Curiosity

Closed doors in big walls always make me wonder what's on the other side. This door would open (if it weren't locked up tight) onto a wide open area of trees and shade—right next to the 105 freeway that cuts through the south part of Downey.

The concrete sound wall effectively blocks most of the freeway noise. In fact, the slight noise that's left sounds like running water, almost like living next to a waterfall.

A treasure found

Sometimes you can pass a scene dozens of times and not notice it. Then something changes...

That's what happened to me this morning when I turned onto Downey Avenue by the United Methodist Church. Maybe it was because of the rainy, overcast day. These two doors, half hidden behind the garden and wrought-iron gates, suddenly popped out, and I thought, What a beautiful scene! The stained arches, the old stone walls—it felt like it could be a scene from a couple of centuries ago.

The red door

I like red doors. A red door adds class and seems to dress up what might otherwise be a plain-looking house. A red door draws your attention to the door and says, "Come see what other surprises await you."

What else does a red door say? Googling, as always, turns up a long list of possibilities:

• In early America, a red door was a sign of welcome to passing travelers.
• Some say a red door was a sign of a safe house on the Underground Railroad.
• In China, many doors are painted with a fresh coat of red just before Chinese New Year to invite good luck and happiness.
• In Ireland, a red door is supposed to ward off ghosts and evil spirits.
• Old Catholic churches used red doors to remind parishioners of Christ’s blood and that it was a place free from evil.
• In Scotland, homeowners would paint their front door red to signify that they had paid off their mortgage.
• And my personal favorite — Albert Einstein painted his door red because he couldn't recognize his house without it.

Let's make a deal

Sliding doors are common for closets. Or for barns. They are much less common for garages. These three doors on a 1920s-era Downey garage remind me of the old game show "Let's Make a Deal."

Which door do you choose?

Side by side

These two houses sit side by side in the heart of old downtown Downey.

Nowadays, the area is filled with businesses small (a cleaner's, a chiropractor) and large (banks, the post office). But 100 years ago (or around 1920), these were family homes, just down the street from district attorney James C. Rives. From the back yard, the residents could probably see the balcony of Rives' mansion.

I couldn't find any information on the history of these homes. But I can imagine, with their matching architecture, that they were built by the same person, maybe for an extended family? What do you imagine?

Archways

I like archways. There is something both beautiful and magical about them. They give you the sense that you have stepped back into the past.

The first one, above, is a new archway on a home still in the midst of construction. The smaller picture is the entry to one of the older, Spanish-style homes in our neighborhood.

Unexpected pleasantry

So one day, I'm driving around Downey, and I see this cat in the middle of the road. Well, obviously I don't want to hit it so I swerve and turn into this small dead end street. It is too narrow to turn around immediately so I drive past a few houses to the end. A bird swoops right in front of my car and scares me into jolting to a halt. Looking up at the bird I see him and his friends enjoying a sunny January morning in an olive tree just outside a house at the end of the road. The front of the house in shaded behind trees and its own awning so it's hard for me to notice the spectacular front door.

I have to be honest. I felt a little creepy taking out my camera and aiming it at someone's front door. I took pictures of the tree first, quickly snapped a few shots of the threshold then jumped in my car and got out of there.

I think I've inherited Joan's obsession for old and interesting doors.

Windows and doors

Do you remember how you drew houses when you were a child? The windows always appeared like a couple of eyes, unrealistically high on the wall. This building in Downey's industrial area reminded me of a kid's drawing. Are the windows too high? Or are the doors too short?

Spanish-style beauty

I appreciate the variety of older homes found in Downey. According to Zillow, this one was built in 1931. Spanish style is one of my favorites. This one has some beautiful details. I love the door!

Red door

I don't know much about this house, but I like the front door. According to sources, it was built in 1923. The sad part is its location. It is right next door to the 5-story Bank of America building. It's not where I would choose to live, but the charm of the house is undeniable. Even the little Chinese lions on either side of the entry give it an extra kick of character.  

Downey Methodist Church

The entry to the Methodist church appeals to me, but the location has always puzzled me. It is in this set back area that you just don't see unless you go looking for it. I was surprised to read on the marble marker that the church has been in existence in Downey for  over 140 years (although, apparently not in its current location).

According to the history of Downey, College Settlement began in the 1860's when John Ardis purchased a parcel of land in the southwest corner of Rancho Santa Gertrudes.  Ardis opened a private school and in 1869, with the Methodist Church, established the Los Nietos Collegiate Institute. This school-church centered community attracted settlers who had traveled west hoping to settle and raise families. Nice to see (according to their website) the church still has the same grassroots mindset: a place to connect...to God to people and to faith.  

Unvarnished truth

I like to wander our local alleyways. For one thing, it's a change of pace from the usual scenery. But it's also a glimpse into the past, to the unvarnished truth of a home. It's a little like meeting people at a come-as-you-are breakfast.

From the front, this 1930s house looks like a typical post-WWII house. From the back, you can imagine how it was advanced for its time—two cars!—but a little bit worn, a little bit neglected, and a little bit undersized for today.

Urban decay

I am so drawn to Rancho Los Amigos. There is history here and mystery too. I heard it aptly described this past week as urban decay. It is accurate, but it seems so odd because it is right here, in Downey, middle class America.

It feels like such a waste. It was once this thriving city within a city. Hundreds of polio patients were treated and housed here. Now, it is empty, silent and fenced off. There are acres of abandoned buildings falling apart as we look on. I read stories of asbestos and other improper building materials. I'm not sure what the resolve will eventually be, but it feels like it is dying right in front of us.

A door or a gate?

I have always been drawn to doors. There is something compelling about them that beckons me. This door has both a sense of peace and inquiry. I want to know what is behind the door...there is an implied secret, an adventure that intrigues me.

Still round the corner there may wait, A new road or a secret gate.
- J. R. R. Tolkien

A door to the past

It isn't an exciting door. It isn't even a pretty door. But it is old. A century old, really. It is the door going to an old tower on the Rives property. Speculation as to what he actually kept in there ranges from grain to his own water recourse.

I just love the fact that that door was used regularly by people before we even existed on this earth, who went through their day to day lives not thinking that this door would ever be used in a blog, on the internet, one hundred years later.

Warm welcome

I love doors and I love things lit up at night! I drove past these doors last night. They were so appealing, elegant and simple. I like how adding the Christmas lights to the columns gives such a romantic glow to the whole entry way at night. It's one of my favorite parts of the Christmas season to see the glow of Christmas lights in so many neighborhoods.

Colors

I like these colors—red, white, and blue. I like how the red trim and bricks emphasize the lines of the windows, the roof, the flower beds. I like how the leaves of the Japanese maple complement the color scheme.

I just like it.

Fairy tale ending

I'm a sucker for a happy ending and I love fairy tales. Everytime I walk past this doorway, I sigh at the sweet sentiment of  the sign over the door. I sincerely hope they do live happily ever after...

The Doors

I love doors and this is one of my favorites. I pass this door often as it is in my neighborhood. I like that the family has added all the succulents to fit the style of the house and the door.

“There are things known, and there are things unknown, And in between are the Doors.”
Jim Morrison

Two-car garage

I bet when the house was built in 1921, this two-car garage was considered a luxury.