Nestled between Hollywood, Little Armenia, and Korea-town is a quaint, historic neighborhood known as Melrose Hill. Stretching along the 4900 block of Marathon and Melrose Hill Street, this neighborhood is a small pocket of just 42 homes. Walking around the neighborhood would take 10-15 minutes, the walk is half a mile. MH averages about 2 home sales a year. All homes in Melrose Hill qualify for the Mills Act. Fun fact, the only HPOZ in Los Angeles smaller than Melrose Hill is Van Buren Place. Prices in Melrose Hill skyrocketed during the housing boom in 2006, which pushed prices above the $1 million high mark, from the $400,000 mark in early 2002. Recently, prices have returned to the $1 million level. 600,000, which I think is a great buy. for this location.

Melrose Hill is noted for its many examples of historic California bungalows, specifically the Craftsman and Colonial Revival styles. California Bungalows are 1-story homes, approximately 1,400 sf, 2-bedroom, 1.5 Ba, year built between 1910 and 1930. The California bungalow floor plan typically incorporates a large living room that is entered directly from the main door. The focal point of the living room is a fireplace, which usually had a mantel or decorative tile (such as Batchelder Tile). The name Bungalow originates from Bengal, where Bungalow is derived from the Hindi word Bengali what does House mean. the thatched roof Bengali they were refitted by the colonial British to serve as administration buildings and summer retreats. California’s bungalow boom began after San Francisco Architects brought the style to the US in the early 20th century. The Bungalow style of architecture became very popular, meeting the demand of a new, growing middle class in need of affordable housing. A bungalow could be built cheaply ($900 to $3,500) and assembled using mail-order plans.

The Melrose Hill neighborhood was built between 1911 and 1926, at the height of California bungalow popularity. Almost half of the houses in the neighborhood were designed and built by the Briggs Company, whose president, Sidney L. Briggs, was the main developer of the subdivision.

This little pocket is a great area for first time homebuyers, the houses are affordable and a good value. Melrose Hill is like an urban oasis nestled within the city of Los Angeles. If you like this neighborhood, you might also like to visit St. Charles Place.