The first owner of this Los Feliz home was John Anson Ford, a longtime member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the namesake of the John Anson Ford Theatre, a music and performing arts venue in the Hollywood Hills.

The house is a few blocks north of Franklin Avenue, one of the area’s main thoroughfares. A cozy French bistro and diner known for its pies are at the intersection of Franklin and Vermont Avenues, less than a mile away. Driving to Burbank or downtown Los Angeles takes about 20 minutes.

Size: 4,538 square feet

Price per square foot: $1,003

Indoors: Flowering vines wrap around this home’s privacy gate. The front door is beyond, at the back of a brick courtyard.

It opens into a foyer with a painted-tiled ceiling, a staircase with a wrought-iron railing and access to a powder room. To the right is a double-height living room with exposed ceiling beams, a fireplace and a large stained-glass window. An open balcony at one end of the room, overlooking the space, has a built-in platform seating area.

A sunny dining room is off one side of the living room. Off the other side is an updated kitchen with Spanish-tile floors, light gray cabinetry, stone counters, tiled walls and a wood-topped center island. The Spanish-tile floors continue into an adjacent breakfast room with a built-in window seat and an arched doorway facing a family room.

The primary suite is on the second level, off a hallway extending from the balcony overlooking the living area. The bedroom has enough space to accommodate a king-size bed and a separate sitting area; the bathroom is tiled in bright green with black accents and includes a combination tub and shower, as well as a console-style sink with chrome legs and a pink basin. Two more bedrooms are on this level; they share a bathroom with yellow-and-black tiling.

The other two bedrooms are on the lowest level of the house; both are en suite. This level also holds a powder room and a screening room with cobalt blue walls and an original copper bar.

Outdoor space: The front courtyard is paved in stone, enclosed by brick walls and landscaped with greenery. It includes a covered walkway near the entrance and open space in the center with room for a table and chairs. The rear patio has a paved area for outdoor dining, a small lawn and a sitting area with a built-in wood bench surrounded by mature trees. The garage holds one car; there is space to park another in the carport.

Taxes: $56,880 (estimated)

Contact: Carl Gambino and John Bercsi, Compass, 646-465-1766; compass.com


This house is in a quiet part of Palo Alto, about three miles from downtown and the main campus of Stanford University. It is a five-minute walk from Rinconada Cultural Park, which has a public swimming pool and sports fields, and the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo, which has interactive, conservation-focused exhibits for children. Well-ranked public elementary and middle schools are also nearby.

Palo Alto is centrally located in Silicon Valley: Cupertino, Sunnyvale and Menlo Park all less than 20 minutes away by car. Driving to San Jose takes half an hour. San Francisco is about 45 minutes away.

Size: 2,185 square feet

Price per square foot: $2,105

Indoors: A stone path runs from the sidewalk to the covered front porch, which is adorned with white-painted columns and railings.

The windowed front door opens into a sunny living area with hardwood floors, a stone fireplace flanked by built-in bookshelves and a bay of street-facing windows. Directly behind this space, pocket doors open to a dining room with a modern chandelier and a high-set window.

The kitchen, at the back of the house, has white cabinetry, stone counters, stainless steel appliances and windows overlooking the backyard. The adjacent family room has glass doors that open to a deck and a patio beyond.

Three bedrooms are on the second floor, which was added by a previous owner and is reached by a staircase off the living area. The primary bedroom has carpeted floors, a row of windows that look out into the trees, a walk-in closet with built-in storage and an en suite bathroom. The other two bedrooms on this level share a bathroom with a combined tub and shower.

The fourth bedroom is on the main level, off a hallway next to the staircase. It has the use of a full bathroom next door.

Outdoor space: The backyard is planted with mature trees, with grass in the center and landscaping on the perimeter, along the wood fence. A stone path leads from the house to the detached garage, which holds two cars and is accessible from the alley — a rare feature in this part of Palo Alto.

Taxes: $57,492 (estimated)

Contact: Morgan Lashley, Morgan Lashley Distinctive Properties, 650-387-5224; 1424harker.com

This house is in a gated community above Pacific Coast Highway, with sweeping views of the ocean from the living room and deck. It is just minutes from Thousand Steps Beach, a public beach with a steep staircase that leads to an expanse of sandy waterfront. Salt Creek Beach, which is popular with surfers and swimmers, is a five-minute drive, as is a shopping center with a Gelson’s grocery store.

Other beaches and downtown Laguna Beach are less than five miles away. Driving to Irvine takes about 35 minutes.

Size: 1,922 square feet

Price per square foot: $2,391

Indoors: The carriage-house-style doors of this home’s two-car garage are at the end of a short curved driveway. The entrance to the house is beyond, down a flight of brick stairs and off a brick patio.

The front door opens into a vestibule off the living room, which has floors made of distressed oak imported from France, white wainscoting and Kolbe glass doors that open to the back deck, with the ocean visible in the distance.

The kitchen, to the left, was updated during a 2015 renovation and has black-and-white checkerboard floors, white cabinetry, stainless steel appliances and a white porcelain farmhouse-style sink beneath three casement windows. A pantry with additional storage and a laundry room with a stacked washer and dryer are across the hall.

A hallway off the living room leads to the primary suite, which has an ocean view and a bathroom with a walk-in shower and custom-made cabinets. Across the hall is a guest room that has the use of a nearby bathroom. A half bathroom is also off the hallway.

The family room, off the main entrance, could function as a third bedroom. It has French doors that open to the courtyard and another door that opens to the side yard.

Outdoor space: The covered deck off the living room has space for a long dining table and chairs. The central courtyard functions as an outdoor living space. A second, more private patio is lined with neat hedges and a wood fence. Amenities in the gated community include a clubhouse, tennis courts and regular events.

Taxes: $57,432 (estimated) and a $285 monthly homeowner association fee

Contact: Richard Trey Dewey, Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty, 949-355-3223; sothebysrealty.com

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Angela Serratore

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