LOS ANGELES, Calif. – In a town spurred by rivalry – UCLA vs. USC, writers vs. producers, silicone vs. saline – a new competition is brewing. John Laing Homes, the award-winning builder of the architecturally significant Metro Collection, and the urban development blog Curbed L.A. present The Metro Challenge – an online, urban trivia competition where Angelinos compete for prizes using knowledge of either the Westside or Hollywood.

Just as sports fans clamor for the madness of the NCAA basketball tournament, local urbanites and home-shoppers will do their own bracket-busting at TheMetroChallenge.com. Participants are encouraged to examine their urban expertise by taking either a Hollywood or Westside online quiz about each area’s history, trendy locales, noted architecture, pop culture and other civic potpourri.

The Metro Challenge is open from March 28 to April 25, and is hosted within the Metro Collection website at TheMetroChallenge.com and through Curbed L.A. Online finalists will represent their community in a live, Jeopardy-themed showdown in May, after which Los Angeles will know which community – the Westside or Hollywood – has more L.A. smarts. 


“At Curbed L.A., our entire focus is on making neighborhood and real estate news fun and informative at the same time,” said Kyle Crafton, publisher of the Curbed media network. “The Metro Challenge is a great extension of that, not to mention a fantastic opportunity for our readers – and everyone – to win some swag."

All contestants receive a complimentary gift from Cantaloop yogurt. Finalists’ prizes include a MacBook Air (1st place), roundtrip Southwest Airline tickets and an iPhone (2nd and 3rd place). All contestants are automatically entered into a drawing for one of five $100 gift certificates to StubHub.com (raffle winners must be present at final event to win).

The Metro Challenge represents the launch of The Metro Collection by John Laing Homes – new design-forward, urban residences within several of Los Angeles’ most exciting communities. The collection includes Element and Indigo in Marina del Rey’s admired Loft District, Icon at Playa Vista, and Madrone at the lively intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and La Brea Avenue.

“Each member of The Metro Collection boasts an exceptional degree of what we call ‘urb appeal,’” said Patrick Higgins, vice president of sales and marketing for John Laing Homes. “These are visually arresting and socially stimulating residences, rendered in architecture so advanced and iconic that it transcends tastes, markets and trends. This is an ambitious goal but one that is appropriate for Los Angeles as it assumes its role as a capital of the Pacific Rim.”

The unique face, style and individuality of The Metro Collection – Element, Indigo, Icon and Madrone – will manifest on local billboards, print and online advertisements, a dedicated website at TheMetroCollectionJLH.com, and even on MySpace.com. For a preview of the head-turning campaign, created by Palos Verdes Estates-based marketing agency Roddan Paolucci Roddan, visit www.rprclients.com/ (Username: metro | Password: laing).

The Residences

Designed by award-winning Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A., Elementand Indigo exemplify the epitome of smart design and sustainable living in Marina del Rey. Element presents stylish, “eco-chic” new-construction lofts, up to 1,594 square feet from the $500,000s to the low $1 millions. Just blocks away, Indigo’s modern condominiums offer up to 2,034 square feet from the $600,000s to high $900,000s.

Icon at Playa Vista, designed by the celebrated team at JZMK Architecture, has been recognized with a multitude of industry awards for excellence in architecture. The single-family detached and paired residences at Icon – clustered around one of Playa Vista’s stunning new parks – range from 3,200 to 3,800 square feet, with prices beginning in the low $1 millions.

Madrone, 21st Century Modern at La Brea and Hollywood, is perhaps Hollywood’s most anticipated new residence, delivering 180 stunning living spaces, from studios to townhomes, ranging from 700 to 2,300 square feet. Prices begin in the low $400,000s to the high $1 millions. Madrone was also designed by Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A.

In-depth architectural interviews with principal architects Jonathan Watts, AIA (Cuningaham Group) and Eric Zuziak, AIA (JZMK Partners) can be accessed at TheMetroCollectionJLH.com.

About John Laing Homes

With a tradition of quality dating back more than 150 years, John Laing Homes is one of the largest privately held homebuilders in the United States. John Laing Homes consistently ranks among industry leaders in overall customer satisfaction by J.D. Power & Associates, and enjoys the financial backing of its award-winning partner, Dubai-based real estate developer Emaar Properties. The homebuilder has earned numerous industry awards itself, including “America’s Best Builder” for 2006 from Builder magazine, “2005 Most Admired Builder of the Year” from Big Builder magazine, “2004 Builder of the Year” from Professional Builder magazine, and “Builder of the Decade” in 2000 from independent research firm Eliant. Based in Newport Beach, California, John Laing Homes concentrates its homebuilding efforts in California, Colorado, Texas and Arizona. For more information, visit www.johnlainghomes.com.