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PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHELBY NICO DIAMOND

Two weeks ago I booked myself a solo retreat at Two Bunch Palms — a retreat I’d had on my list forever.

You arrive through an unmarked gate in a stretch of Desert Hot Springs that gives you no reason to expect what’s behind it. No sign, just a guard booth in an unremarkable part of town. The gate lifts and you’re somewhere else entirely — 277 acres tucked against the foothills, the Little San Bernardinos behind you with snow still melting off the top.

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The first thing I noticed was the landscaping. A palette of greens, creams, blues, grays, and yellows, with a sea of young Palo Verde trees in full bloom scattering pops of yellow across the paths. When I dug into it, I realized the grounds are the work of Terremoto, the LA landscape firm behind the Rome Compound.

They also designed the landscape for the new spa, which opened in 2023 alongside the spa buildings by Sharif, Lynch: Architecture, with interiors by Studio MAI. Native, a little wild, deeply site-specific. Both the landscape and the architecture feel like a lush anomaly against the surrounding terrain — a magical little pocket of the desert.

The architecture of the new spa buildings is the kind of thing I add to my vision board. A row of low, single-room pavilions threaded through the trees, each one built in board-formed concrete — a technique where the concrete is cast against rough-sawn timber planks so the wood's grain, knots, and seams are imprinted into the finished wall.

Le Corbusier coined the term béton brut, or "raw concrete", for this technique in the 1950s in Marseille; Tadao Ando later made it his signature. Here it's paired with heavy exposed timber lintels and full-height glass, and the effect lands somewhere between Scandinavian and Brutalist — warm where you'd expect cold, softened by the desert around it. A more organic Ando. Exactly how I'd build a cluster of micro-rooms in nature, if I ever got the chance.

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The second day turned overcast and windy, the palms thrashing in the gales, a welcome reprieve from the early summer heat. The whole property took on a mystical quality, the enclave feeling even more improbable than it already was.

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To understand how any of this got here — the palms, the water, the resort itself — I took the property’s guided history walk with Kerry Berman, a certified California Naturalist, published author, and former Vietnam tunnel rat who’s been leading these tours for twelve years.

He’s a kinesthetic teacher — every fact comes with a laminated map or a photograph or a gold dollar coin (which he hands out when you get the answer his questions correctly).

A few things from his walk I haven't stopped thinking about:

The property sits directly over the Mission Creek branch of the San Andreas Fault; Desert Hot Springs is the only incorporated city on the North American tectonic plate, and the fault is what pushes the water up.

The Cahuilla people who lived here for centuries knew the trick: wherever those specific palms clustered in the desert, water was within eight feet of the surface — the exact depth of a California Fan Palm's root ball. They built around that fact. The resort, much later, did the same.

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The other thing worth knowing is that almost everything you've heard about the property's origins is wrong. The famous Al Capone hideout legend, perpetuated for decades as marketing, doesn't survive a date-check. Capone was in a Georgia penitentiary by 1932 and Alcatraz by 1934, and the resort wasn't built until 1940.

The real story is quieter: a man named Al Wertheimer, head of Detroit's Purple Gang, built a small boutique hotel here in 1936 called the Colonial House. Hollywood actors were contractually forbidden from traveling more than two hours from the studio lot — ruling out Vegas and making Palm Springs the place — and the property became a discreet hideaway for them. Two Als, and not the one everyone thinks.

Originally the property housed a casino and a brothel. Years later it got turned into a spa, and is still an adults-only resort to this day.

The current owners, the Karen family, took over in 2015. Their head of landscaping has been there 25 years; some staff, 30. You can feel that kind of tenure in how the property holds itself — nothing is rushed, nothing feels outsourced.

That held-ness is most of what the place is, once you stop moving through it and start sitting in it. Teak and concrete tubs are scattered everywhere. You can reserve private ones for free or drift between the communal ones.

The newer tubs are a design piece in themselves: cast concrete and untreated teak, set in low rectangular beds against the gravel, the wood silvering as it ages. Many of them sit about a foot above ground, so you're slightly elevated when you soak, palms rising above you, a few with a stream running below — small details you only notice after you've been lounging in one for forty minutes.

It reminded me of a desert Esalen — same unforced, barefoot, phone-free energy, minus the nudity. Cell phones are actively discouraged, which I loved. Nobody here is performing and that’s exactly the point. Everyone’s in a robe, moving slowly, taking in the sound of the flowing water and the wind.

My favorite spot on the property is the Grotto — the original 1940s heart of the resort, tucked against one of the two original bunches of palms. Two organically shaped pools fed directly by the geothermal wells, walled in dry-stacked river rock that feels like it was pulled from a creek bed and set back in place.

The water is naturally lithium-rich, and Kerry told us that drinking it can have the same stabilizing effect as a prescription; if you're someone who'd otherwise be on lithium for mood, the spring water does some of the work for you. It doesn't smell like sulfur or minerals, either; it's surprisingly clean.

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Robert Altman shot The Player here in 1992, the scene where Tim Robbins calls it "a great hideaway in Desert Hot Springs, about a two-hour drive" — and standing in it thirty years later, the description still holds.

The only sounds are wind in the palm fronds and the occasional duck. The energy is wild. A vortex. Kerry told us Two Bunch is considered one of the most positive vortices on earth, on par with Sedona, and I'm not going to argue with him.

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I left on the fourth morning feeling like I’d been gone much longer than I had — the particular trick of a place that makes you forget your phone exists. Two Bunch is now one of my favorite places, and I’m adding it to the list I return to over and over. The wildest part is that it’s two hours from my house in LA. It shouldn’t be possible to feel this far away, this fast.

A more communal and accessible bathhouse version of this is my dream for the Sparkletts property — a space for rest and healing for the community — and something I hope we can bring into reality. Building my own sanctuary like this, somewhere out in nature, someday, is the real dream.

THANK YOU FOR READING.

SANCTUARIES LA IS AN ONGOING PROJECT EXPLORING HOMES, MAKERS, AND SHARED SPACES ACROSS LOS ANGELES. YOU CAN EXPLORE THE FULL ARCHIVE TO SEE ALL STORIES TO DATE.

THIS PUBLICATION GROWS THROUGH WORD OF MOUTH. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS PIECE, CONSIDER SHARING IT WITH SOMEONE WHO MIGHT AS WELL.

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From the Field is an occasional Wednesday dispatch from Sanctuaries LA — what I saw, what's worth knowing, and what's coming up in the city.

Volume 002

INSIDE THE CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMISSION

Last Thursday morning I went to City Hall with my neighbor Deborah Gorman, wife of architect Andrei Pogany, for the Cultural Heritage Commission meeting. It was my first time there. I came for Sparkletts and left with a lot more than I bargained for.

The area around City Hall was oddly deserted. We entered through a ghost-town outdoor mall, cleared security, showed our IDs, and took the elevator to the 10th floor, where the hallways were lined with photos from the 1984 LA Olympics. With the 2028 Olympics coming, it had a strange resonance.

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Inside, it was a genuine cross-section of the city: commissioners, developers, architectural historians, preservationists, concerned neighbors, the occasional young cool person mixed in with a lot of older regulars. The same faces would stand up again and again across different motions. It felt, at moments, like a more bureaucratic Game of Thrones with worse lighting.

Here’s what went down.

SB79: THE BILL THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

Before the main motions, Historic Resource Manager Ken Bernstein gave a presentation on SB79 — a Senate Bill, already signed into law, that would allow single-family residential lots near public transit to be replaced with apartment buildings. Let that sink in. Los Angeles needs more housing and nobody disputes that, but the question of where and how is very much alive. There is a real possibility your single family neighbor’s home could be torn down and replaced with an apartment building.

The part that really caught my attention: up to 80% of the impacted area in Highland Park falls within historic preservation overlay zones. You can look up whether your property is impacted here. The city isn’t sending out direct mailers to impacted households because it would cost $700,000 and they don’t want to pay for it. So consider this your notice. I’ll keep tracking this.

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TAIX: THE SIGNS AND THE BAR ARE BEING SAVED. THE REST IS BEING LOST.

There was a long presentation on Taix — the beloved French restaurant on Echo Park Avenue that's been a fixture since 1927. It's coming down. A new apartment and commercial building is going up in its place. The developer unveiled the plans at the hearing. View them here.

Taix owners and the developer have signed a letter of intent for the restaurant to return to the new building, with a target of 2029. Whether it will feel like Taix when it does is another question. The signs and the cherrywood bar will be saved, but all in all I’d say this one is a huge loss. This is exactly why the work of preservation matters.

THE FOX APARTMENTS AND A NEUTRA ON MULHOLLAND

Two other nominations came up. The Fox Apartments — built in the early 20th century for actors arriving in Hollywood for the first time, when LA had one of the most extensive streetcar systems in the country. Few buildings like it remain. Commissioner Barry said something that stuck with me: “Not all architecture has to be beautiful to be historically significant.” He was right.

The other: the F.W. Schaarman House on Mulholland Drive, designed by Richard Neutra — nominated and moving forward. This one is a no-brainer imo.

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SPARKLETTS: OFFICIALLY NOMINATED

Last on the docket, and the reason we came: Sparkletts. The Cultural Heritage Commission unanimously approved the nomination for Historic Cultural Monument designation. The agent representing the site, Mike Bogel, said he’s willing to work with the community on what the eight acres becomes.

The nightmare scenario of an Uber depot still looms. The dream: an eco-village-style community housing, neighborhood-serving uses, maybe that public bathhouse we talked about last week. The nomination has been approved. Now we need CD-1 rep Eunisses Hernandez and the council office to support it. We’re organizing. Email me or drop a comment if you want to be involved.

