If you’re in the market for California real estate, be sure to take a look out the back window before signing the papers.
Pharyngula
Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
If you’re in the market for California real estate, be sure to take a look out the back window before signing the papers.
That soothing sound drifting in through the open windows at night? That’s the sea coming to get you. Sleep tight, kids!
This happened in Laguna niguel a lot of years ago. You’d think people would learn.
Okay. I’ll admit to being boggled over someone thinking it was a good idea to cram ugly apartment buildings on ocean cliffs. Greedy people.
There’s people still in those buildings?!?
ugh, empathy overwhelming me.
those “ugly apartments” are in essentially an ideal location (in still photographs only). perched above a beautiful ocean view, with the cliff providing a form of protection from the ocean waves. They may be ‘not quite beautiful’ which may be due to the residents not having excessive money to spend on decoration, only enough to furnish their apartment. They can take solace by enjoying the view they are resident on. Having their substrate erode underneath them relentlessly is … [there’s dust in the air here]
Another thing, is that the residents are suffering from the market pressure, where coastal sites are valued higher than inland. A developer saw an opportunity to take advantage by building dense apartments as close to the edge [song title] as possible, Any danger being too distant to be liable for. [errr…for which to be liable] And it wasn’t just the developer enticing the potential residents with empty promises. I’m sure their peers gave lots of encouragement to enjoy the benefits of being ‘at the edge’.
I guess this shows there is something behind the cautionary phrase of “on the edge”
ugh. It’s a struggle I’ve dealt with: location, location, location. This are is safer and plain, this one is beautiful but risky, which to choose…thinking… trying to decide…. lets go with plain. safe will preserve any enhancements I make. … sigh
I have a friend who worked hard, saved up a ton of money, and bought a nice house on a sand bar in a hurricane track. He was telling me about how hard it was to get insurance.
I’m thinking the seller ran to the bank to cash that check.
That’s the sea coming to get you
O.O
Home sweet home. In fact, my partner is heading to Pacifica for a walk at Mori Point, which may be one of the spits of land jutting out into the ocean in the distance.
And yes, this is almost certainly the result of developers and politicians coming up with crazy schemes to line someones pocket despite the obvious risks. Similar formations along the coast, such as at Fort Funston just a few miles north of there, often have signs warning about walking too close to the edge because of the unstable cliffs.
Ahh, but I would rather be on the West Coast than the East Coast. And, I would much, much rather be on the West Coast than stuck here in Texas.
I’m wondering if that’s the invisible hand of the market scooping that soil away?
I would be interested to know how much tax money was ‘invested’ in the erosion control. Those boulders at the bottom of the cliff didn’t exactly erode out of the soil. . .
Well at least all that lovely soil will help fertilize the ocean a bit and sequester atmospheric CO2 in the process.
A bunch of homes have just had their value reduced to zero.
… while also acidifying the oceans. Meanwhile construction on former inland property turned coastal should more than make for the lost CO2.
And I can’t even begin to speculate what kinds of toxic elements and compounds enter the aquatic environment when those apartments go over the edge.* But it’s a safe bet that at least some of them will accumulate in the food chain and end up being eaten in the same neighbourhood.
You’re welcome.
*Whoever publishes a study titled “Toxic effects of ugly apartment building on marine organisms” first shall be cited in every work of mine until the end of time.
This is where I live. But I am about 1.5 miles inland at a high elevation (700+ feet).
The awesome thing about this is that they just built a new apartment building just a touch south of there :D
To be fair, those buildings were erected in the mid-60’s when the ocean edge was still 100 feet away, and erosion was much slower before the current speed up in global warming. But even then, I would hope that someone would have had a little foresight.
In 2010, they evacuated these buildings, shored it up with boulders and had people move back in O.O
And the buildings ARE currently evacuated, just fyi.
Oh, and as for what is going to end up in the water if the city doesn’t step in and tear up the buildings ASAP? These were built before the lead and asbestos laws in the 70’s, so, yeah, they are pretty freaking toxic.
gee looks just like a typical california development what is the big deal. there is hardly a cliff that is not part of a state or federal park that does not look like that or has plans to look like that
I have been seeing houses and apartments falling into the sea for over 50 years now.
They also fall down the inland hillsides on a regular basis around here just wait until we have a good long heavy rain your local TV news may show one.
Seems to be great for the building industry.
uncle frogy
Living near the Santa Cruz mountains in the California Bay area… I fully expect half the houses up there to go sliding down the mountainside with the next big quake.
skeletaldropkick, clicked over to your shop, you’ll be seeing some money from me in a couple of weeks. It might take that long to choose what I really, really must have. Great stuff. /OT
Shouldn’t there be a golf course in there somewhere?
“But the ocean view is fabulous!”
And according to the sales literature:
Our ocean view is so intimate it’s as if the ocean is in your living room!
Amazing. It’s not even a solid cliff, it’s just dirt all the way down to sea level.
This wouldn’t happen in Otisburg.