Comments on: Bunker Hill – Los Angeles, California – 1963

By: kathy

kathy — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 15:14:07 +0000

Regarding Bunker Hill; During the battle between historic preservationists and the developer, mysteriously one night a fire broke out and made the decision on development “convenient”. I remember the controversy over the Bunker Hill homes being torn down as a young girl. Many people worked to save the historic homes and tearful interviews regarding the tragedy on the local news. The proposed plan started with the Bunker Hill Towers. The glistening plans splashed through the LA Times. Suspected arson could not be proven although it sure teaches a lesson. Leave it to disrepair or arson and the plans can move through. Hopefully buildings that replace old ones will be of the quality that deem them nostalgic to the next generation.

By: Marisa

Marisa — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 20:15:24 +0000

From what I can tell from the visual landmarks in the photo…
It looks that the Music Center would be built later to her right…
Maybe there were still Victorians standing on that side for her to draw?…

Just saw this great movie on my new favorite channel “This” 5.2 on the
digital rabbit ears… It’s called “The Outside Man”, released in 1972 and the
opening credits are over a flyover of downtown and the new Music Center,
moving from south to north… Great shots of downtown before all the
skyscrapers but after they had leveled Bunker Hill so some large dirt lots show…

By: Diane

Diane — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 06:03:45 +0000

Too bad they didn’t save the Victorian homes! What a loss! I hope they were moved?

By: Sherry

Sherry — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:57:27 +0000

When I was a child, the downtown area was vibrant with shops and people walking about. When they developed Bunker Hill to “modernize it”, all they did was create a desolate downtown for the next 40 years. Now, they are desperatly trying to bring the same foot traffic and pizazz they had lost when they foolishly leveled the place. Sadly, many of the new ‘lofts’ are not priced so a family can afford them, and who wants to live there anyway? It is a ghost town at night. They swept away which would today be a great tourist attraction because of false claims of ‘blight’. The City of Los Angeles has been busy to attact tourist dollars since then while they destroyed an important link to their past.

By: Derek

Derek — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:41:28 +0000

They should have left those homes where they were. The City Officials in those days were complete idiots. Downtown L.A. could have had some charm like San Francisco.

By: Jim Dawson

Jim Dawson — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 20:38:14 +0000

Re Scott Mercer’s note: Actually, only two Bunker Hill houses–including the Queen Anne-style Donegan “Castle” at 323 South Bunker Hill Avenue–were carted to Heritage Square, and both were burned to the ground by vandals as soon as they arrived. Re Charles Phoenix’s photo, the couple is sitting on Flower Street near First, at the northwest corner of Bunker Hill.

By: Scott Mercer

Scott Mercer — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 00:38:49 +0000

A few of the buildings from Bunker Hill were moved to Heritage Square, a short ride away on the Gold Line train. It’s not much, but it’s better than nothing. I urge all Angelenos that haven’t been to Heritage Square to check it out.

By: Tom Menninger

Tom Menninger — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 23:11:12 +0000

I’m lost in wonder at your website. I can’t look away…it’s like watching a pleasant apocylypse

By: Frank Aguilar

Frank Aguilar — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 05:51:31 +0000

What a great picture, Im really interested in the painting that the women is holding, there used to be a old hotel on bunker hill. i lived on bunker hill when I was a child. I lived there with my grand mother and some of my cousins at the top of the steps. We also lived in one of the victorian houses at athe top of the street. Where the culdisac ended.

Great photo, thanks.

Frank Aguilar
original bunker hill resident

By: Don

Don — Fri, 05 May 2006 22:50:45 +0000

A lesson in urban redevelopment==had these old victorian structures been saved this district could have been a tourist attraction instead of giant skyscrapers. (I admit they are really impressive).