Playing house...

...since I don't want to leave you with a sour taste in your collective mouth after the last entry. Misery does not, after all, love company.

In my wanderings yesterday, I found myself in the residential areas surrounding downtown Los Angeles. There is a not-nice word that applies to these districts; instead of using it, I'll just say there are barred windows and crumbling houses everywhere, and a general air of filth and decay that is, shall we say, uninspiring.

But if you happen to hit the right streets, you'll find this...


There is a district full of Victorian houses which has, for almost 20 years, been undergoing the "gentrification" process. Many of the homes have been restored -- at considerable expense -- and even those not yet brought back to full splendor are being worked on...



Not all Victorians are alike, of course...



And there are occasional newer houses (from the early 1900s), like this one in the "California Bungalow" style, which is my favorite...



But in this two- or three-block area, some of what once made Los Angeles a great city is being preserved...



And even though I will never, ever be able to afford one of these wonderful homes, I still enjoy looking...