Open House Report, LA Edition: Fully Hedged Investments
Author:Philip FerratoDriving around LA’s older neighborhoods, you can’t help but notice those tall green hedges, right up against the sidewalk with a gate or door set into them. Concealing the house behind from prying eyes, theyr’e better than solid walls, having the advantage of being graffiti-proof. Here are three examples, all built in the ’20s within a few minutes drive, open on Sunday, May 20th.
754 North La Jolla Avenue, West Hollywood Vicinity, $1.295M (above)
Formal, but not too serious about it, this 1-bed, 2-bath house reminds us— in the best possible way— of a museum built in the ’30s. Not in the musty sense, but the rooms are arranged very much like galleries, with tray ceilings and openings framed in wood. The aesthetic is continuous throughout, employing just a few materials and colors along with some judicious gilding. No windows out front, even looking onto the lawn, the kitchen and master bedroom open to a very private sunken patio in the back. The listing says the house once had 2 units— it now has a living room with 17-foot ceilings. Sadly no room for a swimming pool, but there’s a reflecting pool out front. Seriously, a stellar place to live for someone with no out-of-town relatives to put up. There’s a great slide show at the listing link above. Open Sunday May 20 from 2:00pm to 5:00pm
813 North Laurel Avenue, West Hollywood Vicinity, $1.125M
More modest but with triple the bedrooms, this is the classic stucco bungalow— an updated version of where one of Nathaniel West’s Day of the Locust characters might have lived. The 3-bed, 2-bath, house has successfully retained its vintage feel with fully in-character tiled baths and kitchen (above.) The garage hasn’t been turned into a studio/pool house and retains its two parking spaces, while the main living spaces have a “charmingly respectable bit player” vibe from Old Hollywood. In that sense, one of the most livable preservation efforts we’ve seen in awhile. Open Sunday May 20 from 2:00pm to 5:00pm
337 North Kilkea Drive, Beverly Center/Miracle Mile $1.375M
This hedge here, admittedly, has a few years to go before you’ve been completely walled off by greenery. But this 3-bed, 2-bath Spanish does fall clearly into the genre. The garage has been turned into a studio/pool house/media room next to a pool that isn’t shy about taking up the rest of the yard. With beautiful new bathrooms and a renovated kitchen— check out the realtor’s dedicated site— this house still retains its 1920s zeitgeist from a time when Los Angeles was inventing itself. Open Sunday May 20 from 2:00pm to 5:00pm
