Crime of the Week

No, the crime is not this charming 1922 bungalow at 135 S. Avenue 54, Highland Park (although one doubts it's really a "4 bedroom," as the listing declares).

The rather recent plantings in the front yard and on the parkway are a laudable effort by the seller to make this place as as appealing as any West Hollywood interior designer's bachelor pad. The effect is completely winning.

West Hollywood charm in Highland Park.

Alas, a quick search on Google Earth reveals the real crime: the squalid multi-family building immediately nextdoor:

Click the image for a larger view of the squalor.

Given the vaguely defined driveway between the two structures, I'm not sure where the actual property line lies, or whether there would be room enough to build a two-story fence (or plant a row of cypresses?) sufficient to mask the ugliness radiating from this hideous tenement.

The bungalow is marked "Sale Pending" on CaliforniaMoves.com. Kudos to the plucky buyer(s).