Architecture Tours L.A. Guidebook: Silver Lake [Paperback]

Laura Massino Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2004

Visit more than 60 architecture sites in the area of Los Angeles known as Silver Lake, home to some of the greatest architecture in the world. Just five miles northwest of Los Angeles, it was home to a number of movie studios including the first official Disney Studio. Aficionados and students of architecture worldwide make pilgrimages to Silver Lake specifically to see the work of the Modernist architects Richard Neutra, Rudolf M. Schindler, Gregory Ain, John Lautner, and Lloyd Wright (Frank Lloyd Wright, Jr.), among others. In addition to a concentration of "Mid-century Modern" architecture, you'll see popular Spanish Colonial Revival and Spanish Mediterranean architecture, French Normandy, English Tudor, Gothic, and Post-modern styles. Here is THE way to see Los Angeles's rich architectural heritage! L.A. is a "driving" city, best seen from the car. Tour guide, author, and architectural historian Laura Massino Smith will take you on an unforgettable ride to uncover the city's exciting cultural past. You can efficiently visit dozens of L.A.'s architectural marvels in the shortest amount of time. Maps and explicit driving directions help you navigate roads, while detailed descriptions of tour sites provide each building's history. Photographs are included to help you identify the sites. History buffs, architecture enthusiasts, and L.A. visitors will love these unique and fascinating tours, which offer an alternative way to see diverse architecture in L.A..

Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Schiffer Publishing (May 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764320858
• ISBN-13: 978-0764320859
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 8.9 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,195,179 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Some odd choices, in my opinion, July 30, 2011

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Coronet Blue (California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Architecture Tours L.A. Guidebook: Silver Lake (Paperback)

When I go to Silver Lake, it's to see the Kesling houses. They may not be the most architecturally significant homes in Silver Lake but they're interesting enough to have been used in movies and are fantastic examples of "moderne" homes which are scarce, even in LA. Not even a mention of them in this guidebook. Obviously, this small volume can't cover everything but it manages to include a dog park, the Mack Sennet stages (historically interesting, but just a box), a Masonic temple that's also a plain box, and several places that are mostly obscured by foliage. So what there is, isn't bad but some of the choices are peculiar, given what's left out. If you can handle a bigger book, any edition of the David Gebhard guides to southern California covers a lot more of this area, and everywhere else in southern California, as well.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great way to see the sights, February 1, 2006

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S P H (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Architecture Tours L.A. Guidebook: Silver Lake (Paperback)

If you'd like to take any of several self-guided automobile tours of Los Angeles and nearby areas, Laura Massino Smith's books are excellent. Each tour book has clear directions and easy-to-read maps, lots of fascinating notes and information, plus photos of what to look for. I've lived in LA for over twenty-five years, and Smith's books have surprised me with things I'd never seen or hadn't noticed. There are three of her books in my glove compartment so far (Hollywood, Silverlake, and Hancock Park/Miracle Mile) and I'll be getting the rest as well.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Neat-o things to see of historical value in one small book., January 18, 2006

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S. Ouchi "With sexy Corbu glasses-better to s... (in around and about Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Architecture Tours L.A. Guidebook: Silver Lake (Paperback)

A lot is packed into a great "carry with you as you tour around the hard to fully describe area of Silverlake". I give my `I keep in my car' copy to visiting out of towners so they don't have to figure out what the big deal is; it's all in the book and they can then see it for themselves right in front of them. A wonderful series of architecture books for both natives and visitors of Los Angeles.