Walking in the Neighborhood

The best time to take a walk in the horrible heat of Los Angeles in September is early in the morning. Except for our one day of morning rain this week, I've been walking at around 6:30 a.m. I like to try and notice various details of the area when I'm walking. 

Wall Detail on Spanish Revival Style Home

Decorative Fence Cut-outs

Methane Gas Vent Near Sidewalk. We live near the Tar Pits!

We have a very diverse cross-section of architecture in our neighborhood. There are apartments, duplexes and single family homes. Most structures were built between the mid-1920's through the mid-1930's. Styles range from Spanish, Spanish Mission, Mediterranean to English Tudor, Art Deco, Streamlined Moderne and Storybook European.  There are also some very cool mid-20th century modern buildings from the 1950s and 1960s.

I've heard my Mother mention "Bird" houses.  Larry uses the term too. They are referring to the triangular row of holes under the eaves, usually on the garage, that are supposed compartmentalized housing for doves and pigeons. Here's an example in our neighborhood:

Dovecote Detail

Drawing by Rodolfo Castro

For some reason, having a "bird" or dovecote house is fancy. People always raise their eyebrows and exclaim, "Oh, they live in a bird house!" Personally, I can only imagine the mess that visiting pigeons must make in these recesses. 

Click on photo to read original ad for Wilshire Vista