Los Feliz is a district in Hollywood that is south of the Santa Monica Mountains and next to Silver Lake. It consists of a mix of upper and lower class residents. At one time, Los Feliz was the residence of many movie stars and Hollywood executives, who lived in the glittering mansions that are still around today for visitors to view.[1]
KCET Studios One of Hollywood’s oldest studios still around and still in use is the KCET Studios at 4401 Sunset Boulevard. It was originally constructed in 1912.[2]
ABC Television Center The ABC Television Center, or more informally known as Prospect Studios and formerly known as the Vitagraph Studios, is located at 4151 Prospect Avenue and is another old film studio still around. It is currently still used to tape soap operas like General Hospital.[3]
Melrose Place The apartment complex at 4616 Greenwood Place is the actual one that was used as the exterior for the old TV show, Melrose Place.[4]
Vista Theatre The Vista Theatre is located at the intersection of Hollywood and Sunset Boulevard and is a historic, quasi-Egyptian movie house that is still around.[5]
Hollyhock House The Hollyhock House at 4800 Hollywood Boulevard was built and designed by the famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, as the home for oil-heiress Aline Barnsdall in 1921. The bizarre structure features upright geometric shafts that project from the roof, and the exterior is decorated with Mayan motifs. Aline Barnsdall donated it to the city to be used as a cultural center. It has since been designated a national historic landmark and is part of the Barnsdall Art Park.[6]
Barnsdall Art Park The Barnsdall Art Park at 4800 Hollywood Boulevard, which encompasses the Hollyhock House, is home to the Junior Arts Center and the Barnsdall Arts Center, both galleries showcasing local art.[7]
Shakespeare Bridge The Shakespeare Bridge is at the heart of residential Los Feliz at Franklin Avenue and St George Street. It is a 1926 structure with charming turrets.[8]
Walt Disney House The Walt Disney House at 4053 Woking Way can be reached by crossing the Shakespeare Bridge. It is a cottage that sits on a perilous, high slope.[9]
Lovell House The Lovell House at 4616 Dundee Drive is a striking, 1929 building with white concrete slabs that are balanced on delicate stilts. The house was used in the film L.A. Confidential.[10]
Ennis-Brown House The Ennis-Brown House at 2655 Glendower Avenue is another one of famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s designs, built atop the Los Feliz hills. It is constructed using hundreds of bulky concrete blocks configured to look like a Mayan temple. It has an imposing pre-Columbian look, and was used in the filming of Blade Runner and The House on Haunted Hill. This is one of the few homes in the Los Feliz district that is actually open to the public.[11]
Fantasy Foundation The Fantasy Foundation is a museum with over 300,000 items and memorabilia of fantasy, science-fiction, and horror movies. The highlights of the collection include fake breasts worn by Jane Fonda in Barbarella, the robot from Metropolis, and the facial molds of various actors.[12]
References: Dickey, Jeff. Los Angeles, 3rd Edition. Rough Guides, 2003. ISBN: 1843530589.
[1] Dickey, 89 [2] Id. [3] Id. [4] Id. [5] Id. [6] Id. at 90 [7] Id. [8] Id. at 90-91 [9] Id. at 91 [10] Id. [11] Id. [12] Id. |