Posts Tagged ‘Parks’
Barnsdall Park Outdoor Movies Return
This past Friday was the last wine tasting of the summer at Barnsdall Art Park, but that doesn’t mean the events in the park are over! This Saturday, September 4th, Barnsdall Park brings back their September Outdoor Movies Series. Bring your blanket and picnic basket and settle in on the West Lawn of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House. This year’s movies are modern classics that showcase the architectural and historical uniqueness of Los Angeles. First up is 500 Days of Summer, followed by LA Story, LA Confidential, and finally Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
Screenings start at 7:30 pm, but get there early to secure your spot and to have a few drinks. Unique beer and wine selections will be served from 5 pm to 7:30 pm. Tickets for the movie and drinks are $25.00. You can purchase them online here. The Coolhaus truck will also be on hand selling ice cream sandwiches, and the Let’s Be Frank truck will also be selling hot dogs and sausages.
All profits benefit the Barnsdall Art Park Foundation programs and projects. More details can be found at the newly-overhauled Barnsdall Art Park website: barnsdall.org.
Barnsdall Art Park
4800 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027
2427 Solar Drive In Hollywood Hills
2427 Solar Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90046
3 BR, 2 BA
$2,040,000
Architect Val Powelson’s 1960 “Sunbow House” has been carefully renovated by Steven Kent, A.I.A. The 2,098 square foot architectural home with the unique unique Butterfly roof line is located in the Hollywood Hills, and features unsurpassed city lights, Valley, and Runyon Canyon views. And you have direct access to Runyon Canyon Park at the end of your cul-de-sac street!
The home provides an open floor plan and an updated mid-century design for today’s lifestyle. There is a new pool, spa, sound system, and security system.
7302 Mulholland Drive In Hollywood Hills
7302 Mulholland Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90046
5 BR, 3 BA
$3,399,000
Located at the end of a long private driveway on nearly an acre lot, this 5 bedroom, 3 bath mid-century home embodies the clean modernist lines of the era. Built in 1953, the Hollywood Hills residence features an open floor plan that seamlessly connects the public and privates spaces. Walls of glass neatly pocket away to merge the indoors with the outdoors.
The main house includes a master suite and bath, plus 2 additional bedrooms and bath. A covered breezeway leads to a 2 bedroom, 1 bath guesthouse.
4020 Sinova Street In Montecito Heights
4020 Sinova Street
Los Angeles, CA 90031
2 BR, 2 BA
$399,000
This fully updated home is listed at a great price and located in Montecito Heights. It features 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, a den, and a huge updated kitchen with stainless steel appliances and Caesarstone counters.
This updated traditional home also provides new plumbing and electrical, new central A/C, new windows and doors, and is EQ retrofitted. There is a 1-car garage with new sub-panel, which is perfect for a home office or art studio.
1736 Wollam Street In Mount Washington
1736 Wollam Street
Los Angeles, CA 90065
2 BR, 1 BA (with additional property)
$699,000
Arroyo stones and lush gardens lead up to this incredibly unique Mount Washington home. The first home on this property is a 864 square foot 2 bedroom, 1 bath main house. There is also a sauna housewith a kitchenette and sleeping area with an additional 260 square feet. The property includes a workshop with utilities that’s an additional 350 square feet. Each structure features panoramic views and exquisite wood detailing by Leonidas Ossetynski in the Zakopane mountain style of his native Poland.
There are 2 lots, which are nearly 1/2 an acre and run street to street. On the second lot there is a Spanish style guesthouse, which is 350 square feet with Saltillo Tiles.
Temescal Gateway Park In Pacific Palisades
Temescal Gateway Park is one of the most popular parks in the Santa Monica Mountains. It encompasses 141 acres of oak and sycamore canyons, a waterfall, ridgetop views, and access to miles of trails in Topanga State Park, Will Rogers State Historic Park, and the 20,000-acre “Big Wild.”
There are a number of trails, including a loop trail that’s good for both beginner and intermediate hikers. It’s about 3 to 4 miles long and takes about 2-2.5 hours to complete. To make the hike a bit less steep, take the Temescal Canyon Trail to the top, which is the more eastern trail to your right as you approach the trails. To do the steeper climb to the top, take the Temescal Ridge Trail to the top. At the intersection of Temescal Ridge Trail and Temescal Canyon Trail, you can either take a half mile side trip to Skull Rock (staying on the ridge trail) or head down into the Temescal Canyon. At the bottom of the canyon, you cross a bridge with a beautiful waterfall and then the trail drops through the canyon at a mild pace, through a dense wooded area. Read more…
The Huntington Botanical Gardens
At the top of my list of places I still need to go in Los Angeles: The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. This 207 acre hilltop estate was home to Henry E. Huntington (1850-1927). The library contains his collection of rare books and art collection with changing art exhibits. But what I’m really dying to check out are the Botanical Gardens. It began in 1903 and now features more than a dozen gardens, including a 100-year-old Rose Garden, a Chinese Garden with traditional open-air houses, an Amazon water lily pond, and a Japanese Garden with a koi-filled stream.
