Once upon a time, but not all that long ago, the idea of living in one of Los Feliz’s famous Snow White cottages was entirely possible even to someone of relatively modest means. For instance, in late 2011, when the LA Times ran a feature on the kitschy bungalow court and its eccentric landlady, Sylvia Helfert, the going rent was $1,800 per month.
But now those days seem almost like a fairy tale. Following the death of Sylvia Helfert, the storybook cottages that Walt Disney built to house his animators in 1931 have moved on to a new, much pricier chapter, as an ad that popped up on Craigslist this week makes clear.
Posted by a real estate firm called the Carrabba Group, the ad touts a one-bedroom, one-bath cottage on Griffith Park Boulevard. Per the description, the 700-square-foot bungalow "has been restored to its former glory with all the original woodwork, period details and stained glass window in bathroom." There’s also a gas fireplace and one-car garage.
Along with the aforementioned vintage features, the cottage now sports brand new kitchen and bathroom tile, a new stainless steel range and fridge, and a new washer/dryer. Which is nice and all, but $2,750-a-month nice? Oh, and that’s just for single occupancy—if you want to share the space with your significant other, tack on another 10 percent.
- $2750 / 1br - For Lease Storybook Snow White Cottage [Craigslist]
Comments
That one nook for the candle/light is such a cute touch
By solllyy on 07.06.16 1:45pm
$2750? Good! Places like this shouldn’t be "affordable housing" to be trashed and destroyed.
By A Modest Proposal on 07.06.16 2:56pm
No central heating/cooling is a deal breaker. Also, aren’t these located across the street from a HighSchool? Good luck finding street parking during the day and on weekends. All in All, I use to love driving by these cottages. I think one further up the street was on sale. Thank goodness they weren’t torn down and rebuild like every other investor does.
By subaruwrx on 07.06.16 3:59pm
More greedy real estate bastards.
By CodyAmore on 07.06.16 4:54pm
The new rent is high certainly but the good old days weren’t that good; interesting and kitschy places like this have always been guarded by a manager who picks who they like and selects out everyone else. No regular person ever got the chance to pay $1800 for stuff like this; people in the business with connections magically get places like this and a regular old applicant finds the unit is "no longer on the market." Maybe this new management company will actually give the unit to whoever comes in and offers to pay the rent first.
By potteryburn on 07.06.16 4:57pm
@ A Modest Proposal – That is a stereotype that needs to die.
By Snarkygal on 07.06.16 5:29pm
my two cents… I’ve lived a block away from this place for the last 25 years and believe me, it was never affordable.
I remember years ago, i was walking past the building and i noticed a guy moving out. I asked if his apartment would be available for rent, he replied yeah if you’re crazy enough to pay it. turns out that this place with all its charm, would get people to move in but within months most of these new tenants would realize how crazy expensive they were pay for the size and area and would move out. the turn over in this building is crazy, there’s almost always a for rent sign.
By scrufff on 07.06.16 10:38pm
An extra $275 for a second person? My SO doesn’t even piss on the carpet that much anymore. PASS.
By MMVic on 07.07.16 7:42am
also featured in David Lynch’s "Mulholland Drive"! I’d be afraid of getting chased by tiny old people! plus, expensive
By mizzmad on 07.07.16 10:08am
Please stop perpeuating this easily-debunked urban myth. Walt Disney neither built nor owned these buildings, nor did he ever "build housing for his animators." They were proximate to the Hyperion Studio, and staff may have rented them (Hamilton Luske is reported to have been a tenant). They are simply an excellent example of numerous dozens of similar fanciful programmatic and international style dwellings that were a vernacular architectural style of the time.
By Jeff Kurtti on 07.09.16 2:49pm
Thank you, Jeff! Unfortunately, Curbed doesn’t seem believe in hiring fact checkers or copy editors…
By Editrix on 07.11.16 10:06pm