Buk's House Now a Landmark, Like It or Not

Thanks for reporting on the Bukowski landmarking.

I'd just like to point out that the Delongpre residence has been on the tour route for Esotouric's "Haunts of a Dirty Old Man: Charles Bukowski's Los Angeles" since it was launched last summer. It is a favorite stop for our passengers. In fact, the discovery of the threat to the building's survival was made by tour host Richard Schave, when doing a final run through of the route last August.

Here's his original blog post about finding the property listed on Craigslist as a $1.3million teardown: http://2or3things.org/delongpre

Preservationist Lauren Everett read that post and started the campaign to save the building, and she is the person who deserves the most credit for what happened yesterday.

I don't really understand why people think there is something our literary tours stand to gain by having the building landmarked; the landlord's lawyer made the same claim at the CHC hearing, right after calling Buk a Nazi. We can drive the bus down that street with or without a plaque in place, with the bungalows standing or some crummy condos there--it doesn't make or break the Bukowski bus tour, which includes dozens of locations, though it really is a moving experience to be able to see the place where he flowered as a writer.

But more than that, it means so much to the neighborhood's historic integrity, and as a sign of respect for a great local artist that the place has been so designated. Too bad the same can't be said for John Fante's "Ask the Dust" apartment on Berendo.

-Kim Cooper, Esotouric/1947project