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UPCOMING

• Salmon Creek Farm x Terremoto: Our Seed Community Saturday May 9, 6–9pm at the Terremoto Office Garden, 3618 Pasadena Ave. A conversation on seeds, community, and growing things — with Fritz Haeg of Salmon Creek Arts, Nina Raj of Altadena Seed Library, and David Godshall of Terremoto. This is exactly the kind of gathering this city does well.

• El Sereno Social Club Native Garden Tour Sunday May 3, 9am–1pm. A self-guided tour of native gardens in El Sereno. Tickets here. If you care about what LA actually looks like, this is the event.

WORTH KNOWING

• Aimé Leon Dore opened its first LA flagship on April 17 at 8746 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood. Designed by Sarita Posada Interiors in a Mediterranean-inspired idiom — soft stucco, custom wood windows, a cobblestone courtyard anchored by an 80-year-old olive tree from the Central Valley. Café Leon Dore is inside. It’s the brand’s first Women’s collection debut. Now I can get my hats in person instead of waiting on shipping.

  

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• The Getty Center is closing March 15, 2027. It will reopen spring 2028, just before the Olympics. This is its first major renovation since Richard Meier opened it in 1997. The tram, the galleries, and the welcome hall, are all getting revamped. You have 11 months. Go.

• Gabi Abrão aka sighswoon just launched her second book, Practices in Apparition. She’s doing a book tour. Wednesday May 13th at Stories in Echo Park, Thursday May 14th at the B&N at The Grove, and Friday May 15th at the B&N in Santa Monica. Follow her for details.

• The Eames Pavilion System debuts at Milan Design Week this week — a collaboration between Eames Office and Kettal for prefabricated structures based on Charles and Ray’s original vision for modular living. The dream of an Eames house may actually be within reach. And if you haven’t visited the Eames Foundation in the Palisades, thankfully spared by the fires, what are you waiting for?

  

• Saturday morning I went to Creature's Plants & Coffee for my usual matcha lemonade and realized they were hosting Rooted in the City, a talk on growing food in any space with Carrie-Anne Parker of Rolling Hills Certified Organic Heirloom Farm. The crowd was real. Planting season is here.

• At Marta Gallery Saturday night for Ryan Belli’s art show opening party I ran into Holland Denvir, Trent Rohner and Sunny Robinson pouring drinks with their Calimocho brand Little Sun, and a handful of LADW people. Good room.

See you at Bungalow Heaven in Pasadena this Sunday. It’s back after a year off. Don’t miss it.

Shelby x

WANT TO HELP SAVE THE SPARKLETTS BUILDING? EMAIL YOUR SUPPORT TO CD-1 REP EUNISSES HERNANDEZ AT HER CONTACT AND REPLY TO THIS EMAIL IF YOU WANT TO GET INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZING EFFORT.

SANCTUARIES LA IS AN ONGOING PROJECT EXPLORING HOMES, MAKERS, AND SHARED SPACES ACROSS LOS ANGELES. YOU CAN EXPLORE THE FULL ARCHIVE TO SEE ALL STORIES TO DATE.

THIS PUBLICATION GROWS THROUGH WORD OF MOUTH. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS PIECE, CONSIDER SHARING IT WITH SOMEONE WHO MIGHT AS WELL.

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SANCTUARIES LA EXPLORES THE QUIETER SIDE OF LOS ANGELES THROUGH DESIGN.

ROOTED IN THE BELIEF THAT SANCTUARY EXISTS EVERYWHERE, OFTEN HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY GAVIN CATER

There’s a moment when you arrive at the Rome Drive property that Kathryn McCullough describes as a deep exhale. You’re standing on a double lot at the top of Mount Washington, the San Gabriel mountains behind you, the glitter of the Pacific visible to the west on a clear day. The city is right there — and somehow, also very far away.

“Seeing the mountains on one side and the city and sea view on the other,” Kathryn says. “There’s something about having a wide view that can give one a feeling of a bigger perspective. I think a lot of daily stresses melt away when you can zoom out.”

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Kathryn has lived down the street from the Rome property for years. She knows this hill the way you only can when you’ve walked it at night, learned the owls by sound, watched the seasons move through the canyon. When the double lot came on the market — rundown, overgrown, but unmistakably magnetic — she and her partner Andrew Bulbrook recognized something in it immediately.

The property is home to four separate living spaces: a mid-century primary home, a barn, a pool house, and a two-story ADU — each with its own character, each in conversation with the others.

Kathryn’s design intention was never to homogenize them, but to create a kind of material dialogue across the site. The primary thread running through all four spaces is Douglas fir, used for floors, windows, doors, and cabinetry throughout and appearing in slightly different iterations in each structure. Handmade tile anchors each bathroom. Custom steel details move consistently from interior to exterior.

The result is a compound that can function as four independent homes or as one grand home, with the courtyard serving as the connective tissue — a primary gathering spot for a community, or a private garden for one.

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The outdoor spaces were never an afterthought. Landscape studio Terremoto — who had worked alongside Kathryn and Linda Taalman Architecture on her own Mount Washington home — came into the design process in the earliest meetings.

The site is primarily planted with natives. Concrete broken up during construction was reset as pavers, built into garden walls, and shaped into an amphitheater at the back of the property. Nothing left the lot that didn’t have to.

Ask Kathryn about the materials she’s proudest of, and she tells the story behind each one. The barn’s stucco, with its cedar trim detailing and Japanese-Swedish chalet sensibility, evolved during an on-site meeting where she and architect Linda Taalman stood in front of the facade under construction and decided it needed something more. Their stucco contractor, Felix, “probably thought we were a bit mad, but went along with it.” The pattern was later repeated on the ADU.

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The brick kitchen floor nearly didn’t happen. “I almost chickened out,” Kathryn admits. It was Linda who gave her the push to hold the line. Now the brick flows from the kitchen directly onto the outdoor patio, blurring the boundary between inside and outside with quiet confidence.

The fireplace mantel is the work of Vince Skelly, introduced to Kathryn through Terremoto. Skelly also made the sculpture in the garden. “The way the light washes the sculpture and the mantel is just stunning,” she says. The credit, she’s quick to note, goes to Andrew.

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Lighting throughout the property comes largely from Ravenhill Studio, helmed by Brendan Ravenhill, a longtime friend who Kathryn has watched grow his business from his living room to a full studio. The kitchen was designed by Neil Rasmussen of Estuary Home. Tiles are sourced from Clé, Heath, and Zia. Everything is handmade, tactile, considered.

Kathryn came to Mount Washington the way many do — through a friend, at night, coming off the freeway and suddenly finding herself in the woods.

She’s clear about what drove her and Andrew to invest in the Rome property beyond the pure project: they didn’t want to watch a generic spec house go up in their neighborhood.

Mount Washington has a particular architectural legacy — Lautner, A. Quincy Jones and Whitney Smith, James DeLong, John Kemper Nomland — and a community that runs tighter than most Angelenos would expect. “Everyone knows everyone. Kids run around to one another’s houses. Everyone knows everyone else’s dogs,” she says. “It’s that kind of place that you wouldn’t expect in a big metropolitan city.”

The compound was always imagined for a particular kind of inhabitant — “a creative artist, producer, writer, musician type,” in Kathryn’s words. Someone for whom the wide view and the quiet and the owls in the night would register as the luxury they are.

“I think you know when a space is good when people who come over don’t want to leave. Like a warm hug.”

Designer: Kathryn McCullough & Andrew Bulbrook
Architect: Linda Taalman Architecture
Landscape: Terremoto
General Contractor: Mirco Construction
Staging: Kathryn McCullough & Jonas Bergkvist
Styling: Studio Souline
Photography: Gavin Cater
Listing Agents: Kate Daniels & O'Connor Estates

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.

THANK YOU FOR READING.

SANCTUARIES LA IS AN ONGOING PROJECT EXPLORING HOMES, MAKERS, AND SHARED SPACES ACROSS LOS ANGELES. YOU CAN EXPLORE THE FULL ARCHIVE TO SEE ALL STORIES TO DATE.

THIS PUBLICATION GROWS THROUGH WORD OF MOUTH. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS PIECE, CONSIDER SHARING IT WITH SOMEONE WHO MIGHT AS WELL.

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A BUILDING WORTH SAVING

If you live in Eagle Rock or Highland Park, you’ve been watching the old Sparkletts Bottling Plant and wondering. The rumors have been circulating for months — Uber depot, Erewhon, Whole Foods — but nothing is decided yet, and the most important step toward protecting it happens this week.

The Cultural Heritage Commission holds its final hearing on the Sparkletts Bottling Plant’s Historic Cultural Monument designation this Thursday, April 16th at 10am, Room 1010, City Hall. City staff has recommended approval. The community showing up makes a difference.

My neighbor Deborah Gorman — wife of architect Andrei Pogany — has been leading the neighborhood push. I’ll be there.

The building sits above one of Eagle Rock’s original artesian wells: underground water that’s been here far longer than the city. My dream for the site — and I’m not the only one with this dream — is something that honors that: a community bathhouse, a place to gather around water rather than buy it in plastic bottles. Think Wi Spa meets Barton Springs, rooted in the actual geology of this hill. I’m working on a longer piece about the history of springs in this area. More soon.

A MOUNT WASHINGTON COMPOUND

This week I toured an extraordinary compound in Mount Washington — three separate structures including two single-family homes (you could do that in the 1940s!) and a pool with sweeping views of the San Gabriels and the city below. Currently on the market for $3.99M with O’Connor Estates. A full feature is coming. Stay tuned.

