I was having lunch with my comic book obsessed son and of course we were discussing the Batcave. Then we moved on to the Fortress of Solitude, the Sanctum Santorum, and a range of other secret lairs, not to mention Pocket Dimensions and alternate realms. These are superhero hideouts and places of brooding, contemplation or scientific research, for those unfamiliar. Besides being a favorite comic book trope, I think they refer to a human longing for a secret place, where we can isolate ourselves from the sights and sounds of the world, and just think. If you live alone, maybe your whole house is your secret hideout. If you have kids, it can feel like they’ve taken over the house, and you’re looking for some little space to claim as your own — some isolated place to complete thoughts and become one with your inner super hero. There is also something so delightful about discovering a secret room, or a secret passage in a house. Is it the thrill of knowing a secret? The mere thought of a secret space is exciting — Like in those dreams where you discover rooms unfolding beyond other rooms and you go deeper and deeper into spaces you never knew existed, and no one else knows about.
After years of everyone taking out all the walls in their homes and creating “great rooms”, there’s a big shift towards people wanting rooms that separate and close. Many of us started realizing the only rooms in our homes that shut were the bathrooms and we have felt the absence of separation and doors! Can we really focus or brood properly without a lair? Does it need to be secret, or is it enough that it close? I loved how in the old Batman TV show, Batman and Robin accessed the Batcave by tipping back a bust of Shakespeare and pushing a button inside, that caused a bookshelf to slide open, exposing two bat-poles to slide down. So I’m wondering if it’s the room that needs to be secret, or just the entrance to the room? My kids really want a Batcave, which I’m finding difficult to accommodate, but a secret passage may be manageable... Tune in next month so read how I decide to remodel my house! (Same bat-time, same bat-channel)
Meanwhile...
Here are a few things to know about:
The new Beverly Hills metro stops are going to open in May! You'll be able to get from BH to DTLA in 20 minutes and not have to find parking!
LA Metro board has greenlit a subway line for the Sepulveda Corridor! This means you'll be able to get from the westside to the valley in 20 minutes, and this may actually happen in our lifetime!
LACMA’s new David Geffen Galleries will open on April 19! You will soon be able to love or hate it from the inside!
Congress actually agreed on something useful! The Housing for the 21st Century Act is a bipartisan bill aimed at improving housing supply and affordability to help American consumers, and has lots of good ideas for increasing access to capital and lowering barriers to building. This may be a very good thing.
LA county has a new free homeowner alert system you can register to be alerted whenever a foreclosure, transfer of title, or mortgage is recorded on your property.
