Eichler Homes

In the early 1960's, well-known real estate developer Joseph Eichler built a tract of around 100 houses in an area sometimes called Balboa Highlands, in Granada Hills. The principal architects were A. Quincy Jones and Frederick E. Emmons. Many owners have remodeled these midcentury homes, while others have preserved and restored the original style. This one on Nanette Street was declared Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 848 in 2006.

Beware the Traffic Cam Trap

On a recent weekend, we took a drive out to "Marvin Braude Mulholland Gateway Park". This park, at the south end of Reseda Blvd., has some great views of the valley, and offers paths and trails for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. It wasn't nearly as crowded as I would have expected on a Saturday with such pleasant weather, so we easily found a parking spot in the free zone. As it happened, I had forgotten to wear appropriate footwear, so we stuck to the easy paths and didn't stay long.

Imagine my husband's surprise a few days later when he received a traffic ticket in the mail. The notice claimed that we had failed to comply with a stop sign at the park. Normally we respect traffic regulations, and we couldn't even remember seeing a stop sign there, so this seemed very strange. But, sure enough, the videotape (conveniently available online) showed us rolling right through.

The stop sign in question is located several yards from the entrance to the park, at a point where there is no cross traffic, no pedestrian crossing, no gate, and no information booth or ranger station. I suspect that many people, like us, never even notice it, because they are focusing on the park entrance ahead of them (which would be a much more logical place to stop). This sign seems to have no real function other than to generate a little income (at $100 a pop) for the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.

This is a cautionary tale. Always keep an eye open for odd traffic signs in the parks, and always assume that Big Brother is watching.

Serving Up the Mail

This mailbox on Baird Avenue in Northridge appears to be an arm salvaged from an old Bob's Big Boy restaurant. At one time there were many of these old-style coffee shops, known for their delicious burgers, throughout South California and in many other states. Today, they are few and far between. The only one left in the valley is on Riverside Drive in Burbank. Built in 1949, it is the oldest remaining Bob's Big Boy in the country.

Dixie Canyon Park

This is a very small park at the end of Dixie Canyon Place in Studio City. The street leading to the staircase entrance is not much more than an alley which provides access to the residents of the very expensive townhouses in this neighborhood. The street suffers from occasional potholes and buckled pavement, probably because the water never stops running down the center drainage channel. The water comes from the year-round stream that flows down the canyon.

There is not much available parking close to the entrance, but it would be easy enough to park farther away and walk in. The hike, once you reach the park, is short and not difficult. The trail is about one-eighth of a mile, and loops at the top. Thanks, no doubt, to the stream, it is surprisingly green and fresh, with plenty of shade and lots of birds and critters in the bushes.