McMansions march on Echo Park

It's too late to stop them. McMansions are popping up all over Echo Park and Elysian Heights, despite the slow real estate market. After digging out a hillside, three giant houses are now being built on Parmer Avenue (top photo).

Meanwhile, neighbors on Cerro Gordo are on McMansion Watch after they learned that three lots on their street between Lake Shore and Alvarado have been purchased for development. Two of the hillside lots are empty, but one contains one of the few remaining cottages/cabins (second pic) that once dominated the hills of Elysian Heights.

If you want to see what kind of homes will rise on these lots, you only have walk about 2 blocks east on Cerro Gordo and take a peek at the Echo Park's original McMansion, (bottom pic) that was built in the 1980s. The same owner of this place built a similar structure on Avon Street last year .


Houses this big and out of scale with existing homes are currently allowed under the city's current zoning laws. Is this the future we want for Echo Park?

Save the Earth: Recycle an old home

We let Earth Day pass by without reminding folks that the restoration of our old homes and storefronts not only preserves our past but preserves the environment. Why? Because the demolition and mindless remodeling of old structures add to the stream of debris that is choking our landfills. Construction debris makes up about 25% of the "waste stream" that is rapidly filling up our dumps.

There is nothing "green" about ripping out original, built-in cabinets, moldings, paneling, windows, plaster walls that can easily be restored and kept out of landfills. There's more to being green than just driving a hybrid car and asking for paper bags at the supermarket. Learn more about preserving the planet by preserving your old home.

Lots of Latches

Preservation Tip: One of our members, Katrina Alexy, had a very difficult time finding latches for old metal casement windows. But she found just what she needed at www.VanDykes.com . "I just ordered a bunch of window latches from this site. They have great stuff for our old houses at good prices."