Neighborhoods We Love:
Hancock Park, Larchmont & Windsor Square
Check out more on neighborhoods we love!
One of the perks of being a real estate photographer is traveling far and wide for my work. I’ve been pretty much everywhere, from Camarillo to Laguna Beach to Rancho Cucamonga. Yes, there is a place called Rancho Cucamonga.
During my travels I’ve come to learn a lot about Los Angeles: traffic quirks, awesome places to eat, hidden views, just to name a few. But one aspect in particular that I really enjoy is understanding the complex nature of LA County’s neighborhood makeup.
In the city of Los Angeles there are a total of 158 cities and unincorporated places, which includes 114 neighborhoods. That, my friends, is A LOT of places! Though, aside from the sheer number of places, what amazes me the most is their diversity. Drive five minutes in one direction and you could very well be in a completely different neighborhood with a completely different style and design. To me that immediate change is refreshing, alarming, and curious but ultimately what makes LA so unique.
Now, since I am a self proclaimed expert on neighborhoods in LA and since we set the theme this month to be about said neighborhoods, I’m going to tell you about one of my favorites and show you some of my best photos from there. The area in question is not your average neighborhood, it’s a bit of a three-headed beast consisting of Hancock Park, Larchmont Village, and Windsor Square.
Hancock Park and adjacent Windsor Square lay claim to some of the oldest and most historic houses in LA. Replete with stately mansions, mature tree-lined streets, and well groomed lawns that rival anything in the posh flats of Beverly Hills or the prestigious grandeur of Pasadena/San Marino. But for me, I like them more than those places because they have an undeniable historic charm with a vast variety of craftsman, tudor/english revival, Spanish colonials, and Mediterranean style homes.
Did I mention it has Larchmont?!
Larchmont Village is a small community tucked away within Hancock park. It is both a residential district and a commercial/shopping beacon. It’s reminiscent of an era not too long ago where neighborhoods survived off one main street. Also, it makes living in LA feel wonderfully small compared to the largesse of LA County. It has become a little upscale over the years, mostly due to the wealth surrounding it, but at its core, it’s a wonderful street to stroll and enjoy.
So for this blog post I went through my past few years of shooting and selected a bunch of choice pictures from my favorite property shoots from the area. For me it’s all about the architecture and its relation to the neighborhood. The designs and styles bring back a nostalgia of a different time that I fall in love with over and over again. They just simply don’t make houses like these anymore and if they do, the build quality is not nearly the same.
And in the end, THAT is what makes this (these) neighborhood(s) so special and something we will probably never see again. I’d love to hear which one is your favorite, let me know in the comments below!