TWO BUNCH PALMS

I just returned from four nights at Two Bunch Palms in Desert Hot Springs — one of the oldest continuously operating hot spring resorts in California. A proper feature is coming in a few weeks. If you’ve been on the fence about going, get off it. This place is pure magic.

THE LONELIEST CRASH TEST DUMMY

A few weeks ago I hosted a screening and moderated a panel at Meadow York Manor for Eve Van Dyke’s NYT OpDoc, The Loneliest Crash Test Dummy — a short film about the history of crash test dummies and what their design reveals about whose safety has historically been prioritized. If you weren’t there, watch the panel here. It’s worth your time.

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UPCOMING

• My friend Holland Denvir started LA Design Weekend as a side passion project two and a half years ago. Now in year three it's grown into a full week: kicking off Wednesday September 30 in DTLA, moving through Chinatown and the Arts District, and finishing the weekend starting on it’s usual schedule in Lincoln Heights on Saturday October 3. Host applications are still open; studios, galleries, shops, and workspaces are all welcome, and opening your doors is free. If you've been thinking about it, now is the moment.

• The MAK Center's annual spring architecture tour returns May 9 — this year featuring five houses by R.M. Schindler, Raphael Soriano, and Lloyd Wright, spanning the 1920s to 1950s. If you care about LA modernism this is essential. Tickets support the Schindler House.

• The 35th Annual Bungalow Heaven Home Tour is back on April 26 after taking last year off for fire recovery. If you've never done this — a full afternoon walking through privately owned Craftsman bungalows in Pasadena — put it on the calendar. One of my favorite things to do in LA. Tickets via Eventbrite.

• The Bob Baker Marionette Theater's Hooray LA show runs through May 3. A love letter to the city — the Tongva people, the LA River, the La Brea tar pits, the beach culture. It made me proud to be an Angeleno. Go before it closes.

• LA Woodshop is running an intro to woodworking class on April 25 and 26. Nine to four, you mill and finish your own cutting board. This is exactly the kind of thing this city does well. The Saturday class is sold out but the Sunday class still has tickets available.

• Adam Weiss is throwing dance parties down by the LA River and I am fully supportive of this. Next one is April 19. RSVPs filled up already but if you get on his mailing list you may be able to snag a spot.

WORTH KNOWING

• Last Saturday I attended the VERT x Comet Over Delphi dinner — a one-night collaboration that brought Chef Toshihiro Tanaka, listed in the Michelin Guide Tokyo 2026, into the Comet Over Delphi space. The room was as good as the food. Constanzia Delort-Laval, Comet’s architect-owner, was in vintage Armani. I ended up next to Rose DiSarno, an architect at Gensler who does all the floral arrangements at Comet as a passion project — the ones you’ve probably admired without knowing who made them. More from Rose soon. Eight courses, each paired with Japanese tea. Savory and sweet so interwoven you stopped trying to categorize them.

  

• Milan Design Week is happening April 20-26 and Los Angeles is well represented. Kelly Wearstler debuts her H&M HOME collection there next week through a curated exhibition — a double first for both her and the brand at the furniture world’s most prestigious stage. And Flamingo Estate is collaborating with Kohler on a bathhouse installation inspired by the Flamingo property — Richard Christensen doing what Richard Christensen does. Worth watching.

• Olive Ateliers — the downtown furniture shop with the best eye for objects with soul — just launched The Sentimentalist, a collaboration with Pamela Anderson. Designed from memory and with love, apparently. Available now.

• Erewhon is opening an outpost at LACMA, opening April 19 for members and May 4 for all. Make of that what you will — a $22 smoothie next to a Basquiat feels very Los Angeles 2026.

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This week’s feature: Keeping the Bones — Alfie Koetter of Loaf

Next up: A Mount Washington Compound you don’t want to miss.

A lot happening in this city! More soon — Shelby xx

THANK YOU FOR READING.

SANCTUARIES LA IS AN ONGOING PROJECT EXPLORING HOMES, MAKERS, AND SHARED SPACES ACROSS LOS ANGELES. YOU CAN EXPLORE THE FULL ARCHIVE TO SEE ALL STORIES TO DATE.

THIS PUBLICATION GROWS THROUGH WORD OF MOUTH. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS PIECE, CONSIDER SHARING IT WITH SOMEONE WHO MIGHT AS WELL.

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HAVE A SPACE, MAKER, OR STORY WE SHOULD COVER? REPLY TO THIS EMAIL OR REACH OUT AT SHELBY@SANCTUARIES.LA. ALL SUBMISSIONS WELCOME.

ALSO: IF YOU WERE AT THE MT WASHINGTON OPEN HOUSE, THE COMET DINNER, OR ANYWHERE ELSE I MENTIONED — REPLY AND TELL ME WHAT YOU SAW.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL LOCKRIDGE & ALFIE KOETTER
PORTRAIT BY SHELBY NICO DIAMOND

Founded by longtime friends and collaborators Alfie Koetter and Luke Studebaker, Loaf is a residential design studio rooted in community, subtlety, and careful transformation. Based primarily on the east side of Los Angeles, the duo brings a sensitive, collaborative approach to renovations — one that centers the existing character of a home and the lived experience of its inhabitants.

Loaf’s work is mostly renovations, and that’s by design. “Inherent to any renovation is the act of making a space more one’s own,” Alfie says. “While Luke and I certainly have our own aesthetic sensibilities, we try our best to balance these with those of our clients.” Each project is a conversation, not just between Luke and Alfie, but with the people who will actually live in the space. “I hope that they feel at home. I hope that they feel like they’ve been here before, but are noticing something for the first time.”

Alfie and Luke first met at the Yale School of Architecture, where Alfie was a graduate student and Luke was an undergrad. Later, Alfie began dating one of Luke’s closest friends, documentary filmmaker Cristina Costantini. When Luke eventually moved to LA in 2021, teaming up professionally felt inevitable. “You could say it’s a family affair,” Alfie says. “Los Angeles has proved to be a great place to live and a pretty good place to work. Architecturally speaking, it feels like there are a lot more opportunities here not only to build, but to be inventive than there were on the east coast. There’s something ad hoc about the built environment here that gives a sense of freedom and possibility that we love.”

“Bigger is not always better,” Alfie notes. “We’ve become very good at making more out of less, heightening the impact of how different spaces come together, and being judicious in understanding just how big or small a space needs to be.”

When it comes to sustainability, Loaf’s philosophy resists wasteful overhauls. “Doing more work — demolishing and throwing away existing materials, using more new materials, spending more money — is not always the best option,” Alfie says. “We like to find the solutions that have the greatest impact at the lowest cost, not just financially, but also spatially. Yes, you could certainly tear out every wall to squeeze an extra bathroom into your house, but you might also just be able to move that one closet wall ever so slightly to have the same end result. We prefer the latter option.”

When asked about his advice for others to bring intention into their own design, his guidance is simple: “Live in it for a while. Many clients buy a new house and are eager to immediately renovate — but it takes time to understand how you and your house fit together. Sometimes the things you think you hate, end up being the things you love. You have to learn about your house before you can have an intention.”

Intention is a cornerstone of Alfie’s home in Highland Park, and the neighborhood has deeply shaped Alfie’s rhythm and worldview. His home’s proximity and walkability to the York town center, layered character, and casual familiarity offer a sense of connection in a sprawling city.

This appreciation for local spaces, especially those that feel like extensions of home, is something Loaf hopes to bring more of into the world.

“In a car-centric city like Los Angeles, the interiors of certain places become worlds unto themselves that have the power to transport you. There are certain places along York - Belle’s Bagels comes to mind - that not only have a distinctive character, but also feel like an extension of one’s own home. As much as we love designing people’s homes, we would love the opportunity to design communal spaces like these.”

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.

THANK YOU FOR READING.

SANCTUARIES LA IS AN ONGOING PROJECT EXPLORING HOMES, MAKERS, AND SHARED SPACES ACROSS LOS ANGELES. YOU CAN EXPLORE THE FULL ARCHIVE TO SEE ALL STORIES TO DATE.

THIS PUBLICATION GROWS THROUGH WORD OF MOUTH. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS PIECE, CONSIDER SHARING IT WITH SOMEONE WHO MIGHT AS WELL.

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HAVE A SPACE, MAKER, OR STORY WE SHOULD COVER? REPLY TO THIS EMAIL OR REACH OUT AT SHELBY@SANCTUARIES.LA. ALL SUBMISSIONS WELCOME.

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ROOTED IN THE BELIEF THAT SANCTUARY EXISTS EVERYWHERE, OFTEN HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY CALEB ROUSE
PORTRAITS BY SHELBY NICO DIAMOND

Most cafés in Los Angeles are designed for turnover: quick meetings, laptops, a constant flow of people moving through. Comet Over Delphi feels built for something else, an invitation to stay awhile.

Created and designed by Franco-Austrian architect Constanzia Delort-Laval and her husband, Tim Nesmith, Comet Over Delphi is less a café than an experiment in presence: a space where design, ritual, and humanity intertwine.

The couple lives just a few blocks away from their sunlit corner on Figueroa, and it was proximity, and a bit of fate, that brought the project to life.

“We had gotten to know the landlords of this building, which had been empty since the 1960s,” says Tim. “It was in rough shape: the floors were broken and crumbling into dirt, there was no plumbing or electricity, and parts of the ceiling were completely open to the sky. The building was at risk of being lost to the city, and the landlords asked if we had a project in mind that might help bring it back to life.”

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Rather than recreate what already existed in Highland Park, they looked for what was missing. “We wanted a place where people could feel truly welcome, like they were at a friend’s house,” Tim explains. “A place with extremely high-quality coffee and products, but prepared without any pretension.”

