I am starting a new monthly series called “Around LA” in which I’ll showcase different areas of the sprawling city I call home. The purpose of this is twofold. Firstly, it was a concept suggested by a reader and I always strive to give you all as much of the content you’re interested in as possible. Secondly, it serves as a great excuse for me to branch out and explore new areas of the city I otherwise wouldn’t spend much time in. It’s a win-win situation!
In the future I will be crisscrossing the city in search of awesome spots to share with you guys but for the inaugural post of this series I stuck a little closer to home. In fact, I didn’t even leave my neighborhood!
The view from the trail up to the little known twin peak of Runyon Canyon.
I’ve mentioned before that I live by Runyon Canyon. The area is a generally calm and quiet little pocket on the western edge of Hollywood. It is a completely residential neighborhood mostly comprised of stately homes built in and around the 1920’s.
Over the years the homes passed hands from wealthy businessmen to studio heads, resulting in the majority of them remaining in pristine condition. As the area was built up, the homes were vacated by the Hollywood types who moved further west in search of privacy and space. Nowadays the majority of the neighborhood is comprised of families and individuals who use the homes as vacation houses.
These days the infamous Runyon Canyon is the main draw to the area and people largely seem oblivious to the rich history of the neighborhood. Runyon Canyon is closed for the summer for a city water project, therefore I am not going to touch on the history of the rugged land at this time, but you can read more about it in this fabulous piece Curbed LA put together. I’ll likely circle back to Runyon at some point in the future because it has a history as rich and wild as the West herself.
Today my focus is on Wattles Mansion and Gardens and the largely secret twin peak of Runyon that is cleverly concealed behind the estate. It is my favorite spot in the city, my own personal secret garden, and the main reason I have trouble even considering ever moving from my neighborhood. It is an incredibly special and secret piece of history and has managed to remain largely unknown in a city of nearly four million.
Wattles Mansion was built in 1907 by an Omaha businessman Gurdon Wattles as a warm and sunny vacation retreat. The Mission Revival home is situated at the top of a rolling green hill and, in quieter days, overlooked a giant avocado and citrus grove. The extensive gardens behind the home were originally filled with exotic plant life Wattles collected on a round the world trip. At its peak Wattles Mansion featured Spanish, Italian, American and Japanese gardens inspired by Wattles’ travels. In fact, the gardens were such an impressive presence that the family would open them for tourists once or twice a week.
The backside of Wattles Mansion looks straight out of Italy.
Most of the gardens have long since fallen into neglect, however Hollywood Heritage has ensured that the Italian rose garden and terraced Spanish garden directly behind the home were returned to their former glory. The property is now owned by the City of Los Angeles and serves as a public park. It is also often rented out for movie shoots as well as for private events. We even considered getting married in the perfectly restored Spanish garden!
The back garden behind Wattles Mansion where you can usually find a few sweet pups and their owners.
The gardens further behind the home are still largely in disrepair and have faced vandalism over the years. An unofficial dog park spans a gently sloping hillside lined in ruins behind the house and offers a quiet reprise from the busier front lawn. While you’ll come across families enjoying picnics and sun bathers galore out front, in the back you will never encounter more than one or two canines and their owners, often times both relaxing under the shade of a palm tree.
A reminder of the stately Japanese garden that once occupied the space.
If you venture through the peaceful dog park you will encounter what remains of the original Japanese gardens. Most of the area has been overtaken by mudslides over the years, but if you look carefully and are willing to get a little dirty you can find traces of the original design.
Graffiti remains
You will also find traces of years of neglect and vandalism tucked away above the Japanese garden. Fortunately little remains of the graffiti that overtook large portions of the property at one point in time, but there is still evidence to be found.
A view of the city below.
The biggest surprise when it comes to Wattles Mansion however is that there are several hiking trails that can be accessed through the dog park and Japanese garden. Those brave enough to climb through the disrepair will discover a hike that offers even more magnificent views of the city than neighboring Runyon Canyon.
A completely vacant trail, an unprecedented sight in LA!
The steep and narrow trails are largely deserted, at least in comparison to the constantly over crowded and tourist filled trails of Runyon. The landscape is filled with pockets of untouched plant life in the form of blossoming wild flowers and prickly cacti, something Runyon only has traces of after years of feet trampling all over it.
Looking down the street from the entrance to the back gardens.
As you can see, Wattles Mansion and Gardens offer an unexpected and charming reprise from bustling city life that locals and tourists alike should be sure to explore and enjoy as Gurdon Wattles intended. I hope you guys enjoyed this tiny peek into Hollywood history and will consider visiting Wattles when you are next in town!