LAist: The Neighborhood Project: Garvanza

guest

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 21:47:37 -0800

Hey garvanzaman, You're wife's project is looking good! Great write up of the neighborhood. Joe's house looks great in the lead shot! Your bro the third!

garvanzaman

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 17:12:28 -0800

Addendum note regarding the Church of the Angels historically being identified as being in Garvanza: See EBay postcard auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/CA-Garvanza-Interior-of-Church-of-the-Angels-early_W0QQitemZ180148769958QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

garvanzaman

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 16:40:10 -0800

LWR, Great write-up on the neighborhood we love. My wife and I have lived in Garvanza for over 10 years and are active in the HPHT and the Garvanza Improvement Association (GIA). We are part of a tight knit group advocating for the HPOZ with support from HPHT, CD14 staff and Councilman Huizar, who personally walked the neighborhood to see the homes, meet his constituents and declare that "this neighborhood must be preserved." From a historical context, you were correct to have included the Church of the Angels here as it was sited by Garvanza intentionally not in Pasadena. It was annexed by Pasadena later on (Garvanzans say "stolen" as this was against her wishes) Mrs. Campbell-Johnston selected the site near the town of Garvanza in memory of her husband over the objections of her contemporary friends who thought it should be built either in the Pasadena or Los Angeles which were more prominent and tonier neighborhoods. My wife is assisting the home owner of the Dr. Williams residence in project managing the restoration (pro bono btw for a retired gentleman). The exterior should be complete sometime in November, so follow the progress! Thanks again for a great write-up!

rafi

Sat, 11 Aug 2007 22:23:11 -0800

Lindsay William-Ross, you are a national treasure. Great job. Garvanza is finally getting the attention it deserves after years of lingering in the shadows of Highland Park, Eagle Rock, and Cypress Park! KUDOS!!!!!!!

guest

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 11:07:18 -0800

Absolutely gorgeous piece. Alas, Ave 64 is in dire need of trees! It's blistering urban down that street. Some fabulous streetscaping has been done on the side streets now Councilman Huizar needs to push for trees here. Mauricio

Lindsay William-Ross

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 10:17:43 -0800

Thanks for all the kudos, everyone. I seriously heart the Neighborhood Project and have an awful lot of fun taking the pictures and compiling the entries, so it means a lot to get this feedback. I will agree--and make mention in the piece--that the Garvanza/Pasadena borderlines are confusing, particularly when you look at the often misleading placement of signage, and other clues like street signs (LA City's older blue signs as opposed to Pasadena's tidier green ones) and things like zip and area codes. I think one of the absolute hardest parts of this project is locating a definitive map that has the official neighborhood boundaries as they pertain to the City's official Neighborhood designations. If anyone knows of such a map (not the Neighborhood council maps, or the political district maps) I think all of us at LAist would heave a collective sigh of relief. I mean, I'm sitting here on the campus of CSULA, getting ready to start researching my next 'hood--University Hills, where CSULA is--and I'm not even sure if the campus itself is considered part of the Neighborhood! Re: the guest commentor who asked about the actual city designation of the Church of the Angels--I readily admit that the Church of the Angels is most often recognized as being techinically part of the City of Pasadena, although this City of Pasadena zoning map (http://ci.pasadena.ca.us/planning/deptorg/curplng/pdfs/Zoning_Map_04.pdf) puts this very patch of land into the even more confusing category of "Public or Semi Public" space). I chose to include it for the following reasons: 1. It's construction, benefactors, and history are deeply rooted to the history of Garvanza, and like so many of our city's fascinating neighborhoods, this overlap is emblematic of how the landscape and "dividing lines" have changed, blurred, or established themselves through our city's long history. 2. Since we are doing just LA City Neighborhoods, we won't be covering Pasadena, and there would be no other opportunity to cover this beautiful landmark under the scope of our project, and I took a pinch of editorial leeway in my choice to include it. I kinda think we're all the better for it, IMHO. Thanks again, everyone!

guest

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 09:54:56 -0800

This is great. The best entry so far.

guest

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 09:52:40 -0800

Also the yellow "cottage" and white "larger home" on North Avenue 64 are recent move-ons. I think the buildings are c.1880s-90s from the Chinatown area.

guest

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 09:51:01 -0800

Can anyone confirm that Church of the Angels is really in LA, not Pasadena? The linked website says Pasadena. My maps show the East side of Ave 64, noth of Adelaide Pl being Pasadena. Thanks.