Their time in Europe deeply informed this vision. “We missed the cafés in Vienna and Paris where we lived before moving to LA, where people would meet friends, read, and just stay for hours. That’s the feeling we wanted to recreate,” he continues.

The idea for the name came during a trip to Greece. “Delphi was once considered the center of the world and was a place where people came to seek answers,” says Tim. “But it wasn’t really about the answers, it was about asking better questions.”

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They were drawn to the contrast between what endures and what disappears. “At its peak, Delphi felt like the most permanent place on Earth. And yet now, very little of it remains. A comet, on the other hand, is inherently the opposite. It’s fleeting. Bright, fast, and passing. What feels permanent and what feels ephemeral aren’t so different.”

“Delphi also reflected something else we care about: it was a place where even utilitarian objects were made with care and craft,” adds Constanzia. “That attention to beauty, even in the everyday, is something we feel has often been lost, and something we’d like to help bring back.”

With Constanzia’s background in social architecture and historic preservation, every decision was made with purpose. “Everything here was chosen intentionally: the open bar, the lack of signage, the way the street flows into the interior. I didn’t want barriers between people, or between guest and barista.”

Tim continues, “We also didn’t want to perform quality. We had to work really hard to make sure there is no big espresso machine in the way, but rather something that opens the space between the front and back. We wanted everything to feel human-scale, transparent, and to also reflect our idea of transparency of ingredients, and welcoming.”

The result is a minimal yet layered environment that invites exploration.

“Minimalism is about focusing only on what the space truly needs,” explains Constanzia. “Some things don’t need to be visible, like a door to a restroom or a kitchen; they should simply function quietly in the background. My approach isn’t decorative; it’s about creating clean lines and including only what’s essential, both from a visual and spatial flow perspective. Minimalism, to me, is about clarity and intention rather than absence.”

Her restraint extends to material choice. “I love materials in their original, honest form,” she says. “The raw concrete floor we added, along with the exposed HVAC pipes, became part of a base building already rich with texture. Chipped paint and weathered surfaces don’t bother me; they tell the story of the building.”

Having worked in historic preservation in Europe, she has developed a deep appreciation for, “the dialogue between old and new, creating contemporary forms that engage the past without attempting to replicate it.”

Within Comet Over Delphi are countless quiet details. “We have coat hooks that are from an Austrian designer named Carl Auböck, along with traditional Austrian newspaper holders,” says Constanzia. “Probably 999 out of 1000 people will never notice those hooks, but they’re a small nod to that heritage, and we love them.”

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Tim adds, “We did things like leaving out signage to encourage small moments of interaction and to help remove the ‘transactional’ feeling you can otherwise have in a space. There’s a small fold-out table built into the bookshelf. We never pointed it out to anyone, but people found it on their own, and now we see someone unfolding it almost every day. It’s a small thing, but it’s pretty special.”

KayCee Tarricone, a friend and carpenter, patiently brought the shelving on either side of the bar to life, while a local craftsman named Bernardo was willing to take on the challenge of building an unproven window design to match the exact proportions Constanzia envisioned. Their ottomans came from Forsyth Art, reupholstered in vintage fabrics.

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“Wes from Common Wave downtown and Oscar from Rewind Audio helped us create a custom audio setup tailored specifically for the space,” says Tim. “They even convinced Klipsch to stain special wood speakers to perfectly match our palette.”

“It was a true team effort, and so many talented people were involved,” he adds. “We can’t wait to collaborate with all of them again.”

“We designed the sound system to feel warm and immersive without ever becoming overpowering,” Tim adds. “We also pay close attention to scent. Nothing here is artificial, and we work with our neighbors at Flamingo Estate for candles and soaps to achieve that natural, balanced atmosphere.”

At different times of day, the café reveals different facets of itself. “In the mornings when it is still cold and misty, it feels so cozy,” says Tim. “We often light some candles and it’s a very quiet calm and peaceful way to wake up. In the late mornings and afternoons we love how people hang on the street and engage with the space with the open windows. Then in the late afternoons when the light comes in and reflects on the bar and the backdrop, it’s really beautiful and inspiring.”

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Looking ahead, the couple plans to translate their values into a product line. “We’d love to extend the ideas of Comet Over Delphi into products,” says Tim. “Things that are beautiful, simple, well-made, and designed to support presence and ritual.”

“Beyond that, we want to extend the same sense of beauty and intention to the utilitarian, creating and curating objects that embody that philosophy,” adds Constanzia.

They describe their guiding principle simply: “Clarity over complexity, restraint over excess, hospitality focused, beauty in functionality,” shares Constanzia.

“Being geographically so far from home, I’ve learned to create small reminders of it around me,” says Constanzia. “Things like reading newspapers in my native language, serving drinks on a tray give me a sense of grounding and comfort.”

Tim reflects on the rituals that inspired their approach. “There’s something in the Japanese tea ceremony that we try to carry with us: the idea that when you enter a space like this, you’re encouraged to leave your ego behind. To slow down. To strip away the extra. And to move toward calm, clarity, and just being in harmony with things as they are without needing to change or shape them.”

“We want Comet Over Delphi to feel like a home and a sanctuary for everyone,” he says. “To me, that means a space that doesn’t expect anything from you in return. No pressure to perform, no need to be anything other than who you are.”

Spaces like this don’t happen by accident. They’re built slowly, with attention to how people actually want to spend time together. There are more like this emerging across LA. We’ll keep looking.

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This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.

Visit Comet Over Delphi at
115 North Avenue 59
Highland Park, CA 90042

THANK YOU FOR READING.

SANCTUARIES LA IS AN ONGOING PROJECT EXPLORING PEACEFUL HOMES, MAKERS, AND SHARED SPACES ACROSS LOS ANGELES. YOU CAN EXPLORE THE FULL ARCHIVE TO SEE ALL STORIES TO DATE.

THIS PUBLICATION GROWS THROUGH WORD OF MOUTH. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS PIECE, CONSIDER SHARING IT WITH SOMEONE WHO MIGHT AS WELL.

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ROOTED IN THE BELIEF THAT SANCTUARY EXISTS EVERYWHERE, OFTEN HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT.

IF YOU ENJOY THIS PUBLICATION, CONSIDER SHARING IT WITH A FRIEND.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHELBY NICO DIAMOND

Mount Washington sits just above the city but feels distinctly removed from it. The streets narrow, the air shifts, and the landscape begins to take over. Houses are tucked into hillsides, partially hidden by trees, shaped more by terrain than trend. This is where filmmakers Isabel Castro and Jamie Gonçalves have built their home.

Neither of them are from Los Angeles, but the city has become something more permanent than a stop along the way. What began as proximity and circumstance has settled into something quieter, more rooted.

Their story begins, like many in Los Angeles, through work. Isabel was filming her first feature, Mija, and Jamie moved to LA to be with her. “We met during a Zoom meeting and fell in love after a month of constant conversation,” Isabel recalls, in a way that feels distinctly of its time. “Neither of us are from LA, but find ourselves happily here.”

At the time, Isabel was living in Highland Park, just a few minutes from where they are now. Mount Washington revealed itself slowly, through walks and repetition. The appeal was immediate but practical: “We love the quiet and proximity to bars and restaurants and hikes and nature.”

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Mount Washington has a particular kind of stillness. It is not isolated, but it feels removed enough to allow for a different pace. Isabel shares, “We love the textures. We wake up to morning fog, nestled in the hills, seeing lots of trees, hearing birds.”

Over time, that sensory experience has deepened into something more internal.

“After three years of living here, it now smells, sounds and feels like home: a place we’ve created together that we can return to after travel and rigorous work.” For Isabel and Jamie, home is not separate from work. It’s part of the ecosystem that supports it.

Isabel is a Director, DP, and Photographer. Her most recent feature is a deep dive into icon Selena in the Netflix feature Selena y Los Dinos and she recently wrote & shot a poignant and timely piece for The New York Times titled How the ICE Raids Are Warping Los Angeles. Jamie is a Producer whose recent documentary, Predators, examines the ethical complexities surrounding To Catch A Predator and its many imitators. Just this week, the couple released a short film - produced by both of them and shot and directed by Isabel - for The Guardian about a man self-deporting from Trump’s America, titled Abel Leaves LA.

Both filmmakers work with heavy subject matter, and their home functions as a necessary counterbalance. Their work reflects that tension.

“Isabel’s deeply inspired by LA in her work; her first feature and next two films are grounded in Los Angeles,” says Jamie. They both explore the history and multiplicity of the city. Jamie’s built community that has bolstered and facilitated the work he champions.

The house becomes both a retreat and a point of return. A place to process, reset, and continue.

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When they found the house, the decision came quickly, but the reasons were layered. Isabel loves light. Jamie needed space. “This house had both, but the thing that made us fall in love with it was its history,” shares Isabel.

The home carries a lineage that feels aligned with their own values.

“The home is owned by a former Los Angeles Times reporter who writes about immigration, incarceration and mental health. We met and connected instantly, and have now bonded over our shared love of this small nook in the world.”

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The feeling of the space is immediate and consistent. “It’s peaceful and warm,” says Jamie. That simplicity carries through the way they’ve shaped it. “We have photographs and art from our friends, family and artists that we admire throughout the house. We have shelves in our living room that showcase mementos of meaningful events in our lives.”

The objects are specific, but they function collectively as a timeline: a sign of when Isabel first picked up Jamie at the airport, a jewelry box belonging to Jamie’s grandmother that he proposed with, photography books that have inspired Isabel’s work.

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Sanctuary, for them, is not abstract. It’s a word that holds weight in this city, both historically and in the present.

Homes in Los Angeles often exist in tension with the city around them. Exposure to nature, proximity to risk, constant movement. In Mount Washington, that tension softens slightly.

