Bungalow Heaven is a quiet, leafy, close-knit neighborhood of historic, early 20th century bungalow homes, many built during the Arts & Crafts period. The Landmark District, the first of its kind in Pasadena, was created in 1989 to preserve the historic significance of these homes. Recently, Bungalow Heaven has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places and has been designated as one of the “10 great places in America” by the APA.
The homes were primarily constructed in the early 1900’s in the spirit of the Arts and Crafts movement. The Arts and Crafts movement placed a strong emphasis on individual craftsmanship and attention to detail. The style is perhaps best represented by Pasadena’s Gamble House, butBungalow Heaven represents the style in a manner consistent with the common Pasadena residents daily experience.
Every April Bungalow Heaven is filled with visitors who pay homage to what makes the neighborhood historic, the homes. The Home Tour is a celebration of the people that lived here before and the artistry of the architecture of a time gone by. In an era where the old is torn down for newer flashier things, it’s good to know that there is still a place where people can come and honor the past.
The current residents of the neighborhood were so proud of their homes that they wanted to get the government involved; they had the area designated as a Landmark District by the city in 1989, which helped impose restrictions on the kind of alterations that homeowners could perform. They convinced the U.S. Department of the Interior to include the area in the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. The residents also help run the Annual Bungalow Heaven Home Tour, which provides an opportunity to tour the interiors of selected homes. The Tour is a great idea since it is otherwise not socially acceptable to walk through strangers homes.
The Tour features the homes along North Chester Ave. and North Michigan Ave. between East Mountain Street and East Orange Boulevard. The homes have many distinctive features. The Craftsman Bungalow exteriors are characterized by their one-and-a-half-story height, slanted roof, wide front porch, and sleeping porch. The interiors often contain built-in cabinets and seats, a California basement, and an emphasis on all things horizontal. Many of the homes along Michigan Ave. feature arroyo stones within their fireplaces and along the front porch and intricate windows within the wide front doors. These characteristics were particularly prominent in the “Living History Home” featured on the Tour. The Living History Home Tour takes you through the lives of character actors portraying the realty issues in the 1970’s.
WHAT: Bungalow Heaven
WHEN: Contact for details
WHERE: Pasadena, CA 91102
CONTACT INFO: (626) 585-2172 | bhna@bungalowheaven.org
SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Yelp
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