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Interspersed with the bungalow
mansions in Oak Knoll built by tycoons a century
ago are tree-lined streets with sprawling ranch style homes from
the 1960s, as well as elegant Spanish Revival and Georgian
Revival homes. |
Oak Knoll is, arguably, one of the most prestigious
neighborhoods in Pasadena. (The argument would come from people who live overlooking the
Arroyo Seco and in Prospect
Park.)
When the original homes in
Oak Knoll were built, many were in the bungalow style. Famous architects were
employed. No details were spared. And money was generally not an issue. Today, these
architecturally distinguished estates on winding, oak tree-shaded streets come up for
sale once in a generation or, sometimes, once in a lifetime -- and they
are snapped up quickly even with multi-million dollar asking prices.
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At the southern end of Oak Knoll is the
Langham Hotel and Resort--formerly the Huntington--one of the three remaining resorts from the
era when Pasadena had a reputation for having a therapeutic climate and
thousands of people came from across the U.S. to restore their health. |
The other two
resort
buildings are
the Green Hotel and the Vista
del Arroyo -- both
converted to other uses. The Vista del Arroyo is now the Ninth
Circuit Court of Appeals; the Green Hotel is now apartments called Castle
Green.
To visit Oak Knoll go to Wilson and
California and drive south.
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The bungalow
architectural style is evident in this Madison Heights home,
although the choice of yellow paint for the shingles is definitely a
contemporary one. |
Madison Heights is adjacent to Oak Knoll and
the homes, while generously sized, are not quite as grandiose as the more
notable ones in Oak Knoll. Like Oak Knoll and many other Pasadena
neighborhoods, the streets in this area are lined with century-old
oaks. It is illegal to cut down trees in Pasadena without city
permission -- even trees on private property. The result:
the city is heavily forested.
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Some of the
architectural details on this Madison Heights home show a
Victorian influence -- in particular the steep-pitched roof, the
bay window and multi-sided dormer. |
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While there are very few condos in Madison
Heights, there are some in adjacent areas along California Street, as
well as on Oakland and Madison Avenues, north of California. There
are also many rentals in this area, including some designed by
noted architect Wallace Neff. |
To visit Madison Heights start at Los Robles
and California and go south and east.
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12 things to do for FREE
in Las Vegas. |
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