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What Isabel and Jamie have created here is not just a place to live, but a place to return to. A space shaped by work, memory, and partnership. A small, specific pocket of the city that holds steady while everything else moves.

Their sanctuary.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.

THANK YOU FOR READING.

SANCTUARIES LA IS AN ONGOING PROJECT EXPLORING HOMES, MAKERS, AND SHARED SPACES ACROSS LOS ANGELES. YOU CAN EXPLORE THE FULL ARCHIVE TO SEE ALL STORIES TO DATE.

THIS PUBLICATION GROWS THROUGH WORD OF MOUTH. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS PIECE, CONSIDER SHARING IT WITH SOMEONE WHO MIGHT AS WELL.

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VESSEL PHOTOGRAPHY BY ISABEL CASTRO
PORTRAITS BY SHELBY NICO DIAMOND

Faith Akgun’s hand-built vessels, often created using a coiling technique, are inspired by classical forms and organic silhouettes, but it’s the imperfections, the fingerprints and fire scars, that carry the soul of her pieces. Her work is not just about pottery; it’s about slowness, curiosity, and being in deep relationship with land, process, and community.

“I live in a little canyon in Northeast LA with a trail that runs behind my house,” she says. “The hill is minimally developed; there’s a native plant project and so many wild animals: coyotes, hawks, skunks, rabbits, snakes, and a crew of lovable neighborhood dogs. In the distance, you can see Dodgers Stadium, the downtown skyline, Mt. Baldy, and the Griffith Observatory. It’s a strange and beautiful juxtaposition. I love this canyon. It keeps me curious and reminds me to look for the kooky cracks wherever I am.”

That philosophy, of finding beauty in the in-between, is woven throughout Faith’s work. Whether she’s walking the trail behind her home or firing clay in a pit in Malibu, she approaches her practice with a sense of wonder and impermanence.

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That balance between intentionality and surrender shows up in her most recent body of work: pieces created during a pit fire in Malibu, scorched and smoked by seaweed, eggshells, salt. Some cracked. Some failed. Some were transformed. All were kept. “The whole thing was an exploration of aesthetic, process, and letting go,” she says. “I love the body of work that resulted, cracks and all.”

For Faith, sustainability isn’t just about materials, it’s a mindset. “With clay, I think a lot about recycling my scraps, using untraditional objects as tools, using minimal water, making the bowl I need rather than buying it. Being a maker feels like a tenet of sustainability,” she reflects. “It’s about using your skills to be self-sufficient without relying purely on consumption. It always takes a village, though.”

And her advice to anyone designing their own sanctuary? Be resourceful.

“There are so many clever ways to drum up beauty and style - whether it’s taking a dried palm frond from the street and treating it like a sculpture, finding eclectic glassware at a yard sale, framing a page from an old coffee table book, or handmaking your own art. Design is an expression of your character,” she says. “It’s not often achieved best by buying it off an Instagram ad.”

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.

THANK YOU FOR READING.

SANCTUARIES LA IS AN ONGOING PROJECT EXPLORING HOMES, MAKERS, AND SHARED SPACES ACROSS LOS ANGELES. YOU CAN EXPLORE THE FULL ARCHIVE TO SEE ALL STORIES TO DATE.

THIS PUBLICATION GROWS THROUGH WORD OF MOUTH. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS PIECE, CONSIDER SHARING IT WITH SOMEONE WHO MIGHT AS WELL.

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ROOTED IN THE BELIEF THAT SANCTUARY EXISTS EVERYWHERE, OFTEN HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY TANVEER BADAL

When architect Andrei Pogany and his partner Deborah Gorman left New York after a decade, Los Angeles wasn’t the plan, it was a pause. They were supposed to spend three months in LA before heading to Indonesia. But the city had other ideas. “Our friends showed us Joshua Tree, the Sierras, and tacos,” Andrei laughs. “Three months later, we had jobs.”

Now based in Highland Park, Andrei leads Pogany Studio, a practice that has evolved beyond architecture into furniture, interiors, and material exploration. His office sits just minutes from his home, both nestled in the same hillside community. “That’s by design,” he says. “My clients are here, my family’s here. We work nine to five, and then I spend my evenings with them. That balance was intentional and part of what drew us to LA in the first place.” Nearly all of Pogany Studio’s projects are within a short drive of his home on Sparkletts Hill, on the border of Eagle Rock and Highland Park - a choice rooted in community rather than convenience.

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That spirit of collaboration also extends to the Pogany family’s own home, a layered renovation on a hillside lot that began in 2017. “The original house was a 1950s cube box with every room closed off from the next,” he recalls. “We opened it all up, created a flow between kitchen and living, because that’s how we live - together, in one space.”

Over time, the house expanded vertically, growing with the family. The upper level now frames sweeping city views, while an in-law suite below welcomes visiting parents, and occasionally friends testing out LA life. “It’s the same thing our friends did for us,” he says. “We’re hoping they’ll fall in love with it too.”

When asked about his design philosophy, Andrei doesn’t cite a particular style or period. “I love stories,” he says simply. “Every client has rituals - how they make their morning coffee, where they watch the sunset - and I design spaces around those narratives. The movements of a day become the architecture.” In his own home, those stories meet at a literal intersection. “The kids have their side, Deborah and I have ours, and we meet in the middle,” he says.

That sense of natural choreography runs throughout the house: clerestory windows nod to Schindler, folding doors erase the line between indoors and out. “When the walls open, the living room doubles,” he says. “It’s classic Southern California, the kind of space where you can feel the hillside breeze roll through at dusk.”

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When asked what sanctuary means to him, Andrei pauses. “I thought about that all day,” he says. “When I was a kid, I’d play outside with my friend Jack. We’d build forts and pick our own spots; I remember realizing it wasn’t about the spot. It was about how you made it your own.”

In the end, Andrei’s favorite moments are the quiet ones. “After the kids go to bed, I still walk around the house. It’s the first new home I’ve ever lived in. The floor doesn’t creak, and it still surprises me,” he says with a smile. “But what feels best is that we use every inch of it. The kids spill their Legos everywhere, we cook, we draw, we live here together. That’s the real success.”

Architectural Design: Pogany Studio
Construction: Dexterous Creative
Millwork: Monsterkraft
Lights: Ravenhill Studio
Tile: Zia Tile
Doors: Pinkys Iron Doors
Interior Design: Carla Toutz Interiors
Flooring: Madera Surfaces
Textiles: Block Shop
Select Furniture: Scout Regalia

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.

THANK YOU FOR READING.

SANCTUARIES LA IS AN ONGOING PROJECT EXPLORING HOMES, MAKERS, AND SHARED SPACES ACROSS LOS ANGELES. YOU CAN EXPLORE THE FULL ARCHIVE TO SEE ALL STORIES TO DATE.

THIS PUBLICATION GROWS THROUGH WORD OF MOUTH. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS PIECE, CONSIDER SHARING IT WITH SOMEONE WHO MIGHT AS WELL.

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HAVE A SPACE, MAKER, OR STORY WE SHOULD COVER? REPLY TO THIS EMAIL OR REACH OUT AT SHELBY@SANCTUARIES.LA. ALL SUBMISSIONS WELCOME.

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ROOTED IN THE BELIEF THAT SANCTUARY EXISTS EVERYWHERE, OFTEN HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT.

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Los Angeles is a city of neighborhoods, each with its own small sanctuaries: places where people return again and again. Coffee counters, old restaurants, garden patios, parks, film theaters, yoga studios. The places that hold a community together.

This is my guide to the east side. I mean my Eastside. This is by no means an exhaustive guide; just a gathering of the places I frequent on a regular basis, the places that make LA feel like a home to me. Below are some of the ones that shape my corner of Northeast Los Angeles.

COFFEE & TEA

Starting where most mornings begin: coffee and tea. My routine is essentially Kumquat, all the time, but that’s largely a matter of geography. There are plenty of other worthy stops around the neighborhood, though some of the best end up in the Third Places category, because they’re meant to be lingered in.

HIGHLAND PARK

• Kumquat: One of the most respected coffee programs in LA. Meticulous drinks, rotating specials, serious tea & coffee culture, and the center of what’s becoming the growing Quat network across the Eastside. Fondry in Highland Park, Loquat in Silver Lake and Cypress Park, and QUAT in Atwater Village are all part of the same growing ecosystem.

• Collage: The chiller alternative to Kumquat on York. Friendly baristas, dog treats, and a hidden secret garden down the alley near the old Elsa’s sign. One of the Eastside’s quiet coffee sanctuaries.

THIRD PLACES

A small collection of spaces designed for lingering—places that function as an out-of-home office as much as a gathering point. These are the kinds of third places where community forms: sanctuaries for creative work, informal meetings, and the simple pleasure of being around others.

HIGHLAND PARK

• Comet Over Delphi: One of the most thoughtfully designed spaces in the neighborhood. Created by architect Constanzia Delort-Laval with custom millwork by KayCee Tarricone, it feels less like a café and more like a community living room. Stay tuned for our feature on this special spot, coming soon.

• Meadow at York Manor: A co-working space inside a converted church. Calm, beautiful, and designed for people who want to work around others without the chaos of a café. I’ve seen this 1913 official historic landmark go through many iterations over the years and this is by far the best one. Meadow also has a multi-story sister location across from Lodge Room on Fig that was featured as Maia’s office in Season 1 of I Love LA.

• Highly Likely: A garden café that functions as a true neighborhood gathering space with families, laptops, meetings, and brunch all coexisting.

• Kitchen Mouse: A longtime vegan mainstay with a loyal following. Their bakery down the street has one of the best carrot cakes around.

