L.A. residential architecture variety vs. other cities

[nickdahammer]

Originally Posted by the one

ok so this past weekend i went to a hose party on Carroll street!!! Beautiful Victorian homes rivaling friscos!!! it was beautiful.

i had heard of this area for ever, but never had a chance to go until this party the other night!!! wow amazing historic homes. a must see for anyone interested in LA Arc.

Oh man, I LOVE it up there. Went on a walking tour years ago and we got to walk through some of the homes. They filmed 'Charmed' on the first level of an old Victorian (the owner lives on the top floor- just rents it to the studios and lives off the profits!). I really liked the hitching posts and barns. Not a car in sight when these babies were built, just a streetcar.

[nickdahammer]

Originally Posted by drunk on kool aid

One of the things that I like about L.A. is that there is a large selection of housing styles in the county: bungalows, gobs of Spanish and Mediterranean, craftsman, Victorian, Tudor, mid-century modern, ranch. Yes, even dingbats, Tiki-styled apartments and McMansions and tons of others that I can't describe. The only types I don't recall seeing are brownstones and rowhouses.

Although there are clusters (e.g. bungalow row in Pasadena), these different styles can often be found next to each other, lending a very nice variety.

We have examples from some of the biggies: Lloyd Wright, Neutra, Schindler, Greene & Greene, Eames, Lautner.

I've had friends who have also commented on this variety but reading these forums, I see comments about L.A.'s boring and ugly architecture.

I'm a lifelong Angeleno who's hardly ever been out of the city so can someone comment on how L.A.'s residential architecture compares with those of other cities?

P.S. I'm not wondering about the L.A. skyline--although I like what is there, I know it's kinda wimpy.

P.P.S. Many of the various architectural styles were not beloved in their time but have come to be appreciated by at least a cult of aficionados. Will McMansions also come be regarded as one of the jewels in the L.A. residential setting?

As far as the skyline goes: the City couldn't build over 13 stories until the late 1960's because of earthquakes. That's why so many of those old buildings downtown are the same height- that's highest you could go! When I was a kid, the highest building was City Hall. We're still catching up.

And there are some brownstone-like apartments in Mid-Wilshire, and heading east into Koreatown. In fact, the apartment doubling as Seinfeld's is just west of Vermont, near Third Street. Though I don't know if that would be considered a brownstone.

[gildossantos]

I've only been to LA twice, in 1998 and 2008 and each time for a couple of days only, but I can tell you that there is much more variety in the LA architecture than in the Paris' (where I live). I think I could spend weeks in LA only to walk (or drive) in the city's street to study the architecture of the residential area. By the way there is a remarkable alignement of art-deco old theaters in downtown that would deserve restoration to give back its splendor.

[drunk on kool aid]

Originally Posted by gildossantos

By the way there is a remarkable alignement of art-deco old theaters in downtown that would deserve restoration to give back its splendor.

I believe most or all of these are destined to be restored. The Orpheum has already been restored and is stunning. This group of old movie palaces on Broadway Blvd. is supposedly the largest extant collection in the U.S.

According to a recent L.A. Times article, there is a solo guy who is trying to restore the Million Dollar Theatre, which is right across the street from the Bradbury Building and can be seen in a scene in "Blade Runner."

[nickdahammer]

Originally Posted by drunk on kool aid

I believe most or all of these are destined to be restored. The Orpheum has already been restored and is stunning. This group of old movie palaces on Broadway Blvd. is supposedly the largest extant collection in the U.S.

According to a recent L.A. Times article, there is a solo guy who is trying to restore the Million Dollar Theatre, which is right across the street from the Bradbury Building and can be seen in a scene in "Blade Runner."

Voskanian (sp?) I believe it is. He already dumped a million into it, ironically enough. Highly recommend the Last Remaining Seats program this year- the Million Dollar is gonna be open for a showing of 'Mildred Pierce.'