70 Years of Hillside Development

1938

Photo: Smith, 1938. Construction of 2647 Corralitas. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

As the remaining vacant lots on the hills surrounding the Red Car Property are being built today, it's useful to review the history of development in the neighborhood from one backyard atop Corralitas Drive. Special thanks to the Smith family for sharing their photos.

The Smiths built their home on Corralitas in 1938 and still own property on Corralitas to this day. Fortunately, their photographs recorded the growth of the neighborhood from their backyard over the years. In 1938, homes were concentrated near the Red Car Stop at India St. and the Silver Lake Ave. public staircase, visible in the background of the above photo. There were also a number of homes on Riverside Place - just below the Red Car Trolley tracks and out of frame above.

1950

Photo: Smith, April 1950. Snow in Silver Lake. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

The 1950 snowstorm photo above indicates the typical development pattern surrounding the Red Car Trolley Lines. Homes closest to the tracks (Riverside Place) tended were 400 sq. ft. houses on 800 sq. ft. lots. As you moved further from the tracks, the lots and homes got larger.

The bottom left corner of the above photo reveals the "walk street" portion of Riverside Place. When the Red Car tracks were pulled out in 1955, the neighbors voted to give up 10' of their front yards so the City would pave a street to their homes that were previously Red Car Trolley dependent. Also above, Lake View and Silver Ridge are largely unbuilt.

1971

Photo: Smith, 1971. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

In 1971, the view from the Smith's backyard had not changed remarkably. If you look closely at all three photos above, you can see the erosion on the upslope side of Lake View that made development challenging. The Red Car tracks are gone and the Red Car Property is just a dirt roadway.

Early 1980's

Photo: Smith, early 1980's. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

In the early 1980's, grading for the difficult section of Lake View and Silver Ridge began. Both sides of Lake View were under construction for most of the 1980's. The above and following photos reveal the standard of hillside development typical of the era; lots of cutting into the hillside and construction of retaining walls.

Early 1980's

Photo: Smith, early 1980's. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

1985

Photo: Smith, January 1985. (Click on photo to enlarge).

2008

Photo: Edwardson, July 15, 2008. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Seventy years later, there are very few vacant hillside lots left in the neighborhood. Only in the past few years did the owners of the long narrow house on Silver Ridge plant their slope between Silver Ridge and Lake View. Previously, it was unchanged from the 1985 photo above.

Illegal Billboard on Corralitas Drive

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 7 2008. Technically this is an unpermitted billboard
at 2467 Corralitas Drive. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

If you have to resort to signs this large, perhaps it's time to drop the asking price. But then, this is one of the two new stucco boxes in a hole next to the freeway, highlighted earlier in Ugly Rooftop Watch and below.


Photo: Diane Edwardson, June 26, 2008. A view of the rooftop styling for 2467 and 2463 Corralitas Drive from the adjacent public staircase. The 2 Freeway is in the background. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Stolen Car Torched on the Red Car Property, Insurance Scam or July 3rd Ritual?

Photo: Diane Edwardson July 8, 2008. A car fire singed the Eucalyptus tree
with 20' high flames. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

July 3, 2008, around 2 A.M., a neighbor awoke to a loud explosion and fire on the Red Car Property between India and the Silver Lake Ave. staircase. A new white Mercedes was fully engulfed in flames. The neighbor immediately called 911 and the LAFD put out the fire before it could spread to other trees or homes. No homes or other private property were damaged. Thankfully, the brush clearance had been done a few months ago by Aztecs Fire Crew.

Perhaps it's just a 3rd of July ritual to torch a brand new car. The photo below from is last year.


Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 4, 2007. Brand new and stolen SUV torched on
July 3, 2007 under the 2 Freeway on Rosebud Ave.

In 18 years, I have never seen an such an incident the Red Car Property. Thieves usually torch stolen cars under the 2 Freeway on Rosebud Ave., where there are no homes nearby. Although, in the past few years, it does not happen too often. It comes in cycles. Our LAPD Senior Lead Officer, Al Polehonki suggests these are usually insurance scams. You can track reported crime in the neighborhood on crime maps on the LAPD website.

If you live adjacent to the Red Car Property and call 911 for fire or criminal activity, be aware that you may have to give directions to emergency services. While Fire Station 56 knows how to get there, they may not be the station responding to the call.

July 4th Fireworks from Corralitas

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 4, 2008

The most spectacular illegal fireworks show every year is on the LA River, best viewed from the surrounding hills. The ultimate year was 2001. Tons of illegal fireworks lasted well past midnight. The acrid stench of gunpowder in the air lasted for most of the following day. Last year, a few nights before the 4th, illegal fireworks set some Arundo donax on fire right around Newell Street in the LA River. Gentrification and the sliding economy has reduced the spectacle, but it's still a scary good show.