BREAKFAST & LUNCH

Breakfast and lunch on the Eastside are less about formality and more about rhythm. These are the spots that anchor the middle of the day. These are my favorite places to meet a friend, grab something quick between errands, or sit for a while with coffee and sunlight. Casual, reliable, and deeply woven into neighborhood life.

EAGLE ROCK

• Cindy’s: A true time capsule. Cindy’s feels suspended somewhere between the 1970s and today with vinyl booths, regulars who’ve been coming for decades, and the comforting feeling that not everything in Los Angeles needs to be reinvented. A neighborhood sanctuary for breakfast.

HIGHLAND PARK

• Belle’s Bagels: A neighborhood institution. Belle’s started as a tiny takeout window and slowly grew into one of the Eastside’s most beloved breakfast spots. The space it occupies used to house a French restaurant, but today it’s something more communal with weekend lines, families gathering, and a feeling of neighborhood pride. Word on the street is they’re working on opening a second location in the nearby beloved town of Sierra Madre.

• Delia’s: Old-school Highland Park in the best possible way. Cash-only, no frills, and some of the best burritos in Northeast LA. Delia herself is often there, and the place feels less like a restaurant than a neighborhood fixture.

• Ggiata: The perfect takeaway lunch stop. Their Caesar wrap has become a quiet staple for many locals. Simple, satisfying, and ideal for eating in a nearby park.

• Villa’s Tacos: I would be remiss to not mention Villa’s. Back in the pandemic, they started as a street stand outside of Berry Bowl on York and the line would quite literally go down the entire block to Snake Park. Watching their evolution (featured in the Bad Bunny Benito Bowl show!!) and business grow is such a joy. And obviously, the Villa’s Trio is incredible.

ATWATER VILLAGE

• Dune: A perfect place to sit outside and eat slowly. Their Glendale Boulevard patio has an easy, sunlit energy that makes it ideal for lingering over lunch. The pita is exceptional - pillowy, warm, and built for scooping - and the iced tea is exactly what you want on a warm Eastside afternoon.

SIERRA MADRE

• Mary’s Market: Mary’s makes the list because it’s our favorite place to spend a weekend morning. Just twenty minutes from Highland Park, Sierra Madre feels like a small mountain town tucked at the edge of the San Gabriels: charming and quiet, with the kind of main street that could easily be in the Blue Ridge, but dotted with signs that remind you you’re still in Los Angeles County like, “When you have more than you need, build a bigger table not a higher wall.” Tucked deeper into the canyon, away from the little downtown, is Mary’s Market. You can eat breakfast beside the sound of the creek and then wander through the canyon afterward. Order the Dan Bell Remix with the Cowboy Bowl and a waffle.

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BEST FOR TAKEOUT

Takeout has its own category because some places are best enjoyed at home - eaten on the couch, in the yard, or carried to a nearby park. These are the reliable neighborhood spots that make an ordinary meal feel easy.

HIGHLAND PARK

• Joy: A neighborhood anchor serving Taiwanese comfort food. Located in the old Elsa’s Bakery space, Joy manages to be both a casual takeout spot and a social hub. Sister restaurant to Pine & Crane in Silverlake and DTLA.

• Skaf’s on York: We were longtime fans of the original Skaf’s on Chevy Chase in Glendale and used to make the drive just to eat there, so the York Boulevard location feels like a gift. It’s now an easy walk from home. The chicken shawarma plate is our go-to, with smoky babaganoush and an almost dangerously good garlic sauce. Simple, generous food that always hits exactly right.

• Ramen of York: The Northeast LA outpost of the Silverlake Ramen family, and my favorite place in the neighborhood for a bowl. I usually go for the classic with black garlic oil, which has exactly the depth you want on a cooler night. In the summer, the massaman ramen cold noodles are the move—bright, refreshing, and unexpectedly perfect for a hot day.

• Rosty’s Peruvian: If you live nearby, this becomes a regular rotation: rotisserie chicken, incredible sauces, and the kind of reliably good food that anchors a weeknight.

• Mason’s Dumpling Shop: A reliable stop for both soup dumplings and fried dumplings, equally good whether you eat them there or take them home. The flavors are bold and satisfying, making it an ideal takeaway spot when you want something quick that still feels like a real meal.

• Delia’s: Delia’s deserves a second mention here because their bean & cheese burrito is probably our number one most-ordered takeout item.

EAGLE ROCK

• Chateau Lemongrass: A perfect low-key night-in meal. Their pho is deeply comforting: warm, fragrant, and exactly what you want when the evening calls for something restorative. The filet mignon pho is a standout, and it travels surprisingly well, arriving home just as hot and soothing as if you were eating it there.

BURGERS

Burgers deserve their own category; there are simply too many good ones east of the LA River. And no, I’m not including For The Win. You’re welcome to email me your objections.

EAGLE ROCK

• Yellow Paper Burger: Far and away my favorite burger on the east side. A cult favorite. Their pup patty has made this a sanctuary for my dog as well.

HIGHLAND PARK

• The Hermosillo: OK, this is actually my favorite burger on the east side. But mostly because I love this spot wholeheartedly for other reasons. And I can walk there. Keep reading below for my ode to Herm.

• Burgerlords: A longtime neighborhood staple with solid vegan options, that proves plant-based comfort food can still feel indulgent. Their tahini vanilla shake is outrageous.

• Goldburger: Classic burger spot with a loyal following.

ELEVATED DINNER

These are the places you go when you want to sit down, stay awhile, and actually experience a meal. Not fussy, but thoughtful. Restaurants that feel a little more intentional than your weeknight takeout. Not including Hermon simply because I haven’t been there yet!! Soon though.

CYPRESS PARK

• Barra Santos: Putting this at the top because it is one of my favorite restaurants in all of Los Angeles. A small Portuguese spot that somehow feels both intimate and celebratory. The food is precise without being fussy, and the room carries the quiet energy of a place people return to again and again. Get the head-on shrimp and endive salad. Two of my forever-favorite dishes.

HIGHLAND PARK

• Sam’s Place: One of the best date-night spots on the Eastside. Everything leans toward the fire: charred vegetables, grilled proteins, a room that feels warm and alive.

• Checker Hall: A historic venue upstairs from the Lodge Room. Good cocktails, share plates, and the feeling of old Los Angeles entertainment culture still alive.

• Wildcrust: The pizza reminds me of the original pizzas from Roberta’s in Bushwick - where I lived nearby for six years and was completely obsessed - more so than the actual West Coast outpost of Roberta’s at the Platform in Culver City. A beautifully executed 48-hour fermented sourdough Neapolitan pie and a relaxed space that feels perfect for long dinners with friends.

• Ichijiku: Quiet, excellent sushi. Also great for takeout.

GLASSELL PARK

• Dunsmoor: Everything is cooked over open fire. The food feels elemental and grounded—perfectly suited to the neighborhood. Go early and sit at the back bar for their burger special.

FROGTOWN

• Lingua Franca: A small, thoughtful restaurant that feels almost like a dinner party. The menu changes often and pulls from multiple culinary traditions, but everything feels intentional and quietly precise. The space itself is understated and intimate, making it one of those rare places where the pace naturally slows and the evening unfolds course by course.

• Loreto: A beautiful seafood-forward restaurant tucked along the river in Frogtown. The room is airy and refined, but still relaxed in that Eastside way. The menu leans toward coastal Mexican flavors with pristine seafood preparations. It’s the kind of place that feels celebratory without being over-the-top—perfect for a longer dinner when you want to settle in and stay awhile.

DRINKS

My picks for drinks on the Eastside tend to be more neighborhood-oriented than scene-driven (with the exception of Capri Club which is undoubtedly a scene). These are the places where people settle in for a while while meeting friends after work, lingering over a cocktail, or running into familiar faces. Bars that feel less like destinations and more like extensions of the neighborhood.

HIGHLAND PARK

• The Hermosillo: Now here is my true ode to the Herm: Probably the place I frequent most. A true neighborhood hub with great beer and food, and -somewhat to the chagrin of Sam, the owner - one of the most family-friendly patios around. On Fridays after preschool pickup, the space fills with kids while parents catch up over drinks. It’s our local spot to walk to with friends, kids, and dogs, a true neighborhood gathering place.

EAGLE ROCK

• Capri Club: Stepping into Capri Club feels a bit like New York nightlife transplanted to the Eastside: less laid-back than most neighborhood spots, but undeniably cool. The cocktails are excellent, and the mocktails are just as thoughtful. The frozen negroni is a standout, and their Penicillin mocktail is unexpectedly luxurious.

• Walt’s: A true locals bar. Low-key, welcoming, and very much part of the neighborhood fabric.

GLASSELL PARK

• The Grant: Great cocktails and a welcoming bar staff. Martini Mondays have become a small Eastside ritual.

GOODS SHOPPING

Goods shopping on the Eastside is less about big retail and more about thoughtful neighborhood stores. These are the places you stop into before a dinner party, while running errands, or when you need something small but meaningful: local products, well-made pantry staples, and objects that make everyday life feel a little more intentional.

HIGHLAND PARK

• Rosie Bunny Bean: Our go-to pet store. Owners Michael and Jillian host events like dog Halloween parades and Valentine’s parties. A true community sanctuary.

• Potluck Local: A neighborhood market showcasing local food brands. I love to buy local brands Fishwife, eastsider Molly Baz’s sandwich sauce brand Ayoh, and Little Sun Calimocho here.

• Sip Snack: The perfect stop when you realize you forgot one ingredient for a dinner party, or have the munchies.

• Re_ Grocery: A refill store where you can replenish everything from dish soap to olive oil. Better for the planet and the wallet.

