Bungalow Heaven in Pasadena Named One of America's Top Ten Neighborhoods

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Ann Erdman
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(626) 744-4755

Pasadena’s Bungalow Heaven landmark district has been designated one of the 10 great places in the America.

In making the announcement, the American Planning Association cited the large number of significantly important historic homes as well as collaborative efforts between neighborhood residents and the city of Pasadena for restoring, protecting and maintaining Bungalow Heaven’s unique character and sense of place.

“Bungalow Heaven demonstrates how historic neighborhoods have an enduring appeal, especially in a city like Pasadena where there is a strong commitment to history preservation and the early 20th century Arts and Crafts movement,” said Vice Mayor Victor Gordo, whose district partially encompasses Bungalow Heaven. “Residents throughout Pasadena have invested years and years of work to protect their neighborhoods, and it is a testament to those first dedicated residents of Bungalow Heaven.”

APA’s annual Great Places in America program exemplifies exceptional character and highlights the role planners and planning play in creating communities of lasting value.

Most of the home-building in Bungalow Heaven took place between 1905 and 1920. About 70 percent of the 1,100 single-family homes are bungalows from the Arts and Crafts period and no two are exactly alike.

When a classic Craftsman bungalow was demolished in 1985 at the corner of Wilson Avenue and Washington Boulevard and replaced with a generic stucco-faced apartment building, neighbors took action. A petition drive led to the Pasadena City Council authorizing a down-zoning limiting the number of residential units per lot and establishing the first local historic landmark district.

The landmark status requires property owners to apply for certificates of appropriateness to ensure that any changes to the exterior of their homes comply with the Secretary of State’s Standards for Rehabilitation and Illustrated Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings.

Compact and walkable, the neighborhood features homes sited on 50-foot-wide parcels with generally uniform front-yard setbacks, porches in front, garages in the rear and a huge tree canopy.

The Bungalow Heaven Neighborhood Association has supported the historic district by offering financial assistance to homeowners with limited incomes and promoting a strong ethic of pride in the neighborhood and its historic character. The association also has taken an active role in restoration and improvements at McDonald Park, conducts workshops for residents and coordinates an annual home tour – a rare opportunity for thousands to walk the neighborhood and go inside selected homes.

“Bungalow Heaven has matured as an organization and retained a strong sense of community, improving their neighborhood park and public library while helping to shape policy in the city as a whole,” said City Councilwoman Margaret McAustin, whose district also includes part of Bungalow Heaven. “The organization has had other real impacts on City Hall by serving as a growing ground for neighborhood leaders and elected officials.”

City staff in the Pasadena Planning and Development Department work closely with the neighborhood association and helped create a conservation plan that promotes rehabilitation of historic homes and stipulates when exterior work requires review by the Historic Preservation Commission and city planning staff.

Listed in the National Register of Historic Places and the California Register of Historic Resources, Bungalow Heaven has become a regional laboratory for the study of Arts and Crafts bungalows and restoring the historic integrity of these homes. Feature articles about Bungalow Heaven have appeared in regional, national and international publications.

Through Great Places in America, the American Planning Association recognizes unique and authentic characteristics found in three essential components of communities – streets, neighborhoods and public places. Features considered include architecture and community involvement.

“Bungalow Heaven is truly remarkable in that there are more than a thousand historic homes in the neighborhood,” said APA Chief Executive Officer Paul Farmer. “Residents and the city are rightfully proud of this architectural legacy, and we applaud them for their ongoing commitment through planning and planning follow-through to protect and enhance their neighborhood’s unique sense of place.”

The other nine APA 2009 Great Neighborhoods are Faubourg Marigny in New Orleans; the Haymarket in Kenmore, New York; Downtown Fargo in North Dakota; Ladd’s Addition in Portland, Oregon; Franklin Historic District in Franklin, Tennessee; Montrose in Houston, Texas; Historic Hilton Village in Newport News, Virginia; and Browne’s Addition in Spokane, Washington.

For more information about Bungalow Heaven visit www.bungalowheaven.org; for more information about city of Pasadena historic preservation programs visit www.cityofpasadena.net/historicpreservation or call (626) 744-4009; for more information about APA 10 Great Places visit www.planning.org/greatplaces.

from http://www.cityofpasadena.net/EkContent.aspx?theme=Navy&id=4036&bid=2970