'Hood #15: Mid-Century Homes in Granada Hills & a Hipster Hangout

While I was already  at the northern tip of Los Angeles, I extended my visit of LA neighborhoods to nearby Granada Hills. I'd read that there was a mini-neighborhood there with about 100 homes built by the iconic Mid-Century Modern developer Joseph Eichler in 1963-1964.  He's famous for developing the style of architecture known as "California Modern" and making it affordable for the masses.  Most of his developments are in northern California and Orange County, and this is the only one in LA.

Since it was a Saturday, I was hoping I might luck out and find an open house where I could do a bit of lookie-looing.

No such luck, but it was fun driving around the area anyway.  I was with my Aunt Marcy, and—upon turning on to Darla Avenue (one of the four streets making up the 'hood)—we both immediately made a joke about the house from the Brady Bunch.  It's clear where Mike Brady got his inspiration.

After seeing the outside of the houses (plus an unusual number of vintage cars parked in the driveways), I realized I reeeeeealy want to see the inside of them—it's my understanding they're built with large windows and an appreciation for bringing the outdoors indoor.  I still have other neighborhoods to visit in the Valley, so I made a mental note to revisit and catch an open house or—even better—some sort of neighborhood architecture tour if I can find one.

While in Granada Hills, Marcy suggested lunch at Freebirds, which she described as "a hipster version of Chipotle." It was a bit tricky to find—and Marcy missed a golden opportunity when she called out to a group of people to ask where it was that she didn't just shout, "Freebird!!" Anyway, we found it, and it was very Chipotle-like in that it's a build-a-burrito-the-size-of-a-schoolbus fast food place... only they also serve pot brownies.