am and bike at a leisurely pace to the Playa del Rey jetties, stopping to point out the many bird species in the area. The organization estimates that the group will spot between 50 and 70 different birds species!

Individual participants are welcome to join the group for all or just a portion of the route. Other access points to the bike trail are at the Overland Ave bridge and the end of McConnell Ave, and the group will stop briefly at those points for anyone who wants to join them. The group is expected to be back at the Duquesne Ave bridge by 1 pm, but participants may return at any time.

If…

Thousands of fans packed the Westfield Culver City mall on Saturday, March 1, to get a glimpse of Kobe Bryant -- the Black Mamba himself -- who was onsite to promote his Nike Kobe 9 Elite shoe.

During a spirited Q&A at the mall's central courtyard, the five-time NBA champion who just signed a two-year deal with the Lakers, talked about what the fans should expect from the next two years, saying:

“We all know it’s been a real tough year for us, right? So what I’d like everybody to do is to just sit back and absorb this year. Take it all in. Sit back and watch and listen and hear all the hate that’s being thrown at us, and remember every person that’s kicking you when you’re down. Because next year, it ain’t gonna be this way.”

"Appreciate it now," he said. "Let…

Periodically, I post a picture of something in Culver City that is 'hiding in plain sight.' -- asking Culver City Times members if they know where it is.

Today the question is: Do you know where in Culver City these colorful poles are? If you know, enter your response in the comments box of this post.

If your answer fails to appear in the comments section immediately, fear not! So more people can play, I'll hold all the responses until the following Thursday, when I'll reveal them.

Picture submissions for future games of "Where Am I" are very welcome. Email them to: culvercitytimes@gmail.com

I reported on the recent opening of East Borough, the new Vietnamese restaurant in downtown Culver City. Now Maya Meinert -- of the always reliable blog ShopEatSleep.com -- has posted a review.

"There is a lot of richness at East Borough," says Maya, "The nuoc mam sauce reduction makes the cauliflower and long bean vegetable dish really strong, and the Phocatini [see pic above], a playful take on Vietnamese pho and Italian bucatini, is almost too rich. The oxtail, hoisin and Sriracha combination nearly make for too much flavor, but it’s still one of the most interesting dishes on the…

Mayor Jeff Cooper, seeking re-election to the Culver City Council on the April 8 ballot, thanked supporters and contributors to his campaign at his major fundraising event, held Saturday, February 22 at the spectacular Pterodactyl Building in the Hayden Tract.

“Thank you all for coming,” he told the crowd of more than 200 people perched atop the nearly finished building with a gorgeous view of the Culver City skyline. “I appreciate all your support and promise that I will continue working for you and with you to make Culver City the best it can be. Special thanks to Frederick and Laurie Samitaur-Smith and Eric Owen Moss for their incredible hospitality and to Kurt Kratchman and Michael Hackman for their amazing support. Thank you, too, to the many, many volunteers who helped make sure the event looked great and went off without a hitch!”…

What does it take to lead a healthy life? How do we build a healthy community? We know we need good clinics and hospitals staffed by skilled professionals to keep us healthy and and treat us when we're not. But it takes a lot more than that. A healthy community has good schools, plentiful park space, healthy food options, minimal pollution, few or no gangs.

Sharing experiences is one way to build a healthier community. First Person is KPCC's contribution to that effort: a storytelling project that lets Southern Californians tell their stories about their health – and their community's health.

Do you have a story for First Person?

Everything you share will be read by journalists only, and your responses are confidential unless you tell us we may…

Shoes for the Homeless -- a Culver City-based non-profit organization -- will hold its Second Annual Benefit on Thursday, February 27, from 6 to 8 pm at the Wende Museum in Culver City. Shoes for the Homeless provides shoes to the homeless and to those in need, free of charge, in our local communities. The organization collects lightly-used men’s, women’s and children’s shoes and passes them onto local organizations that directly serve the homeless and those in need -- such as rescue missions and women shelters.

Tickets for the benefit are $25 per person and are available HERE. The Wende Museum is located at 5741 Buckingham Parkway, Suite…