Architecture Field Trip - Highland Park & Garvanza
No car required for this field trip - Highland Park and Garvanza are both accessible by foot from my home in Pasadena. Though nearby, these neighborhoods are considered part of Los Angeles and it’s fun to “run” only several miles and cross the boundary into another city.
Garvanza and Highland Park are adjacent to each other and I often run through portions of each, approaching from Pasadena or South Pasadena, depending how I piece together a run.
I appreciate the hilly geography of these neighborhoods and the views toward DTLA to the south and the San Gabriel Mountains towards the northeast (images above).
A couple secret stairways nearby have been “found”, one accessed from Avenue 67, the other from Avenue 64. There remain many more Highland Park secret stairs to be climbed!
My first time in Garvanza I was out on a run and asked a resident walking his dog, “Excuse me, can you tell me what neighborhood I’m in?” It was early during the pandemic and I hadn’t had many conversations with strangers while out and about. So, it was refreshing to chat with this resident across the street, each of us masked. A benefit was finding someone who knew the history of his neighborhood! Interesting fact: The name ‘Garvanza’ comes from the fields of garbanzo beans that once flourished in the area.
Homes here tend to be modest in size and many have been remodeled or are undergoing renovation. Modernist and mid-century architecture tends to catch my eye. Water wise landscapes apparently draw my attention, too!
Stay tuned for another Highland Park post. There’s a modern house featured in the latest issue of Dwell that I look forward to viewing in person.