Space

Despite the inconvenience of having to exit the building through the “trash room” into the alley for a day there was a noticeable energy boost that could be felt throughout the building, an excitement in the residence and building staff. I was told that Meryl Streep was in the movie and that this would likely raise the value of the property and each of our units. For some reason people like the idea of living somewhere that is cool enough to appear in a movie. Plus, the funds obtained in the transaction — to be placed in the building reserve account — were enough for most residents not to complain.

I have long been aware of fashion and products being sold to the general population through product placement or famous people being seen using a particular product, but is this where we are going with buildings and spaces? There is a crappy strip center down the street that was used for a scene in the movie The Hangover.

They had to put a big sign out front so people would not just drive by and not notice. Did the value of that building, which has no spatial merit, suddenly increase? Do places like Palm Springs still get their mojo from the days when it was a Hollywood destination?

Throughout history the general population has been enamored by the famous, rich and powerful. However, this is very different from the grand cathedrals that were built to protect relics — such as a piece of wood believed to come from the cross or the remains of an important saint. I wonder what the shelf life is on a Meryl Streep bump to our property value?  Would a music video with Christina Aguilera have been better? What kind of potential buyers are we trying to impress anyway? Should the building designer get a royalty, similar to a musician whose music is used in a commercial? Regardless, I will keep my eye on my Zillow valuation.