Day 103 of 365 Things To Do In Pasadena takes us to the first landmark district in Pasadena – Bungalow Heaven. If you love character homes, you’ll be in hmm… “heaven!” due to its abundance of Bungalows!
What is a California Bungalow you might ask?
It’s charming and practical and is an offshoot of the Arts and Crafts movement. The designs emphasize the horizontal link between the house and the land around it. The us of natural, local materials and colors also reinforce this home-earth relationship.
You’ll recognize a bungalow by these features:
* – One or one-and-a-half stories
* – Low, sloping roof either gabled (front or side) or hipped, often with wide overhangs
* – Exposed roof structure (beams, rafters)
* – Exterior proportions balanced rather than symmetrical in arrangement
* – Modest front porch
* – A front stoop is a common element
* – Focus on a garden, even if small
* – Open, informal floor plan
* – Prominent hearth
* – Wood details inside
* – Built-in furniture common throughout the house
Here’s a video that Laurie March of Improvemental.com and I put together on one of the bungalows that came up for sale as a foreclosure recently. It will give you a wonderful sense of the beauty of these homes.
Most of the California Bungalows in Bungalow Heaven were built between 1900 and 1930s. There is a collection of about 800 intact bungalows for your viewing pleasure.
Many of the bungalows here were built from kits – often at a cost of $1,000 – and delivered to Californians eager to build the low-slung, often single-story homes with the deep verandas and overhanging eaves that protect them form California’s powerful sunshine.
There are so many beautiful bungalows here that it’s impossible to point out just one or two. Take a walk through the neighborhood and explore it yourself.
Take a look at Bungalow Heaven website for more information and history of the neighborhood.
Bungalow Heaven is located between Washington Blvd (north) and Orange Grove (South) , Lake Avenue (West) and Hill (East).
So, if you are ready to explore one of the more famous Pasadena neighborhoods, stroll along the beautiful tree lined streets of Bungalow Heaven.
Visit 365 Things To Do In Pasadena® for more fun activities in Pasadena California and surrounding neighborhoods.