Right now there is something extra exciting going on at the Huntington Botanical Gardens–the gigantic Amorphophallus titanum or Titan Arum (a.k.a. the Corpse Flower) is about to bloom. A Titan in bloom is extremely rare and the bloom can reach more than 6 feet in height, opening to a diameter of 3–4 feet. The plant is most famous–or infamous–for its exceptionally bad odor. Hence the nickname, Corpse Flower. When it bloomed at Huntington back in 1999, it created international headlines and nearly 76,000 people lined up to get a whiff.
The exact date of the current bloom is unknown, but it’s projected to open sometime between June 5-10. Huntington is keeping track of its progress on the corpse flower page. When it does open, the bloom will not last long–just a few days, so you’ll have to hurry if you want to see (and smell it) in all its glory. If you’re planning a tip, reservations are not necessary and tickets can be purchased at the time of your visit. Check Huntington’s website for more details and hours.
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
(626) 405-2100
LA Garden Show
One of the best parts about living in Los Angeles is seeing all the gorgeous plant life. And a major part of my home ownership day dream is imagining my future garden… What flowers, cactus, and succulents would I plant? I can spend hours mapping it out. A great place to turn that dream into a reality is the LA Garden Show. It’s the largest outdoor gardening event on the West Coast. This year’s event is all about “green” gardening–changing the way we garden, saving water and energy, growing more of our own food, and creating beautiful landscapes with less thirsty plants. Those who attend will see garden displays designed by renowned landscape designers; learn eco-gardening ideas from horticultural experts and designers; shop at The Marketplace for California natives plants and garden accessories; and enjoy garden tours, kick back at the beer garden, and of course, see gorgeous plants and flowers!
The LA Garden Show runs April 30th through May 2nd from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with 8:00 a.m. entry for Arboretum members. To become a member call (626) 821-3233. Admission is $8.00 to $3.00, and free for Arboretum members. Parking is free with shuttle and preferred parking is $10.00.
LA Garden Show
Los Angeles County Arboretum
301 N. Baldwin Ave.
Arcadia, CA, 91007
(626) 821-3233
Griffith Park’s Old Zoo Picnic Area
I have probably spent more time at Griffith Park than I have at any other spot in Los Angeles, but until a few weeks ago I had never heard of the Park’s Old Zoo Picnic Area. Thanks to Beth who organized a lovely afternoon picnic there, I was able to see this spot firsthand and wow was I glad she chose it! The Old Zoo Picnic Area is exactly what it sounds like – a picnic area surrounding (and inside) the old Griffith Park Zoo (now abandoned, of course) – and it’s a place you have to check out.
You can eat a sandwich and then climb inside monkey cages, tagged-up bird cages, or walk down stairs into strange caves that houses who knows what. You can even eat inside the zoo as some of the cages have been outfitted with benches and grills. The whole thing is exciting and creepy at the same time. It’s really crazy to think that animals lived in these small spaces as you get to really see what it would feel like to be confined to a zoo. Needless to say, I wanted out after a few minutes. The zoo opened in 1912 and closed in 1966. Few people know about it and it’s not super easy to find – you could easily walk right past it without noticing it. Once you do though you’ll feel like you’ve stumbled upon a great L.A. secret.
To get there take Crystal Springs Drive north through the park and turn left onto Griffith Park Drive. You’ll see a sign after the turn. Drive a few hundred feet and you’ll see parking. Walk up the hill and look for the caves (above). Pick a spot and enjoy an afternoon surrounded by a relic of L.A.’s past.
Old Zoo Picnic Area
Griffith Park Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(photos courtesy of Atlas Obscura)
Park[ing] Day LA 2009
When I started working in Downtown LA around this time last year, I walked outside for my afternoon walk only to find that where a parking spot used to be right outside my building now lay a tiny park. Yes…a park. Three people had set up grass, a bench and some plants and were sitting around lounging in their little man-made park the size of a parking spot. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, but I loved it!
My reaction was just what they were trying to draw out of local Angelons as part of Park[ing] Day LA – a yearly event where artists, designers, and activists transform parking spots into temporary public parks. I love this event because it really makes people think about LA.’s lack of public parks and green space.
According to the web site, Park[ing] Day LA is “an opportunity for community members to engage passers-by, motorists, members of the press, city leadership and yes, even the authorities, in a rational and respectful dialogue of everything from our city’s parks and public space to the environment and allocation of land to mobility issues and local beautification projects.”
Park[ing] Day LA takes place this Friday, September 18th. Last year over 70 mini-parks sprouted up across the city and this year should see even more. For more information and to see what parks may be appearing around you, check out their web site and follow them on Twitter.
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Copyright 2009 Take Sunset. Designed by Curt Ziegler.
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