Advice for Mayor Villaraigosa: move to Village Green

The results are in on Zócalo's search for a new home base for Antonio Villaraigosa after he leaves office — and Getty House — at the end of the month. The contest elicited email from people all over Los Angeles, and even from outside the city. Finalists included Hollywood Oaks, Granada Hills, Wilshire Vista and North Hollywood. The winner is Village Green, "a historic planned community in the Baldwin Hills neighborhood that not only had two strong supporters among our entrants but also elicited the most compelling response we received, from longtime resident D. Malcolm Carson." From his entry:

To begin with, it fits his only stated criterion: close to the airport (LAX). While we’re not right next to the airport (and all that noise and jet fuel), we are just a quick 15-minute drive away on a relatively traffic-free stretch of La Cienega Boulevard.

But make no mistake—the true pleasures of the Village Green start much closer to home. We are a secluded little oasis of more than 650 townhomes and apartments on 68 acres of open, green space, with 2,000 trees representing nearly every variety found in Southern California. We’re also a tightknit, diverse, cohesive community of people.

I’m certain that the mayor would enjoy his newfound freedom and leisure by spending his free time as many here do: walking or jogging around “the Green,” chatting with neighbors, and enjoying the sunshine and fresh ocean breezes that are funneled by the Baldwin Hills into our neighborhood. The mayor also could enjoy a variety of outdoor opportunities nearby: hiking in the beautiful 300-acre Kenneth Hahn Park, climbing the challenging staircase at the super-popular Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook, running around the track at Rancho Cienega Park, and bicycling down to the beach on the Ballona Creek Path!