Bungalow Heaven, Pasadena, CA

Bungalow Heaven is where Pasadena kept its Craftsman era almost intact, with more than 800 small homes built between 1900 and 1930 still standing around McDonald Park. The city made it a landmark district in 1989, and neighbors have opened a few front doors for a spring home tour every year since. The houses are mostly one-story Craftsman bungalows with wood siding and front porches, set along narrow streets under old pepper trees. Landmark status keeps the streetscape close to how it looked a century ago, so change tends to happen inside the house or out back rather than on the facade. McDonald Park sits at the center of the district and works as its shared front yard. Because stores were pushed out to Lake and Washington, the interior blocks are almost all houses, and evening walks can wander in any direction without hitting a parking lot. Food lines the borders. Seed Bakery on East Washington Boulevard mills organic whole grains for its sourdough. The Hat on Lake Avenue is the pastrami stop. Lavender & Honey, known for its succulent wall and espresso bar, is just across Washington on the north edge, and Jameson Brown Coffee Roasters on Allen Avenue is a quick drive east. Errands happen along Lake Avenue, which has a Starbucks, a run of taquerias, small markets and lunch counters. Bigger grocery trips mean a short drive. The Metro A Line runs down the 210 median just south of the neighborhood, and the freeway itself is close for trips toward Los Angeles or the San Gabriel Valley. Space is the tradeoff. Since the shops sit on the edges, nearly every errand here starts with a few blocks of porches and pepper trees before you reach Lake or Washington.