Secret Stairs Walk #8

This walk takes place in the Highland Park area of Los Angeles.  The walk starts near the intersection of N. Figueroa St and Avenue 53, near the old brick Faith United Presbyterian Church.  This section of Figueroa Street is Historic Route 66.

Red door of Church

Window of church

We head north on Avenue 53 toward the hills and cross the Gold Line tracks at Marmion Way.

Wall art

Wall art

We head along Avenue 53 and turn right onto Monte Vista Street and then turn left onto N. Avenue 54. where there is an elementary school with a mural on the side of the school.

Wall art on school

Wall art on school

As we continue to walk we find our first stair case.  This is a wide set of stairs, fitted with handrails, but not lights, rising over multiple landings.  Climb up 127 steps.  At the top of the stairs is the cul-de-sac end of Granada and we continue to walk straight ahead as the road rises and crests.  There is an Historic-Cultural Monument along this walk.  From here you can see Eldred Street and the staircase on the hillside across the canyon.  Eldred Street is the steepest street in California and was in Walk #7.

Turn right onto No. Avenue 53 and begin our ascent.  We see older homes and freestone rock walls, as we walk along.  We continue on winding up and around, to the corner Avenue 53 and Abbott Place, where there are two old homes with grand views.  Avenue 53 continues along until we get to Aldama Street, where we turn right and continue to the bottom of the hill, where we turn left onto Avenue 54.  There are some older homes in need of repair along this street, but we keep walking until we find Raphael Street. We turn left and walk up a half block of roadway and find the next staircase that has not been kept in good repair and has graffiti.  At the top, we keep walking straight ahead on Raphael.

Turn left, one block on, onto Aldama Terrace, where there are some interesting houses and then we turn right onto Aldama Street.  We walk straight ahead and following the road as it crosses Avenue 53 and bends to the left, where we find Avenue 52.   We walk on Avenue 52 and look for a driveway that leads to a staircase and up!  This staircase is a newish, double-railed set of 56 steps over several landings in condition, but not well maintained.  The top of the stairs puts us at the bend where Avenue 51 meets Shipley Glen Drive.  We walk straight ahead going down Shipley Glen.  At the bottom of the hill, we turn right on Avenue 50 and observe a pedestrian underpass.

Altar

Calico cat

Cat

Decoration on an address

Stairway

Front Porch

Fruit tree

Nature

Stairway

Tree Decoration

Up the stairs

View

Windows

Pedestrian Underpass