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CRENSHAW COMMUNITY GARDEN AT RISK
D. ODER Y ou may have passed Crenshaw Community
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Garden at 1423 Crenshaw, on the west side between Pico and Venice. Established in 1979, Crenshaw CG is one of the oldest community gardens in Los Angeles.
A green oasis in a dense urban neighborhood, the garden boasts 36 plots and 50 gardeners, many of them seniors who share seeds and vegetables with each other and with
their families, friends, and churches. People from South Korea, Bangladesh, Latin America, Europe, and all over the United States learn about each other's culinary traditions. The garden is one of the “third places” (not home or work) where people meet face-to-face in a spirit of harmony.
It also has a ripple effect in the community as neighbors often come by to ask about gardening at home, or to enjoy the sight of nature in bloom as birds, bees, and
butterflies visit. In our Mediterranean climate, gardeners can grow broccoli, cabbage and peas throughout the winter, along with the traditional trio of tomatoes, corn and squash in the summer. On the street, drought-tolerant Western
PICO DESTINATION Cont. from Pg. 7
Mayor's Office back in 2017. At the time, the Mayor's Office asked us to limit the project area so that the funds available would have the highest impact. We have been focused on bringing the grant to fruition and making these five blocks the best they can be so they can serve as a prototype for the
Redbud trees flush pink in the spring, and provide shade for pedestrians throughout the year. Continued on Pg. 19
rest of Pico (and we can figure out what works and what doesn't). We'll have to identify more funding to expand the
project - let us know if you're interested in helping!
PACKARD ST. AND SATURN ST. ARE BEING OPENED FOR PEOPLE Two streets parallel to Pico in our neighborhood will officially become part of the Slow Streets LA program!
• Packard St. between Orange Grove Ave. and Dunsmuir • Saturn St. between Orange Grove Ave. and Dunsmuir These local streets will be opened for people to walk, run, exercise, and play. People in cars will be allowed to drive and park there to access homes and local businesses. Emergency vehicles, deliveries, garbage trucks, and other essential vehicles will still be allowed.
We asked the city to slow these streets so people in our neighborhood could have a safer way to get outside and maintain social distancing. Many of our neighbors live
A Dairy Farm in Jefferson Park
RENEE MONTGOMERY
Originally Published Issue #29 April/May 2013
UPDATED D airy farmhouse and Jefferson Park – not two
phrases often heard together. However, tucked away in the crowded neighborhood along Arlington south of Adams Boulevard is a remnant
it. In 2005, the Farmhouse property was nuisance abated by the city and was then auctioned at Probate Court as a part of a conservatorship of an elderly incapacitated owner. It was filled waist-high with debris.
Joseph Starr, who had decided to establish a dairy in Southern California following the success of a similar venture in Ventura, built the Farmhouse in 1887 just outside the L.A. city boundaries - intending to capitalize on the burgeoning Angeleno population of the late 19th century. The “Starr/ Estrella” dairy was entirely relocated by 1907 to make way for residential tracts and with all the property gradually selling off since that time, the Farmhouse now sits on a small city lot surrounded by early-20th-century bungalows. However, TNN readers can now witness the exceptional, original farmhouse due to its loving restoration by Raposa with the help of local architectural historian Laura Meyers.
of L.A.’s agricultural past - the Starr Farmhouse, a Victorian cottage built from 1887 to 1888. Currently owned by historic preservationist/real estate broker David Raposa, the small house at 2801 S. Arlington Avenue originally served as residence and office to the Starr family’s dairy, stretching out twenty acres to the southwest.
Investing enormous resources and expertise since 2008, Raposa and Meyers have converted a neighborhood eyesore into a gleaming historical treasure. “What a
The two described the complicated detective and decisionmaking process of trying to restore the integrity of the
wreck” is how Raposa described the property as he acquired
farmhouse, which had been modified by Starr over time and had undergone several successive changes through different owners including being split into a duplex. They had to combine the need to discreetly upgrade the site for modern living with central air and heat, kitchen, and bath amenities with historic preservation guidelines. These issues of historic home restoration were further compounded by the permitting process; the property had already been granted landmark status (L.A. Historical Cultural Monument No. 865) so every step was closely
regulated by the federal Secretary of Interior Rehabilitation Standards and California Historical Building Codes. “Peeling back layers” is how Raposa described the long process. Continued on Pg.15
