I love old houses. So what a treat it was to walk around the Orange Grove Blvd area in NW Pasadena this afternoon. Back in the early days of LA, Pasadena was where the rich and famous built their homes. Movie stars, business moguls, robber barons. Most of LA's wealthy have since moved westward to the beach, but fortunately a lot of beautiful old houses still remain. I love the tree lined streets and how all the houses are different. I love how the neighborhood is historic without being stuffy or too showy. I didn't see many kids (or any, actually), so I assume most of the residents are old money old people. I can understand that because if I ever moved here I would never leave.
One of the more 'modest' homes that I saw. I like the English storybookness of this house, especially the round window. These days I can't help notice landscaping (or lack thereof) and I think this house could use a few bushes and trees to soften it.
I noticed that this house hardly has any front lawn. Instead you see drought resistant, low water plants. Cacti, succulents, salvias, palms. Very eco-friendly.
Restoring this Victorian must've cost a fortune. The paint job alone must've been at least $20,000. I'm not a huge fan of this style, but this is a beautiful house. The scalloping is very cool.
Wow, four chimneys. Must be warm inside. Looks like you can walk on the rootop. Wonder what you can see from there. The door was slightly open and I was tempted to sneak in.
I really like the playful blue trim on this house. This Spanish style looks pretty modern compared to the other styles in the area.
The grand dame of the neighborhood: the Gamble House. Designed in 1908 by Greene & Greene as the winter residence of some of the Gambles (of Proctor & Gamble). The house is considered an arts & crafts masterpiece and was deeded by the family to the City of Pasadena in 1966. Lucky for us, they offer public tours of the house.
3 comments:
Nice pictures showing a wide variety of architecture in the area.
I wish Florida would get more into xeriscaping (climate-friendly yards based on naturally occuring plants). We've had drought here for several years but the homeowner's associations persist in requiring lush, green lawns.
I have a friend who lives in the NW area of Pasadena, near "Bungalow Heaven". Her house and the houses on her street are all one-bedroom cottages, which are absolutely adorable. The next block over are all the big beautiful homes. We joke that her block used to be the servants' quarters! Such a fabulous neighborhood.
That is a great area.
When the wife and I lived in S.Pas we use to go for walks around the Wrigley Mansion often.
Also, walks and bike rides through San Marino were always fun
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