Figueroa Street in Los Angeles, once a tapestry of grand homes and burgeoning businesses, offers a fascinating glimpse into the city’s past. Stepping over the crest of Bunker Hill, we leave behind the downtown bustle and enter a neighborhood where Figueroa Street reveals its own unique character. This was a place where fine residences mingled with middle-class dwellings, hotels, and commercial ventures.
At 311 S. Figueroa Street, a slender building stands as a testament to adaptive reuse. In 1907, it housed the Angelus Sign Company. Later, a clever tenant capitalized on the existing wall sign, transforming the building into a quirky haven advertised for “All Kinds.”
The southwest corner of Figueroa and Fourth Street presented a picture of domestic order, showcasing a tidy home typical of the era.
Many homes along Figueroa were characterized by their spaciousness and lush gardens, reflecting the Californian and Angeleno love affair with year-round blooms.
The abundance of flowers was a source of pride for residents. Hydrangeas and roses flourished, embodying the Californian dream. One resident, the mother of Aunt Sigrid’s friend Chester, took particular pride in her Hydrangea bush, a sentiment shared by her children, Maximilian and Dorothea.
Dorothea proudly displays her mother’s roses, another floral highlight of their Figueroa Street home.
Across the street, neighbors like the Mitchells joined in the floral appreciation. Observing our admiration, they invited young Frederick Johan to capture them and their own garden in a photograph, a moment of neighborly pride and social interaction.
Further down Figueroa, a postcard image captures the essence of an Angeleno home. While this particular house was located on Spring Street, it serves as a representative image of the domestic architecture found in the Figueroa neighborhood. These homes, often with charming details, were part of the street’s residential charm.
Turning our gaze from the homes to the street itself, a northward view from the corner of Sixth Street reveals Figueroa’s broader cityscape. The silhouette of the Bellevue Terrace Hotel rises behind palm trees, a landmark that defined this section of Figueroa Street.
The Bellevue Terrace Hotel, situated at the northwest corner of Figueroa and Sixth, offered a taste of refined living. With summer rates starting at $30 per month for room and board, it promised an appealing escape. Amenities included a pool room and weekly social gatherings, catering to both residents and visitors.
For visitors from the East, the Bellevue Terrace evoked an exotic ambiance, enhanced by banana trees in its garden. Figueroa Street itself could be glimpsed through the hotel’s lush foliage, blending urban life with tropical touches.
Later, the Jonathan Club Building replaced the Bellevue Terrace. The Jonathan Club, previously located at the Pacific Electric Building on Main Street, marked a shift in the architectural landscape of Figueroa Street.
Across the street from the Jonathan Club, at the southeast corner of Figueroa and Sixth, stood the Gates Hotel. Its lobby, a respite from the California sun, became a brief stop for a family with a fussy baby, illustrating the everyday moments unfolding on Figueroa Street.
| The Gates Hotel on Figueroa Street |
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The Gates Hotel, like other establishments on Figueroa, was part of the street’s commercial and social fabric. Even mundane interactions, like inquiring about rates, hinted at the possibilities and curiosities that Figueroa Street held.
The Gates Hotel also featured a cafe, though nearby options like Sigrid’s offered local alternatives, sparking debates about culinary preferences and neighborhood loyalty.
An interior view of the Gates Hotel offered a glimpse into lodging conditions of the time, reflecting the standards and styles of early 20th-century hospitality on Figueroa Street.
From the rooftop of the Gates Hotel, the bustling downtown, just blocks away, became visible. Looking east down Sixth Street, the Pacific Mutual Building stood as a prominent landmark, connecting Figueroa Street to the wider city center.
Turning southeast from the same vantage point offered a broader panorama, showcasing Figueroa Street’s position within the evolving urban landscape of Los Angeles.
Adjacent to the Gates Hotel, at 822 West Sixth Street, was the Hotel Lee. Its proximity highlighted the density of hotels and lodging options in this area of Figueroa Street, catering to various travelers and residents.
The presence of Fire Engine Co. No. 28 at 644 S. Figueroa Street introduced a civic element to the residential and commercial mix. Its proximity to the Gates Hotel sparked humorous debate about the balance of safety and potential noise, reflecting everyday concerns of urban living.
Venturing off Figueroa to 945 Orange Street (now Wilshire Boulevard), just around the corner, revealed the Rex Arms Apartments. This illustrated the residential extensions branching out from Figueroa Street, offering varied housing styles in the surrounding blocks.
The former E.A. Forrester home, once located at 865 W. Seventh Street, near Figueroa, represented the grander residential era that was gradually giving way to new developments.
Even in panoramic views of these grand homes, the human element, the Forrester family, remained a subtle but vital part of the Figueroa Street narrative.
The Hotel Cordova at 808 S. Figueroa Street embraced Spanish Colonial Revival style, reflecting the appeal of Spanish heritage in attracting tourists to Los Angeles.
The Cordova lobby, described as modern and cheerful, even featured a water cooler, showcasing evolving amenities in hospitality. However, the presence of rocking chairs hinted at enduring trends in hotel furnishings.
The Fraternal Brotherhood Building on Figueroa Street added another layer to the street’s diverse character, prompting reflections on community, personal preferences, and social commentary.
Further along Figueroa, the Ivins Apartments at 10th Street signaled the outward expansion of city buildings into previously suburban areas.
Nearby, the Hollman Business School represented the educational and vocational opportunities emerging alongside Figueroa’s residential and commercial growth, sparking philosophical musings about career paths and personal fulfillment.
Reflecting Los Angeles’s immigrant communities, the Turnplatz und Gymnasium des Turnverein Germania, a German cultural center on Figueroa Street near Pico Street, highlighted the efforts to maintain cultural connections in a new land.
Figueroa Street also held a tangible link to Los Angeles’s early history with the last remnant of the zanja system, open water channels dating back to the pueblo era. This served as a visible reminder of the city’s origins.
The park-like grounds surrounding the larger homes evoked discussions about land use and practicality versus aesthetics. The grandeur of the homes and gardens contrasted with observations about population density.
The prevalence of palm trees along Figueroa prompted humorous remarks about potential taxation and civic finances, reflecting a lighthearted engagement with the city’s iconic flora.
Continuing along Figueroa, newer homes with less established landscaping indicated the city’s ongoing growth and expansion at the edges of development.
Venturing west of Figueroa, to Fremont and Beaudry Avenues, revealed further layers of the neighborhood. The Fremont Arms Hotel and the Standard Bread Company’s delivery truck fleet showcased the mix of residential and commercial activities extending beyond Figueroa itself.
The Harbour Apartments on St. Paul Avenue, with their handbill emphasizing “a good class of patrons,” offered insights into social distinctions and marketing strategies of the era.
| Harbour Apartments Handbill and Building near Figueroa Street Los Angeles |
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Across the street, the M.E. Blasier Apartments, boasting a roof garden, became the subject of wry commentary on the realities versus the romanticized image of such amenities in Los Angeles apartment living.
The Huntley apartments, located further north on W. Third Street, connected back to earlier points in the Figueroa Street exploration, creating a sense of neighborhood interconnectedness.
Even a momentary detour to Columbia Hospital, not far from the Harbour Apartments, became part of the unfolding exploration, highlighting the blend of residential, commercial, and civic spaces in the Figueroa Street vicinity.
Finally, a moment of disorientation and a stop for directions at the corner of Cambria and Union Streets underscored the exploratory nature of navigating and discovering the neighborhoods around Figueroa Street, concluding our vintage tour with a touch of everyday urban experience.
