History for the highest bid
Few places are more steeped in Pasadena’s rich past than the Vista Del Arroyo bungalows
By Joanna Dehn Beresford 08/05/2010
Everything old is new again. The Vista Del Arroyo Bungalows, as most Pasadena residents already know, exemplify the aphorism (by the way, does the well-worn aphorism also apply to itself?). And while Bette-the-beloved Davis famously proclaimed that “old age is no place for sissies,” or something like that, the truth is the new age, or the present economic age, to be more precise, doesn’t bode well for sissies, either.
Last week Kennedy Wilson released a statement regarding the recent auction of the Vista Del Arroyo Bungalows, as well as 18 condominiums at Silver Spur Court in Rolling Hills Estates. “International real estate investment and services company Kennedy Wilson … today announced that it offered and sold all 18 condominiums at Silver Spur Court … for $13 million at an auction it conducted at the Manhattan Beach Marriott. The company also sold nine condominiums at Vista Del Arroyo for $6 million at an auction it conducted the same day at the Westin Pasadena.”
According to the news release, more than 150 people attended the auction at the Westin Hotel — which only lasted about 45 minutes. Rhett Winchell described the Silver Spur and Vista Del Arroyo locations as two of the most desirable sites with which he’s been involved.
“Both communities are situated in coveted locations and feature luxury details and craftsmanship that drew large numbers of bidders to compete to purchase a property on auction day,” Winchell said.
The Vista Del Arroyo Bungalows, enhanced by views of the Colorado Street Bridge, the Western Justice Center, Defender’s Park and Arroyo Drive, sprawl across a three-acre site that’s considered one of Pasadena’s most historic sites. I love the old smell of these homes — not old as if rancid, but old as if the bones and foundations of the homes have many stories to tell. Despite the successful efforts of developers, builders and architects to refurbish the bungalows, and despite the fact that the bungalows now feature modern appointments, state-of-the-art technology and environmentally sound amenities, they still resonate with the lives, the flow of emotion, activity, joys and disappointments of their long-ago residents.
Historic is a relative term. A historic bungalow in Great Britain or central Europe might date back to the 12th century, the Middle Ages. A historic dwelling in the Middle East or the American Southwest might have weathered millennia. Even in Pasadena, history is not so shallow.
A very long time ago members of the Native American Hahamongna tribe, an extension of the Tongva Nation and part of the Shoshone language group, occupied the Los Angeles Basin, including parts of the San Gabriel Valley and the Arroyo Seco. They didn’t live in condos, bungalows, craftsman cottages or estates; they inhabited dome-shaped lodges with thatched roofs. Little or nothing remains of these dwellings, but you can listen for the echo of their footsteps along the old Tongva foot trail, the oldest surviving transportation route in Pasadena. Also called the Gabrielino Trail, the path winds along the west side of the Rose Bowl and up the Arroyo Seco, past JPL and into the San Gabriel Mountains. People have traveled that path for thousands of years, and that’s what I call a historically significant site.
But the Vista Del Arroyo Bungalows, adjacent to the storied Vista Del Arroyo, do resonate with past moments. The property was initially developed and the hotel constructed in 1903. Eight of the existing bungalows are nationally registered historic sites; others are new construction on ground steeped in history. The condos range from one to three bedrooms and 2,041 to 3,585 square feet. Built by LeFevre Corp., the residences feature spacious central courtyards, concierge service, secured access and parking, and upscale refurbishing, including gourmet kitchens with high-end appliances. Thatched roofs and domes are nowhere in sight, but good taste and a sense of continuity does abound.
Apparently, nine of the Vista Del Arroyo condos sold for roughly $6 million at the recent auction. The homes were offered at initial bids that represented less than half the original asking price. So goes the march of time. This is a stunning landscape, hosting smart homes on land that reaches deep beyond the lovely, early 20th century pastiche of recorded history.
What are these houses, views, canyon-top perches worth? That question can’t really be answered, at least by me. But you might be able to buy one of the remaining condos for a remarkably reasonable price. And whether you plan to buy or browse, the grounds are worth a leisurely stroll no matter what.
Contact Joanna Dehn Beresford at truewrite@yahoo.com.
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