LA City Nerd

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 08:14:53 -0800

Well Done! This is a great introduction to one of the truly hidden jewels of the City of Los Angeles. The borders of Garvanza can be a little confusing in the hills in the north as the area essentially becomes Pasadena without telling you! We've always notes that the hills of Garvanza are the Northeast LA's version of the Dona (how do you do a tilde here?) streets of Studio City's hills.

Lindsay William-Ross

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 06:20:23 -0800

Carolyn-AHAHAHA! that's a hilarious error on my part... i couldn't get a good look inside and the sign says "CROP HEMP PRODUCTS" so i went ahead assumed...and we all know where that goes. I'll correct my copy ASAP. too funny! thanks for setting me straight.

Carolyn K

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 22:57:56 -0800

Lindsay you are wonderful but you're totally wrong about Crop. It's a one-woman hair salon run by Debbie, a refugee from Rudy's. She gives hip (but not tragic) cuts and can fix fubar dye jobs, all while playing great music and charging reasonable rates. You should see her rock collage bathroom. Tremendous.

guest

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 20:21:40 -0800

What a great entry! I live in a nearby neighborhood but hadn't been familiar with all the history of the Garvanza area. For another dining recommendation, I would suggest Penny's on the corner of York and Fig (I always assumed that was HLP). For a burger joint, it's clean, comfortable and good quality food.

guest

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 15:50:28 -0800

LW-R is on fire with her contributions to this awesome feature! Fantastic post! -Will Campbell

Biffles

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 15:16:11 -0800

Incredible! I didn't know a thing about this neighborhood....great piece!

guest

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 14:39:53 -0800

I've been told to check out this neighborhood, but I could never remember the name... I would ask, "Do you know of a neighborhood with some name that begins with a 'G', kinda Spanishy? East of Eagle Rock? Supposedly cool?" Never got more than blank stares in response....

Michele Reverte

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 13:59:49 -0800

Fantastic! :)

Tony Pierce

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 13:34:18 -0800

youve just raised the bar! i will fix that map for you!

Ryan Young

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 13:17:39 -0800

solid work as always, lindsay. glad to get more insight on the history of the area.

guest

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 12:09:16 -0800

I work on Avenue 64 in Pasadena and have to drive through Garvanza daily. I love it and feel that it's one of the most interesting neighborhoods in LA. Judson Studios is famous for its stained glass objects (I just learned via the Historic Core walking tour that the globe chandelier in the atrium of the Central Library was made by Judson Studios). The blue signs are a little confusing. I thought that Church Street was the northern border as I had read that the Church of the Angels was annexed by Pasadena decades ago. Hmm.. Rico A

Ali Miller

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 11:59:56 -0800

Holy crap, great job! I had no idea this area really existed and I'm a native as well. Great pics.

Sloane Berrent

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 11:49:58 -0800

Amazing! Thanks Linds!

mynameinink

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 11:29:26 -0800

I'm a native and never even knew this area existed. Now I'm itching to go explore!

Kemp

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 11:24:12 -0800

Wow! Just...wow! That has got to be the most encyclopedic NP entry yet (with awesome photos to boot). You should do the wikipedia entry also. :-)

polaroidgirl

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 11:20:50 -0800

Awesome!! I've never heard of Garvanza although I've been in that area before.

Jacy Young

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 11:07:24 -0800

Great job! Love the pictures.