Where are all those cute 1920 houses with gardens in CA? (Oakland: hardwood floors, apartments)

[artistx]

Hi guys,
I am 53, divorced and soon to be an empty nester and dreamt of living in CA since childhood. I love the laurel canyon artsy feel. I have about 2500-3500 to rent. Id like to be somewhere lively with a walkable town, work as an Art Director, Drum and yoga vibe. Low crime. I have no ideas of what areas would meet my needs. Please help! I close in 45 days.. Thanks!!:)

[kettlepot]

All those cute 1920 houses with gardens (aka Spanish Revival Bungalows) are sitting in landfills after they were torn down to make way for 8 pack apartments in the 1960s and 70s, because who would want to live in an old piece-of-junk house that's decades old, has artistic light fixtures, hardwood floors, built-in cabinets, wood frame windows, and old style stucco. We want are houses new, plastic, and sterile, with a two or three car garage sitting out front, so no one will bother to walk anywhere around his neighborhood or ever come face to face with his neighbors.

[artistx]

That is sad. Thanks for the info. Any suggestions for the other kind of charm? minimalism? Is laurel canyon crazy mudslide area? Can you recommend areas? Thank you Lucy!

[zugor]

Berkeley and Oakland have lots of Craftsman type cottages, many, especially in Bkly, have beautiful front gardens. If they've been either maintained or restored they are very pricey.

I would assume that there are still many in SOCAL if that's where you're hoping to live.

Your dream is not impossible just expensive.

[NaplesRes]

check out belmont shore

[Fontucky]

If you're into walkable, nature, yoga, drum circles, artsy types and funky old bungalows and cabins, check out the mountain communities such as Idylwild.

Also, look into Laguna Beach. My artist niece lives there, and she's into all the stuff you mentioned. They regularly have their drum circles on the beach. Laguna's full of funky turn of the century and early century bungalows, and your $$$ figures are in the ballpark.

[artistx]

Laguna sounds great thanks.
Woods and cabins? lions, tigers and bears oh my! Not to mention snakes and insects I don't want to meet!

[kettlepot]

I was being too hard. There are still 1920s Spanish Bungalow neighborhoods out there. But yes, a lot of them were blighted by apartments. As a consequence, intact neighborhoods of the style you are describing are in high demand and expensive. And even though they are expensive and high demand, there are still people out there who want to buy them, renovate them, "update" them, and make them "better." How very, very sad.

[MisterDuke]

Ojai

[Charles]

Originally Posted by artistx

...work as an Art Director, Drum and yoga vibe.

What is the demand for Art Directors these days?

What do "Drum and yoga vibe" professionals do?

Do you have a job? Where?