Locals Await Presidential Visit with Excitement and Concern

Several people who live and work in Culver City agreed that having President Obama come to visit Sony Studios on Thursday for a re-election fundraiser is pretty exciting, but they're not too thrilled about any potential traffic problems.

"I'll be leaving early," said Lindsay Keen when she found out that there will be an impact on traffic around Sony Studios, which is near her employer Paige Denim. But Keen is still happy that the president is coming.

"I think it's exciting to have him in town," she said.

Ken Riess, who works at the NFL Network on Washington Boulevard, west of Sony, didn't think he'd have too many problems that day.

"I hope not, because I come down the 405," he said. "I don't plan to drive to downtown for lunch that day."

His co-worker Ryan Cannon wasn't concerned at all.  

"I bike to work, so it shouldn't affect me," he said.

Not surprisingly, the has been pretty reticent about when and where there might be street closures.

"I can tell you that traffic will be impacted around the area of Sony Studios on that day," wrote Lt. Ron Iizuka, spokesperson for the CCPD, in an email to Patch.

Rico Cuevas, manager of Tub's Chili, said that his boss, Rick Hodges, who owns the small eatery south of the studios on Overland Avenue, sees the presidential visit as an opportunity: "He read somewhere that Obama was a chili fan," Cuevas said.

So Hodges placed two signs in his restaurant encouraging patrons to call the White House to invite the president to come by and taste the dishes.

"He thought it would be a good way to promote a small business," Cuevas said.

was also hoping the president might swing by the schools.

"I think it's fabulous," she said about the stop. "I invited him to visit our schools."

But Obama won't be touring the schools, she said, and they'll be on a normal schedule Thursday.

"We have field trips and assemblies scheduled," she said. "The City Hall is not closing. Other businesses are remaining open. And we're going to do the same."

Steven Rose, president of the Culver City Chamber of Commerce, wasn't as enthusiastic about the long-term effects the presidential visit might have on area businesses. He does expect some business from presidential advance staff.

"I would have to assume that over the next few days that people on the president's staff will be in town and will be dining in local restaurants and might be staying in local hotels," he said. And he's happy about the visit.

"Any news naming us is mostly good news," he said. "I believe it's going to be good for the 24-hour news cycle."