WALK 3: West Loop/Forest Lawn

1. From KAFN at 1019 E. Palmer, walk west. when you get to Cottage Grove Ave look down this historic street: It is a 14 house historic district of English/Tudor cottages built in the 1920s. You can walk up and back this street to see the little “Old English Village” or just continue down Palmer and turn left at Vista Court. Proceed up Vista and turn right at Oakridge.  Then turn left on Cypress Street and bear left onto Prospect.  746 Prospect is a large, (currently) pink house designed by famed architect to the stars Paul Revere Williams. Click here to find out more about Williams.  More views of Glendale on right as you walk.

Proceeding on Prospect and view the east side of Adams Hill between the houses. Further on Prospect, you’ll find 700 (now mostly obscured by fence and foliage). This was the home of  Hubert Eaton, founder of Forest Lawn. It is likely the largest house in Adams Hill and has been altered extensively.  Mr. Eaton would take a funicular rail car (now gone) up to the top of Forest Lawn directly from his house.

2. Continue on Prospect until it turns into Alta Vista.  Vercellini House at 604 Alta Vista is a Glendale landmark, designated for its unique Moorish/Spanish colonial architecture and prominent crenellated battlement.

3. Turn left on Cypress and proceed toward Glendale Ave.  At the intersection with Boynton look left at Heidi House (1913) at 522 E. Cypress. This area was originally called The Heidi Boynton Tract and this was Henry Heidi’s home. On the other side of Cypress is 1293  Boynton,  a large exemplary Craftsman era style house built in 1916, during the height of the American Arts & Crafts era. Glendale had lots of these back then and there are still quite a few - hopefully not to be demolished. Visit City of Glendale Craftsman Era Historic Survey to dig deeper.  

 

5. Continue on Cypress and note 311, the Senior Living Center, an apartment building of Tudor Revival Style with rare clinker brick façade. Just west is a terrific mural by kch.nico, dedicated to veterans.

Turn left on Glendale and walk south to cross Roads End at Los Feliz Blvd.  Los Feliz Blvd used to be called Tropico Blvd. The Roads End section of Adams Hill (to the left) is not connected by street to the rest of the neighborhood.  It is part of Adams Hill but is eligible to be a historic district in and of itself.  Take a swing around this quaint street.

4. On the northwest corner of Cypress and Mariposa find Richardson House, address 1281 Mariposa. This is a highly significant historic landmark built in 1890. It is the farmhouse of W.C.B. Richardson, the First Citizen of Tropico, which is what south/southwest Glendale used to be called. He owned most of the land south of Windsor during the early days of settlement.  The house was originally located on what is now San Fernando Road.

6. Continue south (left) on Glendale Ave to the main entrance of Forest Lawn and pass through the largest wrough iron gates in the world (no kidding).  View the Administration Complex on the right - looks a lot like an old village in England.

7. If you’re still energized walk up to the Forest Lawn Museum. Check out the many points of interest in Forest Lawn Memorial Park along the way. It’s about a one mile hike to the museum with 300 ft. elevation gain. Once you are  up at the museum, visit it!  Fantastic collection and excellent special exhibitions await you.  Note the sweeping views of the Verdugo Mountains, San Rafael Hills and Griffith Park from the museum.  The dome of Griffith Park Observatory can be viewed to the west.  The hall of Resurrection is to the left of the museum and in front of it is the Church of the Recessional.

8. As you leave Forest Lawn, make sure to follow the Exit signs as you may get lost in a maze of streets that don’t get you back to the exit. How you get back  to where you started is up to you. If you want food immediately Taqueria El Tapatio at 1266 S. Glendale has been there since 1979 and is waiting to serve you.