A Look at Garvanza Real Estate

The small but historically significant neighborhood of Garvanza has been rediscovered because of the great number homes with character and charm.

The historic Northeast Los Angeles neighborhood of Garvanza has been one of the area’s hidden gems that has recently been discovered by a new generation of homebuyers. Like so many neighborhoods in and around Highland Park, Garvanza has been undergoing a renaissance and homes in Garvanza are being restored and property values are steadily increasing.

Younger professional couples who have been priced out of hot markets like Silverlake and Eagle Rock are attracted to Garvanza for the sheer number of homes with charm and character that are routinely being put on the market. Many of these interesting homes are being bought up by buyers wanting to restore the homes to their original grandeur … while greatly increasing the value of their investment.

Garvanza is bordered by to the west by Highland Park, from which it was annexed around the turn of the century. To the north is Pasadena and South Pasadena borders Garvanza to the east. Garvanza is known for many important and historic landmarks, including two bridges that span the Arroyo Seco, connecting Los Angeles to South Pasadena.

Garvanza real estate began to boom in the last ten years with an increased interest and appreciation of the many varied classic home types found in Garvanza. These styles include Tudor revival, American Craftsman, California bungalows, Spanish revival and Victorian. A great many of these homes are adorned with pillars and fences made from river rock from the Arroyo.

Garvanza is considered by many to be the birthplace of Southern California’s “arts and crafts” movement and has been known from its beginnings up to the present time as an artists’ enclave. It’s reputation as a “bohemian” colony is experiencing a resurgence along with its home prices, as the inhabitants of young, creative couples increase.

Because of the great number of architecturally significant historic commercial and residential buildings in Garvanza, the City of Los Angeles declared a “historic preservation overlay zone”.

When choosing a Garvanza real estate agent … experience matters

Because demand for homes in Garvanza is typically high and inventory is typically low, real estate in Garvanza has become a seller’s market. Both buyers and sellers, then, are advised to work only with real estate agents who are experienced and intimately familiar with Garvanza’s real estate market to represent them in the transaction.

The Long Awaited Gentrification of NELA’s Highland Park

“Gentrification” is defined as the process of renewal and rebuilding accompanying the influx of middle-class or affluent people into deteriorating areas that often displaces poorer residents. Some communities in Northeast Los Angeles, like Echo Park, Silver Lake, and Eagle Rock have recently been through periods of gentrification.

Highland Park has more recently begun its gentrification process so the properties found here are still less expensive than the other gentrified neighborhoods close by. Gentrified neighborhoods are very healthy because they have all wealth statuses represented. Many people on the lower end are not aware that their neighborhood is being gentrified. The middle class citizens that move into the neighborhood are sometimes not sure where or how to begin with rebuilding or restoring their new home.

When a neighborhood becomes gentrified the local businesses and sidewalk culture improves as well, bringing up the value of all the homes in the neighborhood including fixer uppers. Lower income residents benefit from gentrification because the value of their home increases just being present in the neighborhood. While not as high as neighboring Eagle Rock, Highland Park homes for sale have spiked in property value.  Gentrified neighborhoods generally show an increase in the average family income and a decrease in the average family size.  On the downside, the increase in property values may increase the rent or property taxes forcing the lower income residents to move out. Any empty industrial buildings are often bought out and remodeled as new residences or shops.

Neighborhoods that go through gentrification have a high volume of house flipping.  House flipping is the process of buying a home at a very low cost and fixing it up with simple beautification techniques.  House flippers will usually repaint the interior and exterior of the house, redo the flooring and fix up the yard. After a house is flipped the buyer will quickly turn around and sell the house for sometimes double the price they paid. Houses that are flipped are considerably cheaper than houses in established neighborhoods. This is a great technique for the middle class people who want to purchase a nice house at a cheap price. Real estate agents in Highland Park, CA are keeping busy based on the sheer number of homes being flipped in Highland Park.

Once the population of a gentrified neighborhood gains a significant amount of middle class people, they work together to fix up the business district, which will draw in more middle class people. In Highland Park there is a Metro Gold Line and well developed bike lanes that add to its charm and appeal. The sidewalk culture on York Boulevard has began to improve with unique shops and cafes where young people like to spend their evenings and weekends.  Many yoga studios and Zumba classes have been sprouting over Highland Park, attracting more wealthy citizens. Once a neighborhood begins the process of gentrification, the businesses, homes, and culture flourish with an air of high quality development.

Occidental College and its Relationship to Eagle Rock and Highland Park, CA

Occidental College is located in the historic neighborhood of Eagle Rock in Los Angeles, California. It is a private, liberal arts college that was founded in 1887 by the Presbyterian Church. It is has developed the popular nickname of “Oxy” not only throughout the students and alumni, but the citizens of Eagle Rock and Highland Park, CA, a neighborhood district it borders.

On April 20, 1887 James George Bell led the Presbyterian clergy in founding Occidental College. The original campus was located in Boyle Heights until it moved into a new Highland Park campus in 1898. Even though the Presbyterian Church founded it, Oxy quickly cut its ties with the church in 1900. In 1912, a well renowned architect named Myron Hunt, who also designed the Rose Bowl, began to design the Eagle Rock campus. The President of Oxy at that time announced a decision to make Oxy an all-men’s college, but his idea was protested by the students who ultimately won.

The Eagle Rock campus is found on a hill called “Mt. Fiji” and stretches over 120 acres of land.  In the 1970’s the faculty suspended classes because of America’s invasion of Cambodia. In refute, the students of Oxy wrote over 7,000 letters to Washington D.C., to objecting to the war in Southeast Asia. This helped to set the precedent of equal minority rights and earned the college grants for students of ethnicity in higher education. Many influential people are affiliated with Occidental College. John Steinbeck was a member of the faculty. The politician Jack Kemp and the CEO of Warner Music Group, Stephen Cooper are graduates of Oxy. Other important people such as Barack Obama, Ben Affleck and Luke Wilson all attended Occidental College.

Because Oxy is located in the heart of Eagle Rock, many of the students are housed in apartments and rental houses throughout Eagle Rock and Highland Park. Occidental College has helped in the gentrification of Eagle Rock and has a hand in the current gentrification of Highland Park. Homes for sale in Highland Park, CA have spiked in value as homeowners have fixed up their homes to accommodate high rate rentals to Oxy students, which can be very profitable.

Eagle Rock is named after a large rock that resembles an eagle’s head. The land in Eagle Rock disperses into the San Rafael Hills. Eagle Rock is the home of many artists and young professionals who have careers in film, writing or artistry. There are about 33,000 residents with an average age of 35 years old. The population is equally diverse between Latinos, whites and Asians. The average income per household is approximately 68,000 dollars, which is considered high compared to most neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Eagle Rock has been recently gentrified, so the property values are more expensive than other similar areas.

Highland Park has approximately 57,000 residents with an average age of 28. Highland Park mostly consists mostly of Latinos and the average household income is about 46,000, considerably less than Eagle Rock. Highland Park is still in the process of being gentrified. Highland Park is full of inexpensive housing and apartments that make it ideal for Oxy students to choose.

The most popular styles of housing found in Highland Park include Queen Anne, Mission Revival, Tudor Revival, and Craftsman. As long as Occidental College remains nationally prominent among private institutions, Highland Park and the surrounding neighborhoods of Oxy will continue to grow and become gentrified. With Highland Park’s hot rental market, students are encouraged to contact a local Highland Park CA realtor to find the best long-term rental deals.  Realtors in Highland Park do not only act as agents in sales, but in rentals as well.