Angelino Heights: Time-Warp Back to the Victorian Era

While historic preservation is not one of LA’s strong suits, this town does boast a few beautifully preserved neighborhoods. A prime example of LA circa 1900 is the off-the-beaten path Angelino Heights 'hood, northeast of downtown LA. Filled with stately Victorian homes, a walk down Carroll Ave. will make you feel like you've time-warped back a century.



As a native San Franciscan, I was skeptical that LA’s Victorians could hold a candle to those in the City by the Bay. No doubt my hometown has way more Victorians, but Angelino Heights still left me impressed.



Most of the district’s homes are designed in the Eastlake and Queen Anne styles of the late 19th Century. The exquisite Victorian architecture you’ll see here includes heavy adornments like sunbursts, gables, and colored glass, making the homes look like elaborate gingerbread houses.



Besides the architecture, the other pleasant thing about Angelino Heights is its tight community feel. A few days before our walking tour, a fire had sadly gutted one of the homes on East Edgeware Rd. and damaged several nearby. The inspiring thing about this tragic event was the way neighbors pulled together, helping each other repair the fire damage.



If you’re short on time, the 1300 block of Carroll Ave. is the can’t-be-missed, postcard-perfect heart of the neighborhood with the best preserved Victorians. But if you have a few extra minutes, check out the 800 block of E. Edgeware (around the corner from Carroll).



Better yet, sign up for the LA Conservancy’s 2-hour walking tour of the area and have a knowledgeable docent fill you in on historical details for only $10pp. The nice thing about the tour is that the area’s unofficial mayor – ‘Murray’ – who lives at 1320 Carroll Ave. kindly opens his home to tour participants, giving you a glimpse of life on the inside of one of these Victorian splendors.

For those who say Angelenos have no sense of history (like I used to), a visit to Angelino Heights might change your mind.