• Vinovore: A wine shop focused on women-owned wineries. Also one of the best places to pick up a host gift.

• La Tropicana Market: A small neighborhood grocer on Monte Vista that locals rely on for the essentials. In the back, the Burritos La Palma stand turns out some of the best burritos in the city.

• Cookbook: I can’t mention goods shopping in HLP without mentioning Cookbook. It is undeniably the best quality produce, meats, breads, flowers, etc. When I am very rich one day I will exclusively shop here.

EAGLE ROCK

• Milkfarm: A cheese shop that has quietly become a neighborhood institution. Perfect party trays—order ahead and pick up before a gathering.

CLOTHES SHOPPING

Clothing on the Eastside tends to feel a little more considered than trend-driven. The shops here are smaller, often owner-run, and built around a point of view: places where you can take your time, talk to the person behind the counter, and leave with something that actually feels like it belongs in your wardrobe.

HIGHLAND PARK

• Shades of Grey by Micah Cohen: One of the best-designed clothing stores in the neighborhood. Elevated but approachable, with pieces that feel timeless.

• Meals: Known for their incredible chef pants and matching sets. Thoughtful construction and colors that make everyday clothing feel intentional.

• Avalon Vintage: Beautifully curated vintage. I once found a 1959 suit here handcrafted suit from Hong Kong with the original owner’s name stitched inside.

• Soft Humans: A playful vintage shop with great finds.

• Milk Teeth: There is no physical store for Milk Teeth, but they are my favorite local children’s clothing brand so it’s worth a mention. It’s local to Highland Park and their sample sales happen at a warehouse on York near Sōgo Roll Bar.

SELF-CARE

These are my go-to spots for self-care: places for yin yoga, massage, and facials that help reset the nervous system. This category strays a bit beyond the bounds of my imaginary Eastside map, since a few of my favorites happen to be west of the LA River.

HIGHLAND PARK

• Kinship Yoga: A massive warehouse yoga sanctuary with multiple studios. The Yin & Healing Collective class has been a staple for many locals seeking calm and restoration.

• Highland Park Yoga: A smaller studio with a garden and a welcoming community feel.

EAGLE ROCK

• Deeper Than Skin: Obsessed with Mischa’s facials. I found her a few years ago through ClassPass and have been going ever since. She works out of a private room in the back of an unassuming hair salon, but once you’re inside the space is calm and beautifully kept. The facials are excellent, and her skincare advice is thoughtful and practical. Always deeply relaxing. A 10/10.

GLASSELL PARK

• The Surin Day Spa: I started going here on a neighbor’s recommendation and now it’s a regular stop. I usually see Cathy, who gives an excellent massage - perfect for either a 60 or 90 minute reset. A quiet, reliable neighborhood sanctuary for unwinding.

SILVER LAKE

• Yolo Foot Spa: A great, affordable neighborhood spot tucked near the Whole Foods on Glendale. I usually see YoYo, who gives an excellent massage. Simple, reliable, and one of the better values in the area.

DTLA

• JJ’s Massage: My favorite affordable massage spot downtown. I came here often during my pregnancy with my son; it was a lifesaver. It’s also just a block from my favorite bánh mì shop, My Dung, which makes for a perfect little afternoon pairing.

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ACTIVITIES

These are my favorite activities in my immediate neighborhood and into the SGV. When the Highland Theater reopens after Kristen Stewart’s restoration, it will undoubtedly earn a place on this list.

EAGLE ROCK

• Vidiots: A nonprofit video store turned cinema and archive. One of LA’s true film sanctuaries. Despite being a member, I sometimes always find out about the coolest events only after they happen. Someone in the know at Vidiots PLEASE invite me to them before. Highlights of events that I’ve missed and been oh so very sad about are: Nathan Fielder & Jack Black promoting the second season of The Rehearsal, Jacob Elordi just being present in the space, and the Stop Making Sense Screening & Q&A with David Byrne and Kim Gordon.

HIGHLAND PARK

• Bob Baker Marionette Theater: Every parent knows this place and now all the cool kids know it too. A Los Angeles institution since the 1960s. Puppet shows for kids, experimental performances for adults, and pure handmade magic. They’ve been hosting incredible invite-only events including an Iron & Wine record release concert & puppet show from Subpop and the Substack Spelling Bee hosted by Cazzie David & featuring Nicole Ritchie, Jacqueline Novak, Karley Sciortino.

• Lodge Room: A historic Masonic hall turned music venue hosting everything from late-night concerts to daytime family shows. I’ve seen Drugdealer here more times than I can count, and one of my favorite shows was Connan Mockasin performing in the round. The programming is consistently thoughtful and cool.

GLASSELL PARK

• Bub & Grandma’s: Famous for daytime sandwiches, the real sanctuary moment is their BG Nites Sunday and Monday night gatherings. There are two live music sets at 6 & 8 PM and the room fills with families and kids dancing. It often turns into an impromptu neighborhood party. Including it in this section because the live music aspect turns this into our son’s favorite night out.

• Glassell Pool: A public pool that feels straight out of a 1990s summer movie. Cheap entry, sunny chairs, and the soundtrack of neighborhood life.

PASADENA

• The Huntington: I have to include The Huntington because it’s easily our most visited place. I come at least a couple times a month, and it never gets old. Watching the gardens shift through the seasons is one of my favorite rituals.

  

PARKS & WALKS

One of my favorite things about living at the four corners of Eagle Rock, Highland Park, Mount Washington, and Glassell Park is the ability to head out in any direction: down the hill toward York Boulevard and the energy of town, or up into the quieter, more rugged trails that edge the neighborhood. Within a short walk you can move between cafés, campuses, and hillside paths that make the city feel surprisingly close to nature.

I’m not including all of my favorite hikes deeper in the Angeles National Forest here; there are simply too many. A quick shortlist: Gabrielino, Dawn Mine, and Switzer are hard to beat. The trails below are the more urban parks & walks closer to home.

HIGHLAND PARK

La Tierra de la Culebra Park: A cute, tiny little park off of Fig. Before the pandemic, this used to be the home of the Leaving Records shows Listen to Music Outside in the Daylight Under a Tree, and was one of the reasons that I fell head over heels in love with Los Angeles. Now that they have ended their engagement at Elysian, they’ve moved back here. It’s good that they’re home.

EAGLE ROCK

• Occidental College: One of the most beautiful campuses in LA. Olive trees, church bells, and open lawns filled with students, dogs, and families teaching children to ride bikes. I did indeed cry when I was rewatching Clueless after moving here, and I realized that Occidental plays Bronson Alcott High School.

• Fiji Hill: A rugged hillside trail behind Occidental with sweeping views. Wear good hiking shoes because these trails are steep and slippery.

MOUNT WASHINGTON

• Moon Canyon: A quiet trail known for moonrise views and oak woodland.

• Sea View Loop: One of the best lookout points on the Eastside, with views of downtown, Griffith Park, the San Gabriels, and even the Pacific on clear days.

• Heidelberg Park: The most rugged part of Mt. Washington. This is worth visiting because it’s the last untouched native California Oak Forest left in NELA. Go here to envision what the neighborhood looked like back when it was just the Tongva and Chumash. There is a hidden swing and benches along the trail here. Beware this is a major coyote hangout. Once I saw a pack of six coyotes here.

• Cleland Park: A mellow park at the base of Mt. Washington. Perfect for kids on one side and dogs on the other.

EMERALD ISLE / LA CAÑADA

• Cherry Canyon: Cherry Canyon is my favorite hike in the area. Think: nearly empty trails, the most stunning multi-million dollar estates, and sweeping 360 views of the San Gabriels, the Verdugo Mountains, the Griffith Observatory, and even the Channel Islands on a clear day. It’s a large park tucked behind Descanso Gardens with several entrances, but one of them is clearly the best. I found it after years of trial and error, and if you try to plug the trailhead directly into a map it often sends you to an inaccessible fire road… So here are the real directions: drive toward the Chevy Chase Country Club, then navigate to the intersection of Sugar Loaf Drive and Hampstead Road. Follow Sugar Loaf all the way to the top. When the road ends, turn right and you’ll arrive at one of the best trailheads in the park that leads you on one of the most ideal two mile loops in all of NELA. I may regret sharing this but I want to be generous!! You’re welcome.

The east side is full of places like these: small, unassuming sanctuaries that quietly anchor daily life. Coffee counters, neighborhood parks, restaurants where the same people return week after week.

This guide is simply a starting point, a snapshot of the places that shape my corner of Los Angeles. I’ll keep adding to it over time as new spaces appear and old ones endure.

Stay tuned for more guides from some of my favorite LA creatives. xx

THANK YOU FOR READING.

SANCTUARIES LA IS AN ONGOING PROJECT EXPLORING HOMES, MAKERS, AND SHARED SPACES ACROSS LOS ANGELES. YOU CAN EXPLORE THE FULL ARCHIVE TO SEE ALL STORIES TO DATE.

THIS PUBLICATION GROWS THROUGH WORD OF MOUTH. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS PIECE, CONSIDER SHARING IT WITH SOMEONE WHO MIGHT AS WELL.

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ROOTED IN THE BELIEF THAT SANCTUARY EXISTS EVERYWHERE, OFTEN HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT.

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PORTRAITS BY DANIEL HOLLIS DIAMOND
INTERIORS BY SHELBY NICO DIAMOND

OUT WEST

We moved from New York to Los Angeles in January 2019. At the time, we were preparing to buy an apartment in Brooklyn. On paper, staying in New York made sense. In reality, I had been ready to leave the city for years.

