Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Crime of the Week

I missed tracking down a Crime of the Week last week, but in my defense, this one more than makes up for it.

No drawbridge? No portcullis?

The L.A. equivalent of Wemmick's castle in Great Expectations—which had, Dickens says, "the queerest gothic windows (by far the greater part of them sham)"—this crenellated hodge-podge would be ridiculous even at Disneyland, but it's preposterously out of place amid the understated houses of Carthay Circle, which, although varied in style, are united by a common regard for taste.

These queer Gothic windows are vinyl pre-fabs, something King Edward II would probably have appreciated on those cold, damp English nights.


For a larger view of this remarkably tacky sham, click here.

Below, a real 14th century castle.

Haughton Castle, Northumberland
at 2:31 AM

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5 comments:

  1. I am a real estate agent who lives in the Carthay neighborhood and markets to Carthay Circle, Carthay Square and South Carthay, among others. Every resident I talk with, especially those around before the behemooth was risen, are unhappy with its existence. Two of our neighborhoods are HPOZs because of homes like this one, while the majority of homes are cozy, character Spanish or Tudor designs built in the 1920s and 1930s.

    You are so right with your descriptions of Los Angeles architectural disasters. I will be following your blog religiously. Thank you.
    ReplyDelete
  2. I actually am embarrased to say I know who lives here, and they 'home built' this disaster in an effort to earn $$$ as a film location...
    ReplyDelete
  3. Re: comment above

    Maybe as a porn location, maybe, but otherwise I can't see any real film shoots taking place here. Know if any have?
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  4. Unfortunatly, there's much worse in LA:
    www.geocities.com/glendalelandmark
    ReplyDelete

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