1265 S. Cochran Avenue

Nestled between the historic Wilshire and West Adams districts is this expansive commercial space at 1265 South Cochran Avenue. Built in 1937, this building offers 4,532 square feet of interior space on a 4,725 square foot lot—perfect for a studio’s production needs or for a small design company looking for an artsy, creative space. It is available, fully furnished and with five parking spaces, right now for a lease price of $10,500 monthly.

Located in the fabulous Mid-Wilshire region of Los Angeles, this gorgeous, sunny office space in the Wilshire Vista Heights area is surrounded by some of LA’s most diverse architecture. A mixture of Revivals (Tudor/French/Spanish) and modernist architecture dot the area and provide a diversity in design championed only by the ethnic diversity in the communities that exist here.

When George Allen Hancock subdivided Rancho La Brea in the late 1800s and began his foray into the oil empire that was to cement his success, he likely had no idea how unique and varied all the small communities that began to form throughout the Mid-Wilshire area would be. According to the City of LA’s Office of Historic Resources, the Ridgely-Detroit district just north of Wilshire was one of the first enclaves for Jewish immigrants in Los Angeles, even before the influx of Jewish immigrants that would later arrive after World War II. As Mid-Wilshire became more populated, it eventually saw even more diversity—to the south, African Americans, to the west, the Ethiopian community prospered, and to the east, Koreans and Latinos.

Los Angeles Herald, March 1910

Throughout the mid 1930s, department stores and restaurants began to pop up along Wilshire to satisfy the new residential development. One of the oldest, Mullen and Bluett, had been around since the late 1800s. (Hancock was married to Genevieve Mullen, whose father co-founded the store), but as time went by, Coulter’s, Sears, Sontag, the May Company, and others began to eke their way into the quotidian lives of those who lived near Wilshire. By the mid 1960s, the Miracle Mile was renown for its shopping, and great architects like Stiles O. Clements, Octavius Morgan, and John A. Walls made their bones creating these new department stores in the Revivalist and later Art Deco styles that were popular at the time.

Coulter’s Department Store designed by Stiles O. Clements, 1939 courtesy of USC Digital Library, California Historical Society

Besides department stores, the Mid-Wilshire area is also home to some architecturally significant apartment buildings. Just a few blocks away from the property at 1265 Cochran are the Cornell Apartments at 603 S. Cochran, a historical landmark that was given the designation in 1989. The marvelously modern Rudolph Schindler-designed Mackey Apartments are at 1137 Cochran Avenue, just a few blocks north of 1265 S. Cochran. The Mackey apartments were purchased by the Republic of Austria and currently are used to help artists and architects, as a residency in the apartment is awarded to four people each year. Tours of the apartments are available the first Friday of each month.

Dunsmuir Flats by Gregory Ain

Less than half a mile away from the commercial space at 1265 S. Cochran, also located within the Wilshire Vista Heights district, are the gorgeous Gregory Ain Dunsmir Flats at 1281 S. Dunsmuir Avenue. Declared a historical landmark in 2009 because of its embodiment of “International Style,” the residential multi-family use flats were constructed in 1938 by the modernist master Gregory Ain, a contemporary of Schindler and Neutra. Properties designed in the International Style came to prominence between 1920 and 1960 and featured “flat roofs, fixed windows arranged in bands, and an overall lack of ornamentation” (Office of Historical Preservation, City of LA).

Also built in the International Style was noted architect Paul Revere Williams’ residence at 1690 S. Victoria Avenue, just two miles east of the commercial space at 1265 Cochran Avenue. Noted for being the first African American architect to join the AIA and for his wonderful designs frequently created for some of Hollywood’s best-known A-listers, Paul Williams built his own home in the predominantly African American community of Lafayette Park in 1956. Williams’ home was designated a historical landmark in 1976.

The office space at 1265 S. Cochran Avenue embodies many of the modernist principles that these legendary architects building in the Mid-Wilshire area initially envisioned. Expansive ceilings with exposed rafters, fabulous lighting, and fluidity throughout characterize this great co-working space. This is a bring-your-dog-to-work kinda place, for sure.

Five adjoining offices branch out from the central work area, offering privacy and plenty of room for more focused working and creating to happen…

The offices border a large central area where multiple workstations can be set up, offering ample room for employees to work. The space lends itself well to conference tables too.

Of course, you can also just use the conference room. Made with gorgeous wood paneling and quality stone materials, this is the perfect place to stoke the creative juices.

One of the prerequisites of the modern office space is indoor-outdoor fluidity. This space gets tons of natural light and provides easy access to the outdoors for those weekly happy hours or times when a change of scenery is just the thing needed to put that last finishing touch on a proposal or project. A beautiful garden with seating and two additional production bays are located outside.

A spacious kitchen adds to the warmth of the space. This is a great place to celebrate monthly birthdays or promotions.

Most recently, the office space was home to Boulevard Industries, an award-winning production company that has produced the music videos of Major Lazer, Rob Thomas, Tiesto, and more, in addition to commercials for Google, Doritos, Toyota, and more.

The property was first owned by Angelus Securities Corporation, an investment securities company located in downtown Los Angeles. Since then, it was owned for years by the J. Carl Seibly family until they sold it in the mid 1970s and since then has been owned by a variety of businesses, including Thornby/Beck partners and Montana Realty company.

The Wilshire Vista Heights area where 1265 S. Cochran Avenue is located is one of those pockets in LA that few know about, making this the perfect place to rent for a business. Situated amongst a variety of mostly residential homes in all manner of architectural styles, with fantastic Ethiopian food just a few blocks away (and don’t forget Roscoe’s, of course) and a variety of grocery stores, coffee shops and more popping up, this little gem in the Mid-Wilshire area is just too good to pass up.