Who knew?

My first-ever outing to Glendale's captivating Rossmoyne and Kenneth Village neighborhoods was a revelation. There's something unspoiled about these areas that makes them models of what L.A. neighborhoods should be. Who knew Glendale could be so appealing? (Well, maybe you did.)

I stopped at an open house at 1616 Hillcrest, currently listed at $1.6 million. Fortunately (unlike the other two houses I saw) this one was empty and had been spiffed up for the occasion. Don't forget to wear the gauze booties when going upstairs!

Real curb appeal.

First order of business: send the monstrous mantel and High Tech sconces back to Reno.

Cool kitchen, dowdy curtains (J. C. Penney?).

Sweet master bedroom suite.

425-square-foot guest quarters over the 3-car garage (not permitted for rental, alas).

The agent informed me that "a famous rapper lives just down the block" and "a drummer that Paris Hilton dated has a house across the street." Are those selling points?

Just plain sweet in Glendale

This 1928 hacienda-style courtyard house with seven (!) bedrooms in Glendale's under-appreciated Rossmoyne neighborhood was recently rented for $5500 per month by Gerri Cragnotti of Character Homes (here's the original listing). Split that with six members of your entourage and you've got the deal of the decade.

Inward-facing energy.

I love the composed, inward-facing energy of this house. All of Gerri's listings are worth checking out for fans of historic L.A. architecture. I'll never sneeze at Glendale again.