Los Angeles had become familiar through work trips, especially Venice, but it still felt abstract: a city so sprawling it seemed impossible to fully know. My husband, Daniel, who grew up in London, experienced New York as an extension of home. Los Angeles felt different to him: dispersed, car-dependent, less intuitive.

We decided to test it. I found a subletter for our apartment in Brooklyn and we drove west.

We started by living on the Westside for a month; it wasn’t right. Daniel didn’t enjoy this part of LA and frankly neither did I. Most of our friends were east and we felt isolated across town. Moving to a sublet in Highland Park shifted the conversation. The neighborhood felt textured and walkable, creative and trendy but lowkey in a way that felt familiar, like our corner of Brooklyn. Daniel said plainly: if we could find something near Highland Park, he’d consider staying.

We looked for months. At one point we flew back to New York to see an apartment in Bed-Stuy that overlooked an empty lot. After touring hillside homes in Los Angeles, the contrast was stark - not just in scale, but in light and air. New York felt intense, oppressive, chaotic. LA felt vibrant, soft, reconnected to nature.

We made offers across Mount Washington, Highland Park, and Eagle Rock and lost each one. Eventually we went into escrow on a Mount Washington house with a walk-street entrance and expansive views, only to walk away when inspections revealed major foundation issues. At the time it felt devastating; in hindsight, it simply wasn’t the right one and I’m so grateful we closed that door.

THE HOUSE ON THE HILL

Soon after, our agent mentioned an off-market property on Sparkletts Hill, at the border of Eagle Rock and Highland Park. Half an acre. Built in 1922. If we came in at a certain number, it would be ours.

Our house sits midway up the hill, partially concealed by mature trees. The structure is staggered within the topography, creating unusual privacy for Los Angeles with neither neighbor directly adjacent. There’s a flat side yard and a detached studio that now functions as a guest space and screening room. Ahead, the San Gabriel Mountains frame the horizon.

It was described to us as a former hunting cabin: a retreat from early Hollywood. In 1922, Los Angeles had just crossed one million residents. Eagle Rock was still its own incorporated city, annexed to LA the following year. The area was known for citrus groves and hillside homes marketed as healthful alternatives to downtown congestion, connected by streetcar along Colorado Boulevard.

Whether or not it began as a literal hunting cabin, it was the original structure on what later became a subdivided tract. The land has since been parceled, but the hillside retains a sense of separation and quiet.

I remember leaving the first showing and returning to our sublet with a clear sense of our future. I had the wildest sense of remembering a future that had not happened yet; I saw us raising our future child here. I knew this was our home.

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CARETAKERS

After we closed, I remember wondering if we’d made an enormous mistake. We were suddenly responsible for a century-old house on half an acre with mature trees, shifting soil, and a steady rotation of hawks, crows, coyotes, and skunks. On our first night, a pair of skunks sprayed beneath the house. It felt less romantic than it had in escrow.

Over time, that anxiety gave way to responsibility. We began the slow work of tending the land, learning its rhythms, and making the house our own.

The previous owner was a union set builder and fabricator, and his updates reflect that sensibility - beautiful, practical, and slightly unconventional. A kitchen sink formed from an industrial wok. A custom front door with the lock set into the wall. A small opening cut between the living room and bedroom to pull light deeper into the house. The interventions feel closer to stagecraft than standard renovation.

The house carries that layered history. It’s been built, modified, and adapted over time: an old hillside patchwork, as many Los Angeles homes are. That accumulation is part of its character.

I often think about the lives that unfolded within these walls: the children who took their first steps here, the celebrations, the quiet endings. It feels like a privilege to occupy even a small chapter of this history.

We plan to expand and refine it over time. For now, the value is in its privacy and scale. The distance from the street. The trees. The way sound moves differently here, in our little hillside valley.

During the pandemic, the house functioned as shelter in the most literal sense. It also introduced us to our immediate community. There’s a group text. We track coyote sightings. We check in during fire season. The neighborhood feels less performative than the cities we’ve lived in before. There are deep friendships. Two of our neighbors are even some of our eleven-month-old son’s godparents.

The land has extended outward. We’ve lent our front yard to Muddy Heaven for cultivation and host beehives on the back hill through Neighborhood Beekeeper. Space, when you have it, invites redistribution. That’s one of my favorite parts of being here in Northeast Los Angeles.

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SANCTUARIES LA BEGAN WITH THIS HOME

Living here shifted how I think about space: not as backdrop, but as infrastructure for a life. The privacy changed our pace. The land demanded attention. The neighborhood reshaped our idea of community. Over time, I started noticing how much of what feels stable or generous in a city begins at home.

This hillside property, at the edge of Eagle Rock and Highland Park, made that visible. It’s where the idea of sanctuary stopped being abstract and became practical. It’s what led me to seek that in other parts of LA.

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SANCTUARIES LA IS AN ONGOING PROJECT EXPLORING HOMES, MAKERS, AND SHARED SPACES ACROSS LOS ANGELES. YOU CAN EXPLORE THE FULL ARCHIVE TO SEE ALL STORIES TO DATE.

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Welcome to Sanctuaries LA, a publication about the places and people in Los Angeles that offer refuge: including homes, shared spaces, neighborhoods, and the people who shape them.

I moved to Los Angeles in 2019. Like many people, my relationship to the city changed in 2020. With daily life narrowed, attention shifted closer to home. Nature became more present. Walks replaced plans. What stood out wasn’t just how big LA is, but how many quiet, peaceful places exist within it, waiting to be discovered. I fell deeper in love with this city as I peeled back the layers and discovered more and more hidden sanctuaries, day by day.

Los Angeles has long been shaped by those who arrived seeking safety, possibility, and a place to build a life. Its very name speaks to layered histories and migrations, and its identity has been formed by generations of newcomers who have contributed to its culture, neighborhoods, and shared spaces.

To think about sanctuary here is not abstract. It’s rooted in the idea that a city can offer refuge and dignity, and that communities are strongest when they protect and care for one another.

This is an ever-evolving exploration to all of the peaceful, slower side of Los Angeles. Expect one to two features per week including home tours, deep dives on shared sanctuary-like spaces, profiles of architects, designers, and makers, and neighborhood guides from your favorite LA creatives. With a focus on:

HOMES & ARCHITECTURE

Los Angeles resists uniformity. Architecturally and geographically, it’s layered and inconsistent by design. You can walk through a single neighborhood and see decades of ideas side by side: houses tucked into hills, hidden behind trees, shaped more by climate than trends. Many of the most interesting ones aren’t immediately visible.

Sanctuaries LA is a way of slowing down and looking more closely, going behind the immaculately manicured hedges or wild oak groves to learn the stories and philosophy shaping the homes and shared spaces within.

We’ll share individual home tours, in-depth conversations with architects and designers we admire, and thoughtful explorations of Los Angeles’ architectural history.

COMMUNITY BUILDING

Los Angeles is held together by the people who build things here, sometimes literally. The city’s character isn’t only shaped by architecture, but by the designers, artists, gardeners, small business owners, and neighbors who decide to invest their time and care into their local community.

This section will spotlight those individuals and collectives: the creators restoring old storefronts, hosting gatherings, launching studios, tending native gardens, or rethinking how we live and work. Not as profiles for the sake of promotion, but as a way of understanding how community actually takes shape in Los Angeles: through sustained effort, collaboration, and shared experience.

NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDES & SHARED SPACES

Los Angeles functions less like a single city and more like a collection of neighborhoods, each with its own rhythms and loyalties. People love where they live, often fiercely, and your experience of LA can look entirely different depending on where you’re rooted.

I’m no exception. I’m deeply attached to my corner of the city — the intersection of Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Mount Washington, and Glassell Park — and I spend a lot of time further east as well, in places like Altadena, Pasadena, Sierra Madre, and across the San Gabriel Valley. For that reason, this publication will begin with an Eastside focus.

Along the way, we’ll feature neighborhood guides from our favorite creatives and Angelenos, highlighting the shared spaces like cafés, parks, studios, and shops that quietly anchor community life.

NATIVE LANDSCAPES & ECOSYSTEMS

It’s also about land and ecology. Over the past few years, I’ve spent time learning about native plants and ecosystems, taking classes at Theodore Payne Foundation and volunteering at Hahamongna Native Plant Nursery. That education reshaped how I understand stewardship at a neighborhood scale & what it means to live somewhere rather than simply occupy it.

Alongside home tours, community highlights, and neighborhood features, you’ll find practical guides: introductions to native plants, and notes on how to live thoughtfully alongside the wildlife that already calls this place home — coyotes, hawks, crows, and others.

WHAT’S NEXT

Next up, I’ll begin by writing about my own home, what I’ve learned about its history, and how it inspired Sanctuaries LA.

This publication is built by me, but it’s also built by you. My inbox is always open for tips: homes, architects, makers, secret spots or spaces that feel like home.

Drop me a line at shelby@sanctuaries.la.

I’m so glad you’re here. Please share this newsletter with five of your favorite friends in Los Angeles. Let’s explore together.

More soon x

THANK YOU FOR READING.

SANCTUARIES LA IS AN ONGOING PROJECT EXPLORING HOMES, MAKERS, AND SHARED SPACES ACROSS LOS ANGELES. YOU CAN EXPLORE THE FULL ARCHIVE TO SEE ALL STORIES TO DATE.

THIS PUBLICATION GROWS THROUGH WORD OF MOUTH. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS PIECE, CONSIDER SHARING IT WITH SOMEONE WHO MIGHT AS WELL.

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HAVE A SPACE, MAKER, OR STORY WE SHOULD COVER? REPLY TO THIS EMAIL OR REACH OUT AT SHELBY@SANCTUARIES.LA. ALL SUBMISSIONS WELCOME.

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